Quick note for those who play on the classic servers:

There was an issue that may have caused players on the Classic ruleset to have received the ToA version of the dragon loot. To preserve the integrity of the Classic ruleset we are replacing all ToA dragon loot items that exist on the Classic ruleset with the Classic ruleset equivalent. These items will automatically switch out upon logging in. If you had one of these items equipped the correct version will be placed in your inventory. If your inventory is full, then the item will be created at your feet and a popup will inform you that your inventory is full. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and thank you for understanding.

You killed your raid content mobs, you topped out your player versus player (PvP) rewards, you leveled to the cap only a month after the last expansion and, in only a few weeks (or days), the newest content addition to the game is coming out; the dreaded expansion.

Most MMOs that offer expansions which increase the level cap cause depreciation of old content. Let me explain. While features or content are not removed, and backwards compatibility is maintained, the content previous to the expansion often becomes obsolete or out of date. There is little reason for players to go through old content when there's obviously a new and better way of doing things.

Blizzard has prepared for Wrath of the Lich King (WotLK) by making previously challenging raid encounters significantly easier, forcing some folks to cry foul as their hard work becomes "cheapened". The drops now pull from the same loot tables as they did before the change, but with significantly less risk and challenge.

So my question to you is, do you care?

Some of the folks on our World of Warcraft board discussed this very thing last week, and the replies, barbed though they were, elicited strong responses on either side.

Darkness is coming :

While the world above my fiery domain occupied itself with the petty day to day activities of realm warfare, I have sat and pondered upon how I may make this once great dominion of demons grand once again. For months they have done battle with my foot soldiers, whom they have come to know as the doppelgangers. These tiresome games are no longer of interest me. I have now sent some of my more expendable yet loyal pawns out into the lands above to carry my warning to its pitiful inhabitants. These Daemonic Heralds shall deliver the first and only warning the realms of the mortals shall have. If they are wise they will listen to their words. Beware, for darkness will soon fall and the kingdoms of light will perish, and I, the Demon Queen, await you if you dare stand against it.

Time to grab the Grab Bag from the Camelot Herald ! Check out this weeks hot topics:

Q. I can’t seem to trade in my old Shrouded Isles chest piece. What gives?

A. The Lady of the Jewels knew this question was coming up this week and was prepared: This seems to have caused a lot of confusion. Back in July, we updated some of the drops in the Shrouded Isles epic dungeons. This update included the class specific breastplates which drop in those dungeons. The first updated versions of the breastplates, though fine for Classic servers, were still not up to par with the high end gear on Trials of Atlantis enabled servers. Because of this, we made Trials of Atlantis versions of the breastplates and recently put in a trade-in NPC to upgrade the breastplates players had already gotten. This trade-in NPC was intended to allow players who had run the three Shrouded Isles epic dungeons since July and gotten an updated breastplate to get the right version of the chest piece for their ruleset. It was not meant to allow players who had gotten the original version of these breastplates before July to upgrade them as well.

However, due to overwhelming player feedback we will be altering the trade-in NPCs to accept the old original breastplates as well and exchange them for ruleset appropriate updated chest pieces on both Trials of Atlantis and Classic servers. We only ask that players understand that these breastplates are a special case and we do not plan to offer trade-ins for the updated Shrouded Isles dungeon loot in the future.

Updated SI goodness:

The Trials of Atlantis Scholars are about to be busy:

-  Scholars studying the new artifacts from the Shrouded Isles dungeons have finally managed to alter the enchantments placed upon some of the new breastplates. Players who received the first version of these breastplates on a Trials of Atlantis-enabled ruleset will be able to trade in their existing upgraded breastplate for the new versions introduced in 1.96. Players should seek out Gain S'ondin in Caer Gothwaite, Navala in the Grove of Domnann, or Kynval in the city of Aegirhamn.

To assist you with your armor decision we've put up a list of what the chest pieces have to offer. To view them (for both ToA and Classic Servers), please click here.