I was very happy, today, to read that the implementation of the RealID party invites will continue to remain free.
Truth be told, I hadn't even used that feature because I knew (or thought I did) that it would eventually go away, and it was easier not to get used to it.
So, I was thinking about how this opens up the community and the possibilities that could now be available.
Here's what I'm thinking... Similar to the blogger only guild that existed on both the US and EU realms, we could get a group of bloggers together with out having to leave our own server.
Think of how nice it would be to have a group of fellow bloggers to bs with while getting a random dungeon done with out having to deal with pugs.
I know I've been idea starved lately and nothing helps motivation better than really jumping into the community.
Interested? If so, let me know and we'll get something started! Leave a message on how to contact yourself in the comments.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Split Personalities
I was chatting with Vidyala from Manalicious the other week when she mentioned that it was cool that I ran BGs on both factions. "Most people have a lot of faction loyalty that way," she said.
She's right. It's kind of funny that way, because I'll hear "We suck! We always suck!" no matter what BG or what faction I'm running with. Since the Battlegroups were combined, I've seen little evidence of one faction's dominance over the BG scene. Sure, I've heard stories about how the Horde used to mop up BGs, but that isn't the case these days.
Some BGs are virtually identical for both factions --such as WSG or SoA or EotS-- but others do have a few critical differences. The choke point in AV close to the Horde base can be a deadly trap for the Alliance (I've been on the receiving end of that before), and the current strategies in IoC (Horde to Workshop and Ally to Docks) favors the Horde with the beefier demo units.
But that pales to how identical the BG chat is.
If there's one truism about pugging BGs in Cata, it's that the amount of time spent nerd raging in a BG is inversely proportional to the effect you have on a BG. If you're busy typing about how everyone blows chunks, you're probably not out fighting. Sure, you could have created a "We all suck!" macro, but most nerd ragers aren't satisfied with that simple --if inaccurate-- statement. Why stop with three words when twenty will do?
There's a special space in hell reserved for those people who need to channel their inner George S. Patton. "Get the EFC! Get the EFC!" says the toon who is jumping around back at the base. Meanwhile, five of his compatriots are busy attempting to chop their way through three healers and a Hunter to get at said EFC.
"We all suck! We were never good! Why did I ever FC to Ally anyway?"
Beats the hell outta me, man. If you were on the Horde side, you'd be saying the same thing in a losing effort.
She's right. It's kind of funny that way, because I'll hear "We suck! We always suck!" no matter what BG or what faction I'm running with. Since the Battlegroups were combined, I've seen little evidence of one faction's dominance over the BG scene. Sure, I've heard stories about how the Horde used to mop up BGs, but that isn't the case these days.
Some BGs are virtually identical for both factions --such as WSG or SoA or EotS-- but others do have a few critical differences. The choke point in AV close to the Horde base can be a deadly trap for the Alliance (I've been on the receiving end of that before), and the current strategies in IoC (Horde to Workshop and Ally to Docks) favors the Horde with the beefier demo units.
But that pales to how identical the BG chat is.
If there's one truism about pugging BGs in Cata, it's that the amount of time spent nerd raging in a BG is inversely proportional to the effect you have on a BG. If you're busy typing about how everyone blows chunks, you're probably not out fighting. Sure, you could have created a "We all suck!" macro, but most nerd ragers aren't satisfied with that simple --if inaccurate-- statement. Why stop with three words when twenty will do?
There's a special space in hell reserved for those people who need to channel their inner George S. Patton. "Get the EFC! Get the EFC!" says the toon who is jumping around back at the base. Meanwhile, five of his compatriots are busy attempting to chop their way through three healers and a Hunter to get at said EFC.
"We all suck! We were never good! Why did I ever FC to Ally anyway?"
Beats the hell outta me, man. If you were on the Horde side, you'd be saying the same thing in a losing effort.
***
If there's one problem I've had running BGs on both factions, it's the keeping track of what side I'm on.
No, seriously.
You'd think that a (relatively) slim Blood Elf would stand out in contrast with a hulking male Draenei, but when I'm in the midst of a BG, keeping track of several things at once, I occasionally slip up and think I'm on the opposing faction. That can get unnerving in a constantly shifting BG such as Arathi Basin or Eye of the Storm, where you could end up running into the opposing faction's territory while you're examining the map. One minute you think you're rushing up to help defend a node, and the next you're back at the Spirit Healer.
Oh yeah... I think I need some coffee.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Under the Heading of "That was interesting...."
I attended GenCon on Sunday, and one of the first things I noticed were the promotions for Rift.
No, not Rifts, the pencil and paper RPG, but Rift. You know, the MMO from Trion.
The swag bag contained a copy of the game --the same copy that you find in the stores right now-- and the cloth necklace your badge hangs on had "Rift" printed all over it.
Methinks that Trion knows their audience, and if you can understand GURPS or Pathfinder, you can figure out Rift.
Of course, there were a few people pissed off at Rift because it was close enough in name to Rifts that they got some haters just because of that. It's not like the concept of a 'rift' in time and space is anything new or unique to Rifts, so I shrugged it off.
Oh, and for the curious, there was a huge area for WoW TCG called Darkmoon Faire --which I laughed about, telling my brother-in-law that there were more people in this Darkmoon Faire than the one in-game-- and it was well populated.
No, not Rifts, the pencil and paper RPG, but Rift. You know, the MMO from Trion.
The swag bag contained a copy of the game --the same copy that you find in the stores right now-- and the cloth necklace your badge hangs on had "Rift" printed all over it.
Methinks that Trion knows their audience, and if you can understand GURPS or Pathfinder, you can figure out Rift.
Of course, there were a few people pissed off at Rift because it was close enough in name to Rifts that they got some haters just because of that. It's not like the concept of a 'rift' in time and space is anything new or unique to Rifts, so I shrugged it off.
Oh, and for the curious, there was a huge area for WoW TCG called Darkmoon Faire --which I laughed about, telling my brother-in-law that there were more people in this Darkmoon Faire than the one in-game-- and it was well populated.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Language and Respect
Back in the Wrath days, I was once in a Nexus run that I regretted finishing.
Not that the group wasn’t skilled, or even that one player played in an asinine manner, but of what was said in party chat.
You see, the group had three members of the same guild in it, and they kept peppering party chat with references to how the trash mobs and bosses wanted a piece of their ‘puss-say’. The Druid tank in particular kept up a stream of ‘puss-say’ talk, all the while keeping his toon on the move and tanking each group in succession. As the instance progressed, their descriptions became more explicit, and the greater my disgust grew.
I may not show it when I write here on the blog, but I have a temper. (I’m a redhead, what did you expect?) Typically I keep it in check, and when it does flare up I usually dip into my pool of obscenities to fling a few good barbs at the offenders. It's been a long time since nerd ragers in an instance or a BG bothered me, but these three clowns did. I don’t know whether it was the extremely juvenile nature of the thing or that it was incredibly demeaning to women, but before we had even finished with Telestra, my fingers were twitching. My desire to reach through the screen and smack them good reached a breaking point by the time we reached Alexstrasza. As the tank pulled the Malygos-dominated dragon, my mouse hovered over the ‘Leave Group’ selection. All I had to do was click it and get away from these jerks.
But whether I realized it was a futile gesture, that the instance was almost over, or that I wanted the Badges of Triumph more than anything else, I stayed.
I want to say that I said something to them and forced them to kick me --that I stood up on principle-- but this one time I can’t. I’ve spoken up in party chat before, defended people who did no wrong in spite of what the other party member said, and I’ve called people out for mean and spiteful stuff. But I’m not proud of that moment in The Nexus, and I’m sure it will continue eat at me for a good long while.
Fast forward a year and a half later, and I found myself in Eye of the Storm on one of my Paladins (I can’t remember which). A few of us were holding down the Draenei Ruins, and when the last toon --a Death Knight-- got smacked by my Hammer of Wrath, the Rogue turned to me and said “You really raped that guy!”
My mouth opened and closed. I knew all too well what he was saying, and I thought about ignoring him. Or leaving. Or something.
But I remembered The Nexus.
“I didn’t,” I finally replied.
“Oh, I saw that hammer come down and he dropped!”
“No. I didn’t rape him.”
“It’s just a saying. Lol.”
I ground my teeth. No matter what I said, to him ‘rape’ = ‘pwn’ and that was that. Never mind what ‘rape’ really means. Never mind that you might actually be talking to someone who knows a rape victim –or is a victim themselves. Or that your borderline misogynistic behavior paints all of us gamers in a bad light.
Words have power, and some words shouldn’t be used lightly. They don’t make you awesomely badass, they make you sound like a five year old who overheard a few naughty words and is testing their limit.
And you’re older than that, right?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Moar Mounts
If you've seen one of these Winged Guardians...
...you've seen them all.
They're the Sparkle Pony of Cata, or so it seems, but I haven't heard that much discontent out there about them. Since they're not the sparkle version of "My Little Pony", I guess people are okay with them.
Well, I've a bone to pick with them.
Since Blizz enabled flying mounts to be used as ground mounts in BGs, I see them all the time. Flying, you see them as they are above. Running, here's what they look like:
Yes, you're riding a BIG GLOWING ENGLISH SHEEPDOG WITH WINGS.
Anyone up for a Shaggy Dog marathon?
EtA: Both pics are links. The mount pic is from Blizzard's web site, and the English Sheepdog pic is from a Reuters pic found on animalpicturesarchive.com.
...you've seen them all.
They're the Sparkle Pony of Cata, or so it seems, but I haven't heard that much discontent out there about them. Since they're not the sparkle version of "My Little Pony", I guess people are okay with them.
Well, I've a bone to pick with them.
Since Blizz enabled flying mounts to be used as ground mounts in BGs, I see them all the time. Flying, you see them as they are above. Running, here's what they look like:
Yes, you're riding a BIG GLOWING ENGLISH SHEEPDOG WITH WINGS.
Anyone up for a Shaggy Dog marathon?
EtA: Both pics are links. The mount pic is from Blizzard's web site, and the English Sheepdog pic is from a Reuters pic found on animalpicturesarchive.com.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Playing to Your Strengths
"Play to your strengths."
"I haven’t got any," said Harry, before he could stop himself.
"Excuse me," growled Moody, "you’ve got strengths if I say you’ve got them. Think now. What are you best at?"
--From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
When you stand in a bunker in Alterac Valley, waiting for it to be destroyed, you have plenty of time to think.
Oh, I'm constantly moving my viewing screen around, checking for the inevitable attempt to retake the thing, but aside from the occasional nerd rage there's not much going on at 5 AM. Most guildies are asleep, and those that aren't just came off of the graveyard shift and will be hitting the hay shortly.
This morning, however, I was still turning over something in my head that I heard on the Double O Podcast yesterday.* Oestrus and Ophelie had on Vidyala and Voss from Manalicious and Sword and Board, and they were discussing guilds and guild leadership.** The topic, while entertaining, didn't really apply to me; I'm not a GL/officer and don't plan on being one. However, a statement made by one of them got under my skin. The discussion had shifted to the officer corps and how some people take care of certain aspects of the guild, like fish feast preparation, without being an actual officer. One of the panelists --Vid, I think-- mentioned how thorough their guild interviewer was, and how he's good enough that he was considering making it his career. It was a minor point, but that got my attention.
How often are we advised to improve our weaknesses, but play to our strengths? At work, certainly. In sports, hell yeah. In an MMO? Um....
Yes, you can solo an MMO and do it successfully. I'm living proof of that. However, when you make that step into an instance, a BG, or a raid, the game changes. It's no longer about you as the hero, but the team. Then the question becomes: what do you do well that can help the team? Or guild? Do you even know what it is you excel at?
Sure, maybe you've got that DPS rotation on automatic pilot, and you can just sense when some adds are zeroing in on the healer, but what else can you do with that attention to detail? Can you help the prep work for the raids? Does the guild need gems cut and ready to roll? Enchantments available?
Are you good at organization, helping to line up raid and BG groups?
Do you communicate in an instance or BG, or is your 'communication' limited to "yoo all suk!"
Do you stop and help out the lowbies from time to time? If you're on a PvP server, do you defend Grom'gol or the Rebel Camp from gankers?
Do you know how to make a killing on the auction house? Why not apply that knowledge and help the guild's coffers?
Really, the choice is up to you to do what you want in-game; nobody is forced to do this. But if you enjoy what you do, and you do it well, you expand the enjoyment of others in the game.***
And believe me, I hate-hate-hate a Polyanna attitude, but this is just common sense. You can work on your weaknesses, but odds are good that you'll get more satisfaction when doing what you're best at.
*I used to be able to listen to podcasts on a regular basis, but meetings have been steadily consuming my work time to the point that anything more engaging than background music --and yes, a WoW soundtrack counts as background music-- will just get ignored. That's a shame, as I've not had much of a chance to explore the WoW podcasts out there.
**Vid is the GL of Business Time/Moonrunner(US), and her husband Voss is the raid leader.
***Well, except for that ganker loitering around Forest Song that you took out, but he got what was coming to him, right?
"I haven’t got any," said Harry, before he could stop himself.
"Excuse me," growled Moody, "you’ve got strengths if I say you’ve got them. Think now. What are you best at?"
--From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
When you stand in a bunker in Alterac Valley, waiting for it to be destroyed, you have plenty of time to think.
Oh, I'm constantly moving my viewing screen around, checking for the inevitable attempt to retake the thing, but aside from the occasional nerd rage there's not much going on at 5 AM. Most guildies are asleep, and those that aren't just came off of the graveyard shift and will be hitting the hay shortly.
This morning, however, I was still turning over something in my head that I heard on the Double O Podcast yesterday.* Oestrus and Ophelie had on Vidyala and Voss from Manalicious and Sword and Board, and they were discussing guilds and guild leadership.** The topic, while entertaining, didn't really apply to me; I'm not a GL/officer and don't plan on being one. However, a statement made by one of them got under my skin. The discussion had shifted to the officer corps and how some people take care of certain aspects of the guild, like fish feast preparation, without being an actual officer. One of the panelists --Vid, I think-- mentioned how thorough their guild interviewer was, and how he's good enough that he was considering making it his career. It was a minor point, but that got my attention.
How often are we advised to improve our weaknesses, but play to our strengths? At work, certainly. In sports, hell yeah. In an MMO? Um....
Yes, you can solo an MMO and do it successfully. I'm living proof of that. However, when you make that step into an instance, a BG, or a raid, the game changes. It's no longer about you as the hero, but the team. Then the question becomes: what do you do well that can help the team? Or guild? Do you even know what it is you excel at?
Sure, maybe you've got that DPS rotation on automatic pilot, and you can just sense when some adds are zeroing in on the healer, but what else can you do with that attention to detail? Can you help the prep work for the raids? Does the guild need gems cut and ready to roll? Enchantments available?
Are you good at organization, helping to line up raid and BG groups?
Do you communicate in an instance or BG, or is your 'communication' limited to "yoo all suk!"
Do you stop and help out the lowbies from time to time? If you're on a PvP server, do you defend Grom'gol or the Rebel Camp from gankers?
Do you know how to make a killing on the auction house? Why not apply that knowledge and help the guild's coffers?
Really, the choice is up to you to do what you want in-game; nobody is forced to do this. But if you enjoy what you do, and you do it well, you expand the enjoyment of others in the game.***
And believe me, I hate-hate-hate a Polyanna attitude, but this is just common sense. You can work on your weaknesses, but odds are good that you'll get more satisfaction when doing what you're best at.
*I used to be able to listen to podcasts on a regular basis, but meetings have been steadily consuming my work time to the point that anything more engaging than background music --and yes, a WoW soundtrack counts as background music-- will just get ignored. That's a shame, as I've not had much of a chance to explore the WoW podcasts out there.
**Vid is the GL of Business Time/Moonrunner(US), and her husband Voss is the raid leader.
***Well, except for that ganker loitering around Forest Song that you took out, but he got what was coming to him, right?
Monday, July 25, 2011
A Bit of Nostalgia
2004
(Apologies to Bowling for Soup and their song 1985)
Liese just hit the wall
She never had it all
Firelands dailies all day
Her GL’s MIA
Her optimism ceased
When BC was released
Only been with one guild
What happened to her goals?
She was gonna be a hardcore raider
She was gonna get world firsts
She was gonna dance around
On C’thun’s bloody corpse
Her sparkle pony is now the enemy
Looks at her stable of toons
And nothing, has been…
All right since
Cata and Outland
Way before Northrend
There was AQ and MC
And Naxx was still in EP
The newbies in her guild
They tell her she’s a greybeard
Cuz she’s been playing since
2000, 2000, 2004
Woo Hoo Hooooo!
(2004)
Woo Hoo Hooooo!
She’s done all the classics
She knows every boss
Four Horsemen, High Priest Thekal
And even Princess Huhuran
She cleared Maraudon
Not a big Stonecore fan
Thought she’d get Exalted
With the Frostwolf Clan
Where’s the Tier 2 gear from Nefarian?
And when was Thrall replaced by that guy in Grommash Hold?
When did the Alliance get Shamans?
Whatever happened to Rexxar, and Bolvar
They’re not where they were before
Cata and Outland
Way before Northrend
There was AQ and MC
And Naxx was still in EP
The newbies in her guild
They tell her she’s a greybeard
Cuz she’s been playing since
2000, 2000, 2004
Woo Hoo Hooooo!
She hates expansions, they make no sense
When did Dire Maul become a mid-level instance?
And when did Blood Elves become playable?
Please make this stop, stop, STOP (tick tick tick) and remove
Cata and Outland
Way before Northrend
There was AQ and MC
And Naxx was still in EP
The newbies in her guild
They tell her she’s a greybeard
Cuz she’s been playing since
2000, 2000, 2004
Woo Hoo Hooooo!
Cata and Outland
Way before Northrend
There was AQ and MC
And Naxx was still in EP
The newbies in her guild
They tell her she’s a greybeard
Cuz she’s been playing since
2000, 2000, 2004
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