World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

One of the biggest stories known spanning tens of thousands of years receives a glorious expansion of both gameplay and lore, featuring one of the dragon aspects, Deathwing, and his revenge on the mortal races of Azeroth! With several upgrades on all aspects of gameplay, and a severe stretch of lore revitalising and creating the real term of 'Warcraft'!

No More Old World

Due to the damage brought out since Deathwings release of the earthen realm, the world itself has been breaking apart. The whole world has gone through 10 years since your travels on Draenor and has changed entirely. Featuring huge and exciting questlines throughout the zones that follow fluently to improve your learning experience and understanding of the story, you will benefit greatly from the new balancing done in it all. However, it has also become much more dangerous, with lava, tornadoes and floods spreading across the face of the planet like a contagion, it will reveal more than that was previously known.

A New Secondary Profession

The Digsites

Archaelogy, searching for new artifacts in which will benefit you on your travels in one way or another, will prove useful in learning the secrets of the passed. First, there will be 4 digsites per continent, specific to each character (in which level will play a factor). If you are level 20, the digsites will only be in those level areas and below, however if you are a level 85 in the Eastern Kingdoms, you can have digsites spread out throughout the continent.

Finding the Fragments

You will go to these digsites, and to find the fragments you will need to survey the area.

Once the area has been surveyed, a telescope will aim to the location of the fragment, and a light green, yellow, or red will signal how close you are to the fragment. Once you get close enough the fragment will appear and you will be able to loot it, containing roughly 3 pieces necessary to achieve your project. You can only loot 3 fragments per digsite and then it will be exhausted, these are specific to each player so there is no worry about artifact stealing.

After you've exhausted the area a new one on the same continent will show up, allowing you to travel there (or to one of the other three previously located) and dig there for fragments.

Types of Fragments

There isn't just one type of fragment, there are 12 races in which each fragment is related to, known ones are Night Elf, Troll, and Fossil (supposedly Forsaken), all of them are suspected to be the 12 playable races in World of Warcraft.

However, you cannot piece together Night Elf ruins with Forsaken rubble, you will need a specific project for each race.

Projects

You will have projects for each race found, each one requiring different fragments than the other (and a different number, possibly). At first, these projects will turn out with grey, sellable items which provide little value. As you slowly progress you will find unique rare items, mounts, pets and the unusual Bind on Account Item transferable among your other characters which may prove useful in their leveling. Archaelogy is aimed at finding new locations, finding out new lore (and helping establish more social aspects of 'alien' cultures) and the benefits of such a find.

New Talent Trees

Now, the talent trees have reverted back into 31-point talent trees, however, you will only be allowed forty-one talents in total to compensate for what first seems to be this 'loss'.

Bigger Talents

Whilst you don't have as much numbers, each talent will become significantly more useful, with the first and second tier talents featuring more hybrid use due to the limits on hybrid Talent Trees.

Locked In

You are only permitted the first talent tree you choose at level ten, until you spend thirty-one talent points into it you cannot spend any into the other two trees until (currently) level seventy-one, in which you are enabled to put one extra talent point into either of the three trees. You are only allowed forty-one talents in the end, however, amounting to ten spare talents for either tree (in which only the first and second tier of any other tree will be reachable). However, due to the shortage of the talent trees, there is less space for more 'signature' spells.

Level Ten Benefits

You are given very powerful talents and spells after picking your talent tree at level ten, usually signature spells accumulated later in the game, are now trimmed down to acceptable numbers and level with you as you level. As does every other spell you achieve.

Spells Level With You Automatically

Spells originally had to be bought, and higher ranks of them had to be bought as well. In Cataclysm, they will automatically level with you on your travels as you level up, saving money, time, and only letting the unachieved spells be bought next at varying levels. However Talents are not the only way to enhance these spells in various ways.

New Glyph Overhaul

The Glyph systems have been overhauled, instead of only two glyph types (major and minor), there are three, with more precise intentions for each one.

Major

Major Glyphs will give a definate damage, heal or threat boost depending on the role, and are usually obvious in which is better.

Medium

Medium Glyphs are more utility for combat, that will help in certain situations, enabling more skilled players to pull off more sinister tricks that cannot be as easily countered.

Minor

Nearly always outside-combat utility or just plain cosmetic, these Minor Glyphs are supposed to be for fun and messing around.

No More Rebuying the Same Ones

Each Glyph will be shown on the Glyph Interface Panel, obtained or not, the ones that have been obtained will not be greyed out, and can be activated at will (as long as you are not in combat). This means you will not need to keep purchasing the identical glyph for the same use each fight, and also stops the restrictions of optimal glyphing for each encounter.

However this will take out the majority of the economy of Scribes as their main income was from selling Glyphs on the Auction House  for potentially the same customers.

Class Changes

Not all classes have been changed equally, some have been tweaked and balanced to allow significant fluidity with some underused mechanics or for simply lore reasons.

Warlock Soul Shard Mechanics

The Warlocks old system mechanic had Soul Shards used as a secondary resource to generate stones that increase damage (or boost Health), summon demonic minions that assist the caster in combat, or casting specific spells. The new version has only one spell reliant on the Soul Shards that will regenerate out of combat very quickly, however there may also be a spell that allows quick rejuvenation of the resource in return for a lack of damage done.

The new spell is Soul Burn, which burns a soul and puts it on thirty second cooldown, which essentially enhances a variety of spells:

Searing Pain - The next three will land a critical strike.

Summoning Demons - Any summoning of minions will be instant.

Soul Fire - Instant Cast.

For example.

Hunter Focus Change

Hunter's before had mana, a resource that would be burned off and mostly regenerated outside of combat, but there are ways to get it inside combat. Now, Hunters use Focus, which has a fixed amount of one hundred maximum focus, regenerating roughly six per second, with steady shot (and other varieties of that shot) regenerating twelve. Shots costs are determined by amount of use and usefulness in combat, this mechanic allows incredible sustainability and thus survival.

Blood Talent Tree for Death Knights
Is now the only acceptable tree for tanking in Cataclysm. Featuring health regeneration and damage absorbtion effects to allow sustainability to rise when solo'ing and less pressure on any healer, it will simplify the class and stop unnecessary sophistication with the hybrid talent trees.

New Zones

New zones have been released following the Cataclysm, introducing new factions, changing stances of old factions and increasing lore significantly.

Uldum

Originally under stealth by the Titans, the Cataclysm has damaged the cloaking device and thus revealed the location of this marvelous zone. Inhabited by the Tol'vir - stone cat-like people created by the titans, a war and exhibition takes place between traitorous Tol'vir and the good ones. Exploring new Egyptian, Persian and Arabian architecture (with the towers floating high above ground over Uldum) you will find out many new things.

Deepholm

Flying through the Maelstrom to reach this shattered place, you will need to find out the cause of the Horde battleship being shot down, retrieving the broken fragments of the World Pillar (which is what keeps the world up), and exploring a completely unique zone, there will be a lot to uncover from this place.

Mt. Hyjal

Hyjal, the place where thousands of Wisps detonated themselves in order to eliminate Archimonde from siphoning from the World Tree, Nordrassil, is reintroduced in Cataclysm where the Guardians of Hyjal and yourself defend the reborn tree against the regained forces of Ragnaros the Fire Lord and the Twilight Cult, you will shut down three portals of the Twilight, infiltrate one of them and fight alongside Malfurion Stormrage against Ragnaros.

Tol Barad

Tol Barad is a blend between Wintergrasp and Quel'Thelas zones, in which it is a quest hub outside of PvP combat but still features large-scale battle between the Alliance and Horde. Originally a prison in the Second War, now abandoned but fortified ruins, the heroes of the two factions will clash with eachother to establish a foothold within this strategic island.

Twilight Highlands

The Twilight Highlands base of operations, originally known as the Highlands, however the name of the faction that owns it primarily is also included in the name. Wildhammer and Dragonmaw clans have sided with Alliance and Horde forces, respectively, to fight against the Black Dragonflight and Twilight Cult in order to break through and defeat the enemy at their own attack site, fighting against new enemies with new tactics and armor to penetrate and adapt to, you will find yourself overwhelmed by the awesomeness inspired by these lovely zones.

Vash'jir

The sunken city of Vash'jir is one of the largest zones out there and is completely underwater! Not only is there three-dimensional combat but you must show awareness of your surroundings as Whale Sharks can patrol the area randomly, which are effectively death warrants as they hit for about one million damage! (The average Health currently in the Cataclysm Beta is 50,000) It will be great discovering the vast wonders here as the beautiful zone takes the game to a completely new level!

Huge Gear Reset

A huge gear reset means that some of the most powerful gear in the latest expansion is nearly obsolete by questing green items, providing substantial bonuses to all statistics for some people, but also causing dissent from other raiders whom will be saddened to see their most unique gear utterly wiped out by the new statistic Mastery and its Gear.

Mastery and Adapted Statistics

Mastery, a new stat, increases your effectiveness in your talent tree in a variety of ways, dependant of each one, will help each class differently by both choice of specialization and the difference in specializations themselves.

Stamina

Due to the simplified statistics, Stamina now has a larger gap to clear and now evens out Health between Cloth wearers and Plate tanks, the tanking aspect coming from defense and crit immunity via talents.

Intellect

Now counting as both Spell Power and your mana count on armor, you will be able to store huge amounts of mana as each spell cast has a larger punch.

Spirit

Now only used by healers, this will allow regeneration of mana and thus sustainability in combat as even large amounts of mana will not let it last for too long.

Spell Power

Only persistant on weapons now, to slightly even out the amount of Mana to how hard a spell would hit, large to huge amounts of Spell Power can be stored on a weapon.

Attack Power

The same as Spell Power, except for mail / leather wears you gain two Attack Power for every one Agility, but for plate wearers, you gain two Attack Power for every one Strength.

Strength and Agility

Mostly the same as Intellect, depending on the class using it. Agility will work for leather and mail wearers for maximum efficiency on Attack Power however plater wearers will benefit most from Strength.

Harder Difficulty

Throughout the expansion of Wrath of the Lich King, displease and anger has arisen from more veteran members of the Warcraft Community, believing the general difficulty in the game has settled much lower and has allowed the game to be completed much easier. In Cataclysm it has significantly reverted back into a harder difficulty in comparison.

Crowd Control

Crowd Control, used to literally control enemy units and thus stop them from essentially killing you is nearly definately required in this expansion as enemy healers or special units will make it too difficult to kill others, thus stopping the damage output, keeping the damage input, and slowly killing the party.

Not as Much Area of Effect

Area of Effect spells were largely used in Wrath of the Lich King, spreading over the pack of enemies and quickly killing them, this is not the case in Cataclysm as enemy units will be special, and may be able to sustain from that damage. Yet crippling that enemy may be possible to open up this strategy.

Cinematic Usage

Cinematics are being used much more in Cataclysm, be it in Dungeons or question, this allows more movie-like scenes to take place and better presentation of gimmicks and tricks. This can also be used to tell you what you may need to do in order to progress further, or simply story telling. For example:

Throne of Tides

Showing the entrances opening up, telling you to progress into either one of the two of them.

Gilneas Starting Zone

After managing to toss a barrel onto a lumbering zombie abomination, the Prince of Gilneas (a fantastic marksman) shoots the barrel and effectively decapitates the blind combatant.

New Races

New races are introduced, one for each faction, this allows wider range of customization and some racials may prove useful to some people and classes:

Worgen

Essentially Werewolves, these transformed monstrosities have learned to control their inner nature and harness the fighting potential of this form. Allowing a short-term sprint, and better skinning abilities, these Worgen characters may prove useful for money making professions or a class that requires some extra mobility. Alliance only.

Goblins

Goblins, bomb-loving engineers of Kezan, have developed a natural ability to create chemicals and twist the rules of magic and (dyna-)might to create their own tools of profit and destruction. Receiving some of the best deals anywhere, an Alchemy upgrade, rocket boots and even a servant banker, these will be excellent for Banking Alternative Characters (used to store gathered items into the bank). Horde only.

These characters will be welcomed into their respective factions and thus may prove useful to new and old guilds planned in the Cataclysm.

Guild Changes

Guild mechanics will make everything easier for the people in them and will come with significant benefit the better you guild is.

Guild Levels

Your Guild will now level up as your loyal members play Battlegrounds, create Raids or simply questing will accumulate to your guild experience and your own personal reputation.

Guild Reputation

Guild Reputation, specific to each character will be the allowance of what you can buy from Guild Vendors, however it isn't just reputation you, yourself require, it is also cooperation amongst your closest allies.

Achievements Unlock Rewards

As you achieve Guild Achievements you will slowly assemble an effective Arsenal of utility items and consumables which will further buff your gellow members in gathering even more awards. Guild Achievements will require the achievment being completed with the majority of the people whom participated must be guild members, so you cannot slip past at all. Specific rewards need specific achievements. For example:

Alliance Guild Lion

A lion mount showing your prestigious level after unlocking the Guild Achievement - Guild level 25 (currently the maximum level for guilds), with tabards on its sides and war armor to accompany you into the battle.

Horde Guild Scorpion

A scorpion mount earned through the same method and achievement as the lion, with heavy carapace defenses and exceptional speed, a battle charge of these poisonous animals will leave a sting on whomever is in your way.

Graphics

Enhanced graphics will increase immersion amongst World of Warcraft fans:

More Realistic Water Images

Water looks much more slick and real as it sifts through sand like real waves without looking hard.

Sunbeam Effects

Your character (or any object, for that matter) will now provide sunbeams when blocking light in the right angle, allowing much more brilliant presentation of Machinima's and incredile immersion as you travel.

Summary

Cataclysm seems to be going in the right direction, tightening tensions between the two player factions and seriously lowering the margin for error in Player vs Enviroment situations, it seems to go back to its roots of World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade. If you are a World of Warcraft player this is obviously a must have and possibly one of the greatest expansions ever!