One of the great promises of Cataclysm, the next World of Warcraft expansion, is the ability to fly around Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, or as one wag put it, “Old Weather Flying.” Blizzard is even now teasing us with the skill in game.
See your trainer indeed… in about a month.
That looks like it will be an affordable skill, 250 gold at level 60 and probably less with faction discounts.
There are more changes though, and with Hallow’s End I finally got out of my slump are started looking at what patch 4.0.1 had to offer, including on the flying front.
First, of course, there was the high speed flying. It used to be, back in the day, that you had to get a special mount to be able to fly at 310%. All you could buy your way into was the 280% epic flying mount.
But they have switch that around and now your skill dictates how fast a mount flies. (Running seems to be unchanged.) So now there is a master flying skill that gives you the 310% speed boost. Master riding, and you can learn that one today.
It runs 5,000 gold, to siphon a bit of cash out the economy no doubt, but can be had for as little as 4,000 gold if you are exalted with the right faction. Fortunately, Vikund had the cash on hand so I was able to grab it for him.
If you happened to have earned one of the 310% mounts already though, you got the skill for free.
Blizz also moved Cold Weather Flying, the Northrend flying skill, to level 68 and halved the price, making it 500 gold. No longer will you feel the frustration of getting to 70, getting your epic flying skill, only to head to Northrend to find yourself grounded for another seven levels. Now my level 70 druid can fly in Northrend.
Patience got me Flight
This change mirrors what Blizz did with flying in Outland after Wrath of the Lich King came out and we had the great big riding reset. They’re just getting the change in a bit earlier this time around. No word on whether they will also cut the exp table in Northrend. I think they might leave that for a while. Wrath content has more replay value in it than Burning Crusade does, in my opinion.
Rides have changed a lot since the old days, when you could buy your first mount at 40 and maybe that epic mount at 60 if you played the auction house or bought gold.
The Ancient Gaming Noob 
Slight typo –
“There are more changes are more changes though”
Delete this comment once you’ve seen it.
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They’ve said in fact they’re leaving the WoTLK leveling rate alone for the time being. I’m sure it will be reduced at some point, though.
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You must have missed the Bind on Account Flying skill that was already on offer before 4.01 came out. There was no need to wait to level 77 for subsequent alts.
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@Vlad – I wouldn’t say I “missed” it. I knew of its existence. But you had to be level 80 to buy the heirloom skill, you had to be at least level 70 to use it (I think), and it cost 1,000 gold.
That you can buy it yourself at level 68 and that it costs only 500 gold now is enough to constitute a change methinks. My druid, mentioned in the post, is on a server where I have no level 80 characters, so it was the only way he was going to get the skill.
@Skarbd – A sure sign of my being interrupted or distracted mid-sentence. Fixed. But I always leave comments pointing out my mistakes.
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BoA book for cold weather flying did only required lvl 68, but it still doesn’t do you any good if you don’t have an 80 to buy it.
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