Project Lore

Archaeology is, in fact, not a primary profession, but a secondary skill, like fishing, first aid, and cooking. All characters can learn it, and use it to advance down the "Path of the Titans", which is a new type of character progression, like talent trees. There are nodes in the world that players gather from in order to write "Archaeology Notes". Once you gather enough of certain types of these, you can use them to perform "research", which allows them to choose different "paths" to go down. These paths are not class-specific, so players of the same class can theoretically go down the same path. The research is described as a "mini-game" that allows you to pick from different paths. The rewards include more glyph slots, profession plans, and more. These paths are designed to be an additional way to progress your character after you reach level 85. It's unclear how this is related to the physical Path of the Titans in Northrend. Mastery is a concept that borrows heavily from Warhammer. Players will gain 5 new talent points to spend as they level from 80 to 85, but there will not be 5 new talents added to each tree. You will invest these into existing talents, which will likely be reworked going into Cataclysm. However, with the advent of Mastery, players who invest heavily into one tree will gain special abilities, regardless of where they are placed in the trees. Blizzard hopes this adds to character customization and adds flexibility to the trees. For example, if you are a Shaman and you have 51 points in Restoration, you might get a bunch of bonuses to your healing. However, if you go back and put 55 points in Restoration, you might get a large buff to your healing. This could include visual effects, buffs to your stats, or other benefits. A lot of mystery still surrounds this feature, so we will see how it unfolds. Professions will likely gain more levels. While traditionally 75 skill points correspond to 10 levels, we still might see an additional 75 skill points.

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The newest addition to the Alliance is indeed the Worgen. The kingdom of Gilneas assisted the Alliance during the Second War. However, going into the Third War, Gilneas realized that there was little the Alliance to provide to them, and they were just fine governing themselves behind the impenetrable Greymane Wall. The curse of the Worgen began to spread, perhaps because of the Scythe of Elune. Regardless, Archmage Arugal of Dalaran became fascinated with these creatures and retreated into Shadowfang Keep to study them. They were great weapons for him in fighting back the Scourge during the Third War. The curse of the Worgen, however, is infectious, and it quickly spread and reached the nearby kingdom of Gilneas. The Gilneans, being confined to their kingdom, quickly fell to the curse. Civil war broke out, and their kingdom became ravaged. The Gilneans have managed to control their curse somewhat and seem to able to transform between Worgen and Human forms. The Cataclysm has been disastrous to them, and the Greymane Wall has been destroyed. Gilneas shares a border only with Silverpine Forest, which controlled by the Forsaken. The Forsaken push southward into their kingdom, and the night elves came to their rescue, perhaps with a sense of responsibly regarding the Scythe of Elune. Now, the Worgen fight along side the Alliance. The exact story behind the Scythe and the Worgen's origins remain unclear, but I'm sure the story behind the Worgen's origins will slowly be uncovered. The worgen racials include +1% damage, 70% run speed for 10 seconds, duration of curses and diseases reduced by 15%, and skinning skill increased by 15. They also don't need a skinning knife! Worgen can play as Death Knights (likely starting in Ebon Hold, and likely the coolest thing ever to grace WoW), Druids, Hunters, Mages, Priests, Rogues, Warlocks, and Warriors.

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The Goblins of Kezan are the newest addition to the Horde. The Steamwheedle Cartel remains neutral, but this specific faction of goblins have joined the Horde out of necessity. Their homeland has heavily affected by the Cataclysm, and Mount Kajaro has become a dangerous volcano. The Goblins were originally enslaved by trolls to mine from the mountain of Kajaro in Kezan for the powerful kaja'mite ore that the trolls used in their rituals. The effects of the ore caused the goblins to grow cunning and develop skills in engineering and alchemy, and they overthrew the trolls and claimed the mines of Kajaro as their capital, the Undermine. The goblins' cunning quickly taught them that a profit could be made from their skills, and Trade Princes arose as the ruling caste of the goblins. They reached out to the Horde during the second war and served them at a high price with their technology. After the Horde lost the second war, the goblins realized they would be able to profit greatly by serving both sides during war, and did so during the third war. Kezan became a busy port. However, the recent Cataclysm turned their island into a dangerous volcano, and they fled. The trade princes found it profitable to evacuate the panicked goblins, and many goblins lost their entire life savings to save their own lives. Many were sold into slavery to get the money to evacuate, and the trade princes flourished. That is, until, they got caught in the Horde/Alliance crossfire. After a goblin fleet with a group of goblins called the Bilgewater was destroyed during a dogfight between Alliance and Horde ships, they washed up on the dangerous Lost Isles. They return to the Horde, as they find themselves at odds with the Alliance and easily rekindle old relations. Goblins can play as Death Knights (probably starting in Ebon Hold like the others), hunters, mages, priest, rogues, shaman, warlocks, and warriors. Goblin's faction mount will be a roadster-like car. It looks like a go-kart. One of their racials is a rocket-belt that allows goblins to thrust forward, like Blink or a forward disengage. Goblins start out in the Lost Isles and level to 15 there. They then move into Azshara, which is now a low level zone. The goblins have excavated the cliffs and claimed it for their own, building a town in the cliffs. They have also completely ravaged the Stonetalon Mountains.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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WoW-centric sites aren't the only ones excited about the upcoming expansion. The venerable GameTrailers has thrown their hat into the speculation ring, as well, detailing all sorts of areas they would love to see in Cataclysm. For the most part, they cover the same sorts of unreleased zones I've been discussing in my Cataclysm Countdown series of articles, but there are several that I neglected to touch upon. Most intriguing of these is the Emerald Dream, something that most of us have anticipated seeing in another future expansion. Despite this, I think some arguments can be made for its inclusion in Cataclysm. The great Night Elf Druid, Malfurion Stormrage, played a big role in the War of the Ancients. Currently, he is trapped (or willfully stays within) the Emerald Dream, combating the forces of the Nightmare that have corrupted it. Malfurion Stormrage, Lord of the Druids The rumors that have surfaced mention Malfurion returning to the physical realm to activate Thrall as the next Guardian of Tirisfal. If these events actually occur, he may bring news of what's occuring in the Dream with him. And if that news can be linked to the greater threat of the Maelstrom and Azshara, there may be cause to send players into the wild green yonder. Another idea that piqued my interest was opening up Timbermaw Hold. It doesn't seem to have any particular importance to the grander storyline, but if Azshara's going to turned into a 10-20 zone, it would make a perfect 5-man dungeon for that level set. It may also serve as a pathway into the nearby Mount Hyjal. The video also goes over a number of the random, unfinished zones still littered throughout Azeroth (such as the Ironforge Airport and the barren area to the west of Brill in Tirisfal Glade). If these areas aren't filled in, they'll probably be removed or otherwise modified in the new version of the world. Ultimately, it seems the folks over at GameTrailers know about as much as we do. There's nothing new to be found here, and all of the footage in the video is taken from existing areas, but it's nice to have a well-produced visual overview of what we all hope to see in the coming days. Watch the video and discuss! Let us know what you think of GameTrailer's speculation, as well as our own!

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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. The Lich King falls. The Argent Crusade's task of defeating the Scourge is over, and with it the tenuous cooperation between the Alliance and the Horde. A new threat arises from the depths of the ocean and brings death and destruction to both sides. Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall take it upon themselves to protect the world at large, ascending from their positions as faction representatives. In the interest of self-preservation, the remaining forces of the Horde and Alliance cease any remaining ties. Instead, tempers flare as Garrosh, the new Warchief of the Horde, and King Varian Wrynn bare fangs at each other and decide to drag their people, once again, unto the brink of all-out, bloody-nosed WAR. The stage is set for a conflict greater than Azeroth has ever seen before. But how will we experience it? Ahh... the way things used to be! World of Warcraft, despite its name and pedigree, was not built from the ground up for PvP play. Ever since the game's release, Blizzard has added more and varied ways of engaging the enemy, but it's always been compartmentalized and shoved just to the side of primary content. Even Lake Wintergrasp, arguably the crowning jewel of PvP combat at the moment (it both maintains the scale of a Battleground and affords access to certain rewards typical of World PvP). Though it's far from perfect, Wintergrasp will likely be the template for this part of the game moving forward. Let's stop for a moment, though, and let our imaginations run wild, yeah? WoW, at its pinnacle, should emulate the large-scale, world-wide conflict that the series is known for. Ideally, that means  bunkers, forts, and whole armies fighting with each other in all zones across Azeroth. Players would be able to not only construct siege vehicles, but hire mercenaries, create defensive buildings, and upgrade units. OK, have a good image in your head now? Well, hold onto it, because that's only a dream. With the changes we are expecting to see to the rest of the game, PvP on that level would be near impossible to implement. Let's not forget all the balancing that would be involved in the creation of so many new game systems. We've got to face the reality that World of Warcraft just can't support such an overhaul in its core gameplay. Will we see something approaching that near the end of the series? Quite likely, through patches and incremental additions along the way, but not right now. Still, that doesn't mean we won't see PvP combat expand in Cataclysm. The key really is just to find a happy medium. I see this as taking at least one of two forms:

1. Zone-wide PvP -- With many zones being re-purposed in the expansion, it stands to reason that a few of them could play host to open fighting. Those with high amounts of resources, or those that straddle the border between core Horde and Alliance territories will be the ones most impacted. The first that comes to mind is the Hillsbrad/Arathi area of Eastern Kingdoms. With the Scourge threat defeated and the Plaguelands theoretically in the process of returning to normal, little stands between the Alliance reclaiming Lordaeron than the Forsaken. With his new found allies, the Worgen of Gilneas, on Undercity's doorstep, Varian is in a good position to retake the former Human kingdom. The Forsaken, with some help from the Blood Elves, would fight back to protect the only place they can call home. Several areas like this can be spread throughout the world map, with control of them affording certain buffs or rewards.
2. Objective-based play -- True World PvP would be hard to manage. Imagine a full PvP server, but one where control of the world actually matters. Instead, what not have a series of smaller objectives that each side needs to take and hold. Holding a number of these sites at any given time would afford lesser rewards, perhaps some sort of points or honor to every player in the general area. These points could then be used to purchase faction rewards in the main cities. Final Fantasy XI did something like this with crystals needed for crafting professions, and so has WoW to an extent (with Stone Keeper Shards and the like), though it was necessary to engage in PvE content to obtain those items.

But then again, who knows? We may just see a few new Battlegrounds and Arenas to fight in. I'm sure PvP will move forward in certain respects, but at the end of the day, the balance between fun and fairness is what needs to be maintained. Considering either of these ideas, servers with already lop-sided populations would potentially see one faction completely shut out of rewards. Objective-based gameplay may be more suited to accessibility, considering that when more capture sites are placed in the world, it becomes harder for either side to dominate completely. Covering every objective would quickly spread forces thin, but it would allow the opposite faction to rally up and take a few of their own. The only difference in this case would be that one side would gain points, and thus rewards, at a faster pace. However, this approach runs the risk of placing less importance on any given objective. It would be less lore-centric, and some out-of-the-way objectives would fall into disuse. Zone-based PvP would certainly centralize the conflict, and the consolidation of forces would allow Blizzard to do more interesting things within each area. While balance is a greater issue here, Wintergrasp-style buffs could preserve the spirit of competition. So what are you guys looking forward to in terms of Player versus Player action in the next expansion. Are my ideas too far-fetched? What about ideas of your own? Do you think PvP might get the shaft as Blizzard focuses on expanding the lore and PvE content? We've only got a couple more days until we find out for sure!

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I expected teasers to start popping up any day now, but Creative Labs' Soundblaster page isn't the first place I would've looked. Loading up the site will treat you to a short flash movie which depicts a half-glowing Horde symbol inside the ring of what seems to be the outside of a headset speaker. Considering what the company sells, this may end up being nothing more than an ad campaign for high-quality, World of Warcraft-themed gaming headphones to be revealed at Blizzcon (to be clear, this is speculation on my part). But that doesn't make it any less mysterious. Looking -- and listening -- closer reveals several interesting clues. First of all is the fact that the Maelstrom appears in the movie. As the short animation plays, a swirling light consumes the screen, eventually fading into the shape of the infamous spiral, supposed home to Queen Azshara. This, in and of itself, isn't earth-shattering news (did you catch the pun?). What intrigues me more is why the emblem of the Horde is overlaid on top of it, and why it is only "sort of" glowing. I hope I'm not reading too much into this, but from all we heard, the Horde is impacted far more by coming events than the Alliance. Of course, it says "To Be Continued...," which may indicate that we'll see more of the other faction in coming days. Likewise, the music playing you might recognize as "Lament of the Highborne." This is the song that Lady Sylvanas sings when you complete the quest "The Lady's Necklace." Sylvanas' role in the expansion is not yet known (she's still got those pesky betrayers to deal with), but guess what central character is a former Highborne? That's right, good old Azshara. In the background, you can also see also see part of the world map, though it's obscured by shadows and the various runes floating around. To the immediate right is Gilneas, which is determined to be home of the new race, the Worgen. The interesting thing about this is that the Maelstrom does not appear that close, or that far north on the official map. If you go take a line straight across the map from Gilneas and try to match it up to the corresponding coast on Kalimdor, you would find that it touches the zone of Azshara. The land mass on the left side of the image is even harder to make out, but it does not seem to correspond with the crescent shape of Azshara's coastline. I'm tempted to say that it might be the Goblin island, Kezan, simply to provide duality with the Worgen, but even of that I can't be sure. You can see what seems to be the peaks of mountains, but Kezan's mountainous region is found in the southwest portion of the island. Could it be some other part of Kalimdor? Durotar seems a likely candidate. Geez, I feel an awful lot like one of those gossiping tools on entertainment shows, trying to pick apart a new celebrity photo in the tabloids. The only thing we can be sure of is that it's a clever way for Creative to attract some attention during this tumultuous time for WoW fans. In the end, it doesn't really tell us anything we haven't already speculated upon. We can only wait to see what happens to the animation in the coming days and hope that new information can be gleaned then. Now that I've had my go, can you readers pick out anything that I missed? Why not offer up your own theories on what these symbols represents in the comments section? Update: As expected, this was an advertisement for new wireless headsets to be revealed at Blizzcon. Still, there's no denying that even the folks over at Soundblaster are clued into this whole Cataclysm thing. It's a shame we couldn't get anything more out of them!

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