Archeology 4.03a?

[Fizzleshot]

Yes, there is a point having 4.0.3 on live for just a week, because 4.0.3 is nothing but preload for the Shattering and some bug fixes.

Yes, but why do 4.0.3 and 4.0.3a need to be separate at all? Why not just have the one patch load the files and cause the shattering and we log on the next day in the new world? i'm not sure why exactly they must be separate.

[Emaluri]

Then there's no reason to release it at all.

I agree. I vote they give us 4.0.3a TOMORROW! I want to start leveling.

Yes, but why do 4.0.3 and 4.0.3a need to be separate at all? Why not just have the one patch load the files and cause the shattering and we log on the next day in the new world? i'm not sure why exactly they must be separate.

Only Blizzard knows the exact why, really.

[Leowyld]

Who knows, maybe they are planning to do the Shattering without another patch and the version number change will be just that.

[Ridesdel]

they cant just do the shattering in one patch because even with the PTR the framework for the shattering could still have bugs that have yet to be found, it happens quite often, if there was a major bug in the framework fo the shattering, and they just tossed it out there, there would be big problems, yaknowwutimsayin'? run-on sentence FTW

[ComputerNerd]

Flying in azeroth has been confirmed to require the expansion, and since that is trainer taught then I see no reason why a similar mechanism will not apply to archaeology.

A version number bump won't be for just the switching on of an event. It always represents a client version, and therefore a modified client and content.
There will be a seperate 4.0.3a patch, and while previous expansions content have been introduced in a single patch they never did it by remodelling vast portions of an existing landscape.
Therefore we cannot take previous experience as an example of what we will see.
Blue posts made it clear that 4.0.3 and 4.0.3a are both patches and both seperate.

The shattering does not just happen, the servers will go down for maintenance, and come back up with the changes having occured.

[Timrobbins]

Thanks for the response pertaining to archeology, I was hoping for the rare chance that we would be able to level it before Dec 7th, but it is looking very unlikely.

Continue the debate of 4.03 and 4.03a now...

[Venziir]

4.0.3a won't be released until December 7 anyway, or right before.

However Blizzard did say that Archaeology requires Cataclysm.

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.

Not quite, 4.03A will be there a week or more before december 7th....

[Rivin]

Not quite, 4.03A will be there a week or more before december 7th....

And yet no one bothers to find a source for this. I certainly haven't been able to.

[Avenge]

Search for and watch the GAMESCOM vids and stop being lazy. Just because you missed a piece of info doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[Rivin]

Search for and watch the GAMESCOM vids and stop being lazy. Just because you missed a piece of info doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

You mean the interview from August, before 4.0.3 (much less 4.0.3a) even existed?

[quasarquantum]

I guess they separated the patch into 4.0.3 and 4.0.3a to let everybody download and install it before the events are actually activated. Guarantees a smoother transition (if you can call the shattering smooth that is) for the players. And maybe the new launcher and its "play while your still downloading patch data" feature isnt working as intended.

[Collected]

The way I see it, we patch for 4.0.3 today, and 4.0.3a is next Tuesday.

[ZeroEdgeir]

Will Archaeology be available to any account? Yes. Will it be available before Dec 7th? No.

Think how many areas you have to get to for Archaeology, that require flight to reach. I know when I toyed with it on Beta, was a good half dozen+ areas in the brief bit of work I did, on both EK and Kalimdor, you cannot reach without the Flight Master's License.

Jewelcrafting was TBC-accounts only, cause all the trainers were, conveniently enough, only located in TBC Cities. My money says that will change as well in Cataclysm (Oh wait, doing a search on Jewelcrafting Trainers, on the Cata-side of wowhead, reveals them in Stormwind City and Orgrimmar. So, already fixed).

Inscription came out with the 3.0 pre-patch, cause Glyphs were a new, major part of character development. Archaeology doesn't provide any character power at all. If it was the OLD Archaeology w/ Path of the Titans, then yes, we'd have got it in advance. But it's not. It's a secondary skill time-sink for lore junkies and collectors (like me!).

And as for time-line: 4.0.3 will likely be today/tomorrow (hence the 8hr maintenance instead of 6hr norm). 4.0.3a, the Shattering, will be between Nov 30th and Dec 6th. Gives us 2 full weeks of Elemental Invasions, by which time, I am sure we will be sick of it and ready to move on.

---------- Post added 2010-11-16 at 03:55 AM ----------

The way I see it, we patch for 4.0.3 today, and 4.0.3a is next Tuesday.

Nope, they won't give us 2 full weeks of the new world before retail. At most, 1 week.

[Kep22]

When i purchased the digital download version. It said something about it updating the day before catas release.
I assume the servers would be down around that time. So im going to guess it wont be available till the actual release.

It's a big selling point of the expac, i don't see why they'd release it beforehand and only to those that digitally updated :S

[Venziir]

And yet no one bothers to find a source for this. I certainly haven't been able to.

How about the front page? How about the blue posts? From blizz' own site "Patch 4.0.3a: The Shattering
Shortly before Cataclysm launches, Azeroth as you know it will be changed forever. Patch 4.0.3 will bring with it cataclysmic changes to the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Players will be able to find new and exciting sights to see and quests to do in the level 1-60 zones, all-new troll and gnome introductory experiences, redesigned capital cities, new race/class combinations, and more!"
(link http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/underdev/index.html)
And that was after a quick google search :P

[Anoregon]

And yet no one bothers to find a source for this. I certainly haven't been able to.

You are using older information. When blizzard first started talking about 4.0.3, they said it was going to be the shattering patch, but a few weeks ago updated their plan to state that 4.0.3 is the shattering preparation patch, while 4.0.3a would activate the content. If you honestly have not seen any blue posts about this, then you really just weren't looking hard enough.

---------- Post added 2010-11-16 at 09:00 AM ----------

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...97530621&sid=1

Two posts from zarhym:

The test realms are currently loaded with 4.0.3 data. Most of the content that will be implemented with this patch will not be activated upon its release. That will come shortly after with patch 4.0.3a, which we are likely to deploy at some point during the 4.0.3 PTR phase.

As of yet, they have not activated 4.0.3a on the ptr.

There are a few changes, but the majority of the patch 4.0.3 content is "under the hood," so to speak. There will be a number of bug fixes going in, though some of them will not be active until 4.0.3a either due to the way production on these two patches is being handled. It's somewhat of a unique patching process for us in World of Warcraft's history, so we'll do our best to clarify what is changing and when.

---------- Post added 2010-11-16 at 09:03 AM ----------

more

One thing we'll be clarifying a bit better next week is the distinction between what is in patch 4.0.3 versus when the shattering takes place.

Patch 4.0.3 will implement virtually all of the content necessary to make the changes to Azeroth, but those changes will actually take place in patch 4.0.3a, which is scheduled to be released shortly after patch 4.0.3.

[Rivin]

I never said anything about there not being a 4.0.3a. I'm only contesting the people who claim it will be released the 23rd, as if a release date was given.

[Leowyld]

No you were contesting it coming before December 7th at all. Any of us can look through this topic and see that.

[Rivin]

No you were contesting it coming before December 7th at all. Any of us can look through this topic and see that.

In my first post I said it would be the 7th or before.

Reading comprehension seems scarce here.

[Leowyld]

When someone told you it was coming before launch, you demanded proof. That is contesting.