A Pony!

Wow. Well speculation is over and I was mistaken in presuming that the Celestial Steed would be a drop off Algalon which is listed as the final boss in VOA. Instead any player can purchase this mount for $25 from the blizzard store. From what I read there were high queues for folks waiting to purchase items from the Blizzard store and now there is a report that the mount generated $2 million dollars for Blizzard in just 4 hours!

I do want the mount but due to a recent mugging attempt I endured I will have to wait for my funds to be able to regenerate.

I understand players are upset that this mount is available for sale. However many arguements don't hold water as to why this mount should not be obtainable for cash. One I heard was the "I already pay $15 a month.... " which is utter fail. Players pay a lease for an account every month. Smart players can end up paying $13 instead of $15 to boot. Paying a subscription does not give one the right to "free" items from a store. Just like the pets, the mount is nice but optional. You don't need it to play. So if a player does not like the concept of paying for this mount, they don't have to buy it. It's like the Ipad arguments. No one is forcing anyone to buy an Ipad. The best reason not to get an Ipad, or a Celestial Steed is not wanting one.

CAD Comic

While I may not agree with everything Tim Buckley does, this very recent comic regarding the hot topic of GearScore is a great read.

Perspective of New LFG

So there was a new build on PTR for Patch 3.3 which now makes the new Looking For Group system available. When I tested the new system I experienced some bugs and noticed that there were some unreported affects with the new system.

The Bugs.

When I queued up I did get a notice that my random party for my random Lich King heroic was ready. I accepted the group and instead of being transported to the dungeon I was sent back to where I entered the queue originally. Very much like when one returns from a battleground after it is over. I was also given a server notice stating "Heroic difficulty requires you to be level 80."

I was able to zone into an instance with another party member but no one else was able to port to the instance. I also failed to notice any indication as to what instance we were going to. Trying to get ported to the instance that was chosen still sent me back to my original queue spot.

Unreported Features.

I list this as unreported cause wow.com's post did not state these features.

Mini Map button.

The mini map has a button which will teleport you to the dungeon you have queued for. I tried this option as well but had the same original affect as when I accepted the group.

Dungeon Cooldown Debuff.

Once you accept a group you can't use the LFG system to group up again for 15 min.

While I can understand how this will punish those who flip groups if they object to the dungeon, the make up, etc. It affects our ability to recover from a group that breaks up. One suggestion to remedy this is to not make this debuff apply to anyone unless they leave the group prior to 15 min. My group broke up due to the bugs and I was not able to participate in another. I ended up logging due to it.

Normal Lich King Random Dungeon.

Most are talking about how the Heroic Lich King random dungeon awards 2 emblems of Frost and 68 gold. No one has brought up that the normal dungeon pays 49 gold 66 silver. and a emblem of Triumph.

My minor issue with this is that you're forced to do a normal instance. I am disappointed that you can't combine efforts anymore to complete the dungeon on heroic for the reward as you could when the daily dungeons were in effect. I understand that this seems intended and if you want the gold you run it normal. I can accept that. Just sad to see this aspect of the game change.

However I am happy to see that this is the replacement to the daily dungeons. These quests were removed on the PTR and the achievements for them were changed to feats of strength. I wanted to write about how disappointed I was with these changes but that is the issue with the PTR. Things change and nothing is final until it is live.

The new LFG looks interesting, makes pugging more profitable and eliminates having missed the daily or having to port over to obtain it. The fact that everyone will eventually be ported to the dungeon means I don't waste time waiting for lazy players anymore.

While there are better ways to generate gold then these new rewards, it is nice that time will be saved. Time really is money.

PTR 3.3. Short Guide

I am noticing many questions as to what is going on with the PTR. I figure I post from my experience.

Character Copy:

While it is often suggested to copy your own character I don't suggest it for the time being. There is currently a bug if your character has done or completed the phased quests in Ice Crown. They will not be able to see the portals to test out the new instances.

Pre-Made Characters:

I do recommend you make two copies of a pre-made character. This is to experience both Alliance and Horde versions of the dungeons. When you first log on your character you will suffer a disconnection. Just relog to access the character.

Your character will be already duel spec'd but no talents have been applied. (unless paladin). Hunters have 4 pets, one which is a spirit beast.

A pre-made character comes with the Raven land mount as well as the Bronze Drake flying mount. Your reputation with almost every home and Northrend faction is exalted. You have the Argent Tabard so while you begin in your home faction city you can port yourself to the Argent Tourney without having to ask a mage for a port.

Once at Dalaran you can go to the city trade district to purchase glyphs from a vendor. You may also want to visit the Barber to change your appearance.

Your gear will be Tier 9, unenchanted and not gemmed. However all of your bags will contain other gear (PVP/PVE) as well as consumables. Your bank will have 20 of each epic gem, meta and enchantment materials. A grinder and rod are provided in your backpack. Your character will be a max enchanter and jewel crafter.

Everything you need to enchant a full suit is provided. However there is a but with the new Shatter so it is not recommended you take an Abyss Crystal for lower level materials. Either copy another character to the same faction and mail the materials or just settle for enchanting only one suit.

There are a few glyphs missing and there are no scopes. However considering you are decked out and testing a normal and heroic instance this should not be a problem.

Currently only POS (Pit of Sauron) is available for testing. It is located on a west wing of the citadel but will take some time to familiarize yourself with the location. The run from the graveyard takes some getting used to.

For those of you testing it out, have fun doing so! I'm on the PVE server on a Horde Hunter named Rizahawkeye, and I started an Ally hunter named Nakoruru (with her Poppy).

Wryxian on Worgen Druids.

Wryxian on the EU wow forums states:

The druid forms for Worgen will be uniquely styled for the Worgen race.

There have been other statements where Shaman will have unique totems. The Orc and Tauren races will have different totems as well as the new Dwarven totems. No sadly... Dwarves will not have kegs for totems.

Changes to Alterac Valley Patch 3.2.2

There have been some changes implemented to Alterac Valley. A new bracket of AV has been released which I presume will be for levels 80-85. Currently however since 80 is the level cap only level 80 players will be in there exclusively. This changes the older 70-80 to 70-79.

XP gains from objectives being completed has also been slashed 50%. This comes with the change to heritage gear now contributing to the XP gains in battle grounds.

The previous XP gain I experienced while in the battleground was 1% of my level. The decrease in gain will drastically alter any strategy in leveling in the off time. Blizzard has yet to state any input into these changes. The forums are abuzz with complaints and presumptions as to why these changes took place.

I can see the bracket change as another preparation for the expansion. It also helps that many level 80 players stomp and focus on the lower level 70s so it adds a bit of balance to the game.

Perhaps the XP gain was too beneficial. AV was the richest XP battleground and probably thought to be too popular. AV likely has the highest issue of afk players then any other battleground. While an player can afk and lose honor, they still gain XP from objectives.

This nerf to XP won't stop the AFK players from continuing their selfish behavior. I don't feel it one solution to the problem. My opinion is that AV was just too popular of a BG and folks were leveling too fast.

Making a new bracket for the level 80+ player solves one problem as well. Many in a battleground were "offended" to have to carry lower level players and often used those players as an excuse for losing in a battleground. Guess what guys? "Problem" solved!

Kodo Mount & Northrend Orphan update

I've been blessed with the Kodo Mount. I've wanted this mount for over a year and I finally won a roll on it!

Update on The Northrend Orphan. I tried to eat an item from the list of required snacks for the achievement and did not get credit. This implies that you can't take this particular orphan to a battleground to get the other achievement done out of season. Oh well. There will be next year. ^_^

What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been!!!

WOOT! I had a piece of Brewfest regalia from last year. Finally got the Dark Iron Invasion done. and went to dance in Dal!

I have such a feeling of satisfaction right now... who needs sleep! ^_^

A backlog of sorts!

I've had a busy week with family visiting and work so my WOW time has really decreased hence why I have not been as active with posting. I do apologize for the sudden drop in my consistency.

I have been spending my time running Dire Maul for improving my goblin reputation and I was concerned how my arriving in Booty Bay would affect my ability to obtain this simple achievement. Currently I am hated and I don't wish to destroy my reputation with the cartel since it is a huge grind repairing the damage I caused. Thankfully I was able to to fly to the town, and get killed nude by two guards. Once there I simply got to the roof top and got my achievement done. While the costume is great and lasts 12 hours, it's 12 hours of real time. It ticks down even when you log out of your character.

So I got a few more achievements done but I won't be posting all of them. Those that I wish to share are:

I am so happy to get this one out of the way! Got it during a run with guild mates.

This one is no longer required for the meta. I would have not minded it remaining cause well, I joined the club last year :D. Finally nice to get it done!

Now I have been trying out Alterac Valley on my mage Yuugi to see how the XP is. So far past level 71 you gain 1% of your level for every objective completed. These objectives are the destruction of a tower or the slaying of the Captain and General. So while alive, which can be difficult when you have several 80's looking to kill you, you can obtain a good chunk of experience and level. Heritage gear currently does not boost your xp gain but Zarhym has already stated that they have fixed this in the upcoming patch.

So my hunter weeps as Yuugi was extremely lucky. Ah well. I need to go back for a mount and honor kills on her anyway.

PTR: Patch 3.2.2. Battleground Changes

Patch 3.2.2. will change the way we are able to queue for a battleground.

• Players may now only queue for no more than two Battlegrounds at a time.
• The dialog box for entering a Battleground match has been changed to reflect the following options: “Enter Battle,” “Leave Queue,” and “Minimize.”
• The time a player has to enter a battle when selected has been reduced to 40 seconds when not already in a Battleground and 20 seconds when in a Battleground.
• Players already in a Battleground can now choose “Enter Battle” for a new Battleground under any circumstance (i.e. while dead, in combat, falling, etc.).
• A new Battleground will not launch until the maximum number of players on each side are in the queue (i.e. 40 players per side for Alterac Valley).

The ability to only queue for two battlegrounds affects me slightly. I liked having the option to queue for three. In the event my side was severely outnumbered I liked having an escape from a lost cause. I'm not a coward in a fight but I find it a waste of my game time to be stepped on by overwhelming numbers repeatedly while waiting for the opposite faction to win. Since BG can be dragged on by players it simply stops being fun.

I'll gladly sacrifice myself if my side can accomplish goals and work as a team but it morally sucks when you are in a battleground, you are outnumbered, and just as the other side is about to win we finally get the numbers but by then the battle is seconds from ending.

If it is true that a Battleground WILL NOT launch until the maximum number of players on EACH side are in queue then this change will have little to no impact.

I'm not one to endorse Battlegroup jumping. Premades used to do it all the time back in Burning Crusade all the time and changes were made to prevent this. If the Battlegrounds will be balanced then players won't feel the need to skip around in the queue.

PTR: Patch 3.2.2. Shaman Changes

Zarhym has taken the time to update the patch notes for the current Patch 3.2.2. which is on the PTR.

So a few tibits of Shammy news to share!

Shaman

• Flame Shock: The duration of all ranks has been increased by 6 seconds.
• Lava Burst: This ability no longer ever consumes a Flame Shock debuff off of the target.

Enhancement

• Earthen Power: No longer causes Earthbind to pulse a persistent snare immunity aura. It does still remove snares from allies as an instant pulse, but there is no lingering immunity. Earthen Power now also brings Earth Shock’s melee attack speed reduction up to -15%/-20% (with 1 or 2 points in it, respectively).

• Grounding Totem will now properly protect against the Death Grip spell.
• Lava Burst can no longer deal critical damage to targets who are immune to critical strikes (due to, e.g. Roar of Sacrifice, Blessed Resilience).
• Lightning Shield: This spell will no longer set off some trinkets when it is cast.
• Stoneclaw Totem's pulses will no longer break stealth on nearby hostile units.
• Thunderstorm and Shamanistic Rage can no longer be used while Frozen, Cycloned, Sapped, or Incapacitated.

I'm happy to see that Lava Burst will no longer take away the damage over time component from Flame Shock. I lament the loss of being able to obtain a critical to a target that is immune to critical strikes. However if the target is supposed to be immune well it makes sense.

So our grounding totem will now deflect the Death Grip from a Death Knight! Woot! Finally a good reason to use them when confronted by them defending a flag!

PTR: Patch 3.2.2. Hunter Bestial Wrath Change

It may seem that Beast Master hunters are getting more love from the nerf bat with a significant change to their bestial wrath ability.

Ghostcrawler however does bring to light the complete revision to the talent.

He states:

I love data-mined patch note day.

It should be no surprise to anyone who has been on these boards for long that we're trying to chill out abilities that convey offensive and defensive bonuses with the same button press. At the same time, BM damage was a little low and too dependent on the pet. With this change, hopefully, Bestial Wrath becomes more of a defensive ability while taking Beast Within will boost hunter (and just the hunter) damage at all times.

I call it more of a defensive cooldown because it now breaks all CC like a PvP trinket.

He continues:

Since the changes seem to be causing confusion, here is the new tooltip.

“Send your pet into a rage causing 50% additional damage for 10 sec (down from 18). While enraged, the beast does not feel pity or remorse or fear and it cannot be stopped unless killed.”

The tooltip doesn’t say this, but it now breaks all forms of CC that a PvP trinket would break (including Cyclone, Sap, etc.).

“Increases all damage you deal by 10% and while your pet is under the effects of Bestial Wrath, you also go into a rage causing 10% additional damage and reducing mana costs of all spells by 20% for 10 sec (down from 18). While enraged, you do not feel pity or remorse or fear and you cannot be stopped unless killed.”

So the changes are:

Duration lowered.
Passive hunter damage buff added.
Now breaks all forms of CC (whatever a PvP trinket breaks, including Sap and Cyclone).

I've never been Beast Master. I am considering it as a spec for my future tanking spec however I seem to recall Bestial Wrath made you immune to any form of crowd control. You could not be stopped, slowed, and were able to do it for 18 seconds. 18 seconds to me seems like a really long time in an Arena environment. I can understand why this has been changed to 10 seconds and how many are not happy with the change.

I recall that Bestial Wrath would not break you out of a Polymorph. It would break you out of a Sap or a Stun. With Ghostcrawler comparing it to a trinket it makes me believe that the ability will break a hunter out of Polymorph.

Is it me or does anyone else find it amusing that Ghostcrawler seems irritated at Boubouille for bringing this to light?

PTR: Patch 3.2.2. Death Knight Changes.

Some changes are pending for Death Knights. Please bear in mind these changes are only on the PTR (Play Test Realm) and may change without notice once the patch is applied to the live servers.



Blood

• Heart Strike now has its total damage increased by 10% for each of your diseases on the target to the primary target, and half that to the secondary target.
• Vampiric Blood now lasts 10 sec. (Down from 20 sec.)
• Subversion now also affects Scourge Strike.

Frost

• Frost Presence now reduces damage taken by 8%. (Up from 5%)
• Threat of Thassarian now also affects Rune Strike.
• Unbreakable Armor now increases your armor by 25% and increasing your Strength by 10% for 20 sec.

Unholy

• Bone Shield cooldown has been lowered from 2 min to 1 min.
• Dirge no longer affects Obliterate.

Tier 9

• Item - Death Knight T9 Tank 4P Bonus - Decreases the cooldown on your Unbreakable Armor, Vampiric Blood, and Bone Shield abilities by 10 sec. (Down from 20 sec)

Glyphs

• Glyph of Scourge Strike - Your Scourge Strike increases the duration of your Blood Plague and Frost Fever on the target by 3 sec, up to a maximum of 9 additional seconds. (Old - Your Scourge Strike has a 25% chance to cause Blood Plague and Frost Fever.)
• Glyph of Unbreakable Armor - Increases the armor granted by Unbreakable Armor by 20%. (Old - Increases the amount of damage absorbed by Unbreakable Armor by 20%.)
• Glyph of Vampiric Blood - Increases the duration of your Vampiric Blood by 5 sec. (Down from 10 sec)

What caught my attention are the changes to frost. I'm glad to see that there are some revisions to their tanking aspect that helps undo a little bit of the previous nerfs the class endured. The change to bone shield will just make them a little harder to take out in PVP.

I don't really play a DK seriously but I have friends that do. I am glad at least they are being buffed to be a bit more survivable then before. Maybe now some whiners won't complain about a DK as a tank. I've not had problems with any DK tank as a healer. Folks just are spoiled.

Ulduar Achievements

I took a brief break from the game due to work and have not written anything in almost two days. Well I'm going back as I have the next few days to work on my characters some more!

One difficulty with my work schedule is that I usually work Tuesdays which prevents me from participating the first day of raiding for the week. I was really happy to be able to participate and thus complete some achievements I desperately wanted to clear up.



So I completed these two thanks to the guild!!



I've really been behind completing achievements. Neirin has been kicking my ass when it comes to achievements and I admire his commitment. I've been half ass about completing some due to my focus on alts and well other minor goals. But I am thinking I need to focus for a week and get some of the ones I've been waiting on. I'm second in the guild on how many achievement points have been earned.

So when I log on today I may end up killing goblins while I wait for a heroic daily group. I'm at 6565 and need to work on getting my red proto drake.

What scares me is I have to form an arena team... and that's not gonna be easy for me. But let's see who's game. I'm slowing working on my PVP set and perhaps I should dual spec finally.

Tsuunade, Champion & Crusader.

Finally after missing several days and forgetting to do some of the dailies, Tsuunade finally catches up with Tifa and Risa in being a Champion of the Alliance.

Prior to Patch 3.2 I decided to not turn in the seals required to become a Champion of the Alliance due to how the quests for both Valiant and Champion stacked with each other. In many cases you could do two quests at the same time. With 3.2 going live however that changed and the Valiant quests were changed so that they would no longer stack with the Champion ones.

I understand why this done. However having been spoiled by how things were and how there were new quests for Champions I really started to tire of the Valiant ones. Perhaps the most annoying one was the weapon quest which made you leave the entire area. It really became time consuming.

The Valiant quests are an excellent way to grind reputation with your reputation with your faction cities. They were an extremely superior method of obtaining reputation when they stacked with the Champion quests that Champion's Writ was completely worthless to me and a waste of a potential 10 gold earning.

On some of my alts I have not achieved exalted status with the cities so I am wondering if I will have the patience to either grind the reputation while I can by these quests, or just simply complete more quests in the old world for Loremaster.

Oh! Tsuunade did obtain five achievements and spammed guild chat!

More Loot Added To The Black Knight

Seems that a few folks playing the 5 man TOC on the PTR found out that the Black Knight has more loot on his drop table. I'm glad to see that a dagger has been added and now I'm here thinking my hunter may like a pair of them.

It also seems that the Pandaren Monk is bound to account. No word on how one can obtain this pet. I am hoping it is Brewfest associated.

TribunalXHunter Solos Attumen Successfully.

I don't follow too many players on Youtube. Big Red Kitty, WOWHobbs and TribunalXHunter are the only ones I have kept an eye out for. With BRK having left the game TXH is the only hunter who posts videos I try to keep up with on occasion.

Some folks have heard I wish to work on a hunter tanking spec and gear set. What this involves is obtaining some stam items such as trinkets which can be slightly difficult as most often tanks have a priority on them. This does not mean it is impossible. On principle I will not roll on any item if a tank needs. I just need to have the luck of the item dropping and the tank not having any need for it. I have to research what I do require but once I do I will go about and work on obtaining the items.

I had watch TribunalXHunter attempt Attumen solo but his attempt was not successful. He stated he would try again later once he leveled up engineering and the changes to the profession went live.

I am pleased he finally succeeded in his endeavor! After my experience in Botanica I really want to see what I can push. I have not attempted Ony solo and a hunter has done it before. I did solo Bloodlord in ZG as a SV hunter and obtained a raptor mount that way. I'd like to see how far I can push Risa into clearing up her missing achievements.

Beyond The Tree

There are a few online web comics I follow weekly. One of my favorites is Beyond The Tree by Nhani. The amount of work Nhani does on this comic is incredible. I love how she reworks the game graphics to fit into her storytelling.

I also follow her blog Thoughts for Food as it will have additional artwork and wall paper.

Beyond The Tree is a captivating and intriguing web comic that makes the reader care about the experiences of the characters. I am really interested to see where Nhani is going to be taking the characters and am anticipating her revised version of Tyrande Whisperwind.

One of my favorite aspects is some of the unique hair styles created by Nhani. Seeing her work makes me wonder just how far Blizzard can take the graphics in the game. I like the graphics but would love to see them upgraded to a degree. Nothing like say the style of Aion or say Warhammer. I like the look and appeal of the character designs but would love to see it expanded upon.

Greetings!

Hey everyone. I decided to try out blogging about my more active hobby which is playing World of Warcraft with my friends in my guild "Soul Society" on the Proudmoore US server.

I've written/blogged on the web before on Live Journal when I was active in the anime/manga fandom but after I had to leave that industry, for the time being, I really lost my incentive to write.

I don't profess to be a professional or literate writer but I hope to share my thoughts and views with others who may happen upon my perspective.

For those wondering about my hunter, I named her after Riza Hawkeye from Hagaren. When I created her back during vanilla WOW and being Alliance a dwarf female did not have the appeal or the hair style I wanted for the character. Her name is Risa because Riza was taken on the server.

I hope to talk about my other characters but we'll see how things go and how often I will be active.

Thanks all for your interest!