Cataclysm

[Xuri]

I'm having a hard time trying to decide what to level up first in Cataclysm, my druid or my rogue. One one hand, having a tank/resto specced druid more or less guarantees 1 minute wait-times for random dungeons and such, and on the other hand, rogues can stab stuff in the face with two daggers. Also, there are fewer people playing rogues than druids (at least on my server). Hrm.

I haven't yet as much as glanced at the changes being done to druids and/or rogues in the expansion, I guess I should have a look before I make up my mind. :P

[Simond]

Hey, do Youtube playlists work in the automedia thingy?

Cataclysm playlist

E: Apparently not. I'll turn it into an ordinary link.
E2: Oh FFS.

[WindupAtheist]

So with this phasing that's supposedly all over, is my high-level main going to be able to see anyone in the lowbie zones without running around to do a bunch of lowbie quests?

[Fordel]

So with this phasing that's supposedly all over, is my high-level main going to be able to see anyone in the lowbie zones without running around to do a bunch of lowbie quests?

Probably everywhere but Gilneas. You won't see shit for lowbies in Gilneas.

[Morfiend]

1. Holy shit you people have a lot of alts!

4. Why all the hate for Hellfire?!

These two things are directly related.   

[Merusk]

So red's not your favorite color then?  

I still prefer Hellfire to the depressing blue swamp known as Zagarmarsh.   Nagrand definitely gets the "best of show" ribbon for that expansion, though.  That place is still my 2nd favorite zone in the whole game. (The first being Strath.. but it's an instance so I guess that doesn't count.)

My DK is looking better and better. Blood tank? Could very well be come the expansion.

I have no worries about blood tanking.  It's currently the strongest as it is and it's only going to be stronger with all the new toys it's getting. (I'll miss you, Bone Shield,  but not having to recast you all the fucking time.)   What I would worry about is Unholy falling behind dual-wield frost. (And I'm still not convinced 2h frost is going to be viable while dual wield is the tree's focus.)

[Malakili]

The main problem with Hellfire is that its designed to be the very first thing you see of Blizzards first expansion.  It feels really awesome the first time, it introduces a bunch of new mechanics (like bombing runs, the PvP towers, etc).  But after you've done it like three times its just really heavy on travel time, the gimmick quests get old after you've done them a bunch, and so forth.  Then again, Terrokar Forest is way worse. 

[Rendakor]

The travel time really isn't bad now that you can fly there. The only quest I really dislike in the zone is Shizz Work.

[Sjofn]

I have no worries about blood tanking.  It's currently the strongest as it is and it's only going to be stronger with all the new toys it's getting. (I'll miss you, Bone Shield,  but not having to recast you all the fucking time.)   What I would worry about is Unholy falling behind dual-wield frost. (And I'm still not convinced 2h frost is going to be viable while dual wield is the tree's focus.)

Last I looked bone shield got moved to blood, which made me curse, because I didn't want it because of the recasting thing. Did it change again? I've been mostly ignoring the talent trees because they're so very Not Done.

[kildorn]

The main problem with Hellfire is that its designed to be the very first thing you see of Blizzards first expansion.  It feels really awesome the first time, it introduces a bunch of new mechanics (like bombing runs, the PvP towers, etc).  But after you've done it like three times its just really heavy on travel time, the gimmick quests get old after you've done them a bunch, and so forth.  Then again, Terrokar Forest is way worse. 

On the up side, Terrokar is easy to skip now. Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

[Selby]

Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

And if you do skip Hellfire you can't do any of the quests in Nagrand because of being unfriendly with the factions that reside there...

[WoopeeTuralyon]

Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

And if you do skip Hellfire you can't do any of the quests in Nagrand because of being unfriendly with the factions that reside there...

I pretty much liked all the OL zones on my 3 times through them. What I did NOT like was the quests that required an absurd number of kills. You had to slaughter a billion ogres in one quest(or 5) in Blade's Edge, and the Nesingwary quests were just stupid. Kill 30x3, TWICE, then a boss-ish beastie. I think they've lowered the number since I did it last, though.

[Hawkbit]

Watching people splat from a Fel Reaver was pretty awesome right when the xpac went live though.  That was fun.

[Fordel]

Watching people splat from a Fel Reaver was pretty awesome right when the xpac went live though.  That was fun.

It was that one that was bugged, it wouldn't make any noise or ground shaking. That one would always 'sneak' up on folk. 

[Merusk]

I have no worries about blood tanking.  It's currently the strongest as it is and it's only going to be stronger with all the new toys it's getting. (I'll miss you, Bone Shield,  but not having to recast you all the fucking time.)   What I would worry about is Unholy falling behind dual-wield frost. (And I'm still not convinced 2h frost is going to be viable while dual wield is the tree's focus.)

Last I looked bone shield got moved to blood, which made me curse, because I didn't want it because of the recasting thing. Did it change again? I've been mostly ignoring the talent trees because they're so very Not Done.

Nope, still in Blood.  I'll miss it because I'm usually Unholy DPS and I loved the bone graphic and the DPS increase.  I'll fucking hate it when I'm tanking instances, because it's a pain in the ass to watch and manage as a tank (one of the reasons I stopped tanking as UH when it was still a viable tank spec.)

I just realized I'm talking like I'll be playing again. Fuck.  Means I'll probably reup in the next month. I'm doomed.

[WoopeeTuralyon]

Watching people splat from a Fel Reaver was pretty awesome right when the xpac went live though.  That was fun.

It was that one that was bugged, it wouldn't make any noise or ground shaking. That one would always 'sneak' up on folk. 

Tee hee, he never got me. And apparently my phone's new software update allows me to see the movement in you guys' profile pics!

And I just remembered my DK, a 4th char I went through OL with.. the Fel Reaver did get me once or twice on him.

[Sjofn]

Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

And if you do skip Hellfire you can't do any of the quests in Nagrand because of being unfriendly with the factions that reside there...

I think that's only true as Horde, I believe the Alliance starts getting their Nagrandeer rep in Zangarmarsh.

[Fordel]

Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

And if you do skip Hellfire you can't do any of the quests in Nagrand because of being unfriendly with the factions that reside there...

I think that's only true as Horde, I believe the Alliance starts getting their Nagrandeer rep in Zangarmarsh.

If you mean those Broken guys, then yea.

[Lantyssa]

Nope, still in Blood.  I'll miss it because I'm usually Unholy DPS and I loved the bone graphic and the DPS increase.  I'll fucking hate it when I'm tanking instances, because it's a pain in the ass to watch and manage as a tank (one of the reasons I stopped tanking as UH when it was still a viable tank spec.)

I just realized I'm talking like I'll be playing again. Fuck.  Means I'll probably reup in the next month. I'm doomed.

I'm following just to see how much they're changing the Blood Tank I enjoyed before my departure.

I still wouldn't get Bone Shield.  I dislike the graphic and trying to manage it as a tank seems odd since it was originally in a dps tree.  I suppose it has a use as an Oh Shit Big Damage Incoming clicky, but I despise clicky defense powers with a duration of a few hits.

They also moved Sudden Doom and changed it from an automatic free Death Coil cast to a no runic power one.  It was awesome paired with Heart Strike and increased damage glyphs and talents.  (And the times it proc'd off both Heart Strike hits was bliss.)

[WoopeeTuralyon]

Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

And if you do skip Hellfire you can't do any of the quests in Nagrand because of being unfriendly with the factions that reside there...

I think that's only true as Horde, I believe the Alliance starts getting their Nagrandeer rep in Zangarmarsh.

If you mean those Broken guys, then yea.

Northern Zangarmarsh, Orebor Harborage or something like that is the first Kurenai settlement, for Alliance. At least.

[Ingmar]

Hellfire's pain in the ass is that it's suffer through it or suffer through EPL to skip it.

And if you do skip Hellfire you can't do any of the quests in Nagrand because of being unfriendly with the factions that reside there...

I think that's only true as Horde, I believe the Alliance starts getting their Nagrandeer rep in Zangarmarsh.

I think you get Kurenai faction at Temple of Telhamat in Hellfire, actually.


If you mean those Broken guys, then yea.

Northern Zangarmarsh, Orebor Harborage or something like that is the first Kurenai settlement, for Alliance. At least.

I think our first chance to get faction there is actually the Temple of Telhamat in Hellfire?

[Sjofn]

The Temple is Draenei faction still. The Horde has an actual quest series where you "discover" that hay there are still orcses that aren't demony here in Hellfire.

Outlands is a lot better as Horde story-wise imo.

[Xerapis]

MMmmmm...CE details. 

Yummay~ 

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/features/collector.html

[fuser]

Interesting no authenticator

[proudft]

I think an argument can be made that anyone who would buy the fancy edition already has an authenticator.   

[Merusk]

Sidekicking!  Maybe.

I'll hold my breath for it right after they're finished putting in the dance emotes from WOTLK.

[WoopeeTuralyon]

Sidekicking!  Maybe.

I'll hold my breath for it right after they're finished putting in the dance emotes from WOTLK.

Ooh, nifty.

[Threash]

Well i went back to my rogue, went combat.  I must be doing something right because i was topping dps on the first random dungeon i did.

[Threash]

Well i went back to my rogue, went combat.  I must be doing something right because i was topping dps on the first random dungeon i did.

Well now that i've been paying more attention i think this has to do a lot more with me being in top of the line level 70 epics and most people ive grouped with being in leveling gear or heirlooms if i'm lucky.

[WoopeeTuralyon]

I didn't replace some of my 70 epics till 80. 

[Shrike]

I didn't replace some of my 70 epics till 80. 

This.

I was still in about 90% of my ZA/T5 gear when I hit 80. It was very rapidly replaced after that, but it served well in the leveling process. I did notice my S2 axes were getting seriously weak around 78, but 78-80 was only a few days of gameplay and I had the BS mace and a plan (Knight's faction offhand) waiting for me when I hit 80. The heroic grind and faction work had the rest mostly gone in a week. Somewhat tellingly, my Stonebreaker's totem held on until...man, Ulduar? Don't recall precisely now, but I had it a long time past 80. The enhancement shaman relics were just that bad. Typical.

[Paelos]

I think this next iterations content release in Cataclysm will be a much harder slap in the face than the last one. In the last one you could hold onto gear for longer. I'm thinking this will be more like TBC where you were replacing full T2 sets with 74 greens.

[Malakili]

I think this next iterations content release in Cataclysm will be a much harder slap in the face than the last one. In the last one you could hold onto gear for longer. I'm thinking this will be more like TBC where you were replacing full T2 sets with 74 greens.

Well, part of the issue was that for a long of people the tier gear sucked for leveling to begin with, but it was common to keep Naxx or later AQ40 gear all the way up to 70, or at least the high 60s.  Tier 2 gear would be equivalent to Ulduar kill now, basically mid-level epic gear.  Of course then, having T2 was a lot more of an accomplishment than having Ulduar level epics is now, so it definitely felt more jarring then I think.

[Simond]

I think this next iterations content release in Cataclysm will be a much harder slap in the face than the last one. In the last one you could hold onto gear for longer. I'm thinking this will be more like TBC where you were replacing full T2 sets with 74 greens.

There was a pic from somewhere in the alpha that showed a L82 quest green 2-hander in comparison to Shadowmourne. Let's just say that it didn't exactly encourage anyone still working on the axe questline.

[Paelos]

Yeah, and the crafted items pretty much faceroll anything you could be carrying around right now as well. We're not even talking about good dungeon drops.