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More Power Auras tips for hunters
Huntsman's Lodge has a terrific set of tips for running Power Auras as a hunter. I'm not running this addon (yet) on my hunter, but apparently it's pretty old news -- our old friend BRK had some ideas on how to use it a while back. But HL goes even farther, and I like a lot of his ideas, like a star that lights up when Dragonhawk isn't turned on -- I'll admit I make that mistake from time to time -- and warnings for "special circumstance" spells like Lock and Load and Kill Shot. You can mix and match them all to fit your own gameplay as well, so maybe use some from HL's list and throw in one or two from BRK's old setup. And even if you're not a hunter, the addon is helpful for any class that needs a heads up on buffs and debuffs coming their way. We hunters can get all the help we need though -- HL's list is a great resource for using the addon with our class.
WoW Insider Show Episode 102: Stupid big-tongues
We had a terrific time (as always) on the live podcast last Saturday afternoon, as Zach Yonzon, Mike "Belfaire" Sacco, and Turpster and I sat down to talk about the most popular stories in the World of Warcraft. Of course patch 3.2 was at the forefront of our minds, and we chatted about what each of us was most interested in, from the new BG to the 5-man Trial instance. And we got a little bit of discussion in about the various classes and roles they play in instances.Of course we answered your emails as well -- we talked with Michael Sacco about the "Additional instances can't be launched" issue that's going around (that I got hit with for the first time yesterday, actually), and a reader emailed us about BRK's gun -- so awesome to see our friend get recognized, and deservedly so. It was an excellent show, in my humble opinion, and a great way to squeeze a week's worth of WoW news into just one hour.This week, the podcast will be at a special time -- we'll be going live on Thursday at 1pm Eastern. That's a little earlier than we usually do it, but it should give our friends overseas a chance to tune in when they might not have been able to before (and if you can't make it live, don't worry, the recording will be in iTunes soon after). See you then!Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
Breakfast Topic: How would you be honored ingame?
Being honored ingame with an NPC or an item is, I think we can all agree, the height of player cool. Not that this will ever happen to me, mind you. Realistically, the only thing I expect to get from Blizzard is a letter bomb, or possibly a bloodstained horse head for going live with that article on the Death Grip bug, and perhaps I deserve it. To this day I feel kind of bad, or at least I do until I remember my guild leader's Death Knight sending a goblin NPC flying off the dock, and then I laugh and laugh, and realize that I am a terrible person who should probably be locked up somewhere. It's fun to wonder, though, and I've settled on two wishes. The first would be making my beloved main into a Thunder Bluff NPC among the Druid trainers, kitted in full Tier 6 with an Origin of Nightmares. She would be friend and counselor to all young Druids and full of unsolicited advice for them, most of it incorrect. The second, less dignified, and perhaps more realistic legacy I would leave to the game is a series of cow-shaped impact craters at the bottom of various Northrend cliffs and in Crystalsong under the Dalaran sewers' exit pipe, in tribute to the several falling deaths incurred while mindlessly jumping from heights without the benefit of Cold Weather Flying. Little signs could be posted below informing players of the sites' historical significance, although I'm not sure how Blizzard could squeeze the phrase "Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.........." onto the flavor text.On the chance that Blizzard ever decides to honor your august self ingame, what would you want honored and how?
BigRedKitty gets his own gun in Azeroth
We've already seen Blizzard developers give subtle, in-game nods to hard-working WoW community personalities. These special folks have gone an extra mile in helping us all feel like one big community. They help bring joy, fun, and some extra knowledge to help us all get a little more out of our game time, and they've gone a long way towards making our play a little smoother. For example, when well-known Resto4Life blogger Phaelia tapped out due to focus on family, Blizzard gave her a shout-out with the in-game item, Phaelia's Vestments of the Sprouting Seeds.It's been four months since our good friend Daniel "BigRedKitty" Howell announced his own break from World of Warcraft. He's been desperately missed, and his fans created a goodbye video for him in April. It's just not the same firing off a gun or notching an arrow, without the watchful eye of BRK helping us out.Blizzard has tipped their own hat to BigRedKitty with the inclusion of the BRK-1000 in patch 3.2. It even drops from the Argent Crusade Tribute Chest, though that's probably just happy circumstance. The BRK-1000 is a fairly respectable Hunter weapon and is appropriately a gun. The very best part? It smells faintly of raspberries.[Thanks to Ken for the tip!]Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!
Blogatelle signs off
One more major WoW-related blog has closed its doors. Too Many Annas, among others, notes that Blogatelle has called it quits, saying that Sean and Jess over there both feel they've come to the point where they've run out of things to say. While the blog itself is definitely a nice achievement -- it was an excellent blog centered on roleplaying (we've mentioned it before here on the site as an excellent resource for RPers) -- they will unfortunately leave a number of series behind, including the Katafray project, which followed a roleplaying Paladin up through the levels in Azeroth. As Anna says, they definitely deserve a hat tip, both for giving the RP community a solid and steady blogging voice, and for being accessible enough to bring in new RPers.This closing follows the shuttering of a few other WoW blogs lately, most famously those of BRK and Resto4Life. You might say three is a trend, sure, but on the other hand, we've seen a lot of blogs and podcasts grow as well lately. Four years in, there are going to be all kinds of people in the community, in all kinds of places regarding their interest to the game. Anyone who sees a few bloggers step away to do other things and cites it as a sign that the game is on its last legs needs to keep looking. We're sorry to lose some popular bloggers, but it sure looks from here like the community is stronger than ever.
Children's Week Child's Play auction is live
Children's Week is here, and with it this year comes our friend Brigwyn's Child's Play auction. You can look through all of the available items in his on-site catalogue, or head on over to eBay and start bidding on whatever you like. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to help Penny Arcade's very worthy Child's Play charity, which goes to help put videogames in hospitals where sick children can play with them. Brigwyn himself has experience with their work (which he's written about over on his site), so he knows just what kind of good they can do.And of course, we'll point out our own contribution to the auction page -- we've donated a free guest spot on our podcast, the WoW Insider Show. If you've ever wanted to tell me in virtual person how wrong I am, or encourage Turpster's already oversize ego, or weigh in with us during the Meat of the Show, now's your chance. With your bid there, not only are you helping children who are going through some terrible experiences, but you might also get the chance to speak your mind about World of Warcraft right alongside us on the show. Oh, and we'll poke around our WoW Insider prize closet for some other fun stuff for you, too -- maybe loot cards, a Turpster drawing, or whatever else we've got sitting around.So please bid -- on our item or any of the others. There's also some loot cards, some items from BRK and other well-known bloggers from around the community, and lots of extremely fun one-of-a-kind WoW items (Sure, this original signed art by Cadistra of WoW, Eh? is nice, but a Hooter's t-shirt? That's Epic if we ever saw it). The bids are coming in already, so please get yours in there ASAP!
BRK taking a break from World of Warcraft
Our good friend and colleague Daniel "BigRedKitty" Howell has announced on his blog that he is taking a break from World of Warcraft. He's taking time off of the game and his blog to, as he says, "rededicate myself to my family." He thanks readers for their attention and kind words, and hopes that everyone will understand his decision, as well as examine their own lives to make sure that they focus on what's most important to them.We of course wish him well -- BRK was an excellent contributor to our site and podcast, and we commend him on making the decision to do what's right for him and his family. We hope that everything turns out OK. And as many of his commenters have said, we wish him the best of luck in everything, WoW-related and otherwise.Phaelia of Resto4Life, you'll remember, also closed her blog down recently, also choosing to focus on her family (and the sapling about to grow into it). Trying to figure out a good balance between your free time and your work and family life is a tough thing -- our Azeroth Interrupted column has covered exactly that battle. And as even Blizzard says, if any other part of your life is suffering because you're choosing to play this game or be a part of this community, it's time to make a break. Raiding the wilds of Azeroth is a lot of fun, and it's possible to do it while leading a healthy life. But if that balance ever gets thrown off, it's time to take a step back and do what's right for you and those closest to you.
WoW Insider Show Episode 82: Knock it off? Get it on!
Hoo boy, what a show at our podcast on Saturday. After one of the craziest starts our show has ever had (BRK's house decided to go a little nuts right before we started), we got as professional as we could and got down to business. After answering emails (including more on why you should listen to your mother), we talked about the addon changes and how they'll affect players and developers, Blizzard's plans for a mobile authenticator, and more of the latest news out of patch 3.1. We also brainstormed new flavors for Mountain Dew, and finally, we played what everyone was waiting to hear: Turpster's new WoW Insider song.Yes, because our fans were kind enough to get 4,000 people to join in on our Facebook page, we recorded that abomination of hilarity. You can download it as an mp3 right here, for use in remixes or machinima or whatever you want to do with it, and I've posted the lyrics and liner notes after the break. Enjoy.And don't forget we're currently in a campaign for OVER 9000 Twitter followers. Join up to Twitter and follow us, and please tell your guilds and friends to do the same -- if we can meet our goal there, we'll do a live video version of the podcast that you'll be able to see right here on the site. Enjoy the show as always, and we'll see you next week.Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
WoW Insider Show live this afternoon
Gonna be a big show this week on the podcast -- as far as I know (and I could be wrong, but we'll see), the brand new Turpster song is ready to play on the air. It's called "WoW Insider," and from what I've seen so far, it'll be worth the wait. There still could be a few slowdowns, but I have a feeling that this is it. Tune in this afternoon at 3:30pm to hear the song live, and come on back on Monday morning to get it as an mp3 download.Plus of course we'll have the podcast as usual -- BRK will be on this week along with Turpster and I, and we'll be talking about all the most popular stories of the past week, including the news of the Mobile Authenticator, what's up with the addon changes last night (and why addon makers are so unhappy), and we'll talk about all the latest news with patch 3.1. And of course we'll answer your emails as well -- if you want to send something in right now, feel free to throw it along to theshow@wow.com.Should be a good time as usual. The show starts today at 3:30pm Eastern over on our Ustream page, or you can just come right back here (there's also a feed in the second half of this post. See you there.
Spirit Beast pull toy available from BRK
Big Red Kitty may have just created the most ideal training tool for up-and-coming Hunters within an age range of "walking" to "why do you still play with toys?" If you've yearned for the elusive Spirit Beast from Sholazar, you can now own one yourself with this unique Spirit Beast pull toy. I have to admit, I didn't expect to ever see this. Now that I do, it's totally cool, and I wish I'd thought of it myself.You can order one of the "SBPTs" to either include the wheels, or leave the wheels off. Of course, without the wheels, it's not much of a pull toy, but I don't think anyone will judge your choices. Wheel-less, the silhouette would probably look good mounted.If you get the wheeled-and-ready-for-rolling version, the Spirit Beast is about 4 inches tall and 9 inches long. It's only about 40 bucks from his store. These are only available to be ordered through this upcoming weekend (March 14th). You should probably hurry if you want one.While I don't foresee myself rocking one of these in my workplace, I have a certain nephew who should expect one for Christmas. I don't know if Mr. Kitty is signing these pieces, but maybe that can happen if I ask real nicely. For my nephew, you see. He's a fan.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Your nerf stick
This week, the Funnies are back on a Sunday that is actually a Sunday, and not a fake Sunday. While I do enjoy pretending, I figured I should probably keep it simple. The weeks where "morning" seems to mean "afternoon" are tricky enough! It seems that Cru the Dwarf needs to hurry. I hate being asked for heals. What do people think I'm doing other than staring at their bars, anyway? Still, healers shouldn't really walk away in the middle of a raid without saying they'll brb. Experience Points. Blood Elves sometimes get a little carried away when it comes to power (or hair). This week on Flintlocke vs. the Horde, the main "belf" gets a taste of it. I don't think she listens well either, what with all of that rage. Luckily, in the end, she gets a new hair accessory! Flintlocke vs. the Horde. Caught any coins lately? GU Comics: The Ruse. Check out the latest from LFG. Manic Graffiti will be undergoing some changes. NoObz illustrates how Youth has changed over the years. Unlike last week, when Ding! simply had not updated (perfectly preferable to the previous week), this week, there is indeed a comic. This was (is?) one of my favorites, so I'm hoping that it picks up again. If you really want to look, don't say I didn't warn you, while trying not to be blunt and trollish. Put Down Your Nerf Stick! says Teh Gladiators. Oh noes, Disgraph has not been updated! Nor was Dark Legacy Comics, come to think of it. The Scout Report also seems to be sans update, and its navigation bar is still a bit wonky. World of Warcraft, eh, also did not deliver on the promised sexy filler art. I'm not criticizing, I'm just QQ'ing. There's a difference. Clearly, our fave comic artists should always be around to entertain us for free. It's a thin list. What's a gal to do? Improvise! Check out a discussion about fun WoW pranks. BRK always has something hilarious in a pinch! Adam has a new 'Silent Bob' approach to raiding. Ghostcrawler made an unintentional funny! Well I laughed, anyway. In case it gets hit with an editing bat, the beginning of this particular blue response was, "From our POV, we assume you have Rel@%#%@hment just like we assume you have a tank."
Patrick and Shawn from How I WoW on the WoW Insider Show this weekend
Both Turpster and I have now appeared on Patrick Beja and Shawn Coons' great How I WoW podcast, so we figured it was only right that we return the favor: on this weekend's WoW Insider Show, we're going to welcome both of them on to tell us how they WoW, as well as talk about the biggest stories in Warcraft for the past week, including what's up with the Lunar Festival, the bugfix patch for the bugfix patch, how best to manage your groups, and what kinds of peripherals we like to use best. And of course as usual, we'll be answering your emails and chatting live with listeners during the show. It all starts up at 3:30pm Eastern tomorrow (and if you're a regular listener, you know I usually come on early to play some music, and we usually stay a little late for the aftershow) over on the Ustream page, or right here on this post -- there's a live feed embedded after the break.It should be a great show, and I personally hope to finally find out just who won the How I WoW episode battle between Turpster and I -- last we checked, Turpster actually had more listens, but my episode of their show had been out for a much shorter time and was rising in listens fast. Tune in tomorrow to find out if I finally beat him or not.
WoW Insider Show live tomorrow on Ustream at 3:30pm EST
(Or 20:30 GMT, or whatever time it is then where you are. We live in a global society people, it's not that hard!) Yes, our world famous podcast returns to the airwaves tomorrow, as Turpster, BRK and I will be on the Ustream channel (we've also embedded right on this post, so you can just come right back here) talking about all of the most popular stories in the last week of Warcraft. We'll definitely bring up patch 3.0.8, and talk about the Lunar Festival (which also starts tomorrow). And of course we'll answer your emails and chat live with everyone during the show and the aftershow.Don't forget, too, that we're still trying to round up some more fans on Facebook -- we've just recently topped the 3,000 mark, which means we're on the home stretch to 4,000, where Turpster says he will create a brand new song for us to play on the WoW Insider Show. So get your Facebook profile on there (or create one if you haven't yet, and then sign on as a fan), and tell your friends and guilds to get over there and become a fan of ours.The show starts up tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm Eastern, and I usually come on a little bit before then to chat with whoever shows up and play some tunes. Should be fun -- see you then.
WRUP: We love Food Network edition
Or, perhaps, we'd love to slaughter the Food Network. In World of Warcraft, of course. This week when I asked what everyone was up to, Daniel Howell (whom you may also know as BigRedKitty) graced us with one of his infamous top ten lists:BRK's Top Ten Things to Do in WoW This Weekend 10. Install IE 6 on a 80386 PC so I too can complain about the menus on WoW Insider. 9. Claim I'm raising money for a very reputable charity, then /ninja everything and boogie to Monte Carlos. 8. Show up buzzed to the maxx from Jolt Cola for the WoW Insider podcast, then fake a French accent and ridicule England until Turpster explodes in a profanity-laced tirade. 7. Write an interview with the farmer who leveled Mike's hunter. "You should see his bags, BRK! Nothing but flowers, rum, and non-combat cat-pets. My boss said, 'Level that toon, but then delete it from our database. Eww.'" 6. Do a video reminiscent of "The Super Fans" from SNL, but all of us are hunters. "Daaaaaa huntahs!"More silliness and WRUP for the rest of the team after the break!
WoW Insider Show live this afternoon on Ustream
Yes, our weekly podcast is going live again today, and it should be a great show: BRK is returning to us again (though I promise there won't be nearly as much Hunter talk in the show this week), and our own Amanda Dean will join us on the virtual airwaves. We'll be talking about Winter's Veil, how to take down Loken, good deals gone bad, Blizzard's new ads, and everything else that happened in the World of Warcraft this past week.And as usual we'll be chatting live and answering your emails -- you can send us questions, comments, insights or insanity at theshow@wow.com, and if you send something right now you might even hear it on the show today. It all starts at 3:30pm Eastern over on our Ustream page, or I've embedded the feed right here on this post after the break. And as usual, we'll have a quick aftershow right after we turn off the recording, so if you tune in live, that's about 10% more show to listen to (and that's when we say all the fun stuff).See you this afternoon, and hope you enjoy the show.
WoW Insider Show live tomorrow afternoon
Our podcast is back on the virtual airwaves (and by that we mean our Ustream page) tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm Eastern, and we have the man himself, BRK, back on to talk about the biggest story of the past week: the Great Hunter Nerf of 2008. Turpster is also on with us, and we'll make sure to talk about more than Hunters -- there's news about dual specs, achievements and the rewards that come with them, and of course all of the class changes to cover.Plus, we'll be chatting live and answering emails as usual -- you can send us a note right now at theshow@wow.com. The show goes live at 3:30pm Eastern (here's a time zone converter), but I'm usually on a little while before that, playing some music and chatting with people about what's new in the World of Warcraft, so if you want to come by a little early, feel free. And if you can stay late, do that, too: the aftershow seems to get better and better every week.And of course we've placed the stream right on this post after the break again, so click the link below to head on down and meet some other listeners in the chat. See you tomorrow for the live show!
The great hunter nerf of 2008
I quote Ghostcrawler: "Hunters of all specs, and particularly Beastmaster, are doing too much damage in PvE."At this point you can stop reading if you're a Hunter and just assume the worst. But if you want to see how you're getting nerfed to the ground, read on.The rationale behind the changes is that Blizzard has been doing a lot of internal testing, along with the beta of WotLK, and has determined the other classes have not been able to keep up with the Hunter DPS output.The list of nerfs is wide ranging. Volley nerfed by 30%. Steady Shot now gains 10% of Attack Power instead of 20%. Kindred Spirits has been nerfed by 25%. Readiness no longer affects the cooldown of Bestial Wrath.The list of changes is not exhaustive. Ghostcrawler makes a point to say that these are just the ones they feel are ready for testing. He hopes to see them up on the PTR before they go live.The full 14 point list of changes after the break.
Wrath of the Lich King: Hunter roundup
So, Wrath of the Lich King is here, and it is awesome. We here at WoW Insider want to make sure you have all the tools you need to oil your guns, string your bows, and feed your pets. Let's take a moment and review all the basic sources of information you can use to help propel your level 70 Hunter into Northrend, on to level 80, and then on to greatness! GENERAL TIPS
