It’s a big week for the World of Warcraft. Blizzard are introducing “Before the Storm,” which they describe as their largest content patch ever, preparatory to the release of The Burning Crusade expansion early next year.

The game could certainly do with an injection of new life. It’s had a funereal air for some time now. Anyone visiting the realm forums can see all the “Goodbye” threads from players quitting the game, and many major raid guilds have just packed it in.

So what will the new patch bring?

- A fully revamped PVP system. The whole ranking system, and the associated concept of competing with other players to gain the greatest amount of honour in the shortest space of time goes out the window. Instead, PVP rewards are gained through acquiring tokens from the battlegrounds. You can save them up over time, doing PVP at your own pace, and eventually gain even the greatest rewards. Those nostalgic for their formerly hard-earned ranks will still have the option of displaying them on their character. All the old rank-earned gear will still be useable.This represents a full turn-around from the PVP system as it was originally introduced and represents an implicit admission by Blizzard that the whole thing was disastrously mal-designed. At first, rewards earned through rank could only be worn while that rank was maintained. Then, in response to player pressure, Blizzard conceded that point and changed it so the items could be used even after the rank was lost. Constant forward momentum of rank still had to be maintained to get the rewards in the first place, however. Now that has gone too and we’re back to a simple token acquisition model.

Dishonourable kills are also being removed from the game. Their introduction was credited with killing off raids on the towns and cities of the opposite faction because of the honour penalties imposed on the almost inevitable killing of civilian NPCs which such raids involved. If raids get going again in a big way, players should have a greater sense of the vast war between Horde and Alliance that is supposed to be the essential backdrop of the game.

- The patch will also introduce the new Arena pvp combat system. This involves teams of 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 players competing against one other. At level 70, teams will be able to participate in a ranking system, with associated rewards which allegedly will rival what can be gained from the highest raid instances. Pre-level 70, however, the Arena matches will be skirmish only, meaning they have no effect on rank.

- New talents! The full set of The Burning Crusade talents are being introduced and by re-speccing deeply into one tree, you will be able to access them. You won’t have any extra talent points, however, so going that far into one tree will force you to make compromises in others. All players should get a free respec, at least.

- A new Looking for Group system to replace the risible Meeting Stones and the pitiful use of chat channels to “LF1M UBRS Priest, MUST BE KEYHOLDER!”

What you won’t be able to do in the new patch :-

- Play either of the new character classes, Draenei or Blood Elf.

- Level your character above level 60.

- Get any of the level 60+ spells or abilities.

- Level any of your professions above pre-patch maximum levels.

- Start on the new profession, jewel-crafting.

- Get flying mounts.

- Visit the new areas like Exodar or Silvermoon City.