World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
MMO Champion has posted a collection of rumours from the next expansion for WoW, called World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. The expansion is rumoured to be a rather different prospect from the previous 2 (Burning Crusade & Wrath of the Lich King), as it’s claimed it won’t add in a new continent. Instead, those pesky ol’ ‘dark and forgotten evils’ that have been lurking the shadows, biding their time, will unleash a cataclysmic event that will reshape and retool Azeroth, altering existing zones in the world, and changing the face of the landscape…
Rumoured changes are (just to stress, these are all unconfirmed rumours!):
New Level Cap
Although only to level 85. The suggestion is that Blizzard don’t want to stick on another 10 levels, widening the gap between new and top end players. However, they say the plan is to make the players work for those 5 levels, making each one feel more of an achievement.
Same Classes, Different Races
As i’ve mentioned before there are rumoured to be 2 new races (Goblin and Worgen), their apparently aren’t going to be any new classes. However, there could be the ability for old races to try new classes, such as a Tauren Priest or Dwarven Shaman.
Azerothian Makeover
Azeroth to get a makeover?
The Cataclysm will change the face of the old world forever. Suggested changes are:
- The Barrens cracked in 2, allowing 2 different level zones.
- Blackrock Mountains gets some new topography after Blackrock Spire erupts.
- Thousand Needles flooded, presumably turning it from desolate rocky waste to a bunch of islands (although i’m not convinced that Wyvern colony is above sea level… that could put a crimp in the flight point business!)
- The destruction of Orgrimmar! :o Although the building of a new Orc home city could be included as part of the expansion. Durotar is also rumoured to be pretty trashed.
- Gnomes reclaim Gnomeregan! Really, if this is true it is about time.
- Druids give Wailing Caverns a lush green makeover.
- Azshara becomes a whole less dangerous (becomes a low level zone).
- Unfinished areas get finished – Areas such as Hyjal and Uldum finally become playable areas/dungeons.
- Cleared for take off – Flying mounts come to Azeroth!
It’s also possible the Cataclysm could throw up a few extra islands around Azeroth. So although there maybe no new continent, the old one could look very very different indeed!
All in all, this to me sounds like a great idea! WoW first went online back in 2004 and i’m sure, like many other WoW players, one of the most dullest things about started a new character on WoW is having to level through the same areas again and again and again. Rather than adding new areas for the high end characters, doing something to bring people back from Northrend and to revitalise the old continent for low (and high levels) can only be a good thing. Plus it gives them a chance to plug up any holes in the world, and allow the to remove the ‘no flying’ restriction currently in place on the pre-BC content.
MMO Champion has a few more bits about the story changes likely to occur during the expansion. I’ve tried to avoid posting them here and stuck to the rumoured world/gameplay changes. If you want to see some details of the actual rumoured story, be warned there are spoiler in this link! Blizzcon is just around the corner, so with any luck we should have a few more actual facts before the month is out.
