World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Details

Blizzard is building a new World of Warcraft. The much anticipated expansion, Cataclysm, due to release in 2010 will give players a new and improved experience with new redesigned zones to explore and raids to learn. Azeroth will be reshaped by an epic world event; The dragon Deathwing will burst forth into the world as we know it with such fury and power that it causes the world itself to shake and crumble.

Accompanying the reforged world will be new races, new race/class combination choices and redesigned game mechanics to improve the player experience.

Check out the trailer and a run down of currently known features after the jump.

Cataclysm: Worgan Art

The Worgan, shape-changing werewolves, have joined the Alliance and become their second race with the druid class available to them.  Shape-shifting shape-shifters? For those of you that don’t appreciate having only one character model, this is your thing. In the Blizzcon demo, Worgans character creation only involved wolf form and human form could not be adjusted.

It’s possible that certain Worgan characteristics will be related to certain human characteristics. Maybe all extra hairy, big floppy eared wolf-formed Worgans are gingers and if you’ve got tiny pointed ears, you’re a blond.

As for the Horde, Goblins become a playable race in the expansion. Everyone has seen the Goblins during their adventures, most commonly in their neutral towns tinkering with gadgets but now you can be one. Now to keep it even the Horde needs a second race capable of following the druid class line. Since Goblin’s are too involved with their gobbo technology to be one with nature and become druids, the Trolls have taken it upon themselves to fill the spot.

Cataclysm: Goblin Roadster Mount Concept Art

The racial traits for the new races have not yet been confirmed but in early demonstrations at Blizzcon ’09 the Worgan have had curse resistance and a short range speed boost. If I were to speculate I’d say that I expect Goblins to have increased engineering ability. As a movement based racial skill I’d give them escape artist similar to gnomes (they’re little and tough to hold on to). As a racial stat increase they’ll probably receive a bonus to agility just to be different from the increased intelligence of gnomes.  Goblins look like lithe and quick little buggers don’t they? Maybe call the agility skill, “Quick Little Bugger.”

One piece of Cataclysm concept art from Blizzcon really caught my eye: the racial mounts. Goblins were shown riding in spike wheeled Goblin roadsters and Worgan were riding a wartorn bird wolf type creature.

A new secondary profession, Archeology, will also be made available. It appears to be used in the uncovering information or “archeology notes” which will help lead you down the Path of Titans, the quest line for obtaining max level “talents” which seem somewhat similar to the current glyph system.

A guild leveling system will be implemented allowing guilds to earn useful guild achievements, guild talents, and guild professions. The talents suggested so far include group resurrection for when someone pulls a Leeroy Jenkins, killing the entire party and decreased armor repair costs. This seems like a great way to promote guild teamwork and adds another piece of “character” development to discuss and determine which path is “best”.

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