The latest build of the Cataclysm beta opened Deepholm, Azeroth's elemental plane of earth, for questing and leveling. Understandably, the big question on everybody's mind was "how exactly do we get there?" It's underground, after all, in another dimension.
Well, as it turns out, it involves a certain orc shaman, a particularly large whirlpool, and a very brave flying mount. Check out the incredibly epic entry into Deepholm in our video after the break, and then try to imagine how anything else in the expansion can top that flight -- or that zone.
It is true that WoW is not done in bleeding-edge graphics for the game but there are a number of great reasons why they are not doing so, and here are three of the main ones:
1) The game is an MMO and in order to support the thousands of items, locations, monsters, players, spells, and anything else, graphics will take a hit (unless, of course, you don't want your game to be very playable). It IS true that there are other MMO's that use better graphics, but it will be a while before you see them on-par with most single player games (unless it is an MMO that instances all of the content).
2) The system requirements for WoW are very accessable for most people. This vastly widens their potential player base.
3) Warcraft has always used a stylized art design. This works amazingly well for WoW because as it ages, it still looks great (not to say that Blizz hasn't improved on it... this very blog entry is proof of that). Most of the other MMO's that try to be "realistic" end up looking like crap a couple years later when compared to up-and-comming games. WoW doesn't really suffer from that problem since it has always had more of a cartoonish look to it.
And honestly, the water graphics and effects are pretty freaken impressive for this game, i could care less if the game looked like it was released 3 days ago but improved lighting and water models they're using are really refreshing
I haven't cared much about watching spoilers for Cataclysm, but as I started watching this video and the pure epicness of it made me shut it off. I think from this point forward I'm going to *attempt* to wait. I'd like to have part of the new expansion be new. I've taken the summer off from WoW and all the new Cataclysm stuff is making me really antsy to play!
Ummmm....he wasn't being sarcastic. If you read his first post, he said that he was going to try to avoid future spoilers....the second post was him seriously thanking the site for making it EASY for him with the big spoilery graphic.
Not everyone is a troll that needs to be put down....
Now, I was lead to believe that the center of the Maelstrom was where the actual Well of Eternity was. Was I mislead, or is there some kind of explanation behind the fact that Deepholm and Azeroth are apparently connected there?
It was where the Well of Eternity WAS before it went boom because Sargeras passed his head through a portal there. That guys is so clumsy...And, it connected there because that's the middle of the world, where the World Pillar shoulders the weight of the world. And that's where Deathwing decided to pop out through.
For those that not have this classical knowledge - Atlas was, in old Greek mythology, one of the Titans banished by the gods of the Pantheon when they took the rule of the world. Atlas was banished to maintain the weight of the the World on his own shoulders.
On topic - it does make it very very confusing of what The Maelstrom is :/ As far as I know, it's the eye of a brutally massive storm that is powered by magical forces more "raw/primal" that arcane or possibly even mana. Down there, there is some sort of a crack in earth, and it should also house the renments of the Well, making it a very powerfull magical point -between worlds,realms,dimensions- .
Well, by that logic, one could think that Deathwing exactly used those rifts and the "weight-centric" point of Deepholme as the point trough which to escape into Azeroth. He was the Earthwarden, so he did have the knowledge for it.
Actually Atlas wasn't charged with lifting the Earth but with lifting the heavens from the Earth's floor. Unfortunately statues throughout History depicted him with the Earth on his back and so the popular misconception has arisen.
Jul 15th 2010 at 5:00PM 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
(cutaia) Jul 15th 2010 5:04PM
Saw this earlier today. It's so very, very awesome.
brown3560 Jul 15th 2010 6:40PM
Awesome?? It's a continuation of lousy game engine graphics put out by Bizzard......
Faith Trust Jul 15th 2010 6:40PM
Also 34900 xp!!!
Socialcockroach Jul 15th 2010 11:24PM
@Brown3560
It is true that WoW is not done in bleeding-edge graphics for the game but there are a number of great reasons why they are not doing so, and here are three of the main ones:
1) The game is an MMO and in order to support the thousands of items, locations, monsters, players, spells, and anything else, graphics will take a hit (unless, of course, you don't want your game to be very playable). It IS true that there are other MMO's that use better graphics, but it will be a while before you see them on-par with most single player games (unless it is an MMO that instances all of the content).
2) The system requirements for WoW are very accessable for most people. This vastly widens their potential player base.
3) Warcraft has always used a stylized art design. This works amazingly well for WoW because as it ages, it still looks great (not to say that Blizz hasn't improved on it... this very blog entry is proof of that). Most of the other MMO's that try to be "realistic" end up looking like crap a couple years later when compared to up-and-comming games. WoW doesn't really suffer from that problem since it has always had more of a cartoonish look to it.
Fallen Jul 16th 2010 12:45AM
And honestly, the water graphics and effects are pretty freaken impressive for this game, i could care less if the game looked like it was released 3 days ago but improved lighting and water models they're using are really refreshing
Johnny Jul 15th 2010 5:06PM
That poor, poor gryphon.
Mr.X Jul 15th 2010 7:20PM
Any Idea how the Gryphoon is flying Under Water?!
Craig R Jul 15th 2010 9:55PM
magic.
lots of magic.
Tamednan Jul 15th 2010 5:12PM
I haven't cared much about watching spoilers for Cataclysm, but as I started watching this video and the pure epicness of it made me shut it off. I think from this point forward I'm going to *attempt* to wait. I'd like to have part of the new expansion be new. I've taken the summer off from WoW and all the new Cataclysm stuff is making me really antsy to play!
Tamednan Jul 15th 2010 5:13PM
Also, big thanks to WoW.com staff for throwing a HUGE spoiler alert on your spoilrific posts so I'll know which ones to avoid.
Scooter Jul 15th 2010 5:37PM
The title says Cataclysm....its all spoilers. Big image is fancy though.
Joseph Smith Jul 16th 2010 10:41AM
Ummmm....he wasn't being sarcastic. If you read his first post, he said that he was going to try to avoid future spoilers....the second post was him seriously thanking the site for making it EASY for him with the big spoilery graphic.
Not everyone is a troll that needs to be put down....
Noralith Jul 15th 2010 5:13PM
Now, I was lead to believe that the center of the Maelstrom was where the actual Well of Eternity was. Was I mislead, or is there some kind of explanation behind the fact that Deepholm and Azeroth are apparently connected there?
Enor Jul 15th 2010 5:16PM
It was where the Well of Eternity WAS before it went boom because Sargeras passed his head through a portal there. That guys is so clumsy...And, it connected there because that's the middle of the world, where the World Pillar shoulders the weight of the world. And that's where Deathwing decided to pop out through.
Noralith Jul 15th 2010 5:25PM
See, this is what I thought, I just need confirmation. Thanks!
Thorzon Jul 15th 2010 6:24PM
@Enor
If that's the case, there better be an NPC names "Atlas" in Deepolme at the World Pillar. :P
Sithril Jul 15th 2010 7:27PM
For those that not have this classical knowledge - Atlas was, in old Greek mythology, one of the Titans banished by the gods of the Pantheon when they took the rule of the world. Atlas was banished to maintain the weight of the the World on his own shoulders.
On topic - it does make it very very confusing of what The Maelstrom is :/ As far as I know, it's the eye of a brutally massive storm that is powered by magical forces more "raw/primal" that arcane or possibly even mana. Down there, there is some sort of a crack in earth, and it should also house the renments of the Well, making it a very powerfull magical point -between worlds,realms,dimensions- .
Well, by that logic, one could think that Deathwing exactly used those rifts and the "weight-centric" point of Deepholme as the point trough which to escape into Azeroth. He was the Earthwarden, so he did have the knowledge for it.
Docp Jul 15th 2010 9:54PM
Actually Atlas wasn't charged with lifting the Earth but with lifting the heavens from the Earth's floor. Unfortunately statues throughout History depicted him with the Earth on his back and so the popular misconception has arisen.
Greek myth nerd away!
Rmschoir Jul 15th 2010 10:06PM
@Thorzon
/shrug
zdave Jul 16th 2010 12:17AM
world pillar = dark tower.
stephen king reference? anybody?