The Queue: The Duke swings the Nutcracker
by Adam Holisky 
Dec 21st 2009 at 5:00PM
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky be your host today.
In the spirit of the holidays, I'm going to throw a little Duke Ellington at ya' as today's listening music. In my prolonged stint as a music major in college (saxophone FTW), I always wanted to play his Nutcracker Suite, but never got the chance. But nonetheless, it's one of my favorite pieces of music -- holiday or otherwise.
Enjoy it as we delve into The Queue today, starting off with a question a lot of folks have been asking.
Many asked...
"What's happening to the podcast?"
The podcast will be continuing! We'll have a couple new hosts. While nothing is set in stone, it looks like Matt Rossi and Mike Sacco will be doing at least the next one, if not a few more in the foreseeable future. Although no promises -- it's important to remember that plans can and do change.
If everyone can make their schedules work, we'll have a podcast this Saturday, December 26th. But, it's the day after Christmas, so we might skip a week. Stay tuned on the site for more information.
Nick asked...
"Any word on the Creative headsets?"
None. We'll get in touch with our people and let you know what we find out. It could be a week or so though until we hear anything, the holidays and all.
Nizar asked...
"I'm trying to free up some hard drive space on my computer, and I noticed that my WoW folder is taking up 20 gigs. What can I safely delete from there?"
Schreenshots and old patch files. Don't delete your add-on folder or your WTF folder unless you really want to reconfigure all your add-ons, which you probably don't. If you have recorded any movies (on a Mac) then those can go as well. Although 20gigs for a WoW folder is large, it's not excessive in today's standards. Mine is around 30gigs, but I've got a lot of junk in there.
I should note clearly by patch files I mean things like "WoW-3.1.1.9835-to-3.1.2.9901-enUS-patch.exe", not the actual .mpq files or anything like that. Just the applications that patch the game up.
Mr. Grinch asked.
"Dear Editor, Grandfather Winter is a fraudulent myth rooted in unconscious fantasies and emerging as a deceitful lie. Signed, All of us. P.S. The reindeer are phony, too."
Guess what you're getting for Christmas? It rhymes with bowl.
Artitian asked...
"Any word on whether or not Blizzard has any changes coming up for the 'not-so-random' random LFG? If I get heroic Oculus or Halls of Stone again because people keep dropping group, I may just gouge my eyeballs out with a bleach-soaked spork. What do you think would be a solution to the problem?"
Because it's random, sometimes you can get the same dungeon several times in a row. Blizzard currently weights the randomness somewhat so that you're less likely to get dungeons you've already ran, but that modification only goes so far. They probably could put some rules in place so you don't end up running the same dungeon two times in a row, but even then those rules might have to be broken if that situation demands it.
What they will not do is give any less weight to your least favorite dungeon. You have an equal chance of getting Heroic AN and you do of getting Heroic OCC. Only the higher geared dungeons, like Halls of Reflection, have restrictions placed on them -- and those are only gear restrictions that you can pretty easily meet on any alt.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW.com crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column! Leave your questions in the comments and we'll do our best to answer 'em!Filed under: The Queue
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
(cutaia) Dec 21st 2009 5:08PM
Oh man...that Grinch feller's gonna be awful upset. Moles make terrible pets.
ben Dec 21st 2009 5:12PM
you are the new best person on the internet. for now...
imsobuzzed Dec 21st 2009 5:19PM
Or it could be a Vole. Though bad for your health maybe a tin of Skoal or a bottle of Skol. I would comment more but fear being labeled as a TROLL.
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Dec 21st 2009 5:32PM
I was thinking foal.
waitaminute.
GRINCH GETS THE PONY QQQQQQQ!
Dere Dec 21st 2009 5:34PM
why stop you were on a roll....
Sl0th Dec 21st 2009 5:43PM
Perhaps all that rhyming was taking its toll.
devilsei Dec 21st 2009 5:50PM
Awww... can't you guys tell...?
The Grinch is going to get a Soul!
so he can get sent straight to WoW-hell for ruining all the poor azerothian, outlandish, and northrender children out there...
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Dec 21st 2009 6:02PM
On the whole, I think the poor soul could use some coal to stave off the cold and maybe dole some pain if that be his goal--but I think a poll would show he's mo' likely to be hung on a pole?
remlap79 Dec 21st 2009 6:43PM
As I was reading that, I thought of this....
Inigo Montoya: That Vizzini, he can *fuss*.
Fezzik: Fuss, fuss... I think he like to scream at *us*.
Inigo Montoya: Probably he means no *harm*.
Fezzik: He's really very short on *charm*.
Inigo Montoya: You have a great gift for rhyme.
Fezzik: Yes, yes, some of the time.
Vizzini: Enough of that.
Inigo Montoya: Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?
Fezzik: If there are, we all be dead.
Vizzini: No more rhyming now, I mean it.
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?
Vizzini: DYEEAAHHHHHH.
Wolftech Dec 21st 2009 7:41PM
I was thinking stripper on a pole, myself. That would be a great present :P
Kole Dec 21st 2009 9:16PM
Wait....since my name is Kole what do I get?!?! I don't want myself unless I get a receipt so I can return Me and get something else...
Deadly. Off. Topic. Dec 22nd 2009 10:58AM
COAL!
Carbon!
Carbonne!
Andrew R. Dec 21st 2009 5:09PM
I have a question for Sacco. Are the GM's that answer the tickets in game assigned to one realm or are they assigned to a battlegroup? Is there a priority list or is it first come, first serve? I've always wondered how that worked.
Cataca Dec 21st 2009 5:20PM
I don't think they are restricted to any particular server or battlegroup.
I do know they use an out of game chat system.
Mikhail Dec 21st 2009 5:22PM
As my cousin was a GM I believe they are assigned per realm. Meaning your main realm will have a pool of X GM's (rotation out with each shift) Thus when you see the "Our GM services are in high volume right now" it means that the realm you are on has a ton of people asking questions.
Now Im not 100% sure if they pull GM's from a lower volume server to help on higher volume ones when needed.
Cataca Dec 21st 2009 5:28PM
And I'm pretty sure it's first come first serve.
They've also got different levels of GMs too.
The first level GM are the guys that help with the little stuff that always want you to either delete you WTF folder or reinstall WoW.
If they can't help you, it gets "escalated" to the next level GM.
I also like to reply when they ask "Is there anything else I can be of assistance with?" with "Skittles or M&Ms?"
Skittles is winning so far
Tri Dec 22nd 2009 6:02AM
It's not always first come first serve..
When 3.3 first came out and ppl got stuck in Halls of Reflection by the gunship, I got a hold of a GM to move my main char out of HoR. As my guildmate had the same problem right as I was speaking with the GM, I asked him to help my guildie at the same time. He told me to ask my guildie to make a ticket of his own - and that he'd answer it right away. And he did :)
kooda Dec 22nd 2009 6:28AM
oh my god i just ticketed a GM about 20mins ago because i was stuck, saw this comment and had to ask, he said skittles o.o
nwoods13 Dec 21st 2009 5:10PM
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=3857
Babaloo Dec 21st 2009 5:11PM
WTF is in the WTF folder?