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Upcoming World of Warcraft Patch Details Released

02.28.05

JENNIFER BRADLEY
STAFF REPORTER

The development team for Blizzard's hit MMORPG, World of Warcraft, is getting ready to release a brand new patch that promises to provide a number of special game features and enhancements. One of the new features planned is an extra dungeon named "Dire Maul." The dungeon will have a 56-60 difficulty level and a location in the land of Feralas, but aside from this, no other details have been released. However, on a related note, another new game feature called a "meeting stone" is set to be added by WoW's development team. The meeting stones will sit outside dungeons and will work to help players find parties when they do not feel up to facing a quest or challenge on their own. Initially, a meeting stone will try to find the group best suited to help a player out, but if "resources" are limited, it will be forced to pick out whatever is available.

Interface-wise, the new World of Warcraft patch is scheduled to bring in four extra action bars for a total of forty-eight action slots to be utilized by players. Chat bubbles will also be added to the game. Appearing above characters' heads, the bubbles will more readily allow for the open-sharing of thoughts, ideas, questions, and, of course, smart-aleck comments. And if all this wasn't enough, the new game interface will even include a "quest tracker" to record the progress players make on their chosen quest(s).

Yet another set of features, to be made available by the upcoming patch, will involve class enchancements such as a new "mage armor" spell for Mages, which will allow for mana regeneration, while casting, and an increased resistance to all types of magic. Druids will be able to inflict more damage in their cat forms. Warriors will be able to gather "rage" from attacks that are parried, dodged, or blocked. And finally priests will also gain a new spell called "power word," which will work as a shield that can cover all raid members.

Numerous bug fixes are planned for the next World of Warcraft patch, as well as a few other things about which the development team is keeping tight-lipped. Still on the distant horizon are the promised player vs player battlegrounds and the player vs player honor rewards system. Stay in touch with RPGamer for the opportunity to read more about them.