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Overview:Minstrel Class

Welcome to the Month of the Minstrel! It's the Minstrel's turn in the spotlight, as we reach the latest part of our continued updates and additions to all of the classes in LOTRO. To identify the aspects of the Minstrel class we should focus on, we referenced player feedback, data collection, and our own experiences, and decided on the high-level goals of increasing a Minstrel's ability to play solo, diversifying a Minstrel's buffing/support role, examining and improving healing, and adding some fun treats for our players. These goals were addressed by adding new skills, modifying existing skills and traits, and by adding new items to the game.

Solo Play:

Minstrels have always been most effective while supporting other players, but haven't been at the top of their game when playing alone. We gave them some abilities that will let them solo better.

* New Skill: War-Speech - This skill is the first in the new "Words of War" skill category. It is a toggled stance that powers up both "Piercing Cry" and "Chant of the Oathbreaker" (read on), but decreases a Minstrel's ability to heal. In addition, it limits usage of two other powerful skills. The overall intention of this skill is to give the ability to defeat monsters faster to those players who are comfortable with the amount of damage they are taking. While in Fellowships, most Minstrels will want to keep this power toggled off, but if there are multiple healers available, the Minstrel may wish to begin chanting words of war!
* New Skill: Call to the Elder King - Gated behind War-Speech, this call to the chief of the Valar will damage your foes and make them more susceptible to further attacks.
* New Skill: Call to the Second Age - Gated behind War-Speech, this call to ages past will greatly damage your foes and increase the movement rate of your Fellowship.
* New Skill: Chant of the Oathbreaker - This skill calls upon the spectral weapon of an Oathbreaker to harry a foe. It will deal damage and decrease the foe's resistance to Songs and Cries. While in War-Speech, the damage and resistance debuff will increase. This skill is intended to be a new hallmark of a Minstrel. Using it in solo play will increase the speed at which you can defeat foes and make more of your Ballads connect. In group play, your tanking allies will appreciate the resistance debuff, which will make their taunts fail less frequently.
* New Items: Damage-type Instruments - New instruments have been added to crafting and reputation which will change Chant of the Oathbreaker's damage type.

Buffing/Support:

The buffs of a Minstrel are strong and varied already. We wanted to provide more options without turning the Minstrel into a primary buffer, so the new skills added tend to have longer cooldowns and very potent effects. This way, while the skills are strong, they cannot be used often.

Trait: Strength of Voice - This trait now increases the duration of all ballad buffs.

* Skill Revamp: Song of Aid - The combat events that this skill triggers now only show up on a class if it benefits that class. No longer will Guardians gain critical events, nor will Burglars gain block events.
* Skill Revamp: Tale of Heroism - This skill was made into a proper aura toggle skill, and is joined by two new aura skills, only one of which may be used at a time. A power upkeep cost was added to the Tales to emphasize that the Minstrel, while a strong buffer, must work more than other classes to maintain such effects.
* New Skill: Tale of Battle - A new aura in the Tale family, this increases Vitality and Wound Resistance.
* New Skill: Tale of Warding - A new addition to the Tale family, this aura increases Armour and Hope.
* New Skill: Call to the Fellowship - A shout to your whole Fellowship that increases the effectiveness of your next Fellowship Manoeuvre.
* New Skill: Call to Greatness - A word of power that bestows a class-specific buff on a target. Each class gains 15 seconds of benefit in a way that helps them. For example, a Call to Champions gives an immediate defeat event (to activate skills like Red Haze) and two Fervor pips. For the next 15 seconds, a point of Fervor will be granted every 5 seconds.

Healing:

Minstrels are, without a doubt, the kings of healing in LOTRO. We're very happy with the amount of morale a Minstrel can restore and the amount of time it takes them to restore it. No new heal-over-time skills will be added, since the Captain is more focused on morale-over-time, and the Minstrel up-front heals. We also feel that the power cost of that restoration is too low at higher levels.

Skill Revamp: Healing skills - We've increased the cost of healing skills at higher levels. No change has been made to lower-level players, but at a high level, the costs increase.

* New Skill: Chord of Salvation - The Minstrel now has an instant cast heal! Chord of Salvation heals more than Raise the Spirit but less than Bolster Courage. However, the price for being an instant cast skill is higher power usage, and a 30-second cooldown.
* New Skill: Gift of the Hammerhand - Minstrels can now put a shield on an ally, similar to their own Lay of the Hammerhand. This skill makes incoming damage reduce Power instead of Morale. The shield is instant cast, so combined with Chord of Salvation, a Minstrel can very quickly save a fellow who is about to fall.

Fun Stuff!

It's fun stuff, and it's full of surprises! We've also made the following non-combat additions:

* New Skill: Irresistible Melody - Playing a melody of such beauty, a Minstrel can now inspire those nearby to break into dancing.
* New Instruments: Bagpipe, Cowbell and Moor Cowbell - Minstrels can now play the bagpipe, cowbell (because too much cowbell is never enough) and the Moor Cowbell. All players will be able to learn the Cowbell, but the Bagpipe and the Moor variety of Cowbell will be Minstrel exclusives. Until they use the next skill, that is...
* New Skill System: Mentor system - A Minstrel will now be able to teach other players how to play any of the Minstrel-specific instruments. Yes, you read that right: now anyone can be taught how to play any instrument in the game! Once a Minstrel has acquired the ability to teach an instrument (keep in mind, this will require more work then just going to a trainer), they'll be able to teach it to any other player, but with a very long cooldown. All Mentor skills share the same cooldown, so once you've taught someone an instrument, you won't be able to do so again for five days.

Conclusion:

Well, these are the big things you will likely notice in Month of the Minstrel. There are more changes, but none as big as those described above. We think this will make an already fun and functional class even more interesting!
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The Lord of the Rings Online has enjoyed explosive growth since its April unveiling. And it'll probably keep doing so—if it remains true to Tolkien's vision

Jeff Anderson is not a nerd. The 40-year-old chief executive of Westwood (Mass.) video game developer Turbine is six feet tall, with the frame of an NFL linebacker. Nevertheless, he presides over a vast and rapidly growing virtual world of elves, orcs, dragons, and hobbits.

In April, Anderson's company took the wraps off the Lord of the Rings Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for PC, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's classic books. The explosive growth of the game—players have created some 4 million unique characters in just five months—has vaulted the company into the top tier of online game design companies and made it the largest privately held developer of massively multiplayer games in the U.S.

In the game, players create avatars based on characters from the books—hobbits or orcs, for instance—to pursue quests and battle monsters in an expansive virtual world closely based on the tales' locations and events. They can also chat with other players via an internal instant message system, or join groups to play collaboratively and virtually trade objects such as weapons or potions. A copy of the game costs $29.99, with an additional $14.99 fee per month for continued online access. Turbine also offers an alternative payment option: A $299 lifetime membership with no subsequent fees.

It's a good time to be introducing new products into the burgeoning online games market. In May, the NPD Group reported that a growing majority of all gamers prefer to play online. According to research firm Strategy Analytics, the worldwide online games market, which generates more revenue than other genres of games and either video or music sales, currently rakes in nearly $4 billion a year. Strategy Analytics reckons the online games market could triple in size over the next five years, ballooning to $11.8 billion.
Adept at Dealmaking

With the Rings game, Anderson is attempting to transform Turbine from an obscure game developer working on contract for big publishers such as Microsoft (MSFT) into a well-regarded gaming brand of its own, capable of competing with offerings from much larger companies such as Vivendi's (VIVEF) Blizzard Entertainment, maker of the current top MMORPG title, World of Warcraft, which has 9 million subscribers worldwide.

"We're more nimble than a larger company," Anderson insists of his team, which consists of about 200 employees including developers, designers, support, sales, and administrative staff. Inking agreements with European developer Codemasters and CDC Games for an upcoming Chinese edition of the Lord of the Rings Online, Anderson's team has proven adept at the dealmaking crucial to extending multiplayer games around the globe. Such deals allow the game to be operated according to national regulations and to be translated into the appropriate language.

The company isn't shy to outsource, either, offshoring to India the triage of support-related e-mails and the 3D modeling of some of the game's simpler objects. Nor has it shied away from hammering out technology deals, licensing a software-based physics engine from Irish developer Havok to make its titles look and play more realistically without having to rewrite code from scratch.
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The start of the always fiendishly fun annual Harvest Festival has been set for Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 1:00.

This year's festival has all the makings of a truly memorable event; everyone's favorite bomb decorations will adorn the streets of the three nations, specialty shops will deal in seasonal sundries, and both classic and all-new costumes will debut!
The townspeople from San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst are decked out in their most horrifying ensembles and awaiting your arrival!

So go ahead and start stocking up on all those goodies that the monsters of Vana'diel can't resist!

For information on how to get involved in the Harvest Festival and more, be sure to check out the Topics posted on the day the event begins.

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Over on the official forums, poster Flaval informs us that Gnome hunting season has begun and will last until August 28th. Though Flaval makes this sound like a Horde-only event, I'm sure there are plenty of Alliance who would also be eager to participate. But here's the big question -- when does Night Elf hunting season start? Blood Elf hunting season? Inquiring minds want to know! So, how many of you will be participating in this year's Gnome hunting? (from wowinsider)

from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-Forum-Post-of-the-Day-Gnome-hunting-season-1229.html

By way of Blessing of Kings (why are all the good blogs about paladins?), here's a nifty macro to tell you if you have enough avoidance, as a paladin tank. How much is "enough"? Basically, enough to ensure that you avoid all crushing blows. If you pump up your dodge, block, and parry, you can push crushing blows entirely off the attack table, which goes a long way towards reducing the spikiness of incoming damage. More predictable damage = easier healing = fewer deaths. So let's see that macro: /script DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage("Need 102.4 combined avoidance. Currently at:",0.8,0.8,1) /script DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(GetDodgeChance()+GetBlockChance() + GetParryChance() +5+(GetCombatRatingBonus(CR_DEFENSE_SKILL) + 20)*0.04,1,0.5,0) A couple caveats: in "(CR_DEFENSE_SKILL) + 20)", the "20" represents your defense from the Anticipation talent. Adjust accordingly. Also, if you want Holy Shield to be taken into account, you have to turn it on first. This macro was made by Raymond of Nazjatar, so all props to him. I love math. (from wowinsider)

from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-Avoidance-do-you-have-enough-1228.html

Blizzard makes WoW wish virtual reality Make-A-Wish and a willing company help a grade schooler become the first outsider to create a new character in World of Warcraft.

By TAMARA CHUANG The Orange County Register UPDATE: Gamers show support for Ezra, Blizzard (May 23)

IRVINE ? For World of Warcraft players hanging out in Shadowmoon Valley last Friday, bizarre events occurred that can only be explained by a small group of people inside the headquarters of Blizzard Entertainment.

At the helm of the strangeness sat 10-year-old Ezra Chatterton, who directed Warcraft?s lead game designer Jeff Kaplan to blast ferocious-looking monsters, or ?bosses,? with a single death ray. Chatterton cleared the Black Temple for a European clan to fight the volcano-summoning Supremus. All that power. Heh, heh.

?I?m impressed with Blizzard,? said Chatterton from his wheelchair. ?Bravo!? The Riverside fifth-grader has a brain tumor. The diagnosis isn?t good; metastatic cancer. Splitting headaches started in March, which led to an emergency room visit in April. Doctors had to sedate him for the pain and he didn?t wake up for a week. Groggy and weak in the hospital, Chatterton only wanted to play the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, an organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening cases, came calling two weeks ago, Chatterton knew exactly what he wanted. ?I wished for a trip to Blizzard because I?d like to see if they could make a character and do some things for us.?

Chatterton didn?t think his wish would come true. He?s starting treatment today. And, at most, he thought it could just be a video conference call. But when he found out Blizzard was nearby, and willing, Chatterton became the envy of the 8.5 million World of Warcraft players worldwide. He not only got the chance to tour the company, but to create something new for the game.

Dubbed WoW, Blizzard?s game debuted in 2004 and has inspired hundreds of fan sites, a Warcraft Wiki, global game tournaments and even a ?South Park? episode. Chatterton had his father, Micah, sketch characters and write down questions so he wouldn?t forget.

Blizzard pulled the daylong funfest together in days. On Friday, father and son arrived at Blizzard?s Irvine headquarters in a black limo to tour one of the world?s most successful game companies.

Chatterton was whisked immediately to Kaplan?s office to create weapons and characters for the game. Later he would head to the recording studio to do a voice for the new character and meet with an artist to get the character?s look just right. Throughout the day, he got to design a new weapon, add his dog Kyle to the game, create a quest and record his voice for the new character, Ahab Wheathoof, the Old Rancher.

?We definitely want a crossbow,? Chatterton instructed Kaplan. He offered a detailed description of what he wanted: dangerous flames, curved frame and an ability to wreak havoc.

?I want it to shoot a fiery arrow at 300 damage over 10 seconds,? he said. With a few clicks of his mouse, Kaplan constructed a prototype. ?Wow. Weird. Progress is going quicker than I expected,? Chatterton said. ?This crossbow will be the only one in the game and it?s very difficult to get,? Kaplan explained. ?You?re going to get a lot of questions (from other players).? Chatterton shied away at Kaplan?s suggestion to add ?Finely crafted to Ezra?s specifications.? Father Micah explained, ?He doesn?t want to appear boastful.? They settled on attributing it to ePhoenix, his character in the game.

Chatterton?s parents divorced about five years ago and he spends time with both. But only when he?s with his dad does he get to play WoW. Micah Chatterton, a writer, wanted to play from the game?s beginning, but couldn?t afford it. In the U.S., WoW costs about $20 plus another $15 a month in subscription fees. Also, to play online, it?s best to have a high-speed Internet connection, which is another $20 to $50 a month.

Then, last fall, Micah Chatterton?s house burned down, taking away all his son?s toys. He used some insurance money for a computer and Internet access. The father-and-son team entered the world of Warcraft. By Friday, they had made it to level 63. Blizzard bumped ePhoenix up to level 70, the highest level, and stocked the character with gold, weapons and new armor.

?There were a lot of things that are unconventional with our relationship, and the way we choose to bond and spend time together,? said Micah Chatterton. ?For instance, WoW was something we had researched and talked about. We would talk about what kind of character do we want to create. This costume as opposed to that costume. We would make decisions together. Neither of us would feel comfortable about making a big decision without consulting the other.?

In the few days the two had to prepare for the trip to Blizzard, they did their homework.

?He asked me draw (a character) and we settled on this Phoenix motif because that?s his middle name. It?s certainly apt because we?d like to have some rebirth,? Micah Chatterton said.

?I asked him to think about why he likes to play WoW and one thing he said was he likes interacting with people he doesn?t know. No matter how crappy things are going on the outside, in the real world, he can be strong and successful and really turn heads in WoW.?

Ezra Chatterton?s enthusiasm kept him going all day, even getting out of his wheelchair to lob some bombs. By the end of the visit, he?d probably spent nearly seven hours with the Blizzard team.

?From my end, it was a lot about really maintaining the momentum of the day, just the happiness,? Micah Chatterton said. ?By the end of the day, when we sat down with the artist, Ezra was exhausted and said, ?I?m just happy with what I?ve got.? ? WoW players should keep an eye out for Chatterton?s creations: the rare, flame-shooting crossbow, a quest from a graying Tauren named Ahab Wheathoof and his frenzied dog, Kyle. Blizzard will add Ezra?s changes to the game in the next four weeks.

?If Blizzard is listening, I?d like to say thank you for everything you?ve done for my character to make him so good. I want to thank them for making the quest of the lost dog and the Old Rancher and all the stuff they gave us,? said a grateful but drained Ezra Chatterton, who by Sunday got in about five hours of game play. The visit has given him more to think about than playing games. He?s starting to think about his future.

?I?d like to be paid to test and play the game and test weapons, but I don?t think I meet the age requirements,? he said. ?I?m only 10.?

from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-Article-Money-Blizzard-makes-WoW-wish-virtual-reality-1226.html

Sure enough, the words that many WoW players dread to hear have been issued by Senior Game Master Khrogul. While this week should have been a quick rolling restart week, it would appear that it is not to be the case for several realms including the It Came from the Blog server, Zangarmarsh. Of course, you need have no worry! We will be with you through the downtime -- assuming you don't nip off and instead decide to get involved in a hardcore Chore Wars game in the meantime. For those wanting to check out the complete list of servers and the estimated length of downtime, I've copied the official Blue post after the jump for you. It's just another service we offer -- sparing folks from having to battle the slow forum servers on downtime day! Per Kroghul:

We will be performing our normal weekly maintenance in varying schedules as to perform different tasks for specific realms. Realms not listed below for specific downtime will only undergo rolling restarts on Tuesday, July 31 beginning at 5:00 AM PDT. The below realms will begin maintenance at 5:00 AM PDT, July 31 and end at approximately 7:00 AM PDT.
Arathor
Bonechewer
Dragonmaw
Eldre'Thalas
Firetree
Frostmane
Gurubashi
Nathrezim
Scarlet Crusade
Shadow Council
Shadowsong
Silvermoon
Skywall
Smolderthorn
Spirestone
Terenas
Windrunner
The below realms will begin their maintenance including hardware and configuration changes at 12:01 AM PDT, July 31 and end at approximately 11:00 AM PDT.
Aerie Peak
Altar of Storms
Alterac Mountains
Andorhal
Anetheron
Anvilmar
Archimonde
Area 52
Arygos
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Black Dragonflight
Blackwing Lair
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dalaran
Dalvengyr
Deathwing
Demon Soul
Dentarg
Doomhammer
Duskwood
Executus
Exodar
Gnomeregan
Haomarush
Icecrown
Jaedenar
Kel'Thuzad
Khadgar
Lethon
Mal'Ganis
Norgannon
Onyxia
Scilla
Sentinels
Shattered Halls
Steamwheedle Cartel
Tanaris
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
The Venture Co
Thrall
Turalyon
Uldaman
Undermine
Velen
Ysera
Ysondre
Zangarmarsh
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from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-Extended-downtime-this-week-for-selected-realms-1223.html

Perhaps you're thinking that how to navigate around Azeroth is trivial information that everyone should know. And after playing World of Warcraft for a couple of years, this sort of information seems obvious. But when you're first starting a new game, even the most basic facts of the game-world are a mystery. And covering the basics for players who are just getting started is just what WoW Rookie is here to do. So if you're getting started and having trouble finding your way around -- keep reading. We're here to walk you through it.

Gryphons/Wyverns: In every major city -- and most good sized encampments -- you'll see an NPC with a green exclamation point over their head. (The green exclamation point indicates a flight path you haven't yet discovered.) This is the Gryphon or Wind Rider Master (which you'll find depends on your faction -- Alliance prefer Gryphons and Horde favor Wyverns), and they'll sell you a ride to any other town with a flight path for a small fee. But there is a drawback. Before you can travel to any flight path, you have to visit it and talk to their Gryphon/Wind Rider Master to "discover" the flight path. After this first visit, however, you can conveniently return by the flight path in the future. Also, Gryphons and Wyverns can only transport you around a single continent -- if you want to go from Kalimdor to the Eastern Kingdoms, you'll have to consider our next transportation option...

Boats/Zeppelins: You can find boats coming and going from ports throughout Azeroth. They follow set paths from one port to another and will transport you for free between any ports. They're the primary way of moving from one continent to another. Zeppelins are similar to boats -- they transport you from place to place and between continents for free. However, the only zeppelins in the game are located in Horde-controlled territories. The trouble with boats and zeppelins (and the reason it's sometimes worth paying to take a flight path instead of riding for free) is that you have to wait at a dock for them to arrive. If you're easily distracted, like I am, this means you could wind up sitting at the dock for 10 minutes (or longer) because you keep missing the boat while alt-tabbed reading the forums. (Sadly, only a couple of these transportation routes overlap flight paths, though!) But it's still an excellent transportation option for the thrifty or the patient. Boats will transport you between the following locations:

Booty Bay (in Stranglethorn Vale) to Rachet (in the Barrens).
Auberdine (in Darkshore -- closest town to Darnassus) to Rut'theran Village (for all intents and purposes, Darnassus). Note: these are both Alliance cities.
Auberdine (in Darkshore -- closest town to Darnassus) to Bloodmyst Isle (the Draenei starting zone). Note: these are both Alliance cities.
Menethil Harbor (in the Wetlands) to Auberdine (in Darkshore -- closest town to Darnassus). Note: these are both Alliance cities.
Menethil Harbor (in the Wetlands) to Theramore Isle (in Duskwallow Marsh). Note: these are both Alliance cities.
Zeppelins will transport you between the following locations (Note: these are all Horde cities):
Orgrimmar to Tirisfal (just outside of the Undercity)
Grom'gol (in Stranglethorn Vale) to Orgrimmar
Tirisfal (just outside of the Undercity) to Grom'gol (in Stranglethorn Vale)
These are the major modes of transport throughout the world. However, there are some other special ways to move from point A to point B.

Hearthstone: Everyone starts the game with one of these handy toys. It will transport you to whatever inn you've set as your "home," on a one-hour cooldown. It's advisable to set your home to an inn in the area you're actively questing in -- then you when you've ventured far from town working on quests, you've got a quick way back to turn them in.

Engineering Transporters: Engineers have access to Ultrasafe Transporters (taking Gnomish engineers to Gadgetzen at 260 skill and Toshley's Station at 350 skill) and Dimensional Rippers (taking Goblin engineers to Everlook at 260 skill and Area 52 at 350 skill). These items are trinkets (that must be equipped to be used) on a 4-hour cooldown. They'll always get you to your destination, though sometimes they're known to... ahem... malfunction.

Mage Portals: At various levels, Mages gain access to skills allowing them to open portals to major cities for themselves and for others. .

Teleports: transport the Mage only

Level 20: Alliance get Exodar/Ironforge/Stormwind, Horde get Orgrimmar/Silvermoon/Undercity
Level 30: Alliance get Darnassus, Horde get Thunder Bluff
Level 60: Alliance and Horde get Shattrath
Portals: transport any players in the Mage's group, though the portal will close after the Mage goes through.
Level 40: Alliance get Exodar/Ironforge/Stormwind, Horde get Orgrimmar/Silvermoon/Undercity
Level 50: Alliance get Darnassus, Horde get Thunder Bluff
Level 65: Alliance and Horde get Shattrath
If you need to get to a major city quickly, a Mage portal may be the way to go -- but if you want one, be sure to ask any Mages in the area politely and offer a tip. Portals use a Rune of Portals reagent, and while they aren't expensive (20s), they aren't free, either.

Warlock Summons: Warlocks can summon other players to their location. However, in order to summon another player to them, Warlocks use up a soul shard and require the assistance of two players. These requirements can make summoning a bit of a nuisance, so if you want a summon, ask politely and offer a tip. And be aware -- even if you ask nicely, the Warlock may not have two other people nearby to help with a summon, and turn you down.

Meeting Stone Summons: If you're looking to run an instance, you'll find that every instance has a meeting stone near the entrance. Using a meeting stone, two players can summon a member of their party to the meeting stone.

Druid Teleport: Starting at level 10, Druids can teleport themselves to Moonglade. Druids also get a special flight path in Moonglade, which I've always thought was a bit classist, myself.

Shaman Astral Recall: Shamans have access to the spell Astral Recall starting at level 30. This allows the Shaman to return to their home location on a 15-minute cooldown. Very nice -- if you're a Shaman!

Shattrath City: Shattrath City in Outland has portals to all major Horde and Alliance cities conveniently located in the city's center. This can be a very convenient place to set your hearthstone to if you want quick transport between Azeroth and Outland.

Other: There are a couple of miscellanious methods of transport in the game, and I'll list the two most notable here. Alliance players can travel between Stormwind City and Ironforge via the Deeprun Tram -- quite handy, as the path between Stormwind and Ironforge would take a new player through some high-level areas, otherwise. Check your city map for the location of the tram. Horde players can travel between the Undercity and Silvermoon city via an orb located in the Undercity courtyard and behind the throne room in Silvermoon. Again, it's convenient as traveling on foot would be dangerous for lower level players. (Trust me, I've tried it!) Have any other tricks for travelling around Azeroth? Let us know in the comments!

from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-WoW-Rookie-Traveling-around-Azeroth-1222.html

Elizabeth's guide about what to bring and what not to bring onto the show floor at BlizzCon was helpful, but if you only brought what she suggested, you'd show up naked and without your ID. Those of us packing right now to travel across the country and spend the weekend in Anaheim need a little more guidance than that! And so we've put together a checklist, so you can make sure that from the second you leave your hometown to the second you return, you're well equipped for everything you need to make this BlizzCon perfect. The checklist, perfect for cutting, pasting, and printing as you pack, starts right after the jump. The Bare Necessities _ At least one change of clothes for each day you're gone. _ Your handmade Naga costume doesn't strictly count as a set of clothing, although you may want to bring a more formal change for the final concert-- it is a classical music show. Then again, Jay Mohr is performing, so it might not be that formal after all. _ A pair of comfortable walking shoes Goblin Rocket Boots are helpful, but too uncomfortable to wear all the time) _ Leave the umbrella at home-- Anaheim weather looks sunny and warm all weekend long. Not that it'll matter in the Convention Center, but there is that space between the hotel and the convention... _ Your wallet or purse has to come, and make sure to pack it with plenty of cash (or traveler's checks, if you're more responsible), not only for various food purchases, but also to procure drinks at the Official WoW Insider party. _ Hopefully this is in the last item, but don't forget your ACTUAL CREDIT CARD that you used to purchase your ticket on the website (caps courtesy of the BlizzCon Registration folks). Badges aren't being mailed out-- you have to pick them up at registration on Thursday, and you need that credit card to get yours. _ Your camera is a necessary item. Pics or it didn't happen! Videocameras are also welcome, we're told, as long as you're not pirating footage of upcoming games. _ And this varies for everyone, but you probably shouldn't forget -- charge your phone, charge your iPod, charge your camera's batteries, charge your laptop. _ And if you're flying, you may need your plane tickets.

Entertain Yourself _ You'll need something to do on the plane ride out there, so maybe catch up on the War of the Ancients Trilogy? _ If you've got the WoW board game or the WoW TCG cards, bring 'em. Not only will this be your best chance ever to find someone to play with, but most people won't laugh at you for owning them in the first place. Until your back is turned, anyway. _ And as Elizabeth suggested, there is no better way to entertain yourself in line at a videogame convention than a Nintendo DS, or, if you must, a PSP. _ While you won't be able to bring your laptop into the convention center itself, you may want to bring it anyway-- how else will you check WoW Insider for the latest updates to what's happening around Anaheim? _ And I don't go anywhere without my iPod (or mp3 player), either down the street or across the country.

Blizzard Worship _ Don't forget to pack your BlizzCon 2005 T-shirt, so others who were there with you can nod to each other knowingly. _ If you were lucky enough to grab a collectors edition of either the original game or BC, bring the included soundtracks and DVDs with you. Not only will it help you recognize devs when you see them, but you'll have it ready for signage when it happens. _ You could bring your game CDs for that same reason, but that's a risk I'm not interested in taking. _ And don't forget flowers and chocolates for our beloved CMs. They could probably use 'em. I think that's everything I'm bringing. What else should be on the list for the trip to BlizzCon?

from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-A-BlizzCon-packing-list-1221.html

Personally, I'm pretty convinced that the forthcoming expansion is going to be called Wrath of the Lich King, mostly because the title was listed by the USK, the German equivalent of the ESRB (see update 2 here). Now we have what purports to be a leaked FAQ for the expansion, allegedly briefly visible on wow-europe.com last night. I don't know whether this is real or not, but it's certainly interesting. Here's my favorite part (my emphasis):

• The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft; once certain criteria are met, players will unlock the ability to create a new death knight character, which will begin play at a high experience level.

That answers the question about people having to grind the new class up through the levels. I only wish it was available for all classes. According to this FAQ, the DK will be available to both Alliance and Horde, and will "combine damage-dealing and tanking" as far as party role goes. A few other points of special interest (summarized):

• Level cap raised to 80
• New profession: "Inscription allows the player to permanently enhance their spells and abilities and to create mysterious items of power to use, trade, and sell."
• New and existing characters will be able to customize dances (??) and hairstyle
• Northrend will be about as big as Outland and will take about as long to complete.
• Players will fight Arthas himself

The full FAQ is after the cut, or you can read it at the source here (scroll down for English). Please do remember to take this with a grain of salt.

FAQ for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King What are the features of the new expansion?

Wrath of the Lich King builds on the rich foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, providing a wealth of new content for players to explore. The harsh, forbidding continent of Northrend, home of the Lich King and his undead minions, will be uncovered on the world map, and to contend with the new challenges found there, players will be able to advance to level 80, acquiring potent new abilities and talents along the way. In addition, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce the death knight hero class to World of Warcraft. Once certain criteria are met, players will be able to create a new death knight character, which will start at a high level. Furthermore, player-vs.-player battles will reach a new level of intensity with the addition of siege weapons and destructible buildings, not to mention a new battleground. There will also be an abundance of new quests, dungeons, monsters, items, and recipes -- as well as a new profession, inscription -- for players to try out. The expansion will include some additional character-customization options for players as well. We'll be going into more detail on all of these features in the months ahead.

How will the death knight class fit into the game?

The death knight combines martial prowess with dark, necromantic energies. Players might be familiar with the death knight from previously released Warcraft games -- most recently, in the campaigns for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and the Frozen Throne expansion, the former paladin Arthas became a death knight and wreaked havoc across Azeroth and Northrend before fusing with the spirit of Ner'zhul to become the Lich King. The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft; once certain criteria are met, players will unlock the ability to create a new death knight character, which will begin play at a high experience level. We're currently exploring various options for how the death knight will play and the types of abilities at its disposal, and we'll be revealing more information about this new class as we get further along in development.

Will the death knight have any abilities from previously released Warcraft games?

The way we portrayed death knights in past Warcraft games is certainly a source of inspiration, but we are still determining how best to capture that feel within the mechanics of World of Warcraft, and haven't made any final determinations on specific abilities.

What role will the death knight play in groups and raids?

In general terms, the death knight can be considered a type of class that combines damage dealing and tanking, but naturally it will have an array of unique abilities as well.

What races will be allowed to play death knights?

We haven't yet made a final determination about which races can be death knights. However, the class will be available to both the Alliance and the Horde.

Will there be additional hero classes in the future?

Yes, we do intend to add more hero classes in the future, but right now our focus is on the current expansion.

What is the story background of the expansion?

Players last visited Northrend in the Warcraft III expansion, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner'zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful entities in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne, deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the greatest champions of the Alliance and the Horde will do battle with the Scourge amid Northrend's howling winds and fields of jagged ice, and ultimately face the Lich King himself.

Will players actually get to encounter Arthas himself?

Players will be skirmishing with the minions of Arthas from the moment they set foot on Northrend. He will be a constant presence as players progress through the expansion content -- which will culminate in a showdown with the dread Lich King himself.

Can you discuss some of the new talents and abilities that will be available from level 70 to level 80?

As with character advancement up to level 70, players will gain access to an array of potent and exciting new abilities and talents as they make their way from level 70 to level 80. However, it's still too early to get into specifics on these.

How long will it take to advance from level 70 to level 80?

We were pleased with the pacing from level 60 to level 70 in The Burning Crusade, and we intend to take a similar approach to pacing character advancement in Wrath of the Lich King. However, the specific amount of time that it will take players to reach level 80 will vary widely based on play style.

What can you reveal about Northrend?

The first area of Northrend we're showcasing is the Howling Fjord, a region of grasslands overlooking massive cliffs at the southeastern edge of the continent. This, along with the Borean Tundra, is the front line of the war against Arthas, and players will come face to face with his minions as soon as they set foot on Northrend. Eventually, as players progress further, they will explore the Grizzly Hills, Dragonblight, and more. We'll be showing off some of these new areas in the months ahead.

What's the level requirement to enter Northrend?

Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend. However, all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up.

How many new dungeons will be in the expansion?

The first dungeon players will enter is Utgarde Keep, which is intended for five players around level 70. Utgarde is inhabited by the Vrykul, a Viking-like race bent on proving their strength to the Lich King, who will raise the most worthy of their warriors to serve him beyond the grave. We intend to provide a variety of dungeons comparable to that in The Burning Crusade and will be revealing more details about some of these in the months ahead.

Do you plan to continue with the 25-player model for raids?

Yes, we've been pleased with the tactics, intensity, and variety of the 25-player raid model, and plan to continue with it.

In what ways will players be able to further customize their characters in the expansion?

In addition to the numerous new character-customization options that will be available with all of the new weapons and armor added by the expansion, we'll be offering some fun ways to alter both existing and new characters with regard to dances and hairstyles, but we're not ready to go into more detail just yet.

What can you reveal about the new profession coming with the expansion?

Inscription allows the player to permanently enhance their spells and abilities and to create mysterious items of power to use, trade, and sell.

What can players expect with regard to player-vs.-player combat in the expansion?

Players will be able to take control of siege weapons and use them to destroy opposing buildings, adding a new layer of complexity to PvP battles. Naturally, we'll be providing some fun places to put these new tools to good use, and we'll be revealing more information about them in the months ahead, in addition to the new battleground content being added.

Can you give a sneak peek at the new recipes and items in the expansion?

There will be hundreds of new recipes and thousands of new items available, but we're not ready to discuss specific examples just yet.

How many zones will be in the expansion?

Northrend will be roughly equivalent to Outland in terms of size and scope.

Will there be any new cinematic scenes?

Yes, our cinematics department is hard at work preparing a new intro movie for the expansion. Release/Availability

Do you need to own the expansion to play with friends who have it?

There will be many aspects of the expansion that will be available to all players. However, in order to experience certain content, such as Northrend, or be able to play as a death knight, players must purchase the expansion.

Will there be an open beta test of the expansion?

We have not yet determined whether the expansion will require an open beta test. If we do decide to conduct a beta test, details will be posted on the official World of Warcraft website once we've gotten further along in the development process.

When will the expansion be released? How much will it cost?

We have not yet announced a release date for the expansion set. However, we expect to announce further details, including the release date and price, on our community website in the months ahead. Please stay tuned to worldofwarcraft.com for more information.

Will there be a collector's edition?

We have not yet made any determination about whether there will be a collector's edition of Wrath of the Lich King. We'll be announcing details such as this closer to release.

Will a Mac version be available simultaneously with the PC version?

Yes. As with all of our games, Wrath of the Lich King will be compatible with and optimized for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms.

What are the system requirements?

We'll continue to ensure that the game is playable on a wide range of hardware. However, we have not made a final determination on the system requirements as yet.

Will the expansion be released globally at the same time?

We recognize that players throughout the world will be eager to experience all of the new content being added with Wrath of the Lich King, and we will make every effort to release the expansion simultaneously worldwide. However, there's always the possibility that unforeseen circumstances could delay the launch in any given region. We'll share the launch timing with players in each region as soon as the plans have been finalized.

What is the ESRB rating for the expansion?

The expansion has not yet been rated by the ESRB. However, we anticipate that it will receive the same rating that the original World of Warcraft received -- "Teen."

from http://www.worldofwarcraft2.co.uk/news-Leaked-FAQ-for-WotLK-1240.html