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Barrens Chat: Evolution revolution
I mentioned in an earlier strip that I greatly dislike the Recruit-a-Friend program in an earlier comic. Mainly because the last two people we could have possibly talked into playing World of Warcraft started playing long before the benefit was offered. Needless to say, we're helping them out the old fashioned way, which occasionally includes hopping on an alt and running around with them.After the jump, I actually have more to babble about today. %Gallery-22361%
Massively goes to WAR: Character creation video for Destruction classes
We've already posted video of character creation from Warhammer Online's Order races. Now it's time for video of Destruction creation (oxymoron? You decide.) The three vids after the jump show different options for the Goblin, Chaos (Human) and Dark Elf races as well as different gender models where applicable.You'll notice that there are no female choices for any Goblin career, no female choices for the Chaos tank and melee dps career and no male option for the Dark Elf Witch Elf career. We guess Marilyn Manson in a bikini wasn't that appealing when it came down to it.
The Gadgetzan Times returns, looks for submissions
The Gadgetzan Times has returned from a long hiatus. Apparently, however, they are in a bit of trouble, with reports of difficulty retaining their goblin reporters. Because of this, the editor-in-chief has switched to a new idea: soliciting stories from the adventurers themselves. If you've written fanfiction about the World of Warcraft, you can now submit to for a chance to showcased in the Gadgetzan Times. There's versions for every language, with a different story for each language. If you've always wanted to be a Goblin journalist, here's the closest you can get. Submit your stories, and maybe we'll see you in the next editon.
25 Easter eggs of the Burning Crusade
We at WoW Insider felt that, in honor of Easter/Noblegarden, we'd go looking for some of the best Easter eggs in Burning Crusade. This is by no means an exhaustive gallery of all the little nods you can find in BC; it's really almost impossible to go anywhere without running into a programmer's sly joke. I had to limit my gallery to things that could be seen by toons who'd outleveled some of the really good quest-related ones ("How To Serve Goblins" was great) or who had ready access to the Blood Elf/Draenei starter areas. Enjoy your trawl through a feast of cleverly-placed pop-culture references, and you can visit BlizzPlanet for an exhaustive list of Burning Crusade Easter eggs if these whet your appetite for more! Don't forget that with our new gallery functions, you can hit the "Hi Res" button at the top right of the page if you want to see a photo in more detail.%Gallery-18980%
Renunciation: the trials, tribulations, and terrors of respecialization
Or:"Are you sure you want to do this? Really?"In last week's lecture we discussed factions and reputations an Engineer might find beneficial for their career progression. In that lecture, it was mentioned that the only real decision to be made for an Engineer is between the Goblin Engineering school, known as the Goblin Experimental Engineering Korporation, or the Gnomish school, known as the Mechanical Engineering Guild, Associated. Making this choice is an important step in the career paths of many Engineers. It involves a lifelong oath of loyalty, a considerable investment of time and resources, and it steers the direction your tinkering will take for the rest of your career.Well, almost. One can renounce one's affiliation with M.E.G.A. or G.E.E.K. but at a cost. Perhaps a cost too terrible to bear for many Engineers. The life expectancy of an Engineer is short, and thus his lifelong loyalty can be considered a less than permanent thing. Even so, the memory of an Engineer is long, and it is no simple task to convince those who were once your sworn (and "lifelong") rivals that you are now their sworn (and "lifelong") ally.You should know before you even consider this the drawbacks involved. Other professions allow a change of specialization with relative ease and minor expense. It is, for many of them, simply a matter of purchasing a new school. They are not like the Engineers, though. The Dragonscale leatherworkers are not foes of Elemental leatherworkers, not to the same degree as are Gnomish and Goblin Engineers. For the Engineer a sacrifice must be made, in order to demonstrate to your prospective new associates that your intentions are good, and your commitment to them firm.Herein we will discuss the method of changing one's specialization within Engineering.
New WoTLK zone Grizzly Hills now previewing on the main WoW site
We have some awesome WoTLK news for you today, as Blizzard has just updated their site with a preview of the Grizzly Hills, a Northrend zone that will adjoin the Howling Fjord. Not only are there some really beautiful screen shots, but there's a video with a fly-through tour of parts of the zone, show casing what look to be Human, Orcish, and Furbolg settlements.The zone will be the home of the Grizzlemaw Furbolgs, a peaceful tribe that is currently arming for war due to encroachment by trappers and the goblin Venture Company, as well as an invasion by the undead Drakkari Ice Trolls (Who are listed on the Beastiary page, although still grayed out). Not only does the zone look amazing, but it sounds like there's going to be a lot of great lore and story to go with it as well. It's good to see an old nemesis return in the form of the Venture Company, whom we really haven't seen much of since Stranglethorn Vale, and hopefully we'll have one more Furbolg tribe to ally with in the Grizzlemaw. It's also mentioned that they worship a giant bear that roams the wilderness, which feels like it could lead to a bit of new lore for druids as well perhaps, especially if the bear is related to Ursoc and Ursol somehow. Finally, the Drakkari Ice Trolls seem to have gone the same way as the Mossflayers, and it should be interesting to find out how they fell.
A Tinker's Personal Protective Equipment: specialties and specifications of sartorial safety
Or"We can dance/ We can dance/ Wearin' the Safety Pants!"Engineering is a dangerous line of work. At every turn there's caustic chemicals, grinding machinery, explosive reagents, angry law enforcement officials, disgruntled fire brigades, out of control dragonlings, and steam tonks running amok. Many an Engineer has lost track of a finger or two from time to time, and many others have put considerable research, born of necessity, into the design of prosthetic limbs to offset such professional risk.But there's no need for such damage to occur to a right-thinking Engineer. While we're no great hand (or hoof) at stitching together many garments, there exist plenty of items which can be worn not only for protective purposes, but also great aesthetic effect. Herein, we will discuss the varieties of Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, available to Engineers, with an eye to not only safety, but fashion.Head Protection: You'll shoot your eye out, kid.Headgear is where we'll start with this lecture, as it's the part of your PPE gear you're likely to be able to make yourself. Of course the signature of the Engineer's look has long been thought to be the goggles. This is the easiest part of the PPE ensemble to obtain. A monocular goggle is better than nothing at all, but any number of goggles exist which provide better coverage as well as better utility. Remember, always keep your head on a swivel, and keep that swivel calibrated to within acceptable limits of swivelocity. For those Engineers who are unwise Goblin enough to be unconcerned with the eyes, there is also the pair of Foreman's Helmets: the Enchanted version for spell slingers, and the Reinforced version for mail wearers. Even the most staunch M.E.G.A. member must admit that the head is also important, though some Taurens in the workshop have never quite understood the need to protect their already well-protected (and some say solid bone) heads. The production of the Foreman's Helmets is left to those of you who are members of G.E.E.K. Hoof and Horn, as ever, disavows all knowledge, responsibility, or even vague understanding of the Goblin Engineer's craft.
Around Azeroth: The welcome committee
Though screenshots do not, by default, have sound enabled, I can very nearly hear this smiling Goblin heartily welcoming us to Booty Bay. (Of course, being a Goblin, he would immediately segue into selling us something.) Reader Elaynea of Lightbringer sent us this shot with the title "Rio de Goblineiro" -- and, well, with that much Goblin on-screen, how could it be anything else?Haven't filled your Goblin quota for the day? Send us your Goblin-themed images to us 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!%Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Under the loving arms of...
Reader Aryc sends us a unique perspective of the well-known Goblin statue in Booty Bay. We've seen plenty of shots of this iconic image standing in the distance in the sunrise/sunset/starry sky/etc, but this is the first time I've seen our Goblin friend up close and personal -- I can only presume that both myself and many Around Azeroth readers never bothered to swim over to the island to take a closer look. (And now you don't have to.)Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Our favorite view in Stranglethorn Vale
For today's episode of Around Azeroth, we're wandering away from Outland to revisit one of our favorite views of the old world. And if you don't recognize the shot above, I have to say I'd be very curious to know where you leveled between 30 and 45 or so! But for those of you who don't know what we're looking at, it's a shot of the Goblin statue that stands on a tiny island just outside the port of Booty Bay. In this sunset shot, sent in by reader Kalku of Dath'Remar, it looks quite tranquil.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Those goblins have the strangest taste...
I think that the goblin statue in Booty Bay is kind of eerie (there's nothing welcoming about a goblin, open arms or no), but this one outside of Area 52 in Netherstorm -- sent in by reader Rolaw of Ursin -- takes creepiness to an entirely new level. Something about that toothy grin is very unsettling... (Do goblins really have that many teeth?) Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
