This morning's Random Tuesday Morning Thought is brought to you by "Wait a minute. What just a red-hot minute." Someone's, something's, wait. What? CENIZA!!! A whole lot of mage information just blew my mind this morning, and here is what I'm trying to synthesize: Blizzard, WoWInsider, and Ceniza, this is what you're telling me: 1. I should have been focusing on Ceniza this whole time? New talents? New powers? Mages were just being neglected for the time being…but still needed? Still wanted? 2. WoW Insider lets go of my favorite mage writer, and then writing this column…wait, what?(Favorite mage writer link) Why? Why can't Vid still be writing this? Doesn't seem right. 3. This is a deep reminder to play characters and classes we love, and who cares if they are weakened, marginalized, and neglected? Their time will time! Flame on, Ceniza! Why, why is it, every time a mage is involved I am enchanted and cheated all at the same time? Damn, mages, priests, and warlocks - oh my. The three of you made a trifecta of awesomesauce. Okay, Ceniza. I hear you. You're biding your time with the walrus men, but I won't neglect you before WoD, promise. You might turn me into a newt! Damn, no more time to write about mages and Ceniza this morning. Must blink away... Music to listen to while crying about mages: Dahahka sent me this message for some Lent songs:
Edited: Sorry about the last video - I didn't think it was funny --in fact, that is how some players feel/react when there's a wipe. It's hyperbolic and ridiculous.
Here is a new video that also demonstrates how it feels to not fit in:
This is hilarious - promise
I am such a hypocrite: I love to read, but hate it too. Directions, instructions, tool tips: especially trying to synthesize tool tips. There is something that goes missing in my comprehension when I just read "Havoc Target 1, Chaos Bolt Target 2, Sit back and enjoy the show" but if I see a demonstration (thank you, young leet druid!) and practice, I get it. I should get out Icy Veins on one side of my screen, and the target dummies on the other, but really, there is nothing as good as simply playing, practicing, and using live Mogu for target dummies (besides, I might get shards!) The only way to get better at anything is to practice, practice, practice. But even then, I caution myself: no amount of practice can anticipate for every fluctuation. That is part of what makes Azeroth so infuriating and challenging. Even in the best of circumstances, (and I consider Navi's raid team this), where everyone knows their class, it's a relatively stable group of players with little turn-over, and dedicated to the team, wipes do happen, and adjustments are made, and rosters get shifted. That's is what being a team means. But Blizzard, please: keep on this path of honoring the solo player. By removing obstacles such as gear on the Timeless Isle, you've made it easier for us to try out all kinds of classes. The downside is there are a lot of quickly-geared but ill-prepared players. (See poor DK.) But that's a chance you take, Blizzard, and the Court of Public Opinion will quickly take care of them. How about if a character gets Burdens of Eternity that are extraneous, those are account bound too? How about if one character is exalted with the Cloud Dragon Mojo Dramamine Riding Club, it's across all characters? There are some things that should NOT be soul-bound, period.
But one obstacle that should never be removed is learning how to play a class in varying raid/dungeon/scenario situations. Those nuances are vital to enjoyment of any class. It is in the learning, in the experimenting, that our brains engage. At times I believe there is too much visual vomit on screen (sorry, that's gross, I know) to really learn anything. I am really enjoying the practice and research I've done with Providing Grounds with my druid, and I want more, please. Proving Grounds is a great concept, and one of my next projects is to see how far I can get my big girls: Momokawa, Mataoka, Zeptepi, and Kellda. Ceniza, darling, your time will come. Right now however, it's fish or cut bait time for everyone else.
There hasn't been a Random Tuesday Morning Thought in quite a while! I was just thinking this morning before I tried to log on the maintenance hours haven't been a regular Tuesday thing, and voila, here I am ready to turn in imbalanced coins on the characters who don't need them, cry over the ones who do need them, and shake my fist at the RNGs who have blessed me with so many alts, what's a mother to do? Ah well.
I'm not sure how I'm going to tie this in with Azeroth. Any attempt is going to be a thin stretch. Wait, I know: it's about how we learn new things, or about new things. One reason I keep coming back to Azeroth is to feed my curious cat (yes, it's been killed a few times, but hey, nine lives and all).
One thing I learned this weekend is more of a reminder: there are always two sides to every story. I haven't watched a single football game in years, not since the Seahawks last went to the Superbowl in 2005, and I only caught the second half of Sunday's. When they won, and the reporter stuck her microphone in Richard Sherman's direction, CD Rogue and I were kind of appalled at his trash-talk response. One of my friends even said he would use the clip as an example to his children of what not to do. Oh, heroes, HEROES! You are a complicated lot, you! Paladins and warriors are complicated, too. Sure enough, there is another side to this young man.
Also, my friend Señor told me to try horchata. Wait, first he said 'rice water.' Ugh! Gross! Rice water?! Something got missed in the first translation, and then he told me it was called horchata, and that I have heard of…okay, okay, I'll give it a try. Here is a recipe here in case I'm feeling ambitious. But I'll probably just see if they have it at the store.
What else…oh yeah…I learned that a Sky Golem is kick-ass to fly around in! And that two of my college friends were in town last weekend and I found out through a mutual friend on Facebook, but it's all good - now I know! Hope to see them next time I'm in town. And what else? Oh, it's awesome to get dressed out of the dryer - a warm shirt on a chilly morning is just the thing. Anything else? Early morning meetings suck, but I knew that.
Onward, brave friends! Win that game! Drink that drink! Wear that shirt! May your Tuesday be amazing, and full of good loots and fun!
Today's Random Tuesday Morning Thought is sponsored by Random Number Generator: "when you absolutely, positively have to have it: we won't let you. ™" Driving young cub to school yesterday morning, he bravely, but resoundingly, told me my chances of getting the Horseman's mount were slim to none. It involves real math. This conversation inspired him to consider taking Statistics, which I strongly encouraged because who knows what I might have become if a young Matty had taken stats and physics instead of art and, well, art? I could have been somebody: I could have been a contender. Or at least earned a comparable salary to my years of degrees. ANYWAY. Sorry. Okay. Back to math. (And why does British English call it 'maths?') Turns out, there is a big difference between decimals and percentages. Consider the only source of drop-rates I could find was from 2008, which provides a .5%. Now, if it were simply .5, that would be pretty damn good, because it would be 50%. But it doesn't say that, it says this:
I do not feel confident this early to share my math noob-ness. I used to be pretty damn good at it, until I got a gin-drinking Algebra teacher in 7th grade who reflected upon his life behind a newspaper while I sat bewildered. Hope he got it all worked out. But I can't blame him - but I can blame the RNGs. For "fun," (I really need to work on my definition of "fun") I have been keeping this chart of my horseman runs:
So far I've gotten 3,456 candies, three troll masks, one Horseman helm (on my druid, ROCK ON MOMO!), a few sinister swords, and a few razor blades in the apples. To date, this is 77 times. By calculations, I should have gotten the horse 38.5 times. But alas, no: 3.85 times. But where is my pony? No where. Ponies don't do math. Nothing to lose a head over, I suppose. Godmother has done a lovely job discussing rewards, and has thoroughly analyzed everything Azeroth. I can't even get my calculator to work right or remember third grade math. Here: let's look at some pretty Draenei:
It's okay, chicas. I won't give up on you. You'll get your pony.
Sometimes you just don't want to know how the proverbial sausage is made.
Ceniza got turned into a goblin during the fight!
Damn, I have been stress eating and having wine/beer again. I can blame a lot of changes in the Matty-shack, the touch of cold weather causing my animal nature to store fat and hibernate, and oh yes, hours of camping for Moon Moon. Come on Den Mother! I'll take good care of your cub, promise! Just one please, pretty please? Just one and I'll be on my way, never to harass you or yours again.
Well, dang, fine then. I'll just go over and eat some comfort food from my favorite cook, Rona Greenteeth. My friend Turk notices I'm munching away on some delicious Draenei Dumplings, and in horror asks me if I have ever read the ingredients: "She's a cannibal don't you know?! At least eat Orc or Troll!"
Come to think of it, no, I don't think I have ever read the labels, and it's a AFDA (Azeroth Food and Drug Association) mandate to have factual labels on things. Although with the government shut-down and all, and (see what happened is the government passed a law and then a small group decided they wanted to change the rules so they held their breath and are now turning blue until they get their way: see what happens when there's a power vacuum? Garrosh is otherwise occupied so a minority is in control.)
I digress, sorry.
What those labels really should say is, "You have been sitting on your ass for two hours reading and waiting for a virtual shiny pet: get outside and go for a damn walk." (I have been walking, in between spawn times. Makes for some fast walks!)
In an effort to promote public health and welfare, I decided to do a little sleuthing and closely read those labels:
Okay, okay...not so bad, a few beard hairs...adds texture
Definitely harmless, unless you're a duck or goose, or a duck duck goose...
Again, I see no problem unless one has religious dietary restrictions, but pretty sure they're Kosher...even if Dr. Suess isn't getting royalties
She really does mean "cattle," right? Not the citizens of Eversong who walk around like pretty veal, I hope?
This is getting serious. One might mistake an antler-wearing druid for a deer, you know? Who knows what happens during crepuscular events? The mount is careening down the road, hits something hard, and who looks too closely at what those horns are attached to?
Draenei buns are thick...it's true
Gosh, Rona, you're not even trying anymore!
Gross, Rona!
The surprise is the look on the guards' faces when they become snack foods.
I think Rona is lying to me.
Well, regardless of how Rona keeps her larder stocked and her cauldrons bubbling, the food is delicious. Perhaps it's because it's rare, too; only happens once a month.
As long as Rona doesn't rely on Azerothian regulations to maintain standards, she's free to serve as she wishes. But caveat emptor, people. She doesn't wash her hands after using the restroom.
Mental running shoes on? Check. Hot, black coffee by right hand? Check? Cute new shirt and my comfy Yellowstone bear and moose socks? Check and check. (Yes, I wish they were moose and squirrel socks, and props to you if you get that reference.) Today's Random Tuesday Morning Thought is brought to you by the letter "B" and the letter "K," noting the occasional inherent goodness of folks who give a damn about karma. First, in some ways I want to apologize for my periodic rant about meanies in LFR. I have sufficiently scared Tome away, which is unintended, and, worse, I am becoming boring. (See what a jerk I am Tome? I put 'being boring' over scaring my friends away from LFR...) Popular Science magazine summed up the asshats and trolls quite succinctly: "shrill, boorish specimens of the lower Internet phyla". Could not have said it better myself. Yes, there are poo-poo heads in Azeroth. But something happened far worse than an anonymous asshat, and that is a 'player friend/acquaintance' who, for whatever reason or reasons, well - let's just say something went wrong. A misunderstanding that got out of hand fast. And to answer Amber's question about things I just don't get, I just don't get how we humans will ever figure out how to communicate effectively and with our hearts in person or virtually. But damn, we had better figure it out fast. Communication is clumsy on its good days, and destructive on its wrong-side-of-bed days. My boss was teasing me the other day because in every meeting where we are developing "norms" I always want to add "assume good intentions." We all have so much to do, so much on our minds, that if we can't just start at a good place, we will end up in the ditch faster than the bald tires on my old truck. (Things I think about at 3:30 AM: how to get new tires.) And I need to address this: I am many things. There are character flaws and redeeming qualities about me, like every human. Not quite Walter White level of complexity, but a mixed bag nonetheless. But one thing I am not is a bitch. My definition of a bitch is someone, male or female, who aggressively seeks drama, attention, and conflagration to stir up shit. Being that I hate confrontation, and any confrontation stays with me like spilled sour milk. It calcifies and smells. So again I say, if I have ever pissed you off, hurt your feelings, stepped on toes, poked you in the eye, returned the car with an empty gas tank, left the toilet seat up (!) forgot to unplug the curling iron, left the dishes in the sink, didn't write back fast enough, or simply shut the real or virtual door in your face, if there is a perceived insult or sour grapes: I. Am. Sorry. So when I ranted about anonymous jokers being trolls, I should have peered around the corner because things can get much, much worse. Now: here is my wish again. For the 2,893th time. I wish we had an 'invisible' mode. Just a mode that was an answering machine to folks saying, "Matty's not in right now. Leave a message after the beep." Yes, we have DBM that tells our buddies we're fighting, etc. Maybe that is, or should be enough. Perhaps this is why my buddy Señor and I get along so well: we know things about each other, and are dear friends, but it stays in character and in game. We respect each other. Good people, genuinely good people, live by the creed above: they assume that everyone has their own story to tell, their own issues, and treat others with kindness. I will say to all my friends in Azeroth, if I have ever bothered you while you're trying to focus or fight a tricky maneuver, I am sorry. I try to respect your time --and for the most part, all of you are amazing. Thank you.
I am going to try out the proving grounds as soon as I can - that'll be cool. I feel very rusty on all of my characters, and every one needs a new reforge/update. Back to karma: Last night I thought see what would happen to go in another LFR between after work and dinner. I didn't finish, but I did get a pretty new belt (I won't mention that on the roll I got the same exact belt, which happens all the time, but whatever). But the belt is not the highlight - there were incredibly nice players there:
I LOVE the Haunted Forest Set. I want this in real life: spiders and butterflies living on my shoulders!
I hated to leave, but CD Rogue had dinner waiting, and that was that. But I have proof there are nice players out there: patient, relaxed, and enjoying the beautiful fun world as it's meant to be enjoyed. Do I have more to say? You bet I do. But my time is up, and I must go. PS In game, I don't get anything (she types smiling). Karma Police/Radiohead
Today's RTMT is brought to you by a big cup of coffee, a few dirty dishes in the sink, and a big, fat, to-do list for today that may or may include anything in Azeroth. Oh, who am I kidding? As soon as I get home and get dinner going, I'll be there, smelling burning fish sticks and hoping for more pets or mounts.
Let's see where we are with things:
*Mataoka: sulking with her pretty cloak, hating melee, knowing she needs to go back to elvui and do some damage, people! Invited to Flex raids on Wednesday nights but has family obligations that chop up the hours on that night. Refer to below.
*Luperci: has all the gear and item level she could possibly need to start tanking, yet lacks the biggest buff of all: confidence.
*Ceniza: this isn't really working out for her.
*Zeptepi: ditto
*Momokawa: cannot get an RNG break for a better healing staff or maces. Last seen chasing butterflies with Sasquatch around Mt. Hood.
*Kellda: "You want it dead? I know a guy... " Nothing gets in this girl's way. Well, maybe a few things. But like the recalcitrant honey badger, Locks don't care.
*Haanta: SKIN ALL THINGS....howl at moon, skin some more.
I know this is irrational but I really have a hard time going in there on any character but Haanta. It's like leaving money on the table with all that dead stuff just lying there ready for the taking. But I need to get in there with my inscriptors to see if I can get my own Glyph of Rain of Frogs. I know my buddy Turk got this and I pestered him so much for it I finally got an all-caps response. Deserved, yes, but I didn't see his first responses in the reams of chat. I tried to fix my communication channels but it's still clogged with trolls and junk mail. But I won't bug him anymore, I'll just go get my own. (Still kind of tearing up in over-sensitivity to my mistake. I hate getting all-capped. CD Rogue spends a lot of his conversation in all-caps.) But I'll fix my UI later, and try to streamline communication in Azeroth and real-life.
This skull wants something...not sure what. Sure it's right in front of me...
What a lovely surprise!
There is some bliss in ignorance when it comes to adventures in Azeroth. I have tried not to read anything about 5.4, and it's at the juncture where it's costing me time and gold. Getting the Ominous Flame was a great surprise: I named her Gaslight because I am crazy to play this 'game' so much. But now I'm at the point where I'd better start focusing a bit more, and go read Tome and Cymre's blogs, among others. And take notes.
The breakfast topic in WoW Insider is "Have you successfully recruited friends or family in the game?" If the measure of success is just getting someone to play, then yes, I myself was 'successfully recruited." How has that worked out? While CD Rogue and little cub have gone on to build rockets and launch space missions that would make Neil DeGrasse Tyson envious, and young leet druid is so pro at WoW and everything else, it's kind of like having Neil DeGrasse Tyson explain astro-physics to me. I kind of do that Scooby-Doo "hherrrruh?" face. In other words, the rest of the Matty-shack are not fans of how much I play. But as long as the fish tacos are ready and there is clean underwear, I guess they can tolerate it. But I have been told they regret it. It's my job as wife/mother to try to continually seek balance. One of my best friends the other day told me it's like a mobile: the mom's job is to keep everything moving gently and freely. I have since walked around feeling like Alexander Calder got a hold of my brain.
Speaking of which, it's almost 6:30 AM, I have a 7:30 AM meeting, and am not completely sure where I want the day to go. Planning for my days is critical to any success. I guess that's why I leave most of Azeroth unscripted and improvisational.
Theme Song:
Stupid Girl/Garbage
Speaking of Neil DeGrasse Tyson:
So here is my question for you: What is the most astounding fact about Azeroth?
I'm sure Garrosh directly or indirectly had something to do with Blanchy's demise.
Grumble, grumble. Today's Random Tuesday Morning Thought is brought to you by the letter "G," and only the letter "G." G is for grumble, as in: "I am grumbling because I wonder what part of 5.4 will be blocked for a partner/solo/altaholic player such as myself," and also, yes, the big guy, Garrosh. The man who puts the zest in my lemon squares and knows how to make all the librarians swoon with his grammatical prowess. If anything is blocked or obstructed for a player like me in 5.4, Garrosh has graciously opened the gates. Granted, I do not have any Level 90 Horde Toons. This is not due to any prejudice or xenophobic reaction. I just don't. Okay, sure, there was that Theramore thing. Ceniza the Ash Witch is still bitter, and cries herself to shameful sleep when she eats certain lemon squares, alone in the dark, remorseful but delicious. But other than that, you know the old saying, "Some of my best friends are Horde." Heck, if I could have an entire cast list of just Forsaken and Trolls, I would. I miss my goblin warlock, too. But a level 90 switch may not happen anytime soon. CD Rogue and I have been in deep financial negotiations in the Matty-shack, and they are not pretty. Kind of at the Breaking Bad tension level. Okay, not that bad. But I wish I had to spray a stack of money for silverfish.
In any case, his invitation to join him in his own demise seem genuine and gracious. If you can join him, you should. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, resetting on Tuesdays, of course.
(On a serious note, I do kind of wish this release wasn't timed close to the anniversary of a real world event. That's all I'll say.)
This is Vidyala's rendition of Mataoka for my Blizzcon Badge. The secret's out, I'll be there. My goal: 20lbs lighter, or slightly over 9kg. For my British friends, not sure how much that is in 'stones.' Once I get out the rocks in my head, that should help.
Today's Random Tuesday Morning Thought is brought to you by the letter "C" for 'collaboration' and the letter "T" for "talented. (Come on, coffee!! Brew, dammit!)
First, an announcement: Tycertank has a new WoW Screenshot-A-Day list for September:
Damn, what day is this? It's the 3rd? Oh well. That's okay. Participation in the August one was not for extrinsic motivation (aka "prizes) but for my own pure enjoyment. I'll see what I can find in my folders for these first few days:
Given, this is not an Azerothian image, but one I saved months ago. It made me laugh, thinking of all the cauldrons in Azeroth, and what if instead of becoming the ham chunks in pea soup, we turned it into a hot tub?
Kellda the Wavering Warlock is by far one of my Azerothian characters who shares only a few traits with me in our Venn Diagram of commonality. We both have minions, check. Both our names begin with "K," check. And we both enjoy putting something on full blast. However, in real life, I do have to play the roles of 'tank' and 'healer' on many an occasion, and like Ceniza the Fire Bug, it's refreshing to just seek and destroy sometimes. Nothing else. No gathering of monsters, no responsibilities, no cool healing rain showers to aid wounded comrades.
Luxy created some headers for Arvash, and Cymre gave Tome a little baby fox. I get to work with Navi on a weekly or semi-weekly basis on writing projects. Erinys inspires me constantly. This WoW blogging community is far and away one of my greatest joys. I think I kind of scared Tome yesterday when I said I was stopping -- no, not leaving Azeroth, but I do need to reign it in, quite a bit. I'm journaling some thoughts and trying to get some organization in my life, not for organization's sake, but to help structure some other goals/dreams. I looked at Vidyala's beautiful portrait of Mataoka, and still think to myself, "Why am I not trying my hand at art again?" I researched how to get an avatar like Navi and all her friends have from SleepingFox, but commissions are closed. Why not try it myself? We'll see.
So, am I ready for the patch? No. Am I ready for anything? No. But the focus must shift a bit. I have been thinking about ways I may never be awesome in Azeroth, but ways I can be outside of it.
Summer's over, time to go: wish me well. I know you're all with me during the day, cheering me on.
I woke up this morning still tumbling a negative thought in my head, of whether or not to confront someone about a 'thing.' The reason this person did this thing, (and this is the second time), is because they don't know me. They made an assumption. Now I'm old enough to have been around this block once or twice: do people change? Or, by being honest with "how you made me feel" trope can you make them see your point of view? /shrug I don't know. I was thinking if it happens three times then I'll say something, but that is officially going into festering territory. What I do know about people are the things that are important to them do not translate into what's important to us. The problem is when I confront someone emotionally I tend to tear up. I can't do this, namely because this person tends toward bully territory, and will misconstrue tears as weakness, not anger. (Yes, this person is a female: gender makes no difference when it comes to bully acuity.)
Maybe I'll keep this image that Cynwise posted today, and just set the whole thing on mental fire:
"When you get to prison, if you've never been locked up before, there's this incredibly steep learning curve. First of all, you have to learn and understand all of the rules of the institution, all of the rules that are enforced by all of the guards and all of the wardens. Those include all the daily counts, when every single person within a unit is counted, and there's a host of rules, both reasonable and unreasonable. And what's confusing about that is that they're selectively enforced and frequently broken by the prison staff themselves.
"The other set of rules that you have to learn very, very quickly are the unofficial rules, and those are the rules that the community of women, the society of prisoners, set for themselves. That could be anything from not taking someone's habitual seat at the movie night — you don't want to sit in the wrong place because you'll be pretty quickly corrected on that — to not asking someone directly what their offense is, because that's considered very, very rude. You have to figure all of those things out. What you really have to figure out is where you fit in in the social ecology of the prison."
There are so many official and unofficial rules in Azeroth, it boggles the mind. The parallels between her insights in prison and WoW...well, maybe I'm reading too much into it. I would be interested to hear your conclusions, moreover, what "unofficial" rule has influenced your time in Azeroth the most, for better or worse?
Ceniza found a hidden entrance to a private park...
Three things:
1. Can't stop thinking about feminist posts.
2. Must rerain from listening to the news again.
3. Figure out a way to put humanity on ice for a bit.
Damn, I really hate saying "I told you so's." I do. Skeptical? I know you are, cause I seem to love it. The other day CD Rogue said he was taking a break from listening to political news, he had just got burnt out. Really? REALLY?! And all those times I said I just couldn't have one more conversation, one more debate, over national policy blunders, missteps, and misdirection, and you accused me of apathy? Now you want to shut down for a bit? Hmm... I said good day, sir!
But as Godmother said in her last post, [sic] "Hey, I have a blog! I can write what I want!"
Working backwards, let's start with ice block:
Humanity:
I am trying to recoup my boundaries. As Amy Shumer joked, she took her mother to a soccer game to show her what boundaries look like. I took a screenshot this past week from a run in LFR where a player, the tank, (so I presume that gave him some 'job security') yelled, in red, KICK THE N*****.
I said to the group, I don't run with racists, reported him (for all the good that does) and left.
Now-- I am not going to change wholesale racism. Nope. Free country, free speech and all that. Even the African-American community wrangles with this issue of racial slurs. But nothing is solely the problem of any one race, ethnicity, or nation: it is truly, all of our problem. And for those of us who want to just play, and we are penalized for this, it's frustrating to say the least.
What bothers me greatly is - and this is big-- why do I have to get the dungeon deserter debuff when I make a moral stand? I don't expect Blizzard to 'nanny state' its players. I reported him for language, and nothing will probably happen. I get that.
But why do the assholes win in this case? Why do they get to stay, use their time well, finish, and move on, when if I choose to leave it costs me time? I know life isn't fair, but there has got to be a way to "fix" this. A 'law to serve the people," not present more obstacles. Can't there be an option where I can "kick" myself and write a reason why? There is a mature language blocker, why can't there be a racist blocker?
But...here is where it gets dicey. I don't really want that. The rabbit-hole of unintended consequences is bottomless: let's propose Blizzard screens any text for key words, like the NSA, the U.K., China, etc. Someone types a derogatory term and some bot gets a bing or ping or something and some robotic action is taken. No, thank you.
Which leads me to this: Feminism.
Men and women, I totally, completely understand, and am on your side. I'm on my own side, so I get it. When I reposted this video on Facebook, the comments and anecdotes it received from many of my friends saddened me. One of my best buddies, who's a long-time Anime fan, wrote she recently went into a local comic book store and the proprietor told her he didn't have any "graphic novels for girls." She's thirty. I can't even begin to unpack all that's wrong with that asshat's statement.
This topic of fairness and gender equality is never far from my thoughts. When Apple Cider Mage posted "I Can't Quite Grasp This" about an aggressive image on a WoW card, it ensnared my thinking too. There is an interesting series of Youtube videos on the feminist frequency channel.
One thing that struck me for all the examples presented is most of the games seem...stupid. And I wish we could all say, "Oh, silly game designers, missing out on 50% market share!
We may never stop grappling with these issues of humanity.
May I suggest that we don't want to? We want freedom to explore our natures, our identities, and not be told to be generic, the same, the borg? In one way, it is more important perhaps to ask the "what if?" questions: What if we got rid of all potentially sexually-charged imagery? What if we made all fantasy characters the same? When solving a problem, it is important to offer the "Okay, this is wrong, but how about we do this instead?" In Apple Cider's post, she does - she shows an orc, a male, who's trapped by the vines. But what if someone enjoys a friendly game of vine-wrap? Safe word: hedgeclipper.
Spit it out, Matty: are you asking does this make it wrong for women to fantasize about either being rescued or doing the rescuing?
I'm not sure.
And now for the news...
This is the thing: we have so many examples of the pendulum swinging and then serving as an ax to chop off heads left in its wake. The newest conversation uses the term "breeders" and how young women are justifying their desire not to have children. I don't like the term "breeder," but it sounds hip and edgy I suppose. So while young women are making a stand on not having children, I am left with a few feelings: so women who do want children are somehow dumb breeders? What about women who want nothing more than to have a baby but can't, and are devastated by this?
Maybe it just comes down to this: we are all very busy about telling others what to do, or how to think. Like living with CD Rogue's righteous indignation buff, it spins me out sometimes. I am guilty of this, too. My apologies.
My questions only lead to more questions. Welcome to my brain.
In any case, no matter what, no matter where, I do fully support dialogue, exchanges of ideas, and opinions. I am so grateful to the blogging community for this.
Hooray for mash-up posts, where I can ramble about anything, everything, and nothing all at the same time!
Faster: Go, go, Ghostrider!
However, I promise some coherency: today's overarching theme is "fast" - I meant to take a screenshot of Kellda going fast with flames, the most wonderful of warlock glyphs, Glyph of Nightmare. The Nightmare should be more aptly named "Ghostrider Glyph" as it makes you feel all Nick-Cage whenever you're riding across water, as if leaking jet fuel behind you. I had forgotten I put this glyph in the other day, and was streaking across the murky, oily waters around the Isle of Thunder, when the flames erupted, as if by movie magic...
So I wasn't fast enough in my clickings, runnings, and doings. No screenshot today.
Note to self: can dogs sense when one is getting into the flow of something? I swear, like pot-sniffing drug dogs or dogs who can sniff out peanut allergens, my dog senses the second I am actually getting into the groove, and does his yip/squeak thing...argh! How can I train him to NOT DO THIS? Where is that mage to turn him into a cat?
Now, thinking about Kellda makes me think about her green fire quest line. A hearty congratulations to Tyledres for accomplishing this very difficult challenge. I have put this one on the back-green-fire-burner, so to speak, for now. Most players I speak with say it's one of the most challenging things they've ever done, and somehow I have managed to put two on my plate. I worked hard to gear her up, but she's still kind of scruffy in some spots. Well, I say I worked hard, but we all know that hard work does not necessarily equate to success in Azeroth, just like real life.
Harder: The Dragon and I
The other challenge for Mataoka is her "it's complicated" relationship with Wrathion. I have gotten good advice from my friend Turk, have tried to get a few more pieces of good healer gear (the Xuen challenge may be too difficult for my fat, old fingers and character movement) but alas, once again the RNGs have decided I must be patient and earn Valor for a new helm. Turk has been raiding on his shaman, and does have good gear, but moreover is a really, really good shaman.
Let me just get this on the table right now: I know these are supposed to be hard. I know they are meant to be challenging and make a player feel as if they've 'done' something. They should. No question. But heroes and champions do not come in one-size-fits-all. Consider Harry Potter: if he didn't have Hermione's smarts or Ron's unflappable energy, he could not have done it alone. As it stands, the advice I've gotten is to get buffs from the NPCs and use the Celestial Coin. I bring food and flasks, and just when it seems I've got it handled, Wrathion's health bar is damn near full, something happens and boom, done. Now, if this were the "real world" and Deathwing was beating up on his son, I'd call the authorities and other helpers to come and save him. But alas, I am alone. It is unrealistic of me to wish that Blizzard offered another option for the legendary: I do much better on written tests than oral exams. This is silly of me to even think it, I know.
Well...perhaps it's kind of a sourgrapes thing: if this is meant for players who don't raid, as kind of a "me too" thing, shouldn't it have been designed for players with 476-502 gear? Just in case there's not enough gear, rep, or lucky drops for a player whose time is spent, gee, I don't know, doing other things? I got SO excited when I read on WoW Insider this morning changes were coming to the questline, and then promptly deflated when I read it was just the frequency of drops for the admission tickets. I just...I guess...I hoped...I would just finish this before the 5.4 patch. I just, for once, FOR ONCE, wanted to do something current, something in real game-time.
It's not meant to be.
A little sad, yes.
And yes, I read the comments in Vidyala's post about folks completing it in LFR gear, and trying repeatedly, but at that point, to me it smacks me closer to besting Major Payne. Yes, this is a HUGE "Know Thy Class" quest: you'd better know your spells, buffs, all good things, all tricks, intimately and expertly: so yes, I'll be glad when it's done, but again, not sure how "accomplished" I'll feel. We'll see.
The first eight bosses in Siege of Orgrimmar have a chance to drop a Sigil of Power, Sigil of Wisdom, Secrets of the Empire, or Titan Runestone in addition to their normal loot for players on the appropriate step in the legendary questline.
Better: My baby, she wrote me a letter...
One thing that's kind of making me cloudy are the troubles with the US Post Office. I love real letters. Everyone does. But do I send them? No. I used to, but haven't lately. Shame on me. Better use it or lose it. Some of that excitement over getting a 'real' letter was supplanted by in-game letters. I have to thank Blizzard for unbinding these, so I can save some of my sweet, funny ones in banks. Heck, I've even seen some for sale on the Auction House...now why would anyone buy old mail? I don't know. Salacious secrets? Redacted national security plans? Who knows? In any case, I get my connection fix when I see little dots on ClustrMaps, in-game letters, and guild messages. But now with our faster technology, our more stealthy approaches, if folks check the site with cell phones, etc. I don't see dots anymore. I have to go on faith they check in with me; fortunately I have a lot of faith. I never expect comments, and am always humbled and grateful when folks stop by. So thanks. But like Charlie Brown waiting for his Valentine's, I'll keep checking my mail box. Some things don't get better when they're faster:
Craig Ferguson/Why Everything Sucks
Theme Song: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger/Daft Punk (being fast is just as annoying as this song)
