Patch 3.9 - Cataclysm Pre-Release World Event!

[Jackie Moon]

GamesCom 2010: Cataclysm Press Q&A

Thanks to wow.battlenet.pl, an official Polish fansite, there's a video of the Cataclysm press Q&A that took place at GamesCom 2010. Since they didn't offer an embed option, I'm not going to hog their bandwidth by embedding the video here. I encourage everyone to go check it out! Below is a summary of some of the interesting things discussed.

Patch 3.9 and preparing for Cataclysm's release

Patch 3.9 will introduce the Cataclysm world event, which will begin taking place and culminate a few weeks before the expansion releases, with the Cataclysmic destruction actually taking place at that point.
The new race / class combos and 1-60 content will be available before World of Warcraft: cataclysm launches.
The servers will come down when the event culminates, and when they come back up you'll see the intro cinematic and all of the updated Azeroth will be available.
Blizzard is still trying to decide whether Archaeology will come out before or when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm releases.
80-85 content and the Goblin and Worgen races will not be available until release day.

Cataclysm Raids & Dungeons

The balance of high level content (heroics and raids especially) for Cataclysm is going to shift a bit more towards the "hardcore" crowd. Outdoor mob difficulty, heroic modes available immediately, etc.
There's a bit more enforced progression so that most players don't skip immediately from normal dungeons to raids.
Chilton wishes there could be more difficulty modes for raids than just normal and heroic. Maybe 3 or 4 modes to offer appropriate challenges. It's not something they can do right now, but he can imagine them doing it in the future.
Blizzard will continue supporting 25-player raids for the people that like it. They're also going to make sure 25-player raids are appropriately rewarded. At least equivalently, and in most cases better rewarded.

Other

The Battle for Gilneas was already significantly redesigned before even becoming available in the closed beta, based on internal testing feedback. Blizzard deemed the original design "unsalvageable."
It will probably be a long time after Cataclysm that Blizzard revisits the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor again. Chilton could see them giving Outland and Northrend the same treatment as they fall behind in quality and lore.
Sylvanas is trying to "ensure the future of the Forsaken". With the death of the Lich King and no plague to spread, she had to find alternate means to keep the Forsaken from becoming extinct.
The Emerald Dream is still something Blizzard wants to do. It might end up being part of Caverns of Time if they want to revisit it in a past setting.
Housing will be introduced to WoW some time right after "never".
The release date is at midnight on the first Tuesday after it's done! (This was a joke but also seriously, obviously)

[Kitsuji]

I hate how they are changing old world. HATE IT.

[noes]

I love how they are changing old world. LOVE IT.

[I Hypnotoad I]

Cataclysm is taking everything that was good in Vanilla and buffing it with Bloodlust/Heroism.
Also, any patch release date set yet for US realms?

[Jackie Moon]

Cataclysm is taking everything that was good in Vanilla and buffing it with Bloodlust/Heroism.
Also, any patch release date set yet for US realms?

None yet, It wasn't announced in the interview when the release date is all they said was "Soon". My guess is 2-3 months.

[Mayx]

This looks great

[Willzy]

82 days estimated date.

[Mellexx]

I suppose I'll have to be paying for a month of game time when this patch hits

[LikeABaws]

Anyone know if its in 3.4 they will release Cata talents?

[volitle]

Anyone know if its in 3.4 they will release Cata talents?

Everything they have added into the game and deem "brand-new" will not be released. E.g - Talent, Mounts, Armor, Professions, 80-85 content. The list goes on.

And some other info for you everyone here is that they brought down a several of the EU servers for 24hours to add the cataclysm patch (to get them servers ready for the patch that is), so my guess is that it wont be long till the game is done 1-2 months max.