Update your Decks!

MASSIVE Updates COMING SOON to Season 4

Heroes!

Changes are on the horizon for Season 4--a BIG batch of updates is coming to Darkmoon soon. Over the month of September a TON of updates are pushing to live realms, so whether you’re just starting your adventure, in the midst of gathering equipment, or delving into the deepest and darkest dungeons, your Draft Mode experience is about to get a LOT better! This update is targeting some of the season’s biggest problems and kicking them to the curb. In addition, it’s also bringing more ways to get the community together, adding in dynamic changes to the leveling process, and cementing individuals as pillars of their realm.

Lets jump in:

Overview:

• Hand of Fate Overhaul
• Improvements to Draft Mode Logic
• Skill Card Trading
• Guard and Townspeople Vigilance Overhaul
• Hotspots
• Blackwing Lair
• Titan (Realm Wide) Buffs

Hand of Fate Overhaul

The [Hand of Fate] is having its mechanics reversed: you now select the ability you want to gain first, and a spell to unlearn second.

Several issues regarding the Hand of Fate are being fixed.

You will now receive Hand of Fates as you level, allowing you to tweak and better your build while on your adventure.  

The [Hand of Fate] is receiving a big update this month that addresses a few important issues and improves its functionality immensely. Rather than choosing the ability you’re unlearning first, you’ll choose a new spell first before selecting the one you want to trade. This allows players to see exactly what they’re gaining, letting them make a more informed decision on which ability to sacrifice. By reversing the process, you can feel confident choosing an ability you actually WANT first, and THEN deciding what’s worth trading for it. Should you, for example, draft a spell like Windfury, only to pull three of your BEST current spells to replace it with, you can decide it’s not worth it and back out of the entire exchange. Clicking out of the process will use up the Hand of Fate, but negate the repick and save your already known abilities.This change also entirely eliminates the skill limiting problem of selecting lower-level abilities to unlearn.

Additionally, with this new update, you’ll begin receiving Hand of Fates as you level, allowing you to tweak and improve your build even when you’re still on your adventure. Your first Hand of Fate comes at level 20. At 30, you’ll receive two--then three at 40, four at 50, and finally five Hand of Fates at level 60. Not only will this allow Heroes to mold their builds as they push for level cap, but it will also allow newer players to catch up to veterans with better builds quicker, allowing them to be competitive even with a late start.

Finally, a few issues with the Hand of Fate are getting patched up, and a few mechanical changes will be improved: 

• Unlearning certain abilities with the Hand will no longer leave you with leftover AE. 
• The Hand is now able to draft Level 57-60 abilities such as Tranquilizing Shot, Curse of Doom, Deterrence, and Mass Dispel. 
• You now have an even higher chance to draft abilities that require prerequisites if you have those prerequisites already--for example, the system will notice if you have Bear Form, and you’ll have a higher chance of seeing Swipe, Maul, Taunt, etc. as you level. 
• The Hand of Fate is now usable at level 15
• The Hand of Fate quests from Silas Darkmoon have been completely reset. You can complete all quests from the beginning, even if you have already completed them before!
  • A total of 50 Hand of Fate quests will be available post-update

Note of Caution: Players using the Hand of Fate should be careful not to gain a level while choosing abilities. Doing so will result in the current draft options closed and dismissed, and will discard the Hand of Fate.

Draft Mode Logic Improvements

This month, the Draft Mode system is receiving HUGE logic updates that will allow players more control over the abilities they learn. Players who have learned a skill such as Cat or Bear Form will have a significantly increased chance of drafting spells that require that form. Combo point generators such as Sinister Strike or Backstab will net players an increased chance to see Rogue finishers, and playstyles that require a few critical spells to be viable--such as Taunt with Defensive Stance--will see essential spells drafted more often. In addition, the following Draft Mode Fixes will be implemented over the month of September: 

• Fixed an issue where using skill cards in specs would not appear in all specs.
• Fixed an issue where using multiple specs, then redrafting, would cause a character to break.
• Players can no longer receive tame beast at level 10.
• Fixed an issue that caused players to occasionally draft an ability they already had.
• Fixed an issue that caused players to occasionally draft the same skill twice in a single draft.
• Fixed an issue causing players to occasionally receive too much or too little AE at level 60.
• Players can no longer keep more AE than intended between levels.
• Level 18 will now ALWAYS draft 1AE abilities, no longer drafting them at level 21.
• Players will no longer roll more than five 1AE abilities.
• Fixed an issue where using 1AE skill cards would cause you to draft abilities too early.
• Fixed an issue that occasionally caused the Ace of Talents to remove talents incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where players would occasionally arrive at level 60 without 5AE to spend. You are now always able to spend 5 AE at level 60, and players will no longer get stuck with the message, "You must pick your draft mode abilities in this specialization."
• You are now ALWAYS able to change specializations.
• The chance to roll rogue finishers is increased if you have combo point generators.
• The chance to roll cat form abilities is increased if you have cat form.
• The chance to roll bear form abilities is increased if you have bear form
• The chance to roll battle stance abilities is increased if you have battle stance.
• The chance to roll defensive stance abilities is increased if you have defensive stance.
• Added logic to draft mode increasing its ability to recognize prerequisite skills such as Defensive Stance, Battle Stance, and Forms. Players are nowmuch more likely to see spells requiring abilities they already possess.

Skill Card Trading

You will soon be able to trade-in unwanted Skill Cards for a new Sealed Card Pack.

How many skill cards have you got sitting in your bank, heroes? Ten? Twenty? Lying there, collecting dust like so many forgotten Poke-oh: the Gathering trading cards. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could, you know, trade your trading cards?
Well, now you can:

With this upcoming update, players will be able to trade-in five Skill Cards to Silas Darkmoon for a shiny new Sealed Card Pack. Doing so will allow you to recycle skill cards you’re never going to use for a chance of pulling the one you really want. Trade in your unwanted skill cards to Silas, and what awaits in the Sealed Pack you get in return could be just the card you need.

Guard and Townspeople Vigilance Overhaul

Guards and Townspeople are now on the lookout for criminals. Adventurers who activate Criminal Intent will prompt nearby guards to immediately attack. Additionally, civilians now spawn guards if attacked.

The innocent townsfolk of Azeroth face a unique problem on Ascension. These denizens are no strangers to the dangers of the opposite faction, but never before have the common Blacksmith or Farmer had to deal with enemies in their own faction: outlaws. 

Luckily, Guards have been training vigilantly on just how to deal with traitors:

With the new update, Guards will become immediately hostile to any player who displays Criminal Intent in their presence.

Now, if a player decides to try and do a townsperson dirty, they’ll need to think twice. Any guard who sees them get that criminal look in their eye will immediately attack, protecting citizens at any cost.
Additionally, the townspeople themselves have been inspired to take up arms. If a player attacks a townsperson, other townsfolk might appear to aid them in battle. You might think you’re just attacking the baker, but you could end up against the butcher and the candlestick maker.

Finally, all this ruckus with Protectors and Outlaws has the general populace of Azeroth feeling a little nervous. If you show up, some of them might react to things you do (like popping criminal intent).

Hotspots

Hotspots are a new type of world event--at random times, Hotspots will appear in certain areas, offering varying bonuses to players who travel there. This first update will see EXP Hotspots live, and further updates may see new kinds.

Heroes: your adventures throughout Azeroth have been many. Countless times has your spirit traversed, in one body or another, the lands of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. With each new incarnation, each new avatar, you tread a beaten path--helping citizens, slaying monsters, as you have countless times before.

Hotspots are on their way to spice that journey up.

Hotspots are a brand new Ascension feature that will appear in nearly every zone. When they do, a certain area within the zone will spring to life, granting huge bonuses to players who travel there. The bonuses granted depend on the type of Hotspot that appears: for the first update, only EXP Hotspots will be implemented. The future, however, might hold PvP Hostspots, Quest Hotspots, and even Profession Hotspots. 

Hotspots are designed to break up routine, providing dynamic, shifting areas of maximum potential. Their goal is to allow players to feel comfortable deviating from their preferred paths to explore areas of Azeroth that they might otherwise ignore--to find and make new friends, and do battle with new enemies.

Blackwing Lair on Season 4

Blackwing Lair releases this month on Season 4! Additionally, Darkmoon will progress through Ahn’qiraj and Naxxramas before draft mode concludes.

Think you can tackle Nefarian’s lair in draft mode, heroes? You’ll get your chance to try--Blackwing Lair will be coming to Season 4 this September! Get ready to storm the laboratory of the Prince of Black Dragons as you cleave through foes and stop Nefarian’s twisted experiments. Additionally, the Lair’s release means you’ll soon be seeing all new gear as drops out in the open world. Players who rove out in search of treasure in High Risk mode will soon be able to find BWL gear as drops off of monsters in the world if their own equipment is high enough.

Blackwing Lair is the next raid slated for release on Season 4. Additionally, players can look forward to a full release schedule, including Ahn’qiraj and Naxxramas, on Darkmoon. We hope your draft mode build is up to snuff!

Titan (Realm Wide) Buffs

Titan buffs are realm-wide buffs that players can use to help their entire realm. Using a Titan buff displays a realm-wide announcement, announcing the player who used it.

Titan Buffs are legendary, realm wide buffs. Once activated by a player, the Titan Buff will provide benefits to the entire realm for one hour. These powerful benefits can be stacked to five, and each time a player uses one, the timer is reset to full. It will be entirely up to players whether or not a Titan Buff remains active, and if players cooperate, they can see benefits for not only themselves, but the entire realm.