It goes without saying that, regardless of whether you are collecting mounts, pets, cheap ugg boots, or just achievement points, there is something inherently satisfying about finally completing what you set out to do. I would even argue that finishing a difficult achievement, nfl jerseys, or having the vanity pet you've been farming for three months drop gives the same kind of rush as killing a boss for the first time, or gaining a hard-to-achieve PvP rank. So, with the release of Cataclysm and the promise of the world we play in being torn apart and put back together again looming ever closer, we must ask what exactly that means for the achievement seekers among us? Cataclysm will drastically change familiar landscapes such as the Barrens, making some Achievements no longer obtainable. Currently, there are relatively few achievements, pets, or mounts that are unobtainable. While they exist, for the most part, players can decide which one they want and set out to do it. With the big changes coming with Cataclysm, it only makes sense to assume that some of these things may become obsolete, and Blizzard's Cory Stockton confirmed this in an interview at BlizzCon (see the full interview here): "Definitely. We're going to have to go back and look at those achievements because certain things might not be available anymore, and there are also going to be new things that we're going to want to add. So definitely, it will affect that stuff. (Old world achievements) will be converted to 'Feats of Strength' (achievements that don't add points to your player score). So if you have one, for instance, and we removed that from the game, we removed the ability to get it, but (in your list of achievements) it will just become a Feat of Strength."
As you can see from the statement above, there will definitely be certain achievements that will go the way of the Wooly Mammoth (the real-life version) and will no longer be available for players to complete. In addition, while nothing is said directly here about pets and mounts, it is likely that they too will be affected by the changes, and certain pets will no longer be available, especially those that come from zones heavily impacted by Cataclysm. This will mean that those of us lucky enough to have already collected these things will have extra bragging rights once they are no longer available. Just like people who reminisce about their days in old-school WoW (remember directing new players to the 'window' into Ragnaros's room?) and use cheap wow gold as a sense of extra prestige, collectors will be able to use the soon-to-be-unobtainable mounts, pets, and other achievements.
This probably means that as the release date for Cataclysm draws ever closer, the push for obtaining every pet, achievement, and mount possible will reach a frenzy. Expect people to race about, with little regard for others, to collect those last achievements, pets, and mounts. These Obsolete Achievements will be made into Feats of Strength. The determination to complete their collection will bring out the profit-makers in full force, and I fully expect to see a price jump on the Auction House in the vanity pet department, especially those pets that can be found in zones that will be heavily affected by the expansion.
So far, we have been focusing on the not-so-happy aspects of the changes the expansion will bring; however, don't despair as there are good things coming that I feel will far outweigh the bad. For starters, players will be able to keep their achievement points for no-longer-available achievements that have been converted to Feats of Strength. So wipe away any worries you have about losing these points, as they will still be around no matter how drastic the changes. Every expansion Blizzard adds new pets and mounts, and this time there will be new achievements to complete. So even if players haven't managed to collect all that they wished in the old world, they will probably not be disappointed or bored with the new items added to the game. With Blizzard's focus being on elements and dragons in Cataclysm, the new additions promise to be exciting, especially with the new underwater zone. Underwater mounts anyone?
The guild advancement system will also open up a whole new avenue for achievement seekers. Instead of seeking to gain achievements simply for their own benefit, players can now work towards gaining guild-based achievements that will not only reward them but their entire guild upon completion. This should give an extra level of satisfaction to all involved.
While nothing is official yet, I would also dare to venture that with the expansion, we may see a change to the achievement system as we know it, and perhaps even changes to how the system works. While I'm not sure exactly what changes will be made, if any at all, if they are made, they will (hopefully) make the system better and perhaps even offer extra incentives for players to complete them. Of course, this is all speculation, and we will have to wait until it is released to see what Blizzard has in store.
So, while we wait, make use of your time and get out there and get that vanity pet you've always wanted, collect that awesome mount, or finish up that achievement you've been putting off before time runs out. In between killing mobs or questing, join us on our forums to share your thoughts on what Cataclysm holds for the collectors among us.