Gweryc
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15 Minutes of Fame: The most untalented player
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.We admit to developing a soft spot for hard-headed, level-80-by-hook-or-crook metagamers like Noor the pacifist and Gweryc the melee Hunter. How can you resist this much sheer creative enthusiasm? These guys undercut their own characters just to see if they can manage without: without killing anything, without wearing any armor – and now, without training any talents. Lithiumflowr of Bronze Dragonflight-EU started making plans for his second Hunter not long after dinging level 80 with his first. But this time, he had an investigation to conduct: At a time when epic-length forum threads split hairs over moving a single point between trees, what would be the effect of going 0/0/0? How could he compensate for a lack of talents? Could he compensate at all? Evidently, he's compensating rather well. Lithiumflowr is humming right along, moving into Burning Crusade with an eye on level 80. He may be the most untalented player you've ever seen – but he's definitely no Huntard.
15 Minutes of Fame: Gweryc on WoW's nonconformity backlash
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – both the renowned and the relatively anonymous. Know an interesting player you'd like to see profiled? E-mail us at 15minutesoffame AT wowinsider DOT com. We knew when we sat down a few weeks ago to interview Noor the pacifist that the whole concept of a WoW character who didn't kill anything would start the flames rolling. The idea definitely lit some bonfires around the interwebz: incredulous readers Dugg it, StumbledUpon it ... it even showed up on Fark. But the real heat was in the reader comments, as readers at WoW Insider and across the 'net flamed, lambasted, reasoned, cajoled, ranted and otherwise worried the topic to bits like a pack of ravenous worgs. Seeking some perspective in the aftermath, we turned to Gweryc the melee Hunter. We suspected he might offer a shoulder to cry on about being misunderstood in the pursuit of eccentric, concept-driven gaming. Instead, we got an inspired dissection of current thinking on who plays MMORPGs and why -- and what playing a purposely gimped character has to do with it. Join us after the break for a conversation with Gweryc on metagaming, gaming achievement ... and of course, being a Hunter who hits stuff.
Insider Trader: Crafting a future for professions
Insider Trader is your weekly inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.Are you a tradesman -- or are you simply a player who crafts? The determining factor is yet another question: Do you care? For the vast majority of WoW players, crafting is a means to an end: better gear, more money, consumables and resources. For others, though, crafting is a game in and of itself. The WoW tradesman relishes the entire process of crafting: training up, obtaining rare recipes, scrounging mats, actually crafting items, researching new possibilities, interacting with customers ... an enjoyable pursuit in its own right.WoW's crafting system is by no means complex or even especially compelling – and perhaps even anachronistic. This week, Insider Trader brings you musings on professions inspired by well-known MMORPG blogger Tobold's predictions on the shape of MMORPGs in the year 2020. We have a lot for you to ponder and pontificate about – so please come join the conversation, after the break.
15 Minutes of Fame: Hammer time
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – both the renowned and the relatively anonymous. Know an interesting player you'd like to see profiled? E-mail us your tips.This week's 15 Minutes of Fame subject has earned her time in the limelight – and it's actually worth more than a mere 15 minutes. Auden, creator of the wry and witty Hammer of Grammar, shines her sharp wit into all the little cracks and crevices of WoW culture and online life. Hammer isn't another off-the-grid, lore-based fantasy adventure; instead, through their doggedly domestic lives, Auden and her partner in crime Gweryc (yeah, the melee hunter guy) make us chuckle over the little things that endear the game world to us.The proverbial "one tough cookie" IRL, Auden's unquenchable spirit comes through not only in her comic but in this exclusive interview with WoW Insider. Read more about what keeps her in the game and at her design desk, after the break.
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Self-imposed limitations on leveling
There is a special breed of player who's not content to level from 1 to 70 in the ordinary manner. Instead, they choose to place hindrances on themselves to create a more challenging experience. Gutrot of the European Aerie Peak realm is one example. He finally attained level 70 a few weeks ago after months of questing and killing creatures naked, with no weapons or visible armor aside from his trusty loincloth. His feat has made him a minor Wow celebrity and there was a huge party when he finally hit the level cap. Other players have placed different limitations on themselves, seemingly inspired by Gutrot. For instance, Gweryc and Kakita are both melee-only hunters while Noor is a pacifist, trying to reach the level cap without killing anything.I've always been intrigued by this sort of idea, and have even made a character or two myself that had such limitations placed upon them. Recently, during the long dark night between patches, I got bored with my mindless and aimless farming and decided to create a new alt. I decided that this character would be a Draenei warrior, but that he would only fight unarmed, with a staff or with a throwing weapon. I also decided that he could only wear cloth or leather items. I suppose my idea was based somewhat on a sketchy notion of some kind of fighting monk.
Hammer of Grammar hits the comic scene
If you haven't heard of it yet, Hammer of Grammar seems to be the new breakthrough star in the WoW comic scene. I've seen it pop up in quite a few places already, and the latest comic, a great lore-filled dig at AFKers, has me completely sold-- not to mention that the comic's creator (who I'm guessing by the URL is someone named Meghan O'Hara? My kingdom for an About page!) is a big WoW Insider fan, and friends with our own Matt Rossi. So obviously they're good people.The strip centers around a Melee Hunter named Gweryc (yes, that Gweryc) and a Human Priest named Auden (who is the author's character, I believe), but it's best when, unlike Flintlocke (which has garnered the most comparisons to so far), it avoids the adventures and just sticks to witty insight about this crazy game we play.It's a great start for a cool comic, and hopefully we'll see a lot more from Hammer of Grammar.
Meet Gweryc, the melee hunter
Yes, I imagine that some readers in the audience cringed the moment they saw "melee" and "hunter" in the same sentence. However, Gweryc, who recently hit level 70, has clearly managed it -- and apparently enjoyed himself doing it, so who are we to criticize? And if you doubt his melee abilities, just take a glance at his weapon skills: Bows: 1/350 Crossbows: 1/350 Guns: 6/350 Yep -- these are the ranged weapon skills of a level 70 hunter. A level 70 hunter very dedicated to going against the grain. Of his character and playstyle, Gweryc says:It's a challenge playing this way, it really is. And that's exactly what I love about it. This way of playing isn't for everybody! That's okay! Some people enjoy raiding, some enjoy crafting or fishing, some like PvP. To each their own. For my part, I'll keep on looking for ways to do things just a little different, to make it work, and to have fun with it as I go.Anyone else out there going against the grain -- and loving it?
