The upcoming expansion, Cataclysm, will be incorporating greater levels of character customization than ever before. From guild talent trees, a different talent tree system, new races and race/class combinations, to a new profession that will be all about customization. Enter the Path of the Titans, and the new secondary profession, Archaeology.

Pass through the break for all the details, but be warned, spoilers lay ahead!

As you may have already heard, much of Azeroth will be changing, and Blizzard will be making heavy use of phasing. In this new Azeroth, many things that you know now may end up in ruins. This is where Archaeology comes in. A new secondary profession, we will all be eligible to train and level it, without it interfering with our other professions.

As an Archaeologist, you will be able to visit these ruins and study them. In doing so, you will formulate Archaeology Notes, which allows you to research and make new discoveries. This leads to the new character progression, Path of the Titans.

We don’t have all the details yet, but it seems that there will be multiple paths to choose from. These paths will not be limited by race or class. There’s a possibility that we may be able to travel down more than one. By traveling down a Path, you will learn passive bonuses and new abilities, depending on which Path you choose.

This is a new dimension to character customization. Rather than being practically a clone of every other character out there of your class and race combination, you will be able to differentiate yourself in new and unexpected ways.

I mentioned before that our talent trees will be different too. While we will be gaining five levels, and thus five talent points in order to reach the new level cap, 85, there will be no new talents added.

Instead, we will be using the Paths of the Titans and a new Mastery system to customize our characters. The Mastery system is set to simplify the talent trees. Mastery passive talents will then be available based on the talent tree you choose, and offer some of the core talents like “+10 damage” or “+ Heal.” Regular talents will offer a greater variety, and more interesting choices, but will lack some of the functionality of Mastery abilities. The more points you invest in a given talent tree, the more Mastery abilities you will be able to receive.

We are pleased to release Auctioneer and the Auctioneer Suite 5.7, the KillerKoala, which is fully compatible with World of Warcraft 3.3.x.

AuctioneerSuite-5.7.4568

In the upcoming content patch there are many new additions and improvements. One of the largest changes is the introduction of the new Dungeon Finder. This new system will be available for all five-player dungeons. A Dungeon Finder button will replace the Looking For Group feature currently available in-game, and provides additional benefits to those who use it.

Join as a Group or Solo
Much like the current Looking For Group system, players will be able to join the Dungeon Finder and choose the role they would like to fill within groups: Healing, Damage, or Tank. In addition, once roles have been identified, they will be applied to all dungeons chosen. Players will now be able to choose multiple dungeons and will no longer be limited to three. The system has also improved group creation and matchmaking capabilities and will create more balanced groups when assessing the selected roles of players.

The LFG channel has been disconnected from the Dungeon Finder and can be used by anyone in a major city, much like the trade channel currently available.

Cross Realm Instances
When joining the Dungeon Finder as a solo player or with a partial group, additional random players can be found within the same Battlegroup via cross-realm instancing.

While the new system offers the ability to group with player from other realms within your Battlegroup, you won’t be able to use this to manually invite specific players to groups.

Instance Teleporting
When you use the Dungeon Finder to find a dungeon, you’ll get ported to the inside of the dungeon, much like the current Battleground system. When you leave the instance, you will be returned to your previous location. If you need to leave temporarily, such as for repairs or to purchase reagents, you can teleport back to the dungeon again. This feature can be used both by groups looking for other players and by premade groups of five who use the Dungeon Finder.

Smarter Group Matching
The new system will now work to match at least one experienced player for the assigned dungeon with less experienced players in the group. It will more carefully match class types, and will more consistently match players of equal levels for the dungeon chosen. The interface will also allow players to see how many players are looking for groups as well as the average wait time of groups that the tool has formed.

Daily Random Dungeons
Players or groups can choose specific dungeons or they can instead take their chances with a random Heroic or random normal dungeon. Picking randomly conveys some additional benefits. If you defeat the final boss in a dungeon, you receive 2 Emblems of Frost for Heroic dungeons and 2 Emblems of Triumph for normal dungeons. In addition, after players have received 2 Emblems of Frost for the first Heroic dungeon they do in a day, they will earn 2 Emblems of Triumph for each additional random Heroic dungeons in that day. These random rewards replace the current daily dungeon and daily Heroic dungeon quests. The current NPCs who offer those quests will offer weekly repeatable raid quests instead. You can also earn level-appropriate rewards for running random pre-Wrath of the Lich King dungeons while you are leveling up.

Lovin’ the PUG
Players who take part in groups with one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the Dungeon Finder will receive extra rewards, including the coveted Perky Pug non-combat pet. The more random players you group with, the faster you could get your new pet!

Vote Kick
Players who use the system to find additional random members for their party will be afforded a couple of extra conveniences to help them perform well. The loot option is fixed to the updated Need Before Greed option (and unalterable by any member) and players can vote to remove another party member from the group. It will take four votes in order to remove someone, however, so consider this newfound power carefully.

Looking for Raid
There will be a new option available to players that can be accessed via the raid information screen in the interface or by typing /lfr. Players will also be able to take part in raid-specific weekly quests and will be able to browse the system manually for any other players looking for a raid dungeon group.

Need Before Greed Updated
Need Before Greed will now recognize gear appropriate for a class in three ways: the class must be able to equip the item, pure melee will be unable to roll on spellpower items, and classes are limited to their dominant armor type (for example, plate for paladins). All items will still be available via greed rolls should no member be able to use the item as well as the new disenchant option will be available for all parties.

Group Disenchanting
Players in a group with an enchanter will now have the option to automatically disenchant any items that are not claimed by a player from within the loot window. Players will have this option available to them in both premade groups and in randomly matched groups. This option is available in any loot system, even if players don’t use the new Dungeon Finder.

Patch 3.3, the major update for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, add another tier of powerful high-level armor sets to the game. You can click on the thumbnails to catch a sneak peek for each set.

More sets will be released as testing on the PTR continues; stay tuned!

At last. In the Fall of the Lich King content update (3.3), the great doors of Icecrown Citadel will be forced open. The mightiest heroes of the Horde and Alliance will confront and finally defeat Arthas, the Lich King — but the lord of the Scourge will not easily part with his sword, his life, or his frozen kingdom.

This update includes an all-new raid and winged five-player dungeon; numerous interface improvements, including detailed quest tracking and instant cross-realm dungeons; scores of new quests and achievements; the epic tier-10 armor sets, and numerous class and system updates. You can find specific info, patch notes, and extensive details on all of the additions below.

The price of victory in Northrend grows higher with each passing day. Charge the gates, and bring an end to the wrath of the Lich King!

They finally released the official trailer for Patch 3.3: Fall of the Lich King. You can view it over on their site right now, or just enjoy it via the YouTube video embedded above. The Blizzard site is extremely slow right now, so we recommend just watching it here.

Fall of the Lich King, the latest World of Warcraft content update, is coming! The heroes of the Horde and the Alliance have faced unimaginable horrors and suffered terrible losses in their desperate struggle against the Scourge. Now the time has come to break through the fortified gates of Icecrown Citadel and confront the Lich King in the frozen heart of his domain. Follow Jaina Proudmoore or Sylvanas Windrunner through the Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and Halls of Reflection in an attempt to subvert the Lich King’s army in a new multi-wing 5-player dungeon. Join the Ashen Verdict as they charge through the citadel’s main gate to take on the Scourge’s most powerful leaders and fearsome monstrosities in a new 10- and 25-player raid. Fall of the Lich King also introduces the cross-realm Dungeon Finder interface, new quest-tracking features designed to make it easier to find objectives, and much more.

The latest test realm patch notes can always be found at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/test-realm-patchnotes.html

The latest patch notes can always be found at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls

Looming over the stark wastes of Northrend, Icecrown Citadel awaits those who would see the Lich King and his Scourge brought low and the threat they pose wiped from the face of Azeroth. The heroes who venture within will face some of the greatest horrors yet seen. But before you burst into the front gate of the citadel, an alternate means of entry beckons. Journey through three separate wings of the new five-player dungeon, Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls, and follow Jaina Proudmoore or Sylvanas Windrunner into the Lich King’s domain.

Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Throne

All across Northrend, many battles have been fought against the vile Scourge. Countless lives have been lost since the Alliance and the Horde first reached these frozen wastes, but the champions of Azeroth continue to march forward — and Icecrown Citadel, the cornerstone of the Scourge’s power and the home base of the Lich King, is their final target. Tirion Fordring and the Argent Crusade have forged an accord with Darion Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade to form the Ashen Verdict. This coalition’s strongest combatants, along with the champions of the Alliance and the Horde, will lead the charge against the citadel. In the new Icecrown Citadel raid dungeon, Azeroth’s mightiest will face terrifying challenges before ascending to the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King and his runeblade, Frostmourne, await to deliver the heroes to their deaths….

Cross-Realm Dungeon Finder

The Dungeon Finder is now available, providing players with quick and easy access to five-player parties. This feature connects all realms within a battlegroup using an advanced matchmaking system, making it easier for players of all levels to find a dungeon group. In addition, players can reap additional rewards through the Dungeon Finder by choosing the Random option, which is available to both pick-up and pre-formed groups. Check out the User Interface section for more details.

Getting Started and Quest Tracking

A number of changes have been made to World of Warcraft’s introductory experience, including updated character and class information at the character-selection screen, more robust tooltips with images, improved health and mana regeneration at lower levels, and adjustments to various classes designed to make it easier for players to get started. In addition, all-new quest-tracking features have been added to assist players in finding objectives, including new interface functionality in the quest log, the map (“M” key), and the Objectives pane.

Quest Tracking

Reforging is an ability currently being developed in Cataclysm for Jewelcrafters, Engineers, Tailors, Blacksmiths and Leatherworkers that will allow for some customization of stats on Items.

The idea is to allow a Blacksmith to take a Mail or Plate item which contains (for example) 50 Stamina and 50 Agility and remove half of one of these stats for another. Stats already on the piece can not be augmented. A new stat can be created using the “points” available. (Swapping 25 Agility points and creating a 25 Spirit augment using this example.)

Other professions will be able to do the same for their own lines; Tailors will deal with Cloth Augments, Leatherworkers will deal with Leather Augments, Engineers with Trinkets and Ranged, Jewelcrafters with Rings and Necklaces.

Reforging will have no affect for “on use” or passive effects on Trinkets and Ranged, but will be able to change Stats all the same.

Reforging is a method by which people can easily change their gear or the gear of other players by removing skill points from one area and placing them in another. This is an interesting feature for a few reasons. It is going to allow there to be infinitely more gear options in the game. And because the reforging will not allow anyone to shift all the numbers into a single stat, there will be no “uber” gear crafted either.

Second, it will create an entirely different market of individuals in capital cities who can offer their reforging services for fellow players. Instead of just crafting new items, all of the gear crafters – blacksmiths, engineers, tailors, and leatherworkers, will be able to take the gear their fellow players gather from raids and PvP and then start tacking on different stats where needed.

New Levels of Customization

This will allow players who may find certain pieces of gear slightly inferior due to their focus on the wrong stats much more willing to utilize those pieces. It might also create a higher degree of argument in instance parties over who gets what pieces of loot due to their different stats and how those stats can be shifted around now that any piece of gear can easily be changed.

Whatever ends up happening though, the simple truth is that reforging is a major new addition to the game and one that will prove to be incredibly popular when World of Warcraft Cataclysm finally launches in 2010.

Goblin: Starting Area

Here is the video on the Goblin starting area – enjoy!  I love the casting animation for the male Goblin!  As far as male characters go (as you know I’m not a fan of playing them) I think I’d actually play a male Goblin as well as the Worgen male.  Did you see how BIG the turtle was compared to the Goblin?!  I have never played a gnome so for those who have played a ‘tiny’ class it’s nothing new for you but I’m used to playing a Tauren and to see a turtle bigger than your character – wow hehe.  It’s really neat too that your ’so ugly it’s cute’ bank follows you around.  The environment is just amazing too, it’s almost like you can feel the heat!

Worgen: Starting Area/Transformation

Oooohhh my gods at the transformation you can see here!  How cool is that?!  I think I wanted this video a million times and I really like the animations as well.  Granted I’m still a little upset that I can’t see a female Worgen but with all the time they are taking to work on them, they better be awesome.  I am the most excited to play this race, even though I am very much so Horde.

This is the Worgen starting area and what can I say? It has very good atmosphere and setting, not to mention the customization on the Worgen looks nice as well.  The only complaint I have over the Worgen is…..*drum roll*…no tail!  They would have looked so much neater with a tail, then again that could be the fact that I adore tails, but still – a wolf tail?  So cool!  Not entirely sure on the castin animations for the Worgen.  Is it just me or does it seem like they are waving their arms about so much that it looks like they’re flailing every which way?