The Queue: Live for the fight
by Michael Sacco 
Aug 9th 2010 at 11:00AM
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. Michael Sacco will be your host today.
No particular reason for today's video. It's just a Bon Jovi kind of day here at WoW.com. Besides, isn't this an inspiring message? We can all learn a great deal from Tommy and Gina. A great deal.
JR asked:
OK, I have a very serious question. Is the Lakeshire bridge complete yet? For three years, my toons have been killing gnolls for pikes and rivets to repair that damn bridge. If that thing is not finished when Cataclysm hits, I'll be very mad. I'll take this all the way to the top and make sure a full-scale investigation is conducted. And I don't care about Foreman Oslow's rumored ties to the Defias, he won't keep me down this time.
Given that this is a fairly contentious plot point for Cataclysm, I'll keep the answer after the break.
Yes, the Lakeshire bridge is finished, and the fact that it's finished (and that it took so freaking long) is referenced over and over in the zone as a joke. No, it doesn't get destroyed again. Stop telling people that, commenters!
Dreamstorm asked:
In the interview with the Southern Barrens designers, it said the following:
Q. What do you think is the most exciting new addition to or feature of the zone?
[...]
Also, one word: Mankrik.
If this is live in the beta, what can you tell us about it?
It's definitely live, and I'll let commenter Icepyro answer in limerick form, with some meter fixes from yours truly:
Mankrik's wife we discovered quite beat,
For years now, he's grieved her defeat.
Now he's picked up a blade,
And revenge is his trade,
Killing quilboars so hard he's elite.
xvkarbear asked:
I think someone mentioned this on the WoW Insider Show of old ... But I can't remember the details.
There's a name I want for a character of mine, but if I try to name a new character that, it tells me the name is unavailable. Looking at the armory, the character must be under level 10, because there is no listing for that name under my server. I remember hearing that you can petition for a name someone else has taken if that name falls under certain conditions.
What are those conditions? And would I just put in a GM ticket in game?
Honestly, I'm not aware of any strict criteria for making names available. The best thing to do is just ask by petitioning a GM. I've gotten one released before, and several people I know have done the same, but I also know people who couldn't get the names they wanted. Whatever eldritch ritual is used for deciding which names can be released will likely remain shrouded in mystery until the end of days, when the great Worm descends from seething nuclear chaos to devour the smoldering husk of this universe, and then He and only He shall know.
Grovinofdarkhour asked:
Dear The Queue,
We see people in trade chat and elsewhere threatening to "report" someone else at all times of day and night for a wide range of infractions. But since the Report Spam option is obviously for one specific type of violation, it seems more often than not an empty threat, and I suspect that most people, like myself, are not aware of a "correct" way to actually report another player (for offenses other than actual spamming). Furthermore, the whole put-in-a-ticket-and-wait routine seems a waaaay disproportionate burden on the reporter for most offenses. What is the "real" correct way to actually report someone?
Thanks,
Grovin
The "correct" way to report a player whose chat doesn't fall under the Spamming category is to open a Harassment petition. All you have to do is give the player name. Petitions already have a timestamp, so unless nothing else for you to say on the matter besides "this person said something against the rules," make sure you choose the option that says "I don't wish to be contacted."
That option lets the GM handle it without wasting time talking to you. It's vastly preferable to hoping that you're around when the GM gets to you, though it's worth noting that the ticket will be handled regardless of whether or not they actually get you on the horn.
Almoderate asked:
My kid pulled the sticker off the back of my authenticator, and so now I have no idea what the code was. It hasn't been a problem yet, but I figured it'd be a problem if I wanted to remove the authenticator (for whatever insane reason) and then reapply it. Is there a way that I can find the code for the authenticator?
Nope, but you can always get it removed by Blizzard billing if you provide some personal information.
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 11)
(cutaia) Aug 9th 2010 11:04AM
Kids these days.
Jamie Aug 9th 2010 11:42AM
Tommy and Gina were a couple of kids once...
Tommy used to work on the docks because union's been on strike, he's down on his luck.
Meanwhile, Gina works at a diner, workin' for her man, she brings home her pay.
For love... for love...
*guitar whines with soul - fade to black*
David Aug 9th 2010 1:25PM
We gotta hold on to what we got
Qot Aug 9th 2010 2:24PM
In my experience, people who say "Kids these days..." simply don't remember what unholy terrors they were as children.
Hollow Leviathan Aug 9th 2010 3:05PM
I was an unholy terror as a child, oh yes.
But I didn't have a cell phone at age 10.
Eberron Aug 9th 2010 3:27PM
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
Heilig Aug 9th 2010 3:47PM
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH
Grovinofdarkhour Aug 9th 2010 5:06PM
That song included one of my all-time favorite misunderstood lyrics: "We've gotta hold on to what we've got, it doesn't make a difference if we're naked or not."
Pwnzoar Aug 9th 2010 11:07AM
Is there any way to rearrange your characters on the character screen? I'd like to have my 80s at the top without deleting my other toons, rather than scattered around in the list.
elstor Aug 9th 2010 11:10AM
Sadly, no
Nina Katarina Aug 9th 2010 11:21AM
I suspect that if you have a ridiculous amount of money, you could transfer a character to another account, then transfer it back to your own account, where it would end up at the bottom of the list. Which would be a ridiculous way to solve a mildly annoying issue, but I don't know why it wouldn't work.
Hairfish Aug 9th 2010 11:33AM
Search "Character list" at the Blizzard boards Suggestion forum. We are not alone in our Need For Order.
Aaron Aug 9th 2010 11:41AM
I would fly on the back of a proto-drake to the headquarters of Blizz just to shake the hand of the dev that made such a simple task possible!!!!
Sintraedrien Aug 9th 2010 11:58AM
@Nina - actually, you don't even need to transfer them to a different account. Given ridiculous amounts of money, you can simply server transfer the ones you wish to have at the bottom.
(If this is what you meant, I apologize)
Sintra E'Drien of the Ebon Blade, né Sindorei (now Worgen-curious)
Nobag Aug 9th 2010 12:27PM
I have the same issue. I did a faction change on my Priest which was my #1 toon and now he's at the bottom. below my 80 Mage, 10 Shaman, 23 Rogue, and 32 Hunter.
I want my priest at the top since it's the best class in the game and my main
Kemikalkadet Aug 9th 2010 12:45PM
It's been suggested so many times and it seems like such a simple thing that i'm not sure why it hasn't been implemented already. There's probably some complex reason related to the way it's coded that makes it not possible though.
Bapo Aug 9th 2010 12:59PM
Knowing our luck though, they'll probably charge $5 - $10 for it : /
Tbah Aug 9th 2010 1:18PM
I'd gladly pay them $5 for it. I guess I'm a control freak of sorts but my MAIN should be at the top where he belongs.
Scooter Aug 9th 2010 1:46PM
@Kemikalkadet
- It requires an update to the database table and any subsequent "views" to prep this info for the code.
- The display code needs to be updated to make use of this new data.
- A sort feature needs to be added to the UI which updates the database when a user makes a change.
- Security code needs to be added to prevent database hacking.
- Extensive testing needs to be performed afterwords.
On the scale we are dealing with, it's not unreasonable to expect 40 to 80 man-hours depending on how extensive the testing is.
Difficult...no.
Time consuming....yes.
Priority level...very low.
liquience Aug 9th 2010 2:22PM
@Scooter
As a developer myself I can say with certainty there is a much simpler way to implement this feature: Client-side ordering preferences. The database can be however the heck they want it; all they need to do is simply add a secondary ordering key for the character screen that's based on a user's preference.
There's no need to actually muck around in the db when the desired effect is something as simple as putting characters in the display order preferred by the player. If the character screen were able to be customized via addons like the game UI I could write this feature in a couple hours, tops.
In short: What's the hold up Blizzard?