Posted by DJTyrant on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 - 67 Comments
Tags: aspect of the cheetah, dark portal, Druid, ghost wolf, Hunter, level, Mount, orgrimmar, outland, Paladin, Shaman, thunder bluff, travel form, Warlock, zepplin
A Goblin Zeppelin heading into Undercity.
Pixiestixy broke the news last night about the mount changes that will be coming in the next major patch, 3.2. There are some additional news to note as Zarhym posted some more information about transportation changes which are being implemented to improve leveling:
From the World of Warcraft Forums:
In the next major content patch we will be adding a few methods of improved transportation to areas of interest while leveling.
It is time for the denizens of Azeroth to witness the full might of the Horde as they do what they do best: employ goblins to construct zeppelin towers and float players across vast seas using sky boats. That’s right, a new zeppelin route is being added in Thunder Bluff and will transport players to Orgrimmar. Isn’t technology magnificent?
Also, brought to you by Azeroth’s greatest users of magic, are all new portals coming to Stormwind and Orgrimmar. These portals will transport players directly to the Stair of Destiny at the Dark Portal. Travel is just so much more convenient when it’s instantaneous! Players will then find that a new connecting flight path exists at the Stair of Destiny allowing players new to Outland easy and direct access to the city of Shattrath.
Keep your seat backs and tray tables in a full upright and locked position, and we hope you continue to enjoy your methods of travel in Azeroth and beyond!
So even more changes are in store! Horde players I’m sure will be loving the new zeppelin between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff, while everyone can appreciate the instant transport to the Stair of Destiny to get you to the Outlands faster!
These changes seem to fall in line with the Blizzard philosophy of making leveling more accessible and faster for players. As a player who has only one max level character and a multitude of alts I can really appreciate this!
This is not the end of the changes of course as there are also changes coming to the class specific mounts and movement abilities, also found on the World of WarCraft Forums:
Movement Speed Training By Class
- Druid
- Travel Form: Requires level 16
- Flight Form: Requires level 60 (150% flight speed)
- Swift Flight Form: Requires level 70
- Hunter
- Aspect of the Cheetah: Requires level 16
- Shaman
- Ghost Wolf: Requires level 16
- Paladin
- Warhorse: Requires level 20
- Charger: Requires level 40
- Warlock
- Felsteed: Requires level 20
- Dreadsteed: Requires level 40
No surprises from the class mount changes, but the movement ability changes are nice as getting ghost wolf, aspect of the cheetah and travel form earlier will be a really nice change for leveling!
What do you think of these changes? Good or bad? Is Blizzard making it too easy for newer players?
Related Posts: Zarhym Says No Refunds for Mount Changes, QQ, Inc, Onyxia Gets an Update in 3.2.2, Happy Holidays From Project Lore,
By Sapo Carlos on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
First
By Robojessus on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice finally my 24 pally can get a mount
can’t wait for blizzard to lower it even more until lvl 1
By l33tadin on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
w8…..the charger is lvl 40 now? hows the quest gonna work at tht lvl? same w /the lock mount
By onthebuses on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Loving the portals from SW to Stair of Destiny. So much easier than having to fly there. Oh if im set on PVP and i happen to use the portal, and meet some horde there, could we see some PVP action at the dark portal. Love the changes blizzard are making. And that Ghost Wolf change is awesome. Blizzard are making the game so much more player friendly now.
By Nebyula on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
@ l33tadin
The quest for Pally and Lock class specific mounts, the loooong quest chain, hasn’t been necessary to get the mount for a while now, just a 1 time fee at your local trainer.
By theone on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
The Zep tower is “Meh”
I mean its convenient but its only a 1:13 flight path between the two that costs 40 copper
As for the Stair of destiny portal big thumbs up! no more having to take an 11 min flight path on a new DK to get to outland!
By LaFetus on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Is no one else finding it unfair that druids will get flying at the same level everyone else does (60) yet they’re allowed to fly over 2 times faster?
By DJTyrant on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
@LaFetus
Standard flying mounts will also be 150% speed in the air; they were in last nights post.
By PatrickD on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Flight form at 60, but non-druids still have to wait until 70? (…at which point people are leaving Outland already, making flying mounts there pointless.)
Blizzard needs to fix that too. Give us flying mounts earlier in Outland.
By PatrickD on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Nevermind. I just read the previous blog post. (I should really read oldest-to-newest.)
By Alayea on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Have to agree with theone on the proposed zeppelin route between Thunderbluff and Orgrimmar. It takes, what, ~45 copper and 3:28 minutes? The zeppelin would have to be faster than that to justify its existence.
Other than that, I’m quite pleased with the news.
By Zekkex on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
These changes are probably going to be the thing that tears me from my level 80’s and gets me back into leveling my alts again.
I think that might be why they did it. More and more often, I would get on, and I would see less and less people getting on their alts and only on their mains getting geared up and getting through Ulduar, Naxx, etc. And these changes make the players feel like it won’t be as much of a hassle to level and get their alts to where their mains are. In my opinion, the changes are going to be great!
By Shoogs on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
What about the other classes?! I think that’s pretty unfair to give the OP classes even more perks. Kinda lame imo.
By Shoogs on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
lol, made same mistake as PatrickD, I take back my previous post
By cocopuff on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
hm thas cool i found the ram going from stormwind to IF very usefull saves a 5 minet flight i think the next step should be to alowe flyng mounds eastern kingdom and kalimdor no comment about th the portals doesnt really affect me i am done leveling alts though it for now i am more worryed about my DK and Mage i was thinking the same thing i did the ques not solong ago kind makes me think how a level forty goinot get DM strat osholomace or kill a level 52 same for warlocks and not only do the normal flyers get times 2 1/2 speed boost but the pricec are being slashed the normal riding skill the whole set skill and all will onl cost 5g more then 7 times lower the epic land moud will cost 60g for the whole package 11 times less then now the normal flyer is oinot be on a 27 percent discount 650g down from 900no change to epic flyer except the mound is 100g cheaper the skill is still 5k
By Borbock on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
This is really stupid…pallys and locks getting their mounts 10 levels before everyone? or is the mount level requirement being moved for everyone AGAIN????
seriously, eventually youl be get one every time you start a new character and epic mount will be lvl 2, flying by 3
what happened to the good old days when everything made sense? they’re making this game way too easy.
By totesmagoates on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
when is this patch going live?
By k30spartan on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
You have to be kidding… you know how long it took me to get my felsteed pre BC and know their giving mounts away like pamphlets . who ever brought this up should give me time refund
By Sno on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
@ Borbock
its not stupid why would blizzard want to make people suffer through spending the same amount of time on the old content as their first time through. thats like saying they should have kept experience requirements the same it just speeds things up for leveling. so they can get to the good content blizzard wants them to be playing not STV or EPL
By Tom on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Sorry but what’s the point of giving the Druid swift flight form at 70 or anyone epic mounts at 70 when they have to wait until 77 to use them when you take into account where you’ll more than likely be at ~70.
By cocopuff on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
then give us are money back if your gointo do this or dont do it at all we have worked hard for the money and now newbies can do a few quest lines and what we worked weeks months for they can get in one day just not fair its like saying that all that all of our affort is worthless i know that have the people are not gointo understand this as they werent teh ones busting thier ass doing dailys every day farming mats
By cocopuff on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
half*
By Hakeem on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I’m happy about the zep from TB to ORG. It will make leveling a Tauren way easier. No more running from Mulgore to Durotar to pick up the low lvl quests. One could even head to Tirisfal to lvl a Tauren. Very nice. And yeah, the super long flight to the Dark Portal for DK’s was a pain in the a$$.
By DJTyrant on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
I’m blown away by the backlash here. No one is more privileged than the anyone else in the game. This is like complaining that my gear is obsolete when an expansion comes out. Get over it
By Ponyboyy on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
So what, now not only do Paladins and warlocks get it cheaper then everyone else, and now they got it earlier?
By DJTyrant on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Everyone gets mounts at the same time, no one is getting them “earlier” than anyone else.
Did you read the post I linked to on here that we wrote up yesterday about the changes?
By cocopuff on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
oh for haven sake why are we amking such a big issue over this is it so wrong that we are not happy that people like and teh veterans of this game arent happy about wasting 1000nds of gold over teh last 4 years i mean is it the point is noobs are getting it to easy these days they dont learn anything i would think atleast in a virtual world their would some justice noobs get all teh brakes
By noobalicious on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
@ cocpuff
Maybe you should have invested some of that gold into English lessons.
By Tharon on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
@ theone,
Yes the flight may only be a minute+, but in order to get the flight path, you have to RUN from 1 to the other. With the zep, that looooooong run has just become a quick climb to the top of a tower, maybe wait 1.5 mins, and less than that to travel by zep. Far cry faster than the initial run, unless u r high enuf for the quest.
@ robojessus,
As nice as it would be, to be able to get a mount at lvl 1, FAT chance. LOL, sorry man.
By Dalag on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
this game is getting too easy IMO…
By Tom on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Yeah way to ask for opinions and thoughts from people only to right them off DJ. Well done.
“What do you think of these changes? Good or bad? Is Blizzard making it too easy for newer players? [Not that I care I'll just tell you to get over it later.]“
By Lolmaster on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Well, the reason for this changes is the crisis going on.
Blizzard knows that if they keep the game like it always been, people will leave because they are tired of the game, but no new players will join in the meantime.
I think these changes are great, now I can finally level up my Warlock (22), or maybe my Warrior (21), because of the mount thing^^
By Nethya on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I am all for the new zep between TB and ORG! best thing EVER! but srsly? flight form at 60 seems… wrong, and lock and pallys getting mounts at 20 even worst. but the worst offender by far is epic mounts at 40! THE FEK?!
By illigetimi on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I strongly support this step to make the world more traversable, and leveling alt a more enjoyable experience.
My one gripe is that, with epic mounts moved to 40, the process of making the paladin and warlock quest chains obsolete is completed.
Getting my paladin epic mount was one of the most fulfilling experiences in WoW, even though I haven’t mounted my charger in ages (and replaced him with a black war tiger even before BC), and the event in the Scholomance ossuary was the most enjoyable fun things I got to do as a paladin.
I think they should make a new epic mount quest chain with a new top-level climactic event(maybe even for epic flying mounts, but a pre-requisite would have to be artisan riding skill) to replace the abandoned old ones, both for the sake of the old-timers and the newcomers that will never get to see the old one. You could even tie it in with the push towards Icecrown (really appropriate for pallies).
By Vag on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Some people really don’t know how to read..
By Mags on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Honestly, I don’t see how this is making the game “easier”. It’s not like getting a mount at level 20 is “ZOMG I can kill elites now!!!11!1!11″. You can just TRAVEL to places faster. Guess what? When you travel there faster, YOU CAN STILL DIE. Getting there faster doesn’t mean you’ll kill things faster or get better gear >_>
If this is such an issue, then I guess Blizz needs to take out all the portals in Shatt and Dalaran, and make you travel the hard way back to Old World. While we’re at it, take out the flight points and the Mage portals. That way, the game isn’t too easy just because you got from point A to point B faster than before >_>
Quit the QQ and deal with it.
By Zarinn on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 12:01 am
For all the people complaining about the changes, it should be obvious why they are doing it. Clearly the number of new subscribers has fallen drastically, and the only people rolling new characters are existing players.
No one is getting anything free or better here since almost everyone getting any advantage here has already been there and done that with the old system.
By attack attack on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:03 am
@ mags
I totally agree with you
and who wunts to be playin old wow if i mack a new alt i wunt to be playin the new content not old content wich no one playes any more unless thy r lvlin new alts
By Trial on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:38 am
too buffed imo..getting mounts before the other classes? geesh..i mean..im a DK with 100% @ 55 but…30% @ 20? why dont you give a mount already at the beggining of the game that can fly trough azerroth..
By Zoczoc on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:39 am
What im wondering is when does this patch arive, cus im level 50 now and dont wanna buy the mount if the price is going down with 200g a week later
By Richard on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Just add a lvl80 character when you buy WoW, and perhaps even full T8,5 set. Why not throw in all achievements complete also from the start.
This game has gone from up to down every single expansion and patch. Sad, very sad.
By cocopuff on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 5:28 am
i completly agree with these changess though a faster mound may not give you more power it does make those long travels lighter and faster which one of us is nt annoyed by our slow ass mound going to the opposite side of a a zone on your slow ass mound i hate having to have to go to go to the black portal when starting outlands
By Patrick on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 5:32 am
Man Wow is to easy, i remember when Tbc And Wotlk wasent there, Then wow was a challenging now its just to easy…
All the way from denmark…(yes it is in europe)
By Apollumi on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 6:02 am
lvl 40 for charger kills the reason to do the quest line for the tabard now.. unless they change the quest line to a place in Scarlet monestray Cathedral.
By Mezz on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 6:04 am
I saw the palidan mount level 20 I got very happy cause I have a 20 pally then I saw dreadsteed at 40 and the second it comes out my 40 lock is soooo getting dreadsteed now =)
By Drstealth on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 6:11 am
I really feel sorry for people who only see or only focus on the negative side of things. Yes, people are entitled to these negative views and opinions, but I still feel sad for them.
Reminds me of how I head someone say once, “I wouldn’t want to win the lottery. Just think of all the taxes I would have to pay”
By Uhnk on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Frankly, I want a freakin’ refund of all the gold I’ll have spent on the current mount system
By Peddel on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 6:55 am
People… think straight, isnt it annoying to walk for minutes to do one quest on your alt (or a new account for some people)
the new mount changes are just to make you go faster
less traveling time = more play time!!!
you should be happy now!!!
more good WoW for your money!!!
By 95husum on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 7:12 am
Isent it a little bad that all the changes are afecting the originally game. The dark portal: dont need it ennymore. pally mount at lvl 40: Whats happening whit the cool quest? Little changes are good, but i dont like major changes like that=(
By rin on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 7:23 am
all these changes are cool except for one thing, people who already have bought all their training for such higher prices should get the extra money back =D
By Arassar on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Zeppelin between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff? Wow, we really are getting lazy.
By Xoo on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 8:02 am
yey that’s perfect when i can go gank som low allys @ Dark portal
By Spwany on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I want my gold back!
By weeney on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 9:32 am
LOL i dont think people understand the reason for a TB to Org, Zep your right a flight path would be easier but as a noob who has never been their and has no mount its a very long walk… whenever i lvl a alt i hate the Barrens walk, and i think if you can avoid it thats best.
By Thad on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I’m so tired of this progression towards making wow a glorified shooter (and yeah I know that’s an excessive statement so cram your flames). Seriously, every time I blink they keep making the game easier and easier, pretty soon it’s going to be as casual as Peggle or something. I know they want to hook more people in with less delay and line their pockets with more cash, since ultimately that’s what this game is about, but I think it does the players and the old content a disservice when they constantly make it all less and less relevant. It reminds me of the trend in society these days of focusing on “what’s cool now” and screw everything else.
By weeney on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 9:42 am
another thing that people should kno is tha everyone can get their mount sooner and if you read before u stated shit i wouldnt have to write this.
and personally if your a high lvl this means you as well as noobs can get your alts shit together. no reason to complain so what you had to spend more time getting your mount before “now you don’t”
getting your mount quicker means faster leveling personally now im going to lvl my rogue
By warmaster on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 10:04 am
well u see no wwith an earlier patch those warlock an pally mounts no longer need a quest u just buy it
By fuzzlekite on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 10:49 am
first of all, those of you complaining about how much money you spent on your mounts, get over it. Think of it this way, if you buy a TV from a store and then a year later it costs less, you don’t get a refund. It’s the same thing here.
second, with getting mounts at a little lower level, maybe the lvl 80s that kill me when I’m a lvl 20 and THEN camp my body for fun will now hopefully spend more time leveling another character and leave me alone. Or at least make it a fair fight.
third, how come the horde gets all the cool stuff. They have the zeplins that travel between 3 soon to be 4 cities while the alliace only has the tram between IF and SW. We need more quick travel points, maybe another point to Darnassus or maybe Exodar, where the only jewelcrafter below lvl 60 exists.
and if you are really unsatisified with what blizzard is doing, why don’t you just find some other game to play and let us have fun in peace.
By Eric on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 10:58 am
This will get me to resubscribe my WoW account.
By banikk on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 11:03 am
not sure if this is posted yet….but having a zepp from Org to TB isnt about money and time. its “Blizzard philosophy of making leveling more accessible and faster for players”. so you dont have to walk and get FP. i think…..haha still that 3min and change feels like an hour!!!!!! although i take Dal portal so it doesnt matter
this all way cool. obviously Blizz has great ides for us in the future.
By Sam on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Geez, all the QQ about ‘I want a gold refund’.
The change in prices only adds up to like 400g over 80 levels. It’s a drop in the bucket. The price to epic flying (where you dropped a huge chunk of your money) isn’t going to change much.
A lot of you spent that gold years ago. Get over it. This is a good change.
(Yes I am level capped and spent the same amount of gold as everyone else on mounts.)
By Shnoo on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
All you QQ’ers about old wow… yeah stfu.. i was there… it wasnt that fucking hard..
“Wow dude my deeps is so bettar cuz i haz teh epic mount at 20 and u got it later on haha”
Thats what you guys come across as saying go ahead.,.. make an alt, lets see how much fun you have in Kalimdor/Eastern Kingdoms/Outlands dragging your ass place to place.. while the rest of us lvl up a bit faster.. btw.. in about a month or so and you ppl who “spent so much time on getting my epic flyer” will have that money back..
By cocopuff on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
the change is good but it is missing one thing REFUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By tinkertime on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
boohoo i want my gold back. they didn’t give hunter’s a refund for the pet talent changes. instead of complaining that you had to go through all the huss and fuss to get your mounts and now things are easier just chalk it up to you having a bigger e-peen. or even better you can roll a new character and take full advantage of the new perks. by the way on the zep issue have any of you downcasters tried to run a level 6 Tauren through the barrens to get to org?
By hachelin on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
i love it man i DO
=()
By cocopuff on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
tinker you got the idea no take hat and multiply times a 1000 hese changes should have been implented when they came out not mke us wait 2 years for it
By enight on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 9:15 am
ok people!! everyone that’s complaining about druids having flying mounts before every1 else, dont worry, evey1 else will be able to get their mounts at the same level with the same speed
BTW love the level changes for all the mounts