RAIJIN MAKOTSU

During the latest maintenance blizzard has introduced the beginning of the pre-Cataclysm events with Operation Gnomeregan and Zalazane's Fall for the alliance and the horde respectively.

Rather then try to explain the events to you I will simply let you experience them yourself.  The first part of the quest is available to low level characters, but to finish the quest series you need to be level 75 or above.  These adventures give us an opportunity to finally take the fight to the enemy, and crush them.  So go, brave adventurers and take part in this epic quest.

User Criminy has made a thread about the event on the forums so after you lay down the hurt, drop by and share your experiences.  Feel free to share screenshots as well.

Blizzard links and user screenshots after the jump
Blizzard links
Zalazane's Fall
Operation Gnomeregan
Horsemouth - pictures from the horde quest

Have you ever come across a blog that was a great read and you wondered why it didn’t have more followers? How about one you started, that you think the members here would find interesting; or one written by a friend or guild mate perhaps?

Well here’s your chance to get it more publicity. We’re looking to highlight blogs that have caught our reader’s attention. Not just any blog will do; there are a few criteria that it should meet after the jump:

1)    It needs to be about World of Warcraft.

Your mother’s blog about her flower garden may be interesting, but it isn’t necessarily what we are looking for!

2)    It should have a decent number of articles, be well written, in addition to being actively updated.

Older blogs are welcomed along with newer ones. However a submission should have at least 10-15 articles, and be at least a few weeks old; updates at least once a week or so would be nice. Proper spelling and grammar is a plus.

3)    More popular blogs need not apply.

The thought isn’t to give more traffic to well-known blogs out there, but instead to highlight some of the more interesting reads that people may not come across otherwise.

4)    Specific is okay, but general is better.
Good theory-crafting and class-specific blogs can be interesting, but often only appeal to a small subset of WoW players. That being said, a class-specific blog can still be featured. It’s only natural that a blog by someone who plays a hunter will have articles discussing hunter-specific macros and mechanics; but some general WoW related articles are a definite plus.
For example, here’s a recently started blog by Merinna of Nagrand (US-Oceanic) server. The blogger’s main character is a Restoration Shaman, so the blog has a few articles about shaman healing. There are also articles about the writer’s experiences in the Cataclysm Beta (a Hunter with a Felsteed?) as well as some thoughts about raiding and World of Warcraft in general. Feel free to check it out.

So if you have a blog you’d like to see featured send an e-mail to zamfeaturedblogs@gmail.com. Allakhazam staff will review the entries and choose one from among those that meet the criteria. We’ll periodically feature a new blog with a short summary article and a link. This will happen more or less frequently depending on the number of submissions.
-SomeProteinGuy

UPDATE: Zarhym addressed the portal removal in the official forums. It looks like class trainers and Auctioneers will be added in Dalaran and Shattrath! You can read the post after the jump.
According to a news post by WoW Insider, it seems as though the portals in Dalaran and Shattrath that lead to the major cities in Azeroth have been replaced by class trainers in the Cataclysm beta. In other words, if you want to pop between Ironforge, Stormwind and Darnassus (just kidding, who goes to Darnassus) quickly, you're going to need to find an alternate route. Obviously, with the entire remake of Azeroth come Cataclysm, it seems as though Blizzard really wants to usher their playerbase back into their home land, so it makes sense to take away some of the comforts that made Dalaran and Shattrath such fantastic home cities.
They do note, however, that with Cataclysm will come some more convenient methods of travel, like Deepholm (a new zone) having portals to Stormwind and Ogrimmar, and vice versa. We'll just have to wait and see what comes next in Cataclysm!

This is your last chance to possibly earn yourself two tickets to the always uber-hyped BlizzCon! This sweepstakes, hosted by SteelSeries, J!NX, BradyGames and Cryptozoic Entertainment, is only lasting until October 2, and some of those prizes are definitely drool-worthy. Of course, everyone's going to be gunning for that Grand Prize round trip to BlizzCon for two, two nights of hotel accomodations (for two), BlizzCon tickets for two and $300 spending money, but the first, second and third prizes, all of which involve some hefty gaming swag, should be encouragement enough for you to enter.
Either way, the sweepstakes are ending in a mere four days, so if you wanted to get in on this, now's your chance!

Two weeks ago we featured a blog by our very own user Hyolith.  Recently he contacted us with some pretty exciting news: he's hosting a contest for the posters of ZAM and fans alike! Keep reading for the details, and go to the thread in the WoW general forum to add your comments!

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The current template for Land of Orcs doesn't do the name any justice. This is why I would like to present you with a chance to earn a 3-month premium subscription to ZAM and a 30-day World of Warcraft Digital Game Card through the Blizzard Store. This will give Land of Orcs a unique template that won't be like anyone else.
To enter this contest you will need to create a HTML template that can be used for Land of Orcs. The file below is currently the template being used. It can be used as a guide to help you create the template.

Example File, if the download doesn't work can you find it here.

Rules:

• Template needs to be submitted in a .txt format.
• Needs to have orcs, hunters and World of Warcraft represented somewhere in the template.
• Needs to be either a 2 or 3 column template.
• I reserve the right to disqualify entries if I feel they have been stolen from other sources.
• Multiple entries can be submitted by the same user.

Submissions may be sent to landoforcs@gmail.com.

Submissions will be accepted until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 30th, 2010. The winner will be chosen by me. Ultimately I am looking for creativity, theme, look and feel, and style. The winner will chosen and announced on Monday, November 1 and will receive a 3-month premium subscription to ZAM and a 30-day World of Warcraft digital game card through the Blizzard Store.

Terms and Conditions:

• If you are chosen as the winner you have 3 days after the announcement to contact Land of Orcs with the information needed to distribute the prizes otherwise they will be forfeited.
• If you enter and are chosen as the winner you forfeit the rights to the images used.
• Template can not be sold or distributed to other parties.

Disclaimer:
ZAM is not responsible for any terms and conditions or any other problems that may arise. This contest is being held solely by the owner of Land of Orcs.

Alright, let me start off by saying that this news post is going to be filled with nothing but rumors. Over the weekend, Amazon posted that the release date for Cataclysm is Nov. 23. The page was quickly updated to remove the date. Now Boubouille over at MMO-Champion is saying he received an "update" that the expansion has been pushed back to early December (either Dec. 7 or Dec. 14) from his earlier prediction of Nov. 2.
Just to remind you, those dates are rumors and nothing more. So now it's time to ask you a question, ZAM readers. When do you think Cataclysm will launch? November? December? Will we see it this year? BlizzCon is less than a month away, so we should get some concrete details from Blizzard soon enough.

Cataclysm will introduce a new starting zone for gnomes, and it will focus on the fight for Gnomeregan!

Blizzard just posted an in-depth preview of New Tinkertown, the new starting zone for gnomes in Cataclysm! The article gives players a good idea of what their new gnomes will experience as they level from 1-5, and it all focuses on the fight for Gnomeregan.
You can read the entire preview after the jump. Just to give you fair warning, it does contain some minor spoilers, although I doubt they will ruin the zone for you. Will you be creating a gnome to check out their new starting experience? FOR GNOMEREGAN!

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As Gnomeregan's exiles set out to reclaim their beloved capital from the treasonous Mekgineer Thermaplugg, we bring you a first look at how this wondrous techno-city will exist in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Following the conclusion of Operation: Gnomeregan, High Tinker Mekkatorque and his people have gained a foothold just outside the city in New Tinkertown. Soon, though, they'll find that the surface is rife with a host of new perils that they couldn't have prepared for.

Resolute in reclaiming their lost capital, Gnomeregan's exiles have begun an assault against the traitorous Mekgineer Thermaplugg. Traveling from their temporary residence in Ironforge, they are led by the esteemed High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, leader of the gnomes, and seek to restore Gnomeregan to its past glory. In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, new gnome adventurers will get to experience this ongoing struggle to retake their former home firsthand, beginning their journey in the besieged upper levels of the techno-city.
In the wake of Operation: Gnomeregan, survivors of the fallout will make their way to New Tinkertown, the gnomes' foothold outside their captured city. From there they will be called into action by the high tinker himself to help protect reclaimed gnomish land from new and imminent threats. As one of the newest recruits to this cause, your mettle will be put to the test when you face perilous trials like rescuing captured gnomish demolitionists, destroying a tunnel riddled with vicious troggs, and extinguishing toxic sludge that has begun to rise from the irradiated depths of the city.
Your most important mission, however, will be to thwart the plans of Razlo Crushcog, conspirator and ally of Mekgineer Thermaplugg. Before Chill Breeze Valley can be fully resettled, Crushcog must be stopped, and only your efforts can bring that goal to fruition. Gnomish know-how and engineering will be your allies, but your greatest weapons will be your wits and the will to fight the good fight... for Gnomeregan!
In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, you'll encounter these challenges and more in the gnomes' new starting (levels 1-5) experience. Keep a good head on your shoulders and ingenuity in your pocket, and your contributions will help secure a proper home for your fellow gnomes.