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[Mists of Pandaria Arena Pass Realm: PvP Sandbox?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-arena-pass-realm-pvp-sandbox/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-arena-pass-realm-pvp-sandbox/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-arena-pass-realm-pvp-sandbox/#comments Image
If you're signed up to the 2012 Arena Pass realm, chances are you're fairly into your PvP. I can imagine that you, like me, are daydreaming about the changes to your favourite class in Mists of Pandaria, and wondering what you'll be playing when the Pandas come to town. Maybe you're thinking of switching your main PvP character to something different, or, like me, wondering whether a pandaren will actually be the best race for your preferred class.

Wouldn't it be great if there was some way you could have a go with a max-level, fully geared character shortly after the start of Mists before you had to make such a big decision? Guess what? If you signed up for the 2012 Arena Pass realm, it's likely that you can!

Blizz Blue Nakatoir posted the following a few weeks back, in a dark corner of the EU forums:

Nakatoir
Sorry to come back to this so late. But I just wanted to let you know that we plan to have the level 90 realm up as soon as possible after the release of Mists of Pandaria, it may even be accessible within weeks after the release but this is not guaranteed.

"What does this mean for me?" you might ask, well this means that you may be able to access the Mists Arena Pass realm and get the epic PvP gear long before it is possible to have close to the same level of gear on the live realms. So you may be able to have access to the best PvP gear on the Arena Pass realm before most people will even have any on the live realms. :O

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this!

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

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Mists of Pandaria Arena Pass Realm: PvP Sandbox? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-pass-2012arena-pass-realmarenapassarenasfeaturedmistsmists-arena-passmists-of-pandariamists-pvppvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guide (Olivia Grace) Fri, 25 May 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's the most overpowered class in the game?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/breakfast-topic-whats-the-most-overpowered-class-in-the-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/breakfast-topic-whats-the-most-overpowered-class-in-the-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/breakfast-topic-whats-the-most-overpowered-class-in-the-game/#comments Image
As a PvP player, I'm very aware of the constant complaints that one class or another is overpowered, or OP as the popular jargon calls it. One moment it's feral druids, the next it's rogues, then mages, then you throw a legendary staff into the mix and all of a sudden, out of nowhere it's balance druids and shadow priests!

But then, once you start to play one of those apparently OP classes, you suddenly realise what they're up against to achieve their OP state, and you might begin to realise how to counter their moves, and suddenly you're back on what feels like a far more level playing field with that class, but a whole bunch of other ones are OP.

And the notion of an overpowered class can translate into PvE as well, just as nicely. Some healers have it easier than others, some DPS might too, some tanks have more in their toolkits or different abilities that cater better to some situations than others.

So, that being said, what is the most overpowered class in the game? Are there genuine imbalances at this late stage of the expansion? Or are things just ticking along nicely? My nomination would probably be either mages or rogues from a PvP standpoint. Both have high burst DPS and a good amount of crowd control, which can be a pretty nasty combination to come up against. In battlegrounds, I might change my response to paladins, particularly healers. They have so, so many get-out-of-jail-free cards! And in PvE, hmm, much more tricky. I would say that Blood DKs are in a really good place right now. And perhaps arcane mages -- it feels like their relatively simple rotation ought not to yield such high DPS!

What about you? What do you think? And tell me, how many of you think that the class you play as a main or second character is completely overpowered. Is the grass truly always greener?

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Breakfast Topic: What's the most overpowered class in the game? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionOPoverpoweredpvpworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Arena Pass 2012: The final phase has begun!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/arena-pass-2012-the-final-phase-has-begun/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/arena-pass-2012-the-final-phase-has-begun/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/arena-pass-2012-the-final-phase-has-begun/#comments Image
The final phase of the 2012 Arena Pass is upon us! This is Ranked Ladder Phase 2, which follows predictably after Ranked Ladder Phase 1. From this point forward, entry is closed, so if you'd been hoping to get your foot in the Arena Pass door, I'm very sorry, but you're too late.

At this point, ladies and gentlemen, it's on like Donkey Kong for the final two weeks. Team rosters are closed, so no team-shuffling is permitted. However, you can create a new team. If you're having roster difficulties or anything of the sort, you'll have to leave or disband your current team and create a new team, which of course will start again in the rating wars.

What are you fighting for? Well, the top 1,000 teams. That's up to 6,000 players, since a 3v3 roster can have up to six people on it, who will all receive a Vanquisher title on the live realms for all characters over level 71. You must have competed in at least 100 3v3 matches on the same character in the same team. Leaving the team is not advisable, since that could reset your score within the rankings and even reset the game's memory of how many matches you've played.

To earn Murkimus, the armored murloc pet, you'll need to play 50 3v3 matches on the same character in the same team. Again, leaving that team may well reset the number of games played, so err on the side of caution.

By having bought into this Arena Pass, once you upgrade your WoW account to Mists of Pandaria, you've secured access to the L90 Arena Pass realm. Blizzard is currently saying that only people who've bought into this Arena Pass will have access to the L90 one, but I suspect that might be subject to change, unless it runs in addition to the usual 2013 Arena Pass.

As Vaneras puts it:

Vaneras
During these final two weeks, true champions of the Arena will swim to the top of a river filled with their opponent's tears.


Good luck!

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Arena Pass 2012: The final phase has begun! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-pass-2012arena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidemurkimusMurkimus-the-Gladiatorpvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 23 May 2012 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Ghostcrawler weighs in on shaman feedback]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/ghostcrawler-weighs-in-on-shaman-feedback/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/ghostcrawler-weighs-in-on-shaman-feedback/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/ghostcrawler-weighs-in-on-shaman-feedback/#comments Image
The beta has been under way now for some time, as have the feedback posts on the official forums. Shaman have had a few major changes to their repertoire, as well as a few more minor ones, but the general feeling from reading the posts made in the forums is that these changes don't go far enough. Shaman, it appears, don't feel like they're getting what they need to be viable, let alone competitive, and the unique nature of a lot of their abilities seems to continue to be as much a hindrance as it is a help.

But arriving like the white knight in medieval-styled dramas, just as the situation feels dire and unsalvageable, is Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street. The shaman feedback post has finally had the equivalent of a Blizzard seal of approval, in the form of a blue post from the bluest of blues.

So what did the big GC address in his post, and what still remains outstanding for beta shaman?

One big complaint that many shaman brought up was glyphs. I recently tweeted fellow WoW Insider writer Joe Perez about this very matter, namely, that shaman glyphs were a mess. They felt either very lackluster or very penalty-heavy. A few patches ago, before the recent changes, I was playing my shaman with two empty glyph slots, because none of the glyphs felt worth using. This is a Bad Thing. A recent patch went some way to repairing this, but with it, a host of new problems appeared, some of which GC addresses after the break.

Continue reading Ghostcrawler weighs in on shaman feedback

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Ghostcrawler weighs in on shaman feedback originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredGhostcrawlerghostcrawler-betaghostcrawler-promised-me-a-ponyghostcrawler-shamanmistsmists-betamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-talent-changesmists-of-pandaria-talentsshaman-betashaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-talentsshamanswow-shamanwow-shaman-info (Olivia Grace) Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite shapeshift in the game?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-shapeshift-in-the-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-shapeshift-in-the-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-shapeshift-in-the-game/#comments Image Druids, man -- they have all the fun. They get to be bears, big cats, sea lions, birds, and, umm, owlbeasts? I'm not sure on the last one. Let's just stick with moonkin.

But some of the rest of us can shapeshift, too! If you're a worgen, the animation shifting between your true form and your human form is pretty cool, and that's a shapeshift that doesn't require druidic skills. But there are many other shapeshifting opportunities in WoW. You can be a skeleton, if you're lucky, with a Noggenfogger Elixir. You can be a bat, as per the header image, with a Bat Costume. You can be a pirate with a Savory Deviate Delight or a huge Naga with Bones of Transformation.

There are a many other shapeshifting effects, but my very favorite has to be the Potion of Illusion. I loved it before I read Anne's article, and I love it even more since then! What's brilliant about it is stealing other people's appearances -- transmogs, character looks, you name it. I love using it in raids on people who are AFK and /dancing with them. One day, I'm hoping my entire raid will steal one character's identity for a photo.

What's your favorite shapeshift? Were you also converted to the Potion of Illusion by Anne's writeup? Are you a die-hard fan of the Noggenfogger's pot-luck powers? Or is it the pirate life for you?

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Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite shapeshift in the game? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionnoggenfogger-elixirnoggenfoggers-elixirpotion-of-illusionshapeshiftingworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Wed, 23 May 2012 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Keys to PvP: Keybinding, movement and clicking]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/keys-to-pvp-keybinding-movement-and-clicking/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/keys-to-pvp-keybinding-movement-and-clicking/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/keys-to-pvp-keybinding-movement-and-clicking/#comments Image
WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who never clicks anything but her fingers.

My last column dealt with the basics of macros and focus targets and their use in PvP. This time, we're tackling an even more heady topic, one that is arguably even more key to PvP success than macros and the use of focus targets. This article is a rare occasion when I will assert that one course of action is better than another!

Clicking is a tricky subject. People may be surprised to see it in the title up there hanging out right next other key PvP skills. I would like to say that, with one caveat that will come up later, I wouldn't encourage clicking in PvP.

First and foremost, what is clicking? When PvPers (and for that matter, probably PvEers) talk about clicking, they are referring to the practice of putting your abilities on your bars and clicking them with your mouse. In order to do this and move at the same time, you pretty much have to move with your keyboard.

OK, so now that it's completely clear what clicking is, why is it bad? First and foremost, let's look at movement. Moving with your keyboard is slow. It's really slow. If you don't believe me, stand your character still and spin through 180 degrees with your keyboard. Now do the same with your mouse. Much faster! Rather like the difference between a d-pad and a thumb joystick on a console controller, mouse movement is far more intuitive, far easier to fine tune and far faster.

Continue reading Keys to PvP: Keybinding, movement and clicking

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Keys to PvP: Keybinding, movement and clicking originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 22 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasbackpedalingbackpedallingbackpeddlebackpeddlingbind-keysbinding-keysclickerclickersclickingfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvpkeybindingkeybindspvp-bindspvp-clickingpvp-guidepvp-keybindingPvP-keybindingsPvP-keybindspvp-keyswow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Tue, 22 May 2012 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[5 things you need to know about the Temple of the Jade Serpent]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-temple-of-the-jade-serpent/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-temple-of-the-jade-serpent/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-temple-of-the-jade-serpent/#comments Image
So, last time on 5 Things You Need to Know, we took you on a rollicking, barrel-rolling, beer-spewing adventure through the Stormstout Brewery. Many laughs were had at the adorable kitty-esque bosses, many a hammer was clicked, fruit and vegetables were hurled, and much drunken japery was had by all.

If the Stormstout Brewery was the chirpy cheerleader, then the Temple of the Jade Serpent is the emo sister, the one with the funky hair and the slightly offbeat jewelery. This is the Daria to Stormstout's Quinn. (Am I showing my age by referencing retro MTV cartoons? You bet I am!)

So just like last time, this is definitely not a full, step-by-step guide (but of course, we already did one of those for you). This is a set of simple facts that will arm you with just enough knowledge to tackle this second dungeon with the panache we expect of our dashing, well-read audience.

Let's get on with it!

1. You can go either right or left at the start. You start in a room with some quest givers, and in beta, the eminent Flaskataur, Esq. fulfills all your needs for glyphs and Tomes of the Clear Mind-- and frankly, your needs for tauren in adorable hats. From there, you have two corridors leading to the first two bosses through some trash. You can go either way. After killing whichever boss you kill second, you will be guided via a ramp to the next stage of the dungeon. I reckon right is easier than left. You may disagree. After you've killed whichever side you start with, you'll need to go back from whence you came and do the other one.

Continue reading 5 things you need to know about the Temple of the Jade Serpent

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5 things you need to know about the Temple of the Jade Serpent originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 5-things-you-need-to-knowdont-stand-in-badjade-serpentmistsmists-dungeonmists-dungeon-guidemists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betapandariapandaria-dungeonssha-of-doubtstormstout-brewerytemple-dungeontemple-of-the-jade-serpentwise-mariWorld-of-Warcraftworld-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria (Olivia Grace) Mon, 21 May 2012 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's the coolest glitch you've seen?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/breakfast-topic-whats-the-coolest-glitch-youve-seen/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/breakfast-topic-whats-the-coolest-glitch-youve-seen/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/breakfast-topic-whats-the-coolest-glitch-youve-seen/#comments Image
The average beta tester in the Mists beta sees fun glitches all the time, some cooler than others. The recently rectified flying glitch in the beta was one of the best; I loved swimming through the air and getting a rare bird's-eye view of the new continent. Of course, it's all fixed up now, and there's no more air swimming to be had. Frankly, the current glitch where Earth Shield isn't consumed by damage is way less fun!

Being a PvPer, I've occasionally experienced the glitch in Ring of Valor where you fall through the floor of the arena and are immediately portaled back up to near your starting room. I even have one occurence on video, which is fun, with the Skype track paying homage to my immense confusion.

The header image is also a PvP glitch screenshot, believe it or not, from my PvPing priesty friend, the lovely @ameurling. She was doing some 2v2 in Dalaran Sewers and got feared through the wall into what she dubbed the Twilight Zone. This is what Azeroth looks like beyond the conventional world -- a gray space with an expansive, star-speckled sky. And I reckon this is a pretty darn cool glitch. Unfortunately, Alex couldn't get back into Dalaran Sewers -- you win some, you lose some!

So tell me, what glitch have you seen, experienced, heard of, or heard tell of? Is it cool? Is it cooler than Alex's accidental portal from Dalaran Sewers into the Twilight Zone? Tell me all about it.

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Breakfast Topic: What's the coolest glitch you've seen? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarenasbetabugfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionglitchworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-bugwow-discussionwow-glitchwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Mon, 21 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[5 things you need to know about the Stormstout Brewery]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-stormstout-brewery/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-stormstout-brewery/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/17/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-stormstout-brewery/#comments Image
The Stormstout Brewery is one of the two instances you'll be running once you start on dungeons in Mists. It's available at 85 and is probably the easiest of the ones currently available in the beta. So it's a great place to start out your journey to 90!

Being lovely, helpful people, we here at WoW Insider thought we would put together a short and sweet set of tips to aid you in your attempts to cleanse the Stormstout Brewery of its pollution. This isn't intended as a full guide (although of course we have furnished you with one of those in the past) but more as a helping hand for those who don't want a step-by-step walkthrough.

So what does the brave adventurer need to know?

1. Watch your debuffs! There are a lot of debuffs flying around in the Stormstout Brewery, there really are. My favourite debuff is Bloat, which makes you shoot beer out of your ears. If you're a melee player or a ranged player who likes to cuddle up to other ranged players, you'll need to check if your healer's able to keep up with the damage you're no doubt inflicting on your teammates. If not, you should probably take your beery ears elsewhere.

Continue reading 5 things you need to know about the Stormstout Brewery

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5 things you need to know about the Stormstout Brewery originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 17 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> dungeondungeonsmistsmists-dungeonmists-dungeon-guidemists-healingmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-tankingpandariapandaria+betapandaria-dungeonspandaria-healingpandaria-tankingstormstout-brewery (Olivia Grace) Thu, 17 May 2012 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What sort of zone would you create for WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/breakfast-topic-what-sort-of-zone-would-you-create-for-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/breakfast-topic-what-sort-of-zone-would-you-create-for-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/breakfast-topic-what-sort-of-zone-would-you-create-for-wow/#comments Image
I recently wrote a Breakfast Topic about your WoW Zone, where I asked you about your playing space. As I keep saying, I read all the comments on Breakfast Topics I write, and this time, one caught my eye in my eternal search for more Breakfast Topics.

Commenter Mix had assumed from that BT's title that it would be about what WoW zone you would craft in the game if you had a free rein to do whatever you liked. What a great question! Mix reckoned a zone that would be "an addition to the Goblin Starting Area or the Darkmoon Faire ... a rickety run down amusement park taken over by Gnolls or Troggs or Undead ..."

This sounds fantastic. I love the dark, eerie feel of the Darkmoon Faire -- in fact, I find myself far more drawn to shady, spooky zones than to happy, sunny ones like the plains of Mulgore. After massive overexposure to Firelands, I'm really not down with fiery zones, and I find forested zones a bit dull. The creeping blackness of the Sha in the Mists beta looks great, though; I like its incongruity in the lush world of Pandaria.

I also love snowy zones -- I like how your tracks remain in the snow -- so I reckon I'd want to create something like Darkshire but in a snowy area, with dark, greenish-blue tones and ghostly figures in a frozen world. It would be like Narnia might look if the Ice Queen had her wicked way!

What about you? If you could create a WoW zone from scratch, what would you make? The sky's the limit, and it definitely doesn't have to be inspired by existing zones. Go wild!

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Breakfast Topic: What sort of zone would you create for WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-designworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topicszone-designzones (Olivia Grace) Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What WoW ability would you choose in reality?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/breakfast-topic-what-wow-ability-would-you-choose-in-reality/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/breakfast-topic-what-wow-ability-would-you-choose-in-reality/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/breakfast-topic-what-wow-ability-would-you-choose-in-reality/#comments Image
Well, come on, dear reader, you can't pretend you haven't thought it yourself. This is a kind of desert island discs-style question. You can only pick one ability from the game, so what will it be? What WoW ability would you have in reality?

I thought I knew the answer to this question pretty immediately: my Albino Drake, of course! It's miraculously summoned from nowhere; you hop on its back, and you fly away! It's magical, so it doesn't need feeding, and you don't have to pay for petrol or insurance or anything like that.

But then I started imagining what it would actually be like, and I think I changed my mind. For starters, if you didn't know, I live in the U.K. That's not an abbreviation of a little-known state, no -- I mean merrie olde England. And, if you hadn't heard, the U.K. is in a bit of a drought at the moment. I'm saying this with my tongue firmly in my cheek, as although we're officially in a drought, this has been the rainiest month since, well, for a really long time. How many flying mounts can you think of with roofs? Yeah.

And flying mounts seem not to have seatbelts of any kind. I don't know about you, but perching atop a magical dragon's shoulders while dodging 747s sounds like something I'd want more safety measures for than my ability to grip with my knees. Also, how fast exactly is 310%? Say I can run at 6 mph. This is purely hypothetical, but let's say that. 310% is 18.6 mph. That's pretty darn slow. Maybe I don't need a seatbelt after all ...

So since I apparently have a preoccupation with travel, I am going to go for a hearthstone. Think about it: You can place it anywhere there's an innkeeper to travel there in a few seconds. Sure, you might need to work your way back to where you came from, but the ability to get home from far-flung places or near to home? Amazing! Or if you have loved ones on distant-ish shores, like I do, you could put it in their local inn and be on their doorstep in moments.

What's your nomination? It could be a spell, an item, a mount, a proc -- anything at all. My only demand is that you also tell me why!

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Breakfast Topic: What WoW ability would you choose in reality? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionnot-diabloworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Mon, 14 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's the best-looking spell effect in game?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/breakfast-topic-whats-the-best-looking-spell-effect-in-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/breakfast-topic-whats-the-best-looking-spell-effect-in-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/breakfast-topic-whats-the-best-looking-spell-effect-in-game/#comments Image
Let's face it -- some spells have it and some spells don't. With all the excitement surrounding the potential for warlocks to get some kick-ass green fire in Mists, I thought it was about time to start thinking through what were some of the most awesome-looking spell effects in the game right now, before warlocks start stealing all the thunder. I'm not even going to start talking about that glyph that makes your Dreadsteed run on water!

Anyway, glyph envy aside, let's consider the contenders. The header image is a pretty good clue here -- I love the look of a Frostfire Bolt! The blue frostbolt encased in fire is a seriously lovely effect. But I do think there are other abilities that rank very high. Penance, for example, has a really cool-looking effect. The bolt itself isn't that amazing, but the way it makes those spiralling paths toward its target is very pretty indeed. I also think priests have a damn fine Divine Aegis bubble right now. What else? Well, Chaos Bolt looks great. That little face -- I love it!

I sense melee players are feeling rather unloved. Hmmm, tricky. I do think the paladin Avenging Wrath wings are pretty sweet, especially when coupled with a Badge of Dominance's red effect. A cool effect doesn't have to be a traveling effect, of course, and I think the DK Anti-Magic Zone looks pretty great too.

I remain undecided about my favorite, although I am leaning toward the Frostfire Bolt. (There's a reason it's in the header, after all.) So persuade me! Throw your vote into the ring. Do you agree with me, or am I completely wrong? I'm often completely wrong, you know. It happens a lot. What's your choice for the best-looking spell effect in WoW?

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Breakfast Topic: What's the best-looking spell effect in game? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 13 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussiongreen firegreen-fireGreenFireworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Sun, 13 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's the best spell in the game?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/breakfast-topic-whats-the-best-spell-in-the-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/breakfast-topic-whats-the-best-spell-in-the-game/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/breakfast-topic-whats-the-best-spell-in-the-game/#comments Image
One of the things I like best about WoW is how almost all of its spells require some kind of judgment when you use them. Oh my, did I just make an amazing paladin joke? Well, not intentionally.

Let's take Lay on Hands as an example, shall we? As the astute reader will observe from the header image, it's an instant-cast, freakin' huge heal. I don't know off-hand of any other heal in the game that will provide you with 262,444 HP at the drop of a hat. My paladin is a tank, so "an amount equal to your maximum health" is fairly substantial, and I refer to it as healing my fail. I messed up? Oh, it's OK, I can fix that. But it has a 7-minute cooldown (with the glyph) and puts Forbearance on the target. Used it when you didn't really need to (like when you had a set of priest wings on you)? Now you have to wait another seven minutes, thanks to your itchy trigger finger. Nice work, cowboy.

But I still think Lay on Hands is a contender for best spell. Particularly for a tank, it's a pretty awesome cooldown. You can reset your health instantly (debuffs considered, of course) -- or indeed, anyone else's. Not many people (apart from perhaps other tanks) are likely to have more health than you. But (and it's a big but), Lay on Hands can't be used in Arena. This is bad. Very bad. Well, actually, it's quite good, really. Imagine if it were useable ...

So my surprise entry for best spell in the game, coming from way back in the field, is Leap of Faith. It doesn't have inherent downsides like Lay on Hands, but it requires good judgment. Sure, there are simple cases when it's a good idea, like when someone's standing in bad, but use it to interrupt an arcane mage's Evocation and there'll be trouble. Grab a melee player in Arena just as they're about to take down an opponent? Bad times.

I had a bit of trouble thinking of ideas for best spell in the game. I'm sure you won't, lovely, knowledgeable people. So tell me, what's the best spell in the game? And why?

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Breakfast Topic: What's the best spell in the game? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[2012 Arena Pass Ranked Ladder Phase 1 has begun!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/2012-arena-pass-ranked-ladder-phase-1-has-begun/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/2012-arena-pass-ranked-ladder-phase-1-has-begun/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/2012-arena-pass-ranked-ladder-phase-1-has-begun/#comments Image
The 2012 Arena Pass Ranked Ladder Phase 1 has begun! This incredibly well-titled section of the Arena Pass realm has kicked off in the United States and Europe, signaling the start of the ranked phases. EU players need to remember that all the dates in this article should be adjusted to one day later for EU realms.

What does it all mean? Well, if you've been in the practice phase, your rating will be reset to 0, and if you add new people to your team after this point, you'll be penalized by 150 points of rating. So if you had a rating of 300 and added a player to your roster, your rating would be adjusted to 150. Sense made? Good! It's not wholly clear whether a team with a rating of 0 would be moved to a rating of -150, but I sincerely doubt it -- and to be honest, it shouldn't be too hard to gain 150 rating points.

If a player leaves your team, you won't be penalized, to the misery of PvPing trolls everywhere.

This phase will run until May 22, at which point Ranked Ladder Phase 2 will begin and team roster changes will not be permitted, so get your teams sorted out as soon as you can. Registration is open until the end of May 22, so if you want to get involved in the Arena Pass, it's not too late to sign up.

If you want your Murkimus, then now's the time to get in the 50 3v3 games required to get him on your live realm characters. Any games you played prior to the Ranked Phase won't count toward earning him, so get involved!

Also, don't forget that if you are in the top 1,000 teams at the end of the Ranked Ladder Phase 2, you'll be getting a Vanquisher title on the live realm. By signing up for this Arena Pass, you're also getting access to an exclusive Level 90 Arena Pass Realm once you've upgraded your account to Mists of Pandaria.

To the victors, the spoils -- and also to the participants in more than 50 ranked games!

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2012 Arena Pass Ranked Ladder Phase 1 has begun! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 10 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2012-arena-passarenaarena-guidearena-passarena-pass-2012arena-ratingarena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidemurkimusMurkimus-the-Gladiatorpvp-guideranked-laddervanquishervanquisher-titlewow-arenawow-arena-guide (Olivia Grace) Thu, 10 May 2012 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Tell us about your WoW zone]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/breakfast-topic-tell-us-about-your-wow-zone/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/breakfast-topic-tell-us-about-your-wow-zone/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/breakfast-topic-tell-us-about-your-wow-zone/#comments Image
So, ladies and gentlemen, the clue's in the name, as ever with Breakfast Topics. Today, just for variety, I'm asking you all to take a step out of the virtual and talk about the real for a second. Tell us all about your WoW zone! Where do you play? What do you play on? What are the vitals that you have to have nearby? I'm not looking for /flexing about processors and graphics cards; we're not trying to keep up with the Joneses here. What I want to know is more of the mundane facts.

You can see from the header image that I play on a laptop. Yes, yes, I know, but I like the portable nature of it! I can move around and play slouched on the sofa one evening or sitting up at my desk the next -- even outdoors, if the weather permits. And I can take the game with me if I'm away! You'll note that I'm a fan of the wired mouse -- I've had way too many batteries die on wireless ones -- and my new, beloved headset perched on the speakers goes right over my ears. Way more comfortable than on-ear ones!

You may also be able to make out the kettle, although my camera's not all that. Tea is a vital component of my gameplay. I take it black, no sugar, so a kettle is all I need. There's a stack of Post-it notes for key things I need to remember; the most recent one reads "Aimed Shot, you pillock." I love playing at this desk. You can't really see it, but I have a fab view of the garden and some curious dogs who don't really understand why I keep telling them I'm hexed.

So tell me about your WoW zone. Laptop? Desktop? Wired? Wireless? Desk or sofa? Or somewhere else? Headset or desktop mic? Room with a view, or distraction-free corner? Kettle or fridge? Or neither?

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Breakfast Topic: Tell us about your WoW zone originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Focus and Macros: The key skills you need for PvP]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/focus-and-macros-the-key-skills-you-need-for-pvp/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/focus-and-macros-the-key-skills-you-need-for-pvp/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/focus-and-macros-the-key-skills-you-need-for-pvp/#comments Image
WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who focuses on making with the stabby and turning people into frogs.

Focus in PvP can have a few meanings. If you're tired, or a bit stressed out, it's something you can lose. Trust me on that! Your focus can also be the target you pick to burst down or of course your main objective -- and lastly and principally for this column, focus is a secondary target.

A secondary target? Didn't you just say it was the target you pick to burst down? Well, I may be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here, so bear with me. We all know how to select a target, I assume, but you can also have another target set in addition to your main target. Depending on your UI setup, this will appear in various places on your screen. Some UIs and addons are more customizable than others with regard to a focus target, and for all the screenshots in this post, I use a tailor-made edit of TukUI.

So a focus target is another target? Yup. Why would you need another target? Well, we'll get to that! Patience, young padawan. One basic use for focus includes doing Battlegrounds with friends. As long as you have the map set up to allow it, your map displays your focus target with a thick ring highlighting their position. If you head into a Battleground with a buddy, you might want to set them as a focus so you can see where they are and help them out!

Continue reading Focus and Macros: The key skills you need for PvP

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Focus and Macros: The key skills you need for PvP originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 09 May 2012 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-macroarena-macrosarena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedfocusfocus-targetguidehealing-macrohow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvpinterrupt-macromacropvp-focuspvp-guidepvp-macropvp-macroswow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guidewow-macro (Olivia Grace) Wed, 09 May 2012 13:10:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's making you smile in the Mists of Pandaria beta?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/breakfast-topic-whats-making-you-smile-in-the-mists-of-pandari/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/breakfast-topic-whats-making-you-smile-in-the-mists-of-pandari/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/breakfast-topic-whats-making-you-smile-in-the-mists-of-pandari/#comments Image
I thought it would be worth giving a little love to some of the new NPCs in the MoP beta. The header image is taken on a bridge, the location of which will remain mysterious so you can have fun finding it. Bellmaster Li has some fantastic dialogue regarding the Gong of Hope: "Behold the Gong of Hope! Though really we replaced the gong with a bell many centuries ago. The old gong was quite small and did not provide the proper level of hope infusion to our people."

Now, I don't know about you, but this really made me smile! I'm wondering, dear reader, what's making you smile in the beta? I've also really enjoyed the instances. Those little floating cat models in the Stormstout Brewery are adorable! And I love the Bloat debuff that makes ale shoot out of your ears -- it's fantastic and makes me laugh even when I'm healing and people are killing each other with ear-beer.

So tell me what you're enjoying! It could be dialog, it could be a certain quest or simply the beautiful cherry blossom trees. Anything at all!

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Breakfast Topic: What's making you smile in the Mists of Pandaria beta? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 02 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betaworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Wed, 02 May 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Serpent racing in Mists of Pandaria?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/serpent-racing-in-mists-of-pandaria/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/serpent-racing-in-mists-of-pandaria/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/serpent-racing-in-mists-of-pandaria/#comments Image
So there I was, exploring the beta, just going around looking for cool things, and I found this! What is it? Well, it certainly looks to me like a racetrack in the sky, so I had to go and gather further evidence.

I went to the top of the hill where the finish line is and found a bunch of pandaren NPCs who were race spectators. This, I thought, looked promising. And then I headed to the bottom of the hill and saw a few NPCs hanging around with Serpent mounts. A few of them could be interacted with, so I spoke with Big Bao, who said, "Don't worry, kid. Riding's not as hard as it looks. You should get a few more notches on your belt before attempting this, though." Interesting, Big Bao, very interesting!

So then, dear reader, I found my best clue: Toudu Tigerclaw, who is a race officiator. He was rather rude to my little level 85 pandaren lady, though; he didn't think I was mature enough to race just yet and made it very clear to me.

So I am fairly convinced that, in a few levels time, players are going to be taking to the backs of serpents and participating in an exciting air race around the eastern edge of the Jade Forest. Will you be taking up the challenge?
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

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Serpent racing in Mists of Pandaria? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 01 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> flying-racemistsmists-flyingmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-beta (Olivia Grace) Tue, 01 May 2012 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Blizzard MVPs create Cross-Realm Rated Battlegrounds site]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/blizzard-mvps-create-cross-realm-rated-battlegrounds-site/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/blizzard-mvps-create-cross-realm-rated-battlegrounds-site/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/blizzard-mvps-create-cross-realm-rated-battlegrounds-site/#comments Image First, we had a cross-realm raid group site. Now, Blizzard forum MVPs Eldacar and Cyaga have created The LFG List, a cross-realm group finder for players to get involved in Rated Battlegrounds. Part of the group's Battlemasters site, The LFG List is currently active in the United States only; other versions will be rolled out after the U.S. version has been running smoothly for a while.

How do you get onto the list? Well, that's simple!

If you are ready for a Battleground or two within the next hour, head over to the start page and choose your faction. That will take you to a page with an IRC window and an entry screen below it. Type in your realm and your character's name in the entry screen to retrieve your basic details from the Armory. You can add in notes and doublecheck that your main spec and off spec are correct.

Note the IRC Name section -- this is where you fill in the name that you're using in the live IRC chat above. This way, you can give yourself an IRC name of your choosing and seek out Rated Battleground buddies with any character. Other IRC users will see your name in the list and can contact you directly -- and you're off! Your entry stays up for an hour, so if you're looking for groups further in advance, you can head over to the Battlemasters Forums and make a post.

As an aside, the Horde chat seems currently rather more popular than the Alliance chat, hence the split channels. As a mainly Alliance player myself, I'm not OK with this! So I'm putting the call out to my fellow humans, dwarves, draenei, worgen, gnomes and night elves: People of the Alliance! Get on over to The LFG List and get involved!

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Blizzard MVPs create Cross-Realm Rated Battlegrounds site originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arena-stratsbattleground-groupsbattlegroundsCross-Realm-BattlegroundsCrossRealmCrossRealmBattlegroundsfeaturedhow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppvp-guiderated-battlegroundRated-Battlegroundsrated-bgsrbgrbg-finderrbg-groupsRbgGroupsrealIDrealid-battleground (Olivia Grace) Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's right and wrong in Warcraft?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/breakfast-topic-whats-right-and-wrong-in-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/breakfast-topic-whats-right-and-wrong-in-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/breakfast-topic-whats-right-and-wrong-in-warcraft/#comments Image
We hear a lot about drama in Azeroth, from the Drama Mamas to Officers' Quarters. The relatively new Raid Finder was surrounded with controversy when it first came out, and this has led to Blizzard changing the Raid Finder loot system for Mists of Pandaria.

A lot of people have opinions on what a "good" WoW player ought to do -- and I'm not talking about a good player as in a proficient player. I'm talking about a good player as in a moral one, one who doesn't do anything they shouldn't do. If you could write a list of rights and wrongs to tell a player how to behave morally in WoW, what would it be? There are various rules and guidelines already in place for dealing with the sterner side of this, but I'm talking about behavior that doesn't violate these rules.

For example, I'd say that one rule I'd write would be not to roll need on loot that isn't for your main spec, unless nobody needs it for their main spec. If you're not a healer, don't need on healer loot unless your healer doesn't need it. This applies for 5-man groups and in the Raid Finder, too, although that's much more of a free-for-all.

Maybe I'd add to not waste others' time in raids, in line with always telling people about AFKs. Perhaps also, again in light of Raid Finder, not to queue as a role you have no intention of playing. I can't count the number of times I've wondered why there are so few healers in the Raid Finder, then realized half the healers are actually DPSers.

So what would you add? What rules do you abide by in game, whether your own or imposed on you by others? What do you wish other people wouldn't do, or would do? What's right and wrong in Warcraft?

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Breakfast Topic: What's right and wrong in Warcraft? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How would you introduce a complete beginner to WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/breakfast-topic-how-would-you-introduce-a-complete-beginner-to/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/breakfast-topic-how-would-you-introduce-a-complete-beginner-to/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/breakfast-topic-how-would-you-introduce-a-complete-beginner-to/#comments Image
A few of you might know that I'm studying post-graduate anthropology as well as writing for WoW Insider and generally mooching around playing video games and gardening. I've just moved on to the dissertation phase of my studies, and believe it or not, I have received clearance to write my dissertation on WoW! I'm pretty happy about this!

But an obstacle standing in my way is my supervisor. He's very willing and an absolutely lovely man, but has never played a computer game in his life. Being a professor, he's not short of intelligence, but when I started describing WoW to him, I've realized I'd been assuming he had way more prior knowledge. He didn't understand what an avatar was, outside its scientific sense, and certainly didn't seem to be able to wrap his head around the concept of how an MMO works.

So that got me thinking. How would you introduce a complete beginner to WoW? How would you explain it to them, with or without a computer with the game on it in front of you? If you couldn't be in the same room as them, how would you describe it so they understood, assuming their computing ability includes using email and nothing else? Where would you start? How much would you tell them? What would you leave out?

Is this a thinly veiled cry for help? Maybe ...

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Breakfast Topic: How would you introduce a complete beginner to WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[More addons and extras for your PvP UI]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/more-addons-and-extras-for-your-pvp-ui/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/more-addons-and-extras-for-your-pvp-ui/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/more-addons-and-extras-for-your-pvp-ui/#comments Image
WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who has spent the past two weeks adding additional addons.

A while back in January, I wrote a guide to PvP addons and UI settings. This week's column will talk about a bunch of addons that aren't necessarily ones I'd recommend, so please, please head on over to the old column rather than just downloading everything on this page!

Don't want to read a whole other column? Well, all right, then. I'll sum it up really fast for you here, and then we'll get into the fun bit! What's the fun bit? Well, a bunch of people last week suggested new addons for me to try or for others to use, and a few have suggested others to me more recently -- so here's where I try them! How is that fun? Oh, shush. Trying new things is great! As long as they're legal.

At the time of writing the first piece, before starting my research for this one, my default addon set for Battlegrounds was:
  • REFlex gets top billing, since it's always on, all the time, for every character. It's a data gathering addon that tells you all your Battleground and Arena wins and losses ever. It's exportable as a CSV file for you data geeks out there, simply the best way to keep up with your stats.
  • LoseControl is another great one that's always on for every character. Whenever you lose control of your character or their abilities via a silence, stun, or otherwise, it puts the icon for that ability in the centre of your screen with a pie-chart timer for the duration.
  • SaySapped does exactly what it says on the tin. Always on, though not really needed in Arena when you're Skyping. If you get sapped, you say "sapped." Alerts people in the area of your sappy state.
  • Healers Have to Die is mean, right? But if the healers aren't from your faction and you're in a BG, they do. Puts a mark on a healer's head that's extremely obvious. Default settings need to be told to chill, or they'll spam you to insanity and beyond!
  • SmartTargeting makes your tab target your nearest enemy rather than your nearest enemy unit in PvP scenarios. What does that mean? Well, in a BG, you don't have to tab through a gang of venemous snakes to get to the hunter. Just click? Sure, but I like tab targeting, OK?

Continue reading More addons and extras for your PvP UI

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More addons and extras for your PvP UI originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add-onadd-on-configurationadd-on-guideaddon-configurationaddon-guideaddonsarenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppvp-addonpvp-addonspvp-guidewow-add-onwow-add-on-guidewow-add-onswow-addon-guidewow-addonswow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Vengeful Gladiator Screenshot Competition under way]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/vengeful-gladiator-screenshot-competition-under-way/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/vengeful-gladiator-screenshot-competition-under-way/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/vengeful-gladiator-screenshot-competition-under-way/#comments Image
So the Arena Pass is upon us! And here in the EU (well, it's "here" for me, OK?), another gladiatorial competition has kicked off.

Nakatoir announced on the EU PvP forums a few days ago that a Vengeful Gladiator Screenshot Competition had begun. What's that? Well, Blizzard is asking European PvPers to take some snaps of their characters duelling, doing Arenas or Battlegrounds, waiting for the aforementioned, or simply looking fierce. Captions, speech bubbles and the like in English are welcome, as is any editing of screenshots that you see fit to undertake.

Once you've taken and edited your screenshots, submit them to fanart-contest-eu@blizzard.com with the subject header "[Arena] Character Name, Arena Team Name, Guild name." Put any caption in the message, and attach your screenshot. You don't have to put in the information in the subject header, but you need to if you want credit for the image. Blizzard's unlikely to recognize your character from the photo. No offense.

The best screenshots selected by Blizzard will be proudly displayed on the Blizzard Facebook Page for everyone to enjoy. So get your Print Screen key warmed up and your creative minds buzzing, and send in some great screenshots. Fame and glory await you!

And if you're wondering why the competition's called Vengeful Gladiator rather than Cataclysmic Gladiator, that's for Blizzard to know ... and you to speculate about.

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Vengeful Gladiator Screenshot Competition under way originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fanart-contestpvppvp-contestpvp-fanartscreenshot-competitionscreenshotsvengeful-gladiator-screenshot-competition (Olivia Grace) Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[The 2012 Arena Pass has begun!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/the-2012-arena-pass-has-begun/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/the-2012-arena-pass-has-begun/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/the-2012-arena-pass-has-begun/#comments Image
People of Azeroth: Sharpen your axes, tighten your bowstrings, and polish up your hammers so they're shiny and ready for justice. The Arena Pass 2012 has begun! Unless you're in the EU, in which case you get an extra night of polishing time. Use it well -- I know I will!

Today, the Practice Phase began and will last until May 8. As the name suggests, this is for practice. If you're after a Murkimus or a Vanquisher title for your live realm characters, you should absolutely use this period to form teams and get ready to go, but your games won't count toward your eventual ranking or toward your title or pet.

On May 8, your rating will be reset to 0, and Ranked Ladder Phase 1 (snappy title) begins. Matches played in this period will count toward pets and titles, as well as eventual ranking. Once you're into this phase, your team will lose 150 points of rating if you take on new players, so try to make sure your team roster is sorted out before May 8. If a player leaves your team, you won't be penalized.

From May 22 to June 5, the final phase, aka Ranked Ladder Phase 2, is in action. This phase is exactly the same as Ranked Phase 1, except that no team switching is allowed.

To get yourself a Murkimus, you'll need to play 50 3v3 games between May 8 and June 5. To get a Vanquisher title, you'll need to be among the top 1,000 teams on June 5.

If you haven't registered yet and want a piece of the Arena Pass action, it's not too late! You can sign up until May 22. And if you're in the EU, you need to add 1 to all the dates above. You can entertain yourselves by doing that until the event opens tomorrow!

Lastly, don't forget that by signing up for this Arena Pass realm, you will also qualify for exclusive access to a Level 90 Arena Pass realm after you've upgraded your account to Mists of Pandaria!

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The 2012 Arena Pass has begun! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-pass-2012arena-stratsarena-tipsarenasbreakingfeaturedguidehow-to-pvppvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Tell me about your fail]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/breakfast-topic-tell-me-about-your-fail/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/breakfast-topic-tell-me-about-your-fail/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/breakfast-topic-tell-me-about-your-fail/#comments Image I'm an avid Twitterer and reader of blogs, and this post is a direct result of that! It's inspired by a From Draenor With Love cartoon cataloging different reasons for Ultraxion button-pressing fails, and it made me cringe remembering a fail of my own. I was paladin tanking in the Raid Finder, and just as Ultraxion put his Fading Light debuff on me, the other tank dropped group. (I can only assume he had a drop group macro next to his taunt button and it was a horrible mistake.)

I know now that it is very possible to single-tank this in the Raid Finder, but I didn't then, so I tried to bubble off the Fading Light debuff, thinking that if I pushed the button, the group would be murdered. Turns out you can't bubble it off, and I wasn't fast enough to click the button before I died. The group, not unfairly, was rather unimpressed! We ran and rezzed, and I single-tanked it.

Another recent fail relates to my new PvP mage. I was in Eye of the Storm, and we'd pushed the Horde back off the flag, so I picked it up and fled by Blinking. Good so far, right? Unfortunately, I got the angle wrong and Blinked so close to the side that I immediately fell off -- fortunately, not to my death! Thank goodness a helpful priest was nearby and gripped me back up!

So, I've shared two max-level embarrassing fails -- now it's your turn. Not newbie confessions like before -- I'm talking full-on fails. Go on, don't be afraid ... it's good to share! Therapeutic, let's say. And don't be mean in the comments. Nobody's perfect.

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Breakfast Topic: Tell me about your fail originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Who's your most hated boss of Cataclysm?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/breakfast-topic-whos-your-most-hated-boss-of-cataclysm/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/breakfast-topic-whos-your-most-hated-boss-of-cataclysm/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/12/breakfast-topic-whos-your-most-hated-boss-of-cataclysm/#comments Image
Look! It's Deathwing getting pewpew-ed by shammy lasers! I was really happy when I found this screenshot ... Anyway, that's beside the point. What I'm here to ask you today is the following: Which boss has been your most hated this expansion? It might have been a boss you just couldn't kill or maybe a boss that you just really didn't like because of mechanics. Or maybe you don't like the surroundings, or maybe you just don't like their face. Their giant, dragon face.

My candidate list has been long and merited a lot of consideration, although my guildmates will already know what the answer is. Al'Akir was a total pain, in terms of mechanics. Not the platform bit -- that bit where you take off and get zapped by lightning. My tired old laptop and I hated that bit. It seemed so unpredictable and frustrating.

Nefarian's another one, but it's more his room that I hated. Those pillars -- well, more specifically, the tiny lip on the edge of those pillars. The tiny lip I got trapped under time and time again. Thank God for paladin bubbles -- that's all I'm going to say.

Your answer doesn't have to be a raid boss. Jin'do The Godbreaker is a total pain in the proverbial to heal when your aggro drops are an unreliable elemental and reincarnation.

But my all-out winner of most hated boss this expansion is Ragnaros. He had it all. He was seriously boring to tank. His room was annoying (because you couldn't zoom out as far as I'd like). The unpredictable nature of some of his mechanics (meteors, mainly) was immensely tiresome. Top all that off with some raid attendance problems leading to an insanely long time spent on him, and you've got all the right ingredients.

Anyhow, less about my immense dislike of Firelands. How about you? Tell me all about your boss-related woes. I'll make the tea.

Breakfast Topic: Who's your most hated boss of Cataclysm? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[A response to the "Do you like PvP?" Breakfast Topic]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/a-response-to-the-do-you-like-pvp-breakfast-topic/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/a-response-to-the-do-you-like-pvp-breakfast-topic/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/a-response-to-the-do-you-like-pvp-breakfast-topic/#comments Image WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who spends most of her time in Azeroth making with the stabby and turning people into frogs.

A little while ago, I wrote a Breakfast Topic asking if you like PvP. I was really pleased to see lots of people commenting, and we got some really interesting responses telling us why some folks don't like PvP. A lot of it was predictable, things I had anticipated as someone who's gone from really disliking PvP to absolutely loving it, making it the main thing I do in WoW, and eventually writing about it for WoW Insider. I know you may not believe me, but my early PvP experiences were basically just going into Battlegrounds and having no comprehension of what was going on, and declining duels.

Now, I'm not trying to persuade you to become a PvP nut like me. I just want those who don't like PvP to take a moment to read this and maybe see if I can persuade you to try a little PvP, armed with some more knowledge. That is, after all, my main aim.

A good number of complaints relate to PvP gear, how you have to grind for it, and how you need it in order to be successful. There are a few simple steps to deal with this, though!
  • Buy the crafted set from the Auction House, or have it crafted, or craft it yourself. There is a set for everyone, and a jewelcrafter can make you jewelery to go with it. The mats aren't hard to find or expensive to buy, and anyone who's leveling the profession that makes the gear will be making it. Ask in trade; you may get it for the mats. This will net you a cool 3,250 resilience.
  • If you're a dedicated raider or PvE player, you're going to have spare valor or justice points lying around by now. Justice points convert to honor at a rate of 375:250 and valor to conquest at 250:250.

Continue reading A response to the "Do you like PvP?" Breakfast Topic

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A response to the "Do you like PvP?" Breakfast Topic originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-tipsarenasdont-feed-the-trollsfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppvppvp-for-beginnerspvp-gearpvp-guidepvp-helppvp-issueswow-arenawow-guidewow-pvpwow-pvp-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[2012 Arena Pass registration now open]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/2012-arena-pass-registration-now-open-weds-if-poss/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/2012-arena-pass-registration-now-open-weds-if-poss/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/2012-arena-pass-registration-now-open-weds-if-poss/#comments Image
Last night, Blizzard annouced that registration has opened for the 2012 Arena Pass! Players registering will have access to arena geared level 85 characters, as well as a host of epic gear to choose from as they battle their way to the top. Gold is no object on the Arena Pass realm. You can have whatever you want, including training, respecs and gear.

The top 1,000 players will earn an exclusive Vanquisher title for their live realm character, and all players will receive access to an exclusive level 90 Arena Pass realm after they upgrade their account to Mists of Pandaria. What's more, players who participate in 50 or more rated Arena Pass games on one character and with the same team by the end of the six weeks will be eligible to receive the Armored Murloc pet for their live characters.

You can create up to three level 85 characters, all of which will be started at level 85 with a "hefty sum" of gold, parachuted in to a starting zone. Once you have your level 85, you'll need to get on board with a 3v3 team, which, as on live realms, can have up to six players on their roster.

The first two weeks are for practice, to allow players to meet, form teams, and get some matches in that won't count toward their eventual ranking, although teams will gain rating as normal. After the first two weeks, all ratings will be reset to zero, and for the next two weeks, there will be a -150 rating penalty for team roster changes. Teams will build ranking from the third week until the end of the six-week period.

In the final two weeks, rosters will be locked down and no changes will be permitted. If you want to change team rosters around in the final two weeks, you'll need to start a new team.

Good luck!

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2012 Arena Pass registration now open originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-stratsarena-tipsarenasbreakingfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvplevel-90pvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite emote in WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-emote-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-emote-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-emote-in-wow/#comments Image
I asked recently whether people agreed with me in my dislike of the emote /spit and got an interesting yet mixed response.

A couple of responders mentioned that they'd like to see another emote in WoW -- and funny enough, I agreed with them! The amount of times I've absentmindedly typed /tongue, expecting to have my character stick their tongue out at my target ... and these commenters said they would like that included as well! I'd love that.

To be positive rather than negative, what's your favorite emote in the game? I warn you now, I will shake my head disapprovingly at anyone who says it's /spit. However, like another commenter, I'll probably type /shake and end up shaking my rear at you instead!

I reckon my favorite emote would be either /violin or /cower. I find /violin hilarious for some reason, and I enjoy the animation that goes with /cower, especially because it seems to be one of those that lasts until you move. You can /lol in the middle of a /cower, and you'll take a brief pause from cowering to laugh, then go right back to it! Simple things please simple minds, right?

And if you're looking for inspiration, here's a list of all the emotes in the game.

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Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite emote in WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> emoteemotesfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Does /spit need to go?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/breakfast-topic-does-spit-need-to-go/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/breakfast-topic-does-spit-need-to-go/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/breakfast-topic-does-spit-need-to-go/#comments Image In the interest of full disclosure, I feel I should be totally honest with you all. I hate spitting. Of course, I know it has its uses -- one can't swallow toothpaste, after all -- but people spitting in the street? Gross, and completely unnecessary. When I used to cycle competitively, people did it all the time, and I hated it then, too.

I was reading the comments on a recent Breakfast Topic and noticed that one thing that cropped up a bit in people's dislike of PvP was the use of unpleasant emotes by their enemies to rub in their victory or simply just as play progressed. This brought /spit to mind. It's something that I see every now and then, and I honestly cannot understand what possible purpose it ever served in the game or what purpose it continues to serve now, apart from providing another avenue for people to be unpleasant to one another. If there was one emote from WoW that I would remove, /spit is the one.

But as I said, as a person who hates spitting, perhaps I'm just being unfair. So, dear readers, maybe you disagree? Or maybe there's another emote you dislike more than that one? I can put up with /rude, but not /spit. At least /rude can be funny if used at the right time and in the right context. What do you think?

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Breakfast Topic: Does /spit need to go? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> emotesfeaturedgame-discussiongamer-discussionrudespitworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Your WoW newbie confessions]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/05/breakfast-topic-your-wow-newbie-confessions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/05/breakfast-topic-your-wow-newbie-confessions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/05/breakfast-topic-your-wow-newbie-confessions/#comments
First, the above screenshots come from my favorite boss in the game, Interrogator Vishas. He loves secrets, that he does, and makes me giggle. He especially likes naughty secrets, apparently! So I thought he'd be a perfect header image for this Breakfast Topic.

What's your WoW confession? I'm talking about newbie or embarrassing moments in WoW -- I'm pretty sure we've all had those. Everyone was a noob once!

My confession used to center mostly around trying to tank without Righteous Fury on. But one confession that I really recall was early on in my WoW experience, around level 20, after two friends had boosted me through The Stockade. I got some gear from the boost runs and some more from quests, and once I'd got past the level of the mobs (sort of -- I didn't know what an elite was), I thought I should be able to do it by myself. So in I went. And died. And thought I'd messed up, so went in again. And again. And again.

Growing ever more frustrated, I turned to my paladin-playing friend and vented about how I was awful at this game, at which point he gently told me that The Stockade was a thing called a dungeon and was designed for five people. D'oh!

I also remember when I'd become brave enough to queue for one of these dungeons and clicked tank as well as DPS. I had no idea what a tank was meant to do or how I should do it, and the group rightly raged at me. I didn't know how to leave a group, so I logged out. By the time I logged back in again, they'd booted me, thank God!

So, what noob moments stick in your mind? Any that you cringe at slightly, looking back?

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Breakfast Topic: Your WoW newbie confessions originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Do you like PvP?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/breakfast-topic-do-you-like-pvp/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/breakfast-topic-do-you-like-pvp/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/breakfast-topic-do-you-like-pvp/#comments
I wrote a Breakfast Topic recently about what you're just not that excited about in Mists, and as ever, I religiously read all the comments. While a lot of the expected stuff came up, one thing that really sprang out at me was just how many people mentioned that they really don't like PvP -- even hate it, in some cases!

As the PvP columnist here at WoW Insider, I am really quite keen on PvP! And one thing I'm really hoping to do with my columns is to get people into PvP, get people enjoying it and so on. I personally think that once you understand a few basic things about PvP, you're far more likely to enjoy it, but maybe I'm wrong.

I can think of various reasons you might not like it. I wasn't super-keen when I first started WoW. I didn't understand what resilience was. I didn't understand Battleground brackets. I didn't understand the importance of CC. I didn't know about gear. If someone duelled me, I declined. But that changed!

So I'd love to hear, first, whether you're a fan of PvP or not -- and most important, the reasons for your opinion. If you could have some advice that might prompt you to start PvPing, what would it be? As Dr. Cox says in Scrubs, "Help me to help you!"

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Breakfast Topic: Do you like PvP? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How would you redesign the old character models?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/breakfast-topic-how-would-you-redesign-the-old-character-models/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/breakfast-topic-how-would-you-redesign-the-old-character-models/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/breakfast-topic-how-would-you-redesign-the-old-character-models/#comments I'm sure you all watched Anne's above video on the female pandaren animations -- which, by the way, look amazing. I'm really hoping they're an indication of what is to come from the character model redesigns we're hoping to see in Mists of Pandaria.

But I started to wonder what I'd like to see in character model redesigns, and of course, what you would. I'm not going to go through it race by race; that would be tiresome and also take forever. Also, one of the races I actually think looks worst, the worgen, isn't up for a redesign yet. Ugh, that perpetually snarling face ... It's so awful, I can't even ... and the sniffing ... Stop it, Olivia. Back on topic.

So one of my first changes would be to have the undead elbows show as an option, rather than by default on every character. I understand that some people may like them, but I don't. I'd also like to have long-sleeved clothes cover them up! Are the undead so proud of their skeletal elbows that they have all their clothes adjusted to show them off? I mean, shout it out, undead -- be proud of who you are, but some must be more modest, surely?

I'd like more hair animation. I really like that in the pandaren models, how their pigtails and bangs move as they do. I'd love to see better hands and fewer Popeye forearms, but the biggest culprit for the Popeye arms (goblin) also isn't getting updated. And more facial animation -- as Anne mentions, the pandaren lady has a fantastically expressive face, and I'd love that to be taken to the other models.

What about you? What would you like to see? And what wouldn't you like to see removed? Leave the draenei ladies alone! They're hawt ...

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Breakfast Topic: How would you redesign the old character models? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-speculationworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[PvP twinking for dummies]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/pvp-twinking-for-dummies-wed/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/pvp-twinking-for-dummies-wed/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/pvp-twinking-for-dummies-wed/#comments WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who spends most of her time in Azeroth making with the stabby and turning people into frogs.

So we're getting to that time in the expansion. People are winding down a bit, relaxing their playstyles, taking a break from raiding after getting their last targets down and killing a certain dragon on whatever mode takes their fancy.

So what do you do? Why, PvP! Of course, you can take your beloved max-level main, convert all that valor you don't need after completely gearing yourself in 397s or better into conquest, and get on the PvP train. Your justice points, of course, convert to honor (not at quite such a good rate), and that legendary staff you got when Firelands was still cool will do just fine. Better than fine, in fact. (Grumble, grumble.) But my residual bitterness about PvE gear in PvP is not what we're here to talk about today, nor is max-level PvP conversion. No, my lovely reader, we're here to talk about twinking.

What on earth is twinking? Well, it's when people level a character ... then stop. They might lock their XP or just not actively level at max speed for a level or two. In PvP, twinking centers around Battleground brackets and Arena levels, and it's really good fun!

First and foremost, you need to know how to lock XP, if you want to. Simply visit Behsten for Alliance or Slahtz for Horde. Bring 10 gold with you. It should be noted that locking XP is definitely not a requirement for twinked PvP! On certain battlegroups (my main battlegroup sadly included), XP-locked Battlegrounds leave you with a wait time that is "undetermined" -- you're not getting in any time soon. Exploits that get you around it are just that -- exploits. Blizzard may well borrow Adam Holisky's Ban Hammer!

Continue reading PvP twinking for dummies

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PvP twinking for dummies originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppvp-guidepvp-twinkpvp-twinkingtwinktwink-geartwink-guidetwink-helptwinkingwow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What are you just not that excited about in Mists?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/breakfast-topic-what-are-you-just-not-that-excited-about-in-mis/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/breakfast-topic-what-are-you-just-not-that-excited-about-in-mis/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/breakfast-topic-what-are-you-just-not-that-excited-about-in-mis/#comments
As many commenters elaborated in my earlier Breakfast Topic, for everyone who's excited about something to come in Mists of Pandaria, there's someone who isn't. It's easy to say what we are excited about in MoP, with so many great features coming out. But as with everything, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

What I'm interested in today is not QQ and anger but rather which of the new features you're simply not that excited about. What doesn't really do anything for you? What can't you see yourself using or benefiting from?

Personally, I have my reservations about a few aspects of the expansion. I can't really see myself going crazy over the Pet Battles and the farming land, but I may well change my tune on that. So far, I haven't been blown away by what's coming out of the beta as far as the new continent and theme goes. I'm not saying it's bad, just that it isn't something I'm personally amazed by.

It's all relative, and compared to how excited I am about the new talents, for example, the Pandaria landscape doesn't come close. That probably has a lot to do with my WoW gaming preferences, too. And of course, as far as the Pet Battles and the farming go, I can just avoid playing aspects of the game that don't particularly excite me. Nobody's forcing you to farm. (Well, I hope they're not.)

However, there are so many more things I really, really am looking forward to. I'm not looking for "The whole thing sucks -- I'm quitting WoW!" But what just isn't really interesting or exciting to you?

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Breakfast Topic: What are you just not that excited about in Mists? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionmists-of-pandariaworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's the one thing you can't wait to find out about Mists?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/breakfast-topic-whats-the-one-thing-you-cant-wait-to-find-out/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/breakfast-topic-whats-the-one-thing-you-cant-wait-to-find-out/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/breakfast-topic-whats-the-one-thing-you-cant-wait-to-find-out/#comments
There's been a huge amount of news coming out from the beta about Mists. We've heard about healing changes, lady pandaren emotes and floppy bangs, and where to hunt your pet warriors in Eastern Kingdoms.

But what are you waiting to see? What's the piece of news you're looking for every time a new Mists story appears? First and foremost, "that my beta invite has arrived" is not a response I will accept. I will track you down and glare sternly at you if you say that. I mean it. I'm on my way to glare at Daniel Whitcomb right now.

I want to hear what the thing is you're desperate to know. I really want to hear more about new PvP elements. Anyone who read my list of Mists PvP wishes will be familiar with what I'd love to see, and I'm hanging on Blizzard's every release hoping for PvP leveling information.

And I'd love to see the paladin talents reworked. They're looking kind of lackluster right now, a redistribution of existing talents, not filling me with excitement like talents for the other classes I play.

How about you? What are you on the edge of your chair hoping to see? And, of course, why?

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Breakfast Topic: What's the one thing you can't wait to find out about Mists? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionmists-of-pandariaworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your one wish for Mists of Pandaria?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/breakfast-topic-whats-your-one-wish-for-mists-of-pandaria/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/breakfast-topic-whats-your-one-wish-for-mists-of-pandaria/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/breakfast-topic-whats-your-one-wish-for-mists-of-pandaria/#comments
OK, we all know it's coming. There have been exciting releases like the female pandaren silhouette hitting the web, with a promise of more come March 19. Blizzard is fielding a really strong marketing focus this expansion, giving us tidbits of information, leaving us wanting more.

So I bet we're all starting to imagine what the new expansion might bring in our chosen favorite aspect of the game. You may think my main role here is writing Breakfast Topics, but actually I'm a PvP columnist and that's my focus in WoW, so my wish would be PvP-related. Now, you may think I'm whining or complaining unnecessarily, but I'd really like to see Mana Burn taken out of the game. I know, I know, it has a long cast time and is mana-expensive to cast, but I hate it. I hate being CC'd and mana burned. So that's my one wish.

What's yours? You're only allowed one, but it could be anything, anything at all. Use your imagination! Want all the retro raids in the Raid Finder? Wish for it! Want to see a huge statue of Lady Sylvanas in Orgrimmar? Hmm, I might swap Mana Burn for that ... I have a bit of a girl crush on Sylvanas.

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Breakfast Topic: What's your one wish for Mists of Pandaria? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your WoW grudge?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/breakfast-topic-whats-your-wow-grudge/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/breakfast-topic-whats-your-wow-grudge/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/breakfast-topic-whats-your-wow-grudge/#comments
I started off on the Alliance side, and it's still where my mains are. My first character, my paladin, was leveled tentatively and badly, with only minimal skill and understanding. We all have to learn somewhere!

One of my main memories from that period was dying. Dying a lot. I don't know now whether I'd have the skill to do the Ironman Challenge, but I sure didn't then, and things killed me constantly. I didn't understand about aggro linking, where if you taunt one mob, any mob near to it will be taunted too, and I wasn't great at using my abilities. I was holy, to improve the healing, and I didn't have the early damaging skills pallies get now.

This made me angry. So whenever I see Hogger, who must have killed me 20 or 30 times, I take my revenge. It's harder now that he's down in the Stockades, but when I went down there to take the screenshot in the header and killed him, I still thought "Ha!"

And murlocs -- they're high on my grudge list. My God, they killed me a lot. If I encounter a gang of murlocs while I'm out herbing, I'm sorry. They're going down.

I mentioned monsters from the Alliance side, as I really don't know what the Horde equivalent of Hogger and murlocs would be. Do let me know! I'll go and kill them for you.

Should I seek professional help? Do you hold irrational grudges against mobs or bosses that killed you over and over again? And if you do, who or what are they?

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Breakfast Topic: What's your WoW grudge? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionhoggermurlocsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Early Mists of Pandaria talents and PvP]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/early-mists-of-pandaria-talents-and-pvp/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/early-mists-of-pandaria-talents-and-pvp/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/early-mists-of-pandaria-talents-and-pvp/#comments WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who spends most of her time in Azeroth as a restoration shaman turning people into frogs.

The Mists talent trees have been up for a little while now, and we've all had a chance to look through them for our specific classes. I can tell you right now, I'm excited. Gone are the days of the boring talent -- you know, the one like Bane that shortens the cast time of a spell by 0.5 seconds. To my mind, the majority of these talents are like the special, gold-bordered one that you get excited about working toward as you level.

Now, a caveat, as we must have said a hundred times here at WoW Insider over the past few weeks that these are in their early stages and definitely not set in stone. I mean, heck, some of them aren't even finished yet! But the ones that are there are pretty exciting from a PvP perspective.

In order to avoid boring you with a huge, long list laying out each talent and discussing its potential PvP implications, I'm going to bundle them into a few categories. Trust me, I've done that discussion in my head, and it wasn't pretty. But first, let's consider these in a more overarching way. Right now, if you're facing, for example, a restoration shaman in Arena, you're likely going to have a pretty good idea of their abilities. They cast shields -- one that generates health when you hit it, and one that generates mana. They have a totem that avoids fear effects, one that grounds spells, one that increases spirit, and one that shares out the health of everyone in the swirly disco.

Continue reading Early Mists of Pandaria talents and PvP

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Early Mists of Pandaria talents and PvP originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvpmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-pvpmists-of-pandaria-speculationmists-of-pandaria-talent-changesmists-of-pandaria-talentspvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's the least loved class in WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/breakfast-topic-whats-the-least-loved-class-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/breakfast-topic-whats-the-least-loved-class-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/breakfast-topic-whats-the-least-loved-class-in-wow/#comments Following my recent Breakfast Topic asking you which class you would never play, I got a bit overexcited. I totally put on my glasses, having found them, and did Science. I went through all the comments and added up how regularly each class was mentioned, in a hugely scientific manner. Then I lost count, spilled coffee on the bit of paper, and did Science all over again with a spreadsheet.

Fortunately I didn't spill coffee on the spreadsheet; that would have been more problematic, seeing as it's inside my laptop and all. So here, ladies and gentlemen, are the results of The Biggest Loser Azeroth, 2012! Now, for clarity, this is the number of times each class was mentioned in the context of someone not succeeding in leveling it, not wanting to level it, or not finding it appealing to level or play. People who got a class to 85 but don't really play it that much weren't counted!

So based on this extremely scientific approach, the most loved (least mentioned) class was the priest. Only 4.7% said they wouldn't level a priest. Does this mean priests are just bland and inoffensive, or totally awesome? Who knows!

But the least loved (most mentioned)? Well, warriors came in second, with 12.4%, but there was a bit of a cluster with rogue on 11.6% and druid on 10.9%. But, ladies and gentlemen, the runaway winner with a truly epic 20.9% was the warlock. Why is that? I kinda like my 'lock. I'm not entirely sure why they don't appeal, but there's clearly something. I'd say it was the pets, but the hunter only had 8.5% of the vote! What do you think?

Here are the full results:

Priest: 4.7% DK: 10.1%
Shaman: 6.2% Druid 10.9%
Mage: 7.0% Rogue: 11.6%
Paladin: 7.8% Warrior: 12.4%
Hunter: 8.5% Warlock: 20.9%

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Breakfast Topic: What's the least loved class in WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionhugely-unscientific-scienceworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider