Cataclysm Beta - Build 12694

[Adam-Savage]

Cataclysm Beta - Build 12694
A new build is being deployed on live servers. The coverage of the changes in this patch will take a while because .... well, we have to redownload the whole client with a downloader currently in beta. (Beta is the keyword here, really)


Spell Changes
These changes are the result of the comparison of the spells of the current build with the previous one. They're not a definitive or official list of changes, be careful before you whine, it might just be a mistake.

Hunter (Forums / 3.3.5 Talent Calculator / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Beast Mastery

* Ferocious Inspiration is now a 1 Rank talent, down from 3 Ranks.
* Improved Kill Command now Reduces the cooldown of your Kill Command by 3/6 sec instead of reducing its focus cost.


Marksmanship

* Arcane Shot now causes [ 17% of Ranged AP + 603 ] damage. Down from [ 33% of RAP + 603 ]
* Termination no longer requires Aspect of the Hawk to grant additional focus.


Survival

* Misdirection no longer has a focus cost.
* Resourcefulness is now a Tier 3 talent. Down from Tier 4.
* T.N.T. is now a 2 Ranks talent. Down from 3 Ranks.
* Point of No Escape is now a Tier 4 talent. Up from Tier 3.
* Lock and Load is now a 2 Ranks talent. Down from 3 Ranks.
* Survival Tactics is now a Tier 2 talent. Down from Tier 3.
* Hunter vs. Wild now is a Tier 1 talent. Down from Tier 2. Now increases your total Stamina by 3/7/10%.
* Entrapment now is a 2 Ranks talent. Down from 3 Ranks.


Reforging
Reforging is finally here! You can swap 40% of any of the secondary stats of an item (mostly ratings) for another secondary stat.

Link

[Saturo]

Reforging should be interesting. No more haste for me! :P

[Adam-Savage]

Reforging should be interesting. No more haste for me!

Why would you want to get rid of haste, unless you have too much? In my case, I have too much hit.

[Saturo]

I've got a bit more haste than I'd like, yes. It's more of a problem than hit, at least with my spec.

[Fael]

Ysera got herself a new humanoid model:


This is how she looked during the Yogg-Saron battle:


I'm really hoping for a new dragon model as well!

[Saturo]

Her eyes are open... -.-

[Fael]

Yeah... -_-

[Galahandra]

Don't like the improved Kill Command change...boo for costing so much energy!! Also, Hunter vs Wild removed the pet aspect of it? I would check but...have to download it all over again...boo hiss boo!!

[Vephriel]

She's very...purple. Nothing wrong with that really, but I think I preferred when she was all green. They didn't really give her a unique outfit either, it's just a slightly edited version of Alexstrasza's. Ah well, it's pretty nice overall, I think I may have just done it a bit differently.

[Palladiamorsdeus]

That's what I was thinking Veph, she looks to much like Alex to me.

Also, boo for the hunter vs wild change. It's completely dropped the AP aspect it had.

[Kalliope]

*cheers quietly at the surv pvp talents becoming more accessible to non-surv hunters again*

[Saturo]

For the Ysera in the YS encounter, I could accept the open eyes. This is a unique model, and they still screwed it up. According to the lore, she's opened her eyes TWICE. She sees trough the emerald dream, so there's absolutely no reason for her to have them open now. Just a modelfail, I hope, but still... -.-

[Anansi]

The glowing eyes to me seem more like a blind energy than actual optically functioning eyeballs, which is not a screw up at all lore-wise.

As for the new Hunter talents, looks like another step in getting things sorted and cleaned up. The change in Imp Kill Command is likely a direct result of Focus regen rates being increased, so the initial reduction in Focus is no longer needed.
I'm a bit saddened by the change to Hunter vs Wild as there's really no need to spend more than 3 points in Survival now as Marksmanship (to get Improved Tracking) though it does open up all of One With Nature and room for Bestial Discipline if pet Focus is an issue (that it's a tier 1 BM talent and thus available to all specs leads me to think we may need that extra Focus regen on our pets).

Also we have more options for creating a PvE build and a PvP build, no more messy merging of the two, which is nice.

[Saturo]

She has been said to have normal eyeballs earlier, and her eyes closed. Her eyes are clearly open, even if they removed her eyeballs, which still makes no sense whatsoever...

[Sarayana]

I really like her new model. I think the colouring is great, and I like that she looks so much like Alex... Makes her really stand out as dragon-y, ya know?

It would be awesome if they'd close her eyes though.


Edit: The reforging system looks awesome! I can't wait to test it out. *eyes her 318 hit rating*

[Vephriel]

Her eyes may very well be closed on live realms, but just this particular shot has her model with open eyes. It's just a blink animation really, so I'd imagine the default view of the model wouldn't have that showing unless selected specifically perhaps.

[Anansi]

I'm perfectly willing to accept the notion that since she sees through the Dream, the power and magic of that seeing could reflect in her otherwise normal (in so far as normal as a dragon in elf form can be called) eyeballs and present as a glowing effect. Heck, eyelids are thin too, if her eyes are tied to magical seeing that energy could glow through closed lids. It's not like we're seeing pupils, irises and whites there.

In other words, I think it's fine and you need to stop approaching the lore in the same way that literalists approach the bible! :p

[Saturo]

In other words, I think it's fine and you need to stop approaching the lore in the same way that literalists approach the bible! :p

Oh really now? I can see a hundred things wrong with that comparison already. :P
*Sigh*
I'd be perfectly fine with that explanation, except that she hasn't been described as having an eyeglow strong enough to go trough her eyelids. But like Veph said, they will hopefully add proper eyelids later.

Also, her model is a bit of a shortcut. It's basically Alexstrasza with pants and shoulder armor. :/

[Hooxeii]

In regards to her eyes being open:

Generally, she only ever opens them when she's extremely upset or enraged. Someone on mmo-champion suggested that perhaps, in light of the fact that the world tree was being attacked, that she may have her eyes opened due to being angry.

Now, granted, we don't know if her eyes are actually open on live beta. I, too, would prefer her eyes to be closed, but otherwise it's a nice model.

Also, alex and she are sisters, thus, it makes sense for them to look similar.

My two cents.

[Zangor]

its a shame blizz didnt use the night elf model as a base instead they chose to use the blood elf model and it kinda detracts from the awsomeness