Patch 4.1: New Wailing Caverns layout unveiled
by Alex Ziebart 
Apr 7th 2011 at 9:00PM
With today's PTR patch, Wailing Caverns has been given a new map to reflect the changes. The entire maze-like structure on the eastern side of the instance has been removed -- completely scooped out, with the bosses therein relocated in the dungeon. This will eliminate a lot of needless back-and-forth through the instance, as well as the infamous leap in the maze that caused the demise of countless PUGs. You know what I'm talking about: The tank misses the jump, immediately gets lost, other members of the party jump down to help and then they get lost ... and then your party is no more.
[via Wowhead]
WoW Patch 4.1 is on the PTR, and WoW Insider has all the latest news for you -- from previews of the revamped Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub to new valor point mechanics and new archaeology items.
Filed under: Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
nickchadwick Apr 7th 2011 9:06PM
I can see absolutely see no reason how this could be seen as a bad thing. Thumbs up!
Karcharos Apr 7th 2011 10:07PM
I can think of only one: I think we lost the freefall into the water after killing Serpentis (?) and the giant.
That makes me sad. :-(
Helston Apr 8th 2011 12:42AM
Fear not Karcharos! Lord Serpentis and Verdan the Everliving are unmoved, being the green and purple bosses next to each other.
Possum Apr 8th 2011 4:12AM
Because for the first time in years I'm going to be lost in Wailing Caverns!
cyanea85 Apr 9th 2011 1:46AM
I wonder how long until someone bitches that this is another change for the "casuals" and you're not "hardcore" enough unless you know your way around.
Oteo Apr 7th 2011 9:09PM
Now if only the new lowbie quests weren't so fun, I might actually hop into the low level dungeons again...
cloudhopper013 Apr 7th 2011 9:26PM
At first I was "yay!" then I was already nostalgic for the old layout. Even though I started playing in Wrath, I've always loved the "epic" feeling that some of the impossibly difficult, unable to predict, and sometimes confusing portions of the game brought with them, as long as they didn't require countless man hours and the sacrificing of a social life. Wailing Caverns was one of them, and although I hated it, part of me loved it, it felt like you were EXPLORING.
But I'm still damn glad that I never have to get lost in that place again.
cloudhopper013 Apr 7th 2011 9:28PM
Oh... oh DEAR GOD. There's no skull for Skum! Noo! Skum! My favorite boss... ;_; He was so cute. I wanted a plushy of him from the day I first saw him when running the place with my first GM. Not to mention he had an awesome story/explanation behind him.
A moment of silence for those lost with the patch.
Cephas Apr 7th 2011 9:52PM
Are you sure? I count 7 skulls on the old map and 7 skulls on the new one. Maybe you didn't notice the new skull in the pit of fangs.
Cephas Apr 8th 2011 12:25AM
Ok, I just logged onto the PTR to check, and Skum is definitely still there. Skum is at the new red skull in Crag of the Everliving and Lord Pythas got moved to the new yellow skull in the Pit of Fangs.
Angrycelt Apr 7th 2011 9:28PM
Ok, Blizz. Please put this patch out already. You had me eager about 6 patch notes ago, now I wanna get my hands on this stuff!
I know it's not new end-game raiding content for the hardcore endgame-chasers, but those new players we're still recruiting will be going through those zones and if they don't enjoy it, they won't stay around.
Arrohon Apr 7th 2011 9:58PM
They just put more on the PTR. This need a little while to be tested so we get working changes. You shouldn't have to wait until May though.
MusedMoose Apr 7th 2011 9:37PM
I've seen more than a few people - many of them tanks - drop group as soon as they arrived in this instance. Let's just say that I was pretty sure the place got its name from the sound people made when they saw the loading screen. ^_^ I'm very, very thankful for the revamp. Maybe now I won't hesitate before starting the dungeon finder when I'm playing a character in the late teens.
Arrohon Apr 7th 2011 10:00PM
Of course this happens just a few days after I come up with a good path (I have a lot of low lvls in addition to my few 85's).
theRaptor Apr 8th 2011 5:36AM
I spent a day in Wailing Caverns in vanilla. That is right, a day! That place was a nightmare before map mods and mini-map in instances.
I think most modern instances are way too linear but at least you won't spend hours lost in them (Karazhan was another instance that ate newbies alive).
Molly Apr 7th 2011 9:44PM
*does a happy dance*
Seriously. The first time I was ever in this place, my boyfriend and I got in an argument after getting lost for the twenty bazzilionth time. And we were duo-ing it at level 80. So, yeah.
Arrohon Apr 7th 2011 10:02PM
Sounds like a good Breakfast Topic. Stories about the Horrors of Wailing Caverns (that will likely now be gone).
cansylove Apr 7th 2011 10:38PM
I have a love/hate relationship with this dungeon. I used to know a path through the dungeon that allowed you to complete it (and didn't need to go through the notorious jump), but I've forgotten that path three times now. Once for each of the three tanks I've leveled through the dungeon finder.
Great Scott Apr 7th 2011 11:15PM
well i been on vacation for a week so is this april fools day stuff still?
Avan Apr 7th 2011 11:22PM
What "infamous leap" was removed? I ran WC earlier today and there wasn't any leap required. Well, there was the one before the giant, but it's not possible to miss that; You don't even need to jump! (No jumping required, therefore not a leap.)
Maybe if you don't know how to look over a ledge before walking over it, you could miss? And even if you did fall, you can just follow the trail of bodies your group made like bread crumbs. We all had Hansel and Gretel read to us as children right, so the concept of following breadcrumbs shouldn't be foreign?
I'm totally confused about what's being removed. Isn't there a map for old WC anyways?