Insider Trader: Yeah, nice effect -- but does it glow?
by Lisa Poisso 
Jun 15th 2007 at 11:30AM
Insider Trader is your weekly inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.
Laugh all you like – for a sizable population of WoW players, an enchant's not worth the mats it takes unless it creates a cool glow. A long-time enchanter, I've made my share of snarky remarks in guild chat about dorky customers bringing me mats for completely inappropriate enchants on completely inappropriate weapons ... But then again, back in the day (ok -- way back in the day), I also made sure to equip an alternate staff enchanted with Demonslaying every time I zoned into town. Watch the peons swarm to see what the Great and Powerful Enchanter (TM) is wielding!
You'd probably be pretty surprised to learn that there is, in fact, an entire web site devoted to helping enchanters and players figure out which enchants make the coolest glows. GlowChart.com, the brainchild of Cordana of the Detheroc realm, offers screenshots of specific glows, lists of available enchants and their effects, and news on newly updated Burning Crusade-era glows.
Read more about glows after the jump, as well as an Insider Trader tip for miners trying to track elusive greyed-out "ghost nodes."
You've probably already noticed the disproportionate number of low-level PvPers padding their damage with the Fiery Weapon enchant. Keep an eye on future Insider Trader columns, when we'll cover the best enchants for different styles of play, from arena PvP to low-level PvP, PvE and more. But what about finding out what just plain looks cool? GlowChart shows you all the effects with screenshots taken in dark conditions, naturally highlighting the enchant glows. Screenshots consistently display two standard weapons (Bloodrazor and the Windweaver Staff), both of which have designs that display enchant glows cleanly and clearly. Cordana also takes the time to explain how enchant glows work on weapons that already glow (short answer #1: they don't), whether a black glow exists or not (short answer #2: it doesn't) and even what you can expect to pay for enchants in many situations.
It looks like more and more players will be asking questions about enchant glows now that effects were finally added in May to several Burning Crusade enchants. Watch GlowChart for updates as more screenshots and information is gathered, now that the glows are on the loose.
But isn't getting an enchant based on looks alone kind of ... dumb? "I find this an amusing comment that I get all the time ... gotta love hate mail," Cordana replies on his site. "The funny thing is that I couldn't agree with you more. However, if you're an enchanter, you know that one of the most common questions you're asked is what color the enchant glows. I've yet to meet an enchanter that hasn't been asked this question a number of times. This site was created so enchanters could have a reference for those people who ask that question. I think the answer to those that don't understand why people care about the glow is that many people care about what their character looks like."
Can't argue with that!
A miner issue
If you're a miner who's noticed greyed-out nodes spawning on your minimap, you've probably figured out that these nodes are located on a different vertical elevation than you are. What you may not realize is that the majority of these are not at bugged "under the world" locations or unreachable spawn points. Chances are, the nodes are located in a nearby cave or tunnel. The entrance may not necessarily be located nearby, though, giving the nodes the appearance of being terrain-bugged. The next time this happens to you, check for underground access points a little further afield than you might normally think to try. You may strike gold – literally!
Insider Trader's Lisa Poisso is a freelance writer, when she's not boxed inside mountainous cul-de-sacs searching for cave entrances.
You'd probably be pretty surprised to learn that there is, in fact, an entire web site devoted to helping enchanters and players figure out which enchants make the coolest glows. GlowChart.com, the brainchild of Cordana of the Detheroc realm, offers screenshots of specific glows, lists of available enchants and their effects, and news on newly updated Burning Crusade-era glows.
Read more about glows after the jump, as well as an Insider Trader tip for miners trying to track elusive greyed-out "ghost nodes."
You've probably already noticed the disproportionate number of low-level PvPers padding their damage with the Fiery Weapon enchant. Keep an eye on future Insider Trader columns, when we'll cover the best enchants for different styles of play, from arena PvP to low-level PvP, PvE and more. But what about finding out what just plain looks cool? GlowChart shows you all the effects with screenshots taken in dark conditions, naturally highlighting the enchant glows. Screenshots consistently display two standard weapons (Bloodrazor and the Windweaver Staff), both of which have designs that display enchant glows cleanly and clearly. Cordana also takes the time to explain how enchant glows work on weapons that already glow (short answer #1: they don't), whether a black glow exists or not (short answer #2: it doesn't) and even what you can expect to pay for enchants in many situations.
It looks like more and more players will be asking questions about enchant glows now that effects were finally added in May to several Burning Crusade enchants. Watch GlowChart for updates as more screenshots and information is gathered, now that the glows are on the loose.
But isn't getting an enchant based on looks alone kind of ... dumb? "I find this an amusing comment that I get all the time ... gotta love hate mail," Cordana replies on his site. "The funny thing is that I couldn't agree with you more. However, if you're an enchanter, you know that one of the most common questions you're asked is what color the enchant glows. I've yet to meet an enchanter that hasn't been asked this question a number of times. This site was created so enchanters could have a reference for those people who ask that question. I think the answer to those that don't understand why people care about the glow is that many people care about what their character looks like."
Can't argue with that!
A miner issue
If you're a miner who's noticed greyed-out nodes spawning on your minimap, you've probably figured out that these nodes are located on a different vertical elevation than you are. What you may not realize is that the majority of these are not at bugged "under the world" locations or unreachable spawn points. Chances are, the nodes are located in a nearby cave or tunnel. The entrance may not necessarily be located nearby, though, giving the nodes the appearance of being terrain-bugged. The next time this happens to you, check for underground access points a little further afield than you might normally think to try. You may strike gold – literally!
Insider Trader's Lisa Poisso is a freelance writer, when she's not boxed inside mountainous cul-de-sacs searching for cave entrances.
Filed under: Mining, Enchanting, Enchants, Insider Trader (Professions)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Skulltula Jun 15th 2007 11:47AM
That site is so outdated... I wish you would make a BC Enchant guide!
Joshie Love Jun 15th 2007 11:52AM
That's the only reason I put the Unholy Enchant on my SoulKeeper.
www.chillinwithmygnomies.com Jun 15th 2007 11:53AM
As a long term enchanter, I can't stand the idiots who "want glowz". Just today I inspected a *very* impressively epic'd out tank, to find he had a damn Demonslaying! WTF?!?!
Anyway, the best (kinda) enchant I ever did was Crusader on mining pick (to complement your mining bit). Guy had too much cash I guess.
BTW, Glowchart *was* great. Though I believe he's promising to update it.
PyroAmos Jun 15th 2007 12:12PM
I went to see the enchants that drop from illhoof and aran... they didn't have 'em :( they didn't even have mongoose and you can stand in town and see ppl run around with it all the time.
also the 'screen shots' are pretty bad, black background and no point of refferance to in-game graphics... thought if i clicked on one it would have screenshots of people with it... not so much.
WTB cloak enchant glow.
James Jun 15th 2007 12:13PM
Mongoose FTW. Sparky!
Baluki Jun 15th 2007 12:14PM
I always wondered why I kept seeing mineral nodes appearing UNDER Stonard on my minimap, until I realized that there's a mine in Blasted Lands that happens to go under the town.
HiWay Jun 15th 2007 12:17PM
wow, are you serious? who cares what it looks like its not like Mob = weakness to red and blue glowy stick. Same with cool looking armor, I laugh my ass off at people who wear armor with less stats because it actually looks good. Makes no sense to me. But then again, this is only my opinion.
crsh Jun 15th 2007 12:33PM
As an enchanter I've seen the odd and inappropriate ones so often; you know the type, a caster type with a weapon damage or fiery enchant on a staff, etc.
While there are the players who understand nothing to the items and enchants, there are those that know full well it's not good for their class, but want it because it looks cool nonetheless (they are the ones that confuse me the most).
It's totally silly, but hey, the glowy ones sell so well it's ridiculous not to take advantage of it.
Vaharneim Jun 15th 2007 1:14PM
A weapon chain used to give a black glow... I'm not sure if this is the case anylonger.
outforprophets Jun 15th 2007 1:18PM
This is the only reason why I put Demonslaying on my Emberstone Staff. +22 int is nice I guess but it's an ugly yellow, and not that useful to my 19 Warlock Twink.
euphorion Jun 15th 2007 1:26PM
Yeah, the phantom nodes under Stonard are kind of annoying. But when I see truesilver on my rogue, it's nice to slip through the mine and grab it and some thorium if I'm in the area.
I've also encountered nodes that say they're above-ground, when they're really in a cave. The Dagger Hills in Westfall are especially bad, with the Deadmines underneath.
FadedReality Jun 15th 2007 1:55PM
Yeah Glowchart -was- good for at least seeing the colors of the glows consolidated onto one page. Yet, every "screenshot" looks like a manip'd shot of someone's weapon, put on a black background, with the color added in Photoshop.
futura Jun 15th 2007 2:31PM
Glow's are so last year =)
In fact most lvl 60+ outland items have glows on them with not enchant. Items that are even friggin quest rewards. Blizzard made it so everyone and their mother can have them end game.
Iazbel Jun 15th 2007 4:24PM
Bliz should add an extra enchant slot to weapons and limited armor items for "glows," that could be put on something in addition to enchants. The mats could be such that price would make them somewhat exclusive, but not unattainable.
enkafiles Jun 16th 2007 3:10AM
From the glowchart.com FAQ:
Why are the screenshots so dark?
The focus is on the enchanted glow, not the character or the weapon. I found the darkest [safe] place I could find in WOW and this is where I took the screens in order to achieve the best visual presentation of the glows.
And:
The icons look the same... did you Photoshop them?
None of the images/screenshots on this site are altered. I genuinely got every enchant you see to make sure it glowed the color you see. However, Blizzard shared some glows among enchants; for example the demonslaying glow is the same as fiery weapon. I figured since Blizzard could share enchants, so could I. I took the best screen from similar glows and you'll see an identical shot for two different glows.
Josh Jul 26th 2007 5:03PM
Enchanted a staff with Icy Chill for a mage the other day. He provided the mats and I didn't even bother to say anything. His money not mine.
Rashoumon Aug 14th 2007 6:43AM
My character Rashoumon has Fiery enchant on his lvl 70 warrior's epic sword : the Suneater( Mechanar Heroic ), its a poop tanksword anyway, Kings Defender ( Karazhan Chess Event ) is worthy getting Battlemaster but till then I'm keeping the Fiery enchant for the nice looks on Suneater,
why you ask ??
Because looks do matter on RP servers ;)