WoW Cataclysm: Tier 11 Raiding

So, what did you think of Tier 11 normal mode (pre-nerf)? Some found the difficulty to be just right while others weren't impressed with (what early on were) one-shot mechanics.

I thought some of the new raid mechanics, like sound on Atramedes and corrupted blood on Cho'gall, weren't bad. Halfus, changing up from week to week, was a good plan to try to help keep things interesting. Three council fights. Chimaeron tested healers and their ability to adapt.

Props for trying to make things a bit fresher in some areas, although I'm not a fan of "interrupt on CD or die" mechanics. General Vezax already did that. It's not hard, but it's not really "fun" either, IMO. Seen it once, you're good to go.

Throne of the Four Winds had such a nice look to it, especially compared to Blackwing Descent and Bastion of Twilight. Swimming through the air killing Al'Akir let's you get a really good look at the place. It's quite grand. The council fight is easy but just good fun. Al'Akir was fairly challenging at first, taking some time to get a feel for it (perception in phase 3).

What was your favorite raid boss in Tier 11?

How far did you get in hardmodes?

WoW Cataclysm: First it was Heroics, now it's Raids

Going from faceroll Wrath heroics to the new Cataclysm dungeons was a bit of culture shock for some players. Yeah, well, it's an expansion. That's how it works. We went from over-geared toons that we knew inside out to under-geared newbs relearning our classes. And, yes, the difficulty was ramped up a bit, as it very well needed to be.

Ghostcrawler's famous "Wow, Dungeons are Hard!" blog, explained why things needed a push but it wasn't well-received by all. Some thought he was saying L2play, if not in so many words. Soon heroics were nerfed.

On the World of Warcraft forums, many players were upset about these nerfs especially after having read that blog (apparently, Ghostcrawler has been nerfed a bit too). Players that like a challenge talked of "slippery slopes" stating that soon raids would also be nerfed.

They didn't know the half of it. While it's expected that content will be nerfed late in an expansion, the force of the nerf bat on T11 this early was pretty extreme. This is especially true since with easier access to gear, content nerfs itself.

A raid made up of alts and pugs can now clear all of Tier 11 in a couple of hours.

WoW Cataclysm: Anybody seen Deathwing?

So, Cataclysm dropped and the rush to hit 85 ensued. Heroics were "hard" and people cried, and then they were nerfed. The grind for gear continues.

The great foe, Deathwing randomly killed people, giving them the achievement Stood in the Fire. Have you gotten this achievement on any of your toons?

My mage alt was killed early on while inside the neutral auction house in Tanaris. I didn't even know what happened at first , and then the achievement popped up. That's the one and only encounter I've had and haven't seen Deathwing since. Many others are asking where he's been?

Have you seen Deathwing?

Nerf Bat on Ulduar?

Looks like the famous World of Warcraft nerf bat has been pulled out and used to beat Ulduar into submission. At least parts of it.

Longer enrage timers make bosses more do-able, a welcome change for some. However, some of the content really took a beating, especially in 10 man.

We downed the first four bosses within about an hour the other day, a big change from the struggles we faced the first time in. Razorscale seemed like cake, even on 25 man, compared to our earlier adventures with the dragon.

For the hardcore raiders out there, don’t get too discouraged. It’s rumored that later bosses will not be nerfed, and there is certainly still some tough content. There’s also hard mode on several bosses, so you shouldn’t be bored, not too soon anyway…