The Queue: A fel dilemma
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.
I walked into today's edition of The Queue fully intending to be a counterpoint to Adam's Queue yesterday -- I would walk in, say mages are awesome, and mages everywhere would herald me as their redemption. I would be carried off into the sunset as a hero. The problem is ... I can't do it. I just can't lie like that. Mages are awful! Warlocks are also awful, though. I would say that shadow priests are obviously the best casters, but then I would be stroking Fox's ego, and you people do that enough already.
Warriors need a caster spec, obviously.
Faltor asked:
As a new tank learning in the Cataclysm era, what is the most common standard for marking? I know almost everybody uses skull for first kill and sheep for moon, but everything else seems fair game. I know the right answer is just "explain what you use to the DPS" but I want to use something close to standard if there is one (like, does X really usually mean kill second).
You've covered most of the basics, really. Skull is usually first kill target (because skull = death), X is usually second kill target (because red X also suggests death/elimination), and mages have taken over moon as the sheep symbol even though that clearly doesn't make any sense whatsoever because druids are the much better match for moon.
I've also noticed that warlocks tend to get the orange circle (also known as the condom or the nipple), and retribution paladins tend to get the star for Repentance. It's totally possible those are just oddities in my guild and raid, but it always seemed like a foregone conclusion when it came up. "Yeah, of course you're the star, what else would you be?"
You nailed it on the head in your question: The right answer is to just explain what you want people to do so there's minimal confusion.
Starlin asked:
Why are warlocks tolerated? They obviously consort with demons and should be considered members of the Burning Legion. What are the lore reasons why players, and so many player races, are allowed to play a quasi-evil class?
In many cases they're not tolerated at all -- they're just sneaky. Humans have warlocks, but the warlocks as an organization are hidden away beneath an otherwise completely normal tavern in Stormwind. They've evaded widespread notice. If I'm remembering correctly, warlocks even have a class-unique quest to assassinate a noble who is too close to discovering them. By the time a warlock is openly discovered, he's usually one of us -- badass heroes saving the world. Are you going to be the guy who says the warlock that helped destroy the Lich King needs to be hanged? Hell, no. Nobody is going to mess with the guys who axed the Lich King. We are politically untouchable.
Being a warlock is absolutely not encouraged in Azeroth, but the warlocks themselves consider their art a necessary evil ... and their current influence in the world suggests that it's absolutely true. Demons are a problem and warlocks fight fire with fire. They hide away in the cracks of society until they're powerful enough that nobody can deny them.
Moobs asked:
Is there a good site to get a list of all the different types of CC for each class?
Yes.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider 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!
I walked into today's edition of The Queue fully intending to be a counterpoint to Adam's Queue yesterday -- I would walk in, say mages are awesome, and mages everywhere would herald me as their redemption. I would be carried off into the sunset as a hero. The problem is ... I can't do it. I just can't lie like that. Mages are awful! Warlocks are also awful, though. I would say that shadow priests are obviously the best casters, but then I would be stroking Fox's ego, and you people do that enough already.
Warriors need a caster spec, obviously.
Faltor asked:
As a new tank learning in the Cataclysm era, what is the most common standard for marking? I know almost everybody uses skull for first kill and sheep for moon, but everything else seems fair game. I know the right answer is just "explain what you use to the DPS" but I want to use something close to standard if there is one (like, does X really usually mean kill second).
You've covered most of the basics, really. Skull is usually first kill target (because skull = death), X is usually second kill target (because red X also suggests death/elimination), and mages have taken over moon as the sheep symbol even though that clearly doesn't make any sense whatsoever because druids are the much better match for moon.
I've also noticed that warlocks tend to get the orange circle (also known as the condom or the nipple), and retribution paladins tend to get the star for Repentance. It's totally possible those are just oddities in my guild and raid, but it always seemed like a foregone conclusion when it came up. "Yeah, of course you're the star, what else would you be?"
You nailed it on the head in your question: The right answer is to just explain what you want people to do so there's minimal confusion.
Starlin asked:
Why are warlocks tolerated? They obviously consort with demons and should be considered members of the Burning Legion. What are the lore reasons why players, and so many player races, are allowed to play a quasi-evil class?
In many cases they're not tolerated at all -- they're just sneaky. Humans have warlocks, but the warlocks as an organization are hidden away beneath an otherwise completely normal tavern in Stormwind. They've evaded widespread notice. If I'm remembering correctly, warlocks even have a class-unique quest to assassinate a noble who is too close to discovering them. By the time a warlock is openly discovered, he's usually one of us -- badass heroes saving the world. Are you going to be the guy who says the warlock that helped destroy the Lich King needs to be hanged? Hell, no. Nobody is going to mess with the guys who axed the Lich King. We are politically untouchable.
Being a warlock is absolutely not encouraged in Azeroth, but the warlocks themselves consider their art a necessary evil ... and their current influence in the world suggests that it's absolutely true. Demons are a problem and warlocks fight fire with fire. They hide away in the cracks of society until they're powerful enough that nobody can deny them.
Moobs asked:
Is there a good site to get a list of all the different types of CC for each class?
Yes.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, The Queue







Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
quasarsglow Apr 6th 2011 11:04AM
Yay! Someone realized that you can argue about warlocks and mages all day, but when you punch out the clock at the end, spriests rule.
Grovinofdarkhour Apr 6th 2011 11:16AM
Hunters > caster DPS. Why? Because we don't rely on pathetic magic which will eventually betraaaaaaaaaaay us.
musicchan Apr 6th 2011 11:24AM
All those choises suck! Boomkins all the way! :D
But then, that might be encouraging Tyler and I don't think they want to do that either.
I guess we'll all have to go play some other game to end the feud.
fallemwarrior Apr 6th 2011 11:26AM
Just saying grovin >-> hunters do allloottt of magic damage :)
Warriors are the only pure class
CaryEverett Apr 6th 2011 11:55AM
Even warriors cannot escape Thunderclap.
Cannot be cast while silenced.
Yeah that's confusing when it happens to you once in a blue moon and you can't figure out why you are unable to attack. Warrior no understand what silence mean? WARRIOR YELL IN YOUR FACE.
Eirik Apr 6th 2011 12:03PM
Warrior DPS > Hunters for the same reason, Grovin. That, and when the mob drops, we're, like, right there to loot it.
Sky Apr 6th 2011 12:30PM
Ele shamans pwn all casters
Sturmovic Apr 6th 2011 12:39PM
A wild shockadin appears!
Wild shockadin uses Holy Sock!
Its's super effective!
Eli Apr 6th 2011 1:00PM
Update: Hunters do not use mana!
Twill Apr 6th 2011 1:22PM
New Warrior Spec:
I whip my (Hair) weapon back and forth!
Best. Caster. Ever.
DeathPaladin Apr 6th 2011 2:35PM
Gee, if you Shadow Priests keep badmouthing warlocks, maybe we will just start giving Dark Intent to the Balance Druid.
Edge Apr 6th 2011 3:10PM
Not even Elemental Shaman are the best casters...no that goes to the battle mages called Enhancement Shaman. Yes you think they are a melee class but really they are a caster class that knows how to kick ass with weapons too. Argue with that! :)
Eregos ftw! Apr 6th 2011 6:11PM
@Sturmovic
Can I have a holy sock?
ScorchHellfire Apr 6th 2011 11:26PM
First off, mages get moon because I think people think of the matching colors to the cc... so sheep is white and so is the moon, also why blue square = frost trap, green triangle = hex (green... frog... get it?), purple diamond is fear (spell effect is purplish), etc...
Second off, while warlocks may be considered evil by the general populace, they are really thinking of the unaffiliated warlocks who are the ones that usually end up joining the Burning Legion while the warlocks that the players control which help out the Alliance and Horde would be considered "uncorrupted warlocks" in the lore... In other words good-guy warlocks that work for the greater good. I think there are more around in the actual game then there are in the lore... just like blood elves and forsaken and draenei...
Wowpedia article for those who want further explanation: http://www.wowpedia.org/Uncorrupted_Warlock
There are also uncorrupted necromancers but those aren't playable so they barely exist in the world...
ScorchHellfire Apr 6th 2011 11:48PM
Oh and I forgot to mention that all shadow magic users are looked down upon by most societies (except forsaken) including shadow priests... In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't distrusted as much as warlocks considering that their brand of shadow magic involves a lot of mind manipulation in addition to the usual nasty damage stuff...
Al Apr 7th 2011 2:48AM
@Eregos ftw!, just keep pushing your toes through the end, you'll have a couple soon enough.
fallemwarrior Apr 6th 2011 11:06AM
The last thing Fox needs is an ego stroking
Or a stroking of any kind.....
anuillae Apr 6th 2011 11:56AM
I stroke my ego all the time.
*Looks around*
What?
Tyler Caraway Apr 6th 2011 1:37PM
Be my new friend. I think I may love you.
fallemwarrior Apr 6th 2011 1:44PM
But Tyler... we just met
Shouldn't we go on a date first?