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Breakfast Topic: Your favorite city
Easy one today: what's your favorite city in the World of Warcraft? Even though I'm Horde through and through, I have to say I really love Darnassus. It was the first "big city" I encountered in the game, and at the time I didn't even know places like Stormwind, Orgrimmar, and Ironforge existed. It's fairly simple to navigate, and the huge buildings and floaty forest atmosphere-- especially the Temple of Elune-- make the whole place uniquely magical. It's a shame that it's off the beaten path, because it really is a great city.And while I know it's probably the first city a lot of people think of, Shattrath is a cool city, too. I don't think it's actually my favorite city, but on the first night I ever played Burning Crusade, I remember cresting the hill from Zangarmarsh, seeing that big pillar of light coming out of the center of Shattrath, and realizing I was finally playing something new in WoW. I can only hope that seeing Dalaran in Northrend lives up to the experience.And by city, I don't just mean huge metropolis, either-- I really like Sun Rock Retreat, and visiting Freewind Post at the top of Thousand Needles is always fun, too (in fact, Thunder Bluff is great for that sense of height as well). So where's your favorite settlement in the whole world (of Warcraft)?
Around Azeroth: Our first trip to Ironforge
Reader Christopher has recently started playing on an RP server, and is commemorating big moments for his character by the use of screenshots. Here, he's snapped a photo of his character's first time to Ironforge, with both his Dwarf and his pet Panda mimiking the the massive Dwarf statue in the background. Never having been much of a roleplayer myself, I have to wonder -- do many of you keep photo galleries of this nature? Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Keeping the Military Ward safe after dark
It's not often that a single screenshot can tell a story, but the composition of this shot, sent in by reader Armature, certainly suggests one. (Though you may argue that the story being told here involves Gnomes and barbecue.) And for the Horde in the audience who don't recognize the setting, this is the Ironforge Military Ward, and Armature has positioned himself in a high-up place I hadn't realized it was possible to get to.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: A visit to the Ironforge airstrip
While we've seen the airstrip over Ironforge before, reader Lfnotter sent in this shot with the thought that it was appropriate considering the rumors of flying machines for engineers in the expansion. Will we one day be constructing our own devices just like these? Will the Iong-closed Ironforge airstrip be opened to visiting engineers? We're all going to have to wait and see...!Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Ironforge in the distance
Ironforge is one of the first sights we see in the game's opening cinematic and if you play Alliance, the bustling city is your home outside of Outland. So why are we taking a second glance at such a common location? Well, common or not, the city itself, nestled back in the mountain, is an impressive sight, and it's not often enough that we get to see it from such a nice perspective -- courtesy of the Mage Cestunpiege on Dalvengyr, whom, I imagine, spent many hours climbing mountains and making slowfall jumps to get just the right perspective.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Gnome party! (By invitation only)
Hululu of Zealot Blade sends in this shot of Gnomes in their natural environment (Ironforge, of course), throwing an exclusive, Gnomes-only celebration. The Gnomes are odd, poorly understood creatures, and the reasons for their celebrations remain unknown even to Azeroth's most learned -- after all, who, passing such a gathering, could possibly resist a little Gnome punting fun?Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
WoW Moviewatch: How the spammers did it
We covered the story of the dead goldspam gnomes in Ironforge the other day, but now, direct from Alice (complete with Benny Hill accompaniment), here's video footage of exactly how it was done. How incredibly strange.As far as anyone can figure out, they created these gnomes using a bot, and then used a client-side teleport hack to put them in exactly the right place above the Ironforge floor. They also had to kill them somehow of course, but who knows how that was done. Did they send newly created gnomes out to the trolls in the lowbie area (because most starter mobs are actually neutral, so won't attack normally), and then wait until right as they died to teleport them away? If you went to the starting area while this was happening, would you see little gnomes disappearing? As I said: how extremely strange.Update: You commenters are so smart-- that's why we keep you around. Jesse and hookkick80 instantly recognized that they probably die from the fall damage after the teleport.
Around Azeroth: Anyone want a free summon to Ironforge?
Reader Quogar from Blackwing Lair says that one of his guild-mates was offering free summons to Ironforge one evening. When accepting the summon, here's where Quogar wound up. And, trust me, this is probably the least dangerous place you'll wind up when someone freely offers to summon you to any location. Warlocks can be very devious, and might summon you off cliffs, far underwater, or even into lava. This is my public service announcement for the day: be wary of freely offered summons, because you never know where they'll end up. Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
WoW Moviewatch: Magni Bronzebeard
I admit, in the unending fight between ninjas and pirates, I'm on the side of the pirates. And perhaps that's why I always enjoy the PvP videos coming out from the horde guild Los Banditos Locos of Barthilas realm, who seem to do all of their PvP while pirating it up. Here we see them taking out King Magni Bronzebeard, Lord of Ironforge (for a high rez video, check here). With Bronzebeard down, Los Banditos Locos have now taken out all Alliance bosses -- all while dressed in appropriately stylish fashion! So what's next for the guild? We'll have to wait and see.Previously on Moviewatch...[Thanks, Jymreaper]
Around Azeroth: The many cogs of Azeroth
Reader Zhyane of House of Marama on Medivh sends in this screenshot highlighting all of "the little cogs of the game are working and how insignificant what the player base wants is." And, admittedly, looking down on the Tinker Town section of Ironforge makes me feel awfully small. (A player could easily get crushed in those giant gears -- and for my part, I'd blame the gnomes.)Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: They can fly!
I suppose I've never paid much attention to the Military Ward of Ironforge -- well, beyond idling while waiting on battleground queues. So this shot sent in by reader Tom of one of the little Gnomish airplanes launching really impresses me. But perhaps I'm the only one who's never explored this little corner of Ironforge...Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: One giant leap for draenei-kind
Reader Stolie sent in a series of shots from the airfield above Ironforge and the highest peak in Dun Morogh, taken from a draenei's perspective. Does this make Stolie the first draenei to climb this peak? It's impossible to say for certain (I received this shot on February 7th, in case you were wondering), but you can find more pictures of Stolie's journey on Flickr.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
WoW Moviewatch: The moat of Lagforge
If you've never played alliance side, you probably won't understand where this video is coming from, but I'll try to explain. Along the outer ring of Ironforge, near the city's entrance is a deep pit. (Fortunately, Blizzard was merciful enough to provide a grating at the bottom, instead of having the pit end in the pool of molten lava below.) I'm sure such a pit, with bridges across it in places, is a key point of the city's defenses, but when running through the center of a heavily populated Ironforge (imagine the pre-BC crowds that would congregate here) having a giant pit separating the bank and mailbox from the auction house is just incredibly inconvenient for the casual shopper, who would often find him or herself lagged straight to the bottom of the pit. Sigh!Previously on Moviewatch...
Service with a smile in the Bank and AH
Datto asks an awesome question: which banker do you use? Do you have a loyalty to a specific banker, or do you just always hit up the closest one? Whenever I think of banking, I think of Orgrimmar, and walking a few steps in and to the left to see my man Karus (at least I think it's Karus-- is it wrong of me to never get to know the teller all the times I've visited him?).It's not that I won't bank elsewhere-- when in Undercity, I often visit the Montagues, and if I happen to be in TB, I'll go to them (although, truth be told, I can't ever really remember visiting the bank in TB). On Alliance side, I don't have a specific banker that I go to, but I do like the Stormwind Bank-- it seems so much cleaner than Ironforge's bank. IF seems like a dirty pawn shop to me. Plus, Stormwind's bankers are named "Olivia," "Newton," and "John," so there's that.The same could be asked about auctioneers, and again, on Horde I do about 80% of my AH shopping in Orgrimmar, all with the guy on the left (and I have no idea at all what his name is). There is something to be said, as a few players note, for simply going to the auctioneer that's the least busy-- it's nicer not to have to fight the lines to get a click in. And on Alliance side, there is none other: all of my auctioneer business goes through the lovely Redmuse in Ironforge. She's been running my auctions for me ever since the beginning, and I've seen no reason to change. Every once in a while, IF will run laggy, and I'll be a little irked that she's taking so long to get my auction up, but one look in those eyes and that red hair, and everything's OK again.
Around Azeroth: People standing in line
Reader Parasol of Eitrigg sends in this shot of what appears to be a line of people through the heart of Ironforge. He offers only two words of explanation, "Kissing booth." I'm not sure I want to know any more than that...Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Inside Deeprun Tram
Gate from Shadow Council sends in this gorgeous shot of the underwater tram that transports players from Ironforge to Stormwind City. Not that I recall the ride looking quite this colorful from inside the tunnel...Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part.See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: It's lonely at the top...
...of Ironforge. Valens of the guild We Know on Eitrigg sends in this shot of a beautiful, clear night atop the highest peaks above Ironforge. A lonely spot indeed, with only a marker flag, some assorted supplies, and a few bones to keep you company.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part.See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Countdown to Burning Crusade: Tale of Two Cities, Orgrimmar winner
We have the winning Orgrimmar screenshot from the Tale of Two Cities contest -- Nick Slabaugh sent the above shot of the moon over the city. Grats to Nick, who wins a Horde crest t-shirt in his choice of size. Check out the Ironforge winner, and click on for the Orgrimmar runner-up. Thanks to everyone who sent in your shots!
Countdown to Burning Crusade: Tale of Two Cities, Ironforge winner
We still have several prizes left to give away from our Countdown to Burning Crusade, including our grand prizes. The entry deadlines have passed and we've been vigorously debating painstankingly reviewing losing sleep over oh, who are we kidding -- we've been playing too much freaking Warcraft! There's only so much contest judging you can do whilst alt-tabbed. But without further ado, we're happy to announce the winner of the Alliance portion of the Tale of Two Cities contest, in which we asked you to send your best screenshots of Ironforge and Orgrimmar -- Daniel McMahon sent the above "Lonely Ironforge" shot, taken on Blade's Edge, subtitled "Once a thriving metropolis, the city of Ironforge lies empty as warriors flock to the Outlands seeking new adventures." Grats to Daniel, who wins an Alliance crest t-shirt. Check after the break for the runners up, and stay tuned for the Horde winner check out the Horde winner.
Countdown to Burning Crusade: Day 10
Don't forget that the day 10 Countdown to BC contest was actually announced on Monday -- you have until 3pm EST today to send us your Caverns of Time screenshot at countdowntobc AT wowinsider DOT com with "Caverns of Time" in the email subject. The contributor of the best shot will receive a 60-day pre-paid time card. A couple of other reminders: you have until 3pm EST Thursday, January 11 to send us your best screenie of either Ironforge or Orgrimmar for the "Tale of Two Cities" contest -- the Ironforge winner will take home an Alliance crest t-shirt while the Orgrimmar winner will snag a Horde crest tee. And of course, you still have some time to get your entries in for our lyrics, fan art and machinima grand prize contests!
