A little surprise on the Patch 3.2 PTR was discovered this evening. The Cold Weather Flying training, which previously had to be purchased for each character that wanted to fly in Northrend is now available as a Bind on Account book purchasable at the exotic mounts vendor in Dalaran.
The Use text is a little odd in that it notes the "tome is consumed when read." To me that means that the book is only a one use thing, which is a departure from current BoA items. And why have a level 68 requirement on this and not the normal Cold Weather Flying training? If you're 68 you're likely to be able to get to Dalaran anyways these days.
But wait Did you see it? You might have missed it.
It shows level 68 being the required level, not level 77.
Did Northrend just become accessible to flying at level 68 instead of 77? If these PTR changes are for real, then it just did. Of course this is the PTR so such things are subject to change. Don't go bugging the Blues and tell them that we said it was happening. It might very well not make it into the final version of Patch 3.2.
But with that said, one possible explanation for the Use text on the tome is that the book is intended to be purchased by a high level character and then sent to an alt, thus speeding up the leveling process significantly for high level alts.
This change would be in line with the other mount changes that will be taking place in Patch 3.2. Blizzard clearly has an aim here to make leveling alts easier, principally by allowing various levels of mount flying sooner.
We'll keep you updated on any blue response to this very interesting development.
Update 1:15 a.m. EDT:
Guess what! Zarhym responded just a short time ago to a thread on the official forums clarifying the change. It looks like this could very well be making it onto the live servers. Zarhym said:
Just to confirm, Tome of Cold Weather Flight is actually a new heirloom item planned to go into patch 3.2. At level 80 players can buy this heirloom item from the Cold Weather Flying Trainer in Dalaran for 1,000 gold and send it to an alt of the same realm, faction and account. The tome can be used to learn Cold Weather Flying at level 68, consuming the tome in the process.
Please note this feature is not yet in the newest version of the public test realm patch notes updated today. The item and its functionality are subject to change during the testing process.
Note that the cost shown in the picture (900g) is due to the faction discount.
Many thanks to Red Hawk for the tip! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol well I get the making it easier to level alts thing..... Hugglez, Mys Bunny ( Y ) (>';'<) (") (") Why does everything I whip leave me? EPA Official: S-sir, I'm afraid you've gone mad with power... Russ Cargill: Of course I have. You ever tried going mad without power? It's boring. No one listens to you!
If it is like the 'Cold Weather Flying' then it is just the ability to be able to fly in Northrend, not a riding 'skill' level at all. I'd rather be raiding.....
Yea Cold Weather Flying is just about getting to use any flying mount that you are currently able to use out in Northrend. You'd still have to purchase flying and epic flying if you want those. Also a reminder, the 5k gold for the epic flying will have faction discounts in 3.2
There are a variety of very fun things coming out in 3.2 I am excited. Hugglez, Mys Bunny ( Y ) (>';'<) (") (") Why does everything I whip leave me? EPA Official: S-sir, I'm afraid you've gone mad with power... Russ Cargill: Of course I have. You ever tried going mad without power? It's boring. No one listens to you!
/sigh /fail next thing we are going to see is a patch to give all the new players free mounts. Go Blizz.
This is /win, not /fail.
From the way it's written, you have to be 80 to buy it. Therefore, a "new player" won't be getting anything that the rest of us had to work for. But now you and I can level our alts quicker because of this.
After riding four toons to 80 in Northrend, I'd say I earned this free pass. Hum (80 warrior), Mumma (80 priest), Num (80 mage), Humhums (80 lock), Humma (80 pally), Bum (80 DK) Mummums (64 shammy), Wum (64 mage)
Yea I don't think he fully understood what it meant as I did not at first either. That's as long it's as you say, that you need an 80 to buy it, cause it just really would be /fail if it were the case that you could be 68 and go buy a thingy to let you fly in Northrend and not have an 80 at all.
I certainly will appreciate this one cause my miner/herber, who is my mage, has had her epic flying since before my main...I had it for her cause she is my farming toon and I figured I'd make the money for the main to have epic flying in no time. I wasn't exactly correct on that.....But I'm getting better about making gold again. This will help...Bunny will have more gold..that is always a good thing. Hugglez, Mys Bunny ( Y ) (>';'<) (") (") Why does everything I whip leave me? EPA Official: S-sir, I'm afraid you've gone mad with power... Russ Cargill: Of course I have. You ever tried going mad without power? It's boring. No one listens to you!
I didn't misunderstand anything. I knew exactly what it said. I find it disturbing that blizz is doing more and more to cater to the casual game crowd so they can grow thier numbers and financial standing. Although I do have to wonder if this is the exploitation of IPs that Activision was talking about. It all just saddens me.
Y would u have to be 80 to get the book? U dont have to be 80 to get cold weather flying. All u need is lvl 77 and access to either Dalaran or Sholazar Basin. Obviously they what to make it easier to get, so I doubt they are going to raise the buy lvl to 80. I don't get mad. I get stabby.
You have to be 77 to get cold level flying for yourself. You have to be 80 to buy it for one of your toons on the same account. I don't have any problem with that. I don't see how that's catering to any casual players. If anything, it's catering to the hardcore freaks who like to have a million level 80 alts. Hum (80 warrior), Mumma (80 priest), Num (80 mage), Humhums (80 lock), Humma (80 pally), Bum (80 DK) Mummums (64 shammy), Wum (64 mage)
