Horizon

So there has been some cool things mentioned in the last week in Cataclysm, the most I am excited about is the announcement that 25 and 10 mans will share the same lockouts. There will be 2 drops on 10 man, and 5-6 in a 25 man. We will hear, and already do hear, "This will slow progression!" Or "It is so stupid that the people who work harder don't get better things." I must say I very much enjoyed the news.

The rebuttal so far has been that in 25 mans more gear will drop so progression will actually be faster. I tend to think with the same I level and more loot for te people blizzard is trying to balance progression between 10 and 25 and also make it so people don't blow through the content 2 weeks after its release. To the other point of having more stuff because you have more friends, I think that with the achievement system and, in Cataclysm, the guild leveling system, the rewards of putting 25s together will still be great, all though they will be in form of better guild rewards, titles, pets, and probably mounts. Sure if they get an uber mount I'll be jealous, but not enough to want to change from my casual ways.

It is great that we can do a 10 man or 2 10 mans and feel like we are just as good as other people. 10 mans will be the same fights as 25, though, so it may be harder to bring down those baddies, but it will make us feel, I think, great and just as epic as the people who have 25 regular folks around. Blizzard stated many times they want every player to feel like they have their place in the world, and I think this is indeed a great move forward.

Now for the REAL point behind my post: Starcraft II July 27th!! This is a WoW blog, and a casual WoWer's blog, so I will throw it out there: Raids are SO gonna dwindle in July! Servers will be more sparsely populated, and I suspect I will see some tumbleweeds flying around Dalaran. Can't wait to try that new game, even though I suck at micro managing! Hate it! I also wonder how evil Blizzard will be, maybe the prepatch for Cataclysm will come in August so they can see where our devotions lay (l-I-y...Say it right in your heads right!, and if I picked the wrong form I want to hear it!) I'd Love to hear people's opinions on anything Cataclysm or SCII related. Post 'em here, I work in the office after school is out and usually have nothing to do!

Happy Waiting!
Ais

The Alt Zoo

I am a casual gamer, with too much time on my hands. So what do I do when I am tired of farming or do not want to find a PuG to waste a few hours away? The answer is easy! Make more characters! In fact, between my girlfriend and I (and our two servers) we have 11 80s and several seventies (though we no longer play our Kargathian 80's).
Some might ask "What's the point of having so many alts?" This is the easiest question for me to address: To see the game from a different perspective. This answer, however, is not as strong as it used to be. Let's face it: class distinction is much weaker today than it ever was. This is not all bad though. I have tanked as everything in the game, and there is a slightly different feel to everything, but now more than ever, every spec of every class is viable, particularly in PvE play. This is not a move that I am partial too, in fact, I am disappointed that every class seems whine and complain until it is made to be able to snatch the top of any meter you can think of. But I digress, as I so often do. Each position (tank, dps, healer) still has a different point of view, even melee vs. range still has a different feel to how each fight goes. With duel specs, you can get 2 of the points of view in one character. If you love different feels to the game and you want to explore, I would definitely recommend having 2 alts each with a duel spec. As far as alts go, for a casual player, I would not go past two serious characters. This leads into the next question that I am confronted with while leveling so many alts.
"Doesn't having so many alts get in your way?" This question can be applied in two ways, most often people have levied the accusation of not knowing your class. The second, and lesser brought up point (that ties in with the first) is, "does so many alts get in the way of progression?" First, going back to an earlier point, classes are still different and very much alike. For dps I find it quite easy to do about 20-30 minutes of research on a spec and its rotation to figure out how to squeeze the most dps out of it, of course, I also spend some time with practice on dummies as well as a heroic or a lower tier raid to see what it is like in battle situations. Tanking and healing are a bit more trickier. Some classes can heal in different ways so there needs to be a bit more research and a bit more practice to see what you are 1) comfortable with 2) Enjoy 3) do well.
Tanking is perhaps where I find the most disappointment in terms of the classes running together. I will admit, I had a warrior tank at 60 and I just could not get the hang of it (I also had relatively little time to practice). Because of this I had a lot of respect for people who could tank multiple mobs (multiple at the time was 2-3) with great success. If I could go back in time I do not know if I would still be bad at it, but now, it is very simple to tank as any class. In the Burning Crusade Pally tanks started to emerge. Slowly they came into their own, I remember for months people *still* ragging on pallies. I leveled my pally as a tank after I saw a good friend excel at tanking, and it was very easy to tank everything. I never tried warriors at 70, but when Lich King came out it seemed blizzard wanted tanking to be easy on every character. I changed my warrior to a tank, and was saddened at how little of a challenge it was compared to how difficult it was at 60. To this end, it is fairly easy to research and practice tanking in heroics.
To the second charge of alts getting in the way of progression, the most honest answer I can give is: it depends. Our guild has been running two 10 man ICCs a week, and we have been getting 1 25 man in a week. This means, without PuGs, if a guildy can get a spot, one character will be "progressed" more (in terms of having more badges and a chance at more loot) while the alt character will have few badges and opportunities for upgrades, but still progressing somewhat.
A great thing about the random heroics is the ability to acquire lower gear with ease. So, while I only have a two higher tiered characters, all my toons can enjoy some level of decadence. With the expansion ahead, itemization will also, sadly, be a bit more generalized. This leaves tons of room for people to have multiple characters, while having one or two top of line characters.
Finally, the question of "why?" Other than point of view and a very slightly different point of view, why bother with having different characters? I love having characters around just in case they are needed later. With every new expansion, there is also a chance that the regular people you run with will change what they want to play, and having loads of characters around allow for an easy shift from one class to another based off of what is needed. I can also understand different characters and how they function in a raid better because, I have been there.
There is not much else to say about alts and why to have them around. Just thought I'd give you an idea of why I have one of every class (aside from a smelly hunter) hanging around. If you enjoy alts and leveling as much as I do, have a blast :).

". . . Only darkness . . . for me . . . ."

The Fall of the Lich King. He is the common thread in the latest generation of Warcraft lore and its fanatics, the stitching that has bound us all together up to this point in the story – and I believe many have played Warcraft for this story. He may not be Vader, the Joker, or Lex Luther, but he’s no semi-evil doer like Bowser or Dr. Claw. He may not be the strongest, but he’s definitely one of the most popular villains in Warcraft. It could because he was the last point of the Warcraft III story and we want to know what happens next or maybe more importantly, we just want the story tidied up. I don’t know about you, but those open-ended stories where the author or director has you jump to your own conclusions irritates me – I’m reading your book, you tell me how it ends damnit!

But he’s Arthas, the fallen prince. We humans love dirty laundry, can’t help but to look at a car crash, at the macabre, to watch the biggest and the brightest of us fall: and fell he did. His grip on Azeroth reached into nearly every crevice and zone; levels 1-80 we were always battling some Cultist, a Burning Legion baddie, or just the creeping undead (even it’s not his work, you associate evil/demons/walking dead with the Lich King…). Even if you’re only playing the game because you like MMORPGS, all your friends play this game, you’re making cash because you’re a shameless Chinese Gold Farmer, or you like talking cows and gnomeregan-brothels, I’d wager you a round at the Shady Rest Inn that even the most disconnected from the story raised an eyebrow at Ice Crow Citadel and wondered what the encounter of Arthas is like, and how, or precisely what happens when his frozen heart is finally shattered into oblivion.
By now there probably aren’t many of us who haven’t fallen to temptation and haven’t watched his death. But if you haven’t, it’s probably a good idea to not read on. I haven’t slain him personally (one of these months) but I watched the video and gave it some serious thought. Here’s my take on the death of one of the most epic baddies in the Warcraft III lore. Definitely some spoilers ahead.


***SPOILERS*** DISCUSSING THE DEATH OF THE LICH KING

The Philosopher's Stone: Mirror Images - How your character reflects your character...

Every week, The Philosopher's Stone will bring you thoughts on how World of Warcraft can be related to life's deeper questions. Sometimes you will agree. Sometimes you will not, and that is OK with me. Hopefully, though, you will enjoy. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the weeks topic as comments. I'd love to read them!

So when it comes to RPGs, I am the bad guy. I am always the bad guy. I think this has something to do with the fact that I am not the bad guy in real life. I've almost always been the "good" kid. I was the churchy kid. I was the kid that didn't ever have to refuse drugs, because someone else would always do it for me. Someone else saying "he doesn't do that stuff" is a pretty easy way to deal with peer pressure.

But in RPGs, it's different. I am the Sith Lord that force chokes wookiees so that I don't have to try to talk answers out of them. I choose the red saber. Preferably two of them. And I put them to good use. In Fable (and Fable 2) my character has nasty looking horns. He is also rich, because he owns everything he can buy and exploits people. This may even be why I play Horde. (Yes, I know that Horde isn't "evil," but when you compare them to the Alliance, they are at the very least "not as good!")

From Angry to Alchemy: How I Went from Being an Irritated Wife to Becoming an Altaholic

Greetings! Let me introduce myself: My name is Christie, but most of you know me as Madelynn, Tannaria, or Lynnaria. I could also be known as the one who rarely raids, the one who falls asleep before raids begin (causing the need for other players), or the one with 80's who is forever leveling alts.

Gaming had always been my husband's thing--not mine. I could not understand how one could spend countless hours wasting time on a dumb game. Alas, after several pleas by him, I succumbed and tried the game. Now, I really enjoy it! Moreover, I understand a part of his world that I never did before.

In real life, I stay busy as a teacher, student, aunt, and wife (to Spence, aka: Jaelas, Elindi, Mirph). In my "World of Warcraft", I am most often found leveling, looting, selling my loots, fishing, and herbing. Hence, my blog will be about lighter topics such leisure leveling and pursing professions.

Enjoy....

The "L" Effect

Most of you are probably confused with me already. What the hell is the "'L' Effect" and who is that strange looking man up there?

Stick with me people, this is going to be a long one.

So as many of you know, Wrath's story has pretty much been wrapped up. I won't spoil anything for those that don't want to be spoiled, but it's a pretty interesting ending, although one that's not entirely surprising. For those of you who do wish to be spoiled, you can find the .avi video in your WoW folder and watch it in high quality (the same video that's played should you actually kill the Lich King in game), or you can be lazy and click this link. Sufficiently spoiled yet? Go on, I'll wait.

"We need more gold!"

We’ve all had the experience. You’re minding yourself in some metropolis trading hub, and a random Madoff leans over and asks you for some spare change. Now most of the requesters ask for anywhere from some “spare gold,” or perhaps, “a couple of g’s man,” while others ask for a specific amount.

The other day I was minding my own business in Thunderbluff (loyal patriot of cow city, and Ienjoy having being able to actually see the bank and auctioneer), and I get a message from gold lurker. On rare occasions, I’ve given a few pieces of gold to a people who have made me laugh, for doing things like turning tricks or dancing like a monkey. But almost always I flat out deny them. Before that though, I will ask them why they need gold (to hear the creative excuse) and then crictize them for giving said lame excuse. My correspondence the other day, went something like:

“Can you spare some gold?” – Shiftless Beggar

“Why do you need gold?” – Giant Cow Thing (Me)

“I want to buy epic flying” – S.B.

- At this point I do that slow turn so I can try to identity the face…err avatar to the person talking to me. The culprit turns out to be non- other than the 61 Tauren sitting atop an epic kodo mount targeting me. This ladies and gentlemen is what I identity as a special kind of Shiftless Beggar – Douchébag class. He’s obviously at a significant level and has an epic mount, so unless he’s been turning tricks and begging for gold up to this point, I would assume he’s capable of earning his own money (but he was a hunter…), by you know, doing things like…quests?

“You’re level 61…why don’t you go earn it like the rest of us?” - Me

“It’s so annoying, lol” – S.B.

“So are people like you.” - Me

“lol” – S.B.

Once in a great while as you’re selling your bounty of riches and flaunting your wealth by, you know, having the ability to purchase repairs and buy that expensive 100-something gold head enchant, you’ll get the vindictive fellow who feels that the world, i.e. you, owe him something, like a piece of your wealth. Those are the fun ones, the players who have no money, and like spamming you with a barrage of vulgarities on the slim chance you’ll give them cash, or the more probably reality that they get a the virtual finger and /ignore.

Whenever I meet a beggar or some nude avatar dancing on the mailbox, I always get this quasi-queasy feeling like I’m witnessing with the lowest slums of society; I can feel pretty confident that this persons’ status is because of their own volition – laziness.

I eventually always come to realize and make the connection between the economies Blizzard has made for the seething masses in my digital world and with the encapsulating place we call RL. There are beggars in both worlds, but at least in WoW you can assume that they are shamelessly peddling their digital buttocks atop of the postbox because they are far too lazy to be bothered to earn 20 silver for repairs on their level 37 gear.

That or they’re bored, to which they should politely get the hell out of my game.

Bears, chickens, and cows, oh my!

Greetings faithful viewers [sic]! As the contributors give an introduction, I thought it was time I begin my career here at Cool Runners and a healthy preamble to who I am and my past experiences. So without further ado:

For those of you who don’t know me, well, I go by many names. On Altar of Storms, a few know me as Attica but mostly Bulvex, the guild bear-tank or more popularly crit-chiken. On other realms and in other games and forums, a lot of people know me as Dash. Any or all are preferred.

Ais.

So, here I am, my first blogging experience.

.

I should start off by saying that I am not one for scholarly work. After getting my master's degree I find myself very impatient with the prospect of a coherent, well processed essay. I rather much prefer to write freely, whatever comes to my mind. This leads to what the great Philip J. Fry once said while fighting a giant brain, "There, now you're stuck in my world. A place full of plot holes and spelling errors". I also enjoy writing poetry here and there, so don't be taken back if a post I put out there is a poorly written piece of "art".

A/S/L

23/M/TX

Now that we have the important part across, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jaelas, err Mirph, err Elindi. OK, my name is Spence. I enjoy playing and listening to music. I play bass, guitar, drums, harmonica, and ukulele. I enjoy my wife, who will also be contributing to this blog (Hi, Honey!). I also enjoy my job as a student minister at a church in Texas.

I also play WoW, casually.