World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

[Grall]

About the ICC ending cinematic:

Spoiler

I watched the ending cinematic simply because I'm not into raiding and I most probably never will be either. Having seen it, I don't think we will be hearing of Bolvar slash the Lich King anymore - that is a closed chapter in the Warcraft saga. The impression I get, from watching the new Lich King sealing himself in ice and asking Fordragon to tell people he died, then banishing him from his domain tells me the new Lich King will be restraining the Scourge from now on, to stop their assault on the living.

 

[Grall]

According to Blizzard, the re-taking of Gnomeregan is "imminent" - and I assume as a function, the reclaiming of the Echo Isles as well, from the level 12 warlock NPC that's been occupying them for all this time... Apparantly, any player at least level 75 will be able to partake in the battle, which I assume will be along the lines of the assault on the Undercity during the Wrathgate questline - IE, you follow your faction leader and get insanely buffed by him, and lay waste to tons of badguys without needing any tank or healer or anything like that.

I suppose there will be another content patch first though - with preceeding test server action - because neither the current Gnomeregan instance, nor the tiny Echo Isles are suitable as starter areas for their respective races...

All of the class changes previews have also been posted up by Blizzard, and I assume those who are interested enough in WoW have at least peeked at them. My most important classes right now are druid and priest, and changes to both of those appear to be pretty decent I think. There's some stuff I didn't see, like no spammable arcane spell for when nature gets school-locked for the moonkin, but on the other hand we get some other stuff, like a silence effect and WILD MUSHROOM... Ell-oh-ell! I wonder if that spell really makes it into release, or if someone's gonna chicken out and say that name's just too suggestive, we can't have that!

Blizzard also stated in their recent twitter chat we'll be able to train another rank of riding to boost the flying speed of all flying mounts (and I assume, swift druid flight form) to 310%. Wonder if it will cost less than 10 grand? No, I guess it won't be overly expensive, since that would just encourage gold-buying...

They also said we'd probably be allowed to fly in the new old world right from the start of cataclysm, rather than having to wait several levels. I'm not sure if I want to do this. I might actually level just by using ground mounts for the first time, to better experience the new look of the zones...

Of course, I could simply start another character first thing when the expansion hit... Chances are I'll do just that actually, become one of roughly 2 million worgen running around their starter zone, making the servers crash...!

 

[green.pixel]

I'm wondering how do people find time to play WoW and have a decent life outside of it. I've played it for around 3 weeks and got bored and out of free time to continue playing.

 

[Jedi2016]

I'm wondering how do people find time to play WoW and have a decent life outside of it

Depends on how much time you put into it, really. I played for about an hour yesterday. Before that, it had been two weeks since I last played. I probably won't play today at all. *shrugs*

 

[Dresden]

I'm wondering how do people find time to play WoW and have a decent life outside of it. I've played it for around 3 weeks and got bored and out of free time to continue playing.

Wake up before your significant other and play.


At least, that's what I do.

It really depends on how much you want to invest in it. It's exactly like any other video game, there are those hopelessly addicted and there's more casual players. I bounce between the two, depending on what character I play. Right now I'm playing a Night Elf Warrior and having a blast. I also just bought that silly $25 Celestial Steed. So I want to hit 60 to take flight.

 

[Grall]

Please, let's have the "I don't understand why/how people play WoW" discussion somewhere else, this is about Cataclysm...

No threadjacking is allowed!

 

[Jedi2016]

I also just bought that silly $25 Celestial Steed.

/facepalm

lol, I'm kiddin'.. hehe

When I first saw that mount, I thought it was the coolest damn mount in the game. I still think it is. But the trick with a mount like that is to have something that's rare.. something you had to work for, like one of the 310 mounts. My shaman's got the white polar bear (somewhat rare), my rogue has the green proto-drake (somewhat rare) and the Horseman's mount (VERY rare). I'd ride the Horseman's mount everywhere if the damn thing weren't so buggy (works fine as a ground mount, but it pisses me off in flying zones). Hopefully the Celestial Steed is more consistent. I might pick it up eventually, but only after the initial "wow factor" has worn off so I won't be just one of the hundred people riding around Dalaran on one.

I can't wait to fly around classic Azeroth in Cataclysm, though.

 

[Malo]

Yeah come May if I manage to complete School of Hard Knocks (ergh pvp) I'll have the Violet Proto-drake.

 

[green.pixel]

Please, let's have the "I don't understand why/how people play WoW" discussion somewhere else,

I really didn't want to imply a generalization that all people who play WoW are no-lifers.


What I would like to see in the game, although it is impossible to see it implemented, is some kind of "free walk/roam" mode, just to admire a beautifully designed world.

 

[h0munkulus]

i guess i'm gonna pick up cataclysm.

played wow on and off since release. mainly starting to play again with addons and some big content patches just to quit again after a few weeks/months at maxlevel...

i always loved the "world experience" and development of a character. i am a firm believer that leveling and questing in the great world blizzard provided is actually the strongest part of wow and the main reason for its success (even though some people disagree).

i like almost every single change they have planned for cataclysm. even though i absolutely want to play pandaren i think worgen are a very interesting choice and i can imagine playing one from start to maxlevel.

but once again i miss one major change in maxlevel gameplay. as soon as you reach maxlevel your incentive to travel the beautiful world blizzard created drops to almost zero. you start to idle in a main hub (city) and teleport from instance to instance (pvp or pve). blizzard tried a few things to frequent the world. daily quests are one example but they are geared towards efficiency and profit. another is the wintergrasp zone introduced with wotlk. imho the biggest disappointment of all wotlk features...

i think wow at maxlevel just lacks point of interests in the open world. reasons to leave a city or an instance for a task that is not completely geared towards accomplishing something fast and efficient but to explore and experience something special. blizzards phasing technology seems like the perfect way to realize this technically. don't motivate people with highlevel items or gold but with more "personal" rewards (i would love more customization opportunity's for your character but i guess mounts and pets... maybe achievements would suffice additionally to the experience itself ).

maybe the archeology profession offers some opportunity's. finding some "major artifact" could trigger a local event. this could result in various real world events. combined with the phasing technology there are almost no limits.

has blizzard released any detailed information about archeology or any other features that might offer more incentive to roam the world after reaching maxlevel?

 

[cjo]

The celestial steed looks pretty cool, as is the 'lil' XT pet. Apparently 310% riding will scale across all mounts (like the celestial steed) in cataclysm; 310% Time Lost Proto Drake will definately be cool

Still undecided about Druids "losing" Tree Of Life form though.

 

[Grall]

What I would like to see in the game, although it is impossible to see it implemented, is some kind of "free walk/roam" mode, just to admire a beautifully designed world.

It's something I've wanted myself often, I'd settle for random monsters becoming neutral towards you when they stop yielding experience when killed. I've often questioned the logic of level 6 cutpurses and gnoll in Elwynn pursuing my level 80 druid with the intent to kill, hitting me once for 3 hitpoints or somesuch and then dying themselves due to my passive thorns spell reflecting back more damage than their entire health pool...

Pretty stupid overall, I have to say. Wonder though if Blizzard will ever get around to it though, I'm sure it's on their wishlist but probably a low priority. Right now when I feel like admiring the environs I get on my flying mount, but of course that currently only works on the new continents. That's thankfully soon to change.

I'm a little worried what the cataclysm will mean to Ashenvale, my perhaps favorite zone in the whole game. I know those facking greenskins will expand their logging operation, further raping the heartland of Night Elf civilization, I'm rather pissed Blizzard is doing that to my favorite WoW race. But they're dirty rotten orc lovers the lot of them, I probably shouldn't be surprised... *grumble grumble*

 

[Malo]

Well as most MMO's do it, the agro range is based on the level difference. So to anger those level 6 gnolls in the first place, you pretty much have to run over them, kick them in the nads and present their den mother's decapitated head for them to actually attack you.

 

[Kaotik]

I'm a little worried what the cataclysm will mean to Ashenvale, my perhaps favorite zone in the whole game. I know those facking greenskins will expand their logging operation, further raping the heartland of Night Elf civilization, I'm rather pissed Blizzard is doing that to my favorite WoW race. But they're dirty rotten orc lovers the lot of them, I probably shouldn't be surprised... *grumble grumble*

To be fair, Night Elves are probably the most notorious race from worlds point of view, having nearly destroyed it few times (high/blood elves, highborne etc were all night elves in the beginning)

 

[sonix666]

Yet another reason why Night Elves suck and deserve to be eradicated from the world...

...of warcraft.

 

[Grall]

Meh, the world survived regardless didn't it. A few little mistakes and people whinge about it forever, it happened ten thousand years ago alright?! Give it a rest already, sheesh...

(May I also point out that those orc animals actually succeeded in shattering their world, so there! )

 

[Kaotik]

Meh, the world survived regardless didn't it. A few little mistakes and people whinge about it forever, it happened ten thousand years ago alright?! Give it a rest already, sheesh...

(May I also point out that those orc animals actually succeeded in shattering their world, so there! )

Well, the first time NE's did it did split the world in two, which is quite close to "shattering" already

 

[Kaotik]

Not Cataclysm related, but anyway.

All our DPS DKs, Warriors and Paladins died a little bit inside today

 

[Dooby]

I was gonna reply, but I'm too angry to bother now....

(Fury Warrior)

 

[Grall]

Oooh, an easy 50 1/2 gold vendoring that thing! That's a free talent respec and some pocket change!