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Breakfast Topic: Alt-itis?
I'll be the first to admit that I may have a slight case of alt-itis--however, with 27 characters spread across sixteen realms, it's perhaps gone a bit far. Many of my characters are placeholders, created so that I could talk with friends on the server, but I've played enough of them to have seen the first 10 levels from every possible angle.I like being able to create a new character when I am in a "newbie" mood--sometimes levelling older characters gets slow and tedious, and the heady rush of starting again is the ideal antidote. Fortunately, WoW's mechanics support this behaviour, unlike some other games which restrict the number of characters you can make.However, I'm now at the stage where I've got too many alts, each of which is starting to make different friends and acquaintances--my playing time is being spread thin to keep up with them all. While character transfer may help with some of this, I fear there is no permanent solution other than to lie low for a while.Are you an alt-addict? Why do you make alts? If you only play one character, do you intend to start again once you hit 60?
Breakfast Topic: Proudest moments
Whether it's downing Onxyia, getting Nef to 10% or even picking up that weapon or pet you've always wanted, we've all celebrated some happy times. The process of getting my first mount -- saving up, playing the auction house to make enough money, then frantically beating up gorillas to get that last bar -- was probably the first real feeling of accomplishment in-game I had, especially as it had some tangible reward.Soloing difficult quests, completing instances when you're a man down, finding a rare drop -- what are the highs of your time so far in WoW?
Breakfast Topic: Non-combat pets
There are a variety of non-combat pets available throughout Azeroth--ranging from easily purchased pets to those which can only be obtained through cross-faction co-operation. While some people see them as annoyances, others are hastily trying to collect as many as they can; after all, it passes the time.I have a few of these pets, including the Sprite Darter Hatchling pictured right. However, I'm not very attached to them--the fact I can only have one out at a time doesn't help. I generally send any rare treats I find to the Auction House--especially on low alts, finding Little Timmy in Stormwind is a great way of making some quick cash.What's your stance on non-combat pets? Take them or leave them? Gotta catch them all?
Breakfast Topic: Do you RP?
Role-playing in WoW is an interesting hobby; it can completely dominate your gameplay, or take a back seat to the usual business of killing things. Having established characters on both RP and RP-PvP servers, I've dabbled in it myself, but usually end up explaining just what OOC means to newbies in Mulgore, leaving [Barrens - General] and adventuring just as if I were on any kind of server.I joined a guild which brings the RP side of the game to life, and it's opened up something of a new world to me. Even if I'm soloing, I try and keep in-character when I play now. However, my non-RP friends don't see the appeal in emoting into empty air and making sure you find a bed before logging off. Do you RP? Have you tried -- successfully or unsuccessfully -- to convert hardened PvE/PvPers?
Breakfast Topic: GM for a Day
Omnipotence, omniscience, and having to deal with users' complaints day in, day out; being a GM has its ups and downs. If you suddenly found yourself in the shoes of a GM, for one single day, what would you do with your power? Is it time for revenge, or would you seek out those in need of help? Would you run rampant on the forums? Glide invisibly around the world?Of course, GMs can't make gameplay changes, but you could perhaps escalate a particular pet proposal that's in the pipeline. The notion of character transfers is one I'd like to put some weight behind, plus some mechanism for international co-operative play. With a GM's power, I'd love to just explore the world, invisible and untouchable. A day might not be long enough, though.
Breakfast Topic: Game Over
It might not be something any of us are countenancing, but people do stop playing WoW. There are many reasons to quit--lack of time, money, enthusiasm. However, as with any MMO, the words "Game Over" never flash on your screen--how do you know when it's time to stop?We each have different goals when we play WoW. I play because I enjoy the social side of things, and my ultimate goal (if I had all the time in the world) would be to play every class to level 60, visiting every area and dungeon, finishing every quest line. I love the depth of WoW, and I like seeing the tricks that other classes can pull off to surprise me; I want to learn them all. I'm not in this game for epics, but I know many of you are. If I achieve that goal, I may stop playing, or I may have found another along the way.What's your core goal in the game? Have you left WoW and returned, or has it always had a place in your life?
Breakfast Topic: To gank or not to gank?
Call me a carebear if you like, but I've long since tired of being ganked, and as a result I've spent most of my levelling time on a PvE server. I've recently gone back to my PvP server characters, and I've suddenly found a complete lack of ganking going on.The change that prompted me to abandon the characters in the first place was the introduction of the honor system, which seemed to worsen the experiences. Whether due to the Battlegrounds or the lack of bloodlust on this old server, however, it all seems much nicer now--or perhaps I'm just more clued up as to where to go and how to avoid the Alliance.As players level on PvP servers, I've often heard that they'll gank lower levels in "revenge" for their own experiences, continuing the vicious cycle. Sometimes ganking goes above and beyond reason, though. What's your opinion on ganking? Is it still as much a problem as it ever was?
Breakfast Topic: Favourite instance
You've run it ten or twenty times and you're still not bored; the drops are good and you've mastered its mobs. Solo or in a group, what's your instance of choice, and what makes it so good?The Deadmines would probably take the crown for me; despite being a low level instance, I managed to run through it first time with a seamless PuG, and now that I'm all grown up I revisit it for fun. On the flip side, The Stockades is probably one of the most boring instances I've done, but since it's the first time my druid got to tank an instance it holds a special place in my heart.
Breakfast Topic: Valentine's Day gifts
Today's the day to show your appreciation for that special person in your life. If you don't have a partner, never fear; the NPCs scattered around the capital cities are certainly very free with their lovin'. However, if you've someone to satisfy, nothing says "I love you" quite like a special in-game gift.The non-combat pets are especially cute gifts, and I know of people who've farmed for whelplings for days; other well-appreciated gifts could include the money to buy a mount, a particularly nice trinket or even an in-game engagement ring.Have you given or received a special gift today? My other half doesn't play WoW, so I'm bereft of in-game presents, but perhaps my scantily-clad Night Elf will pick up a few admirers before the day is out.
Breakfast Topic: No peeking!
When questing, I often use Thottbot to help me optimise my hunting. Using the site I can find out where NPCs are to report to, where the mobs are concentrated, and even read helpful hints from other players (and contribute my own). Thottbot's proved invaluable on many an occasion, especially when attempting quests that are reasonably difficult to solo.However, recently I've found myself peeking ahead -- looking at the end of quest chains to see if the total XP and rewards are worth it, reading around the subject and generally spoiling any surprises that might have been in store. I've made the decision to stop this until I'm actually stuck on a quest, rather than before I even accept it, and it's a hard one to abide by.Are you over-reliant on Thottbot? If people ask where certain items are, is your first response to direct them to the site -- or to grab that laptop and look it up for them? Or do you see it as a form of cheating, and prefer to find surprises out for yourself?
Breakfast Topic: Emoting
It's those little things that make Azeroth a fun place to be -- and these days, it seems no MMO can get away without a /dance emote. The list of emotes you can perform ingame is quite long (hit the "Read" link for the official rundown), and you can even create your own using /me -- although opposing factions will only see indecipherable gestures if you use anything but pre-approved commands.What's your favourite in-game emote? If you could add your own to the pre-approved list, what would it be?If I'm questing in a contested zone and I really don't want to be bothered, I tend to fire off a macro at approaching Alliance players -- /hug, /kiss, /bow -- which is supposed to tell them that I'm feeling peaceful and want to make my offerings to the Earthmother rather than kill Alliance. Unfortunately, I end up getting ganked anyway, but c'est la vie. A more specific emote might help -- "Player is deeply absorbed in her given task and does not feel that today is a day for war" -- but people would likely gank me out of spite. I don't mind ganking, but there are some days when you only have an hour to play and you really want to get all those bear livers!
Breakfast Topic: Your worst PuG
We've probably all had bad pickup group experiences -- from the healer who thought he was a tank to the hunter who decided she could do just fine without her pet, some of them haunt us to this day. The Leeroy video is funny because it's true, after all...Let's get it all off our chests today -- what's the worst PuG experience you've had? Even worse, was it your fault?Probably the worst re-occurring PuG nightmare I run into is the kamikaze mage. She thinks she's invincible, she decides she wants all the mobs' attention on her, and as a druid I have to judge whether to keep her alive or try to get aggro myself. Neither usually works. I know I've been guilty of playing my class badly, especially when new to a class or rusty after playing others for a while, so I expect I've afforded as much amusement to others as these have to me.
Breakfast Topic: BG Twinks
Battlegrounds are fun, most of the time, but sometimes you run up against a team that seems to have it all. They're at the top end of the level bracket, with the best equipment available, and level 300 enchants on everything -- plus, they have bags full of swiftness and free action potions at the ready, and you don't stand a chance. Yes, BG twinks are not new, but they are causing some fuss on the boards at the moment.What do you think? Should people be allowed to invest their hard-earned gold in lower-level alts and dominate the battlegrounds? The main example of twinking here is the enchants -- should there be a level restriction on high-end enchants?[Thanks, Josh]
