WoW: Cataclsym, Alpha Leaks.

[ScytheRexx]

So today is the day, the Alpha has been going since the beginning of this week and the floodgates have been opened. We are getting out first glimpses of all the zone changes, and so far it looks like Cataclysm is going to be a very exciting time for WoW players.

Orgrimmar has been given a massive makeover. Garrosh actually did something right for once.

http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2010/may/catazones/orgrimmar_05.jpg

Goblin's have crafted Azshara into the Horde symbol, and they even have a golf resort and massive canon in the bay. Azshara is officially the goblin's bitch.

http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2010/may/catazones/azshara_16.jpg

The mirage raceway is now a barge with boat races.

http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2010/may/catazones/1kneedles_09.jpg

Those are just some of the changes. Gadgetzan is now seaside property, the Western Plaguelands is now a combat zone between the Alliance and the Forsaken, Brill has been redone in the new Forsaken building style, and Stormwind lost the Park District to a possible dragon attack.

Onyxia is even coming back as a cyborg zombie dragon after Deathwing stitches her head back on her shoulders. Guess you can't keep a dragon down. Also leaks indicate that the Lich King Bolvar may help during the Ragnaros fight. So much stuff happening, can't wait to give it a go.

For all the images, you can visit http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.php

 

[sixpackshaker]

I can't wait to Raid the hell out of that Golf course.

---------- Post added at 08:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:14 PM ----------

It also looks like there is a mild upgrade in the graphics.

I hope so, the game needs a bit more polish.

 

[Dave]

God damn it! I fucking LOVE Azshara! Part of the reason is its isolation and the low traffic rates. They totally ruined my favorite zone in the whole game.

 

[Dei]

I will not miss Azshara, at all. (Burn in hell Aqual Quintessence)

 

[Dave]

It's really the best place to get netherweave cloth. I know you can in Feralas, too, but the drops are better in Azshara. Add in the mining nodes and herb sites and it's far and away the best gathering site in the old world. But nobody goes there so you dodge monsters, not hundreds of ganking assholes.

 

[CynicismKills]

I'm hoping the changed zones and additional vistas/mechanic changes will make the game fun again. I haven't played in about 2-3 weeks and I've really got no desire to at the moment.

The pics are looking very cool, though, I think if it pulls me back in I'm going to start fresh as a Horde Hunter of some sort.

 

[sixpackshaker]

It's really the best place to get netherweave cloth. I know you can in Feralas, too, but the drops are better in Azshara. Add in the mining nodes and herb sites and it's far and away the best gathering site in the old world. But nobody goes there so you dodge monsters, not hundreds of ganking assholes.

It was my mining/farming zone back in the vanilla days. But golden pearls are not worth as much now.

 

[ScytheRexx]

It's really the best place to get netherweave cloth. I know you can in Feralas, too, but the drops are better in Azshara. Add in the mining nodes and herb sites and it's far and away the best gathering site in the old world. But nobody goes there so you dodge monsters, not hundreds of ganking assholes.

I think you mean Runecloth, you can only get Netherweave in Outland.

Azshara was a nice zone if you went there just to visit, but the design made it horrible for questing. That was the reason few people ever visited it, because of the horrible design, long distances of travel, and low amount of quests. While I will be sad to see it change so drastically, it really did need something to happen to it. In the end very few zones are surviving the Cataclysm unchanged. Even zones I thought were going to be mostly safe, like Badlands, Un'Goro, and Loch Modan, saw drastic changes to the landscape.

 

[Dei]

Honestly, I'm not terribly sad that vanilla is changing alot. After leveling an alt through it again recently, I can honestly say that I can't wait for vanilla quest set up to be more like BC and beyond.

 

[Chibibar]

It's really the best place to get netherweave cloth. I know you can in Feralas, too, but the drops are better in Azshara. Add in the mining nodes and herb sites and it's far and away the best gathering site in the old world. But nobody goes there so you dodge monsters, not hundreds of ganking assholes.

I think you mean Runecloth, you can only get Netherweave in Outland.

Azshara was a nice zone if you went there just to visit, but the design made it horrible for questing. That was the reason few people ever visited it, because of the horrible design, long distances of travel, and low amount of quests. While I will be sad to see it change so drastically, it really did need something to happen to it. In the end very few zones are surviving the Cataclysm unchanged. Even zones I thought were going to be mostly safe, like Badlands, Un'Goro, and Loch Modan, saw drastic changes to the landscape.[/QUOTE]

That is kinda cool. I guess they change most of it for "replay" game wise (and story wise) since vet players will want to level in the "new" old zone to see what is new especially if there are achievements associate with it.

 

[Piotyr]

It's really the best place to get netherweave cloth. I know you can in Feralas, too, but the drops are better in Azshara. Add in the mining nodes and herb sites and it's far and away the best gathering site in the old world. But nobody goes there so you dodge monsters, not hundreds of ganking assholes.

I think you mean Runecloth, you can only get Netherweave in Outland.

Azshara was a nice zone if you went there just to visit, but the design made it horrible for questing. That was the reason few people ever visited it, because of the horrible design, long distances of travel, and low amount of quests. While I will be sad to see it change so drastically, it really did need something to happen to it. In the end very few zones are surviving the Cataclysm unchanged. Even zones I thought were going to be mostly safe, like Badlands, Un'Goro, and Loch Modan, saw drastic changes to the landscape.[/QUOTE]

I noticed Feralas, Dustwallow and Ashenvale look pretty similar in terms of overhead map. Although Feralas and Dustwallow had a ton of work done on them over the course of the game already.

 

[Dave]

You're right. Not Netherweave. Felcloth.

 

[Piotyr]

You're right. Not Netherweave. Felcloth.

Oh god, the tailoring flashbacks kicked in.

 

[ScytheRexx]

I noticed Feralas, Dustwallow and Ashenvale look pretty similar in terms of overhead map. Although Feralas and Dustwallow had a ton of work done on them over the course of the game already.

While that is true in some cases, look closely. Ashenvale has sprouted a volcano, and the Horde have expanded through nearly the whole zone. That means a lot less trees are going to be around and the zone will have a drastic new look. Feralas lost a whole island, the Isle of Dread, and Feathermoon is now a ruin, with the Night Elves moving to the coastline and forming a rather large fortress. Dustwallow you are right, it seems pretty much unchanged, but I am very happy about that bridge they added to Theramore from the middle.

One thing I noticed so far about this expansion is how much the Horde have expanded. They went from being the underdogs to being the dominate force in nearly every zone. Now the Alliance seem like the underdogs, which is throwing me upside down. :wtf:

You're right. Not Netherweave. Felcloth.

Thankfully I never did Tailoring in vanilla. I started tailoring in BC when I was leveling my mage, and never finished leveling it till I made her a more dominate alt and got her to 80 in WOTLK. Funny now that I have a total of three tailors for the double cloth procs.

 

[CynicismKills]

Dustwallow looks a bit easier to traverse, like the water might have risen and shrunk the rather over-bloated zone a little. I'm excited to see Stonetalon totally reworked, as it was really one of the only zones I would never bother with since it was totally linear in design and the quests were rather spread out. Also, the new Desolace is shaping up nicely.

As far as new zones, Deepholme is gorgeous and I'm really curious to see how the underwater areas play out.

So far, I'm liking the changes to the Horde side of things moreso than the Alliance. I think I might give a Horde character a serious try, though wether it will be a Goblin is up for debate still. Female Orc Hunters are pretty badass looking, as are Male Trolls...