A little birdy (read Jeff Kaplan) told us at GDC last week that WoW's Patch 3.1 is ready to go out the door. This leads me to believe that tomorrow we will see this patch finally land on our doorsteps. Of course, what one developers says to a room full of other developers might just be bluffing to sound more on top of things than Blizzard really is, but I tend to think the timing is just about perfect. Beyond Kaplan's assertions, there's the fact that Noble Garden, Blizzard's version of Easter, will start sometime during the week prior to or following April 12th, and so they will have to have the code already in place in order for the holiday to magically start on time. If the holiday lands before April 12th, then tomorrow is the only date for the patch to launch, as otherwise it would come too late. If the holiday begins on April 12th and extends afterward, then it may still be likely to see the patch land on April 7th.
So, after Kaplan's speech I thought long and hard about what changes are really setting this patch apart, I read over the patch notes, and compiled a list. Now, keep in mind that this is my list, and I am not an Arena player, I am not a casual player, I am not an East German prize fighter. I am a raider who spends a good deal of time on the end game content, while at the same time working on leveling alts through the low level areas. So don't be surprised if PvP changes don't catch my eye. It's simply a case of me writing about what interests me.
5. Big changes for the UI
There is now a feature that allows players to switch between sets of gear ingame, replacing the much-used mod Outfitter. This is once again another example of the modding community influencing the UI in WoW. Additionally, maps for all the dungeons have been added to the game. The mini-map has also received a revamp, including the ability to point to a ping that is off the area your mini-map displays.
Other UI changes include the news that achievements will now be tracked with quests, under a new "Track Objectives" section in the UI. Additionally, any on-use item required for a quest will now show up as a button next to the quest so you can click on it. No more hunting for bombs in your inventory.
The LFG tool will now list the type of class role you play (tanking, healing, or DPS) as an input option when you are looking for a group.
4. World Holidays
In previous years, Blizzard's version of Easter was truly an Easter Egg; the event was only a day long, and included the simple easter egg hunt in the starting areas for the undead and the humans. This year, in keeping with the World Events achievements, Noble Garden will now be a week-long holiday, with its own set of achievements, and it will be included in the meta-achievement. There are also a couple of big holiday-related achievement tweaks coming in Patch 3.1: Brew of the Year has been removed as a requirement for the Brewfest achievement, something that I myself am elated about; and Be Mine has been removed from Love is in the Air, meaning that 90% of the people will finally get their titles.
3. Dual Specs & Pre-choosing Talents
A huge advancement for anyone who chooses to engage in multiple types of gameplay, the option to pay 1000g for a second spec slot is now available. Glyphs will also switch along with talents. Along with the option for dual specs, the talent screen has been modified so you can choose where to play your talent points before you spend them. This will be a huge boon for all those people who have quick trigger fingers. "Damn, I don't have enough points for Living Bomb!"
2. The Fishable Mount
The reason this is so high up on the list is simple: I believe this mount is a forshadowing of the expansion to come. Knowing that we will have a fast-speed water mount in the game naturally leads to speculation that we will be heading into the water with our next expansion. I think this mount means that we will be seeing a Maelstrom announcement in August.
1. Ulduar
At the end of the day, the greatest gift Patch 3.1 can give us is new content. Ulduar will connect us with the larger stories we've been eaglerly waiting to complete from the Old Kingdom, gives us some thrilling new dungeon mechanics, and a whole new tier of loot. Knowing how pivotal this instance will be to the lore, I wonder how many large instances we will see before the conclusion of this expansion. I sort of think that if we only receive Ulduar and Icecrown Citadel, that will still be enough content, but they did promise a 10-man and a 25-man instance for every 5-man in the expansion. Whether or not they will keep that promise is something to keep an eye on.
