You may not actually be one of World of Warcraft's 12 million players any more, but even if you're not, we thought we'd give you a heads up. Patch 4.0.1 is the reason all your friends will be back playing the game later on this week.
You may not actually be one of World of Warcraft's 12 million players any more, but even if you're not, we thought we'd give you a heads up. Patch 4.0.1 is the reason all your friends will be back playing the game later on this week.
Reader Comments (35)
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:02PM BrianH said
My god...
to the bunkers!
to the bunkers!
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:07PM CptPuppet said
This patch also kills off powerpc mac support supposedly. Looks like I won't be playing WoW for awhile.
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:11PM TheDarkWayne said
That's a relief, I was worried that Azeroth would be torn asunder tomorrow in preparation for the actual expansion. Glad to hear I still have time to finish old world quests
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:12PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said
Ahh, damnit...
Must resist.. signing back up....
Gah...
Must resist.. signing back up....
Gah...
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:20PM TheDarkWayne said
@vmenge schedule your shifts/classes in the afternoon and raid at 3am like me! Works great!
Reply
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 11:25PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said
@Wonkuoysseleht
I don't know of any private servers. =/
Reply
I don't know of any private servers. =/
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 3:23AM Drakkenfyre said
Yup, advertising a private server. That's real smart.
Knowing the author of this article, that might net you a ban.
Reply
Knowing the author of this article, that might net you a ban.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 11:51AM ToTheMoon said
@Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Yeah, I had weened myself off several times over the past couple of years but just recently signed up to play some PVP with a buddy of mine.
I have to say that it was most humiliating - we both got destroyed in the BGs - seems like everyone has a gear score of 6000+ these days.
I'm anxious for the expansion if only for a gear reset. ;)
Reply
Yeah, I had weened myself off several times over the past couple of years but just recently signed up to play some PVP with a buddy of mine.
I have to say that it was most humiliating - we both got destroyed in the BGs - seems like everyone has a gear score of 6000+ these days.
I'm anxious for the expansion if only for a gear reset. ;)
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:23PM TheyDidItFirst said
Aw, I remember when 3.0.2 (or something like that) came out and my previously derided ret paladin became a god for a few weeks. Almost makes me want to play again...
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 10:37PM PantsParty said
@TheyDidItFirst
Well they're getting anally explored in this patch, so if your in to that, then come back.
Reply
Well they're getting anally explored in this patch, so if your in to that, then come back.
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 11:01PM Drakkenfyre said
The size of the patch is almost 5GB.
And CptPuppet up there, yes, PowerPC support is gone. Pc processors without SSE support was also discontinued too. So it isn't like Mac users only are getting the shaft.
Technology marches on. Apple started using Intel processors in 2003. You can't expect a company to continue supporting a CPU even the manufacturer themselves no longer supports.
And CptPuppet up there, yes, PowerPC support is gone. Pc processors without SSE support was also discontinued too. So it isn't like Mac users only are getting the shaft.
Technology marches on. Apple started using Intel processors in 2003. You can't expect a company to continue supporting a CPU even the manufacturer themselves no longer supports.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 3:25AM Drakkenfyre said
No, that background stuff is the patch.
You download chunks of the patch ahead of time so you don't have to download it all at once. Tomorrow you will simply download a small chunk, and install it all.
Reply
You download chunks of the patch ahead of time so you don't have to download it all at once. Tomorrow you will simply download a small chunk, and install it all.
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 11:15PM Heston said
Hear that sound? It's the sound of GPAs falling everywhere!
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 11:27PM serge808 said
Meh!
Posted: Oct 11th 2010 11:49PM TofuSama said
Must.... resist.... WoW....
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 2:30AM Enosoma said
I'm seriously not interested anymore.
I think Ive reverted back to enjoying a nice, long single-player experience, with a story.
And whoever is going to tell me that WoW has a story is a shitface, because collecting twenty five goat farts is bullshit, especially the 34th time you do it, or when you don't have the right jar for the goat fart.
God, I can't believe I ever enjoyed that game.
I think Ive reverted back to enjoying a nice, long single-player experience, with a story.
And whoever is going to tell me that WoW has a story is a shitface, because collecting twenty five goat farts is bullshit, especially the 34th time you do it, or when you don't have the right jar for the goat fart.
God, I can't believe I ever enjoyed that game.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 9:32AM 2late2die said
@Enosoma
Yeah gotta agree. Worst part is, for some reason, even though every goat expels gas when I kill it not all of them drop the farts - wtf o_O
;)
Seriously though, I have to admit I'm kinda curious about Cataclysm because of all the changes. It would be interesting to check out Azeroth after the event as it were. But then of course I remember how that game started feeling more like work than play - farm this, kill that guy, collect these materials. If I wanted to do chores I've got plenty of them in real life.
Reply
Yeah gotta agree. Worst part is, for some reason, even though every goat expels gas when I kill it not all of them drop the farts - wtf o_O
;)
Seriously though, I have to admit I'm kinda curious about Cataclysm because of all the changes. It would be interesting to check out Azeroth after the event as it were. But then of course I remember how that game started feeling more like work than play - farm this, kill that guy, collect these materials. If I wanted to do chores I've got plenty of them in real life.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 2:50PM Kaizan said
@Enosoma
I guess I'm a shitface, because WoW definitely has a story, and a deep, thorough, and interesting one at that. It may not be as immediate or cinematic as Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed, or similar games, but the story is there. Every zone tells a story of how it came to be. There are numerous tales of how each race came to be, scattered in quests throughout the world. The tale of the Lich King is scattered throughout Northrend. The problem is, most people simply skip over the boring block of text at the beginning of the mission. Luckily, Since Wrath, Blizzard has been leaning more towards "showing the player the story" instead of "telling the player the story." Many newer quests in Wrath, especially in the phased zones, have the player participating in the events of the zone, with real-time voice acting, battles, and the like happening as you complete the quest. And when you complete major quests, you change the zone forever, "phasing" the zone to reflect the changes you, as a solo player, just made. That giant Scourge Valley that was blocking your way? Because of you, it's gone, and on the other side is a new tower, with new quests, showing your advancement into enemy territory. And that's about the simplest example I can give.
Yes, many of the quests can still boil down to "kill or collect X of Y", but that's true of any game. WoW is simply more apparent, because it's an MMO, and any MMO will involve grinding. Even the developers of KotOR acknowledged that "not every quest can be the gold standard in an MMO, the grindy quests are sometimes necessary, and even fun, to make the game last."
As someone who was NEVER an MMO player before WoW, and someone who loves good stories in games more than I like gameplay (I would play a great story with mediocre gameplay any day) I can safely say WoW has a good story, and if you disconnect the grind from your opinion, read the quests, and actually play Wrath and Cataclysm, with their cinematic moments and - GASP - cutscenes, maybe you could enjoy the story as well.
Reply
I guess I'm a shitface, because WoW definitely has a story, and a deep, thorough, and interesting one at that. It may not be as immediate or cinematic as Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed, or similar games, but the story is there. Every zone tells a story of how it came to be. There are numerous tales of how each race came to be, scattered in quests throughout the world. The tale of the Lich King is scattered throughout Northrend. The problem is, most people simply skip over the boring block of text at the beginning of the mission. Luckily, Since Wrath, Blizzard has been leaning more towards "showing the player the story" instead of "telling the player the story." Many newer quests in Wrath, especially in the phased zones, have the player participating in the events of the zone, with real-time voice acting, battles, and the like happening as you complete the quest. And when you complete major quests, you change the zone forever, "phasing" the zone to reflect the changes you, as a solo player, just made. That giant Scourge Valley that was blocking your way? Because of you, it's gone, and on the other side is a new tower, with new quests, showing your advancement into enemy territory. And that's about the simplest example I can give.
Yes, many of the quests can still boil down to "kill or collect X of Y", but that's true of any game. WoW is simply more apparent, because it's an MMO, and any MMO will involve grinding. Even the developers of KotOR acknowledged that "not every quest can be the gold standard in an MMO, the grindy quests are sometimes necessary, and even fun, to make the game last."
As someone who was NEVER an MMO player before WoW, and someone who loves good stories in games more than I like gameplay (I would play a great story with mediocre gameplay any day) I can safely say WoW has a good story, and if you disconnect the grind from your opinion, read the quests, and actually play Wrath and Cataclysm, with their cinematic moments and - GASP - cutscenes, maybe you could enjoy the story as well.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 10:31AM PlasticRat said
Bleh, was interested, but I see it's still headed down the path of pandering to the bunch of whiny, entitled idiots that took over.
Hunters not using ammo. I quit when that was announced and now it's being implemented. Thanks, when I want a game that congratulates me every 2 seconds and gives me rewards just for pitching up I'll open a facebook account.
Hunters not using ammo. I quit when that was announced and now it's being implemented. Thanks, when I want a game that congratulates me every 2 seconds and gives me rewards just for pitching up I'll open a facebook account.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 4:48PM ThePenIsMightier said
@PlasticRat
Maybe you'd also like it if caster classes lost all natural regeneration and had to buy mana pots?
Reply
Maybe you'd also like it if caster classes lost all natural regeneration and had to buy mana pots?
Posted: Oct 13th 2010 7:36AM PlasticRat said
@slickie
"The game is getting more challenging with Cataclysm."
I'll believe it when I see it.
"Also, ammunition is not a challenging or interesting game mechanic. Period."
Almost all mechanics in games, when broken down or taken on their own are not interesting. Pumping out a spell rotation is in the end not challenging or interesting. The tank, Dps, healer trinity has been described as boring and old. Eating food to regen health faster is definitely not challenging or interesting. Being given gigantic bags of loot for tapping a few keys is not challenging or interesting. Picking up and vendoring vendor trash is not challenging or interesting. Fishing is boring. In fact most crafting and resource gathering is not challenging or interesting on its own.
The point is that each mechanic works together with a bunch of others to make a cohesive and fun overall experience. I go and buy arrows for my bow on my hunter, I'm preparing for an epic and daring adventure. I pack food and buff potions for a raid, it could be described as boring, however the concept of packing your stuff ready for a big adventure, that's the fun part. It draws you into the game, focuses on the "RP" of the "mmoRPg" you're playing.
If you go in and cut every system which on the surface looks to be boring, you're left with something close to the insultingly simple, dopamine pushing babysitter that WoW is right now.
Reply
"The game is getting more challenging with Cataclysm."
I'll believe it when I see it.
"Also, ammunition is not a challenging or interesting game mechanic. Period."
Almost all mechanics in games, when broken down or taken on their own are not interesting. Pumping out a spell rotation is in the end not challenging or interesting. The tank, Dps, healer trinity has been described as boring and old. Eating food to regen health faster is definitely not challenging or interesting. Being given gigantic bags of loot for tapping a few keys is not challenging or interesting. Picking up and vendoring vendor trash is not challenging or interesting. Fishing is boring. In fact most crafting and resource gathering is not challenging or interesting on its own.
The point is that each mechanic works together with a bunch of others to make a cohesive and fun overall experience. I go and buy arrows for my bow on my hunter, I'm preparing for an epic and daring adventure. I pack food and buff potions for a raid, it could be described as boring, however the concept of packing your stuff ready for a big adventure, that's the fun part. It draws you into the game, focuses on the "RP" of the "mmoRPg" you're playing.
If you go in and cut every system which on the surface looks to be boring, you're left with something close to the insultingly simple, dopamine pushing babysitter that WoW is right now.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 3:12PM Kaizan said
I see a lot of hating going on in Joystiq comments whenever WoW comes up, which basically boils down to:
"I'm glad I got out, that game sucked up my entire life, it's so terrible. (sometimes with an "anyone who plays has no life attached to it")
and
"I'm glad I quit, WoW is catering to the casuals who hate boring mechanics and having to play seven hours straight to down a single boss (after attempting him for three weeks straight). What a bunch of noobs"
If WoW sucked up your life, if you failed out of school/lost your job because you were playing too much, then that is YOUR fault, not the game's. As someone who works 40 hours a week, is going to school, and is making well above minimum wage, with a steady girlfriend who plays and lives with me, I can safely say it's the player that chooses to be addicted, not the insidious game brain washing you. It's about being a responsible adult and setting limits for yourself.
And also, to anyone who says it is catering to casuals, you obviously have not played since heroic raids were implemented, as they are some of the most mechanically complex, challenging bosses the game has ever seen. Just because you don't need to grind resist sets, gather 40 players, and deal with boring mechanics like ammo, does not mean the game is less fun or challenging than before. WoW does a great job of catering to both the casual, hardcore, and, believe it or not, people like me who fall somewhere in between.
"I'm glad I got out, that game sucked up my entire life, it's so terrible. (sometimes with an "anyone who plays has no life attached to it")
and
"I'm glad I quit, WoW is catering to the casuals who hate boring mechanics and having to play seven hours straight to down a single boss (after attempting him for three weeks straight). What a bunch of noobs"
If WoW sucked up your life, if you failed out of school/lost your job because you were playing too much, then that is YOUR fault, not the game's. As someone who works 40 hours a week, is going to school, and is making well above minimum wage, with a steady girlfriend who plays and lives with me, I can safely say it's the player that chooses to be addicted, not the insidious game brain washing you. It's about being a responsible adult and setting limits for yourself.
And also, to anyone who says it is catering to casuals, you obviously have not played since heroic raids were implemented, as they are some of the most mechanically complex, challenging bosses the game has ever seen. Just because you don't need to grind resist sets, gather 40 players, and deal with boring mechanics like ammo, does not mean the game is less fun or challenging than before. WoW does a great job of catering to both the casual, hardcore, and, believe it or not, people like me who fall somewhere in between.
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 4:50PM ThePenIsMightier said
@Kaizan
"as they are some of the most mechanically complex, challenging bosses the game has ever seen."
Were you raiding in the vanilla days, sonny boy!? Did you make it to The Sunwell Plat?!
Reply
"as they are some of the most mechanically complex, challenging bosses the game has ever seen."
Were you raiding in the vanilla days, sonny boy!? Did you make it to The Sunwell Plat?!
Posted: Oct 12th 2010 5:56PM Kaizan said
@ThePenIsMightier
Actually, Sunwell Plateau was The Burning Crusade, not vanilla. And yes, I raided Sunwell Plateau on my protection warrior, and it was brutal. Not because the fights were mechanically complex, which is different from HARD, but because they were crushingly difficult in terms of raw damage. The fights back then were not as complex as most of the fights in ICC, especially heroic mode ICC. Sunwell Plateau was definitely harder than any of the current content, but only because it was gated, and because most of the bosses required exact precision by all 25 members, or else you would wipe. One character standing in Felmyst's felfire was a wipe. Examples of this are too numerous to list.
I recommend anyone saying this to consider the difference between complexity and difficulty. Luckily, with Cataclysm, they're bringing back a lot of the difficulty in heroics and raids. No more AoE dungeon runs, no more tanks picking up everything without dying. Crowd Control is back in a big way, and it's going to make being a good player meaningful again, even in simple heroic dungeons.
Reply
Actually, Sunwell Plateau was The Burning Crusade, not vanilla. And yes, I raided Sunwell Plateau on my protection warrior, and it was brutal. Not because the fights were mechanically complex, which is different from HARD, but because they were crushingly difficult in terms of raw damage. The fights back then were not as complex as most of the fights in ICC, especially heroic mode ICC. Sunwell Plateau was definitely harder than any of the current content, but only because it was gated, and because most of the bosses required exact precision by all 25 members, or else you would wipe. One character standing in Felmyst's felfire was a wipe. Examples of this are too numerous to list.
I recommend anyone saying this to consider the difference between complexity and difficulty. Luckily, with Cataclysm, they're bringing back a lot of the difficulty in heroics and raids. No more AoE dungeon runs, no more tanks picking up everything without dying. Crowd Control is back in a big way, and it's going to make being a good player meaningful again, even in simple heroic dungeons.
Posted: Oct 14th 2010 11:59AM Acroyear said
Deactivated my account this morning over this patch...though not JUST this patch.
I'm sick of just getting really good at playing MY characters only to then have WoW change the rules, yet again. I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't very often, but I've respeced and regeared my Pally 7 times in just over two years...not because I wanted to do it, because they forced me to do it.
And I don't care if it takes 15 minutes or 15 hours to relearn... that's not the point. I had my characters where I wanted them... I do not WANT to change them yet again, nor am I going to do so. I want to come home after a hard day at work and just sit down and relax... not read page after page of advice and spend hours of play just to get back to where I was...if I can even do that.
Especially after reading the patch notes... talk about uni-dimensional game play..."here, this is the only way you can build it now".
So, rather than whine, voted with my feet, and going to go find a new game, though going away mad. This is where Blizz wants to take WoW, I'm not going to go, simple as that.
Hope folks who like the new system continue to do so and have a ball.
I'm sick of just getting really good at playing MY characters only to then have WoW change the rules, yet again. I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't very often, but I've respeced and regeared my Pally 7 times in just over two years...not because I wanted to do it, because they forced me to do it.
And I don't care if it takes 15 minutes or 15 hours to relearn... that's not the point. I had my characters where I wanted them... I do not WANT to change them yet again, nor am I going to do so. I want to come home after a hard day at work and just sit down and relax... not read page after page of advice and spend hours of play just to get back to where I was...if I can even do that.
Especially after reading the patch notes... talk about uni-dimensional game play..."here, this is the only way you can build it now".
So, rather than whine, voted with my feet, and going to go find a new game, though going away mad. This is where Blizz wants to take WoW, I'm not going to go, simple as that.
Hope folks who like the new system continue to do so and have a ball.
Posted: Oct 22nd 2010 11:46PM Shadow69 said
4.0.1 is a really terrible patch and WOW is now a Simplistic, Instant Gratification, Video Arcade Game...
Over the last couple of years the game has became more and more simplistic and more "instant gratification", the challenges have disappeared, it became easier and easier to survive and to get "everything" ... (from ? marks on everything to "trainers" being able to teach all skills, spells etc...) no challenges left in the game.. just a rush to get to level 60, to 70, to 80 and then what??? YUK...
My Wife and I made it less than an hour of game play (on the new patch) before we realized that the game has lost all of it's remaining appeal and to the point we're not even interested in the Cataclysm release...
We've both canceled our subscriptions today...
(5 year veterans of WOW...)
Over the last couple of years the game has became more and more simplistic and more "instant gratification", the challenges have disappeared, it became easier and easier to survive and to get "everything" ... (from ? marks on everything to "trainers" being able to teach all skills, spells etc...) no challenges left in the game.. just a rush to get to level 60, to 70, to 80 and then what??? YUK...
My Wife and I made it less than an hour of game play (on the new patch) before we realized that the game has lost all of it's remaining appeal and to the point we're not even interested in the Cataclysm release...
We've both canceled our subscriptions today...
(5 year veterans of WOW...)
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