WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. View our terms of service here: http://legal.aol.com/terms-of-service/full-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Chronic rerolling]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/01/08/breakfast-topic-chronic-rerolling/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/01/08/breakfast-topic-chronic-rerolling/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/01/08/breakfast-topic-chronic-rerolling/#comments My friend Jack (name changed to protect the innocent) is a chronic reroller of the worst variety. New server comes out? He is there! He quickly levels until about 35 or so, then another batch of servers hit, and off he goes. He really enjoys the uninflated AH prices, the lack of high levels making him feel inferior when he strolls through Ironforge and the general chaos of the early days of a server. He even admits to enjoying the lame level 25 guild drama.

I mean, he pays fifteen dollars a month, and he should be able to play any way he wants. But on the other hand, chronic rerollers can leave some servers barren after the initial rush. If you check out any of the various WoW census sites, such as Warcraft Realms, you will see some servers barely chugging along. Do chronic rerollers contribute to that?

So what do you guys think? Does Blizzard encourage chronic rerolling with constant new server releases? Wouldn't it be easier to slap the recommended tag on low population realms and get those servers some new blood? Or does it not matter, and they should cater to guys like Jack just like they try to cater to other player types?

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Breakfast Topic: Chronic rerolling originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast topicBreakfastTopicchronic rerollingChronicRerollingrerollingWarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Hand of Ragnaros is a druid weapon]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/breakfast-topic-sulfuras-is-a-druid-weapon/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/breakfast-topic-sulfuras-is-a-druid-weapon/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/breakfast-topic-sulfuras-is-a-druid-weapon/#comments I have seen reports of druids winning the Hand of Ragnaros before. I seem to recall one raidleader handing off the Eye of Sulfuras to his druid girlfriend, but I could be wrong. Hey, it isn't like I committed the brilliant forum thread to memory.

Well, now we have another report of a druid snagging the HoR, this time it's Napier, a druid from the Greymane server. As you can imagine, this thread is dominated by folks either calling Napier the most selfish player in the history of MMORPGs or defending his right to spend his DKP as he sees fit. And yes, Napier has a long-winded response to the haters, which contains his rationale for spending his DKP on the mace. All in all, a typical forum thread, but there are aspects to it which raise some interesting questions...

Shouldn't any DKP system have some kind of priority list or mechanism which prevents warriors from bidding on a caster staff or a druid from, I don't know, snagging a legendary mace which serves him no purpose whatsoever? I have never been in a guild that employed a straight DKP system which didn't make allowances for class needs. There is no way, for example, a hunter could bid on leather, simply because he could wear it.

Is a druid with the HoR the absolute worst example of misguided DKP use? Or have you seen worse? Does your guild restrict rolling on certain items to particular classes? Or is it a free-for-all? And at this point, so close to the expansion release, does it matter who gets what? I mean, we will be upgrading everything very, very soon.

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Breakfast Topic: Hand of Ragnaros is a druid weapon originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Breakfast TopicBreakfastTopicdruiditemslootMCmolten coreMoltenCoreRagnarosSulfurasSulfuras, Hand of RagnarosSulfuras,HandOfRagnarosWarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How to fix the official forums]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/27/breakfast-topic-how-to-fix-the-official-forums/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/27/breakfast-topic-how-to-fix-the-official-forums/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/27/breakfast-topic-how-to-fix-the-official-forums/#comments The WoW.com forums occasionally provide some insight or humor, but for the most part are a cesspool of stupid comments, flaming and ridiculous antics. This is really unfortunate, as while there are a ton of good World of Warcraft community sites out on the net, the WoW.com forums are the most visible and almost certainly the most visited. The forums could really be a place for good discussion...if only they weren't nearly useless in their current form.

My question for you folks is this: Is there any way possible to make the WoW.com forums a useful community building tool? Or is it simply a lost cause? There are some other gaming sites that manage to keep some semblance of order and usefulness...Cheap Ass Gamer and NeoGAF come to mind (albeit on a smaller scale), so it can be done. But how can Blizzard to do it on the scale of the WoW.com forums? Is it an impossible task? Or something that simply requires more community policing and stricter moderation? Any examples of well run WoW forums out there?

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Breakfast Topic: How to fix the official forums originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 27 Dec 2006 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast topicBreakfastTopicforumsmessage boardsMessageBoardsworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwowwow.com forumsWow.comForums (David Nelson) Wed, 27 Dec 2006 08:31:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[A couple holiday goodies from Blizzard]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/23/a-couple-holiday-goodies-from-blizzard/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/23/a-couple-holiday-goodies-from-blizzard/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/23/a-couple-holiday-goodies-from-blizzard/#comments

Blizzard has given us a couple holiday gifts, and both are pretty darn cool.
  • First, Blizzard brings us some holiday-inspired WoW themed wallpaper to bring the festivities to our desktops. A blood elf kid trying to kill the the gnome baby with her missile boots? I am liking these blood elves more and more each day!
  • Blizzard has a hilarious new holiday skit available for download, in which a classy blood elf and his murloc producer tryout new voice talent for the Burning Crusade. I'd go into more detail, but I don't want to spoil it for you. However, I will admit, the troll towards the beginning had me laughing out loud. You can download The Night Before Wintervale in the mp3 format here.

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A couple holiday goodies from Blizzard originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> humor blizzardHumorBlizzardmp3twas the night before wintervaelTwasTheNightBeforeWintervaelworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:44:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: WoW as a holiday gift]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/23/breakfast-topic-wow-as-a-holiday-gift/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/23/breakfast-topic-wow-as-a-holiday-gift/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/23/breakfast-topic-wow-as-a-holiday-gift/#comments I have one of THOSE friends. You know the type. He loves videogames. Has a 360 and Wii, plays a ton of games on his PC and is the very definition of a hardcore gamer. He really enjoyed Warcraft III and Starcraft. He played Diablo II until his mouse broke. However, there is one issue with this guy...he absolutely refuses to buy World of Warcraft. He won't even download the demo. He tried Everquest once, hated it, and swore he would never play one of those MMORPGs again.

He had the same attitude about Diablo II, thinking it to be too "nerdy" for him. But once he finally broke down and bought it he played for months on end. I am 100% confident that if I bought him World of Warcraft and a two-month gamecard, he would eventually, at the very least, give the game a try. And I just know he'll like it. Then I'd have my friend to adventure with in Azeroth.

Or maybe I should just let him be and not expose him to the WoW addiction. Hah.
So, my question for you guys...should I pick this up for him or not? Is WoW a good holiday gift? Have you ever given WoW as a gift?

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Breakfast Topic: WoW as a holiday gift originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 23 Dec 2006 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast topicBreakfastTopicfeaturesworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwowwow presentWowPresent (David Nelson) Sat, 23 Dec 2006 08:03:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Club: All good things...]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/breakfast-club-all-good-things/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/breakfast-club-all-good-things/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/breakfast-club-all-good-things/#comments

We wrap up our look at the best Breakfast Topics of the year with four topics that don't really fit into any particular theme, but were fun anyway!
  • Everyone likes to complain. Don't believe me? Check out the forums sometime! Elizabeth tapped into our natural desire to whine with her question...what's the biggest problem with World of Warcraft today? What was the number one problem according to the comment crew? Other players.
  • Why doesn't every spider have legs? Why is that bear carrying around a shotgun? That makes no sense! In reading through the comments, Threadrick asks the question I have often wondered...where do mounts go when you aren't riding them?
  • With the Burning Crusade right around the corner, I began to wonder what would happen to Blackwing Lair and Naxx. Apparently so did a lot of you folks, as we got a ton of comments regarding the fate of endgame instances come the expansion release. While some players felt they would instantly become ghost towns, others hoped Blizzard would rebalance the encounters and the loot tables to make them viable again. Here's hoping it's the latter.
  • You just know when you start an instance and you have your priest rolling need on leather, it's going to be a long night. Sometimes, you just know your group is doomed. For being a topic full of humor, the best response was a serious one from Hugh "Nomad" Hancock, who claims he knows a group is doomed when he notices the people he is adventuring with are rude jerks. I find this to be true nearly all the time. The more rude the group, the less likely it is we ever finish.
Well, that's it for 2006. We've had some great discussions about PvP, buying gold, classes and guilds. And I imagine in 2007 we'll be talking a good bit about the Burning Crusade, and hopefully start hearing rumblings of a new expansion on the horizon!

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Breakfast Club: All good things... originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:06:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[No maintenance this Tuesday]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/no-maintenance-this-tuesday/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/no-maintenance-this-tuesday/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/22/no-maintenance-this-tuesday/#comments There will be no regular Tuesday maintenance this week. That would be Tuesday, December 26th for you calendar impaired folks. Is this a late Christmas present from Blizzard? Well...sort of. According to Drysc, the retrofits they have been doing to server hardware over the past year have made it possible to go longer than one week in between maintenance periods. Good news!

For those of you behind a firewall at work, here is Drysc's post in it's entirety:

"Since the game's release, one of our most important service goals has been to reduce the amount of time realms are down for weekly realm maintenance. The various hardware upgrades and retrofits we've done over the past year have put us in a position to begin testing the ability to go longer than a week between maintenance periods.

In the upcoming weeks, we will be testing the effect of a live maintenance, where regular maintenance tasks are run during off-peak with realms live. On Tuesday, December 26 there will be no scheduled downtime for weekly maintenance. We will perform all necessary maintenance tasks while the realms are live. We are anticipating the possibility that we may need to perform rolling restarts off-peak if we find that a realm restart is necessary; however the downtime for each realm would be less than 10 minutes if it was required."

It would be really nice if this holds and we can make the Tuesday downtime a thing of the past.

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No maintenance this Tuesday originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> downtimemaintenanceTuesdayTuesday DowntimeTuesday MaintenanceTuesdayDowntimeTuesdayMaintenanceworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Fri, 22 Dec 2006 08:04:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum Post of the Day: Twas the Night Before BC]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/forum-post-of-the-day-twas-the-night-before-bc/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/forum-post-of-the-day-twas-the-night-before-bc/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/forum-post-of-the-day-twas-the-night-before-bc/#comments

I read a lot of bad attempts at being clever in the forums. I see tons and tons of bad PvP videos. It is a pretty rare event when I am impressed by anything that is posted in the WoW.com forums. But this poem written by Scrann from the Earthen Ring server is really, really impressive. He takes Twas the Night Before Christmas, puts a World of Warcraft spin on it and it works perfectly.

For those of you behind firewalls at work, I have included the entire text of the poem below and after the jump. Enjoy!


Twas the night before BC, and in World of Warcraft
Not a creature would /stir, /sing, /dance, /silly, or /laugh
The servers were hung, all instancing ceased
In hopes the expansion would soon be released

The children were nustled all snug in their beds
(Only orcs; no young tauren, trolls, or undeads)
And I, in my warlord's gear, from PvP
Had just trekked to the inn for some rested XP

When out by the bank there arose such dissent
I wondered if Blizzard started a world event
I went into cat form, to ensure my good health
If demons were invading, I was gonna be stealthed

Continue reading Forum Post of the Day: Twas the Night Before BC

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Forum Post of the Day: Twas the Night Before BC originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> humortwas the night before christmasTwasTheNightBeforeChristmasWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Club: The art of ganking]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/breakfast-club-the-art-of-ganking/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/breakfast-club-the-art-of-ganking/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/breakfast-club-the-art-of-ganking/#comments This week we are reviewing some of the more interesting Breakfast Topics of 2006. And what roundup of Breakfast Topics would be complete without discussing everyone's favorite WoW activity: ganking! Last October I posed the question...carebear or ruthless ganker? I learned several things from the comments:
  • First off, just because you frown on ganking and corpse camping doesn't mean you are a carebear. However, if you really enjoy ganking and corpse camping, it is probably safe to say that you are ruthless.
  • Quite a few folks really, really enjoy the ganking aspect of a PvP server. Both on the giving and receiving end. I can see this point completely. I enjoy ganking the occasional Night Elf, and I enjoy leveling in contested areas knowing something very bad could happen at any point.
  • Vlad put it best when he said "hey, it happened to me so I'm going to make sure it happens to everyone." That might be the truest statement ever made in regards to PvP servers. I got relentlessly ganked by 60s during my 30s. So when I hit 60? I killed everything I could. Heck, one of those 34s I am ganking might be the alt of one of the 60s who caused me so much grief in the Hinterlands way back when. I never camped, but every gnome on my server was killed on sight.
  • And lastly, some wise words from Roseroyce04: "Do not EVER gank (cross faction duels don't count) someone unless you're confident you're going to win. Because if you fail, you will suffer." How true is that? If you attempt to gank someone while they are at half health and engaged with a mob, and you fail? Um...prepare to be camped my friend.
And beyond just the good times of ganking, or not ganking, we also discussed what is okay in a duel. Are potions alright? Oh yes...I almost forgot the new PvP system!

Have any new insight or thoughts on any of these topics? If so, please share!

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Breakfast Club: The art of ganking originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast clubbreakfast topicsBreakfastClubBreakfastTopicsPVPworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[WoW Blog Roundup: Holiday edition]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/wow-blog-roundup-holiday-edition/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/wow-blog-roundup-holiday-edition/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/wow-blog-roundup-holiday-edition/#comments

What brings holiday cheer all year round? How about the WoW community? For sure!
  • The Escapist brings us an excellent article by Michael Zenke in which he describes his disappointment upon returning to World of Warcraft for the holidays. His sad tale is complete with a lack of holiday spirit as well as a guild that has been blown to pieces. Merry Christmas!
  • Mommy, what is that tiger doing to that reindeer? Maybe you don't want to know. AgentMichi from WoW_Ladies has some amusing screenshots of some great World of Warcraft graphical bugs.
  • Not Addicted has some shopping tips for those of us looking for a last-second present. No, not from Target or Macy's, rather, from the fine stores inside Azeroth. How about some goggles for dear Aunt Trudy?
  • Finally, Tobold gives us an early gift with his outlook on World of Warcraft in 2007. Not really so much from a gameplay standpoint, but rather from a business and subscriber point of view. As usual, Tobold makes some good points, and contends that 2007 will be WoW's peak year, and while it will still be millions of members strong, 2007 might be the summit of Warcraft's popularity.
If you see an interesting blog post, let us know!

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WoW Blog Roundup: Holiday edition originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> christmasholidaynot addictedNotAddictedreindeertoboldworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow blog roundupWowBlogRoundup (David Nelson) Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Club: Gold buying is naughty]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/breakfast-club-gold-buying-is-naughty/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/breakfast-club-gold-buying-is-naughty/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/breakfast-club-gold-buying-is-naughty/#comments We have had a lot of Breakfast Topics over the course of the past year. Some subjects are more popular than others. Some topics only appeal to certain classes. Some only to PVP junkies or the Naxx raiding crew. And then some topics completely explode and become the most commented on Breakfast Topic thread of the year.

Gold buying and you is the topic that inspired more comments, and more arguments, than any post this year. It started innocently enough. One of my guildies mentioned he had bought gold, was promptly tossed from my guild, and I wrote a post about it. You guys took it from there. There seemed to be three camps of folks in the comment thread...
  • People who don't condone gold buying under any circumstance. Shadowbrand hopes that those that buy gold get "ganked until the end of time." Pretty harsh! They blame the overpriced economy on gold farmers, and ultimately on the gold buyers. Gold buying is bad!
  • Another, more neutral group, that while they don't buy gold, can see why someone might. Lykaon makes the point that gold farming equals time and time equals money. He thinks gold is easy to get, so he doesn't buy any, but he could see the rationale behind those that do. If you don't have the time to farm it, why not buy it?
  • A rather vocal minority who believe that buying gold is just fine, and that everyone else is on the wrong page on this issue. Forsaken points out that he has bought plenty of gold, and having a wife and kids makes it too time consuming to spend hours and hours mindlessly farming.
So there you have it. If you haven't read the comments in the gold buying Breakfast Topic, you really should. A lot of our readers went out of their way with some really excellent comments. Of course, some of the conversations get a little heated, but hey, it's still fun to read! And if you have any new opinions on gold buying, by all means, leave your comments right here!

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Breakfast Club: Gold buying is naughty originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 08:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast clubbreakfast topicBreakfastClubBreakfastTopicgoldgold buyinggold farmersgold farmingGoldBuyingGoldFarmersGoldFarminghotworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Wed, 20 Dec 2006 08:09:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Three hundred days played]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/19/three-hundred-days-played/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/19/three-hundred-days-played/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/19/three-hundred-days-played/#comments I honestly don't know how many days played I have across all my toons. Maybe around 130 or so? Probably more than that, and definitely more than I'd care to admit over dinner with my family next week. But certainly less than 200. And absolutely nowhere near 300.

According to this thread, Stian, from the Destromath realm, has over 300 days played. The odd thing is, it took him a little over 40 days to reach level 60. That seems like a long time for the 1-60 grind. Maybe he spent a lot of time camping the Auction House while at work which contributed to his long days played to 60, and his rather notable days played. As you can imagine, the forum trolls were less than kind:
  • Monkyman from Uldum claims that Stian pulled a Homer Simpson and had one of those little bobbing bird things hitting his keyboard to keep the toon logged into the game 24-7.
  • Plenty of folks declared Stian to have absolutely no life. This response should be in the Forum Trolling for Beginners handbook.
  • Another smaller group then defended him against the "haters". This response would be in the Advanced Forum Trolling 101 textbook.
  • Many folks noticed that he has nine ranks of starfire on his hotbar.
  • Finally, Taranis from Cho'Gall breaks out the South Park staple "How can you kill, that which has no life?"
I am not the kind of guy to judge, afterall, I write for a WoW blog, but 300 days played just seems excessive. Maybe he spent a lot of time AFK, or camps the auction house. I just can't believe he physically sat at his keyboard and played one character for 300 days over the course of two years.

What do you guys think? Did he pad his days played? And if he did, why in the world would he want to do that? Or is he simply the poster child for WoW addicts everywhere?

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Three hundred days played originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> days playedDaysPlayeddestromath serverDestromathServerworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:43:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Club: Class in session]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/19/breakfast-club-class-in-session/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/19/breakfast-club-class-in-session/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/19/breakfast-club-class-in-session/#comments

We enjoyed talking about guilds, no doubt. But what kind of Breakfast Topic did we enjoy chatting about more than any other in 2006? Classes.
  • Have you heard about the Burning Crusade expansion? Hah. Anyway, Elizabeth wonders what class you folks will be playing come the expansion. I am working on a rogue and a pally, but I might just start a warrior come January 16th. Heck...who am I kidding? I can't give up my super-overpowered warlock!
  • We have been playing the same nine classes for darn near two years. Wouldn't it be nice to have some new classes to play? I liked the idea of a battlemage, while necromancer and bard were some of the favorite choices of the comment crew.
  • Which class is the the easiest? Hunter? Warlock? Well, Elizabeth says hunter. I had an easy time with my warlock. Comment crew agreed with Elizabeth.
  • Beyond how easy a class is to level, or how powerful it is, the question is simply...which class is the most fun to play? I really, really enjoyed my priest way back when, and I am really liking my rogue right now. I'd say warlock, but you are probably sick of hearing me talk about my damn warlock.
  • Everyone remembers their first. First class that is. Mine was a rogue, which I retired, but have recently revisited. Good times!
  • Finally, every class got a review. Some liked theirs more than others. As a priest when they were reviewed, I was initially happy. Then not so much.
And hey, if you have changed your opinion, or you weren't a regular when these topics were discussed, feel free to chime in! Any ideas for fun new classes? How about some new insight on your class review?

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Breakfast Club: Class in session originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast topicBreakfastTopicclassesNew classesNewClassesWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:09:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The snowball griefing era has come to a close]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/the-snowball-griefing-era-has-come-to-a-close/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/the-snowball-griefing-era-has-come-to-a-close/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/the-snowball-griefing-era-has-come-to-a-close/#comments And what a glorious era it was! Tigole has announced that Blizzard has applied a hotfix which will accomplish the following:
  • Regular snowballs will no longer knockdown groupmates in the battlegrounds. Why? Well, with forced grouping, Blizzard doesn't want you to get stuck with a team-hating type who will constantly knock you on your butt via a well-placed snowball.
  • Hardpacked snowballs may now only be used against the enemy. This should hopefully stop the griefing, which was apparently pretty annoying for those trying to rack up some honor.
I can't think of many people being too unhappy with these changes, unless they enjoyed the thrill of annoying their teammates. Actually, there is quite the spirited discussion in the hotfix thread in the forums, as some folks will dearly miss those snowballs.

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The snowball griefing era has come to a close originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hard packed snowballshardpacked snowballsHardPackedSnowballsPvPSnowballworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum Post of the Day: Westfall]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/forum-post-of-the-day-westfall/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/forum-post-of-the-day-westfall/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/forum-post-of-the-day-westfall/#comments

This forum thread isn't particularly long, but it is actually useful, and prompts some additional thought and discussion. Imagine that! The original poster, Revelatia from Demon Soul, complains that he/she is ready for Westfall too soon after running out of quests in Elwynn. Level 9 questing in Westfall? Not much fun. To my surprise, instead of incredibly stupid responses and sarcastic "NOOB!" replies, Revelatia spurs a good conversation on Alliance-side low-level questing. Even Drysc gets in on the action. Some of the replies include...
  • Bouncing back and forth between other starting areas. I do this a lot myself. I do all the low-level quests in Loch Modan, roll into Westfall around level 13 and then quest and grind myself all the way up to level 17 or so before I start looking for new adventure.
  • Make sure you do ALL the quests in Elwynn. This includes the farm quests in the South and the logging camp quests in the East.
  • You could do some of the higher-level quests in Dun Morogh. I have to admit, I tend to avoid Dun Morogh. Too much running in my opinion.
It's always nice to get a forum thread that is constructive and not overrun with lame replies. And this one is useful as well! Win-win.

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Forum Post of the Day: Westfall originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ElwynnLoch ModanLochModanStarting AreasStartingAreasWestfallWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:15:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Club: We love guilds]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/breakfast-club-we-love-guilds/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/breakfast-club-we-love-guilds/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/breakfast-club-we-love-guilds/#comments

After an entire year of Breakfast topic posts, thousands of comments and some spirited conversations, we thought it would be a good idea to round up the best of the best Breakfast Topics for your perusal this week as you pretend to work and watch the clock.

While there has been no shortage of interesting subjects and comments, my favorite Breakfast Topics usually revolve around the social aspects of WoW. And what brings us all together with a group of like minded folks? Guilds!
  • Guild names are sometimes a point of pride, sometimes aim to make a statement, and are sometimes just funny. This Breakfast Topic brought the more amusing guild names of the year to the forefront. Some of my favorites from the comments include: Newb Orc Gankees, Holy Gnoman Empire and Sez Pull My Finger.
  • And when guilds aren't going for a funny name, or a creative name, they go for the always popular generic, over-used name. Heroes of the Alliance? Knights of the Alliance? Champions of the Horde? Hmmm...they really went out of their way there, didn't they? I can't complain, as I was in Lethal Alliance for a good long while, and if that isn't generic, I don't know what is.
  • Finally, when people aren't trying to name their guilds, they are thinking about joining one. How exactly does one go about doing that? Some of the comments from our readers really lay out some good strategies for finding the perfect home.
And hey...this is a Breakfast Topic in itself! So feel free to let us know any recent good guild names, totally over-used trash or some helpful guild-hunting tips!

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Breakfast Club: We love guilds originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Best of Breakfast TopicsBestOfBreakfastTopicsBreakfast TopicsBreakfastTopicsGuildsWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Mon, 18 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[WoW Rookie: Soulstone and you]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/wow-rookie-soulstone-and-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/wow-rookie-soulstone-and-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/wow-rookie-soulstone-and-you/#comments As a priest, pally or possibly a lower level shaman, you are often bestowed with the responsibility of a soulstone, giving you the ability to self-rez. And as we all learned from Uncle Ben in Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility. If you have never had the chance to be on the receiving end of a soulstone, it is easy to make a rookie mistake. While it is by no means complex, there are certain do's and don'ts that aren't always obvious. With that in mind, here are some things to remember if you are given a soulstone...
  • If you are new to the soulstone business, odds are your warlock is too. If you have never played a warlock, you might assume that when a soulstone expires some kind of elaborate fireworks display appears in the warlock's UI, informing them that the group is screwed if they wipe if he doesn't conjure another stone. Without a proper mod, this is not the case. Odds are your new level 21 warlock friend doesn't have the fancy mod. So pay attention to your soulstone, and when you see it expire, or a minute or two before it expires, let your warlock know in party chat or in a /whisper. Your lock will usually appreciate it.

Continue reading WoW Rookie: Soulstone and you

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WoW Rookie: Soulstone and you originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> InstancepaladinpriestshamanSoulstonewarlockWipingWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftwowWoW RookieWowRookie (David Nelson) Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:40:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The art of switching your main]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/the-art-of-switching-your-main/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/the-art-of-switching-your-main/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/the-art-of-switching-your-main/#comments Switching your main is easy enough if you are in a very casual guild, or not in a guild at all. You simply say to yourself..."Hey! I want to be a rogue now." No problem! You're a rogue! How about when you are in a raiding guild, or a hardcore pvp guild, and you have been raiding with your mage and you want to start raiding with your rogue? And you want to roll on loot? Problem! Or at least there has been in every raiding guild I have been in.

Why? Well, the reason most commonly given is that you spent the last few months raiding and equipping that mage, and it would be unfair to retire the mage and start over as a rogue. After all, the guild has equipped that mage, and all that loot would be wasted. I totally get that point of view, and it is a reasonable one. I mean, if you let one person change their class, what if everyone does? That would really kill progression. However, some of the folks who want to change mains see it a different way. They want to change because they are bored, and isn't playing a game supposed to be about the fun? And from another point of view, you are running the risk of losing the mage-wannabe-rogue if he gets fed up and rerolls on another server. If a player is fun to have around and not a drama queen, why not give into their wishes? Is it worth losing a good player over 4 pieces of tier 2 gear? I can really see both sides of the issue.

With that said, I have never been in a raiding guild that allowed someone to switch their main under any circumstance, and in talking to some of my friends today, neither have they. Once you roll on that first piece of BWL or MC loot, you are essentially committing to your character for the rest of your tenure with the guild.

And another thought, with The Burning Crusade right around the corner, wouldn't now be a perfect time to allow folks to switch mains if they so wish? By the time everyone regroups at level 70 to start endgame raiding, most, if not all, of your current gear is going to be replaced. That means, provided the guild has a good balance of classes, that the switching of the main is not hurting the guild or "wasting gear." Of course, you'd have some folks raiding with new classes, and there would be a learning curve with that, but that is to be expected. And with all the new talents, spells and encounters, there would be a learning curve anyway.

So what do you guys think? Do any raiding guilds allow the switching of mains? And if they do, how is it handled? Finally, is the expansion release the perfect time to switch classes without a penalty?

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The art of switching your main originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Guild RulesGuildRuleshardcore raid guildHardcoreRaidGuildRaidingSwitching your mainSwitchingYourMainWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:03:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: You didn't know that?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/breakfast-topic-you-didnt-know-that/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/breakfast-topic-you-didnt-know-that/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/breakfast-topic-you-didnt-know-that/#comments This past April, I had been playing World of Warcraft for one and a half years. I had all the latest add-ons, knew the math behind all the stats for my characters, participated in plenty of online discussions, was an officer in a BWL guild and was basically a WoW dork to the extreme. Then on one April afternoon I was playing WoW at my friends house and went to loot a corpse. I right clicked on the corpse, the window popped up, and I clicked on the silver and cloth, then moved onto the next mob.

My friend looked at me like I was a moron, and asked..."Um, don't you shift-click?". I said no. He laughed. Then he told me that when you loot a mob, if you hold down the shift key, you will auto-loot and save yourself a little time. And I have been shift-clicking ever since. And to this day I don't know how I played for 18 months with that little bit of information alluding me.

What about you guys? Anything in World of Warcraft that you discovered way, way after you should have?

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Breakfast Topic: You didn't know that? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast topicBreakfastTopicshift lootingshift-click lootingShift-clickLootingShiftLootingwarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Bad Guys?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/11/breakfast-topic-bad-guys/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/11/breakfast-topic-bad-guys/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/11/breakfast-topic-bad-guys/#comments When I first started playing Warcraft games, way back in high school, I always chose the humans in multiplayer. Why? Well, I was a pretty straight laced fellow, and the humans were the good guys! The orcs were terrible, evil folks who allied themselves with the equally as nasty trolls. And ogres. Why would I want to associate myself with that? Then after Warcraft III hit, the line was completely blurred between the good and bad. The orcs didn't seem so terrible, and boy, those humans sure did screw things up. The storyline in World of Warcraft has really done nothing to change that blurred line.

Which leads me to my question for you folks...is there any true villain race or faction in WoW? Sure, the Undead seem kind of creepy, and they send you off on some truly questionable quests, but they are counterbalanced by the Tauren, who I think may be the most virtuous race in the game. And for some reason, don't the humans seem a little shady? Onyxia fools them and hangs out in their capital city and, in all honesty, I think they stuck it to Van Cleef. Come the expansion...what about the Blood Elves? They surely don't seem as nice and docile as their Night Elf cousins.

So what do you guys think? Which WoW race is the most evil? Which one the most noble?

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Breakfast Topic: Bad Guys? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Breakfast TopicBreakfastTopicFactionsRacesWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraft (David Nelson) Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Some weekend WoW humor]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/10/some-weekend-wow-humor/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/10/some-weekend-wow-humor/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/10/some-weekend-wow-humor/#comments

After a week of bugs and endless forum whining, I think we could all use a little funny...

Today we salute you, Mr. Suddenly Has To Go Right After a Wipe Guy. Soapygirl over at WoW_Ladies has a hilarious post from her raid leader about people who bail on raids early. It is in the style of those "Real Men of Genius" beer commercials, and it is one of the funnier things I have seen in a good while. If I was creative at all I'd try one of my own, but I'm not, so I'll spare you the lameness.

If you are looking to quit a guild, or WoW itself, you could do it the classy way. Or you could do it the Not Addicted way. Quickly spending all your DKP to maximize your loot to sell on Ebay? Good idea! Long, boring, self-serving WoW farewell letter in the forums? The more flame-worthy, the better! As with most Not Addicted material, there is some truth in the humor, and some realistic suggestions for ending your WoW career with bang while not annoying your entire server. Bonus!

If you see a funny World of Warcraft blog post or forum entry, let us know!

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Some weekend WoW humor originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 10 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Quitting World of WarcraftQuitting WoWQuittingWorldOfWarcraftQuittingWowWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Sun, 10 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Burning Crusade opening cinematic]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/09/burning-crusade-opening-cinematic/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/09/burning-crusade-opening-cinematic/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/09/burning-crusade-opening-cinematic/#comments
One of the folks who attended the award show taped the presentation with what appears to be his her camcorder. You can see the opening cinematic on the big movie-like screen, clearly hear the voice-overs and the music. Yes, it has the quality of that copy of Spiderman 2 you bought from the vendor in New York City, but it is still plenty worth watching. And we get the full treatment Wednesday night!

[Thanks to lilfuzz6 for throwing this on YouTube]

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Burning Crusade opening cinematic originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Burning CrusadeBurning Crusade Opening CinematicBurningCrusadeBurningCrusadeOpeningCinematicOpening Movie Burning CrusadeOpeningMovieBurningCrusadeWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:25:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Does 2.0.1 Indicate the Expansion Might Not Be Ready?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/breakfast-topic-does-2-0-1-indicate-the-burning-crusades-readin/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/breakfast-topic-does-2-0-1-indicate-the-burning-crusades-readin/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/breakfast-topic-does-2-0-1-indicate-the-burning-crusades-readin/#comments Well, this patch launch has not been smooth, even by the rather meager standards of the patches that have come before it. The downtime hasn't been horrible, but some promised features are not working as intended, and there have been bugs, bugs and more bugs.

Being the natural pessimist that I am, it got me thinking...if this is what was "ready" from The Burning Crusade expansion, um...what kind of shape is that expansion in? Will it possibly be ready for it's January 16th debut? Now, as I understand it, this patch contains basically the backbone of the expansion, so maybe this is really the hard part, and adding The Burning Crusade will not be nearly as traumatic. But, as I have mentioned before, I know nothing about producing software. With that said, my belief that the Burning Crusade is definitely hitting on January 16th has gone from no doubt (which was probably naive in the first place) to something a bit less sure.

So what do you guys think? Is this patch a harbinger of things to come? Either a messy expansion release or a possible delay? Or am I reading too much into 2.0.1?

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Breakfast Topic: Does 2.0.1 Indicate the Expansion Might Not Be Ready? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Burning Crusade DelayBurningCrusadeDelayThe Burning CrusadeTheBurningCrusadeWorld of Warcraft ExpansionWorld of Warcraft Expansion DelayWorldOfWarcraftExpansionWorldOfWarcraftExpansionDelayWoW (David Nelson) Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Blizzard to offer compensation for patch issues]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/blizzard-to-offer-compensation-for-patch-issues/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/blizzard-to-offer-compensation-for-patch-issues/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/blizzard-to-offer-compensation-for-patch-issues/#comments Blizzard recently announced that they will be giving players a 24 hour time extension on all active accounts to make up for the difficulties of the past few days. Good news!

Now I know a lot of folks fall into the camp of "Well, it's fifty cents...who cares?" And really, if I think about it, I don't care about fifty cents either. You can't even buy a candy bar or a cup of coffee for that anymore. But, for me anyway, it is more the act of them admitting there was an error and trying to correct it in a manner that costs themselves money. They are basically forking over a days revenue, which is no small thing. While I'd prefer for them to keep my fifty cents and provide a patch that worked 100% of the time, it is nice they are admitting their problems.

Does this make any of you guys a little less annoyed? Or does it simply not matter and you only want to see a fully functioning game?

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Blizzard to offer compensation for patch issues originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Compensation for downtimeCompensationForDowntimePatch 2.0.1Patch2.0.1World of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Something that is working as intended in the new patch]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/something-that-is-awesome-in-the-new-patch/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/something-that-is-awesome-in-the-new-patch/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/something-that-is-awesome-in-the-new-patch/#comments The wrong stuff is dropping in raids. The LFG system is hated by many, loved by some. There are 201 problems with 2.0.1. The servers haven't really been stable. The arenas are nowhere to be found.

Yes, if you want to find the negative in 2.0.1, you can find it. But thanks to a reminder from one of our fine readers, I am going to focus for a minute on something about this patch that is actually working and I am pretty darn happy about. We can now have 25 quests in our logs! I can't tell you how many times, especially in the 40-60 area, that I have a completely jammed quest log. With so many quests requiring travel, stacking the quests for efficiency became a pain. This allows more quest stacking, and stops the dropping of quests you'd like to complete, but need to abandon to free up some space. Until you hit 25 quests that is. Come to think of it, why not expand it to 30?

So during this week of some disappointment and lack of quality game time, it is good to know something is working as intended. So go and fill up your quest logs!

[Thanks Rocklands!]

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Something that is working as intended in the new patch originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2.0.1Expanded Quest LogExpandedQuestLogQuest LogQuestLogTwenty Five QuestsTwentyFiveQuestsWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraft (David Nelson) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[New LFG system]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/new-lfg-system/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/new-lfg-system/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/new-lfg-system/#comments So...it has been a couple of days, and I still don't know if I like the new LFG system. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate that Blizzard is giving the idea a shot, but I still have some problems with it. I think some of my problems stem from the feeling (correctly or not) that I have "lost control" of the situation. Instead of occasionally throwing up my "DM LF2M" message in a channel, I am sitting there waiting, with no response. As you'd imagine, the forum folks have some complaints. Some of the more common gripes:
  • The system counts paladins, druids and warriors as tanks, and shamans, paladins, priests and druids as healers. Now this system would work OK if you end up with a rogue, hunter, druid, shammy and mage, provided everyone is specced for their task. But if the druid is a moonkin and the shammy is dual wielding? That could be a problem.
  • You can't look for more than three instances at a time. If someone is a new level 60, and would happily hit Dire Maul, Scholo, Strat or LBRS, they can't let this preference be known.
  • Not enough people are using it. I know it has only been online for a couple days, but I have run into this problem myself. Some forum folks are claiming that the system itself is too difficult for people to use, which is keeping players away, but it seems pretty straightforward to me.
  • The level restrictions seem a tad off. For example, some players were complaining about a level 40 being able to LFG for Mara.
  • The lack of support for things like PVP raids.
  • When you are on an alt, you can't search for groups for your main. You can't find people looking for Scholo if you are on your level 33.
I don't agree with all of these complaints, and some of them seem downright petty, but those are the most common I have seen. Now, granted, a lot of these problems could be solved by shooting someone a tell, but I am getting the impression that a lot of players were expecting the new LFG to be an all-in-one solution, which it isn't. With the way people are using LFG now, it is functioning more like a transportable meeting stone, which is fine, but I guess some people were expecting a lot more.

What do you guys think? Have you made use of the channel? Any suggestions on improvements?

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New LFG system originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> LFGLooking For groupLookingForGroupNew LFG systemNewLfgSystemPatch 2.0.1Patch2.0.1World of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:32:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Judgement dropping for Horde? Working as intended.]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/judgement-dropping-for-horde-working-as-intended/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/judgement-dropping-for-horde-working-as-intended/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/judgement-dropping-for-horde-working-as-intended/#comments A few different folks have reported in the Blizzard forums that some pally gear has been dropping for the Horde in the raid instances, and shammy gear has been dropping for the Alliance. Is it January 16th yet? Can I go ahead and make that Blood Elf pally? Uh....no.

According to Drysc in the World of Warcraft forums, the drops were a known problem, and a small price to pay to get the patch into our hands. As you can imagine, the forums are full of angry players. One Horde guild reported getting two Judgement Crowns off of Onyxia. Ouch. Not the end of the world, of course, but plenty frustrating. What I don't understand is why they can't adjust the loot tables for the time being, as it doesn't seem like something that complicated to do. However, I know about as much about complex computer gaming code as I do about launching rockets, which is to say, not a whole heck of a lot.

So...have any of you Alliance guys come across any sharp looking Earhfury gear?

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Judgement dropping for Horde? Working as intended. originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> OnyxiaPatch 2.0Patch 2.0.1Patch2.0Patch2.0.1Raid Gear PaladinRaid Gear ShamanRaidGearPaladinRaidGearShamanworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[WoW Blog Roundup: 2.0.1 Edition]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/06/wow-blog-roundup/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/06/wow-blog-roundup/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/06/wow-blog-roundup/#comments The patch came out yesterday and as you'd imagine, we have some opinions from around the WoW blogging community...

  • Paladin Sucks checks in with an interesting piece regarding 2.0.1 pally specs (go figure) and why they like the talent system. Paladin Sucks likes something? Wow!
If you happen to read a good blog entry, or you write one yourself, let us know!

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WoW Blog Roundup: 2.0.1 Edition originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AFK GamerAfkGamerBefore The StormBeforeTheStormPaladinPatch 2.0Patch2.0SpecsTalent SpecsTalentSpecsToboldWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoW (David Nelson) Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Best Looking Tier Set]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/05/breakfast-topic-best-looking-tier-set/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/05/breakfast-topic-best-looking-tier-set/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/05/breakfast-topic-best-looking-tier-set/#comments We saw the tier 5 video yesterday, and it got me thinking...which of the tier sets look the best? I will admit to being partial to the tier 2 paladin set, simply because it looks positively awesome...less so when some pally is bubble hearthing in front of me, but awesome nonetheless.

Another set that I find rather interesting is the warlock tier 3 set. Sure, it makes warlocks look a little like Sand People, but there is something about it that makes me want to look at it. Whether I want to look at it because I like it, or because I am fascinated by it's lameness, I am not entirely sure.

What do you guys think? What is the best looking tier set out there?

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Breakfast Topic: Best Looking Tier Set originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> azerothbreakfast topicbreakfast topicsBreakfastTopicBreakfastTopicstier 5Tier5warcraftworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[A few patch related items]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/a-couple-patch-related-items/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/a-couple-patch-related-items/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/a-couple-patch-related-items/#comments Just a reminder for you guys about a few Blizzard announcements in regards to tomorrow's maintenance...
Good luck downloading and installing the patch, and see you all in the arena!

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A few patch related items originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2.0.1azerothmaintenancepatchpatch 2.0.1patchespatchingtuesday maintenanceTuesdayMaintenancewarcraftworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:45:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Soooo...how bad is it going to be?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/soooo-how-bad-is-it-going-to-be/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/soooo-how-bad-is-it-going-to-be/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/soooo-how-bad-is-it-going-to-be/#comments I am as excited about the patch as everyone else. I am starved for something new to do in-game, and I desperately want to try out the new doodads and gizmos. I want to respec my terribly overpowered warlock, try out the arena and check out the brand new Looking For Group system. All in all, Tuesday should be a fantastic WoW day.

But it probably won't be. It will probably be an experience consisting of gridlock and lag. Why am I such a pessimist? Well, on one hand, there is past experience. Patch days are always a little bumpy. And honestly, I don't find that to be too terribly annoying. Patching a game the size of WoW is an incredible undertaking, and if it takes a day to work out the kinks, I am good with that. However, I think this patch just might be a little different. It is fundamentally changing the game, so it might lead to even more small problems for Blizzard to work out, so this could be messier than usual.

Even more than the patching itself, with all the new pre-expansion features and talents, I know a bunch of people looking forward to logging on for the first time in a while to kick the tires and take 2.0 for a test drive. This will add more strain to the servers.

Now don't get me wrong... I am hyped for all the goodies in the patch. I am just thinking that perhaps I won't be enjoying any of it for a few days. And, being the WoW addict I am, I am strangely fine with it. Sure, it is annoying at first, but all the new stuff makes it worth a little turbulence. What about you guys? Are you anticipating being able to play tomorrow night?

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Soooo...how bad is it going to be? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2.0.1azerothpatch 2.0.1patchespatchingwarcraftworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:20:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[WoW Moviewatch: Tier 5]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/wow-moviewatch-tier-5/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/wow-moviewatch-tier-5/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/wow-moviewatch-tier-5/#comments

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WoW Moviewatch: Tier 5 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> azerothmachinimamoviewatchwarcraftworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwowwow moviewatchWowMoviewatch (David Nelson) Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Guild banks? Someday!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/03/guild-banks-someday/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/03/guild-banks-someday/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/12/03/guild-banks-someday/#comments Guild banks are inching closer and closer to reality. According to Enoyls in this thread, Blizzard initially planned to implement guild banks for the expansion, but that has been pushed to the back burner, and the banks will make their appearance in a post-expansion patch.

Sure, it is a little disappointing to hear that they were planned for the Burning Crusade but have since been pulled, but it is great news that they are very much on Blizzard's radar. The current system of storing items on alts works, but it is annoying...and wouldn't it be nice to have a guild bank everyone could send items to? Instead of having MiningBank or ShardVault alts?

What features would you like to see included in a guild bank? Should everyone in the guild be able to view it? Do any other MMORPGs have a well-implemented guild bank feature you'd like to see Blizzard copy?

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Guild banks? Someday! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> azerothbank altbank altsBankAltguildguild bankguild banksGuildBankGuildBanksguildswarcraftworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftwow (David Nelson) Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Select free realm transfers]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/select-free-realm-transfers/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/select-free-realm-transfers/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/select-free-realm-transfers/#comments

Looks like Blizzard is going to allow folks on 5 different servers to transfer for free to another realm. The catch? The destination realm is not up for discussion. If you are on Bronzebeard, you are getting a free transfer to Hyjal, and you better like it! I am assuming Blizzard did their research and the source realms are overcrowded and the destination realms could use some more players, but I don't have any first hand experience on these servers, so hey, this could be the worst thing ever. But I doubt it.

For those of you behind firewalls at work, here are the free transfer realms...

Bronzebeard to Hyjal

Aggramar to Kael'thas

Alexstrasza to Muradin

Thrall to Norgannon

Gnomeregan to Kilrogg

Finally, these transfers will be available until December 7th, but Blizzard will close transfers early if they see an adequate number of players moving, so get in while the getting is good.


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Select free realm transfers originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:35:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Belkin N52 Gamepad]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/belkin-n52-gamepad/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/belkin-n52-gamepad/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/belkin-n52-gamepad/#comments We talked a few months ago about the great keyboard vs. mouse debate, and in the comments quite a few folks swore allegiance to either the Belkin N52 Gamepad or the Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard. I asked for a G15 for Christmas, but after this review by Isobelle over at Not Addicted of the N52, I might change my mind.

What I like about this review is that Isobelle doesn't just tell you that this little mini-keyboard would be great for WoW or Half Life 2, hand out some star rating and move on. Instead, Isobelle literally takes you step by step though his keyboard configuration, and his enthusiasm for the controller has me rethinking my G15 plan. And of course he includes some typical Not Addicted humor.

Now my question for you guys is this: This N52 is cheaper than the G15, and looks like it has a lot of the same functionality, minus a whole bunch of keys, which may or may not be important. So...which one is the ultimate WoW accessory? Should I leave well enough alone and keep Santa on his G15 mission, or should I try the N52? Any of you folks use either one?

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Belkin N52 Gamepad originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:20:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Burning Crusade faction guide]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/burning-crusade-faction-guide/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/burning-crusade-faction-guide/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/burning-crusade-faction-guide/#comments Trinity Divine over at WoW Vault has put together a rather impressive guide to the factions we will be grinding rep with come the expansion. In addition to simply listing the factions, she goes ahead and spills the beans on all the different faction rewards, and some of those rewards appear to be well worth the effort.

The prices for the faction rewards are a little high, but if you can afford 5000g for a fancy flying mount, then those feral druids out there will certainly want to hook themselves up with an Earth Warden for a mere 253 gold. What's an Earth Warden you might ask? Well, it is a two handed mace that has the following bonuses...
  • Increases defense rating by 24
  • Increases feral combat skill rating by 24
  • And increases attack power by 525 in Cat, Bear, Dire Bear, and Moonkin forms
I am sure there could be better stuff floating around for a feral druid in Outland, but that one caught the eye of my best druid buddy. The article also includes enchants and other crafting goodies that I am waaaaaay too lazy to describe here. So definitely check it out!

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Burning Crusade faction guide originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:35:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Some new Warcraft statistics]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/some-new-warcraft-statistics/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/some-new-warcraft-statistics/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/some-new-warcraft-statistics/#comments Ever wonder which item has been auctioned the most on a daily basis? Or maybe how many copper bars were crafted game-wide last Friday? Wonder no more.

Blizzard has a new feature on WoW.com that allows you to track six different statistics. You can see the most auctioned items, most created items, most gathered items, most dangerous NPCs, most completed quest and most looted items. While this is not exactly the most useful information, it sure is cool to browse around.

And the most gathered item yesterday? That would be copper ore...and I imagine it will keep the top spot for a long time to come.

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Some new Warcraft statistics originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:30:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: So You Want To Be a Guildleader?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/breakfast-topic-so-you-want-to-be-a-guildleader/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/breakfast-topic-so-you-want-to-be-a-guildleader/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/28/breakfast-topic-so-you-want-to-be-a-guildleader/#comments Tobold recently made a post about the trials and tribulations of running a guild in World of Warcraft. While Tobold takes a slightly broader view of the subject than is suitable for one Breakfast Topic, I was wondering...does anyone find guild leadership fun?

I have been everything from a guild leader, to an officer to a lowly peon, and for the most part, it is a lot easier being the peon. Sure, being a guild leader or officer is fun for a bit, but unless you have a group of fantastic people in your guild, it can be a major league headache. Fortunately, both of my long-term leadership experiences were positive ones in WoW, but the most recent ended badly, and let me tell you, you don't want to be the GL of a guild plagued with infighting, loot controversies and endless complaining.

How about you guys? Any guild leaders out there? Any tips on how to run a tight ship? Any fun horror stories to share? Or maybe you are leading the most agreeable bunch of happy WoW players in Azeroth...either way, let us know!

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Breakfast Topic: So You Want To Be a Guildleader? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Disabled players in World of Warcraft]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/disabled-players-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/disabled-players-in-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/disabled-players-in-world-of-warcraft/#comments You know, we spend a lot of time on this blog, or the forums, or wherever, complaining about a variety of problems in WoW. Be it class balance, server downtime, etc...and while that is a fun and worthwhile activity (thank god it is or I wouldn't have this great part-time job), it is nice to see something like this floating around the WoW community.

Awemane from the Vek'nilash realm suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II. It is a disease very similar to Muscular Dystrophy, and Awemane has lost the ability to play most games. The action games simply have become too complex for someone with Awemane's illness. So that leaves RPGs, but even RPGs have become a chore, as they are starting to add more action fighting elements. Knowing that, one of Awemane's friends turned him onto World of Warcraft, and due to the customizable interface, the ability to play in a window to allow for a mouse-controlled on-screen keyboard and several other disabled-friendly features, Awemane is able to play Warcraft. And he plays it well.

Best of all, the nature of an MMORPG allows him to communicate with others and have a bit of a social experience in addition to the game itself. As he can't leave his house often, WoW is a great way for him to meet people. Awemane also comments that nearly all of Blizzard's games have been handicap friendly. This is an aspect of gaming that Blizzard really got right.

I never really considered how difficult it would be to play a videogame with any kind of disability, and I think it is fantastic that World of Warcraft is available for someone like Awemane. Fantastic work by Blizzard!

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Disabled players in World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 27 Nov 2006 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Mon, 27 Nov 2006 22:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Queues, Queues Everywhere]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/breakfast-topic-queues-queues-everywhere/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/breakfast-topic-queues-queues-everywhere/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/breakfast-topic-queues-queues-everywhere/#comments

I have seen stories of queues on certain realms over the past month or so. Some realms are better than others, but this Thanksgiving weekend really, really tried my patience. I was facing 500+ person queues on Argent Dawn, Bloodhoof and my newly adopted home Fenris. In fact, my previous post about the server seeming kind of dead no longer applies, as I was looking at a 700+ person queue on several occasions over the past couple of days.

Granted, it was a holiday weekend here in the states, so that could account for some of the congestion, but with the expansion set to hit in a matter of weeks, will we all be looking at monster queues on a nightly basis? Maybe selling World of Warcraft with a discount $20 price tag, or the barrage of demo discs that have flooded the market are starting to have an effect.

What do you guys think? Are you sitting in queues every night? Are there some realms with no wait who could use some new blood?

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Breakfast Topic: Queues, Queues Everywhere originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> (David Nelson) Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider