Funcom is showing the full game for the first time to players at the Leipzig Games Convention, without an NDA so videos are already showing up on Youtube and elsewhere. Here's a developer demonstration of siege weapons in use, simulating how players might lay waste to another guild's fortress. Towards the end of the video there's some additional good combat footage amongst the ruined chaos. I believe the class played is a Dark Templar if I'm not mistaken, at least I'm seeing some dark-looking magic debuff as others attack him.

Although there are stunning moments, it looks a bit strange with the accelerated building, super fast trebuchet launches and dozens of support NPCs standing around, the developers really should be more careful with their god-mode cheats which could give a wrong impression of the game. Still, you can watch this and see what they're trying to demonstrate and imagine a bit of what a largescale guild vs guild PvP siege battle might look like.

The same demonstration is repeated in another video at Stage6 (annoying browser plugin required unfortunately), where you can see how Funcom scripted the temporary siege event for the trade show.

Kudos to Curse Gaming for snagging a good and thorough interview with Jeff Kaplan at the Leipzig Games Convention. It's really pleasing to hear direct and detailed questions compared to the vague drivel from most of the gaming press. The topics ranged from patch 2.3 to the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

Regarding the interview itself:

• Blizzard has come to their senses and will basically unlock Deathknights to any current player upgrading with the expansion as long as you've leveled another character (which everyone has). Now if only flying mounts in Northrend could be extended the same kind of reasonable thinking.
• It's encouraging to hear that Dustwallow Marsh will get a makeover to address the level 35-45 grind problem which has plagued the game since day-one. That's been a topic of discussion within my guild and circle of friends whenever any alt gets stalled around level 40. I just hope this is just the start on revitalizing the older continents, but I'm a skeptic and more likely I think they'll call that job complete.

  The leveling grind brings up an important issue, the emphasis of Groups in the Endgame contrasting with Solo leveling to get there. Kaplan indicates they'll be accelerating leveling by converting low-level "elite" group content into "normal" solo material, with the example of the Alterac elite Ogres becoming normal mobs. It fits in with the roadmap WoW is on, but I'm unsatisfied with where that leads, because eventually leveling is going to have to be trivialized or bypassed altogether. There's already a large amount of good content in this game that's been made less meaningful, but that's a hollow complaint because I don't see how they can go back and undo what's already been discarded.

• They might be fun, but I expect Siege weapons to be limited to Battlegrounds because flying mounts would make them pointless in the outside world. I love having my own gryphon, but I think Blizzard is starting to realize the tactical reprocussions of inserting such an advanced form of personal transportation into what is otherwise a medieval world.
• Inscriptions just scare me. I understand why Blizzard would want to create a widespread and super popular profession, they're eager to have features in their expansions that appeal to everyone. But whether it's pure damage or utility, increasing existing abilities IS power creep like Kaplan described, it will feel required to get inscriptions just to keep pace with other players and the mobs that are balanced around them. Again it's too late since Blizzard already took a direction here, professions in WoW are not a sub-game, they're integral skill sets that are expected to be pursued.
• More Heroic badge loot, that's awesome. I'm a bit worried that they may extend the heroic badges into raiding with Zul'aman, I hope that Kaplan discussing them both in the same sentence doesn't indicate such a link. I love that the badge system is an alternative for small group players.

~whew~ So many multiple topics all covered at once.