[…] parliamo di come funzionano le abilità dei boss in WoW Classic e WoW Original. Perché Kel’Thuzad non usa le abilità con timer rigidi? La risposta è semplice: perchè non è così che funzionano le abilità dei boss in World of Warcraft (classico e originale). I boss e le altre creature sono raramente impostati per avere timer esatti per gli incantesimi e l’utilizzo delle abilità. Spesso prendono decisioni che sono state impostate per essere alquanto imprevedibili. Più incantesimi o abilità possono essere disponibili per il boss, che valuterà deliberatamente cosa fare dopo l’ultimo incantesimo lanciato.

Inoltre, alcuni boss hanno abilità che condividono i tempi di recupero, in modo simile ad alcune limitazioni che i giocatori hanno ad esempio sull’uso contemporaneo dei Trinket. Ciò significa che se un boss utilizza un’abilità molto importante, alcune delle altre abilità che possiede potrebbero non essere utilizzabili per un breve periodo di tempo.

Ci sono ovviamente delle eccezioni. Non tutte le meccaniche incontrate in combattimento sono controllate dalla stessa logica e gli incantesimi possono avere diverse categorie di cooldown condivise, oppure possono essere esclusi del tutto da questa restrizione.

In entrambi i casi, si tratta in genere di decisioni progettuali mirate e l’intenzione generale è quella di impedire che un boss scarichi tutte le sue abilità più importanti a pochi istanti l’una dall’altra. Nel caso di Kel’thuzad, vediamo che attualmente funziona correttamente.

Per fare un confronto, ecco alcuni altri esempi di incontri che hanno timer per le abilità che sono volutamente imprevedibili, il cui risultato può diventare piuttosto evidente con l’aumentare del tempo di combattimento (o al diminuire del tempo di combattimento, a seconda del punto di vista):

• Magmadar’s Panic Recast
• Broodlord Lashlayer’s Blast Wave
• Gurubashi Bat Rider’s Unstable Concoction
• Nefarian’s Bellowing Roar

Nelle versioni successive di World of Warcraft molte basi del design degli encounter sono cambiate per rendere la casualità meno incisiva nel combattimento. In WoW Classic, tuttavia, abbiamo deciso di mantenere preservato questo aspetto cosi come si presentava all’epoca.
Ci auguriamo di aver fatto un po’ di chiarezza su questo aspetto.

Achievements

• Players can once again earn the achievement Straight Six from the Elegon raid encounter in the Mogu’shan Vaults.
• Removed the Draenor and the Broken Isles Pathfinder achievement requirements for released spirits to quickly fly back to their bodies.

Characters

• Fixed an issue where Kyrian players using a flight path with the Unburden buff would encounter issues on the resulting flight.

Classes

• Death Knight
  • Unholy
    • Clawing Shadows (Talent) damage is now properly capped at 5 targets while inside Death and Decay.
• Demon Hunter
  • General
    • Growing Inferno (Potency Conduit) damage is now capped at 10 times Immolation Aura’s base damage.
    • Updated the names and icons of several Legendary Memories to better represent their effects.
    • Throw Glaive now correctly throws 3 glaives per Fel Bombardment (Legendary Effect) stack.
• Monk
  • Windwalker
    • Storm, Earth, and Fire can now be cancelled.
• Warlock
  • General
    • Fixed an issue where Fel Commando (Potency Conduit) would not enhance a Felguard that’s under the effect of Glyph of Wrathguard.
• Warrior
  • General
    • Fixed an issue where, when Signet of Tormented Kings (Legendary Effect) would trigger a second Ravager, any existing Ravagers would stop dealing damage and generating Rage.

Creatures and NPCs

• Sinrunner Blanchy now has new custom sounds. Now ride forth on this noble steed and avenge her unjustly demise.
• Added new sounds for the Hulking Deathroc mount. He is now less chatty.
• The rewards from Gorged Shadehound can now be looted once a week.
• Blackthorn Ambushers and Mire Tricksters in Ardenweald will no longer cast Swift Slash.

Dungeons and Raids

• Corrected an issue causing Castle Nathria to show up in the Adventure Guide prematurely. This will return next week!
• Plaguefall
  • Margrave Stradama
    • Fixed an issue that caused Infinitely Divisible Ooze to drop for players in healer specializations.
• Sanguine Depths
  • Fixed an issue where Essence of Z’rali could no longer be picked up after dying multiple times while holding the naaru.
• Spires of Ascension
  • Oryphrion
    • Improved the visual performance on Empyreal Ordnance. Instances of this should now leech less anima from graphics cards.
• Vault of the Wardens
  • Dreadlord Mendacius’ summoned Grimguard now deals appropriate damage.

Items and Rewards

• The Overflowing Ember Mirror trinket now properly notes that it deals 33% of the remaining absorb for the explosion when it expires.
• Fixed an issue where the Unbound Changeling trinket was granting less Haste than indicated in the tooltip. Additionally, the Unbound Changeling transformation that provides all three stats (Critical Strike, Haste and Mastery) has had the stats reduced by 16% and the transformation now persists through death.
• Strength of Blood offered by Ta’tru now increases Strength by 10 and is comparable to the other stat potions he barters.
• The Tuft of Smoldering Plumage trinket now correctly instantly heals players that suffer lethal damage.
• Fixed an issue where the minions summoned from the Satchel of Misbegotten Minions trinket would sometimes run in place if they triggered on a target that died. The minion should now rush to your current target or the location where the previous enemy was defeated.
• The Enchanted Chest in Ardenweald will now respawn instantly when looted.

Player versus Player

• PvP trinkets should no longer break stuns that weren’t breakable with conventional stun breaks (e.g. Ice Block).

Quests

• Covenant Campaign
  • Venthyr players will no longer sometimes incorrectly receive the Gracious Guest debuff, preventing them from completing the Ember Court scenario.
  • Some material costs for Ember Court restock quests have been adjusted to account for current market values.
  • Fixed an issue where Night Fae players could complete the Maw quest “Setting the Ground Rules” without having first done the Night Fae quest “Do What We Cannot.” Players who did not do this quest and have the campaign chapter “For Queen and Grove!” displaying as incomplete should be fixed the next time they return to Oribos.
• Ardenweald
  • “That Darn Fox” will once again provide quest rewards, including the adorable pet vulpin Renny.
• Battle for Azeroth
  • Lady Sylvanas Windrunner is now in the appropriate phase for turning in the Horde quest “A Cycle of Hatred.”

The Maw: Eye of the Jailer

• Fixed an issue which prevented some Maw daily quests from granting bonus rewards while in War Mode.
• Mawsworn Crossbows no longer deal excessive damage to enemy players in War Mode.

Torghast, Tower of the Damned

• Patrician Cromwell and Synod have had ability adjustments to bring them more in line with other bosses.
• Observer Zelgar, Kosarus the Fallen, Binder Baritas, and Warden of Souls have had minor ability adjustments to be more melee friendly.
• Kosarus the Fallen now gains stacks of Enrage at a slower rate while under the effects of Predator’s Gaze and his health has been reduced by 20%.
• Reduced the health of enemies when 4 or 5 players are present.

World Quests – Blizzard

• To prevent phasing issues, “Tied Totem Toter” must now be completed before being eligible for the World Quest “Trouble at the Gormling Corral.”
• Picking up an Acolyte’s Spear will no longer stop players from using their Purity Chime during “Vesiphone’s Vicious Vesper.”
• Fixed an issue during the Bastion World Quest “Remedial Lessons” where players could destroy the Mirror Fragments and Mirrors of Ancient Teachings, blocking progress on completed objectives.
• Fixed an issue where the Kyrian Wings could continue outside of the intended course area during the Bastion World Quest “Flight School: Flapping Frenzy.”