World of Warcraft at Ten Ton Hammer

Cross Server Instance Que

 Another highly anticipated (or dreaded) feature of 3.3 is the addition of cross server pugging. The newly redesigned LFG tool will link up players of the same battlegroup, allowing them to join non-pvp instances in much the same way that BGs work now. This should be a huge boon to low population realms where putting together a viable group for the daily heroic or any other instance run, now players from ten to twelve realms can all stew over the fact that there never is a tank or healer when you need one. The LFG tool itself is also getting a substantial overhaul that should improve overall functionality.

 From the PTR patch notes:

 ·  Dungeon System

• This feature has replaced the Looking For Group tool and provides all-new dungeon party creation functionality.
• Players can join as individuals, as a full group, or a partial group to look for additional party members.
• Groups using this tool will be able to teleport directly to the selected instance. Upon leaving the instance, players will be returned to their original location. If any party member needs to temporarily leave the instance for reagents or repairs, they will have the option to teleport back to the instance.
• Players can choose the Random Dungeon option.
• The Heroic Wrath of the Lich King Daily Random Dungeon option will award two Emblems of Frost no more than once a day.
• The normal Wrath of the Lich King Daily Random Dungeon option will award two Emblems of Triumph no more than once a day.
• Continuing to complete Wrath of the Lich King Heroic instances using the Daily Random Dungeon option will award players two additional Emblems of Triumph each time.
• Daily Heroic and normal dungeon quests have been removed. These quests have been replaced with weekly raid quests (see the "Quests" section for details).
• Level-appropriate rewards will be offered to players who choose the Random Dungeon option for pre-Wrath of the Lich King dungeons.
• Players can be placed in a group for a random dungeon no more than once every 15 minutes.
• Random Dungeon rewards will be placed in each player's inventory automatically upon completion of the dungeon (final boss killed). A pop-up notification will display any rewards earned through the Dungeon System.
• Instead of choosing a random dungeon, players can also choose specific dungeons appropriate for their level range. Multiple instances can be selected at one time. The feature no longer limits the choice to look for only 3 dungeon groups at one time.
• Pick-Up Groups
• Cross-realm instances are now available and use an improved matchmaking system to assist players in looking for additional party members. As with Battlegrounds, the realms in each Battlegroup are connected.
• As part of the matchmaking system, some of the more difficult dungeons will have a minimum gear requirement. Players also need to meet the requirements for dungeons that require attunement, such as keys or quests. If a player does not meet the requirements for a particular dungeon, a lock icon will be displayed next to that dungeon. Hovering over this icon will display the requirements which have not been met.
• Only conjured items and loot dropped in a dungeon for which other party members are eligible can be traded between players from different realms.
• A Vote Kick feature will be available in the event a member of a party is not performing to the expectations of the other members.
• Players who leave the group prematurely are subject to a Deserter debuff preventing them from using the Dungeon System tool for 15 minutes.
• If an existing group loses a member, the leader will be asked if he or she wants to continue the dungeon. Choosing to continue will automatically place the group back into the Dungeon System queue.
• A Player will not be placed in a group with people on his or her Ignore list.
• Players who take part in groups who have one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the Dungeon System will receive extra rewards, up to and including the coveted Perky Pug non-combat pet. The more random players with whom one groups, the faster the pet can be obtained.
• The Need Before Greed loot system will be the unalterable default looting system for pick-up groups in the Dungeon System and has been updated.
• Need Before Greed will now recognize gear appropriate for a class in three ways: the class must be able to equip the item, pure melee will be unable to roll on spell power items, and classes are limited to their dominant armor type (ex. paladins for plate). All items will still be available via Greed rolls as well as the new Disenchant option should no member be able to use the item.
• Players will be able to roll on items with a required minimum level higher than a player's current level.

 
This could be one of the most substantial changes to the way people play WoW, further increasing the load and go feel the game is famous for. My personal favorite bits are the ability to port back to the instance after repairing or getting restock of reagents and the vote kick feature (which took WAY too long to get in the game considering it had been a feature in other MMOGs that Blizzard has “borrowed” so heavily from).

Altoholics Rejoice!

Multiple enhancements are being made to help the speed of leveling, as well as revamps to many of the underpinnings to character mechanics and starting items. WoW has always been an alt friendly game and this list of updates will help expedite the process even more, especially for traditionally low DPS classes and hybrids. 

•  Characters from levels one to five can no longer be dazed when attacked from behind and levels six to ten will have a diminished chance at being dazed. 

• All classes excluding Shaman and Rogues will now start with a 2-handed weapon and the required skill. Shaman will still start with a shield and one-hander while Rogues will start with two daggers. 

• Health and mana regeneration rates will be increased by 200%. This amount will decrease each level from one to fifteen. 

•  Racial attributes will be fixed so that every race starts with the same amount of stamina except Tauren, Orcs and Dwarves, who start with one extra point. All other attributes will be the same for all races. 

•   Summon Imp is now available at level one without a quest. 

•   Rogues will now start at level one with dual wield and stealth 

•   Warriors can now learn Victory Rush at level six. 

• Spell mana costs reduced for all lower level spells, spells learned prior to level twenty have the most significant reductions.

 Class Changes 

There are a whole slate of class changes coming with this patch, virtually assuring the forums will soon be aflame with the rants and raves of vocal players. In addition to the specific class changes a couple of notable modifications to game mechanics, among the most substantial is a change to the popular racial ability Will of the Forsaken. The fear breaking mechanic will now share a 45 second cooldown timer with other items that have a similar effect. The cries of those that plunked down the coin to race change for the three days prior to this announcement can be heard for miles. 

Also receiving a change is the way AoE damage is distributed, going from a maximum number of targets to a maximum amount of damage per target. Troll and Orc Shamans will now feel more unique as their totems receive a revamp, becoming more orcish and troll-like. 

Patch 3.3 is one of the most highly ambitious patches to hit the game since Wrath launched, and many of its changes will help pave the way to the transition to patch 4.0. Keep in mind that while most of these changes will end up live, this is still on the test realm and is subject to change at any time. For a full list of all the changes you can keep up to date by frequenting this page as it is revised often. I hope you are as excited as I am to see this content up close and personal. As always, stay safe and have fun in Azeroth.