Krystalle Voecks

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Stories By Krystalle Voecks

  • Blizzard LF numbers geek, pst

    If your idea of fun in playing World of Warcraft is to mine the auction house or raid buffers for statistics and then turning them over every which way, then Blizzard may have a job that's of interest to you. Admittedly, the best candidate would also have a degree in "computer science, statistics, operations research, industrial engineering, and mathematics, or business administration, marketing, or management with strong quantitative focus" but we're sure there are some WoW Insider readers who fit their Data Analyst posting bill. Sure, it may not be the most glamorous position ever offered, but it's still working for Blizzard - and in this case, working away from the front lines. Think of the perks; the awesomeness of being able to get in on Blizzard games well before anyone else gets to; the cool gifts that Blizz seems to like to give employees; the ability to get in to BlizzCon without having to play tag with the mrglrfrling Failoc. All that, and hey - it's translating numbers to non-number-geek English, which seems to be a passion amongst many of the numbers geeks I know. So if you've got the chops and are looking for a job many would envy you for, what are you waiting for? Get to applying - and good luck![Via Virtual Economy Research Network]

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  • Breakfast Topic: Most embarrassing thing you've ever done in WoW?

    After the clamor the other day, the WoW Insider virtual offices broke into quite a bit of punnery. You wouldn't believe the clam-itous amount of punishment we underwent. It was a clam-ity. Of course, this sparked off a discussion on what is funniest in WoW, which turned into the most embarrassing thing that was ever done, which we thought sounded like a good breakfast topic. For me, amusingly enough, my most embarrassing moment actually had to do with a clam. We were in UBRS (back when UBRS was still hard and let you run 15-man groups) and one of our warriors got bugged while looting. While it's fun to watch someone scoot around in the looting position, it's not too good when it's your main tank. At the time the only real way to get out of the glitch was to carry a clam with you, open it and close it without looting. Being the only female in the raid - and not even thinking about it first - I cheerfully offered to give our main tank the clam I carried with me since he was grumping about being stuck.

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  • Around Azeroth: One with the shadows

    In the frozen wastes of the Dragonblight, legend has it that there's a ghostly priestess who wanders the landscape seeking travelers in need of aid. However, she's not the type to jump in and heal - her powers are more dark and sinister than that. When you are in trouble, she will appear to melt faces then fade into the distance, lost among the shadowy scenery all around. Scholars dismiss this as nothing but nonsense, but still, the tales told by fireside persist. Of course, this isn't that ghost of legend - although she's good at melting faces nonetheless! This image comes to us from Schubert, Shadow Priest of Baelgun, who had just picked up an Armored Brown Bear from Dalaran and snapped this shot when she noticed that her shadowform matched the nearby landscape perfectly. Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, double-mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran.%Gallery-1816%

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  • Authenticators back in stock

    For those of you who have been patiently waiting, trying to catch them in stock - good news! The Blizzard store is currently showing that there are authenticators back in stock for your ordering pleasure. As if that weren't awesome enough, it's not just the United States authenticators that are available and ready for purchase. It seems Blizzard has stocked up across the board as they're showing that the authenticator is available for Canada/Australia/Latin America/New Zealand, Europe and Korea as well. Let's hope this is the beginning of a trend where they're available everywhere more often. That said, your guess is as good as ours as to how long the current stock might last. (Read: probably not long if history is any indication.) So if you forgot to pick up a present for that WoW player in your life and are looking for a way out of the post-holiday doghouse (or just need one for yourself) head on over to the Blizzard store and get your authenticator ordered - quickly.Update: Looks like the Canadian ones are gone as of 7:26 PM. [Via the WoW LJ]

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  • Breakfast Topic: The oldest WoW player you know

    World of Warcraft seems to pull in players from the very young, to the fairly old. While the younger ones are generally pretty vociferous about themselves, a lot of the older players don't run about advertising it. (Note: I'm not making a judgement call on play-styles. I've met adults who can't spell to save their butt and younger folks who are not only eloquent, but highly-intelligent theorycrafters.) So when we got a mail recently from Pamela who told us she'd be turning 50 later this month, she wondered who the oldest people we knew were. There were a few writers who chimed in....

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  • Breakfast Topic: Will work for Blizz

    I've often thought I'd do just about anything to work at Blizzard. I mean, with offices that look like this, working on one of your favorite games - who wouldn't? But then I think about my many years spent in the trenches as both rep and management at various IT/Internet jobs, and I'm no longer sure that I'd do anything to work there. You see, the one group I don't envy are those on the front lines of customer service. Much like the story from Thursday in which we learned about a rep having to deal with a kid and his suicide threat when he ostensibly didn't get what he wanted, CSRs, GMs and CMs deal with very frustrating situations every day. But there again, it is Blizzard, and I'd be lying if I said most people I know wouldn't give their [insert requisite body part] to work there, just to experience the culture and be part of the company that makes some truly awesome games. The sheer coolness of the company and a lot of their outward facing policies seems like being part of that team would more than make up for any abuse you might get as a trade-off. How about you? Would you be willing to step onto the front lines, taking every nasty, mean comment you're dealt with a smile - or carefully constructed snark? Would you be willing to work at Blizzard on the front lines? Or is that a bit too much of a figurative bulls-eye than you'd want painted on yourself?

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  • WoW Moviewatch: Shop Vac

    I can't help it. I'm an absolute fangirl when it comes to Jonathan Coulton and Mike "Spiff" Booth. That's why when Michael Gray let the team know he was having Internet problems, I simply had to jump in and share the most recent Spiffworld WoW machinima, Shop Vac.Spiff notes at the end of the video, this song is all about suburban angst, and how people want to live there until they realize the 'burbs are kind of boring. As he says, "This phenomenon is exemplified in the shop vac, a tool found in many suburban garages for sucking up leaves, dirt, nails, or whatever. When you first use a shop vac, it seems like the most awesome thing ever. But then you realize it's just a vaccum cleaner." Another fun aspect of the video is the return of one character from previous videos. See if you can spot who it is causing trouble once again. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for what must be the saddest achievement ever. Now, with all that said, check out Shop Vac for some lunchtime movie fun that doesn't suck. (Pun intended.)

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  • PTRs back up for more testing mayhem

    Been itching to try out some of the new hotness of the test realms? If so, you're in luck. Blizzard has brought the test realms back online for all your something-new-to-do needs. There are still people reporting problems with level 80 characters who were transferred over being locked, which may prove to be a snag if you transferred early, got shunted to the Spanish PTRs, then tried to re-copy. (No update on that situation as of yet.) If you want to go try out your new Mechanostrider or Chocob...err...Hawkstrider mount; see what kind of nerfs or buffs have hit your favorite class; number-crunch the PvP changes; or check out any of the myriad changes coming up in 3.0.8 - now is the time!

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  • Felicia Day on having Microsoft as a Guildmate

    In this day and age, you have to applaud geeks who take their ideas and make good on them. Take, for example, Felicia Day. Talented, beautiful, and geeky to boot, Felicia recognized that all the drama we know and love as part of MMO culture would make for one hell of a sitcom. She could have quit after networks repeatedly turned her down or told her they didn't get it, but she stuck to her guns. Producing the show herself and releasing it to YouTube, she's become a pretty epic Internet celebrity in her own right. Since then, The Guild has built up enough buzz that when it came time to distribute Season 2, she apparently had several offers to choose from. (No real shocker there!)Why choose to sign up with Microsoft, then? Well, okay, beyond being able to send your video out on Xbox Live - which is pretty geeky from where I'm at - Microsoft isn't generally known as a heavy player in the sitcom business. According to Felicia in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Microsoft is not only is willing to distribute The Guild on Xbox Live, for Zune, and on MSN Video in high-definition, but they're also allowing her to keep full creative control and ownership of all of the work. The deal lets Microsoft have it exclusively for four weeks up to the end of the season, but after that period, she's free to post it to YouTube (or wherever she wants, really) so anyone who doesn't own a Zune, isn't on Live, or willing to surf over to MSN Video can still enjoy the second season of The Guild. I just hope that Felicia and crew will keep us laughing with their geeky hijinks for a long time to come. Short of letting a baby nom on a powerstrip (and if you've seen that in real life, I don't envy you) there's quite a bit of The Guild that rings home with MMO geeks. Much like Jell-O, there's always room for more geeky humor - and more of the awesome cast of The Guild!

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  • BlizzCon 2008: The awesome of the ending ceremony

    On Saturday night the walls of the Anaheim Convention Center rocked with the cheers and laughter of thousands of BlizzCon 2008 attendees. This year's two-day event was packed full of excellent panels, cool gameplay and of course, lines that seemed to stretch from here to eternity. (I personally clocked in 3 1/2 hours in the store line - but I got awesome goodies out of it.) However, it was this final event that put the crown jewel in this year's BlizzCon event. Curious as to what all went on? Click through the gallery to check out the sights (and some sounds) from the front lines! On to the pictures! >> %Gallery-34307%

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  • BlizzCon 2008: The first day of mayhem

    The crowds have been let in to the main convention center floor, and it is an absolute mad house of Blizzard fun here. BlizzCon 2008 has started in earnest, with a full day of panels and gaming ahead. Knowing Blizzard, it should be truly epic. If you weren't able to join us here at the Anaheim Convention Center, have no fear. As the day progresses, we'll share many of the sights of BlizzCon 2008, straight from the front lines. So if you're hungry for more of what's going on here, be sure to check back, as we'll be updating the gallery throughout the day! %Gallery-34201%

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  • Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. A World of Warcraft player's guide to Warhammer OnlineWhether or not you see many similarities between Blizzard's epically popular title and Mythic's Warhammer Online, the reality is that World of Warcraft players are going to feel very comfortable in the brand-new game. Is WoW hitting a plateau?Seems like a silly question with the imminent release of their second expansion just within our grasp, but over at Dailygame.net, they've speculated a bit on when that plateau might finally hit World of Warcraft. Burning Crusade's quality delayed WAR, says JacobsWhile Warhammer Online is decidedly not trying to be World of Warcraft, a recent interview with EA Mythic's Mark Jacobs shows that they were at least influenced by the quality of WoW's The Burning Crusade. Braid creator rips on WoW, talks artificial rewards and social gamingIn an interview with Gamasutra, game designer Jon Blow (who created the critically acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade game Braid) had a few things to say about World of Warcraft. His criticisms could be just as easily leveled against any Diku-based, WoW-like MMO.

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  • Last week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. World of Warcraft's success is 'exhausting' for BlizzardFrank Pearce, co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, sat down with GamesIndustry.biz for an interview during Games Convention a few weeks ago. He had a number of interesting things to say, with the piece's discussion ranging from StarCraft II's progress to the challenges of ... LotRO could be the next 'World of Warcraft' says Turbine's SteefelThe MMO industry is a battle with many weapons, and words are as powerful as code or quests in this field. Turbine's Jeffrey Steefel fired another salvo in a recent interview with Eurogamer, saying that he sees ... WoW to store UI settings server-side post-Lich KingRecent discussions in the official World of Warcraft UI forums might be of interest to folks that like to tweak their user interface. Which, we think, is pretty well everyone. WoW's invincibility 'nonsense', claims WAR lead designerWe're not going to get into those arguments again. You know, the ones that focus on whether any given game is a (cough)-killer or not. All the same, the thrust and riposte between corporate figures ...

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  • Last week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. Blizzard interview focuses on Wrath and the changing player experienceAs the Wrath of the Lich King expansion gets closer to release, World of Warcraft players have a number of questions about how the game experience is going to change for them as the title moves forward. World in a World of WarcraftWith Wrath of the Lich King coming out very soon, and four years of the game's history behind us, it's nice to just sit back and read something about the basic fundamentals of World of Warcraft. Urban exploration in MMOsUrban exploration and free running are activities normally associated with the real world. In recent years, however, MMOs such as Everquest 2, Age of Conan and World of Warcraft have become a digital stage for the arts. Player Consequences: Why We SubscribeThere are many different choices when it comes to picking out a MMO nowadays. The genre is no longer limited to only a handful of games based on old Dungeons and Dragons manuals.

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  • WoW Insider at Dragon*Con 2008!

    Perhaps you were one of the myriad people who made it out to the WoW panels at Dragon*Con last year. Maybe you just heard of this raucous, geeky event and decided that since you can't make it to the West coast for BlizzCon, you'd check out Dragon*Con. Whatever your reason, we're heading back again this year along with our sister site Massively with a variety of World of Warcraft related panels for you to enjoy! If you're heading to Hotlanta this weekend to take in all the awesome that is sure to be Dragon*Con 2008, we've prepared a handy guide to some of the MMOG track happenings that may be of interest. Join us after the break for a panel breakdown, or check out the full schedule on Massively for all things MMO going on at D*C 2008!

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  • Last week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. Rob Pardo's insight on WoW's development and why PC gaming isn't deadWhat's one of the most powerful game design positions in the games industry today? Executive Vice President of Game Design at Blizzard Entertainment, and the monumental role is filled by Rob Pardo. PC Gamer Top 100 list: vote for your favorite MMOLast week, PC Gamer launched their Top 100 website where readers can vote on their favorite PC games of all time. The PC Gamer staff already chose their own top picks, but ... WAR Creative Director on avoiding the 'corrupting' influence of WoW'You can't be the Beatles. If you try and be the Beatles, you'll end up as the Monkees.' Eurogamer.net has provided details of Warhammer Online creative director Paul Barnett's words at the Develop Online conference, which took place recently in Brighton, England. A World of Warcraft player's guide to Guild WarsGuild Wars and World of Warcraft have been peacefully co-existing for several years now. Considering the fact that the Guild Wars development team over at ArenaNet is made up of ex-Blizzard folk ... Blizzard: Yes, some players left for AoCSay whatever you will about Age of Conan, but it's been one of the only games to actually put a tangible dent in Blizzard's ten million ton monster truck of an MMO, World of Warcraft. The news came from Blizzard president Mike Morhaime who recently said on an Activision Blizzard earnings call ...

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  • Reader WoWspace of the Week: Absoli

    For as many different World of Warcraft players as there are out there, there are equally as many different WoWspaces for people to game in. Each week, we'll bring you a WoWspace sent in by one of our readers and let them tell you all about it. Would you like to share your own personal space? Just drop some pictures and your description to us here at readerwowspace AT gmail.com! This week, we visit the home of Absoli, who has a dark but interesting WoWspace -- and really needs a better camera. I have several toons, but really now my main is my lvl 70 priest on Duskwood. I spent several years collecting bits and pieces for my setup and thought I'd share it with you all.

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  • Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    Anti-Aliased: Keep crying, sportsmanship is deadOne harsh world PvP battle later, your corpse lies on the ground as your opponent stands triumphant over you. Both of you put up one good battle, as even your opponent is down to barely any hit points -- the kind of battle where ... World of Warcraft originally planned as free-to-playBlizzard's own Rob Pardo recently dropped something of a bombshell about World of Warcraft at the Paris GDC event when he revealed in a keynote that the game was originally planned as a free-to-play experience. He also adds that, "We didn't want to charge a subscription, but as we researched market conditions ... When Western MMOs go EastGamasutra is featuring an insightful piece on the challenges and pitfalls of Western game developers looking to move their games to the extremely productive Eastern gaming markets. China, Japan, and especially Korea are world-renowned for their appreciation of video games ... Behind the Curtain: Hacked account, opportunity or deathknell?Well, it seems I may have been too hasty in jumping on the 'omgblizzardgmsaretehsuckzorz" bandwagon last week. Merely a handful of hours after logging back on to my World of Warcraft account and submitting a GM ticket after reformatting my PC, not only had my deleted characters been restored, but ... Ask Massively: Massively's Guide to MMO EtiquetteHere at Ask Massively, we've sought to inform and educate the masses on the esoterica of MMORPGs, but today we are going to go back to basics. We're going to give you some advice, or, if you consider yourself a Veteran ...

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  • Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    Player vs. Everything: The MMO clone warsYou can say a lot of things about a game you don't like. You can say that it sucks or that it's poorly balanced. You can say that the art direction is all wrong, or you can say that it's lacking in any number of features a good game should have. EA's CEO says Warhammer won't rival World of WarcraftJohn Riccitiello has garnered a relatively positive reputation among gamers since ascending to the post of Electronic Arts CEO for his 'hands-off' policy when it comes to newly acquired studios. His new appreciation for individual studio culture endeared him to fearful fans after the BioWare purchase, and keeps Warhammer Online hopefuls in a positive frame of mind. MMO MMOnkey: The greed gameGreed. Countries go to war so that the powerful can take land, gold, oil from the weak, can kill them and take their stuff. Greed. The richest 1% of the population of the United States control over 30% of the country's wealth as they clamor for and are given massive tax cuts ... Richard Bartle expands on earlier remarks stated in Massively interview In this interview conducted by Michael Zenke, Richard Bartle discussed how to improve World of Warcraft and about MMOGs in general. One comment in particular overshadowed the whole interview: "I've already played Warhammer. It was called World of Warcraft." The comment thread on both Massively and WoW Insider was ... WoW: About that pineapple wallpaper in GadgetzanYou really have to love your favorite MMOG to do something this kooky! In our oddball post of the day, PallyDog wants to decorate a room when she moves into her new home with some wallpaper she saw in the goblin huts that populate Gadgetzan.

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  • Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    The Gaming Iconoclast: Deity not includedThe fantasy-based worlds our characters inhabit are, almost without exception, richly steeped in legend and brimming with lore. This is doubly true for those that have come to parturition after having existed outside of the digital realm. Anti-Aliased: It will all be fine in ten minutesBack in the day when a 500 Mhz processor was fast, we were lulled into these weird online universes with multitudes of golden tongued promises. "Play online with thousands of others!", "Make a hero and save detailed and vast worlds!" Where the Activision Blizzard merger standsShock and awe hit the gaming industry on December 2, 2007, on that morning two giants announced a deal worth 18.8 billion dollars. Activision and Vivendi Games are to merge, a monstrosity in the making set to rival Electronic Arts for the throne to the word's biggest and most profitable force in game development and business. Account hacked? Why not stop and smell the flowers?It happens to the best of us. We try to be careful, we try to be conscientious, and then the unthinkable happens: your MMO account gets hacked. You log in to find your virtual life has been torn asunder. What happens then? One gamer's descent into powerlevelingAt the end of last year, the Australian version of gaming blog Kotaku put up a series on the lengths to which one gamer went to experience World of Warcraft. He had already made the decision to quit the game, and decided to give it one last go via a power-leveled character.

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  • Reader WoWspace of the Week: Finnicks

    For as many different World of Warcraft players as there are out there, there are equally as many different WoWspaces for people to game in. Each week, we'll bring you a WoWspace sent in by one of our readers and let them tell you all about it. Would you like to share your own personal space? Just drop some pictures and your description to us here at readerwowspace AT gmail.com!My name is Finnicks and I am a Warlock RPer from the Cenarion Circle server... and this is my WoWspace! For the longest time I had a desk built into a nook in the wall under the window; it was built-in to the house. The walls of the nook and the angles it created wreaked havoc on my wi-fi reception. Add to that how the light from the window kept my monitor looking dim, and the lack of ability to move my computer where I wanted it in the room -- it drove me crazy. At last, about four months ago -- after like 15 years -- my parents caved and let me demolish the nook, and I picked up this corner-desk which now resides in the corner opposite the old window nook. The little mini-shelves for speakers are (I think) the coolest thing in the world. And, since the little light on the side of the speakers that changes color to indicate volume is just out of my sight, I have my handy-dandy little Donald Duck paperweight to reflect the light so I can adjust the volume with confidence. (Total nerd here, like really.)Curious as to the rest of this WoWspace? Join us past the break for more from Finnicks!

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  • Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. Disclaimer: Faction grinding is not actually funFaction grinding may be a bore, but it is a necessary evil in games like World of Warcraft. As much as you may not like sitting around an area and killing the same creatures over, and over, and over again for items, you may be doing just that once you hit the level cap and have nothing better to do. All of a sudden, that faction grind is looking mighty tempting. MMOGology: There's no place like AzerothI was running my daily quests for the Shattered Sun Offensive this week when one of the officers from our guild popped online. He said he was back from a session with Age of Conan and was having a blast with it. I asked him if he liked the combat mechanics –- he did. Behind the Curtain: Hell is other peopleHow often do you your social experiences in MMOs actually satisfy you? How many times have you been part of a PUG that lasted longer than the bare minimum of time it took to finish the instance and left you with the feeling that you'd met some decent people, instead of ...

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  • Reader WoWspace of the Week: Ten

    By popular demand, we're returning one of the reader favorite columns. For as many different World of Warcraft players as there are out there, there are equally as many different WoWspaces for people to game in. Each week, we'll bring you a WoWspace sent in by one of our readers and let them tell you all about it. Would you like to share your own personal space? Just drop some pictures and your description to us here at readerwowspace AT gmail.com!This week we have a WoWspace that includes not just our regular reader, Ten, but also Ten's husband's WoWspace so that they can kind of game "face to face" together. Curious? Read on for all the info, courtesy of Ten, aka Laelvalin / Vijanwi!My workspace is truly a bubble of space in itself. I sit directly across my husband's computer desk, and together, our computer 'island' (flooded with light from the huge windows, hiss!) takes up a third of the living room. Which I incidentally think is just the right amount.I've been playing WoW since 2005 and have severe altitis, but my two mains (yes, two) are my Warlock Laelvalin and my Warrior Vijanwi. Prot all the way from level 1 on. Altitis has a side effect of masochism, I guess. I raid a little and level alts a lot, but I'm really in the game for the RP with my awesome guildies. My husband tried to get into the game as well, but he just can't find much fun in it. A shame, since our computer space is so optimal for beating each other up on screen.

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  • Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. Buy a USB Flash drive, get WoW trial free!It's not often that we talk about computer hardware here at Massively, but this story has a bit of an MMO twist, we promise. Kingston Technology Company, best known for their lines of RAM and other memory hardware, has recently announced an expansion of its USB Flash drive line ... The Gaming Iconoclast: Old (Un?)-FaithfulThe notion of having one main character or avatar that claims the bulk of one's play time and attention is fairly straightforward. It simplifies raid life for your officers, for one thing -- avoiding loot drama and similar chaos ... World of Warcraft builds an e-sports empireWorld of Warcraft, with around ten million customers, is one of the most popular MMOs out there. So what does this mean for a game seeking to expand on unrivaled success? Many of those ten million players enjoy a good show on the floors of the arena. Behind the Curtain: How far is too far?What would it take for you to cancel your subscription and jump ship to another MMO? If Blizzard announced World of Starcraft as their next-gen MMO at Blizzcon this year, would you stop playing World of Warcraft in favour of it?

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  • Last week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. Are you an MMO fanboi?We all love massively multiplayer games. Otherwise we wouldn't be here reading this right now. But when does your love for a certain game become an unhealthy obsession? We're not talking about addiction, but we're talking about defending your favorite game regardless of the problems the game may have or what the game's developers might do to completely change the difficulty level. Harvard looks to MMOs for online leadership stylesWhile much has been said in recent weeks about raid leaders and whether the job necessitates being a jerk, nobody seems to dispute that the position engenders players with valuable leadership skills. In fact, according to a recent report by the Harvard Business Review... The Gaming Iconoclast: Taking SidesWhat about you? Bastion of righteousness or purveyor of deceit? Some folks, to be certain, put a lot of thought into this, balancing role-play, game and class mechanics, racial traits, and a whole constellation of other factors. Player vs. Everything: Analyzing the Wrath of the Lich King news explosionWow. Or more accurately, World of Warcraft. It's all over the internet today in a big way. Blizzard released a ridiculous amount of information about their next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, and some of the changes they've announced are pretty major.

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  • Last week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. The Gaming Iconoclast: Discomfort ZoneHave you ever wondered how the other half lives? Maybe you're a tank, and know the intricacies of threat and mitigation inside and out, but can't figure out what those finger-wigglers at the back are going on about. Or perhaps you're a sniper, and don't care about what goes on in the melee fracas. The 10 Commandments of AltitisIf you're the type of player who just needs to experiment with every available race and class in your MMO of choice, then altaholicism may be a serious concern for you. Seeking professional help is optional, but do know that you are not alone. Behind the Curtain: More Epic Gameplay?Should MMOs give us a more 'epic' feel to our experiences? In the past, when I've explained the time I spend in-game to friends and relatives, one of the common complaints or opinions that I hear a lot is that it never sounds very exciting. Player vs. Everything: Fixing the problem of guild-hoppingI've gotta hand it to MMOG designers. They really kind of get shafted. They spend weeks, months, and years fine-tuning tiny aspects of gameplay that you never even notice or care about (like the amount of silver that level 12 murlocs drop), coming up with interesting quests...

    By Krystalle Voecks Read More
  • Last week on Massively: WoW-related stories

    This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed. Also be sure to read past the break, because there was an extra-special heaping lot of WoW-related goodness on Massively this week! Player vs. Everything: Playing with your friendsPlayers often venture into the wilderness of online games alone and friendless, seeking out allies in the worlds they inhabit and making friends as they go along. Some games are better at encouraging players to work together than others, too. Changes to WoW arena ratings mean no more 'welfare epics'While no more major patches are expected to hit World of Warcraft before Wrath of the Lich King is released, we'll probably see quite a bit of tweaking between now and then. The next patch due for the service, numbered 2.4.2, makes some major changes to the way that Arena battles rewards PvP players. What makes games addictive?(Hint: It's not the taste!) Video game addiction is a topic that tends to occupy the attention of the mainstream media any time there's a slow news day, and even sometimes (like yesterday, for instance) when it's not. Videogames; how they're making junkies of your kids, news at 11! The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?Many MMO aficionados cut their roleplaying teeth on one of the many pencil-and-paper titles that formed the early generation of multi-player gaming. In addition to rolling (and rolling, and rolling, and rolling) some dice to come up with their basic stats and traits, character generation involved a lot of "wet work" when it came time to acquire skills.

    By Krystalle Voecks Read More