One simple question dear devs: Are you prepared? =) Now, Cataclysm servers is public. And anyone with normal or even trial EU/NA account can create copy of characters on those realms and get preview about almost all innovations and new content. So, now we have working versions of GB and HB and i assume it's right time to make some steps to start write new versions of GB and HB wich both will work after Cataclysm release.
well im prepared. and i think any dev will tell you that 4.0.1 was the big jump, cataclysm will just be a content patch (for the most part) the major framework that comprises wow shouldn't change. and those framework changes are what takes the most time.
There still will probably be atleast a week of downtime - Purely Opinion. To Inspect the code to see if there's a hook to detect the bot, and re-working it to work with cata.
Not the answer you were probably looking for, but I'm in a sharing mood! I know I'll be busy actually playing the game on my mains, getting my 80 mage to 85, rolling up that new Worgen and Goblin, and working up Archaeology. Meanwhile, the devs are hard at work updating HB/GB, but since I'll have all this content to play, I won't care. Personally, I'll just be thrilled once GB is updated, so I can get my farmer getting those initial herbs and ore, to help me level my professions (plus he gains XP to boot). I think I'll be repeating what I've done for prior expansions, in that I got a shit ton of money saved up before release, so the first month or so worth of gathering, I'd donate to my guild, to help them level their professions. HB can wait for later, since other than my farmer, I don't have any toons at 80 anyway, so there's no real push to get them to 80+ right now. Plus, by the time HB gets updated, and the CC's and profiles are there also, that'll be the time where I'll be ready to start using HB again.
The only 'big' thing we have to update is the Nav. as CNG said the 4.0.1 patch was the big jump, won't have much problem updating HB for Cataclysm once MaiN finishes updating Tripper.
Actualy i'm also planning to spend few weeks or mb month playing on my main char. =) And i'm ofc not pushing devs to release new builds right after Cata's release. ^^
Might be good to check out the new stuff in the game before you start botting, could be a new farming location/method that is more productive for you to automate. =)
The other thing to consider is that we'll need new profiles for 1-60, not just 80-85. Still shouldn't take too long.
Biggest thing will be the re meshing of the continent, as nearly everything is different now. Then the new starting zones will need profiles for (if it's even possible, it will probably need very custom scripting for a questorder profile, and possibly an addon too) I myself will be doing manual pvp leveling, and once the bots are up, I'm gonna leave them gathering around in northrend, to hit the next cap of gathering profs. Hell even some nodes in outland will provide skill ups for herbing/mining. Then my goal will be to try and get the new lvl 85 heirlooms, to make leveling all the alts easier.
Only for grind profiles. Around 30% old quests redesigned and than closer to new part on the old locations, or whole new location, than more quests in wich needs to use something (before, after, or on something), or even just stay for a while to listen nearest talks. That makes some obstacles to create good "quest profile". I'm just say what than more diversity Blizzard adds into new content and quests, then more complicating profile creation. And as result we need more tags to discribe new quests. That leads to the fact that the difference between quest profile and plugin becomes less noticeable. Few month ago i have thought what better (not easy) to write some quest plugin than profile, seems i was right. IMO. I suppose 3D navigation is more complicated process.
I'm making sure all my chars bar the 10th slot are level 58 before cata hits so I won't have to bother waiting over 9000 days for proper low level profiles.
My point is what do you do if Blizzard make a hard filters on grind mobs and only one way to lvlup faster than by hand is use quest profiles? Ok, you'll get 80's level, and what next? Grind mobs; PVP; or questing. Coz all other ways, include leveling by gathering is to long. I repeat - in many of 80+ quests needed to use something or do something in right time or/and places. Quests have become more diverse than previously. Call me doubtful or pessimistic, but it is my observation.