BreakfastTopics
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Breakfast Topic: I can't believe we survived that...
As a healer, my very favorite game moments are the ones in which, after a particularly messy pull, the rest of the party stops for a moment to say "Wow, how did we survive that?" Not that "good healing" is necessarily the answer -- as in my experience, a typical how-did-we-survive-that moment requires timely action on the part of multiple party members. My most recent how-did-we-survive-that experience came during a Scarlet Monastery run yesterday. A friend of mine was after a drop from Mograine, but it was an odd hour and there were few people around interested in groups. So with a level 40 paladin and a level 43 druid, we decided to duo the cathedral. Neither of us were sure we could take out Mograine and Whitemane at the end, but figured that trying was better than sitting around doing nothing. And while I think we both burned nearly every cooldown, in the end, to our own surprise, we emerged victorious. So with that said, what's your best story of surviving despite the worst odds?
Breakfast Topic: Best advice for a newbie
I'm sure we've all had this problem. You've got a friend who's just picked up the game and suddenly you're hit with a barrage of questions. What's the best class? What's the best race? What do you mean I shouldn't play a Night Elf priest? (No insult to Night Elf priests in the audience -- but you have to admit it's not the best race/class combination.) And once they do manage to create their first character and explore the newbie zones, you're in for another round of questions. What sort of weapon should I use? How do I add buttons to my hotbar? What do you mean my rogue shouldn't focus on intellect gear?Ah, newbies and their endless supply of questions. But I'm sure we were all there at one point, and so I'm asking you -- for the benefit of all players who have ever had to help a new player get started -- what's your best advice to a newbie?
Breakfast Topic: Looking for...
In the time it takes you to read this post, another hundred players will have posted on the official forums about the shiny new looking for group interface that rolled out with the 2.0 pre-BC patch (on the 9th of January). Blizzard told us to give the new LFG tool a chance -- after all, the system can't work if no one utilizes it -- but nearly a month later the steady stream of complaints hasn't stopped. At this point, are you still willing to give Blizzard's LFG system a chance, or have you resorted (like so many others have) to searching for groups over whatever channels are available to you?
Breakfast Topic: Why stay in general chat?
I see lots of complaints both here and on the official forums about General Chat, and how people are tired of other players asking the same questions, over and over and over again. I don't know about you, but when I create a new character, the first thing I do, even before getting the character added to my guild or getting my interface set up, is /leave general. Maybe I was just brought up in the "don't complain about what you can't fix" school, but why doesn't everyone who complains leave general? Have you ever left it and gone back because you missed it? (Picture Credit: Mankrik)
Breakfast Topic: Your first weekend in the Burning Crusade
As we wind into our first weekend since the much anticipated release of the Burning Crusade, I wonder what everyone's up to. Some people around the world are already hitting level 70 -- a feat, which, with my leveling speed, astounds me -- and I've even seen the first level 70 on my home realm. Of my immediate circle of friends I have a few people of lower level who haven't bothered to buy the expansion yet, several pushing their mains as far as they can, others starting anew with Blood Elves or Draenei, and yet others who can't decide which alts to play. With a priest at 62, a rogue at 61, and a new paladin at 14, I think I fall into that last category. So what have you been up to since the release, and what does the weekend have in store for you -- in Azeroth or Outland?
Breakfast Topic: What are you doing once you get your hands on the expansion?
It's nearly time! By this time tomorrow we can all have our hands on an official copy of the Burning Crusade. And once you've got the game box in your hands, what do you plan on doing? Rushing into Outland with your favorite level 60? Rerolling a new Draenei or Blood Elf? Inquiring minds want to know!
Breakfast Topic: What do you expect on the 16th?
Looking forward to release day? A quick poll of the forums suggests that you wouldn't be the only one -- with plenty of players making big plans for the 16th. We've got people taking vacation days and skipping classes, but I have to wonder whether all this is worth it. After all, with so many players new and old planning on hitting up the Outland come release day, how many of you expect the realms to be stable at all, much less playable? So that's today's question -- what do you expect to see on release day? Has Blizzard done enough to lead to a smooth roll-out or are you more pessimistic of playability on the 16th?
Breakfast Topic: How are you getting the expansion?
Yep, I'm among those who wish the expansion were simply downloadable -- yes, it would be hideously slow, but at least we wouldn't have to deal with crowds, lines, shipping, and the endless list of pre-order issues. But since it's clear that isn't an option, what's everyone doing to jump in and start playing the Burning Crusade as soon as possible? Ordered online with next day shipping? Have a pre-order with your local retailer of choice? Planning on jumping in in a midnight line? Or maybe just planning on sitting back and picking up a copy when you feel like it -- perhaps a week or two after the release date, once everything's calmed down?
Breakfast Topic: What next?
You've reached level 60. You've run the gamut of instanced content. You've spent some time PvPing. You've collected gear in all shades of blue, purple, and maybe even orange. The upcoming expansion will bring us ten new levels of grinding and questing, new zones and instances to explore, and new PvP arenas. But how long will that content really last -- and what's left to do when you hit the end of it?
Breakfast Topic: All I want for Winter's Veil...
Well, perhaps you aren't really celebrating the Blizzard-invented holiday of Winter's Veil. But I imagine a lot of you are celebrating today. And if so, what are you hoping to find hidden under the tree? A Burning Crusade pre-order? An IOU for some exciting in-game gear? Or most likely, something outside of Azeroth entirely?
Breakfast Topic: Is crafting useless?
In my experience, crafted items have usually been items you use while waiting to get a better item to drop. With a few exceptions, of course -- crafted resistance gear tends to be some of the best you'll find and there are occasional gems (the priest in me is still giddy with the memory of getting a Hide of the Wild crafted). But the majority of crafted gear seems to be inferior to what you'll find even in the 5-man dungeons, and the disparity only gets worse as you participate in higher-end content. And in the Burning Crusade, where green quest rewards will immediately begin replacing any blues you might still be lugging around, will the outlook for crafting improve? In short, is crafting worthless?
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Breakfast Club: The art of ganking
This week we are reviewing some of the more interesting Breakfast Topics of 2006. And what roundup of Breakfast Topics would be complete without discussing everyone's favorite WoW activity: ganking! Last October I posed the question...carebear or ruthless ganker? I learned several things from the comments: First off, just because you frown on ganking and corpse camping doesn't mean you are a carebear. However, if you really enjoy ganking and corpse camping, it is probably safe to say that you are ruthless. Quite a few folks really, really enjoy the ganking aspect of a PvP server. Both on the giving and receiving end. I can see this point completely. I enjoy ganking the occasional Night Elf, and I enjoy leveling in contested areas knowing something very bad could happen at any point. Vlad put it best when he said "hey, it happened to me so I'm going to make sure it happens to everyone." That might be the truest statement ever made in regards to PvP servers. I got relentlessly ganked by 60s during my 30s. So when I hit 60? I killed everything I could. Heck, one of those 34s I am ganking might be the alt of one of the 60s who caused me so much grief in the Hinterlands way back when. I never camped, but every gnome on my server was killed on sight. And lastly, some wise words from Roseroyce04: "Do not EVER gank (cross faction duels don't count) someone unless you're confident you're going to win. Because if you fail, you will suffer." How true is that? If you attempt to gank someone while they are at half health and engaged with a mob, and you fail? Um...prepare to be camped my friend. And beyond just the good times of ganking, or not ganking, we also discussed what is okay in a duel. Are potions alright? Oh yes...I almost forgot the new PvP system! Have any new insight or thoughts on any of these topics? If so, please share!
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Breakfast Club: We love guilds
After an entire year of Breakfast topic posts, thousands of comments and some spirited conversations, we thought it would be a good idea to round up the best of the best Breakfast Topics for your perusal this week as you pretend to work and watch the clock. While there has been no shortage of interesting subjects and comments, my favorite Breakfast Topics usually revolve around the social aspects of WoW. And what brings us all together with a group of like minded folks? Guilds! Guild names are sometimes a point of pride, sometimes aim to make a statement, and are sometimes just funny. This Breakfast Topic brought the more amusing guild names of the year to the forefront. Some of my favorites from the comments include: Newb Orc Gankees, Holy Gnoman Empire and Sez Pull My Finger. And when guilds aren't going for a funny name, or a creative name, they go for the always popular generic, over-used name. Heroes of the Alliance? Knights of the Alliance? Champions of the Horde? Hmmm...they really went out of their way there, didn't they? I can't complain, as I was in Lethal Alliance for a good long while, and if that isn't generic, I don't know what is. Finally, when people aren't trying to name their guilds, they are thinking about joining one. How exactly does one go about doing that? Some of the comments from our readers really lay out some good strategies for finding the perfect home. And hey...this is a Breakfast Topic in itself! So feel free to let us know any recent good guild names, totally over-used trash or some helpful guild-hunting tips!
Breakfast Topic: I quit!
I've noticed an astonishing number of players on the forums claiming, at least, to be ending their relationship with the World of Warcraft that we all know and love. Complaints are all over the map -- warlocks are overpowered, warriors are underpowered, fear needs to be nerfed, too much lag, too much downtime, too few world events... Indeed, everyone has their beef with the game, but with the recent patch throwing a lot of things up in th are, a number of players seem to think it's just not worth coming back. But what about you? You're reading a game-related blog, which hints that you're still in the game. Do you see the game's last straw somewhere in the immediate future, or are all of these quitting announcements dramatic nonsense?
Breakfast Topic: Looking for group!
Do you remember the mass chaos that occurred with the global looking for group channel went in? As I recall, it was a little crazy. The line was quickly overrun by random spam which drove many players from the line and lead a number of people back to old habits -- like typing /who priest 58-60 and whispering down the list. Many protested the flawed system and asked for it to be removed. And now that it's gone, replaced by a sleeker interface? There's a number of players that can't stand the thing and demand the global LFG channel be reinstated. So if the old system wasn't right, and the new system isn't right, what's the best way to go about looking for a group? What do you think Blizzard should have implemented?
Breakfast Topic: The best thing about Warcraft today
Last weekend we talked about the biggest problem with Warcraft today. This weekend, let's switch gears and try to decide what the best thing about Warcraft today is -- after all, despite the game's flaws, we're all still here and playing. So what is it that keeps you logging on and interested in the game, rather than jumping into any other MMO on the market?
Breakfast Topic: Bugs, bugs, glorious bugs!
Ah, yes, the exciting aftermath of a patch. Battlegrounds have been functioning intermittently at best, faction-specific loot is dropping for both factions, talent trees differ from the PTRs (and the patch notes), re-building my UI seems like an impossible challenge, and newly bugged raid encounters one-shot tanks in the game's best gear. (Though admittedly they've already hotfixed Patchwerk.) So how are you coping? Not having any problems? Taking a break from playing while all the kinks get worked out? Switching to a less problematic class? For my part, I'm hoping some of the worst of it is worked out by the weekend, when I'll have more time to play...!
Breakfast Topic: Best Looking Tier Set
We saw the tier 5 video yesterday, and it got me thinking...which of the tier sets look the best? I will admit to being partial to the tier 2 paladin set, simply because it looks positively awesome...less so when some pally is bubble hearthing in front of me, but awesome nonetheless.Another set that I find rather interesting is the warlock tier 3 set. Sure, it makes warlocks look a little like Sand People, but there is something about it that makes me want to look at it. Whether I want to look at it because I like it, or because I am fascinated by it's lameness, I am not entirely sure.What do you guys think? What is the best looking tier set out there?
Breakfast Topic: The season of giving
I was in the process of doing a little Christmas shopping this weekend, and as I hurried home to catch an Onyxia attempt, the thought occurred to me: am I going to get my favorite guildies anything?I only play with a few real life friends-- most of the people I know well in my guild I've only known online through Warcraft. But we've had a lot of fun, and I've gotten to know some of them pretty well. Considering Blizzard has included giftwrap in the game, it's no stretch that I might want to grab them something during the holiday season as a gesture of goodwill.The only question, then, is what? RazorbladeKiss asks the same question over on Livejournal, and people suggest quite a few good things, from Snowshoe Rabbits to other faction specific cosmetic items. Almost anyone would love a good potion, or a few farmed mats you know they've been waiting for. But some things that would be really cool to give, like mounts or crafted items, are soulbound, or so common that every 60 has them. So are you getting your guildies anything in-game for the holidays? And if so, what?
Breakfast Topic: What will you be playing in the expansion?
We're getting closer and closer to the expansion's release date, and if you're anything like me, you're making plans! As a long-time Horde aligned healbot, I'm excited about the addition of paladins to the Horde, and will be making one of the hundreds of newbie Horde paladins -- and possibly making it my new main character. And with the countless changes to classes across the board, I can't be the only one planning on having a different main in the Burning Crusade than I do now. So, what do you think you'll be playing in the expansion?
