In preparation for Mist of Pandaria Go Live date (September 25, 2012), Blizzard is updating the WoW content to include Mist of Pandaria in today’s weekly server maintenance!
Known as the Patch 5.04 (hashtag #patch504) today’s maintenance will be a full 8 hours as announced by Blizzard Customer Support via Twitter
Image Credit: Twitter.com
When World of Warcraft players will click on the World of Warcraft launcher, they will be prompted about the game update:
Confirming the update, WoW users will see that the World of Warcraft launcher now has the Mist of Pandaria logo instead on the previous Cataclysm.
The launcher explains that it is doing a World of Warcraft install optimization, a process that usually takes some 15-60 minutes. The text in the launcher explains that WoW runs this from time to time to improve game performance and reduce the WoW install files in user HDD. I understand that this means Blizzard will clean up those old huge MPQ files that are not needed by the new patch (good move if you ask my personal opinion).
Important note: The update/optimization process may be memory intensive; in my machine (a low end one) this one took half of my available CPU:
Process Explorer Image showing average of 50% CPU loading for Agent.exe, the Battle.net update agent
Image Credit: sysinternals.com
So take note of this if ever you are also have other CPU intensive progs and apps in the background.
Because most of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft official resource websites and services are down in synch with the maintenance, Blizzard’s Battle.Net WoW page have the usual “We’ll be back soon! Contact Blizzard Customer Support via Twitter“… maybe 🙂
Aside from MoP content updates, I remember that Patch 5.04 will make all races available to all types of account (paid and free wow account) so this means Free WoW starter accounts can roll/choosee for Goblin and Worgen even if they got the free starter edition only (previous pre-req was Cata).
Another patch change that I remember was this Patch 5.04 will do the conversion of unused Valor and Conquest points… so bye bye bye Valor and Conquest (Not 100% sure of this one, but its ok for me personally as I don’t have much of these points anyway hehehe!)
So stay patient my fellow WoW Fans out there: Don’t panic if you see the Mist of Pandaria logo in the launcher, but don’t get too excited either OK? :-p While waiting I suggest you watch the World of Warcraft Mist of Pandaria Opening Cinematic first or read my other wow posts 🙂
Will try to create another blog post if the MoP content update will be successful in my machine….
Again: Be safe people, in WoW game and outside the game, online and offline!
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