User:Kirkburn/BlizzCon

Some notes on what I've seen so far. Likely duplicates other sites, but perhaps a few new things I saw :)

I reckon we should identify all the different places in the trailer, and list the changes. Probably best to affected a few articles a lot, than many articles a little - so note changes in a list in one location?

Some photos: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Kirkburn/BlizzCon2009CataclysmPreview - they are free for use anywhere on the wiki, no need to credit me.

General

 * New water - looks to be updated everywhere. Looks good! Actually looks like water.
 * Archaeology
 * Path of the Titans progression: passive bonuses, etc. 5 titans.
 * Mastery System (needs more explanation).
 * Terrain Phasing!
 * Twilight dragon in the trailer.
 * Talents: no higher tier, but gain points as normal. Bit of a rework in general.

PvP

 * Tol Barad PvP zone - island. Want to gain control of a prison. Daily quests available. More dailies, better paid, when prison controlled.
 * Battle for Gilneas BG. City fight. District control.
 * New arena maps
 * BG ratings! Look to be shared with arena ratings.

New zones
Have photos of the maps, will upload later when I have my cable.
 * Green Desolace.
 * Orgrimmar reinforced by dark metal
 * Azshara new levelling zone for Goblins - 10-20. They've destroyed a mountain - now a quarry.
 * Cave pass between Ashenvale and Stonetalon has been excavated, now a gorge.

Mount Hyjal

 * Under siege by Ragnaros
 * 78-82
 * Malfurion is here, helping out.
 * Darkwhisper Gorge is now part of the zone. TH dominated.

Uldum

 * 80-84
 * Previously cloaked by a Titan machine - machine broken by cataclysm, zone appears!
 * Super weapon rumoured to exist, factions vie to find it.
 * Tol'vir homeland

Sunken City of Vashj'ij

 * 78-82
 * Underwater
 * Combat can occur as normal on sea floor. Can swim up.
 * Swimming mounts, as fast as flying mounts.
 * Dry domes.

The Lost Isles

 * 1-15
 * Goblin

Gilneas

 * (1-15)
 * Worgen

Twilight Highlands

 * 84-85
 * Twilight's Hammer HQ.
 * Red dragon bases.
 * Grim Batol raid and dungeon.
 * Alliance and Horde ports.

Deepholm

 * 82-84.
 * Central hub (Dragonblight-ish)
 * Deathwing's Domain.
 * Temple of Earth
 * Cataclysm expansion hub

Dungeons

 * Grim Batol raid and dungeon
 * The Firelands
 * Uldum - The Halls of Origination, Tol'vin
 * Blackrock Caverns - new in Blackrock Spire.
 * Skywall.
 * HC DM and SFK.

Worgen starting

 * Level 6 start for BlizzCon (to hide some of the cool stuff)
 * Start locked up in stocks in Duskhaven - not the capital. Given some juice to get you back to your senses. King Greymane believes in you. They speak of protocol (as in treatment).
 * Actual dogs! Mastiff! Looks like used by hunters.
 * Area under scourge attack/infiltration.
 * Music is harpsichordal (think Mozart, 1700s)
 * Top hats! Awesome hats everywhere!
 * In game cinematics upon some quest completions.
 * Lots of rain, rain effects improved.
 * Transformation effect is quick from W-->H, longer from H-->W, and is several stages.
 * Lord Godfrey, Prince Liam Greymane appear. Liam is shirtless. Phwoar.
 * One quest has you hijack and then launch yourself from a catapult, onto a boat.
 * Worgen in combat, choice out of combat. Switch confers no benefit.

Day 2 playthru

 * Worgen have various eye colours, such as green, orange, purple - based on your face design.
 * 5th customization option for worgen not available yet. Skin colour, face design, hairstyle, hair colour.
 * Idle animation has them sniffing around (standing up)
 * The major events occur individually for each player - you don't see the NPCs do the actions for other players. e.g. as a worgen, in the stocks - the NPCs walk up for you, not for anyone else. For the flood, the rocking and the NPC exclamations are seen only by you.
 * Gilneas rep as an "other" rep. Also start at friendly with Exodar, Darn, Gnomer (probably an oversight).
 * Worgen have a "worgen" language option.
 * Lamb Shank is the starting food. (Gilneas Spring Water for drink I think)
 * Scarecrows around, wearing top hats.
 * Foxes are in game, neutral mobs. Cute.
 * The water effects reflect everything, even mobs. No idea of settings, options aren't available.
 * Lots of posters around, that appear to be worgen related. Letters in an unknown script.
 * Posters and some other textures are very high rez.
 * Street lighting is via candles, rather Victorian in style.


 * Areas
 * Greymane Manor - behind a locked gate. Possibly would be the next step after BlizzCon quests end.
 * King's Gate - medium gate, high up a hill, closed, and up a path from Greymane Manor (so can't be reached).
 * Queen's Gate - large gate, down a path, closed.
 * Duskhaven - quest hub for 6-8.
 * Allen Farmstead - has a storm shelter. Location for one of the flood phases.
 * Wahl Cottage
 * Crowley Orchard
 * Hayward Fishery

Goblin starting

 * Level 6 start for BlizzCon (to hide some of the cool stuff)
 * Water effects are very nicely done. Cartoonish, smooth edges. Reflections exist.
 * Bilgewater Cartel is your faction
 * Gobber is some weird new creature: tall, sort of trogglike
 * Monkeys! Exploding monkeys!
 * Weed whacking quest is fun :) New plant model.
 * THRALL! We save Thrall from an Alliance Ship. Yep, shocker.
 * Kajamite mining is going on. It's causing smart mining monkeys! (Quest tells you about the history of Kajamite, and how it gave goblins intelligence ... yay lore!).
 * One quest is initiated by your /location/. I ran into a cave, and a quest popup appeared, to do with cave paintings.
 * Paths have electric lighting. Crude lightbulbs.
 * One quest gives you Infrared Heat Focals - which have a cool effect and let you see hidden Alliance spies.
 * At the end of the 6-8 levelling, you move to a new, bigger island.

Day 2 playthrough

 * Customization: skin colour, face design, hair styles, hair and ponytail wrap colour. Fifth option unused still.
 * Always purple/lilac eyes.
 * Goblin women have nose rings and bones.
 * Your goblin character helped save everyone (levels 1-5). Trade Prince Malady says "no hard feelings" (I think in a hopeful tone?) when you rescue him. Jealous? Did something to you?
 * The Personal Servants are Hobgoblins. You can interact with the servants of other players, probably a bug.
 * Languages: Goblin, Orcish.
 * Music: tropical, relaxed, pretty much only low cello plucks (plus jungle ambience)

[Go back to camp, PHASE occurs, plants die, sent to...] [Ride cat to....] [Phase occurs. Sailors on the ship now all dead, Thrall summoning lightning.]
 * Areas in order of play
 * Shipwreck Shore - starting point. Goblin shipwreck here. Tyraptors, Daggertooth Sharks, Pterrordax Scavengers flying around (aggressive, but don't attack), Bomb-Throwing Monkeys (neutral), Ancient Island Turtle (neutral) followed by (baby) Island Turtles. You throw Nitro-Potassium Bananas at the monkeys. Kill raptors, collect equipment, feed monkeys.
 * Kaja'mite Cavern - Sent here next. Has Smart Mining Monkeys. Cave paintings activate quest. Dead orc sparks quests to meet Horde. May be unfinished, as most of the cave is unused. Kaja'mite appears to be luminous green.
 * Orc Camp - go up hill to camp. Aggra here, female orc from Draka's Fury boat. Jungle Cat (neutral) around.
 * The Deadly Jungle - sent here. Evil plants cover the path and surround area. Kilag Gorefang makes you cut them down (Weed Whacking). PLant types are Poison Spitter, Freezya, Strangle Vine. SV are huge, and swinging around orcs.
 * The Savage Glen. Given Infrared Heat Focals. Find SI:7 Operatives.
 * Alliance Beachhead. Scout Brax here. Get keys for a gyrochopper, told to fly over ships, look for precious cargo.
 * Fly over The Great Sea to Vengeance Wake (location of the ships).
 * Vengeance Wake - Alliance Sailors wearing a white tabard with a golden anchor design. Thrall is the precious cargo. In cage, similar to seen in Dalaran dungeons - purple magical effect covering it, until you kill the Alliance Wizard powering it. Then chat to Thrall, he thanks you and runs out.
 * Vengeance Wake - Thrall turns you into a cyclone, and you go around massacring sailors in lifeboats. On rails, but ends the moment you hit 50/50 kills, and throws you back halfway across the zone, back to...
 * Wild Overlook - next to the Deadly Jungle, just up the hill slightly. A small camp now shows up here, dominated by a Rocket Sling. All the goblins and orcs you've seen so far are now here. Goblins are lined up to take flight. Still do their normal functions (e.g. trainers). Trade Prince Malady appears, and is pissed! He's annoyed at you doing so much cool/heroic stuff, and plans to get his own back. You get in the rocket sling! And are fired across the Dire Straits which are "shark infested" to...
 * (The next island). Unnamed so far. The rocket explodes on landing. You're okay, but invisible walls prevent you moving far. Dominated by a mountain, possibly a volcano. Bamboo fences are in evidence. Expect a small town here (Town-in-a-box).