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I’m not sure how many of you are following the news coming out of the Cataclysm Beta but I’ve adopted a strict head in the sand policy. Whether it’s the sheer amount of news and updates or the mercurial nature of the information (the game is in Beta and things are changing rapidly), I’ve found myself reading less and less about the Beta.

Now that’s not to say I’m uninterested in Cataclysm, far from it. Lurking at the periphery of my thoughts on the expansion is the general idea of rolling up either a Hunter or a Priest (maybe both) and I’m also excited to explore the new talent trees of the classes that I’m already playing. What I’ve read of the changes to leveling has me excited not only for the potential fun of leveling (crazy to even write that!) but also for the potential skill increase to the overall player base (the idea being players who are introduced to the strengths and weaknesses of their class in a more logical way will lead to players who know how to play their class better).

What I’m not interested in is tracing the genesis of all of these changes. With the frequent Blue Posts and articles that have been proliferating on forums and fan sites, I feel like players are now more than ever getting pulled into the rigors of the development process. While this can be interesting, I feel like I’m reading crib notes for the expansion. I want to experience as much content as possible for the first time when the expansion comes out. Maybe it’s just the fact that I grew up playing games before the spread of the Internet, where the majority of my exposure to the game before a purchase came from the opinion of the store clerk or a brief article in a games publication. I still treasure the memories of stepping through the Dark Portal in Hellfire Peninsula and unwrapping Mega Man 2 on Christmas morning with only vague ideas about what the game was all about. Anyone else trying to keep the expansion a surprise?