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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe Queue: Out of retirement
by Mathew McCurley 
Jun 18th 2011 at 12:00PM
I decided to bring my Wrath shaman out of retirement, finally, and spent the better part of an afternoon getting his UI back to functionality, learning the new shaman stuff, and reseting and relearning all of the new talents. Seriously, there was a lot of dust on him. Sure, I've been following shaman progression through Cataclysm, but I had to relearn a lot of the class.
During Wrath, my shaman was restoration and elemental, as I never played enhancement after hitting the level cap at the time. After fixing his UI and getting everything set, I decided I really wanted to play enhancement. It just felt right, ya know? The trouble was that I had zero pieces of enhancement gear to start questing in Hyjal. One quick trip to the auction house rewarded me with cheap Cataclysm greens, but I was still holding my spell dagger and a shield. Throwing caution to the wind, I made off to Mount Hyjal, Stormstriking my way through the the first quests with ghost wolves, a dagger, and a shield.
I'm having way too much fun. Hopefully I'll get some new weapons soon. A part of me doesn't want to, however.
evemartyn asked:
Will any of the Firelands bosses or quests give rep with Hydraxian Waterlords? I figure its a stretch since they haven't really done that sort of thing before, but it is a sound choice lore-wise.
The only new faction that players will be gaining reputation with is the Avengers of Hyjal, which will be acquired through raiding thew new Firelands raid tier. Guardians of Hyjal reputation is still received for doing quests in the Regrowth, I believe. Sadly, our old friends the Hydraxian Waterlords are not taking part in this assault on Ragnaros this time. Their reputation is still only accessible through killing trash (up to a certain point) and bosses in the Molten Core.
Perhaps we will meet the Hydraxians another time in the future, when (and if) we go back to the Abyssal Maw. Duke Hydraxis, leader of the Hydraxian pure water elementals, is a servant of Neptulon who broke free of his master's control. One day, maybe. One day.
Aticus asked:
Q to ponder: Do you or someone you know play WoW in first the person view?
I was thinking of making an alt and play only in first person view. I think it would make the world a little more scary seeing giant spiders and other creatures.
I don't think MMOs have been designed to be played in first person mode since Everquest or maybe even Asheron's Call. Even Everquest eventually pulled the camera back out from inside your character's head. I was one of those players who always had trouble playing an MMO in first-person because I had immense amounts of trouble with understanding my surroundings.
In WoW, there is so much to look at and watch for in terms of ground effects, environmental damage, etc., that the game was not designed to be played in first person mode. So, no, I don't see any reason to play in first person, except when I need to remove my character for screen shot purposes.
chefjr3 asked:
Ive been playing WoW since late 2007, is it worth it now to go back and play WC 1,2 and 3 to get a better perspective on the game as a whole?
If you are an RTS fan, absolutely. I loved the Warcraft games from beginning to end. They were engaging and fun, the stories were quirky, and they provided great gaming experiences. Of course, I have to cop to nostaligia since I basically built a computer back in the day to play Warcraft II, and these games were a big part of my youth. That said, they provide the very essence and foundation for World of Warcraft in a profound way, and I believe are worth the playthrough.
Or, as most people said in the comments, if RTS games aren't your thing, you can look through YouTube for videos of the crucial lore moments and story hooks. You can also read about the past games on Know Your Lore, Wowpedia, etc.
relishwasray asked:
For the Queue:
There's confusion in my guild as to the immediate availability of the new Firelands raid bosses. Must we get "attuned" by completing some/all of the new quests? Also, which quest, if any, must we complete that is currently available in order to unlock the new quest hubs? I'm having a hard time finding a straight answer online.
Thanks!
There is no attunement necessary to enter the new Firelands raid. The entrance is located in Hyjal at Sulfuron Spire in the southern part of the zone. In order to participate in the new Regrowth and Molten Front daily hub zones, you will have had to completed up to and including the quest Aessina's Miracle to see the new daily content.
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!
Filed under: The Queue
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 7)
Investigator Jun 18th 2011 1:26PM
Crafting Question:
I have a Tailor currently crafting and selling Dreamcloth items, and I assume that the belt and pants that I can currently make are not going to be in demand (or at least not cost effective) once 4.2 drops. It appears that the new craftables will require Living Ember which will be Firelands raid drops, which I won't be geared for and my guild won't be capable of any time soon.
So my question is... am I basically screwed as far as crafting goes in 4.2? Should I bother using my dreamcloth cooldowns from now on and risk not being able to make anything profitable from them, or just try and stock up and profit from the demand for Volatiles?
jabberwoxy Jun 18th 2011 3:29PM
Powerful Spellthreads will still be needed as people gear up with new pants, and there is always the 26-slot bag to make for 8 dreamcloth, and if nothing else you can save up your dreamcloth so that when you do get a firelands recipe, you could crank out a couple epics real quick to use or sell.
Caz Jun 18th 2011 1:28PM
Question for the Q:
Will there be anything purchasable with the major cities cooking awards in a patch?(Like adding a chefs hat so ppl don't have to do the dal cooking ones, or maybe a chef's spoon? with some type of cooking ability) I noticed that there isn't a purchasable mat for max lvl'd cooking like the ones in Wotlk.
David Jun 18th 2011 1:31PM
Why is there his really annoying banner ad covering up half this article? And theres no close button?
silentk Jun 18th 2011 1:36PM
Answer to first person question: YES
Our hunter used to play in first person... In fact he still tanks on his Warrior in first person.
We were all so very confused when we found out, though he started playing in the 3rd person after we started making fun of him. I don't understand how you could play first person and not die on heroic Cho'gall.
Lumiin Jun 18th 2011 1:38PM
Question for the Que: A couple of years ago, we heard that Blizzard would consider making WoW free to play in the future, when it no longer made sense to have a subscription. With the rumor mills swirling that there will be yet another expansion announced at this years Blizzcon, bringing the price to start for new players just now starting WoW up to well over $100, have we reached that point? Blizzard has shown with the release of things you can buy for money, such as the winged lion, that they can generate significant revenues on side projects. And perhaps the cost for all the expansions is such a high barrier to entry that they are stopping new people from joining the game, and may in fact be denying themselves the additional revenue that those player could bring for buying things like pets and mounts. Have we heard any updates from Blizzard on this possibility?
Feel free to edit for brevity.
VioletArrows Jun 18th 2011 4:15PM
They're not even close to the possibility. The cash shop thing is just them figuring out that they can double dip and get away with it. :p
VioletArrows Jun 18th 2011 4:23PM
As for the cost of entry, I think they're aware of it, as they sometimes have sales on vanilla, BC, and Wrath. But after that, I have no idea why they're dragging their heels.
Arrohon Jun 18th 2011 7:30PM
They're more likely to make older expansions free first. You'll still have to pay subscription but Vanilla would be free (I know it's not an expansion) and maybe BC.
Krypal Jun 18th 2011 1:46PM
Q for the Queue,
Are Deathwing or the Old Gods (so Deathwing by proxy) affiliated with Sargeras?
In the Twilight Highlands, Deathwing states that "all order must end in chaos;" a very Sargeras-y thing to say.
http://www.wowhead.com/npc=49820/deathwing
Zapwidget Jun 18th 2011 2:23PM
The Old Gods opposed the Titans.
Sargeras went mad and now he also opposes the Titans.
Titans are the epitome of order. To oppose the Titans is to oppose order, and thus champion chaos.
They have the same enemy, but they are not directly connected, except that, iirc, Sargeras was the Titan's peacekeeper, and it would have been his job to deal with the incarceration of the Old Gods and any other force of chaos, so they may have had a hand, or rather tentacle, in him going mad.
kaminari Jun 18th 2011 10:38PM
"Titans are the epitome of order. To oppose the Titans is to oppose order, and thus champion chaos."
the titans are not the epitome of order, just the epitome of their own brand of order, which I don't really adhere to.
I have already opposed the titan's design for azeroth going as far as to fight and defeat their servant algalon, if that makes me a champion of chaos, so be it.
lawlingU Jun 18th 2011 1:59PM
Why is it always the wildhammer Dwarfs that go on the offensive? They are there in both Shadowmoon Valley and also Twilight Highlands. Are they Stronger than the Other Dwarfs? and if so why aren't we under their leader ship and playing as them instead of the Dun Morogh dwarfs?.
Zapwidget Jun 18th 2011 2:18PM
Wait, Wildhammers or on the offensive in the Highlands? They're locked in battle, sure, but they aren't the aggressors by any stretch.
And playable Dwarves are/were Ironforge, or more appropriately, Bronzebeard dwarves, because the Bronzebeards won the War of Three Hammers.
Wildhammers aren't stronger and Dark Irons aren't really weaker than the Bronzebeards, they just happened to have different circumstances in their respective mountains.
bart147 Jun 18th 2011 2:54PM
So my question for the Q is, after 4.2 when do we expect the next content patch to come out? I seem to recall one every 6 months or so in Wrath. Do we expect the same for 4.3? And do we think Blizzard is going to start alternating between 5 man and raid patches?
I'm wondering because I don't foresee getting to play WoW again till Christmas. Internet where I'm at is too slow, laggy, and intermittent to play WoW.
Lucretiel Jun 18th 2011 2:31PM
A response for Aticus: When I'm leveling archeology, either because I'm waiting in the queue or just not in the mood for anything else, I play exclusively in first person. It definitely adds a new perspective on everything.
Richard Merrick Jun 18th 2011 2:42PM
Question for 'The Queue':
"Because there is a story immediately following this question including my reasons for asking this, I would ask that you please take it into consideration if you choose to answer this question for the next issue of 'The Queue'.
Do you have any reason to suspect that at some point in the future Blizzard may alter older reputation grinds to reflect new goals and opportunities brought on by the events of the Cataclysm?
The most immediate example I can think of is why wouldn't the agents of Ravenholdt be interested in junkboxes more advanced than 'Heavy' status? They could study the locking mechanisms and train themselves to fit in more with how the world around them is advancing their security. What use is lockpicking if anything worth getting into has been upgraded with access to better craftsmanship and what-have-you?
At the very least, one would think that a splinter faction would have emerged and embraced this line of thinking. But since nothing of the sort has happened it is a real kick in the teeth to people who have focused so much effort to other areas of the game. Yes, I am going for the 'Insane' title but again, story below in this post explaining my viewpoint."
Here's that story I mentioned above to give insight for as to how I came to ask my question.
I understand that 'Insane in the Membrane' has little if no purpose without being, well, "insane" to grind. However, as someone who spent all of his time, gold, and overall stress tolerance getting Darkmoon Faire and Shendra'lar reputation at the time done (the latter of which I completed merely days before the announcement came out stating DMF was no longer required). Darkmoon Faire, I should've actually said "mostly done" as I have precisely three epic-quality or equivalent turn-ins to go before reaching exhalted status.
Anywhoo, I considered Ravenholdt to be something I could take a step back at, collect myself, and go full-bore on at a later date. Annoyingly enough, between real-life responsibilities, blue-screen problems with my computer and using what time I was actually able to get on and STAY on the computer without problems to raid with my guild left me having to abandon my Ravenholdt plans.
As it stands right now I have to wait until I can buy a new computer (computer got too old, worn, and not worth the time/effort to get fixed) and re-new my subscription. I have been following WoW's details for the past couple months (maybe three? it's been a while) whenever I can get onto public/friend/family computers to read up and not be *completely* left in the dust when I come back.
However, when I sort out my situation so that I can join the active community again, I see that I may as well not even bother raiding with my guild if I want to have any real chance of completing my Ravenholdt rep and vice-versa. I'm opting for the 'vice-versa' option, abandoning my 'Insane' title altogether because I'd rather make my absence up to the friends I have made and whom I have already raided with for years prior to all this disruption.
WoW is full of choices, and I like that. But having to put something on hold to such an extent because (and this is the important part) the overwhelming majority of the mobs associated with gaining the reputation have been outright REMOVED from the game and there is no option to turn in anything but Heavy Junkboxes seems pretty bloody harsh at this point in the evolution of the game.
So yeah, sorry for the extended story but I felt the need to elaborate. I don't think any different of someone for when they got a title or any other visual representation of what they have done, so long as they didn't hack/glitch/bot/etc their way to it.
All I wanted was to have a fun (yet oddly accurate) title to represent my character and to be cut down so close from achieving the goal in question is, as far as my WoW experience is concerned, the ultimate kick in the teeth.
Also, as a (personal) aggravation: my character is ON the Ravenholdt server so it just gnaws at the back of my head why something, be it updating old content or introducing a new faction, does not appear to have even been a side-thought for this expansion.
Terrant Jun 18th 2011 3:16PM
Well... you could chose to be happy with and proud of what you've accomplish so far?
The Insane is insane. And it looks like it's more insane that what you're capable of doing right now. So what? All of us have goals in the game that we'd be able to accomplish if circumstances (both our own and Blizzard's) were different - more mounts and pets if we had more disposable cash, more raid bosses cleared if we had more hours to play, etc. But we don't, and we go on with on our lives.
rotolonelms Jun 18th 2011 3:47PM
I have gone in the last 3 months from not knowing about wow insider to a person that checks in at least 5 times a day, so thank you. On that note I would like to start watching your podcast but i can't figure out how. I don't know if I am asking the right place but 1.) what is an RSS aggregator 2.) besides i tunes is that a good way to watch, and 3.) if so which one would you reccomend?
Samutz Jun 18th 2011 4:41PM
Well, you listen, not watch. It's an audio podcast.
An RSS aggregator is a program/app that gathers entries from multiple RSS feeds and displays them as one feed. For example you could aggregate the RSS feeds from WoW Insider and Joystiq and have all their new articles appear in one feed.
For podcast feeds, you would normally use a media player with RSS capabilities, such as iTunes, to automatically download new podcasts when they get posted to the feed.
Personally, I don't like iTunes and wouldn't recommend it if you're wanting only to download the podcasts. If you always use iTunes regularly with an iPod/iPhone then it would be a decent choice. Lately I don't use any programs. I just download the mp3 when it gets posted on the site. But I used to use Juice (http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/) and it worked quite well.