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The best of WoW.com: June 9-16, 2009
Joystiq's sister site WoW.com covers the most popular MMO ever, World of Warcraft, every day of every week. Want to know what's new in Azeroth? Here's our biggest stories from the last seven days. News Upcoming mount changesRequired levels for mounts are being lowered, as are the costs for each. Isle of Conquest details releasedHot new deets on the game's upcoming battleground instance. Mountain Dew Battle-bots now liveMountain Dew released their promotional in-game items -- come and get 'em while they're... bot? New zeppelin and portals coming in Patch 3.2In addition to the mount updates, Blizzard is adding a new zep to ride and a portal straight to Outland. How convenient! Yogg Saron and Flame Leviathan nerfed tonightTwo Ulduar bosses get hit with the nerf bat. Features Guildwatch: He's really, really sorryDrama, downed, and recruiting news from around the realms. Ten things WoW players should know from E3Activision is bigger than ever, the MMO genre is widening, and wow, Star Wars: The Old Republic looks good. Addon Spotlight: Essential addons for raid leadersOur weekly column for UI addons examines some recommended installs for those leading raids. Popular scams and how to avoid themThere are scams aplenty in Azeroth, so here's some tips on how to dodge them. WoW, Casually: Tips for leveling on a PvP realmPlay on a player vs. player realm but don't want to die that often? Here's how to stay alive.
WoW.com looks at what makes a casual MMO player
Robin Torres, a columnist over at our sister site WoW.com has posted a fascinating piece trying to define casual. While it's WoW-themed, it could easily be adapted for any -- and every -- MMO out there and is well worth a read.Given the addictive nature of MMOs, the word 'casual' might well seem an odd word to be attached to this genre of games. However Robin's definitions encompass every kind of gamer. Personally I find myself in the 'players with lives' section and I'm glad to be there. Head on over and check it out to find out where you belong.
WoW, Casually: A casual guide to the Feast of Winter Veil
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime. Nothing says Winter Veil like a skanky santa outfit. Ho ho ho, indeed. The winter holidays in Azeroth have enough sex and violence (mostly violence) to counteract all of the feel-good, family-friendly holiday cheer going on in the real world. It's exactly what you need after going anywhere near a mall parking lot at this time of year. In-game holidays are always good for those of us with limited playtime because the quests give good experience, fun loot and there are often entertaining stories and activities to go along with it. The Feast of Winter Veil is no exception. While it doesn't have the ridiculous xp of the Midsummer Fire Festival or Hallows End, it does have some great Achievements, virtual toys and enough xp to make it worth your while. Following is a casual player's guide to the festivities.
Breakfast Topic: Casual play
I have a confession to make. I don't have as much time to play this game as I'd like. With the Holidays coming around, there's just a lot to be done... last minute shopping for gifts, family dinners, and rushing work all on top of taking care of an increasingly hyperactive thirteen month old toddler. My wife and I find it difficult to raid with our future Horde crying for attention and trying to tug at our set-ups' wires from underneath our tables. With merely a few hours a week to play, I think my wife and I have become something of casual players.That said, we've gotten our share of playing time and snagged a few epics here and there. I made sure to craft myself a Titansteel Destroyer and a Spiked Titansteel Helm just so I don't have to worry about drops from normal Naxxramas. Not that we do it a lot, anyway. I log in roughly every 2.5 hours to make sure I play some Wintergrasp and do the dailies there. My wife makes sure to do at least her Jewelcrafting daily quest and logs in to Research or Smelt Titansteel. Even casually, though, the game's been pretty good to us. Wrath gives such awesome rewards now that even with little playing time, we slowly get geared up.What would you say are the best things to do with casual play? I thought it was an appropriate question because a lot of us are going to get some playing time this weekend and with the Holidays coming around. This is usually Robin Torres' domain, and she has excellent suggestions every time (another WoW Casually is coming out today, yay!). What are you casual players doing this weekend? What gives the most bang for the buck? I was planning to do Wintergrasp, but maybe you've got a better suggestion...
WoW, Casually: What Patch 3.0.8 holds for casual players
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime. Patch 3.0.8 is on the horizon and there are a lot of interesting changes coming our way. Leveling will become even more convenient, some fundamental gameplay changes are being made and classes are being adjusted... again. While these changes affect everyone, I'll be going over the ones that will particularly matter to those of us with limited playtime.(Edited to add:) What you won't see here is Dual Specs. They are scheduled for Patch 3.1.Although this info is currently on the PTR (or Public Test Realm for those of you not into acronyms), this does not mean that it is final. A lot of things could change before this patch goes live, but as things stand, here is a list of changes to be ready for.
WoW, Casually: 7 reasons to make a Death Knight
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime.Many casual players have discovered the wonders of making a Death Knight since WotLK was released, but in case there are still some holdouts, here are some reasons why those of us with limited playtime should definitely give the class a try.7. Gnomes.Seriously. Widdle gnome Death Knights with pigtails destroying multiple mobs 10 times their size are worth the price of admission. The spousal unit and I went back to our neglected Alliance server just to make a gnome DK duo. Our guild there has long since dispersed and our friends are all on different servers, but who cares? It's all about fun and tiny agents of death = fun. Awww, dks in love.6 more serious reasons for a casual player to make a Death Knight are after the break.
WoW, Casually: What Patch 3.0.2 means to the casual player [Updated]
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has limited playtime.Patch 3.0.2: Echoes of Doom is live today, preparing us for Wrath of the Lich King -- which is now less than a month away. The changes are vast and will affect your character in many ways. In fact, there are so many all at once that I find it a bit overwhelming, so here is a breakdown of what I think particularly applies to those of us with limited playtime.But before we jump in to the list, allow me to be sentimental for a moment. In preparation for the patch, I organized most of my pets and mounts in one bag and took a picture for posterity. After the patch, and a little bit of double clicking, this bag will be empty. Why and more are after the break.
WoW, Casually: Get thee to Brewfest!
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has limited playtime.Brewfest is here and unless you are opposed to virtual beer-related events, you should get down to Ironforge or Orgrimmar and join the fun. It isn't as casual-friendly as the Midsummer Fire Festival, but it's a blast and every activity can be done by a player with very little playtime, even the boss: Coren Direbrew.Unlike the Fire Festival, you don't get experience by the fistfuls for levelers or cash rewards to fill your coffers, but there is the Brew of the Month Club and, seriously, how can you resist that? There will be Achievements awarded for obtaining many of the Brewfest goodies, including drinking every beer you get in the club, so belly up to the bar and start Chugging and Chucking. Join us after the break for some tips and tricks to get the most out of your Brewfest experience.
WoW, Casually: WWI news for casuals
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.Last weekend, the World Wide Invitational rocked our world with tantalizing news about the next expansion... and of course Diablo III, but this column isn't called "Diablo, Casually" or "Blizzard Fangirl" so we'll just talk about Wrath of the Lich King. The amount of information we gleaned from the WWI is pretty overwhelming, so let's just go over the items that I think affect those of us with limited playtime.First of all, I think the biggest news was for the individual classes, so check out the news from the Dev panel. As a Druid, my 5-man instance viability will improve with indoor Entangling Roots and the possibility of an out of combat res. Many of the changes will make it easier for us all to find groups faster which means we can get more done in the blocks of time we have to play.
WoW, Casually: A casual Midsummer
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.If you haven't bought into the whole Midsummer hype yet, allow me to try to convince you. This year's Midsummer Fire Festival is possibly the most casual-friendly WoW event. Still you may ask, to paraphrase a guildie, "What's so great except for a useless pet?" This holiday is not about the loot.Sure, I got myself a Brazier of Dancing Flames, but I had the blossoms burning a hole in my pocket anyway, so why not? Midsummer is really about every other reason we play the game: progressing our characters, seeing the world, supporting our faction and, most importantly, fun.
WoW, Casually: Is it feasible to play PvE casually? (Reader Mail)
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.This time I'm answering an email from Jesse.Hi Robin,So I used to play WoW all the time. Actually, too much. So I did the whole "delete your characters and quit cold turkey" thing. Like 3 different times. Anyway, right now my account is on hold, but it's got a 38 rogue and a 56 mage (albeit both of them are naked, since I tried to sabotage myself and give hundreds of gold away when I quit last...). The two reasons I quit are very closely related: one is that I just played too much; and the other is that I started to think that, if you don't play all the time, there's no getting anywhere. I like PvE more than PvP, so I guess the end result of that would have to be raiding, right? But I can't sit down at my computer for 7 hours to do a raid, or spend whatever god-awful amount of time it would take in a week to run kara (I don't know how long it would take to do that instance... and I don't think I want to know). I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like all the little things like professions and questing (even solo) and a good instance is always fun as long as you don't have idiots screwing it up... Anyways, my question is, can a person with a real life (and a real 50-hour a week job) actually play WoW, and have fun, and still have a life? (and dare I say, maybe even still have a girlfriend?). I am skeptical, but I don't know, and I'd like to get back in if you think it's actually feasible.JesseP.S. Also (if I do decide to get back into the game), since [my server] is (and always has been) underpopulated, do you think it would be worthwhile transferring to a more populated server? Or is that just overrated?
WoW, Casually: Wrath of the Lich King is for casuals too
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.You may have noticed that there has been quite a bit of news about Wrath of the Lich King lately. In that news, there are some very wonderful things in store for those of us with limited playtime. There is also a lot of resentment because of that from some of the players. In this column, I'll be discussing what we casuals have to look forward to in the next expansion and I'll be defending what is essentially our right to participate in the WoW lore and endgame.What I won't be discussing, like I used to, are the casual friendly events in the schedule. If you look in the right hand column of this page, you'll see a great calendar of Upcoming Events. So check there for the latest Call to Arms weekends, Holiday events and It came from the Blog activities. Join us after the jump for the news and perhaps a little ranting.
WoW, Casually: Gearing up before level 60 (Reader Mail)
Each week, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.This week, I answer some Reader Mail that is only a month old. Woot!Hi Robin,I am what I consider to be a casual player on WoW. A good session for me will last about an hour or two... Usually just long enough to gain a level before I run out of time. The current character I am working on is my "main", a level 50 Orc Hunter. One thing I was hoping to find in your articles was a way for a casual to obtain equipment when they haven't yet reached the 60s and 70s. The last time I updated my gear was in the low 30s, so it is really starting to show its date. I was having trouble finding a way to equip my character for the rest of the game until I can start on some epics. It seems the only way is to dump a ton of money in mediocre items (which is basically what I did in the low 30s), or spend hours doing instances... Hours being something most of us casuals don't have.Is there something I'm missing here?Thanks,PaulMy answer and more are after the jump.
WoW, Casually: Finding groups fast (Reader Mail)
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.This week, I finally get around to answering an email from Mattilda: Hey Robin, I really enjoyed your article on WoW Insider. I recently got married and that basically killed my play time in WoW which probably isn't that bad of a thing, but I still like to play and it is normally only for a couple of hours in the evening. One of the biggest problems I have is getting a group for an instance. I have a decent guild but they are all normally busy in Kara or ZA when I'm on, and since I only play one or 2 nights a week I'm not high on the importance list to help. I like to do dailies and busy my self with solo stuff, but in order to get neutral with the Ogrila, there are some group quests. Looking for group is not always reliable and it seems that it basically puts you with 5 year olds most of the time. So my question is you can either put in in an article or just answer via e-mail, do you have any good ideas on how to get a reliable group in a short amount of time. There may not be a way, but just wanted to get your thoughts. Thanks, Mattilda, lvl 70 Draenei Shaman My answer and more are after the jump.
WoW, Casually: It's great to be level 70 and casual
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.Let the raiders have fun with their world firsts, Blizzard also kept those of us with limited playtime in mind when designing the Sunwell activities. If you are level 70 and haven't gone over to the Isle of Quel'Danas, get thee to a Flightmaster in Ironforge or Silvermoon and get in on the fun.You may think with all the hubbub about the new bosses like Brutallus that the new Sunwell zone is raider-only territory, but you would be wrong. The daily quests there are fun and easily doable solo. You earn a lot of money, a lot of rep with people who will give you cool stuff, and you help your server progress through the new content. There has never been a better time to be level 70 and casual.
WoW, Casually: Welfare epics
Each week, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.Almost every column, I talk about Welfare Epics since they are specifically designed for casuals to get their purplez on and I just assume that you all know what I'm talking about. But Dave recently sent in a question asking what they are and I realized that if I didn't write for WoW Insider, I probably wouldn't know either.Though some people say they heard the phrase before this, the first time I heard it was at BlizzCon. Jeff Kaplan, aka Tigole, started off the Dungeons and Raids panel by saying that the panel wasn't for people with their Welfare Epics, but for people who actually earn them. Now, I think he was partially just being funny, but I also think he was speaking up for the Raiders who are upset that all of the work they put into conquering the PvE endgame content is for naught when any casual player can pick up purples that are equal to or better than gear that drops off endgame bosses.
WoW, Casually: Patch 2.4 preview
Each week, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time. Well, it used to be weekly and it will be again, starting today.When last I wrote, which was ages ago, I promised to answer some reader mail about getting groups quickly. And then I vanished for a bit. I'm sorry about the interruption in this column and I will get to the reader mail, but not this week. With the new patch getting closer to release, I think I need to talk about some of the changes that will affect those of us with limited playtime.First of all, our coverage of Patch 2.4 is very extensive and perhaps a bit overwhelming. I do recommend, however, spending some free time that you have access to WoW Insider catching up with the changes for your class, professions and playstyle. You don't want to spend your precious WoW session discovering unexpected changes after the new patch comes out.
WoW, Casually: The year of the casual
Each week, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.For the purposes of this column, I am defining a casual WoW player as someone who has 2 hours or less to play at a time. If you spend 2 hours playing solitaire, then you are considered a hardcore solitaire player, but for the World of Warcraft, a couple hours really isn't very much time. There are a lot of people who have more time to play that consider themselves casuals and there are casual raiders and there are hardcore raiders and, well, these categories really don't work very well. But there are definitely also hardcore raider elitist types and many of them are bellyaching that Blizzard spent last year making the game easier for the casual players. I think that Blizzard made the game easier and more fun for everybody and while casuals got a whole lot of benefit from last year's development, raiders got some goodies specifically for them as well.But this column isn't for the raiders, it's for those of us who don't have enough time to raid on a regular basis and have to squeeze as much fun and value out of our playtime as possible. And regardless of who else it helped, Blizzard did a lot for us:Getting from 60 to 70:If you've played the original EQ, you may have expected (like I did) that getting to 70 when Burning Crusade came out would take as long as getting from 1 to 60. But that was not the case. Getting from 60 to 70 was easier for me than getting from 40 to 50 and from 50 to 60. It was fast, fun, full of quests and easily soloable.
WoW, Casually: Darkmoon Faire profiteering and Arathi Basin revisited
Each week, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.Happy 2008! To begin the new year we have some PvP action and a little Faire fun. First with the PvP, the Call to Arms this weekend is for Arathi Basin. This means that queues should be shorter and honor gain should be more plentiful when fighting for your faction in Arathi Basin this weekend. When I say that the honor is more plentiful, it really isn't that much more. As I learned, to my disappointment, the Call to Arms weekends don't add much in the way of bonus honor. Normally, you get the equivalent of 1 kill (20.9 honor at level 70) for every 330 resources acquired in AB. This weekend, you will get 1 kill for every 200 resources. This equates to about 82 extra honor if you win a level 70 game.
WoW, Casually: December 28 to January 3, New Year's, WSG, etc.
Each week, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.I hope everyone's holidays have been relatively drama-free and that you are enjoying some downtime before the new year.Speaking of New Year's, along with the continuation of the Feast of Winter Veil, Blizzard is hosting New Year's festivities on December 31st and January 1st. There will be fireworks, booze and revelers to blow kisses at right along side the remains of the Winter Veil activities.Have you picked up your presents yet? The trees in Ironforge and Orgrimmar have gifts with exclamation points over them for you to take and open. They range from meh to awesome and some are even BOU for your reselling profits if you aren't into keeping the fun stuff. I was hoping to find a Dragon Kite, but that was before I discovered that it is from the TCG and not something from Greatfather Winter. Dragons are cool.
