WoW Blogger

Twolions submitted the following comic strip for consideration regarding the expansion.

ActionTrip Comic Strip.

Note: “all classes are staying well within the ever-expanding Warcraft lore.”

Thanks, Twolions!

07.24.2006
New/Updated Items:

Stonecutting Glaive, Plans: Sageblade

07.23.2006
New/Updated Items:

Warleader’s Bracers, Mixologist’s Tunic, Recipe: Greater Arcane Elixir, Band of Servitude, Mar’li’s Touch

New NPCs/Monsters:

Bronn Fitzwrench

07.22.2006
New/Updated Items:

Dragon’s Call, Signet Ring of the Bronze Dragonflight, Devilsaur Barb, Unidentified Ore

Blizzard has updated the World of Warcraft website with info on the new races that will be available in the upcoming Burning Crusade expansion pack. Here’s a blurb:

As we draw closer to the release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, more of the secrets shrouding the draenei and blood elves are being revealed. In the upcoming expansion, players will finally be able to play classes that were previously unavailable to their faction: the blood elves have harnessed the power of the Light for their own needs, supporting the Horde with renegade blood elf paladins. Meanwhile, the draenei have been granted the wisdom and strength of the elements, and some among the newest members of the Alliance now follow the path of the shaman. Read on to learn more about the new class combinations available to players of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

Read the complete story at World of Warcraft.com

Eyonix has been hard at work manning the General Forum today, offering up information as to the ideas and goals behind the big annoucement today. We took some time to compile them all into a nice little package for you that you can get to by clicking the link at the bottom of this news post. Here’s a snip to whet your appetite:

In terms of game design, one of the options it opens up is for specific classes in dungeon encounters. We already have several encounters that highlight the abilities of a single class or make use of a classes specific abilities. Shaman and Paladins in the previous design could not participate in such encounters. If killing a creature required a Shaman, the Alliance could never beat the encounter and vice versa. This change allows the two classes to bring their own abilities into a situation which may highlight their class as an integral part of the encounter.

As more information is posted, I will update this thread and bump it to the top of the news so keep checking back with us!

WoW Europe has posted today that the Horde will be gaining Bloodelf Paladins and the Alliance will be gaining Dranei Shaman in the expansion.

The original post: http://forums-en.wow-europe.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general-en&t=1141585&p=1&tmp=1#post1141585

As we draw closer to the release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, more of the secrets shrouding the Draenei and Blood Elves are being revealed. One legend involves the noble leader of the Draenei, Velen, and his vision. Velen’s vision was given substance in the form of Nobundo, a one-time Draenei priest who had devolved while the orcs decimated his race and tore the planet apart. Like his fellow Broken, Nobundo had lost contact with the Light, and so he ventured far into the deserts of Outland to meditate and pray for guidance.

After decades of silence, an unfamiliar voice finally answered his prayers. It was not the Light that whispered to him, but the wind. The breeze spoke to him of lost truths, of the might of the elements–of the delicate balance of power embraced by the shaman. Nobundo listened eagerly and learned all he could. When he judged the time was right, he departed the desert determined to use this knowledge to help the Draenei race.

Meanwhile, the Blood Elves busied themselves by establishing the fearsome Blood Knights. Their founding was made possible through the capture of a naaru from Tempest Keep by Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider. Kael’thas delivered the naaru to Silvermoon, where Magister Astalor Bloodsworn began months of study and experimentation on the naaru. Eventually, Astalor and his fellow wizards learned how to manipulate and corrupt the naaru’s luminous energies. In the end the wizards devised a process by which the powers of the Light could be transferred to recipients who had not earned such abilities. Instead of feeding upon the naaru’s magic, the blood elves would wield the naaru’s Light-given powers themselves.

Lady Liadrin, formerly a priestess, had recently renounced her vows, for she felt the Light had abandoned her people. She learned of the wizards’ achievement and volunteered to be the first to bend the stolen powers to her will. With her decision a new order was born: the Blood Knights. These renegade paladins are able to harness the sacred powers of the Alliance’s noblest heroes.

These new developments with the Draenei and Blood Elves mean that World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade will allow Alliance players to create shamans, and Horde players to play as paladins, using the newly uncovered races. The ability for players of both factions to use any class opens up exciting new gameplay opportunities, with fresh group-play dynamics. Those who have faithfully pledged their allegiance with one faction or the other will finally have the opportunity to try out a class that was once unavailable to them. While Alliance shamans and Horde paladins mostly share the same talents as their counterparts across the battlefield, they will also enjoy some unique abilities to themselves, similar to the priest class’ racial specialties. Stay tuned to wow-europe.com for more information.

Read more here: http://www.wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade/townhall/classcombo.html