Guild update

Back in March of 2013, I told you all that I joined a new guild. Well, that experiment didn't last too long.  Nothing against the guild I joined.  They were all really nice. It just never really felt like "home".

I kinda wonder if any guild will feel like home again without all of my longtime (and retired from WoW) in game friends.

But I'm not ready to give up yet. Yesterday, I got an invite to a new guild. One that I am very hopeful will become my new home for Warlords. Only time will tell, but I am determined to find a new home and do some real raiding in Warlords. I just miss it too much.

Slacker? Yep, that's me

Long time no post, but I have been engorged on the Warlords beta.

The WoD beta has come and almost gone.

Have I gotten the things I set out to do in the beta done?  Yes and no.

If you remember from my last post, I set out to do two main things in the beta (other than finding and reporting bugs and whatnot).

1. To determine if leveling in a protection spec is realistically doable.
2. To experience all of the new 5-man goodness.

So, is it viable to level in a protection spec?  The reason I say viable is that it is possible (although sub-optimal) to do it now.  Shoot, it was possible to level in a protection spec as far back as BC.  I know, I did it.  But in Warlords, Blizzard promised that tank specs would do more damage, and therefore be viable specs for leveling.  So, did they succeed?

In short, yes.

Having tested leveling on my Prot Paladin and my Prot Warrior, I can say that you will definitely be able to quest in your protection spec. 

On to point two.

The reason I stuck to 5-man stuff mostly is because almost all of the raid testing in the beta happens in the middle of the day. You know, when the devs are at work so that they can monitor things. Makes sense.  The only problem with that is, I am also at work.

So, I did not get to do anywhere near as many 5-mans as I wanted to.  But I will say I learned one big thing.  The old prot paladin BC adage of "round 'em up and consecrate" will not work in Warlords.  At least until we over gear the content.  A lot of these trash mobs hit really hard.  And almost all of the packs have things that need to be interrupted.  There is a lot more thought that needs to go into doing a 5-man than we have seen since the early days of Cata.  Back then that was almost exclusively because of the heals going oom before the pull was over.  With Warlords, healing output will just not be able to keep up with the inflow of damage.

So as you venture forth into Warlords I have a couple of tips for you:

1. Use CC on trash (and don't let a DPSer call you a noob for doing it)
2. Take you time, and make sure not to pull more than one pack at a time
3. Watch out for patrolling mobs becoming adds (this has wiped me more than anything else in Warlords so far).

Basically, if you treat every dungeon trash pack like you did when running Heroic Shadow Labs back in BC, you should be fine.

Preposterous!

Two posts in one day?  Preposterous!

As I stated in my last blog post, I got my invitation to the Warlords beta today.  I kicked off the install before I left for work hoping that it would be ready for me to login as soon as I got home.

Now, as you might expect, I have gotten pretty much nothing done at work today.  I am a sad little man, what can I say?

So I have decided that I need to make a to-do list for my voyage back through the dark portal.

One, as is always the case with a new expansion, I will spend a little time just looking around and marveling at all the new stuff (environments, models, textures, etc . . .).

Two, I will start playing.

Now I have two things right now that I want to check out.  Blizz has told us that tanks will be able to quest in tank spec with tank gear.  I am really excited about this prospect, and want to get going to see how true that is.  Second, I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on new 5-man content.  New dungeons make me giddy.

For everyone else out there who got an invite, I'll see you on Draenor.

Warlords of Draenor, here I come!

It has been a long time since I posted anything here.

There are many reasons for that, but mostly it is because I have pretty much taken Mists off.

Don't get me wrong, I have kept my subscription going, and have faithfully logged in at least once a week for this entire expansion, but I haven't really DONE anything. I have been so, super casual, that I don't even consider myself as having really experienced the expansion. The only raiding I have done in Mists is LFR, and for anyone who knows, that is not "real" raiding. I know that sounds elitist, but that is not how I mean it at all. I just mean that LFR requires very little communication or team work. Those two things are essential to raiding.

Successful raiding anyway.

Well, this morning I woke up to a pleasant surprise.

Now I am stuck at work, and itching to get to Draenor.

It's been an eternity

It has been a long time since I posted anything here.

MoP has been a really good expansion, but without all of my friends and guildmates, I just haven't had the motivation to play more than once or twice a week.  I have left Empyreal Fray, and joined a longtime established guild on Eitrigg, We Know.  I have not raided with them yet, and as a matter of fact, haven't done any raiding at all beyond LFR.  That kinda makes me feel dirty (shudder).

That changes today.

Pandas!

Been a while since I posted anything here.  Probably because my guild and myself just sort of fell off the face of the earth for a few months waiting for MoP to drop.  We all found lives in other games, as well as out in the real world.  But now, I am back!

What do I think of Panda Land so far?  It is awesome!  The land is beautiful.  The natives are not as goofy as some people predicted.  The land feels like a living breathing world where people really live.

Another thing.  Blizzard are at the top of their game with the quests.  The questing experience is the most fun that I can remember.  I especially liked the "80's martial arts movie training montage" that goes along with one questline.  Just for a minute, it was as if my dwarf was Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport.  Such fun.

The Pandaren starting area is also fantastic!  I think Blizz got it just right.  Best starting area in the history of the game.

Blizzcon predictions

Another Blizzcon is upon us. The opening ceremony is only hours away. What do I think is going to happen?

1. Pandas......oh yeah, there will be Pandas.

2. A MASSIVE talent overhaul.