I had read about griefing players of the opposing faction by pulling mobs over to an existing fight, but had never had it happen to me before...that is until last night.
I was fighting Fel Orcs in Terrokar and had pulled 4 already when a Human Warrior flew by and started pulling additional mobs my way and flying off. He would then hover above me and laugh at me.
After a couple of mins it became obvious that I simply wasn't going to die and he took off, but I rather appreciated the assistance while he was there! Kept thinking to myself--thank you sir, may I have another?
Ah, the joys of being a Prot Pally!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thoughts on Horde vs Alliance in AB
I've played in AB on both Alliance and Horde side and there is definately a difference in the player attitudes and cooperation. Much more of a team feel to the Horde side, whereas the Alliance just insult each other. On occasion we get the 'omfg you people sux-l2p!' guy on a Horde team and he is either promptly ignored or told 'this is the Horde side, if you want to just insult people go back to Alliance'. My question is why?
I've given it some thought and have come up with an explanation that may fit at least for my experiences. I play Horde side primarily and I play late at night. My theory is that kids are more drawn to the Alliance side because they want to be 'the good guys'. So there are more kids playing Alliance than Horde. ( I base this primarily on the fact that both my boys play Alliance as do all of their friends for that very reason) Since I play late at night it is highly likely that my team on the Horde side is going to be composed primarily of adults from my time zone (eastern) as the kids are all in bed. Our opponents? The kids just getting home from soccer practice on the west coast and logging onto their Alliance toons for a little PvP action. By the time the west coast adults log in, it is early morning on the east coast. In fact I have noticed a difference when camping a BG for an entire night between 10 pm and 2am--the 2 am Alliance players are almost always better than the 10 pm's. So it is the east coast adults vs the west coast kids. Not so surprising that we win so often...anyone else notice this?
As an aside I also think that the Horde has a slight advantage due to the terrain. At lvl 39 my Druid in Travel form was always able to get to and cap the BS before any Alliance showed up. It is just easier for the Horde to get to BS from the starting gates. So the Horde generally will start with two unresisted caps whereas the Alliance only gets one. Getting to the Mine or the LM seems to be about even, but the BS is definately faster for the Horde. Small difference but it does play a part considering how important the BS is tactically.
I've given it some thought and have come up with an explanation that may fit at least for my experiences. I play Horde side primarily and I play late at night. My theory is that kids are more drawn to the Alliance side because they want to be 'the good guys'. So there are more kids playing Alliance than Horde. ( I base this primarily on the fact that both my boys play Alliance as do all of their friends for that very reason) Since I play late at night it is highly likely that my team on the Horde side is going to be composed primarily of adults from my time zone (eastern) as the kids are all in bed. Our opponents? The kids just getting home from soccer practice on the west coast and logging onto their Alliance toons for a little PvP action. By the time the west coast adults log in, it is early morning on the east coast. In fact I have noticed a difference when camping a BG for an entire night between 10 pm and 2am--the 2 am Alliance players are almost always better than the 10 pm's. So it is the east coast adults vs the west coast kids. Not so surprising that we win so often...anyone else notice this?
As an aside I also think that the Horde has a slight advantage due to the terrain. At lvl 39 my Druid in Travel form was always able to get to and cap the BS before any Alliance showed up. It is just easier for the Horde to get to BS from the starting gates. So the Horde generally will start with two unresisted caps whereas the Alliance only gets one. Getting to the Mine or the LM seems to be about even, but the BS is definately faster for the Horde. Small difference but it does play a part considering how important the BS is tactically.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Couple thoughts about Blizzcon
Two issues and two problems.
One, I can't stand the attitude Blizz seems to have about not putting much emphasis on classes or specs that are in the minority. They fail to realize that if they fixed the class/spec then the number of people playing it will increase. Thinking that fixing Tankadins is low priority because there are so few of them is bass ackwards. Fixing the offspec will increase the numbers of them and add more variety and options to the game which can only be a good thing. Thinking that putting Moonkin gear in is a waste because there are so few is the same kind of mistake. Hopefully the info coming out of Blizzcon is accurate and that they are addressing the offfspec itemization and viability issues.
Second, balancing the classes around arena is a problem of their own creation. When they introduced the Arena into an already fairly well balanced (yeah I know except for Warlocks) PvP system it upset the balance in ways they didn't anticipate. Paladins are now being punished because they just happened to seem tailor fit for Arena play. Why? Because the class concept is that of a 'support' class. They along with Shaman's were intended to be great support classes. What happens to be very effective in an Arena type environment? Yep--support! Especially support with a high degree of survivability.
So now Paladin PvE gets nerfed because they are too good at their intended role in Arenas. Many players seem surprised that the Devs are placing such an emphasis on balancing PvP since historically (so I'm told) the Devs did not care too much about PvP balance since 'it's not a PvP game'.
So what changed? Money! Yep, real life money. The winning team at this years Blizzcon 5v5 tournament walked away with 25K real money! Second IIRC was 15k and third 10k. That and the televised world championships of video games which also included cash prizes changes everything. PvP is no longer a fun diversion to give you a break from questing, or a way to grab some nice gear--it is a way to make money. The top teams at these tournaments are 'professional gamers' they have corporate sponsorships and get paid to play WoW Arena!
When money is on the line rather than just Honor and Marks or Points, it adds a whole new level of importance to balance. It has to be 'fair' like any other sporting contest when money is on the line.
If it was just bragging rights on the line it wouldn't be so important to the Devs.
One, I can't stand the attitude Blizz seems to have about not putting much emphasis on classes or specs that are in the minority. They fail to realize that if they fixed the class/spec then the number of people playing it will increase. Thinking that fixing Tankadins is low priority because there are so few of them is bass ackwards. Fixing the offspec will increase the numbers of them and add more variety and options to the game which can only be a good thing. Thinking that putting Moonkin gear in is a waste because there are so few is the same kind of mistake. Hopefully the info coming out of Blizzcon is accurate and that they are addressing the offfspec itemization and viability issues.
Second, balancing the classes around arena is a problem of their own creation. When they introduced the Arena into an already fairly well balanced (yeah I know except for Warlocks) PvP system it upset the balance in ways they didn't anticipate. Paladins are now being punished because they just happened to seem tailor fit for Arena play. Why? Because the class concept is that of a 'support' class. They along with Shaman's were intended to be great support classes. What happens to be very effective in an Arena type environment? Yep--support! Especially support with a high degree of survivability.
So now Paladin PvE gets nerfed because they are too good at their intended role in Arenas. Many players seem surprised that the Devs are placing such an emphasis on balancing PvP since historically (so I'm told) the Devs did not care too much about PvP balance since 'it's not a PvP game'.
So what changed? Money! Yep, real life money. The winning team at this years Blizzcon 5v5 tournament walked away with 25K real money! Second IIRC was 15k and third 10k. That and the televised world championships of video games which also included cash prizes changes everything. PvP is no longer a fun diversion to give you a break from questing, or a way to grab some nice gear--it is a way to make money. The top teams at these tournaments are 'professional gamers' they have corporate sponsorships and get paid to play WoW Arena!
When money is on the line rather than just Honor and Marks or Points, it adds a whole new level of importance to balance. It has to be 'fair' like any other sporting contest when money is on the line.
If it was just bragging rights on the line it wouldn't be so important to the Devs.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
More love coming for Jedi Wookies!
Q: Moonkin gear?A: There will be sets for Moonkin and Elemental Shamans in Zul'Aman. Also the help for the healers' dps will help the Moonkins.
From the Q&A at Blizzcon! The new instance coming soon to a patch near you will not only have a set for our beloved offspec the Jedi Wookie, but will also feature free +dam to healing gear! This will seriously help out the Moonkin itemization problems.
Respect for the Elemental Shammy's out there too!
Perhaps Blizz has realized that one reason that off specs are off specs is that the difficulty in properly gearing up is a barrier of entry. They have stated in the past that the offspecs get fewer drops because there are fewer of them--perhaps they have realized that if the gear starts dropping the offspecs will come out to play!
They also stated at Blizzcon that they did not want 'hybrid' to mean 'healer', which is good news for the offspecs out there who are tired of always being expected to heal.
From the Q&A at Blizzcon! The new instance coming soon to a patch near you will not only have a set for our beloved offspec the Jedi Wookie, but will also feature free +dam to healing gear! This will seriously help out the Moonkin itemization problems.
Respect for the Elemental Shammy's out there too!
Perhaps Blizz has realized that one reason that off specs are off specs is that the difficulty in properly gearing up is a barrier of entry. They have stated in the past that the offspecs get fewer drops because there are fewer of them--perhaps they have realized that if the gear starts dropping the offspecs will come out to play!
They also stated at Blizzcon that they did not want 'hybrid' to mean 'healer', which is good news for the offspecs out there who are tired of always being expected to heal.
Finally hit Moonkin!
Well the blessed event has finally occured! Moonkin I am, Yes? :) Having now gotten to lvl 43 as a "Jedi Wookie"(Tm), I have gone from really liking my Balance Druid to really, really, loving my Balance Druid!
Hitting 40 with my Prot Pally taught me that there is a serious jump in power at that transition. Same thing with my Jedi Wookie, only more so! At lvl 41 I solo'd a lvl 45 named elite Dragonkin--and this was after being told in guild chat that it wasn't doable. :) Granted it wasn't easy and I had to pull out all the stops but I did it.
Since then I have been taking on mobs up to 5 levels higher than me and doing just fine. Though the +5 mobs do force me to eat and drink after the fight.
Highlight for me though was when I grouped with a guildemates lvl 32 alt to help him level a bit. My Jedi Wookie was 42 at the time and he remarked that he had a 42 Feral Druid. After a few fights with the elite ogres north of Hillsbrad he remarked--"wow, I didn't realize how powerful the Moonkin was!"
Made my day! He said he might even respec and try it out. Golden!
Next stop is to start doing some instances and show off the power of the Jedi Wookie!
Hitting 40 with my Prot Pally taught me that there is a serious jump in power at that transition. Same thing with my Jedi Wookie, only more so! At lvl 41 I solo'd a lvl 45 named elite Dragonkin--and this was after being told in guild chat that it wasn't doable. :) Granted it wasn't easy and I had to pull out all the stops but I did it.
Since then I have been taking on mobs up to 5 levels higher than me and doing just fine. Though the +5 mobs do force me to eat and drink after the fight.
Highlight for me though was when I grouped with a guildemates lvl 32 alt to help him level a bit. My Jedi Wookie was 42 at the time and he remarked that he had a 42 Feral Druid. After a few fights with the elite ogres north of Hillsbrad he remarked--"wow, I didn't realize how powerful the Moonkin was!"
Made my day! He said he might even respec and try it out. Golden!
Next stop is to start doing some instances and show off the power of the Jedi Wookie!
Friday, July 20, 2007
My Offspecs!
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Ysera&n=Nidal
This is my Protection Pally. I started him out as Holy but switched to Prot around lvl 39 because I found out about AoE grinding. What a blast that is and it is a very fast way to level. The key is Holy Shield and Reckoning, once you are lvl 35 you have access to those two talents and away you go. I regularly grind 3-6 mobs at a time that are my level or one above. It is simply a blast to see mobs kill themselves on my shield (don't forget your shield spike!)
I also enjoy tanking with Nidal. Keeping my party members safe and getting a run done quickly and efficiently is very satisfying. Again I love the ability of a Prot Pally to grab 3-6 mobs and hold aggro on them while the rest of the party goes to town AoE style. Want to see happy Mages and 'Locks? Let them cut loose on a group of mobs and not have to worry about aggro=happy toons! Only a Prot Pally can frontload a ton of threat and then produce enough against multiple targets to allow Mages and 'Locks to unload with their AoE spells. Fastest instance clearing you will ever see.
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Ysera&n=Chimera
This is my alt Balance Druid. One more level till the coveted Moonkin form! Can't wait till I get my OP Moonkin Dance! I've really enjoyed the Druid and absolutely love being Balance. It is a refreshing change of pace from Nidal as the playstyle is completely different.
I've leveled him very quickly so far, in fact don't believe the people who tell you to level with Feral because it is faster. There is no reason to play a spec you don't want to play just because it may be a touch faster. If you want to play Moonkin end game then spec Balance from the beginning and stick with it, you'll level just fine and will gradually master the spec rather than trying to get used to it later.
I've been camping the 30's bracket for a little while and have to say my opponents have come to fear the Balance Druid! After a bit of a learning curve, I've settled into a gameplan that puts me solidly into the top 3 or 4 in damage output and healing in every game. I'm often number 2 in healing while maintaining number 4 in damage, compared to the top healer is usually at or near the bottom of the damage meters. All that and I usually cap the most flags as well! The versatility of the Druid in the battlegrounds is impressive so don't miss out.
This is my Protection Pally. I started him out as Holy but switched to Prot around lvl 39 because I found out about AoE grinding. What a blast that is and it is a very fast way to level. The key is Holy Shield and Reckoning, once you are lvl 35 you have access to those two talents and away you go. I regularly grind 3-6 mobs at a time that are my level or one above. It is simply a blast to see mobs kill themselves on my shield (don't forget your shield spike!)
I also enjoy tanking with Nidal. Keeping my party members safe and getting a run done quickly and efficiently is very satisfying. Again I love the ability of a Prot Pally to grab 3-6 mobs and hold aggro on them while the rest of the party goes to town AoE style. Want to see happy Mages and 'Locks? Let them cut loose on a group of mobs and not have to worry about aggro=happy toons! Only a Prot Pally can frontload a ton of threat and then produce enough against multiple targets to allow Mages and 'Locks to unload with their AoE spells. Fastest instance clearing you will ever see.
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Ysera&n=Chimera
This is my alt Balance Druid. One more level till the coveted Moonkin form! Can't wait till I get my OP Moonkin Dance! I've really enjoyed the Druid and absolutely love being Balance. It is a refreshing change of pace from Nidal as the playstyle is completely different.
I've leveled him very quickly so far, in fact don't believe the people who tell you to level with Feral because it is faster. There is no reason to play a spec you don't want to play just because it may be a touch faster. If you want to play Moonkin end game then spec Balance from the beginning and stick with it, you'll level just fine and will gradually master the spec rather than trying to get used to it later.
I've been camping the 30's bracket for a little while and have to say my opponents have come to fear the Balance Druid! After a bit of a learning curve, I've settled into a gameplan that puts me solidly into the top 3 or 4 in damage output and healing in every game. I'm often number 2 in healing while maintaining number 4 in damage, compared to the top healer is usually at or near the bottom of the damage meters. All that and I usually cap the most flags as well! The versatility of the Druid in the battlegrounds is impressive so don't miss out.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Offspec
Love us or hate us we are here to stay! I plan to use this blog as a sounding board for the cause of the Offspec. There are many Offspecs in WoW, which for clarity I'll define as a toon which is specialized in a tree that is considered by some (or most) to be 'underpowered' or 'not useful'.
For some reason, the general culture in WoW has developed an antagonistic attitude toward players who choose to play an Offspec. We are often treated rudely and in many cases are given derogatory nicknames which are then adopted as a label/definition of the Offspec.
This is of course unfair to the players of Offspecs, but not entirely unexpected considering human tendencies to categorize and then judge without thought. This is how predujices are born and how they are maintained. Not to mention expectation bias...but that is a topic for another day. :)
I myself play two Offspecs, a Protection Paladin named Nidal and a Balance Druid named Chimera. Both on the Ysera server and both in the awesome guild Anam Cara. I thoroughly enjoy playing both characters and plan on leveling both to 70...but more about the toons later.
For now let me just close with what will be the overriding theme here--Respect the Offspec!
For some reason, the general culture in WoW has developed an antagonistic attitude toward players who choose to play an Offspec. We are often treated rudely and in many cases are given derogatory nicknames which are then adopted as a label/definition of the Offspec.
This is of course unfair to the players of Offspecs, but not entirely unexpected considering human tendencies to categorize and then judge without thought. This is how predujices are born and how they are maintained. Not to mention expectation bias...but that is a topic for another day. :)
I myself play two Offspecs, a Protection Paladin named Nidal and a Balance Druid named Chimera. Both on the Ysera server and both in the awesome guild Anam Cara. I thoroughly enjoy playing both characters and plan on leveling both to 70...but more about the toons later.
For now let me just close with what will be the overriding theme here--Respect the Offspec!
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