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What effect does the Dungeon Finder have on smaller servers?
For a few days now, I've been mulling over a point raised by Spinksville in a blog post concerning the Dungeon Finder's impact on smaller servers. It was her contention that, although the Dungeon Finder makes getting 5-man runs faster and easier for people on underpopulated realms, the new tool was contributing (or likely to contribute) to the depopulation of realms without a lot of options for raiding. It's never been easier to gear up a character, she observed, and someone with a geared character is increasingly likely to want that toon raiding. However, smaller servers rarely field the array and depth of PuG raiding opportunities offered by larger realms. Her conclusion? "Being on a smaller server has never been less attractive for a casual player." While I go back and forth on that point -- lots of people will just gear a toon for its own sake without necessarily planning to raid on it -- I don't think she's entirely wrong, and I also think the larger point concerning the Dungeon Finder's potential impact on server communities is probably accurate.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Noms
This week, we have a new addition to the list, The Daily Blink. You'll also find zombie chickens, snacking kitties, a comic relief talbuk, a 'chef,' and shoulder armor, all out looking for some noms. From Pocketkitten: Cooking Fail. NPC: Teaching 101. NPC: Chickens Gone Wild. NPC: Fear of Projection. Torment of the Week. Check out the latest from Guilded Age and Teh Gladiators. Daily Quests: Lasherweave Bites. LFG #321 and #322. Beyond the Tree: Walking the Diggers. Dark Legacy Comics: Surgery. Complex Actions: Fairy Tales and Wet Dreams. Equinox vs Chillwinter. WoW eh: Mr. Know-it-All. Love that last frame! I also love how you did a better job at rendering the Taunka than Blizzard did. Sparkly Doom: If WoW Was Life. The Daily Blink: Save Illidan!
Breakfast Topic: What do you do while waiting for LFG to pop?
Every so often, an email comes along the tip line that really gets the writers talking, and we received one such email last night from our reader Zikko, who was curious what people did while they were waiting for the Dungeon Finder to assign them a group ("Guess this only applies to DPS," as he/she observed). While Zikko usually does dailies, watches TV, or farms mats for cooking and fishing, he/she wondered whether anyone had hit upon a better way to pass the time while the Dungeon Finder went on the search. I include the writers' individual comments below, not just because it's a nice "slice of life," but I also think it's a good peek at how different peoples' experiences can be depending on the roles they play: Matt Rossi: I have time to inhale a couple of times during the LFD queue. Allison Robert: To amuse myself, I start counting, "One mississippi, two mississippi, three mississippi..." from releasing the mouse's left button on the Join Group option and the queue popping. However, I am likely to discontinue the practice, as my brain is having increasing difficulty remembering what comes directly after three. It starts with an F. I know it does. Alex Ziebart: When I'm queueing on my DPS, I tab out and play a different game for 15-20 minutes. On my healer, I brace myself so I don't get whiplash zoning into a heroic so fast. Eliah Hecht: I have about enough time to cross my fingers hoping it's not Old Kingdom again. Robin Torres: I tend to my farm in Country Life.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Dirty looks
As I promised you last week, today's list is quite robust. The list even features a new comic for us all to enjoy, and the return to weekly updates from a couple of your favorite artists. Get reading! Battlemasters: Let's Get It On! NPC: Boot Camp. NPC: Ommm. NPC: Sleeeepy. Torment of the Week: Perfectionists. Guilded Age: Page 3 of Chapter 3. Cru the Dwarf: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. I love Cru's dialogue with himself. Teh Gladiators: Fight... to the Death! Daily Quests: Ok, Now Play Dead. If you're a fan of Emergency Kindergarten, then be sure to read the text beneath the comic. LFG: #319 and #320. Beyond the Tree: Settling dust. Dark Legacy Comics: Keydar Can't Ski. I know that a lot of you were wondering why there was no DLC posted last week, and I am posting it here in case you didn't catch the link in the comment section. We do wish you well! Check out the new wallpaper from Complex Actions. NoObz: Season Break. Equinox is back with a new Northrend series! Here are the first two: Equinox and a Mess O' Mounts and Equinox and His Moral Dilemma. Each one is a little mini-series, so click through them. Fail Druid fails some more. The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: Disgraph's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Congrats on graduating, and looking forward to watching the story arc play out! Give a warm welcome back to WoW eh! with The Cold Shoulder. Glad to hear you're feeling somewhat better Kelly! GU Comics: Built In Maturity.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Random mrgls
This week's list is compact, but don't let that fool you; many of the usual suspects have delivered despite the holidays. You can bet that next week's list will be massive! Torment of the Week: Frozen Investments. Check out Guilded Age's 2010 Preview. Teh Gladiators: Enter the Eerily Familiar King. Daily Quests: In the Spirit of Giving. Daily Quests: Resolution: Impossible. NPC: Of Avatar and Avatars. NPC: A New Service. NPC: 2010 Predictions. That last line got me laughing! For the history behind it, see an earlier Sunday Morning Funnies published in May of 2009. Beyond the Tree: What We Need Is More Noise. LFG #317 and #318. Cru the Dwarf: All Choked Up.
Sunday Morning Funnies: An illusion
It's the Sunday in between Christmas or Hanukkah and New Years festivities, which is the perfect time to settle down and read through the weekly comics: Guilded Age: Chapter 2, Page 23. Teh Gladiators: Crazy Vallant Magical Offspring. Da!ly Quests: Hurry Up and Wait. Dark Legacy Comics: This Time of Year. NPC: Kitty Tip Number One. NPC: Kitty Tip Number Two. NPC: Kitty Tip Number Three. Beyond the Tree: A Small Scheme. LFG #315 and #316. Holiday filler from Complex Actions. Dungeons and Draenei: Frostsaber and Bad Behavior. NoObz: Tenth Commandment. Cru the Dwarf: Thanks for the Memories.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Rub my belly
Last week's post included a whole slew of commenter tips about WoW-related comic strips, so in addition to reading through your favorites, check out some of these newcomers: The latest from Torment of the Week. My main comment here would be: WTB perma-links. Here is one from Real Life Comics that is about Diablo 2, but I'll include it because it is also about Blizzard's patching habits. GRATS! The De-Evolution of the Quest. I love how game issues are discussed beneath the comic. I also love how the old guy is a dead ringer for Disney's Jafar from the first Aladdin movie when he pretends to be a prisoner in order to convince Aladdin to go into the cave and retrieve the lamp. The Battlemasters: Guilded Butterflies. Here's a new one: Guilded Age. Start reading from the title page, and next week I'll start posting the updates. Working Daze also recently posted two WoW-related comics, including one about patch day. Teh Gladiators: They're A Hungry Bunch. Da!ly Quests: Goblin Ingenuity. This is exactly what I thought when I first read Allison's The single greatest thing that has ever happened in this game. Dark Legacy Comics: Ammunition. NPC: Cuddle Cats. That one isn't entirely WoW-related but it rocks, and it does tie into their alt leveling, as well as the next storyline. Declaration. NPC: Intervention Cats. Beyond the Tree: Chekov's Gunmen. LFG #313 and #314. NoObz: Ninth Commantment. Slash AFK: Fish Pwned. Check out Complex Actions #44: Swimsuit Edition by going to their main page.
Drama Mamas: Dungeon Finder advice
Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with the Drama Mamas. Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are real-life mamas and experienced WoW players -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your server. We're taking your questions at DramaMamas (at) WoW (dot) com. Most of us have been having a great time with the new Dungeon Finder. (And if you haven't, then you really, really should. It's a gamechanger.) We have our good PuG stories and, of course, the bad PuGs. My first experience was in a dungeon where all but the main boss had been downed. I got in because the rogue whose place my mage was taking had quit in order to turn in a quest. None of us could figure out why he didn't want to wait the three minutes, get the random dungeon rewards and then turn in the quest. But his loss was my gain. He was a bad PuGger (PuGgie? PuGinator?) because he left his team hanging and waiting to pick up a 5th person before they could finish their dungeon and move onto the next one. Here are some more examples of bad PuGgers that I think most of us can agree on: The player who puts the tank on follow and doesn't participate. The tanks who don't pay attention to healer mana and then complain when they die. The players who don't manage their aggro, regardless of role. Rude and/or spammy chatters. Players who make careless mistakes and repeatedly wipe the group. (One mistake does not a bad PuGger make.) But what about the player in blues and greens who doesn't make mistakes, is perfectly pleasant and cooperative, but isn't putting out the numbers you think he or she should?
WoW Rookie: Gearing up with the LFG feature
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the basics of a good start in the World of Warcraft. For links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's, visit WoW.com's WoW Rookie Guide. Plotting your path from zero to hero? "Last night, I got my alt mage to level 80 (woop) and thought I'd set about doing some heroics to get those 'phat loots' and a have a bit of fun," writes reader Hedwinkle of EU Daggerspine. "However, I was disappointed to see that I couldn't queue up for any heroics using the new tool, as my gear level wasn't high enough. I mean, it's all blue gear from the later instances, so I guess I have two questions ... "1. What is the gear level required to allow me to queue up for random heroics using the new tool? "2. What is the best way for me to go about getting my gear level higher? People on my server have very little interest now in finding a group the 'old-fashioned' way." As it turns out, Hedwinkle's not the only one who's been puzzling over the details of how the new Looking for Group tool matches and places group members. Luckily, blue poster Zarhym had some answers that should reassure all of WoW Rookie's fresh level 80s.
The Queue: Literally
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Michael Sacco will be your host today. Editor's Note: The above image has now been fixed to include its original participants. What a great week for dungeon running. Got my shaman his full tier 9 set, my rogue her 2-piece, and a myriad of other badges and loot for my other alts. Soon I'll start pawning off my alt's Emblems of Frost for Primordial Saronite and finance some epic flying. Plus I've gathered enough mats to get my rogue berserking on both of her weapons. Not bad, Patch 3.3. Not bad indeed. But wait! The Queue is about you. Let's get some you in here. Squirr3llywrath9 asked... What's the deal with the Scarlet Crusade? I thought they were against anything that is against the teachings of the Light, particularly the scourge. But in Dragonblight there are shadow priests and death knights in the various bases the crusade has in Northrend. Was wondering if I missed anything that explains their change in ideals.
Breakfast Topic: Are you using the Looking For Group channel?
Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a world... in a land... there was a zone-specific Looking For Group channel. Then Blizzard saw fit to make it realm-wide so that no matter where you were -- whether questing or gathering or hanging out in big cities -- you could have a channel to make group requests to anyone in your faction not in an instance. The unintended, though easily foreseen, consequence was that Barrens/Elwynn chat spread to all zones like a plague. And Blizzard took it away, eventually, claiming that it was adding functionality by stuffing it in their new (at the time) LFG functionality. Some protested and created their own LFG channels, but most were satisfied to keep it in the big cities and take it to Tradechat, transforming it forever.
Patch 3.3: The Dungeon Finder Guide
Patch 3.3 is here and the old looking for group interface is now gone. The old heroic dailies? Gone. The reputation dungeon daily? Gone. The achievements for doing all of those dailies are now Feats of Strength, because if you didn't have them before, you'll never have them now. In their place, we get the ability to queue for dungeons in much the same way that you normally queue for battlegrounds. We get the ability to almost instantaneously have our group put together and be teleported directly inside the instance. For those of you who just recently hit 80, there is no crazy GearScore requirements (thank the Earth Mother), no insane dps requirement, and no achievement checking. It removes all of those things that really stink about trying to find a group to get gear from heroics. Let's take a better look at this new feature.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Why is my juice warm
Juice really shouldn't be warm; but doesn't M just look so happy? It almost makes it okay, although that's primarily because it's not my juice. The Scout Report: #88, Scout is back to being Scout! Well, sort of. #89, and I'm trying not to imagine the sprocket party too. NPC: Breaking News. This totally ruins our next April Fools Day! Sensibilities. I'm jealous of your turkey pet, for I was tragically unable to participate. Special. Teh Gladiators: T-t-t-eee? Dark Legacy Comics: Crappy Table. Da!ly Quests: Revenge is Sweet. LFG #309 and #310. Dungeons and Draenei: 2012 WoW. Beyond the Tree: Ghould Rush. I like the pun - and I love ghouls. So adorable. Battlemasters: Old Flames. Such a Womanizer! WoW eh: Need More Rage. Love this one! Well, I love them every week. Cru the Dwarf: Turkey Filler 2009. I have to say, that as far as filler goes, this is pretty premium, and got me laughing. Experience Points: Easier. NoObz: Seventh Commandment. Newish Fail Druid! The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: They See Me Rulin' They Hatin'. But what about the silly hair Dan? GU Comics: Aces Over Threes. This one has Yoda and WoW. Other than that, it's a surprise! Or wait. Not telling you about Yoda might have been a better surprise.
Sunday Morning Funnies: The absurdity of it all
All I can say is, "Mmm, gnome brain." Dark Legacy Comics: Gnome Brain. Teh Gladiators: They Come to Disturb Our Peace. NPC: Asil's Question. Kitties never learn though do they? Appreciation. I especially love this next one: Ahem. Daily Quests: Hell Hath No Fury. LFG #307 and #308. Dungeons and Draenei: 2012 WoW. Beyond the Tree: An Unfriendly Reception. Check out the latest from Slash AFK. Complex Actions: The homepage has their latest one. So far, I can't figure out how to make a permalink to their latest comic until it becomes the second-latest comic. WoW eh: What Have You Done. Battlemasters: A Fine Mess.
Sunday Morning Funnies: It's not about you
Happy Pilgrim's Bounty! Before you rush off in excitement to check out the new holiday, why not spend a few minutes reading through some of your favorite WoW-related webcomics? Battlemasters: A Small Party. Cru the Dwarf: We'll Meet Again. Dark Legacy Comics: Profit! Experience Points: AFK. NoObz: Sixth Commandment. Teh Gladiators: Such Tuneful Words, Like Penguin Squak! NPC: Podfans. Also, Stream Fright and Oh the Humanity. I love his last response! Daily Quests: All's Fair in Love and Warcraft. LFG #305 and #306. Dungeons and Draenei: RP Servers. Beyond the Tree: Descent. Complex Actions: Cutting Out the Middle Man. Slash AFK: Turkey Fun. Check out this WoW-themed comic from FoxTrot.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Belt trick
This week, we have a quiz and a new comic to enjoy, along with updates from many of your favorites. Battlemasters: Into Icecrown. Dark Legacy Comics: C-A-T spells CAT! NoObz: Fifth Commandment. This one feels unfinished to me. Check out the latest from Teh Gladiators. NPC: Azerothian Feline Treatment Watch. Also, In the Can and CAPS Faux Pas. I love how randomly angry Lisa looks in the two middle panels. She's passionate about CAPS locks. Sparkly Doom: Casual Player is Casual. World of Warcraft, eh?: Invasive Maneuvers. Daily Quests: Life's Little Pleasures. LFG #303 and #304. Dungeons and Draenei: What is your world... of Warcraft? Beyond the Tree: Downbrook. Fail Druid fails again. Complex Actions: GM Bailout. Test your knowledge with a buffed-Quiz!
Sunday Morning Funnies: Dark Lord of Profits
Aside from the usual laughs and story developments, this week's hot topic seems to be the new virtual pets for real money feature from the Blizzard store. There is also some amazing artwork this week, so read on! Battlemasters: Pulling Rank. This marks the end of the Prologue. Dark Legacy Comics: YARRRRR! Daily Quests: It's Better Not To Ask. World of Warcraft, eh?: A Little Birdie Told Me. I absolutely adore the artwork in this one! I always enjoy the artwork, but this one is amazing! NPC: Introducing... - I love the first frame in particular. Keyboard Chloe - I like her ideas. Kitty Tips. Teh Gladiators: This is... The Barrens? NoObz: Fourth Commandment. Beyond the Tree: Acquired Taste. The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: Tiny Fists Of Panda Fury. All I can say is - awesome. LFG #301 and #302. GU Comics: Oh, Is THAT All? Dungeons and Draenei: Public Test Realm 3.3. Experience Points: Followers. The Scout Report #87.
Sunday Morning Funnies: This is going to escalate
Halloween is over, and Hallows End too. Now it's Sunday morning; You know what to do. Battlemasters: Mad Cow. Dark Legacy Comics: The Perfect Costume. The Daily Quest: Wait... That's Not A Costume.... World of Warcraft, eh: Brings Out the Best in All of Us. NPC: Heal Deal. NPC: It's Not Easy... and Trick or Mice. Bink looks so cute! Teh Gladiators: Their Healer Didn't LOS Enough (Mr. Chilly Bought It). NoObz: Third Commandment. Beyond the Tree: Setting Out. Cru the Dwarf: Hangman. The Adventures of Disgraph T. Dwarf: Upset Tummies. Ah the memories.... I seem to have forgotten LFG last week. For those of you who haven't kept up on your own, check out #297, then #298, and #299, and yes, #300. Have some Halloween Fail Druid.
Patch 3.3 PTR: A look at the Raid Browser
In the latest build of the PTR, they have updated the new looking for raid interface (now called the Raid Browser). This interface is completely separate from the new Looking for Group interface and will not share its cross-realm capabilities. This means that you'll only be raiding with the same pool of people you've been pugging raids with already. While some people are upset at the lack of cross-realm support for raiding, others of us are relieved. This means no cross-realm raid stealing, no cross-realm ninjas, and no cross-realm toy trains for us to smash. It is also fairly difficult to get the same group of people back later to finish a raid when they're scattered across your battlegroup. However, some of the new features include the fact that the Looking for Group channel will be turned on by default for all characters and will be available in major cities, just like Trade and General. It will also be uncoupled from the LFG and Raid Browser interfaces. This means that those people who currently spam Trade with raid requests can move over to LFG and still hit their intended audience. Right now, it also looks like you can queue for both classic and BC era raids as well as the current level content from the interface while on a level 80 character. I'm not sure if this will stay in as a similar feature was available in the normal LFG tool, but was removed a build or two later. There are still a few rough edges, but it appears to be coming along nicely. %Gallery-76550% Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
Patch 3.3: Just run as many heroics as you want
Blizzard's new Dungeon System is a pretty huge overhaul of the social and gameplay experience of getting an instance group together, and we're all pretty excited about it here. On top of the hassle-free daily random dungeon selection and the great new matchmaking features, you even get teleported to the random dungeon. But as it turns out, there's even more cool stuff hiding below the surface. If you're like me, chances are good you've spent a day or two chain-running heroics to gear up an alt or to get instant gratification on that badge item you want. The issue with chaining heroics at this point in time is that eventually you hit a wall: do instances you hate (Oculus) or stop running instances because of your 24-hour heroic lockouts. Well, in patch 3.3, everything's a-changin'. While heroic lockouts aren't going away, they will not affect your random dungeon selections. What this means is that if you and four guildies do a timed Culling of Stratholme run, and then you join the queue for a random heroic, you may be assigned Culling of Stratholme a second -- or third, or fourth -- time, depending on your luck, as your random dungeon. And you'll get two extra Emblems of Triumph for completing the random dungeon each time, even if you've run the dungeon already that day. The only way that your lockout will affect you is that you cannot create a group with /invite for that same dungeon again that day. Basically, as long as you're choosing the Random Dungeon option, you can run as many heroics as you want, every day. With increased rewards for, easier access to, and the trivialization of lockouts for heroics, Patch 3.3 is the perfect time to dust off that neglected level 80 alt of yours and take him or her on a tour of Northrend's most dangerous places. Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
