Nether Vortexs

Currently we have no plans to add new ways to obtain a Nether Vortex. With the new items available in patch 2.3 it should be easier for a guild to make progress in the dungeons that drop them though if you need them.

Q u o t e:

They don't drop in dungeons. They drop in raids.

Hey now, raids are just a specific type of dungeon. :)

There isn't much to add beyond what I already posted. The items that require Nether Vortexes were designed to be a challenge to get and that is why they drop in the specific raid dungeons and aren't the initial version of the items. Hopefully the new items available in Zul'Aman, patch 2.3, and season 3 help satisfy your craving though.

Q u o t e:
Why don't they drop in ZA, it is supposed to be of similar difficulty?

Zul'Aman follows our 10 person raid model so it is the next step for many guilds who have completed Karazhan. Some items in Zul'Aman are similar in stats to those found in Serpentshrine Cavern and The Eye, so they can work as replacements for some people, but once you have this new area down it could be easier to get through SSC and TK if you still want to go through these bigger 25 person raid dungeons for the experience and/or items that specifically drop in them.

Q u o t e:
Also why do they not drop in BT and Hyjal as well? Even higher difficulty.

The items from these instances are higher level than the craftable ones that require Nether Vortexes and you have to complete SSC and TK to get to these zones.

Q u o t e:
Also, the issue of the recipe. Can we get an explanation of why we can get the recipe from the trainer but all of the other recipes that require vortexes drop with SSC/TK?

That seems like a big disconnect in logic.

Does it hurt to get a recipe easier? These craftable tiered items were a fun new feature we added in The Burning Crusade and this helped make it so the crafter could focus on the materials instead of finding the recipe. The other recipes in SSC and TK that require Nether Vortexes are all brand new separate armor pieces.

Q u o t e:


Yes frankly it does.

It's a pretty large change from previous precedent of where you get the recipes and how you acquire the mats to make the recipe.

It gives those that have done the professions and used the trainers to craft items they want a false sense of being able to craft the weapons.

Blizzard stated when TBC was coming out that professions would be a way to get good gear without having to raid, this contradicts that greatly.

Getting one recipe from a trainer doesn't really hurt anything as you already got the previous versions there.

As far as crafting weapons go as this is your main point, you can make several epic quality weapons without setting foot in a raid dungeon, so I'll have to disagree that we are being contradictory.

Q u o t e:
Totally different scale.

5 man instances versus 25man instances.

You must admit that there is a large difference in logistics and scale.

Yes, there is a difference in the scale as the items greatly improve by each tier so of course the challenge in gathering the materials required increases with it. The crafter gets the recipe that requires nothing but materials in the outside world, the recipe that requires numerous 5 person dungeon runs, and the recipe that requires 25 person dungeons. The greater the challenge the greater the reward. :)