Tag: beta

Cataclysm UI: Mage Auras

Posted on by Gazimoff

I’m a big fan of the Power Auras addon. Ever since I got to grips with it, it’s been a huge boon to my play, purely because it displays high priority information in an easy-to-digest manner. Since it arrived on the scene, it’s been a must-have for anyone looking to customise their UI.

It’s no surprise then that Blizzard have decided to incorporate a large chunk of the Power Auras capability into the Cataclysm beta. With last week’s build (number 12857) this capability has been switched on by default. But what do they look like for mages? Hopefully this handy video will explain all

Continue reading “Cataclysm UI: Mage Auras”

Will My Computer Run Cataclysm?

Posted on by Gazimoff

The most common question I get asked about Cataclysm is “will it run on my computer?” Not something about mages, not what the new zones are like. Not even how I’m finding it, or how much testing I’ve done. It seems the biggest worry I come across is if people have to buy a new machine so that they can play Blizzard’s latest expansion.

As a result, I’ve done some basic testing in order to be able to answer this simple question. Trouble is, it’s not an easy one to answer. There are so many variables to consider – do you raid, what graphics settings do you use, etc. The best I can hope to do is give you a relative idea of how my machine performs in the beta and provide you with enough information so that you can make your own comparisons.

Continue reading “Will My Computer Run Cataclysm?”

The Quest Converyer Belt

Posted on by Gazimoff

Spoiler Alert: Discussion of the phasing technology used in Cataclysm, it’s history, application and the problems surrounding it. Some allusion to in-game events/quests, although no specific details.

Back in Vanilla, Warcraft was mainly a scattering of quest hubs, each with their localised set of quests. Sure there may have been prerequisites such as a minimum level, but by and large you could quest where you liked. In Cataclysm the experience is streamlined into quest tunnels that guide you through a zone from one end to the other. To help with this, phasing is the toy of choice in the quest designer’s toolbox.

Phasing as a technology started out with a single quest in Burning Crusade. “Intercepting the Mana Cells” was added in patch 2.4.0 as part of the daily quests for the Shattered Sun Offensive. These quests were part of the overall Sunwell Plateau content update, adding the final dungeons and raid instances before the release of Wrath. In the quest, the player used a device to move “out of phase” and be able to interact with the items they needed to complete the quest.

Continue reading “The Quest Converyer Belt”

Entering Beta: The 80 Fire Mage

Posted on by Gazimoff

Spoiler Alert: Discussion of the latest changes to fire mages in build 12694. Also covering a few general and mage related UI changes and some speculation around what they indicate.

The latest beta realm patch was recently released, bringing with it a range of changes to the Mage fire tree (full notes in the forums). I’d been holding off doing any serious work on my level 80 transfer because these changes were inbound, and it’s definitely been worth the wait. The subtle playstyle changes have livened up the spec, both for PvE and PvP fans alike.

First up, let’s look at the baseline. Comparing my mage to his Wrath counterpart, his health pool has crept up almost 10k hp while his mana pool has remained flat at around 25k. Spellpower, haste, hit and crit percentages are also broadly in line with those in the current live game (although Spellpower is slightly higher in beta). Making the transition should be fairly smooth. The biggest issue will be the wasted spirit statpoints on non-set or filler gear – reforging or replacing may be the best way to deal with these items.

Continue reading “Entering Beta: The 80 Fire Mage”

New Mage Experience: Pt 1

Posted on by Gazimoff

Spoiler Warning: Discussion of the early Mage class experience, including when spells become available and how they impact gameplay. No lore, story or plot spoilers.

After firing up the Cataclysm beta on Friday evening, I’ve since tried a handful of characters. My level 80 mage has now been copied over, mainly so that I can have a look at the fleshed out talent trees. Because there’s a whole batch of changes to the Fire tree due to land in the next beta build, I’ve instead focused on the experience of rolling a new mage.

I initially started off by rolling a Gnome but there are currently a handful of bugs for both Gnomes and Trolls at character selection. As a result I decided to try a Worgen so that I could get a feel for the new starting area at the same time. Don’t worry though, I’ll be keeping this all Mage-centric.

Continue reading “New Mage Experience: Pt 1”

The Beta Mage

Posted on by Gazimoff

With a bit of luck, coupled with the generosity of those fine people at Curse and World of Raids, I’ve managed to get into the Cataclysm beta!

If you’re interested to know what I’ll be covering then please take a look at my Cataclysm Rules of Engagement. This basically means that I won’t be posting spoilers on quest X or Y, but instead will stick to coverage of class mechanics, spells and talents.

Current plans are to document the mage leveling experience, both for new races and existing ones. I’ll also be looking to talk about the level 80 experience when faced with a completely new talent tree. More on that soon.

If there’s something you’d like to know more of then please ask and I’ll add it to the stack of things I’m going to cover. I’m also going to try and record some videos and put them on Youtube (complete with British Accent commentary)! If there’s something you’d particularly like to see, please let me know.