Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
Inside an old alt's vault
The latest patch 5.2 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe Queue: Son of Q
by Michael Gray 
Feb 23rd 2010 at 3:00PM
While Adam yesterday (rightfully) pointed out the necessity of the occasional Star Trek reference in this feature, he failed to point out its natural outgrowth. While there is always Q Continuum, there must also be the Son of Q. He goes by q, in the lower case. That leads to some funny sounding dialogue like "I will always be your soulmate, little-case-q." Or something more awkward like "I am the great and powerful little-case-q." But that's okay. For the continuum, it's all third person references. Which leads me to . . .
Transit asked . . .
"At he beginning of Forge of Souls (Horde version) Lady Sylvanas says; "The Dark Lady watches over you. Make haste!"
Who is the Dark Lady?
She could be talking about herself in the 3rd person, but I don't think so. It seems she is talking about a particular entity. I also noticed the "Dark Lady" in the phrase is capitalized, which I think is also significant."
I had actually wondered the same thing, once. I briefly believed that maybe this was some kind of generic dialogue, and maybe Blizzard didn't update it to be spoken by Sylvanas. Now, however, I have learned the error of my ways.
Sylvanas is The Dark Lady. She's just referring to herself in third person, as you pointed out. It might seem a little up-on-herself, but it's more that she's being regal and queenly. Imagine King Wrynn urging Alliance soldiers forward, shouting at them "Go! Your King commands it!" You wouldn't think anything particularly odd about that phrase. In this case, it just looks a little funny because The Dark Lady isn't a title we're accustomed to seeing elsewhere.
Wubble69 asked . . .
"Can you clarify the current status as to the reliability of the 3rd party Addon called Recount?
I've personally taken to running the app purely as self-defense since the PUG tool came out. With the new instant-kick changes coming to the tool I can see this unofficial app not made by Blizzard move into a new level of ruining the game I pay my money to enjoy."
We're not Recount, so it'd be hard for us to really clarify much about someone who's not us. However, I can share my personal experience.
At a recent party with a bunch of friends, we all agreed to switch over to using the same damage meter. We'd go without one if we could, but we wanted to have something around. The reason is that Recount seemed to give us "multiple versions of the truth." My Recount results were usually in pretty close proximity to our Rogue's, for example, but it always seemed off from our ranged DPS. I couldn't reliably tell you why that would be, but I've never felt like damage meters were 100% accurate.
You mentioned that you were largely interested in damage meters as a defense from getting kicked in PUGs. I think that's probably more the issue that needs addressed. While damage meters are just a fact of life in game, we don't often see them as very helpful things. I'm a firm subscriber to Christian Belt's Why I hate DPS meters and totally applaud Ghostcrawler's statement that "balancing around recount stats is like using a thermometer to predict the weather."
Damage meters have almost become a mini-game inside the larger game of WoW. Sadly, it's a game that seems to detract from many groups. I wish I knew what to do about it, but I don't.
sup asked something I'm uniquely qualified to answer . . .
"Why has WoW Moviewatch stopped featuring machinima with storyline and now features only music videos?"
Well, we haven't stopped featuring any movie types at all. There's really only two dynamics here. First, what (relatively new) movies are out there to be featured. Lately, there's been mostly music videos out there. Secondly, it's a matter of whether I see the movie. If someone has more storyline-based features that I could check out, totally hit me up at gray@wow.com. I'd be happy to review them and share with the audience.
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 5 of 8)
Listerofsmeg Feb 24th 2010 2:43AM
@Eyhk
I agree with your statement of it being too easy to kick a player. A simple nudge of the arm while trying to inspect that mage's awesome gear and BAM there it goes.
Personally i always vote no on vote kicks unless i can know for sure that it is deserved
Ant Feb 23rd 2010 3:52PM
While abusers of recount are no good people who do nothing to carry their own weight should be kicked form a 5 man, or any other group for that matter. People don't want to be judged on gear score and people don't want to be judged on recount. Well in a five man random dungeon where you'll only see people for the length of the instance how are you supposed to judge if people are doing their job? Should we just hope and carry people through who refuse to try?
If you don't like being judged don't play games that involve millions of people. People tend to be judgmental.
Hoggersbud Feb 23rd 2010 6:38PM
>People tend to be judgmental. <
Case in point.
Hyacinthe Feb 23rd 2010 7:21PM
Heroics are where you go to learn and gear up. Seriously. I've had my druid to 80 since dec. 2008 and last week I decided to spec kitty and learn the rotation. I did some reading, gemmed and enchanted the two or three pieces of gear I had saved specifically in case of kitty, and went to it with the rest of my gear more suitable for bear spec. My dps was DISMAL, because I didn't know what I was doing. Obviously I would never take an untested spec into a raid, and you can only do so much on test dummies, so heroics are where I've learned the hard way.
Don't kick people out of pre-ToC 5-mans for low numbers. There's just NO reason to do it. I ran them when Wrath first launched and we were not pulling 3-5k dps. At that point, 1 person doing 2k was a LOT. My main spec is tank, and I'm pretty good at it, these days. I ignore people for being mean to low dpsers, and I know at least two other tanks in my guild alone who do the same thing. You all wonder why your dps queues are getting longer and longer? Not only is there a tank shortage, but when half of them have ignored you for douchebaggery, it's going to extend the wait. Have fun with that.
Ant Feb 24th 2010 12:40PM
Level 80 normals and training dummies are just as valid places to learn rotation and how to play. I like that I get down voted for saying that people tend to be judgmental, simply proving my point. Thanks!
Drakkenfyre Feb 23rd 2010 3:53PM
I misread your question. You aren't supposed to be able to be kicked during combat.
Drakkenfyre Feb 23rd 2010 3:54PM
Damn reply fail, see my other reply below.
Darthregis Feb 23rd 2010 3:57PM
At least Lady Sylvannas isn't saying, "The Dark Lady watches over you. Especially in the shower."
I'd be all, "Well, damn... get in here and SCRUB MY BACK."
Then she'd get all crazy and start shooting bars of soap at me with her bow.
Then I'd be all...*looks around*... sorry, got a little carried away... :P
ZMES_Matt Feb 23rd 2010 4:01PM
Insane in the Membrane -> rewards the title "the Insane"
Get that and you'll be the envy of many-a-geek.*
*Note: you may actually also go insane from the amount of grinding you'll do. :P
ZMES_Matt Feb 23rd 2010 4:02PM
>.<
This was directed at Drecin!
Irem Feb 23rd 2010 4:33PM
As someone who has the title, I would like to add that it's not a good thing to try if you have anything else at all that you like to do in game. >_> Not only is it a solo endeavor (aside from anyone nice who is willing to help you farm stuff), it's a mega-social-isolation endeavor. When you're done it's like one of those stories where the hermit leaves their solitary hovel and makes their way out into the town and the entire world has changed while they were gone.
"Icecrown-shmishecrown! You kids and your Lich King! Go on, get outta here with your fancy Tier 10, some of us feel like spending the rest of our lives in Dire Maul! Yeah!" *shakes cane*
Viator Feb 23rd 2010 4:02PM
Question:
People always mention that the battle at mount Hyjal in CoT never really changed anything lorewise. But in Warcraft 3 Archimonde was blown to bits by wisps and the worldtree was destroyed in the process. In CoT we just dps down Archi and the worldtree still stands. So does this minor change mean anything to elven longevity and why raggy still wants to go to hyjal? just a thought
Salty Feb 23rd 2010 4:04PM
Recount isn't simply the e-peen ruler some people make it out to be. It's a complete, real-time combat log analysis tool.
Recount records deaths and events preceding them. Want to know the ability that killed someone? Or whether it was a crit or even mitigated? How many or whose heals they did or did not get before they died? Was an ability cast that should have been interrupted? It can report great info for tanks, raid leaders, healers and anyone else.
Want to know if one of your players is ignoring their assignment? It can show dispels. It can display damage done/damage taken for enemy targets broken down by target - so you can see how much damage people did to Snobolds or Mistresses of Pain or Val'kyr. The same is true for healers - were they precasting greater heals on the tank or healing someone's pet when the tank died?
Anyway, recount isn’t ruining the game for anyone. If you’re attracting the wrong kind of attention because of your numbers – the fact that someone is using a tool to report those numbers isn’t the problem.
Monsoon Feb 23rd 2010 4:21PM
We're not debating the usefulness of Recount in a relatively serious raid environment. It's the jerkholes who votekick you from a five-man when you're not pulling 4-5k DPS that we're worried about. If mobs are dying and players aren't, then you're doing fine. If the healer keeps going OOM because one or more nimrods won't move out of the fire, or a DPS gets WTFpwnt by trash because they over-aggroed, or if someone is being a family size bag of industrial strength douche, then you may be justified in throwing out a votekick for that person.
If Recount or some other DPS meter shows a DPS is underperforming for Heroics, then perhaps you should keep an eye on them in the next fight. If they're just auto-attacking or if (as was the case in a recent H-AN) they're a Warrior wearing a full set of mail gear from Scarlet Monastery, give them a chance to rectify the situation then make with the votekick.
PictoKong Feb 23rd 2010 4:52PM
"they're a Warrior wearing a full set of mail gear from Scarlet Monastery"
Ok, i admitted it, i would have LOL'ed at the poor guy
Namy Feb 23rd 2010 4:53PM
Very nicely put Monsoon!
Sinthar Feb 24th 2010 5:44AM
there are some complete n00bs who use recount to kick people. I was in HoR the other day, and a vote to kick on ME came up. I was 'only doing 2.5k dps'.
For some strange reason however they didnt kick me - probably as i was the tank.
Morale :- use recount to improve YOUR game, not to rub how much gear you have in ppls faces, and if you are gonna use it, for gods sake, use it INTELLIGENTLY.
Wubble69 Feb 23rd 2010 4:14PM
Thank You for addressing my issue regarding Recount.
Just to clarify my position
I am not against DPS metres per se. (yes I hate people spamming DPS metres to make themselves look good)
But Recount is clearly flawed and NOT working as the community uses it and the makers are not addressing this issue.
They have no responsibilty to the community YET it is widely used in our community.
I use it on my Tank and my DPS classes and I do not trust what it says about other people and that is fine for me because I dont use it to judge other people.
HOWEVER
So many people DO use it to judge others, and people will use a flawed tool to kick people based on INCORRECT facts.
Recount has been invaluable to me to get my DPS up. Very useful. Great tool. 5 Stars.
HOWEVER
Anybody may look at how I show up on THEIR Recount (which may or may not be incorrect) and use that as a basis for kicking me.
This is crazy.
Recount is simply put not to be trusted anymore. And soon Lil' Timmy with his DK tanking in Blood will be able to kick people from instances based on this tool (which I will repeat is unproven and inaccurate at the time of writing)
If the Recount people say their app is 100% rocking and rolling and everybody verifies this to be true I will have no problem.
HOWEVER
I simply do not believe this to be the case at the moment. And you peeps reading this probably agree with me even if you don't write a comment to agree with me.
God knows I don't want Blizz to ban Recount but the makers of the addon have to accept their place in things and at least engage in the problem/ or non-problem if thats what they think.
We all have to suffer this addon. I'm not calling for it to be banned.
I just want to know if it's working and accurate or not.
And currently I do not believe for one second it is.
It is a Major Arcana Addon and needs to justify itself.
TLDR Recount don't work! Anyone gonna make it work or failing that disable it so it doesn't ruin my game time?
Ringo Flinthammer Feb 23rd 2010 4:22PM
Group with two friends when you do random dungeons. Then there will never be sufficient numbers to kick you.
Salty Feb 23rd 2010 4:34PM
You may be referring to the period just after the release of cross-server instances, when whispering was not implemented between players accross servers. Recount uses behinds the scenes chat channels and whispers to synchronize information, which was failing. This was fixed when they allowed players to whisper each other.
There was also a time in the distant past (TBC) where combat logs had a finite range, which could only be expanded by setting a cvar. Since then, the range has expanded widely to either include the entire instance, or a broad enough range (internally) to cover any practical fight.
As for Recount's incorrectness... the burden of proof is on you. You're just making claims without offering an argument.