Possible Catacyslm Pre-events?

Magaa

While this was originally reported by IncGamers four days ago after seeing a WoW-Europe forum thread, there weren't yet enough reports of this to really justify a followup news post. However, today WoW.com also posted on it, and there's a WoW-NA forum thread backing up the previous thread. It looks like patch 3.3 started the Cataclysm pre-launch event, though for now it's only minor earthquakes... but who knows where it will go from here.



With Kalgan mentioning a possible post-3.3 but pre-Cataclysm raid, it could tie in to the world event similar to how Tenris Mirkblood popped up in Karazhan during the Wrath of the Lich King pre-launch event. It's certainly interesting to see the event starting this early, no matter what the magnitude of in-game activities surrounding it, since Cataclysm's alpha hasn't even started yet. But it could be that, after Blizzard was happy with Wrath's pre-launch, they wanted to make something epic and memorable, but also accessible for a longer period of time, and thus have planned it out to run for quite a while.


For those curious, the earthquakes are being triggered by [DND] Shaker and [DND] Shaker - Small. Regardless of where it goes from here, it should be a fun ride leading up to Cataclysm's launch -- and hopefully and eventful one. What would you like to see take place in the pre-launch event aside from earthquakes? How about something like last year's zombie plague, but more themed toward's Deathwing's doings rather than the Scourge and undead?

(taken from website)

so what there basicly going to do is make a massive build up to the event by making slightly stronger earthquakes.

remember in the catacyslm trailer while the forces of the horde and alliance are still fighting the lich king Azeroth is going under great changes

DarthWraak

Mhh interesting. I enjoyed the opening of northrend event, even if it was just a rehash of the Naxx opening... undead scourge attacking major citys with necropolises outside the gate, and the lead up quest that involved Putris

Magaa

woo some one replyed yeah same fun for about 30mins then a pain in the @ss

Overheal

Found a few Articles about their Phased Terrain engine for the game, and its got me thinking, that they can dynamically change a lot of things without patching, and you'd never see it coming. Which is an added plus. For instance, if the magma levels in Ironforge started to very very gently rise over the course of several weeks, how long would it actually take for players to take notice? Right now the levels are very shallow but thats not the say they couldnt eventually flood the city or build up. Or for that matter have Loch Modan's water level rise before bursting the Dam.

Ivan

I always thought Blizzard displayed their gigantic brass balls by rolling out phasing technology. The potential for breaking it and coming up with some pretty insane hacks should be reason enough to give any developer pause. Of course, their ironclad EULA and Warden puts things in perspective.

But I would bet one of my own, gigantic brass balls when saying that Cataclysm's launch event will be the biggest we've seen yet.

1)
To the average Joe Schmo WoW Player, i.e. me; Cataclysm has the least amount of "content" we've seen from an expansion to date. Therefore, it makes sense that Blizzard build up the "appearance" of content by slapping on a fairly sizeable event before it starts. No, I dont want to debate this point but feel free to on my behalf. Try to at least remember it's a subjective opinion.

2)
WoW's playerbase is declining, anything to bring people back before the expansion is a good thing in the accountant's book.

3)
If previous expansions can teach us anything, and I believe they can it's that each expansion adds new layers both metaphorical and (in)tangible layers. Between flying mounts and phasing technology Blizzard likes to raise the bar. I see no reason why this wouldnt apply to expansion events also.

4)
Lets be fair, the scope for a pre-expansion event is far larger here than we've seen in any of the previous expansions.

Yay a gate that brings you to an exciting new dimension with awesome re-skinned items and 10 new levels. And your event is... stand at the gate and kill **** for no EXP, oh and this lame tabard that everyone deleted 15 seconds after reaching 70 if not sooner. Ah right, and did I mention the boss that farts shadowbolts at anybody still around the cities. Which must be mostly lowbies at this point since everyone else is experiencing the event... right?

Take 2, the same event we got as a freebie before expansion A but with EPIX.

Take 3, Azeroth is about to experience bowel shenanigans curtesy of Tupac himself. Risen from the dead (or public obscurity, which to an artist like Daddy Mac Deathwing might as well be death) and none too happy about the state of affairs. The possibilities are pretty much endless. Some terrain deformation content from Cataclysm, Deathwing on a killing spree, Elementals (who doesnt love elemental invasions?) or just some pesky Naga - in any case it should be interesting to see how things develop.