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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsPatch 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 5 of 9)
xenothaulus Nov 23rd 2010 9:16AM
I wish I had (grinded? ground? grand?) more of my alts in the tournament. My main has the hearth tabard, and it would be very useful for my others.
Rylka Nov 23rd 2010 9:16AM
I imagine mages will be making a bit of gold once the servers are up porting folks like me who forgot to reset their hearthstones and who are standing in Dalaran.
LFPort to anywhere not floating in the air above a frozen empty continent...
Daedalus Nov 23rd 2010 9:40AM
I'm so sick of this pro-mage bias! You know, we warlocks can move people around too! Provided we're already wherever you need to go, of course. And we have 2 friends with us. Okay, so maybe it's not that practical, but, um, our post-flight meals are better. I mean, the best mages can promise you is fresh water and strudel; we've got...uh...rocks. But, you know, tasty rocks. That heal you and stuff.
Okay, so maybe warlock transportation isn't all that viable an alternative. We do have one thing going for us though: if you travel with us, you don't have to hang around mages. (And there's a great statistical likelihood that our demonic servants won't break their tethers and rip your fragile bodies to shreds like tissue paper.)
Sinthar Nov 23rd 2010 10:00AM
Aye im looking forward to being paid many times for a single portal :).....nah not really im gonna break the 'mercenary' mage mould and offer for one day free portals (although actual tips from people wanting to show their appreciation will not be turned away) to anyone stranded in Dalaran that wants. Im alliance on the EU server of Dragonblight (I can hear the horde voting me down already :) )
Oh yeah - offer only valid if your not a lock.....:) Thats so other non paying customers dont have to travel with some smelly imp. As for refreshments on the way, bountiful feasts and strudle tables will be there for your convienience
Res Nov 23rd 2010 11:17AM
Yeah.. I mean flying out of Dala and taking a boat could literally take MINUTES
Sondre Nov 23rd 2010 11:18AM
@Daedalus "Fly MageAir!"
ithinkimissedmyexit Nov 23rd 2010 9:17AM
Tom Chilton said, in an interview posted today at MMO Champ, that all toons will be logged in after the patch at the graveyard (not dead) nearest their hearth location so they don't log in falling to their death. Awesome!
tregon75 Nov 23rd 2010 9:18AM
It's going to take forever to get around the new world without flight, adjusting from beta isn't going to be easy, especially now that the world changes are in.
Alfalfamale Nov 23rd 2010 9:20AM
How about guild reputation?
razion Nov 23rd 2010 9:22AM
What's Not In Yet
- "Guild leveling will not be introduced until the expansion's release."
- "Similarly, Guild Achievements will not be available until Dec. 7."
Stza Nov 23rd 2010 9:24AM
no
Supernerd Nov 23rd 2010 9:21AM
Am I the only one that thinks it's kind of lame for them to give us all these awesome new revamped zones but not let us fly over them for another 2 weeks? D=
razion Nov 23rd 2010 9:21AM
"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."
I read this and what I infer from this was 'the reason you can't fly before Dec. 7th is because you cannot get the Flight Master's License before then'. However I already got the license from the trainer in Dalaran near the beginning of the elemental invasion event. So, where does this leave me; able to fly in Azeroth in the Shattering? (:/
Supernerd Nov 23rd 2010 9:24AM
You're thinking of the wrong training. 310% flying is not "Azeroth flying".
netokituco Nov 23rd 2010 9:25AM
"Nah nah nah nah... Nah nah nah nah.... Hey hey hey... Goodbye!"
Its time my friends, time for celebrations and time for goodbyes.
Goodbye to the epics from Classic WoW, goodye to the Zul Gurub mounts, goodbye...
To the greatest leaders we've got so far... Goodbye High Chieftain CAIRNE BLOODHOOF the heart of the horde... Goodbye Magni Bronzebeard, the grat King of Ironforge...
In the end, we are celebrating the new contents, and so am I, but let this post also be in memorian to the great Classic World of Warcraft, happy birthday!
McRaider Nov 23rd 2010 10:24AM
*hand on the original wow box* All hail the old world!
o/
Paul S Nov 23rd 2010 9:25AM
main and major alts are mostly in 'safe' areas. I did however leave my deathknight on the border between the Shimmering Flats and Thousand Needles just for the hell of it :-)
CavalierX Nov 23rd 2010 10:40AM
I left lower-level toons (40-60) in Darkshore, Thousand Needles and The Barrens, and I may even log into them before my main and major alts just to see when happened to them.
Surtur Nov 23rd 2010 9:29AM
Is there a comprehensive list of all Raid Achv changes? Uld/ICC/Naxx/ToGc and so on? Also the titles mounts and such they are doing away with that are rewards for these.
netokituco Nov 23rd 2010 9:32AM
Everything is still obtainable except for ZG mounts, those changes will occour only when Cataclysm comes up, to be simple, everything that is going to be to easy to achieve with the ridiculous amount off health and armor from level 85 will be going out.