6.0 is Coming: What New Stuff We Are Getting

The last post was about what we are losing.  No matter how you look at it losing anything is always going to upset people in one way or another but getting new stuff is usually likely to be met with more excitement than losing stuff.  However I must admit I am pretty darn excited about hit and expertise going away.  Finally.  So lets get to it and look at all the cool new stuff to expect in 6.0, before the expansion even comes out.

Character Models

Yes, you will not need to wait for warlords to come out to see and play with the new character models.  Heck, you will not even need to own warlords or ever buy it to get the new character models.  That holds true for everything I will mention here.  These are changes to the game as a whole.  Everything in this post you will be getting even if you never buy warlords at all.

There are a great many of people that are really looking forward to the new character models and with good reason.  We have been the same old same old for 10 years almost and it was time for a make over.

Some people will love the change and some people will hate it.  Sure there are things about it I do not like such as the new male night elf running animation and there will most definitely be some people that do not like that their characters appearance has changed, even if for the better in some cases but over all I think most people will agree this was a needed update to the game even if they are not exactly satisfied with some of the changes.

For those that do not like the new models with such a deep passion it would ruin the game for them there will be an option to use old character models.  For that that do like it, have at it and enjoy.  Everyone will look sharper, that is for sure.

Prelaunch Event

Everyone looks forward to the prelaunch event and more so this time because it has been so long since we had a taste of new content.  Having done it on beta I can tell you there is not a hell of a lot to it unless they plan to add something else that we have not seen yet but it is still new content and it is still a welcome addition.

There of course are the prelaunch goodies to be had such as a title and pet associated with doing the event so even if is not exactly up to the standard some people were expecting, such as the wrath prelaunch, it is still better than the scenario we got for the mists prelaunch.

You will be given a quest to go to the blasted lands and you will fight back some iron horde throughout a few quests.  The standard kill, collect, interact stuff, and then you will return home and complete the quest line and get your rewards.

There will also be a level 90 version of upper blackrock spire which will award a limited time achievement as well that is part of the mini questing hub that we will be getting.

PvP Flagging Changes

I know a lot of people that are welcoming this change with open arms.  No longer will you ever be on the timeless island and killing rares and accidentally get flagged.  Those dirty rogues with their dirty tricks that like to stand on the dead rare stealthed and flagged hoping some poor unsuspecting sap will click on them and become a free honor kill.

With the changes you need to actually type /pvp to flag yourself which means even if you accidentally click on that dirty rogue while looting all you will do is tickle him maybe but you will not attack.  I have tested this on the beta and it does work.  I targeted a flagged character and actively attempted to do something to him.  Ran through every single ability I had and nothing went off.  I could not flag myself accidentally.

Like I said, I am sure there will be a lot of people that will welcome this change but if you are like me, who occasionally like to PvP, you will be making a macro to flag and unflag when you need to nice and quickly.

Quest Journal and Collection

In a long, very long, over due change quest items will no longer be added into your bags.  Sure there are some that might find there way in there because they were missed or they are needed for some other reason, but the vast majority of them will just be collected in a place you never even see.  For a low level player with tiny bag and even less bag space, this is a god send and a very welcome change.

As for as the quest journal goes it is now attached to the map.  When you open it you will see the map at the same time showing you were your objective is.  I am not really too keen on how it looks, sometimes I just want to see the quest and not the entire map, but it does look nice and is well integrated, I'll give it that.

More Void Storage

In more bag saving news there is the addition of a second tab in your void storage to keep those transmog addicts happy.  Well, and those not really transmog addicts that are just junk collectors like myself.  Having a second tab opens up a lot more space to fill up with gear which I know many people, myself included, will be eating up the second the patch lands.

Crafting Items Stacks

Nearly all crafting items and gathering items will have their stack size increased to 200.  Just in time for warlords when 200 of something is actually the same as 20 used to be, but that is another story all together.  For now it is a great change.

For those people, like myself, that like to keep a few stacks of things around in case I want to make something or a friend needs something for leveling, I will now have fewer stacks to manage.  No more having 10 bag slots wasted on 10 stacks of 20 frostweave cloth.  I will now have 1 stack of 200 frostweave cloth and I welcome that with open arms.  When it comes to changes I really want to hug this one.

I have not tested too deep on what stacks to 20 but I am actively looking forward to finding out.  I just hope they did not forget those weird items like elemental earth and such that used to only stack to 10.  An elf can dream.

Reagents Tab

For just a few gold you can open up a 98 slot bag in your personal bank that will allow you to put crafting items in there.  Herbs, ore, leather, cloth, you name it.  98 slots of heavenly goodness with stacks of 200.  Enjoy it now while you can and it seems like a lot of space.  Come next expansion you are going to blow through all 98 of those slots before you ever even hit 100 most likely as there are a ton of new crafting items we will need to be holding on to and we will need massive amounts of materials to make stuff.

Hey, you didn't think they gave us all this space just to be nice to us.  Nope, not at all, they gave us all this space because we are going to really need it and I for one am really glad for that.  It would have sucked at many levels of suck to have had to make the choice of where to store all of this stuff otherwise.  This new addition to out banking space is a fantastic addition.

Toy Box

In a change that I am sure everyone will love even if they are not a toy collector with cluttered bags like me is the addition of the toy box.  You will be able to click on items labeled as a toy and add it to your toy collection the same as you learn a pet.  Once in your toy collection it will be available to all your characters to use, with standard faction restrictions on certain things of course, and it will free up space.

So instead of having to save that particular toy you like on every one of your characters you can learn one and throw it away on all the others because all your characters will have it.  Some trinkets and even some toys removed from the game are also capable of being added which is nice.

I know I for one and really looking forward to this addition and will plan on going through all my characters to free up a great deal of space thanks to it.

Other Bag Changes

To finish up all this storage goodness that we will be getting in 6.0 are some other bag changes for the bags you carry around with you.

New item highlights.  Whenever you check your bag anything that is new to it since the last time you looked will be highlighted.  This is great for trying to find something that you just picked up because if you are anything like, well, a normal human being, you have probably went looking through your bags wondering where something you just picked up or won the roll for is.  Having it highlighted really helps.

Rarity notification.  All items will now have a border on them that is the color of the rarity of the item.  While my color blindness keeps me from noticing the difference from blue and purple items for those that can notice the difference this is a nice little change.

Sorting.  You will now be able to give all bags a designation on what you want in them.  If you want one bag to be the bag junk goes into, just check one bag off to be your junk back.  Make one for crafting items, one for gear, one for whatever you like.  There are a lot of different options to choose from.

Auction House Changes

There is no such thing a alliance and horde any more when it comes to buy and selling items.  The auction house of both factions are now connected.  For people on the short end of the server balance with high prices this will be a god send, for the goblins out there this will be a moment to step up your game as you compete with more competition.

For the people buying however, this will be a win / win situation.  As the goblins fight for auction house supremacy and there are not more people buying and selling there will be deals to be had from the discriminating buyer. 

I am so glad this is happening now because it will give a chance for the auction house battles to work their way out of everyone system instead of making the first weeks of warlords an up and down nightmare where you never know what is going to end up where.

Raid Changes

All raids, with the exception of LFR, are changing their names.  Flex is becoming known as normal.  Normal is becoming known as heroic.  Heroic is becoming known as Mythic.  Your gear will change tags as well.  This basically means all those normal mode raiders that always wanted heroic gear will now have it.

Also (note: not sure yet but it is this way on beta, not sure if it is the same on PTR)  normal and heroic (flex and normal) will both be flexible in format with a size change of 10 to 30 players instead of 10 to 25 players.  Mythic (was heroic) will now be one standard size which will be 20 players. 

Lockouts are also changing so that every raid difficulty level has its own lock out which means you can do LFR, normal, heroic and mythic in the same week if you choose to do so.

Group Finder

Although there is a group finder in the game already and many of us have been using it for a very long time to find world boss group and even flex, normal and heroic groups, the group finder is getting a face lift and becoming something more pronounced so people can find it.  You would be amazed if I told you how many people I had to explain there was already a group finder in game.  It was sort of hidden and now it will be up front and more noticeable for everyone.

You will be able to use it to find groups for anything from raid content all the way up to mythic (but mythic will not be cross server in warlords) and for PvP content like rated battlegrounds and arena.  You could even make and look for specific groups such as questing groups, frog farming on the timeless island groups and anything else your little heart desires.  Of course as it will be new it might take you some time to find a group for what you want to do if it is out of the ordinary, but the option is there at least.

I am sure there is more and if pointed out I will add it as I can.  If you are on the PTR have some fun testing things out so they work for us when it hits live in a month and if you would rather wait, get ready for all good stuff that is being added.  Maybe you can prepare by getting all your toys and crafting materials ready for their new homes in the toy box and reagents tab.