WRUP: Fox Van Allen's Getting Your Kids into Commercials!
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!
There are only two weeks left until yours truly packs up and moves cross-country from Boston to California. But not just anywhere in California -- Los Angeles. Hollywood! The next time you see me, I'll be a star! Why? Because I've been watching Mel Kane's Getting Your Kids into Commercials nonstop. I think I finally have all the know-how it takes to be a showbiz kid!
Do you look at your child as a financial burden? Then you're doing it wrong. It's time to take that toddler and monetize him through the magic world of commercial acting!
Don't know where to start? Well, no worries -- Mel Kane's Getting Your Kids into Commercials is here to help. Mel will teach you all the key aspects of being a showbiz parent: how to punish your child when they mess up their lines, how to punish your child when they miss their mark, and how to punish your child when they look bored and clearly don't want to be there acting. And most importantly, Mel will teach you how severely to punish your kids when they don't read that week's WRUP. (Very severely! WRUP is totes important!)
So, that's that. While you get your kids browbeat into shape, the rest of us will be here What aRe yoU Playing our hearts out to avoid the wrath of our own showbiz parents. This week's bonus question: With the recent announcement that cross-realm zones are coming to Mists of Pandaria, I've been in a very nostalgic mode. So, I want to know: What's your favorite low-level zone?
Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) I'll be in two betas this weekend: MoP and Torchlight 2. I'll also be reading the Book of Cain in preparation for D3's release on Tuesday. And I'll also be down in Minneapolis this weekend, so busy time. My favorite low-level zone is Wetlands pre-Cataclysm. I love the wide open spaces, and I always thought the quests were pretty good and varied.
Alex Ziebart (@alexziebart) When I'm not leveling up in the beta, I'll be playing some Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. Three million banshees is a tall order, but we can do it! My favorite low-level zone is probably Westfall, new and old. I've always had a soft spot for the Defias; they make great villains. I'm still really disappointed that we've killed off Vanessa already. She had a ton of promise as a character.
Allison Robert (@AllisonRobert) More cleaning! My room in particular feels like it could give Miss Havisham a run for her money. Apart from that, hopefully some good tanking experience on the beta, and -- if I can stomach it -- more fruitless searching for the Crawling Claw on the live realms. My favorite low-level zone? That's a tough one. Pre-Cataclysm, I think Duskwood for all the creepy ghost stories that intersect there. Post-Cataclysm, I want to say Silverpine Forest because the early Forsaken leveling experience is so incredibly badass. The Redridge Mountains with the John J. Keeshan quest line ("AAAAAAHHHHHH! AAAAHHHHHH!") were also a hoot, and the baby raptor story in Northern Stranglethorn should not be missed. Unfortunately, I still haven't seen all the lowbie zones because leveling's so quick, but I have yet to see a revamped Cataclysm-era leveling zone that isn't engaging and a lot of fun.
Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) This weekend is totally beta weekend, and cleaning ALL THE THINGS weekend, too. Favorite low-level zone ... Well, pre-Cataclysm it was Thousand Needles, but now I have to say Hillsbrad. The combination of funny and sad story lines out there really works for me.
Chase Hasbrouck (@alarondruid) (@alaronmonk) Feeling like soloing some more old raids, so gearing a DK tank and leveling a pally tank to see how they compare to the druid. (Plus, the first four bosses of SSC is easy money.) Also finishing up Arkham City, which I put on hold to play Bastion all the way through last weekend.
Dan Desmond (@antigen_) Now that I got my Alliance paladin to 80, I have to decide whether I want to make the push to 85 or whether I want to play more Endless Space. Oh, you haven't heard of Endless Space? If you like Civilization-type games, clean and stylistic UIs, and space in general, you should load up Steam and check it out. It's only in alpha right now, but it is rad beyond belief. My favorite lowbie zone would have to be Eversong Woods. I feel like I could do that zone in my sleep, but it is so visually appealing that I wouldn't be able to snooze until I got to Ghostlands.
Daniel Whitcomb (@danielwhitcomb) I'm getting back into town after a long vacation to visit my family and meet my new nephew, so I'll be easing back into everything. I want to catch up on leveling my DK in the Mists beta, of course, though I also want to see if I can finally hit 150 pets in the regular game and participate in Operation Silencer in Mass Effect Multiplayer. As far as favorite lowbie zones go, I have to go for Silverpine Forest. It has a great, spooky atmosphere, an awesome haunted castle dungeon, zombies vs. werewolves, and an excellent storyline as an implacable lawful evil army fights a war against a chaotic good guerilla werewolf strike force. I just wish the Alliance got to experience it, too.
Elizabeth Wachowski (@leeatwaterlives) Probably some more Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim, and perhaps leveling my death knight.
Fox Van Allen (@foxvanallen) More packing for my move to California. I'll also be overdosing on British game shows. It's my new thing.
Joe Perez (@lodurjz) More beta if I can get it to let me log in and stay logged in for more than two minutes. Last patch seemed to seriously borked my login. More painting with my iPad now that I've finished this piece for @gomatgo. More Walking Dead because that game is seriously super fun, and I need to see if I can get some different results. Good times. My favorite lowbie zone will still always be Teldrassil for the night elves. There were just so many things hidden in the background, the trees, and all over the place that it was just so much fun to explore when I first came over to the Alliance side of the coin.
Josh Myers (@PostColloquial) I started my new full-time job this week, and I'm working straight through the weekend. No fun and games for me until Tuesday.
Kelly Aarons (@Cadistra) Still not able to play anything without being in extreme pain, so I guess it's starting the long journey of watching Dr. Who. I need a change of pace after finishing all three seasons of Adventure Time in four days. My favorite low-level zone is most definitely Mulgore, although, if starter zones don't count, then a solid tie between Azshara and Silverpine. I've never been big on EK questing, but doing Silverpine on my goblin just blew me out of the water with the quality of plot and questing. Mulgore is for my shameless tauren bias, and seeing Baine absolutely wreck the Grimtotem.
Lisa Poisso (@lisapoisso) I'm playing the Ikea Furniture Assembly Game all weekend long. One loft bed down. One TV cabinet, two display cases, five Billys with extensions, and a desk to go. Bonus question: The whole night elf zone sequence -- and like Robin (see below), I prefer to do it alone, but I do miss people in Auberdine shouting, "Where's the red crystal?!?"
Mathew McCurley (@gomatgo) I've got LoL to practice this weekend and a lot of writing to get done ahead of myself. My favorite low-level zones will still always be Durotar and The Barrens. I could do those places in the old world with my eyes closed. Even that crappy bag quest that the orc has in the Razor Hill guard tower that is impossible to get to.
Matt "Matticus" Low (@matticus) LEEEEEEEEEEEAGUE OF LEEEEEGENEENENENENEEDSSSSSS!! Finally climbed myself back into the 1000+ ELO range in solo queue! The Secret World has beta events coming up too, I believe. May give that a spin. Favorite zone: Loch Modan when it actually had water. I wonder if Mists will reintroduce signs of development and advancement back into the game. Like those two towers that flank Stormwind's entrance. Did they ever get patched up?
Matt Rossi (@MatthewWRossi) I'm considering doing a big Diablo 2 replay. I'm also working on some manuscripting. That's not a word. Color me nostalgic for Westfall. I liked it before Cataclysm came out, and I like it more now.
Matt Walsh (@Rhidach) With my ME2 playthrough just about wrapped up, it's almost time to jump into ME3. I'll see how far I can get before Diablo 3 next week, and then it'll just go on the backburner until the extended cut DLC comes out this summer. I also need to do a gold match for the Mass Effect 3 MP event this weekend. Favorite lowbie zone: The Barrens -- but old Barrens. I have way too many memories of that place.
Megan O'Neill (@slowpoker) Exploring beta by running everywhere, including using mountains to get places I otherwise couldn't go. I also have some books to read and I need to kitten-proof my room, since my apartment has acquired a kitten. Bonus: Pre-Cataclysm, I would have said Duskwood, but post-Cata, it's Silverpine for Horde and Westfall for Alliance toons. I love the long and intricate quest lines and zone-wide stories.
Michael Gray (@writegray) This weekend is a beta weekend for me, again. Aside from that, I'll be incorporating alpha feedback in my book and prepping for beta readers. Also, I'll begin leveling ground for where I'm building a hay bale construction office. Very exciting; I'm trying to decide between a hobbit theme and a WoW theme for the actual bale and stucco construction. Favorite zone: Duskwood, no doubt. Very Nightmare Before Christmas.
Olivia Grace (@oliviadgrace) I'll be playing ... Hmm, I've been so preoccupied with starting working in the day again I've not thought about it much! Probably get on with some Arena Pass and maybe a bit of beta. I do start yet another job tomorrow, though ... Bonus: Duskwood, all the way!
Robin Torres (@cosmicgeek) The Torri are driving up state for a wedding this weekend, so I'm not sure if I'll even be able to squeeze Scramble with Friends in. Bonus: Silverpine Forest, but I prefer to do it alone.
The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can't get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you're playing this weekend!
