Showing posts with label update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label update. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Petnome Calculator 2.0.0 Released!
Right click and select "Save As..." to download it to your desktop, or simply left click the link below to use it through your web browser (Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher must be installed):
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Zafaria Test Realm Patched!
Recently, the Test Realm has been updated with a few new tweaks:
Transcription
Kevin: Hey guys, Battleblood here. So, there're some exciting updates in the game now, in Zafaria! I'm actually on the Live Realm farming Nastrond -- I'll soon explain why we're farming here.
First of all, there's been an update to the Henchmen. You can actually fight with creatures of the Spiral...next to you. So, you can literally have a Helephant -- well, not a Helephant, but one of the Black Cultists from Zafaria -- as a Level 70 Henchman. They're supposed to be stronger, since they're more expensive. I think they're 400 Crowns, but they're (supposedly) worth it. They're worth buying -- I guess -- if you're in a rut, or if you're stuck somewhere. They have higher Critical Rates...
At the same time, the creatures of the Spiral (in Zafaria) also have higher Critical Rates themselves. Thus, your battles could be a lot longer than before. I know their Health has spiked up along with their Critical Rates. What that means is that there's a chance you might be spending much more time fighting than running around and questing, depending on how many teammates you have, and it might be harder to Block their Criticals. You might have to shield more, or even use Conviction in your decks now, especially to ensure that you don't become stunned. I remember from last night fighting Life mobs, and they've used Forest Lord on their first turn, and they actually saved up Pips to to another Forest Lord after that. Because I was by myself, I had to work out some heals, get my own Vengeance up (so I can Critical better on them) and escape the battle faster to collect the Health wisps. That's the good news: there's an abundant amount of Health wisps flying around. Therefore, you might not struggle that much, but it's all about what you do in the battles now.
I don't know if the Bosses themselves have changed, but I'll do a Vlog on that when I get the chance.
As for now, Pet Feeding has also been tweaked a little bit! But, before we get to that...
Some spells have been amp'ed up or nerfed: there are the Sirens, which have been nerfed -- it went from 900-something damage to 800-something; Dr. Katzenstein's Monster has been renamed -- or, maybe it's always been that way (I haven't been paying attention) -- but it's called Dr. Von's Monster, and it does Life Steal still, but now it's buffed so that it adds a 25% Infection on the target; and, Chimera has about 30 damage added to each head, so it's an increase of 90 -- they didn't really add any other special effects (which is a little disappointing for some Balance wizards; I was kind of hoping that one of the heads might give a small DoT that does 90 damage to help remove shields from one Spiritual School).
The reason why I'm in Nastrond is because KingsIsle has expanded the window on what items can give Pet XP (PXP)! To follow up on the last Vlog, where I said that it was based on regular or holiday Crowns items: now you can feed Auctionable items! Last night, I went into the Bazaar, and bought a bunch of Level 0-1 Amulets (which gave Firecat), and started feeding my pet those. It actually gained 1 XP here, and 1 XP there! Most of the time, though, it received gold.
Now, that's not totally profitable if you're looking for an income of gold. In the example above, I'm purchasing these Amulets for 38 gold each, but received only 2 gold back if my pet didn't gain XP. My strategy is to collect as many Non-Auctionable items as possible, and feed that to my pets! The cool part is that there is no difference between feeding your pet a No Auction item (and receiving gold for that) than selling it to a Shop Vendor (like the Seamstress, for example).
So, what I'm doing here is collecting as many No Auction items as possible -- since it's from a high-level world, I'll have a chance of 4 XP per feed, if I get lucky. Or, I can get the same gold I'd get if I sold it to a vendor, (plus some additional rewards like Reagents or Treasure Cards).
Plan to plant many Pink Dandelions, King Parsleys, Silver Trumpet Vines, or any of those plants that tend to give their own seeds at Mature or Elder. I know that Silver Trumpet Vines sometimes like to give two of their own seeds at Elder; Prickley Bears also do this. There's a small chance for Pet XP when you feed your pet these surplus seeds.
If your items are Auctionable, I would recommend selling to the Bazaar if you're short on gold, rather than feeding it to your pets. If they're not Auctionable, you can feed those items on-the-go to make room for Auctionables! If you'd like to see the results of the Pet Buffet Survey yourself, you can go to http://tinyurl.com/petnomefeedresults, or you can conveniently visit the Petnome Project and browse the links towards the top of the front page. There will be a spreadsheet which has collected a bunch of data from numerous contributors, and if you scroll down towards the bottom, you'll pass the light-blue colored text (which represents the data accumulated before this Test Realm Patch) and come upon the current data in solid, black text. It will help give an idea of which items are giving PXP!
Last, but not least, if you look at the Update Notes on the official site, they've scratched out the word "sometimes" and written in "occasionally" (in the Pet Feeding section).
I hope you've enjoyed this video; if you did, please Subscribe, Like, and/or Comment if you have some questions, and I hope to see you guys in the Spiral, and hope you've enjoyed your day! Peace out!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"Next World" Leveling Preparation
Ever reach the level cap and feel like you've accomplished everything, and end up ignoring the side quests hiding around the Spiral? Or, if you are a hardcore "completionist," ever feel the need to clean out your Quest Book? Here are some tips on how changing those impulses may be beneficial for the long run:
Haiku Interpretation of Zafaria and Upcoming Updates
Zafaria comes
Stampeding, my heart beating
With the native drums.
Soon, Legendaries
Become no more, searching for
Unbound Transcendence.
New monsters, new spells
Lie in wait by promised fate...
Of what strength, pray tell?
Decorations are
Becoming one, balancing
Their large, wrathful form.
Demonic creature
Speaks thrice; empty of advice,
But full of terror.
Pieces no longer
Resting in peace, but released
Combined and stronger.
Giant beasts charging
With an ivory present
Granted to a foe.
A shower of heat
To wash away confidence
From one’s enemies.
A corrosive spray
To drown away defenses
And immobilize.
Beauties of malice
Evoke a cold melody
For those who listen.
Spheres of translucence:
One aiding blessings, while
One's eye for an eye.
In flows new concepts:
Penetrating resistance,
And pet engorging,
Aside from small games,
Critters and creatures shall fight
A large invasion
Along a long path
Foes arrive with stubborn drives;
No rest 'til their end.
Warriors, shamans,
And elders alike struggle
With their own kinship.
Ominous evil
Of parasitic nature
Infests lands and hearts.
Water defiled,
Spirits crushed like fine powder,
Homeland turned war zone.
Harmony shaken,
The black widow is spinning
Her destructive web...
It is now the time
To seek out the Dark Nest's queen
And purge her poison.
Uncover secrets
And restore alliances;
Enlighten yourselves.
Under the red sky,
Wizards will raise their wands high;
To cast back darkness.
(Add your own haiku
Within the comments section
For Zafaria!)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Third Mystery Picture
Unusually short gap between the release of two mystery screenshots, we find the third of the series over at MMORPG.com:
So, once again, using my primitive method of deciphering Morse Code, we come upon this message:
Shadow Weavers are making a return, apparently, to our quest line... "Her" could refer to Morganthe herself, meaning that this new world is most likely to be the next main story arc! Seems that safari clothing are making a return, as well -- Morganthe's inclusion brings about... exploration and adventure. Cant' wait!
So, once again, using my primitive method of deciphering Morse Code, we come upon this message:
Shadow Weavers are making a return, apparently, to our quest line... "Her" could refer to Morganthe herself, meaning that this new world is most likely to be the next main story arc! Seems that safari clothing are making a return, as well -- Morganthe's inclusion brings about... exploration and adventure. Cant' wait!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Morse Code and Second Mystery Picture
Today, a new mystery picture for the jungle-themed world has been released on ZAM.com, along with a coded message at the top:
So, naturally, Katherine Light and I once again cracked open our Morse Code sheet:
...and in a short time, deciphered the following message:
@SirWolfblood asks, "How did you decode it?"
Honestly, the last Mystery Picture and this one are the only times I have ever worked with Morse Code -- it was an intimidating cryptogram for me back in middle school. Then again, after asking some military veterans at my workplace about their knowledge of Morse Code, they've confirmed that they're just as fluent as I am, save for "SOS." So in a way, it's almost a "dead language"...which makes sense, considering that it can be internationally deciphered, and national security secrets are supposed to be national security secrets. Anyway, my method of deciphering the code may be very primitive and inexperienced; I accept that! But, since it was asked, I shall share!
Let's look at a different sequence:
- - - - - . - . . . . . | - . - . - - - - . . .
According to the Morse Code chart above, every letter has a minimum of one character OR maximum of four characters. It gets a tiny bit more complicated when numbers are involved, but we can use a method called elimination to find out which letters are which. We'll assume that the vertical line is a symbol for a space between two words. And, to save some time, both of these are words, and there are no numbers.
So, starting with the first word: - - - - - . - . . . . .
Let's start with the maximum possible characters (4) as our first letter. Already, we know that the first letter of this message CANNOT contain four dashes, as no letter is translated for that. Thus, we must assume it is represented by the three dashes (or less).
So, we have this: - - - / - - . - . . . . .
So, we'll try to find a letter represented by three dashes: O. We don't know if it's "O" for sure, because perhaps the third dash may belong to another letter's sequence. But, we have to assume, for the time being -- we can find out whether it's not by process of elimination!
Now we have: O - - . - . . . . .
Let's repeat the process and look at the next four symbols: Dash Dash dot Dash. That stands for Q. Okay, per a general English language rule, there is usually a "U" after a "Q." But, "U" consists of dot dot Dash. So, this word is unlikely to be a real one, but we'll go along with it, JUST in case it's one of those weird words that your suspiciously "clever" friend used on Words With Friends or Scrabble. Since we have dot dot dot dot as the next four, we'd collectively have "OQH." Well, how about just dot dot, I? "OQI." What about just dot? E. "OQE."
To save some reading time, the rest of these combinations do not produce a common word. So, let's backtrack to the very first letter.
We'll look at just the two Dashes, which represent M. Again, we don't know if it's this, or the single Dash T, but, the coding must move on!
Thus, we now have: M - - - . - . . . . .
Taking a look at the next four characters, we have Dash Dash Dash dot, which equates to...nothing! So, we'll look at just Dash Dash Dash, which comes out to O.
Therefore, M O . - . . . . .
Repeating the system, the next four characters are dot Dash dot dot. L.
M O L . . .
Now, the true test of this word begins! The next three characters, dot dot dot, equate to S. Thus, we assume our first word is "MOLS."
Let's look at the second word: - . - . - - - - . . .
The first four characters, Dash dot Dash dot become C.
So, we have C - - - - . . .
Repeating the process, the next four are ... oh wait! Dash Dash Dash Dash doesn't exist as a letter, so the next best thing is Dash Dash Dash, which ends up as O.
Thus, C O - . . .
Finally, Dash dot dot dot becomes a B.
So, we have "MOLS COB." However, this doesn't make sense, especially if we know that it has to be a commonly used phrase. So, let's backtrack once again on C, O, and Dash dot dot dot. Knocking the last letter down a notch, let's look at what Dash dot dot is: D. Finally, the single dot is E.
"MOLS CODE." Now, let's backtrack on the word MOLS, and see if it can be read any differently, too.
So, we have "MOLS COB." However, this doesn't make sense, especially if we know that it has to be a commonly used phrase. So, let's backtrack once again on C, O, and Dash dot dot dot. Knocking the last letter down a notch, let's look at what Dash dot dot is: D. Finally, the single dot is E.
"MOLS CODE." Now, let's backtrack on the word MOLS, and see if it can be read any differently, too.
M O L . . .
If we treat dot dot and the last dot as two separate letters, we'll have MOLIE or MOLEI, or MOLEEE. Thus, let's backtrack again on "L."
M O . - . . . . .
Thus, let's backtrack again on "L." Instead of looking at the following four characters, let's focus on just three: dot Dash dot. This represents R.
M O R . . . .
Based on our system, the last letter could be H, but since "MORH" isn't a common word, we should break it down further. dot dot dot then gives us S, and the final dot an E.
M O R S E C O D E
Kudos to such an intricate way to hide a message...not only do you have to decipher the entire phrase, but you have to ensure that each word fits and is context with the rest of the phrase. Mols is supposedly a peninsula in Europe, and a "Mols Code" could relate to an actual guideline or set of rules placed by residents...but unless a theme is known, misinterpretation isn't difficult to discover.
Finally, here is some actual pen-and-paper work that I did on my end:
Anyone else feel that a telegram will be included in this new world? I think it's very likely!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
BUN: Small Catching Up
Hey all,
It's been awhile since I've written anything technical (let alone, at all), but my activity level has shifted back in-game, the Petnome Project, on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook (it's seldom there, though). I'm either farming up a "bottom"-load over at Halfang and devising a number of Zerging deck builds for each school for first-turn kills, keeping track of Gardening drops, or pet training with a "Recycler" wizard in the Spiral (these items will be future topics!), keeping up to date on Petnome submissions, uploading Perfect Catch videos along with Vlogs, or Tweeting the latest thoughts or adventures. Also, Ravenwood Radio had their 50th and 51st episodes recently -- those were a LOT of fun.
A lot of new content has also kept us pretty busy, such as Halloweenfest, Hallowe'en, the Nightmare packs, and this mysterious world that's coming up... Based on Stephen Spiritcaller's interview with Fred Howard, I'm thinking we can expect to learn more about this around December...maybe the world will be released by then, but that's my wishful thinking! Massively gave us a small sneak peek, and there are some symbols on the picture below that were deciphered by myself and Miss Katherine Light:
We caught onto a small mistake, as noted in the image, so here is the newly revised picture, hehe:
I've also been dealing with some University items -- I've been accepted! My state's budget problems aren't improving, so the acceptance is an extremely big deal for me, especially when it's during the a very selective Spring semester.
And, last but not least, I've ended up treating my blog like more of a scientific journal than a personal one. It's starting to become just a bit awkward -- out of style, in other words (for me) -- to be writing things here when I habitually post them on the spot on Twitter. Usually, it's the "guides" or "tips" or "really chunky stuff" that I can write pages and pages on, that goes on The Chillanthropologist. What can I say? I like the "article" style of writing, where there's an overall subject, a dissection of its elements or parts, a weaving of facts/experiments/results, and a blend of insight/commentary.
But, I'll give this "true blogging" thing a try. Sometimes a personality just needs to shine through from the layers of logic or rational thinking...
It's been awhile since I've written anything technical (let alone, at all), but my activity level has shifted back in-game, the Petnome Project, on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook (it's seldom there, though). I'm either farming up a "bottom"-load over at Halfang and devising a number of Zerging deck builds for each school for first-turn kills, keeping track of Gardening drops, or pet training with a "Recycler" wizard in the Spiral (these items will be future topics!), keeping up to date on Petnome submissions, uploading Perfect Catch videos along with Vlogs, or Tweeting the latest thoughts or adventures. Also, Ravenwood Radio had their 50th and 51st episodes recently -- those were a LOT of fun.
A lot of new content has also kept us pretty busy, such as Halloweenfest, Hallowe'en, the Nightmare packs, and this mysterious world that's coming up... Based on Stephen Spiritcaller's interview with Fred Howard, I'm thinking we can expect to learn more about this around December...maybe the world will be released by then, but that's my wishful thinking! Massively gave us a small sneak peek, and there are some symbols on the picture below that were deciphered by myself and Miss Katherine Light:
We caught onto a small mistake, as noted in the image, so here is the newly revised picture, hehe:
I've also been dealing with some University items -- I've been accepted! My state's budget problems aren't improving, so the acceptance is an extremely big deal for me, especially when it's during the a very selective Spring semester.
And, last but not least, I've ended up treating my blog like more of a scientific journal than a personal one. It's starting to become just a bit awkward -- out of style, in other words (for me) -- to be writing things here when I habitually post them on the spot on Twitter. Usually, it's the "guides" or "tips" or "really chunky stuff" that I can write pages and pages on, that goes on The Chillanthropologist. What can I say? I like the "article" style of writing, where there's an overall subject, a dissection of its elements or parts, a weaving of facts/experiments/results, and a blend of insight/commentary.
But, I'll give this "true blogging" thing a try. Sometimes a personality just needs to shine through from the layers of logic or rational thinking...
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Audio Log (ALog) #2: Battleblood Updates and News (BUN) (6/8/11)
Discussing about what I've been up to lately, in-game and off: projects, life, work, surprises, and guest-speaking later tonight on Ravenwood Radio! Plus, some game updates to look out for!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Vlog #14: Summer Battleblood Updates and News (5/23/11)
Topics: Blogging/Vlogging, PVP Videos/Commentary, secret projects, self-improvement, and a future "offer" from TPC.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wintertusk Checklist and Analysis
Wintertusk is coming out today! Too bad for me, I'm stuck with studying for a final for Thursday... -_- I'll try to manage my time best to maybe even squeeze in some time for Ravenwood Radio 40 tonight, but no promises! We'll just have to see if I can plow through or avoid some unnecessary chapters...
BUT, nevertheless, I've created a personal checklist while playing the Test Realm to remind me of some in-game obligations and duties for the Live Realm (once I'm free from academic burden). This list is made public to help some of you PvPers manage your time, decisions, and resources to efficient use:
The following checklist will be completed before my Ice Wizard returns to the Arena:
BUT, nevertheless, I've created a personal checklist while playing the Test Realm to remind me of some in-game obligations and duties for the Live Realm (once I'm free from academic burden). This list is made public to help some of you PvPers manage your time, decisions, and resources to efficient use:
Concept to Grasp
A new generation of PVP has arrived, with 15 new spells. Eight are completely new utility spells, and seven are upgraded versions of existing spells. Various mechanical changes have been implemented, such as Earthquake no longer removing Stun Blocks, but stunning spells providing just one Stun Block of protection, opposed to four. To balance this, Stun Resist gear has been added to Dueling Diego's supplies. Also, the gear that's dropped within the Waterworks dungeon is for Legendary Wizards (Lv. 60), and provides Universal Resistance regardless of school. New Crafted Gear is also available, allowing for an expansion of many new strategies (which I'll extensively be exploring and developing over the next few months). Level 58 pets will also take us into a new dimension of PVP with new abilities and unique Innate Cards. An additional Training Point will be provided through a new Zeke's quest.The following checklist will be completed before my Ice Wizard returns to the Arena:
- New Spells
Obtain Level 35 spell (Legion Shield)- Great counter against Area of Effect (AOE)-Damage over Time (DoT) spells, allowing me to protect allies for an addition 30% resistance to next incoming damage. Also helps me reduce damage for all allies if I can't make up my mind on who to protect. A must have.
Learn an additional spell from Zeke's Trogg Finder quest.
- New Items/Gear
Purchase Stun Resist Amulet from Dueling Diego- Replacing my Life Mastery Amulet, since Perfect Catch has vigorously trained and adapted to a Pip-building style before the Amulets were released; it shouldn't be unfamiliar territory. I'll then have a 15% reduced chance of getting stunned. Because stunning spells will provide just one Stun Block, the number of Chain-Stunners can be expected to increase. Thus, having an innate chance of resisting a Stun can be advantageous against a team expecting to win by pure immobilization. I would rather keep my Stellar Signet and Cosmic Kris for massive Incoming/Outgoing boosts to complement Spritely, so I will choose to stay at just 15% max Stun Resist (as opposed to 30%).
Stitch WandsPersonally craft one of the new weapons with help from someone who has access (going to port to them; thanks to Aiden for helping with clarification) to the wand recipes, stitch the Hammer of the Stone Sky to my "Banhammer" (a promo wand called the "Galvanic Hammer" from Beckett's).- This wand allows for a variety of AOE support spells such as Bladestorm (increase team's damage), Brilliant Light (increase team's recovery rate via casted spell/Spritely), Legion Shield (increase team's resistance), Unicorn (increase team's damage recovery), and Guidance (increase team's accuracy). All these spells have 100% accuracy, so the chance to fizzle will be very low (given that there is a Smokescreen or Black Mantle upon us).
Will stitch my Lifeforce Sword to another model- Just for aesthetics
Repeat Waterworks with Perfect Catch until all members have their complete Legendary Gear before questing in Wintertusk.- Gear boosts will allow for faster questing (higher critical rating without sacrificing survival via resist)
Ronan's boots, hat, robeFallon's boots, hat, robeCassandra's boots, hat, robeMy boots, hat, robe- Create a new generation Perfect Catch Defender Pig, and research the Weakness talent more. (Spell Proof, Spritely, Snow Shield/Weakness, Sharp-Shot)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Test Realm: Waterworks Run #1 a Success!
About an hour and forty-five minutes after entering, Perfect Catch manages to solve and emerge victorious from the Legendary Tower "Waterworks" on the Test Realm! While not the first team to complete the tower, we had no help or tips from others who have...coming in there was a fresh, new puzzle to us all. Here are some screenshots:
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| First Room: Fight two groups of Elite mobs to activate a lever... |
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| Second Room: Fight Luska Charmbeak, a squid that "squirts" you with corrosive and blinding "oil"... 21,000+ HP |
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| Second Room: Luska Charmbeak is telling you that if you ARE NOT blinded, DO NOT use any spells on him, or he will punish your entire team with a strong Power Nova. |
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| Second Room: With Fallon's new Storm Spell (Supercharge), we manage to hit him for 10k+ damage without traps...still not enough... So then he proceeds to blind everyone from first Wizard up to Fallon. |
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| Second Room: Second hit...still too short... |
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| Second Room: Third time's a charm...break...ha...ha... >_> |
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| Final Stage: Three bosses, who cannot be stunned, will force you to "dance" with them. When a bubble is placed up, you are allowed to EITHER trap OR blade...but never at the same time. In other words, one bubble allows for positive Charms (blades), while the other allows for negative Wards (traps). Listen to the boss to find out when you can do whichever. Try to take out the hammerhead and eel ASAP; they love to Critical hard on their spells. I went in first to take the attention of all three bosses at the beginning of the battle. Fallon used a combination of Supercharge with Ronan's Donates to ensure we could create 100%+ blades on her, and allow her to strike hard. Since Sylvester changes the bubble up around every three rounds (before a turn starts), we had to use Cleanse to ensure Fallon's hit does make it through the Smokescreen. |
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| Final Stage: With only a few blades and turns available to us, we decided to strike all three bosses with a huge Storm Lord... |
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| Final Stage: Storm boosts on the Eel boss.... |
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| Final Stage: 5,700+ Damage wasn't enough to kill the bosses...but it was definitely a huge dent in them! |
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| Final Stage: Ronan then proceeds to clean the Critical-Hitting bosses up with his Gargantuan Power Nova... |
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| Final Stage: K.O.'d!!! |
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| Final Stage: Bye bye, Hammerhead! |
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| Final Stage: After a few more bombardments of attacks (make sure that there's at least one trap up when the Trap Bubble is up; the same for blades when the Blade Bubble is up), we're finally able to use Lady Judgment to win... |
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| Final Stage: No need for traps with just 300 HP left on Sylvester...he isn't going to Cheat back, this time! |
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| Final Stage: See ya, don't wanna be ya! |
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| Aftermath: And Level 60 Ice Boots drop! Compare the difference between the new Legendary Gear and the old! |
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| Aftermath: You may find the quest line bugged, especially for those who did not turn/touch the final valve. The good news is, everyone who beats the instance will get the badge: Waterworks Warrior! |
Test Realm: Wintertusk and Updates
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