World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Preview
WoW expands, hot from Blizz-Con
by Rook
previewed on PC
The Return of King! No, the other King.
At this years Blizzard Convention, 'Blizz-con', in Anaheim CA, Blizzard officially announced the second World of Warcraft expansion pack for the 9 million player strong MMO. Since the release of the Burning Crusade this past January, the inhabitants of Azeroth have been distracted by the events and adventures made available to them in the recently opened world of Outland. This has been factored into the storyline of the second expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King where the Dread Lich Arthas, the villainous undead lord of Warcraft 3, has been slowly and secretly regaining his power. He now stands at the ready to exploit the current situation where most of Azeroth’s forces are being distracted by the ongoing and prolonged combat in the Outlands against the Burning Crusade. Arthas’ plans involve attacking the unsuspecting lands of Azeroth while their defenses have been weakened.
The New Frontiers and New Weapons
In Wrath of the Lich King, players will journey to the frozen northern continent of Northrend. It is home to dozens of different types of creatures and a few races unseen since Warcraft 3: The frozen throne. Northrend is promised to have more player zones then Outreach had in the previous expansion including the first outdoor PvP zone. This PvP zone will flag all players for Alliance vs. Horde player versus player the moment they step across the zone line. It will play an important part in the events taking place within the realm of Northrend. This zone is the first of its kind due to persisting across all server types, including PvE-only servers.
Blizzard will be adding a lot of new PvP content such as player controlled siege weapons and fully destructible buildings to use them on. Initially, siege weapons will be used as a part of the new battleground opening with the expansion. Blizzard -keen to keep some surprises for us, as usual- has not released any details on what to expect from the new battleground or the possibility of a wide implementation of siege weaponry in the older battlegrounds.
Moving Day for Dalaran
Northrend will have a capital city that all members can call home during their stay. The long protected city of Dalaran is on the move and is heading to the ice reaches of Northrend. Dalaran will be a floating city that will provide players shelter and all the convenience of a full city during their adventures through Northrend and the battle against the Arthas. Though Dalaran will be a floating city, it will be easily accessible from ground level using flying mounts. Yes, current flying mounts are fully supported and you will not be required to purchase a new mount to navigate the treacherous terrain of the Northrend tundra.
Another special characteristic of Northrend are its multiple entry points. Players will have a choice to enter the area through its western or eastern peninsula to begin the entry level content. Learning from the lessons provided from the Outlands in January, this will reduce a great deal of lag and overcrowding that was experienced by World of Warcraft players who participated in the Outlands playing content in the entry zone of Hellfire Peninsula.
