Patch 2.4 teasers

OK, the new stuff is beginning to trickle out, and some of it strikes me as worthy of comment.  Before I do so, some caveats.

1) Every patch, SOMETHING that was in teasers doesn’t happen.  It gets deleted or modified.  Don’t take anything anybody writes as a guarantee – especially don’t spend money or time you can’t afford in anticipation.

1a) This includes some things that were in the PTR literally the day before it closed.  Not always, but often enough…

2) None of us looking at early release information KNOW all the details of how the various elements work.  These are best guesses and info gleaned from remarks and tests.  We are not guaranteeing We Know.  Well, I’m not guaranteeing I Know – no refunds if you act based on my knowledge.  I’ll guess that everyone else speculating has the same warning, written or not.

2a) Again, this includes PTR experience.

With that out of the way…  Right now, 2.4 info is being released in snippets and dabs.  Several site will get lots of use by assembling them.  My current reference point is at Elitist Jerks.  They will not be alone – if you have a preference, go there.  There are a few out that deserve discussion.  Now, one that’s getting much kicking right now is how Spell Haste will affect the Global Cooldown on spells.  Nifty but I’ve nothing to add to those conversations.  Though I wonder if Haste is going to work on Melee cooldowns.  And I note that Spell and Melee GCD is not Trinket GCD.  Probably.

No, there are three items (so far) of interest to me.  I’ll do them in ascending level of interest.

First, specific to priests.  Shadowpriests will be able to cast Fear Ward while in shadowform.  That is nice, but not earthshattering.  Small buff.

Second, there are a lot of interesting adjustments specific to PVP.  The one that caught my attention, however, was: “Honor calculations will now happen instantaneously, as opposed to nightly.”  Ummmmm.  I predict an increase in honor kills.  Inevitable.  As an ugly confluence, they’ve killed diminishing returns as such.  It’s either full honor or nothing.  Nothing now includes players suffering from Rez sickness, and players who’ve been killed 50+ times in a battleground.

50+?  Dear Goo, WSG will go FOREVER.

Third, and for my personal interest MOST interesting:

“The combat log system will receive a dramatic overhaul.”

Lots and lots and lots of speculation, not to mention odd comments at various times, have fed this one.  It is POSSIBLE that we’ll be able to track who’s frisbee was bouncing around or who cast spells while in Improved Death form.  It is POSSIBLE that we’ll have – or have the option – of getting “spent xx mana to cast” in various lines.  NOTE AGAIN – that is speculation pure and simple.

But making the logs easier to read (first), and getting a bit more clarity (second), and adding a few more information pieces (third) have all been mentioned IN GENERAL as objectives of improving the combat logs in the past.  For those of us using WWS, or even just reading our own logs, this has GREAT potential.

In the meantime, though, we’re playing 2.3.

Have fun

~ by Kirk on February 1, 2008.