Did you preorder a digital Mists of Pandaria copy and are wondering how the transition will work from Cataclysm to the brand new expansion? Well, Zarhym from Blizzard has the low down on this. I was very weary about this as last expansion launch was awful with waits of up to a few hours before some people could login! (varied on strength of connection, Scandinavia generally getting in quicker due to fast internet back then)
[bluequote] Zarhym – Mists of Pandaria Midnight Activation Details [/bluequote]
[bluequote]The time is nearly upon us as the mists begin to part and a new age of discovery amidst turmoil begins! For those of you prepared to begin your adventures the moment Mists of Pandaria is launched in your region, we’ve put together some important details that should get your expedition underway.
As soon as we activate the new expansion content on launch, players who already have a Mists of Pandaria license with the data installed will gain instant access. If you’re in the game when the clock strikes midnight, you don’t even have to logout!
So, what happens at midnight for those of us with Mists ready to go?
- A yellow System Message will appear in your Chat Log telling you to visit Orgrimmar or Stormwind to start your travels.
- Level-85 characters will receive a new quest, no matter where they are in the world, which will guide them to Varian or Garrosh for further orders.
- If you’re online at midnight you will receive the quest even if your Quest Log is full — or you can visit Varian or Garrosh to get started on your journey to Pandaria.
- Level-85 players will notice their experience bars automatically change so that experience can once again be earned.
- Players who are at the Character Creation screen at midnight will notice the button to create a pandaren character will be enabled. (Reminder: This also applies to players who don’t have a Mists of Pandaria license, as all races are now included with a base copy of World of Warcraft.)
- Players who are at the Character Creation screen at midnight will notice the button to create a monk character will be enabled.
We’ve been very hard at work on this new technology with the goal of ensuring that players can enjoy a more stable and seamless transition into the next expansion than ever before. Our staff will be monitoring realm stability and gameplay issues around the clock, as we want to provide you with the best experience possible.
We’ll see you on Pandaria![/bluequote]
Sounds like it’ll be smoother than cataclysms launch.
