WRUP: The one written by Mat McCurley
by Mathew McCurley 
Jul 1st 2011 at 8:00PM
Fox Van Allen is on the road, so Mat McCurley, superstar, is putting together this week's WRUP! It's been a rocky week in WoW, with patches and Firelands and Ragnaroses. Plus, there is a whole world outside of WoW! I know, right? Anyway.
Before we get to the staff's own WRUPs, I want to tell you what I came upon when Fox had left me a post to work on. First off, 580_paymaster.jpg was the title image (and still is), and there were sparse words about the fact that I have cats. The temptation to leave the post as it was truly was great, but I decided against it.
Actually, as I write this, Fox and Murmurs are almost in NYC, where there will be ice cream and French fries and other crap to do. I should probably meet them soon. This week's bonus question was all about people's favorite and least favorite aspects of patch 4.2. Enjoy.
Alex Ziebart (@AlexZiebart) Lots of WoW this weekend, since patch 4.2 actually gave us something to do. The Firelands raid is a lot of fun so far, though I fear seven bosses won't keep us busy very long.
Anne Stickney (@shadesogrey) Hanging out with the family, doing a little raiding, doing a bit of writing too. Favorite part of 4.2 so far: "I hope you gently, lovingly kicked them as hard as you possibly could. " Least favorite ... I'm not sure yet, but I am not a fan of spiderlings. I'm just saying.
Basil Berntsen (@outdps) I have a newborn, so will be playing catch-up on my sleep. I may also play some arena when he sleeps.
Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) I have some unexpected family-in-law coming up to visit this weekend, so there's that. I'll also be studying some airplane material as I work toward getting my private pilot's certificate. WoW-wise, I'll be hitting the new dailies and keeping the good ship WoW Insider sailing straight over the holiday weekend. I also think there's a case of beer someplace in all this for me ...
Daniel Whitcomb (@danielwhitcomb) If we can finalize the lease, I'll be moving to a house again after a few years of apartment living, a nice little basement room with its own bathroom. Perfect for being a nerd. That said, I will probably still try to sneak on for my Hyjal dailies, cuz I want to unlock those new vendors ASAP. Gotta get my vanity items! Favorite Aspect of Patch 4.2 so far has been the Dungeon Journal. The boss blurbs alone are a lot of fun. Least favorite is the Thrall quest line. I found it overblown, ridiculous, and a little bit insulting to Alliance players. I'm also not comfortable with the fact that Aggra has now been established as little more than Thrall's baby machine, and I find it hilarious that we sort of completely forgot about the whole saving the World Tree thing so we could have an uncomfortably saccharine "lifemate" ceremony.
Fox Van Allen (@foxvanallen) In Philadelphia for the Fourth with @murmursofadruid! Oh, and my favorite part about patch 4.2 is that I don't have to run 4.1 content anymore. The End.
Joe Perez (@Lodurzj) Writing, writing and more writing. I have a ton of projects to finish this weekend, so my WoW time will likely be limited. Then getting ready for another full week of Firelands goodness. Favorite part of the 4.2 patch has to be the new content, and not just the raids but the new daily quests as well. My least favorite is the new Thrall quest line. Not because I don't like the quest line, but because for at least me, the vast majority of the quests have been bugged out. I've been trying with no success since the patch to complete the water portion, and it just won't go into the phase where you have to save Aggra. It's incredibly irritating.
Josh Myers (@Elamqt) I'm doing the exact opposite of everyone else and taking a break from WoW this weekend. By tomorrow night, I'll probably have a good 24 hours logged in Firelands already, so I'm feeling a WoW-free weekend could be glorious. As for the bonus question: The worst part by far has been Aggra's characterization in the Thrall quest line. I'm enjoying 4.2 thoroughly, but I'd rather not see Aggra go the way of Jaina Proudmoore and just become a vessel for continuing the important male NPCs' plotlines.
Kelly Aarons (@Cadistra) This weekend I am away from les internets and civilization! I'll be camping with a friend in BC's interior, fishing, making smores and sleeping under the stars. Sadly, that means I'll fall behind on my Firelands dailies. v_v Also, uh...there's a least favorite part of 4.2? /cough
Lisa Poisso (@emused) I'll be dutifully working my way through Firelands this weekend, of course. So far, I like the relatively smooth implementation of this patch; least favorite is all the fuss over PVP flagging. PVP happens!
Mat McCurley (@gomatgo) Firelands and patch 4.2 has been a blast so far. I love the new dailies, especially when you finally get into the Molten Front. We got down Lord Rhyolith and Beth'tilac and hope for more kills next week. This weekend is tons of League of Legends, as well as sprinkles of WoW. We need that new champion, Leona, like now please.
Matt Walsh (@Rhidach) I'm off on a trip this weekend, so I'll be away from most of the games I'm working on. I'll probably bring the DS and maybe finish of Spirit Tracks, for lack of a 3DS and OoT 3D. :(
Oh, and bonus question. Hands down, new raid content is the best part of 4.2. I live for it.
Michael Gray (@writegray) This weekend, I'm going to finish a few land projects. My wife and I built an outdoor living space with landscape timber and rebar, and we're finishing up the pool in it this weekend. (I hope.) After that, we have about 900 feet of fence or so to install before a party on Sunday evening. Sooooo ... yeah, totally running instances for VPs. Probably no time for raids. :(
Robin Torres (@cosmiclaurel) I'll be doing fire related things along with everybody else and I hear that there's this cool game called Minecraft I might try out. Send help if you don't hear from me on Monday.
Sarah Nichol (@mentalshaman) I will be practising with my brand new Glyph of Unleashed Lightning. Also I will be trying to remember the correct diagonal during my dressage lesson. Yes, 5 years without horse riding means I have forgotten all. Warcraft drove all the horsey knowledge out of my brain.
Elizabeth Wachowski (@leeatwaterlives) Probably still leveling my professions on my rogue and druid, and maybe a little Ocarina of Time. I honestly have done almost nothing with the 4.2 content, so I'm not the best person to ask -- although I definitely like being able to reorder my characters on the main page!
The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can't get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you're playing this weekend!
Filed under: WoW Insider Business
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Iirdan Jul 1st 2011 8:08PM
Mr. Walsh, this is your first week, and I already like you. A lot.
Spirit Tracks' last few dungeons are mind-boggling at times, and fiendishly clever. Streets ahead of Phantom Hourglass.
themightysven Jul 1st 2011 9:45PM
Mylune, best Cataclysm character, or best WoW character?
Scott Jul 1st 2011 10:35PM
We DEMAND pictures of the Basil Spawn!
Chris Gonzalez Jul 2nd 2011 12:18AM
Mat, you should introduce yourself as "Mat McCurley, superstar" more often. Not only is it comical, it is entirely accurate.
VioletArrows Jul 2nd 2011 12:51AM
I might peek around live servers since WoW sent me (and likely everyone else) a 7 day Firelands trial. Though I did sneak around my old server on a trial alt, and found I couldn't really do much anyway because lag was pretty damn bad everywhere I went. I'm talking 600-1000ms. I don't know why either. I don't recalling it being that bad when I left in February. :/ If not the trial, most likely Minecraft with the boyfriend, Ocarina of Time (GC version), or working on getting my writing skills back.
Xabidar Jul 2nd 2011 1:16AM
No Robin, no! Minecraft will eat that part of your soul that isn't already claimed by WoW! Turn back before it's too late! D:
Jeff Jul 2nd 2011 1:54AM
"least favorite is all the fuss over PVP flagging. PVP happens!"
Sorry, I've got to take exception to that. PvP happens on a PvP server. Flagging yourself on a PvE server so that you can goad unwilling players into being griefed, that's entirely different and is not OK.
kia Jul 2nd 2011 7:37AM
And ironically, on my PVP server, during the Thrall questchain alliance and hordies were helping each other out to smash through the mobs even quicker! Not one instance of PVP action to be seen, just helping :) Awww.
Liyly Jul 2nd 2011 5:12AM
Yes I agree with the complaints re Aggra in the new Thrall questline. She went from being a multidimensional, spunky character to someone who I suddenly felt I no longer knew. I didn't buy the sudden personality changes at all.
Not that she can't have those moments of longing and realizing her love for Thrall, but she's Aggra, dang it! She should say those things but then go poke out some unlucky woodland creature's eyes just because!
Oteo Jul 2nd 2011 7:21AM
"Fox and Murmurs are almost in NYC"
Getting married? ... :D
Shade Jul 2nd 2011 12:34PM
Spriest + Boomkin = ???
On the other hand, Spriest + Lock = Dashboard Confessional
Wolftech Jul 2nd 2011 8:38AM
Daniel Whitcomb is becoming my #2 favorite Blogger here on WowInsider. I am SO sick of the Horde favortism by the designers. Its bad enough that they make Thrall into Jesus. Its even worse that they turn an entire zone into a horde symbol (oh... and horde have taken over zones like 2-1) and it was almost unforgivable that they spent an obscene amount of time on the goblin starting zone, and yet have an incomplete worgen one (in fact, you have to roll as a forsaken to see how it turns out). But this whole Thrall quest line in this patch has me wanting to join the Twilight Hammer and Deathwings team if only to shut them up even if it is by destroying Azeroth...
Sorcha Jul 2nd 2011 11:56AM
I never understand this 'Horde bias' thing. Blizzard owes you nothing story-wise, you are in their sandbox. If they want to write the Alliance as the loser, they will, and if you don't like it, you can go play another game where you do like the storyline.
Jeff Jul 2nd 2011 1:55PM
To be fair, Thrall really is not representative of the Horde anymore. Garrosh is in charge, and as was demonstrated in the questline, Thrall would rather abolish the whole Horde-Alliance thing and just have peace anyway.
grit Jul 2nd 2011 9:32PM
And let's not forget that WotLK was ALL about the alliance. If anything, a part of the Horde defected and saw fit to plague EVERYONE. The Alliance will survive not being the stars of the show this time.
Hurbster Jul 2nd 2011 10:08PM
Apart from the rather large parts that had all to do with the Horde, obviously. Oh is that Wrathgate waving and saying hi ?