Catching Up

Big, big weekend for EoF.

Friday night, Cheesi and I had to run the Baby Tank to the hospital. Due to her hydrocephalus (common with spina bifida) she has a shunt that drains the excess cerebrospinal fluid from her skull to her abdominal cavity where it's reabsorbed into the body. We've been blessed so far, but shunts do malfunction and get infected.

So, anytime BT spikes a fever and we're not sure what's causing it, we have to go to the ER. They ruled out shunt problems, strep, and a urinary tract infection (common because she's catheterized) and sent us home assuming it was likely a simple virus. She's doing much, much better now.

While Cheesi and I sat in the hospital, Echo of Fate ran into OS and took down Sarth with 1 drake up. They then knocked out both bosses in VoA.

Saturday night, we flew through the Arachnid and Construct Quarters of Naxx. Sunday, we went back in and cleared Military and dropped Noth. Really, the only fight we had a problem with, aside from one wipe on Grobbulus due to a little miscue, was the Four Horsemen. We banged our heads up a against that one for a while until we could get the best strategy for our group and coordinate it properly. If my memory isn't failing me, I believe we one shot everything except those two fights.

We extended the raid lockout on Naxx to knock out the other four bosses this upcoming week. I really want to get to Sapphiron and start handing out EoE keys to as many people as possible so we can get that one off the progression chart and then start farming it without having to worry if we've got a keyed person online.

We have a number of people who are geared for at least Ulduar 10, so I think, as long as we stay diligent and keep up our momentum, we may just start to catch up to the rest of the field as far as the 10-mans go.

Hypothetical Number Crunching

Or: Proof that everyone and everything is out to get me.

Emblems needed for my new chestpiece.	:	58
Emblems I currently have.	:	44
Emblems I would have if I would have been able to complete UK last night but couldn't because of a storm-induced power outage.	:	47
Emblems I would have if I would have had enough time to complete UK with enough time left over for a quick Nexus, which didn’t happen because of a storm-induced power outage and some kind of battle.net clusterfudgery.	:	52
Emblems actually needed.	:	14
Emblems needed if, hypothetically, I didn't get screwed by technology, weather, and/or squirrels.	:	6

Positioning

Or: Uncle Mis's Guide to the Kama Sutra

Too creepy? Let me pull it back.

I'm actually going to talk about something that everyone in a group with a Warrior tank should know.

It's a very simple, yet true, statement: Warriors are not AoE tanks.

We're better at tanking more than one mob than we used to be...much better, in fact. We've been given a wonderful gift in the form of Shockwave. Thunderclap now hits everything in its range as opposed to a fixed number of mobs. All of it has made a big difference and we desperately needed the changes that have been made.

However, we still only have one "true" AoE damage ability: Good ol' Thunderclap. End of list.

Thunderclap affects mobs all over the place...in front of us, to the side, behind us, etc. It's an AoE attack in it's purest, circular form. Demoralizing Shout is a fantastic AoE debuff that we should be using, but (a) it does no damage and (b) it creates very little threat.

Shockwave is a frontal cone ability, not a pure AoE ability. In order for Shockwave to be effective, the mobs have to be positioned properly in front of the Warrior. Beyond that, if the tank is tab or click-targeting the group and throwing around Devastates, Shield Slams, and Cleaves, anything not positioned in front of the Warrior will not be affected.

For Warriors, that means we have to move around to get the pack that we've pulled directly in front of us. If it's a "standard" pull (3 or 4 mobs in a group, you Heroic Throw, they come running), you can usually T-Clap, Demo Shout, take a step back, and they'll be in the perfect position for a Shockwave. If it's not a standard pull, however (think when the 3 or 4-packs split up in VH and run down different ramps, then start blinking behind you during the fight), you're going to need to be moving to get them in the right place. T-Clap will get their attention, but they won't stick to you long if a Lock or a Mage starts going apecrap with AoE DPS.

For the rest of the group, this means that you really need to be paying attention to where your tank is and where the mobs are. For melee DPS, you may have to do a little running around while the tank gets situated. For caster DPS, especially those who plan on AoEing everything in sight, be aware that if, for some reason, a mob is behind or to the side of your Warrior tank, you will probably pull that mob.

Frankly, most of the deaths I've seen in Heroics recently have been on trash mobs, not bosses. If I do a poor job of positioning or my group doesn't give me a chance to position before AoEing, the mobs will likely take off in any number of different directions and start smacking around clothies.

Bottom line: Warriors do not AoE tank. We can hold more than one mob, but to be truly effective at it we, and our group, need to be aware of where the mobs are positioned in relation to the tank.

And Bronze Drakes For All

Counting the run last night, I've done Heroic Culling exactly three times. Wasn't a fan of Escape from Durnholde, not a fan of CoS.

Why am I not a fan of these glorified escort quests?

Because I'm the tank. Hear that, Thrall and Arthas? Quit facepulling everything, you n00bs. I'll lead, you try to keep up.

And Arthas, you self-righteous douche, quit saying "make haste" and then walking like we've got all freakin' day. We want a shot at a Drake and don't have time for your endless, nauseating pontification every time we step on a plagued roach.

There. I feel better.

Last night was my first time actively going for the Drake from the get-go. We succeeded in beating the timer, and Tatia (or Millea, or Koalabear) won the Bronze Drake, so big gratz to her.

I decided after the run that Echo of Fate would actively pursue getting everybody in the guild a Bronze Drake. As much as I hate that instance, I'd love to see everybody get the achievement and the mount. I'll tank it every night I'm online if I have to until everybody's got it.

Nothing wrong with hunting down a vanity item or two, right? They're a great group of people and they deserve it.

Meeting the Needs of Googlers

As many bloggers out there know, you can get some strange Google search terms and phrases that lead to your blog...especially WoW blogs, for some reason. Now, I haven't gotten anything weird along the lines of "Nude Draenei Female Hunters with Crystal Meth Addictions," but I've decided that if people are searching for something and my site comes up in the results, maybe I should be a good member of the community and help out.

So, as of right now the number one search phrase is: Where is Stratholme?

Stratholme is located in the northern portion of the Eastern Plaguelands...north of the region called Plaguewood. It's a big level 60-ish dungeon.

If you're looking for The Culling of Stratholme, however, that is a Caverns of Time instance in WotLK. There are several ways to get to CoT. First, you can simply go to Tanaris and walk right in (it's a big mountainous area with a cave towards the southeasternish area of the zone). There are also ports that will take you directly there from the World's End Tavern in Shattrah or from the Violet Citadel in Dalaran (up the stairs and to the left). Talk to the dragon in the mouth of the cave and take the ride down.

The current number two search phrase is: I Am An Arms Dealer

I apologize profusely to the fans of Fall Out Boy, a band from my home town, who were simply looking for song lyrics and landed on a post of mine. The name of the song is This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race from their album Infinity on High.

This may very well become a series as long as the searches don't get too strange...wait...maybe that would make it an even better series...hmm...

Stay tuned.

Why Cataclysm Matters

There will be a good deal of discussion...there already has been a good deal of discussion...about the finer points of Cataclysm: the implications of new class/race combinations, the lore surrounding the new races, the new guild leveling/achievement system, etc. All of these changes will be picked apart and either lauded or criticized ad nauseum on blogs, forums, and trade channels.

But let's step back and look at the big picture. What makes Cataclysm more than just additional content? What makes it an important step in the evolution of WoW...even the Warcraft brand itself? Why is this expansion pack important?

There are several reasons. I'd like to explore a few here.

Almost a Sequel

Cataclysm is the first expansion pack that almost feels like a sequel. We're essentially getting a new game from the bottom up, but, unlike a true sequel, we don't have to start from scratch. Not a bad deal.

What that offers World of Warcraft is replayability. My main is a Human Warrior named Misneach. If I decide to reroll another Human Warrior named Misneach on another server after the xpac drops, the leveling experience will be almost entirely different. People with multiple 80s can reroll a new character and not deal with the same old treadmill they've seen so many times before...new zones can be explored, new quests can be done, and the environment and landscape will not be the same as it once was from 1 to 85.

Lasting Implications

The continued use of phasing technology in Cataclysm will make what has become one of my favorite aspects of WotLK a common experience throughout the leveling process. Your actions will matter. If you help NPCs take a town for the good guys, that town stays with the good guys...it doesn't revert a couple of minutes later so someone else can do the same quest to get the same result while you stand there and watch.

Quests that utilized phasing made the trip to 80 far more interesting and satisfying than the trip to 70. If you can get that feeling from level 1 forward that will, in my opinion, make the entire leveling process much more enjoyable. It's hard to feel like a hero when the good you've done gets undone a few minutes later.

Major Lore Event

If Blizzard extends the Warcraft brand after the servers shut down, any future Warcraft titles will be impacted by the emergence of Deathwing and the resulting cataclysm. This is arguably the biggest thing that has happened to Azeroth in the five years WoW has been active.

When Cataclysm was the suspected name of the expansion, many people, including myself, assumed it would be centered around the cataclysm that resulted from the destruction of the Well of Eternity. We thought we'd have a couple of new zones to play in and end up fighting Azshara in the Maelstrom...essentially cleaning up the 10,000 year-old mess.

After all, adding new zones in expansion packs is expected, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, to change the existing areas so drastically is a bold move that will make us feel like we are a part of a major episode in the history of Azeroth. This won't be a Caverns of Time flashback, this will be something that happens now and will have current and future implications...and we get to see it and deal with the fallout.

Regardless of the whining about the small things that is bound to flood the internet until well after we've hit level 85, Cataclysm is a good thing. It's a major world event, bigger than any other, and we get to be a part of it.

I, for one, think that's pretty cool.

Not Exactly What I Had In Mind

In the midst of the Blizzcon Tweetfest, I, being an individual stuck in the office while everyone else was getting Cataclysm news first hand and Tweeting about it, added snarky comments into the mix to make myself feel relevant.

One such comment read as follows: I expect pics of hot gamer girls at #Blizzcon wearing "I wish Misneach was here" shirts. That is all.

A short time elapsed until Mortigan, an Undead Warlock Tweep of mine, posted this: http://twitpic.com/eqpvv - @AggroJunkie Hey, they DO have Misneach T-Shirts!

If you have no access to the Twitpic link, please to enjoy:

Well done, my friend. Well done. Photoshopping on the fly FTW!

Cheesi also noted that you are now her hero, so gratz on that as well.

The Impending Cataclysm

Well.

I'm locked up here at work...no stream, no access to the official WoW site...but the WoW Twitterati were awesome enough to keep the information flowing at a blistering pace.

And here it is.

It's a lot to take in. The old world is going to be physically changed. Several zones are going to be opened up that have been walled off since WoW began. Some old zones are going to be completely altered and some destroyed as Deathwing breaks loose and his Black Dragonflight begin laying siege to Azeroth. Also, we'll see the return of Ragnaros and, just so that it's not all entirely bad news for us heroes, Malfurion Stormrage.

Then there's the fundamental gameplay stuff. We'll be leveling to 85, but instead of expanding the talent trees, we'll be following the Path of the Titans. I don't have a lot of detail about that, but it seems we'll be adding passive traits rather than new abilities. There are two new playable races (no big shock there), Worgen (Alliance) and Goblins (Horde), with their own starting areas. There will also be changes in race/class combinations (Troll Druids, Nelf Mages, etc).

Aside: Gilneas as the starting area for the Worgen is actually quite fascinating for me...a kingdom walled up, quarantined, and trying to deal with their lycanthropic curse, rejoining the Alliance after all this time. Kind of a cool story, in my opinion. It'll be interesting diving into that when we get the chance.

And that's not all. We'll finally get to fly in Azeroth, we'll have water mounts that move as fast as flying mounts, and we'll get to see a whole crapload of phasing, which is a very cool aspect of WotLK that I'm glad they're going to be using in Cataclysm.

They're also introducing a guild leveling/advancement system and archaeology as the new secondary profession (I smell a Dwarf racial bonus there).

My take on it all? Extended lifespan.

Blizzard, by recreating the old world (which was becoming increasingly stale) has just added another year or two of WoW. Even for people who currently have six 80s, this new xpac will make leveling an entirely different experience...no matter what race you pick.

Also, we're talking about a complete overhaul of WoW as we know it. The face of Azeroth is literally changing, zone by zone by zone. The way the world looks now will only last until the new expansion comes out. That's really a pretty big deal. Not only are they changing the zones, but they're adding the phasing technology to those zones. If you think about it, that's a huge job.

Flight in Azeroth is another issue altogether. They've said in the past that allowing free flying in Azeroth (not the taxi service) would require a redesign, because several places (i.e. Stormwind) aren't the same on the inside as they appear to be on the outside.

The changes in Cataclysm will reach further than any patch or expansion we've seen so far. By making those changes, Blizzard has made sure that WoW is going to last that much longer. Just when we thought Arthas was about as big as it got and we'd be heading after Sargeras sooner rather than later, Blizzard turned Azeroth on its head and drove the story in an entirely different direction.

I, for one, am looking forward to the ride.

I Am Not Needy

A little clingy at times, maybe, but not necessarily Needy.

We didn't have enough people to raid last night, so we settled on some easy heroics for Emblems. First we hit Violet Hold, where I finally got to fight Moragg. So, after running VH 137,256 times, I got the achievement.

25 minutes or so. 3 easy Emblems. What's next?

Well, Briele and I both needed to log at about 11:30 server, and since we didn't start Violet Hold until a little later than we had hoped we decided to run a quick Nexus. That's become my favorite Emblem farming instance.

Fairly standard run. More easy emblems.

We did have an amusing moment during the Telestra fight due to unfortunate sheeping. Her favorite targets last night were Bri and me...which is a tad bit frustrating. During her first split phase, we lost a DPS. During the last one, we lost the other two DPS.

Still, with no one left but a Prot Warrior and a Holy Priestess, she died. Took a while, but she died.

I've fought Keri a bunch of times, and each time the Flame-Bathed Steel Girdle dropped there was a DPS plate-wearer in the group who needed it. Finally, since Eck's Pally already had it, I was able to Need on it and add it to my off-set.

And that's when I blew my load. Rolled a 100, got the Needy achievement, and ensured that all of my rolls in the near future will be single-digit.

Still, it was a very fun, productive evening.

This weekend I'm hoping to do some ToC farming for The Black Heart and any other tank stuff I can get my grubby hands on. I also want to grab as many Emblems as possible to make up for the time I lost this week.

Blizzcon and the Best of Intentions

I know a lot of bloggers out there are headed to Blizzcon. If any of my readers are going, have a drink or two for Uncle Mis.

Hopefully we'll have some really great announcements to blog about this weekend and some speculation will become anticipation. 

If you're going, have a great time.

~*~

I've had the best intentions to play this week. Our internet was down Saturday and Sunday thanks to the cowardly actions of an evil squirrel, but since then I've gotten home from work every night thinking I'd get to log in and do a ton of heroics, get a bunch of EoCs, and get a couple of gear upgrades.

Unfortunately, life has a wonderful tendency of getting in the way. We've had a new puppy since Saturday, an American Bulldog named Delilah (after the Bible character, not the horribly overplayed song). She, like any other young puppy, sucks up a good deal of energy and attention.

Also, yesterday was the kids' first day of school...Baby Tank included (She's three! I can't believe she's riding a bus to preschool). That means school supply shopping, figuring out first day outfits, calming down those who have the biggest changes (like our niece who just started high school where we live, which is a brand new town for her), and generally dealing with a higher level of insanity than normal...which is saying something because we have five girls in the house not including Cheesi or the dog.

It's been nuts.

Last night was my best shot to get online, but hormones were raging with the older ones and the excitement of the first day of school being over was still driving everyone to an energy level with which I simply could not keep up.

By 9:30 I could barely keep my eyes open. Had to call it a night.

The good news is, the leadership crew in our guild is very, very good. I've been in touch with several of them who have been online and things seem to be in working order. I can also still communicate to the guild as a whole using the website.

Feels good to know that real life can smack me around a bit and the guild will still be pushing forward. Wish I could say the same thing for my day job.

Mis out.

The First 2000

In honor of the fact that my tiny little corner of the internet has achieved 2,000 hits, I'm going to write a post simply stating that my little corner of the internet has achieved 2,000 hits.

...

......

What?

Seriously, though, I'm shocked at how many people read what I write here. I'm one of the smaller WoW blogs out there, and by smaller I mean really, really friggin' small. It's incredibly cool that, even though I have very little actual content in my posts, people still show up, read, and comment on my pointless ramblings and pathetic attempts at humor.

I have a blast running this blog, and as long as that's still the case, I will continue to do so.

Thanks so much for reading. It really means a lot.

For the Alliance! For the Horde! For Azeroth!

I Can Spot Me a Euphemism

My friends from across the pond, Tamarind (Sissy Robe) and Chastity (I, Deathtard), have decided to bring their individual brilliance together to form the most epic blog ever.

So, for the lazy (pointing at myself here), there's now a one-stop-shop for not only Tam's rants about crappy lore books, rhinos, etc but also the oh so subtle "Dickhead of the Week" series (a personal favorite of mine). That's two snarky blogs for the price of one. Can't beat that with a hardcover, half-read Rise of the Lich King.

Go. Read. Laugh....Again.

Glory and Retribution

It was a night of glory. A battle raged beneath Wyrmrest Temple as my comrades and I felled the mighty Sartharion as his lieutenants lay rotting on their perches above.

It was a night of glory. We battled throughout Utgarde and, from the Keep to the Pinnacle, distributed cruel justice to the Vrykul servants of the Lich King housed there.

It was a night of glory. After the ringing of swords and the shouts of battle faded from my ears, I, with my loving yet lethal wife by my side, slept a sleep made deeper by the drug of victory.

It was too deep, for the enemy struck unnoticed during our slumber.

For nearly two days, my shield was no longer a symbol to my brethren of my undying, vigilant protection.

For nearly two days, my wife's blades were prohibited from singing their silent song of swift mutilation.

For nearly two days, we were silenced by a vile beast spat from the far corners of the Twisting Nether. A foul demon from which the Legion itself would turn and tremble.

If ever I happen upon this hateful creature, it will know the unbridled, blind fury of the Warrior's berserkergang. I will extract brutal, bloody, yet righteous vengeance until, on a guttural whisper fueled by its final, rattled breath, it softly utters one word..."Misneach."

Of course, if the stupid squirrel electrocuted itself when it chewed on the cable at the top of the telephone pole, knocking out our internet and home phone until the Comcast guy could show up late Sunday afternoon, I suppose we can call it even.

One Week Down

It's been one week since we got the last signature for our charter and ventured off into the brave new world of Echo of Fate. So far, I couldn't be happier.

We're still working out details here and there...outlining policies, working on the guild bank, working on the website...but we're off to a great start.

I've decided to delegate as much authority as possible, primarily so I don't end up getting completely burned out a month in and give up on the whole thing. Cheesi is serving as banker, Millea (who posts here as Koalabear) is our raid coordinator, Willy (bro-in-law and former GM) is our recruitment officer, and we've nominated another guildie, Dily, to be the guild "quartermaster" since he has a 450 everything.

Tonight is OS. This weekend is Naxx. I can't wait to start killing some bosses and impaling their smoking corpses with the Echo of Fate banner. We've got a great, talented team and now that we have a new purpose I know we'll really make an impact on our server.

Our biggest need at this point is healers. We have guildies who've rolled healer alts, but the problem with that is if they're healing, we lose really great DPS. It's a complicated balance to maintain.

A Holy Paladin or two would be absolutely fantastic...just throwin' that out there...

But, anyway, life so far is good as a GM.

Honeymoon's not over yet.

A Real Titan

As a Bard class IRL I wanted to throw a quick post up here regarding the loss of one of the greats.

In a world where people think the Jonas Boneheads are geniuses this may go somewhat unnoticed, which is truly unfortunate, but Les Paul passed away.

Les Paul was a catalyst in the early development of solid-body electric guitars, and finally convinced Gibson to create one after Fender developed theirs. Appropriately, Gibson named the guitar the "Les Paul Standard." If you're not a guitarist and are wondering what one looks like, Slash usually plays one...along with guitarists all over the world.

Not only was he an incredibly influential guitarist, but he invented many of the recording techniques we take for granted today: overdubbing, delay effects, and multitrack recording.

Some people sit and bang on their guitars and try to learn to play scales as fast as they can. Some people transcend the mechanics of playing the instrument and go beyond the scales and modes to truly innovate in the most honest, pure sense of the word.

We've lost a real Titan...and yeah, he dropped loot. He's left behind tools that have forever changed the music industry and a legacy that will never be forgotten.

RIP Mr. Polsfuss.

It's Not Easy Being Cheesi

Even though she spends every day:

1. Dealing with mouthy, hormonal teenagers.
2. Cleaning up after people who don't quite understand that "in the vicinity of the garbage can" is not quite as good as "in the garbage can."
3. Running after the Baby Tank, who, like a good Warrior-in-training, charges all over the place shouting even though she's supposed to be "disabled" and "immobile."
4. Putting up with my moody, obsessive-compulsive, and self-destructive behavior (I call it the price of genius).

She still managed to hit the big 8-0.

Gratz, Babe.

Now poison up. We've got some crap to kill.

Starting From Scratch

Things are going nicely, so far, with the new guild. Hopefully the honeymoon doesn't end for a very, very long time.

As far as progression goes, I wanted to start from scratch and work our way up. This week, we're hitting OS, maybe VoA, and Naxx. I'm looking forward to the satisfaction of seeing EoF down the bosses and marking them off of our website's progression widget.

We have some very well-geared guildies, many who need nothing from Naxx or OS, so hopefully that will help move our progression along quicker considering we're getting a very late start.

We may never get to the point where we have the personnel for 25-mans, but for right now I'm happy just to plow through the 10-man content and see how far we can go.

When Possibility Becomes Probability

...it never really stops being possibility.

Huh?

Woah. Head rush.

OK, where was I?

According to WoW Insider, Worgen and Goblins are going to be the new races in the "Cataclysm" expansion.

This conversation already surfaced when the Hallow's End masks were discovered, but now we're a step closer to confirmation.

It makes sense, really. The Horde will finally get a small race comparable to the Gnomes, and the Alliance will finally get a "monster" race (valiant effort with the Draenei, Blizz, but you just made those Draenei chicks too hot...even with the horns, hooves, and tail...I'd still hit it...mmmmm).

But, before we go any further with the speculation, we should probably just wait until Blizzcon to see what TPTB have to say about it.

Actually, you know what? Screw that. Speculation is fun.

Speculate away!

Trial of a New Guild

When I decided that I wanted to pull the trigger and start this new guild, I knew that a couple of people expressed interest in coming with me. As it turns out, a very large number of former guildies have joined me, including my bro-in-law (Call of Fate's GM).

Ignoring all of our alts, we're a very lean, streamlined guild. Still need to get some depth in the roster, though, to avoid having to PuG and, eventually, get two raid teams running simultaneously each week.

It means a lot that so many people joined me in this crazy experiment. I told them all in /gchat last night and felt like such a mushy idiot, but I meant it.

~*~

Tried the new 5-man over the weekend for the first time. Ran it two times in a row: first on regular, then on heroic. Overall, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it...kind of a middle of the road feeling about it. I just wish there wasn't so much Light-forsaken talking. Can we just fight already?

Round 1: I've done so much jousting over the past couple of months that Round 1 wasn't too terribly bad on either reg or heroic. Had some issues with people getting to fresh horses after getting dismounted in heroic, but overall, not many hiccups.

The little "run out of the arena after the bosses are down and you get dismounted so they reset and are easier to pick up" trick is probably not going to work for long. I have a feeling Blizz will nerf it. Still, it makes the round easier and we'll get as much mileage out of it as possible.

Round 2(a): Eadric the Flashbulb...err...Pure. Come on, Blizz...not every fight absolutely has to have a gimmick. "Hey, let's make him get really bright so you have to turn around mid-fight!" Fire the guy who said that. Got Eadric on reg, fight was easy.

Round 2(b): Argent Confessor Paletress. Got this little tart on heroic. As a woman of the not-so-much-cloth, she should be stripped of her priestly robes...if she were wearing them, of course. This fight turned into "How many tricks does your party have to break fear." Other than that it wasn't that bad at all. I really want to fight my memory of Hogger, though...and soon.

Round 2 (addendum): I've seen both of these individuals in the AC tent on the tournament grounds. I've gone to Eadric countless times to pick up the dailies, and Paletress and I have played "confess your naughtiness" on occasion (she calls me "Uncle Mis," incidentally). Bottom line, I'm familiar with both of these NPCs.

So, please, explain to me how they're two feet taller when you fight them in the arena. I call doping. WTB drug test. There's some HGH floating around the Argent Crusade camp and I demand an asterisk by all of their titles because they earned them with the help of performance-enhancing drugs.

Round 3: This is, without a doubt, one of the toughest 5-man fights I've ever done. Our first go at the Black Knight on heroic had me, the final group member standing, die when the little prick was at 200 hp!!! Second go, we died in phase 2...not pretty. Third time was the charm, though.

Again, not my favorite instance, but it has its charm. I got two excellent upgrades...to my PvP set. No sweet tank love, but that's cool.

New guild, new instance, new drive, new purpose. Feels damn good.

Echo of Fate

Echo of Fate is now up and running with your very own Uncle Mis as the GM. If you're on Bloodhoof (US) and looking for a fun, family-oriented guild who has plans to see as much endgame content as possible, let us know.

Oh, and Number 4: Accomplished.

Gotta make a new list.

A Distant Thunder

Something's about to happen that will change the course of my WoW life, and maybe yours.

The announcement will be made soon.

Be prepared.

Big Epic Gun

A well-deserved tribute to a legendary member of the WoW community.

/salute

Keeping Up With the Mages

I mentioned to Nibuca on Twitter a couple of weeks ago that I wasn't a big fan of hanging around Dalaran because the stuck-up Kirin Tor Mages look at me like I'm typical Elwynn white trash.

Well, I've pushed myself to the limit trying to rise above that stereotype. I've not only worked my fingers to the bone as a Dwarven-trained Miner, but I've also learned the fine art of Engineering from our Gnomish allies.

And what do I have to show for all the backbreaking work and long nights studying?

With a little luck hunting down the schematic and Cheesi's assistance in acquiring the materials, I've got a butler.

Yeah...a butler. And he's frickin' rocket-powered.

There you go, Dalaran. Take your fancy floating city and stick it.

Lousy High Elves

So I spent some time with Cheesi picking out a new graphics card for her and installing it on her machine. We're now both rockin' 1080p. I can even see Mis's bald spot.

I logged in for about an hour last night. No lag issues, but I did have a queue to deal with. No biggie.

Bought the new Nelf mount that I'll never ride, learned the new Engineering schematics, and headed up to the AT grounds to see this fancy new Coliseum that I helped those lazy Goblins build by chopping down trees and blowing up blocks and such. The Goblins may not spend a lot of time celebrating your assistance, but they pay well.

I wandered about and picked up the dailies as well as the quest to go to the Black Knight's grave. I didn't do any of the dailies but considered at least continuing the saga of Misneach kicking the crap out of the Black Knight...until I saw that one person was doing the quest and there were about 5 people flying above the grave site waiting for their turn. To heck with that. He'll still be dead tomorrow.

And then I found the Silver Covenant Quartermaster. I've been exalted with these guys for a while and finally have somebody who's willing to offer me items of immeasurable power as a reward for my loyal and dedicated service.

So what do they have for me, a champion of the Silver Covenant? A weapon imbued with the arcane mastery of the High Elves? Armor to shield me from the magical attacks of the Scourge and the Cult of the Damned? A trinket sautéed in magicawesomesauce?

Nope. Some livestock and a tabard.

Seriously?

...

I suppose I can at least try to chuck the horse at Arthas or something.

Anyway, Ratshag posted a wonderful rant about the Call of the Crusade. Go. Read. Laugh.

Misneach out.

Apathy

Well, it's here. The long-awaited release of 3.2.

I couldn't care less.

I might try and log in tonight to poke around a bit. Can't imagine the servers will be stable enough to try anything too serious.

I suppose if I tried hard enough I could get excited about the Emblems of Conquest and the possibility for huge upgrades over what I currently have, but right now I have a bleh feeling about it.

I thought that maybe 3.2 would be the beginning of another WoW hiatus for me, but waking up today I realized that I'll keep pushing forward...running heroics for the new Emblems and working on getting as many upgrades as I can with the hope of seeing as much raid content as possible.

I'm still looking around for another MMO so I'm not spending all my computer time on WoW, or at the very least a new game to occupy some of my time so I'm not flying around Northrend for hours wondering what to do. I've considered giving Left 4 Dead a shot now that the price has dropped and there's a sequel on the horizon. My bro-in-law has been trying for ages to get me to play Call of Duty on the Wii with him. We'll see.

But anyway, 3.2 feels like filler content that wasn't entirely necessary. I'm not drooling over EoCs, but I certainly won't complain about getting them. There are a couple of other additions that seem kind of cool, but there just isn't anything that's got me wetting myself in excitement.

Happy Patch Day, everybody. Don't forget to update your addons.

Pre-Patch Blues

I've logged on several times in the past couple of days, but each time it feels like a chore.

There's just something about knowing that a patch is just around the corner that makes me not really interested at all in doing anything in-game. This patch, especially, makes a lot of things feel pointless (i.e. heroics).

I posted a week or two ago that WoW has not yet run its course in the grand scheme of things, but I'm wondering if it's run its course for me, personally.

I'm behind the raiding game...waaaaay behind the raiding game...and the prospect of a new patch with a new raid that I probably won't get to see is somewhat discouraging.

I've been poking around elsewhere, too, looking for a new MMO to play. I downloaded the trail for WAR but got remarkably annoyed at how long the patching was taking.

I don't know. Anybody got any ideas?