Matt over at World of Matticus had a great post the other day about explaining boss fights, especially in a PUG. Even in our raid group, lengthy explanations just cause players eyes to glass over, assuming that they even bother to stay at the keyboard. Our ADD brains can't process it, and many of us learn better by doing. Also, the DPS probably don't care about increased raid damage during a certain phase - but they probably do care about the need to kill an add.
These types of instructions are really valuable when you're bringing one new person on a run, and the rest of the team is chomping at the bit. This is one of the biggest reasons I love our 10m group - everyone learns together. There's nothing worse than learning a fight, and then the next week your have 5 people working on the LK who got the "you have discovered Icecrown" message when they zoned in.
This post is primarially for my buddy Minispherist, who is a casual gamer by choice. He doesn't have a lot of time to play, but he likes to be successful where he can. Feel free to use this list for your own boss fights - just give credit where credit is due.
Note: This is for the heroic encounter, for regular just tune it down a ton.
Blackrock Caverns
Rom'Ogg Bonecrusher - Avoid quake, kill chains then run away, kill adds.
Corla Herald of Twilight - Intercept beams till 70, fall off and repeat, don't get to 100. Interrupt boss.
Karsh Steelbender - Stand on inner ring. Kite boss through flame every 10 sec. High DPS, more stacks = more healing needed.
Beauty - CC Pups. Stay away from Runt. Avoid fire pools - fears.
Ascendant Lord Obsidius - Kite small adds, switch to possessed add. Cleanse.
Throne of the Tides
Lady Naz'jar - Avoid waterspouts and tornados. CC and control adds.
Commander Ulthok - Avoid the shadows. De-enrage. Heal through grab-and-throw.
Erunak Stonespeaker - P1 - avoid spikes, cleanse, interrupt, burn to 50%. P2 - don't DOT the MC, watch your casting, LOS the beams.
Ozumat - P1 - kill adds, avoid shadow. P2 - CC/Control kill adds, avoid shadow. P3 - target thing on wall and DPS hard (DPS race).
Tomorrow - Stonecore and Grim Batol - wrap up with Uldum on its own. Next week I'll try and cover the raid bosses in a by role fashion.
Showing posts with label raiding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raiding. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Addons and you - picking the right path
A few months ago I had a problem with my truck that took some diagnosing. I couldn't figure out exactly what was going on, but I lost the power-steering. It wasn't a belt, the pump, or fluid - something just wasn't working right. While I was troubleshooting it, I wound up losing the power-brakes as well. Again, not a problem with the lines or the master cylinder.
While I was troubleshooting all this, I still had to get to work, so I just drove it like it was. I grew up learning to drive an old farm truck that didn't have power steering or brakes, so it was kind of just like going home again. I had to anticipate turns and stops a little more for sure, and I certainly couldn't turn by just palming the wheel any more. I felt like this made me a better driver though, so I've kept with it like this.
I mean, let's face it. Power steering and power brakes really just make you lazy. You don't have to react as quickly, because the vehicle will do part of the work for you. This is even worse if you use the anti-collision/proximity warning devices that you find on some SUVs and minivans. Same thing can be said for the blind-spot mirrors I added onto my truck. If I can't merge in traffic without hitting someone with my trailer, I probably shouldn't be driving.
As a way to help other drivers around me, I've also disabled my blinkers and brake lights on my truck. Part of being a heads up driver is paying attention to what everyone around you is doing, and to anticipate their next move by watching their body language, your surroundings, and what their vehicle is doing. I guarantee when you don't use brake lights and turn signals, folks follow that two second rule and stay the heck out of your blind spot.
Of course I don't see everyone around me following this type of driving thought process, but maybe by being out there, I can influence others to follow my lead. When I get a ticket, I just chalk it up to me being a better driver than others, and this is the cross I have to bear in order to show others what they're missing.
Sound idiotic?
It really kind of is. While it's true I don't need any of those things to be a good driver, and folks probably would pay more attention if suddenly there were no brake lights or turn signals, they do make life easier and safer for others. While you can't draw a direct corrolation (simply because there's that added "law" factor) between this story and the one Codi told here, I think the abstract point should be pretty clear.
Tam and Chass over at Righteous Orbs already had their own spin on this type of nonsense, but I think it bears further investigation here. I certainly don't begrudge Codi her choice in running addon free - after all, play the way that makes you happy. Just don't expect me to be happy when your play-style impacts mine.
Are addons cheating?
First, let's knock this silly theory right out of the discussion. Addons are available for one reason, and one reason only - Blizzard intentionally opened up the gaming interface to allow them. They have specifically stated (on more than one occasion) that they WANT people to be using and writing addons. Anyone who has played the game for more than a few major patch cycles has seen addon after addon rolled into the base UI.
Remember Wardrobe-AI and the other gear swapping mods we used to have? Notice those pretty map shading areas in your quest log now? How about something as simple as a boss emote?
All of these things have been rolled into the base design of WoW. While you can certainly argue that they aren't as good as an independent addon, obviously someone at Blizzard recognized that these features were in such high demand that they should be part of the standard game package. Blizzard also recognizes that their tools aren't as good in all areas, which is why they opened up more of the code for threat - allowing tools like Omen to work more accurately. Guessed absorbs in Skada and Recount don't work just because they're well designed, they work because Blizzard recognized that their combat log wasn't getting it done - and that the need was out there.
They play the game for you
If this was true, every guild on the planet would have cleared H-ICC 25m in a PUG by now. Even AVR (which was broken by Blizzard) couldn't make your toon move out of the "Giant Big" in time. DBM can't fire your cooldown when you're about to eat an Soul Reaper, and Vuhdo/Grid can't cleanse your targets for you.
All these addons do is give you the information you need, in a way that you can most easily process it.
Let's go back to my truck examples above. Look at the dash/steering of a car that is 15 or 20 years old. What do you see? On the steering wheel you'll probably see a button for the horn, and that's about it. On the column you'll have your wipers, turn signals, cruise control, and maybe your hazard lights. Your dash has your environmental controls, your radio, and your various dials and warning lights.
Now look on a modern car, especially one that isn't a stripped down model. Environmental controls? On the wheel. Radio controls? On the wheel. Hazzard lights? Big button on the dash. Depending on the model you might even have a computer readout to tell you your tire pressure, radiator coolant levels, and how far you can expect to get on your current fuel level.
Do these things make you a better or a worse driver? It's hard to say really, because we have so many other things that can influance our driving. The thought behind them though, is that the more time you spend with your hands on the wheel and watching the road, the less time you'll spend fiddling with the radio and running into someone.
Of course if you're watching the in dash DVD player or playing Bejeweled while raiding - you're pretty much doomed to failure regardless.
My point
In the end, the addons and tools that are available are just that - tools. They can help you do your job better, and let you focus on more than one thing at a time. Just like a carpenter who uses power tools and a nail gun can build a great house (or a bad one), so too can the Amish guy who cuts everything by hand and drives every nail. Neither one is necessarily right or wrong, it's just a different style.
It's certainly smart to keep your skills honed to the point where you can perform without addons, but it's not the end of the world. I've had to heal with the standard frames before, and while I can do it, it's not much fun. Sure, it's important for me to know that someone has a curse or effect on them (like Mortal Strike) that I can't cleanse - just so I know they might need extra attention - but it's not something that should detract from what I'm doing.
It's also smart to check your addons before a raid starts. You know that on Tuesdays there is a greater than even money chance that something has been broken - especially when you download a new patch. Most addon developers have their respective tools updated within a few hours on patch day. Sometimes there's several releases in the span of a single day. It's your responsibility to keep up with that though.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go put the fuses back in my truck.
While I was troubleshooting all this, I still had to get to work, so I just drove it like it was. I grew up learning to drive an old farm truck that didn't have power steering or brakes, so it was kind of just like going home again. I had to anticipate turns and stops a little more for sure, and I certainly couldn't turn by just palming the wheel any more. I felt like this made me a better driver though, so I've kept with it like this.
I mean, let's face it. Power steering and power brakes really just make you lazy. You don't have to react as quickly, because the vehicle will do part of the work for you. This is even worse if you use the anti-collision/proximity warning devices that you find on some SUVs and minivans. Same thing can be said for the blind-spot mirrors I added onto my truck. If I can't merge in traffic without hitting someone with my trailer, I probably shouldn't be driving.
As a way to help other drivers around me, I've also disabled my blinkers and brake lights on my truck. Part of being a heads up driver is paying attention to what everyone around you is doing, and to anticipate their next move by watching their body language, your surroundings, and what their vehicle is doing. I guarantee when you don't use brake lights and turn signals, folks follow that two second rule and stay the heck out of your blind spot.
Of course I don't see everyone around me following this type of driving thought process, but maybe by being out there, I can influence others to follow my lead. When I get a ticket, I just chalk it up to me being a better driver than others, and this is the cross I have to bear in order to show others what they're missing.
Sound idiotic?
It really kind of is. While it's true I don't need any of those things to be a good driver, and folks probably would pay more attention if suddenly there were no brake lights or turn signals, they do make life easier and safer for others. While you can't draw a direct corrolation (simply because there's that added "law" factor) between this story and the one Codi told here, I think the abstract point should be pretty clear.
Tam and Chass over at Righteous Orbs already had their own spin on this type of nonsense, but I think it bears further investigation here. I certainly don't begrudge Codi her choice in running addon free - after all, play the way that makes you happy. Just don't expect me to be happy when your play-style impacts mine.
Are addons cheating?
First, let's knock this silly theory right out of the discussion. Addons are available for one reason, and one reason only - Blizzard intentionally opened up the gaming interface to allow them. They have specifically stated (on more than one occasion) that they WANT people to be using and writing addons. Anyone who has played the game for more than a few major patch cycles has seen addon after addon rolled into the base UI.
Remember Wardrobe-AI and the other gear swapping mods we used to have? Notice those pretty map shading areas in your quest log now? How about something as simple as a boss emote?
All of these things have been rolled into the base design of WoW. While you can certainly argue that they aren't as good as an independent addon, obviously someone at Blizzard recognized that these features were in such high demand that they should be part of the standard game package. Blizzard also recognizes that their tools aren't as good in all areas, which is why they opened up more of the code for threat - allowing tools like Omen to work more accurately. Guessed absorbs in Skada and Recount don't work just because they're well designed, they work because Blizzard recognized that their combat log wasn't getting it done - and that the need was out there.
They play the game for you
If this was true, every guild on the planet would have cleared H-ICC 25m in a PUG by now. Even AVR (which was
All these addons do is give you the information you need, in a way that you can most easily process it.
Let's go back to my truck examples above. Look at the dash/steering of a car that is 15 or 20 years old. What do you see? On the steering wheel you'll probably see a button for the horn, and that's about it. On the column you'll have your wipers, turn signals, cruise control, and maybe your hazard lights. Your dash has your environmental controls, your radio, and your various dials and warning lights.
Now look on a modern car, especially one that isn't a stripped down model. Environmental controls? On the wheel. Radio controls? On the wheel. Hazzard lights? Big button on the dash. Depending on the model you might even have a computer readout to tell you your tire pressure, radiator coolant levels, and how far you can expect to get on your current fuel level.
Do these things make you a better or a worse driver? It's hard to say really, because we have so many other things that can influance our driving. The thought behind them though, is that the more time you spend with your hands on the wheel and watching the road, the less time you'll spend fiddling with the radio and running into someone.
Of course if you're watching the in dash DVD player or playing Bejeweled while raiding - you're pretty much doomed to failure regardless.
My point
In the end, the addons and tools that are available are just that - tools. They can help you do your job better, and let you focus on more than one thing at a time. Just like a carpenter who uses power tools and a nail gun can build a great house (or a bad one), so too can the Amish guy who cuts everything by hand and drives every nail. Neither one is necessarily right or wrong, it's just a different style.
It's certainly smart to keep your skills honed to the point where you can perform without addons, but it's not the end of the world. I've had to heal with the standard frames before, and while I can do it, it's not much fun. Sure, it's important for me to know that someone has a curse or effect on them (like Mortal Strike) that I can't cleanse - just so I know they might need extra attention - but it's not something that should detract from what I'm doing.
It's also smart to check your addons before a raid starts. You know that on Tuesdays there is a greater than even money chance that something has been broken - especially when you download a new patch. Most addon developers have their respective tools updated within a few hours on patch day. Sometimes there's several releases in the span of a single day. It's your responsibility to keep up with that though.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go put the fuses back in my truck.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Ruby Sanctum Awesomeness
So I piled myself into a 10m RS PUG last night (the loot table bores me, but I wanted to see it once) and I immediately warmed up to the zone. The group I was in wasn't the sharpest bunch of tacks, but we killed the three mini bosses and had a bit of time on Halion. Here's my initial thoughts.
Trash
I love the trash. Just love it. Bunch them up and AoE for great justice. Then watch your tank get folded, your DPS die in a Blast Wave, and start flying back on your spectral griffon. No, these trash take a little coordination (pull one out, etc) and focused fire. Fire Aura is your friend here (shocker, I know).
Mini Boss #1
This is the Draconid standing on the left when you enter. I don't know what he does, but one of our tanks got folded like an origami swan that you just jammed into your pocket. I think there's some kind of switch that should go on here - even after he forms a copy of himself at 50%. Either way, a tank died inside of 1 GCD - so it was epic.
Mini Boss #2
This is a little drake sitting off to the right in the instance near some water. I'm fairly certain that the pool in Ulduar is still the only water in Northrend that extinguishes fire - so don't bother standing here. The drake uses the standard "Don't stand near someone with a mark" mechanic and puts a Conflag on them. Spreading out and staying away from the drake's face work well here.
Mini Boss #3
This is one of those squat looking draconids, similar to the trash you've been pulling. Using a cleave and an armor debuff, you have to swap tanks after every 20 or 30 seconds (after the adds die is a good time). Uses a stand in place fear to add a moment of danger, especially when the spriest uses fear ward on themselves and he decides to ignore the feared tank. Tip - don't back up through the smokey/fiery wall or you'll be out of LOS from your healers.
Halion
Halion uses the "Don't stand in fire", "Don't stand in circles of death", and "Don't eat lazors" mechanics. He also has the "Raid must work together to DPS both versions" mechanic. Halion also has a hit box that makes Onyxia's look like a pinhead. Ahune's hitbox may be slightly smaller, but just slightly. I'm fairly certain I saw Rhonin DPSing from Dalaran.
Short version of the fight is this.
100%-75% - DPS like you mean it. Don't stand in the fire, watch the tail whip/cleave, and cleanse off the fire debuff AFTER someone runs away from the raid. Honestly, letting it stack 2 or 3 times is better than cleansing this off in the middle of the raid.
75%-50% - Everyone but one tank and one healer into the portal. Large hit box here still, and the same mechanic for cleansing as Phase 1 (the difference being if you stand in/near it you will get pulled in to the center of it instead of pushed away). There are two orbs spinning around the outside of the room that will occasionally join with a beam that will one shot you - easily the deadliest part of the encounter.
49%-loot - Split your raid between the shadow and the corporeal, and just burn him down. You want your DPS to be as even as possible (so I've heard), and just avoid the same mechanics as above.
Uh - so why is this great again?
OK, maybe the encounter isn't all that and a bag of Lich King chips (BBQ flavored), but it is something new that will be a challenge for PUGs everywhere. I imagine by next week you won't be able to get into a regular RS 10m kill without a "5700GS + achiev or no invite", even though the fight isn't overly difficult. It certainly won't hold my attention for more than a few kills, and I'll probably never step foot in it again once I get a 10m or 25m kill. The gear just isn't that exciting for my Paladin.
The encounter certainly wouldn't be enough to keep me from canceling my account (if I was going to), and won't be enough to stave off the masses until Cataclsym's release in Oct/Nov. With the closed Beta opening up today, we'll probably see open Beta in August, and the release event coming in late September or early October - with a release to coincide with the weekend after Blizzcon (I'm guessing). Unless I misread Halion's shadow, we've still got 12 more weeks of winter ahead of us.
Trash
I love the trash. Just love it. Bunch them up and AoE for great justice. Then watch your tank get folded, your DPS die in a Blast Wave, and start flying back on your spectral griffon. No, these trash take a little coordination (pull one out, etc) and focused fire. Fire Aura is your friend here (shocker, I know).
Mini Boss #1
This is the Draconid standing on the left when you enter. I don't know what he does, but one of our tanks got folded like an origami swan that you just jammed into your pocket. I think there's some kind of switch that should go on here - even after he forms a copy of himself at 50%. Either way, a tank died inside of 1 GCD - so it was epic.
Mini Boss #2
This is a little drake sitting off to the right in the instance near some water. I'm fairly certain that the pool in Ulduar is still the only water in Northrend that extinguishes fire - so don't bother standing here. The drake uses the standard "Don't stand near someone with a mark" mechanic and puts a Conflag on them. Spreading out and staying away from the drake's face work well here.
Mini Boss #3
This is one of those squat looking draconids, similar to the trash you've been pulling. Using a cleave and an armor debuff, you have to swap tanks after every 20 or 30 seconds (after the adds die is a good time). Uses a stand in place fear to add a moment of danger, especially when the spriest uses fear ward on themselves and he decides to ignore the feared tank. Tip - don't back up through the smokey/fiery wall or you'll be out of LOS from your healers.
Halion
Halion uses the "Don't stand in fire", "Don't stand in circles of death", and "Don't eat lazors" mechanics. He also has the "Raid must work together to DPS both versions" mechanic. Halion also has a hit box that makes Onyxia's look like a pinhead. Ahune's hitbox may be slightly smaller, but just slightly. I'm fairly certain I saw Rhonin DPSing from Dalaran.
Short version of the fight is this.
100%-75% - DPS like you mean it. Don't stand in the fire, watch the tail whip/cleave, and cleanse off the fire debuff AFTER someone runs away from the raid. Honestly, letting it stack 2 or 3 times is better than cleansing this off in the middle of the raid.
75%-50% - Everyone but one tank and one healer into the portal. Large hit box here still, and the same mechanic for cleansing as Phase 1 (the difference being if you stand in/near it you will get pulled in to the center of it instead of pushed away). There are two orbs spinning around the outside of the room that will occasionally join with a beam that will one shot you - easily the deadliest part of the encounter.
49%-loot - Split your raid between the shadow and the corporeal, and just burn him down. You want your DPS to be as even as possible (so I've heard), and just avoid the same mechanics as above.
Uh - so why is this great again?
OK, maybe the encounter isn't all that and a bag of Lich King chips (BBQ flavored), but it is something new that will be a challenge for PUGs everywhere. I imagine by next week you won't be able to get into a regular RS 10m kill without a "5700GS + achiev or no invite", even though the fight isn't overly difficult. It certainly won't hold my attention for more than a few kills, and I'll probably never step foot in it again once I get a 10m or 25m kill. The gear just isn't that exciting for my Paladin.
The encounter certainly wouldn't be enough to keep me from canceling my account (if I was going to), and won't be enough to stave off the masses until Cataclsym's release in Oct/Nov. With the closed Beta opening up today, we'll probably see open Beta in August, and the release event coming in late September or early October - with a release to coincide with the weekend after Blizzcon (I'm guessing). Unless I misread Halion's shadow, we've still got 12 more weeks of winter ahead of us.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
News Flash - Tuesday's are bad mmkay
If you've played WoW for more than two weeks, you've probably noticed a disturbing trend (if you've been playing for less than two weeks and are reading this, you're probably my wife). The trend that I speak of is not a long queue time for DPS in randoms, the abundance of memorable idiocy, or the "random loot is random" comments from that one warlock who got the only DFO that's ever dropped for your guild.
No, the trend I speak of is the weekly maintenance on Tuesdays. Sometimes the maintenance is a rolling restart, sometimes it's four hours of downtime, and occasionally the downtime extends for twenty-four hours. It's not uncommon for maintenance to extend beyond the initial post time, though I'd be willing to bet that the number of times this actually occurs is fewer than the number we remember (kind of like the bad PUG runs stand out).
You ruined my Tuesday!
Bad news folks - Tuesday has been maintenance day since the release of WoW. It wasn't until later in the 2nd year when restarts even became viable, and even then Blizzard announced that they would be every other week at best. During the early days of Vanilla you could count on every Tuesday being 4-6 hours of downtime, and back then patches weren't publicly tested like they are now. Patch notes were released the day of the patch, and you'd often log on to find problems that you'd never known could exist.
With the PTR and patch notes now though, add-on developers and players can test their systems long before a patch goes live. Extended downtime still happens, but that's just a fact of life. Blizzard has gotten much better at communicating extended downtime, but really you should just expect it every week.
Strangely though, you still see upset players every Tuesday. These are the ones who act surprised that there's downtime at all, and expect a patch to be rolled out with less than 15 minutes of disruption. Raid leaders gnash their teeth as you idly try and run into a zone, getting kicked back for hours becuase the instance servers are down. Anyone remember the boat landing in the Hinterlands during the AQ gate opening?
So why bother?
I'm generally surprised when I see guilds that schedule raiding on Tuesdays. I can understand it if they are in the running for server/world first titles and kills, but this is less than 1% of the playerbase. For us mere mortals, is it really worth the hassle and headache? Sure, a month after a major patch has been out, Tuesdays will probably be fine for raiding - but during the initial push you're just asking for headaches. Instances will be down, addons will be broken, and half your raid will be playing the DC drinking game.
If you're more of a causual type guild, who only raids a few days a week, planning raids on Tuesday is just asking for your schedule to be broken. The same goes for players with limited time who are just looking to burn a few hours doing randomes/dalies/whatever. Tuesdays are likely to be bad days.
So, plan to do something else on Tuesday, and then be happy when things work as they should - instead of being upset when they don't. Also, when Cataclsym comes out, if you could just not log in for a while so I can level to 85 without incident, that would be great.
No, the trend I speak of is the weekly maintenance on Tuesdays. Sometimes the maintenance is a rolling restart, sometimes it's four hours of downtime, and occasionally the downtime extends for twenty-four hours. It's not uncommon for maintenance to extend beyond the initial post time, though I'd be willing to bet that the number of times this actually occurs is fewer than the number we remember (kind of like the bad PUG runs stand out).
You ruined my Tuesday!
Bad news folks - Tuesday has been maintenance day since the release of WoW. It wasn't until later in the 2nd year when restarts even became viable, and even then Blizzard announced that they would be every other week at best. During the early days of Vanilla you could count on every Tuesday being 4-6 hours of downtime, and back then patches weren't publicly tested like they are now. Patch notes were released the day of the patch, and you'd often log on to find problems that you'd never known could exist.
With the PTR and patch notes now though, add-on developers and players can test their systems long before a patch goes live. Extended downtime still happens, but that's just a fact of life. Blizzard has gotten much better at communicating extended downtime, but really you should just expect it every week.
Strangely though, you still see upset players every Tuesday. These are the ones who act surprised that there's downtime at all, and expect a patch to be rolled out with less than 15 minutes of disruption. Raid leaders gnash their teeth as you idly try and run into a zone, getting kicked back for hours becuase the instance servers are down. Anyone remember the boat landing in the Hinterlands during the AQ gate opening?
So why bother?
I'm generally surprised when I see guilds that schedule raiding on Tuesdays. I can understand it if they are in the running for server/world first titles and kills, but this is less than 1% of the playerbase. For us mere mortals, is it really worth the hassle and headache? Sure, a month after a major patch has been out, Tuesdays will probably be fine for raiding - but during the initial push you're just asking for headaches. Instances will be down, addons will be broken, and half your raid will be playing the DC drinking game.
If you're more of a causual type guild, who only raids a few days a week, planning raids on Tuesday is just asking for your schedule to be broken. The same goes for players with limited time who are just looking to burn a few hours doing randomes/dalies/whatever. Tuesdays are likely to be bad days.
So, plan to do something else on Tuesday, and then be happy when things work as they should - instead of being upset when they don't. Also, when Cataclsym comes out, if you could just not log in for a while so I can level to 85 without incident, that would be great.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Our last hurrah
Friday night will mark our last shots at H10m LK. It's not for a lack of want - it's for a lack of our core team. One guy just moved, so he's trying to get his house in order - out for two weeks. Another just got a new job - so in two weeks when our Shaman is back, we'll lose another pair of DPS, for at least two weeks. With all this, we're pretty much at the point where Friday night will represent our last best effort of downing H-LK10m together.
After this Friday I'll be looking actively again, though I don't know where I'll land. I may just hang up the raid hat entirely for the summer. There's plenty of guilds out there that are recruiting, so it's really just a question of what I want to do. If we pull off the H-LK kill Friday, then I'm absoloutely done with the regular raid scene. I'll finish up my ToC daily grind (yeah, I'm a year late, so what?), PUG a GDKP when I can, and just level my alt-farm between Mass Effect and SC2 sessions.
If we fall short though, I'll be on the hunt again.
What I'll be looking for
First goal would be a 10m guild that is seriously working on 9/12+ - any role will do. I would consider a 25m guild as well, but on a case by case basis.
Second, time - Three days a week is my absoloute limit. Preferably no more than 9 hours total.
Third, faction - I'd rather stay Horde, just so I don't have to server xfer and faction change. Plus I'm a damn sexy Belf if I do say so myself. Arcane Torrent is also pretty hot.
Finally, start time - I live in Alaska, so it's tough to find start times that work with my schedule.
I also have every intention of coming right back to where I am now once the expansion is immenent. Our 10m group will be reforming after the Cataclsym, and these guys are the reason I play. It would definately have to be the right 10m raid group to pull me away for the LK/Halion kill.
Of course, I'm hoping that this all becomes a moot point and we get the kill on Friday. Then I can settle in to a few months of alt-grinding and relaxation - finally having defeated the toughest boss in game, even if it is with a 20% buff/nerf. If not though, I'll still have accomplished most of my goals this expansion - not the least of which was staying away from burnout.
Don't worry - I'll still be blogging. There's plenty of articles to write and content to witness. Ruby Sanctum will be here shortly, and we'll have the expansion event coming as well. Who knows, I might even get in the Beta.
Wrap-up
If you're in a 10m guild looking for a Paladin (spec is unimportant - can can and do play all three), and working on 9+HMs (preferably 11/12, but hey), plus don't raid more than 9 hours a week - drop me a line. I'll post our success or failure tomorrow night, which will dictate where I'm heading afterwards.
After this Friday I'll be looking actively again, though I don't know where I'll land. I may just hang up the raid hat entirely for the summer. There's plenty of guilds out there that are recruiting, so it's really just a question of what I want to do. If we pull off the H-LK kill Friday, then I'm absoloutely done with the regular raid scene. I'll finish up my ToC daily grind (yeah, I'm a year late, so what?), PUG a GDKP when I can, and just level my alt-farm between Mass Effect and SC2 sessions.
If we fall short though, I'll be on the hunt again.
What I'll be looking for
First goal would be a 10m guild that is seriously working on 9/12+ - any role will do. I would consider a 25m guild as well, but on a case by case basis.
Second, time - Three days a week is my absoloute limit. Preferably no more than 9 hours total.
Third, faction - I'd rather stay Horde, just so I don't have to server xfer and faction change. Plus I'm a damn sexy Belf if I do say so myself. Arcane Torrent is also pretty hot.
Finally, start time - I live in Alaska, so it's tough to find start times that work with my schedule.
I also have every intention of coming right back to where I am now once the expansion is immenent. Our 10m group will be reforming after the Cataclsym, and these guys are the reason I play. It would definately have to be the right 10m raid group to pull me away for the LK/Halion kill.
Of course, I'm hoping that this all becomes a moot point and we get the kill on Friday. Then I can settle in to a few months of alt-grinding and relaxation - finally having defeated the toughest boss in game, even if it is with a 20% buff/nerf. If not though, I'll still have accomplished most of my goals this expansion - not the least of which was staying away from burnout.
Don't worry - I'll still be blogging. There's plenty of articles to write and content to witness. Ruby Sanctum will be here shortly, and we'll have the expansion event coming as well. Who knows, I might even get in the Beta.
Wrap-up
If you're in a 10m guild looking for a Paladin (spec is unimportant - can can and do play all three), and working on 9+HMs (preferably 11/12, but hey), plus don't raid more than 9 hours a week - drop me a line. I'll post our success or failure tomorrow night, which will dictate where I'm heading afterwards.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Cancelled features were never yours to begin with
Ladies and gentlemen, I have some tragic news for you. Anything proposed, promised, or otherwise hinted at in a video game - that hasn't even been released yet - shouldn't be counted on at all. I'm amazed by the level of complaining and moaning I've read during the last 48 hours regarding changes to Cataclysm. From the mildly annoyed to the full on pissed rant - all I can feel is a sort of numb disgust towards those posters.
I'm personally happy to see that the Alpha/Beta process is actually working as intended. To test features and portions of the game that are currently still in development. This is why I generally don't play Beta releases - I want the finished product. Give me something polished and (mostly) functional. I'm sure we all remember the state of the DK in Wrath Beta, or the first few weeks of Retadin Gods after BC. Imagine implementing an entirely new profession, which provided more than a bandage that will hit you for 1/8th of your HP in end-game gear. Think a raid guild wouldn't require maxed Archeology, just to prove you can grind out something painful?
Cataclysm is still being worked on - let's give them time to flesh it out. Hell, I still have hopes for Paladin gear to be optimized the way "we" think it should be.
I'm personally happy to see that the Alpha/Beta process is actually working as intended. To test features and portions of the game that are currently still in development. This is why I generally don't play Beta releases - I want the finished product. Give me something polished and (mostly) functional. I'm sure we all remember the state of the DK in Wrath Beta, or the first few weeks of Retadin Gods after BC. Imagine implementing an entirely new profession, which provided more than a bandage that will hit you for 1/8th of your HP in end-game gear. Think a raid guild wouldn't require maxed Archeology, just to prove you can grind out something painful?
Cataclysm is still being worked on - let's give them time to flesh it out. Hell, I still have hopes for Paladin gear to be optimized the way "we" think it should be.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Account security is your problem - not mine
Spend five minutes cruising the official forums, or the blogsphere, and you'll stumble across someone who was recently hacked or had their account compromised. Even if you don't want to look for it, the posts are out there. Just like cancer, everyone knows someone who has been (or has been themselves), hacked.
While I haven't had it happen to me, I can only imagine what it must feel like. It's a violation of your personal space, and even though nothing physical has been touched, I think we can all assume that the products of WoW are very real indeed. Not only does the attack affect you though, it has reaching impact on your guild mates (you can't raid till you get your gear back), your guild bank (no more repairs /sadface), and your overall feeling about the game.
A recent experience
During my stint in a 25m guild recently, one of our priests was hacked and had a couple of his toons deleted (as well as his stuff stripped). This simple act sparked a couple of things. First, we had to take someone who was wholly unprepared to the raids. It's bad enough that between RL issues, moves, end of expansion blues, and bad raiders who can't stand being called bad - we're short on players - but now we had to bring in someone from the bench.
Second, the guild management (who really shouldn't have been leading a raid guild in the first place) freaked out and implemented one of the most idiotic policies I've ever seen. Not only was it impractical, the implementation and attempt at enforcement was ludicrous. They wanted to enforce, and require, that everyone have an authenticator. /facepalm
Now don't get me wrong, I think that anyone who's still playing without one is just asking for trouble. I think they're free if you have an iPhone or a Droid, and cost about $6 if you get the key chain version. Between the ashtray in the car and the couch cushions, most of us have that already.
Requiring everyone to have an authenticator though? Insane. We set ranks in after one of our members got hacked, because everyone had full gbank access. Once we set the permissions though, it wasn't a big deal.
What these guys tried to do though was require a Screenshot of the applicant standing there with their perky pug targeted to show they had an authenticator. While this sounds good on paper, you wouldn't believe the number of applications that come in without a screenshot. Or someone linking to their local C:\.
It's not my problem
Get an authenticator or don't - it's your choice. Don't complain when you get hacked if you don't have one though, and don't expect your raid spot to be waiting for you on your return. If you don't care enough to get basic protection, you're probably the same type of person who thinks a Flask of the North is acceptable for progression raiding.
Oh, and learn how to post a bloody screenshot while you're at it.
While I haven't had it happen to me, I can only imagine what it must feel like. It's a violation of your personal space, and even though nothing physical has been touched, I think we can all assume that the products of WoW are very real indeed. Not only does the attack affect you though, it has reaching impact on your guild mates (you can't raid till you get your gear back), your guild bank (no more repairs /sadface), and your overall feeling about the game.
A recent experience
During my stint in a 25m guild recently, one of our priests was hacked and had a couple of his toons deleted (as well as his stuff stripped). This simple act sparked a couple of things. First, we had to take someone who was wholly unprepared to the raids. It's bad enough that between RL issues, moves, end of expansion blues, and bad raiders who can't stand being called bad - we're short on players - but now we had to bring in someone from the bench.
Second, the guild management (who really shouldn't have been leading a raid guild in the first place) freaked out and implemented one of the most idiotic policies I've ever seen. Not only was it impractical, the implementation and attempt at enforcement was ludicrous. They wanted to enforce, and require, that everyone have an authenticator. /facepalm
Now don't get me wrong, I think that anyone who's still playing without one is just asking for trouble. I think they're free if you have an iPhone or a Droid, and cost about $6 if you get the key chain version. Between the ashtray in the car and the couch cushions, most of us have that already.
Requiring everyone to have an authenticator though? Insane. We set ranks in
What these guys tried to do though was require a Screenshot of the applicant standing there with their perky pug targeted to show they had an authenticator. While this sounds good on paper, you wouldn't believe the number of applications that come in without a screenshot. Or someone linking to their local C:\.
It's not my problem
Get an authenticator or don't - it's your choice. Don't complain when you get hacked if you don't have one though, and don't expect your raid spot to be waiting for you on your return. If you don't care enough to get basic protection, you're probably the same type of person who thinks a Flask of the North is acceptable for progression raiding.
Oh, and learn how to post a bloody screenshot while you're at it.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Keep your alt out of my progression raid
Alts. Love them, hate them, or face addiction with them - they're out there and they're here to stay. With the changes to the badge/loot system, plus heirlooms and LFD, it's extremely easy to level up an alt and gear them out in T9 loot in no time. While this is a huge boon for guilds going through the inevitable end game bleedout, it can be a nightmare as well.
Now don't get me wrong. I have my own stable of level 80 alts, as well as a smattering of others that are in the process of leveling. They're fun to play, and I enjoy learning how the other tank/healing classes work. Yes, of all my alts I only have a single lvl 80 that is a pure DPSer. I'm sick that way.
Back to the point
My issue comes up when during a progression raid someone wants to bring this or that alt because "they don't need gear any more" for their main. Well that's great Sparky, I'm glad the RNG has worked well for you. Unfortunately there's 9/24 others who aren't in that position. Or what if it's the MT or your star healer? Very often they don't get the opportunity to ever swap out for an alt (even on alt run nights) because they're geared specifically to handle those encounters.
More to the point however, is that your output on your alt will probably not be near that of your main toon. They don't have the gear, you aren't as familiar with the rotation/positioning, etc. All of these combine to make a farm run just a little bit longer, or even cause a wipe or two. You're asking everyone else to sacrifice a little, just because you want to gear up another character.
The very rare occasion
Sometimes, I will admit, it's necessary to bring in an alt. We do it fairly regularly with our Warrior/Rogue, because he's had to switch toons to allow us to continue raiding. If he hadn't switched, we would have stalled - and so now we keep bringing him on some fights (i.e. gunship) where there's a specific piece of tank gear he needs. This however is definitely the exception, and not the rule.
GDKP
Now, here's a place where I LOVE to see your alt (as long as you've got the cash). Players who know the fights, and are willing to shell out for their gear - instead of asking to be carried through for no cost. In the two weeks that we've been running GDKPs we've rolled in over 7k per person. It's not huge, but it makes me feel better about giving gear to a 2k DPS alt running around in heroic dungeon gear.
Wrap up
So go, and play your alts. Frolic in the joy of no pressure raiding. Spend your gold in my GDKP, and take your chances in PUGs. Just don't ask to come to my main raids. At least not without some serious cash in your pocket.
Now don't get me wrong. I have my own stable of level 80 alts, as well as a smattering of others that are in the process of leveling. They're fun to play, and I enjoy learning how the other tank/healing classes work. Yes, of all my alts I only have a single lvl 80 that is a pure DPSer. I'm sick that way.
Back to the point
My issue comes up when during a progression raid someone wants to bring this or that alt because "they don't need gear any more" for their main. Well that's great Sparky, I'm glad the RNG has worked well for you. Unfortunately there's 9/24 others who aren't in that position. Or what if it's the MT or your star healer? Very often they don't get the opportunity to ever swap out for an alt (even on alt run nights) because they're geared specifically to handle those encounters.
More to the point however, is that your output on your alt will probably not be near that of your main toon. They don't have the gear, you aren't as familiar with the rotation/positioning, etc. All of these combine to make a farm run just a little bit longer, or even cause a wipe or two. You're asking everyone else to sacrifice a little, just because you want to gear up another character.
The very rare occasion
Sometimes, I will admit, it's necessary to bring in an alt. We do it fairly regularly with our Warrior/Rogue, because he's had to switch toons to allow us to continue raiding. If he hadn't switched, we would have stalled - and so now we keep bringing him on some fights (i.e. gunship) where there's a specific piece of tank gear he needs. This however is definitely the exception, and not the rule.
GDKP
Now, here's a place where I LOVE to see your alt (as long as you've got the cash). Players who know the fights, and are willing to shell out for their gear - instead of asking to be carried through for no cost. In the two weeks that we've been running GDKPs we've rolled in over 7k per person. It's not huge, but it makes me feel better about giving gear to a 2k DPS alt running around in heroic dungeon gear.
Wrap up
So go, and play your alts. Frolic in the joy of no pressure raiding. Spend your gold in my GDKP, and take your chances in PUGs. Just don't ask to come to my main raids. At least not without some serious cash in your pocket.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Pulling with Taunt - Stop It
Just when I thought this phenomenon was gone, I up and see not just low level newbie tanks doing it - but a self-proclaimed RL/GM teaching his tanks to do it as well. What I'm referring to here is the ever unpopular, wildly unexplained, Taunt Pull. That's right, pulling a boss/mob by using your Taunt first.
/headdesk
Now don't get me wrong. I can see where this habit starts, and why it probably takes far too long to correct. Unfortunately, it's problematic in later dungeons and raids - and I'll explain why in a moment.
How it all starts
For the Paladin, this starts when Righteous Defense is granted at level 15 or so. This ability acts as a ranged pull, does a significant amount of damage at that level, and is one of the few 'moves' in the leveling Paladin's arsenal. Since they don't get Avenger's Shield for quite some time, it becomes ingrained to pull this way.
For the Warrior, this comes from their gun/bow being a stat stick - and the general lack of ammo in their bags. Because of this, they either taunt pull, or (thanks to talents) charge into the fray - generally leaving the healer behind.
DKs don't get a taunt for many levels, they are usually the lowest offenders of this. The biggest issue I see with DK tanks outside of raids is not using Death and Decay because it "costs too many runes".
Druids get Faiere Fire at a low level, and learn to pull with that - leaving their taunt alone. Some druids still pull with taunt though, however they are on the lower end of the offender chain.
Do you see my problem here? Not only is it people pulling with taunt, but it's primarily Warriors and Paladins doing it! For shame.
The real issue
Pulling with your taunt is, well - I have an analogy Reaganomics used in the past that isn't really appropriate. The clean version is - it's idiotic to pull with your taunt (even on un-targetable bosses). Here's why.
Taunt has ZERO positive effect if the target is already targeting you. Only the Paladin taunt does significant damage I believe (if they aren't targeting them), and what you've now done is trigger your taunt CD and started the taunt immunity timer on the mob/boss. Let's look at two different examples.
Example One: Taunt fires first. So let's say you're using a Warrior to MT Saurfang, and because he knows your DPS is sitting there spamming the /AMGDPS key, he's frantically spamming his taunt - just waiting for Saurfang to go active. Suddenly he's live, and his taunt fires - along with his auto-attacks. Now you've got three seconds where the boss is focused on your Tank, but he's got 1.5 seconds waiting for his GCD to come down. You have time for one, maybe two abilities that aren't on the GCD to fire before the effect wears off.
Now in this instance, JoeJoe the DPS pulls ahead of Tank 1, so Saurfang targets him. Your MT is standing there holding his junk in his hands, because his taunt is on CD, so tank #2 taunts. You now have two taunts in < 8 seconds. A few seconds later, the MT taunts back, because he's supposed to have Saurfang first. Oops. Now the Boss is taunt immune - right around the time that Rune of Blood comes out. Suddenly Saurfang is healing up that damage that your overeager DPS did, and his Blood Power is rocketing up because he still has 10 seconds of Taunt immunity left - and your OT blew their taunt anyway because he didn't realize Saurfang was immune.
Sry:(
Example Two: Tank fires taunt after establishing agro.
Precisely zero happens to his threat, it does NOT force the boss to attack for any length of time, and just starts the taunt diminishing return/immunity timer.
Sry:(
Example Three (Bonus): Tank pulls trash with a taunt.
Overeager DPS guy opens up, trash turns and punches them in the face for TEXA$ worth of damage - because the tank's taunt is on CD.
Sry:(
Conclusion
Raid Leaders and GMs, please stop teaching your tanks bad mechanics. Instead teach your DPS to be patient for two or three seconds. The days of waiting for five sunders is past, but if you don't have a hunter/rogue doing a threat transfer, the tank still needs a few seconds to establish solid agro. Your healers (and DPS) will thank you for it. Trust me.
/headdesk
Now don't get me wrong. I can see where this habit starts, and why it probably takes far too long to correct. Unfortunately, it's problematic in later dungeons and raids - and I'll explain why in a moment.
How it all starts
For the Paladin, this starts when Righteous Defense is granted at level 15 or so. This ability acts as a ranged pull, does a significant amount of damage at that level, and is one of the few 'moves' in the leveling Paladin's arsenal. Since they don't get Avenger's Shield for quite some time, it becomes ingrained to pull this way.
For the Warrior, this comes from their gun/bow being a stat stick - and the general lack of ammo in their bags. Because of this, they either taunt pull, or (thanks to talents) charge into the fray - generally leaving the healer behind.
DKs don't get a taunt for many levels, they are usually the lowest offenders of this. The biggest issue I see with DK tanks outside of raids is not using Death and Decay because it "costs too many runes".
Druids get Faiere Fire at a low level, and learn to pull with that - leaving their taunt alone. Some druids still pull with taunt though, however they are on the lower end of the offender chain.
Do you see my problem here? Not only is it people pulling with taunt, but it's primarily Warriors and Paladins doing it! For shame.
The real issue
Pulling with your taunt is, well - I have an analogy Reaganomics used in the past that isn't really appropriate. The clean version is - it's idiotic to pull with your taunt (even on un-targetable bosses). Here's why.
Taunt has ZERO positive effect if the target is already targeting you. Only the Paladin taunt does significant damage I believe (if they aren't targeting them), and what you've now done is trigger your taunt CD and started the taunt immunity timer on the mob/boss. Let's look at two different examples.
Example One: Taunt fires first. So let's say you're using a Warrior to MT Saurfang, and because he knows your DPS is sitting there spamming the /AMGDPS key, he's frantically spamming his taunt - just waiting for Saurfang to go active. Suddenly he's live, and his taunt fires - along with his auto-attacks. Now you've got three seconds where the boss is focused on your Tank, but he's got 1.5 seconds waiting for his GCD to come down. You have time for one, maybe two abilities that aren't on the GCD to fire before the effect wears off.
Now in this instance, JoeJoe the DPS pulls ahead of Tank 1, so Saurfang targets him. Your MT is standing there holding his junk in his hands, because his taunt is on CD, so tank #2 taunts. You now have two taunts in < 8 seconds. A few seconds later, the MT taunts back, because he's supposed to have Saurfang first. Oops. Now the Boss is taunt immune - right around the time that Rune of Blood comes out. Suddenly Saurfang is healing up that damage that your overeager DPS did, and his Blood Power is rocketing up because he still has 10 seconds of Taunt immunity left - and your OT blew their taunt anyway because he didn't realize Saurfang was immune.
Sry:(
Example Two: Tank fires taunt after establishing agro.
Precisely zero happens to his threat, it does NOT force the boss to attack for any length of time, and just starts the taunt diminishing return/immunity timer.
Sry:(
Example Three (Bonus): Tank pulls trash with a taunt.
Overeager DPS guy opens up, trash turns and punches them in the face for TEXA$ worth of damage - because the tank's taunt is on CD.
Sry:(
Conclusion
Raid Leaders and GMs, please stop teaching your tanks bad mechanics. Instead teach your DPS to be patient for two or three seconds. The days of waiting for five sunders is past, but if you don't have a hunter/rogue doing a threat transfer, the tank still needs a few seconds to establish solid agro. Your healers (and DPS) will thank you for it. Trust me.
Top five greatest WoW moments
After some seriously frustrating shots on H LK this weekend, I thought I should go back and look at some of my best memories in WoW. After playing for about five years, there's definitely one or two high points.
5) My first trip to Ironforge
When I first started playing, I was one of the many noob NE rogues that you see running around. My RL friend had rolled a Dwarf hunter, so I was trying to get from Darnassus to Ironforge. I had no idea about the boats, or where anything was - so I just started running for the East coast of Kalimdor. You can probably imagine how well this turned out, as a lvl 10 running through Azshara and beyond. Fortunately I ran into a kind soul who pointed me in the right direction. Which of course led up to the awesome run from Menethil Harbor to Ironforge.
4) My first mount
I love my Rusted-Protodrake, and my Bloodbathed Drake is amazing as well, but mostly because there aren't a lot of them on my server (and they're 310%). My first cat though, that was something I really looked forward to. Grinding out the gold (Chugach - hunter friend - was always broke) by pick-pocketing murlocs in STV as I got close to the goal. I wanted my mount the moment I hit 40, and not a minute after. I didn't know anything about using the AH for profit, it was just grind up and away. A truly pleasing moment.
3) Becoming a Raid Leader
This was really a turning point for me in WoW, where I started my move from being just another raider to actually studying the game. It all started with Forgotten Fury and the GM Fyrre throwing down that anyone who wanted to lead could give it a call. An Onyxia run or two later, and I was leading full time and soon an officer of FF. A few months later Fyrre went insane and started fighting with himself on the forums. Good Times.
2) Solo-tanking content at the appropriate gear level
When we first started running Kara at 70 we had a few of the same folks in our current 10m, and a few left over from the FF fallout in Vanilla. We headed into Kara with our heads up, sporting a mix of greens and blues. We single tanked the Huntsman, used a Boomkin to OT Moroes, and then single tanked Romulo and Julianne. The other great moment was when I compiled a mix of resist and tank gear that allowed me to single tank Hydross as a Warrior. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. The MacGyver moments are always the best raid kills.
1) Forging Thunderfury
No other legendary has, in my opinion, stood up to the Thunderfury for being amazingly OP. It lasted through three nerfs and some radical class changes in BC, and is still an iconic weapon. I got lucky and snagged both my bindings in two weeks, and then started farming for all the Arcane Crystals. The night it was finally forged we bought the elementium ore from a gold farmer in IF, and it was electric on vent. The whole raid came together for the moment - it was truly special. Even forging my Val'anyr or killing Arthas didn't measure up to that moment.
5) My first trip to Ironforge
When I first started playing, I was one of the many noob NE rogues that you see running around. My RL friend had rolled a Dwarf hunter, so I was trying to get from Darnassus to Ironforge. I had no idea about the boats, or where anything was - so I just started running for the East coast of Kalimdor. You can probably imagine how well this turned out, as a lvl 10 running through Azshara and beyond. Fortunately I ran into a kind soul who pointed me in the right direction. Which of course led up to the awesome run from Menethil Harbor to Ironforge.
4) My first mount
I love my Rusted-Protodrake, and my Bloodbathed Drake is amazing as well, but mostly because there aren't a lot of them on my server (and they're 310%). My first cat though, that was something I really looked forward to. Grinding out the gold (Chugach - hunter friend - was always broke) by pick-pocketing murlocs in STV as I got close to the goal. I wanted my mount the moment I hit 40, and not a minute after. I didn't know anything about using the AH for profit, it was just grind up and away. A truly pleasing moment.
3) Becoming a Raid Leader
This was really a turning point for me in WoW, where I started my move from being just another raider to actually studying the game. It all started with Forgotten Fury and the GM Fyrre throwing down that anyone who wanted to lead could give it a call. An Onyxia run or two later, and I was leading full time and soon an officer of FF. A few months later Fyrre went insane and started fighting with himself on the forums. Good Times.
2) Solo-tanking content at the appropriate gear level
When we first started running Kara at 70 we had a few of the same folks in our current 10m, and a few left over from the FF fallout in Vanilla. We headed into Kara with our heads up, sporting a mix of greens and blues. We single tanked the Huntsman, used a Boomkin to OT Moroes, and then single tanked Romulo and Julianne. The other great moment was when I compiled a mix of resist and tank gear that allowed me to single tank Hydross as a Warrior. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. The MacGyver moments are always the best raid kills.
1) Forging Thunderfury
No other legendary has, in my opinion, stood up to the Thunderfury for being amazingly OP. It lasted through three nerfs and some radical class changes in BC, and is still an iconic weapon. I got lucky and snagged both my bindings in two weeks, and then started farming for all the Arcane Crystals. The night it was finally forged we bought the elementium ore from a gold farmer in IF, and it was electric on vent. The whole raid came together for the moment - it was truly special. Even forging my Val'anyr or killing Arthas didn't measure up to that moment.
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