The latest installment to the World of Warcraft (WoW) series has revamped the way the game is played. Released in December of 2010, Cataclysm brought many changes to the world of Azeroth. The most notable changes include physical changes to the leveling zones in some form or another, but here is a glimpse of what the third expansion has to offer players both old and new.
For the seasoned WoW player
Cataclysm has implemented more features to make the game more enjoyable for the players that have been around the block a few times. The skills and talents for all classes have been altered so that the first step a player must take is to relearn certain aspects of your particular character. The best way to learn your character is to get back to the basics and level up to the new cap of 85. Players will find two initial paths to leveling, both of which provide ample opportunity to test out some of the new abilities with the recycled ones.
Once the level cap is reached you can participate in heroic dungeons or raids with or without a guild. If dungeons are not your thing you will find three new areas to play versus other players (PvP). The new zones include a 3 base version of the old Arathi Basin, a new two base capture the flag, and Tol Barad, which is the expansions version of Wintergrasp. Tol Barad is quite different from Wintergrasp since there are multiple bases to gain control of, none of which have the walls and turrets, but the queue system and rewards are the same as the old Wintergrasp.
If you want the experience of bringing a new class from level 1 to level 85, Cataclysm offers the seasoned player additional benefits. The old “heirloom” gear is still purchasable, and new ones have been added with the new guild system. Guilds now increase in level as their members do. Each level the guild attains rewards the guild with perks. If you are in a guild with a high enough level you will have access to the new heirloom gear as well as other perks which make leveling faster.
For the new WoW player
All of the new players to Warcraft will eventually enjoy the benefits of the seasoned players, though it may take a little more time. Cataclysm has made several changes to make the leveling process more enjoyable and faster for new players as well.
A drawback to the original system was that a player that only wanted to PvP was forced to level until they could reach the required levels. This system is a thing of the past as players may join multiple battlegrounds beginning at level 10, which takes very little time at all. The players gain a good deal of experience from the battlegrounds so that they will level at a closer speed to the grinders. Experience from battlegrounds did exist before Cataclysm, but the leveling has been streamlined so that a player could level all the way from 10-85. The PvP brackets have been reduced so that a level 20 player is no longer facing a group of level 29 players. The brackets have been cut in half so fighting is much fairer.
A final note for the new player is that leveling, no matter which way you choose to do it, is far more fast and fun. The old “grinding” system has been reduced and replaced with more interesting and interactive quests. Players will find Cataclysm a more attractive game both in its appearance and operation.
Cataclysm offers far more features than are included in this article. The best way to really get a feel for the expansion is to read more about it at http://us.battle.net/wow/en/or give it a try.
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