WOW v1.8 patch adds dragons, holiday festivities

The regular content patches continue for Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Today, the PC massively multiplayer online role-playing game got another update, which can now be downloaded at GameSpot.

In addition to the regular character balancing issues and game fixin's, the latest patch will add some new menaces to the Great Trees, further drama to Silithus, and some holiday festivities to Hallow's End.

Gamers with enough guts can venture to the Great Trees to investigate some strange happenings with some once-noble dragons. Four beasts from the green dragonflight have been overtaken by a lust for death and destruction. Adventurers looking to see these creatures up close should make their ways to Ashenvale, Duskwood, Feralas, or Hinterlands.

The area of Silithus has been revamped for high-level adventurers. A new chain of quests helps unfold the zone's story, a new outdoor raid can be triggered, and repeatable quests will help players gain some much-needed experience points.

For a lighter side to WOW, Hallow's End is prepping for a Halloween-inspired holiday, replete with trick or treating and festivals. Gamers may also be called upon to keep the enemy from ruining the celebration.

Among the other major changes are several fixes to the druid talent pool and adjustments to instant attacks. GameSpot's World of Warcraft download page has a full rundown of the changes.

Things are happening outside of WOW as well. Though most gamers can run freely to Azeroth on a whim, not many can make it to the magical kingdom of Anaheim, California, where this year's Blizzcon event will take place. Blizzcon is the developer's chance to meet with fans and show off its wares, one of which will be the new World of Warcraft expansion pack.

Blizzard is giving its fans a chance to feel as though they were there by broadcasting live video feeds of the event over WoW Radio, an Internet media site dedicated to World of Warcraft. WoW Radio hopes to broadcast some of the Q&A panels, the costume contest, and possibly the stand-up routine of comedian Christian Finnegan, best known for playing Chad in the Chappelle's Show skit, "Mad Real World."