World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

From Warcraft Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
"Cataclysm" redirects here. For other uses, see Cataclysm (disambiguation).
Cataclysmlogo.png
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Developer(s) Blizzard Entertainment
Team 2
Publisher(s) Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Release
  • NA/EU: December 7, 2010[1]
Latest release 4.3.4
Genre(s) Expansion pack
Mode(s) Multiplayer
Expansion packs chronology

Wrath of the Lich King
(2008)
Cataclysm
(2010)
Mists of Pandaria
(2012)

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (abbreviated as Cata), is the third expansion for World of Warcraft. Set primarily in a dramatically reforged Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms on the world of Azeroth, the expansion follows the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing the Destroyer —formerly known as the ancient guardian Neltharion the Earth Warder — who causes the eponymous Cataclysm as he makes his re-entrance into the world from Deepholm, the elemental plane of earth.

Cataclysm returns players to the two major continents of Azeroth after their campaigning in Northrend, opening new zones such as Mount Hyjal, the sunken world of Vashj'ir, Deepholm, Uldum and the Twilight Highlands. It introduced two new playable races, the worgen from the legendary kingdom of Gilneas for the Alliance, and the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel from the isle of Kezan for the Horde. Among the many new developments in the expansion, it increased the level cap to 85, added the ability to use flying mounts in Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms, introduced the secondary profession Archaeology, and provided the debut of reforging. As with many other expansions, it brought changes to player classes, new race-class combinations, and end-game systems.

Cataclysm was officially announced on 21 August 2009 at BlizzCon 2009. The "friends & family" phase of the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm alpha began on 3 May 2010,[2] while closed beta began 30 June 2010.[3] Collectors' Edition content and pricing was announced on 17 August 2010,[4] while on 4 October 2010, Blizzard Entertainment officially announced the release date for the expansion: 7 December 2010, including for the first time a digital download edition at release.[1]

Cataclysm was offered in two versions: Standard Edition and Collector's Edition. On 16 October 2013, the expansion was integrated into the basic World of Warcraft package, granting all subscribers automatic access to all of the content and features of the expansion at no additional cost.[5]

Introduction

From the official site:

An ancient evil lies dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane.
Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire.
Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.

Major expansion changes and updates

Cataclysm box packaging.
  • Player level cap increased to 85.
  • Six new high-level zones: Mount Hyjal and Uldum in Kalimdor; Vashj'ir and the Twilight Highlands in the Eastern Kingdoms; Deepholm in the elemental plane of earth; and the PvP zone and daily quest hub Tol Barad. Vashj'ir is treated as a sub-continent comprised of three smaller zones.
  • Two new player races, the worgen of Gilneas for the Alliance and the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel for the Horde. New leveling zones added for these two races include Gilneas, the Isle of Kezan, and the Lost Isles.
  • A dramatic alteration of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms due to the Cataclysm, resulting in massive environmental changes, as well as questing and progression changes, for nearly every zone, resulting in new leveling experiences. This includes new starter areas for the gnomes and Darkspear trolls, and faction changes for some zones, such as Hillsbrad Foothills.
  • Along with the environmental redesign comes the ability for players to use flying mounts on both old world continents. Burning Crusade content in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, such as Azuremyst Isle and Eversong Woods, remain on a separate map server[citation needed]  and do not allow the use of flying mounts.
  • Seven new high-level dungeons and three new raid instances, all available in regular and heroic modes (with raids in both 10- and 25-player varieties), as well as two heroic revamps of classic dungeons (Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep). This includes Blizzard's new Flexible Raid Lock system, a change to raid functionality which includes the ability to move between 10- and 25-player raid groups, combine or split groups, and vary regular & heroic attempts.
  • New PvP opportunities including the Tol Barad zone and a PvP-instanced dungeon, Baradin Hold, as well as two new battlegrounds Battle for Gilneas and Twin Peaks.
  • Class redesign (which came prior to expansion launch in patch 4.0.1 but optimized for the expansion) including new talents and spells, simplification of talent trees, and reorganization of class buffs.
  • Revamp of character and gear stats, including the elimination of some stats and major changes to base stat operability (such as intellect creating spell power, strength and agility affecting attack power, etc.) This includes the addition of Reforging to the game, giving players the ability to add certain stats on gear in return for removal of others.
  • New race/class combinations (see the chart below) which became available to all players in patch 4.0.3.[6]
  • New profession, Archaeology.
  • Level cap raised on all main and secondary professions to 525, with many new items, patterns, and rewards.
  • A new Guild advancement system, which includes guild leveling, achievements, and rewards.
  • Consolidation of previous expansions' currency systems; including two PvE currencies, [Justice Points] and [Valor Points], as well as two PvP currencies, Honor and Conquest points.
  • Extensive changes to world travel, including new portal hubs called "Earthshrines", in the capital cities of Stormwind and Orgrimmar, many new flight paths, enhancements to mass transit, and flight in all classic zones for players level 60 and up. See the Cataclysm travel guide for details.
  • New technology enhancements including support for DirectX 11 features and hardware cursor in OpenGL mode, additional video options and a new water rendering engine.[7][8][9]

New zones

Unlike in the previous two expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm introduced no new continent or world for the end-game content; instead it returned players primarily to Azeroth itself, with seven new high-level zones meant for players level 80-85. Each of the five leveling zones features its own introductory quest and cutscene; afterwards, each is accessible through portals in the Eastern EarthshrineAlliance and Western EarthshrineHorde. Tol Barad is also available via these portals.

Zone listings include both the level at launch, and the modern level post level squish.

New level 80-85 zones

  • Neutral Mount Hyjal (80-82, now 30-35): A zone in northern Kalimdor. Originally planned for the first release of the game, then later utilized as a Caverns of Time raid instance, Mount Hyjal focuses on the druids' defense of the world tree from the Twilight's Hammer and Ragnaros's forces.
  • Neutral Vashj'ir (80-82, now 30-35): An underwater zone off the western coast of the Eastern Kingdoms. This zone is further split into three major subzones: the Kelp'thar Forest, the Shimmering Expanse, and the Abyssal Depths. Shipwrecked by tendrils of an Old God, adventurers must fight for survival against the naga forces out to enslave Neptulon.
  • Neutral Deepholm (82-83, now 30-35): A zone within the elemental plane of earth. Access to Deepholm has been opened by Deathwing's return to the world through the Maelstrom. The Earthen Ring scramble to recover the World Pillar fragments stolen by the Twilight's Hammer, initially opposed but later assisted by Therazane's forces.
  • Neutral Uldum (83-84, now 30-35): A zone in southern Kalimdor. A titan refuge hidden by ancient technology for millennia, this vast desert, filled with archaeological treasures, is now fought over by the invading elemental forces of Al'Akir and Uldum's native residents, the Ramkahen.
  • Neutral The Twilight Highlands (84-85, now 30-35): A zone in Khaz Modan of the Eastern Kingdoms, disputed by Alliance and Horde settlers (the Wildhammer clan and Dragonmaw clan, respectively) and disrupted by Twilight's Hammer operatives.
  • Neutral Tol Barad (85, now 30-35): An end-game zone off the coast of Lordaeron in the Eastern Kingdoms. It separated into two subzones: an Outdoor PvP zone in the style of Wintergrasp, and the Tol Barad Peninsula, a daily quest hub akin to the Isle of Quel'Danas. The two zones are instanced, and thus accessed via portals or the battleground queuing system and not via the open world.
  • Neutral Molten Front (85, now 32-35): An end-game zone. Added in patch 4.2, the Molten Front is located within the Firelands, accessible through a portal next to the Sanctuary of Malorne, via unlocking through daily quests that start in the Mount Hyjal zone (players must complete zone quests up to a point). The zone features daily quests with two faction-type paths, the Druids of the Flame and the Shadow Wardens, and "mini-bosses".

Also included as a new zone, albeit devoid of NPCs, is Neutral Ahn'Qiraj: The Fallen Kingdom, the site of the above-ground raids Temple of Ahn'Qiraj and Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj. In addition, the Maelstrom appears as a region on player maps; Deepholm, Kezan, and the Lost Isles appear as individual zones on the Maelstrom region map.

New starting zones

  • Alliance Gilneas (1-12): starting zone for the worgen. Players start in the Gilneas City subzone (1-5), eventually making their way to the larger zone (5-12) to complete the leveling process; they are then redirected to Darkshore to continue. Unlike the Horde counterpart starter zones, Gilneas is available (in the form of the "Ruins of Gilneas") as a general, albeit unpopulated, world zone which was used only for a couple of phased Undead quests from Silverpine Forest.
  • Horde The Isle of Kezan (1-5, now 1-20): The starting zone for the Bilgewater Cartel goblins, a seedy, freewheeling port town in the shadow of Mount Kajaro. Kezan is available to goblins from the start but players are unable to return after completing the goblin starting experience.
  • Horde The Lost Isles (5-12, now 1-20): The second part of the starting experience for the goblins, a lush tropical island enclave off the eastern coast of Kalimdor. The goblin storyline continues here directly from completing the Kezan starter area, and progresses to Azshara. Like Kezan, players are unable to return to the Lost Isles following their departure.

Dungeons and raids

Map of the reshaped Azeroth.

Dungeons

There were seven new dungeons included as part of the Cataclysm general release, with both regular difficulty versions (levels noted below) and heroic difficulty content to be encountered at level 85:

Four additional dungeons from classic World of Warcraft, both low-level instances or former raids, have had level 85 heroic 5-man versions added with new content:

Raids

The Ragnaros encounter in the Firelands.

Cataclysm shipped with three end-game raid dungeons and a PvP-unlocked raid dungeon (in the same style as the Vault of Archavon), each with both 10 and 25-man settings; patch 4.2.0 and patch 4.3.0 each added one additional raid. Once the final boss of each has been defeated, players could set each boss to heroic mode (akin to Icecrown Citadel).

Additional changes

  • Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj became capped at 10 players instead of 20.
  • Nearly all dungeons experienced changes to some bosses and mobs to follow the WotLK progression and the new level band the dungeons can be found in. Quests for the dungeons are now found inside the instances themselves, to lend access to Dungeon Finder players.
  • Stratholme was split into two separate dungeons, Stratholme Main Gate and Stratholme Service Entrance, akin to the "wings" (living and dead) referred to in earlier iterations.[10]
  • Several large-scale dungeons including Maraudon and Uldaman were split in patch 4.1 into two separate dungeons each (dungeon "wings"), and large and unwieldy portions of other large dungeons such as the Sunken Temple were massively transformed in an effort to streamline play for leveling characters. Additionally, quest givers were moved inside and a new dynamic map system features information about bosses and their abilities.

Cut changes

  • A War of the Ancients raid instance inside the Caverns of Time was scrapped in favor of a 5-man dungeon, Well of Eternity, in patch 4.3.
  • An Abyssal Maw 5-man dungeon was originally supposed be released as part of 4.1, the first major post-release content patch, according to the Blizzard developers at the Dungeons & Raids panel at the 2010 Blizzcon. This dungeon, an "outdoor" instance at the bottom of the Abyssal Depths in Vashj'ir (as opposed to the "indoor" Throne of the Tides dungeon), was eventually canceled for unknown reasons.

Factions and organizations

New end-game factions

Bloodgulch, a stronghold of the Dragonmaw Clan.

Numerous new factions are introduced in the expansion, and like in previous expansions feature quartermasters selling gear and other faction perks. New factions for end-game and leveling content include the following:

  • Neutral Guardians of Hyjal, a group tasked with defense of Mount Hyjal, besieged by Firelord Ragnaros' armies. Guardians are made up mainly of druids, much like the Cenarion Circle. The quartermaster is located at the lodge at the great tree Nordrassil.
  • Neutral Avengers of Hyjal, a faction added in patch 4.2, accessible by players who have phased the entire primary quest zone in Mount Hyjal. They are tasked with facing Firelord Ragnaros head-on in his realm, the Firelands.
  • Neutral The Ramkahen are a race of feline humanoids, distant but direct descendants of the tol'vir, guardians of Uldum. Though they've lost their stone bodies, protecting the secrets of the titans is still a part of their rigid tradition. Their hub and quartermaster are in the center of the zone in the Ramkahen settlement.
  • Neutral Therazane the Stonemother, an elemental guardian, protects the elemental plane of earth, Deepholm, from her throne. Players start off Hated and must gain reputation through questing (like the Sons of Hodir in Northrend). Therazane's Throne is the hub of this faction including the quartermaster.
  • Neutral The Earthen Ring are introduced as a faction players can gain reputation with, having appeared as an organization in previous iterations of the game. The Earthen Ring can be found all over Cataclysm-level content, but their quartermaster is found inside the Silver Tide Hollow of the Shimmering Expanse of Vashj'ir.
  • Alliance Wildhammer Clan and Horde Dragonmaw Clan are the Alliance and Horde factions battling for control of the Twilight Highlands and the Twin Peaks battleground.
  • Alliance Baradin's Wardens and Horde Hellscream's Reach are opposing faction forces on Tol Barad. Players gain reputation through control of the island (PvP) and daily quests.

New racial factions

  • Alliance Gilneas is the worgen racial faction. The people of Gilneas are a nation of survivors; having walled themselves off from the rest of humanity, they must now face new threats from within.
  • Horde The Bilgewater Cartel is the goblin racial faction. Run by the ruthless Trade Prince Gallywix, the Bilgewater Cartel is the most powerful trading company on the Isle of Kezan. From their headquarters at Bilgewater Port, the cartel dominates trade all over the South Seas.

PvP

Baradin Hold, on Tol Barad.

Several new options for player-versus-player gameplay were introduced with Cataclysm, including:

  • Tol Barad, an island fortress that blends outdoor PvP play (like Wintergrasp) with the expansion's main daily quest hub (like the Isle of Quel'Danas). The zone is split in two: the PvP area and the Tol Barad Peninsula. The Peninsula always has six daily quests available to players (from their respective factions); winning control of the PvP portion of Tol Barad grants six additional daily quests, three outdoors and three inside Baradin Hold (a raid instance that unlocks with each win like Vault of Archavon.)
  • The Battle for Gilneas is a battleground in which players take control of the northwest sector of Gilneas, very much like Arathi Basin. This battleground was originally planned as "The Battle for Gilneas City" and would have taken place inside the city map itself, but this was later deemed unfeasible.
  • Twin Peaks is a CTF battleground located in Twilight Highlands, similar to Warsong Gulch.

Both of the new battlegrounds released with Cataclysm are part of the Rated battlegrounds pool, like arenas, and provided the same rewards as arenas.

Prominent figures

Among the many figures confirmed to have major roles in the story of Cataclysm are:

The Naga ruler and former leader of the Night Elves, Queen Azshara, makes a small but important appearance during the leveling process in the Darkshore region.

Detailed expansion alterations/updates

Stat changes

  • Attack power was removed from gear. Death knights, paladins, and warriors as previous still gained 2 attack power per point of strength, and all druids, hunters, shaman, and rogues received 2 attack power per point of agility and no attack power from strength, with the exception of druids in bear form / dire bear form, who were potentially going to get attack power from strength in order to allow them to share tanking cloaks, necklaces and rings with death knights, paladins, and warriors.[12]
  • Spell power was removed from gear, with the exception of caster weapons. Characters instead gained spell power from intellect much like the way they gained attack power from agility and strength.
  • MP5 and spirit: MP5 was removed. All healing specs would instead rely on spirit for mana regeneration, with the rate affected by the [Meditation] passive talent tree bonus. The 5 second rule might have been removed, with "in combat" and "out of combat" mana regeneration based on whether characters are in or out of combat. Spell DPS classes no longer relied on spirit for mana regeneration, and spirit was longer on cloth spell DPS gear. Balance druids and elemental shamans received talents to gain hit rating from spirit ( [Balance of Power], [Elemental Precision]) to allow them to share gear with healers, and leather and mail caster gear stopped having hit rating.[13] Shadow Priests also got hit conversion on one of their talents ( [Twisted Faith]) in order to make it easier for them to gear up through more options.[14]
  • Armor penetration was removed from gear.[15] However, some physical damage specs may have still been able to gain armor penetration through talents and / or mastery bonuses.
  • Haste for melee and physical ranged DPS classes begun to affect the rate at which energy, rage, focus and runes are gained. Enhancement shamans and retribution paladins got talents which allow them to gain similar benefits from haste. It continued to provide weapon speed increases for these classes.[16] Haste for casters was unchanged.
  • Block value was removed from the game, blocking provided instead a 30% damage reduction, which could be increased through talent trees and mastery bonuses.
  • Defense was being removed from the game, including both defense rating and the defense skill. All tanking specs got anti-critical hit talents similar to [Survival of the Fittest].[17]
  • Weapon skills were removed. A character has the proficiencies for all the weapons his/her class can use from the start, and doesn't need to improve them.
  • Resilience begun to affect only damage and crit damage done by players.
  • Mastery rating was added. The mastery bonuses were trainable passive bonuses somewhere around level 75. Depending on the primary talent tree, characters had a different Mastery available on the trainer with a base potency and 0 Mastery Rating.[18]

Professions

Talents

A mage's talents panel in Cataclysm.
  • Extensive revisions to the talent system: talent trees were cut down to 31-point talents (7 tiers each tree). Players would gain a talent point about every two levels up to 80, instead of every level, and then 1 every level after 80 for a total of 41 talent points at level 85 (vs. 71 points at level 80 in WotLK)[19]
  • Selecting a primary talent tree became unlocked at level 10 and a tree must be chosen before talent points can be spent in it. Doing so provided passive bonuses and a unique active ability. Players were unable to spend talent points in a secondary tree until they had invested 31 points in their primary tree (at roughly level 70).[19]
  • Many passive talents with generic bonuses, such as increased critical strike chance, damage reduction or increased healing, and specifically those that provide bonuses to buffs and perhaps debuffs, were removed.[19]

PvE and PvP

  • 25-player raid leaders gained the possibility to split down the raid into a maximum of three 10-player raids. This was to allow players to continue a raid even if someone has left the group. 10-player raids could not, however, be converted into a 25-player raid.
  • 10 and 25-player raids newly shared the same ID in Cataclysm. However, players would still be able to join any raid as long as they don't kill the same boss twice in the same lockout. This means players were able to continue a raid with a different group at the condition the new group is the same point or beyond the invited player.
  • While 10 and 25-player raids in Cataclysm gave the same loot, the 25-player mode gave more loot per character.
  • There were four distinct gear acquisition "badges" in Cataclysm, all having been renamed to "points": two PvE ( [Justice Points] and [Valor Points]) and two PvP (Honor and Conquest Points).
    • Justice Points and Honor Points only had a cap on the total number of points that can be accumulated.
    • PvE Valor Points and PvP Conquest Points had a cap on the total number of points, as well as a cap on the maximum amount of points earned in a week.
  • Cataclysm included a new "auto-quest" mechanic, allowing players to pick up the next quest in a chain without having to go back to the original quest giver, or start on quests simply by entering an area or killing specified units.

Race and class changes

All of these combinations, excluding the goblin and worgen options, became available to all players regardless of owned expansion in patch 4.0.3a.[6] Goblins and Worgen were limited to Cataclysm owners.

Cataclysm class chart [20]
DeathKnight Druid Hunter Mage Paladin Priest Rogue Shaman Warlock Warrior
Alliance DraeneiDraenei Draenei Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Alliance DwarfDwarf Dwarf Yes Yes New Yes Yes Yes New New[21] Yes
Alliance GnomeGnome Gnome Yes Yes New Yes Yes Yes
Alliance HumanHuman Human Yes New Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Alliance Night elfNight elf Night elf Yes Yes Yes New Yes Yes Yes
Alliance WorgenWorgen Worgen New New New New New New New New
Horde Blood elfBlood elf Blood elf Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes New
Horde GoblinGoblin Goblin New New New New New New New New
Horde OrcOrc Orc Yes Yes New Yes Yes Yes Yes
Horde TaurenTauren Tauren Yes Yes Yes New New Yes Yes
Horde TrollTroll Troll Yes New Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes New[21] Yes
Horde UndeadUndead Undead Yes New Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Zones affected by the Cataclysm

For detailed zone changes, see Patch 4.0.3a (world changes). See also: Cataclysm map comparison

These changes occurred for everyone, whether or not they bought the expansion, upon the launch of patch 4.0.3a.[22]

Kalimdor

The Great Divide in the Barrens.
  • Ashenvale: A huge volcano erupts at the center of the zone. Heavier deforestation around the Warsong Lumber Camp causes the orcs to encroach on Silverwind Refuge. Zoram'gar Outpost is reinforced with black iron, similar to the Horde outposts in Northrend. Astranaar becomes the victim of air assaults launched by the Horde. New flight paths: Blackfathom Camp, Stardust Spire (Alliance); Hellscream's Watch, Silverwind Refuge (Horde).
  • Azshara: The zone has been claimed by the goblins, reshaping it in the shape of the Horde crest. A new pass has been cut in the mountains between Azshara and Orgrimmar. Bilgewater Harbor has been built in between the two peninsulas. The rocketway stretches the length of the zone allowing for faster access from one side to the other. Trade Prince Gallywix has built a new pleasure palace in the west. Valor'mok and Talrendis Point have been obliterated. New flight paths: Bilgewater Harbor, Bitter Reaches, Southern Rocketway Terminus (Horde).
  • Azuremyst Isle: The draenei have built a new flight path at Azure Watch (Alliance).
  • The Barrens: The Barrens has been split in two by great fissures in the land, spouting fiery rivers of lava.
    • The Northern Barrens is a level 10-20 zone, largely unchanged geographically from its prior incarnation. New flight paths: The Mor'Shan Ramparts, Nozzlepot's Outpost (Horde).
    • The Southern Barrens intended for higher level players; portions have grown lush thanks to the work of the druid Naralex. The passage into Mulgore has been closed by the tauren with high walls and a gate as a response to the Alliance moving into the Southern Barrens, constructing several towers and burning down Camp Taurajo, which is now completely destroyed.[23] New flight paths: Honor's Stand, Northwatch Hold, Fort Triumph (Alliance); Hunter's Hill, Desolation Hold (Horde).
  • Darkshore: Auberdine is destroyed, and the very land torn asunder. The Alliance relocates to a new town in the northern end of the zone called Lor'danel. Shatterspear Village, previously a closed zone, is now accessible. New flight paths: Lor'danel, Grove of the Ancients (Alliance).
  • Darnassus: The city hosts a new worgen area called the Howling Oak. There is a new flight path in-city that connects to Dolanaar and Rut'theran Village far below, though the transporter still functions.
  • Desolace: Once a barren wasteland, the Cataclysm has caused a rift to form, allowing water to flood in from the coast and bring life back to the region. However, the region is now being invaded by demons, including shivarra. New flight paths: Thargad's Camp (Alliance); Furien's Post (Horde); Thunk's Abode, Karnum's Glade, Ethel Rethor (neutral).
  • Durotar: The Darkspear trolls have retaken the Echo Isles as a new starting area. Much of the western portion of the zone has been flooded. The gateway to Orgrimmar has been heavily reinforced. A ship dock near Skull Rock welcomes goblins from the Lost Isles. New flight paths: Razor Hill, Sen'jin Village (Horde).
  • Dustwallow Marsh: The Alliance has built a highway through the swamp, connecting Theramore Isle directly with the western entrance to the zone.
  • The Exodar: The city now includes a direct flight path connection with Rut'theran Village at Teldrassil, and the flight master has moved inside next to the bank.
  • Feralas: Feathermoon Stronghold has been razed by naga. The Isle of Dread has been flooded and sunk by tidal waves caused by the Cataclysm. New flight paths: Whisperwind Grove (Alliance); Irontree Clearing (Horde); Ruins of Constellas (neutral).
  • Mulgore: The starter area for the tauren has been heavily assaulted resulting in a charred vale; the entrance has been blocked, leading the Tauren to construct a direct route to Bloodhoof Village. The gates into the zone have been blocked by Horde militia (access is available via Thunder Bluff). New flight path: Bloodhoof Village (Horde).
  • Orgrimmar: After Garrosh Hellscream takes over control of the Horde, Orgrimmar becomes a heavily-armored fortress city. New areas include a central platform for flight masters, a "Goblin Slums" district and a rear gate into Azshara. The Valley of Honor has also become the second trade district, with its own bank, auction house and inn.
  • Silithus: While much of this zone remains the same as it always has, there is a new portal in Cenarion Hold to the Blasted Lands, for players to continue their leveling journey.
  • Stonetalon Mountains: Eruptions decimate the landscape, spreading the flames of the Charred Vale even further. The goblins have cut through the mountains, forming a valley that leads into Ashenvale. The western coastline is now accessible. Stonetalon Peak has been destroyed by faceless ones and tendrils of an Old God. The battle between Horde and Alliance has become a major part of this zone. New flight paths: Thal'darah Overlook, Mirkfallon Post, Windshear Hold, Farwatcher's Glen, Northwatch Expedition Base Camp (Alliance); Cliffwalker Post, Krom'Gar Fortress, Malaka'jin, The Sludgewerks (Horde).
  • Tanaris: The eastern part of the desert has been flooded, with Gadgetzan becoming beachfront property; Steamwheedle Port is destroyed and populated with homeless goblins. The pass to Uldum has opened up in Thistleshrub Valley. New flight paths: Gunstan's Dig (Alliance); Dawnrise Expedition (Horde); Bootlegger Outpost (neutral).
  • Teldrassil: Rut'theran Village has been knocked off the base of Teldrassil and is now its own island just offshore. The docks have been reconstructed at Rut'theran after the obliteration of Auberdine in Darkshore.
  • Thousand Needles: The entire canyon floor has been flooded, resulting in the Shimmering Flats becoming a lake, destroying the Mirage Raceway. The eastern canyon wall has collapsed, opening up the coastline. Twilight Hammer agents and several pirate factions have taken up refuge on the cliffsides. Freewind Post has been captured by the Grimtotem tribe. Razorfen Downs has been moved to the Thousand Needles map from the Barrens map (no new dungeons in this zone despite early rumors). New flight path: Fizzle Pozzik's Speed Barge (neutral).
  • Un'Goro Crater: Williden Marshal has relocated to Marshal's Stand just southeast of Fire Plume Ridge, as Marshal's Refuge has been overrun by stone watchers. A second titan overlook has been revealed in the eastern cliffside. New flight paths: Marshal's Stand, Mossy Pile (neutral).
  • Winterspring: Darkwhisper Gorge is now part of Mount Hyjal and has been claimed by the Twilight's Hammer.

Eastern Kingdoms

Menethil Harbor, now partially submerged.
  • Arathi Highlands: An increased Horde presence has entered the zone due to the takeover of Hillsbrad. New flight path: Galen's Fall (Horde).
  • Badlands: Cut off from Loch Modan, the Steamwheedle Cartel have set up the port town of Fuselight-by-the-Sea (which provides entrance via rocket for questers from the Eastern Plaguelands) and the hilltop community of Fuselight in the eastern portion of the zone. The Scar of the Worldbreaker has obliterated the central portion of the zone: mountains have been sheared off and a huge chasm has been "dug" out. Kargath has been destroyed by the Cataclysm, New Kargath has been built just to the southwest, across from an Alliance toehold near the scar. New flight paths: Dustwind Dig, Dragon's Mouth (Alliance); New Kargath, Bloodwatcher Point (Horde); Fuselight (neutral).
  • Blasted Lands: The cataclysm has opened the southern mountains, creating access to the coastline, and reforged the Tainted Scar into a forest. The orcs, worgen and blood elves have all made significant inroads into the area. New flight paths: Surwich (Alliance); Sunveil Excursion, Dreadmaul Hold (Horde).
  • Burning Steppes: New neutral quest hubs both immediately south of Blackrock Mountain and in the center of the zone lead players on a quest to eradicate the Blackrock Army. A pass directly to the Swamp of Sorrows has opened up just east of Morgan's Vigil. New flight path: Chiselgrip (neutral).
  • Dun Morogh: The gnomes of Gnomeregan have retaken the surface levels of Gnomeregan to open up the new gnomish starting experience as New Tinkertown. The Ironforge Airfield is finally accessible as a questing hub via transit from the Gol'Bolar Quarry. New flight paths: Kharanos, Gol'Bolar Quarry (Alliance).
  • Duskwood: The Worgen have settled the abandoned homes of Raven Hill. New flight path: Raven Hill (Alliance).
  • Eastern Plaguelands: The five scout towers have each been given flight paths. An invisible wall exists on the northern reaches of the zone (still forcing traffic to Ghostlands through the instance portal). In beta, Acherus is still accessible via flying mount to all classes but the flight path is non functional except for death knights. New flight paths: Crown Guard Tower, Corin's Crossing Tower, Eastwall Tower, Northpass Tower, Plaguewood Tower (neutral).
  • Elwynn Forest: Northshire Valley has been invaded by orcs. One of the quarries has been closed. New flight paths: Goldshire, Eastvale Logging Camp (Alliance).
  • Eversong Woods: New flight path at Fairbreeze Village (Horde).
  • Hillsbrad Foothills: The zone has been completely retooled, subsuming the Alterac Mountains (which is no longer its own zone). A massive Horde invasion has turned the entire zone into a Horde-only leveling area; Southshore has been destroyed by the Forsaken Blight, and Hillsbrad Fields have been corrupted and have become the Sludge Fields. New flight paths: Southpoint Gate, Ruins of Southshore, Eastpoint Tower, Strahnbrad (Horde).
  • The Hinterlands: Both the Horde and the Alliance have made new inroads into the interior of the zone. New flight paths: Stormfeather Outpost (Alliance); Hiri'watha Research Station (Horde).
  • Loch Modan: The Stonewrought Dam has been destroyed; most of the water in the Loch has escaped and flooded the Wetlands below. The Twilight Citadel looms high in the Twilight Highlands just to the east. The path to the Badlands has been closed as a giant chasm now separates the zones. New flight path: Farstrider's Lodge (Alliance).
  • Redridge Mountains: The Lakeshire bridge has been completed, finally. The new quest chain involves saving the freshly-built bridge from the invading Blackrock orcs with the help of the Bravo Company, led by John J. Keeshan. A mountain pass high above the eastern edge allows transit to the Swamp of Sorrows, bypassing Redridge altogether. New flight paths: Camp Everstill, Shalewind Canyon, Keeshan's Post (Alliance).
  • Searing Gorge: A new quest hub has opened up just north of Blackrock Mountain. New flight path: Iron Summit (neutral).
  • Silverpine Forest: The Greymane Wall has been destroyed by the Cataclysm, opening up the passage to Gilneas. The Sepulcher has been heavily fortified. The Forsaken build-up is intense as they prepare to invade Gilneas on Garrosh's (and Sylvanas's) orders. Some of the questing in this zone continues into the Ruins of Gilneas zone (the unphased Gilneas region in Azeroth). New flight paths: Forsaken High Command, Forsaken Front (Horde, both phased); Forsaken Forward Command (right inside Ruins of Gilneas on the far side of the Greymane Wall, also Horde).
  • Stormwind City: After Deathwing's return the city has been dramatically changed; the Park has been obliterated, and a new lake area and city cemetery have been opened. The castles and terrain have been remodeled to accommodate flying mounts. The Dwarven District now hosts a second bank, auction house and inn for the city. The Keep has been heavily remodeled.
  • Stranglethorn Vale: The vast zone has been split into two separate zones in the expansion set, Northern Stranglethorn (including Zul'Gurub) and the Cape of Stranglethorn, split at the location of the Sundering. While there is one large map for the two zones (like in Vashj'ir) they are considered two individual zones:
    • Northern Stranglethorn: Also referred to on the larger map as Stranglethorn Jungle. Zul'Gurub is no longer a raid zone in the expansion; instead, it has become a questing area. Hemet Nesingwary Jr.'s campsite has been dramatically altered. New flight paths: Fort Livingston (Alliance); Bambala (Horde).
    • Cape of Stranglethorn: Booty Bay has been ransacked. Huge goblin oil constructions line the southern coast, and the Bloodsail Buccaneers have established a larger presence in the region. New flight paths: Explorer's League Digsite (Alliance); Hardwrench's Hideaway (Horde).
  • Swamp of Sorrows: The Steamwheedle Cartel has set up Bogpaddle in the northeast corner of the zone. The Alliance has also established Marshtide Watch, a new fortress just north of the Pool of Tears, which has opened up to the great sea. New flight paths: The Harborage, Marshtide Watch (Alliance); Bogpaddle (neutral).
  • Tirisfal Glades: Brill has been heavily fortified with new Forsaken architecture. The Ruins of Lordaeron have been heavily remodeled to accommodate flying mounts, including fleshing out the (abandoned) city, though the Undercity below remains unchanged. New flight path: Brill (Horde).
  • Western Plaguelands: After the Lich King's downfall, the Scourge are easily subjugated, resulting in the beginnings of recovery in Felstone Field, Dalson's Tears, the Writhing Haunt and Gahrron's Withering. Andorhal is undergoing a three-way fight for control between the Alliance, Horde and what's left of the Scourge. Hearthglen has now become a home for the Argent Crusade led by Tirion Fordring, who has finally left his shack on the Thondroril River in Eastern Plaguelands. New flight paths: Western Andorhal (Alliance); Eastern Andorhal (Horde); the Mender's Stead, Hearthglen (neutral). The Thondroril River flight path has moved across the bridge to Eastern Plaguelands.
  • Westfall: The Gaping Chasm has formed as a result of the Cataclysm. Sentinel Hill has been fortified in an attempt to handle the large quantities of homeless affected because of the war in Northrend and the fall of the Defias Brotherhood. New flight paths: Moonbrook, Furlbrow's Pumpkin Farm (Alliance).
  • Wetlands: Heavily affected by Deathwing's destructive exit from Deepholm. Menethil Harbor is underwater, as is the Mosshide Fen as a result of the destruction of the Stonewrought Dam in Loch Modan. The path to Grim Batol is now part of the Twilight Highlands, with a breach leading east to the Highlands proper. New flight paths: Dun Modr, Whelgar's Retreat, Greenwarden's Grove, Slabchisel's Survey (Alliance).

Elsewhere

  • Dalaran (Northrend) and Shattrath (Outland): Portals to major Azeroth/Outland cities no longer exist (with Orgrimmar and Stormwind being the only exceptions); instead, class trainers have been established in these two cities to aid the leveling process. Auctioneers (for all classes) added. Flying now possible over/in Dalaran City.
  • Dragonblight (Northrend): The quest Battle for the Undercity no longer exists in game.

Level ranges

Eastern Kingdoms
Zone Old New
Alterac Mountains 30-40 Merged
Arathi Highlands 30-40 25-30
Badlands 35-45 45-48
Blasted Lands 45-55 54-60
Burning Steppes 50-60 50-52
Deadwind Pass 55-60 TBD
Dun Morogh 1-10 1-10
Duskwood 20-30 20-25
Eastern Plaguelands 55-60 40-45
Elwynn Forest 1-10 1-10
Gilneas Cata-Logo-Small.png 1-12
Hillsbrad Foothills 20-30 20-25
The Hinterlands 40-50 30-35
Loch Modan 10-20 10-20
Redridge Mountains 15-25 15-20
Searing Gorge 40-50 48-50
Silverpine Forest 10-20 10-20
Stranglethorn Vale
Northern Stranglethorn
Cape of Stranglethorn
30-45
Cata-Logo-Small.png
Cata-Logo-Small.png
Split
25-30
30-35
Swamp of Sorrows 35-45 52-54
Tirisfal Glades 1-10 1-10
Twilight Highlands Cata-Logo-Small.png 84-85
Western Plaguelands 50-55 35-40
Westfall 10-20 10-15
Wetlands 20-30 25-30
Kalimdor
Zone Old New
Ahn'Qiraj: The Fallen Kingdom Cata-Logo-Small.png ??
Ashenvale 20-30 20-25
Azshara 45-55 10-20
Barrens
Northern Barrens
Southern Barrens
10-30
Cata-Logo-Small.png
Cata-Logo-Small.png
Split
10-20
30-35
Darkshore 10-20 10-20
Desolace 30-40 30-35
Durotar 1-10 1-10
Dustwallow Marsh 35-45 35-40
Felwood 48-55 45-50
Feralas 40-50 35-40
Moonglade 1-70 1-70
Mount Hyjal Cata-Logo-Small.png 80-82
Mulgore 1-10 1-10
Silithus 55-60 55-60
Stonetalon Mountains 15-30 25-30
Tanaris 40-50 45-50
Teldrassil 1-10 1-10
Thousand Needles 25-35 40-45
Uldum Cata-Logo-Small.png 83-84
Un'goro Crater 48-55 50-55
Winterspring 55-60 50-55
Great Sea
Zone Old New
Kezan Cata-Logo-Small.png 1-5
Lost Isles Cata-Logo-Small.png 5-12
Tol Barad Cata-Logo-Small.png 84-85
PvP
Vashj'ir
Zone Old New
Abyssal Depths Cata-Logo-Small.png 80-82
Kelp'thar Forest Cata-Logo-Small.png 80-82
Shimmering Expanse Cata-Logo-Small.png 80-82
Elemental Plane
Zone Old New
Deepholm Cata-Logo-Small.png 82-83

New creatures

Humanoids
Giant
Beasts
Elemental
Dragonkin
Undead
Mechanical
  • IconSmall RabbitMech.gif Mechanical rabbit
Aberration

Concepted but not added

Interface

Launcher

Main article: Blizzard Launcher
The Cataclysm-themed launcher

The launcher was updated to stream installation and patch data from the servers instead of being required to download it all before playing. The new launcher was broken up into three stages of download progress:

  • SETUP (RED): Core game, or 5% of content, is being prepared. You cannot enter the game at this time.
  • AVAILABLE (YELLOW): Base game, or 70% of content, is not completely applied. You can play, but your game experience will not be ideal. You should ideally have 1 MB/sec or better when choosing to play.
  • PLAYABLE (GREEN): Extended, or 25% of content, is almost complete. You may begin playing at this stage with few game issues. You should ideally have 1 MB/sec or better when choosing to play.

The updater and downloader became integrated closely into the Launcher, resulting in less application switching when patching and installing.[24]

Main interface

Newly added level-up overlay.
Guild invite interface, displaying the newly introduced "Guild advancement" system.
  • The interface was drastically changed.
  • The spellbook became more intuitive and would indicate if the player missed training a spell.
  • The paper doll interface changed.
  • When a player gains a level they can more clearly see what level was gained as well as what new abilities are available to train.
  • Guild invites received a new look, showing the level of the guild.

Class-specific UI elements

  • Balance druids got a new interface for the handling of their redesigned [Eclipse] mechanic.
  • Paladins gained a new interface to accommodate their new Holy Power mechanic beneath the health and mana bar, as well as radial elements situated around the player avatar to track some of their proc abilities.
  • Warlocks got a new Soul Shard interface.

Info compilations

System requirements

Main article: System requirements § Cataclysm

Tie-in literature

Gallery

Concept art

Other

Videos

Canceled features

  • Revamped character progression via the Paths of the Titans, and Ancient glyphs was planned and announced, but later canceled.[25]
  • Guild talents and guild currency have been removed. Instead, guild advancement bonuses are automatically unlocked based on guild level[25]
  • The large "neutral port" on Blizzcon 2009 maps, set between the Eastern Plaguelands and Hinterlands and expected to be a sanctuary town, did not materialize. Instead, a smaller goblin port appeared in the Badlands.

References

 
  1. ^ a b World of Warcraftft®: Cataclysm™ In Stores Starting December 7. Blizzard Entertainment (2010-10-04). Retrieved on 2010-10-04.
  2. ^ Cataclysm Alpha has begun!. MMO-Champion. Retrieved on 2010-07-01.
  3. ^ Blizzard Entertainment Begins Closed Beta Test for World of Warcraft®: Cataclysm™. Activision Blizzard. Retrieved on 2010-06-30.
  4. ^ WORLD OF WARCRAFT®: CATACLYSM™ COLLECTOR'S EDITION ANNOUNCED. Retrieved on 2010-08-19.
  5. ^ A New Age Has Begun—World of Warcraft Now Includes Cataclysm
  6. ^ a b Zarhym 2010-10-04. Re: Does 4.0.1 include new race/class combos.
  7. ^ Boubouille 2009-08-22. Class Discussions Panel. MMO-Champion. Retrieved on 2010-02-11.
  8. ^ Boubouille 2009-08-22. Blizzcon Day 2 - Game Systems Panel. MMO-Champion. Retrieved on 2010-02-11.
  9. ^ Boubouille 2009-08-22. Blizzcon Day 2 - Open Q&A Panel. MMO-Champion. Retrieved on 2010-02-11.
  10. ^ Fewyn 2010-09-08. Azeroth, Revisited: Stratholme in Cataclysm.
  11. ^ Cataclysm Lore Details - World of Raids Forums
  12. ^ Ghostcrawler 2009-11-18. Questions about Feral Tank in Cataclysm. MMO-Champion. Retrieved on 2010-02-11.
  13. ^ http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/23425636414-cataclysm-stat--system-changes.html
  14. ^ http://blue.mmo-champion.com/t/25170444762/priest-cata-talents/
  15. ^ Ghostcrawler. World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums -> Pets, Scaling, And 3.3. Archived from the original on 2009-10-08.
  16. ^ Eyonix. World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums -> Cataclysm Stat & System Changes.
  17. ^ Ghostcrawler 2009-10-29. Icewell Radiance is in!. MMO-Champion. Retrieved on 2010-02-11.
  18. ^ a b http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=26137024331&sid=1&pageNo=1#1
  19. ^ a b c http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25626290449&sid=1
  20. ^ World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - Features. Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.​ “Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations.”
  21. ^ a b http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=24702205296&pageNo=1&sid=2000#8
  22. ^ 24. Re: #BlizzChat Developer Chat on Twitter | 2009-10-22 by Blizzard Entertainment Aratil | Original link
  23. ^ Tracey John 2009-08-25. Q&A: How Cataclysm Will Change WoW Forever. Wired.com. Retrieved on 2009-08-28.
  24. ^ https://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=26262801168&pageNo=1&sid=2000#0
  25. ^ a b http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/1790-World-of-Warcraft-Cataclysm-Press-Tour

External links