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Patch 4.2 will introduce the Dungeon Journal (aka Encounter Journal). Essentially it is a feature to get information on the instance bosses - both for raids and dungeons. It is important to note that it is not a player guide that would give you hints and tricks on how to fight the boss, on how to avoid the fire or anything like that. It's a reference for the bosses. Players will be able to pull an encounter in the Encounter Journal and see a big 3D picture of his ingame model to the left that you could rotate around. And on the right you would have all his spells and abilities in little fly-outs that you can click and then read up on what the abilities do. For fights that have multiple phases those abilities can also be separated out into all the different phases. So the interface will actually break the abilities down into "phase 1" abilities, "phase 2" abilities and so forth. It does not tell you how to avoid it or how to deal with it. What it really does is helping out with tactics explanations.

Secondary to that the Encounter Journal provides a lists all of the loot directly within the game. So you will be able to click on a boss and see his entire loot list. You will also be able to click on a whole dungeon. And that loot can be sorted by normal mode, heroic mode, by your class and by your individual spec.

And all that works anywhere in the game. You could be standing in Stormwind and sort through loot or standing in Stormwind and looking at the abilities on the Iron Council raid fight. And everything in the encounter journal is hotlinkable into chat. So you'd be able to click on the name of a boss and link him right into chat. Someone else could click on that, which would open the encounter journal for that boss with his info. The same goes for abilities and loot.

FAQ

Coming in 4.2: the Dungeon Journal | 2011-05-02 20:58 |  Kaivax

With 4.2, we’re introducing the new World of Warcraft Dungeon Journal. The feature is currently deep in development, so while we don't have anything to show off just yet, we’ve put together a FAQ with a bit of information. Please enjoy!

Q: What is the Dungeon Journal?

A: The Dungeon Journal is a new piece of UI in World of Warcraft that players can use to find out more about specific dungeons, and the bosses within those dungeons, including what abilities they have and the rewards they offer.

Q: How will I access it?

A: While in a dungeon, hitting "M" (the default key for Map) will open the Dungeon Journal. A new button will also be available in the navigation tray. The Dungeon Journal can be accessed from anywhere - in a dungeon, in a raid, on a boat, etc.

Q: Will I have to experience a dungeon or encounter in order to see the associated Dungeon Journal content?

A: There won’t be any "gating" or limitations placed on what content a player can see in the Dungeon Journal. All boss/dungeon/raid information will be available to all players regardless of level, gear, or content experience.

Q: What will it show me?

A: The dungeon/raid map will display the locations of each boss in their respective locations, marked by unique icons.

Players can access boss information by clicking on boss icons on the map, or by clicking on the boss’ name in the associated tab of the dungeon/raid map page.

General loot information for the dungeon/raid can also be accessed from the dungeon/raid main page by clicking on the Loot tab. This will show all loot dropped - from bosses and trash - in the instance, of a certain quality.

Boss abilities will be available via the boss’ page, either by clicking on the map or by going through the Dungeon tab. The Dungeon tab on the boss’ page will list out all major spells, abilities, and phases for that fight.

Q: Are the descriptions going to be simplified or detailed?

A: Descriptions will be verbose and complete. Our goal is to give a lot of context to the abilities in terms of how they’ll play out; however, we will not be giving any strategy tips in the Dungeon Journal. For example, while the Dungeon Journal might say something like "This ability will cause all players in the affected area to take damage," it won’t say anything explicit like "All players except the tank should stand behind the boss during his Shield phase."

Q: Will this include adds?

A: Yes. If a boss has adds, like Ascendant Council or Erudaxx, their abilities will be listed, too.

Q: What bosses will be included in 4.2?

A: That's still being determined. We want to include as many as possible and add more as we go along. We'll provide additional information on availability as we progress through the Public Test Realm process.

We'll provide a more comprehensive look at the Dungeon Journal, including the interface and examples of the information it provides, as we move closer to the release of 4.2. Have fun storming the castle!

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