Next expansion rumors (Cataclysm?)

i recognize the letters, but making out the english is rough. Anyone got a dumbass translator?

Some guildies and a friend (who paid the $40 for that pay-per-view thing) are mentioning plans to drop a lot of stats from the game come expansion, with comments it's turning more into Diablo. Said the info is in the casts and such but I have yet to go through them in detail yet. Sounds absurd, but it does seem possible they would noobify the game even more. I'd wager it probably came up at the WoW discussion panels earlier today.
 
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Itemization
In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, there are plans to streamline the statistics found on items. We want to remove all unnecessary stats, make all existing stats understandable, and make all "core" stats more appealing. Here are some examples of such plans.

* MP5: This will be removed from items and replaced with Spirit. All healers will be given a meditation-like ability.
* Spell Power: Spell Power is being removed from items as well. Don't panic, we'll be improving Intellect so that it provides mana and Spell Power.
* Attack Power: We're removing Attack Power from items as well. Instead, we're allowing Agility to provide the necessary Attack Power for leather and mail wearers. Strength will provide the appropriate amount of Attack Power for plate wearers. This means leather and mail items will no longer be desirable for plate wearers.
* Defense: The Defense statistic is also being removed from items so that players no longer have to worry about juggling around "the cap." Tanks will receive the necessary anti-crit from talents, like Survival of the Fittest.
* Armor Penetration: This ability is too confusing and "mathy." It is being replaced with Mastery, a stat that makes you better at what you do. More on that later!
* Haste: Will also increase the rate at which you gain energy, runes, and focus. Retribution paladins and Enhancement shaman will have a talent that allows them to take advantage of this benefit.
* Block: Block Value is being removed. Blocking will now always mitigate a percentage of damage.
* Stamina: Players will notice more Stamina on gear as Defense, Spell Power, Attack Power and Armor Penetration are removed.
 
It's mainly what Osiris posted, adding in hunters will have mana replaced with "focus" which I would assume will operate like rogue's energy.
 
interesting how theyre removing all that which made wow a hit in the first place.
Actually it seems like they're simplifying things on their end in an effort to make patching and itemization easier for them and the people who play.

I liked having spellpower on gear and jewelcrafting to socket items the way you'd like, but for non-casters I think the changes will be amazing. It's always been stupid that leather has generally been better itemized for plate wearers and I hope these changes will make gear selection a little better.
 
Actually it seems like they're simplifying things on their end in an effort to make patching and itemization easier for them and the people who play.

I liked having spellpower on gear and jewelcrafting to socket items the way you'd like, but for non-casters I think the changes will be amazing. It's always been stupid that leather has generally been better itemized for plate wearers and I hope these changes will make gear selection a little better.

I wonder if it'll make some of the idiots more viable in pugs. With lumping spirit and SP into intellect it would (in theory) be much easier for caster players to see/get gear to help keep their damage up. I'm sure some will probably continue to cast all the wrong spells though.
 
that seems way off the one expansion a year thing

i really cant see them waiting two years between WotLK and cataclysm
Pure speculation here, but I could the 5 year anniversary stuff carrying us over into January with Icecrown hitting in February. 4 months of Icecrown takes us into June, so the 4.0 patch hits around then with the expansion in August.
 
Pure speculation here, but I could the 5 year anniversary stuff carrying us over into January with Icecrown hitting in February. 4 months of Icecrown takes us into June, so the 4.0 patch hits around then with the expansion in August.
That's way too large of a gap. That's BT --> Sunwell level stupid. I don't even know if I could stomach that, and I'm pretty addicted to the game.
 
Pure speculation here, but I could the 5 year anniversary stuff carrying us over into January with Icecrown hitting in February. 4 months of Icecrown takes us into June, so the 4.0 patch hits around then with the expansion in August.

3.2.2: Sept
3.3: Late Oct, early Nov
4.0 (Cataclysm): April-May?.

2 major patches in 1 year, then 4-6 months after that an expansion.
 
Cataclysm will be October/November of 2010. Never overlook the power of the holiday shopping season. Plus the 1st two expansions were 2 years apart.
 
Which means they have more content to do before Arthas. Probably do a "curveball" thing like Scourge Nerubians and make a dungeon in Icecrown or possibly some gay shit like "LOL Maly's back".
 
And both previous expansions came out in November so it follows the trend.

Vanilla came out in November '04. BC came out in January '07. WotLK in November '08.

I wouldn't expect Cataclysm any later than May '10. Beta is planned to start before '09 is through.
 
Gonna bump this one since it's about Cataclysm.

Interesting thought came to me when I thought over the two new races and their ability to be DKs. Time for some lol lore lol...

Technically, once WotLK is done and Cataclysm hits Arthas will technically be slain/exiled/entombed/whatever. That could carry the implication nearly all the Scourge will leave with him, and rightly so. Deathwing and Azshara will be back amassing their respective forces, and Deathwing's entrance into Azeroth will weaken the borders of the elemental prison planes so much there's a good chance elemental lords or other Old Gods may make a play as well.

Given that, it stands to reason the new races shouldn't be able to be DKs. And why not? Well the DK starter zone and lore implies Arthas was training new death knights within Ebon Hold to kill the Scarletsand then work on the rest of the E.K. Obviously Mograine gave Ashbringer back to Tirion and smite him into leaving to Northrend and freeing the DKs of Ebon Hold (the players) from the Lich King. And evne Mograine himself says the death knights have no place in the world and are unnatural.

So given that how would it be possible to make worgen and goblins DKs if (progression-wise) the Lich King is no longer there since they weren't present in Ebon Hold at that time?

Seems they will be adding it which means (like the BE paladin lore) they plan on making up some stories and tales to explain new Death Knights can be made from the new races once the focus shifts from Arthas to Deathwing. So what silly crap could they possibly make to allow this? Some weird and horrible ritual by which brave souls will willingly partake in in order to be Death Knights? Will they land Ebon Hold somewhere and Mograine makes them into a factional nation?
 
From a time-line standpoint, I believe the DK starting area is treated a little differently than elsewhere. It starts 'back in time', well before the events upcoming in Icecrown. With that in mind, ANY race Blizzard adds to the game over the years should be able to be DKs, as they would be treated as having been created at the same time as everyone else.
 
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