Project Lore

Fresh from Blizzcon, we have some news about new high level zones that will carry you up to the new level cap of 85. First up, we have the Elemental Planes. The Titans originally banished the Elementals to the four Elemental Planes. With Deathwing's entry into Azeroth from the Elemental Plane of Earth, the world has been shattered. Additionally, many of the barriers between the Elemental Planes and Azeroth have fallen, allowing Elementals to storm into the world to war with each other and mortals, and players can enter these planes at high levels as well. Deepholme is the name of the Elemental Plane of Earth. It is "the new Dragonblight", and there are some sort of portals there to travel to all the major zones in Cataclysm. Players will have the choice to go into either Hyjal or Sunken City of Vashj'ir. From here, you can flow right into Deepholme. Hyjal is under siege by Ragnaros. While players banished him back to the Plane of Fire in the Molten Core, he has broken unto the world again. He seeks to destroy the World Tree as revenge. Malfurion is back to defend it, and players will be taking part in this epic battle. Uldum is the next zone that players will naturally flow into after leaving Hyjal or Vashj'ir. It is a desert land inspired by Egypt, with stone cat people. More high level zones have been opened such as The Twilight Highlands including Grim Batol (in eastern Wetlands). The new starting zones, The Lost Isles (Goblin) and Gilneas (Worgen) also seem very exciting. Additionally, Blizzard claims that there will be more raid content in this expansion than in any other expansion, and they will continue the hard mode tradition. There will be raids in Blackrock Caverns, Uldum, Grim Batol, Skywall, and The Firelands. Heroic versions of Shadowfang Keep and Deadmines will be available as 5 mans.

Click to read more ...

We're back for the Preview Panel! Amatera will be hosting. 12:32: The panelists are being introduced. A huge portrait of Deathwing was on the screen. 12:34: Talk of how they approached Lich King, with Arthas confronting you throughout the expansion. 12:35: Deathwing was originally supposed to be the protector of the earth. Metzen is mostly talking about his background right now, much of which can be perused by going to Deathwing's WoWWiki entry. 12:38: "[Deathwing's] a nutcase." The corrupting power of the Old Gods has gotten worse, so he's essentially more insane than before. Deathwing has awoken from the earthen elemental plane, Deephome, and his "explosion" into the world is what causes the cataclysm. All manner of destructive forces have reshaped Azeroth. No corner has been left untouched (except, Metzen jokes, Westfall). 12:40: Deathwing's emergence has also "brought up" the other elemental planes. We will be visiting them. 12:41: Concept art is being shown on the screen. Now onto Worgen. 12:42: They wanted to have a more "monstrous" race for the Alliance (much like they wanted the Horde to have a "prettier" race with the Blood Elves). 12:43: The "Worgen Curse" afflicted Gilneas much like the Scourge did the rest of the world. 12:44: The question: "Are the Worgen from somewhere else or somewhen else?" They're kind of like the "Wolverine of the Alliance" in terms of personality and fighting strength. 12:45: On the show floor, you'll start at Level 6 for the Worgen and Goblins, so that they can preserve the surprises found in the Level 1-5 content of the starting zones. 12:46: On to Goblins. The ones you play as (the ones that are part of the Horde), are only a certain faction of the race. Their starting area is the Lost Isles, off the coast of Kalimdor, between Azshara and Durotar. There will be Wrathgate-style cinematics for both the Goblins and Worgen. 12:47: The specific faction of Goblins: Bilgewater Cartel. 12:49: Dark days ahead. Horde likely impacted more than Alliance, will need "comic relief" (aka little green guys). The Goblin mount is a sweet-looking race car. 12:50: Portrait of Thrall and Cairne rescuing Horde babies after the upheaval. Metzen says there are tsunamis, tidal waves, volcanic trenches, neverending storms, etc. 12:51: Arthas' will "get what's coming to him," but it leaves both the Alliance and Horde drained, which causes extra stress during the events of the Cataclysm. 12:52: After allowing the Alliance and Horde to work together during Burning Crusade, they decided they wanted to bring the element of war back into the universe. Wrath was all about ramping that up. Orgrimmar NOT shown as destroyed, but as being reinforced by dark iron. Onto the new features. 12:54: Level 85 is the confirmed cap. A lot of effort went into redoing 1-60 zones, but they also wanted to bring in more end-game content than ever before. 12:54: Worgen will have "Dark Flight," sort of like a Sprint ability. They show a Worgen dressed in battle armor (in-game), looks badass. Worgens won't be Paladins or Priests. All other classes open currently. 12:55: Goblins will have "Rocket Belts." These can be offensive, but also defensive. You can "disengage" from battle by rocketing forward, sort of like Blink. Most of these things will be detailed in the Class Panel. 12:58: 7 NEW zones, in addition to reworked content. Hyjal. Uldum. Lost Isles. Gilneas. Vashj'ir (new underwater sunken city). Twilight Highlands (around Grim Batol). Deepholm, the Elemental Plane of Earth. Updated quests, art, and items for classic world. 1:00: Guild Advancement System - level up your guild for new perks. Will be more detailed in the Game System Panel. There will be 20 Guild levels. Advanced by doing all the usual stuff (battlegrounds, raids, dailies, etc.). There will be a guild talent tree, which will give access to things like mass resurrection, less durability loss after raids, and reduced or free repairs. 1:01: New class/race combos. Just to spite everyone, they show Tauren Paladins first (Holy Cow!). Gnome Priest. Dwarf Shaman (shown in some magma-looking armor). Now phased terrain. 1:03: The world will be able to change as you play through quest lines. Shows a coastline flooded in three distinct phases. 1:05: Archaeology. You can scout ruins for artifacts and study them. Then you take them to different factions that can help you advance along the "Path of the Titans." 1:06: You'll get 5 new talent points, but the trees will not expand (this does not mean we won't get new talents, they just won't go past the current range). Path of the Titans makes up for that. There are multiple paths, but they are not restricted to class. There will be new abilities and passive bonuses in each path. 1:06: The Mastery System will streamline the existing talent tree. They will preserve more "fun" talents, while taking basic power boosts out. Many new dungeons, creatures, quests, items, and so on. Now more detail on those parts of the game. 1:07: Each and every zone in classic Azeroth will be affected, though some clearly more than others. Five of the new zones will help you level from 78-85. The two starting zones will actually go from 1-15. Also, flight everywhere. No silly restrictions this time around. 1:10: Multiple scales of change (i.e. Elwynn might get new quests and whatnot, but Barrens will be sundered in two). New leveling paths. Examples are shown. Hillsbrad 20-25, Arathi 25-30, Hinterlands 30-35, Western Plagueland 35-40, etc. These changes are two sweeping to note right now, but Southshore is gone from Hillsbrad! 1:12: We are now looking at The Barrens. There is a gigantic, lava-filled scar down the middle. Parts of The Barrens are now regrown via the Wailing Caverns. Desolace has cracked open, bringing in water flows, which actually revitalizes nature in that area, as well. 1:14: Auberdeen in Darkshore is destroyed, the people move north to a new camp. There is a new Horde encampment on the strand near Blackfathom Deep. Stonetalon looks crazy. The Charred Vale now has lava floes running all over it. Azshara is the new Goblin 10-20 zone. The Goblins have turned the mountains into a quarry. 1:15: Undercity features new art above ground, and Stormwind as well, so they you can fly over them. Now onto the new zones. 1:15: Vashj'ir and Hyjal will be the first leveling zones and they will both flow into Deepholm. Then to Uldum, and finally Twilight Highlands. 1:17: Vashj'ir, as the name might imply, is the homeland of Lady Vashj. There will be a gateway to the Water Elemental Plane of Abyssal Maw here. 2 dungons within it. There will combat underwater, but it will feel just like doing it on land. 1:18: There will be underwater mounts, many will be normal flying mount speed. Concept art of Vashj'ir. The zone will be colorful, featuring coral reefs, kelp, Naha architecture, the usual underwater stuff. 1:20: The entrance to Deepholm will be where Deathwing exploded back into the world. The Temple of Earth will be a key area in Deepholm. You'll see the Twilight Hammer faction everywhere, since they're servants to Deathwing. Deepholm will be the biggest zone in Cataclysm. It's an interior zone, but the cave is huge, and you will be able to fly around inside of it. Deepholm will be the central hub area, and it will have portals to most of the other new zones. Deepholm looks, well... underground. There is a large crack in the ceiling, which is presumably the entrance. 1:23: Uldum will have two dungeon areas. There's a huge river running through it, with temples created by the Titans. A Titan machine has kept an illusion over the area, but the Cataclysm destroyed it, revealing the existence of the new zone. Brann Bronzebeard will, undoubtedly, be found here. Rumor is there is a super-weapon here that will figure into the quest lines. Everyone is after it. New creature race, the Tol'vir (stone, cat-like people). They were also created by the Titans. 1:24: Of course, Uldum will be part of the larger Titan storyline. Uldum looks like an ancient version of Egypt. Very desert-like, but with lush oasis-like areas. The temples looks somewhat like pyramids. 1:26: Hey, how about Hyjal? Ragnaros (!) has opened a portal from the plane of fire here and is actively assaulting the land. Cenarius and Malfurion (!) come back from the Emerald Dream to defend Hyjal and the World Tree from Ragnaros. The conflict will be key to the storyline here. Concept art shows Hyjal on fire in areas, and it is up to the players to stop it. Darkwhisper Gorge will be useful for more than just mining now. 1:28: Grim Batol is torn in half by Deathwing's power. This is currently where he resides and it is also the HQ for the Twilight's Hammer. There will be new port towns for both the Horde and Alliance in the Twilight Highlands. The Red Dragonflight will be here, but they need your help. A new Dragonflight, the Twilight Dragonflight will be introduced. This zone still needs the most work. Let's not forget about the dungeons in the Abyssal Maw, either. 1:32: The Firelands - new raid, focused on Ragnaros. Two level-up dungeons in Uldum, The Lost City of the Tol'Vir and The Halls of Origination. Blackrock Caverns, new level-up dungeon in Blackrock Spire. It is completely new, it is NOT a revamp of one of the existing dungeons in the area. Grim Batol will have a level-up dungeon and a raid. Skywall will also be a raid and a dungeon (the air elemental plane). Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep will be Level 85 Heroic dungeons. The dungeons will looks similar, but there will be new fights, new items, and so on. 1:34: They are finishing up with a PvP details now. Tol Barad is a new PvP zone, it is off the coast of the Eastern Kingdoms. There used to be a prison on the island and both the Horde and Alliance want control of it. It will be similar to Wintergrasp, but when there is no fight, it will be more similar to the Isle of Quel'Danas. Control will open up new rewards and dailies for the side that wins. There will be three new Battlegrounds throughout the expansion. The Battle of Gilneas is the first, and seems to take place in the main Gilnean city. There will be new arena maps. People who like to PvP, but hate Arena, will now be able to be rated by playing in Battlegrounds instead. 1:36 And like that, the panel is over. No time for Q&A. Open Q&A tomorrow, as well as PvP details during the Game Systems panel. Thanks for tuning in!

Click to read more ...

Check it out the Cataclysm trailer and the new official Cataclysm page: Perhaps the biggest announcement of Blizzcon 2009 has now broken: the new World of Warcraft expansion is indeed entitled "Cataclysm". An interview with the Blizzard CEO on the live stream reports that they are aiming for a 2010 release, along with Starcraft II. We have received word that it is playable on the floor, so hopefully we hear more during the day Some disastrous event occurs that rips apart the lands. There are literally huge chasms and breaks across the land, with once flat ground becoming rubble and treacherous. It appears that a lot of progression has taken place in the world; the Horde seems to have taken much of Ashenvale, for example. As the land is destroyed, resources have become much more valuable, and the war between the Horde and Alliance has erupted. Some of the zones have somehow erupted into new life, such as Tanaris becoming a more lush zone with some oases and forests. strongly suggesting some Emerald Dream content. The Goblins of Kezan have been displaced by the Cataclysm, and they have found new allies in the Horde. The Greymane wall has fallen, and the humans there have been transformed into Worgen, although they can shift in and out of their wolf forms. The night elves, who originally summoned them with the Scythe of Elune, have reached out to them and they have joined the Alliance. In addition, with the world having been revamped, flying mounts are usable in Azeroth. Its not clear how leveling will be handled or if the world will be phased. The new level cap will be 85. A new profession, Archaeology, is implemented.

Click to read more ...

As of this writing we are just a scant few minutes away from the doors opening and 50,000+ people descending on all that is Blizzard. The crowds are in a fervor thanks to battle cries of "for the Horde" and "for the Alliance" ringing out every few minutes. Costumes are in play and things are about to get absolutely insane. Here's a few pictures from Day 0 and earlier this morning. Here's the insane line that stretched to the next city block.  This was to pick-up the official lanyards and SWAG bags, not to get in the show! We Just Found The End Waiting...and waiting Here's the insane line that stretched to the next city block.  This was to pick-up the official lanyards and SWAG bags, not to get in the show!

The official SWAG bag.  The highlight for most is the action figure, and Grunty vanity pet key (not pictured).  There's also an included Authenticator, which is nice for those who don't already own one. iTZKooPA With (some of) The Guild My friends and I got to meet the whole cast of The Guild (should have an interview with them later).  They are all incredibly friendly and approachable people. iTZKooPA With The Money Makers Funny story here.  I recognized Metzen from a mile away, but it took me a second to realize who he was chatting with, Mike Morhaime.  None other than the company's president.  The hilarity came in after we took the picture.  People began to realize who Metzen was, but no one else asked Morhaime to be a part of their still.  I thought one group even asked him to take their picture with Metzen! Inside Line Higher Up Inside Line Here is the crowd inside the convention center before the doors opened.  There was also a substantial line outside at this time. I stole SOOO Much OJ From Here The hush-hush super secret press room.  They treat us much better, seating and technologywise, than at E3. Okay, it's time to go find a seat for the opening ceremonies.  I'll do my best to do some blogging via Twitter, so @iTZKooPA if you want my 140 character up to the minute thoughts.

Click to read more ...

It's only an hour away! Stay tuned to this space for all the details! 10:48: Heartbourne: The live stream was up for a few minutes talking about the Warcraft III coverage, then they cut to a "behind the scenes" something or another. That camera crashed, and they cut back to the WC3 people, who didn't know they were on and muttered something about "is this the reveal for the new game" before getting cut off. Hmm... 10:59: Heartbourne: Live stream is up! Stay tuned! 11:06: Heartbourne: About 25 minutes to the opening ceremonies. Lots of commentary on speculation and the recent WoW leaks. 11:10: Heartbourne: Lots of behind the scenes stuff. Awesome displays of some of their setups that monitor their servers. Hilarious story of the WoW launch and how a tornado hit one of their data centers and they went down there to dry them with hairdryers. One of the devs said he had to get back because he has a "Wrath of the Lich King expansion to ship", so either this is very old or there really is a new expansion. 11:13: Heartbourne: More commentary on the WoW 3v3 tournament. I'm calling SKgaming as the champions. I'm most excited about the WC3 tournament; lots of big names here. I'm cheering for Grubby. No Undead players in the WC3 tournament, only 1 human player. Lyn is the returning champion. 11:21: Heartbourne: Wow.com says that there are two WoW signs draped in a black cloth. Ceremony in about 15 minutes. 11:31: Amatera: Alright, I'm taking over for now. We're on the main stage, awaiting the ceremony to begin. 11:32: Amatera: Gary Platner is detailing the top Blizzcon pet peeves, including people wanting to fight you in real life for not being Horde. 11:34: Amatera: Platner's leaving. CEO Mike Morhaime is taking the stage, ready to wow us with some awesome! 11:35: Amatera: Morhaime: "Everyone's waiting for something 'cataclysmic' to happen!" 11:38: Amatera: On speed of BlizzCon ticket sales: "That's faster than a Ret Paladin can post on the forums after a nerf." Ouch! 11:40: Amatera: Morhaime muses about the launch of Wrath. Now we're being taken back to some of those moments last year, as well as some from the midnight launch of the expansion, itself. 11:44 : Amatera: A mention of phasing technology, equip manager, dual specs.... expansion announcement certainly incoming. 11:45: Amatera: "Looking forward..." "The first encounter with [Onyxia] was merely a setback." Next year, SC2 will ship with the new Battle.net interface. Details on that at the Battle.net panel. 11:46: Amatera: "Does the name Sam Raimi mean anything to you?" WoW Movie talk now. They met Raimi at last year's BlizzCon and learned of his love for the game. Bruce Campbell will not be playing Leeroy Jenkins (but according to Morhaime "it's not a bad idea"). 11:48: Amatera: Even Warcraft 2 will be playable on the show floor! E-sports talk now. We'll likely get an expansion trailer at the end of the ceremony that will segue right into the Preview Panel. 11:50: Amatera: Noob figures in the goody bags are 100% exclusive, never to be reproduced. "Could be sold on eBay for the amount of a small car." Oh, Morhaime. You're a funny guy! 11:51: Amatera: Level 80 ETC will once again be playing the show. And, of course, they couldn't get away without a mention of Ozzy Osbourne. 11:52: Amatera: Showing some fan appreciation. "Give yourselves a /cheer, like you mean it!" Chris Metzen taking the stage. Announcement certainly incoming! 11:55: Amatera: "Where's the Alliance?" "Where's the Horde?" Horde totally got the bigger pop! 11:58: Amatera: Hold your horses! If you haven't heard it yet, the Monk is the new Diablo 3 class. Trailer for that playing now. 11:59: Amatera: The Monk looks like a sweet class. He fights with a staff. Looks to be modeled roughly on Shaolin monks. 12:01: Amatera: That was a cinematic. Now a gameplay trailer for the Monk. He has a reflective shield it looks like, and he can make enemies explode from the inside. Specifics coming later. 12:05: Amatera: Gameplay trailer for WoW coming up! "It's a doozy!" Preview Panel at 12:30, which Project Lore will be covering that, too. 12:05: Amatera: WoW: Cataclysm is official. Metzen's words claim all to be true. 12:07: Amatera: HUGE scars down multiple zones, filled with magma. Zone terrain upturned. Life returns to The Barrens. Ashenvale has had many of its resources taken. Goblins are shown, and they are indeed joining the Horde. 12:10: Amatera: Gilneas now. The Forsaken apparently are attacking Gilneas. The Night Elves bring them into the Alliance. New classes confirmed. Sketches of new monsters shown. Some dungeon/raid areas are shown, but they aren't named. 85 Level Cap. New Profession: Archaeology. New Heroic instances: Deadmines and SFK. Guild leveling and achievement system. Flying mounts in Azeroth. New character progression: Path of the Titans. Deathwing returns. Oddly enough... no mention of Azshara or flooding. 12:13: Looks like most of the leaked information is true, though a few things were curiously missing. The Maelstrom was touched on briefly, but magma, not water, seemed to be the focus of the trailer. And though Deathwing was mentioned, little was said of Azshara. Rest assured, the changes made to the existing zones look extensive. That's it for the Opening Ceremony, though. Check the Project Lore main page for WoW Preview Panel coverage. Thanks for tuning in!

Click to read more ...

Today's the today! In just a scant few hours, we'll know the truth of all the speculation and rumors we've been toiling over for the past couple of months. I have to admit that Blizzard's done a very good job of keeping things under wraps this year. We still don't know exactly how MMO-Champion got all of their details (though some of it was clearly mined from patch data), but it's clear they've learned a thing or two about keeping secrets. Those attending the event won't even be able to pick up their official, special edition event programs until after the Opening Ceremonies. If that's not telling, I don't know what is! Project Lore will be there with you throughout the entire two days, bringing you the latest World of Warcraft-related information as it happens. Sadly, Heartbourne and I couldn't make it out to Anaheim this year, but that's good news for you readers. We'll be manning the site more or less from home. Both of us have access to the live feed, which mean you'll get your news as fast as anyone on the show floor! Each panel will have its own post and we'll be covering them in tandem. We also expect to see articles and news items coming in throughout the weekend from our bloggers actually at the event. If rumors are proven true, and the expansion is playable at BlizzCon, we'll be sure to get some impressions thrown up on the site for you in due time. So please. Sit back, grab a 12-pack of Mountain Dew, and keep your eyes glued to Project Lore for the next two days! If you're still feeling antsy and haven't kept up with our pre-show coverage, please feel free to peruse some of the articles we've posted over the last couple of weeks.

Click to read more ...

Cataclysm Countdown is a series of informed speculative articles concerning things we might see in the next expansion that I will be posting every day this week, leading right up to Blizzcon. In the interest of thought purity, I will do my best to steer clear of recent “leaked” material, relying upon it only where it logically connects with the existing lore. Nothing hereafter is official or has been confirmed/denied by Blizzard at the time of its writing. It's coming down to the wire, folks. I've done the research, I've looked at the maps, I've made liberal use of WoWWiki. I've wrenched every bit of related lore out of my head that I possibly can without completely ruining Heartbourne's Proverb series! At this point, barring an eleventh-hour spillage of the beans, there just isn't a whole lot left to talk about. Speculation involving specifics of gear, skills, quest lines, professions, or anything else that can be easily slotted into a spreadsheet is completely off the table. There's just nowhere I can really go without more details. I call it... the Failstrom! Instead, I will shift my focus and give you some 100% pure, unbridled, Amatera-brand speculation about... your speculation. Or, rather, what people are buzzing about all over the WoWified regions of the internet. And just how completely wrong they are. Let's face it, when everything you "know" is simply what you've made up in your own head, then sometimes it's just better to keep your mouth shut. I think it was Peter Parker's Uncle Ben that said, "Add two cups of water and bring to a boil." Wise words, old man. Wise words, indeed. Regardless, below are several common things you need to be aware of as we enter the final countdown. Excuse me while I play this kickin' guitar solo... Item 1: "The List" -- You've probably seen it floating around the 'net over the past couple of years. It's a breakdown of zone "sets" reportedly used as a guideline for future expansions. According to the legend, it was first implemented by Blizzard internally, but only surfaced on the interwebs several years later (conveniently after Wrath had already been revealed). There is no legitimate record of this list anywhere before 2007, but since it's out in the wild now, its real test of validity will start with Cataclysm. Here's what it predicts for the next expansion: Gilneas - 77 to 80 Grim Batol - 78 to 81 Kul Tiras - 79 to 82 Kezan - 81 to 86 Tel Abim - 83 to 85 Zandalar - 84 to 87 Plunder Isle - 86 to 88 The Broken Isles - 87 to 90 The Maelstrom - 89 to 90 Rumors are rumors, but this doesn't totally jive with what we've been hearing lately, especially in terms of the level cap. Then again, if something like this was ever used within Blizzard in the beginning, I would expect it to diverge farther and farther from what is listed here as time goes on. But in all likelihood, the list is a farce. It's not terribly hard to put together. A good eye for details and a keen sense of prediction are all you truly need to do so. Lore nerds are pretty good about remembering which story threads have been left hanging, and by browsing through some of the extended-universe stuff found in the novels, as well as the books used to flesh out the table-top RPG, you can make a cursory list of interesting zones and places to visit in no time flat. Look closely at the set of zones above, and then cross-reference that with my speculative post about zones from two days ago. I'm not sure that Plunder Isle and Tel Abim are big enough to support players through two levels of experience. Now, there's a good chance we'll see several of these areas in the actual expansion, but really all this list represents is good guesswork. It's not from Blizzard, and never has been, so when somebody brings it up as a point of proof, don't take it as gospel. Item 2: Cataclysm's Release Date -- If anybody tells you that they know the expansion's release date, simply don't listen to them. I've heard everything from the end of this year to December 2012 (the appropriately apocalyptic end of the Mayan calendar). Addressing the former, I was honestly shocked there were people out there who expected Blizzard to pump out content faster than I did! In reality, there are several factors at play that make it impossible to pin down when Cataclysm might actually come out. First, how long will it take to wrap up Wrath of the Lich King? The Crusader's Coliseum is only halfway released. We can look forward to the revamped Onyxia fight in around a month (no, we won't have to wait 'til November; an encounter like that isn't going to sit on the PTR for over three months) or so. So unless Blizzard throws us a curve ball beforehand, we're likely to see Icecrown Citadel before the end of the year. Some people seem to think that won't be enough to hold players off until the expansion, though. My own prediction puts Cataclysm late next Spring or early next Summer, but it's become tradition to insert some sort of transitional event between expansions. Vanilla got the original version of Naxxramas and Burning Crusade got Sunwell. I'm having trouble wracking my brain for what we could see after Arthas, but perhaps the answer is simpler. Icecrown Citadel is rumored to be quite big, and I don't think it would be too far out there to assume that it may be released over two patches, with the Lich King sealing off his inner sanctum to delay players even further. Second, we have to consider Blizzard's own intentions. On one hand, they've expressed interest in releasing content, and expansions, at a faster pace. On the other, they're Blizzard. They've always taken the time necessary to polish their work until they're satisfied enough to put it out on the market. In that sense, I think it really depends on how far along they already are with Cataclysm. After pouring so much work into Wrath, it's hard to believe that they've already gotten the bulk of the next expansion done. I guess we'll find out tomorrow. With at least one major raid dungeon, and associated content, to go, don't expect to see it this year. And be wary of anyone who claims they know what the release date will be or throws a tantrum and says that the game is going to lose a significant portion of the playerbase if it doesn't come soon. Item 3: The New Azeroth Will Be Completely Phased -- I was naive. I admit it. Not too long ago, I proposed phasing the entirety of Azeroth to introduce new content to the old world. But unless the technology has significantly improved, that's no longer a possibility. You see, this was before we knew that the geography itself would change. Currently, phasing can only modify objects or widgets that are laid over the base terrain, which would rule out any tweaks to the shape of the land. Some people have wondered how they would be able to play with their low-level friends or what might happen to those few remaining chumps who only own the original game. Well, no worries. There will be phasing involved in certain quest lines or events, but the old world will be gone. Completely. You'll be able to interact with your lowbie buds in a brand-spankin'-new Azeroth. And for those unwilling to make the upgrade? Well, if they haven't been keeping up with the expansions, there's a good chance they haven't really been playing anyway. Item 4: The Globes of Ulduar -- These are interesting finds, indeed. If you go into Halls of Lightning or the Ulduar raid instance, you might stumble across some animated globes that show a distinctly different version of Azeroth. A big chunk of central Kalimdor is simply... gone. And several other areas have had their coastlines shorn. Some have speculated that these are visions of a future catastrophe, while others believe they merely show an ancient Azeroth under construction by the Ancients. The problem is that, until the Sundering, Azeroth was one giant landmass, Pangaea-style. These globes clearly show the continents separated, so whatever they depict, it happens after the collapsing of the Well of Eternity. But that's not why you should be wary, anyway. The fact of the matter is that these were likely Easter eggs put in by Blizzard during Wrath's development, and the level of destruction shown on the face of each globe is somewhat different. Despite the wonderful map overlays created by the community, they don't always match up with the details found in the text-based spoilers, either. These globes provide us with a hint of the future, but they are unlikely to be definitive representations of the Azeroth soon to be revealed. Item 5: It's Impossible To Do [Blank] -- There's been an awful lot of belly-aching in the community lately (and honestly, when isn't there?). People complaining about the new class combinations, or that Blizzard's seriously messing up the lore. It's hard to surf the official forums or comments section on any WoW-related blog without seeing people spreading the doom-and-gloom, warning Blizzard that they're about to alienate all their players by doing something they deem impossible. But the Warcraft universe is moving forward. Things must change, and Blizzard is well within their power to do so. All bets are off where Cataclysm is concerned. The world is reshaped, its people are forced into situations and alliances that they never have been before. Those who are friends will share their knowledge and skills, while those who are enemies will escalate their rage to new levels. Beyond that, some changes must be made to comply with new innovations in gameplay. Anyone who tells you otherwise is simply kidding themselves. So, equipped with the knowledge I've given you, you should be going into the announcement tomorrow with a better understanding of what to expect. Writing these speculative columns has been more challenge than you might think. It entails more than just pulling stuff out of your ass. Research and taking the time out to really reconsider what you're typing isn't easy. And, no doubt, some of it is going to be completely wrong. But I do hope that, in the end, I've been steering this ship in the right direction. So stay tuned to Project Lore over the weekend for extensive coverage of BlizzCon and just about all the Cataclysm goodies you can handle! Have you enjoyed these articles over the past week? What can I do to improve them in the future? In addition to hearing the remainder of your thoughts on the upcoming expansion (or how horribly misguided I've been), please give me your opinions or suggestions, as well.

Click to read more ...

Proverb is a psuedo-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! If you haven't already, be sure to read part 1! We pick up with the recent history of the blood elves and high elves. The blood elves under Kael'thas largely fled to Outland from the humans, who viewed them as traitors. Some blood elves stayed behind to rebuild Silvermoon and attempt to reclaim their homeland from the undead. Lor'themar Theron stayed in Quel'thalas as Regent Lord of the Blood Elves, while Kael'thas took the ambiguous title of Lord of the Blood Elves. Kael'thas' alliance with Illidan to use alternative energies, largely demonic ones, led him down a dark path. He and his forces captured the naaru M'uru and sent it back to Silvermoon with Grand Magister Rommath, with the message that the blood elves could use the naaru for power and to prepare to join him in Outland. Kael'thas continued to gather power in Outland. He sent a large regiment of his most powerful forces to attack Shattrath City, one of the largest settlements opposing the rein of Illidan. During their attack, these blood elves laid down their weapons, and a blood elf by the name of Voren’thal stepped up as their leader. He professed to A'dal, leader of Shattrath, that he had seen him in a vision and the only hope for the blood elves was with this naaru. These blood elves vowed to serve A'dal and took on the name the Scryers, leaving Kael'thas. This was the largest loss Kael'thas took to his power until his death. The Scryers remain neutral to the conflicts of the Horde and Alliance and will ally with any adventurer willing to help their cause.

Blood Elves

The blood elves remaining in Quel'thalas rebuilt much of Silvermoon, and never heard again from Kael'thas. Lor'themar and the blood elves decided to ally with the Horde. They were very bitter with the humans, and still held grudges against the night elves from years ago. Their alliance with the Horde was largely motivated by the membership of the Forsaken, led by their former Ranger-General Sylvannas Windrunner. They remain skeptic of the Horde, and the Horde remains untrusting of them. Together, the blood elves, with the help of the Horde, continue to reclaim Quel'thalas and fight the Scourge. Once the blood elves of the Horde ventured into Outland, they discovered that Kael'thas had gone mad. The blood elves of Silvermoon no longer call Kael'thas their lord, and subsequently assisted in his defeat. Kael'thas returned to Silvermoon after his near death, stole M'uru, and rekindled the Sunwell with his newfound powers, summoning the demon lord Kil'jaedan into the world. Kael'thas was killed and Kil'jaeden banished by the combined forces of the Aldor and the Scryers under the banner of the Shattered Sun Offensive.

High Elves

A'dal chose to donate his powers to the blood elves of Silvermoon as they were forgiven for their past sins as they repented by defeating Kael'thas and Illidan. The blood elves now follow Lor'themar and other prominent Blood Elves of Silvermoon, as well as the Horde, their thirst for magic largely satisfied by the generosity of A'dal and the restoration of the Sunwell. The blood elves of Silvermoon remain as members of the Horde, and the Scyers remain in Shattrath and at the Sunwell. When Dalaran was moved to Northrend to battle Malygos and the blue dragons, the Kirin Tor took all the help they could get. A group of blood elves from Silvermoon appealed to Rhonin to allow them entrance to the Kirin Tor's membership. A group of high elves who had gathered in Dalaran over the years banded together under the name of the Silver Covenant to oppose this request, associating the Blood Elves still with Kael'thas' betrayal. The Kirin Tor has not made an official decision to admit the Blood Elves to the Kirin Tor, but many high elves are still among their ranks. Vereesa Windrunner, who leads the Silver Covenant, is wife to Rhonin and strongly opposes the blood elves' initiation to the Kirin Tor.

High Elven Eyes

Due to the blood elves willingness to use alternative forms of magic, there are some subtle physical differences. Blood elves relied on demonic energies for a time, and their glowing green eyes are a remnant of that. High elves usually have blue eyes, with some having violet or red. Blood elves have much paler features than high elves for the same reason. It is not clear if these differences are genetic (as orc skin is, even though the color mutations were magic based). If so, blood elves may be very distinct from high elves.Blood elves chose red and black as the theme their common garb to remember their losses to Arthas, and high elves traditionally avoid these colors as to not get mistaken for blood elves. While blood elves actively seek magic to feed upon to sate their hunger, high elves try to suppress it. Some high elves wear Sunwell Rings, which almost completely satisfy them, but many others stay near magical founts like moonwells, as well as meditate for at least an hour per day. Blood elves that fail to satiate themselves often degenerate into Wretched, their addiction warping their physical forms. Let me know what you want to see in future Proverbs!

Click to read more ...

When I read on Ars Technica that Future US (publisher of gaming magazines like PC Gamer, Nintendo Power and the Official Xbox Magazine) would be dedicating an entire magazine to World of WarCraft, please excuse while I chuckle with a little skepticism. The magazine will be introduced at BlizzCon this weekend where fans can subscribe at an annual rate (at four issues a year mind you) of $39.95, £29.95, or €34.95. It will feature no ads, and be given Blizzard's blessing (so it's an official WoW magazine) and will only print as many copies as they have subscribers (so you won't see this at your local bookstore). With the economy in the state it is though, $40 a year (quarterly, four issues a year) is a very tough sell. How can this magazine possibly have information that will not be found online on blogs like Project Lore? Item databases such as WoW Head are full of so much information and sites like Boss Killers have all the strategies needed and are all products of the millions of players in the WoW community. How can a WoW magazine possibly get a foothold in an arguably already crowded market of WoW related media? The biggest help that this magazine has for it is that Blizzard is officially behind it and could possibly give them exclusive information and possibly even exclusive items (the latter would, I think, really sell magazines). The hope is that this will be an in-depth look at the game and get quotes from the developers themselves about news topics and important issues related to World of WarCraft. Their connection with Blizzard will also allow them to have a strong marketing angle, being able to sell your magazine right on the official World of WarCraft website, along with it (most likely) showing up in the launcher (maybe I'm the only one who still uses it?) could really help push copies. There would have to be some pretty strong incentives to get me to cough up $40 a year for a magazine, much less one that only comes every three months. What do you think? Will you be picking this up? If not, what would they have to offer to get you to pick it up?

Click to read more ...

BlizzCon Here We Come! Blizzard is less than 24 hours away from opening the doors of the Anaheim Convention Center to its passionate fanbase to show off new products, progress on titles being worked on right now and rub elbows with fans and developers alike! If you're going to be at the convention, you want to make sure you have the best time you can have right? You probably are already here if you're taking a flight, have checked into your hotel and are ready to go! But we wanted to provide a few details for those who may have forgotten or simply didn't know about traveling and conventions. If you're in Anaheim Thursday you'll be able to pick up your badge starting at 4pm, make sure to bring your printed out barcode and ID (follow the directions on your email). You'll have until 10pm that night, but we recommend getting it done early so you can meet with some of the Project Lore staff (myself included) at the WoW Insider Party at the Anabella Hotel. And of course, it's not a bad idea to get some quality sleep the night before the convention, but you may want to explore a bit! There are many options open for you in Anaheim as there is Downtown Disney (no need for a Disneyland ticket!) which features some great restaurants, shops and a movie theater. Nearby is also the Anahiem Gardenwalk with more restaurants, shops and another movie theater if Disney isn't your thing. Also, if you're not from California you may have heard of it but you must make it a priority to eat at In N Out! If you end up there, make sure to check out their secret menu for an even better burger (or take the 10x10 challenge)! After you've filled up on food and hit the sack, you'll wake up to the big day! Friday the show opens up sometime around 11 (opening ceremonies are at 11:30). If you want a prime seat you will want to try to start lining up a few hours before if you're serious about it. If you still don't have your badge, you can of course pick that up anytime between 8am and 10pm. After the opening ceremonies you are open to do whatever you like! That's what is awesome about this convention! You get to choose what you want to do! Go hit up the BlizzCon Store (prepare for a wait though!) or other vendors (like our friends at J!NX). Not ready to shop? Visit any of the wonderful panels and hear from the devlopers themselves (check out the schedule here and map out what you'd like to see) or go play some StarCraft 2, Diablo 3, or the new WoW Expansion. There are also professional competitive players to watch, showcasing the best players in StarCraft, WarCraft 3, and WoW Arena. There will also be a live WoW Raid on Saturday, which is sure to be a sight to see! As much as the enjoyment of the convention depends on your attitude and the people you are with, there are things you can plan on, or have, that will help make sure your experience is enjoyable.

• Bring comfortable shoes: there will be lots of walking and waiting, make sure they're broken in and not brand new, you DO NOT want blisters on your feet!
• Bring water: you don't want to have to wait in line to get a drink and be thirsty while waiting, and you want to keep hydrated (not to mention bottled water is EXPENSIVE inside the convention center)!
• Bring snacks/pack a lunch: lines are long for food inside the convention halls and pricey and you may not even enjoy the food! Make sure to at least bring some snacks or even get something to eat before heading to the convention center before starting the day (Subway keeps fairly well and is close to the convention center).
• Plan out your day: after going to a few conventions, I noticed that my enjoyment of the show would increase if I had something planned out, you don't have to follow it exactly, but having a loose plan of what you'd like to do is good, but make sure you're flexible, especially if you're with a group, parent(s), or a significant other!
• Check your realm meeting time: this should be in the goodie bag when you pick this up and is a great way to meet up with players on your server (Alliance and Horde alike) and can help you find a guild if you're looking for one!
• Make sure you pack what you need: double check: clothes for each day you're there (think about packing an extra pair of clothes, just in case), deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, etc.
• Patience: lines will be long, the best thing to do is to strike up a conversation with your fellow line waiters, chances are they're into our beloved WoW and you can relate to something in game with them.
• Phones, Handheld Gaming Systems: these are great for those pesky lines and coordinating with friends to meetup, and who knows you might be able to strike up a quick game with a fellow attendee (I'll personally be bringing my iPhone and Nintendo DSi)

All in all though, have fun! Don't be afraid to say hi to people (if you see me, I'd love to talk WoW!) and just in general relax! This is supposed to be a fun convention and you have the power to make it that! Here also are some rough guidelines to when the best times are to hit up certain events at BlizzCon that tend to have longer lines:

• Game Demo Stations: During the costume contest and closing ceremonies the lines have traditionally been very small to play StarCraft 2, Diablo 3 and WoW. These are the absolute best times to play. If what is announced at the opening ceremonies is playable, most of the people will flock to try it out immediately and the lines will be pretty long.
• Blizzard Store: Later in the day, similar times as for the demo stations the lines tend to thin out and be much smaller, unless you're worried about an item selling out you can wait it out.
• Panels: unless you feel the need to sit up front you can come as late as the panel starting to get a decent seat. If you want to ask a question sit nearest to the microphones (where Blizzard CMs will be standing as well to screen questions). The Guild panel may be an exception although they are in an actual hall this year as opposed to a small meeting room last year (they filled up well before their panel time and many people had to be turned away).
• Tournaments: Earlier in the tournaments tend to have the best seats, but as it gets closer to the finals the seats tend to fill up (I sat on the floor for the StarCraft final last year) generally finding a seat around the semi-finals is your best bet to make sure you have a seat for the finals.

For those of you at home, if you've ordered the live stream make sure to have a nice comfy chair, drinks and snacks near by so you don't miss anything! If you haven't order the stream, be sure to follow your favorite blog with updates! There is also a free stream for the tournaments which are enjoyable to watch. Whatever you do this weekend, make sure you enjoy it as we celebrate the game, the culture and community of Blizzard games. So Project Lore readers, what will you be doing for BlizzCon? What panels look like the best to you? What do you think are can't be missed events? Did I miss anything that a con goer should be bringing?

Click to read more ...