Top Things in WoW (and Soon to Come) that I’m Thankful For

The holidays are upon us already, and it’s that time of year that we all sit back and reflect upon that for which we are thankful. And then drink in merriment.

This week, as Americans (even those of us on the other side of the globe) roast turkeys then run the gauntlet of Black Friday crazyness, and as in another part of the world, the Christmas markets open to the masses, I’m starting to feel warm and fuzzy inside already.

Which is why in this post, I’ve decided to reflect upon only the good things that are coming our way in World of Warcraft, and some which have arrived already. Luckily, with Cataclysm just around the corner, there’s a lot to be thankful for at this particular moment in-game.

And although we may not be thankful that maintenance has been extended (currently set to end at 5 p.m. PST ie past my bedtime), we can still have some fun anticipating what’s to come. In fact, what BETTER time than now to let the lovefest begin!

I am thankful for:

• Holiday deals — If you want to grab a spare copy of WoW (or 5), are looking into recruiting a friend or even are looking for gift ideas, the World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King each are now on sale both in the U.S. and in the EU. Pick up all three for a cool $20, €20 or £16.00.
• The Shattering — We’ll see if my good vibes on this one wear off after post-patch mayhem, but as of now I am ridiculously excited to cruise around and get to know the new Azeroth, even in the places that it is “shattered” beyond recognition.
• The guild perks system — from mount speed bonuses to auctioneering awesomeness to mobile banking to the all powerful mass resurrection, Cataclysm‘s guild perks system is looking quite tasty. You can bet Mordil isn’t the only one with high expectations for the system.
• New playable races — Worgen and Goblin goodness is just around the corner. Whether you’re planning to roll one from the start or focus on your beloved main, we’ll have plenty of fun stuff to keep us entertained, and that’s also thanks to the…
• Raised level cap — Can’t wait to start gaining XP again. It’ll be a good feeling.
• New Race/Class combos — Holy Cow, anyone? I’m definitely taking on a troll druid.
• Shiny new login screen and cinematic — Sometimes it’s the small things that hint of the coming storm that can have the greatest impact. Bye bye Sindragosa, hello Deathwing. Please don’t eat me!
• A warm WoW community — both here at Lore Hound and around the interwebs, the people I game with in WoW are some of the best people I know. From guildies to Red Shirt Guy, to even the trolls (hmm, then again…) they speak up when they don’t like the direction the game is heading, and also give props when it is.
• An Innovative Blue Squad at Blizzard — We all have disagreed with the devs from time to time, but without them we would have no WoW. The crazyness surely is mounting on them as the release of Cataclysm nears and I, for one, want to say how thankful I am for their hard work. They work to make my game time more enjoyable, and for that I give hearty thanks.
• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm — only two weeks until its official release! Let the countdown continue and the excitement continue to mount. In the meantime, I’ll be logging as much playtime as I can possibly squeeze in — which won’t be nearly enough!
• Six years of Awesome — Seeing as today marks WoW’s six-year-anniversary, here’s another given. I’ve only been in on the game for the past couple of years, but I’m happy to see it’s still going strong at the 6-year mark. Here’s to six more years?!

There’s the top items on my list, though I could go on and on for quite some time. If you couldn’t  notice already, I can’t wait to get my hands on this expansion!

What would you rate as the top WoW-related goodness you’re thankful for?