# New WoW General Discussion Thread 6/8/10 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 9, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480 "2010-06-09T00:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 50
**Author:** ![Mogle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mogle/32/12021_2.png) [@Mogle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogle)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/981 "2010-07-08T08:13:26Z")
> [@martu](#): > > Ok so the new talent tree changes are interesting but I’m not sure about limiting us to only one tree until level 70. No more Spirit Tap for my low level Disc priest? One can always hope they design things so you won’t miss it, for all we know Shadow Priests won’t have any Spirit Tap either. Of course, maybe I just have too much faith in the developers, but I’m not going to worry about specific talents until I see the new talent trees. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/982 "2010-07-08T09:16:32Z")
> **[World of Warcraft maker to end anonymous forum logins](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543100)** > > A row erupts after the firm behind World of Warcraft announced that users of its sites would have to use their real names. The Real ID sh\*t storm has even made the beeb now. ---
**Author:** ![martu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@martu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/983 "2010-07-08T11:49:39Z")
> [@Mogle](#): > > One can always hope they design things so you won’t miss it, for all we know Shadow Priests won’t have any Spirit Tap either. Of course, maybe I just have too much faith in the developers, but I’m not going to worry about specific talents until I see the new talent trees. Very good point, new beta build in weeks not months they say so not long to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/984 "2010-07-08T13:18:51Z")
This was posted by a developer on another MMO yesterday afternoon. I’d be interested to know where the flaw in the logic is. > [@](#): > > [Blizzard’s] EULA/Terms of Service forbid players from revealing their login information, in whole or in part. > > With the switch over to [Battle.net](http://Battle.net) accounts for login, your login is the email address connected to the account. > > To connect to someone using RealID, you must give them the email address connected to the account. > > Therefore, using RealID is a violation of the Terms of Service. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/985 "2010-07-08T13:58:51Z")
> [@Otter\_Snacks](#): > > Probably won’t matter though, because their will be some other security compromise in the system. Just imagine, if add-ons were able to exploit that information. Oh wait. [http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/security-flaw-allows-addons-to-expose-full-real-life-names-witho/](http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/security-flaw-allows-addons-to-expose-full-real-life-names-witho/) All addons can do is display the names of people who’ve already agreed to share with you. I mean seriously, all the lua in the post does is announce your own name to yourself. The ability of addons to tell me my own name isn’t really very terrifying. You should actually check anything said by someone on the Blizzard forums for yourself. If you read that thread enough, it even says all of this. Fraps or it didn’t happen. The flaw in that developers logic is his inability to actually read the ToS, which says that the login and password together make up “login information” Since you’re only sharing part of it, it isn’t your login information. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/986 "2010-07-08T14:47:33Z")
> [@Daedelus](#): > > Yeah, but all the ones up on MMO-Champion or WoWHead are going to be completely re-done with this change. I’d completely missed that since I was at work and couldn’t read the announcement. Saw it when I got home, though, and I’m excited. > [@Mogle](#): > > Blame the South Koreans, they have some law that requires users on large internet communities to use their real names and since SK is such a large market for Blizzard they can’t do what Google did and ban the South Koreans from posting. Korea already has its own servers. There’s no reason that if this were the impetus, they couldn’t just force everyone with a Korean version of the game to have their registered name as their alias. > [@Headrush042](#): > > My venomhide raptor finally grew up and became a mount. I’m gonna miss having the little bugger following me around begging for snacks – he was cute! Lucky mumble grumble Horde, getting their mumble grumble mount through mumble grumble dailies. > [@martu](#): > > As long as it gets us drunk. Bring a lot. Oh, it will. \*And \*be tasty. > [@](#): > > Ok so the new talent tree changes are interesting but I’m not sure about limiting us to only one tree until level 70. No more Spirit Tap for my low level Disc priest? The problem is that they’re putting strong, iconic abilities in the first tier. The only way to make that not completely overbalance low-level players is to restrict them to a single tree. We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out in practice. > [@Otter\_Snacks](#): > > I will never accept Real ID friend invites, because I don’t want my real name and my Email address being shared with others and all their ‘friends’. Nitpick: Your email address is never displayed. It’s only used to make a connection between you and another person (or you can enter their email–it doesn’t require both). The email address is never displayed; only entered to search for the person you want to friend. > [@Bosstone](#): > > This was posted by a developer on another MMO yesterday afternoon. I’d be interested to know where the flaw in the logic is. People have been posting that since RealID was announced to require our account emails. AFAIK, there’s been no response from Blizz yet. I also bark out a wry laugh every time I log on to see the current status message from Blizz, about how hackers are trying harder than ever to phish for our account info, so we need to be careful! And they care about our account security! :rolleyes: Shockingly, this is somewhat less believable since RealID went live. > [@Palooka](#): > > The ability of addons to tell me my own name isn’t really very terrifying. The ability of the addon to tell you your own name… _ **means that it has access to that information** _. Which means that it could \*\*\*broadcast that information \*\*\*to anyone it wants, with or without your permission. Now, most addons aren’t going to do that, but someone \*could \*presumably design one to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/987 "2010-07-08T14:51:11Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > All addons can do is display the names of people who’ve already agreed to share with you. I mean seriously, all the lua in the post does is announce your own name to yourself. The ability of addons to tell me my own name isn’t really very terrifying. You should actually check anything said by someone on the Blizzard forums for yourself. If you read that thread enough, it even says all of this. Fraps or it didn’t happen. > > The flaw in that developers logic is his inability to actually read the ToS, which says that the login and password together make up “login information” Since you’re only sharing part of it, it isn’t your login information. The particular script used _as an example_ of the bug only whispers your name to yourself as a proof of concept. It’s only demonstrating that the variable exists for any addon to utilize. Any addon with malicious script in it can, therefore, whisper your RealID name to anyone at all – in fact, it can broadcast it into a hidden public channel without you even realizing it’s done so. FRAPs won’t help you here, since it’s like, hidden from the UI and stuff. Also, to requote **Bosstone** – : [Blizzard’s] EULA/Terms of Service forbid players from revealing their login information, **in whole or in part**. Besides, giving out even half (or one third if you have an authenticator) of your login info, ToS violation or not, is stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/988 "2010-07-08T14:55:39Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Korea already has its own servers. There’s no reason that if this were the impetus, they couldn’t just force everyone with a Korean version of the game to have their registered name as their alias. They would have to look at location rather than game version, a lot of people do not play in their own language even if it happens to be available. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/989 "2010-07-08T14:59:34Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Lucky mumble grumble Horde, getting their mumble grumble mount through mumble grumble dailies. Lucky mumble grumble Alliance, getting a pretty purple kitty mount instead of a stupid raptor (okay, the raptor is kind of pretty too, but not nearly as pretty as the kitty, and the motion of riding a raptor makes me vaguely seasick so I can’t ride the damn thing. :D) I’m happy, though–yesterday I dual-boxed my DK tank (who already has the Zulian Tiger) and my mage (who didn’t) down to Zul’Gurub, and guess what dropped? That’s two tigers in three weeks of trying. Since AFAIK the drop rate on that thing is still somewhere around 1%, my guildies are convinced I’m using hax. And now father and son each have a matched set of Spectral and Zulian. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/990 "2010-07-08T15:02:36Z")
Both of you are absolutely right. A malicious addon can broadcast your RealID to anyone it wants. Just like a malicious addon can vendor all of your gear, submit bad GM tickets and some stuff to get your account banned in an hour. That’s why it is important only to use reputable community-vetted addons. The “in whole or in part” thing isn’t actually in the ToS. The ToS says "During the registration process, you may be required to select a unique username and a password (collectively referred to hereunder as “Login Information”). You may not share the Account or the Login Information with anyone other than as expressly set forth herein. " (read: [here](http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html)) No issues with RealID and ToS violations. ---
**Author:** ![Runestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Runestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runestar)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/991 "2010-07-08T15:31:15Z")
One thing I’m wondering about the new talent trees. In the past, when Blizzard has redone a talent tree to the point where you have to completely retrain your character, all the money you spent training in the original tree gets refunded to your character. Now, what’s going to happen to those characters who’ve ponied up the 1000 gold to dual-spec? Will they still have the dual-spec, and be able to train up two separate talent trees? I only have one character ATM that’s dual-spec’d, but I’m going to be grouchy if after the redo that character only has a single spec and no refund of my 1000 gold. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/992 "2010-07-08T15:36:20Z")
> [@Runestar](#): > > One thing I’m wondering about the new talent trees. > > In the past, when Blizzard has redone a talent tree to the point where you have to completely retrain your character, all the money you spent training in the original tree gets refunded to your character. Now, what’s going to happen to those characters who’ve ponied up the 1000 gold to dual-spec? Will they still have the dual-spec, and be able to train up two separate talent trees? > > I only have one character ATM that’s dual-spec’d, but I’m going to be grouchy if after the redo that character only has a single spec and no refund of my 1000 gold. :mad: +1 hopefully you will still have the second spec and just have to build your spec and off spec again accfording to the new trees ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/993 "2010-07-08T15:37:29Z")
Errh? When talent trees are redesigned sufficiently that you need to repick your talents, it’s always been a free point refund. That is, they set your talents selected to 0 and let you freely choose again. They’ve never _given back_ any money; why would they? They’re just forcing you to do a free respec, and you could quickly reset your spec to more or less how it was before without any problem. The dual spec mechanic isn’t just your talent trees, either. At the very least, it also stores your action bars. You _can’t_ lose the dual spec ability once you’ve purchased it, and a talent respec won’t change that. All that will happen is your selected talents in both specs will be reset to 0 and you’ll be able to freely pick again. If you want an example of what will happen when Cataclysm goes live, go to your trainer, buy a respec, change to your other spec, then buy another respec. (After making sure you have your talent trees backed up somewhere else, of course.) The result will be exactly what you will see on your character when Cataclysm goes live, except that it won’t cost you any gold then. ---
**Author:** ![martu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@martu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/994 "2010-07-08T15:41:40Z")
> [@Runestar](#): > > One thing I’m wondering about the new talent trees. > > In the past, when Blizzard has redone a talent tree to the point where you have to completely retrain your character, all the money you spent training in the original tree gets refunded to your character. Now, what’s going to happen to those characters who’ve ponied up the 1000 gold to dual-spec? Will they still have the dual-spec, and be able to train up two separate talent trees? > > I only have one character ATM that’s dual-spec’d, but I’m going to be grouchy if after the redo that character only has a single spec and no refund of my 1000 gold. :mad: Dual specs are staying the same it’s in one of the blue posts up on MMO Champions front page. ---
**Author:** ![Mogle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mogle/32/12021_2.png) [@Mogle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogle)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/995 "2010-07-08T15:41:53Z")
**Runestar** , relax, they’re not doing anything to Dual Spec. Here’s Ghostcrawler on the subject: > [@](#): > > Dual Spec won’t change. If you choose Protection paladin at level 10, you can respec to Ret paladin at your class trainer. Once you unlock Dual Spec, you can have 2 Prot builds or a Prot and Ret build or whatever you’d like. It will work almost exactly the way it does now. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/996 "2010-07-08T15:43:55Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10543100.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10543100.stm) > > The Real ID sh\*t storm has even made the beeb now. Okay, this made me laugh: > [@](#): > > One World of Warcraft player, **Jim Brand** , contacted BBC News to say how disappointed he was over the change. > > “I have been using the forums for over five years, reporting bugs and trying to be helpful. Now, to have the privilege to help people on the forums I have to reveal my real name; I’m dead against it,” he said. > > "I work in a charity and deal with governments officials. **If they do a search and see I am a gamer, it could affect my employment prospects," he added**. (bolding mine) But announcing your name and gamer status on the BBC isn’t going to affect his employment prospects? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/997 "2010-07-08T15:49:02Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > That’s why it is important only to use reputable community-vetted addons. The point is that a \*\*MASSIVE SECURITY HOLE \*\*exists. It doesn’t matter that “nice” developers won’t exploit it. It should never have gone live that way in the first place. > [@Runestar](#): > > In the past, when Blizzard has redone a talent tree to the point where you have to completely retrain your character, all the money you spent training in the original tree gets refunded to your character. Now, what’s going to happen to those characters who’ve ponied up the 1000 gold to dual-spec? Another person who has no clue where you’re getting this from. Blizzard does _ **talent point** _ refunds–you get all your points back to spend again–not training cost refunds. Dual spec is a wildly successful feature that’s unrelated to your distribution of points in any one tree. There is no reason for them to remove it from the game and people would have a collective heart attack if they tried. > [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > But announcing your name and gamer status on the BBC isn’t going to affect his employment prospects? :dubious: I :smack:ed. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/998 "2010-07-08T15:56:53Z")
Addons being able to broadcast a login name is hardly a massive security hole. Chill out. No one is going to try and compromise an account by getting the login from an addon that someone might download and then try to brute force the password. People are going to use phishing emails like they already do. Maybe you’d feel better if you went back to The Sims. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/999 "2010-07-08T16:04:10Z")
The security behind a person’s real first and last name (the one they have tied to their _billing records_) extends far beyond just their Warcraft account. On a side note, somebody came up with this gem in that RealID megathread on the forums, and it made me giggle: [QUOTE=The Culling of Warcraft] Activi​sion: Glad you could make it, Blizzard. Blizzard: Watch your tone with me, Bob. You may be the boss, but I’m lining your pockets with money. Activison: As if I could forget. Listen, Blizzard, there’s something about the forums you should know. Oh no. It’s too late. These people have all been trolled. They may look fine now, but it’s a matter of time before they nerd rage. Blizzard: What? Activison: Your entire forums must be purged. Blizzard: How can you even consider that? There’s got to be some other way Activison: Damn it, Blizzard. As your master, I order you to RealID these forums! Blizzard: You are not my master, Bob. Nor would I obey that command if you were! Activison: Then I must consider forcing this. Blizzard: Forcing it? Have you lost your mind, Activison? Activison: Have I? Lord Blizzard, by my endless resources and sovereignty of my company, I hereby program your forums with RealID. WoWplayers: Activison, you can’t just… Activison: It’s done! Those of you who have the will to make more money, follow me! The rest of you… get out of my sight. Blizzard: You’ve just crossed a terrible threshold, Activison. Activison: Subscribers? WoWplayers: I’m sorry, Activison. I can’t watch you do this. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480/1000 "2010-07-08T16:06:09Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Maybe you’d feel better if you went back to The Sims. Hey, at least they don’t give out my real name if I’m posting on their forums. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-wow-general-discussion-thread-6-8-10/542480.md?page=51)