Tipster Graffias pointed out an exciting find in the latest leaked Alpha files for WoTLK: An Icon for a Brewfest Kodo. You may recall that last year's Brewfest included a Ram mount that was purchasable with tickets by both sides, allowing the Horde very easy access to an Alliance mount with a few days of grinding for Brewfest Prize Tickets. Many Alliance weren't happy with this, annoyed that the Horde got such easy access to an Alliance mount without having to kill Baron Rivendare or a Troll a couple hundred times. Bornakk decided that the best way to answer this criticism would be by promising the Alliance that the Horde would be getting access to yet another previously alliance-only mount skin in the Cenarion War Hippogryph. Of course, Kisirani, being as awesome as she is, later said that we should have patience and things would work out in the end.
Listening to the words of the world designer seem to have paid off, as it looks like the Dwarves are going to turn the tables on the Goblins this year and steal some Kodos from them. I can finally fulfill my dream of owning my very own Kodo. My Night Elf Druid is from Kalimdor after all, and you would think there would be some Night Elves who decided to domesticate Kodos as beasts of burden too.
But really, as much as I am looking forward to grabbing myself a Kodo (and seeing a tiny Gnome riding around on a huge beast of burden), what's really exciting is this thought: If the Brewfest is in late September to early October, does that mean Blizzard is planning to give us WoTLK by September, Brewfest Kodo and all?
If they aren't planning to give us one more year with nothing but a Ram, that could be the plan. Release WoTLK and the patch with the Kodo some time in mid-September, and we'll suddenly be stuck with the horrible choice of leveling to 80 as soon as possible, working on a Death Knight, or grabbing enough tickets to buy a Kodo.
Still, while it's nice to think about WoTLK going live by the start of Brewfest, it's not a given either. It's possible that we could still get the Brewfest Kodo, only in a seperate patch. After all, Patch 2.0.1 gave us access to 41 point talents, the LFG system, and a few other new features from Burning Crusade in a patch that predated the expansion itself. It's certainly possible that Blizzard will once again do the same, handing us a 3.0 patch that'll bring in the 51 point talents, a few other new features, and the new Brewfest Kodo as well.
Either way though, I figure we win. If this leak really does point to a purchasable Kodo at the next Brewfest, we might get WoTLK over a month earlier than is widely expected, but even if we don't, we still get an awesome new prize to shoot for when the Brewfest returns to Azeroth. If we're even more lucky here on the Alliance side, maybe we'll even get new goggles that'll turn everyone into female Draenei instead of male Gnomes.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
6-04-2008 @ 1:12PM
Zeqmont said...
This makes me wonder if the Rams will be obtainable alongside the Kodos. Maybe Blizz will alternate prize mounts for each celebration?
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6-04-2008 @ 2:59PM
Jason said...
I'm so bloody tired of Blizzard fading away the difference between Alliance and Horde factions. First the paladin and shaman are tossed to the opposing faction. Next the PvP gear is similar to both factions. Followed by the neutral cities and joint enemy that broke down the purpose of factions. Not to mention adding Alliance/Horde flight paths in opposing faction lands. AND finally, sharing faction mounts with the opposing.
There is not a single thing left that makes the faction differentiate! There is less and less reason for one to oppose the other. No RIVALRY!
Now an ex. Alliance city (one of the founding members) is made neutral as well. You know what, as I am writing this I feel less and less attachment to this game. Maybe I should stop.
6-04-2008 @ 4:15PM
JayCanuck said...
Jason, there is one thing that separates Horde/Alliance. The Sprite Darter non-combat pet. Currently ALL of the drop/quest non-combat pets are available to the Alliance. Horde can get all except the Sprite Darter. I wish the Horde had a faction-specific non-combat pet...
6-04-2008 @ 4:22PM
Jason said...
Although I realize you're joking, I wonder why you mention you 'wish the Horde had a faction-specific non-combat pet'. Why does everything has to be completely balanced? Completely the same. Isn't the lack of one thing and the plus on another that what makes/made the factions interesting and fun in the first place?
6-04-2008 @ 9:01PM
Aichon said...
@ Jason
Blizzard has already said that with Wrath they'll be doing something big to reinvigorate the hate between the factions. I doubt it will be a gameplay change (Alliance get nerf bats, Horde get rofflecopters), which is more what it seems like you're concerned with, but it IS something nonetheless (my money would be on the Horde getting framed for killing that missing Alliance king).
6-05-2008 @ 4:19AM
Suzaku said...
Aichon: That "missing Alliance king", Varian Wrynn, is the main character of the WoW comic book and is very much alive, and was confirmed to be a major character in Wrath (and the movie) quite some time ago.
From what we've seen, Varian and Garrosh will likely be butting heads in Borean Tundra, while the humans and dwarves in Valgarde will be at war with the Forsaken in New Agamand, where they're working on spreading a new plague.
6-04-2008 @ 1:14PM
David said...
Or it just means that WOTLK comes after brewfest and that the item exists. they could just do some alliance model scaling testing in wrath.
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6-04-2008 @ 1:18PM
Replex said...
Interesting idea to give us Kodos this year, however if you think that Blizzard will take their precious expansion from Alpha to Gold in a mere 4 months, you are quite crazy :p
I am sure Blizzard is working with more progressed versions of the Alpha internally, however max level in Alpha is level 74, and talent trees and skills for multiple classes havent even been implemented yet. Just recently, they announced a change to the talent trees of the Death Knight. Blizzard has a thing for perfection in their releases, and just the public alphas files alone show that they are far from release.
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6-04-2008 @ 2:06PM
Anomis said...
Burning crusade F&F alpha was 23rd of august 2008 start BC got released January 16th January 2007... 4 1/2 months
Wrath F&F alpha April 10th you do the math
6-04-2008 @ 2:10PM
Anomis said...
Just a link for none believers http://www.wowinsider.com/2006/08/23/burning-crusade-alpha-test/
http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/04/10/breaking-wrath-of-the-lich-king-is-in-alpha/
6-04-2008 @ 2:16PM
Anomis said...
Also to add BC went beta 11th october http://www.wowinsider.com/2006/10/11/burning-crusade-closed-beta-has-begun/
1month and half wouldnt be supprised if we dont see wrath going beta in next couple of weeks
PS sorry for 3 comments just additonal thoughts and wtb edit button
6-04-2008 @ 2:53PM
Antiquity said...
Like the other poster said and I have before. BC alpha to release was 4.5 months.
Don't forget Thanksgiving and Xmas were in there also, meaning 2 HUGE holidays where most people are out of the office.
3 months is a LONG time of development and you seem to forget that they've been developing WotLK for over a year at least (since BC launch). It's not like they just got started on WotLK.
Do you really think seriously Blizzard can afford the $$$ loss to wait past say Sept or Oct for WotLK to come out?
They aren't going to release lost subscriptions but it's pretty obvious that many people are cancelled till release.
6-04-2008 @ 4:36PM
Anomis said...
TBH I think when warhammer release date is annouced you can guess wrath will be on same day/day before
I think they will wait to steal the market from warhammer
6-05-2008 @ 1:51AM
Dan said...
Im guessing that it will go into beta directly after Worldwide Invitational, and they are probably trying to get the expansion ready for release for early autumn, that way if anything causes delays they can still get it out for the christmas season. All speculation of course.
6-05-2008 @ 4:19AM
Suzaku said...
Antiquity said... "3 months is a LONG time of development and you seem to forget that they've been developing WotLK for over a year at least (since BC launch). It's not like they just got started on WotLK."
Some of the concept art (including interior designs for Utgarde) are dated all the way back to '06, so they were working on Wrath well before BC was released, at least in a design phase.
6-04-2008 @ 1:21PM
Fozz said...
I had to read what you said 3 times before I believed it.
Are you seriously speculating that WLK is going to be released in 13 weeks?
Really? Do you also think the tooth fairy and santa claus are real? Does the Easter Bunny talk to you in your sleep?
I hope you are right about this, but come on.
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6-04-2008 @ 1:23PM
Gessilea said...
While I'd put it a little less bluntly, I agree. Wrath isn't even in beta yet. Even if they've sped up development significantly, I can't imagine it coming out before December.
6-04-2008 @ 3:00PM
Antiquity said...
BC Alpha started around August 23rd, 2006. Original release date was November 28th 2006 and Final release was January 16th 2007. Now remember they had Thanksgiving and Christmas in there...2 big holidays and lots of people out and most believe the push back was just due to too many resources being out for the holidays.
So...Since Alpha started for WotLK in early May, you are looking at a 3-4 month window here...putting WotLK most likely at August or September/October at the latest of the 4/5th month window.
Also Blizzcon is in Mid October and a big announcement is coming. We all know that WotLK was at the last one and SC2 has been announced so that means a new game is on the way and we all know what it is. You also have most of the Blizzard staff at Blizzcon and there is no way they are going there with WotLK still expecting to be launched. It will be finished by then so they can move forward with the con.
Now....there are hundreds of speculation threads on the WoW forums.
Guess who's was removed immediately after posting this??
When you use fact and common sense, you can sorta figure out when the XPac is coming. Kinda the reason it got deleted yet tons are still up.
Sept/Oct it is. Mark it down.
6-04-2008 @ 3:08PM
Fozz said...
Since people are quoting the past to determine a future release date, and then saying it is common sense, I suppose a little real common sense is in order:
Has it occurred to you that WLK is significantly larger in size and scope than TBC (in terms of sheer number of new items)?
You can quote numbers all you want, but I will believe WLk is here when I am logging into Northrend on a live realm. Everything you say about release date is fantastical speculation and nothing more.
6-04-2008 @ 6:00PM
Dave said...
Can you provide a solid argument as to why not, without going through the logic yourself and saying "well okay yeah I guess it could be Septemberish"?
I don't think you can, unless you're just making up things based on absolutely nothing at all. BC's release schedule fits the time line... and lets be honest, 4 new starting zones and 2 new races doesn't compare very well in terms of complexity to one new starting zone for Death Knights and Death Knights, but I think it's safe to say it'll be easier to test DK's than it was to run so many people through 70 full levels of the game, which they had to do for BC.
I mean honestly, what markers are you paying attention to if you seriously have such a pessimistic view? Based on the speed of the last release, I'd say that they're even farther along in terms of testing and development than we were at the same pre-launch point on the calendar. Plus, they had to deal with holidays, and there are none of those during the summer... so even shaving a couple of weeks off development time would be reasonable as well. (unless they cancelled everyone's thanksgiving and xmas, I dunno).