MoP Classic Patch 5.5.3 Development Notes

In Development MoP Classic 5.5.3 PTR
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Welcome to the public test realm (PTR) for Mists of Pandaria Classic: The Thunder King.

Patch 5.5.3 will introduce updates including a zone, Thunderforging, two new world bosses, and a 12-encounter raid. This patch continues the legendary questline, introduces a few scenarios, updates to the Challenge Mode system, and new updates to Celestial Dungeons.

Available Features

New Zone: Isle of Thunder

The Thunder King has awakened, and a new threat to all of Azeroth has emerged. Each faction is spearheading an assault to conquer the Thunder King’s stronghold: Isle of Thunder.

  • Players will work together to unlock each stage of the island by participating in new dailies, a campaign quest, and scenarios.
  • Players can start this war effort and find themselves in the Isle of Thunder by visiting the Shado-Pan Garrison in Townlong Steppes – the western shore of Pandaria.
  • Treasure can be found throughout the island as well. Lucky players will find the Keys to the Palace of Lei Shen and unlock hoards of wealth that once belonged to the first emperor.
  • For PTR, we will unlock the Island stages every few days to help accelerate testing needs.

Enemies

Zandalari forces have begun appearing around the shores of Pandaria.

  • Zandalari Warbringers are elite mobs that might require 5 players to take on.
  • Zandalari Scouts can be handled by 1 or 2 players.
  • Direhorns are now in the game. Lucky hunters can tame them once they figure out the secret technique.
  • Spectral Porcupines are now in Pandaria. These Spirit Beasts can be tamed by the most skilled Beast Mastery Hunters that track them down successfully.

World Bosses

Oondasta’s roar can be heard across all of Pandaria. The Isle of Giants awaits brave adventurers ready to face this terrifying beast, who may be more powerful than you recall.

  • Oondasta will only be available to test for limited periods of time.
  • Come fight a T-rex with the developers: a Play with the Blues event to help test Oondasta will take place on November 7 at 3:00 p.m. PST (00:01 CET on 8 November).
    • We were unable to do this test and we intend to test the boss on a future date.
  • You’ll have an opportunity to conquer the gate guardian Nalak when the Isle of Thunder transitions to its final stage.

Taking Over The Farm

Players who have reached Exalted with The Tillers should report back to Farmer Yoon to take over the Sunsong Ranch.

  • You must have also unlocked 16 plots of land.

Quests

Warlocks can undertake a solo adventure to change the color of their Fire spells to appear Fel Green.

  • Obtain a Codex of Xerrath in order to get started.

Further progress along the Wrathion legendary questline is now available.

Raids

Throne of Thunder offers 12 unique encounters and challenges.

  • Please note: Ra-den will require raids to defeat him within 30 pulls.
  • Elders Lin and Liao will offer Mogu Runes of Fate for Lesser Charms of Good Fortune.
    • Mogu Runes of Fate allow players to bonus roll for loot in Throne of Thunder, Nalak, and Oondasta.

Throne of Thunder will be available to test:

  • November 4 (10:00 a.m. PST / 19:00 CET) - November 7 (8:00 a.m. PST / 17:00 CET)
  • November 14 (10:00 a.m. PST / 19:00 CET) - November 17 (8:00 a.m PST / 17:00 CET)

We’re eager to receive your bug reports and feedback.

New Changes in Patch 5.5.3

Thunderforging

In original Throne of Thunder, item upgrades were removed and Thunderforging was added. This resulted in:

  • Players relied on RNG (getting the drop) on top of RNG (rolling Thunderforged) for BiS loot.
  • Player bonus rolls became more frustrating, because you could roll a non-Thunderforged item, or be encouraged to use bonus rolls on a boss you have the non-Thunderforged item from, while trying to get the Thunderforged version.

We don’t want to remove Thunderforging as a concept but we do want to reduced frustrations with the system. To meet our goals:

  • Thunderforged Normal and Heroic items drop and are 6 item levels higher than their non-Thunderforged versions (same as in original MoP).
  • Thunderforged Normal and Heroic items cannot be upgraded in item level during Throne of Thunder (same as in original MoP).
  • Non-Thunderforged Normal and Heroic items can now be upgraded twice, for a 3 item level increase each time, for a total of a 6 item level increase from upgrading (new to MoP Classic).

At maximum power, the Valor/Justice upgrade on a non-Thunderforged item makes it exactly equivalent to the strength of its Thunderforged counterpart. Thunderforged items are essentially an item dropping with two free upgrades already applied. This should:

  • Reduce the randomness.
  • Decrease frustrations with Thunderforged item drops.
  • Keep bonus rolls feeling good.
  • Keep non-Thunderforged items from feeling like they are less useful or unexciting.
  • Keep Thunderforged items feeling valuable, without feeling too valuable.

Challenge Modes

There is now a new challenge for Challenge Modes, the Platinum medal. This medal exists above Gold, and its structure is similar to Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Platinum rewards Valor and some additional rewards for each instance completed within the time limit.

Its target time can shift each season depending on many factors. The current times for each dungeon are:

  • Temple of the Jade Serpent: 10:15
  • Stormstout Brewery: 8:15
  • Gate of the Setting Sun: 8:00
  • Shado-Pan Monastery: 14:00
  • Siege of Niuzao Temple: 12:15
  • Mogu’shan Palace: 8:15
  • Scholomance: 10:15
  • Scarlet Halls: 8:00
  • Scarlet Monastery: 9:00

Similar to Challenge Conqueror: Gold, there will be achievements associated with the Platinum medals.

  • Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 1)
  • Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 2)
  • Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 3)
  • Realm First! Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 2)
  • Realm First! Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 3)

Each dungeon now has a Platinum achievement that rewards a unique toy themed around that dungeon. These toys are only usable inside Challenge Modes, and each may be used inside any Challenge Mode:

  • Temple of the Jade Serpent: Platinum Boots of Expeditious Retreat
  • Stormstout Brewery: Platinum “Little Ale”
  • Gate of the Setting Sun: Platinum Rod of Ambershaping
  • Shado-Pan Monastery: Platinum Potion of Invisibility
  • Siege of Niuzao Temple: Platinum Amber
  • Mogu’shan Palace: Platinum Battle Horn
  • Scholomance: Platinum VIal of Polyformic Acid
  • Scarlet Halls: Platinum Battle Banner
  • Scarlet Monastery: Platinum Sacrificial Dagger

Platinum Coins

Beginning in 5.5.3, the Challenge Conqueror achievements will award Platinum Coins, a new currency. This currency allows you to purchase some new Transmog items, Toys, Mounts, and Tabards.

    • These items are available to purchase in Shrine of the Two Moons, and Shrine of Seven Stars.
    • Any timed Platinum runs will award an additional Platinum coin.

Leaderboard

Players who maintain a Realm Best time when the season ends will be granted the following rewards based on the season:

  • Season 1
    • Title: The Mistwalker,
    • Mount: Reins of the Celestial Serpent
  • Season 2
    • Title: Mistborne
    • Mount: Reins of the Celestial Tiger
  • Season 3
    • Title: Heir to the Mist
    • Details about additional rewards for Season 3 to come at a later date.
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We’ve deployed a new build for testing.

Classes

When we set out to create a more even playing field for all specializations in 5.5.0, we prefaced our work with the warning that a lot of those changes were temporary measures to lift specializations up until the specialization naturally improved or until future encounters were in that specialization’s favor. Most all of the changes below reverse buffs that were given to classes in 5.5.0 and 5.5.1.

One of our primary goals for progression in the Throne of Thunder raid tier is to make sure that we do not trivialize the content with earlier buffs. Looking forward, Throne of Thunder has many transformative items that are build-defining, so we’ll keep an eye on everything and we’ll make further adjustments where necessary.

The notes below describe how much the bonus that was given during a previous patch was lowered or increased. A note with a 0 or a 0% indicates that it has returned to its 5.4.8 value.

Death Knight

  • Raise Ally no longer costs Runic Power. (was 30)
  • Blood
    • Now gains Residual Blood after using Death Strike during the Ra-den encounter. Residual Blood lasts for 3 seconds and counts as an Active Mitigation effect for the purposes of the Fatal Strike mechanic.
  • Unholy
    • Summon Gargoyle will no longer stutter its casts and will chain its casts back to back. (bugfix)
    • Summon Gargoyle can now cast up to 26 Gargoyle Strikes before it is dismissed. (bugfix)
      • Under the original MoP rules, players only got 25 to 26 Gargoyle Strikes. A bug emerged where being at a certain level of haste would actually decrease the amount of Gargoyle Strikes that went out. To fix this, we removed the cast gating on the ability that was present in original MoP, but introduced a hard cap on how many strikes can be cast to keep the upper limit the same.

Druid

  • Balance
    • 5.5.0 %damage increase while in Moonkin Form lowered to 10%. (was 25%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Force of Nature lowered to 3.64%. (was 9.1%)
  • Feral
    • 5.5.0 %damage increase to Savage Roar lowered to 0%. (was 5%)
  • Guardian
    • 5.5.0 damage increase while in Bear Form lowered to 8%. (was 15%)
  • Restoration
    • Meditation’s in combat Mana Regeneration from Spirit raised to 55%. (was 50%)

Hunter

  • Survival
    • 5.5.0 reduction to Explosive Shot damage lowered to 0%. (was 5%)

Mage

  • Arcane
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Arcane Blast lowered to 5%. (was 15%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Arcane Barrage lowered to 5%. (was 19%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Arcane Missiles lowered to 5%. (was 15%)
  • Fire
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Pyroblast lowered to 15%. (was 30%)
    • 5.5.0 increase to Critical Mass’s value lowered back to the 5.4.8 value of 1.3x (was 1.5x)
  • Frost
    • 5.5.1 damage increase to Frostbolt lowered to 5%. (was 15%)
    • 5.5.1 damage increase to Frostfire Bolt lowered to 5%. (was 15%)
    • 5.5.1 damage increase to Ice Lance lowered to 5%. (was 15%)

Paladin

  • Hand of Sacrifice no longer causes a Global Cooldown. (new)
  • Protection
    • Grand Crusader has been changed to its Patch 5.2.0 version.
      • Grand Crusader now has a 12% chance to activate when the Paladin dodges or parries a melee attack, or lands a Crusader Strike or Hammer of the Righteous. (was 30% chance on dodge or parrying a melee attack)
    • 5.5.0 increase to Seal of Insight attack speed, lowered to 5%. (was 10%)

Priest

  • Holy
    • 5.5.0 reduction to Divine Hymn’s healing raised to 50%. (was 35% reduction)
    • 5.5.0 reduction to the cooldown of Chakra’s raised to 25 seconds off. (was 20 seconds off)
    • Healing done by Divine Star lowered by 15%. (new)
    • Prayer of Healing’s base cast time is lowered by 0.5 sec for Holy Priests. (new)
    • Prayer of Healing’s healing raised by 15%. (new)
    • Prayer of Mending no longer counts as an Area of Effect heal for Chakra: Sanctuary. (new)
    • Renew duration increased by 3 seconds for a total of 15 seconds. (was 12 seconds) (new)
      • This also increases the amount of direct healing from Rapid Renew.
    • Fixed a bug where Chakras were not providing their full 35% bonus to both Renew and Prayer of Mending. (bugfix)
    • Prayer of Mending now counts as a single-target heal for Chakra: Serenity. (new)
      • Prayer of Mending’s aura landing on a target will trigger the refreshed duration on Renew. It will NOT refresh the renew when it heals or bounces.
    • Lightwell Renew and Lightspring Renew now benefit from Chakra: Serenity. (new)
  • Shadow
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Shadow Word: Pain lowered to 7%. (was 18%)
    • 5.5.0 %damage increase while in Shadowform lowered to 7%. (was 10%)

Shaman

  • Elemental
    • 5.5.0 increase to Lightning Bolt lowered to 5%. (was 20%)
    • 5.5.1 increase to Chain Lightning lowered to 0%. (was 10%)
    • 5.5.1 increase to Fulmination lowered to 0%. (was 10%)

Warlock

  • Affliction
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Corruption lowered to 0%. (was 20%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Agony lowered to 0%. (was 5%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Drain Soul lowered to 25%. (was 50%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Drain Soul’s DoT triggers lowered to 20%. (was 40%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Malefic Grasp lowered to 25%. (was 50%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Malefic Grasp’s DoT triggers lowered to 10%. (was 20%)
  • Demonology
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Bane of Doom lowered to 25%. (was 50%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Hellfire lowered to 10%. (was 25%)
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Immolation Aura lowered to 10%. (was 25%)
    • 5.5.1 damage increase to Soul Fire lowered to 10%. (was 20%)

Warrior

  • The 4-piece Throne of Thunder tier set is now activated by Recklessness instead of Skull Banner for damage dealers.
  • Fury
    • 5.5.0 increase to Enrage and Berserker Rage duration lowered to 0 seconds. (was 2 seconds)
  • Protection
    • 5.5.0 increase to Shield Barrier’s attack power ratio lowered to 0% increase (was 11% increase). This places Shield Barrier back to its 5.4.8 ratio of 1.8x (instead of 2.0x).

Bugfixes

Throne of Thunder

  • Manchu’s Wild Smash now correctly display its target correctly.
  • There is no longer a lua error when opening the dungeon journal inside of the instance.
  • Dark Winds now correctly prevents mounting.

Horridon

  • Direhorn Spirit no longer stop fixating the initial target to attack other raid members.
  • Double swipe no longer can fire off without a visual effect.
  • Direhorn Spirit can now be knocked back by Shadowy Apparitions, a Shadow Priest passive.
    Tortos
  • Tortos is now able to be affected from the front for all abilities that require being behind the target.

Megaera

  • Torrent of Ice cast by Frozen Head should now properly be classified as a debuff instead of a buff.
  • Torrent of Ice will no longer re-target players who die and are resurrected during the spell.

Ji-Kun

  • Heroic - Nest Guardians now cast Screech.
  • Attempted to fix low FPS issues during Quills. Thank you for the feedback!

Durumu

  • Serious Wound tooltip no longer displays 0% healing reduction.
  • Lingering Gaze Void zone has been corrected in sizing.
  • Blue Rays, Infrared Light and Bright Light can no longer spawn their visual far above the boss arena.
  • Durumu Ice walls now properly spawn on heroic.
  • Infrared Light will now reveal Crimson Fog.
  • The encounter is no longer doing Heroic only mechanics in Normal difficulty.
  • There is now a UI element tracking “Fog Beasts Remaining” in phase 2.
  • Force of Wills spell visual now correctly displays

Primordius

  • The Mutagenic pool created when Living Fluid dies is no longer too large.
  • The Malformed Blood and Black Blood debuffs will no longer be removed if you auto attack the creature that applied the debuff to you.
  • The Mutagenic pool created when Living Fluid dies no longer has lingering visuals.
    Dark Animus
  • Anima Ring no longer detonates immediately
  • Anima Golems should now properly generate increased threat on targets they are attacking

Iron Qon

  • Whirling Winds now travel across the arena.

Twin Consorts

  • Lu’Lin and Suen now have animated auto attacks.
  • Celestial Statues are now activated when clicked on.
  • Icy shadows persist when players stand next to Ice comet.
  • There is no longer a strange orange ground fog effect throughout the first phase of the encounter.
  • Moon Lotus visual improvements have been implemented, and now correctly put players to sleep who step into them.
  • Healing a target being fixated by Beast of Nightmares now give the healer a stack of Corrupted Healing.
  • The area trigger for Ice shadows should now properly match their visual effect.
  • Tidal Force properly moves if Xuen’s Blessed Alacrity is active.

Lei Shen

  • Void zones from Crashing Thunder now correctly last 45s.
  • Abilities are no longer used in the wrong order during transition phase.
  • Supercharge Conduits should now longer Supercharge multiple conduits at once.
  • Bouncing Bolts should no longer be fired by multiple conduits and never stop.

Ra-den

  • Essence of Anima and Essence of Vita created by Materials of Creation no longer immediately despawn.

Known Issues

  • The Difficulty shown on the mini-map UI does not always match the instance.
  • Jin’rokh the Breaker - Players are reporting FPS issues during Lightning Storm
  • Tortos - Players are reporting FPS issues during Rockfall and Furious Stone Breath.
  • Dark Animus - Melee hits from Anima Golem do not produce enough threat.
  • Ji-Kun - Feed Young will get stuck in the air if not cast on a nest.
  • Lei Shen 10/25 Normal - Supercharge Conduits cast at the end of intermission can disable more than 1 floor section.
  • Lei Shen - During transition phase 1 at 65% all conduits are spamming Bouncing Bolt and continue to do so In phase 2.