Patch 3 live on test realms

Mmo champion and wow insider are both reporting that patch 3.0.2 is now live on the test realms and that those realms are now open for character copy.

Mmo champion has posted the patch notes, although when I last checked Blizzard's own test realm patch notes page was still displaying 2.4.3. Is that me being dim? Probably.

This patch will deliver many of the changes we have been observing in the Wrath beta, including:

• New talent trees and 51-point talents
• The move from school-specific spell damage and healing to a unified spellpower stat
• The combination of spell and melee varieties of hit, crit and haste (these stats will now apply equally to spells and melee)
• Changes to spell pushback mechanics
• An achievement system
• The new profession, inscription, which will be available to 375
• And how could we forget barbershops?

What we also expect, though have no confirmation on, is changes to the spell hit mechanics. We think the hit cap will be been raised in this patch to 100%. Taken together with the nerf to shadow focus, we have some re-gemming to do.

Under known issues, the notes state:

• The current patch notes are incomplete, but will be progressively more comprehensive in each patch.
• All classes are currently undergoing a balancing pass of all talent trees.

Which probably explains why the listed priest changes are not quite what we might expect. Some talents are missing, some talents will be changed, and some talents are rather misleadingly described. Still, it's something to look forward to.