There's been a lot of blue action recently, including today's hotfixes, the 64 bit client and a fix for the short-lived Paladin bug that made their Seals do some crazy DPS.

Paladin Bug:

The bug where paladin Seals could sometimes cause excessive damage has been fixed. This bug came as a result of a hotfix we put in to fix an issue where some attacks, such as Scatter Shot, were still causing Vengeance in PvP situations. While these things may seem totally unrelated, it has to do with our proc system, which is an extremely complicated mechanic under the hood. We reverted that hotfix, meaning you may sometimes see Vengeance in PvP. But we don’t think that will present a major balance concern at this time.

To be clear, we have no current plans to take action against players who experienced this bug last night unless we come across any extreme cases. The error was ours and we haven’t seen any evidence -- so far -- of players excessively exploiting the bug. We reserve the right to take action if we do find evidence of players crossing the line to repeatedly exploit this bug for major in-game advantages.

64 bit client:
A 64-bit client is once again available for use with Patch 4.3.2. Before being able to launch WoW in 64-bit mode you will need to download the 64-bit client for PC/Mac (using one of the links below), and unzip it into your World of Warcraft directory. Once you extract the files you can start the 64-bit client by opening the Launcher as normal (Run as Administrator if applicable). To switch back to the 32-bit client, go into Options -> Game Preferences, and check the Launch 32-bit client setting. The game will display which version you are using at the bottom left hand corner of the login screen. ex: Version 4.3.2 (15211) (Release x64)

Build 4.3.2.15211 - PC link, Mac link

**Important things to keep in mind**

• The 64-bit client is being distributed separately from the Retail version as it is not yet supported for use with World of Warcraft.
• Launching the game in 64-bit mode can only be done after patching the game to version 4.3.2, downloading and extracting the necessary files.
• The game’s built in voice chat does not currently work when using the 64-bit client.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client does not currently support the in-game movie recording functionality.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client iTunes' Remote feature does not work at the present time.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client does not currently support the customized LCD display for the Logitech G15 series of keyboards.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client is currently not supported on 10.5 systems. You will need 10.6.8 or later for this version.

Additional System Requirements:
Windows XP Professional “x64 Edition” / 64-bit Windows Vista / 64-bit Windows 7 (latest service packs).Mac OS 10.6.8 or newer.Mac Computer with Core 2 Duo or better2 GB or more of RAM. [...]

Mists of Pandaria and a Change in Attitude
It's great to see some positive discussion and speculation about where this game is headed.

We're definitely very focused on opening the doors a little wider to new ideas to really grasp onto what will make this game as fun as possible. It's 7 years old after all. We're not going to reinvent the wheel in Mists of Pandaria, but we want to introduce new types of compelling content with meaningful reward structures so your progression paths don't feel quite as redundant.

You'll get a captivating story, breathtaking new lands to explore, a wide array of new and awesome good/bad guys (from what I've seen, REALLY awesome), a slew of new dungeons and raids, a new playable race, a new class, many outstanding systems improvements, etc.

We hope these features are more or less to be expected with virtually every expansion. But this time we're also pouring our heart and soul into some really fun new features that'll allow you to progress in slightly less conventional ways.

I get so excited every time I meet with Greg Street, Cory Stockton, Dave Kosak, and Tom Chilton to discuss everything they're working on each week. It's even got me logging into some of the characters I haven't played in a while more often lately, just because I want to be fully prepared to diversify my gameplay and explore different avenues of content on different characters.

I think it's really going to be about playing the game the way you want to play it, without feeling entirely like you're missing out on valuable rewards.

[...] Yesterday we discussed low-population and faction-imbalanced realms with our developers. They have some pretty bold and spectacular plans for addressing this in anticipation of implementing some of the features we plan to in Mists. I just don't have a lot of information to share with you at this stage of programming and development. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Pandaren Mounts
The pandaren mount is still being finalized, so what you’ve heard (or seen) are just rumors at this point. Obviously we want the mount to be something awesome, which will take some time to perfect. In addition to the pandaren mount, expect to see a ton of new mounts in Mists of Pandaria. In fact, if any of the new creatures being added in the next expansion look up to the task, I’m sure the developers are looking for ways to throw a saddle on them so they can adventure through Azeroth with our heroes. Though I’m sure some are more comical looking than others. :P Anyway, once the information is ready, we’ll get it out to all of you. Trust! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Future Mists of Pandaria News
We'll be keeping everyone informed. Don't worry. We can't give time frames right now. As you know, we usually say it will be ready when it's ready. That said, I can reiterate that we are pushing forward very well on the next expansion and again point out that we were able to show so much at BlizzCon for a reason. I am not going to reassure you of when we intend for this to come out since I don't have that authority or permission to do so as of yet.

We're completely aware of how quickly players consume content. We're also aware that not all players have consumed all of the current content either. Does that make us less aware that there are many who are ready for more? No. But, we want to make sure we deliver our best with Mists of Pandaria and it won't be long until you start seeing a lot more of what we have in store for it and for you.

There are a lot of misconceptions floating around and being repeated that are based on what you believe is correct information or at least suppositions. Again, I am not in a position to clarify or negate those misconceptions beyond what I've said here. At least not yet. Hopefully, it won't be long before you will get that "big picture" look that you've been hoping for.

We do have a plan to update the calculator with all of the changes that have been made (thus far based on constructive community feedback and internal testing) in the near future. I don't want to promise any particular date as of yet, though it could be mid-month that we're able to make those updates. As always, this is not a firm date/promise right now, it's just a guesstimate of when we may be able to update again. When we do update, we'll make sure to let you all know.

We did have a lot to show during BlizzCon including zone fly-throughs, the starting area for the pandaren etc. (It was definitely a lot.)

I can't give you an update on where we are currently (that has to wait for the media), but I think the media event will be a great way for everyone to get a good look at it again and see for themselves. The female pandaren model is in progress. We're just not quite ready to show her yet though or discuss her. I can say though that it will not be the male model with a title over her head that says, "I'm a girl" any longer though.

We are most definitely not dismissing concerns. We have regular meetings and do reports each week specifically to point out the current concerns and issues the community is discussing. Perhaps it may seem dismissive if we aren't agreeing with an idea or sentiment, but that doesn't mean that we aren't still discussing it in some way.

You have no need to ask for forgiveness for wanting to know more. We fully intend to deliver more and we did cover a lot of it during BlizzCon as well. We'll be refreshing that information however and moving you all forward with us by letting you know how things have advanced/changed and developed since then though.

We love your questions. We just may not be able to answer them all when or how you want. We may on occasion be a bit more silent about things than you (or we) might like, but as I've said in the past, there is a method to the madness.

What we always want to make sure of though, is that if people are asking questions or sharing feedback, that it be done constructively. We don't mind negative or viewpoints that aren't shiny and happy as long as they are done in a way that is constructive and doesn't become defamatory toward other posters or Blizzard employees. This is a place for discussions and it's important that when we come here to discuss, we do so with some thought and care for the people sitting behind the keyboards on both ends of the spectrum.

In short, we care. We care a lot. We may not always show it perfectly, but we love the community we have and we love the work we do.

Neth, I don't suppose you have any comment on how beta invites will be working for Annual Subs?

I can't comment on this yet, but we will be putting together information on how everyone will be getting into the beta including those that signed up for the World of Warcraft Annual Pass. We know it's something people are concerned about and we want to make sure that we're as clear as possible on the process.