Patch 7.3 PTR - Build 24904, Invasion Points Preview, Blue Posts, UnderWatched Ep 7

MMO-Champion

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Chakki's 9 Class Lich King Clear in 2 Hours 39 Minutes - Here's His Decks and VoD

Patch 7.3 PTR - Build 24904
The latest PTR build removed these icons from the list of files that are extracted when you extract all of the interface files from the game.
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_ZandalariBabyRaptorBlack.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_ZandalariBabyRaptorBlue.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_ZandalariBabyRaptorRed.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_ZandalariBabyRaptorWhite.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Shield_Zandalari_C_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Polearm_H_Zandalari_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Polearm_H_Zandalari_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Bow_H_Zandalari_C_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Mace_H_Zandalari_C_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Shield_Zandalari_C_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Staff_H_Zandalari_C_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\Achievement_Raid_LastStandZandalari.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\spell_misc_zandalari_council_soulswap.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Sword_H_Zandalari_C_Blue.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Sword_H_Zandalari_C_Purple.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Sword_H_Zandalari_C_Red.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Belt_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Boots_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Bracer_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Cape_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Chest_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Glove_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Helm_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Pants_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp
  • Interface\ICONS\INV_Shoulders_Cloth_KulTirasQuest_B_.blp



Patch 7.3 Preview - Invasion Points
Invasion Points are public scenarios that require multiple players, with Greater Invasion Points requiring a raid to defeat bosses that drop item level 930 gear.

The Invasion Onslaught and Supplying the Antoran Campaign weekly quests involve doing Invasion Points.


Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker
/ Official Forums
)
In Patch 7.3, the forces of Azeroth will undertake a journey most perilous. Not only will they travel to the eredar home world, Argus, but they will also have opportunity to strike even deeper at the Burning Legion by shutting down Invasion Points on other worlds.

Players will first be introduced to Invasion Points through a quest that challenges them to enter and defeat the demonic forces inside. Each Invasion Point can be accessed without a queue to enter and while no group is required, additional players will be able to enter the Invasion Point instance within a short period of each other. No queue is required to enter.

There are two tiers of Invasion Points that will not only increase in difficulty, but also increase in rewards—and you’ll need to bring along extra help if you want to complete the highest tier.


  • Tier 1 Invasion Points will allow anywhere from 3–10 players within the instance. While you can enter alone, you’ll ideally want to recruit at least two other friends to join you in order to complete the scenario.
  • Tier 2 Invasion Points or Greater Invasion Points, will require a raid to bring down the boss within, but with greater risk, also comes greater reward.

Several Invasion Points will be available on Argus at any given time along with one Greater Invasion Point. The portals into these encounters will be visible on your world map and each player will need to click on the portal to enter (even when in a group.) Each Invasion Point will cycle within a couple of hours and despawn, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the timers indicated on your map. You and your party will face some additional challenges from location to location, whether it’s contending with the extremes of cold or playing in fire. Completing these Invasion Points will provide Argus Waystones which can be used toward earning a weekly reward.


Greater Invasion Points
Greater Invasion Points will provide access for you and your raid to one of the new World Bosses and the chance to get some great loot starting at ilvl 930. If you don’t have a raid at your beck and call, there’s always the Group Finder (I) where you’re sure to be able to recruit some heroes to join you. Bosses will only award loot once per week.

Invasion Points Bosses
From its stronghold on Argus, the Legion employs a vast array of portals to spread across the cosmos like a plague. Countless worlds have been plundered for resources, their inhabitants forced to serve the Dark Titan or endure a slow, agonizing death.

Unless these worlds can be liberated, the Burning Crusade will consume everything it touches and leave the universe in ashes.

Matron Folnuna
Matron Folnuna destroys worlds by infecting them with her spawn. These vile creatures spread like a plague over the landscape, corrupting and devouring anything in their path.

Mistress Alluradel
All those who gaze upon Mistress Alluradel fall under her sinister control. She commands victims of her dominance to inflict gruesome torments upon themselves. A thrall’s only hope of escape is death, and Alluradel will not allow that release until their agonized screams have ceased to amuse her.

Inquisitor Meto
Inquisitor Meto’s mastery over fel magic is rivaled by few in the Legion. Meto uses this power to sow chaos and destruction across the cosmos, leaving countless burning worlds in his wake.

Occularus
Occularus feeds on the minds of his enemies, savoring their despair as he sears their flesh. This malevolent creature has devoured worlds, yet his hunger remains insatiable.

Sotanathor
Sotanathor’s legendary strength was forged through countless burning campaigns across the cosmos. A brutal general, this demon commands vast legions that have never known defeat.

Pit Lord Vilemus
Pit Lord Vilemus’ brutality is renowned even among the Legion. He delights in setting his foes aflame in fel fire, then laughing at their despair as they beg for the mercy of death.

Patch 7.3 - Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Patch 7.3 Class Changes

There are a few specializations (including Beast Mastery, Assassination and Outlaw) that had some buffs removed or reduced in the latest 7.3 release candidate. Those buffs were added to the PTR to help adjust for the additional 15 item levels your Artifact Weapon will gain from the Netherlight Crucible, as some specs currently get more of an overall effectiveness increase from item level than others.

Since the Netherlight Crucible won't be available immediately when 7.3 launches, these buffs have been removed temporarily from the latest release candidate build. They will be re-added via hotfix a couple weeks after release, once the Crucible can be unlocked.

In the future, we hope to find a better solution for the disparity in effectiveness that weapon ilevel has between specs, but that won't be in 7.3. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

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Death Knight (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator / Artifact Calculator / PvP Talent Calculator)
Frost Death Knight in Patch 7.3
Just to clarify the numbers--the DK "buff aura" on PTR is +23%, which is intended. The patch notes say "14%" because this is a 14% increase over what's on live (+8%).

Part of the apparent reduction in the patch notes is that 5% of the 7.3 buff was advanced into a live hotfix a few weeks ago. So the "increase" from live, in the 7.3 patch notes, looks 5% smaller. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

World of Warcraft Support for Windows XP and Vista Ending Soon
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker
/ Official Forums
)
As we previously announced, we will be ending support for Windows XP and Windows Vista for several Blizzard games. For World of Warcraft, we’re ending support for these operating systems in October.

Microsoft ended mainstream support for these versions of Windows in 2009 and 2012, respectively, but since a segment of our audience was still using them at the time, we continued to support them. Now that there have been three major Windows releases since Vista’s release and a clear majority of our audience has upgraded to one of the newer versions of Windows, we are ready to make this change.

After this time, Windows XP and Vista will not be supported and World of Warcraft will not run on them. We encourage any players who are still using one of these older operating systems to upgrade to a newer version prior to this date to continue playing.

Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Hearthstone Cinematic Style

Opinions are opinions. I love the new "Hearthstone is Home" short and I love the Mei Overwatch short. They are both awesome storytelling pieces that bring a lot of life to both universes.

Also, Hearthstone makes me proud to play WoW. The awesome universe they've created is based within our own universe, and the team has really built an epic story experience taking place across Azeroth.

But this is the forums, so of course anyone who likes anything is an outcast, right? :p

The animation looks like a pixar film for 7-9 year olds.
But man, if that's your outlook on a cinematic, I don't know how you get by on the day-to-day.

I like HS though I am too busy with WoW and D3 and MtG to play anymore, but um aren't you kind of required to like other Blizzard products?
Not necessarily. I've never been a huge Starcraft or Diablo fan, but I can still admire their work and such.

Not entirely sure what you mean by this. Looking at the cinematic, it does look like a pixar film for children. That's just the style it was seemingly made it, it even has a musical number to compliment that point.

My only issue is, I remember having epic, fantasy story worthy experiences going to places like Northrend or Outland for the first time. Going to Pandaria and fighting a war again the other faction. Taking that and saying its equivalent to the Hearthstone cinematic just doesn't feel right, and downplays the general theme associated with the game. It would be like taking a game like Fallout and then saying "and through this door you can visit the set of Little Einsteins".

I get by on the day-to-day same as most people I imagine. I enjoy my games, live my life, and point out the obvious when I feel it needs to be pointed out. My interpretation of a cinematic isn't something I would consider life damning.

I meant it's a bit hard to get by in this day without seeing the works of studios such as Pixar, Disney, etc. So if you're turned off by a cinematic that reminds you of those animations styles, it's hard to imagine you enjoying any entertainment media in general. I get that you see it as a "childish" animation, but I personally think that the art style you're seeing is timeless, and, as we can easily see by Pixar and Disney's incredible success in their films over the last two decades, it's not going anywhere.

Not all stories in Azeroth are of war and destruction, and I don't think they need to be - sometimes people want to relax in an inn and play a game with each other. Don't forget that Azeroth is a world within itself, so people do have lives outside of what you see represented in World of Warcraft - even in Fallout, your example, taking place on Earth, people in the wastes would often stop for a break and play the card game 'Caravan'.

I get what you mean by the note that they aren't telling an "epic" story full of action and combat, like we often do with World of Warcraft, but - I think that's entirely the point. Hearthstone is typically whimsical with the stories it tells, and even when they do tell a more serious story, like the current Lich King expansion, it is carried along by the same whimsical nature (such as the Lich King breaking the fourth wall playing a card game). And, honestly, Warcraft has always had a very similar nature. Take a look back at the Warcraft RTS games, or the silly-ness of plenty of quest lines across WoW; if you somehow missed some of the tongue-in-cheek moments, I think you'll be surprised by how often we take those turns.

Anyways, all of this to say: all of our game universes across our titles and franchises are not meant to portray the same fantasy tropes. Where we are now certainly doesn't mean World of Warcraft will be any less epic in the future. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

UnderWatched Ep 7 - Nano Boost The Match Maker
Another episode of UnderWatched has been released!

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