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[WoW] Season 3 and Patch 2.3 dates announced.
Munkus Beaver
You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2766101883&pageNo=1&sid=1#0
While testing continues and a delay could possibly change these dates, we are currently planning to start Season 3 on November 20 once the realms come back up from their weekly maintenance. This means that Season 2 will come to a close when the realms come down for maintenance on November 20. During that maintenance the final standings are taken and the end of season rewards are distributed.
The start date for Season 3 is purposefully planned to be one week later than the release of patch 2.3, which is currently scheduled for November 13. We will be closely monitoring the testing of the 2.3 patch, and if it looks like it won’t make the November 13 date, we will announce a delay.
With the end of the current season all previous recipients of the end of season titles will have them removed, and the titles will be redistributed for participation in Season 2. A unique armored swift nether drake, visually distinguishable from the Season 1 reward, will be awarded to the top 0.5% of teams. We’ve recently added new requirements for a team to be counted when determining the top 0.5%, which can be found here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2649798359&sid=1
FAQ
Q: Can I keep my title from Season 1 even if I haven’t participated in Season 2?
A: No, the seasonal titles are intended to be a reward for performance in the previous season. Similar to a sports title or award, it’s handed off or moved to different players/teams as their performance rises or declines throughout the seasons.
Q: What happens to my Nether Drake?
A: You will keep your Swift Nether Drake, and a new visually distinguishable Swift Nether Drake will be given to the top 0.5% of teams for their efforts in Season 2.
Q: So I’ve heard something about items having rating requirements?
A: Yes, the Season 3 weapons will have a personal rating requirement of 1850, and the shoulders will have a personal rating requirement of 2000.
Q: What is a “Personal Rating�
A: We’re introducing an additional rating system with the start of Season 3 that will only track your personal games played, which you’ll be able to see through the in-game PvP interface. This rating will be used to determine the ability to buy specific items, and also to determine eligibility for the end of season rewards. The personal rating rises and declines using the same formula as the arena team rating, but only in games that you participate in. If you switch teams the rating will be reset to a default 1500. The personal rating is only used for the initial purchase of specific items, and isn't required that you maintain a rating to use them.
Q: What happens to the Season 1 and 2 items?
A: The Season 2 items will be priced the same as Season 1 is now, and the Season 1 items are moving to the honor system, purchasable with honor points and Battleground marks.
Q: What happens to my rating when Season 2 ends?
A: Ratings for all teams are reset to the default 1500 for the new season. You still keep your arena points though, they aren’t diminished or removed.
Q: When does Season 2 officially end?
A: Barring a delay, when the realms come down for maintenance on November 20.
Q: How sure are you that 2.3 will make a November 13 release?
A: Pretty sure, but there’s always the possibility for a delay. Due to the upcoming holidays any necessary delays to the release of the patch may require us to delay Season 3 into the start of December. We’re trying very hard to avoid that.
Q: Why isn’t Season 3 beginning with the release of the patch?
A: To help us focus on both a major content patch release, and start of a new season, we’re separating them by one week.
While testing continues and a delay could possibly change these dates, we are currently planning to start Season 3 on November 20 once the realms come back up from their weekly maintenance. This means that Season 2 will come to a close when the realms come down for maintenance on November 20. During that maintenance the final standings are taken and the end of season rewards are distributed.
The start date for Season 3 is purposefully planned to be one week later than the release of patch 2.3, which is currently scheduled for November 13. We will be closely monitoring the testing of the 2.3 patch, and if it looks like it won’t make the November 13 date, we will announce a delay.
With the end of the current season all previous recipients of the end of season titles will have them removed, and the titles will be redistributed for participation in Season 2. A unique armored swift nether drake, visually distinguishable from the Season 1 reward, will be awarded to the top 0.5% of teams. We’ve recently added new requirements for a team to be counted when determining the top 0.5%, which can be found here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2649798359&sid=1
FAQ
Q: Can I keep my title from Season 1 even if I haven’t participated in Season 2?
A: No, the seasonal titles are intended to be a reward for performance in the previous season. Similar to a sports title or award, it’s handed off or moved to different players/teams as their performance rises or declines throughout the seasons.
Q: What happens to my Nether Drake?
A: You will keep your Swift Nether Drake, and a new visually distinguishable Swift Nether Drake will be given to the top 0.5% of teams for their efforts in Season 2.
Q: So I’ve heard something about items having rating requirements?
A: Yes, the Season 3 weapons will have a personal rating requirement of 1850, and the shoulders will have a personal rating requirement of 2000.
Q: What is a “Personal Rating�
A: We’re introducing an additional rating system with the start of Season 3 that will only track your personal games played, which you’ll be able to see through the in-game PvP interface. This rating will be used to determine the ability to buy specific items, and also to determine eligibility for the end of season rewards. The personal rating rises and declines using the same formula as the arena team rating, but only in games that you participate in. If you switch teams the rating will be reset to a default 1500. The personal rating is only used for the initial purchase of specific items, and isn't required that you maintain a rating to use them.
Q: What happens to the Season 1 and 2 items?
A: The Season 2 items will be priced the same as Season 1 is now, and the Season 1 items are moving to the honor system, purchasable with honor points and Battleground marks.
Q: What happens to my rating when Season 2 ends?
A: Ratings for all teams are reset to the default 1500 for the new season. You still keep your arena points though, they aren’t diminished or removed.
Q: When does Season 2 officially end?
A: Barring a delay, when the realms come down for maintenance on November 20.
Q: How sure are you that 2.3 will make a November 13 release?
A: Pretty sure, but there’s always the possibility for a delay. Due to the upcoming holidays any necessary delays to the release of the patch may require us to delay Season 3 into the start of December. We’re trying very hard to avoid that.
Q: Why isn’t Season 3 beginning with the release of the patch?
A: To help us focus on both a major content patch release, and start of a new season, we’re separating them by one week.
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Also, any idea if the S1 items will cost the same amount as the honor items do now? Or will prices be increased/lessened?
They will be purchasable with honor.
I do not know the prices.
Awesome, thanks.
Looks like a perfect time to finish leveling my Rogue. Maybe this will motivate me. :P
Also, 2 weeks for S3? Better start farming honor more, I want as much gear as i can on day one. Sitting on 35k, need 30k more for the "basic" S1 set.
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Prices for S1, S2 and S3 gear.
And, my Paladin is now level 36. Just going to save up rest state and let the good times roll.
:^:
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Don't worry about it until you are a bit closer to 70. You can earn Honor in the Battlegrounds, and even purchase some level appropriate armor/weapons but honestly it just takes a lot more time then it is worth.
After you have played a few characters and are more familiar with the game, test the pvp waters but until then continue to enjoy the PvE side of things.
At least you don't have to maintain it to keep using the weapon.
Basically, it means that, even if you are some 2k arena team merc Merc. Gladiator, if you decide to temp join a 1400 team for a freind, your rating PLUMMETS accordingly, reguardless if you quit the 1400 team and rejoin your awesome one. It also keeps 1400 people from leeching off a 2k+ arena team.
It's also what dictates if you can buy the s3 shoulders/Weapons.
That said, am I the only one who thinks the recolored t6 for the season 3 gear looks terrible?
Also, the ZA armor sets don't seem to fit the game at all.
Edit: That would be interesting, actually. If your personal rating was persistent, and the combined average personal rating of a team is counted toward matching when they queue, so if Mr 2200 joined a 1400 team they wouldn't just get put against other 1400 suckers but people with some better gear/skill.
As far as s3 armor goes, I know the shaman set looks okay, and I am thanking god that it is a kilt.
However, i think the Warrior set got fucked in the ass, if I remember correctly.
Just enough on the weapons to make sure that people can't just ride the coattails to success.
I'm not sure, with the influx of S1 Honor Armor I think that even the lowest rated teams will be rocking some really good gear. I have a feeling that getting to 1600 will be a lot easier, and anything above that will be significantly harder now, and will be more based around party composition rather than gear.
Before, there was only Honor/Drop gear Vs. Gladiator Gear which was a leap, but not that big od one.
Then came season 2, with Honor/Drop gear Vs. Gladiator Gear Vs. Merciless Gear. You now, starting out, had three tiers to deal with, armorwise, each being a sort of "jump". 15 were honor/1800's were usually in Glad/Merc gear, with the 2k's being generally fully merc out and nearly indestructible by a Gladiator/Merciless opponent and being indestructible Vs. an honor geared opponent.
Now, season 3, theoritically, should make it easier then Season 2 was, since the s1/s2 gear gap isn't all that big, however, when you hit the 1900/2k level, it's going to be a goddamn brick wall, mostly in part to the BT level weapons, which, are on a whole different plane then any of the s1/s2 armor and gear stuff.
Pretty much, at the start of the season, get to 1800 as soon as fucking possible and by those weapons. That's going to be the big difference. After that, you can probably hover the 1900/2k range, and if you PVP a lot, you can nab a title spot early.
Edit: If you start late, the brick wall is going to be the 1750-1790, and all the 18+. If you luck out and get a 18+ team, just lie down, and take it in the pooper.
The 1500-1700s are still going to be populated with teams that aren't serious, are just point farms, or are swapping people out left and right. It shouldn't be too hard for a competent team to get up to the 1800 range. And since it'll be pretty easy to get gear (S1 for honor? Yay!), you'll be able to compete.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
We'll see what happens.
Well I didn't say they're throwing it away to "pwn sum n00bs", they do it for heaps of gold. If they have their gear set for the season, and don't need to worry about rating for titles/mounts until the very end, there's no reason not to do this.
Regardless, if you actually play to be good, and not just play your ten games a week for points, you'll get better, and your rating will skyrocket. I have a friend that plays on a few extremely high rated teams with his main(s) start playing his holy priest for arenas. He has 57 resilience. His 3v3 team (warlock/rogue/priest) is now over 2100, even though his gear blows ridiculous amounts of ass. But he knows how to pillar kite like a champ, and in general knows what his other party members need to be doing, and can predict where he'll need to be, so his lack of survivability is mitigated by how well he plays and how well he can predict where the fight is going.
As far as how hard/not hard next season will be... It'll most likely be a little easier than it is this season, just like this season is a little easier than last season. The scrubs with merciless gladiator gear may be a little tougher, but they still don't know how to play, and you can still outmaneuver them with crap gear all day long. Meanwhile, more teams are playing, more people are playing, which feeds more points into the system, which makes it that much easier to raise your team's rating.
The thing is, you have three brackets to play in. If you have a 2100 2v2, it's a lot easier to sell the 3v3/5v5 brackets since worst case you fall back on a highly rated team. Also, the teams at the really high end are usually good/dedicated enough that they can powerlevel themselves back up near the top in a couple weeks even if they do start from scratch.
On one hand it's annoying, on the other hand they have to let you reform teams midseason since people come and go and getting stuck on a dead team would be horrible.
Part of the problem is we put our alts on the same 3v3 to get them points. Play 'em for three games & usually lose all of them. Fury warrior/rogue/feral druid (warrior should be MS, I know), probably not the best combo either.
I ended up buying the S2 spellblade last night, & the new season was announced today. Figures.
Well, look at it this way: You would need a personal rating of 1850 to get the S3 spellblade, so it was probably best to just buy the S2 one.
I looked up the stats on the S3 - it wasn't that much better. If I had waited, I probably could've saved some points on buying the S2 one. Eh. I don't think I could really grind out the games to hit 1850, 10 games is my limit. Although I'm surprised they didn't apply personal rating to the chestpiece, I would think that would be a bigger piece than shoulders.
The shoulders being the most notable piece is the only reason I can see for them to limit it as you can still get the set bonuses with a low rating and the difference between a person with all S3 and a person with all S3 and S2 shoulders is minimal.
Yeah, it would've made more sense. I guess they were saying the shoulders rating is really just there for cosmetic reasons. They were tired of everyone running around with the new shoulders, since it was such a large representation of status in the game until the PVP rewards happened. Or, something like that.
We played like 30 games or so and I think we only lost 2 or 3
That was pretty fun, but we never stuck with it. Too bad.