Cataclysm Beta: Cold Weather Flying at 68
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 20th 2010 at 2:00PM
That pretty much says the whole story right there -- but since when have I let that stop me? Our old friend Cold Weather Flying is seeing a significant price drop in Cataclysm, it seems. In addition, the level at which you can get it is changing. On the live servers, you currently can buy Cold Weather Flying at level 77 (or level 80 to buy a Tome of Cold Weather Flying). The tome is Bind to Account and allows an alt to learn CWF at level 68.
In Cataclysm, all of this is unnecessary. You hit level 68, you spend around 500g (475g for the human character I used to test this, talking to a flight trainer in Stormwind) -- and bam, you can fly in Northrend. (Said human was level 1; as you can see, he didn't even have 1 solitary copper on him.) So there you go. Do all of your alts have CWF? If you somehow have an alt who is above level 77 but doesn't have it yet, will you be picking it up?
In Cataclysm, all of this is unnecessary. You hit level 68, you spend around 500g (475g for the human character I used to test this, talking to a flight trainer in Stormwind) -- and bam, you can fly in Northrend. (Said human was level 1; as you can see, he didn't even have 1 solitary copper on him.) So there you go. Do all of your alts have CWF? If you somehow have an alt who is above level 77 but doesn't have it yet, will you be picking it up?
Filed under: News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
BurgerTea Sep 20th 2010 2:04PM
Cool. Liking this.
Izaach Sep 20th 2010 10:19PM
I was able to get one of my alts to 78 before hitting Icecrown or Storm Peaks. When Catacylsm drops, some players might even breeze through Northrend without picking up Cold Weather Flying, since at 78 you can just go back to the Old World and continue on.
Now if Blizzard decides to make CWF a requirement to get a License, then that's a different story.
wutsconflag Sep 20th 2010 2:04PM
I'll get it for any alt that reaches the appropriate level. 500g is a lot easier to pay than 1000g.
Sumanai Sep 20th 2010 2:27PM
I would say it's twice easier to pay!
Be amazed with my astonishing math skills. ^^
Dril Sep 20th 2010 2:06PM
I'm all for easy leveling but...having a flying mount really sort of ruins a first-time round experience in Northrend. Reduces the danger, reduces the need for lifts etc etc, it all just kills off the time the level designers put in.
Should've just reduced the cost imo, not the level.
j.taylor.1990 Sep 20th 2010 2:11PM
You could say the same about lowering normal flying level requirements to 60, allowing flying whilst going through TBC content. In the end, the Wrath levelling content won't be current, and Blizzard would rather you stay interested whilst levelling faster through the stuff most people have already done, to get the the new stuff.
Vaeku Sep 20th 2010 3:02PM
I kind of agree. While lowering CWF doesn't surprise me one bit (they want people to get through the old content fast so they can experience new content), it was a very nice experience to go through Northrend for 9 levels on a ground mount. You have plenty of time to take in the scenery. And it made me wish that I was playing when Outland was current so I didn't have to get flying at 60.
With that said though, now that I've experienced Northrend from the ground once, I'm glad this change is coming. Because you can only go around those damn oil fields in Borean Tundra so many times.
Hagen Sep 21st 2010 8:11PM
Old content is old. I have 5 80s. The day they started allowing the Tome I mailed it back to my Shaman who was just starting Northrend. I actually quested in HF that time around, I hated the experience of that zone when I was stuck with a ground mount.
This is the same as people griping about epic land at 40 and normal mount at 40. The game has been out almost 6 years, things change. They will probably be reducing XP costs for the Northrend experience as well, which they should. Why make people slog thru Northrend when the stuff they really want to show off in after it (and before Outlands as well).
Stop being nostalgic for restrictions that were there just to keep people from capping longer and enjoy the change for what it is. Cheaper and easier alt leveling.
Tabasa Sep 21st 2010 9:46PM
To be fair, you don't -have- to get flying at any level.
If you want to go through Outland/Northrend the way the devs intended and not pick up Flying/CWF until the old level requirements, then go for it. Nobody's stopping you. :)
slartibart Sep 20th 2010 2:07PM
Well, I have a prot warrior I just recently got from 68-74 with, there goes 500g.
I still refuse to pay to dual spec him until cata hits though, the price drop I've seen on the beta servers is still far too much to just burn 1000g now.
Wild Colors Sep 20th 2010 2:08PM
I'm still confused about Master Riding. We get it automatically if we already have a 310% mount, right?
If we complete Long Strange Trip after Cataclysm drops, will we automatically get Master Riding for free along with the Violet Drake, or will the drake just be stepped down to 280%?
Narayana Sep 20th 2010 2:25PM
It’s hard to tell. On the (non-Beta) PTR, Master Riding is showing up as a trainable skill even for toons that already have a 310 mount. Most people are theorizing that this is due to the fact that 310 riding is tied to some sort of secret achievement (or at least something using similar functionality). Since achievements are not mapped over to the PTR, the skill is missing. On the PTR, even current 310 mounts will only go 280 until you spec it.
What looks to be the case is that mounts will no longer carry an inherent speed after 4.0.1. Anything that today carries the 310 speed will become a standard speed flying mount and its speed will be derived from the rider’s skill. I’m expecting functionality similar to the Horseman’s and Celestial steeds.
TY Sep 20th 2010 2:10PM
Would rather see the price drop itself. Though I agree with the above posts you lose alot when you just fly past it all...
choopy Sep 20th 2010 2:14PM
I'll get it now- just hit 68 last night on my hunter; way easier questing when you can fly.
I do wish, however, that they'd reduce the cost for Artisan... 10k gold to get flying fast fast is a little steep
tatsumasa Sep 20th 2010 2:36PM
blizzard agrees with you. that's prolly why it's 5k with a rep discount that can bring it down.
Narayana Sep 20th 2010 2:37PM
isn't it only 5K?
feniks9174 Sep 20th 2010 2:55PM
He probably means Artisan + 310 flight = 10K for toons that currently have neither.
I have 3 80s without epic flight, the idea of getting them all up to 310 gave my bank toon a heart attack.
Jack Spicer Sep 20th 2010 6:08PM
Do you honestly need 310% flying speed? The upgrade from 160 to 280 is enormous, 280 to 310 just seems like vanity to me. Get it on your main and ignore on your alts.
Jam Sep 20th 2010 2:16PM
I can't help but have a slight sour taste in my mouth. I have 10 80s, one of each class. All of them have full riding skill, including Northrend Flying. So excluding the initial levels of riding skill and mounts that's:
5,000g * 10 = 50,000g
1,000g * 10 = 10,000g
In Cataclysm for "Old World" flying:
250g * 10 = 2500g
That's 65,000g right there. I'm sure there are lots of people who love playing the AH and farming and this amount may seems trivial, but to me at least it's really quite a lot of gold.
So what's the point I'm really trying to make you ask? BoA mounts and achievements of course!
Jam Sep 20th 2010 2:19PM
Oh, and I forgot to mention, I have dual-spec on all of them too. That's another 10,000g.