What comes on the World of Warcraft Cataclysm DVD?

Question

Does the Cataclysm Expansion Pack DVD will contain all the content from the Original, Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King. If it does, is there any requirements to download anything before the 4.0.1 patch. Understandably, there will be required patches for any version later than 4.0.1.

The Wrath of the Lich King DVD came with all the content of the past on the disk. There was no need to download anything before 3.0.

Yes the account will need to have the access/keys to all of the versions. Which is the case for my accounts.

Please post a reference link along with your answer if possible.

Answer

If you are starting from scratch and no patches, then the Cataclysm DVD should bring you up to 4.0.3a. They sent out many Warnings not to install the previous games on top of patch 4.x, so it stands to reason that they would just give you the full game on Cataclysm as they have in the past. However there is a topic over at mmo-champion indicating that the game client might try to download the BC and Wrath data over the internet, so hopefully that is not a problem.

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What day and time does the guild rep cap reset?

Question

What day and time does the guild rep cap reset? I play on the US Wildhammer, a central time zone, realm. However, please answer this question so that it helps anyone from another realm.

Answer

The weekly cap resets along with Daily Quests, at 3 AM, server time, on Tuesday Morning for US servers, and at 3 AM server, Wednesday morning for EU servers.

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How do I get from Vashj'ir back to Orgrimmar?

Question

How do I get from the zone that is underwater back to Orgrimmar?

Answer

Easiest and fastest way? Just use your Hearthstone.

Alternately, there are one or two above-water flightpoints from which you can hop on a windrider to Undercity or Grom'Gol and catch a Zeppelin from either of those. But they are phased, so you likely won't reach them until you've done several hours worth of quests in the zone.

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How much experience does a guild get per person for a boss kill?

Question

How much xp does one get for a guild boss kill in cataclysm? I can't find a guide for this anywhere.

Update:

To be more specific: How much guild xp would be gained given the following circumstances? It makes more sense to record the amount of xp given per person. That way the amount of guild xp can be extrapolated exactly based on the number of guildies in the run.

• 5 man regular dungeon (24800 xp per person, with guild lvl2)
• 5 man heroic dungeon (37800 xp per person, with guild lvl6)
• 10 man regular raid (27800 xp per person, with guild lvl6)
• 10 man heroic raid
• 25 man regular raid
• 25 man heroic raid

Answer

The amount of guild experience awarded varies. It is depended on specific factors... (Source)

Guild xp for boss kills is scaled on a few factors.

• Boss level
• Normal / Heroic
• Amount of guild members present (more xp for raids, since they are limited to once a week)
  • 20/25 - 25 player raid
  • 8/10 - 10 player raid,
  • 3/5 - dungeons
  • 8/25 - Old 25 and 40 man raids (Vanilla, TBC, and WOTLK)

Straight from Blizzard's Mouth (Source)

The amount of experience gained scales, with 3/5 guild members granting 50% normal guild xp, 4/5 giving 100%, and 5/5 giving 125% guild xp. The amount gained from each boss scales with your level relative to the boss's level, with Heroic bosses worth even more (1.5x). It pays off to have a full group of guild members!

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What does mastery skill do?

Question

I recently started playing WoW again after a few years, I'm not a big player (usually get over it after a couple of weeks, highest character is lvl60) but I noticed that all the skills and such have changed around (for the better I've found so far - kinda like it now).

I noticed at level 80 or so you can get a skill called Mastery with a extremely vague companion description saying something along the lines of "Allows you to benefit from the mastery rating".

Does anyone have a more clear explanation of what this does? Is it secretly awesome?

Answer

Mastery is a skill that was introduced in Cataclysm to provide some class specialization uniqueness: the reason it's so vague is because what it enhances is entirely dependent on what your spec is.

However, you can find out what mastery is currently doing for you in your current spec by hovering over the mastery rating in your character information panel, which you can access by pressing the C key (by default). That should tell you in broad terms how it's helping you.

You can also check out Wowpedia's Mastery chart for more detail.

But for convenience's sake here's what each of the tooltips say:

Death Knight

• Blood (Blood Shield): Each time you heal yourself with Death Strike while in Blood Presence, you gain 50% of the amount healed as a damage absorption shield. Each point of Mastery increases the shield by an additional 6.25%.

• Frost (Frozen Heart): Increases all Frost damage done by 16%. Each point of Mastery increases Frost damage by an additional 2.0%.

• Unholy (Dreadblade): Increases all Shadow damage done by 20%. Each point of Mastery increases Shadow damage by an additional 2.5%.

Druid

• Balance (Total Eclipse): Increases the bonus damage from Eclipse by 16%. Each point of Mastery increases the bonus by an additional 2.0%.

• Feral, bear form (Savage Defender): Increases the damage absorbed by your Savage Defense ability by 32%. Each point of Mastery increases the absorb by an additional 4%.

• Feral, cat form (Razor Claws): Increases the damage done by your bleed abilities by 25.04%. Each point of Mastery increases bleed damage by an additional 3.1%.

• Restoration (Harmony): Your direct healing is increased by an additional 10% and casting your direct healing spells grants you an additional 10% bonus to periodic healing for 10 sec. Each point of Mastery increases each bonus by an additional 1.25%.

Hunter

• Beast Mastery (Master of Beasts): Increases the damage done by your pets by 13.36%. Each point of Mastery increases pet damage by an additional 1.67%.

• Marksmanship (Wild Quiver): Grants a 16.8% chance for your ranged attacks to also instantly fire an additional ranged shot. Each point of Mastery increases the chance by an additional 2.1%.

• Survival (Essence of the Viper): Increases all magical damage you deal by 8%. Each point of Mastery increases magical damage by an additional 1.0%.

Mage

• Arcane (Mana Adept): Increases all spell damage done by up to 12%, based on the amount of mana the Mage has unspent. Each point of Mastery increases damage done by up to an additional 1.5%.

• Fire (Flashburn): Increases the damage done by all your periodic fire damage effects by 22.4%. Each point of Mastery increases periodic damage done by an additional 2.8%.

• Frost (Frostburn): All your spells deal 5% increased damage against Frozen targets. Each point of Mastery increases damage by an additional 2.5%.

Paladin

• Holy (Illuminated Healing): Your direct healing spells also place an absorb shield on your target for 12% of the amount healed lasting 15 sec. Each point of Mastery increases the absorb amount by an additional 1.50%.

• Protection (Divine Bulwark): Increases your chance to block melee attacks by 18%. Each point of Mastery increases block chance by an additional 2.25%.

• Retribution (Hand of Light): Your Templar's Verdict, Crusader Strike, and Divine Storm deal 16.8% additional damage as Holy damage. Each point of Mastery increases the damage by an additional 2.1%.

Priest

• Discipline (Shield Discipline): Increases the potency of all your damage absorption spells by 20%. Each point of Mastery increases the potency of absorbs by an additional 2.5%.

• Holy (Echo of Light): Your direct healing spells heal for an additional 10% over 6 sec. Each point of Mastery provides an additional 1.25% healing over 6 sec.

• Shadow (Shadow Orb Power): Increases the damage done by your Shadow Orbs by 11.6%. Each point of Mastery increases damage by an additional 1.45%.

Rogue

• Assassination (Potent Poisons): Increases the damage done by your poisons by 28%. Each point of Mastery increases damage by an additional 3.5%.

• Combat (Main Gauche): Your main-hand attacks have a 16% chance to grant you an attack that deals damage equal to 100% of a main-hand attack. Each point of Mastery increases the chance by an additional 2.00%.

• Subtlety (Executioner): Increases the damage done by your finishing moves, and the effectiveness of your Slice and Dice, by 20%. Each point of Mastery increases damage by an additional 2.5%.

Shaman

• Elemental (Elemental Overload): Grants a 16% chance for Elemental Overload to occur. Elemental Overload causes a Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, or Lava Burst spell you cast to trigger a second, similar spell on the same target at no additional cost that causes 75% of normal damage and no threat. Each point of Mastery increases the chance of Elemental Overload by an additional 2%.

• Enhancement (Enhanced Elements): Increases all Fire, Frost, and Nature damage done by 20%. Each point of Mastery increases damage by an additional 2.5%.

• Restoration (Deep Healing): Increases the potency of your healing spells by up to 24%, based on the current health level of your target (lower health targets are healed for more). Each point of Mastery increases healing by up to an additional 3.0%.

Warlock

• Affliction (Potent Afflictions): Increases all periodic shadow damage you deal by 13.04%. Each point of Mastery increases periodic shadow damage by an additional 1.63%.

• Demonology (Master Demonologist): Increases the damage done by your demon servants and damage you deal while transformed into a demon by 16%. Each point of Mastery increases damage by an additional 2.0%.

• Destruction (Fiery Apocalypse): Increases all fire damage you deal by 10.8%. Each point of Mastery increases fire damage by an additional 1.35%.

Warrior

• Arms (Strikes of Opportunity): Grants a 17.6% chance for your melee attacks to instantly trigger an additional melee attack for 100% normal damage. Each point of Mastery increases this chance by 2.2%.

• Fury (Unshackled Fury): Increases the benefit of abilities that cause or require you to be enraged by 11.2%. Each point of Mastery increases enrage effects by an additional 5.60%.

• Protection (Critical Block): Increases your chance to block by 12% and your chance to critically block by 12%. Each point of Mastery increases your block chance by an additional 1.5% and your critical block chance by an additional 1.5%.

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How to play the WoW trailers?

Question

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm removed the original trailer videos from the

\Data\Interface\Cinematics

and replaced them with a single

\Data\Interface\Cinematics\WoW3X_Intro_1280.avi

How do i play this video file¹?

The video is 1280x720, compressed with PMVX ({30355844-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}).

---

Footnotes

¹ Outside of World of Warcraft

Answer

The .avi file contains a media type I am unfamiliar with: "PMVX", according to VLC media player. I could not open this file in any of the video formats mentioned below:

• Media Player Classic
• VLC Media layer

I do, however, have other copies of these in a different installation folder. Instead of:

C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\Interface\Cinematics

as you have mentioned, have you tried you installation language folder? For me this is enGB:

C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\enGB\Interface\Cinematics

Within this folder, I have each intro in 800 and 1024, as well as the Wrathgate cutscene, which I believe covers what you were looking for.

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Starting Areas changed in WoW Cataclysm

Question

Rolled a new Undead Rogue post-Cataclysm and was surprised by the phasing and the linear progression of the story. I haven't played WoW in years and this is a nice addition IMO. Tried to roll a blood-elf and a draenei to check out if there's any of the same phasing and quests but haven't found any so far. What other races were changed in the same way as the Undead? If you could, can you tell me what the general plot of the quests are? The Forsaken quests seem centered on Sylvanas vs the Worgen.

Answer

As Raven Dreamer says, only "classic" WoW zones were updated with Cataclysm, although some experienced much more profound alterations than others. In terms of starting areas:

ALLIANCE SIDE:

1. A new worgen character experiences the siege of Gilneas by the Forsaken, during which time he or she is bitten by one of the numerous worgen running amok in the city. Quests here focus on saving the people of your falling kingdom while coming to terms with your new identity as a half-human. This is a dramatic story with lots of phasing and atmosphere.

2. A new human character appears outside Stormwind and will help restore order in the aftermath of the cataclysm: your main opponents are Hogger's Riverpaw thugs and the low-level minions of the current end-game antagonists, the Twilight's Hammer. There are some fun and funny quests, but it was nowhere near as dramatic or interesting as the worgen opening, in my mind.

3. A new dwarf appears in an isolated settlement southwest of Ironforge and must train and prepare for the trip out of the backwoods and into the Alliance. Most of the combat at this point was against local flora and fauna, rather than major organized factions, although I think at least one of beast-men tribes—snobolds, perhaps?—is getting support from one of Deathwing's elemental underlings.

4. A new gnome appears in Gnomeregan; my understanding is that it's just been retaken by the gnomes, and a new player has to deal with isolated pockets of resistance before going up against a major mechanized rebellion. Haven't actually played this one, yet.

5. A new night elf will explore Darnassus while learning about kaldorei culture, before beginning a very antagonistic relationship with a particular satyr, who starts you off on quite the campaign of corruption-chasing through northern Kalimdor. I enjoyed these quests, but like all classic races, they weren't nearly as dramatic as the Cataclysm-exclusive races.

6. The draenei starting area is still unchanged from The Burning Crusade.

HORDE SIDE:

1. A new goblin character is an up-and-coming executive on an isolated goblin utopia. You'll get a fast car and some flunkies and clear out as many obstacles as you can to becoming the next Trade Prince—but the Cataclysm will destroy your entire civilization and leave those of you who tried to escape stranded on an island where you'll gradually be introduced to the Horde and your destiny as their premiere artillery faction. Incredible use of drama and phasing; easily the most personal quests I've experienced. If you can stomach the playful use of anachronism and satire, this is some of the best that World of Warcraft has to offer.

2. A new orc has to help survey areas affected by the cataclysm and reassert orcish control of Durotar and surrounding regions. It's been such a long time since I played this that I can't honestly remember too much about it.

3. A new troll gets to see the newly reclaimed Senjin Village and deal with increasing tension between the orcs and the other races of the Horde, while simultaneously putting up with human coastal invaders (I'm assuming). Haven't played this one yet.

4. A new tauren must deal with the rift that Garrosh Hellscream caused by killing Cairne Bloodhoof, but I don't know much more than that, as I haven't played this opening yet.

5. A new Forsaken will learn what life is like for the unliving while trying to make the transition easier for the newly undead—including Lilian Voss, whose powers are certainly unusual. There's a lot of worgen and Scarlet outposts that you have to deal with, and a lot of tension with the rest of the Horde as you perpetuate Sylvanas's plans to chemically conscript as many human settlements as possible in the vicinity.

6. The blood elf area has also not been changed.

That's all I've got, at the moment. I may be able to update with more information as I continue playing and researching.

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Do I need to buy Cataclysm to unlock the new race/class combinations in World of Warcraft?

Question

Do I need to own Cataclysm to make a character using one of the new race/class combinations like troll druids or dwarf mages?

If not, are these combinations available now, or do I need to wait until Cataclysm actually launches on Dec. 7th?

Answer

Like the content within the most recent 4.0.3 patch (i.e., the shattering), all the changes and new quests, etc. are available to anyone with the base game.

According to the official patch notes: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/1214741

The new race / class combinations are already available in the game. (See the 2nd bulletpoint, reprinted below):

New Race/Class Combinations In the wake of a world on the brink of destruction, members of the Horde and Alliance have taken to new cultures and studies, mastering crafts previously foreign to them. Many existing playable races now have new class combinations. Check the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm website for a breakdown of the new combinations.

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