Posts with tag Holiday

With Hallow's End almost over, and that stupid helmet having completely evaded me this year, it's time to shift our focus to the Day of the Dead. Held at the graveyards of all major cities (including Shattrath and Dalaran) this two day holiday (November 1st and 2nd) is a time to remember our dead, even for those of us who happen to be our dead. I'm looking right at you, forsaken.

With vanity items like the Whimsical Skull Mask, a holiday achievement earned via dancing with Catrina that also transforms you into a skeleton for a brief time, this is your chance to sit back, unwind from the rigors of Hallow's End and just relax with our less lively denizens of Azeroth.

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Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.

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Many players going for What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been leave Children's Week until last -- often not by choice. It is a truth universally acknowledged that School of Hard Knocks is the worst achievement required for any holiday meta. Even if you like PvP, competing with your region-mates for the same objective is frustrating, to say the least. And then there are the funsuckers who do their best to obstruct everyone trying. Ugh.

I think that otherwise, Children's Week is rather fun. Being the minion of orphans who coax you into irresponsible actions is enjoyable, surprisingly. I love the scripted reactions of the NPCs, particularly Lady Sylvanas. (I'm so predictable.) I do miss taking Salandria to see M'uru, though. Having her rock out with the Elite Tauren Chieftains doesn't have the same impact.

The pets are fun to collect as well. Sleepy Willy is a long-time favorite of mine. I did not try to get all of the pets on alts in preparation for Mists of Pandaria, however. I do think it's a great idea because all companion pets will become account-wide in the expansion. I just didn't make the effort.

What did you enjoy most about Children's Week? Did you meet your goals? What pets did you get?

If getting mail from dead people is your idea of a good time, then good news: The Lunar Festival starts today! Lasting until Feb. 11, the in-game holiday pays homage to the real-world Chinese New Year celebration.

If you're interested in participating, there's a lot to do during the Lunar Festival. You can set off a bunch of fireworks (don't blow your fingers off), grind out a lot of easy experience by visiting elders, and the perennial WoW holiday favorite activity, killing stuff. Check out Allison Robert's Guide to Lunar Festival 2012 for more details.

What are your goals this Lunar Festival holiday? Are you going to be making the rounds to try and finish off your What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been achievement? Try to level some alts with the aid of that sweet, free experience? Or are you going to just sleep your way through the holiday because "been there, done that"?

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Deck the non-religious halls with joy that is totally unrelated to this guy who may or may not have been the savior, depending on your own personal beliefs that we all totally respect. It's time for Winter Veil!

The Feast of Winter Veil is a two-and-a-half-week-long, pine-scented, in-game holiday consisting of dwarves, off-brand orc Santas, and unappealing spiced cookies. And who could forget all the gift-giving, murder, comic mischief, getting this close to regionals, and ... please tell me they're not going to make us go back to Outland again. No, seriously. Please. There are space ghosts there.

But enough about the sheer terror of being haunted by the specters of the dead and feeling their cold essences devour your soul -- this is Winter Veil holiday! So what are your plans for the holiday? Are you going to be saving Metzen the Reindeer this year? Or are you going to be all Scrooge-like and let this holiday pass you by?

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Working on achievements? The Overachiever is here to help! Count on us for advice on Azeroth's holidays and special events, including new achievements, how to get 310% flight speed with achievement mounts, and Cataclysm reputation factions and achievements.

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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 won't lie: I've resubbed to WoW for Brewfest. No joke. I don't even drink in real life, but I love Azeroth's in-game event. The fun toys, the celebration, getting folks together to do things in game that aren't just for progression but for fun ...

Sure, some events get revamped, but there are some dead spots on the calendar. Wouldn't it be cool to have St. Patrick's Day in March, to ease the lull between the Love is in the Air and Noblegarden events? Make it some sort of Goblin celebration (neutral Goblins, not Horde). The real-world counterpart's largely a secular holiday these days, so all we need is some green and drinking. Perhaps a celebration of some Goblin businessman finding enough money to start the Steamwheedle Cartel?. Heck, maybe even make it so we can actually visit a small portion of the Undermine until Blizz wants to fully flesh it out; make it a holiday dungeon where we save Undermine from something Deathwing woke up.

Or maybe something new altogether ... August is kind of a dead month, and since summers are slow anyway, why not spice things up? Perhaps an Azerothian Scholars holiday honoring prominent members of the WoW community, from addon creators and theorycrafters to people who try to help make the official WoW forums useful. Other games do bonus XP weekends, so WoW could have something like that, where honor, justice points, loot drops and so on could be increased for a few days and load screens have the names of players who've stood out in the community.

What kind of holiday would you like to see added to WoW? Explorer's Day? Teacher Appreciation Day? Tigule and Foror Ice Cream Day?

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This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

The coming and going of the Midsummer Fire Festival was overshadowed by the arrival of patch 4.2 and the Firelands, but now all the assorted bonfires scattered far and wide have been extinguished, and the flaming torches have all come clattering to the ground. We've danced 'round poles and taken care of danger in Zangarmarsh. Heck, the Ice Stone has melted so many times it's hard to keep track! It was a time for celebration and a time for fun, but like all good holidays, it had to come to an end.

Did you get your hands on that new pet you wanted? Some sweet gear for strutting around town? Did you finished your holiday achievements? If you didn't get what you were seeking, what held you back?

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Have you ever wanted to write for WoW Insider? Your chance may be right around the corner. Watch for our next call for submissions, and be sure to sign up for Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider. The next byline you see here may be yours!

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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 distinctly remember the time of year that I started playing WoW because there were Halloween decorations all over the game world. It was October, and Hallow's End was in full swing. Perhaps because of this, I've always looked forward to holiday events in-game, though they've changed over the years. Naturally there was no Headless Horseman boss back then, nor any holiday boss. Noblegarden was a one-day egg hunt in which roleplayers and completionists scrambled to find an Elegant Dress. Stormwind Guards received Valentine's cards during Love is in the Air rather than becoming convenient targets for chemical spray, and the Lunar Festival elders were generous with XP, reputation, and gold when you paid your respects.

Of course, there were no achievements, either.

I think I liked some holidays better the old way. Sure, the RNG problem with many holiday achievements is gone, but it's been replaced by a tedious and time-consuming grind that makes the event feel like more of a chore. I felt the same way about Lunar Festival when finishing it up on my alts. Without the rewards, the only purpose to visiting all the Elders is to tick their names off on the achievement tracker. I happen to like the new Noblegarden format, but I know some people tear their hair out over the egg competition. Brewfest and Pilgrim's Bounty, the new holidays designed with achievements in mind, are more successful in my view.

Do you like the revamped classic holidays? Do achievements make them more or less fun? Did you even do holidays before achievements? How could Blizzard improve its holiday events?

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This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

Everywhere my characters went at the beginning of the year, NPCs were shouting "Happy Lunar Festival!" Elders waited to hand out Coins of Ancestry. And yes, yes, I indeed slew Omen. It made me think about all the holidays that WoW includes. Whether you are risking your life trying to get to an Elder you know is hidden in a dungeon during the Lunar Festival, searching for bonfires during the Midsummer Fire Festival, or stuffing yourself silly on Noblegarden chocolate, everyone has a favorite in-game holiday.

I started playing near Halloween about 5 years ago. The person who taught me to play didn't tell me that the citizens of Azeroth liked to celebrate holidays as well. So imagine my surprise when I logged on, went to Stormwind, and found giant pumpkins staring at me, people wearing costumes and silly masks, and innkeepers handing out treats! Halloween is my favorite holiday in the real world, so when I logged on and found out I got to celebrate in game for a week? Yes, please! It made me love the game that much more.

Over the years, I have gotten to experience all the holidays that World of Warcraft has to offer. Each of them has a little something I love. Pets from Children's Week. Pretty dresses during Love is in the Air. And who hasn't taken on Coren Direbrew trying to get that Brewfest Ram? Hallow's Eve is still my favorite. Midsummer Fire Festival is a close second, because I love the excitement that comes from running full speed into the other faction's cities and stealing their flames. But no matter what holiday the citizens of Azeroth are decorating for, I am having fun just because it's a break from the norm for a week or two. Who doesn't love a break from the grind?

What's your favorite in-game holiday?

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If you're a fan of the in-game holiday events, rejoice as we're now seeing updated loot for the Midsummer Festival. It appears that in addition to the infamous Frostscythe, all the cloaks from the event have been updated to iLevel 353 epics on par with the new Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman instance drops. That means we have the following items available:

• Frostscythe of Lord Ahune
• The Frost Lord's War Cloak
• The Frost Lord's Battle Shroud
• Cloak of the Frigid Winds
• Shroud of Winter's Chill
• Icebound Cloak

Thanks to the folks at Wowhead, you can see these items and others new to patch 4.1.

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WoW Patch 4.1 is on the PTR and WoW Insider has all the latest news for you. From previews of the revamped Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub to new Valor point mechanics to the new Archaeology items.

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Love is in the Air has come and gone, the Crown Chemical Company has been vanquished for another year, and everyone's Lovely Black Dresses are put away into the closet once more. After a rocky start (most likely because of a delayed patch 4.0.6), Love is in the Air brought about a few changes to the holiday formula, most notably the absence of higher-tier valor points from the Heart-Shaped Box. The holiday's signature mount, the Big Love Rocket, also saw somewhat of a drop in loot percentage, as opposed to the Headless Horseman's mount, which dropped like crazy this past Hallow's End.

I had one gripe with Love is in the Air this year: When a Heart-Shaped Box was empty, it was truly empty. In the past, you would get high-tier emblems for participating in the daily dungeon event, no matter whether there was other loot in the box or not. Since the changeover to points, the box remains empty while still crediting the player with said points. The problem is that no one likes to be told "you win nothing." It just feels ... odd to me. I would have very much preferred something in the box rather than nothing, giving me a sense of accomplishment. Rather than give the player a message that essentially boils down to "you lose," I would much rather Blizzard give us the points, maybe five Love Tokens for buying holiday items, and then the random number generated extra loot, if it's in the box that particular time -- that way, there's always a tangible prize in the loot window. I'm not saying Blizzard should up the drop rate of loot, but rather to always have something in the box pertaining to the holiday so we don't get such a depressing message.

Did you accomplish your holiday goals this year? Were you one of the lucky few to grab a Big Love Rocket from the holiday dungeon daily? Are your newly rolled goblin and worgen characters well on their way to What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been?

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The Environmental Protection Agency is issuing a warning to the Eastern Kingdoms, especially the Greater Gilneas/Sepulcher area: Absolutely toxic levels of love are expected to be in the air from Feb. 6 through Feb. 20. That's right, folks -- it's time for another semi-mandatory in-game holiday!

The Azerothian holiday Love is in the Air is based on the real world Valentine's Day holiday. There are some similarities, of course -- in Azeroth as in real life, the holiday involves romantic picnics, eating candies, and making very poor decisions while drunk. The activities are far more rewarding in Azeroth, though: Completing these, along with all the other holiday achievements throughout the year, earns you the 50-point What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been meta achievement, complete with a Violet Proto-Drake and free Master Riding. (For more information about completing the Love meta achievement, take a look at Allison Robert's The Overachiever: Guide to Love is in the Air 2011.)

How are you planning on spending the two-week-long holiday? Are you going to spend it working on your holiday meta achievement? Are you looking forward to farming Apothecary Hummel for his new ilevel 346 loot? Or maybe you'll just send your in-game sweetheart a Bouquet of Black Roses?

As for yours truly, I'll be spending the bulk of my time receiving gifts from my many suitors (hint, hint), flirting with blood elves, riding Big Love Rockets, and spending some quality time with my one true love -- myself.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.

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Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. Today, we're running a special holiday guide for all those interested in stuffing themselves on turkey.

The Pilgrim's Bounty holiday was introduced to World of Warcraft just last year, so it's still fairly new. This year, the event will run from Sunday, November 21st through Saturday, November 27th. On my EST server, the start and end times on both dates will be 4:00 am, but you'll want to check the times on your own realm.

Pilgrim's Bounty is not part of the yearlong meta What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been. That's not to say that the holiday's without its share of rewards, though; doing the Pilgrim meta will grant both the Pilgrim title and the plump turkey pet. However, the holiday has an unbeatable side benefit; it's the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to level cooking to 350. Pilgrim's Bounty is tailor-made for anyone who needs to level cooking on a bunch of alts, or anyone who never got around to doing it on his/her main.

Pilgrim's Bounty hasn't appeared at any point on WoW's PTR or beta since last year, so we're assuming for the moment that the holiday hasn't changed from its 2009 incarnation beyond a few bug fixes (that and the developers are probably working at breakneck speed on Cataclysm still). I've updated and clarified our 2009 guide past the cut, and will also be around as the event goes live to ensure all the information here is accurate.

Thanksgiving (or the United States version thereof) is quickly approaching, and with it comes the in-game Pilgrim's Bounty event. Now, I didn't actually finishing Pilgrim's Bounty last year. This is mostly because I was visiting my family for the entire week of Thanksgiving, so I was only playing on my laptop, and my laptop is sufficiently low-tech that it does not run WoW all that well. Also, I was totally spending most of my time with my family. This month, though, I'm going to be in town with access to my usual gaming rig, so I'll have more than enough time and ability to finish up the achievements.

That said, I'm still deciding whether or not I'll actually take the time to do them. After all, none of the Pilgrim's Bounty achievements are needed for What a Long, Strange Trip. I mean, an extra turkey pet is sort of cool, but otherwise, there's not really much of a profit to them. Also, some of the achievements seem downright annoying. Turkey Lurkey? Do I really need to run around looking for all these dumb rogues? Why so arbitrary? And what about the Turkinator? Do I really need to run around a newbie zone like a chicken with my head cut off trying to target critters more quickly than the other 100 people doing it? What does that accomplish?

Then I think about some of the other holidays. It's not like I haven't had to run around Dalaran looking for random class and race combinations before, and it's not like I haven't run around the newbie zones doing silly, inconsequential stuff before either. So why is Pilgrim's Bounty bringing out the achievement cynic in me? I like to think I've been doing achievements because they're interesting and fun, but what if they've been about the carrot and stick all along? Now that there's no reward I'm really interested in, am I finally seeing achievements for what they are, or am I just being a grinch a month early?

What do you think? Do you do achievements for fun, or are you pretty sure you'd leave them alone if they weren't rewarding you with shiny stuff?

That's it! No more chances to try for the mount you've all been queuing up for until next year. Hallow's End may be over, but the in-game holiday fun is not. For one day only, you can participate in a fun little event that pays homage to Dia de los Muertos, the Latin-American holiday for remembering family members who are no longer with us. The Day of the Dead includes a dancing achievement and a quest to feed the dead, complete with pop culture references. <It came from the Blog> had a lot of fun last year, as you can see in the gallery below.

Are you participating in the Day of the Dead today? Also, did you reach your Hallow's End goals? What do you think of the drop rate of the Horseman's reins? What would you change about the holiday? Personally, I would like there to be a way to douse the fires with fewer people toward the end of the holiday. I think it would be nice if an NPC stepped in to help out after so many failed attempts in a row. That way I could still parade my alts through Brill on a daily basis, rather than scheduling an onslaught of guildies to get it done in a few seconds. What do you think?