When will the old client disappear?

[Deleted]

Hi dudes,

I'm currently plotting my return to Azeroth after being gone for close to a year. Now the thing is, I'm stuck behind a really slow internet connection for my Cataclysm game-time and I don't wish to download the whole client twice (the WoW installation CDs are gone.....don't ask).

Hence my question is, when will the new client be available for download over BattleNet?

Based on what was posted here recently I've gathered that much about the Cataclysm patch process.

-4.01 - Contains new talent-trees, engine changes etc. etc. however still has the old world. Eta early October.
-4.03 - released a few days/weeks before Cataclysm launch. Changes world, gives new 1-60 content etc. etc.
-Cataclysm - Cataclysm is released and increases the level cap to 85 and brings all the new dungeons/raids etc.

Now my question really comes down to whether or not the cleint will undergo any changes going from 4.01 to 4.02. After all, all the old world content would be made redundant as soon as the Cataclysm takes place. There'd be no more need to all those old files.

I'd be willing to wait a few weeks if that meant the game client would go from 16.4 GB (current PTR client) to...say 11 GB when they remove all the redundant data.

Edit: The whole point is I wish to return to Azeroth asap but don't want to d/l the client twice.

[Anjerith]

Just remove the game from your pc entirely and run the cata updater after release if you want the old files gone.

[Deleted]

World changes, new areas, level 85 cap will all happen on the same day - when Cataclysm launches.

[Deleted]

World changes, new areas, level 85 cap will all happen on the same day - when Cataclysm launches.

Do you read the frontpage?

The world will not be changing in patch 4.0.1. We are planning to apply those changes in patch 4.0.3 shortly before Cataclysm launch. (Source)

[...] New race/class combinations and changes to the old world (including quests) should be patch 4.0.3. I know it's kind of confusing since we typically release one major patch right before the release of the next expansion. In this case, many of the systems changes will be added in 4.0.1, while a lot of content changes will be added in 4.0.3.

The expansion will then provide players with access to the new races, new zones, level 85 cap, flight in Azeroth, Archaeology, etc. (Source)

[Falrinn]

There will definitely be a significant amount of content to download for when the world changes take effect, but I've got a good feeling the background downloader should take most of the edge off. They definitely aren't going to force everyone to use the streaming client to download the entire game on launch day, as that would probably cause their servers to turn Irvine into a smoking crater.

For later installs, Blizzard may very well do what they did with WotLK and cram the entire game onto a single DvD. If they manage it, any reinstalls will simply require a single DvD with minimal download time.