WRUP: Game we can't talk about
Some weeks, there's so much going on that it's hard to easily pick an opinion question. Given that, we asked your intrepid WoW Insider staff what they thought the biggest news of the week might be. Now that I have the answer, I kind of feel the big news is that a lot of people are playing some game they can't talk about. I'm assuming it's Fight Club.
Adam Koebel (@bendakwow) Apparently I can't talk about what I'll be playing this weekend. Something about a NDA. Another slow week for news except for the 2 week warning for the end of the PVP season. I understand the PvPers are quite happy about the item level boost, but I'm more interested in the implications it has on the Warlords release date. Typically PvP seasons last about 20 weeks, give or take. If this one follows the same pattern,, it would mean an expansion release around mid-July at the earliest. The wait is killing me.
Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) My alt just reached Pandaria, so I might plug away at Jade Forest over the weekend, if I have time in between various household projects we've been working on. As for news, while I appreciate the AV changes and all that, really what got me excited was the writing challenge thread over on the new fan fiction forums. What can I say, I'm a sucker for stories!
Allison Robert (@AllisonRobert) I may not play much this weekend with a family party on Saturday and more snow arriving on Sunday, but if I do get some time I'll probably try to get my warrior some non-terrible gear and do some farming on my druid main. I have to agree with Adam that the news concerning PvP season 15 has some implications for when we can expect to see WoD drop, and so that's probably the most important news, but as a Hordie I gotta give it up for the removal of those snow banks in Alterac Valley!
Elizabeth Harper (@Faience) I've been swamped with work and so-called real life lately and haven't made time to log on at all (sorry guildmates)! Hopefully I'll find time this weekend to hop back in and work on the never-ending quest towards Loremaster.
I found it rather interesting that the subscriber numbers have gone up - certainly a sign that WoW's a long way from dead.
Joe Perez (@lodurzj) I am PVPing like a madman this week. I rediscovered my love for arena and battlegrounds as a restoration shaman. So much fun.
In terms of news, honestly I was most excited about the potential upcoming AV changes. I loved AV back when it was an epic battle between the horde and alliance and when it became a Zerg-Fest it lost a lot of the appeal for me. From what it sounds like though, there is potential to bring it closer to a hard fought fight. Yes I know it's speculation and isn't officially on the patch notes, but a shaman can dream right?
Kristin Marshall (@kristin)
Lisa Poisso (@lisapoisso) I'll be AFK this weekend meeting a long-time guildmate in real life while he's in town. Much pizza and beer will be had! As for hot news, I love hearing about an injection of oomph into Alterac Valley. I'll be there!
Matthew Rossi (@MatthewWRossi) I am feeling grumpy and out of sorts. Therefore, I have decided there is only one solution.
Robin Torres (@cosmiclaurel) I'll be watching the Olympics and pet battling. Multitasking for the win! As far as the news this week, I'm most excited about the fact that they removed the snow banks in Alterac Valley. I guess I'm in the minority for liking that battleground, but it's one of my favorites and I'm glad there's one less advantage for the Alliance.
Sarah Pine (@ilaniel) Don't think I'll be doing much gaming this weekend, because this week was my husband's birthday and we're planning to celebrate. My vote's for BBQ dinner and a visit to the local brewery, but we'll see what he votes for (it is *his* birthday, after all!).
Biggest news of the week? Hmm, I'd vote for the announcement of Riot's patenting a specific form of spectator-mode in their games. I'm interested to see how that pans out, and if it really does have a long-term affect downstream on other companies' attempts to do something similar.
Scott Helfand (@sveltekumquat) I am positively drooling, even days later, at the amount of info Chadd "Celestalon" Nervig tweeted about the upcoming rogue Level 100 talent Shadow Reflection this week. I'll cover it in detail on Encrypted Text next week, but man, I really want to see this talent work. Folks are rightly concerned that it may be impossible to balance in PvP -- it's basically allowing a rogue to clone itself, and that's obviously a sci-fi/horror movie just waiting to happen -- but if they can nail it, it's gonna hit so many of the sweet spots that some rogue players long for.
This weekend? A little more achievement fun, and some more quality time with my slowly leveling thief over on GW2. This is the first MMO I've ever seriously played alongside WoW, and it's fascinating to compare. (Spoiler: Some things I like a lot better. Some things I really don't.)
Oh! Right! Olympics! That's a thing. There should be a WoWlympics in-game. As in, a formal event. It'd take Darkmoon to a whole new level. Luge down the slopes of Blackrock Mountain. Tuskarr Figure Skating. Curling with Warforged Seals. Gnomeboarding.
Stacey Landry (@_vidyala) Sadly, I don't have very interesting gaming planned for this weekend. An unfortunate ergonomics situation with my desk/chair (hint: there wasn't much that was ergonomic) has led to some kind of shoulder injury and I can't even sit there and type. I'd rather be playing Borderlands 2.
The biggest news for me was the fact that 10-man SoO heroic modes will go away with patch 6.0. I'm really unhappy about this, obviously I understood that heroics were going mythic with WoD but I didn't expect to lose existing content to the switch. My guild is pretty slow-moving and we're just getting to heroics now. I am anxiously hoping we can get as many of them done as we'd like before we lose the chance. Obviously in the grand scheme of things it's not the end of the world, but it is a bit disappointing.
The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can't get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you're playing this weekend!
