| On August 21st, 2009, after a flurry of leaks and | | | | with what you know, to play it safe. This time, go |
| hints, Blizzard finally announced to the world the | | | | for something radical, something entirely different. |
| latest entry in its wildly popular Warcraft franchise. | | | | Are you a tank? Try rolling a priest. Do you |
| The new expansion, called World of Warcraft: | | | | prefer the hunter classes normally? Step outside |
| Cataclysm, debuted with an impressive five | | | | your comfort zone and try going with a warrior |
| minute trailer video that promised wide sweeping | | | | this time. Are you a goody-two-shoes who just |
| changes were coming to the beloved classic. | | | | can't bear the thought of being evil? Take the |
| Players would be treated to two new playable | | | | plunge and choose that Tauren, they're really not |
| races (the werewolf-like Worgen for the Alliance | | | | so bad, or go all out and embrace the Undead. |
| and the Gnome-esque Goblins for the Horde), | | | | Don't forget about the two new races either. If |
| flying mount travel in Azeroth, new race and class | | | | you really want a fresh approach, try the |
| combinations, new monsters, dungeons and raids, | | | | diminutive Goblin or the cursed Worgen. Just have |
| hundreds of new quests, an intriguing new | | | | it in the back of your mind that as with all new |
| secondary skill in archeology, heroic versions of | | | | expansions, new races and especially new race |
| classic instances, new Battlegrounds, a Guild | | | | class combos are a work in progress for Blizzard |
| Leveling System complete with achievements, a | | | | and you'll probably see post-launch patches that |
| new character progression path and much more. | | | | switch and change your powers and abilities as |
| Look closer though and you'll see that beyond the | | | | they try to make sure things are balanced. |
| laundry list of changes, there is something | | | | Speaking of powers and abilities, it's probably |
| fundamentally very different about Blizzard's | | | | worth embarking on the new “Path of |
| approach to designing and developing Cataclysm. | | | | Titans” character progression path with your |
| You see, where Burning Crusade and Wrath of | | | | new alt once you've hit level 85. We're told it'll tie |
| the Lich King looked to expand World of | | | | directly into the newly introduced secondary skill |
| Warcraft's gameplay, physical game world, and | | | | of Archeology, but we're not entirely sure exactly |
| lore, up and outward, Cataclysm looks instead to | | | | how just yet. |
| improve upon what's already there and more, to | | | | Now that you've got your fancy new alt, you'll |
| change it irreversibly. | | | | want to Stop, Look and Listen. Things have |
| The announcement trailer proudly proclaims; | | | | changed, by the sound of things they've changed |
| “Azeroth Reforged: Classic Zones Forever | | | | a whole lot. The Barrens have been torn in two, |
| Changed By The Cataclysm”, a bold | | | | the Badlands have been devastated, Darkshore |
| statement, but one that should give players a bit | | | | will be flooded, Auberdine destroyed, and there will |
| of insight into how Blizzard expects you to get | | | | be new quests and towns springing up. Have |
| the most out of its latest entry. | | | | some fun with this and take the time to explore |
| Consider for a moment, that when Wrath of the | | | | the new sights and sounds. Sure you've been |
| Lich King and Burning Crusade were released, | | | | here before, but never like this, this isn't the |
| players found that there was little to no incentive | | | | Azeroth you remember, it's familiar, but different. |
| to return to the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. | | | | Start a World of Warcraft Photoblog: No, really, |
| While new races were added to Burning Crusade, | | | | now is as good a time as any to start a WoW |
| if you were a Nigh Elf, Gnome, Tauren or any of | | | | photoblog. The idea is similar to stop, look and |
| the original races there wasn't much reason to go | | | | listen, but this time you're going to want to take a |
| back and roll an alt. Instead you were encouraged | | | | more pro-active approach and go about your |
| to pick one of the two new races and play from | | | | business before Deathwing wrings the changes |
| their point of view. Burning Crusade and Wrath of | | | | and upsets the world forever. |
| the Lich King in particular were more about | | | | Form a party or group or just take a friend along |
| refining WoW's core gameplay, and giving long | | | | with you and do some good old fashioned, virtual |
| time subscribers new ways of playing and new | | | | sight seeing. Take a few pictures by monuments, |
| areas to level in. | | | | statues and other famous places in Azeroth, |
| What Blizzard have done with Cataclysm is | | | | because after Cataclysm they'll never be the |
| deviously brilliant. Without having to create entirely | | | | same again. It's not overstating the fact to say |
| new continents they've come up with a scenario | | | | that this might be your last chance to get some |
| that will allow them to upset Classic Azeroth, to | | | | images for posterity and remember Azeroth as it |
| change areas and places we've been to and by | | | | once was. Perhaps you might want to make it a |
| now, know like the back of our hands, and to | | | | guild project to preserve the images (or even |
| make it all worth your while to go back to the | | | | video!) of Classic WoW, everyone loves a before |
| very beginning and witness a skewed, twisted | | | | and after photo album! |
| version of Classic WoW all over again. | | | | On the subject of guilds... it would be a great time |
| This is why the new level cap extends only to 85, | | | | to start a new guild and get it right this time. Sure |
| the focus on this expansion is on starting over, in | | | | your current guild has a gazillion members and is |
| a very real sense everything old is new again. | | | | pretty successful, but isn't there a part of you |
| You're encouraged to look inward, rather than | | | | that really wants to start anew, and this time |
| outward to what might lie beyond Northrend. | | | | with the benefit of all your previous experience? |
| Blizzard could easily have introduced a new hero | | | | Have your main send your alt some wow gold, |
| class in Cataclysm, but they didn't, because that | | | | start the guild and build it from the ground up, |
| isn't how they want you to play it, they wanted | | | | build it with the express aim of collecting all the |
| as much as possible to keep the focus on the | | | | new achievements added to guild play. Have guild |
| classic WoW zones. Don't believe me? Look no | | | | members embark on that Classic WoW cataloging |
| further than the official FAQ Blizzard released for | | | | assignment talked about earlier, be more selective |
| Cataclysm: | | | | about the folks you invite, choose a better name, |
| “ As we developed new content and | | | | better leaders. Basically, just build the guild you |
| expansions, we learned a lot of techniques to | | | | always wanted to but weren't able to the first |
| provide players with a better game | | | | time around because of a lack of experience. |
| experience--but the majority of the new content | | | | Together you can work your way through the |
| we were creating was for high-level characters | | | | twenty new levels on offer in the new guild |
| only. We felt we could apply the lessons of | | | | leveling system, earn those experience points, and |
| Outland and Northrend to improve the gameplay | | | | purchase that guild talent! |
| experience while leveling in the original two | | | | Onyxia must die... again! Sure we're being promised |
| continents. Imagine revisiting a familiar zone like | | | | hundreds of new quests, new dungeons and raids |
| Darkshore only to find Auberdine destroyed by | | | | like Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep to distract |
| the cataclysm--and then discovering entirely new | | | | our attention, but none of these can really offer |
| towns and quests in other parts of the zone. | | | | the warm nostalgic feeling of a re-jigged version |
| Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are central to | | | | of Onyxia's lair. We aren't sure exactly how, or to |
| World of Warcraft lore, and we want those areas | | | | what extent the the redesign of classic instances |
| to remain an important part of the game, not | | | | and dungeons will change things, but it's bound to |
| just a place to train or auction. Our goal is to | | | | make leveling up to 85 in the comfort of familiar |
| make questing, leveling, and the overall story | | | | surroundings a fun experience. |
| more fun for new, returning, and existing players. | | | | Still, probably the easiest and most sure-fire way |
| By redesigning areas of the original continents and | | | | to get the most out of Cataclysm, is to take |
| introducing new content that matches or exceeds | | | | your time and actually enjoy it. |
| the quality of Wrath of the Lich King, we can | | | | It can't be stressed enough, but far too many |
| revitalize the nostalgia and coolness of | | | | folks tend to rush through leveling, barely taking |
| Azeroth.” | | | | the time to enjoy the game, in the hopes that |
| Pretty clear wouldn't you think? With that in mind, | | | | they will be the first to reach the new level cap, |
| here's how to go about really making the most of | | | | or just the first to some mundane achievement |
| World of Warcraft: Cataclysm: | | | | so they can make some headlines. |
| Roll a new Alt: I know, I can hear the groans | | | | In the end, you're only robbing yourself of the |
| already, you probably don't want to have to slog | | | | pleasure, instead just sit back and enjoy the ride, |
| through boring old Darnassus again for the millionth | | | | it's unlikely that World of Warcraft will ever again |
| time, Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are old | | | | see another expansion that makes such wide |
| news. But you're wrong, this time it really will be | | | | ranging changes, savor the moment, make the |
| different. | | | | most of Cataclysm. |
| Even when rolling an alt, there's a tendency to go | | | | |