[quote name='Maklershed']So what's this WoW:Cataclysm all about Mr. 83? Is it a whole new WoW game or is it an expansion? And is there an area in the game where people who are completely new can hang out and not get demolished?
Also, why haven't you played Fallout NV yet? It's unbelievably awesome.[/QUOTE]
It's the 3rd Expansion to World of Warcraft.
Deathwing the Destroyer is the antagonist this time around and "The Shattering" is basically changing the landscape of the old world. Read about it here:
http://www.wowpedia.org/Cataclysm
The lore about Deathwing is pretty cool.
TL;DR
Level Cap raised to 85
2 new playable races
New Dungeons, Raids, Zones, quests...etc.
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Yes, you still have the starting zones for new players. None of that changes untill you're level 78 and have the Cataclysm expansion. Leveling up, the quests guide you as to which zone you should proceed. However, you dont need to follow it at all. Basically if you go to a zone where the creature are 5+ levels ahead of you, you'll turn back on your own. It's a really nice, big sandbox...and the Glourius LOOT!
PvP realms are a ton of fun, because you can be attacked by a player of the opposite faction at anytime, giving you that Horde vs. Alliance feel. Personally, I like the PvE realms because, as I have found out, people hiding behind virtual avatars tend to be asses, so if you're a level 5, you often see a level 80 just camping you.
If you are interested in giving it a shot, I can shoot you a 10 Day trial code. And you can give it a whirl. I've been playing for 4 years now, and it's still a blast.
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I have played F:NV, just haven't had the time with Football and now Basketball to devote much time to it. I did the quests in the first town and am about to embark on Primm.