Patch 4.0.3a: What's in The Shattering, what's not
by Anne Stickney 
Nov 23rd 2010 at 9:00AM
With Patch 4.0.3a, The Shattering, just around the corner, people are unsure exactly what this means. Will goblins and worgen be available? Will we be able to fly in Azeroth? Will we be able to do anything with the new race/class combinations? Fear not -- WoW Insider has a list of what you can expect to see in the upcoming patch and what won't be found till Dec. 7 and Cataclysm's launch.
What's in The Shattering
What's in The Shattering
- Hearthstone set to Dalaran? Better change that -- Dalaran and Shattrath portals will be removed once the patch hits.
- In place of the handy portals in Dalaran, you'll find a series of equally handy class trainers.
- The new race/class combinations will be playable, with the exception of goblins and worgen.
- If you're wondering why we spent all that time taking back Echo Isles and Gnomeregan, you'll be able to see the fruits of your labors in 4.0.3a, where both the trolls and the gnomes have their brand new starting zones.
- Speaking of zone changes, all level 1 to 60 zones will be forever changed, and as a result, all zones will have fully playable content.
- Fancy new Cataclysm loading screens will be available for all new zones. Be sure to check out the new Northrend loading screen, while you're at it.
- Did you like the new Cataclysm cinematic? Good, because it'll be viewable as of Patch 4.0.3.
- How long have you had your in-game music muted? Now would be a good time to crank it up again, as the new Cataclysm music for all new zones will be implemented.
- The new Cataclysm login screen featuring Deathwing in all his glory above a fiery version of Stormwind will also be available.
- Just in case you haven't gotten exalted with all your home factions, City Quartermasters will be available, along with reputation tabards for each faction.
- A host of bug fixes will be included with this patch.
- New class balancing mechanics and fixes will be included, as well.
- Speaking of classes, if you are a druid, priest, paladin, or shaman, your talent trees will be reset.
- The amount of experience required to gain levels from 71 through 80 will be reduced by 20 percent. Now's a good time to get the rest of those alts to 80!
- New tamable hunter pets, including monkeys, foxes, dogs, and beetles, will be included, as well as new skins for existing pet classes.
What's not in yet
- Want to create a goblin or worgen? You'll have to wait until Dec. 7 for that.
- The worgen and goblin starting zones will not be included until you upgrade to the expansion.
- The new archaeology profession will not be released until Cataclysm's launch.
- You will not be able to level your professions to the next rank (Illustrious Grand Master) until Cataclysm's launch.
- Guild leveling will not be introduced until the expansion's release.
- Similarly, Guild Achievements will not be available until Dec. 7.
- Want to fly in old-world Azeroth? You're going to have to wait until the official release for that one. The Flight Master's License is only available to those who have purchased Cataclysm.
- All new level 80+ zones, including Hyjal, Vash'jir, Uldum, and the Twilight Highlands will not be available for play until Cataclysm's release.
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: Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
itsthebrent Nov 23rd 2010 9:02AM
In the words of Zarhym, "It is time, friends, for the world to shatter."
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1104340757#14
Tim Nov 23rd 2010 9:09AM
Well that's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane. Lenny Bruce is not afraid!
Golis Nov 23rd 2010 10:25AM
I feel fiiiiiiine
Fraeda Nov 23rd 2010 10:38AM
That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes,
an aeroplane - Lenny Bruce is not afraid.
Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn,
world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs.
Feed it off an aux speak,, grunt, no, strength,
The ladder starts to clatter with fear fight down height.
Wire in a fire, representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site.
Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck.
Team by team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered cropped.
Look at that low playing!
Fine, then.
Uh oh, overflow, population, common food, but it'll do.
Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right - right.
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.
Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers.
Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn.
Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting.
Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate.
Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down.
Watch your heel crush, crushed. Uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier.
Renegade steer clear! A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies.
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.
(I feel fine)
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.
The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide. Mountains sit in a line
Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev. Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom!
You symbiotic, patriotic, slam book neck, right? Right.
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine...
------
Sorry, had to do it.
ebotch12 Nov 23rd 2010 1:41PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDbBDgGzJZI
:)
Prances in Underpantss Nov 23rd 2010 9:03AM
"Hearthstone set to Dalaran? Better change that -- Dalaran and Shattrath portals will be removed once the patch hits."
D'oh! I forgot
Tricia Nov 23rd 2010 9:15AM
I moved all my toons to Org or Stormwind last night, just in case :)
Hahahaha Nov 23rd 2010 9:21AM
What about AH? Will we have any means of accessing AH in Northrend/Outland? Please don't give engineering as an answer.
Zune Nov 23rd 2010 9:29AM
@Hahaha It is my understanding that there will be auctioneers as well as class trainers in Dalaran.
Daedalus Nov 23rd 2010 9:30AM
I did remember to move my hearthstone, but I'm thinking of traveling back to Northrend as soon as the servers come up to get some screen shots. I imagine there are a lot of people who either forgot to move or didn't know in the first place, and I'm pretty sure that the docks in Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord are going to look like the opening scenes of Titanic. (Only with less ridiculous costumes.)
Pro tip: if you see Leonardo de Caprio at the front of the boat, jump off and take the next one. Azeroth's coast guard is notoriously slow at rescues.
Abbadon Nov 23rd 2010 9:36AM
Yea... I did too.
However, on the PTR, my hearth was automatically changed to Org - just not sure if that was a PTR thing or if they'll be doing that to everyone's hearth today.
xvkarbear Nov 23rd 2010 9:40AM
@Hahahaha - I heard reports yesterday that there will be AH available to everyone near your emblem vendors in Dalaran. I don't know about Shattrath.
Rob Nov 23rd 2010 9:46AM
@Daedalus
Haha! But ridiculous means something different for me, its the sight of something out of the ordernary. One could argue that period dress on the Titanic is a bit less odd than space goats with glowing pointy thing. On the other hand, Leonoardo would be really out of place in WOW.
Ullaana Nov 23rd 2010 9:49AM
@Daedelus,
Wouldn't Leonardo be a Belf?
Boz Nov 23rd 2010 9:55AM
Why not stay in Northrend for another week or two?
All the daily and weekly quests are still up there; my main cannot get any experience beyond 80 until Cataclysm actually launches anyway, so at least I can bang out my 25 dailies for turn-in at Cataclysm launch and get an XP boost.
Kurtis Nov 23rd 2010 9:56AM
My main is now in Orgrimmar (and with moved hearth) but I have a couple of alts with hearthstones still set to Dalaran. Of course, I haven't played either of them in the last month except to reset talents and bars after 4.0.1. My level 35 hunter has had more experience with the elemental attacks than they did.
Daedalus Nov 23rd 2010 10:01AM
TBH, that movie would have held my attention much better if Kate Winslet had been a gnome.
Nathanyel Nov 23rd 2010 10:13AM
Unbind from Dalaran/Northrend? Why? Is there new levelling content and raids already?
Unless you only want to quest in the new old world until Dec 7th, you will return to Northrend.
thebitterfig Nov 23rd 2010 10:15AM
I changed it on a few toons, and almost regret it... There isn't a lot I want to do in the old world (yet), and my guild is still working on getting a few folks drakes. Time to decide if I want to go back to dal until december, or shell out for the Tournament-teleport-tabard.
Zauberer Nov 23rd 2010 10:35AM
Here's to the joys of having mage for a main. No portals... No problem.