Posts with tag gift

Would you call me a bad person if I confessed I couldn't actually recall the best gift I've ever been given in game? It was actually a whole set of items, though, and there's a reason I can't remember them either singly or as a unit. They're the quirky, humble gray and white items my daughter would wrap up and send me for the sheer delight of it when she first started playing confidently on her own. I have a whole row of these mementos in somebody or other's bank vault -- flowers, low-level dresses, and odd gray drops that tickled her fancy when she came across them.

I would know she had discovered something she loved when she would forbid me to walk behind her when she was at the keyboard, and I could clearly see that she was in town. She wrapped each gift with care, usually sending it along with a vendor-bought sweet treat if she had enough silver. None of these gifts were remarkable in and of themselves, but they were all so full of her joy of discovery and anticipation of sharing that nothing else I've ever been given can ever match them.

Of course, some players get more substantial gifts. The mount or rare drop that goes to the hard-working GM or guild officer -- that's a pretty commonplace but heartfelt gift. And what about all the players who get married both in-game and out? Their in-game wedding rings often seem almost as meaningful to them as the ones they wear on their hands. Or the practically anonymous leg-up packages that kind high-level players sometimes bequeath on random newbies -- that's sheer awesomesauce right there.

What's the best gift you've ever received in game? Did it commemorate a special occasion? Was it a reward for something you'd done? Was the giver a friend or guildmate, or was it perhaps someone you didn't even know?

---

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

Several of us in my family play World of Warcraft. On birthdays and holidays, it's never a surprise. What could possibly be in that lightweight, rectangular-shaped package? Why, it's a time card! Huzzah! It's become somewhat of a joke at this point, as we trade time cards back and forth. I'm not sure who's ahead at this point.

Occasionally we step it up a bit, and somebody gets a hoodie or a T-shirt (and thank goodness I haven't received any underwear yet). We've bequeathed Celestial Steeds and Lil' K.T.s to each other. One year, I got pretty creative (for me) and made a "treasure chest" for my brother. I included a time card (big surprise), beef jerky, Mana Potion energy drink and some cash. He tells me that he still has the chest and now uses it as a bank to store spare change in.

Do you pass around WoW-themed presents in your family? Have you received any particularly memorable ones over the years? Have you given any that left you feeling strangely satisfied with yourself? Where do you find the best gifts? Do you scour the online stores and Blizzard's website, or do you have a creative streak and make them yourself?

---

Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with the Drama Mamas. Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are real-life mamas and experienced WoW players -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your server. We're taking your questions at DramaMamas (at) WoW (dot) com.

The other night, one member of a random PUG The Spousal Unit was in announced exactly which bosses would be downed. He stated that any disagreement would cause something on his body to be put into something on your body -- only he used slightly more graphic words. The run was fine, because, though his method of communication was crude, it did convey a strategy that worked.

There are some, however, who are being crude and offensive in the same way that creeps in college libraries reveal themselves to solitary students. These poster children for GIFT (Note: The link for GIFT is not safe for work. But if you are not familiar with Penny Arcade's theory about the internet, you really need to go there.) aren't criminals in the legal sense of the word, but they do have victims and therefore I will call them perps. Who knows what motivates them. Maybe they are troubled teens who have terrible home lives and should be pitied. I don't know and honestly I don't care. I'm too busy spending my sympathy on Haiti to include these jerks in my monkeysphere. And besides, at some point you have to take responsibility for your actions, regardless of how horrible your environment is. This week, we talk about these GIFTed perps.

With Winter's Veil behind us, it is not too long until Valentine's Day is here. Between these two holidays, I'm frequently left pondering the best gifts available for our loved ones . . . in game. There's a subtle art to simulating gift-giving between characters, since there's obviously a few factors to be considered.

First, it's difficult to be creative. Everyone has the same access to the items and gifts in-game, so you're going to be incredibly challenged to pull off something "no one else has considered." Second, it can be difficult to pick out just the right gift, since it can be a little hard to get excited over a trade window. Still, when it comes time for one character to give something a little special to his or her in-character spouse, it's good to have some ideas ready to go.

Take a look behind the jump and let's talk about 5 of my favorite in-game gifts.

Blizzard has released the Echoes of War music set we posted about a while back, and they've got a nice new site to go along with it. The site features a trailer of what you'll hear on the CDs (and the included DVD, which has a feature length documentary, among other interviews and features): music from all of Blizzard's universes, from World of Warcraft to Diablo III. Pretty awesome. We originally said there'd be 70 minutes, but it turns out there's over 90 minutes of music to go around here. At $50 for the whole set and $30 for just the CDs, it might be a little pricey to pick up yourself, but it would make a great gift this holiday for a Warcraft fan (hopefully one close to you, so you can burn the CDs after you buy them, too).

And even if you don't want to buy the set, the new site has sample tracks which are definitely worth listening to. Blizzard gets a lot of praise for their art design and gameplay, and while their music isn't the most memorable in videogaming (Mario's theme, Final Fantasy's music, or the Zelda tunes are probably much easier to recollect for most gamers), all of Blizzard's tunes are definitely epic enough to fit nicely in the games they're written for.

[via WoW LJ]

Mania has released the 2009 Petopia calendar, featuring 12 beautiful images of some of the best pets in the game -- pretty much the perfect gift for the Hunter in your life. The pictures were put together by Aaron Perez, and each one was commissioned by Mania herself, so the calendar features all pets picked by her, including many of the new pet types: there's my current pet, a Rhino, in there for December and of course the Spirit Beast makes an appearance as well. It's available right now over on her Cafepress page for $19.99.

Which may seem a little expensive, but Mania breaks the price down on her site: of the $20, a full $15 goes right back to Cafepress for printing costs and their profit. And of the $5 she gets, Mania sends it back to the artist for his work, so she doesn't even really expect to break even. Which is too bad -- there's certainly interest in these, I think, and it would be nice if we could set it up so the money goes somewhere besides Cafepress (but of course, then Mania would have to find a different printer and a different way to sell it, and who knows how much that all costs).

At any rate, it'll definitely turn out to be a nice calendar, so if you know any pet tamers who need help keeping track of the date, there's your holiday gift.

Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.

Who needs a $500 couture bag from Nordstrom when you can sport this abomination? Perfect for toting around diapers, Incriminating Documents, or your pet's favorite toy.

Here is what you will need:

• Natural Canvas Tote Bag (8.5"x11")
  
• Felt (black, charcoal, red, pink, ivory, white)
  
• Felt Glue
  
• Scissors
• Wax Paper

Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions.

Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.

Father's Day is looming just around the corner (for some of us anyway) and what better way to celebrate fatherhood than a chest full of loot? Another uninspired neck-tie and socks combo is hard to beat but hopefully the target of this gift can appreciate the change of pace. If you happen to be the giver of this veritable cornucopia of awesomeness, prepare to be lavished with praise. If you happen to be on the potential receiving end, it might not be a bad idea to drop some subtle hints to your loved ones about a certain column on your favorite weblog.

Here is what you will need:

• Unfinished Wood Chest (I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby)
  
• Wood Stain (Honey)
  
• Metallic Paint (Bronze)
• Paintbrush

Gift Ideas:

• Pre-Paid WoW game card
• TCG booster packs
• Snacks
• Coupon

Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions.

Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and though your mom (or wife) may not know anything about a Badge of Justice or Super Potions, she will most likely appreciate a Basket of Flowers. This project is super easy and would be a great way to get the kids involved in making a special gift for mom.

Here is what you will need:

• Flower Bushes (a variety of artificial flowers should do)
  
• Basket
• Dry Styrofoam (preferably green)
  
• Spanish Moss
  
• Scissors (or cutting pliers)
• Ribbon (or a pre-made bow)

Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions.

Did you grab your Clockwork Robot Bot from under the tree this Winter's Veil? I did, and I was thrilled to find that the little wind-up robot is more or less what we asked for a while back-- when two of these guys are summoned next to each other, they'll battle it out. Now, they only have a few HP, so really, just one hit from one usually takes the other out.

Unless you can buff them, that is. A few people found that you could cast Power Word: Shield and Power Word: Fortitude on the bots when they first came out, which meant that you could give them more health and make them invincible for a few seconds. Unfortunately, Max Bliss found out that's not the case any more-- Blizzard has performed a clockwork nerf, and the bots are now unbuffable. Lame.

Sure it may be imbalanced that some people can buff their bots and make them live longer, but this is hardly an instance of life or death. Let the bots be buffed, Blizzard!