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16) You’ll be a tomb raider
Recurring NPC Harrison Jones may have some of the best lines in WoW, but he’s going to be joined by friends in Cataclysm. Everyone. That’s thanks to the new Archaeology skill. With it, you can find hidden artifacts, uncover tidbits of lore and enter phased events. Perhaps you’ll even see secret messages written on the eyelids of a cute girl in the third row.
17) Progress won’t stop at level 85
Linked to the Archaeology skill is a brand new way of leveling called Path of the Titans. There are six Paths to choose from, linked to each of the mythical Titans (the creators of Azeroth) and you earn new abilities in them by cashing in your archaeological finds. Joining the ‘Cult of Golganneth the Thunderer’, for instance, hardens you against physical damage – perfect for Player vs Player orientated players. Significantly, you’ll pick your path independently of your class and talent spec.
18) You’ll find even more glyphs
Path of the Titan talent trees will feature several choices at every tier, and the new abilities are added in the form of ancient glyphs, which sit on the same panel as your current glyphs. If you’re an inscriptor, it may be worth stocking up on materials right now.
19) A new way to use professions
Currently, all players can customise their gear with gems and enchants – an essential step for top-tier raiders. In Cataclysm, most of the professions will be able to tweak the stats on items. Tailors, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, jewelers and engineers will be able to alter weapons and armour by ‘reforging’ it. That means taking 50% of the bonus for one stat and replacing it with a brand new one.
20) It’s going to tell better stories
Blizzard’s phasing tech, which can show players in the same zone different terrain and NPCs depending on their progress through a quest chain, is going to be everywhere in Cataclysm. The new starting zones for Goblins and Worgen, for example, will change as you level towards the cataclysm event itself.
“Phasing is a powerful tool,” says Chilton, “but it can be disruptive to the player’s perception of the integrity of the world if we use it too much or in the wrong ways.” The narrative of Cataclysm is going to be even more heavily embedded in the quest chains than it was in Wrath of the Lich King.
“We don’t really approach any quest line or story with the idea that we need to use phasing here,” Chilton explains, “We approach it based off the needs of what it is that we’re trying to achieve. So if we’re talking about the Barrens, we’ll try to identify the most core thing to do with what’s going on with the story of the Barrens and we’ll try to focus more on those than we ever did before. And if in the process of doing that we have an idea that’s awesome and will be supported really well by phasing, then we decide whether or not to use it.”
21) The Cataclysm will be prophesied
Blizzard have made it clear there will be a large scale world event, like the pre-Lich King zombie invasion, that heralds the launch of the expansion. It could be happening already. Players have reported random earth tremors shaking their screens from all over Azeroth. It’s almost like there’s something ready to explode out of the ground.
22) Entire zones are being rebuilt – permanently
Deathwing’s emergence from the ground is the start of a new chapter in World of Warcraft’s development. It’s given the developers a chance to go back and assess what worked and what didn’t in the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. All of those zones will be touched by the cataclysm – and all players will see the effects. The effects will be permanent. Once the expansion launches, there’s no going back to classic WoW. New or returning players won’t have to buy the expansion to see the changes, either. They’ll be open to all, even if they just own the base game.
23) You’ll be flying
The most common complaint for WoW veterans? That the flying mounts available in Outland and Northrend aren’t available within the original world. That’s changing. The new Azeroth geography means it’s now suitable for flying mounts.
24) It’s the end of brown desolation
Desolace is WoW’s most boring zone. That’s changing. Desolace is getting a greenwash -its ancient bone-dry sands replaced with verdant jungle. Speculation abounds that the botanical miracle is something to do with executed leader of the Tauren, Cairn Bloodhoof, not being as dead as he seems.
25) It’s splitting Barrens chat
The most impressive change comes in the Barrens, the Horde starter zone. The new design gets rid of the large, sprawling areas and replaces it with two new, tightly packed zones. They’re split horizontally via a river of red lava.
26) Darkshore faces destruction?
Long, thin and eminently skippable, Darkshore will be pretty much eviscerated by the events of Cataclysm. It’s becoming a new front for Horde troops.
27) Thrall is off
Orc Warchief Thrall is leaving Orgrimmar to take up a meta-position as Guardian of Tirisfal. Unfortunately he’s left Overseer Garrosh Hellscream, leader of the Horde expedition in Northrend, in charge. Garrosh has never quite got the hang of the Alliance/Horde ceasefire. Lok’tar Ogar! And all that.
28) War is back
One of Hellscream’s first acts is to declare open war on the Alliance. “We’re setting up a change in the attitude of the Horde,” says Chilton, “They’ll become more reminiscent of the Horde of the past in terms of aggressiveness and attitude towards the world. This is the World of War... craft after all.”
29) Stormwind is rebuilt
Sadly there’s no convoluted storylines for the Alliance (yet): all we know for sure is that Stormwind is getting a werewolf quarter for the Worgen to live in. “There are a lot of changes going into the Eastern Kingdoms and the traditional Alliance zones and storylines,” says Chilton. “There are definitely changes that happen to the Alliance structure too, but I wouldn’t say they’re as dramatic as those on the Horde side.”
30) The Hordeis getting political
As well as setting his sights on the Alliance Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, et al, Hellscream is also stirring up trouble for his own side. He’ll execute Tauren leader Cairn Bloodhoof for treason, throw most of the Undead and Blood Elves out from Orgrimmar and then redecorate the city in tasteful black iron. Smell that? That’s an epic shitstorm approaching.
31) There’s a new emphasis on raiding
There’s a reason the new level cap is only five levels, rather than the usual expansion 10. It’s so that the designers could concentrate on getting more endgame content ready for the launch. There’ll be four new raid dungeons and eight heroics open from the start. Raiders: start gathering your consumables now.
32) Classic dungeons are back
New versions of Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep are being planned that will be playable by top level characters as heroics. These ancient dungeons are long forgotten classics – the Deadmines ends with players fighting atop an underground Galleon. It’s the Goonies!
33) Grim Batol is opening
There’s a stronghold in the East of the Wetlands behind the Dragonmaw gates that’s currently protected by level 60 elites. You can fight your way to the doors, but they won’t open. It’s in here, in Grim Batol, that Deathwing will set up his home in Cataclysm. The area will be transformed into a new zone, Twilight Highlands, with the keep locked off as the final raid encounter open at launch.
34) We’re going to Rapture
The first leveling area for level 80 characters will be the underwater area of the Sunken City of Vashj’ir. This naga city is the gateway to the Abyssal Maw dungeon as well as one other five-man. It wouldn’t be overly surprising if a later raid featuring Deathwing’s ally, naga Queen Azshara, is patched into Vashj’ir later.
35) You’ll fight in the mountains
Mount Hyjal often crops up in the mythos of Warcraft, and in Cataclysm it’ll be under attack by old foe Ragnaros. Like the City of Vashj’ir, Hyjal will be an early 80s zone for leveling. The early quests see you putting out the fires burning throughout the zone. Later, you’ll be reclaiming the top of the mountain.
