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 2013 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's in a name?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/breakfast-topic-whats-in-a-name/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/breakfast-topic-whats-in-a-name/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/breakfast-topic-whats-in-a-name/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

Back when I first made my main on my server, it was around Halloween and I was looking at costumes. A beer wench costume caught my eye, and it became the inspiration for my name. Much later when achievements and many titles were introduced, I learned of the Salty title and knew I had to get it. Salty just goes so well with a wench name; I always go back to it after wearing a new one for a few days.

Names are a very key part of the game -- from the creation screen, titles, pets, renaming scrolls for pets, guild names, and paid guild/character name changes. You can now even pay gold to change your warlock demon's name, if you wish.

Either I'm not very creative or I just like to honor the beast, but if I tame a rare creature that comes with a name, I rename it back to the original. It would be neat if there were an option to either keep the name or rename it, since some names you can't emulate exactly.

There are some creatures out there that I wish could be named or renamed -- a mage's water elemental, for example. It would be nice if something that is with you from day one could have a unique name, similar to warlock demons and death knight minions.

What was your inspiration for your name? Is there a title that was a perfect fit? Have you renamed any of your pets, demons or mini-pets, or do you keep their original names? Do you wish you could name something but can't yet?

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Breakfast Topic: What's in a name? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What will you do after WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/09/breakfast-topic-what-will-you-do-after-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/09/breakfast-topic-what-will-you-do-after-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/09/breakfast-topic-what-will-you-do-after-wow/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

I'm going to ask a question, and you're not going to like it. In fact, you may want to take a big chug from a pint of Ironforge's finest first. Go ahead, have a seat; I'll wait. In fact, I'll have one of my own.

Ready? Just remember, it's hypothetical, all right? Okay, here goes: What would you do if WoW shut down tomorrow? Say there were a huge natural disaster (but all the Blizzard employees made it out okay; I'm not cruel) and there was major data corruption and destruction, or perhaps the game just ran its course and is over. Either way, there is no more Azeroth, no servers or realms, no character list, not even a login screen or an annoying dragon roar every minute. What would you do?

Do you have another game to fill your time? If it were sudden and unforeseen, would you be angry about all your lost time and give up games altogether? Would you fill up the void with other technological means, with another hobby, or with family time?

I would probably spend more time writing, and maybe get some of these brainstorms colliding in my head down on paper. There are other games I've been putting off so I could concentrate on WoW that I could give a whirl. How would you fill your time?

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Breakfast Topic: What will you do after WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 09 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Sat, 09 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Have you ever found bored NPCs?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/06/have-you-ever-found-bored-npcs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/06/have-you-ever-found-bored-npcs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/07/06/have-you-ever-found-bored-npcs/#comments This post has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

While leveling an alt through Northrend recently -- more specifically, on the quest It Could Kill Us All -- I found a most curious sight in Crystalsong Forest. There is a female night elf jumping from bench to bench on the ruins. From a distance, I thought it was a player and flew in closer, only to discover it wasn't a player at all! I couldn't believe it; I haven't seen an NPC act in such a player-controlled manner before. I flew around to see if any others were doing it and only managed to aggro and kill several without any luck.

While doing archaeology, I've seen some zombies jump from wall to wall on the troll ruins in Stranglethorn Vale. But that isn't something a player could actually do out of boredom, such as bench hopping -- the distance they jump is too great. It made me curious, though: Are there other NPCs out there that act inordinately player-controlled? Not as in generic city guard walking from point A to point B or the conversations that take place regularly, but as in erratic actions, seemingly random hopping, or other typical boredom actions? Are there more NPCs like the Shandaral Spirits out there?

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Have you ever found bored NPCs? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Are pretty pixels important to you?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/06/12/breakfast-topic-are-pretty-pixels-important-to-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/06/12/breakfast-topic-are-pretty-pixels-important-to-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/06/12/breakfast-topic-are-pretty-pixels-important-to-you/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

I admit it: I judge books by their covers. By the same token, I also judge games by their pixels. The look and feel is a key factor of my enjoyment of the game. If I can't customize a character, the game loses appeal quickly.

WoW doesn't have a huge amount of customization, but it's added a lot with barber shops to keep me and my mood swings satisfied. It may be a niche need or desire, but I am happy it is recognized. There are, however, some colors I think it would be great to see added. Female night elf death knights need a pink hair color option. I would love if my druid could get this same hair color without having to die for it. The Gilnean rogue trainer Lorna and Surwich Innkeeper Donna Berrymore have a dark blue/purple hair color. I wish one of my humans could stumble upon this mysterious hair dye bottle.

Blizzard recently mentioned that it's adding a choice between male and female versions of demons. This was beyond expectations, as all I'd ever hoped was a color choice for my demons. Felguards, succubi and imps have many skin colors in the game, and I would enjoy being able to choose from them all.

Some players have voiced a desire for an option to show or hide their gear. I'd like to broach the idea of dyes here as well. Although it would hinder being able to tell heroic from normal gear at a glance, it would make it more aesthetically pleasing for each character to choose an individual look. I wouldn't look the same as every other person in my class.

In what other areas would you like to see the game's aesthetics added to or improved?

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Breakfast Topic: Are pretty pixels important to you? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Sun, 12 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Are you an Azerothian prankster?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/breakfast-topic-are-you-an-azerothian-prankster/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/breakfast-topic-are-you-an-azerothian-prankster/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/breakfast-topic-are-you-an-azerothian-prankster/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

Back in the good ol' days, our guild was much smaller and tight-knit. We had enough for a solid 25-man raid, with a handful others who just liked to call us "home." Some guildies knew each other in real life or were roommates who liked to have fun and play pranks on each other. While I glad to not be a part of it, I did enjoy hearing the creativity they came up with, especially when it involved something in game.

The most memorable prank was back in the golden days of yore, back when mounts were items in your bag, guns and bows took ammunition, and gold wasn't fished in fountains. Someone logged onto a low-level alt and commented the character wasn't where he had left him. He shortly discovered that he had no gear, no gold for a flight path, no hearthstone, no mount, was nowhere near a bank, and had to run through high-level mobs to get anywhere remotely close to bank access. Watching him discover all these atrocities one at a time made for a very entertaining evening.

With authenticators bringing heightened account security and Blizzard making items such as mounts "learned," pranks such as this are hard to recreate. This just means pranksters have to be more creative.

Do you and your friends pull fast ones on each other? What epic in-game tales and pranks were you in on or have you heard about?

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Breakfast Topic: Are you an Azerothian prankster? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionprankstricksworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Where are the sports references in WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/breakfast-topic-where-are-the-sports-references-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/breakfast-topic-where-are-the-sports-references-in-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/breakfast-topic-where-are-the-sports-references-in-wow/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

There are many pop culture references that make it into the World of Warcraft, from celebrities to song lyrics and titles to movie and television quotes. But with all the pop culture references, we see very few sports references in WoW. Until Cataclysm.

I was pleasantly surprised when questing in the goblin starting zone, I saw a makeshift football field complete with goal posts. And actual footballs! Granted, the players are controlled machines, but it's an actual sport being represented in game! I was thrilled.

Where else could Blizzard implement sports? There are many sports that could be included, from rugby, to golf, tennis, basketball, soccer ... The list is staggering. When I thought of basketball, my mind immediately went to the '80s video game Double Dribble, where you have the ring moving vertically over the net as you try to make your foul shot. Blizzard could implement something like that in a quest with a round leather ball, where you earn higher points the further you are away from the hoop -- and hey, you've got basketball!

How and where would you like to see some of your favorite sports implemented in the World of Warcraft?

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Breakfast Topic: Where are the sports references in WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite WoW symbol?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-wow-symbol/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-wow-symbol/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/breakfast-topic-whats-your-favorite-wow-symbol/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

I play Alliance now, but I started out as a Horde player. I have pride for both factions, but I think I will always have a preference for the Horde. They're very diverse to me. The Alliance seems so humanoid-centric: You have humans, you have dwarves (who are squat humans), you have gnomes (who are even smaller humans), and you have worgen (who are shape-changing humans). It could just be cynical me.

I think my most favorite thing about the Horde is their symbol; it's unique, it's bold, and no one outside the game will know what it is if they don't play. It's a great emblem for a shirt, jewelry, or body art.

I just can't get as excited about the Alliance symbol. I love cats large and small, don't get me wrong. But it just looks like it belongs to a family crest or on a shield. I wouldn't sport it on my clothing or pay for the body art. That symbol just doesn't evoke the same pride as the Horde symbol. To be honest, I like the Argent Crusade or Silver Covenant symbols more than the Alliance lion crest. Granted, the Alliance get the lion mount, which is awesome ... but that's going on a tangent.

Do you take pride in sporting your faction symbols? If not, what changes would you propose to make them better? What are your favorite faction symbols in WoW?

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Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite WoW symbol? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionsymboltattooworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Where do you play World of Warcraft?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/03/05/breakfast-topic-where-do-you-play-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/03/05/breakfast-topic-where-do-you-play-world-of-warcraft/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/03/05/breakfast-topic-where-do-you-play-world-of-warcraft/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

A favorite WoW-related comic strip of mine recently had the characters playing WoW in a bar, which was quite a foreign idea to me. First of all, my computer is a desktop system, so it's pretty much limited to its spare-bedroom, crowded desk space, which is shared with my husband. In fact, I sit in front of the desk drawers. It's not the most comfortable raiding location, to be honest.

Not having a laptop with gaming abilities, I'm not that familiar with wifi. I didn't even know bars offered wifi; I assumed you had to go coffee shops with Moby Dick themes for that. It piqued my curiosity, to say the least.

What's your computer setup like, fellow Azerothians? Is it a crowded desk that you share? Do you have your own L-shaped desk with all the room in the world?

Furthermore, what's the craziest place you logged in to WoW from? Have you set up a LAN party with all your friends on your dining room table? Or do you quest in coffee shops and bars on a general basis?

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Breakfast Topic: Where do you play World of Warcraft? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Has Deathwing caught up with you yet?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/breakfast-topic-has-deathwing-caught-up-with-you-yet/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/breakfast-topic-has-deathwing-caught-up-with-you-yet/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/breakfast-topic-has-deathwing-caught-up-with-you-yet/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

It's just another day of questing for this frost mage, flying all over Twilight Highlands to get Fading into Twilight. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, my dead crumpled body is falling to the ground. I'm too high for someone to one-shot me, right? Confusion abounds. There's fire all around me, and I can't see a darn thing. Then the little achievement box pops up: Great, Deathwing struck. My guildmates feverishly ask me where I was in the hopes they can quickly fly over.

Another day, another dollar -- this one being earned in Uldum. As I'm following Indi -- er, Harrison Jones all over the endless rolling sand dunes and speaking to cat people who somehow speak Common after being secluded for eons, I meet my newest archnemesis again. I actually see him coming this time, lurking in the distance, attempting to creep his behemoth body up behind me. There's no achievement this time, just a dead body amongst the flames.

All right, Deathwing, you've destroyed my homeland and you've killed me twice; I'm throwing down my gaunt -- cloth gloves! This is war.

Where were you when Deathwing struck? Has he gotten you more than once? Perhaps you feel, as I do, that there should be an achievement each time he strikes you down.

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Breakfast Topic: Has Deathwing caught up with you yet? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> deathwingfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Do Cataclysm's explosive quests light your fire?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/breakfast-topic-do-cataclysms-explosive-quests-light-your-fire/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/breakfast-topic-do-cataclysms-explosive-quests-light-your-fire/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/breakfast-topic-do-cataclysms-explosive-quests-light-your-fire/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

I'm a fire mage, and the explosion-riddled Mythbusters show is on my DVR, so it shouldn't be any surprise that the two quests that top my nonexistent Favorite Cataclysm Quest chart are explosive and fiery. I have no idea if this is some subconscious RP coming to the surface or if I just like big booms. I'll ponder more on that later.

In Uldum, there's a quest where you turn into a fabulous, fiery gnome-killer ball. Having been a gnome, I actually feel no pangs of remorse for rolling over 1,000 of them and trying to eke out a few more before the vehicle ejects me.

My second favorite fiery quest is in the goblin starting zone. You put on a pair of rocket boots and fly over goblin zombies, roasting them into oblivion. Hey, they're evil, okay? It's all right to giggle maniacally as you fly over 50 of them ... or more ... for hours.

What are some other fiery and explosive quests you've come across? Do you enjoy the mass slaughter of evil pixels, or do you or your character feel remorse? Do your favorite quests tend to complement your character's motif?

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Breakfast Topic: Do Cataclysm's explosive quests light your fire? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> explosionsfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What caused your first Cataclysm death?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/breakfast-topic-what-caused-your-first-cataclysm-death/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/breakfast-topic-what-caused-your-first-cataclysm-death/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/31/breakfast-topic-what-caused-your-first-cataclysm-death/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

One of the great things about expansions is all the "firsts" we get to experience. For example: my first 310% flight speed, my first time flying in the old world, my first archaeology artifact -- there are so many fantastic things that come with an expansion! However, there are also some rude awakenings. I was surprised when frost came back as a mage leveling spec. I was also taken aback at just how quickly I perished when I tried to take on more than one mob. Let me paint a picture for you.

Here we have this overconfident fire mage coming into Mount Hyjal for the first time. She grabs some quests and heads out to kill some fire elementals. She tags one, and puts Living Bomb up. It proceeds to make a lot of elementals angry with her. She shrugs off the multitude of fiery beings heading her way -- "I'll just AoE them down." That doesn't bode well. Slowly, her life force ebbs away, she gets weaker and weaker, there's a darkness coming over her, and then she's just ... gone.

I stare at my screen. Did that really just happen? Did I seriously just die to my first Cataclysm mob? I quickly look around the room; awww crud, yes, my husband saw that. Well, that's a bit embarrassing! I then take some time to see what the other mages in the area are running as. "Ahem, well I guess I'll go spec frost now ..."

I'm curious where and when the rest of you saw your first Cataclysm demise. Was it due to overconfidence or a wrong spec? Did you make it without dying until your first dungeon?

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Breakfast Topic: What caused your first Cataclysm death? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> deathfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionwipeswipingworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Does WoW light your creative fires?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/breakfast-topic-does-wow-light-your-creative-fires/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/breakfast-topic-does-wow-light-your-creative-fires/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/breakfast-topic-does-wow-light-your-creative-fires/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

On this fine snowy morning of -12 degrees, I find myself writing an article for WoW Insider. If you had asked me a year or two before, I would have told you that's preposterous: I didn't think I had much in common with other players, and I certainly didn't have the confidence to put anything in front of the masses. I was learning the ropes, leveling, asking questions, not sure what I was supposed to do when the game was "over." I didn't utilize sites such as this; back then, I didn't venture much further than Thottbot.

Yet here I am today, with a few high-level characters, raiding, and I am writing this article. I've dabbled in a few other games since first playing WoW, and each of them has sparked my imagination and opened various creative passage ways. I found myself wanting to start a fan-fiction, which then grew into something even bigger. I always loved writing but never thought I would go anywhere with it. I guess I just needed the right inspiration.

There is a whole feature on WoW Insider (World of WarCrafts) about people who have been inspired by WoW to do great things. How about you? Have you started writing a comic strip, fan-fiction, a novel, created videos, or furthered another hobby? Have you done something you never thought possible because you were inspired by WoW or another game?

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Breakfast Topic: Does WoW light your creative fires? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> artart-and-craftscraftscreativecreativityfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicsworld-of-warcraftswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How do you make time for working out?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-make-time-for-working-out/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-make-time-for-working-out/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/breakfast-topic-how-do-you-make-time-for-working-out/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

A recent NPC comic strip touched on an issue I find very near and not quite dear to my ... mid section. It has one of the main characters admitting he's gained some weight; he then suggests that a rule be enacted that he cannot play WoW until he has worked out.

Sounds simple, right? Some would say that depends on your level of self-control and willpower. Having tried this rule myself, I also say it depends on your raid schedule, your work schedule and any unexpected overtime, the traffic levels on your drive home, what's for dinner ... There is so much to this balancing act that such a rule is tough to keep in place. Do you make 24 people counting on you to be in a raid wait for you or replace you while you do your workout regimen?

An obvious rebuttal: Work out in the morning! Well, as the comic strip characters find out, that doesn't always pan out either. On a regular day I get up at 5 a.m., which is plenty early enough for me without a workout on top of it.

How do you balance your gaming habits and health concerns? Do you work out in the morning? Do you have a rule in place as the comic characters did, that you can't play til you work out? Or perhaps you're one of the lucky people who just have a high metabolism? /jealous

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Breakfast Topic: How do you make time for working out? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> exercisefacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionhealthhealthyhealthy-habitsweightworkoutworkoutsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Do your in-game pets resemble your real-life pets?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/breakfast-topic-do-your-in-game-pets-resemble-your-real-life-pe/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/breakfast-topic-do-your-in-game-pets-resemble-your-real-life-pe/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/breakfast-topic-do-your-in-game-pets-resemble-your-real-life-pe/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

It's another raid night, and I need another mini-pet out. But there are so many options, however shall I choose? The adorable Hippogryph Hatchling? The nigh impossible-to-obtain Hyacinth Macaw? A flashy collector's edition pet? Nope, not tonight. All I want is my Orange Tabby Cat.

Why such a commonplace, easily accessible, inexpensive, almost downright boring pet, you ask? Well, because he's a mirror image of my IRL cat. When I first started playing the game, my Orange Tabby Cat and I traversed many mountains, open plains and snowy hills together. It seems fitting to bring him out on raid nights; as he was there from the beginning, so will he be with me in my final triumphs.

Are there any in-game animals that remind you of your RL furry friends? A hunter pet you bring out on special occasions? A mount you seek out on all your characters? Maybe there's one you find particularly lucky? Or perhaps you have a small, ordinary mini-pet to walk beside you in Azeroth, as your RL pet purrs on the back of your chair?

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Breakfast Topic: Do your in-game pets resemble your real-life pets? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionpetvanity-petvanity-petsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Have you race-changed to avoid a feature you're sick of?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/29/breakfast-topic-have-you-race-changed-to-avoid-a-feature-youre/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/29/breakfast-topic-have-you-race-changed-to-avoid-a-feature-youre/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/29/breakfast-topic-have-you-race-changed-to-avoid-a-feature-youre/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

As soon as I saw the worgen, I knew I wanted to be one. However, having paid for a race change on my main already, I didn't care much to change her yet again. She recently changed from a gnome to human. I have to say, I love the camera angle much better, but I sometimes miss her pink buns (the hair, people, the hair!).

Back in the day, I played a tauren, and it is still my favorite race. Just as I was about to venture into Outland -- dun dun dun, hubby and friends switched to Alliance. This was before the paid faction change services. Leveling was no big thing to them, but I was devastated. (I'm not bitter after all this time, nope, nuh uh.) Having played the biggest and seemingly slowest-moving race, I decided to go with the shortest and made a gnome. Man, did they move fast! The colorful hair, the squeaky voice ... it was cute.

But not for two years. I was tired of being short, /emote punted, and the cuteness factor was long gone. As soon as the race change options were implemented, I pounced. Voilà! I'm human!

Now that Cataclysm is out, are you going to or have you race-changed? What caused you to race-change in the past? Was it for looks? Was it due to a teeth-gratingly squeaky high voice? Was it because better racials were available elsewhere? Is there a class/race combo available now that wasn't when you first made your character? Or did you change because they are frigging worgen?!

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Breakfast Topic: Have you race-changed to avoid a feature you're sick of? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What makes a WoW geek?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/breakfast-topic-what-makes-a-wow-geek/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/breakfast-topic-what-makes-a-wow-geek/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/breakfast-topic-what-makes-a-wow-geek/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

During the BlizzCon 2010 opening ceremonies, Chris Metzen spoke about the power of words, particularly focusing on one: "geek." He then followed up with a montage of what the word meant to him. Chris's dialogue was about what brings us together as geeks, celebrating common factors we all share as a community.

This of course got me thinking, what does "geek" mean to me? More pointedly, what does it mean to me in the World of Warcraft? What great accomplishments have brought me closer to my community? Raid achievements come to mind, such as obtaining the Hand of A'dal title as a guild an expansion ago (or two). But there are some things I consider elite -- and therefore geekier -- that set my fellow community members on top of what I consider the geek pedestal:
  • The Loremaster title -- definitely my chart-topper for geekdom. Kudos to you!
  • Anyone who has completed the Scepter of the Shifting Sands quest chain.
  • The Black Qiraji Battle Tank mount and Scarab Lord title. This was a whole server-wide event that brought the players together as a community toward one common goal: opening the gates of Ahn'Qiraj. I think this epitomizes the celebratory meaning of geek.
  • Obtaining a legendary item -- this also involves a group working toward a common goal, strengthening our sense of community.

What does "geek" mean to you? Is it that elusive title? A rare pet or mount? Perhaps something that isn't even obtainable anymore, or something that was added in Cataclysm. What do you think brings us closer as a community or find celebratory of geekdom in WoW?

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Breakfast Topic: What makes a WoW geek? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chris-metzenfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussiongeekworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-geekwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: The GM's wife]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/breakfast-topic-the-gms-wife/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/breakfast-topic-the-gms-wife/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/breakfast-topic-the-gms-wife/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

My husband is our guild master. He's also our guild recruiter, website maintenance man, raid leader and master looter, as well as one of the top DPSers on fights he doesn't have to choreograph. He's the reason I play the game, as well as part of the glue that holds our guild together. As such, he's a big inspiration to me. Not only is he in a demanding leadership position, but he knows the classes and helps people improve their characters and rotations. Between us, we have many classes at 80 and he plays them all well.

Me ... not so much. I raid endgame on a couple characters, but I wouldn't be the player I am without his help. Now, I've heard many of the stereotypes out there, from the dreaded wife aggro, to the girlfriends/wives who play and people wish they would go back to the kitchen, ad nauseum. I will be the first to tell you my downfalls. Heck, my idea of successful PvP is Nova, Blink, Invis and fly away! But I try my darndest to not be that GM's Wife. If I look bad, he looks bad, and that reflects poorly on the guild.

I'm sure we all have horror stories of wives not pulling their own weight, but I like to think I'm here on my own merit. I am a DPSer, a healer, the guild chef, the potion brewer, a pet and mount collector, a girl and the GM's wife, and I'm proud of it. Are you a gaming wife, or a GM's wife -- and if so, how do you assert yourself among the good ol' boys? On the flip side, where have you seen significant others not making the cut?

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Breakfast Topic: The GM's wife originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> couplesfacebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussiongirlfriendgmgms-girlfriendgms-wifemarriedworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Stephanie Drury) Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider