World Of Warcraft PVE Changes In Cataclysm

Blizzard has announced more massive changes due to hit World of Warcraft in its next expansion, Cataclysm.

The current badge system is to be replaced with PvE points, much like the battleground points we get right now. There will be two tiers of these points:
Hero Points — Low-tier, easier-to-get PVE points. Maximum cap to how many you can own, but no cap to how quickly you can earn them. Earned from most dungeons. (most like the current Emblem of Triumph) Valor Points — High-tier, harder-to-get PvE points. Maximum cap to how many you can own, as well as a cap to how many you can earn per week. Earned from Dungeon Finder daily Heroic and from raids. (most like the current Emblem of Frost)
PvP is also getting the same points system:
Honor Points — Low-tier, easier-to-get PVP points. There will be a maximum cap to how many you can own, but no cap to how quickly you can earn them. Earned from most PvP activities. Conquest Points — High-tier, harder-to-get PvP points. There will be a maximum cap to how many you can own, and a cap to how many you can earn per week. Earned from winning Rated Battlegrounds or Arenas. (currently called Arena Points).
The higher-tier points will provide beter rewards. When a new tier of gear is released, the higher tier of points will be converted to the lower tier, so players will always begin a new season with no Valor or Conquest Points.

There are also plans for players to be able to convert the lower tier PvP points to PvE and vice versa, though at a slight loss.

The next announcement was regarding raids, and Blizzard revealed that it intends to do away with the separate lockouts for 10 and 25 man encounters, on both normal and heroic modes. In other words, there will be one lockout for each raid, you’ll no longer be able to complete both versions of a raid. However, raid leaders will be able to change the size of an existing raid to suit the size of the group, for example, if half of a raid has been completed as 25 man, it will be possible to swap the rest of it to 10 man.

Both 10 and 25 man raids will drop the same loot in Cataclysm, but more loot will drop from each boss in 25 man mode, along with more badges or points, and more gold, making the challenge of a larger raid worthwhile.

Finally, raids will be able decide whether or not to tackle each boss as a normal or heroic encounter, as they reach it.Read our thoughts on these huge changes over on our WoW channel.