Tauren Plainsrunning Ability Returns and Faces Balancing Adjustments in WoW: Forever
The iconic Tauren racial ability returns to World of Warcraft: Forever with new mechanics.
1Historical Ability Reintroduced
In the original World of Warcraft beta, Tauren lacked mounts at level 40, receiving Plainsrunning instead. This unique racial ability was eventually removed in favor of Kodo mounts. Recently, the ability was reintroduced in the WoW: Forever beta, allowing players to build up movement speed gradually while running across the game world.
2Mechanics of Plainsrunning
The new version of Plainsrunning functions by accumulating stacks as the player moves. Each stack provides a two percent movement speed bonus, capping at 30 stacks for a 60 percent increase. Players must remain in motion without engaging in combat or stopping to maintain these stacks, which reset upon halting movement.
3Early Game Advantage
This 60 percent speed boost is equivalent to an apprentice-level mount, which is typically unavailable until level 40. By providing this capability at level 1, Tauren players gain a significant mobility advantage in open-world zones like Mulgore. This allows for faster travel across large distances during the early leveling experience.
4Exploits in Battlegrounds
The speed boost created balance issues in Warsong Gulch, a capture-the-flag PvP mode. Players exploited the ability by building up maximum stacks during the battleground preparation phase. This allowed Tauren characters to sprint ahead of all other players immediately upon the gates opening, securing early flag captures with unfair speed advantages.
5Targeted Hotfix Implementation
Blizzard released a major hotfix to address these PvP imbalances. The update prevents Plainsrunning stacks from accumulating during the battleground preparation phase. Furthermore, the ability now removes all existing stacks upon picking up an enemy flag and prevents new stacks from being gained while the player is carrying the flag.
6Impact on PvP Gameplay
These changes make Tauren flag carriers easier to intercept by the opposing team. Previously, the combination of high speed and the durable nature of Tauren warriors or druids made them nearly impossible to stop. While they can still use the ability to reach enemy bases, the immediate speed advantage is removed.
7Broader Launch Updates
Beyond the Plainsrunning adjustments, the hotfix addressed other technical issues in WoW: Forever. The respawn timer for the NPC Deathstalker Erland was decreased to alleviate player congestion during escort quests. Additionally, supply vendors on Zephras Isle were updated to include tradeskill bags, improving resource accessibility for players in that specific starter zone.
8Stability and Future Outlook
Despite minor issues like broken zeppelins and boats, the launch of WoW: Forever is considered one of the smoothest in the series history. The development team continues to monitor gameplay balance and world interactions. Players should watch for further adjustments as the community explores these new mechanics in the evolving environment.