About the Bloggers: David Bowers

What do you do for WoW Insider?
I blog about whatever seems interesting at the time, and I also write the roleplaying column, All the World's a Stage. I'm especially interested in writing about roleplaying and PvP, too, because they're the things I participate in most often. Everything and everyone in the game is interconnected, though, so even if I'm not a big raider, for instance, I still care a great deal about the things raiders are going through.
What's your main right now?
My current main is a draenei hunter, pictured above, but I'm spending just as much time with other alts right now, trying to decide which one will be my main Horde character. My most-played Hordie is currently a warlock. Previous mains I don't play as much anymore include a druid and a rogue, both Alliance.
For the Horde or Glory to the Alliance?
Heh. For both! I used to be all for the Alliance because I couldn't relate to the whole deformed and inherently violent look that many Horde characters have, but I'm one of those people for whom blood elves really opened up access to the Horde and see them in a new light. I like to appreciate the stories of the monstrous Horde races without actually having to play a monstrous character myself.
Favorite thing to do in Azeroth?
Definitely roleplaying. It's cooperative and creative, and very rewarding when you find good people to do it with. But RP never feels complete to me personally without also making some kind of progress in the game itself at the same time. I very much enjoy PvP and PvE adventures, and I try to integrate them into my roleplaying too. PvP is nice because it's easy to access, and challenging to go up against real people, but sometimes I definitely need a break. PvE adventures can take a long time, and in the end, the loot may not reward you at all for your trouble, but it's still fun to have good teamwork with friends.
What's the best instance in the game?
I like PvP instances best, and maybe Alterac Valley best of all, because despite the imbalances that always seem to plague one faction or the other, it's still a mix of PvE and PvP, and every match you play there can be different from the one before. Even now, things keep changing and we keep learning new strategies for it. And you don't have to spend hours to run through it one time either.
What's the number one thing Blizzard could do better?
I think they could provide more developed avenues of end-game progression for different people's play styles. Whether people are in large groups or small ones, we always want to feel like there's something waiting for us to accomplish. As it is now, lots of small-group casual players (who don't raid or PvP) tend to feel stuck at level 70, and there needs to be some sort of end-game progression for them too.
The best way to make money in game is...
I just did lots of quests and dailies, mining along the way and then selling the ores at the auction. That seemed to earn gold fairly fast, though it never quite feels fast enough!
Favorite mount?
My netherdrake is very fun to ride, but I hope to get an engineering mount with another character someday. I also like the gnomish mechanostriders, and even the blood elf birdies.
Favorite piece of loot?
I like the season one arena armor for hunters best for their looks. But PvP rewards in general are very nice because they're useful, they look good, and there's no loot tables involved in receiving them. PvE can be infuriating when your "favorite piece of loot" never ever drops no matter how many times over you have worked to deserve it.
When I'm not playing WoW, I'm...
Writing, drawing, teaching, listening, talking, reading, biking, and walking, are all things I love to do.
What accomplishment in-game are you most proud of?
I'm most proud of having met some very special people through WoW (and WoW Insider), and learned so much from my experiences interacting with them. In terms of in-game accomplishments, getting the Netherdrake mount felt like something special. It lets me fly around and imagine that I'm a dragon rider! That's pretty fun.
If you could add one touch of personal flair to your main, what would it be?
My touch of personal flair wouldn't just be for me personally, I suppose. I would just like more options for my character to interact with other people and the environment, which would give me more ways to express myself personally: the ability to express more realistic actions with my character, and interact with the environment more. I'd like to be able to actually hug other characters, or handshake, or take them by the hand and lead them somewhere. I'd also like to be able to move chairs around, pick up glasses and drink from them -- things that make the environment feel more real and less like a fake movie set.
If you had 10 more hours to play every week, what would you spend them doing?
My first thought in response to this question was roleplaying, and keeping up with different groups of roleplayers better. But in fact, it would vary from week to week, depending on how I feel and what opportunities are open. I generally just feel thankful for the time I have, whether it is more or less.
Filed under: Horde, Interviews, RP, Blood Elves, Draenei, PvP, Virtual selves, WoW Insider Business, Warlock, Hunter, Alliance, About the Bloggers






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zach Jan 23rd 2008 11:06AM
"I like to appreciate the stories of the monstrous Horde races without actually having to play a monstrous character myself."
I hope you only mean monstrous in appearance! Haha. The Tauren may be big and cow-like, but they're wonderfully noble creatures. Their quest lines are really cool and noble. Now those Blood Elves... yeah, they're just bastards!
David Bowers Jan 23rd 2008 11:18AM
I do mean only in appearance. The tauren are indeed very noble, and I've played one up to 21 before. If my guild on that server had worked out better I might have gone on, but as it was things fizzled out before I could really get attached.
Sean Riley Jan 24th 2008 4:57AM
The Tauren are, I maintain, the second most good race in the game.
Until Burning Crusade, they were #1. Darn Draenei.
(I'm not sure where to rank humans, night elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs and trolls. All of them are, more or less, neither good nor evil -- Or, if Vetinari is to be believed, all evil, just on opposite sides. Undead and Blood Elves are right at the bottom end of the evil scale, though. No questions there.)
Patapun May 23rd 2008 5:18AM
I encourage you to build your engineering mount. I was the first on my guild to get one and i remind it as the biggest achievement i had ever made at that time.
Congratulations for your column! I find it most interesting for us, hunters. I'm amazed by the beautiful complexity of our mechanics and the information you provide is always clear and useful :)
Ktok Jan 22nd 2008 4:38PM
Man, another filthy Alliance player gumming up the Horde just because we have a pretty race now :P
I kid...
...well kinda. ;)
It's not a problem when the player is skilled, but we did get an infestation of hairbrained little kids when the Blood Elves came out too. Not to mention exceptionally emo RPers who apparently live only to suffer and to be sad.
Blizz, please invent Dark Elves into the WoW universe and make them Alliance side. The Horde needs a good scrubbing.
Teni Jan 22nd 2008 5:03PM
Ktok -- those dark elves need to be UGLY.
Teni Jan 22nd 2008 4:59PM
I used to be all for the Alliance because I couldn't relate to the whole deformed and inherently violent look that many Horde characters have, but I'm one of those people for whom blood elves really opened up access to the Horde and see them in a new light.
Sigh.
Boy, I kind of miss the old days when the Horde players wanted to play Horde because the Alliance are too plain and boring. Honestly, why in the world would I want to play a HUMAN in this fantasy-world game?
One wonders if you are lookist like that in real life, too?
Sean Riley Jan 22nd 2008 7:07PM
Some people just don't want to play the ugly monsters. Why give them grief for that?
Personally, I like the Undead -- There's far too much fun in the prospect of roleplaying a decaying body that's falling apart and needs to occasionally be stitched back together again. But I don't begrudge someone who enjoys roleplaying something different.
censorman Jan 23rd 2008 10:17AM
Amen.
Give the Belfs back to the alliance. We don't want gheys like this guy.
He's prolly qqing over AV as we speak.
David Bowers Jan 23rd 2008 11:14AM
Teni-- I fail to see how my playing a blood elf makes me a "lookist." We have different aesthetic preferences in the characters we choose to play, and that's fine.That's why those choices are there. Whatever you or Ktok or anyone thinks looks good does not make you a better or worse player -- aesthetics has nothing to do with skill.
Real people are entirely a different matter. Most people I see, I find beautiful each in their own way.
Censorman-- I understand that you don't like blood elves, and that's fine. No need for immature insults though, hm?
Matthew Rossi Jan 23rd 2008 11:29AM
My two favorite races are Draenei and Tauren - I don't like playing anything else *entirely based on looks.* I like how those characters in a video game *look*.
In short, you pick the avatar you enjoy looking at. I enjoy looking at Draenei and Tauren, I like how their gear looks on them, I enjoy their animations (especially the Draenei one that tosses polearms and staves up in the air before hitting you with them.) That's how we make our character choices in game. In addition, I wouldn't play Undead or BE seriously if you paid me, partially because of how they look.
Zach Jan 23rd 2008 11:34AM
If you're going to play one character for a long time, it had better be one you can stand to look at. I love my troll Shaman. I had a troll Hunter before that. But for some reason, a lot of WoW's armor skins just don't look good on Trolls. Their backs are too hunched, among other things. Worst of all, Trolls don't get boots! That's terrible! Whatever Trolls wear, their big toes always show. I wish Blizzard made it optional, but as it is, Trolls are stuck with bare feet.
Pick the race or class you like, for whatever reason. As long as you're happy playing it!