WoW Insider
The Daily Blues
Each day WoW.com will take you through all the blue posts and other Blizzard news from around the internet. From Ghostcrawler's latest posts to the lowdown on StarCraft II and Diablo III, we'll keep you informed.
Want fat purps from Ghost? Read on... if you dare.
Table of Contents
Want fat purps from Ghost? Read on... if you dare.
Table of Contents
Continue reading The Daily Blues
Filed under: The Daily Blues
The Daily Blues originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
The Daily Quest: Waiting for the Cataclysm
Here at WoW.com we're on a Daily Quest (which we try to do every day, honest) to bring you interesting, informative and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere. Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment and you may see it here tomorrow!
If you're playing World of Warcraft -- and reading WoW.com -- I can't imagine you aren't looking forward to the oncoming Cataclysm, at least a little. New zones, new levels, new content -- and that razor's edge of fear where you're caught between the worry they're going to nerf your favorite class to the ground (baby) and the hope that the expansion will offer everything your virtual heart desires. It should come as no surprise that Cataclysm is on a lot of bloggers' minds... even when Blizzard isn't releasing very much info. So for today, some musing on Cataclysm and what the future of the game might hold.
- Big Bear Butt wonders if our expectations are too high.
- Critical QQ is getting tired of being told about everything that will be fixed in Cataclysm.
- Dechion's Place discusses nine things he'd like to see in Cataclysm.
- Healer Envy ponders a plan for shaman tanking.
Filed under: The Daily Quest
The Daily Quest: Waiting for the Cataclysm originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Shifting Perspectives: Tree 1, Arthas 0
Every week, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting druids and those who group with them. This week, we save the world (of Warcraft).
Originally this week's article was going to concern stomping Karazhan from top-to-bottom as a feral/resto druid, and then I got Big Bad Wolf for the opera event. Suffice it to say that the stomping took an abrupt U-turn, and I never got pictures or video of the other Kara fights that I've successfully solo'd on dozens of other occasions (though I grant they were all occasions that did not include humiliating wipes to an overgrown dog). If I weren't in the middle of a time crunch it probably would've been doable, but regrettably I will have to run a feature on how to make 1,000 gold soloing Karazhan on a later date. In the meantime, Alaron's managed to solo Big Bad Wolf successfully, but my main is in the somewhat sticky situation of not being a night elf.
With the upcoming Icecrown raid buffs going all the way to 30% damage/healing/health/absorbs eventually, more and more raids are going to find their way to Arthas. Buffs aside, a lot of Arthas' difficulty lies in execution, and I started jotting down a few notes that I hope might be helpful to other druids likely to attempt the fight. We were fortunate to get both the 10- and 25-man version down, and I got astoundingly lucky on one 10-man attempt with back-to-back selections as a Harvest Soul target while I was running a video capture. I've seen a lot of comments online that caster druids aren't well-suited to dealing with this, and that's just not true at all.
Originally this week's article was going to concern stomping Karazhan from top-to-bottom as a feral/resto druid, and then I got Big Bad Wolf for the opera event. Suffice it to say that the stomping took an abrupt U-turn, and I never got pictures or video of the other Kara fights that I've successfully solo'd on dozens of other occasions (though I grant they were all occasions that did not include humiliating wipes to an overgrown dog). If I weren't in the middle of a time crunch it probably would've been doable, but regrettably I will have to run a feature on how to make 1,000 gold soloing Karazhan on a later date. In the meantime, Alaron's managed to solo Big Bad Wolf successfully, but my main is in the somewhat sticky situation of not being a night elf.
With the upcoming Icecrown raid buffs going all the way to 30% damage/healing/health/absorbs eventually, more and more raids are going to find their way to Arthas. Buffs aside, a lot of Arthas' difficulty lies in execution, and I started jotting down a few notes that I hope might be helpful to other druids likely to attempt the fight. We were fortunate to get both the 10- and 25-man version down, and I got astoundingly lucky on one 10-man attempt with back-to-back selections as a Harvest Soul target while I was running a video capture. I've seen a lot of comments online that caster druids aren't well-suited to dealing with this, and that's just not true at all.
Continue reading Shifting Perspectives: Tree 1, Arthas 0
Filed under: Druid, Analysis / Opinion, (Druid) Shifting Perspectives
Shifting Perspectives: Tree 1, Arthas 0 originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Blood Sport: Should racials be removed?
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women? Blood Sport investigates the entirety of all-things arena for gladiators and challengers alike. C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in WoW.com's arena column.
Listening Music: Fix You, the author's favorite Coldplay song. The best part of this performance, the "crowd run," happens 3 minutes into it. Watch it, if just for that.
Last Week: Last week, we discussed the racials of blood elves, undead, and trolls, oh my! The last two Blood Sport articles look at racial abilities from a perspective of effectiveness in the arena.
This Week: We'll be discussing racials, for the third (and last) week straight. A lot of arena players would rather play without racials entirely. On ArenaJunkies, there are lots of people who subscribe to a nerf movement every few weeks and add a little signature or avatar in to say "nerf Will of the Forsaken" or "nerf Every Man For Himself." What if racials got removed? Would WoW be better or worse because of it?
I have an opinion on it that I'm going to share with you -- hopefully you'll agree. So let's weigh some arguments for removing racials...
Cons (removing racials would be bad):
Identity
The forsaken just wouldn't be the same without those three translucent exclamation points. Before I played WoW, I saw a video of an orc using Blood Fury, and I was amazed. The animation looks so cool, and you can get it at level one! Every time I see a tauren shaman run to me, I instinctively jump behind a pillar. It'd be hard for me to get it out of my system that he can't War Stomp anymore.
Listening Music: Fix You, the author's favorite Coldplay song. The best part of this performance, the "crowd run," happens 3 minutes into it. Watch it, if just for that.
Last Week: Last week, we discussed the racials of blood elves, undead, and trolls, oh my! The last two Blood Sport articles look at racial abilities from a perspective of effectiveness in the arena.
This Week: We'll be discussing racials, for the third (and last) week straight. A lot of arena players would rather play without racials entirely. On ArenaJunkies, there are lots of people who subscribe to a nerf movement every few weeks and add a little signature or avatar in to say "nerf Will of the Forsaken" or "nerf Every Man For Himself." What if racials got removed? Would WoW be better or worse because of it?
I have an opinion on it that I'm going to share with you -- hopefully you'll agree. So let's weigh some arguments for removing racials...
Cons (removing racials would be bad):
Identity
The forsaken just wouldn't be the same without those three translucent exclamation points. Before I played WoW, I saw a video of an orc using Blood Fury, and I was amazed. The animation looks so cool, and you can get it at level one! Every time I see a tauren shaman run to me, I instinctively jump behind a pillar. It'd be hard for me to get it out of my system that he can't War Stomp anymore.
Continue reading Blood Sport: Should racials be removed?
Filed under: PvP, Blood Sport (Arena PvP)
Blood Sport: Should racials be removed? originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Totem Talk: Leveling as restoration
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how. Brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast.
Three years ago if you had mentioned to anyone you were going to level as a healing spec, they would have scoffed at you and called you ambitious or question your sanity. It was not a very common occurrence and if someone mentioned that was how they leveled, it was often asked how long it took. Two years ago it was slightly more common to see people leveling as a healing spec. With the amount of quests and gear available for each dungeon in Burning Crusade, healers were in hot demand to go forth with a heroic party and clear these zones out. Leveling was still slow going when compared to DPS, but you could do it. When Wrath of the Lich King came out things were a lot easier for healers than in previous content if they decided to level in their healing spec, but it was still slower than if you were a DPS spec. Instances still were healer friendly, but while questing there were several NPC that you just couldn't kill without being DPS. Now things have changed and it is easier than ever to level as a healer!
Three years ago if you had mentioned to anyone you were going to level as a healing spec, they would have scoffed at you and called you ambitious or question your sanity. It was not a very common occurrence and if someone mentioned that was how they leveled, it was often asked how long it took. Two years ago it was slightly more common to see people leveling as a healing spec. With the amount of quests and gear available for each dungeon in Burning Crusade, healers were in hot demand to go forth with a heroic party and clear these zones out. Leveling was still slow going when compared to DPS, but you could do it. When Wrath of the Lich King came out things were a lot easier for healers than in previous content if they decided to level in their healing spec, but it was still slower than if you were a DPS spec. Instances still were healer friendly, but while questing there were several NPC that you just couldn't kill without being DPS. Now things have changed and it is easier than ever to level as a healer!
Continue reading Totem Talk: Leveling as restoration
Filed under: Shaman, (Shaman) Totem Talk
Totem Talk: Leveling as restoration originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Big Crits, a new WoW reality series
At the end of the summer last year I had this crazy idea: to make a TV show about a raiding guild. I was inspired by the relationships and interactions in my current guild and how much they impacted me personally -- both good and bad. I fleshed out the idea over beers (many beers) with some friends. We talked about logistics, equipment, participation, but most importantly, the goal. I wanted the show to be about the people, to be about the interaction between the raiders. And I don't mean ninja-looting drama-mama QQing. I wanted to explore the things that go on in a group of people trying to work together online to accomplish something great. There's more to raiding than drama. Things like, as I'm fond of saying, "the soul crushing 1% wipes and the absolute exhilaration of taking down a new boss for the first time."
I worked on a pitch and reached out to friends & family in "the biz" but I spent most of my time trying to explain concepts such as a "raid" or a "boss" or that when I said "guild" I meant a group of MMO gamers and not an actor's or writer's union -- which made for some very confusing conversations at first. Frustrated, I wasn't sure I'd ever convince anyone this was an idea worth doing. But I knew it was.
Continue reading Big Crits, a new WoW reality series
Filed under: Guilds, News items
Big Crits, a new WoW reality series originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Updates and clarifications on the mastery system
We posted yesterday about some of the aspects of the mastery system, a new feature in Cataclysm that will allow players to obtain bonuses to whatever talent tree they choose to follow. Today Eyonix answered a few questions to clarify the system and how it will work with regards to specific classes and abilities:
- 1. 28/28/20 spec. Does mastery on gear affect both highest trees or give no benefit at all?
- 2. How are ferals and Dks as tanks working with mastery system in place? Are they to care about it for threat or do they have separate bonuses.
- 3. How are the non-pure classes going to be balanced against those with a full 76 point passive benefit? Balance, enhancement(not so much), shadow, feral, ele, resto, holy and Ret all have this issue.
- 4. Hybrids who use spells not improved by their spec on occasion such as heals or the extra lava burst are feeling that their non-specced spells are going to be extremely weak as compared to now.
Continue reading Updates and clarifications on the mastery system
Filed under: News items, Cataclysm
Updates and clarifications on the mastery system originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Lichborne: The rise of PvE frost DPS on the patch 3.3.3 PTR
Welcome to Lichborne, your weekly look at the world of the death knight.
With Patch 3.3.3 on the PTR and looking closer and closer to going live, the buzz around death knights is just about where you'd expect it to be, squarely on the frost talent tree. This is especially true of frost DPS. While it once reigned supreme as a cornerstone of the famous 39/32 builds, it's fallen out of favor, and even Threat of Thassarian hasn't been enough to keep it from being consigned to the status of third rate, a pariah from any raid that already has a shaman to provide Windfury.
Blizzard's obviously dedicated to getting the tree properly buffed in Patch 3.3.3, but have they succeeded? Let's take a look at the frost tree thus far, and what we may be doing with our own builds and talents in a few weeks' time.
Continue reading Lichborne: The rise of PvE frost DPS on the patch 3.3.3 PTR
Filed under: Death Knight, (Death Knight) Lichborne
Lichborne: The rise of PvE frost DPS on the patch 3.3.3 PTR originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
The Lawbringer: Euro-ver my head, contract law edition
Welcome to the Lawbringer, your weekly stop at the intersection of law and Warcraft. I am your crossing guard, trying desperately to not get run over myself.
First, I want to apologize for being a day late, but my week was spent preparing for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. Unfortunately, the test was channeling Illidian. If I get a letter in a few weeks saying that I'm not yet responsible enough to be a lawyer, I will not be surprised.
Anyway, on to this week's promised topic: European Contract Law. We'll be approaching the same topics we covered on my side of the pond: contract formation, contract termination, and unfairness. These concepts form the basis of players' relationship with Blizzard, just like they do in the US. Whether Blizzard has the right to publish information about your avatars, ban you from the game, delete your achievements, or force you to resolve disputes in a mediation are all affected by the laws of the country in which a player resides.
The first challenge in this column is that there traditionally has been no "European" contract law; these issues were decided at a national level through the home country's common or civil law system. Trans-nationalism being all the rage, however, the politicos of the European Union have formed the Commision on European Contract Law which has drafted Principles of European Contract Law. A Common Frame of Reference "toolbox" to help various European legislatures standardize the various laws of contract across the continent to match these Principles. What this means, though, is that this law is in a state of flux -- and I am not a barrister, abogada, rechtsanwalt, advokat, or avocat. Take everything in this column with a big grain of salt. And possibly a margarita to wash it down.
First, I want to apologize for being a day late, but my week was spent preparing for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. Unfortunately, the test was channeling Illidian. If I get a letter in a few weeks saying that I'm not yet responsible enough to be a lawyer, I will not be surprised.
Anyway, on to this week's promised topic: European Contract Law. We'll be approaching the same topics we covered on my side of the pond: contract formation, contract termination, and unfairness. These concepts form the basis of players' relationship with Blizzard, just like they do in the US. Whether Blizzard has the right to publish information about your avatars, ban you from the game, delete your achievements, or force you to resolve disputes in a mediation are all affected by the laws of the country in which a player resides.
The first challenge in this column is that there traditionally has been no "European" contract law; these issues were decided at a national level through the home country's common or civil law system. Trans-nationalism being all the rage, however, the politicos of the European Union have formed the Commision on European Contract Law which has drafted Principles of European Contract Law. A Common Frame of Reference "toolbox" to help various European legislatures standardize the various laws of contract across the continent to match these Principles. What this means, though, is that this law is in a state of flux -- and I am not a barrister, abogada, rechtsanwalt, advokat, or avocat. Take everything in this column with a big grain of salt. And possibly a margarita to wash it down.
Continue reading The Lawbringer: Euro-ver my head, contract law edition
Filed under: The Lawbringer
The Lawbringer: Euro-ver my head, contract law edition originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
15 Minutes of Fame: The Syndicate's 14 years of gaming
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft personalities of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, from the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.
The Syndicate first came to our attention a couple of weeks ago, when we noted the meta-guild's 14th anniversary in The Classifieds. Its 600+ members (across both World of Warcraft and Ultima Online) enjoy ties to all sorts of intriguing gaming and charitable projects: writing strategy guides, beta testing, games consulting, raising support for military troops through gaming. A visit to their web site yields pages and pages on the group's history and projects.
Considering such massive numbers inside such a sprawling organization, you might be tempted to conclude that these gamers must be very, very "hardcore." Not so fast. In fact, The Syndicate's in-game philosophy uplifts long-standing, person-to-person relationships and group fun above all else. Outside projects such as games consulting and strategy guides focus on material for the typical gamer - that's right, not the bleeding edge. We dug up what's going on inside this gargantuan guild in an interview with Dragons, its founding GM, president and CEO.
The Syndicate first came to our attention a couple of weeks ago, when we noted the meta-guild's 14th anniversary in The Classifieds. Its 600+ members (across both World of Warcraft and Ultima Online) enjoy ties to all sorts of intriguing gaming and charitable projects: writing strategy guides, beta testing, games consulting, raising support for military troops through gaming. A visit to their web site yields pages and pages on the group's history and projects.
Considering such massive numbers inside such a sprawling organization, you might be tempted to conclude that these gamers must be very, very "hardcore." Not so fast. In fact, The Syndicate's in-game philosophy uplifts long-standing, person-to-person relationships and group fun above all else. Outside projects such as games consulting and strategy guides focus on material for the typical gamer - that's right, not the bleeding edge. We dug up what's going on inside this gargantuan guild in an interview with Dragons, its founding GM, president and CEO.
Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: The Syndicate's 14 years of gaming
Filed under: Guilds, Interviews, 15 Minutes of Fame
15 Minutes of Fame: The Syndicate's 14 years of gaming originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Reader UI of the Week: Nirayá's UI
Each week WoW.com brings you a fresh look at reader submitted UIs. Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send your screenshots, along with info on what mods you're using, to readerui@wow.com.
This week on Reader UI of the Week, you, my adoring fanbase, get to indulge my minimalist side for one more week before I get to some quirky user interfaces. Nirayá of Proudmoore sent in this fantastic mage user interface that blew my mind, so I thought I would share. Sweet Baby Titans, is that ONE action bar? Let's find out.
Continue reading Reader UI of the Week: Nirayá's UI
Filed under: Add-Ons, Reader UI of the Week
Reader UI of the Week: Nirayá's UI originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Reader UI of the Week: Narayá's UI
Each week WoW.com brings you a fresh look at reader submitted UIs. Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send your screenshots, along with info on what mods you're using, to readerui@wow.com.
This week on Reader UI of the Week, you, my adoring fanbase, get to indulge my minimalist side for one more week before I get to some quirky user interfaces. Narayá of Proudmoore sent in this fantastic mage user interface that blew my mind, so I thought I would share. Sweet Baby Titans, is that ONE action bar? Let's find out.
Continue reading Reader UI of the Week: Narayá's UI
Filed under: Add-Ons, Reader UI of the Week
Reader UI of the Week: Narayá's UI originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
The Queue: Keeping it classy
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.
We haven't kicked off The Queue with reading music in awhile, so let's change that. Once upon a time I posted some Rhett and Link for you, an internet-based musical comedy duo, and people seemed to enjoy it. So here's more! Behold, the T-Shirt War. T-Shirt War was actually my second choice behind the far more hilarious Butt Drugs, but perhaps Butt Drugs aren't as safe for work. Still, funny stuff. Butt Drugs.
The Queue is actually a bit short today, since a majority of the questions we've been receiving require rolling bones and gazing into a crystal ball to answer. If you have a non-Cataclysm question for us, please ask in the comments below!
busuan asked...
"Why is there almost no sound effect for a warrior's shouts? In Diablo II, the similar shouts come with awesome sound effects. But in WoW, warrior shouts merely generate a visual cue. If Blizzard though effect were annoying to other people, they could have restricted the effects as self-only."
Continue reading The Queue: Keeping it classy
Filed under: The Queue
The Queue: Keeping it classy originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
MMO Roundup: Olympic medalists, Warhammer 40k, and more
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around, past, present and future. Check out this roundup of the latest news from the wider MMO world, including previews of Aion's patch 1.9 (as well as their 2.0 update), 10 reasons why you should be playing Lord of the Rings Online, the story of the EVE playing Olympic medalist, and much more.
10 reasons why LotRO is worth picking up over newer MMOs
With all of the more recent MMOs around, why should you try Lord of the Rings Online? Or how can you convince your friends to try a three year old MMO? Check out these ten reasons why the game is worth playing. Will farmers finally be the death of WoW?
Activision-Blizzard's annual 10k report, filed on March 1, is chock full of worrisome anecdotes about the future of their massively multiplayer behemoth as well as some interesting tidbits regarding payment models. Mobile games like iPhone apps and social networking games such as Farmville are cited as a potential risk for the company. Massively Speaking episode 91
Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week with episode 91 as Shawn Schuster and Rubi Bayer discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include Dungeons and Dragons Online's success with their new business model, LotRO's Vol III Book 1 update, the latest Guild Wars skill balance uproar and much more. EVE player wins silver medal at the Winter Olympics
It's not every day you run across an Olympic Medalist in your favourite MMO, much less gank them and take their stuff. For some EVE Online players, that opportunity may be closer than they think. With the conclusion of the recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, it came to light that one of the medal winners is not just an EVE player but also an avid PvP junkie. Casting off the stereotype of MMO gamers as unfit and demotivated, Kjetil Jansrud is a professional alpine skier at the peak of physical fitness.
10 reasons why LotRO is worth picking up over newer MMOs
With all of the more recent MMOs around, why should you try Lord of the Rings Online? Or how can you convince your friends to try a three year old MMO? Check out these ten reasons why the game is worth playing. Will farmers finally be the death of WoW?
Activision-Blizzard's annual 10k report, filed on March 1, is chock full of worrisome anecdotes about the future of their massively multiplayer behemoth as well as some interesting tidbits regarding payment models. Mobile games like iPhone apps and social networking games such as Farmville are cited as a potential risk for the company. Massively Speaking episode 91
Massively Speaking, Massively's MMO podcast, is back this week with episode 91 as Shawn Schuster and Rubi Bayer discuss the week's MMO news. Topics include Dungeons and Dragons Online's success with their new business model, LotRO's Vol III Book 1 update, the latest Guild Wars skill balance uproar and much more. EVE player wins silver medal at the Winter Olympics
It's not every day you run across an Olympic Medalist in your favourite MMO, much less gank them and take their stuff. For some EVE Online players, that opportunity may be closer than they think. With the conclusion of the recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, it came to light that one of the medal winners is not just an EVE player but also an avid PvP junkie. Casting off the stereotype of MMO gamers as unfit and demotivated, Kjetil Jansrud is a professional alpine skier at the peak of physical fitness.
Continue reading MMO Roundup: Olympic medalists, Warhammer 40k, and more
Filed under: MMO Roundup
MMO Roundup: Olympic medalists, Warhammer 40k, and more originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
WoW Moviewatch: Raid Eats 2: Cake!
Bullworth is now following up the hit machinima Raid Eats with Raid Eats 2: Cake! He's certainly tipping his hat to other games (and maybe the recent announcement about Portal 2) with his subject matter, as he assures his loyal viewers that the cake is absolutely not a lie.
I actually think the sequel is better than the original Raid Eats. The camera work and storyline seems to flow a little more naturally, and the voice acting feels like it's stepped up a notch. The video is short and fun, and pleasant to watch. It's certainly not high-end story based machinima, but Raid Eats 2: Cake! is a lot of fun.
I like the segmentation and pop-in work Bullworth is doing. He does a lot to add meta-commentary by dragging in recipes from the side of the viewing screen, and I appreciate that extra little emphasis it places on his plot.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
I actually think the sequel is better than the original Raid Eats. The camera work and storyline seems to flow a little more naturally, and the voice acting feels like it's stepped up a notch. The video is short and fun, and pleasant to watch. It's certainly not high-end story based machinima, but Raid Eats 2: Cake! is a lot of fun.
I like the segmentation and pop-in work Bullworth is doing. He does a lot to add meta-commentary by dragging in recipes from the side of the viewing screen, and I appreciate that extra little emphasis it places on his plot.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Filed under: WoW Moviewatch
WoW Moviewatch: Raid Eats 2: Cake! originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Categories: World of Warcraft
Ask a Faction Leader: Master Mathias Shaw
WoW.com's prestige in the community has afforded us the opportunity to speak with major Azerothian leadership figures on any subject, and we're letting you, the reader, Ask a Faction Leader!
We recently spoke to Sylvanas Windrunner, Banshee Queen of the forsaken, and she shed light on several key issues, including undieting, hunter training, building this city, and bouncing idly. In this installment of Ask a Faction Leader, we'll be sitting with Master Mathias Shaw, leader of Stormwind's SI:7, covert agents of the crown.
Our first reader question...
Hello Mathias,
Can you describe the feeling you got when you found out that you couldn't beat your granny?
Verenor, Warlock - Defias Brotherhood
Mathias responds:
Gahaha, that's what I like to see! Pullin' no punches, right from the get-go. Hard-hittin' questions.
Continue reading Ask a Faction Leader: Master Mathias Shaw
Filed under: RP, Ask a Faction Leader
Ask a Faction Leader: Master Mathias Shaw originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Around Azeroth: Dragons in the mist
Deadlylupine of <Face Rollers> on Balnazzar snapped this shot of her drake rising through the mist in Terokkar Forest. "I happened to be flying in lovely Terokkar, and my Nether Drake was just so overwhelmed with light, he had to have a celebratory roar," she wrote.
Do you have any unusual, beautiful or interesting World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!
Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, Val'kyr on mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran. Older screenshots can be found here.
Do you have any unusual, beautiful or interesting World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!
Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, Val'kyr on mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran. Older screenshots can be found here.
Gallery: Around Azeroth
Filed under: Around Azeroth
Around Azeroth: Dragons in the mist originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
WoW.com's Weekly Comic: Byron, the Tauren Rogue!
Welcome to another edition of the WoW.com Weekly Comic -- Byron the Tauren Rogue!
Our bovine hero has managed to make a getaway -- those poor cows are going to miss oggling that strapping young bull...oh well. Stormwind awaits its unexpected plundering!
Check out the full version right here, and tune in next Tuesday morning for a new page! You can also check out all the previous pages in the gallery below.
Our bovine hero has managed to make a getaway -- those poor cows are going to miss oggling that strapping young bull...oh well. Stormwind awaits its unexpected plundering!
Check out the full version right here, and tune in next Tuesday morning for a new page! You can also check out all the previous pages in the gallery below.
Gallery: Byron The Tauren Rogue
Filed under: WoW.com's Weekly Comic
WoW.com's Weekly Comic: Byron, the Tauren Rogue! originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Breakfast Topic: Favorite names
Our very own Gregg Reece is a new father, which got me thinking about names for babies. Some names are just plain awful, like my poor father-in-law named Hubert. Some names are passed down in families, with varying degrees of suitability -- naming my sister after our great-grandfather probably wouldn't have worked if he hadn't been named Hillary. There are names that leave you with pity for the poor kid saddled such bizarre parents that would inflict such names upon their kids: Kal-el Cage, Apple Paltrow. And then there are names which are just plain awesome: Magnus Magnussen, Harold Bluetooth, Rip Torn.
The Warcraft universe is full of names, some strange, some familiar. We have the parody names: Vana Grey, Xiggs Fuselighter (above), Linken. There are the homages to literature: Morgan Stern, the putative author of The Princess Bride, and Commander Falstaav, a joke on Shakespeare's Falstaff. There appear to be family names like Anduin. There are the cultural patterns that allow for easy guessing of an NPC's race -- who's the gnome? Bloodhoof or Mechatorque?
So what names from the World of Warcraft would you a) be proud to name your own children, or b) refuse to inflict upon an innocent child? Calia or Jaina wouldn't sound too far out of place in the real world, but I can't imagine meeting a Garrosh or Brann. (Especially, God forbid, a Brann Muffin.) Leave your thoughts! Warning: This is not a raffle to name Gregg's baby, as Lyssa Rhiannon has a name.
The Warcraft universe is full of names, some strange, some familiar. We have the parody names: Vana Grey, Xiggs Fuselighter (above), Linken. There are the homages to literature: Morgan Stern, the putative author of The Princess Bride, and Commander Falstaav, a joke on Shakespeare's Falstaff. There appear to be family names like Anduin. There are the cultural patterns that allow for easy guessing of an NPC's race -- who's the gnome? Bloodhoof or Mechatorque?
So what names from the World of Warcraft would you a) be proud to name your own children, or b) refuse to inflict upon an innocent child? Calia or Jaina wouldn't sound too far out of place in the real world, but I can't imagine meeting a Garrosh or Brann. (Especially, God forbid, a Brann Muffin.) Leave your thoughts! Warning: This is not a raffle to name Gregg's baby, as Lyssa Rhiannon has a name.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Breakfast Topic: Favorite names originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft
Tuesday Morning Post: Beginning of the end edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! I name this week's post not in a negative sense, but in a sense that it does seem like we've officially started winding down Wrath. Specifically, we recently saw the addition of the first edition of the Icecrown Citadel raid buff. It has started at 5%, but will eventually rise to 30%, allowing more and more people to power through the dungeon and see Arthas fall at their feet. It's the end of an era, but I feel the start of a much better one.
Of course, that's not to say we're completely out of Wrath yet. We have at least 2 more patches to go, and Patch 3.3.3 PTR news keeps rolling in, as does tons of other news. You'll have the usual maintenance break from WoW this morning, 5 AM to 11 AM pacific, so you have time to get caught up. As usual, here's our list of some of the major stuff from the past 7 days or so:
Of course, that's not to say we're completely out of Wrath yet. We have at least 2 more patches to go, and Patch 3.3.3 PTR news keeps rolling in, as does tons of other news. You'll have the usual maintenance break from WoW this morning, 5 AM to 11 AM pacific, so you have time to get caught up. As usual, here's our list of some of the major stuff from the past 7 days or so:
Continue reading Tuesday Morning Post: Beginning of the end edition
Filed under: Realm Status, News items
Tuesday Morning Post: Beginning of the end edition originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Categories: World of Warcraft