We recently revealed that the next Technical Alpha patch will bring a number of changes to the Heroes of the Storm out-of-game Leveling System, and today we’d like to introduce another upcoming addition we’re making to the game: Artifacts!
What Are Artifacts?
In addition to all of the upcoming changes recently outlined in our Progression System update blog, Artifacts are a new system we’re introducing. Once a player reaches Player Level 15, they will unlock an Artifact Slot. Within these slots you will be able to place a variety of powerful Artifacts in the form of Gems, Relics, and Trinkets that you can use to further enhance and customize your heroes. This new system will offer players a variety of new and compelling choices to add further depth to their heroes and how you play them, and it will also give you new things to spend your hard-earned Gold on that will further progress your Heroes in a meaningful way.
Unlocking Artifacts and Artifact Slots
Your first Artifact slot, the Gem Artifact Slot, unlocks at Player Level 15, and there are two additional Artifact Slots that you can unlock thereafter by paying Gold. These additional Artifact Slots are known as the Relic and Trinket Artifact Slots. They cost 2,000 Gold each to unlock, and can be purchased in any order.
You can choose up to three Artifacts to bring with you into a match, but you can only select one of each distinct type to fill the corresponding Gem, Relic, or Trinket slots. You can select which Artifacts you would like to use for an upcoming match at the Hero Selection screen, and your most recent Artifact choices will be displayed by default. This will allow you to either continue to use a favorite Artifact combination, or to customize your Artifact choices with a particular Hero or team composition in mind.
A variety of different Gems, Relics, and Trinkets will be available for purchase using Gold, and you will be able to equip, purchase, and upgrade Artifacts directly within the Hero Selection screen.
Upgrading Artifacts
Artifacts and their attributes will also grow stronger as you upgrade their individual Artifact Level, which maxes out at Artifact Level 10. Purchasing the first level of an Artifact will cost you 100 Gold, and each further upgrade will cost you an additional 100 gold. For example, upgrading an Artifact’s rank from Artifact Level 1 to Artifact Level 2 will cost you 200 Gold, and upgrading an Artifact’s rank from Artifact Level 2 to Artifact Level 3 will cost you 300 Gold, and so on up to Artifact Level 9, which will cost 1,000 Gold to upgrade to Artifact Level 10.
Please keep in mind that the development team is still hard at work polishing up the new UI, so it will be iterated on and improved as development continues.
Gems, Relics, and Trinkets, oh my!
Below is a list of some of the exciting new Artifacts you can look forward to in our next Technical Alpha patch!
Gem Slot
Bold Amethyst
Increases maximum health by 1.5% per rank, up to a maximum of 15% at Rank 10.
Brilliant Topaz
Increases ability damage by 1% per rank, up to a maximum of 10% at Rank 10.
Nexus Sapphire
Grants a shield equal to 1% of the Hero’s maximum health per rank, up to a maximum of 10% at Rank 10. (Shields recharge after a player hasn’t taken damage for approximately 8 seconds).
Primal Ruby
Increases basic attack damage by 1% per rank, up to a maximum of 10% at Rank 10.
Royal Diamond
Reduces cooldowns for abilities by 1% per Rank, up to a maximum of 10% at Rank 10.
Skyfire Emerald
Increases speed of basic attacks by 1% per rank, up to a maximum of 10% at Rank 10.
Relic Slot
Alexstraza’s Scale
Increases health regeneration by 0.1% of your maximum health per second per rank, up to a maximum of 1% of your maximum health per second at Rank 10.
Nathrezim Blood Orb
Basic attack damage dealt restores health by 1% per rank, up to a maximum of 10% at Rank 10.
The Coin
Increases mana regeneration by +.1 mana per second per rank, up to a maximum of +1 mana per second at Rank 10.
Worldstone Shard
Increases damage vs. minions and structures by 1.5% per rank, up to a maximum of 15% at Rank 10.
Trinket Slot
Goblin Jumper Cables
Decreases death timer by 2% per rank, up to a maximum of 20% at Rank 10.
Khaydarin Amulet
Increases maximum mana by 4% per rank, up to a maximum of 40% at Rank 10.
Riding Crop
Increases Mount Speed by 2% per rank, up to a maximum of +20% at Rank 10.
Wirt’s Leg
Increases base movement speed by 0.5% per rank up to a maximum of 5% at Rank 10.
Shiny Rewards Come to Those Who Continue to Participate in the Technical Alpha
In order to reward players for their continued participation in the Technical Alpha, and to help encourage players to test Artifacts and the new progression system, during the next patch we will also be granting Gold to players Level 5 and above based off of their player level.
So keep leveling, and start planning out what Artifacts you want to take out for a test-drive first!
Developer Insights Live: Coming Soon!
Also make sure to join us at Twitch.tv/BlizzHeroes on Tuesday, July 22 at 11:00 a.m. PDT to learn more about a brand new Hero, new Battleground, and a look at the updated Progression System. After this portion of the show, the following members of the Heroes development team will be answering a variety of questions submitted on Twitter/Facebook:
Dustin Browder, Game Director
Matt Cooper, Game Designer
Josh “Rokcet” Rester-Zodrow, Heroes Community Manager
We’d love to hear your questions related to Heroes of the Storm, so be sure to tweet your inquiries to @BlizzHeroes using #HeroesQA right away, and check out our recent Developer Insights Live blog for more info!
Did we mention there will also be a shoutcasted match after the show featuring a new Hero and Battleground? Make sure to tune in!
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It also seems that Naxxramas for Hearthstone will be going live for all regions at the same time!
Just wanted to clarify that this maintenance is not for the Curse of Naxxramas Adventure. We will be turning on Curse of Naxxramas for all regions at the same time some time after this maintenance is complete, but please do not expect Naxxramas to be available immediately following this maintenance.
Due to the livestreaming this weekend we did not have a podcast, so instead here’s a news edition to get you up to speed of the things that happened and were announced in the last week!
The upgrading of the horde garrison bugged out today and boosted it right up to tier 3, so today we’ll take a look at the tier 3 garrison upgrade! Due to a server crash restarting the client was required.
We live streamed some Heroes of the Storm games today! The first two games were ridden with lag for Mezzy so sadly they were not very good with disconnects. However after some changes the last two games went allright, so check them out below!
Blizzard also released a video with a preview for some master skins for the starcraft heroes!
On Monday, July 21, we will begin our Warlords raid testing with one Heroic encounter from Highmaul, and one from Blackrock Foundry. As this is the very first raid test of the beta, it is quite possible that there will be technical or gameplay issues that disrupt the testing. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.Remember that Heroic difficulty scales for any group size between 10 and 30 players, so feel free to assemble and bring a group of any size within that range. Our general plan is to test every encounter on Heroic difficulty first, and then test sections of the raid on Normal and Raid Finder, alongside targeted Mythic tests.
Each encounter should be available at approximately the listed times below on all Beta servers.
As always, this testing schedule is very fluid and subject to the realities of a beta environment. We might have to change the time of a testing session, change the boss being tested, or cancel a test entirely, due to bugs, server hardware issues, etc. Keep an eye on this forum for the latest information, and thank you in advance for testing and providing feedback.
Important Testing Notes
Q: How do I get into the raid zone?
A: In Stormwind, Orgrimmar, and your garrison, you may speak to Nexus-Lord Donjon Rade in order to teleport into the raid zone while it is open for testing. (The option to teleport into a zone will not be available when the zone is not open for testing.)
Q: What character should I use to test the raid?
A: Whichever you prefer. We will be scaling players’ effective level to 100 for raid testing, and their item level to an appropriate threshold for the encounter(s) being tested.
Blizzard released a new beasts of the savage lands preview and an announcement about changes to the heroes of the storm reward system! Check them both out below.
The lush Shadowmoon Valley appears peaceful and idyllic, lulling many would-be adventurers into a false sense of security as they explore its rolling hills and violet forests. But countless hidden perils lie waiting behind the tranquil façade, and only those well-armed with knowledge can hope to survive. What dangers lurk in the shadows?
Riverbeasts
Adventurers are often misled by the seemingly docile riverbeasts. Though slow to anger, once disturbed, a charging riverbeast is a ferocious sight: 4,000 pounds of fat and muscle storming toward its target like a runaway tram. Roaming draenei rangari have long been astounded by how much damage a rampaging riverbeast can take before it’s brought down, and draenei children are taught to keep a wide berth of shallow waters. Riverbeasts are characterized by their rock-like skin, likely developed during the early days of Draenor’s prehistory, when creatures of stone dueled for supremacy against the chaotic flora. Those looking to take a riverbeast as a trophy should take note of their durable armored flesh and tendency to charge unexpectedly.
Podlings
A number of Draenor’s indigenous species blur the line between plant and animal, and the so-called podlings are the most vicious and chaotic of their ilk. Small and seemingly harmless, they work together to capture their prey, attacking only when they have numerical superiority. Explorers who pay attention to the color of podlings’ flowering buds can ascertain whether they favor poison, ensnaring, or physical attacks to incapacitate their victims. Once podlings have overwhelmed their quarry, they will drag the unlucky creature down into the weeds to fertilize a new generation. The clear lesson for adventurers: looks can be deceiving!
Elekk
The majestic elekk graze contentedly across the grassy plains of Draenor, relying on their huge size and the support of the herd to keep predators at bay. Draenei explorers have determined that the animals pose no threat, as long as their young aren’t endangered or their water supply jeopardized. With the endurance to cover great distances and the ability to defend themselves by ramming or stomping attackers, these beasts have emerged as the draenei transport of choice. Explorers should take note of persistent draenei rumors that the Thunderlord Clan orcs torment and twist terrified elekk into vicious weapons of war, covering them in armor plating and inciting them to rampage when turned loose on their foes. Beware!
Draenor Ancients
It was only very recently that draenei rangari managed to communicate with these enormous sentient trees, but wildly different ways of life—not to mention a completely different perception of time—have made further interaction difficult. The ancients get their name from their analogues on Azeroth; they are tied closely to a prehistoric plant lineage that unites much of Draenor’s flora and places them in opposition to the creatures of stone. These enigmatic ancients remain in the same area for hundreds of years and are reluctant to move unless their home is threatened. Adventurers should be cautious when harvesting the valley’s lumber, as they may find the forest fighting back.
Shadowmoon Valley is a dangerous place, but there are many deadly threats still to be discovered across the savage world of Draenor. Until next time, stay alive . . . if you can.
Our next Heroes of the Storm Technical Alpha patch will bring a number of changes to the out-of-game Leveling System, Hero Quests, Player Profiles, and much more. Many of the changes that we’ve decided to include in this patch were made entirely because of the feedback that the Heroes community has shared with us on the official forums. Thank you very much for your help during Tech Alpha testing thus far; we’re looking forward to hearing much more from all of you in the future so that we can continue to make Heroes the best game it can possibly be. For now, we’d like to make sure you’re completely prepared to level up and earn rewards come patch day. Let’s take a look at some of the major features that have been reworked in the next Tech Alpha patch, starting with the new Player Profile layout.
Player Profile
Upon logging in to Heroes of the Storm once our next Tech Alpha patch is released, you’ll immediately notice that the Leveling System progress bar and reward icons have been removed from the home screen. Never fear, they haven’t gone far! They’ve just found a new home in the freshly revamped Player Profile screen. Access your Player Profile by clicking the Hero portrait found in the top right corner of the home screen. Once you do, you’ll see your current player level and Hero portrait are now located at the top of the profile screen, and several tabs have been added to the left-hand side which can be used to navigate the your profile. Hero Progress Use this tab to track of the Experience Points and Rewards you’ve earned by playing games with each Hero. Rewards Here, you’ll be able to see which Leveling System Rewards you’ve earned, as well as those you have yet to unlock. Daily Quests Select this tab to keep an eye on which Daily Quests are currently available to you. Profile Summaryand Match History Have been disabled during Tech Alpha testing.
Hero Progress and Rewards
In our next patch, the Hero Quests tab has been renamed Hero Progress, and Hero Quests have been replaced by Hero Levels. The Hero Progress tab is where you’ll be able to keep track of each Hero as you earn XP, level them up, and unlock new rewards. In previous versions of the game, Hero Quests could only be completed by playing in Versus games. Thanks to your feedback, however, that restriction will soon be a thing of the past. Once the patch is released, the experience points you’ll receive after playing games in Cooperative and Versus modes will not only count toward your overall player level, but carry over toward progress and rewards for the Heroes you use during those matches, as well. Better still, you’ll no longer need to reach player level 10 with the Leveling System in order to start leveling up your favorite Heroes. Instead, you’ll begin earning XP toward Hero progress with your very first game — Even if you’re starting from scratch with a brand new account! Hero Rewards Each Hero begins at level 1, and the more you play with a particular Hero, the closer you’ll get toward his or her next level. Progress caps at level 10 for each Hero, and every level after the first will unlock rewards that are specific to that hero. The table below details which rewards you’ll earn at each Hero Level: <center>
Hero Level
Reward
1
Heroes Start Here
2
Second Heroic Ability
3
Six Additional Talents
4
All Remaining Talents
5
500 Gold
6
Hero Portrait / Mount Variation 1
7
Skin Variation 1
8
Skin Variation 2
9
Hero Master Portrait / Mount Variation 2
10
Master Skin Unlocked
</center> There’s quite a bit of information there, so let’s break down a few rewards that you may not be familiar with yet: Heroic Ability Following the patch, each Hero will begin with one Heroic Ability, and the second can be unlocked by reaching Level 2. Talents Talents are no longer completely unlocked for all Heroes at once by achieving player level 8. Instead, each Hero begins with two Talent choices available at each tier of in-game Talent selection. Six additional Talents, one for each tier, can be unlocked by reaching Hero Level 3. All of a Hero’s remaining Talents will become available at Hero level 4. Hero Portraits Hero Portraits are now unlocked on an individual basis by reaching level 6 with each Hero. Upon reaching Level 9, you’ll unlock that Hero’s Master Portrait, which features a shiny golden border. Skin Variations At levels 7 and 8, you’ll unlock Skin variations. With these, each Skin you own (including a Hero’s base model) offers three different options for customizing the look of your Hero in-game, for free! Mount VariationsMount variations will unlock at Hero levels 6 and 9. Much like Skin variations, Mount variations allow you to customize the steeds you ride into combat.Master Skin At level 10, you’ll unlock the ability to purchase a Hero’s Master Skin with Gold, which you can use to show off your prowess with that Hero in-game. Just like other Skins, a Master Skin features two variations, which you’ll have already unlocked by reaching level 10. This means that once you’ve purchased a Hero’s Master Skin, you’ll immediately be able to use its variations in-game. It is also important to note that any Hero Quests which are completed prior to our next patch will count toward Hero Levels, but partial Hero Quest progress will be lost.
For example, if a Hero’s first Quest is already complete prior to the patch, that Hero will begin at level 2. If all six of a Hero’s Quests are completed, that Hero will begin at level 7.
Additionally, if a Hero’s second Quest was only halfway complete prior to the patch, progress will be reset, and that Hero will begin at level 2.
Leveling System and Rewards
Taking a look at the Rewards tab above, you can see that our next patch will bring a host of changes to Leveling System Rewards in Heroes of the Storm. As before, you can still earn Gold by leveling up, and you’ll receive 1,000 Gold for reaching levels 2 and 4. We’ve also made a few changes to the rewards unlocked at levels 8, and 10. Not only have we moved the free Hero rotation slot reward from level 7 to level 8, but we’ve also added a second slot that you can unlock by reaching level 10. This means that you’ll be able to choose from among seven free rotation Heroes for any given game, at any time! Additionally, we read feedback from a number of players who mentioned that they’d like to see rewards added above level 10, so we’ve added a 2,000 Gold reward to level 12, and levels 20, 25, 30, and 35 now offer 3,000 Gold each! You may have also noticed an “Artifacts” reward pictured at level 15 above, but we’ll have much more information to share on that in the coming days. Kindly note that all partial progress made toward the next player level prior to patch day will be lost.
For example, if you were halfway toward reaching player level 21, you will be reset back to the start of level 20 following the release of our next patch.
Let’s take a look an exciting new way to earn Gold in the next Tech Alpha patch.
Daily Quests and Gold
Many of you who frequent our forums have mentioned that opportunities to earn Gold in Heroes felt rather infrequent at times. We definitely heard your feedback, and after the patch, you’ll receive Gold for completing matches in Cooperative and Versus game modes! Every Cooperative game you win will award you with 10 Gold; while Versus games will net you 10 Gold for losses, and 40 Gold for wins. What’s more, quite a few of you have also let us know that you’d like the ability to complete Daily Quests outside of Versus matchmaking. We’re happy to share that, thanks to your comments, you’ll be able to progress toward and complete Daily Quests in both the Cooperative and Versus game modes alike after the patch. In order to help account for this change, we’ve decided to slightly rebalance the amount of Gold awarded by Daily Quests. Rather than offering 250 or 500 Gold on completion, all Daily Quests after the patch will instead award 200 Gold.
End of Game Screen
Along with the myriad of changes mentioned above, we’ve also reworked how you’ll experience Leveling System progression, and made a lot more information available to you on the end-of-game Score Screen. We’ve added a navigation bar to the top of the screen, which features four new tabs: Summary, Stats, Quests, and Rewards. Let’s take a look at what each of these tabs has to offer: Summary After completing a game in any mode, you’ll land directly on the Summary page, which is where you’ll be able to see the fruits of your labor from your most recent game.
All of the experience points and Gold you earned from your most recent match, as well as any rewards you’ve unlocked, will be counted up and detailed for you in the center of the screen.
The large blue progress bar keeps track of your Hero’s current level, the XP you earned toward the next Hero level, and displays your next Hero level reward to the right.
Similarly, the purpleprogress bar tracks your current player level, the XP you’ve earned toward your next level, and displays your next player level reward to the right.
If you’re ever curious about which reward is coming up next, hover the mouse over the reward icons to the right of each progress bar to get a brief description.
Stats The Stats page is essentially the end-of-game Score Screen you’ve become familiar with in previous Heroes of the Storm builds. Much like before, you’ll still be able to see Takedowns, Deaths, Battleground Mechanic scores for each player, as well as elapsed game time, and XP earned during the previous match. Quests The Quests page offers another a look at all of the Daily Quests that are currently available to you in case you’d like to quickly check out which Quest to complete next before hitting the Play Again button in the lower left corner of the screen. Rewards The Rewards page displays all of the rewards you earned during the previous match.
That just about does it for our Progression System and reward changes in the next patch. Thank you once more for helping us test during this phase of the Tech Alpha. Your constructive input over the past few weeks has gone a long way toward helping us shape the changes we made for the impending patch. If you’d like to share more of your thoughts with us, be sure to drop by the Heroes forums and contribute there. Stay tuned right here at HeroesoftheStorm.com over the next few days to catch more exciting information about what’s coming to the Technical Alpha. Finally, don’t forget to drop by our live Developer Insights broadcast, starting at 11:00 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, July 22. If you’d like to submit a question for the Q&A portion of the show, kindly submit your queries to @BlizzHeroes using #HeroesQA on Twitter.
The patch notes for the beta have also been updated! Although not much seems to have changed, you can check out the full update here.
A few highlights:
The human racial, The Human Spirit has been redesigned. It now increases Versatility, scaling with character level.
Hunter Chimera Shot has been renamed Chimaera Shot. It is now a two-headed shot that hits two targets, and deals Frost or Nature damage. It no longer heals the Hunter.
Death Knight Rune Tap has been redesigned. It now reduces all damage taken by 50% for 3 seconds. It also now has 2 charges, with a 40-second recharge time
Mage Ignite now deals the same total damage with a 1 second period (down from 2 seconds). Base duration changed to 5 seconds so that duration when refreshed remains 6 seconds.
