Blizzard's official 5.0.4 survival guide

If you've been worrying about patch 5.0.4 (and I hope you haven't) then take comfort, for Bashiok has brought us Blizzard's patch 5.0.4 survival guide. This very long and thorough post rounds up every single bit of information Blizzard has put online about what's coming in patch 5.0.4, including the following:

• BattleTag support -- now you can friend people cross-realm without using your account name, just like in Diablo III.

• Quality of life improvements such as AoE looting, account wide-mounts and pets and achievements, streamlining of cooking rewards, and the removal of the daily quest cap.

• Class changes.

• The new talent system.

• Glyphs.

• Currency conversions, stat changes, and the removal of head enchants.

• The Battle of Theramore and when it will begin on live servers.

So head on over to Blizzard's official site and read all about how patch 5.0.4 is going to change your World of Warcraft. Trust me, AoE looting is going to be sweet.

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!