Tuesday Morning Post: Countdown to Cataclysm edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Nov 2nd 2010 at 7:00AM
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The big news of the moment actually started up last night: The next phase of the pre-Cataclysm world event has begun. This means we're ever closer to patch 4.0.3 and the release of Cataclysm. It feels like we've really cleared a hurdle here, so better get that old content done while you can.
Of course, there's plenty of other news to sift through. We have few articles left from BlizzCon, for example. Also in awesome news is that The Shattering now has a much-deserved slot on the New York Times best-seller list. Downtime for maintenance consists only of a quick set of rolling restarts at 5 a.m., but it can't hurt to take a break and do some reading, right? We have our usual roundup after the break.
BlizzCon news and features
- WoW Insider had a chance to tear into one of Cryptozoic's new WoW TCG Icecrown Epic collections, and we took some video.
- Check out our impressions of BlizzChat, the new live chat premiered at BlizzCon 2010.
- Steelseries showed off its latest gaming peripherals to our floor crew, as did Razer.
- J!nx showed off some of their latest WoW fashions, including the murloc hoodie.
- Check out our analysis of some of the highlights of the BlizzCon 2010 quests and lore panel.
- Virtual ticket holders still have a shot at BlizzCon merchandise. However, pre-sale participants will need to wait a bit longer for their gear.
- Is Deathy getting you down? Have no fear, he'll be fixed in patch 4.0.3.
- Falstad's back, and he's brought along a friend.
- The Cataclysm digital pre-order is now available from Blizzard. Even if you aren't pre-ordering from Blizzard, though, you can still pre-load the game.
- The worgen's Running Wild ability now has animation on the beta servers. In addition, female worgen can now dance. Also, you can actually play female worgen on the beta now.
- Remember how we saw Arthas everywhere in Northrend? Deathwing's going to be the same, yet also completely different.
- Blue poster Valnoth recently clarified raid loot progression.
- Missing those outdoor bosses? They're back in Cataclysm, after a fashion.
- Blizzard's rolling out a new community site soon.
- Check out our look at the new Loch Modan.
- The dev team has announced some new tanking cooldown changes (in two parts) coming with Cataclysm.
- Raid Rx looks at yet more beta healing changes.
- Lichborne answers a selection of your patch 4.0.1 death knight questions.
- Totem Talk takes a look at restoration PvP in patch 4.0.1 and gets mad about enhancement.
- The Light And How To Swing It rounds up BlizzCon paladin info and looks at holy paladin throughput.
- Spiritual Guidance looks at BlizzCon 2010 from a shadow priest's perspective.
- Encrypted Text has rogue news from BlizzCon.
- Hunters got some love in the latest beta build.
- The Art of War(craft) looks at must-have PvP talents for hunters.
- Scattered Shots takes a look at signature hunter shots.
- The Care And Feeding of Warriors looks at fury in patch 4.0.1.
- Shifting Perspectives looks at the latest balance spell redesigns in the beta.
- Arcane Brilliance looks at patch 4.0.1 stat weights and gemming for mages.
- WoW Rookie helps you track down game information.
- Blood Sport reminds you that not all the good PvPers are gladiators.
- Some PvP battlegroups are already undergoing a partial merger in anticipation of the Cataclysm changes.
- Gold Capped discusses the zen of giving away auctioneering secrets.
- Addon Spotlight looks at some of the base UI improvements that came with patch 4.0.1.
- A traveling dad and his son keep in touch with WoW.
- Check out the latest installment of WoW Insider's weekly webcomic, Safe Passage.
- The Lawbringer takes a look back at some of 2010's biggest WoW misdeeds.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.Filed under: Realm Status, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lolikitty Nov 2nd 2010 7:19AM
So .. much ... hair ...
The Angry Intern Nov 2nd 2010 5:28PM
I know...my comment to my coworkers was that this was 1986, when male rock stars had better hair than most women
Chokaa Nov 2nd 2010 7:50AM
I'm just a hairy guy I'm hairy noon and night, hair that's a fright I'm hairy high and low
MusedMoose Nov 2nd 2010 8:05AM
...don't ask me why, don't knooooooooooooww!!!
It's not for lack of bread, like the Grateful Dead...
...daaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrlllllllliiiiing....
MusedMoose Nov 2nd 2010 8:06AM
FIVE WEEKS. THE END IS NIGH!
...EVEN NIGHER THAN LAST WEEK!
RaQin Nov 2nd 2010 8:12AM
Oh...Europe may have done the EPIC 80's tune "The Final Countdown", but this cover is on the Kazookeylele is EPIC!!!
... and since the guy is a way-cool-uber-geek, it's even better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAg5KjnAhuU
Cheers!
lolikitty Nov 2nd 2010 8:26AM
Oh sweet jeebus this is FANTASTIC
Narshe Nov 2nd 2010 8:49AM
If someone has a moment can you please explain something that im wondering about "preloading" Cataclysm? The article and blue post state its a 700mb patch you can force your game client to download ahead of time. My question is, this 700mb, does that include 4.0.3 *plus* anything else you would have installed with the Cata disks?
700mb isnt that large, so if it contains everything you need to play on launch day (minus key code of course) does that mean 4.0.1 had a huge chunk of the Shattering content? I found it hard to believe that 4.0.1 had like 7gb of data for just "game mechanic" changes and nothing to do with the Shattering content.
Kerby Nov 2nd 2010 10:47AM
700mb is just what was on the disk. Who knows if that's final - might be more coming later, cinematics and stuff, it's not the 7th yet. Probably will be one more patch to fix the problems found in beta after the gold master was made.
The shattering is taking place 1 or 2 weeks before Cata. None of that data is on the disks
Drakkenfyre Nov 2nd 2010 11:26AM
4.0.1 contained all the world changes. They are installed already. You just can't see them yet, there is one file keeping you from seeing them.
That's why it was nearly 6GB. The rest will probably be areas like the Goblin starting area, and the new areas in the game.
Luftwaffles Nov 2nd 2010 2:06PM
So I'm confused now... the cata disk sold in store HAS to have all the 6gigs of content right? Lets pretend you're a new player who plans to purchase vanilla, tbc, wrath, and cata. Surely once they install all of that they won't have to login to a 6gb patch immediately? My guess is that the information is all present, and the game simply looks on the disk for the parts it needs.
Adam Nov 2nd 2010 9:24AM
Did anyone else find it funny that they started the Cat event on the Day of the Dead
Zdark Nov 2nd 2010 10:15AM
The Final Countdown is now playing in your head.
On topic, the elemental attack event is awsome. It feels like cata will be here tommorow now, to be honest.
/wave Icecrown Citadel
@Narshe, I expect that quite a lot of the data was in 4.0.1.
Drakkenfyre Nov 2nd 2010 11:27AM
Wait until later. When the next phase of the elemental attacks occur, it will make the whining from the zombie event look small.
SPOILER.
"I can't use the cities because the zombies keep killing me"
Will turn into,
"I can't use the cities, because nothing works."
Amaxe Nov 2nd 2010 1:07PM
I guess my preparations for Cataclysm
I just stopped by to say to those who knew me on the forums here that I probably won't be by any more. I've /gdisband-ed my vanity guild, deleted my toons and uninstalled WoW.
This isn't a ragequit or anything. It has nothing to do with the change of mechanics or the changes in lore. Nor has it had anything to do with the jerks I've happened across.
Rather it has felt for awhile that it has gone from a game to a second job, where I was putting in more hours than on anything else in my life, and finally I had to ask myself why I was doing something which was no longer fun for me. My first account I played for most of 2006. This current account I played from Jan 2008 to the present.
With my time card expiring in 10 days and Cata coming in about 35 days, it seemed time to act before I get more immersed in something I've become disinterested in.
I'm not saying those who remain in the game should quit here. I'm not saying OMG, MMOs are addictive (I'll probably be in SW:TOR after all). I'm just saying goodbye. I've enjoyed my time on WoW Insider, and I hope those of you who still enjoy playing the game enjoy playing Cataclysm.
Delshay Nov 2nd 2010 5:27PM
Showing my Age here, but I love Europe.. Had it on 8 Track, Tape, Record and of course CD.. Love me some Carrie, Thanks Daniel, it's now in my head, time to dig out the 8 track player.....
Prances in Underpantss Nov 3rd 2010 5:54AM
Hi, I'm sure you guys already know this, but you can watch Thrall hand leadership off to Garrosh currently in the game. I haven't seen any articles post any information on it, but I think the conversation is pretty interesting. Check it out in Thrall's throne room.