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ICYMI: Bro-saving weight bench, 4-gram robot and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A weight bench designed for people who want to lift alone has a hydraulic foot lever to save yourself from injury. A 4-gram robot can move two different ways: As an inchworm, or by flicking itself in the air with flippers that get a charge from a mild electric current. And an art project made of a 3D-printed top uses eye tracking sensors and software to let the wearer know when he or she is being stared at by responding with movement.
Champions Online brings back the Bloodmoon event and prepares for space gladiators
Players of Champions Online, rejoice! The Bloodmoon has risen once again, and dark and dire perils threaten Millennium City. From this Thursday at 3:01 p.m. EDT until Tuesday at 2:59 a.m. EDT, you'll be able to hop into the action and bathe in the blood of your ghoulish enemies. Do ghouls have blood? We'll assume so. Did you know that there are aliens hiding on the dark side of the moon? Of course you did! But here's the thing: There are also aliens hiding on the dark side of the moon in Champions Online. They've been kidnapping heroes from earth to fight in their lunar gladiatorial arena. Soon, the Forum Malvanum custom alert will be open to any Earthling brave enough to step up to the challenge. Skip below the cut to catch a bit of history on what the Bloodmoon is all about.
Insider Trader: Armorsmiths vs. weaponsmiths part two
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.Last week, I began the column by answering a reader's question regarding the two specializations of blacksmithing. The player had been considering switching, and I discussed his reasons for doing so. I also began to compare the armorsmithing items to their non-crafted counterparts, to showcase how strong they really are. This week, I'm finishing up that analysis as well as giving weaponsmithing the same treatment. Each item from either specialization tends to surpass its tier 5 counterpart, and strongly rival the tier 6, Black Temple pieces. Unfortunately, if the itemization is exactly right for your class, race and spec, the cost and effort spent to make any given piece is probably not worth it. Still, for players who may never see the Black Temple, for whatever reason, can still work towards a strong epic piece to complement their PvP, dungeon and/or raiding gear.It is also important to note the difference between blacksmithing and other gear-crafting professions, tailoring and leatherworking. Blacksmith specialists essentially create one piece, or in the case of dual wielders, two pieces, that are roughly tier 6 equivalent. The other two professions can make more pieces, but the quality ranges from tier 4 to tier 5, although any gear choice is subject to individual circumstances and preference. These pieces are bind on pick-up and cannot be sent to alts, so keep that in mind when you choose. There are many other blacksmithing patterns and drops that are BoE, but the specialty items, as with tailoring and leatherworking, can only be worn by the crafter. In addition, should you make, for example, a sword and then switch to armorsmithing, you will no longer be able to wield the sword, as doing so requires that you have the correct specialization.
The Light and How to Swing It: Gearing up your Retadin for Karazhan part I
So you're finally 70. Welcome to the select order of masochistic players who endured the tedious grind (or, if you leveled as Protection, the happy AoE grind) to max level with a class sometimes considered to be a WoW developer's afterthought. The Paladin class, popular as it is, has traditionally had a slow development cycle. That said, one can choose to see it as a blessing (pardon the pun) rather than a curse, in the hopes that developers will build Paladin talents adaptively and from the lessons provided by other classes. Don't hold your breath.Anyway, so you're Level 70. You're now ready to enter Karazhan. Well, ok, not really. Right about now is when you should be gearing up for Karazhan, The Burning Crusade's entry level and most popular raid instance. With the removal of the attunement process in Patch 2.4, you won't even need to have The Master's Key, but you'll need to have a friend who can open the gate for you. More than a few Holy Paladins will have an easy time getting into a group for Karazhan because let's face it, everybody loves a healer. Then there are the Paladin tanks who'll get that loving invite to visit Deadwind Pass because, again, everybody loves a tank. But you, the vindictive 2-hander-wielding, Judgement-spamming, Crusader Striking champion of truth and justice... well, nobody loves you.
RPG legend Ken Rolston retires
If you're an RPG gamer, there's a good chance Ken Rolston has had an impact on the many nights you and your buddies have spent engrossed in tabletop and online adventures. From pen and paper classics such as Dungeons & Dragons, Stormbringer, and Warhammer to that copy of Oblivion you're enjoying today, Rolston's contributions to the role-playing genre have been monumental. Rolston's most recent work has been at Bethesda Softworks, where he acted as lead designer on Morrowind, and played a significant part in the development of Oblivion. The latter will end up making an appropriate swan song, as he's decided to call it quits after decades of leveling up through the industry. Read [H] Consumer's interview with Ken to find out what his fondest achievement is, as well as his thoughts on the evolution of RPGs. You'll be missed, Ken![via TeamXbox]
