The new Levelling Experience: Cataclysm Zones and Chromie Time

[Chonar]

Anyone on the PTR been able to test this? I haven't, but I'm still curious.

Chromie Time seems to divide you up into expansions. The first choice, is "Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor".
One would assume this is "Classic". A human arrives from Exile's Reach or Northshire into Elwynn Forest / Westfall / Redridge, from Westfall / Redridge straight into Duskwood, etc.

But does anyone know where the Cataclysm zones come into play?
Are they tied seamlessly into one another, like...

Tanaris --> Un'goro Crater / Uldum?
Wetlands / Arathi Foothills --> Twilight Highlands?

... Felwood / Winterspring --> Hyjal?

[Vrinara]

Anyone on the PTR been able to test this? I haven't, but I'm still curious.

Chromie Time seems to divide you up into expansions. The first choice, is "Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor".
One would assume this is "Classic". A human arrives from Exile's Reach or Northshire into Elwynn Forest / Westfall / Redridge, from Westfall / Redridge straight into Duskwood, etc.

But does anyone know where the Cataclysm zones come into play?
Are they tied seamlessly into one another, like...

Tanaris --> Un'goro Crater / Uldum?
Wetlands / Arathi Foothills --> Twilight Highlands?

... Felwood / Winterspring --> Hyjal?

Cata zones likely would be apart of the Cata time thing. Though I am not totally sure. I say just pay them together since tbh, the classic zones aren't classic anymore since Cata revamped them. Someone probably knows.

[JacobMarley]

When last I looked on the PTR about a month ago it seemed that once you hit about level 30-35 ish you could start going to places like Hyjal, Vashj'ir, Deepholm, Uldum, and Twilight Highlands... So it didn't seem to me like the Cataclysm expansion was distinct from the old world revamp.

I'd love to be told I'm wrong about this though, has there been any updates?

[Cæli]

do you know if you have access to the "old" icecrown on shadowlands with chromie time or they just killed icecrown?

[Cathfaern]

When last I looked on the PTR about a month ago it seemed that once you hit about level 30-35 ish you could start going to places like Hyjal, Vashj'ir, Deepholm, Uldum, and Twilight Highlands...

What, what? Doesn't it supposed to be like you reach lvl10, then choose an expansion and you can go through all zones from lvl10 to lvl50?

[Great Destiny Man]

What, what? Doesn't it supposed to be like you reach lvl10, then choose an expansion and you can go through all zones from lvl10 to lvl50?

Cata is complicated because some of the zones required flying, hence the level 30 restriction on those specific ones. The expansion included the revamped classic zones though so you can easily hit 10-30 through those.

[Unholyground]

They potentially could if they wanted to bring back the pre-cata old world through a layering system since it runs on the newer engine they used for classic and have a true past experience lol.

[thilicen]

Does picking one of the "timelines" prevent you from accepting quests related to others? From what I've gathered you should be able to start the "classic" but still see intro quests to Hyjal etc. if you pass by them?

[Chonar]

What, what? Doesn't it supposed to be like you reach lvl10, then choose an expansion and you can go through all zones from lvl10 to lvl50?

Well thats just the thing, aint it? Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Wrath of the Lich King... All these expansions were self-contained in where they took place.
But Cataclysm dealt with the blows and aftermath Deathwing had dealt to the world, so those things took place all over the map. Hyjal in Northern kalimdor, Uldum in Southern Kalimdor, Twilight Highlands in Middle Eastern kingdoms, etc.

What's more, Cataclysm doesn't seem to be an option for Chromie Time. So I imagine, if you choose Classic, you'll be levelling from 40 to 50(?) in the Cataclysm area thats the most 'natural' progression of where you were when you hit 39 in "classic" zones.

I mean hell, Cataclysm aint even an option here, leading me to further believe this is the case:


... Because the other option would be all Cataclysm zones never seeing use again.

[Great Destiny Man]

Does picking one of the "timelines" prevent you from accepting quests related to others? From what I've gathered you should be able to start the "classic" but still see intro quests to Hyjal etc. if you pass by them?

It doesn't prevent you from picking up quests from other expansions no. Your Chromie time choice does give you a main quest that tries to direct you to your chosen content but you can ignore it if you really want.

[Velerios]

Because as said before: cataclysm-zones requires flying. Flying is only available after level 30. So they included them in the classic-zones.

[thilicen]

Well thats just the thing, aint it? Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Wrath of the Lich King... All these expansions were self-contained in where they took place.
But Cataclysm dealt with the blows and aftermath Deathwing had dealt to the world, so those things took place all over the map. Hyjal in Northern kalimdor, Uldum in Southern Kalimdor, Twilight Highlands in Middle Eastern kingdoms, etc.

What's more, Cataclysm doesn't seem to be an option for Chromie Time. So I imagine, if you choose Classic, you'll be levelling from 40 to 50(?) in the Cataclysm area thats the most 'natural' progression of where you were when you hit 39 in "classic" zones.

I mean hell, Cataclysm aint even an option here, leading me to further believe this is the case:


... Because the other option would be all Cataclysm zones never seeing use again.

Besides the "Cata" zones are part of the Cata re-vamped Kalimdor / EK so it kind of makes sense that they were all lumped into one.

[Chonar]

Besides the "Cata" zones are part of the Cata re-vamped Kalimdor / EK so it kind of makes sense that they were all lumped into one.

I think I prefaced that in my OP. I'm just wondering if they did it properly, story-wise, based on your location.. or if there's a weird disconnect like "you stop questing in Wetlands... go back to Stormwind.... oh you're sent to Twilight Highlands now".
Instead of, you know.

Following a breadcrumb from Wetlands *into* Twilight Highlands.

[Velerios]

It doesn't prevent you from picking up quests from other expansions no. Your Chromie time choice does give you a main quest that tries to direct you to your chosen content but you can ignore it if you really want.

Not really, because zones (at least as on the map) have a minimum level, so the breadcrumb-quests make sense. But yes, you can abandon them, but you can#t really choose freely your zones.

[RobertMugabe]

Anyone on the PTR been able to test this? I haven't, but I'm still curious.

Chromie Time seems to divide you up into expansions. The first choice, is "Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor".
One would assume this is "Classic". A human arrives from Exile's Reach or Northshire into Elwynn Forest / Westfall / Redridge, from Westfall / Redridge straight into Duskwood, etc.

But does anyone know where the Cataclysm zones come into play?
Are they tied seamlessly into one another, like...

Tanaris --> Un'goro Crater / Uldum?
Wetlands / Arathi Foothills --> Twilight Highlands?

... Felwood / Winterspring --> Hyjal?

This same question got already answered a few dozen times on this forum -.-

btw. if you wanna check out the PTR... it takes like several minutes only nowadays to install it, because it only downloads new data and reuses retail's data, so you don't need to fully download the game again.

[Bugs]

Can't you jump from expansion to expansion? Or do you have to pick one and stick with it from 10-40?

[RobertMugabe]

Can't you jump from expansion to expansion? Or do you have to pick one and stick with it from 10-40?

10-50*

If you pick ANY expansion in Chromie Time, then ALL expansions will be scaled 10-50 and thus you can do any zone you like. If you never pick anything from Chromie Time or if you reach level 50, then all expansions (besides BfA which is always 10-50) will be scaled back to a lower level (Legion goes to back to like 45 or something iirc)

[Great Destiny Man]

Not really, because zones (at least as on the map) have a minimum level, so the breadcrumb-quests make sense. But yes, you can abandon them, but you can#t really choose freely your zones.

What you say isn't wrong, but not relevant to the statement I was making. I didn't say you could choose any zone you want, just that you can still pick up quests from other expansions despite it not being your chosen Chromie time option.

Edit: I should clarify I wasn't specifically addressing his original point of "classic" vs Cata end game zones (which in itself is a flawed question because they aren't actually two different expansions), but I was addressing it from a generalised perspective of say WotLK content vs MoP.

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

Cataclysm and the "classic zones" are all just part of same stretch.
You can enter any cata zone at 30.

All zones are separate entities in modern wow, so you can just do them as you please.
Don't forget, all max level content the zone features scales too, meaning you can do the Thrall and Draka questline in Hyjal and around the other zones for experience too.

BTW, that picture must be outdated or something.
This is what it looks like now.
https://imgur.com/a/229mgyQ

[Bugs]

This same question got already answered a few dozen times on this forum -.-

btw. if you wanna check out the PTR... it takes like several minutes only nowadays to install it, because it only downloads new data and reuses retail's data, so you don't need to fully download the game again.

Right, 10-50, my bad. Thanks for the answer