About the Bloggers: Lisa Poisso

About the Bloggers introduces you to the people behind WoW Insider. You can find articles on more of our staffers in earlier About the Bloggers profiles.

What do you do for WoW Insider?

These days, I'm rather akin to my rogue (above, slipping along with her stealth pack after spotting some Alliance players out leveling) or recently departed editor-in-chief Dan O'Halloran in that most of what I do happens behind the scenes. I'm the Mama Smurf of WoW Insider, painting the blue dot that means "copyediting complete" on each and every post that runs through the WI queue. This process is entirely separate from the content review done by our lead editors, and it's where I spend most of my WI time these days -- because this gang has a lot to say, trust me ...

Somewhere in there is writing. I've managed to acquire one of the highest word counts of anyone at WoW Insider by dint of long tenure and the rather mind-boggling list of features I've worked on during that time. Currently, I only write two features: 15 Minutes of Fame and Drama Mamas (although Drama Mama Robin gets the official byline on this feature). The list of what I've worked on in the past, however ... That's another story. I created Insider Trader (now Gold Capped) and the now-defunct features Gamers on the Street and [1.Local]. I also wrote Well Fed Buff, which was absorbed into World of WarCrafts, which I also wrote for a good stretch. I've also sat a spell in The Classifieds and WoW Rookie. Oh yeah, and Two Bosses Enter.

Is it soup yet?

What's your main right now?

My favorite characters are mages and paladins. I have probably half a dozen of these sprinkled across both factions and various realm types, and they're the ones I play the most now that I'm not currently raiding. I don't seem to make much progress anymore, though, because I'm constantly switching from one to another and spending most of my time editing their gear and UIs and inventories. (You'd think all that stuff would be tweaked to perfection after this long. Oh, how I wish that were so.)

That said, I would still consider my main to be one of several priests, none of which I'm currently playing. It's a confusing question.

What's the best instance in the game?

I like the old stuff that you could spend a whole night getting lost in. What a great way to spend an evening! I don't want my MMO to be a task list I oh-so-efficiently dash off before I settle in; it should be the main event. It's the difference between a reality TV episode you watch while you're folding laundry and an HBO mini-series you plan your whole schedule around. Some of the later instances are strutting around with some pretty flashy design bling -- and that's cool -- but I like a dungeon with meat on its bones. I'd have to give the props to classic Blackrock Depths back in the day for offering us so much to explore, so many tricks to learn, and so many reasons to go -- business in the bar, particular drops, mining, the enchanting trinket, MC attunements, fire resistance gear ... As delightful as some of the design surprises in the newest instances can be, they go by too quickly and too casually to find a spot in my heart.

What's the best raid?

That honor clearly goes to Karazhan, as so many bloggers have noted before.

What's been your favorite expansion?

Expansion? Nah. I think I probably enjoyed vanilla WoW most based on the attraction of exploring and puzzling through the unknown -- ironic, I know, coming from someone who works for an info/spoiler site.

I also dug the complexities presented in The Burning Crusade. Things like that crazy attunement chart for BC raiding just make me salivate. And Zangarmarsh -- ah, its own little world.

What's the #1 thing Blizzard has done great?

Polish. Blizzard has the best spit and polish of any gaming company I can think of.

What's the number one thing Blizzard could do better?

I wish we could roll back time to some point before convenience features such as the Dungeon Finder stripped player community from the game. I miss a realm populated by players with reputations and relationships developed over time. Sadly, I don't think there's a way to recapture that; WoW's definitely something to be played through now, rather than a virtual world to be lived in and savored.

What's your favorite mount?

The Magnificent Flying Carpet gets my nod. It's stylish, it's magical, and it's totally fitting for most of my characters. More pointedly, though, I find the overly large, awkward proto-drakes an ugly nuisance and I'd like to wipe them off the face of Azeroth.

Mounts are pretty utilitarian things to me. I have more of a soft spot for pets -- not the achievements and all that hullabaloo, but rather specific pets. I always make sure to pick up a Firefly from Zangarmarsh on any character I'm playing seriously.

What's the best way to make gold?

It's far from the "best" way, but I like to farm for herbs. I don't even take alchemy -- I just enjoy the process of flying peacefully around, swooping down, plucking at leaves, remounting ... I've considered making a druid just so that I can have flight form for herbalizing, but my druids never seem to make it high enough to make any progress toward that goal.

When I'm not playing WoW, I'm...

Most immediately, I'm probably editing and writing about consumer electronics at Tecca (where you're likely to spy a number of familiar names) or writing for various volunteer efforts where I live. I'm a pretty hard worker; the first act of my life took place in the theater as a dancer ruled by rehearsal schedules, and I'm happiest when there's something creative and consuming to gobble up every last nook and cranny of time. Those who follow me on Twitter (@lisapoisso) know I'm rarely without my cup of tea. Downtime for me means hanging out with my family, crafts nights with my friends (they craft -- I usually write), walking along the trail just down the street, playing the piano (current obsession: themes from Legends of the Fall), rooting around on Etsy for visions that inspire me, watching The Walking Dead and at least one HBO series ... and last but certainly not least, digging into my reading pile (currently gulping down massive quantities of China Miéville).