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Cataclysm Beta: Worgen Running Wild animation
The latest build of the Cataclysm beta has finally added the animation for the worgen racial ability Running Wild, the mount replacement skill that lets them drop to all fours and run at increased speed. You can see it in the video above. Note that beta servers are still down, so we can't get a good video of it in the wild quite yet. So far, I'm impressed -- can you imagine 20 or 30 of these guys running at you in a battleground? World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
Know Your Lore: The Tinfoil Hat worgen edition
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. While we certainly have heard quite a lot about the worgen lately, one thing we haven't really outlined in any detail is who and what they were and are, especially in light of the new revelations about them in the Gilneas starting zone. Our 2009 post was working with the information we had at that time. Since then, there's been a lot more revealed in the beta, and it's time to take a look at what we've discovered. Note: there will be so many spoilers for Cataclysm starting as soon as this sentence ends that you could eat them with a fork. If you're not familiar with the Tinfoil Hat concept (as created by our own Anne Stickney), this week's KYL is going to take in-game lore as it currently exists and then jump around with it, making unfounded leaps of speculation as to what it might all mean. First off, let's cover what we have found to not be entirely true: The worgen do not come from another world or dimension -- at least not originally.
Deathwing is coming
Deathwing will soon be here, attacking from above, bringing down terror and death onto the unsuspecting citizens of Azeroth. At random, Deathwing will attack an entire zone and kill everything -- players, NPCs, mobs, creatures and critters. For your death, you get the feat of strength Stands in Fire. We don't know when exactly this will become active on the live realms; however, we are able to confirm it's active on the beta realms. The full blue announcement as follows: Zarhym One of Azeroth's oldest adversaries will soon tear through the Elemental Plane to reforge the world in flame, but this foe won't be conducting his reign of terror from the confines of a castle or lair. Deathwing is a destructive force the likes of which adventurers have yet to see in World of Warcraft, and his appetite for devastation can only be satisfied by the shattering of the world. Following his explosive escape from Deepholm, Deathwing will cast a deadly shadow over the people of Azeroth as he wreaks indiscriminate havoc across the land. Once free to terrorize the world, Deathwing will randomly choose territories in Azeroth to attack each day until his ruinous reign is brought to an end. A blackened sky will be the only warning before every living creature caught in his approach is consumed by his terrible fire. The unfortunate victims of his malice will receive a rare Feat of Strength... as well as a repair bill and corpse run. When Deathwing returns, you'd best keep your eyes on the skies. source
Lichborne: Patch 4.0.1 death knight mailbag
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. Since we're all winding down from BlizzCon, I figured this week would be a good time to sit back, take it a little easier and just sort out some questions I've been seeing about some the subtle nuances of the new milieu bought to use by patch 4.0.1. So today, I'll be answering various comments and questions sent via email and the comments of the last few Lichborne columns. Let's get to it.
Cataclysm to include outdoor heroic 5-man bosses
In vanilla and BC, there were world bosses like Azuregos and Doomwalker that spawned out in the open world and could be taken down by a raid. While these bosses were often farmed by the highest progression guilds on the servers, they were often so quickly killed and so long in respawning that not many players got to see them. Now, in Cataclysm, a new take on this idea is being implemented. Valnoth - Re: Thank you for the outdoor raid bosses Q u o t e: No, I'm not being sarcastic. I am genuinely happy that they have been brought back in Cataclysm since they really do play a part in developing a server's community, especially when there is more than one guild that's capable of putting out enough people to down them. And going by the health of the current ones, they seem to be balanced towards a 10-man raid which means a lot of people will be able to actually have a shot at getting them. Here's to some competition and some good-natured trash-talking between guilds come Cataclysm. \o/ There are a COUPLE of these bosses in Cataclysm, but they're not true outdoor raid bosses. They're just much harder group bosses that drop heroic dungeon level items and specialty items. Have fun! source Valnoth later responds to a player's concerns that these bosses will definitely be doable by a five-player group and are not intended as true raid bosses. Frankly, while I loved farming Azuregos, the Dragons of Nightmare and Kazzak back in the day, it was really a drag trying to do them with smaller-than-optimal raid groups in order to beat other guilds. There was a lot of griefing, and the spawn rates were terrible. Hopefully, with their being made heroic 5-man quality, they'll be able to spawn more often and more people will have a shot at them. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
Cataclysm raid progression update
Valnoth comes to the rescue of a forum poster wanting clarification on the intended progression path for Cataclysm instances and raids. Since we figure this is information that will interest a few of our players, here it is in pog form! (Note, it's not actually in pog form.) Valnoth - Re: Can we get some info on Cata-Progression Q u o t e: So with raid testing in full swing, i think it's a good time to ask what the planned progression path will be concerning raids. Will we be allowed to directly do heroic-modes or are we forced to do normal first? Will there be any kind of gating? Any Info on Sinestra? Try-limited? Time limited? Not limited, just hard? Also, will there be heroic-mode testing in Beta? Below is the basic progression map. Obviously your mileage may vary, i.e. If you're Paragon or Premonition you will be able to skip some of the below and/or mix and match at your discretion. *Normal Dungeons/Crafting/Questing to get full set of 85 blues (non-heroic) to do Heroic dungeons. *Heroic dungeons to get full set of 85 Heroic blues to do Normal mode raids. *Normal raids to get full set of 85 epics (non-heroic) to do Heroic mode raids. *Heroic Raids to get full set of 85 Heroic epics, which will presumably help a bit on Sinestra and the next tier (when released with patch 4.1.0) *Badge vendors to help fill in gaps at all tier levels. *No real gating to speak of for ship. *Sinestra opens after Cho'gall is defeated on HEROIC mode. No timers or attempt limits, but she will pound you relentlessly. She has better than Heroic epic level gear (half a tier better). source
BlizzCon 2010: Quests and lore panel highlights
The Quests and Lore panel at BlizzCon 2010 answered some old questions, raised a few new ones and featured some information with heavy implications as to what we may see in future Cataclysm content. The panel, hosted by Alex Afrasiabi and Chris Metzen, was a flat-out Q&A geekfest in which the hosts answered as many questions from the audience as possible in the hour they were given to do so. Check out our liveblog for the full coverage of questions asked and answered, and read on for some of the most surprising moments from the panel. Please note: The rest of this article contains heavy Cataclysm spoilers. If you wish to avoid any content reveals, veer away now!
Know Your Lore: Cairne Bloodhoof
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. All hail the father of the tauren nation: Cairne of the Bloodhoof, who brought his people from The Barrens to Mulgore, whose alliance with the young orc shaman Thrall led his people into the Horde, wise guide and visionary who saw the way for his people to live free of constant war with the centaur. Powerful in war, wise in his restraint, at one with the spirits of the land and the ancestors of the shu'halo. Beloved chieftain. Today, one of your many sons and daughters salutes you. We have indeed spoken of you before. But it moots us to revisit you, brave and wizened as you are, for the future comes and those of us who have seen it already know what mourning is. Great have you been in war and in peace. Were it not for you, we would never have found our home in Thunder Bluff, would never have joined the Horde, would never have fought beside the mortal races against Archimonde and his defiling army of demons. When we were on the edge of destruction, and the centaurs hurled waves of bodies against us, you fought for us. Brave one, we will always remember you, first among us, best among us. Ish-ne-alo por-ah -- may the Earthmother smile upon you. Let us tell tales of the life of Cairne.
BlizzCon 2010: Warcraft cinematics panel
CATACLYSM WARNING: There are spoilers here. The BlizzCon 2010 Warcraft cinematic panel took place Sunday morning and featured the answers to some of the most common questions about Cataclysm cinematics. Of course, you might have seen the big news about the amazing worgen cinematic. This video is intended to take place in the in-character timeline right as you learn your character's fate in Gilneas. It provides you vital information about how your character was captured after joining the furry crowd and how it came to be in stocks in the middle of the town square. The cinematic is fantastic. It's leagues different from the goblin cinematic. The goblin story is fast-paced and action-packed. The worgen story, by comparison, is moody and dark. It highlights the humanity of the worgen and sets the genre away from simple, raw adventure into something deeper and meaningful.
BlizzCon 2010: Cataclysm login screen
The new Cataclysm login screen has been unveiled this weekend during BlizzCon 2010. Our hopes and prayers for a login screen without a screaming, ear-shattering dragon were all for naught. Deathwing is certainly much cooler than Sindragosa, so I'm sure we can live with it ... for a few weeks. After that, my mute button and I will be becoming close friends again.
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Arms DPS is back in 4.0.1
Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host. Hello, suddenly viable PvE DPS spec! I remember you! You were notable from such raids as Molten Core, Blackwing Lair, AQ and Naxx 40. Also, I recall your performances in Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, Magtheridon, Tempest Keep, SSC, ZA, Black Temple and even the Sunwell. Arms was up and down throughout the life cycle of Wrath of the Lich King. Decent in Naxx and competitive in Ulduar, it really fell by the wayside again once fury got access to i245 and better gear. And when patch 4.0.1 launched, it wasn't kind of any warrior DPS spec. But when last week's rebalancing came down the pike, I decided to finally get serious about my arms warrior alt and see what kind of damage he could actually do in PvE, as well as taking him for a ride in PvP. Frankly, not only am I having fun, I'm actually doing surprisingly solid damage.
BlizzCon 2010: Cataclysm will be available for digital download on launch day
Straight from the Mike Morhaime's mouth during opening ceremonies -- Cataclysm will be available for digital download at midnight Pacific Standard Time of December 7, 2010. For the first time in the game's history, the game will be available for purchase online at the same time as it launches in retail stores. Pre-orders for Cataclysm digital downloads will be available on the Blizzard site soon. Players eager to play the game right away but don't have the endurance (or geographical proximity) to attend a midnight launch can simply sit in the comfort of their homes and enter a broken Azeroth as the game goes live on launch day. CLARIFICATION: Morhaime mentioned that the game should be available for digital download ahead of the launch date, allowing players to have the full game when Cataclysm goes live.
Cataclysm: Class-specific quests removed
Sit a spell, sonnies and lassies. In my day, we didn't have your fancy dungeon finders and PvP leveling. We had quests! And we did 'em. Class-specific ones. I had to run around Stranglethorn Vale collecting tusks from trolls! Both ways! You whippersnappers won't be able to do that in Cataclysm, no sir. Now that I've fulfilled my duties as Official Site Curmudgeon, as it were, we'll get down to brass tacks. Many class-specific quests are being changed or removed entirely. We'll let Nethaera fill you in on the details. Nethaera - Class Specific Quest Removal Azeroth is on the eve of a dramatic transformation, and as World of Warcraft changes, sometimes the old must go to make way for the new. Since the world elements that support them will be gone, many aging quests will exist only in the mists of the past. In particular, there's been some confusion regarding lower-level class specific quests that can no longer be completed. Never fear: class mounts and abilities remain available via class trainers, even though the quests associated with them are no longer available. Also, there are several low and mid-level weapons, trinkets and robes that were once awarded via class specific quests which are no longer available and their associated quests have been removed. We are looking forward to offering new quests, quest lines and rewards as players level through World of Warcraft: Cataclysm instead. For example, we plan a level 20 dungeon based quest which will offer weapon rewards appropriate to all classes. There will also be a similar level 50 dungeon quest which has a headpiece reward. source Alas, my worgen warrior won't be able to carry a Whirlwind Axe with pride. Blood elf paladins will still be able to get their tabards via a level 50 quest, and hunters working on Rhok'delar will be able to complete that quest at level 60 by running Blackwing Lair, as Nefarian will now drop the Mature Black Dragon Sinew. Otherwise, all the old class-specific quests are gone and new ones are coming in for levels 20 and 50. No word yet on if you can make an old-school Quel'Serrar in BWL as well, or if you still need to kill a level 80 Onyxia for a level 60 epic sword. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
Class balance from 1 to 80 getting developer attention
If you've played World of Warcraft for any length of time, you've probably heard the refrain that game balance is most important at endgame. Whatever endgame happens to be at that time (level 60, originally; level 85 in Cataclysm), the idea is that a little weirdness in talents, abilities, survivability or damage output as you level up isn't as important as making sure things are working properly at maximum level. While it may still be true, recent forum posts indicate that the leveling game and even the current, soon-to-be-moribund maximum level of 80 are seeing more balancing passes now than one might expect. Ghostcrawler - Re: Question about design priority We are going to spend some effort adjusting numbers for 1-80. It's not as big a priority as 85 because frankly, more players care about balance at 85 than they do lower level balance. As some folks have pointed out, inexperienced players almost by definition, don't place a premium on balance, and experienced players tend to not worry about balance much until they're at max level since things are changing so quickly. Rather than adjusting everything independently, we tend to focus on max level and then work backwards from there. It doesn't help to nerf say rogue damage by 5% from level 1-60 if we then find we also need to nerf it at level 85 and then buff the 1-60 numbers to compensate. There is some goofy stuff going on at lower level, but we'll get it all straightened out. After spending so much effort revamping the old zones and quests, we don't want the leveling experience to be an odd one. source I wouldn't call it a change of direction, as Blizzard has never said it doesn't adjust lower levels, and clearly a great deal of Cataclysm's focus has been on content for leveling players, but it does show a willingness to make changes in the face of oddities of design. (The original poster notes things like rogues soloing Scarlet Monastery while level-appropriate.) With more people than ever leveling through battlegrounds or the dungeon finder, the lower-level experience is actually pretty compelling and important. It's good to see some design time aimed at fixing its problems.
Patch 4.0.1 hunter DPS hotfix
If you play a hunter, you may be interested in what Zarhym had to say today about your DPS -- namely, that it should already have gone up. Yay for more damage! Zarhym - Re: Class balance as of Oct 13, 2010 We have pushed a hotfix to improve hunter damage. Specifically, we increased the damage of the signature abilities (Chimera Shot, Black Arrow, Explosive Shot, and Kill Command) by 15-25%. This will both improve overall damage-dealing and make sure that these abilities are prioritized higher than other shots. We think this will bring hunters to a good enough state until they hit 85. Aspect of the Fox and Cobra Shot solve some specific issues at higher levels. Marksman hunters may still trump Survival and Beastmaster hunters until they're 85, since their rotations rely a little on Cobra Shot. source So just in time for Hallow's End, you hunters get 15 to 25 percent more damage on several signature abilities. I don't play a hunter myself, but I'm happy for y'all, as long as I don't end up in Sholazar with my wife camping some rare spawn parrot thing. I really don't understand you non-melee types, but I can't see a downside to more base damage here.
Lichborne: Death knight regemming and reforging for patch 4.0.1
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. Now that we've had a bit of time with patch 4.0.1, hopefully you've settled in to a decent rotation and spec and have begun to feel your way around the new system. Now that you've done that, there's one more step to take: figuring out the best way to reforge and regem your gear. Reforging can be done through certain NPCs in major cities and is a process whereby you take one secondary stat (the ones in green text) and reforge part of it into another stat. This process can be very useful for getting rid of extra stats past the soft cap or just plain getting rid of stats that aren't important for your class or spec. You can't reforge a stat into another stat that's already on the item, but otherwise, your possibilities are endless. Gemming remains more or less how it always has. The one big, new curveball we've been thrown is the fact that hit gems are now blue. This is probably overall a win for DPS death knights, as it gives us a few more options to aim for gear bonuses without handicapping ourselves as much. To understand how, when and if to regem and reforge your gear, you'll need to understand stat weights. While it's still pretty early in the 4.0.1 game (and therefore, it's not completely clear what stat weights are for every spec), the death knight community has still done enough math that we're relatively certain of the general order. With that in mind, let's look at every spec and figure out the best ways to regem and reforge.
Blizzard releases Cataclysm system requirements
If you've been wondering whether your computer has the necessary beef to run Cataclysm, your time of guessing is over. Blizzard has released the system requirements for those of us who have been salivating over the game's trailer, and now we can see if our systems can handle it. Like most such lists, there are the minimum required system specs to run that game, and then there are those recommended to truly enjoy the game. The minimum system requirements for World of Warcraft are: Windows XP 32bit (SP3), Windows XP 64bit (SP2), Windows Vista 32bit (SP1), Windows Vista 64bit (SP1): Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500 1GB or more of RAM NVIDIA® GeForce® FX or ATI Radeon™ 9500 video card or better DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability 25 GB free hard drive space A keyboard and mouse are required. Input devices other than a mouse and keyboard are not supported You must have an active broadband Internet connection to play
Patch 4.0.1: Armor mitigation values nerfed
If you've been tanking since patch 4.0.1 dropped and noticed you were taking more physical damage, it's not just a case that you lost armor in the class changes. Armor also does less now. Poster Valen performed a test on the first boss in Forge of Souls and reported some changes observed with the way damage was mitigated. Ghostcrawler (lead systems designer) soon responded that yes, the formula for armor value and its mitigation had been changed for Cataclysm. Furthermore, those changes are in place as of now, meaning that if you feel like you're suddenly taking a lot more physical damage in ICC, well, you probably are. Ghostcrawler - GC, physical mitigation changes intentional? We looked into your findings, and the armor numbers reflect an intentional change meant to cover the armor increases players would get between levels 81 and 85. We should have been more explicit with the rest of the announced Cataclysm changes that physical damage would go up. (It only affects creatures higher than level 80 -- bosses in this case -- so this change has no current PvP ramifications.) Now that our live class balance changes are slowing down* and players are starting to learn their class changes, we can get a better idea of whether players are struggling more on content that they used to be able to clear. We've made some Icecrown and Halion changes already and we may need to make more. Nice job on the analysis. source No word yet if boss damage in ICC will be tuned down to reduce the streaky factor on incoming damage or not. But it's nice to know we're not all insane. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
The Shattering plot summary: Garrosh and Cairne
Christie Golden's The Shattering, followup to The New York Times-bestselling Arthas, is thankfully just as good, if not better, than its predecessor. We've given you a spoiler-free review, and now it's time to dive into the meat and potatoes, the spoilery goodness contained within the crunchy hardcover shell. We've covered Thrall's exploits in The Shattering; today's summary is for Garrosh Hellscream and Cairne Bloodhoof. Remember, this summary is full of spoilers, so don't read it if you don't want the book spoiled!
Official preview of the Stonecore now available
Blizzard has added to its continuing official Cataclysm previews with a sneak peak at the Stonecore, a 5-man regular and heroic dungeon located in Deepholm. From the preview, we learn that the Stonecore is where Deathwing had been fixed up with elementium plates by the Twilight's Hammer cult, as well as the exit point used to shatter the World Pillar, break into Azeroth and start causing us trouble. Check out the official preview for more information and some pretty screenshots. From my personal experience in beta, Stonecore is one of the most fun dungeons and heroics that I've run. It's frantic and fun, and the final boss is something really awesome and unique. You'll love this place. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.