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Sunday Morning Funnies: Shlorp
Happy holiday weekend - and Noblegarden, of course. This week's selection is pretty varied, although there are no newcomers this week. Only you can change this. Send us tips! Also, let everyone know if I missed an updated comic in the comments section. It happens. Thanks to everyone who posted various comic archives last week for the perusal of those who hadn't heard of them. For next week's challenge: What percentage of the comics listed will be about Noblegarden? Guess. Predict the future. Challenge #2: I'll add a second one, since the first one is pretty... well, based in nothing. Whose artwork really struck you this week, and why?
Sunday Morning Funnies: Do hug ghosts
I've been laid up all week with a nasty case of the flu. Fortunately, I think I have managed to avoid passing it on to anyone by staying indoors and suffering in silence. Here's hoping that all of your weekends have been better! We have a couple of new comics to add to the list this week, as well as some updates from comics that only refresh sporadically. What do you guys think about the newbies? To compensate for my lack of trivia inspiration this week, I shall send everyone "flu immunity" vibes. That has to be at least as good, right? You'll also be happy to note that Battlemasters is back! Zack, coincidentally, had the flu a couple of weeks ago. Isn't spring wonderful?
Sunday Morning Funnies: Me want
Last week's trivia challenge produced several great answers, although no one guessed what I had been thinking about; My Pet Monster! Still, that was only worth bonus points. Thanks to shadowQQ for guessing Bull from Where the Wild Things Are, and Correlation and Undra for guessing Sully from Monsters, Inc. The other bonus trivia question was of the "one of these things is not like the other" type, and Noekh was the winner; all of the items were something that Canada is known for. Cartmensfoe also gets points for noticing that everything included in the list was edible. Apologies for forgetting to exclude the elephant shrews wearing berets with the ascots and toast. That probably confused a few people. As for your virtual and imaginary prizes, you have all earned robots that know how to do laundry (although they are known for their laziness), bottles of detangling spray that are rumored to bring good luck when used, magical and unpredictable pink highlighters, and a lifetime supply of butterscotch-flavored gum that will help you see the future.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Red shirt mistake
Alas, this week's list is merely an average size. What does that mean? Many artists are busy, away, injured, or have websites that aren't working. Fortunately for us, there are some really great comics this week to make up for the loss of bulk. As for last week's trivia, GI_Prophet wins with 'American Psycho.' Hex will share the glory for recommending the book. You both win a virtual and imaginary lifetime supply of custom business cards, which happen to taste like jelly beans. They're non-toxic, don't worry. This week's trivia question is: What is being referenced in LFG's comic #332? I will accept several answers, so feel free to be creative. Of course, the prizes aren't real, but there's always the glory, right? As always, I'm taking tips. Have you seen a WoW-related webcomic not listed here? Has an older such comic been reactivated? Drop a note and a link in the comments section, or respond by sending a tip to the site's main tipline.
Sunday Morning Funnies: We're long
This week's list is huge. Massive. You have to click through the break to even see it! But I warn you: before you do, you might want to make some preparations. Cancel whatever you have scheduled today. Make a pot of coffee. Do some stretches; long bouts of sitting are unhealthy. Feed the cats. Let the dog out. Seriously, this list is big. It's unruly! P.S. I tried to get you guys a good Long Cat picture but I failed you all. Maybe next time? Yes. Next time. In a related note, I have a distaste for the new way to search through the icanhascheezburger site. Ready? Set. Go!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Rub my belly
Last week's post included a whole slew of commenter tips about WoW-related comic strips, so in addition to reading through your favorites, check out some of these newcomers: The latest from Torment of the Week. My main comment here would be: WTB perma-links. Here is one from Real Life Comics that is about Diablo 2, but I'll include it because it is also about Blizzard's patching habits. GRATS! The De-Evolution of the Quest. I love how game issues are discussed beneath the comic. I also love how the old guy is a dead ringer for Disney's Jafar from the first Aladdin movie when he pretends to be a prisoner in order to convince Aladdin to go into the cave and retrieve the lamp. The Battlemasters: Guilded Butterflies. Here's a new one: Guilded Age. Start reading from the title page, and next week I'll start posting the updates. Working Daze also recently posted two WoW-related comics, including one about patch day. Teh Gladiators: They're A Hungry Bunch. Da!ly Quests: Goblin Ingenuity. This is exactly what I thought when I first read Allison's The single greatest thing that has ever happened in this game. Dark Legacy Comics: Ammunition. NPC: Cuddle Cats. That one isn't entirely WoW-related but it rocks, and it does tie into their alt leveling, as well as the next storyline. Declaration. NPC: Intervention Cats. Beyond the Tree: Chekov's Gunmen. LFG #313 and #314. NoObz: Ninth Commantment. Slash AFK: Fish Pwned. Check out Complex Actions #44: Swimsuit Edition by going to their main page.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Why is my juice warm
Juice really shouldn't be warm; but doesn't M just look so happy? It almost makes it okay, although that's primarily because it's not my juice. The Scout Report: #88, Scout is back to being Scout! Well, sort of. #89, and I'm trying not to imagine the sprocket party too. NPC: Breaking News. This totally ruins our next April Fools Day! Sensibilities. I'm jealous of your turkey pet, for I was tragically unable to participate. Special. Teh Gladiators: T-t-t-eee? Dark Legacy Comics: Crappy Table. Da!ly Quests: Revenge is Sweet. LFG #309 and #310. Dungeons and Draenei: 2012 WoW. Beyond the Tree: Ghould Rush. I like the pun - and I love ghouls. So adorable. Battlemasters: Old Flames. Such a Womanizer! WoW eh: Need More Rage. Love this one! Well, I love them every week. Cru the Dwarf: Turkey Filler 2009. I have to say, that as far as filler goes, this is pretty premium, and got me laughing. Experience Points: Easier. NoObz: Seventh Commandment. Newish Fail Druid! The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: They See Me Rulin' They Hatin'. But what about the silly hair Dan? GU Comics: Aces Over Threes. This one has Yoda and WoW. Other than that, it's a surprise! Or wait. Not telling you about Yoda might have been a better surprise.
Sunday Morning Funnies: The absurdity of it all
All I can say is, "Mmm, gnome brain." Dark Legacy Comics: Gnome Brain. Teh Gladiators: They Come to Disturb Our Peace. NPC: Asil's Question. Kitties never learn though do they? Appreciation. I especially love this next one: Ahem. Daily Quests: Hell Hath No Fury. LFG #307 and #308. Dungeons and Draenei: 2012 WoW. Beyond the Tree: An Unfriendly Reception. Check out the latest from Slash AFK. Complex Actions: The homepage has their latest one. So far, I can't figure out how to make a permalink to their latest comic until it becomes the second-latest comic. WoW eh: What Have You Done. Battlemasters: A Fine Mess.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Belt trick
This week, we have a quiz and a new comic to enjoy, along with updates from many of your favorites. Battlemasters: Into Icecrown. Dark Legacy Comics: C-A-T spells CAT! NoObz: Fifth Commandment. This one feels unfinished to me. Check out the latest from Teh Gladiators. NPC: Azerothian Feline Treatment Watch. Also, In the Can and CAPS Faux Pas. I love how randomly angry Lisa looks in the two middle panels. She's passionate about CAPS locks. Sparkly Doom: Casual Player is Casual. World of Warcraft, eh?: Invasive Maneuvers. Daily Quests: Life's Little Pleasures. LFG #303 and #304. Dungeons and Draenei: What is your world... of Warcraft? Beyond the Tree: Downbrook. Fail Druid fails again. Complex Actions: GM Bailout. Test your knowledge with a buffed-Quiz!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Dark Lord of Profits
Aside from the usual laughs and story developments, this week's hot topic seems to be the new virtual pets for real money feature from the Blizzard store. There is also some amazing artwork this week, so read on! Battlemasters: Pulling Rank. This marks the end of the Prologue. Dark Legacy Comics: YARRRRR! Daily Quests: It's Better Not To Ask. World of Warcraft, eh?: A Little Birdie Told Me. I absolutely adore the artwork in this one! I always enjoy the artwork, but this one is amazing! NPC: Introducing... - I love the first frame in particular. Keyboard Chloe - I like her ideas. Kitty Tips. Teh Gladiators: This is... The Barrens? NoObz: Fourth Commandment. Beyond the Tree: Acquired Taste. The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: Tiny Fists Of Panda Fury. All I can say is - awesome. LFG #301 and #302. GU Comics: Oh, Is THAT All? Dungeons and Draenei: Public Test Realm 3.3. Experience Points: Followers. The Scout Report #87.
Sunday Morning Funnies: This is going to escalate
Halloween is over, and Hallows End too. Now it's Sunday morning; You know what to do. Battlemasters: Mad Cow. Dark Legacy Comics: The Perfect Costume. The Daily Quest: Wait... That's Not A Costume.... World of Warcraft, eh: Brings Out the Best in All of Us. NPC: Heal Deal. NPC: It's Not Easy... and Trick or Mice. Bink looks so cute! Teh Gladiators: Their Healer Didn't LOS Enough (Mr. Chilly Bought It). NoObz: Third Commandment. Beyond the Tree: Setting Out. Cru the Dwarf: Hangman. The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: Upset Tummies. Ah the memories.... I seem to have forgotten LFG last week. For those of you who haven't kept up on your own, check out #297, then #298, and #299, and yes, #300. Have some Halloween Fail Druid.
Sunday Morning Funnies: My junk
I hope you've been enjoying the Hallow's End festivities! Sit back, relax, and enjoy your weekly dose of WoW-related comic goodness. The Battlemasters: Conduct Unbecoming. Dark Legacy Comics: Soulbinding. Daily Quests: Kul the Reckless Rescued. Check out the latest from The Scout Report. If the bit about the chickens confuses you, you might want to jump back to this comic. World of Warcraft, eh?: You Should See When We Hate Somebody. NPC: Tips. NPC: Wounded Ego and Smooth Sailing. I love the peeping in the last frame! The latest from Teh Gladiators: Teh Cataclysm! NoObz: Second Commandment. More Fail Druid. Beyond the Tree: Morning Elves. Check out the latest from LFG. Dungeons and Draenei: Happy Halloween. GU Comics: Priorities!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Hoot hoot!
I have such a big list for you today that you might even have to take a break halfway through! Enjoy: Battlemasters: Hell Hath No Fury... This comic is becoming a fast favorite, and it isn't just because of the hot draenei lady. If you have Facebook, why not hop over and become a fan? There's some cool behind-the-artwork stuff. Dark Legacy Comics: Drawing Keydar. He's on holidays again, but it's amusing filler nonetheless. Cru the Dwarf: Chapter 6 cover art! Daily Quests: An Exercise in Self Restraint. The Scout Report: Just when you thought you'd heard the last from the Sprocket party! World of Warcraft, eh?: How Does That Even Work? Hilarious! NPC: Boobroobnoob. The title alone has me laughing. ManUp. I'm sure he'll get used to it! NPC: Booby Baiters. I love how it was going to work, too. Check out the latest from Teh Gladiators. The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: Let's All Go To The Movies! I especially dig the second panel. NoObz: First Commandment. Experience Points: I Can Do This!. Also, The Same But Different. Alas, we have lost guildies to Aion. Your Nerd is Showing. Fail druid as Boomkin. If he were a Fail druid in real life, he might not always do so poorly. Beyond the Tree: Her Guiding Light. I love the highlights in the fourth panel. Check out the latest from LFG.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Party time
Happy Thanksgiving weekend Canada! As for everyone else, well, you can enjoy the comics knowing that soon enough, you too will be feasting and we Canucks will have to hear about it. And watch all those mouth-watering food commercials. Daily Quests: A Simple Re-Quest. Battlemasters: You...I Remember You. This fairly new and awesome comic is still settling into its own artistic groove; something that was interrupted when Zach was separated with his art supplies. Now that he has replaced some of them, we can settle in and watch the two artists refine this comic's style. Dark Legacy Comics: Mr. VanCleef. LFG #294: This one reminds me vaguely of that Alien Ant Farm song, Happy Death Day. Teh Gladiators: Brewmaster's Revenge. NPC: Negotiations. These terms are genius. I wonder how long it will be before she stops tallying up /played to exchange for real quality time. NPC: Choose Your Butt. Careful; Cadychan draws a pretty nice cow butt! NPC: Noob Unleashed. She doesn't quite have the terminology down, but she seems to be settling in. Happy Belated Birthday, WoW, eh! Do You KNOW How Much Mats Cost These Days?! Beyond the Tree: Gryan the Fierce. Cru the Dwarf: Adieu. She really likes to give that Chapeau away. The Scout Report: Scout reflects on her situation. Fortunately, she meets someone interesting, although perhaps not in the way that she thinks. The Scout Report: All is revealed!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Good for what ails you
It's only October, and yet the cold and flu season has arrived. I'm fighting mine off with the usual prescription; soup, tea and tissues, some raiding, and of course, the Funnies. Daily Quests: Dressed for the Occasion and Look! It's a Bird!. Battlemasters: Blast from the Past. I love how much supplementary material is given with this comic. Ctrl+Alt+Del: The Nine Circles of MMO Hell. Ctrl+Alt+Del: More sillies. This one is sans Fail-Druid. This one contains Fail-Druid! Dark Legacy Comics: The Frame. LFG: Have you been awaiting what happens after the kiss? There's also a small matter that's probably just a dead bird or something. Teh Gladiators. NPC: Dreamy. Someone's got a crush! NPC: Stupid Game and On Your Side. I see a Zhevra incoming! Kuo: Smashed. World of Warcraft, eh? won its first Monthly Blizzard Comic Contest! Congrats Cadistra! NoObz: Covert Ops. This one is win! That person is awesome. This is me trying to comment without giving it all away. Beyond the Tree: Sentinel of the Hill. Noobs: Another Option. Oh my!
WoW Insider Show today at 3:30pm Eastern
Gonna be a great podcast this afternoon -- we'll welcome two familiar voices to the show, including the great Zach Yonzon (have you seen his new Battlemasters comic yet?) and the talbuk Mike "Belfaire" Sacco, as well as Turpster and I as usual. We'll be talking about (what else?) patch 3.2 and what we think so far, including the new 5-man instance, bugs that have appeared so far, and everything else we like and hate about it. And if we have time, we'll also talk about classes and what they get invited to groups as (you know Turpster will love seeing that big slice of Warriors on the tanking chart). And of course we'll answer your email as well -- you can send us whatever you'd like us to read or talk about at theshow@wow.com. It all kicks off at August 8, 2009 3:30 PM EDTvar date_span = document.getElementById("date"); var date = new Date(date_span.innerHTML); var monthname=new Array("Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug", "Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec"); var weekday=new Array("Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday", "Friday","Saturday"); var year = date.getFullYear(); var day_of_month = date.getDate(); var month = monthname[date.getMonth()]; var day = weekday[date.getDay()]; var hour = date.getHours(); if (hour > 11) { if (hour > 12) {hour -= 12} am_pm = "PM"; } else { am_pm = "AM"; } var minute = date.getMinutes(); if (minute < 10) { minute = "0"+minute; } date_string = day + ", " + month + " " + day_of_month; date_string += " at " + hour + ":" + minute + " " + am_pm; offset = -date.getTimezoneOffset()/60; if (offset >= 0) { offset = "+"+offset; } date_string += " in your time zone GMT"+offset; date_span.innerHTML = (date_string); over on our Ustream page, or, as always, you can find the embedded stream below. Be sure to stop by this afternoon and give us a listen live -- you'll enjoy it, or your money back*!Note: As the podcast is free to listen to, you will not be receiving any money back. But you will enjoy the show. If not, you can blame the Ret Monkey. That's what we do.
Skill Mastery: Survival Instincts
Survival Instincts is one of the surviving (har!) aspects of the now-defunct 51-point Berserk talent in the feral tree (the other is the new version of Berserk, which we discussed here). It's fairly straightforward; for 11 points in the feral tree and a 5-minute cooldown, you get 30% of your maximum health in bear or cat form for 20 seconds. Essentially it's Last Stand for Druids, albeit a Last Stand with a significantly shorter cooldown. During 5-mans in the beta while tanking, I saw an HP boost into the 26-27K range from a health pool of 19-20K. That's certainly nothing to sneeze at and it's situationally useful, although it'll probably find better and more consistent application under the same circumstances in which Last Stand's typically popped, i.e. progression raid content and/or "Oh S**T!" moments. The latter is particularly welcome as Druids have often complained about bear form's worrying lack of options in the event of an emergency. As many Warriors will tell you, proper use of the ability involves letting your healers know both when you've popped the ability and when it ends. Mods like OptiTaunt can relay this information automatically, but you can also macro it if need be.
Olympic battleground rewards appear on European and Chinese servers
Despite the extensive problems and human violations rights perpetuated by the Chinese government, some in service of the Olympic games themselves, most of the world seems to content to settle in and watch the Beijing Olympics one way or another. Apparently, that attitude has spread to Blizzard itself. Currently on the European and Chinese servers, there are NPCs at each major Battlemaster area in the capital cities who proclaim that Battlegrounds are hosting some type of "Spirit of Competition." For simply participating in a battleground, you are sent a Competitor's Tabard, which features 4 multi-colored rings on a white background, a clear reference to the Olympics itself. If you win a battleground during this time period, you may also have a chance at receiving a gold medal which summons a spirit of competition, which looks like a small Chinese dragon according to tipster Ichthallus. This competition does not appear to be live on the US Servers, nor has anyone from Blizzard spoken up to reveal if it ever will be as of this writing. We'll have to watch and see what happens. As Blizzard does not appear to be an official Olympic partner, there is some concern from some quarters that this could simply be a copyright issue. It's also possible that this was meant to be a Chinese servers only event, and it only accidentally got onto the EU servers. Thanks to everyone who sent us tips on this! EDIT: Belfaire has confirmed that this event will be coming to US and Oceanic servers starting at Midnight server time. Thanks to those who let us know in the comments!
Patch 2.4: The unofficial patch notes
Yesterday, we sent out a call for unofficial changes, and you guys responded with plenty. The official patch notes were posted earlier this week, but here are the unofficial patch notes for patch 2.4 we've found so far. Raid reset timers are showing the wrong times. (known bug) Various weapons are showing up as the wrong sizes. (known bug) A number of AV changes were made, some of them documented, some not. We've confirmed that yes, the Chocobo squawk (press spacebar when standing still on the Blood Elf racial mount) is new to the game. Sound effect for Power World: Shield has changed in volume (thanks, Matt), as have some other sounds in the game Netherstorm mobs have had their health tuned down, and frostbolts seem to go faster (thanks, Nick) Blizzard has adjusted things so that the walljumping exploit is no longer valid in many places (thanks, Jacob) Motes of Water drop rate seems to be nerfed (thanks, Tancred) More after the jump.
Tigole hits the forums
Tigole has been busy on the forums today, and that always tends to bring out interesting tidbits about the future of our favorite game. While it is certainly not earth-shattering, the most interesting thing that he mentions has to do with the future of the PVP battlemasters. In patch 2.4 these guys will be put on a pedestal, literally. Much like the auctioneers in many cities, the battlemasters will be placed on a raised platform that is inaccessible to players in order to keep people from blocking them with their character's model. He also hints that Wrath will see even better improvements. This is certainly a welcome change to remove a minor annoyance that is sometimes imposed upon us by our fellow players.Other posts hint at the future of guild banks, the title system, and a possible reward for Wrath's Lake Wintergrasp. First of all, he mentions that they're "exploring" the option to allow guild masters to set prices for items in the guild bank. I know in my guild this would be great for the guild leader, since it would probably save him a lot of time in the auction house and also provide an easy solution to those situations where he gets a valuable item and is not sure how to distribute it to the rest of the guild. I imagine that this could be exploited, to an extent, by guild leaders who might suddenly slap a price on everything in the bank rather than allowing free withdrawals, but that would probably fix itself over time as people leave the guild and/or stop donating to the bank.
