Blizzard is building a new World of Warcraft. The much anticipated expansion, Cataclysm, due to release in 2010 will give players a new and improved experience with new redesigned zones to explore and raids to learn. Azeroth will be reshaped by an epic world event; The dragon Deathwing will burst forth into the world as we know it with such fury and power that it causes the world itself to shake and crumble.
Accompanying the reforged world will be new races, new race/class combination choices and redesigned game mechanics to improve the player experience.
Check out the trailer and a run down of currently known features after the jump.
The Worgan, shape-changing werewolves, have joined the Alliance and become their second race with the druid class available to them. Shape-shifting shape-shifters? For those of you that don’t appreciate having only one character model, this is your thing. In the Blizzcon demo, Worgans character creation only involved wolf form and human form could not be adjusted.
It’s possible that certain Worgan characteristics will be related to certain human characteristics. Maybe all extra hairy, big floppy eared wolf-formed Worgans are gingers and if you’ve got tiny pointed ears, you’re a blond.
As for the Horde, Goblins become a playable race in the expansion. Everyone has seen the Goblins during their adventures, most commonly in their neutral towns tinkering with gadgets but now you can be one. Now to keep it even the Horde needs a second race capable of following the druid class line. Since Goblin’s are too involved with their gobbo technology to be one with nature and become druids, the Trolls have taken it upon themselves to fill the spot.
The racial traits for the new races have not yet been confirmed but in early demonstrations at Blizzcon ‘09 the Worgan have had curse resistance and a short range speed boost. If I were to speculate I’d say that I expect Goblins to have increased engineering ability. As a movement based racial skill I’d give them escape artist similar to gnomes (they’re little and tough to hold on to). As a racial stat increase they’ll probably receive a bonus to agility just to be different from the increased intelligence of gnomes. Goblins look like lithe and quick little buggers don’t they? Maybe call the agility skill, “Quick Little Bugger.”
One piece of Cataclysm concept art from Blizzcon really caught my eye: the racial mounts. Goblins were shown riding in spike wheeled Goblin roadsters and Worgan were riding a wartorn bird wolf type creature.
A new secondary profession, Archeology, will also be made available. It appears to be used in the uncovering information or “archeology notes” which will help lead you down the Path of Titans, the quest line for obtaining max level “talents” which seem somewhat similar to the current glyph system.
A guild leveling system will be implemented allowing guilds to earn useful guild achievements, guild talents, and guild professions. The talents suggested so far include group resurrection for when someone pulls a Leeroy Jenkins, killing the entire party and decreased armor repair costs. This seems like a great way to promote guild teamwork and adds another piece of “character” development to discuss and determine which path is “best”.
Flying mounts that were previously only usable in Northrend and Outland will be allowed in Azeroth, permitting heroes to explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms from high altitudes and to get from point A to point B much faster (The hippogryph flies (in a straight line) using your %280 flying speed mount). Blizzard says they’re still contemplating placing limitations on flying zones and the path to earning the ability to fly in the regular world, but since they’re redesigning the whole landscape, they have the ability to mold the zones to make them more appropriate for flying mount use.
Blizzard’s efforts towards becoming more consumer friendly haven’t gone unnoticed with easier leveling, simplified gear statistics, and refer-a-friend experience, making it easier than ever to get to max level and become involved in the high quality end-game content. This expansion will be a huge step in the same direction that they’re already running in, giving the customers exactly what they want when the price is right.
This whole expansion is a huge undertaking by Blizzard and almost a cocky move in my mind. They’re pulling a complete reconstruction of their already extremely successful game world. They’re making the game simpler, appealing to new inexperienced customers, adding new playable content and features in an attempt to bring long lost WoW addicts back from whatever other game may have intermittently stolen their attention.
It’s a whole new game with new races and new areas. Does a complete overhaul of the “World” of Warcraft catch your attention? Will you be starting your old account back up to play Cataclysm and rolling as a Goblin? Are you excited beyond belief to explore the new content and maybe get a chance to slay Deathwing?
Source: WoW.com, MMO-Champion
