wow Patch 8.2.5 PTR Development Notes

[Starym 3,801]

 

The next patch is soon incoming to the PTR! 8.2.5 brings us the long awaited Worgen and slightly less long awaited Goblin model updates; the 15 year anniversary event, featuring old raids and Alerac Valley and rewarding the Deathwing-like Obsidian Worldbreaker; the notorious Bee mount; Firelands timewalking; the return of Recruit a Friend.

The big new feature, however, is Party Sync - where you'll be able to be on the same quest step and phase with your party members regardless of previous completion. This feature also brings with it the replay quest addition, where you'll be able to get level appropriate rewards from "certain" quests you've already finished! And perhaps even bigger news - there will be level scaling for lower level instances if you want to do them with lower level friends. The scaling will however remove your abilities and powers that are higher than your scaled down level.

8.2.5 PTR Dev Notes (source)

A new content update for World of Warcraft is in development and will soon be available on the Public Test Realms (PTR). While not all features will be fully functional and available for testing, here’s a look at some of the new content coming in this version.
 

Worgen and Goblin Character Model Updates

First introduced in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, worgen and goblins are getting a long-anticipated suite of visual improvements to their character models. These updates include every aspect of how the worgen and goblins look—from their faces to their animations.
 

Celebrate 15 Years of World of Warcraft

This November marks the 15th anniversary of World of Warcraft, and we have some special things planned to celebrate the occasion. Players who log in during the event period will receive a celebration package in the mail with a Lil’ Nefarian pet and some other in-game goodies. Throughout the duration of the event, you’ll be able to participate in three unique raids with iconic encounters from past expansions along with an old-school-inspired Alterac Valley battleground. Players who defeat all nine bosses in the raid wings will receive the Obsidian Worldbreaker, a Black Dragonflight mount inspired by Deathwing. Players who participate in Alterac Valley will receive a new anniversary event currency which can be exchanged for two new mounts: the Stormpike Battle Charger (Alliance) and the Frostwolf Snarler (Horde).
 

A Fuzzy, Buzzy Mount

Alliance players rejoice – Stormsong Valley beekeepers have figured out how to grow ‘em big enough to ride! Barry the Beekeeper has some quests for you, so you should talk to him to get started on this honey of an adventure.
 

New Timewalking Raid: Firelands

When Cataclysm Timewalking is active, max-level players will be able to form a raid group and enter the Sulfuron Spire once more. As with previous Timewalking raids (Black Temple, Ulduar), your gear and power are scaled to the challenge, and all the bosses and rewards you expect lie in wait.
 

Introducing Party Sync

During this PTR we’re experimenting with a new mode that makes it easier for players in a party to do quests and play together: Party Sync. When players activate Party Sync, everyone in the party becomes aligned to the same quest state, including phases. By mousing over a quest in your tracker, you can see who is on the quest, what their progress is, and who’s ready to turn in the quest. There’s something else we’re going to try out on the PTR, a “replay” quest feature. This will allow players who have already completed certain quests to replay those quests with their friends for rewards that are appropriate to their current level, regardless of the original level of the quest.

We’re also relaxing level restrictions on queueing for instanced content with your friends. This allows lower-level players to queue for content in their level range, and higher-level players can choose to join them by having their level scaled down while they’re in the instance. This feature will be available for dungeon instances for PTR Week 1, with PvP instances being flagged in the following weeks. Please note that unlike Timewalking, when your level is scaled down via Party Sync you will temporarily lose access to abilities and powers (such as Azerite traits) with requirements that exceed your reduced level.
 

Recruit A Friend Returns

Coming in 8.2.5 is a revamped Recruit A Friend system. If you have active game time you’ll be able to recruit your friends—both brand-new to the game and returning champions—to share in your adventures. To do so, you’ll be able to use a new URL generation tool to create a custom link to give to your friends. By following the link, you’ll be connected to each other and will be able to see if they have purchased game time, resulting in rewards for you! For each month your recruits have active game time, you’ll earn a new reward such as unique pets, mounts, game time and more. These rewards unlock per month and scale with how many months your recruits have subscribed for. And, of course, with Party Sync you’ll be able to journey with your friends on any of your characters. We’ll have more information about Recruit A Friend rewards when we get closer to its release.
 

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you on the 8.2.5 PTR!

[PatrickHenry 293]

10 minutes ago, Starym said:

We’re also relaxing level restrictions on queueing for instanced content with your friends. This allows lower-level players to queue for content in their level range, and higher-level players can choose to join them by having their level scaled down while they’re in the instance. This feature will be available for dungeon instances for PTR Week 1, with PvP instances being flagged in the following weeks. Please note that unlike Timewalking, when your level is scaled down via Party Sync you will temporarily lose access to abilities and powers (such as Azerite traits) with requirements that exceed your reduced level.

Im honestly not sure why this intrigues me as much as it does...

[Choccotank 0]

Alliance players rejoice. yeah cuz if the mount was farmable on both factions alliance would be crying so much when they get killed nonstop in their own map it would flood the servers.

[multiboxing 71]

        THERE'S MY BEE MOUNT!

 

 

 

[Antimagic 26]

"Alliance players rejoice – Stormsong Valley beekeepers have ..."  I can feel the horde hate from over here, lots of QQ posts inc on forums =))))

[Amateurpeeweeeeh 37]

Literally no new content. No class reworks (which is basically why majority of players quit BFA). Good job blizztard.

[Bobbis 208]

20 hours ago, PatrickHenry said:

Im honestly not sure why this intrigues me as much as it does...

Same, I'm curious to see how it plays out. Might make levelling with lowbies easier, especially as people make allied races. That said, depends what level you go to, how your gear scales (imagine timewalking gear pre nerf, or legendaries) and how the rewards work / scale. 

[Hotpants 5]

19 hours ago, Amateurpeeweeeeh said:

Literally no new content. No class reworks (which is basically why majority of players quit BFA). Good job blizztard.

Don't tell me you really expected class reworks this late to the expansion?

[Amateurpeeweeeeh 37]

3 hours ago, Hotpants said:

Don't tell me you really expected class reworks this late to the expansion?

I exspected class pruning not to happen at all for a game that is supposed to be fun. Legion azerite traits were fun. Progressing weapon were fun. New artifact ability (was for almost every spec alot of fun). What did BFA give us? 3 traits for first year. Then same ability for every class nothing class specific like te nice abilites from artifacts etc.. 

[PatrickHenry 293]

On 7/30/2019 at 6:22 PM, Amateurpeeweeeeh said:

I exspected class pruning not to happen at all for a game that is supposed to be fun. Legion azerite traits were fun. Progressing weapon were fun. New artifact ability (was for almost every spec alot of fun). What did BFA give us? 3 traits for first year. Then same ability for every class nothing class specific like te nice abilites from artifacts etc.. 

They just added in -progression- in the HoA.  Even the weapon upgrades were stationary eventually just ilvl increases.  HOA ones can be swapped virtually at will with varying abilities and mechanics...  

If we're talking specific classes i am with you (cough FROST DK cough)...  but the 'artifact' system is now better than legion IMO.

Just less memorable because ...i mean who can compete with frickin Ashbringer and the scepter that literally shattered Outlands.