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by Basil Berntsen 
Feb 23rd 2010 at 4:50PM
The patch 3.3.3 PTR has a bunch of cool pre-Cataclysm content added to it that was datamined by MMO-Champion. Massive spoiler alert, so don't click on that link or follow us after the break if you want to avoid spoilers!
We covered some of the achievements and abilities being added before, but the latest update has a bunch of new information in it. Specifically, there are a whole whack of quests being added that relate to the Alliance retaking of Gnomeregan and the Horde retaking of Echo Isles! Also, both Alliance and Horde will be able to do a Twilight's Hammer cult quest line. Click through for an exhaustive list. Also to note: they traced out where the new flight paths for these events will take you. Here's the Alliance map, and here's the Horde map.
It looks like the Alliance are going to get to:
- Drop complex radiation detection equipment from a flying mount
- Learn to use Mechano-Tanks
- Retake the surface of Gnomeregan
- Launch eavesdropping frog spies from a flying mount
- Enlist the help of some sort of super-tiger
- Retake Echo Isles
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
Jamesisgreat Feb 23rd 2010 5:55PM
Maybe they will end up being the starting zones for gnomes and trolls, but first we have to retake them. What I imagine is a series of lvl 80ish daily quests that slowly change the area (like Isle of Q). That will keep us busy until Cataclysm. If, after we've completed retaking them and Cataclysm is released, that area is a new starting zone then Blizzard will have killed two birds with one stone.
Additionally, its kind of a good idea - who goes back to Isle of Q nowdays anyway? At least this way the zones will still get some use by low lvl characters.
Artificial Feb 24th 2010 7:15AM
@(cutaia): Luckily Blizzard knows a lot more than you about designing MMOs. That sort of first-impression stuff makes a big difference to new player retention. And I wouldn't say I felt angry, but yes, starting my first gnome and my first troll, it was kinda obvious that the new player experience for those races is sorta half-baked. Start a new night elf, or a new forsaken, and you're immediately immersed in the lore of the race in question very well. Start a new gnome or troll and it's like, "here ya go, dumping into generic starting zone X, hardly matters to anyone what species you happen to be, kinda wondering why we even made you pick a race at this point aren't ya?"
(cutaia) Feb 24th 2010 12:21PM
"Luckily Blizzard knows a lot more than you about designing MMOs."
Just so you know for the future...acting like a dick at the start of all your counterpoints really doesn't help your case.
Nobody here is trying to claim they know everything about Blizzard's design plans (except for you maybe).
Ashley Feb 23rd 2010 4:59PM
How exciting! Gnomeregan should be fun to explore. Can't wait to see what it has to offer! Cool gnome things prolly...Who doesn't like cool little gnome things? : D
benedikto Feb 23rd 2010 5:03PM
Blizzard has confirmed there will be no neutral cities in Cataclysm (Shat and Dal will still be there)
KJP Feb 23rd 2010 6:28PM
Neither Gnomeregan nor the Echo Isles would be a neutral city, so technically that would still be true regardless.
benedikto Feb 23rd 2010 6:38PM
sry meant to reply to Austin
Deathknighty Feb 23rd 2010 5:04PM
It's great that this is being posted so that everyone can find out, but I'm pretty sure this info has been widely available for days. Then again, I guess not everyone clicked the links you supplied to MMO-C where you can read up on all of this. ;)
Artificial Feb 23rd 2010 5:11PM
@Deathknighty: Um, yeah. When the New York Times publishes about a major news event, does the Washington Post, CNN, and every other news outlet forgo covering it because it's already been covered by the NYT?
The point of a news site is that it should report all relevant news it gets. You expect any news site to continue calling itself a news site while refusing to publish news it failed to get the scoop on itself? You realize that's kind of stupid, right?
(cutaia) Feb 23rd 2010 5:27PM
I clicked the link like you suggested and found myself looking at an MMO-champion posting dated "February 23, 2010, 07:52:23 am." That kind of seems like today.
If you're just talking about the retaking of Gnomeregan and Echo Isles (and not the additional information such as flight path maps, specific quest text, overcloaks, etc.), then I'm pretty sure that information was also posted on wow.com several days ago:
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/19/new-achievements-on-the-3-3-3-ptr-revealed/
Creese5704 Feb 23rd 2010 6:00PM
@(cutaia)
the post they made today on mmo champion, was an in-depth look at the quest line, showing all the quests for gnomer, troll, and the twilight dooms day event in game. They announced the data the day the patch went out, scroll down on the main page to see this as they posted about it the same night wow.com did.
(cutaia) Feb 23rd 2010 6:23PM
Creese,
Yeah...I know. That was pretty much my exact point.
Artificial Feb 23rd 2010 5:05PM
Does this mean Sin'jin is finally getting a flight master?! Yay!
Qot Feb 23rd 2010 5:05PM
"Quest - Da Perfect Spies
Objective - Capture 5 Sen'jin Frogs and attune them to Vanira's sight at her Sentry Totem."
They're finally buffing Sentry Totem!
Amathir Feb 23rd 2010 5:08PM
They're adding it because:
A) They want to please members of those races who are sad not to have a city anymore
B) Motivate the Gnomes to finally beat down those level 27 elite troggs
C) Help to capture more of the 1-10 crowd.
Currently there's a very large drop-off of players who don't get to level 10 (some of them farmers, maybe) and they want to continue increasing their player base, and therefore market share.
Also, "surface" does seem to indicate that we'll be able to go into Gnomer even after the gnomes get part of their city back.
Danterius Feb 23rd 2010 5:14PM
Curse you no edit button!
If they are developing Gnomeregan as a potential starting zone for Cata, then don't you think they might also reshuffle the Dun Morogh area via the coming cataclysm to create at least slightly separate starting zones for dwarfs and gnomes? It seems potentially likely to me.
0wn3d Feb 23rd 2010 5:40PM
The west most area of dun morough is like an empty valley or something, so it will need to be developed somehow, and it is possible that this could be a gnome area.
Coik Feb 23rd 2010 5:14PM
I'd put money down that the cat spirit ends up related to how the trolls get their groove back. Err, I mean, learn druidism.
Rowan Feb 23rd 2010 5:17PM
Oh snap.
1 point for you.
Mongra Feb 23rd 2010 5:15PM
Something important I feel people are missing here, the quest that is linked for alliance, Siege vehicles in Our own back yard. does that mean they might be changing some of the map mechanics so that siege vehicles doesn't get caught on debris and such? and not to mention the ejection system that is quoted, that means we could be floating down to safety from heights that are not safe to drop from, which may incline one to think that they would also change the map to prevent people from exploiting so as to get to unreachable places..... OR they are also going to drop a map update allowing flight in old world.
Mere speculation.