what-a-long-strange-trip-its-been
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Cooking for the holidays
Artwair complains over on the forums that there is cooking required for the What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been achievement (that some of you have done -- grats! -- and others of you are deciding to do in the next year), saying that something as significant as leveling up Cooking all the way shouldn't be required for what is basically an optional achievement. But Kisirani replies with as good an answer as you'll find: the achievement is designed to send you all over the world, including to some professions and abilities that you wouldn't be leveling otherwise. Especially because the achievement is optional, it's not out-of-place to ask for some cooking to happen. And I'll add that cooking is worth leveling anyway -- not only does it get you some nice buffs, let you use up some of the trash collecting in you bags, and hook up your guild or raid with some excellent items, but it's pretty easy to do, especially if you do it with fishing (which is also very useful by itself).While she's at it, Kisirani also provides a nice tease at Pilgrim's Bounty, which isn't a part of the big meta-achievement anyway, but will have some extra recipes to find and cook, as well as a new Thanksgiving-style celebration (two words: "Turkey shooter"). Can't wait to see it.
The Queue: Roasting a pig on a MacBook Pro
Welcome to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Allison Robert is your hostess today.Random article picture is random. Today, we field questions on account transfers, how to keep a Mac cool, why the blood elves are in the Horde, and whether What A Long, Strange Trip will be BoA!Endless asks...Regarding the namechange... what about transferring your char from one account to other? Does that remove you from friendlists?Yep. Moving a character between accounts will remove you from other players' friends lists, and it'll also unguild you. One of our guildies switched his main between his two accounts this past week and we wound up having to reguild him.
Breakfast Topic: Violet relief
Some of you might have already gotten your Violet Proto-Drakes, a long, strange trip that spans one full year of playing World of Warcraft. Some persistent and conscientious players have already gotten their Brewmaster title along with the meta-Achievement, and I'm pretty sure it must feel pretty good. There's no more pressure to do all the holiday achievements now, is there? It's time to kick back and chillax.For those of you who've completed the meta-Achievement, how do you feel? Does it feel good to ride around on that 310% mount? Are you among the first on your server to sport that dragonfruit-hued mount? What are you looking forward to in terms of World of Warcraft holidays now, considering you no longer have to chase after achievements? Are you excited for the new holidays and are you psyched to complete those Achievements, too, even though they're not required for the Violet Proto-Drake? Share your thoughts this morning. As for those who haven't gotten theirs, what else do you need to complete the meta?
Breakfast Topic: It's Brewfest Time
Good Morning, and welcome to Brewfest, everyone! All aspiring Brewmasters, brush off your Ram riding skills and prepare for some fun. If you need a refresher on how to race those Rams, check out our Ram racing tips from last year. This will be one of your main sources of tokens, so you'll want to make sure you're good at it. For a quick rundown of how to get each achievement, you can read up on our Overachiever's guide to the 2009 Brewfest.
The OverAchiever: Guide to Brewfest 2009 achievements
Officially-sanctioned drunkenness ahoy! The Brewfest boss Coren Direbrew has been updated for level 80 players and we'll see the return of the wolpertinger quest, but apart from that, the beloved holiday is back in all its judgment-impairing glory. Read on for a complete guide to the Brewfest achievements and getting the Brewmaster title. As with most of Azeroth's holidays, successful completion of the holiday meta is required for What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been, and many players will be getting their violet proto-drakes immediately after completing Brewfest 2009. Myself? All that stands between me and my giant purple drake is School of Hard Knocks. I didn't think I could hate anything in the game as much as I hated the old Tauren cat form, but I may possibly have been incorrect. Oh well. Two days into the holiday and my main will be too sloshed to care.Brew of the MonthIts former incarnation involved drinking each of the 12 brews mailed to your character over the course of the year, but after much hue and cry, was changed to its significantly more forgiving current form. I would just like to state for the record that around this time last year I wrote a thoroughly detailed and explicit article on why you needed to join the freaking club early in order to get the meta-achievement, but apparently not everyone was paying attention. Honestly, people.Joining the Brew of the Month Club will run you 200 Brewfest tokens for the membership form and a trip to Orgrimmar or Ironforge to turn the membership in to Ray'ma or Larkin Thunderbrew respectively. Turn it in, and you're all set.
The Queue: I'm back. It's me, DP.
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Today I am pleased to announce something even bigger than a new WoW expansion. In fact, it has nothing to do with WoW at all, but it's still something every single person reading this blog will want to know about. It's something that will bring excitement to all of our lives. Our inner children will burst forth in joy at this announcement. This is something that's 17 years in the making, folks. That's probably longer than some of you have been alive.Yes, that's right. Don't Copy That Floppy is getting a sequel. Naix asked..."Will we ever see each faction get their own special class again like the Paladin and Shaman?"
The Queue: Full of it
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Since today's first question in Maelstrom-themed, we've decided today's edition of The Queue was a good time to link the supposed leaked trailer of the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, to be announced at BlizzCon '09. We haven't embedded the video to try and dodge waking up to a DMCA tomorrow, so just check it out on YouTube. We'll let Google deal with the mess, eh?Revan asked... "What instances would you suggest for a Maelstrom expansion?" All of the things you suggested yesterday would work pretty well. Nazjatar and the Tomb of Sargeras would definitely be raid zones in a future expansion. I suspect we would also have a hella fun time in The Eye of the Maelstrom, which is the center of the whole storm there. Maybe we'd even visit Mak'aru, which is where all the gross crab people live. It probably wouldn't be a raid, but I could see a 5-man there. That is, if we don't ally with the gross crabfolk. Did I mention they're gross? Gross. I'd also lay down money that we'll get an Onyxia/Gruul/Malygos-style raid with a sea monster of some sort. The Lurker Below v2.0, now with eye lasers?
Fix for the Midsummer Fire Festival being rolled out
Bornakk has just announced that they're currently rolling out a fix to our Midsummer woes that will reset all of the associated Midsummer quests. If you've been following along so far this holiday, it turned out that if you did all of your fire honoring/desecrating last year, you wouldn't be able to do it again this year. That meant you weren't able to get enough Burning Blossoms to purchase what you needed for the various achievements.We expected a fix from the beginning, and we're all glad to see it happen. It didn't take them long to do it, and that's a huge plus. The more time we have to get the Flame Keeper/Warden achievements done, the better.
The Midsummer Fire Festival has begun
The Midsummer Fire Festival should now be live on almost all North American realms. If it isn't, it will be shortly! Not much has changed since last year, beyond the addition of the achievements.Speaking of achievements, while we have our guide to the Achievements of Midsummer, you might not be able to make a significant dent in them today if you made rounds with the flames last year. None of the quests seem to have reset from last year, so getting your hands on the holiday currency to buy the items you need is going to be difficult, to say the least. By difficult, I may or may not mean borderline impossible.I don't expect this to be a permanent issue, we'll probably see a hotfix sometime in the near future since the problem is already being checked out. Of course, that's assuming the issue is something that can be hotfixed. If not, I don't doubt we'll see a fix of another flavor down the road. I don't foresee Blizzard keeping What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been out of players' hands because of something like this. In the meantime, at least you can still take a crack at Lord Ahune.%Gallery-25803%
Breakfast Topic: So much for Children's Week
So, Children's Week came and went, and for the most part I think it went by largely unnoticed. Aside from the first few days where Battlegrounds were overrun with orphans -- a truly disturbing thought if you stop to think about it -- most people pretty much completed the Children's Week meta-Achievement on the first day. In theory, this was one of those holidays that had the potential to screw players over with Daily Chores, which required players to complete a daily quest every day for five consecutive days. That would've meant that anyone unable to log on for 24 hours would have to wait until the next year to complete the Achievement. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), the Achievement bugged out and players were able to complete it in one day.Admittedly, as much as I disliked the design principle of the School of Hard Knocks -- I still think it didn't give a good impression of the Battlegrounds to new players -- a lot of people got the Achievement within a day or two. By mid-week, it was back to normal again. Which meant that in my Battlegroup, Horde weren't playing Alterac Valley again. If there was anything good about the School of Hard Knocks, virtually every Battleground started with even numbers every time. Never mind that most of them were recklessly endangering their wards and couldn't care less about winning, but even numbers are always a good start! Anyway, how did Children's Week go for you guys? Did you get everything you wanted? Pets? Items? Did you complete the Achievement? Was it difficult, easy, or not even worth bothering with? Share your thoughts on what is arguably the most lackluster yearly event yet. I mean, where were the orphans in Northrend? Surely it wouldn't have been too hard to make quests for little Wolvar or maybe Frenzyheart and Oracle children, would it? Maybe next year?
Noblegarden FAQ
UPDATE: This guide has been revised for Noblegarden 2010. Noblegarden 2009 should be going live on the European realms in a few hours and then start popping up on realms elsewhere over the next day. Because so much of the holiday has changed and we've fielded a lot of questions from players about what's going on, we decided to write up a quick FAQ to the new (and vastly improved!) holiday. Help! Where do I go to get started? If you're Alliance, head to Azure Watch, Dolanaar, Goldshire, or Kharanos. If you're Horde, head to Bloodhoof Village, Brill, Falconwing Square, or Razor Hill. What am I supposed to do when I get there? There will be questgivers in all of these towns who will give you a new daily, The Great Egg Hunt, and A Tisket, a Tasket, a Noblegarden Basket. The former will reward you with an item that will come in handy for an achievement (more on this in a little bit), but for both you're going to want to get started hunting down eggs in and around these level-5 towns. Once you've finished these quests, in order to get Noblegarden achievements done, you're going to need to be a dedicated egg hunter for a little while. What do the Brightly Colored Eggs look like? See the egg in the article's picture above? They're all variations on these colors and patterns and not generally tough to spot (although they are considerably smaller than the perspective in the picture makes them appear).
Noblegarden tentatively rescheduled for April 26th
All of you achievement fiends better be prepared for the end of April through early May. It was reported earlier that Noblegarden was being delayed until patch 3.1 was ready, and we have a new date for it according to the latest PTR build. While it could change again, the current date listed for the holiday is April 26th and it will last until May 2nd. I warn you to be prepared because Children's Week begins (May 1st) before Noblegarden even ends (May 2nd), so you're going to be working on two sets of holiday achievements at the same time for that brief overlap period. Since Noblegarden's achievements are a part of What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been now, you'll have your work cut out for you for those two weeks.Make sure you don't get too desperate, though. You could get yourself into some pretty serious trouble. Remember that the gals need to be 18 (levels) to Shake Their Bunny Maker for you. Also, I used that picture of the Paladin in a pink dress again because that guy is a friend of mine and I love making him cry.
Noblegarden delayed
As we suspected might happen when we learned that Noblegarden was removed from the in-game calendar, the Easter-themed holiday has been delayed. CMs are quick to note that it will be implemented "at a future date," but it won't be going live on April 12 as usual. We were warned that this might happen, so it isn't a huge surprise. The likely reason for the delay is that patch 3.1 won't be ready in time, or at least that Blizzard isn't sure it will be - it would have to ship next Tuesday, April 7, to make it. 3.1 is a massive patch and I'm sure they don't want to rush it. Nethaera did mention in a reply that they are "still doing a little bug dance and squishing a few more before we decide [the patch is] ready to have its coming out party," which may imply that all that's left before the patch is ready is debugging. On the other hand, debugging can take a very long time, so we can't conclude too much from that. Whenever it does come out (probably sometime this month), we will be enjoying a new, expanded Noblegarden. It's going for one week (previously, it was just a single day), and there will be additional content for us to experience, as well as presumably a title (since it'll be part of What a Long, Strange Trip, everyone's favorite holiday meta-achievement).
The Queue: Vanilla Coke edition
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Hey, everybody! How's your Friday afternoon so far? Mine is full of rain and Vanilla Coke. Mmm. Delicious Vanilla Coke. You know, I'm definitely a Mountain Dew man, and Voltage is my lifeblood, but some days you just want something else. I couldn't drink Vanilla Coke every day, but cracking one open now and then? Caffeinated heaven.* Now, if I can just find my dentures, I'll start answering your questions...Hellscreamy asked... A few days ago I read in one of the posts that Noblegarden would be getting new achievements, items and events. Is there any indication at the moment (PTR or otherwise) that this will count towards the 'What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been' achievement?
The Queue: Missing out
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Before we get started today, I just wanted to take a moment and mention that I'm working on a Special Edition (super special!) of The Queue focusing on Dual Specs. It won't interrupt our regular daily doses of The Queue, it'll come seperately. It might take me awhile to piece it together because people have asked a lot of Dual Spec questions, but it's coming! Slowly but surely.jam asked...What happened to the new instance that was supposed to be in Un'Goro crater, accessible only by through the Waygate in Sholazar Basin?
Breakfast Topic: Pride in your Achievements
The current Achievement system is extensive, and growing. While many seem to exist just to give you a small pat on the back, others push you into new content, silly stunts, and wacky doings. Which achievement gives you the most pride? There's a lively discussion on the forums about the matter, and we'd like to continue it here. It seems like a simple question, but when I began pondering my answer, I wasn't sure what to choose. I'm proud that I have completed every meta achievement leading up to What a Long Strange Trip it's Been, so far this year. I'm not sure if that should count yet, considering there are still plenty of chances to fumble the whole thing. I believe that I will settle on Twilight Assist. Sarth with a drake or more up is definitely the hardest content currently in the game. Although we haven't managed two or three, I belong to a small, tight-knit raiding guild that started from the ground up. None of our players are recruited from elite guilds, and we don't have 25-man gear. Getting this achievement was an awesome feeling.So I ask again, of which achievement are you most proud, and why is that the case? Was it the most fun or challenging? Was it because of a reward or title?
You may be a Love Fool after all
If you played WoW at all during the Love is in the Air holiday event that ran in early February, then you surely heard the moaning about the meta achievement, Fool For Love, which grants the title, Love Fool. Whether you wanted to celebrate this month or not, anyone seeking to complete their long and strange trip and acquire the coveted Violet Proto-Drake, had to be a Fool For Love.One of the requirements was to complete the achievement, Be Mine, which had players running back to old world capital cities, dousing themselves in smelly concoctions, and begging the guards and citizens not to break their hearts. This gave us one chance per hour at obtaining the elusive Bag of Candies that would allow players ten chances to create, ideally, eight unique candies. The drop rate for the bag was so poor and the holiday so short that people begged Blizzard to improve their chances. While the drop rate for the bag was increased at the last minute, many people who put in a superb effort still did not acquire their title. Blizzard has since crunched the numbers, and some great news was handed down by Zarhym that should put everyone's mind at rest. While the Be Mine achievement is not being removed as a requirement for completion of the meta achievement, instead of needing all eight candies, you will only need to have obtained six!Not only that, but you won't have to wait until next year. As of patch 3.1, all you will need to do is login to be granted your achievement, as well as your title, as long as you had made at least six unique candies. Many players would still like to see that particular achievement removed from the meta entirely, but Blizzard stands firm that the point of What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been and its reward is to be something that only a dedicated few will earn each year. They aren't about to make it too easy.If you missed this requirement, will you be getting your title on patch day, or are you still feeling disgruntled?
Breakfast Topic: Who do you adore?
So as Love is in the Air winds down, hopefully those of us who care have managed to get another title and/or all the candy, dresses, and perma-peddles we could wish for. Some of us, though, I still going through that hourly ritual of finding someone to love. For me, when it's time to hand out the cards, I head over to Stormwind. Once there, I either look for Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth or Elsharin, the High Elf Mage trainer. I like to think that I have a special relationship with both girls. Jes-tereth was always there by my side when I spent those long hours queueing for PvP, and among my group of friends, we always agreed she was one of the hottest women in all of WoW. Maybe I just like a girl in uniform. As for Elsharin, I'm a pretty big High Elf fan, so seeing that there's still High Elves loyal to the Alliance is nice, plus she's always there to greet me whenever I teleport to Stormwind, so I think I owe her something in return. What about you? Do you just shove a token into the hands of the first NPC who thinks you smell nice, or do you have your own go-to people for your adoration needs?
Love is in the Air begins tomorrow
Love is in the Air everywhere I look around.Love is in the Air every sight and every sound.And I don't know if I'm being foolish, don't know if I'm being wise. But it's something I must believe in, and it's there when I look in your eyes.Tomorrow will mark the start of the Love is in the Air season event. Theoretically, from past events, it should start around 4:00 a.m. sever time. But whether or not that ends up being true, you'll have to check for yourself.You'll need to get finish the achievement Fool for Love in order to get the ultimate seasonal achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been. The thing is... you only have a few days to get Fool For Love, so hurry up. The seasonal event ends early next Monday morning.Ideally you'll want to set aside some time tomorrow night; you don't want to be waiting until Saturday evening to do this. Unless, you know, you and your significant other are into that sort of thing. (I'm talking about playing WoW together. Jeeze... get your mind out of the gutter. You don't think I'm just going to sit here and make gratuitous Valentine's Day jokes for the rest of the week, do you?)So what are you waiting for?"AFK honey, need to become a fool for love." %Gallery-15723%
Breakfast Topic: Remember your elders
Love is almost in the air, but the Lunar Festival isn't over yet. Have you gotten your Elder title yet? The Lunar Festival is technically the first world event of the year, although I'm pretty sure some of you already have your Hallowed and Merrymaker titles. Some of us got a head start on this latest event, like myself. I found out I'd completed the continents when I did them last year, when I hoarded Festival Dumplings. This made it considerably easier for me to complete this Achievement.Don't forget that the event is about to end, so if you plan on going after that nice mount, you're going to have to complete this Achievement because at 6am server time this Thursday. I always wished that the Outlands had this, too, but I guess alien continents don't celebrate Chinese New Year the Lunar Fesitval. Have you completed the Achievement? Did you even bother? Some of you probably even finished it on multiple characters. Anything interesting happen this year? What did you buy with your coins? I certainly had fun getting the Elders of the Alliance. I'm sure Alliance characters had fun doing Elders of the Horde, too, even if only to visit Thunder Bluff's newest elder. Let's bid the Lunar Festival a fond farewell with our experiences thus far.
