WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[WoW bloggers take off and unite with Sixth meme]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/wow-bloggers-take-off-and-unite-with-sixth-meme/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/wow-bloggers-take-off-and-unite-with-sixth-meme/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/wow-bloggers-take-off-and-unite-with-sixth-meme/#comments
What's that image above? Why, that's a screenshot of Azshara before the goblins took over, taken for our massive series of Before the Shattering galleries we put together just before Cataclysm launched. It also happens to be the sixth image from the sixth subfolder in my images folder, which leads us to a meme started by Gnomeaggedon from the blog Armageddon's Coming -- a meme that has taken off with alarming speed.

The premise is simple: Head into your images folder, select the sixth subfolder, grab the sixth image in the folder, post the image, and select six bloggers to tag for the next part of the meme. Those people post their own sixth images, tag six more bloggers, and so on. Those of you who are skilled at math can already see where this is going.

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WoW bloggers take off and unite with Sixth meme originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bloggersblogging-memesblogsgnomeaggedonsixth-memeworld-of-warcraft-blogsworld-of-warcraft-infoworld-of-warcraft-linksworld-of-warcraft-siteswow-bloggerswow-blogswow-linkswow-sites (Anne Stickney) Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Weekly Podcast Roundup: Feb. 13-19, 2012]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/weekly-podcast-roundup-feb-13-19-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/weekly-podcast-roundup-feb-13-19-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/weekly-podcast-roundup-feb-13-19-2012/#comments
Every Monday evening, WoW Insider brings you a long list of WoW podcasts that were published the week and weekend before. If you don't see your favorite World of Warcraft podcast listed, just let us know in the comments. Be sure to leave a link to it, and we'll pick it up next week.

All podcasts and content belong to their owners. WoW Insider is not responsible for what you hear, and some of the content may not be safe for work.

Continue reading Weekly Podcast Roundup: Feb. 13-19, 2012

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Weekly Podcast Roundup: Feb. 13-19, 2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedpodcastpodcastswow-audiowow-podcastwow-podcast-listwow-podcast-roundupwow-podcastingwow-podcasts (Anne Stickney) Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Does a video game have to force us to make good choices?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/does-a-video-game-have-to-force-us-to-make-good-choices/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/does-a-video-game-have-to-force-us-to-make-good-choices/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/does-a-video-game-have-to-force-us-to-make-good-choices/#comments Take a moment and picture this: There's a politician out there, a pretty sleazy politician, who is basically in a position of power to use that power to do whatever suits him or her best -- no regard for anyone that voted him into office, no real sense of caring for those he is supposedly serving. One day, someone comes up to that politician and says, "Hey man, I'll give you $3 million if you start taking an interest in your constituents and doing what is best for them, OK?" The politician agrees, takes the money, and promptly starts doing the right thing.

Is that politician in the wrong? Or is that politician simply learning that if he behaves badly, he'll get a bribe to start behaving correctly? What's to stop him from behaving badly again, if he thinks he's going to get another $3 million out of the deal? More importantly, if all the other politicians out there see this guy get a bribe to behave like a decent politician and all of those politicians decide to start behaving badly in an effort to get that bribe for themselves, are they in the wrong?

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Does a video game have to force us to make good choices? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> dungeon-finderdungeon-finder-lootheroic-dungeonslooking-for-grouplooking-for-raidloot-dramamotivationmotivation-in-gamesraid-finderraid-lootworld-of-warcraftwowwow-dungeonswow-heroicswow-raiding (Anne Stickney) Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Know Your Lore: Cataclysm for Dummies, epilogue]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/know-your-lore-cataclysm-for-dummies-epilogue/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/know-your-lore-cataclysm-for-dummies-epilogue/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/know-your-lore-cataclysm-for-dummies-epilogue/#comments The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

If you've read Act I and Act II of Cataclysm for Dummies, you should have a pretty basic understanding of what happened during Cataclysm, why Deathwing was a threat that needed to be addressed, and what we've been doing in all of those zones, 5-man dungeons, and raids. There was a purpose to every raid that came out with Cataclysm, but that purpose isn't blatantly clear unless you're paying really close attention as you're leveling through the zones. People who love following the lore do that automatically, which is why these guides aren't for them.

However, you might want to know what all of this means or have some questions about the stuff that wasn't really resolved in Cataclysm. Or you may want to know what's in store in Mists of Pandaria and why you should be interested in what's coming next. This epilogue is going to go over a few simple end-of-Cataclysm points that should be of interest to those wanting to know what's next or still have some questions about Cataclysm's story.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Cataclysm for Dummies, epilogue

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Know Your Lore: Cataclysm for Dummies, epilogue originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alliancealliance-horde-conflictcataclysmcataclysm-lorecataclysm-lore-guidedarkshoredeathwingfeaturedgarrosh-hellscreamguideguide-to-lorehordelorelore-guidemists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-loreold-godsrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidevarian-wrynnworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingzandalar (Anne Stickney) Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Q&A with your roleplaying questions]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/18/qanda-with-your-roleplaying-questions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/18/qanda-with-your-roleplaying-questions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/18/qanda-with-your-roleplaying-questions/#comments All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW.

Roleplaying is the very definition of a social activity -- it pretty much requires more than one participant if you ever expect to have any fun with it. But if it's something you've never done before, trying to get into roleplaying can be a daunting prospect, especially if you've got a bunch of questions and no idea how to get the answers. So this week, I decided to turn the tables around and answer a few questions from the roleplaying community over on Twitter.

While I got some roleplaying questions, I also got some lore questions as well. Honestly, that's only to be expected, because roleplay and lore work hand-in-hand.

@Sin_Aliaga asked:

Blood Elf Druids.... can they co-exist in Warcraft lore? And if so, why haven't they tried yet?

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Q&A with your roleplaying questions originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blood-elf-druidsfeaturedguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guidepandaren-druidsrole-playrole-playing-guideroleplay-descriptionsroleplay-groupsroleplay-organizationsroleplaying-accentsrp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rping (Anne Stickney) Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Is there such a thing as casually hardcore?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/is-there-such-a-thing-as-casually-hardcore/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/is-there-such-a-thing-as-casually-hardcore/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/is-there-such-a-thing-as-casually-hardcore/#comments
Once upon a time, I was an MC raider back in vanilla WoW. I raided six nights a week, three to four hours a night. My off night, Friday, was spent gathering plants in Felwood and other materials for potions and flasks. We busted our butts on completing progression content before anyone else on the realm, and if we couldn't manage that, before anyone else on our side of the faction fence managed to do so. Somewhere in the midst of AQ-40, the guild fell apart. People were just burnt out on way too much raiding and all the preparation involved in getting that raiding done successfully.

These days, I raid three nights a week, three hours a night or so. To me, it's far, far more casual than what I used to do. I don't spend a ton of time on farming materials, and I don't spend a ton of time on other things unless it happens to be in game holiday time. I don't usually run random instances unless I'm after something specific, and I don't really do PvP at all. I'd call myself casual, simply based on the time that I play and what I do with that time. Yet there are still plenty of people out there who fling the hardcore title at me.

When I look at how I used to play and how I play now, I can't understand why anyone would think what I'm doing now is anything but casual, and I'm confused as to why anyone would say differently.

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Is there such a thing as casually hardcore? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> casual-gamercasual-gamingcasual-hardcoregameplay-timehardcore-or-casualhardcore-raiderhardcore-raidingworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-raidingwow-casualwow-hardcorewow-raiding (Anne Stickney) Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Graphic and bold hunter pet designs by Melissa]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/graphic-and-bold-hunter-pet-designs-by-melissa/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/graphic-and-bold-hunter-pet-designs-by-melissa/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/graphic-and-bold-hunter-pet-designs-by-melissa/#comments World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page.

Most of the time, when you see a piece of Warcraft fan art, it's either depicting a character from Warcraft lore or the character that the artist plays. Sometimes it's a depiction of a moment in Warcraft history, and others, it's just a chance to draw some really fancy armor. You'll rarely see simple landscapes, but you'll see pictures of characters in those landscapes. And you'll see pictures of hunters and their pets, but rarely will you see pictures of the pets all by themselves.

But for Melissa Bozarth, hunter pets are just far too appealing not to draw. And draw she does, creating intricate, vectored art of dozens of beloved pets from the Warcraft hunter's stable. We've featured Melissa's artwork before with a Corehound piece she created back in early 2010. Melissa's been happily creating plenty of artwork since then and decided to share both her work and her experiences with us.

Gallery: Graphic and bold hunter pet designs by Melissa

Continue reading Graphic and bold hunter pet designs by Melissa

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Graphic and bold hunter pet designs by Melissa originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> craftcraftsfeaturedgame-craftsworld-of-wacraft-craftswow-artwow-artworkwow-craftswow-fanwow-fan-artwow-fan-madewow-fan-made-artwow-fan-made-artworkwow-fans (Anne Stickney) Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Transmogrifying an homage to Bolvar Fordragon]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/transmogrifying-an-homage-to-bolvar-fordragon/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/transmogrifying-an-homage-to-bolvar-fordragon/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/transmogrifying-an-homage-to-bolvar-fordragon/#comments
Bolvar Fordragon is one of the coolest figures in Warcraft lore (check out our Know Your Lore: Bolvar Fordragon for a detailed rundown). While he was once a noble lord of Stormwind, Bolvar's story throughout the course of Wrath was an epic tale of nobility and heroism in the face of damnation. Today, we're going to create a look based on Bolvar. No, not the extra-crispy, end-of-Wrath version -- and not the shining vanilla-era Bolvar, either. And definitely not the in-between Bolvar that is comprised mostly of Alliance PvP gear.

While I was looking at olden-days Bolvar, I realized his look could not be recreated; his armor is pretty unique, and it isn't something players can obtain in game. But as I was looking at Bolvar then and Bolvar now, I had a idea. What if we take a little of Bolvar's fate and apply that to the look of the shining hero of yesteryear? Take that distinct, filigreed, gold and silver plate look and tarnish it just a little, a reflection of what Bolvar's been through in the course of his lifetime?

Continue reading Transmogrifying an homage to Bolvar Fordragon

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Transmogrifying an homage to Bolvar Fordragon originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blacksmithingbolvar-fordragondrillborer-diskimperial-plate-armorplate-transmogrification-setsrunic-plate-armortransmogrificationtransmogrification-guidetransmogrification-setstransmogrification-suggestionstruesilver-armor (Anne Stickney) Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria talent calculator updated]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/mists-of-pandaria-talent-calculator-updated/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/mists-of-pandaria-talent-calculator-updated/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/mists-of-pandaria-talent-calculator-updated/#comments
The Mists of Pandaria talent calculator has received another update, according to a tweet by Community Manager Zarhym. Preliminary exploration into the calculator reveals that some new talents have been added, though we haven't gotten any details on just how many classes have been tweaked. However, Zarhym also stated that we'll see more details about these changes in a update to be posted shortly, so keep your eyes peeled. And until then, be sure to check out the talent calculator for your class, and see what the new talents have to offer!

Edit: Community Manager Kaivax has posted some clarifications on the changes to the talent system. Shaman and hunters, you may not see a lot of changes on your trees just yet, as they are still being worked on. And all classes should be aware that spells or mechanics not listed may be either automatically rolled into your class or available as a glyph. Follow after the break for the full post from Kaivax.

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria talent calculator updated

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Mists of Pandaria talent calculator updated originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> mists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-talent-changesmists-of-pandaria-talentstalent-calculatortalent-changes (Anne Stickney) Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:20:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Looking for raid, or looking for trade?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/looking-for-raid-or-looking-for-trade/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/looking-for-raid-or-looking-for-trade/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/looking-for-raid-or-looking-for-trade/#comments
My interactions with the Raid Finder have been limited, for the most part. I'm in a raiding guild, and we were told when the Raid Finder came out that we would do guild runs to start out with. This was to make sure that all drops benefited everyone in the guild, and honestly, it was a smart idea. Players got their set bonuses with relative speed, and we completed the encounters with no difficulty at all just due to the fact that they were relatively easy in comparison to the normal-mode raiding we were doing.

However, after we began melting more gear than we were keeping and started working on heroics in earnest, our raid leader let us know that if we really needed anything else from the Raid Finder, we'd have to go run it on our own. So it was with a fair amount of confidence that I queued up for Dragon Soul, looking for a trinket that was so far eluding my rogue in normal mode content. No big deal, right? Easy enough, and by now plenty of people ought to be familiar with the content. Well ... not so much.

Continue reading Looking for raid, or looking for trade?

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Looking for raid, or looking for trade? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> big-bear-buttdisenchantingdragon-souldragon-soul-raidgreed-rolllooking-for-raidloot-systemneed-rollraid-finder (Anne Stickney) Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Weekly Podcast Roundup: Feb. 6-12, 2012]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/weekly-podcast-roundup-feb-6-12-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/weekly-podcast-roundup-feb-6-12-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/weekly-podcast-roundup-feb-6-12-2012/#comments
Every Monday evening, WoW Insider brings you a long list of WoW podcasts that were published the week and weekend before. If you don't see your favorite World of Warcraft podcast listed, just let us know in the comments. Be sure to leave a link to it, and we'll pick it up next week.

All podcasts and content belong to their owners. WoW Insider is not responsible for what you hear, and some of the content may not be safe for work.

Continue reading Weekly Podcast Roundup: Feb. 6-12, 2012

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Weekly Podcast Roundup: Feb. 6-12, 2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedpodcastpodcastswow-audiowow-podcastwow-podcast-listwow-podcast-roundupwow-podcastingwow-podcasts (Anne Stickney) Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[I write about dragons on the internet, Dad]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/i-write-about-dragons-on-the-internet-dad/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/i-write-about-dragons-on-the-internet-dad/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/i-write-about-dragons-on-the-internet-dad/#comments
When I moved in with my father, part of it was a genuine interest in reconnecting with him, and part of it was a keen desire to help around the house and simply keep him company. My dad turns 83 this year, although you couldn't really tell that from looking at him or talking to him. He grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, worked for Dow Chemical for an extraordinary number of years, retired, and somewhere in between had two marriages and five children. (I'm one of the products of the second marriage.)

He has seen quite a lot in his life. He saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarves when it premiered in theaters in 1937. His first car was a Model-T that he dug out of a neighbor's manure pile and inexplicably got running again when he was 14. He served in the military as a paratrooper, worked with some of the first computers in existence, and can fix just about anything I bring to him, regardless of how technologically advanced the thing is. He hasn't grown old so much as he's watched the world get older around him and adapted to it as time goes on.

And yet I still have this terrible reticence about trying to explain to him exactly what it is I do on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, and what I do for a living.

Continue reading I write about dragons on the internet, Dad

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I write about dragons on the internet, Dad originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> a-sunnier-bearcataclysmexplaining-wowexplaning-warcraftfamilygaminghalfus-wyrmbreakerworld-of-warcraftwow-for-non-gamerswow-insiderwow-lore (Anne Stickney) Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Know Your Lore: Cataclysm for Dummies, Act II]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/know-your-lore-cataclysm-for-dummies-act-ii/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/know-your-lore-cataclysm-for-dummies-act-ii/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/know-your-lore-cataclysm-for-dummies-act-ii/#comments
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

So, Act I of our Cataclysm for Dummies guide went over the basics of Cataclysm -- how it came to be, just who that Deathwing guy is, anyway, and why he's so annoyed with the world in general. We also found out why we're going to all those new level 80 to 85 zones and, more importantly, why we're wandering around in three different raids in three completely different locations around the world. If you made it through the basics, congratulations! You're caught up through patch 4.0.

But we're in patch 4.3, aren't we? And you've probably still got questions. Questions like: What's up with the troll dungeons -- didn't we kill those guys already? And why did we have to go fight Ragnaros again? Why is Thrall friendly as all get-out with the Dragon Aspects? Why do we have to do all this silly time travel? The good news is, by the time you're done reading this guide, you'll totally understand what Cataclysm is all about.

Please note: There are spoilers here for the novel Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects. If you're still planning on reading it, you may want to do so before you hit this recap.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Cataclysm for Dummies, Act II

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Know Your Lore: Cataclysm for Dummies, Act II originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alexstraszablue-dragonflightbronze-dragonflightcataclysmcataclysm-lore-guidedragon-soulfeaturedfirelandsgreen-dragonflightguideguide-to-lorehour-of-twilightkalecgoslorelore-guidemalygosmurozondnozdormuold-godspatch-4.2patch-4.3ragnarosred-dragonflightrise-of-the-zandalarirole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidevoljinwar-of-the-ancientsworld-of-warcraft-loreworld-of-warcraft-patch-4.2world-of-warcraft-patch-4.3wow-guidewow-lorewow-patch-4.2wow-patch-4.3wow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingwyrmrest-accordwyrmrest-templeyserazandalar (Anne Stickney) Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Roleplaying for laughs]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/11/roleplaying-for-laughs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/11/roleplaying-for-laughs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/11/roleplaying-for-laughs/#comments
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW.

Sure, some people want to roleplay serious characters and serious situations. Maybe you like roleplaying the fight against Deathwing, or maybe your character has some major issues in their life to work out, or maybe they've got some dire task they need to accomplish. Everyone would like their character to be important and significant within their circle of friends, whether they're playing the hero or playing the villain.

But there's a different class of roleplayer out there who looks at the Warcraft world in a decidedly different way. You know who I'm talking about -- the class clowns, the cut-ups, the jokers. The roleplayers who can't seem to take anything seriously, nor do they want to. After all, we're playing a game! It's a game with giant talking cows, squid-faced spacemen, tragic werewolves and greedy little green guys who would do anything for a buck. Of course these characters are really fun to play ... but what happens when they go too far? How funny is just funny enough without being irritating beyond all reason? How do you roleplay a comic relief character without going overboard?

Continue reading Roleplaying for laughs

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Roleplaying for laughs originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rping (Anne Stickney) Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Legendary Weapons: Story chains or class quests?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/legendary-weapons-story-chains-or-class-quests/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/legendary-weapons-story-chains-or-class-quests/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/legendary-weapons-story-chains-or-class-quests/#comments
So last week, the first rogue in my guild got the Fangs of the Father set, and I started working on my set. Right now, I'm about a third of the way to stage two, and then I'll have stage three to contend with. Though there are fewer pieces to collect for the daggers, unlike the items for Dragonwrath, only one rogue can proceed on the chain at a time. That's OK with me -- I don't mind the wait, and I know I have fun stuff to look forward to in between stages. I wasn't expecting a cutscene after starting the chain, but I was absolutely delighted with the fact that I got a bit of story to play through instead of "You killed Illidan and you're very lucky -- have a Warglaive!"

However, there was another, slightly more bothersome difference between Dragonwrath and the Fangs of the Father, one I'm not quite sure how I feel about. When our first raider got his Dragonwrath, everyone rushed to Orgrimmar and watched Kalecgos appear and deliver the staff in front of everyone that happened to be idling in town at the time. It was a moment of sheer excitement, joy, and fun, both for the player who got the staff and the guild who had helped him along the long road to getting it.

We didn't get that with Fangs of the Father.

Continue reading Legendary Weapons: Story chains or class quests?

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Legendary Weapons: Story chains or class quests? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> benedictionclass-questsdragonwrath-tarecgosas-restfangs-of-the-fatherlegendary-questspatch-4.3queldelarrhokdelarshadowmournevalanyrworld-of-warcraft-patch-4.3wow-class-questswow-legendary-questswow-patch-4.3 (Anne Stickney) Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Button-eyed Warcraft dolls created by Layla Rei]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/button-eyed-warcraft-dolls-created-by-layla-rei/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/button-eyed-warcraft-dolls-created-by-layla-rei/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/button-eyed-warcraft-dolls-created-by-layla-rei/#comments
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page.

I love putting out a call for submissions because I get bombarded with some of the coolest stuff in response! It seems that dolls and plush toys are in abundance this season, including the sweet duo pictured above, created by Layla Rei. Layla's no stranger to creating dolls; her deviantART gallery has dozens upon dozens of delightful, whimsical creations.

It's the tiny little details that makes them so utterly charming. The button eyes remind me of Coraline, and come on -- how could you not love that goblin and those goggles? But here's the kicker behind all of this: Leyla doesn't play WoW. Instead, she created these dolls and others for her sister who does play. For someone who doesn't play the game, Leyla's got a wonderful grasp of the whimsical feel of Warcraft ... and she was more than happy to sit down and chat with us about her delightful creations.

Gallery: Button-eyed Warcraft dolls created by Layla Rei

Continue reading Button-eyed Warcraft dolls created by Layla Rei

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Button-eyed Warcraft dolls created by Layla Rei originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> craftcraftsfeaturedgame-craftsworld-of-wacraft-craftswow-artwow-artworkwow-craftswow-fanwow-fan-artwow-fan-madewow-fan-made-artwow-fan-made-artworkwow-fans (Anne Stickney) Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Should WoW players be responsible for player accountability?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/should-wow-players-be-responsible-for-player-accountability/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/should-wow-players-be-responsible-for-player-accountability/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/08/should-wow-players-be-responsible-for-player-accountability/#comments
Blizzard's policy as far as reporting players has been about the same since day one. If you have a problem with a player, you report them. While Blizzard can contact you and thank you for reporting the issue, it will not give any details regarding what it has done about the problem being reported. This has always been understandable to me; in the many years on and off that I worked customer service and call center jobs, rule #1 was that you did not speak to anyone but an account holder regarding the status of their account. To me, the Blizzard policy is just more of the same kind of treatment -- Blizzard cannot tell you about actions taken against another player's account, because hey, their account isn't yours, you know? It's private information.

That said, I have reported my share of players over the years, and I never really knew if action was taken against these players or not. In simple cases of name violations, like using an inappropriate word for guild or character name, I could usually tell if something had been done, because the guild or player in question would have their name changed. But in cases of player harassment ... well, you never know if they've been told anything or not. You just sort of hope this means the person harassing you will go away and that will be the end of it, but there are absolutely no guarantees.

Continue reading Should WoW players be responsible for player accountability?

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Should WoW players be responsible for player accountability? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzarddungeon-finderdungeon-finder-systemlooking-for-grouplooking-for-raidplayer-accountabilityplayer-punishmentraid-finderraid-finder-toolreportingreporting-players (Anne Stickney) Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2012]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-30-feb-5-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-30-feb-5-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-30-feb-5-2012/#comments
Every Monday evening, WoW Insider brings you a long list of WoW podcasts that were published the week and weekend before. If you don't see your favorite World of Warcraft podcast listed, just let us know in the comments. Be sure to leave a link to it, and we'll pick it up next week.

All podcasts and content belong to their owners. WoW Insider is not responsible for what you hear, and some of the content may not be safe for work.

Continue reading Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2012

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Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedpodcastpodcastswow-audiowow-podcastwow-podcast-listwow-podcast-roundupwow-podcastingwow-podcasts (Anne Stickney) Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The curious case of Cataclysm potions]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/the-curious-case-of-cataclysm-potions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/the-curious-case-of-cataclysm-potions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/the-curious-case-of-cataclysm-potions/#comments
Remember how amazing cogwheels were? The concept was an inherently cool one -- engineers, much like jewelcrafters, could get their hands on something that would enhance their gear purely through their craft. For jewelcrafters, it's the ability to cut amazing gems, limited to the number they can use in their gear. For engineers, cogwheels were purchasable with crafted engineering items and could be used in a helm with cogwheel slots.

You may be wondering why I'm using the past tense here. It's for good reason -- cogwheels are, essentially, a dead item. Introduced at the beginning of Cataclysm, they could be used in engineering crafted goggles, but that was it. Once players started raiding, those goggles were quickly replaced ... and we never saw anything with a cogwheel in it again. For something that had me really excited about being an engineer, the cogwheel was a letdown of sorts. But that's not the only thing that's been a little off, professionally speaking, with Cataclysm.

Continue reading The curious case of Cataclysm potions

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The curious case of Cataclysm potions originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alchemycataclysmcataclysm-alchemycataclysm-professionsengineeringhealth-potionsmystical-healing-potionprofessionsworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-professionswow-professions (Anne Stickney) Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Know Your Lore: Cataclysm lore for Dummies, Act I]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/know-your-lore-cataclysm-lore-for-dummies-act-i/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/know-your-lore-cataclysm-lore-for-dummies-act-i/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/know-your-lore-cataclysm-lore-for-dummies-act-i/#comments
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Are you super familiar with Warcraft lore? Can you name all the dragon aspects, what they were created for, where they got their powers? Do you have a working definition of the Dragon Soul, what it is, what its other name is, and why it's important? Do you know who Sinestra was before she was a torn-up, reanimated corpse in the bottom of the Bastion of Twilight? Are you related to the Red Shirt Guy? Are you the Red Shirt Guy? Then this post is likely not for you.

But if you've been running the Raid Finder like a fiend, killing dragons and elementals and minions left and right, and suddenly found yourself wondering why, exactly, you were fighting in Wyrmrest Temple, this is for you. If you're wondering why Thrall is suddenly pals with the Dragon Aspects, this is for you. If you're wondering why exactly Deathwing is such a huge major threat and what's with all this running around you have to do, this one is for you.

Let's take a quick sweep through the entirety of Cataclysm and recap what's happened. Better yet, let's sum up.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Cataclysm lore for Dummies, Act I

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Know Your Lore: Cataclysm lore for Dummies, Act I originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> al-akiralexstraszacataclysmcataclysm-loredeathwingfeaturedguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guidemalygosnaganeptulonnozdormuold-godsragnarosraid-instance-lorerole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidetherazaneworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingyserazone-lore (Anne Stickney) Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Will you be finding Love in the Air?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/breakfast-topic-will-you-be-finding-love-in-the-air/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/breakfast-topic-will-you-be-finding-love-in-the-air/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/breakfast-topic-will-you-be-finding-love-in-the-air/#comments
Guys. Seriously. I can't believe more people haven't mentioned the fact that Love is in the Air this year has a holiday mount involved -- the Swift Lovebird, which can be purchased for 270 Love Tokens. Have you not heard? Bird is the word, in the form of this absolutely gorgeous pink tallstrider. Needless to say, I do not care how much running around I have to do to get all those Love Tokens, by the end of this holiday, I will be riding around on a ridiculous pink mount ... because I can.

There's a ton of other reasons to do the holiday as well, for achievements and for tons of fun items from the holiday bosses. I'll be faithfully killing the trio of Apothecaries in the hopes of getting fun prizes, provided the Apothecary Trio is still there, of course. I'm not much of a fan of Valentine's Day, but I do love fun world events. And giant pink tallstriders to ride around on. Did I mention the pink tallstrider?

Are you planning on participating in Love is in the Air? Do you still have achievements to finish for the meta? And perhaps the most important question of them all: Will you be hunting down enough tokens for the Swift Lovebird as quickly as possible, too? Let us know -- and while you're at it, check out our Guide to Love is in the Air 2012 for tips on nabbing all those pesky achievements.

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Breakfast Topic: Will you be finding Love in the Air? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionlove-is-in-the-airwhat-a-long-strange-trip-its-beenworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-achievementswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Anne Stickney) Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[How to assemble a character history for your roleplaying character]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/04/how-to-assemble-a-character-history-for-your-roleplaying-charact/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/04/how-to-assemble-a-character-history-for-your-roleplaying-charact/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/04/how-to-assemble-a-character-history-for-your-roleplaying-charact/#comments All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW.

Last week, we talked about roleplaying descriptions for characters and what should be considered a descriptor for your character. Along the way, I also mentioned that a lot of people make the common assumption that a character's history should be a part of their description as well. After all, part of what makes up a person is everything that's happened to them, right? Sure! But not when we're using roleplaying addons that have a clearly defined spot for character history.

And that clarification is important, because there are still roleplay addons out there that don't have a character history tab at all. Does this mean you should type up your character's history as part of your description? Absolutely not. Descriptions are for descriptions, and history is for history. If your roleplay addon doesn't allow for a character history tab but you're really gung-ho about writing up that history for everyone to read, I'd suggest finding a roleplay addon that has a spot for all that backstory you're dying to tell.

Except for one thing -- you don't want to tell everyone everything.

Continue reading How to assemble a character history for your roleplaying character

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How to assemble a character history for your roleplaying character originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> character-descriptionsfeaturedflag-rspguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guidemy-roleplayrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidetotal-roleplay-2world-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rping (Anne Stickney) Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Third faction or logistical nightmare?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/third-faction-or-logistical-nightmare/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/third-faction-or-logistical-nightmare/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/third-faction-or-logistical-nightmare/#comments
In the beginning, there was Azeroth and there was Draenor. The two worlds clashed together repeatedly over the course of three RTS games, each with expansions. But it didn't stay Azeroth vs. Draenor -- the orcs of Draenor had made Azeroth their new home, and the feud between the Alliance and Horde was forever etched in Warcraft history. And when World of Warcraft was released, players could choose either side" the native races of Azeroth, united as the Alliance, a group of good guys, or the orcs and other castaway races, thrown together as one motley group of bad guys, the Horde.

Each side has its own justifications for what they view as right, just, and honorable. Yet there are races on either side that seem more neutral than anything, whether it be the peaceful draenei, the equally peaceful tauren, or even the blood elves, who have spent time on both sides of the faction fence. These races participate in the battles and bloodshed as readily as any other, but their motives never seem quite in the right place.

And that's caused more than one person to wonder: Just what exactly would happen if World of Warcraft created a third faction?

Continue reading Third faction or logistical nightmare?

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Third faction or logistical nightmare? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alliancealliance-vs-hordebattlegroundsblood-elvescataclysmdraeneiforsakengnomeshordeloremists-of-pandariapandarentaurenthird-factiontrollsworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-lorewow-third-faction (Anne Stickney) Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Transmogrify your gear into a Thisalee Crow look-alike]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/transmogrify-your-gear-into-a-thisalee-crow-look-alike/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/transmogrify-your-gear-into-a-thisalee-crow-look-alike/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/transmogrify-your-gear-into-a-thisalee-crow-look-alike/#comments
Thisalee Crow is one of the new NPCs of Cataclysm, encountered in Hyjal. A member of the Druids of the Talon, Thisalee's unique personality immediately set her apart from her fellow druids -- and so does her unique set of threads. Thisalee's a fashionable sort, whether she's sitting quietly on the sidelines or holding a dagger to a harpy's neck. It's her gear that sets her apart in this case. You're not really going to see that particular set of gear on a player character, and there are a few good reasons for that.

Thisalee's model has a few distinct characteristics that can't be recreated with transmogrification. First off, she's wearing a Feathered Breastplate as a shirt, with another leather chestpiece on top of it -- something we can't do at all. Secondly, those gorgeous, white leafy shoulders? Sadly, we can't get those in game. However, that doesn't mean Miss Crow's look can't be cleverly replicated with a little transmogrification ... albeit in a slightly different color scheme.

Continue reading Transmogrify your gear into a Thisalee Crow look-alike

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Transmogrify your gear into a Thisalee Crow look-alike originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> druid-transmogrification-setsinsignia-chestguardleather-transmogrification-setsrogue-transmogrification-setsthisalee-crowtransmogrificationtransmogrification-guidetransmogrification-setstransmogrification-suggestions (Anne Stickney) Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Adorable hand-sewn plush murloc by Katie]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/adorable-hand-sewn-plush-murloc-by-katie/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/adorable-hand-sewn-plush-murloc-by-katie/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/adorable-hand-sewn-plush-murloc-by-katie/#comments
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page.

When I was a little kid, my sister and I used to make clothes for our stuffed animals, all sewn by hand. My mother was fine with giving us needles and thread and showing us how to stitch, but we weren't allowed to use her sewing machine. On the one hand, I have fond memories of all the little outfits we made; on the other, I remember quite vividly exactly how many times I accidentally stuck myself with a needle. Sewing by hand is not an easy thing to do at all.

Even more difficult than making outfits by hand is making a three-dimensional plush toy. Katie, known in game as Adgie the warlock, not only made the adorable murloc shown above -- she did it entirely from scratch. That's right, the concept and pattern were all her own, and every bit of stitching on the murloc was done by hand, no sewing machine used at all. How impressive is that? But there's more -- this is only the third plush that Katie has made! Katie sent in a whole host of photos of the construction process and her other projects, and she had a chat with me about crafting homemade plushies and World of Warcraft.

Gallery: Adorable murloc plush doll by Katie

Continue reading Adorable hand-sewn plush murloc by Katie

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Adorable hand-sewn plush murloc by Katie originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> craftcraftsfeaturedgame-craftsworld-of-wacraft-craftswow-artwow-artworkwow-craftswow-fanwow-fan-artwow-fan-madewow-fan-made-artwow-fan-made-artworkwow-fans (Anne Stickney) Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[What makes a bad word bad?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/what-makes-a-bad-word-bad/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/what-makes-a-bad-word-bad/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/what-makes-a-bad-word-bad/#comments
Warning: This post may contain language that is offensive to some.

Our own Fox Van Allen tackled the subject of the odd quirks of the mature language filter last week -- the fact that some objectionable words have been mysteriously left out of the filter, while others of a much less objectionable nature have oddly been left in it. None of this was noticed of course until the mature language filter was bugged so that it reset itself, resulting in a lot of people spewing a lot of random keyboard symbols until they remembered to turn it off again.

Personally? I'm not sure if the mature language filter is at all an effective tool. Since the first days of WoW, Horde and Alliance players have not been allowed to speak to each other. Part of this was because of faction separation, but part of it was to discouraging griefing, which happened all the time in PvP situations. Players of the opposing faction could kill you repeatedly, but they couldn't swear at you -- until, that is, players realized they could communicate with keyboard symbols arranged into letters. This ability was soon squashed.

And that's the problem, isn't it? It doesn't matter how much you block a word. If someone is determined to have their say, they will find a way to say it. If you can't talk to the opposing faction, you roll an alt and cuss them out that way, or over voice chat, or via email, or on Twitter, or wherever they can conveniently contact you. So why try blocking it at all? More importantly, what makes a bad word "bad," anyway?

Continue reading What makes a bad word bad?

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What makes a bad word bad? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardfemale-armorlist+of+profanity+filter+wowmature-language-filteroffensive-languageprofanity-filterscanty-female-armorslurswarcraft-profanity-filter (Anne Stickney) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Do you put WoW on display?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/breakfast-topic-is-your-game-on-display/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/breakfast-topic-is-your-game-on-display/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/breakfast-topic-is-your-game-on-display/#comments
I'm not really hugely vocal about the games I play. I don't really talk about them to my friends outside of work or the game itself. I don't have any tattoos or T-shirts that I wear around in public. The only real concession to my Warcraft obsession is my car, really. I love my car, and I love putting things in my car, whether it's the unobtrusive Harry Potter sticker on the back, the dinosaur on my dash as a subtle nod to Firefly, or the small Horde decal in the back window. I also have a Warcraft license plate frame that looks much nicer than the dealer frame that came with the car.

Most people don't really give the items in my car a second glance, but I always know when there's a Warcraft player behind me at the Starbucks drive-through line -- I'll get a glimpse of an excited driver behind me throwing the horns or expressing their delight with my vehicle in one way or another. Now, I'd never go so far as to order a custom license plate, but I don't mind my unobtrusive decal and plate frame -- it's a subtle way of expressing my delight in the game that I play.

Do you openly display your Warcraft pride? Do you wear T-shirts, have a tattoo, or cover your car with stickers? Do you have a custom license plate or a set of Warcraft jewelry that you wear all the time? Or do you keep quiet about your gaming obsession, content to simply play at home and be happy about it?

While you're pondering that, take a look at this old gallery of custom Warcraft plates. I'll be over here, quietly wondering if there's somewhere I can nab a Skyrim decal for the other side of my car's back window.

Gallery: WoW License plates


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Breakfast Topic: Do you put WoW on display? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> custom-license-platesfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionlicense-platest-shirtsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-license-plateswow-t-shirtswow-topics (Anne Stickney) Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 23-29, 2012]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-23-29-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-23-29-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-23-29-2012/#comments
Every Monday evening, WoW Insider brings you a long list of WoW podcasts that were published the week and weekend before. If you don't see your favorite World of Warcraft podcast listed, just let us know in the comments. Be sure to leave a link to it, and we'll pick it up next week.

All podcasts and content belong to their owners. WoW Insider is not responsible for what you hear, and some of the content may not be safe for work.

Continue reading Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 23-29, 2012

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Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 23-29, 2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedpodcastpodcastswow-audiowow-podcastwow-podcast-listwow-podcast-roundupwow-podcastingwow-podcasts (Anne Stickney) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[I am a killer of guilds]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/i-am-a-killer-of-guilds/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/i-am-a-killer-of-guilds/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/i-am-a-killer-of-guilds/#comments
I have a confession to make: I'm a guild killer.

I don't do it deliberately, I swear. See, back in vanilla, my raid guild lost pretty much all of its officers to EverQuest II right around the time Ahn'Qiraj-40 was coming into play. So the officers who were left (and the new guild leader) decided I should also be an officer -- and I agreed, which was probably the worst decision I've made in my life. Two weeks later, the guild was belly up and I was off trying out a roleplaying server for the first time, since I now had loads of free time to play an alt.

I figured it was simply the lack of leadership experience that had ultimately killed the old guild. The officers who had been promoted weren't really officer material, myself wholeheartedly included. After losing most of our officer corps, the wind had gone right out of the guild's sails, so to speak.

But see ... the trait of guild killing followed me after that. I couldn't help it. And I began to wonder if maybe I am just a terrible, terrible choice for an officer.

Continue reading I am a killer of guilds

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I am a killer of guilds originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guideguide-indexworld-of-warcraft-infoworld-of-warcraft-linksworld-of-warcraft-siteswow-guidewow-guide-indexwow-indexwow-infowow-informationwow-linkswow-site-indexwow-sites (Anne Stickney) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Does being overgeared matter?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/breakfast-topic-does-being-overgeared-matter/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/breakfast-topic-does-being-overgeared-matter/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/breakfast-topic-does-being-overgeared-matter/#comments
I decided to wander into the Dungeon Finder the other night in search of Darkmoon books. There wasn't really any other reason for me to be in there. I had no use for justice points or loot; I just wanted the Darkmoon books so that hopefully I could get my hands on a bear next month.

However, I ridiculously outgear most of the instances I was hopping into -- so I did my best, hitting the tank with Tricks of the Trade, vanishing if I happened to pull aggro, and trying to stay low-key. It didn't really work, however, and there was one guy who was absolutely incensed with the amount of DPS I was pulling -- so much so that he dropped the group.

That bothered me, and it also got me to thinking. Is there really such a thing as being too geared for an instance? Why do people get so upset with people who are overgeared? As far as I was concerned, I wasn't in there to take loot from people; I was in there for a Darkmoon book. Gear upgrades were not on my list of things I was looking for, nor was transmogrification gear. If anything, the gear I'm carrying around and the numbers I'm pulling means it's going to be a slightly easier instance run, so ... I can't really see the reason why people would be upset about it.

What do you do if you run into a random heroic and you find someone who is way overgeared for the content? Do you breathe a sigh of relief and do the dungeon, or do you get upset at the player for being there? If you get upset, well ... why is this a cause for concern? Does it matter what a person's gear is, as long as they're pulling their weight?

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Breakfast Topic: Does being overgeared matter? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionovergearedworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Anne Stickney) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Know Your Lore: Scholomance revisited]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/29/know-your-lore-scholomance-revisited/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/29/know-your-lore-scholomance-revisited/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/29/know-your-lore-scholomance-revisited/#comments
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

On a lone island located in the middle of Darrowmere Lake it sits, the remnants of the keep of Caer Darrow. The history of this isle dates all the way back to the high elves of Quel'Danas, who used the site as the location of one of many runestones the quel'dorei used. But the history of this isle has been lost in the face of far more recent history -- the history of the noble Barov family and their downfall, the history of a school dedicated to horrors the rest of Azeroth would rather forget.

During the Second War, the ancient site was invaded by the Horde, who took the runestone and broke it into pieces that were taken to create Altars of Storms. And some time after that, the Barov line came to own the property, as well as several others across Lordaeron. The Barovs, however, were not content with their mass amounts of land -- they wanted to make sure they held that land and their fortune for as long as possible. And so they struck a deal with a powerful mage, one who could easily give them all they asked and more ... for a price.

The mage's name was Kel'Thuzad.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Scholomance revisited

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Know Your Lore: Scholomance revisited originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alexei-barovalexi-barovbarovcaer-darrowdarkmaster-gandlingfeaturedguideguide-to-loreheroic-scholomanceillucia-barovjandice-barovkel-thuzadkoltira-deathweaverlich-kinglillian-vosslorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidescholomancesylvanas-windrunnerthassarianweldon-barovworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rping (Anne Stickney) Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[How to write a roleplaying description that pops]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/28/how-to-write-a-roleplaying-description-that-pops/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/28/how-to-write-a-roleplaying-description-that-pops/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/28/how-to-write-a-roleplaying-description-that-pops/#comments
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. In World of Warcraft, that player is you! Each week, Anne Stickney brings you All the World's a Stage with helpful hints, tips and tricks on the art of roleplay in WoW.

We're taking a break from our whirlwind tour of Azeroth's finest roleplay locations to address an issue that has come up time and time again -- and will probably continue popping up until the day Warcraft closes the doors to Azeroth for good. There are several addons out there for roleplay, and all of them allow a certain amount of customization to help you build your character whatever way you see fit. Most allow for some degree of character description, and some even allow players to write up a brief character history, as well.

But time and time again, players point out errors in the descriptions of others or flaws in fantastical backstories that simply should not exist in the Warcraft universe. So what makes a good roleplaying description? What should it have, and what should it definitely not mention at all? And perhaps most importantly -- what do you do when you run across a roleplayer whose description is blatantly out of line with Warcraft canon, taking liberties with the lore you love?

Continue reading How to write a roleplaying description that pops

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How to write a roleplaying description that pops originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rping (Anne Stickney) Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Daily Quest: No BlizzCon makes us sad pandaren]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/27/the-daily-quest-no-blizzcon-makes-us-sad-pandaren/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/27/the-daily-quest-no-blizzcon-makes-us-sad-pandaren/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/27/the-daily-quest-no-blizzcon-makes-us-sad-pandaren/#comments
WoW Insider's on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative, and entertaining
WoW-related links from around the blogosphere.

One of the big stories this week is BlizzCon -- or rather, the lack of BlizzCon this year. While I understand the amount of work that goes into making an event as large as BlizzCon successful and I understand that the hours served putting the convention together would better be used on, you know, cool games, I'm still bummed. Partially because last year's convention was so much fun, but mostly because it means I don't get to see everyone again this year. Ah well, I have remodeling to do anyway!

But the rest of the blogosphere has its own reactions regarding the absence of the beloved convention, and we've got a couple of those for you today, as well as a look at a possibly volatile topic.
Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.

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The Daily Quest: No BlizzCon makes us sad pandaren originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guideguide-indexworld-of-warcraft-infoworld-of-warcraft-linksworld-of-warcraft-siteswow-guidewow-guide-indexwow-indexwow-infowow-informationwow-linkswow-site-indexwow-sites (Anne Stickney) Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[World of WarCrafts is taking your submissions!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/26/world-of-warcrafts-is-taking-your-submissions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/26/world-of-warcrafts-is-taking-your-submissions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/26/world-of-warcrafts-is-taking-your-submissions/#comments
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music, fan fiction and more. Sample the whole spectrum on our Arts and Crafts in WoW page.

World of WarCrafts is looking for more crafting creations! Do you make cuddly plush critters like the druid kitties shown above? Or perhaps you spend your time creating parodies of popular music with a Warcraft twist? We are currently looking for more people to interview and feature in World of WarCrafts. If you've got the knack for crafting and some creative projects you'd like to share, don't hesitate to let us know.

What counts as "crafts"? A little bit of everything, really. We've featured makers of plush critters, musicians, creators of fan art and fan fiction, chefs, cakes, and even a bathroom remodel with a Warcraft theme! Amigurumi creations, custom action figures, knitted Warcraft wearables, sculpture, cosplay, and even taxidermy. Basically, if you've created something Warcraft-inspired or -themed and you'd like to share it with the rest of the world, we'd love to hear from you. If you have any friends or family who have creations worth sharing, tell them to send in a submission.

So if you've made some homemade creations that you'd love to share or have a how-to for a fun crafting project, drop us a line and send us a photo or two ... You could be featured soon!
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including arts and crafts, fan art, WoW-themed recipes, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by emailing anne@wowinsider.com with your not-for-profit, WoW-inspired creations.

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World of WarCrafts is taking your submissions! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> craftcraftsfeaturedgame-craftsworld-of-wacraft-craftswow-artwow-artworkwow-craftswow-fanwow-fan-artwow-fan-madewow-fan-made-artwow-fan-made-artworkwow-fans (Anne Stickney) Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Daily Quest: Something old, something new]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/the-daily-quest-something-old-something-new/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/the-daily-quest-something-old-something-new/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/the-daily-quest-something-old-something-new/#comments
WoW Insider's on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative, and entertaining
WoW-related links from around the blogosphere.

After nearly a year of fantastical landscapes torn apart by the havoc of Deathwing's return, I think I can safely say, I'm kind of tired of seeing the world torn apart. Though you can destroy the world in an instant, you can't really say the same for putting it back together again. It makes me wonder if we'll ever see an Azeroth that is healed -- one that has finally recovered from the earthquakes and devastation, one that shows signs of repair. I'm guessing something like that would be a full-scale project the size of Cataclysm itself, however, so I'm not holding my breath. Still ... I kind of miss the tranquil forests of Ashenvale. Being able to run from one end of The Barrens to the other. A Stranglethorn Vale without a giant sinkhole in the middle of it, and a Darkshore minus the tornado.

Today we've got a pretty interesting post about that old feeling everyone is missing, as well as a couple of other interesting ideas and subjects.
Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.

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The Daily Quest: Something old, something new originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguideguide-indexworld-of-warcraft-infoworld-of-warcraft-linksworld-of-warcraft-siteswow-guidewow-guide-indexwow-indexwow-infowow-informationwow-linkswow-site-indexwow-sites (Anne Stickney) Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Who's the new star of the expansion?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/breakfast-topic-whos-the-new-star-of-the-expansion/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/breakfast-topic-whos-the-new-star-of-the-expansion/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/breakfast-topic-whos-the-new-star-of-the-expansion/#comments
You saved the wee turtles! I hope you gently, lovingly kicked them as hard as you possibly could.
Even though Cataclysm signified death and disaster for many beloved NPCs, the expansion introduced many, many others to take their places -- like Mylune, pictured above. Mylune is pretty much my favorite new NPC this expansion, because you really can't do a quest for Mylune without cracking up at her quest text and reactions to your efforts to save all the beloved little animals of Hyjal. Mylune's not just a dryad -- she's got big personality that is reflected through every word of quest text.

But she's not the only one. Take, for example, Johnny Awesome over in Hillsbrad Foothills -- or any of the three "players" you encounter during the Welcome to the Machine quest, really. All of them are reflections of us, in a hysterical, larger-than-life way. Or Lorna Crowley, who introduced herself in Gilneas City with a flower in her hair and a shotgun in her hands. Or Salhet, the weak link in the Tol'vir army who tries his best, even if he isn't amazing at hand-to-hand combat.

There were tons of new NPCs introduced with Cataclysm, but Mylune stands out as one of my favorites, just because she makes me recall the first time I ever clicked on a dryad in vanilla WoW and was greeted with a cheery "Hi there!" in reply. Do you have a favorite NPC that was introduced with Cataclysm? Who stands out in your mind?

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Breakfast Topic: Who's the new star of the expansion? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cataclysmfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionmylunenpcsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Anne Stickney) Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What NPC do you miss the most?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/breakfast-topic-what-npc-do-you-miss-the-most/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/breakfast-topic-what-npc-do-you-miss-the-most/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/breakfast-topic-what-npc-do-you-miss-the-most/#comments
While I was writing last Sunday's Know Your Lore, I started thinking about the world of Azeroth and how much it's changed with Cataclysm. I think one of the most poignant moments of the new expansion for me was playing through the new Darkshore, honestly. Darkshore was one of the zones I leveled in with my very first character way back in vanilla -- and to be perfectly honest, the zone totally stank. I hated almost every minute of it. The running back and forth was ridiculous, and please don't get me started about the Tower of Althalaxx or The Sleeper Has Awakened.

Yet despite the pains of leveling up in the area, despite the soul-crushing annoyance of Deep Ocean, Vast Sea and other quests, I was sort of attached to these NPCs that were sending me on all these wretched missions. And when I played through Darkshore in Cataclysm and saw so many of those old faces dying or gone, it was almost heartbreaking in a way. Which I'm sure is exactly as intended, but there's a part of me that wistfully wishes I could see those old faces again.

I think the NPC I miss the most is Mr. Smite from The Deadmines, pictured above. I mentioned it briefly in Know Your Lore, too. The Deadmines was the first instance I ever ran, and the moment I blew open the doors and first set eyes on a pirate ship in the middle of a mountain was one I really won't ever forget. Part of that moment was Smite's bellow of alarm and the subsequent rush of pirates. Plus Smite's encounter, in which he Warstomped and stunned players long enough to go dig up a bigger, better weapon for smushing, was one of the more memorable encounters from the vanilla instances.

Is this something you've thought about? Are there any NPCs you were particularly attached to? In an expansion where so many are long gone and will never been seen again, which NPCs do you miss the most?

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Breakfast Topic: What NPC do you miss the most? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> darkshoredeadminesfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionmr-smitenpcsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Anne Stickney) Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 16-22, 2012]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/23/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-16-22-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/23/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-16-22-2012/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/23/weekly-podcast-roundup-jan-16-22-2012/#comments
Every Monday evening, WoW Insider brings you a long list of WoW podcasts that were published the week and weekend before. If you don't see your favorite World of Warcraft podcast listed, just let us know in the comments. Be sure to leave a link to it, and we'll pick it up next week.

All podcasts and content belong to their owners. WoW Insider is not responsible for what you hear, and some of the content may not be safe for work.

Continue reading Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 16-22, 2012

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Weekly Podcast Roundup: Jan. 16-22, 2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedpodcastpodcastswow-audiowow-podcastwow-podcast-listwow-podcast-roundupwow-podcastingwow-podcasts (Anne Stickney) Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The Daily Quest: Nerfs, improvements, and items of interest]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/23/the-daily-quest-nerfs-improvements-and-items-of-interest/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/23/the-daily-quest-nerfs-improvements-and-items-of-interest/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/23/the-daily-quest-nerfs-improvements-and-items-of-interest/#comments
WoW Insider's on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative, and entertaining
WoW-related links from around the blogosphere.

Anyone remember the incident shown in the video above? Man, those were the days. The days of bizarrely overpowered stuff that managed to get through the system. The days of endless kiting -- anyone remember Kazzak visiting Stormwind? How about Devilsaurs being kited from Un'Goro Crater to Orgrimmar? Obviously, these sorts of things had to be nerfed eventually. After all, they got in the way of other people's gameplay.

Last week we heard about nerfs of a different kind, however -- the kind in which raid content is nerfed, some say prematurely and others say not. Today, we've got a pretty good post about those nerfs, as well as a couple of other interesting posts for your reading enjoyment.
Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.

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The Daily Quest: Nerfs, improvements, and items of interest originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guideguide-indexworld-of-warcraft-infoworld-of-warcraft-linksworld-of-warcraft-siteswow-guidewow-guide-indexwow-indexwow-infowow-informationwow-linkswow-site-indexwow-sites (Anne Stickney) Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Know Your Lore: Scarlet Monastery revisited]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/22/know-your-lore-scarlet-monastery-revisited/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/22/know-your-lore-scarlet-monastery-revisited/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/01/22/know-your-lore-scarlet-monastery-revisited/#comments The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Number three on the list of Top 10 Lore Developments of 2011 was the subject of progressive instance lore -- the idea that an instance could change over time. We've had a few different examples of this over the past year; Cataclysm launched with heroic versions of both Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep, each with different, new bosses and a full-out story for why these new bosses were present. This was a surprise to those who were simply expecting level 85 versions of the old bosses -- but the new bosses and mechanics were well received.

In addition, 2011 saw the introduction of patch 4.1, in which both Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman were treated to makeovers and presented as 5-man heroics instead of the raids they used to be. Again, these changes were made along with story developments that explained them fully, with a new quest line and a patch cinematic thrown in, to boot. Though the dungeons themselves were incredibly difficult, the story of the rise of the Zandalar Empire and the conflicts with Vol'jin is gripping and still isn't finished being told. But all of this leads to one simple question.

What exactly will we see in heroic Scarlet Monastery?

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Scarlet Monastery revisited

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Know Your Lore: Scarlet Monastery revisited originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> deadminesfeaturedguideguide-to-loreheroic-deadminesheroic-scarlet-monasteryheroic-shadowfang-keephigh-inquisitor-whitemanelillian-vosslorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidescarlet-commander-mograinescarlet-monasteryshadowfang-keeptirisfal-gladesworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingzul-amanzul-gurub (Anne Stickney) Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider