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Ask WoW Insider: Best class loot lists?
Welcome to this week's edition of Ask WoW Insider, wherein we publish your burning questions for your fellow readers to answer. Last week we looked at how to get into role-playing, and this week we turn our attention to something near and dear to all of our hearts: loot. We've got questions in the same vein from Bodah and Cynthia, who both want to know about the best sites for class-specific loot. Bodah writes: I have a Feral Druid, and I was a happy as all get-out when you guys posted an article linking to a feral gear site that ranked all the endgame gear. One of my friends in particular, a mage, is jealous of my ability to immediately identify what loot is better for me than others. My question, then: Where do other players/classes go for that kind of detailed info? Kaliban's lists are great for finding gear, but he doesn't rank them, and one of the joys of the Druid lists was finding greens that were better for me than hard-to-get blues and purples. I have a suspicion that the same is true for other classes, as well. Cynthia mentions the same article and asks "Anything like this for rogues?" The answer to that question is Shadowpanther.net, and we want to know if there are equivalents for other classes -- where do you go for very class-specific information and ideally explicit rankings of gear for your level? Tune in next week for another episode of Ask WoW Insider, driven by your questions -- send them to us at ask AT wowinsider DOT com.
Breakfast topic: And yet, it worked
There is nothing more lame than getting stuck in a group that just isn't going to work. If you're a warrior, and you get put in a group that has a feral druid, two rogues, and a warlock, odds are that you're in for a rough night. I'm not saying it won't work-- maybe the druid has crazy healing gear, and the rogues are a few levels high for the instance, and the warlock is really good at doing all the things they can do. But if the group's not there, it's not going to happen.But sometimes, you can get a really amazing group from what doesn't seem like the right makeup. I once ran a group with three shaman (me as a resto, and two elemental), a mage and a druid, and lo and behold, we actually finished Stratholme easily (we were all 60, before the expansion). And I've always wanted to run a group of all shaman-- two resto, two elemental, and an enhancement, through one of the 5 mans. I'm sure that if we had the gear and the know-how, we could make it work.So what's the wackiest group you've ever been in, where you thought you were just plain doomed-- and yet, it worked? I'm no good at the math, but with eight nine classes (told you I was bad at math) in five spots, that's a whole lot of different groups out there. What is the craziest one you've had that works?
Ask WoW Insider: Why are you overpowered?
It's time once again for our weekly edition of Ask WoW Insider, wherein we publish your questions and solicit your peers' feedback. This week's question comes from Marshall, who wants you all to introspect and fess up about why your class is overpowered: "I always see people in the comments (here and on the forums) talking about about how other classes are overpowered. What I want to know is, what class do you play, and why is your class overpowered? It goes without saying that I'm looking for honest answers here :)" Dig deep, self-examine and admit it: what makes your class overpowered? Without you, Ask WoW Insider is nothing. We desperately await your questions at ask AT wowinsider DOT com.
Ask WoW Insider: Favorite class forums and blogs?
It's time once again for the weekly edition of Ask WoW Insider, wherein we choose one of your questions to publish for your fellow readers to answer. This week's question comes to us from Vince, who wants to know specifically your favorite priest sites, forums and blogs -- and more generally, your favorite stops for class-specific news: I've been a devoted WowInsider reader for almost a year, I think... you're one of the first stops I make on my daily tour of the internet. But I wonder if you know of any great priest forums or blogs I should be reading? Back when my main was a mage, I really enjoyed the Subcreation mage forum, but I haven't found anything similar for priests. There's far too much noise in the Blizzard priest forum. Any suggestions? Maybe this would be a good "Ask Wow Insider" topic, people could share the class-related blogs they like. Will you share your favorite priest and other class-specific sites with Vince and the rest of your WoW-loving peers? Please also share your questions with us at ask AT wowinsider DOT com, and each week we'll choose one to publish and kick off discussion.
Pushing the limits of a class trinity
Relmstein is at it again, this time with a look at class trinity in MMORPGs. This is old, old RPG strategy stuff-- basically almost every RPG out there is based around three different class roles: that of tank, DPS or healing. Tanks (like Warriors and Fighters) take damage, DPS classes (like Mage and Rogue) dish the damage out, and healing classes (obviously) keep the party alive long enough to win the battle. For a while now, game developers have tried to vary up this class trinity, so that you don't just have the same options in every game. In WoW, hybrid classes like Paladin and Shaman can play more than one role, and classes like Hunters and Warlocks have extra abilities (crowd control and buffing/debuffing) that help them be something more than what the class trinity lays out for them. Or there are classes like Druids, who can play all three roles at various times.But the problem here is that while there are some extra abilities floating around, there aren't any new class types to speak of. The reason for this in WoW is because the developers want to give every class the option to go all the way to 70 solo, which means classes that could be total crowd control classes, like Hunters, are forced back into one of the class trinity roles (in this case, DPS). So far, we haven't seen a really pure crowd control class-- at least not like we've seen pure tanking, pure healing, or pure DPS classes.So let's put our minds to it. What kinds of classes could we make that would do something fundamentally different from tanking, healing, or damage?
BC's effect on the census
The Burning Crusade has been upon us for two months, and already, as I'm sure you've all observed, it has had a dramatic effect on the race/class balance of the game. First off, due to the massive influx of Blood Elves -- they are now the most popular Horde race! -- the Alliance:Horde ratio is more even than ever at 1.3:1 (though of course individual servers do vary substantially). Draenei have not been quite as winning as our love-to-hate-'em elfly friends, placing solidly in the middle of the pack for Alliance races (between Gnomes and Dwarves on the one side and Humans and Night Elves on the other).How about classes? Well, the stereotype is true: more Blood Elves are Paladins than are any other class (35%). This has made Paladins 6th most popular class for the Horde, which is kind of surprising for a class that just became available recently. Who thought so many Hordies had been secretly longing to bubble-hearth? This having been said, Draenei Shaman are even more popular, relatively speaking, than Blood Elf Paladins -- 49% of Draenei are Shaman. That's a lot of space totems. This also means Draenei represent almost half (48%) of all the Shaman in the game; 39% of Paladins are Blood Elves. Due to the relative unpopularity of Draenei, though, Shaman is still the least popular Alliance class, as it has been for the game's history (not entirely by choice for most of it, of course).All of this data is from the ever-lovely WarcraftRealms.com census data, and ignores characters below level ten. Head over there if you want more detailed stats of any kind. How is your realm doing?
Shamans being "looked at"
In the wake of Blizzard's assertion that they won't be doing any more class reviews, comes an announcement from European CM Ommra saying that the shaman class is currently being "looked at." There aren't any specifics yet, but says Ommra,The developers are currently looking into Elemental threat and sustainability (mana efficiency). Of course, the thread goes on to list other class complaints, including lack of CC (or ability to escape CC) and Enhancement threat issues -- which just shows that you can never please everyone. But for the shamans in the audience, will Elemental improvements make you happy, or does the class need improvement in another direction entirely?
Ask WoW Insider: Top PvP classes at level 70?
It's time for this week's edition of Ask WoW Insider, wherein we publish one of your questions for your Warcraft-loving peers to answer. Last week we looked at the best ways to make money in Burning Crusade. This week we turn from fiscal concerns to our concern with pwning faces. Our question comes from reader Noah, who writes: "I know this is a heavily debated question but I was wondering what you guys thought the top PvP classes at 70 will be." We've looked at who you love and who you hate, and now Noah wants to know who'll be ripping you to shreds in the level 70 PvP bracket. Have at it! And don't forget to send us your questions at ask AT wowinsider DOT com.
Breakfast Topic: What's your archnemesis class?
Everyone has the one class or spec that they dislike irrationally. You call for them to be nerfed on the forums, you stalk them through battlegrounds, and you may even swear under your breath when one of them ends up in your instance group. This is your archnemesis class. There's an old joke that the traditional enemy of the rogue is every other rogue on the server, and I have to admit that used to be true for me. I hated other rogues more than any other class. Sure, there were really nice and skilled rogues, but they seemed to be in the minority compared to the giant amount of idiots that rolled a rogue to be cheap shot artists (pun intended.) All the ninjas, drama queens, and overall irritating people I met in my first few months of playing WoW were other rogues, and a deep sense of self-loathing festered inside of me. I was halfway tempted to reroll a warlock -- and this was back in the days where NO ONE was a warlock -- when the idiot rogues disappeared! Where did they go? A couple months later, when untalented, unintelligent, aggro-insensitive DPS warriors began infesting my guilds, I had my answer. To this day, I'm always a little suspicious of DPS warriors, particularly those who utterly refuse to consider tanking an instance and have a wishlist consisting of 90 percent of the one and two-handed weapons in the game. However, the recent warrior nerfs have sent the annoying DPS warriors back into hiding, soon to emerge again as whatever other class allows them to take a lot of loot and smash things. What class/spec annoys you most in WoW? Does the annoyance extend only to people you fight in PVP, or do you hate those of the same faction as you?
World of Warcraft's list of useless classes
Elizabeth Wachowski over at WoW Insider put together one of the more definitive pieces ever done on the useless classes in World of Warcraft. Scrounging together the best of the worst threads from the upcoming Burning Crusade expansion forums, Wachowski shows that every class is worthless for one reason or another, or another -- or another. She lists the reasons, with multiple hyperlinks. Anyone who's ever read or listened to complaints about classes in WoW will get a good giggle, or fume with rage; adding more reasons to why Warlocks are overpowered and why Mages are worthless because they're being out-DPSed by shadow priests.Whatever Blizzard is doing with World of Warcraft, they're obviously on the right path. With seven million players currently paying $15 a month, that's a cool $1.26 billion going in the Ironforge vault every year. Burning Crusade launches on Jan 16 and we can't wait to see how Blizzard distributes the millions of copies necessary to satiate even 50 percent of players. Complaining about classes will be the last thing on WoW addict minds when they can't get their Burning Crusade fix at launch.
Ask WoW Insider: Best duo for PVP or grinding?
Last week we asked you to submit your questions for a new feature, Ask WoW Insider. Every week we'll pick a question out of the box and publish it for you, the readers, to help answer. This week's question comes to us from Christopher: "What do you think is the best duo team for PVP or grinding? I thought about it for a good two weeks and haven't come to any conclusions. Thanks." We imagine you'll have a lot to say on this topic, so let's hear it -- what team of classes do you think makes the best duo for PVP or for grinding? Feel free to include two sets if you feel a different duo is warranted for each. And don't forget to drop us a line with your questions for Ask WoW Insider -- send them to ask AT wow.com. Thanks!
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Breakfast Club: Class in session
We enjoyed talking about guilds, no doubt. But what kind of Breakfast Topic did we enjoy chatting about more than any other in 2006? Classes. Have you heard about the Burning Crusade expansion? Hah. Anyway, Elizabeth wonders what class you folks will be playing come the expansion. I am working on a rogue and a pally, but I might just start a warrior come January 16th. Heck...who am I kidding? I can't give up my super-overpowered warlock! We have been playing the same nine classes for darn near two years. Wouldn't it be nice to have some new classes to play? I liked the idea of a battlemage, while necromancer and bard were some of the favorite choices of the comment crew. Which class is the the easiest? Hunter? Warlock? Well, Elizabeth says hunter. I had an easy time with my warlock. Comment crew agreed with Elizabeth. Beyond how easy a class is to level, or how powerful it is, the question is simply...which class is the most fun to play? I really, really enjoyed my priest way back when, and I am really liking my rogue right now. I'd say warlock, but you are probably sick of hearing me talk about my damn warlock. Everyone remembers their first. First class that is. Mine was a rogue, which I retired, but have recently revisited. Good times! Finally, every class got a review. Some liked theirs more than others. As a priest when they were reviewed, I was initially happy. Then not so much. And hey, if you have changed your opinion, or you weren't a regular when these topics were discussed, feel free to chime in! Any ideas for fun new classes? How about some new insight on your class review?
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I rolled my class because ...
When you first get World of Warcraft, staring at the race/class selection screen can be a daunting task. There are so many factors to choose from, and you're unlikely to know anything about how the classes really function besides what you read in the manual. And, as you can see by the many people who start out arguments with "I rolled a ____ because the character description said ...", you can sometimes be horribly mistaken about what your class will end up doing. My first class ended up being a druid because "I can be a cat! Cool!" Unfortunately, I was so scared of wasting mana that I hit everything with my staff and quickly grew bored. Also I thought Teldrassil was the entire world and that I was almost finished with the game. After learning a bit more about the game, I rolled a paladin because I could do damage and heal myself. That got scrapped around the time the damage began looking ... not so hot. Finally, my friend's enticements to join the Horde grew too strong to resist. I rolled a rogue for two reasons: I could hide instead of fighting things, and I could steal stuff from people. I also decided on a troll because troll females stand up straight and have mohawks. (Ah, the days before everyone rolled undead for Will of the Forsaken!) As I leveled to 60 and raided MC, BWL and AQ40, I discovered that hiding and stealing may not have been the best reason to roll a rogue. The Twin Emps do not work well with pickpocketing. Other classes, such as druids who want to use their hybrid skills in raids and paladins who bemoan their lack of tanking abilities, claim they were misled at character selection. Why did you pick your character's race and class, and do you have any regrets?
Breakfast Topic: The worst thing about being a....
Sure, we all picked our classes for a reason -- perhaps they're the most fun to play, or perhaps they're the most powerful in PvP, or perhaps they've got the best group utility. But no one class is perfect -- no, not even warlocks -- and we all have things we love and hate about our class of choice. As a priest, for me, it's always being expected to heal -- including when I'm out of mana, when I'm sitting down drinking, when I'm not grouped with you, when I'm healing someone else, when I'm dead... Oh, sure, I really do play a priest to heal, but sometimes people's expectations (and the blame that follows) are outrageous! So what do you find to be the worst aspect of your own class?
Breakfast Topic: Worried about your class?
The Burning Crusade is coming -- and with it comes numerous changes for all classes. Some of them are crazy good, and others are, well, more questionable. But with changes coming every day, I'm not sure any class can be positive what to expect. I'm a little concerned -- not that I think my class of choice, the priest, is going to be worthless, but the classes talent options don't seem to sparkle the way some other classes do. And, yes, after playing two priests up to level 60, I'm wondering if I want to play a different class in the Burning Crusade. But I don't think priests came off the worst for the current state of changes -- but who knows what will happen before Blizzard finishes their tweaking. And what about you? Do you have major worries about the state of your class? Or are you keeping up hope?
PvP rank statistics
PlayOn has been collecting some interesting data on PvP in World of Warcraft. And while I'm not sure any of the information provides grounds for conclusion, it's certainly interesting to peek at. Both of these charts take into account sample data from 128,477 unique characters across 5 realms (one RP, two PvE, and two PvP) during one week in October. Above is their chart of average PvP rank for each class -- as you see, shaman takes the top spot and priest the lowest, but there's relatively little difference in rank between the two. (Perhaps suggesting that any class can be competitive with effort? Or simply that more shamans, warriors, and mages PvP?)Then we have average PvP rank for time played. Unsuprisingly, those attaining rank 13 are nearing 80 hours a week of playtime (for reference, the Daedalus Project suggests the average MMO player spends 20 hours a week in game), while those at rank 14 are dropping closer to 60 hours (possibly a sign of no further play efforts after reaching the maximum rank).
Stay on top of classes with assignment planner
I've always thought keeping track of school-related courses, assignments and projects was a little clunky with apps like iCal and Entourage, and apparently Logan Rockmore agrees, so he created assignment planner. Answering the call of students everywhere, assignment planner brings a number of classroom-focused abilities to the time management table, including: * filtering assignments by completion status and type * course and textbook tracking * color-coding assignments based on your criteria * Dashboard widget to quickly monitor assignmentsNaturally, a demo is available, but assignment planner's price is just right: $5 scores you a license for this Universal Binary app.Thanks Ronald
Breakfast Topic: Best Arena Group Composition
If you wish to compete in arena PvP matches in the expansion, you'll have to be part of an arena team. Formed and organized similarly to guilds, these teams will have a set membership and a maximum size (4 for 2v2 arenas, 6 for 3v3 arenas, or 10 for 5v5 arenas). So the question is - what's the best class makeup for an arena group? I'm considering a priest/hunter team - but more because my best in-game friend plays a hunter than because I think it's the perfect class combination. I honestly can't decide on the best combination for these arena battles. Would you attempt to stack multiples of powerful classes - a pair or trio of shadow priests, for example. Or try to cover all of your bases with hybrid classes - pairing a druid off with a shaman or paladin. So what do you think the ideal class balance will be for these arena matches - and do you have your dream team ready to go yet?
Breakfast Topic: Best/Worst Class to PvP Against
For myself, I can immediately say that I think the worst is the shadow priest. (Of course, I also play a shadow priest...) Perhaps it is simply because there are some especially wily shadow priests on my server, but they give me fits in battlegrounds. The best to PvP against - that is, the easiest to defeat - is more difficult to pick out. There are specific warriors that I have trouble with (charging, intercepting, breaking fear, striking for huge amounts of damage - and killing me in two or three hits), but others I find to be complete pushovers (quickly taken down in the course of a single psychic scream). Rogues are also hit and miss in my experience - if they don't manage to take me down from stealth, during that initial stun, I can almost always cope with them. All healing classes are annoying, due to their potential longevity (though paladins, of course, are the worst), and I have no strong feelings one way or another on the remaining classes. But what about you? In your experience PvP-ing, what's the best and worst class to find yourself up against?
Has Blizzard Filled All the Class Roles?
Well, there was a ton of new info about the expansion late last week, and along with new info comes-- you guessed it-- lots and lots of speculation. One of the more interesting things that came out of the interview Joystiq had with Jeff Kaplan was the revelation that Blizzard was giving Horde pallys and Alliance shammys not just to give either side a chance to play with the class, but because they wanted to make the classes more different in how they worked. Paladins are headed for a "holy tank that heals," and Shaman can expect more "DPS and utility roles."So while we're not technically getting a new class with the upcoming expansion, we're actually getting two. Before, Blizzard had to balance out the changes they made to either one of those classes, but now they're much freer to send either class one way or the other. A few people are worried (aren't they always?) that with all the work being done on hybrids, single role classes will be left out, but Nethaera assures us that smaller, 25-player instances will actually give more individuals a chance to shine in their own roles.Which leaves one more question: Considering this class balancing act is getting harder and harder, will Blizzard ever come up with another class for us? Of course, it wouldn't be until the next expansion (which we already know is years from now), but Tigole has specifically told us it's still an option on the table. Are there any other roles that need to be filled, say, by a Necromancer or a Monk type class? Or, by differentiating the Shaman and Paladin class roles, has Blizzard filled in all the blanks?
