Archimonde
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How a quirk in the game can steal your loot
There is a mechanic in game that we are all aware of, and one that exists for a good reason: when we attack a mob, we get the mob's loot. That's the mechanic. If you're solo grinding mobs out in Shadowmoon Valley for some Primal Fire, you want to be sure you're the only one that can get the loot. The same goes for groups – if you're grouping and killing Murmur in Shadow Labs, you want to be sure that everyone is going to get his pretty blues.But what if the mechanics of the boss fight dictate that you won't hit the boss? In fact, what if successfully killing the boss means that you have to stand on the opposite end of the playing field the whole time? You don't hit the boss, you don't get the loot – but you've done everything right. In this, the game mechanic does not represent fair play, nor does it encourage success. In fact, the mechanics are a complete contradiction of each other.I've recently encountered this problem, and it's a real pain. Read on after the break for what happened, and what can be done to solve it. It's rather long, but this is a serious problem that Blizzard needs to fix, and all the facts need to be laid out completely and in a way that is full of thruthiness.
Ties that blind
When you show up to Archimonde attempts on a Monday night, you don't really expect much apart from a fun night with lots of wanton death and slaughter, albeit not for Archimonde himself. Killing Archimonde is pretty much out of the question at the moment. He's the kind of type-A boss who likes to demand absolute perfection out of his visitors, and that's not really what we're prepared to offer right now. We are more of an experimentation guild, the type that slaps things together with duct tape and then cheerfully proffers them for inspection, the type of guild that wanders off while important historical events are occurring, absorbed with what's going on with that duck by the pond or an interesting tree. Despite this, or possibly because of it, we've progressed pretty quickly. Too quickly to avoid leaving people behind, according to some, in the wake of an ugly blow-up that happened early in the evening and continued for the rest of the night in a flurry of tells, vent binds, and and anxious messages.All guilds have problems and all guilds have drama; if you read the site you have the opportunity to see a lot of what goes on elsewhere if your own guild isn't host to a ton of trouble. My own wasn't for the most part until last night, and I tend to read Officers' Quarters and Guildwatch with the sense of clinical detachment you might expect from a surgeon's dispassionate survey of a necrotic limb. Not so much so anymore, I think. Guild-ending matters are usually the result of a slow burn you recognize only in hindsight, and when I read of of break-ups it's hard not to think about the names you don't know and wonder who was the whistle-blower, who tried to save the ship, who abandoned it altogether, and who was simply lost along the way. Guilds are fragile families. This will be an interesting week.
Playing with your mouse
Lots of us purchase these nifty mice from the local computer store. Be they a fancy new Logitech mouse with a dozen keys placed strategically around the unit, or a slick new beauty from Apple, the mouse is a strategic part of your game play.At least, it should be.All too often people don't utilize what they have in front of them. Today we're going to look at how you can increase your game play by using your mouse more effectively. In particular, the buttons.However before we look into buttoning strategies, lets just quickly cover moving with the mouse. It's pretty simple, right? Push both buttons down, move forward. Right click and hold to turn your character. Left click and hold to look around without moving. Mike Schramm covered this in a post about a month and a half back, and it's a pretty good read for those interested more in the topic of mouse moving.So now that that's out of the way, let's look at basic mouse buttoning techniques. I own two Logitech MX5000 cordless optical mice. They work very well and have a battery life of a couple days; but even then I recharge them both every night just so I don't have disaster strike me in the middle of a raid when the battery goes out.
Breakfast Topic: Lucky loot and other personal practices
In a world of dice rolls and random number generators, its not too strange to get a little superstitious. Like we've touched on before, every raid has their own dark rituals they perform before or during a raid, whether that be rolling dice to predict success or sacrificing their enhancement shaman to the loot gods. But what about the players?Personally, when my raid hits a roadblock against some boss, I equip my good luck charm. I've used it in all of our "big" firsts: Lady Vashj, Kael'thas, and Archimonde have all fallen to the might of the Shard of the Fallen Star. I'm sure my raidmates are tired of seeing that thing in the middle of an epic battle, but it works, so don't knock it! Besides, a giant meteor falling out of the sky and hitting Archimonde is totally awesome.I've seen mages equipping their fishing hats for specific bosses and warlocks summoning their favorite demon, no matter how useless it is, when they're in need of a little good luck. What about you guys? Do you do anything special to shed the bad mojo?
One boss leaves!
Technically, this week, it's "two bosses leave" because we're wrapping up two separate fights. First up, Kel'Thuzad vs. Archimonde. This was a close fight, with a 14 votes (out of a total of 2508) separating the winner from the loser. As you might guess, opinions on the article were quite varied, with little consensus as to who would win or why -- but in the end, 14 more voters felt that Kel'Thuzad would be victorious.Our next fight pitted Vaelastrasz against Illidan -- and this one was pretty clear cut, with Illidan getting a comfortable 67% of the vote. (Though there was a good amount of debate over the fairness of the abilities included for consideration, both Vael's Burning Adrenaline and Illidan's Shear.) Tragic, really, as I was rooting for Vael. (As commenter George M. noted, "Vaelastrasz destroyed Guilds. True story.")If you enjoyed these fights, the next is set to be just as dramatic! Check back later to voice your opinion on the Twin Emperors against Chromaggus. (And check our brackets for the upcoming fight schedule.)
Two Bosses Enter: Kel'Thuzad vs. Archimonde
Two bosses will enter... but only one will leave in WoW Insider's fantasy deathmatch series. We're pitting two of Azeroth's raid bosses against one another in a battle that your votes get to decide -- until in the end we're left with a single boss as the ultimate champion. Be sure to check out our brackets for a full round-up of our ongoing fight schedule!) This week we present Kel'Thuzad, the ominous Archlich of the Plaguelands, and Archimonde the Defiler, the greatest and most ruthless of the Eradar. Who will win no one knows -- because ultimately, it's for you to decide. So read on and voice your opinion!
Around Azeroth: It's a beautiful day!
Reader Buttink of Illidan sends us this shot taken while on his way up Mount Hyjal in the Caverns of Time to kill Archimonde. It's such a perfect sunny day in Azeroth -- clearly the ideal setting for spilling some Eredar blood.Ah, the slaughtering of innocent NPCs -- the reason we all log on every day. Do you have any especially good screenshots of that peaceful moment before the kill? We want to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!%Gallery-1816%
WoW Moviewatch: Mount Hyjal
Raid videos can be monotonous. Most are one long shot of the same spell effects hitting the boss mobs for 20 minutes straight. Then there are videos like this one. Let's list all the things that sets this video apart: A 2 minute story-based intro with (are you sitting down?) excellent voice acting Dynamic editing synched to the soundtrack that keeps the fights interesting Many different types of music to give each encounter its own flavor For 98% of the WoW population that will never see the Mount Hyjal raid instance, this is video is a gift from the gods.Previously on Moviewatch...
Phat Loot Phriday: Antonidas' Aegis of Rapt Concentration
I'm a Resto/Elemental Shaman. I like shields. I especially like Epic shields. I especially like Epic shields with spell damage on them. And boy do I like Epics that have a nice tie to the lore.Name: Antonidas' Aegis of Rapt ConcentrationType: Epic ShieldArmor/Block: 6336 / 174Abilities: +28 Stamina, +20 Intellect Improves spell crit rating by 20, and increases spell damage and healing by up to 42 Antonidas is (actually was, because he was killed by Arthas, as all great Warcraft characters were) the head of the Kirin Tor, that conclave of wizards that you're hearing so much about lately. His pupil was Jaina Proudmoore (and it was she who he expected to eventually take over the Kirin Tor). When Arthas killed Antonidas (to claim the Book of Medivh), the Violet Citadel and Dalaran were both left wide open, and Archimonde moved in to finish off the job and destroy the city. Now, of course, Dalaran is being rebuilt, and it's soon going to be flying over Northrend. Until then, Antonidas' shield has found its way back into the hands of players. How to Get It: In fact, Archimonde must have grabbed it when he trashed Dalaran, because this is a drop from him at the Caverns of Time Mount Hyjal instance. In that instance, you fight Archi (as I like call him) fighting to gain control of the World Tree, and apparently he's been hauling this shield around with him ever since he sacked Dalaran-- drop him, and with a little rolling luck, it's yours.As a sidenote, apparently this was one of the drops on the world first kill of Archi as well. So not only can you get a shield that belonged to one of the greatest arch-mages the world of Azeroth has ever known, you can also get a shield that belonged to one of the best guilds in the game! Two for one!Getting Rid of It: Sells for 9g 55s 99c. Disenchants into a Void Crystal. Breaks my elemental Shaman heart.
Arcane Brilliance: The Magical Nation of Dalaran
Once again we're back with Arcane Brilliance, where we discuss all things mage-like. This week I'd like to talk a bit about our roots as mages in the World of Warcraft universe. In order to understand who you are and where you are going, sometimes you have to learn about where you've been. In this case, both our past as mages and our future are tied to the same place, namely Dalaran, or more specifically The Magical Nation of Dalaran.
Archimonde Hotfixes
Daelo, Lead Encounter Designer, has announced on the forums that the Archimonde encounter in the Battle of Mount Hyjal (Caverns of Time) has been hotfixed in preparation for Patch 2.2. Daelo says: In an effort to apply some of our upcoming 2.2 changes in a more expedited manner, we're hotfixing some elements of the Archimonde encounter. Not every planned change to Archimonde could be hotfixed, the other announced changes will occur with the release of patch 2.2. The following hotfix changes are now live: - Archimonde now casts fear in a bit more consistent manner, roughly every 40 seconds. - Fear's cast time is now 1.5 seconds. - Grip of the Legion now has only a 60 yard range. - Red Soul Charge now only silences players for 4 seconds. The planned changes for Mother Shahraz could not be hotfixed, but we are working to resolve via hotfix the timing issue with Essence of Desire's Rune Shield and Spirit Shock. Working on that fix, we discovered that Rune Shield wasn't actually absorbing any damage. We're also working to fix that error. Since the Rune Shield is normally removed quickly, Essence of Desire still won't get much benefit out of the effect. Mages who Spell Steal the effect will be quite a bit happier, however.I wonder if this means that Patch 2.2 will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. Since VOIP just got implemented on the PTR, I doubt it will be released any sooner. Are you happy with these changes?
One Boss Leaves: Curator vs. Archimonde wrap-up
It should come as no surprise that Archimonde came out the winner of our episode of Two Bosses Enter. He's got a much wider array of powerful abilities than does The Curator, whom we pitted him against, and Archimonde won out by a huge margin. Be sure to take a look at our brackets to see how things are shaping up for our continued series of fantasy deathmatches, and be sure to leave us comments letting us know if you think we've overlooked something. Otherwise, check back later tonight to see our next battle!
Two Bosses Enter: The Curator vs. Archimonde
Two bosses enter... but just one will get to leave in our continuing series of fantasy boss deathmatches. We've selected 32 of the most dangerous and most interesting bosses around the World of Warcraft, and every week at WoW Insider we present you with another hypothetical boss fight. And the best part? You get to decide who wins! This week we're considering The Curator from Karazhan and Archimonde from the Caverns of Time. Interested in learning a bit more about these two bosses -- and letting us know which one you think would be the best? Keep reading!
WoW Moviewatch: Azerothian Supervillains, Episode 3 teasers
BlizzCon begins tomorrow, and with it comes the world premiere of Azerothian Supervillains Episode 3! Ian Beckman has crafted it as his entry in the X-Fire Video contest they'll be holding there. Hopefully Episode 3 will be available to those of us who can't attend BlizzCon in person tomorrow too. If you are attending though, be sure to find Ian there and tell him his movies are really funny!While we wait for the real deal, I bring you two teaser trailers to whet your appetite. (Click on the jump below for Teaser 2, or click the following links for Azerothian Supervillains Episode 1 and Episode 2).
WoW Moviewatch: Azerothian Super Villains, Episode 2: Kaelzilla
Illidan, Kael'thas and Archimonde are back with their evil plans to make plans of evilness. They have their own website now, and their ambition, if not their intelligence, is growing larger by the day. This time, they turn to an old friend for help in thinking up what to do, and things get... out of proportion. My personal favorite of the villainous trio is Illidan: I love the way his voice actor gets his accent so right, and drops in plenty of running gags and references to other movies.Click here for Azerothian Super Villains, Episode 1.Previously on WoW Moviewatch...
Exclusive interview: Awake from Nihilum speaks with WoW Insider
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Exclusive_interview_with_WoW_guild_Nihilum'; There might be no guild in all of Azeroth that has attracted attention like Nihilum has. They've charged through the endgame, gaining an unimaginable four world firsts in one day. They've downed Illidan. They've beaten the game.And even out of the game, they seem to be a lightning rod for controversy. They don't like girls. They supposedly cheated on Vashj, and maybe they buy gold. Players have followed Nihilum's exploits like no other guild-- some hate them and some look up to them, but everyone who follows news from the endgame must know who they are.Now, in their first exclusive interview after downing Archimonde and finishing off the current content, Awake from Nihilum spoke with us to talk about all of these things and more. What did they and did they not like about the endgame they just beat? What's Nihilum going to do now? And exactly how many of them have girlfriends?Click the link below to read this exclusive interview, and get a glimpse of what it's like to run with the guild that beat the game. Questions were collected from both WoW Insider staff, and from members of our own casual guild, It came from the Blog. Thanks to Awake from Nihilum for doing this with us, and good luck to him and his guild in future content.
Archimonde down, Nihilum beats TBC
And here I thought Nihilum was going to take a break. But no! They have just defeated Archimonde, the final boss of Mount Hyjal, which means that they have cleared every PvE encounter currently available in WoW. Um...good job, guys! (This was, of course, another world first.) What's next?MMO-Champion has Archimonde's loot table. Here's what Nihilum got.
WoW Moviewatch: Archimonde Encounter by Curse
At last, we see a teaser of the final encounter of Mount Hyjal! Curse from Vek'Nilash has gone up against Archimonde to give us a preview of this epic, world-changing battle. They bring attention to a few of his abilities, and particularly how incredibly difficult he is. I can't wait to see what kinds of items he has in store for us! [Thanks, WarcraftMovies.com]
Urgent Realm Maintenance
Several realms (Andorhal, Anetheron, Archimonde, Dalaran, Dentarg, Duskwood, Executus, Haomarush, Khadgar, Mal'Ganis, Scilla, Steamwheedle Cartel, Turalyon, Ysera, Ysondre, and Zuluhed) were brought down tonight for urgent maintenance around 5:15 PST with a note that expected downtime was to be minimal. The servers seemed to pop up online again not so long after but the uptime doesn't seem to have last - around 6:30 PST most (all?) are offline again. Oddly, all of these servers appear to be those running on new hardware...
US Realm Migration Ahead of Schedule
So reports CM Drysc. Only sixteen servers (of the original thirty-two) remain offline, and these still could remain offline for the full 24 hours. However, the progress with so many realms is promising news. The remaining offline realms are as follows:Andorhal, Anetheron, Archimonde, Dalaran, Dentarg, Duskwood, Executus, Haomarush, Khadgar, Mal'Ganis, Scilla, Steamwheedle Cartel, Turalyon, Ysera, Ysondre, and Zuluhed
