What's Missing from the cataclysm announcement

So with all the announcements at BlizzCon and the great questions asked by the participants, I find that there were a small omissions, but one that was FREAKING HUGE:

Where's the Hero class?

Uh, did you just forget to add one? Are you holding back on the announcement? Is it yet to be decided? Or did Blizzard FINALLY realize (and oh god I hope so*) that DK's were such a disaster that we're DONE with hero classes?

I'm actually more shocked that none of the Blizzcon attendees asked this question. Maybe it wasn't in the streamed video, but I haven't seen any discussion about a heroic class. I haven't even seen any discussion about the omission of a heroic class.

Other interesting omissions:

The Emerald Dream: I was hoping to see the Emerald Dream/Nightmare in the new expansion. The entire male half of the night elf race spent around 10,000 years here, and now Malfurion's back... but where the hell has he been.

PS WHere the hell has Malfurion's BODY been for the past few years?

Alas, the other omissions have currently fallen out of my head. I'll edit or post more later, but these are the ones that have been on my mind. Stay tuned for more thoughts on my thoughts on Azeroth, I've got some stuff simmering.

-Tris

*PS I'm not really opposed to the concept of hero classes. Just what they've DONE with this one hero class has seriously wrecked the play environment IMO. More to come on this soon.

Where we are and where we're going

So Blizzcon has come and gone, and we've got a lot to look forward to in the coming few months/years. And I for one am looking forward to it. As a preview:

After a long war in Northrend, we're coming home, and the world isn't the same as it was when we left. As the producers put it "maybe we left a little bit of ourselves up there in Northrend". After all the war, we're heading back to Azeroth, the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. The cataclysm will occur when we get back, and Deathwing has returned, sundering parts of world in his wake. Even though the world has changed, I am glad we're coming home, and it sounds like that's the way it going to feel.

And we FINALLY get to visit Kezan, Gilneas, and Hyjal.

Other new bits we can expect:

First, Goblins and Worgen:

Not sure where to begin here, so I'll start with the admission, I was wrong.

I CERTAINLY did not beleive that these would be the new playable races. And certainly wasn't willing to base the prediction on the inclusion of the masks included for the Halloween holiday.

A horde goblin faction is an obvious choice. They were Horde allies in WCII, and still operate their zepplins. They're nice little green guys that will fit the Horde lineup well. The rocket belt set of abilities seem a little forced, but other than that, they're right on target.

My feelings on Worgen are mixed. I'm not sure what other race would have worked, and they've cleanly worked it into the lore it sounds like. Their abilities sounds pretty cool and the styling of Gilneas with its gothic style should be spot on.

More tomorrow about things that I found suspiciously UNmentioned.

-Frozen Voodoo