Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
Inside an old alt's vault
The latest patch 5.2 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBattle for Undercity removed in Cataclysm
by Matthew Rossi 
Aug 6th 2010 at 1:00PM
If you haven't done the extended series of quests in the Dragonblight that lead up to the Wrathgate cinematic yet, first off, I don't understand why. Get up there and do that. However (and more importantly), if you haven't done that quest line all the way to its satisfying, lore-filled conclusion, The Battle For The Undercity, by the time the pre-Cataclysm patch drops, you might not be able to.
In response to a forum thread started by Cedrickt on the beta forums, Valnorth stated that the Dragonblight quest line ends at the Wrathgate cinematic on the beta. As yet, there's no further information. We don't know if there's any intention to add in entirely new quests, but I expect not; trying to gibe Garrosh as Warchief with the events of Wrathgate (to which much of his policy toward Sylvanas is a direct response) would be very difficult indeed.
Go play it while you can. It's a lot of fun.
In response to a forum thread started by Cedrickt on the beta forums, Valnorth stated that the Dragonblight quest line ends at the Wrathgate cinematic on the beta. As yet, there's no further information. We don't know if there's any intention to add in entirely new quests, but I expect not; trying to gibe Garrosh as Warchief with the events of Wrathgate (to which much of his policy toward Sylvanas is a direct response) would be very difficult indeed.
Go play it while you can. It's a lot of fun.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From goblins and worgen to mastery and guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: News items, Lore, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Rezai Aug 6th 2010 1:24PM
Eek, as a member of the horde I have only experienced the horde side of the quest. I was going to wait and roll a worgen so I can play with my few alliance friends (though can you really call anyone who plays alliance a friend?), but now I might have to rethink since one thing I really wanted to do was this quest from the alliance perspective.
Sarsella Aug 6th 2010 1:24PM
OK, here's what I don't get (semi-off-topic, but semi-on as well, since it has to do with historical events in the lore): Can someone please explain to me how we are supposed to be leveling a toon in, say, Western (Plague)lands in Cataclysm, hanging out with a post-LK Tirion Fordring at Hearthglen, then when I reach the ripe-old age of 68, I travel to Northrend, where the LK is alive and well, and Tirion is still trying to stop him?
My head a splode.
Methuus Aug 6th 2010 1:32PM
Well, Blizzard has been asked that in the past and they basically said: yeah, levelling in Outland and Northrend won't make much sense, story wise, after the Cataclysm, but we don't have the resources to change everything. So you'll just have to do some extra-heavy suspension of disbelief and ignore the fractured storyline.
However, this news seems to run counter to that. So who knows what they plan now.
Sarsella Aug 6th 2010 1:36PM
What would be cool, and would make some sense to do, is to involve Chromie somehow and put all of LK-land in the Caverns of Time. Then when you reach 68, you do a quest chain that ends up sending you to past-northrend to keep history in balance.
(cutaia) Aug 6th 2010 1:52PM
"So you'll just have to do some extra-heavy suspension of disbelief and ignore the fractured storyline.
However, this news seems to run counter to that. So who knows what they plan now."
It's quite possible that the quest is being removed more for technical purposes than for lore reasons. If Undercity has changed, they'd have to make a whole new phased version and reset pathing of NPCs, etc, just to keep one (albeit really cool) quest intact. I'm guessing that's what inspires the change, and wouldn't assume much else will be changing in Outland and Northrend.
jishdefish Aug 6th 2010 2:26PM
@ (cutaia)
Wait... so you're saying it is likely UC's model will be updated next patch?
I say 'likely' because I doubt you can read the future, I just want to know if that's what you're implying.
Methuus Aug 6th 2010 2:38PM
Ah, very good point (cutaia). A technical problem probably is the most likely explanation.
Al Aug 6th 2010 3:44PM
He can't read the future, he's just very good at detecting these things.
Brett Porter Aug 6th 2010 1:46PM
Well I was hoping to be able to get any of my high level Horde characters high enough to do this quest on that side, but there's no way. I can't level that fast (plus don't wanna); at least I've done it on Alliance while it's still around.
Agreed with Osmide, hopefully they can do it in the Caverns :-/
Stilhelm Aug 6th 2010 2:55PM
The horde side of the Battle for Undercity is *much* more awesome than the alliance side. If you have only experienced the alliance side of the quest, you *definitely* want to try the horde side (especially if you're a shaman, Thrall rocks).
If you've done horde side, the alliance side sucks by comparison, I wouldn't bother too much.
Steveo Aug 6th 2010 1:31PM
I'm pretty sure that all things Outland and Northrend related can be glossed over easily by a quest at level 58 bringing you to Chromie, conveniently standing by the dark portal, who states that you're not yet powerful/experienced enough to help fight Deathwing, and so she must send you through some of Outland and Northrend's largest exploits in recent years in order to build your talents and capabilities. Bada bing, bada boom.... Ain't time travel grand?
Sarsella Aug 6th 2010 1:39PM
you read my mind (and I posted mere minutes after you about this (see above)). I think it would make sense.
Armill3 Aug 6th 2010 1:32PM
It was a great quest the first time through, but I felt on subsequent alts that the pacing probably could have picked up a bit. Maybe this is more a factor of being the only PC in the instance at the time - is the pace determined by the rate at which you take out the trash, or is there a timer?
At any rate, I hope we can still get the pants at the end. :)
cendrekai Aug 6th 2010 1:32PM
Honestly, if they were going to remove a quest like that (because Thrall is no longer Warchief?), they will have to remove the Nagrand Thrall quests, Garrosh in Nagrand, etc. I would hope, that people playing the game could understand that "Battle for Undercity" is in the past.
Regardless, time to power level my one Alliance toon so I can see it from their side.
devilsei Aug 6th 2010 1:54PM
Yeah, this seems like another drop of the ball from Blizz.
Its a rather important chunk of lore (dealing with the new plague, which I believe is also in Cataclysm), and offers up some good gear, and is essentially like soloing Ragefire Chasm or Deadmines at 40-60.
The pacing could use a little work, but thats about my only issue with it. Hell, if it ends at the wrathgate cutscene, its going to have Putress, and no one is gonna know what the hell happened to him at all.
Al Aug 6th 2010 4:38PM
They can patch in some dialogue when you talk to Alexstrasa afterwards. Preferably a shout-out to General Chat.
Player "Um.. Lady Alexstrasa? Who was that Forsaken guy?"
Alexstrasa "Chuck Norris."
Krasus "Thottbot it, noob"
vanillabean Aug 6th 2010 1:37PM
*cries*
Now I need to get a horde toon through there to see the difference from Alliance.
Kurash Aug 6th 2010 1:53PM
I definitely thought that the story behind the quests was great, as was some of the phasing -- Org sure seemed empty without all the vendors and such, made the story seem that much more epic But I thought the implementation of the actual Battle for the Undercity was painfully clunky and poorly-designed.
Basically, it came down to this: are we supposed to be tough heroes walking side-by-side with the leaders of our factions? Because I sure didn't feel tough getting one-shotted by elite demons if I strayed more than a few feet away from the faction leaders. If we're supposed to be able to survive then the demons shouldn't be hard-hitting elites. If we're supposed to kill the demons easily then they shouldn't be elite either. Getting around their eliteness through "I win" buffs projected by the faction leaders just seemed kind of weak to me.
But that's just me. I understand that I'm probably in the minority for being irritated by that kind of thing. :)
sephirah Aug 6th 2010 1:57PM
In Cataclysm is Varimathras still in Undercity or has been removed?
Darky Aug 6th 2010 2:04PM
he is removed right now