Blacksmithing, New Weapons and Cataclysm

[Amaze]

Why has the Blizzard Design team fail to implement weapons for weaponsmiths or even upgradeable weapons like the ones seen in Burning Crusade?
For Wrath, all we had were the titansteel weapons but with patch 3.3 on the verge, these weapons are quickly becoming outdated, especially for the casual player who doesn't raid or arena.
What is great though is that Ulduar dropped armor plans.
What is not so great is that weapon plans were not implemented.
Im not saying give blacksmiths the best weapons or even equal level weapons
that drop in Ulduar but im saying give Blacksmiths unique weapons that are
BOP and even BOE. These weapons can be in the 212-232dps bracket.
Weapons can range from axes to swords that have varying speeds.
Polearms can have quicker speeds and have agility, a hunter centric weapon.
I would like to see a blue post on this matter, to explain the logic behind the
lack of blacksmithing development. Does Blizzard want us to raid and arena to get updated weapons? I can't even buy pvp weapons through honor points anymore, they were removed.<---Wheres the logic in that?
I would love to buy deadly gladiator weapons for 60k honor points, i dont need the best but at least an uprade for someone who doesn't raid or arena bcause of time constraints. Im sure im not alone here
Thanks.

[thephoenix3000]

Blizzard said very early in lich king that they didn't want to make people think they needed a specific profession to be able to play the game. The main part to this was every arms warrior thinking they needed Stormherald to be good in pvp.

Yeah they could make BoE items, but then they would go the way of engineering and being useless unless you had the skill, so basically meaningless. They should jsut add the ability to socket or enhance the weapon or armor in some way though the specialization.

[Gearswitch]

Originally Posted by thephoenix3000

but then they would go the way of engineering and being useless unless you had the skill.

But what about the practice Lockboxes!? The Mechanical Squirrels or the Glorious Mechano Hog!? Even the Mana or Health Injectors work for none engineers, it just gets better if you have engineering. My profession is not useless to the unskilled!

BTW, I know you didn't mean it was completely useless, but you are right, the inability for others to use the majority of the things Engineering can create is the reason why a lot of the player base doesn't use it (it's not very profitable) and that very same reason I strongly feel is why the few and proud of us who are Engineers stick with it. Because being able to access your mailbox, bank, reagent vendor/repair shop anywhere, port to many different places, and tinker your own gear makes it all worth it.

I would like to see some new BoE crafted weaponry though. One Idea would be none unique 1hander axes that are high damage, very slow and have Strength, Hit Rating, Crit %, and Expertise. That would be lovely.

[thephoenix3000]

Well i was refering more towards the boe items like head pieces and trinkets that had an engineering requirement on them mostly.

As a blacksmith myself i would love to see some more weapons and see some benefit to the specializations past the free weapon at 78 or the armor from armorsmithing.

But i will say this, i doubt you will ever see a 1hander with strength that doesn't have avoidance stats on it. Since only DK's can use it and with the agility/attack power combo it opens up it up to every other class that uses 1 hand weapons.

[Gearswitch]

Oh for sure we couldn't make much more than squat in terms of BoE. I see where you were headed.

As for the wepon your right, I doubt that combo on a weapon will exist, but a DK can dream!

Though it doesn't directly affect blacksmithing, I think it would be neat that in Cata, instead of introducing "New" Ore to be mined, they should make combinations of the old stuff with the new stuff. Like Smelting Silver and Cobalt will give you this and Khorium and Gold will make this. It would give everyone a reason to farm the older stuff in the newly reformed world.

Inadvertantly, you could use these new smelts to make better pieces of armor.

Take 1 Titanium bar + 5 Dark Iron Bar = 1 Dark Titan Bar

or something along those lines...

Ultimatley it would alleviate the stress of having to come up with new ore, implenting said ore, and then it's just coming up with the craftable gear.

And secretly, I would be stockpiling this stuff to get a head start on the mats.

Good Stuff indeed. I am envious of the Blacksmith's ability to add gem slots.

Since I'm not a Blacksmith, could you enlighten me on the idea of branching Blacksmithing? Like as an Engineering I can branch Goblin or Gnomish, I thought the Blacksmith could go Armor or weaponsmith or something... ??? What happened to that? or am I just being silly and dreamt it up?

[thephoenix3000]

Currently blacksmith has 2 major spec's. Armorsmith and weaponsmith. But weaponsmith itself can be broken into 3 more spec's. Mace, axe and sword. The most common was Master Macesmith with the "Every warrior must have weapon" Stormherald.

The problem for this was just that, every warrior thought they needed the weapon to be able to pvp or raid since it gave you a T5 level weapon at the time, blizzard didn't want people restricted like this.

As far as what i would like to see from blacksmithing specialization, engineering as well, is just being able to modify your gear in some way. Yes i know about reforging, but effecting stats like that only goes so far. Use and/or equip effect make the game interesting and can diversify gear, giving it the feel that you customized it yourself. We will just have to see what happens when more info on cataclysm is released.

[thephoenix3000]

Originally Posted by Gearswitch

Take 1 Titanium bar + 5 Dark Iron Bar = 1 Dark Titan Bar

or something along those lines...

Ultimatley it would alleviate the stress of having to come up with new ore, implenting said ore, and then it's just coming up with the craftable gear.

And secretly, I would be stockpiling this stuff to get a head start on the mats.

I like the concept, but don't expect it for the very reason you wanted it. I could easily start saving up elementium bars right now for it and bam, best stuff in the game at release, not really fair.

[Gearswitch]

I'm tracking now, I think that answers my question.

I agree, I think a little bit of customization would be nice... it's what makes this game fun.

I know I'm peepee-ing in the wind on this, but it would be awesome to take a piece of gear and be able to change the graphic within certain limits, like we don't need to be able to change the image to tier sets or graphics outside of the type of gear (or else we'd have tier gear posers or priests looking like pallys) but I really like the DK starting helm llok... instead of the gawd aweful Saronite helm.

Y'know stuff like that.

I also think that Engineering should get a second look, it's the least profitable and the most costly (I'm looking at you mechano hog!) for some of our stuff so why not make something that can be crafted and used by everyone in terms of BoE?? It doesn't have to be the greatest, but I know that many miners would jump at a chance to use our mining hat.

If you look at it in terms of "Lore" why can't I create something and draw up the "directions" to use it? It's not like you have to be a brainiac to use the item, it should just have an increased risk of failure.

Mind you I'm not gonna do the number crunch, but if as an engineer I have a 2% fail rate on an item I crafted, then non Engineers should have a slightly increased rate of 3.75% or something like that.

But you still can't have jeeves lol.

[thephoenix3000]

We'll just have to see. Blizzard wants some ablity to change gear, i'm sure with the whole "faith shaking changes" many thing we currently know as truth will change, for better or for worse.

[Amaze]

Hey Gearswitch, i absolutely love the idea of mixing old and new ores into something unique. I certainly hope that is implemented in the Cataclysm Exp, so players have incentive to visit these old but re-imagined zones for mats.
and phoenix3000 mentioned something about blizzard thinking that bs weapons such as stormherald restricted arms warriors into pvping with that weapon alone, i agree that this may have been true in Burning Crusade but currently in Wrath, to get updated weapons you MUST raid or ARENA. I find this concept restricting. Blacksmithing and Engineering has remained stagnant and should update with new raid and dungeon content. I mean Blacksmiths should be able to "upgrade" their 186dps Titansteel Bonecrusher into a 212dps Titansteel Demolisher, Sunderer, or whatever. Im not saying give them ulduar equivalent weapons because it would essentially be too easy to get geared, but allow undergeared players to craft or purchase decent weapons in order to compete in WoWs competitive world.
I read a blue post earlier about how many players are very anal bout gear checks and equipment determining skill. Many players are skilled but don't have a choice to raid with their 186 dps weapons because they can't craft anything higher or arena. That being said, many are restricted in how to play this game that is supposedly to be open ended. I must arena to get a good weapon, only then can i raid ulduar and the upcoming Icecrown. If some of you reading this arent in a guild that is so anal bout gear checks i truly envy you! (LOL)

[Gearswitch]

I fell your pain, I am a gear checker when I start a raid, the funyy thing is, wow-heroes can be misleading. Not only do I look for things that shouldn't be ther like blues and greens, but I also look for "Gladiator." Playing on a PvP server is expected, but resilience doesn't equate to squat in a ToC 10 man. If I'm trying to run beasts and someone is rocking pvp gear, then I as a raid leader fail.

I just started to gear pvp because let's face it, Razorscale and Onyxia will not drop those weapons for me... especially since I duel weild. Not being able to craft something better forces me to get geared for PvP to buy better weapons. The crap that is sold for champion seals won't upgrade me in the way I need so what are you gonna do? Even so, I parse 3.9k unbuffed (I don't count Horn of Winter) so I'm doing ok, but my potential is greatly hindered since I'm rocking Titansteel Bonecrusher and Hatestrike (I like Slow/Fast I proc Killing Machine more).

Blacksmithing can at least add gem slots, Engineering feels more like a convenience tool (i.e. I don't wanna fly to a city to repair, check my mail, look in my bank, fly to Storm Peaks to hunt the time lost proto drake) It would be nice if some 213 weapons were craftable and BoE.

As far as the smelt ideas, I think it could work; it just requires the right types of ore. Titanium, Khorium, Gold, Silver to name a few.... the rare spawn ores are what you need to focus on to make it work. Even if someone started farming them now, chances are they couldn't stock pile... plus to fix the debate of being geared out at release, I think a 20 hr shared cooldown (like transmute) will keep everyone steadily upgrading every 8-12 days or so since most titansteel stuff uses that much already.

I know... Wall of Text...