14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard Entertainment has released World of Warcraft Client Patch 4.0.3 for Mac OS X and Windows, an important update to the immensely popular MMORPG game originally released in 2004 as the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe.
Dubbed “The Shattering of Azeroth”, patch 4.0.3 alters the frigid wastes of Northrend as the final battle against the merciless Lich King ends in victory for Azeroth's defenders.
“Upon returning home, veterans of the unforgiving conflict against the Scourge were showered with praise for their valiant sacrifices, while the honorable dead were mourned. Yet as hope flared anew in the wake of the Lich King's fall, Azeroth's native elemental spirits grew confused and erratic, setting off a series of deadly natural disasters,” the dramatic version of the changelog goes.
The face of Azeroth was altered “without warning,” as “the corrupted Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, erupted from the stone heart of Deepholm, the domain of earth within the Elemental Plane.”
“Jagged fissures were torn across the earth, and monstrous waves pummeled coastal regions. From Thousand Needles to the Blasted Lands, the surface of Azeroth was reforged through violent upheavals. Now, the Horde and the Alliance must defend their homes against Deathwing and his minions, burdened by the unsettling fact that the world as they know it has changed... forever.”
According to a more typical set of release notes, players will notice drastically altered terrain, thousands of new quests from levels 1-60, and updated level ranges for some zones to improve the questing flow.
There are new Race/Class combinations to be had as well. Members of the Horde and Alliance have taken to “new cultures and studies, mastering crafts previously foreign to them,” Blizzard explains.
Players can visit the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm web site for a breakdown of the new combinations players can employ using the multiple existing playable races, as they transition to the December 7 launch of the highly-anticipated expansion pack.
Other “general” changes are listed as follows:
- The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm cinematic trailer and login screen have been added to the game. - Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 has been reduced by 20%, which increases leveling rate by 25%. - Many quests in zones on Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor have been removed from the game to make way for new adventures. These quests have been automatically removed from players' Quest Logs.