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[borghe]

The bigger problem is how much Outlands just fucking sucks. Less exp per quest, more exp needed per level, instances that don't have quest givers inside the instance, and generally worse quest-design, layout, and drop rates compared to the later Old World revised zones.

*shudder*.....

yes, BC is now officially the red-headed step child of WoW... it is just so..... bad. Previously it used to be "old world sucks. BC gets a little better. WotLK is bliss!". Now it's "old world is amazing. BC is awful. WotLK is REALLY nice. Old world 80-85 is OMFG." and the worst part is you HAVE TO go through BC. There's simply no way to avoid it.

Guess it just shows you how far blizz have come. To have an xpac go from pretty universally hailed upon release to so bad compared to the rest of the game it's just a chore to go through.

edit - as far as what they're going to do... my guess is redo specific areas of WotLK and BC for Cat end game content. They can then kill two birds with one stone. fix some of the obvious timeline problems now introduced with cat's old world, and give BC and WotLK areas a bit of an update to bring them in line with the current game.

 

[Ramirez]

Hey, can you start Cata quests at 78 or do you have to be 80? Please be the former, I really don't feel like doing all of this NR stuff again.

 

[Tamanon]

Man, I remember when BC came out and Bombing Runs were hailed as ingenuity.:lol

 

[SilverLunar]

http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/want-to-preload-cataclysm-without-pre-ordering-heres-how/

i am doing it now, it works, thanks!

 

[dave is ok]

It's just going to be so damn awkward going to Northrend on that boat without any explanation as to why you are suddenly in the past. It would be a lot of work to merge the timelines, especially for Lich King which is not that old, but given how hardcore the new questing is about putting the player in a new timeline it's a real bummer.

The best part is that the new Northrend loading screen spoils the entire zone/expac anyway :lol

 

[Tamanon]

Hey, can you start Cata quests at 78 or do you have to be 80? Please be the former, I really don't feel like doing all of this NR stuff again.

80 only. It's not like Northrend or Outland. Luckily Northrend is 20% faster now. So theoretically Sholazar should max you out.

I'm stoked to start my Worgen Druid and starting my Dwarven Warrior tonight!

 

[markot]

Man, I remember when BC came out and Bombing Runs were hailed as ingenuity.:lol

Well, it was compared to everything in vanilla >.<

 

[JWong]

Man, I remember when BC came out and Bombing Runs were hailed as ingenuity.:lol

They're still fun. 8D

 

[borghe]

Man, I remember when BC came out and Bombing Runs were hailed as ingenuity.:lol

the bombing runs are fine. actually similar upgrades are precisely why the old world rocks so much right now. the problems are that improvements you saw in LK that were further built upon for the current old world are not present in BC. Like others have said.. zone design and movement from zone to zone for leveling. Quest flow and travel (although getting flight right away in BC helps), having to run all over creation for instance quests. outleveling zone content with only a couple of runs through a level appropriate instance. etc.

for comparison, I'm pretty sure my time in BC lasted longer than my time from 70-80 most recently. or at least it felt that way.

 

[Bisnic]

The best part is that the new Northrend loading screen spoils the entire zone/expac anyway :lol

Newcomers will all be like "WTF? Why is the Lich king on fire? What happened to his armor? He looked fine during all those quests/dungeons where i saw him?! WHATS GOING OOOON"

 

[ultron87]

The best part is that the new Northrend loading screen spoils the entire zone/expac anyway :lol

It's not like anyone who starts Northrend for the first time now is going to be whipping a raid group together to hit ICC anyway.

 

[civilstrife]

They should allow you to roll a lvl 70 toon ala death knight. No need for a new class, just restrict it to players with a lvl 85 character.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

They should allow you to roll a lvl 70 toon ala death knight. No need for a new class, just restrict it to players with a lvl 85 character.

Maybe in the future but they put a lot of effort into making 1-60 appealing.

 

[Yasser]

amazon should deliver my copy tomorrow but i can't play till the 17th >< btw is there an eu server that gaffers play on? i quit almost a year ago and don't really know anyone on my server at this point bar like 3 players

 

[Yaweee]

They should allow you to roll a lvl 70 toon ala death knight. No need for a new class, just restrict it to players with a lvl 85 character.

Psshhh, I want to start a Death Knight from level 1.

 

[Kai Dracon]

They should allow you to roll a lvl 70 toon ala death knight. No need for a new class, just restrict it to players with a lvl 85 character.

1-60 is damn fun now and a very fresh experience.

 

[Tamanon]

Psshhh, I want to start a Death Knight from level 1.

Yeah, I actually would love to level a DK from level 1, or to have that option.

 

[notworksafe]

Psshhh, I want to start a Death Knight from level 1.

Same here.

 

[Bisnic]

Yeah, as of right now, a DK is the worst option to make for a new class since they put you right into boring outdated Outlands after you're done with their starting zone. :lol

 

[Sethos]

Spending the last few hours before Cata launch well ... Getting Vanilla raid achievements.

 

[J-Rzez]

I went to a TBC midnight launch and it was creepy. It was embarrassing to be there. I never did another.

Also, Amazon, despite not switching it over to release date shipping, is getting my GF's CE to us tomorrow. So she won't have to use mine.

Yeah, that's not a bad route. My GS is in a strip mall so since it's snowing and freezing out here today, I'll probably just show up at 11:45 and mingle until I get into the store. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of normal people there too, but the weirdos that come out like locusts every few years take the cake. I'll probably miss out on most of the fun this year not hanging out there for 2-3 hours prior to sale like I have in the past, but oh well.

And actually, there might not be as many people showing up because how Blizzard screwed the East Coast this time now that I think about it. Oh well, I'll make sure my cellphone's charged up for pics and vids if need be like I have in years past.

I'm sure they say the same about you.

Zelthros? That you?

 

[LaserBuddha]

This whole "prestige class" thing with DK's was really a weird idea. If you could level a Warrior or Pally to 58, then change classes to DK, then it would make a lot of sense. What's the point behind it if it's pretty much the same as rolling any other character? Getting another character to 80 first isn't really much of an accomplishment to tie this to.

Prestige classes need to be an optional offshoot of a standard class, a road you can choose to go down and abandon the vanilla class forever. Either that or just make it a new, normal class and be done with it.

Prestige classes don't even need to have their own entire niche imo, which is what has kept Blizzard from doing more. I wouldn't mind them being a lot like a current class with just a different flavor and slightly different playstyle, like Rogues and Monks or something. Having some functional redundancy won't really hurt anyone. WoW is already full of that anyway, why not give players a little more nuance in their choices? It would probably be easier to handle the huge task of balancing a new class if they are heavily based on another's core concept.

 

[GDJustin]

The timeline talk in this topic is the big problem I have with Cataclysm.

Before, it was understood that as you traveled through the expansions, you were traveling through time. Things got a little hairy, with characters being in more than one place at once, but for the most part it all made sense. When you re-rolled a character, it was like starting an RPG over again.

But now... everything is jacked up. Azeroth is what is happening "now," Burning Crusade is what happened ~3 years ago, and LK is what happened ~1 year ago. You're in the current, then you go back in time, then you come BACK to the current for 80-85.

Even this wouldn't be *that* big of a deal, except that the creators have largely written themselves into a corner. It already doesn't make sense that Northrend is largely untouched by Deathwing, but players can overlook it. But as more and more expansions come out, this timeline moving is going to become a bigger and bigger problem. What happens if they want to again move the timeline forward in another 5 years or in another 3 expacs? Do they then update ALL zones from all expacs (a task too big even for Blizz), or do they further splinter and fuck up the WoW timeline?

Blizz essentially traded a smaller problem for a much bigger one down the road. YES it kind of sucks that the Defiace were still mucking around outside Stormwind. Yes it kind of sucked that the Gnomes would never take back their city. But now, by updating things, they've put themselves in a position where THIS is now the static WoW timeline forever. How could they update it again?

 

[C.Dark.DN]

I initially pictured each class being able to become a separate hero class. But that causes problems 1- Would the hero version be superior? 2- playing a character for 60 levels then becoming something different is jarring 3- they would have had to balance 18 classes essentially.

 

[itxaka]

amazon should deliver my copy tomorrow but i can't play till the 17th >< btw is there an eu server that gaffers play on? i quit almost a year ago and don't really know anyone on my server at this point bar like 3 players

Interested in this as well. I hate spanish players (12 years old screaming bitches)

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Now that you're ~83% locked into one tree..maybe a 4th hero tree is what I would have liked to see. In addition to new classes every other expansion.

 

[Twig]

I initially pictured each class being able to become a separate hero class. But that causes problems 1- Would the hero version be superior? 2- playing a character for 60 levels then becoming something different is jarring 3- they would have had to balance 18 classes essentially.

That was their original plan, but then they scrapped it for what we have now. Which I kind of like, but kind of don't like. I like it because death knight is such a cool concept. I don't like it because I want more character customization. Unfortunately, the latter is much more difficult to balance, so it's probably a good thing they went the route they did. I mean, imagine if Death Knight was something that you became after finishing a huge quest line, at the end of which you "died" and THEN went to the DK starting zone. So you're part druid part death knight. Oh man, that would be nuts. U: (That is not how they picture it as far as I understand, but that IS something I just made up in my head!)

My imagination ran wild for a moment there, sorry.

Also, I want a goddamn Brewmaster class. ;_;

Also, here is me playing WoW with n0b, a guy who has never played the game before a week ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekxUqFDJmBc

This is how the pros do it.

 

[En-ou]

listen to this: shattered vale
i was lvling a mage last night in darkshore...when the troll quests culminate it has you entering shattered vale going uphill, you see the sentinels fighting the trolls and this bad ass piece is playing...just a wicked experience!

 

[AceBandage]

Now that you're ~83% locked into one tree..maybe a 4th hero tree is what I would have liked to see. In addition to new classes every other expansion.

Outside of making your char into a Hero Class (which obviously is not happening), I don't see what a 4th tree would do.

listen to this: shattered vale
i was lvling a mage last night in darkshore...when the troll quests culminate it has you entering shattered vale going uphill, you see the sentinels fighting the trolls and this bad ass piece is playing...just a wicked experience!

Yeah, the music this expansion is awesome. There's this nice jazz tune that plays in parts of Org that I could listen to forever. I'm gonna need to borrow the OST from my friend who's getting the CE.

 

[borghe]

Blizz essentially traded a smaller problem for a much bigger one down the road. YES it kind of sucks that the Defiace were still mucking around outside Stormwind. Yes it kind of sucked that the Gnomes would never take back their city. But now, by updating things, they've put themselves in a position where THIS is now the static WoW timeline forever. How could they update it again?

I sort of disagree. They can "fix it" by releasing free DLC as northrend and BC updates. (I say DLC, but I'm talking about the actual major patch versions.. so 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc). Go through BC especially and trim the fat and reconfigure that trimmed fat for 85 end game content.

 

[markot]

The music in wow is awesome, especially the new stuff.

Id say wow has some of the best music and art direction ever in a game >.<

 

[Freakinchair]

listen to this: shattered vale
i was lvling a mage last night in darkshore...when the troll quests culminate it has you entering shattered vale going uphill, you see the sentinels fighting the trolls and this bad ass piece is playing...just a wicked experience!

All the new music is fantastic! I cannot wait to hear and experience all of the new stuff in the new zones. Tonight is gonna be magical.

 

[En-ou]

Can't wait to see all the weirdos in line tonight. I do confess it's a guilty pleasure of mine to smile at having people walk up to me and to introduce themselves as "I'm Zelthros, Human Warlock, 2nd in command of 'The Righteous Hand' guild". I never-ever see these people anywhere else around here out and about, they just come out of the woodwork every 2 or so years for these launches.

uh..they may be weirdos by your standards but you're a dumbass by nature it seems...:lol :lol

The music in wow is awesome, especially the new stuff.

Id say wow has some of the best music and art direction ever in a game >.<

i'd say you're right

 

[C.Dark.DN]

That was their original plan, but then they scrapped it for what we have now. Which I kind of like, but kind of don't like. I like it because death knight is such a cool concept. I don't like it because I want more character customization. Unfortunately, the latter is much more difficult to balance, so it's probably a good thing they went the route they did. I mean, imagine if Death Knight was something that you became after finishing a huge quest line, at the end of which you "died" and THEN went to the DK starting zone. So you're part druid part death knight. Oh man, that would be nuts. U: (That is not how they picture it as far as I understand, but that IS something I just made up in my head!)

My imagination ran wild for a moment there, sorry.

Also, I want a goddamn Brewmaster class. ;_;

Also, here is me playing WoW with n0b, a guy who has never played the game before a week ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekxUqFDJmBc

This is how the pros do it.

If that was their original plan I guess that's what I have floating in the back of my mind.

Haha, the trolls look hilarious.

Outside of making your char into a Hero Class (which obviously is not happening), I don't see what a 4th tree would do.

Making your class into a hero class is vague. It could be something with three separate trees, essentially a new class, or just a unlockable tree, an expanded class. The 4th tree idea is better imagined after the shattering's method of locking you into 1 tree opposed to their old mix and match tree design.

 

[dollartaco]

uh..they may be weirdos by your standards but you're a dumbass by nature it seems...:lol :lol

No, he's right. They are nuts.

 

[AceBandage]

When my friend and I went to the midnight launch of SC2, we were the only two people without some kind of video game related clothing on and that seemed to bathe regularly.
Though, to be fair, my friend does have a Sen'jin Headhunters shirt that he wears from time to time...

 

[GDJustin]

I sort of disagree. They can "fix it" by releasing free DLC as northrend and BC updates. (I say DLC, but I'm talking about the actual major patch versions.. so 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc). Go through BC especially and trim the fat and reconfigure that trimmed fat for 85 end game content.

But eventually there is going to be a 4th expac, and a 5th. Updating the timeline in a still-running RPG gets less and less fesible with every batch of content that is released. It isn't sustainable.

 

[LaserBuddha]

uh..they may be weirdos by your standards but you're a dumbass by nature it seems...:lol :lol

Nah, they're just weirdos. Hit too close to home or something?

 

[C.Dark.DN]

30 minutes ago...

Launch Reminders
http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/140486/cataclysm-launch-reminders

We're just a few hours away from the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and we know many of you still have a few lingering questions on your mind. To help quell those last-minute inquiries and get you completely amped for tonight's launch, we've prepared a quick FAQ that delves into topics like the official launch time of Cataclysm, whether or not there will be any downtime, and what content you'll receive by upgrading.

Take a look!

Q. When will World of Warcraft: Cataclysm officially launch?
A. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be released on all North American realms on December 7 at 12:00 a.m. PST (Pacific Standard Time). At that time, those who have installed and upgraded to Cataclysm will be able to access the new expansion content.


Q. Will there be any type of maintenance or downtime tonight?
A. We currently have no maintenance or downtime scheduled for the launch of Cataclysm. This may change depending on how smoothly the launch goes, and we'll be sure to keep you updated should anything change.


Q. So, I won't need to patch or anything?
A. Nope. Once you’ve installed the expansion from the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm DVD or completed the background download (available through the digital pre-purchase: http://us.battle.net/en/info/presale), you're good to go. No additional patching should be necessary.


Q. If I've already installed World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and upgraded my account, will I need to do anything special at midnight in order to access the new expansion content
A. Once Cataclysm is marked live on all realms, simply exit out to the login screen (the one featuring Deathwing's toothy grin) and log back in. This will provide you full access to the new content -- including the goblin and worgen races and level 80-85 zones.

If you're concerned that you won't know when to re-log, we've got you covered. After Cataclysm is marked live, if you're still logged in and are playing from an upgraded client, you'll be prompted with official in-game messaging that will instruct you to log out and then log back in.


Q. Where do I need to go to access the new level 80-82 zones (Hyjal and Vashj'ir)?
A. Portals to each of these embattled zones have been established in Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Report to your respective faction capitols for transportation assistance.


Q. Will I be able to Race Change or Faction Change one of my characters to a goblin or worgen right away?
A. Yes, you will be able to change your characters' race to goblin or worgen by purchasing a Race Change or Faction Change immediately after Cataclysm is released.


Q. So, what exactly do I receive by upgrading to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
A. If you upgrade to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, you will be provided access to the following:

Increased level cap (85)

Increased profession cap (525)

New races: worgen and goblin

New secondary profession: Archaeology

New level 80-85 content:

Five new zones: Hyjal, Vashj'ir, Uldum, Deepholm, and Twilight Highlands

Seven new dungeons: Blackrock Caverns, Grim Batol, Halls of Origination, Lost City of the Tol'vir, The Stonecore, Throne of the Tides, The Vortex Pinnacle, as well as Heroic versions of The Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep

Four new raids: Baradin Hold, Bastion of Twilight, Blackwing Descent, and the Throne of the Four Winds

Three new Battlegrounds: Battle for Gilneas, Twin Peaks, and Tol'Barad (open world PvP similar to Wintergrasp)


Rated Battlegrounds

Flight Master's License (flying in Azeroth)


Guild leveling and guild reputation will also be available, but you can still benefit from these systems without upgrading to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.


Q. Are there any official midnight launch events planned?
A. Absolutely! We've several launch events scheduled across the globe. Check out our official launch event page on Blizzard.com, as well as our recent announcement regarding participating retailers, for all the juicy details.

Launch events page: http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/events/cataclysm-midnight-openings.html#summary

Cataclysm Midnight Launch Event Tonight: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/1339120#blog

If we pay for a race change now, can we change to Goblins at midnight?

To our current knowledge, yes. If you purchase a Race Change now and wait to click on the button until after Cataclysm is released, you should be able to select goblin -- this is provided that your account is upgraded appropriately, of course, and that your character's class is available to the goblin race.

 

[V_Arnold]

To each of his own, I guess. I did not really care which "timeline" I was in. Illidan and Kael'Thas were the enemy in BC. Lich King in WOTLK. And a lot of "zone bosses" and stuff in the Vanilla. I like WoW lore, hell, I LOVE it, and I love reading quests. But never had the "omg, my glass is shattered now" effect from knowing if one zone takes place after another or not. Does not matter to me.

It is unrealistic to demand Blizzard a sudden turn of realism, now TOTALLY changing the face of quests once raid bosses have been defeated, or new expansions released. It is just not a realistic demand, imho. I do not care.

// EDIT: Well, I care in the sense that it is UNBELIAVABLE and FANTASTIC what they have done with Cataclysm. Changing the status que. But I just do not expect them to repeat it anytime soon with BC/WOTLK. Wotlk is perfect as it is. Too bad people will never fully enjoy that with its raid anymore.

 

[vexvegaz]

quick questions guys, does the cataclysm or any other WoW add-on include a month or more subscription?

Thanks

 

[AceBandage]

quick questions guys, does the cataclysm or any other WoW add-on include a month or more subscription?

Thanks

None of the expansions do.
Just the original game.

 

[itxaka]

One question, will my xp+10% cape and chest piece will still work after cata? I read something about them but I have been on a blackout for the last month or so.

They took me a long time to get >:-(

 

[JWong]

One question, will my xp+10% cape and chest piece will still work after cata? I read something about them but I have been on a blackout for the last month or so.

They took me a long time to get >:-(

In a way, I actually don't want the extra exp pre-80. I miss out on a lot of content because of it.

Maybe if they don't work, you might feel the same way.

 

[KibblesBits]

When you scroll to the bottom of C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Logs\launcher.log do you see anything that says "Time-out while loading patch notes from 'http://launcher.worldofwarcraft.com/2.0/CT/patch-notes.xml?version=4.0.3.13329&locale=en-US'"? Copy and paste the url.

You have to be a GM to know this. :lol

12/4/10(reinstall date)
20:37:09.0987 Time-out while loading patch notes from 'http://launcher.worldofwarcraft.com/2.0/CT/patch-notes.xml?version=4.0.0.12911&locale=en-US&type=CL'

12/6/10(current)
04:20:26.3581 Time-out while loading patch notes from 'http://launcher.worldofwarcraft.com/2.0/CT/patch-notes.xml?version=4.0.3.13329&locale=en-US&type=LK'

 

[Twig]

Haha, the trolls look hilarious.

They really do. I'd never played a troll before a few weeks ago (made a druid, like everyone, but fuck if I care - it's my fourth (combo of selling one account and switching servers))!

We can never get anyone in Orgrimmar to waterwobble with us, though. ):

 

[itxaka]

In a way, I actually don't want the extra exp pre-80. I miss out on a lot of content because of it.

Maybe if they don't work, you might feel the same way.

I know I know. I guess that with the new 1-60 level process it will be less tedious but they cost me so much to get for my alts (I am a casual player so I get things sloooow )

 

[notworksafe]

One question, will my xp+10% cape and chest piece will still work after cata? I read something about them but I have been on a blackout for the last month or so.

They took me a long time to get >:-(

Cape? I believe the cape and helm items haven't even been put out yet! (actually they have, but require guild level 10 or 20)

I'll assume you meant shoulders and chest. And yes, they will work from levels 1-80. Not past that. The soon to be added cape and helm heirlooms will work 1-85.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

The music in wow is awesome, especially the new stuff.

Id say wow has some of the best music and art direction ever in a game >.<

I hadn't touched WoW until the sale last month and I had no idea how fucking good the music was. I love Blizzard games and their music is always excellent, but WoW's OST is massive, varied, and superbly composed. I've barely touched most of the game world and there are already so many memorable themes.

Are the soundtracks available on iTunes?

 

[notworksafe]

Yep! Just search on iTunes for World of Warcraft.

Or click this (opens iTunes) http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=289744203&id=1