Mr. Snerguls edited the content, and has now made it safe for public consumption:
We may not like the RNGs and how Blizzard structures things on occasion, but no one can accuse them of not using a wealth of literary allusions. Get out your SparkNotes, kids, or for us older folks, Cliff Notes.
It is a work that has stood the test of time, and those Blizzard writers are getting their money's worth out of those English majors, that's for sure. Which reminds me: this story on NPR the other day depressed and enlightened me: Why Women Choose Lower Paying Jobs. I have my own albatross to bear, and it's called Student Loans.
I can't find my black writer's journal. I searched for it yesterday afternoon in my stacks of things, and it's gone. I've had it for weeks, staring at me with the potential of my scribblings and notes, false starts and story seeds, and now...there are rumors of dishes, spoons, and fiddling cats perhaps pilfering it in the night, but unsubstantiated. This, among some other things, made me a little weepy yesterday. I have tried so hard this summer to organize things, set things right, and have something to show for my efforts, and yesterday, well yesterday felt like the Sunday night of this season. I hate Sunday nights. Sunday nights are the sniveling, broken-promise-of-was-going-to-bake-you-cookies-but-I-didn't of the days. That was my mood yesterday afternoon.
Perhaps it was brought on, in part, by my personal in-game promises, or goals (I mix the two concepts up):
1. Finish Wrathion's challenge
2. Finish the Green Fire quest
3. Adopt a Spirit Bear 4. Find an Unborn Valk'yr.
This would appear, if my data are correct, as a 25% success rate. Not great.
However, flying under the banner of "What I Can Control" guise, I can, and will, get to know this warlock better. Tome, too, has been playing with another specialty in her warlock repertoire. To better my own lock-skills, there are two warlocks I admire. In true professional journalistic integrity, I sought permission from Purpleice beforehand to show and discuss his elite warlock:
Some of his glyphs/talents surprised me, and yes, we must concede that he his an epic raider and has obtained wonderful gear. But he is a humble little gnome, head and shoulders above the rest, or at least hoof and ankles, and the human behind the lock is very funny and kind.
This one surprised me because I thought this was more for Demonology - now I am going to try it out for my Destro spec, too.
Oh, that's what that does!
Again, surprised. Demons just aren't for Demonology...
Intelligence
Hit - 15%
Haste
Mastery
then Crit for Destro
Okay. Simple enough. One thing that caught my eye was that Icy Veins highly recommend Elvui. I did like it, but....
....but....
Anyway. Tome and I share a love of learning, and trying new things. This post in no way, shape or form is to insinuate that I am an expert in warlockery - not even close. I just know that if I post it here it won't get lost, like some black writer's journal I know. Perhaps it ran off with my Grimoire of Awesomesauce. That seems to be missing, too.
Purse dump post trip: this is going to be one of "those" posts
(this did get cleaned up, by the way)
Levels....so many levels...
While I was busy cavorting with caverns, many in-depth bloggers weighed in on the leveling question. I'll get to that in a minute, but here is Bear's first one, and follow-up, and Tome's, and Matticus'. I thought the question may have been misplaced, or perhaps there is another consideration about leveling: it's not the pace, it's the "birth order" if you will. Each character has begun, or been deleted, changed, moved, etc. for unique reasons. So perhaps the better question is, "why did you start this character in the first place?"
Who are you?
Smoke and mirrors, baby...smoke and mirrors...
Matticus started a series of "Behind the Scenes" about bloggers he admires, sort of a 'who's who' behind the keyboard when the keys aren't being used to lightning bolt lightning bolt. This made me think of a few things, one is -- what the hell am I doing, and why does anyone even stop by this blog? No, don't get me wrong - I'm not challenging you to stay away, I love you guys. I'm sure Navi has long decided I'm TL:DR (I am) and I may have annoyed a few folks, too. I don't have any good advice on WoW, I don't know how to level pets, or find fish, or down heroic raid bosses, or heck, I don't even know how to function in a guild with more than three people! I am going to have to slash-and-burn my computer over the next week, and start all over again, wiping everything clean, my game mouse was handed over years ago to young leet druid, more often than not there is a stack of bills staring at me while I ignore them and stare at Azuremyst, and I'm not all that friendly. During our trip, my sister-in-law, who is an extremophile introvert, was shocked, and not in any way kidding, when I told her I needed to be by myself at times. She assumed, and blatantly told me, that she thought with my job, personality, etc. that I "feed" off of other people.
Um.
No. If anything, at times I'm the one who's scraping off the barnacles and swimming for that rock to hide under. That's how I give energy and time back, when I can recharge. Did she imagine my big personality standing in the center of the three-ring circus 24/7, just waiting for each new audience, never once taking a bathroom break or plucking my eyebrows? Guess not. Interesting: there have been many times this past year or two I've described my life as "fish bowl," floating poop and all.
This made me wonder about all the misconceptions between introverts/extroverts, but I'll ponder that another time. My brother-in-law brought up an interesting personality test, the DISC. He uses this to make necessary snap judgments. He immediately said I am a strong "D" - dominance and "I" - influence. Rarely am I conscientious about things (this is where CD Rogue and I differ, and yes, it does cause some friction, but the C's are vital to getting things done right; the "Ds" such as myself are vital to getting them done at all). The thing my bro-in-law said about "Ds" that really struck home was "they are comfortable with anger."
Damn.
Wonder how this applies to guild management? If a raid team has a house of "Ds" but needs some "Ss" - that would be an interesting guild recruitment ad:
"The Freudians" seeking talented raiders, IL 566+, experienced 12/12, only C (conscientious/compliance) players who follow rules and plan everything, RL is a "D" and will make all decisions, no "I" players wanted (no drama) and one shammy/druid healer "S" to keep things stable.
The thing is--I create most of my own obstacles. Pathologically I create things that seem like they're stopping me from doing whatever it is supposedly I proclaim is important to me. For example, CD Rogue and I had a disagreement over space: he has it, I don't. Well, I do, but it's more public, and I always have to "just ask" if I want privacy, quiet, or time to collect my thoughts, or even just play WoW has loudly as I want. He'll say, "You were just playing your game, so I didn't think blasting David Letterman from the next room was a big deal." And then when I tell him he never has to make that choice, I am the petty one, but he does emphasize that he'll do whatever I ask. I just don't want to have to ask, because asking leads to demanding, and demanding leads to bad publicity. So, up early in the morning am I, said in my Yoda voice. Where's Mrs. Yoda, I wonder? Did she take the tadpoles and move to Wisconsin to work as a university professor of early Tatooine literature? Point: I should just shut up and write, move, go to the library, whatever. Maybe Mrs. Yoda can meet me for tea.
What were you talking about?
So, back to the question: Do I think leveling is too easy?
Answer: Yes and no. The leveling is dependent upon the motivations for the game character.
Sometimes I use the Remote App for WoW. I say sometimes because it is damn distracting. Its greatest features are the screenshots it takes of characters, and the remote auction house. I can blindly post things to the AH without all that nagging, "I might need this someday" angst.
And I counted my characters:
Priests: 9
Shamans: 7
Warriors: 6
Warlocks: 5
Monks: 5
Hunters: 4
Mages: 4
Rogue: 3
Death Knights: 2
Druids: 2
and one paladin:
Luperci.
Luperci the Brave, the Beautiful, the Broken. I worked so very, very hard on her in Cataclysm. Tanking through every nerd-raging, angry, bored player, learning every nuance of every dungeon. Too afraid and intimidated to learn to tank through raids, somehow I never found the guild/group who was going to be patient with me while I learned. I remember making a mistake once and being told "YOU WIPED THE RAID!" but with the male tanks, the patience levels were much higher: "That's okay, try again, you do this, okay?" Forget the scantily-clad gear: the real sexism is far more subtle than size 40-DD breastplates. Somehow, knowing what I am doing when I am in charge of children, car repairs, bill paying, yard and house maintenance is fine, but God help me if I don't turn a boss the right way once. Suffice it to say, Lupe has been on the shelf this expansion. She is a lost soul. Of all the ways to level, raising a tank is probably the hardest. I would say that I don't have the time, but like eating right and exercise, if I really WANTED to find the time, I would for her. The only person who had patience with me was my friend Turk, and for that I want to thank him. He helped me get through the Zuls, and understand more of the intricacies of tanking, though he himself doesn't have a paladin - he does however know his stuff, and this game, very well.
I have always felt though, that it doesn't have to be "hard." At least not emotionally. I have wished for simulations of raids, etc. where I can get my hands on a character and test things out. Not training dummies, and not by watching other videos, but a proving ground of sorts. What? What did you say?! Maybe my wish came true?!
Identification, please
So who am I? Will a Matticus ever be interested in interviewing someone like me? Probably not, and that's a good thing. I get to spill my inner purse contents all over the floor on this blog, sort through it, and have some time to think. It's my Play-Doh. I wish I could offer more game advice, but alas, that is not my area of expertise. I am the Queen of Half-Done Projects and Wishful Thinking. Fact is, I love playing WoW, and I have a great life, real and imaginary. Welcome to my mushroom: take a tiny bite and enjoy the trip.*
*No, you dorks, I am not condoning drug use -- it's a metaphor. Postscript: I considered putting a picture of myself that CD Rogue took on our trip. But real photos are deceiving. Many of my friends and family on Facebook made fun of me, cause I'm wearing CD Rogue's hat that could be mistaken for a park ranger hat; my nose is its Scottish-German lumpiness, my eyes a little squinty, and I look kind of tough. My dad said I looked beautiful but with my inner determination. My husband thinks I'm beautiful (unless I'm asking for something), so I guess beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and situational. We can't control how others see us; we can barely manage our own inner mirrors. Theme song: Inspired by Arvash: Green Day/Basket Case
I can't even type yet. Well, I'm freezing. CD Rogue is part polar bear, and the Matty-shack is a friggin' igloo, but that's not the only reason. I wish I could write this tale like Navi does - swashbuckling, daring-doos and don'ts, and all kinds of Azerothian yumminess! Here's the short version:
1. If you have two accounts, and you're camping a pet on one, guess what? All your pets are locked up. This is why when you see Qiraji spawn repeatedly at 3:30AM Australian time and you can't engage it....yes. I did that.
2. If you know someone like Tome you have all you need. She will take you to her PvP server, defend your lame level 70 ass, engage in a spawn, forfeit, and pave the way to an amazing new pet!!!
3. If you know a lucky mage who sends good luck your way, you also have a buff.
Not only do I now have the title and the achievement, the luck and love, but a damn cool pet!! I think this pet is really fun - kind of like a 70-something Barbara Eden who can still rock the genie bra:
No way I'm getting that genie back in the bottle!
Tome: again, you have come to my rescue. I cannot thank you enough - but will try to find a way!
“Pussycat, what are you up to?” the priestess inquired.
Usually the snooty soot-black cat kept her own council. The cat never
complained, unless the hearth cooled or the back-door latch kept the night locked away, so the girl
made sure to keep her content, for the cat had the most disagreeable howl. But the cat did not answer her question, nor did she howl, so the girl ignored her.
Since the cat wasn't talking, the girl returned to the sewing and mending hours, but the cat
did not acquiesce. She persisted to be notorious. The girl saw her like a small shadow in the corner of her
eye.
Then the pussycat sauntered under the kitchen table.
The girl did not look up from her sewing until the kettle
whistled, and her foot crunched a cache of bones. The cat dashed under the larder, looking left, and right, as if to fool the mistress into thinking she was there the whole time. The girl picked up a small bone: it was freezing to the touch, and burned with cold.
The cat positioned herself just under skirts and the spoon to the honey jar, not subtle in her bid for attention and anonymity. A quick performance of an infinite figure eight through the girl's queer legs should suffice. The girl, to thaw her freezer-burned fingers, wrapped them around the warm tea cup. The pain become unfocused, as she saw a small pestilent mist roll from under the larder. Investigating, (and spilling tea) there were two diamond frozen hollow eyes, and she heard a small squelp. The cat, tail up, went behind the back leg of the larder and dragged the small, nearly dead dragon out, and lay it at the queer legs of the girl: a gift.
With a sweep of her tail, pussycat nonchalantly moved the pile of bones closer. This big stupid girl needed to be hit over the horns with mace and mallet before she would get the clue. She bent down and puzzled over one other odd component: some horse hair, silver and golden at once.
The source of these gifts... well, the girl knew better than to question.
Editor's Note: Tome helped me track down that Scourged Whelping today. Finally, right place right time. And well, more things than rare undead dragons showed up today. Happy to have friends back, and whelpings rescued from potential harm!
We are pleased to welcome Tome from Tome of the Ancient this Saturday. If you have any questions please make sure to send them in prior to showtime toinfo@twistednether.net or bring them to the chatroom live!
When is it?: This live show is scheduled for Saturday, May 12th at 8pm PT (11pm ET). Not sure what time that is for you? Use this handy-dandy time converter!
Where do I go? To participate on the live show, you will need to go to the TNB Live Show page to connect with the stream. See, totally easy. If you are having issues then go to the Ustream page. Don’t forget to register/login to UStream so you can chat with us!
Some general ground rules:
Be nice. If you say very inappropriate things be aware you will be kicked from the room. We are doing this to have a great time, come with a beer, come during a raid, come how you wish, just don’t come to cause trouble.
You may ask questions to the participants during the show, but we reserve the right to use them if and when we can. We will be monitoring the chat room and if we can we will use the comments during the show. We love that you are with us, but we will have to weave them in. Even if it isn’t asked, we all appreciate your questions!
Unfortunately, I have an important family obligation when it's live, but the saved podcast - sniffles, snorts, and all, my taciturn Tome!
Thursday, 10th of May 2012 at 06:19:21 AM