So, the cataclysm damages

[Alpharius]

Is it explained anywhere what and how the damages are done/caused (besides by Deathwing...)? I'm writing up another thing for the (exciting) advetures of Svenn and Asgrend, and it just sort of hit me that, while I'm taking the damages to my own interpretation, there might actually be somewhere that explains "by the way..." Because there is a quest in the badlands that actually explains how the damages there are caused, but is there anything else like that? Or are they free to be interpreted?

So, okay, for example, in Stranglethorn, you know they had that big tidal wave, right? Well, was there any flooding? How long did the flooding last? Did it just come and go? What about that big sinkhole? What exactly caused that? Did Deathwing just do a flyby and that area just collapsed? I know in some of the cinematics that's all Deathwing does is fly by and damages are done, but I wonder if there aren't any specifics? Thanks guys.

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Also, why the hell did he avoid Northrend? I'm glad Blizz decided to leave that area alone, but what does the fluff say about that?

[Zenethen]

I don't have much knowledge as to other places, but...

Northrend was left out of Deathwing's ragequit because of the fact that Northrend is WotLK, and WotLK was the most recent expansion. In other words, that meant that messing it all up would get messy fast. While the rest of the world may have been affected by the Cataclysm, you can consider either Deathwing ignored Northrend, or Northrend is still in the timelock of being the Northrend War. Blizzard may have other official explanations for all this, but I'm sure it's pretty much the same thing.

[CappnRob]

Northrend was likely ignored because there's nothing theeeeere. Wyrmrest temple is about it, and I doubt Deathwing would go and aggravate the temple of all the other dragonflights.

[Wuvvums]

I think any zones associated with the expansion (which include Draenei and BElf starting zones) were also unaffected. I could see them not wanting to change the expansions people paid for (I dunno).

[Mikain]

I think any zones associated with the expansion (which include Draenei and BElf starting zones) were also unaffected. I could see them not wanting to change the expansions people paid for (I dunno).

Which doesn't make sense anyway, since they updated the BC starting zone quest text to reflect Cataclysm. But eh, Blizz do what they have time to do.

As Ghostcrawler put it, "Prioritization is just a part of this or any business. It's not a questions of being cheap. It's a question of bang for the buck.
I get it can remove the fantasy of the world to portray things in terms of artist hours, but those are very real considerations."

[Alpharius]

So what about the rest of the stuff then? like the damages and the like?

[Aphetoros]

The Barrens was ripped in half by a huge earthquake, and wailing caverns began to grow out of control I believe due to a spell cast by some druid or something. (Probably wrong, I forget.)

[CappnRob]

Basically, what you see in game is what you get.

[c0rzilla]

Most of the relevant civilizations are established on Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. What would Deathwing get by flying around empty, empty Northrend?

YES, BURN DESOLATE GLACIER. FEEL MY WRATH, RUNNY ICE. TAKE THAT, EMPTY SCARLET CATHEDRAL.

Deathwing wants to conquer and destroy life. That life is holed up on the two continents mentioned. Also, the Twilght's Hammer establishes itself around Dwarven territory.

So, yeah. There'd really be no point in screwing up Northrend. And, it wouldn't be smart to attack Dragonblight, what with Wyrmrest being there.

As Cappn said, what you see is what you get.

And, uh. There was a tidal wave. Look up any news stories about tidal waves, and you'll get a good summary of the damage. Though, it's been three months since.