A
fight to the death against the ultimate evil; Deathwing and the many
other major changes that Patch 4.3 promises to bring combined with the
news of a brand new expansion on the horizon has left our heads
literally spinning. And while its excellent to have so many big things
to be excited about, with the massive amounts of information that have
been thrown out for World of Warcraft players to digest it becomes very
easy to let the small things slip by unnoticed and instead only focus
on the bigger announcements.

One of the small things that
has been pushed onto the wayside, but really deserves at least an
honorable mention, is the addition of a few new exciting map and
mini-map features coming in Patch 4.3. I know, I know, its not exactly
as exciting as Pandas or Deathwing’s epic loot, but these new
features really do need some player love too! These new map and mini-map
additions will not be revolutionizing the map and mini-map but they
will be making the lives of new and old players alike just a little bit
easier and that means a lot in the gaming world. Read onward to learn
more about the changes coming to the map and mini-map in Patch 4.3:

One of the first things you
will probably notice about the mini-map when you log into Patch 4.3 for
the first time is that the tracking feature has gotten a bit of a
facelift. More organized and better looking overall, the new looks
makes finding and choosing the tracking options you need at any given
time much easier. NPCS such as the Auctioneer, Banker, and Battlemaster
have been relocated to their own menu labeled
“Townsfolk”, while other tracking options such as
Low Level Quests, Target, and Focus Target remain a part of the main
drop down menu off the mini-map.

alt="4.3 Tracking Menu"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/202573/preview"
width="600">

The
new improved tracking menu in Patch 4.3.

But as you can see in the image
above, a brand new look
isn’t all that’s new in Patch 4.3 for this mini-map
feature. That’s right, just when
you thought your tracking options couldn’t get any better,
Blizzard has managed to up the ante in Patch 4.3. Not only will players
be able to track everything they previously were able to, but now they
will have the option to choose two new tracking options for the
mini-map.

The first of these new mini-map
tracking options available in Patch 4.3 is the ability to see quest
areas on the mini-map. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, no
more opening up your To enable this feature simply click the
“Track Quest POIs” option, open your map and left
click on the number corresponding to the quest zone you wish to track
and voila! You will now be able to see the quest zones appear on your
mini-map once you get close to them. This means no more frantic opening
and closing of the larger map to see if you are in the right area.
Hooray! Click the “Track Quest POIs” option again
to turn this mini-map tracking feature
off.

alt="Mini-Map Quest Tracking"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/202574/preview"
width="600">

Players
will be able to see quest zone areas via the mini-map in Patch 4.3.

The second and final new
mini-map tracking feature, while still an excellent addition, will
appeal to a far more select group; the Archaeologist. Yes those players
who enjoy wandering the world, sifting through soil to find treasures,
will find themselves equipped with a fancy new tool to make discovering
hidden wonders in Patch 4.3 easier than ever. Opening the mini-map
tracking menu players will discover a brand new option called
“Track Digsites”. By enabling this ability
Archaeology areas of interest will appear on the mini-map much like
they do on the world map. Meaning less time wondering if your going in
the right direction, and more time for digging!

The final new addition in Patch 4.3 is to the larger in game map and is smaller than the rest, and perhaps even seems a
bit inconsequential, but I believe it still needs a little nod of acknowledgement
nonetheless. When accessing the world map in Patch 4.3 players will
discover that while hovering the mouse over any zone that not only will
the zone name be displayed as per usual but now they will be able to
see the base level range for that particular zone as well. This new map
feature will be
especially useful for new players who are not familiar with the zones
and are wanting to discover which zone is the appropriate level for
their character and will mean the end of getting wtf pwned because you
managed to wander into a zone that is so high of a level that you
literally aggro mobs from miles away. Also not a bad new feature for
players who just need a little refresher on which zones correspond with
which levels.

alt="Patch 4.3 Zone Level"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/202575/preview"
width="600">

Visable
zone levels on the world map will make life easier for new players.

All in all, as I mentioned
before, the map and mini-map features to be released in Patch 4.3
aren’t big changes, and they will probably turn out to be
things that most players take for granted, but they will certainly make
the job of navigating Azeroth successfully a little less intimidating.
What do you think of the new map and mini-map features being introduced
in Patch 4.3? Are these new features easy-mode overkill or can even
more features like these be added? Be sure to share your thoughts in
the comments section below!