Massive Nerd

So, 3.3 and Icecrown Citadel is currently on the Test Realm. It will likely see live by Christmas.

Cataclysm will definitely be out at some point next year. With Starcraft 2 slotted in the Spring, it's highly unlikely we'll see it in the first half of the year.

I've been told Blizzard says they want Cataclysm out before next year's Blizzcon. They seem to be rather far along in the development, based upon what they showed at this past Blizzcon. That said, with Blizzard, I'll believe it when I see it. Theoretically, they also expect to have Diablo 3 out this year.

However, let's ASSUME Cataclysm will be out by this summer. Let's give it until July, which is eight months away.

Blizzard has said that Icecrown Citadel is the end of the Wrath of the Lich King storyline. Where does that leave the game over the next eight months? Blizzard obviously can't go that long without updating the game. The community would riot.

I'm sure November/December WILL mark the end of Wrath. I doubt we'll see a Sunwell-style extension of the story. It's kind of hard to top taking down freaking Arthas. Who's to say, though, that February/March won't mark the beginning of Cataclysm?

Whether it's 3.4 or even 4.0, I'd say the odds are good that we'll see the start of the Cataclysm story well before we even think of the expansion. There are two things that make this theory strong in my book.

First, the Chamber of the Aspects in Dragonblight. Thus far, only one of the five wings, The Obsidian Sanctum, has been utilized. Since Deathwing is the central character thus far in Cataclysm, it would stand to reason that the other Dragonflights would be part of the build-up. How? I have several theories, perhaps to be explored in a future post, but those portals are down there for a reason.

Second, there's the sheer scope of the Cataclysm itself. The event will change the entire game world of Azeroth and Kalimdor, in addition to the new zones being added in the expansion. Since Blizzard has said they want players both with and without the expansion to experience the Cataclysm. This will require a MASSIVE overhaul of the game files, all through patching. Unless Blizzard wants to release a single GIGANTIC patch, I would hope they'll do it in a series of smaller patches, slowly changing the game world along the way, as the Cataclysm progresses. Each level of change will have accompanying story elements. Perhaps it will evn be possible to level a Dwarf Shaman through the newly-redesigned zones BEFORE the expansion even launches.

This would be a brilliant move on Blizzard's part. Players like myself, who are currently inactive in the game, waiting for Cataclysm, will be more likely to renew their accounts sooner than expected. As we all know, Blizzard likes money.

Alright, so Blizzcon was this past weekend. I've slogged through all the videos, articles, blogs and tweets. So, here's my thoughts on the show.

Big thanks to WoW.com, MMO Champion, Twisted Nether and all the Twitter bloggers out there for the info!

Starcraft II

Not much shown here. There's been a deluge of media over the past few weeks. However, I must say that the level builder is impressive. I'll probably never use it, but the sheer quantity customization options is amazing.

Diablo III

I'm SO playing a Monk.

'Nuff said.

Cataclysm

Yup, looks like MMO Champion was pretty much on the money.

I must admit, it seems like Blizzard is addressing many of the issues I have with the current game, foremost the complete destruction of the leveling experience. It's almost as if the read my letter.

The lore behind the expansion looks like fun. Deathwing is more badass than many give him credit for. Forget the Horde, forget the Scourge, forget the Old Gods. Hell, forget the Burning Legion. Deathwing could be the biggest threat Azeroth has ever seen.

Races: I'm still a bit iffy on the Goblins. However, the more I look into it, the more I like the Worgen.

Classes: For the most part, I fully support the class additions. The only ones I have problems with are Night Elf Mage and Dwarf Shaman. Perhaps a little more lore investigation will help.

Azeroth: At first I thought remodeling Azeroth was pretty stupid. Now that I know it's a total do-over for level 1-85 content, I'm a little more interested.

Flying: I actually hate flying, but that's a post of its own.

Archaeology: I love this. It's implementation, as well as the Path of the Titans seems like a very nifty addition. Also, I'm glad they decided not to introduce another full profession. Things are a bit crowded as it is. I could have lived without Inscription.

Mastery: This could very well be my favorite change. Talents will become interesting again!

Stat Simplification: Yes, please. Stats are getting out of hand. I don't want 6,000 Spellpower. Reforging seems cool, but I wonder about it's limitations. If they let players do too much, it could be annoying.

Guild Leveling: Sure, why not? Not really a huge deal for me.

Classes: Hunters get Focus back, yay. (I believe that was an old Alpha/Beta mechanic) I'm a bit disappointed that the "big" change to Soul Shards is a reworking of the Death Knight Rune system.

I'm sure I missed a point or two, but that's the bulk of it.

I have to say. A few months back, I was very disillusioned with WoW. However, it's nice to see the game moving back in (what I feel is) the right direction.

Okay, Bliz, I'll give it to you.

Okay, I'm sure you know that MMO Champion blew the lid off the next WoW expansion.

Of course, the internet has been exploding. Many question the reliability of the information. While I'm not willing to accept it for fact, I will say that I cannot remember the last time that MMO Champion has been wrong about something like this.

That being said, I will not be commenting on this until there's official word from Blizzard. You guys should know by now that's how I roll.

Instead, here's a thing!



Calm down, nerds.

If you haven't seen The Guild, you should. It's frakking hilarious.

Put on your foil hats, kids. Think of me as Mel Gibson, only better-looking.

A couple weeks ago, Blizzard trademarked the term "Cataclysm." Of course, the most likely explanation is this will be the next World of Warcraft expansion.

But why Cataclysm?

The term PROBABLY refers to the Great Sundering, which split ancient Kalimdor in two, creating the two continents WoW players know. However, in my experience, the ACTUAL term "Cataclysm" is never used in the lore. The only source WoW Wiki cites that uses that exact term is the World of Warcraft RPG game. While the RPG lore is canon, that's a long way to go for the title of a major expansion. There are several other terms that would make a better title and are closer to the central lore.

Okay, so WHY Cataclysm?

Here's where things get a little tricky.

The Cataclysm happens to be the term used to describe the central event in the lore of Aion.

What better way to steal the thunder of a serious competitor than to announce your own game, using THEIR word, a month before it comes out?

Wait. A serious competitor? WoW has what? 10, 12 million subscribers?

Not so, friends. Read This article by Tobold. For the "tl;dr" crowd: WoW is TECHNICALLY down to 5 million subscribers.

Last I checked, Aion was sitting pretty at 3.5 million, even before its Western release.

I'd call that serious competition.

Now, a Chinese subscriber, a significant portion of Aion's number and currently NONE of WoW's, is completely different from an American or European subscriber. Tobold explains it much better than I could, so I won't go into the details. However, in this industry, it's all about PERCEPTION. If NCSoft can claim that they have equaled WoW in subscribers, and they possibly could in time, that would be a huge blow to Blizzard. True, WoW may be making more money than Aion with a similar amount of subscribers, but how many members of the press are actually bothered with things like facts?