Shared Topic: Preparing for Cataclysm

This week’s shared topic over at Blog Azeroth asks “what are you doing, if anything, to prepare for Cataclysm”? So I thought I’d chime in with what I’m doing to prepare, because just like all expansions you never know what is going to be added to the game, or change with the game! That is even more prevalent with this particular expansion.

First and foremost in my preparations is completing those things on my wish-list that I think might change or be removed. Some examples of this are Loremaster and The Timbermaw Hold grind. I don’t know that they will be going anywhere, but it isn’t a risk I wanted to take! I also want to make sure to gather all of my crocolisk pets, I still need two more for Beru. I don’t know that they will be taking this quest out of the game with Org changes, but I don’t want to miss out!

I am also making sure that I’ve done everything in Northrend, and with this expansion, that I’d like to do. We have a couple more ICC Hard Modes to finish out, but I’ve done all the quests in all of the zones on Beru, so I don’t have to worry about that. I think I’d like to go back for a Yogg 0 kill, and there seems to be a fair bit of support for that in the guild, so I am hopeful! Guild wise, we’ve started a “Pre-Cataclysm Wish List” asking what people would like to do before we get to Cataclysm, so I’d like to make sure to knock a few items off of that list for everyone as well!

Gathering. From herbing to mining, I’m stockpiling for early level profession skill points. A number of things are still of “orange” quality, which means that they will give me a decent number of skill points for things once my skill is raised. I did this going into this expansion, and I had flasks for all of my instancing, leveling and a decent portion of Naxx. So my banker’s bags are filled to the brim! Anything I don’t use will also sell fairly well if I hold onto it for a few months after the expansion releases and the items become rare.

Hoarding Gold. I don’t know what is going to be introduced, but I want to make sure that I have the coin to buy whatever I want! I have been gathering funds any number of ways, from working the AH to just not buying everything that catches my fancy (which is harder than it sounds!). I don’t know how much the new flight is going to cost, or what kind of toys they are going to introduce with cataclysm, but I intend to be prepared! I have frequently found myself pondering “how much gold will I need?”, and the answer is that I just don’t know! So I will just keep earning and sticking it in my “rainy day” jar…I don’t think there will be a “too much”!

Getting all of my alts “cataclysm ready”, from clearing out quest logs, to making certain that their off-spec gear is in order (I have 5 healers and a tank! That’s a lot of off spec DPS gear!). I would probably also include “finish leveling alts” in this category as well. I have a DK at 72 (/yawn), a hunter at 71, a warlock at 70 and my baby druid at 60! I don’t know if they will all make it to 80 this expansion or not. It depends on how much down time I have as we wind down, and if I find other things more intriguing than leveling them (right now, it’s reading!). I also might try to put together some alt groups for Uld 10 for 310 mounts for the toons that I don’t have them on yet….but I’m not quite certain if I’m that ambitious yet!

Capturing memories before everything irrevocably changes. I have been traveling the old worlds making sure that I have some memories of all of the zones. I am curious to see what is going to be changing as we go forward in time. I have a lot of very fond memories of Vanilla, and while I am sure that I will gather fond memories of Cataclysm, I don’t want to wash away all of my old memories either!

How about you? What are you doing in preparation for Cataclysm?!