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Is Cataclysm the Next World of Warcraft Expansion?

Posted by Soulskill on from the either-that-or-it's-not dept.

ajs writes "There has been no official announcement yet, but a number of moves by Blizzard Entertainment seem to indicate that the next expansion for World of Warcraft could be titled Cataclysm. Speculation began when Blizzard trademarked Cataclysm recently, and then later when a test server briefly popped up with the word 'Maelstrom' in its name. If true, the name would fall neatly into the WoW lore and expected expansion list. The Cataclysm is another name for the Great Sundering, an event that created a swirling vortex of water and mystical energies (the 'Maelstrom') that has appeared on the world map in-game since release. There are also indications that early design work included some of the islands in this area, which has long fueled anticipation of a Maelstrom-based expansion involving the former Night Elf noble, Azshara, queen of the Naga and the Goblins whose main city is in the south seas."

4 of 259 comments (clear)

  1. Will Interest Wane? by HalAtWork · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Will interest wane in WoW simply because it seems like just an extension to the treadmill? Are people getting tired of the aesthetic? These are questions from someone who doesn't see the attraction in the first place.

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    Twinstiq, game news
    1. Re:Will Interest Wane? by Kingrames · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Then you'd have been impressed by the latest expansion, which made all the questing very story driven, interesting, and added memorable moments to just about every quest.

      One of the WORST quests in the northrend expansion has you free a storm giant, and ride his back while he runs around squishing legions of the undead and exacting revenge on his captors. Then you set him free, and unlike the old world quests, he's not back in the cage when you run around there later. He's actually free.

      Then there's the dungeons, where you fight bosses with all sorts of fun abilities, like the one that renders the entire party insane - forcing you to kill your teammates twice, or the one that you ride a dragon to fight the boss, or the one that gores party members at random forcing you to play without a party member for a short while.

      They've come a long way from the boring version of wow. Even though I did get burned out after the expansion hit, it wasn't because of the game, but the people in it. I think that makes it as much a success as any game can be expected to be.

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      If you can read this, I forgot to post anonymously.
  2. It has a story? by dj245 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I might be convinced that the game has a story, but it is presented in such a tedious and boring way that I could never be bothered to pay any attention. All I ever saw was "NPC: blah blah blah kill 20 other NPC's blah blah blah". I can think of many games with poor storylines, and many games with great storylines, but WOW is one of the only games in which I didn't care at all about the storyline.

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    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  3. Expansion List by cyxxon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Haven't seen this posted, so here we go... this list was "leaked" or whatever before TBC, AFAIK remember...

    - Draenor Set

    Azuremyst Isle - 1 to 10
    Bloodmyrk Isle - 10 to 20

    Eversong Forest - 1 to 10
    Quel'thalas - 10 to 20
    Hellfire Peninsula - 58 to 62
    Zangarmarsh - 60 to 64
    Terokkar Forest - 61 to 65
    The Deadlands - 63 to 67
    Nagrand - 64 to 68
    Blade's Edge Mountains - 66 to 70
    Netherstorm - 67 to 70
    Shadowmoon Valley - 69 to 70

    - Northrend Set

    Borean Tundra - 67 to 70
    Howling Fjord - 67 to 70
    Dragonblight - 69 to 72
    Grizzly Hills - 70 to 73
    Crystalsong Forest - 72 to 75
    Zul'drak - 73 to 76
    Sholazar Basin - 75 to 79
    Storm Peaks - 76 to 80
    Icecrown Glacier - 78 to 80

    - Maelstrom Set

    Gilneas - 77 to 80
    Grim Batol - 78 to 81
    Kul Tiras - 79 to 82
    Kezan - 81 to 86
    Tel Abim - 83 to 85
    Zandalar - 84 to 87
    Plunder Isle - 86 to 88
    The Broken Isles - 87 to 90
    The Maelstrom - 89 to 90

    - Plane Set

    Pandaria - 1 to 10
    Hiji - 10 to 20

    Wolfenhold - 1 to 10
    Xorothian Plains - 10 to 20

    The Green Lands - 88 to 91
    The Dying Paradise - 91 to 94
    The Emerald Nightmare - 94 to 97
    The Eye of Ysera - 97 to 100

    Deephome - 88 to 91
    Skywall - 91 to 94
    The Abyssal Maw - 94 to 97
    The Firelands - 97 to 100

    - Legion Set

    K'aresh - 96 to 99
    Argus Meadowlands - 97 to 100
    Mac'Aree - 99 to 100
    Maw of Oblivion - 100+