Tuesday Morning Post: Cataclysmic Edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Jul 7th 2009 at 7:00AM
It's time once again for weekly maintenance, and not only do we have the standard 5 AM - 11 AM Pacific downtime for most US servers, there's also a handful that are down from midnight to noon today. With all that extra time on your hands, you'll have time once again to read up on WoW news.The big news, of course, is the Cataclysm. Blizzard went on a trademark registering spree around this word, which has everyone abuzz with speculation. Are we seeing the name of the new, maelstrom-related expansion? Or is this another secret project, perhaps even that new top secret MMO? Only time will tell, but it's fun to guess anyway. Once you're done being all atwitter over that little bit of gossip, here's some more stuff to read until your server comes up:
Hot News and Features
- Want to get spoiled? We have in depth analysis of the mined data for the new Argent Coliseum 5-man and Argent Coliseum raid.
- Okay, so 2v2 Arenas can now compete for the current season's gear again, but with a few catches.
- Faction changes are still a hot topic. Here's some race change Q&A that might help if they still confuse you a bit.
- So that whole gold-farming ban thing from last week? It may not be as clear cut as that.
- Blizzard gave an official sneak peek at some of the Tier 9 gear.
- Tom Chilton had some interesting things to say about the future of WoW recently. Or vague things, I suppose, depending on your point of view.
- Encrypted Text takes on 3v3 Arenas from a Rogue's perspective.
- Blood Pact discusses the care and feeding of Soul Stones.
- Scattered Shots takes a quick assessment of the Hunter talent trees.
- Arcane Brilliance thinks that Living Bomb is the bomb in Patch 3.2.
- Is the Warrior legacy holding them back? Rossi thinks so.
- Totem Talk continues looking at Ulduar loot.
- This week saw the official Warlock Q&A session go out.
- Shadow Priests are technically part of the Priest Q&A, but Ghostcrawler recently unofficially answered a few Shadow Priest questions.
- We have video of the new Night Elf feral forms straight from the Patch 3.2 PTR.
- Ready Check continues through Ulduar with advice on Kologarn, Auriaya, and the Iron Council.
- Raid Rx talks about group healing assignments.
- Zarhym offers more information on the Patch 3.2 Engineering changes, and Insider Trader has some analysis of them as well.
- Planning on going for a Raptor pet in Patch 3.2? We have some pointers.
- Seen a Hunter hauling around a Worgen lately? You weren't hallucinating.
- WoW, Casually discusses how to get the most out of Holidays.
- The Overachiever continues attacking Glory of the Hero.
- Officer's Quarters discusses managing raid lockouts.
- Here's an interesting question: What happens to those experience granting heirlooms when the level cap goes up?
- The Turpster would like to talk to you about his huge rooster.
- Are you seeing strange Gnomes everywhere lately? Maybe you should lay off the hooch. Or not, those gnomes are sort of awesome.
- Battle.net accounts are now active in China.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Realm Status, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
borgman Jul 7th 2009 7:11AM
I still think it would be funny if the whole cataclysm is just a misdirect by blizzard to throw people off.
MusedMoose Jul 7th 2009 8:00AM
What would really be great is if Cataclysm is the *fourth* expansion pack, not the third, so by the time it's announced, a great many people are smacking their foreheads and wondering how they forgot about it. *grin*
Deadly. Off. Topic. Jul 7th 2009 3:42PM
Even funnier is if it's for their "Secret" new MMORG.
BlackTiger Jul 7th 2009 7:23AM
"Cataclysm" is codename for Dalaran's port into/from Starcraft...
Nick Jul 7th 2009 7:33AM
Cataclysm probably isn't for WoW. Blizzard makes other games, you know. My money's on something for Diablo III
Vladeon Jul 7th 2009 9:11AM
I was just thinking the same thing. I could see it being a Diablo movie tie-in or something like that. maybe it's just a new line of clothing to promote Diablo III or even Starcraft II. But as a poster further down said, the maelstrom has been sitting dormant for too long considering it sits dead center of the map. I predict epic boss fight against Neptune-esque titan. All signs point to Ula'Tek being the next big boss of the next expansion pack unless blizzard pulls a fast one on us and just makes up an entirely new boss.
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Jul 7th 2009 9:21AM
wowcataclysm.com much?
Nick Jul 7th 2009 11:06AM
wowcataclysm.com isn't a site owned by blizzard...
lightning4 Jul 7th 2009 7:59AM
I think Cataclysm might be WoW-related.
Even if not, Blizzcon is just a month and a half away, and it's practically a guarantee they'll be announcing the next expansion. We'll get all the juicy details then. It's highly unlikely that they've got enough content to stretch WotLK to 2010 Blizzcon, let alone through the beta period afterwards.
I suppose they could announce the next expansion anytime they wanted, but Blizzard has a history of always announcing the big stuff during Blizzcon.
Boz Jul 7th 2009 8:08AM
The Maelstrom has been too quiet for too long considering it sits dead-center in the map. Blizzard's recent introduction of faction switching has me wondering if they're planning something... bigger.
New race: Goblins.
Since the first expansion brought two new playable races and the second a new class, my money will be on another new mechanic. Undermine is awfully close and highly likely to be impacted by the Maelstrom from a lore standpoint. The models are detailed and capable of using existing armor and weapon models. At character creation, you could have the option to select either faction. You'd also get a lot of players back in the game to create their new goblin avatar, and could easily split a starting city into factions using a Aldor/Scryers or Silver Covenant/Sunreavers mechanic.
Then again maybe I'm completely wrong and Grim Batol shattered, releasing Blackwing. Or the Greymane Wall is sundered. Or Uldum pops open and is filled with android Silithid-hybrids using Titan technology. Maybe there are unicorns. Or any number of a hundred things it could be given the size and complexity of Azeroth.
Fausts Jul 7th 2009 9:17AM
Too many people are hung up on Goblins as the new race. It ain't gonna happen. Every week on the Blizz forums there is always someone new who comes along thinking they are the first geniuses to suggest pirates, ogres, and of course, goblins. Let's be clear:
Pirates - Not happening
Ogres - Maybe
Goblins - To be introduced in future expansion with Crab People [~sarcasm]
Scary to think I actually had to note I was being sarcastic about Goblins and Crab People. It will be a long time before Blizzard resorts to Crab People in Warcraft, but I am pretty certain we will see Crab People as a playable race sooner then we see Goblins. Don't take my word for it. Search Goblin and Crab People when the Blizz WoW forums come back up.
Boz Jul 7th 2009 10:42AM
@Fausts - Your belief that goblins are not going to be a playable race has as much evidence to back it up as my own that they will be included.
Think what you like, I'm hoping for goblins. Goblins and unicorns.
The Maelstrom is actually a magical adventure to Candy Mountain.
Nick Jul 7th 2009 11:15AM
Lore-wise, making goblins the new race doesn't make much sense, since they're not affiliated with horde or alliance and they work for both of them. It would be cool to have mercenary heroes like in Frozen Throne, that could start out working for either faction then through a series of quests pick which faction to work for. Or just work for both somehow, although that probably wouldn't be fair since they'd have access to twice as many mounts and quests and stuff like that. But I don't think goblins would work.
Hansbo Jul 7th 2009 11:28AM
Wouldn't take THAT much lollore to make goblins into a neutral race who chooses faction (either at creation or at some quests in the starting zone). Just make an event which makes them want to fight (like the undermine being assaulted for some reason) and make the Steamwheedle Cartel still be neutral (them being traders, not fighters, after all). The goblins was in the horde during the first war after all, so they're not all opposed fighting.
The hard part to explain lore-wise would be how to have goblins from different factions not being able to speak with each other. Perhaps this is the time to allow for cross-faction communication with two goblin interpreters?
Don't think it will happen, but it would be an interesting new mechanic in my opinion.
Hansbo Jul 7th 2009 11:29AM
And I mean, of course, that the goblins were in the horde in the SECOND war.
kabshiel Jul 7th 2009 12:28PM
They'd be mercenaries and available to both factions. At character creation you choose which side has "hired" you. They could make the starting areas a sanctuary zone so it could be shared by goblins of both factions. And hopefully they get a racial ability called "Kaboom!" that blows the user up.
Avister Jul 7th 2009 12:35PM
I doubt that goblins will be added as a playable race and if the Undermine is added in the next expansion it will be a neutral sanctuary like Dalaran and shattrath.
Boz Jul 7th 2009 2:19PM
A search of the US Patent & Trademark Office records online shows that Blizzard has NOT filed the name of any of its card game titles. Go ahead and search the terms, "Drums of War" or "Hunt for Illidan;" nothing. Conversely, Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm all yield Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
From a precedence standpoint, it further indicates that this may indeed be the next expansion title.
Why not use "Maelstrom" itself? A number of live trademarks already exist, including at least one computer application/software filing.
Salem Jul 7th 2009 3:05PM
I forgot where it was said (Maybe on the WoW.com show) ,but they talked about why goblins wouldn't be a very good choice as to be a new race.
First off, they'll look the same unflagged and blizzard will probably not want horde to alliance chatting, so they couldn't talk to each other as the same race.
If the goblins were to choose one side over the other, their whole trading company would fall apart and they would be in sea wars or what not, and the alliance and horde would most likely have less of a tie to the goblins.
And lastly, I think that blizzard is done with new races for a while -- I hope they aren't and that we see a new one this next expansion -- and they may just keep making hero classes instead.
Josin Jul 7th 2009 8:46AM
I'm hoping a Maelstrom-themed expansion is next. I'd love for the seas to open up, along with Kul Tiras, Undermine, and gnomish submarines. I'd love to see ship-to-ship combat, gnomes swinging from ship to ship, tauren lashed to the mizzenmast.... ah, good times.
Emerald Dream just seems like a bleh concept for an expansion, unless you enjoy World of Druidcraft. Make it a raid instance or something, but as a full expansion? A bit uninteresting to me.