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WRUP: Love Is in the Air edition
It'd be quicker to count the number of WoW Insider staffers who aren't working on Love Is in the Air achievements this weekend than to count those that are. (And if you're interested in becoming a Fool for Love, too, check out our guide to earning the Love is In the Air meta-achievement.) Though there are a couple of hold-outs doing something called "raiding" or "real life" this weekend, holiday-mania seems to hold sway. If you're interested in knowing what sort of trouble the WoW Insider team is getting into this weekend -- or want to tell us what sort of trouble you're getting into this weekend -- read on!
WoW Insider Show live tomorrow afternoon on Ustream
We've got a good show planned on the podcast tomorrow afternoon: we'll welcome back Michael Sacco (formerly "Belfaire" on the official Blizzard forums), and, after long last, we're welcoming Matthew Rossi back onto the show -- we just couldn't ignore the demand after he posted that badass picture of himself the other day. And speaking of pictures, the pic above is put together by Michael at Galefire, from Turpster's little illustration we posted last week. How awesome is that?We'll talk about all the biggest stories of the past week, including patch 3.0.9, the dual spec news, and the Love is in the Air event. Our Facebook page is less than 100 fans away from our goal of 4,000, so odds are that the new Turpster song is really close. And as usual, we'll answer your emails and hold our unofficial pre-show and aftershow, so be sure to come a little early and stay a little late. It all starts at 3:30pm Eastern tomorrow (20:30 GMT) over on Ustream, and we've also put the streaming dealy below the cut on this post, too, so you can just click through below to listen and chat if you happen to be around. See you there!
UPDATED: Bag of candies working as intended
[UPDATE: It seems that Blizzard bent over to much QQ (again?) and decided to raise the drop rate of the Bag of Candies in a hotfix applied last night, according to Kisirani. So you shouldn't complain about it anymore, really. Oh, and Kon Yelloweyes does not have a higher drop rate than other NPCs. Stop it.]Some people are crying foul over the apparently horrendous drop rate of the Bag of Candies, which produce the various candies needed to complete the Be Mine! Achievement. This, in turn, is required for the Fool for Love meta-Achievement. On average, players will need to get two of these bags of candies to produce all of the eight possible messages, as each bag has ten charges.Many players haven't had much luck picking up the Achievement, including our own Liz Harper, who claims to have gotten one bag in two days of trying. One guildie swears that a specific NPC in Thunder Bluff hands it out, dismissing the fact that it is actually... completely random. This random drop rate has gotten some players up in arms. Blizzard poster Zarhym comes over to the forums to pronounce that the Bag of Candies drop rate is, in fact, working as intended.
Updates to Love is in the Air
There's been a lot of chatter lately about Love is in the Air. Some achievements necessary to get the Fool for Love aren't exactly working as expected (at least for us players). But we've got you covered.After the break you'll find a concise listing of what you need to know to get the Fool for Love achievement done, as well as pointers to other places to look for more information. Don't forget to check back here and send us a tip if you notice things amiss.And remember, you only have until Sunday to finish everything up. And if you're like me Saturday night will be a solid no-WoW night, so you probably need to do everything tonight and tomorrow night. Unless of course Kara Thrace is your other girlfriend, in which case Friday night is out too.All the updates to Love is in the Air after the break.
Around Azeroth: Passionate kisses
Hey, folks, remember to send in your Valentine's screenshots! Now, I've seen pictures of in-game weddings before, but never one with such a ... unique couple. Shadowdrak and girlfriend Zlopocasna of <Guards of Alliance> on Drak'thul-EU tied the knot in the Temple of the Moon, but unfortunately the priestesses forgot to supply Shadowdrak with the ladder necessary to kiss the bride. Fun fact of the day: according to my googling, "zlo pocasna" translates roughly as "bad honor" in Bosnian. "Pocasna Salva" is also a Bosnian anti-war song. The more you know! Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see it 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! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, double-mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran.%Gallery-1816% Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
The Ice Stone has melted!
When The Love is in the Air started up this morning, a really curious bug cropped up that has even some Blizzard employees stumped. Every now and then, a server-wide emote (like the one you see when Eranikus is defeated in Moonglade) announces to the world that, 'The Ice Stone has melted!'Nobody really knows what it is, or why it's announcing that. As I mentioned, even a few Blizzard employees have no idea what it is, though they're looking into it. The only 'ice stone' that crops up when Googling or Wowwiki'ing around to find this thing is the objects from the Midsummer Festival that we interacted with last year. It's possible that the team responsible for world events was working on an update to the Midsummer Fire Festival and crossed some wires somewhere. After all, if any of the holidays need an urgent update, it would be that one.
Around Azeroth: Where the wild roses grow
Since Valentine's Day is this weekend, I've decided to spend a couple of days featuring V-day shots. Whether you're part of a happy couple, part of an unhappy couple, or a singleton who walks around mocking overly saccharine couples, feel free to submit your Valentine shots. This lovely bouquet of, er, roses comes to us from Ragnaron, GL of <Prophetic> on Malfurion, and his guildmates Sinoria, Ibeaturfunra, and Pottietang. While farming Coilfang Pens, they found that the slaughtered makrura made a pleasing pattern and decided to use their bodies to add a stem. Leave it to a warlock to come up with a bouquet of dead crabs for a Valentine's gift.Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see it 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! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, double-mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran.%Gallery-1816% Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
Breakfast Topic: Love is in the Air!
The time for loving is finally here! Officially, that is. You can do your love thing any day. On the other hand, today is the start of Love is in the Air, the second world event of the year. If you're looking to get that Achievement, required for the meta-Achievement to get that Violet Proto-drake, the best place to start would be The OverAchiever, where Dan wrote up a handy guide to becoming a Love Fool.Now that we all have an excuse to act like fools for love, I have to ask -- what's the most foolish thing you've done for love in-game? I know one guildie who's been busily farming the various drake pets and the Disgusting Oozling to give to his lady love in time for the season. The cheesiest I ever got was when my wife and I took off to have a nice picnic on one of the floating isles in Nagrand, complete with roses, picnic baskets, and formal wear. I don't have a lot of money in-game, so all the extravagant gifts come from my wife instead. This time, though, I think I'm going to bake her a Delicious Chocolate Cake and maybe a Bouquet of Black Roses. I know, I'm sort of cheap and uncreative, but hey, I'd love to hear some suggestions! I can probably pick up some Achievements along the way, and I could always use some reputation gains with my wife, after all... Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
The OverAchiever: Completing Fool for Love [Updatedx3]
Every week The OverAchiever gives advice, walkthroughs and guides on completing your latest Achievement obsession. This week we offer a second installment out of unconditional love.This year's short-lived Valentine's event, Love is in the Air, comes with its own meta-achievement, A Fool For Love (A/H). Though this event may not be your idea of a good time since it's mostly RP related, it's still necessary if you are trying to complete What A Long Strange Trip It's Been (A/H) for a Violet proto-drake. You only have five days to complete the meta-achievement starting tomorrow, so let's get to it.The BasicsHead to an Innkeeper in any capital city with a heart over his head and purchase Love Tokens as well as a Perfume Bottle if you want to attract male NPCs or a Cologne Bottle if you want to attract female NPCs. Douse yourself with the stink water and talk to the Guard NPCs in the city with hearts over their head. Give them a Love Token and they may give you a Pledge of Adoration or a Gift of Adoration (from non-guards) along with the Adored debuff which will prevent you from doing this again for another hour.NOTE: The Stormwind Harbor guards are bugged currently so don't waste your time with them.UPDATE: Bouquets of Red Roses don't seem to be dropping from the old world bosses. There may be a level limit involved. Waiting on blue response. Also, you must enter Naxxramas for I Pity The Fool. Though the outside meeting stone is listed in game as Naxx, players are reporting that the achievement isn't working unless you zone in.UPDATEx2: Red Bouquet no longer drops in game per Blue. See below.UPDATEx3: Red Bouquet's drop from the same mobs as the Black Bouquet.
Love is in the Air begins tomorrow
Love is in the Air everywhere I look around.Love is in the Air every sight and every sound.And I don't know if I'm being foolish, don't know if I'm being wise. But it's something I must believe in, and it's there when I look in your eyes.Tomorrow will mark the start of the Love is in the Air season event. Theoretically, from past events, it should start around 4:00 a.m. sever time. But whether or not that ends up being true, you'll have to check for yourself.You'll need to get finish the achievement Fool for Love in order to get the ultimate seasonal achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been. The thing is... you only have a few days to get Fool For Love, so hurry up. The seasonal event ends early next Monday morning.Ideally you'll want to set aside some time tomorrow night; you don't want to be waiting until Saturday evening to do this. Unless, you know, you and your significant other are into that sort of thing. (I'm talking about playing WoW together. Jeeze... get your mind out of the gutter. You don't think I'm just going to sit here and make gratuitous Valentine's Day jokes for the rest of the week, do you?)So what are you waiting for?"AFK honey, need to become a fool for love." %Gallery-15723%
Insider Trader: Love is in the Air edition
Love will soon be in the air, and it's time you worked out your game plan. Chances are that it won't be just the city guards and leaders that will catch your eye (or eye socket). Whether you're looking to reel someone in, set up a romantic excursion, or send an enemy a delicious surprise, you'll find that preparation is the key. This year, crafted items are the hot new trend. What better to say, "Darling, I can't get enough of the way your eyes puss" than with handmade?First, you have to look the part. For all of you gents out there, I recommend seeking out a tailor for your very own Tuxedo Jacket, Tuxedo Pants, and coordinating Tuxedo Shirt. Alternatively, a Festival Suit will have you standing apart from the crowd, while a Colorful Kilt will set up some easy access to um, cultural traditions.For the gals, we have the lovely and sophisticated Festival Dress, or the elaborate and vaguely desperate White Wedding Dress. If you want to attract a different sort of attention, then try the Red Winter Clothes on for size! They aren't just for Winter Veil, and are snazzier than anything Victoria keeps secret.
Coming up in the month of February...
There's always something going on in the World of Warcraft, and the month of February is no exception. We've got the Lunar Festival in full swing, Love is in the Air on the horizon, and a Chris Metzen signing out in New York.Take a look after the break for our complete rundown of all the February events. And remember to check your in-game calendar to see what times these events begin on your sever, and then compensate for the time zone you live in.Of course throughout all this month we'll keep you abreast on the latest news!
WoW Europe's 2009 Valentine's Day contest announced
WoW Europe's Valentine's Day contest seems to be becoming an annual event, which should be good news for our EU brethren. Vaneras officially announced the contest and its rules Monday, which you can find on the official EU website.It seems pretty straightforward, as far as what you need to do. Make a Valentine's Day card! You know, like those ones you handed out in school as a little kid? If you need to see some examples before you get crackin' on it yourself, they still have last year's winners on display for all to see.They're taking submissions from now until February 1st, and you're limited to five submissions per household. There are some regional restrictions and the usual terms and conditions you'll need to agree to, so head on over and check it out! Good luck to everyone that enters, we look forward to seeing the winners! Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
Love no longer in the Air
Our hearts may return to their regularly scheduled descent into blackness, Azeroth is leaving Valentine's Day behind today. At least, that's what the calendar says.I hope everyone received all they had hoped for in WoW during this event, or you're in for a mighty long wait to try again. I personally received a number of scandalous dresses and fancy baskets over the course of the last few days. I don't have much to complain about this time around, except for the fact that it is always a little disappointing when one of Azeroth's many holidays comes to a close.Even if the Valentine's Day holiday is quite fun in WoW, I still have a habit of wondering what could have been done better for any given event. I think it would have been great if voting for your favorite faction leader actually worked, and had some sort of effect. For example, if Tyrande winning for the day gave those that voted for her a buff. "Tyrande's Thanks" or "Sylvanas' Satisfaction" or somesuch. Even if it didn't do anything, having the buff would be really fun. Of course, I'm a big supporter of spells having extra sparkles just for the sake of having sparkles, so maybe only I would be interested in that. After all, Prayer of Mending turning into a laser gun kept me from quitting my priest early on in The Burning Crusade. Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
Around Azeroth: I heart Tyrande
Today marks the last day of the Valentine's inspired World of Warcraft holiday, Love is in the Air. Player Kraver of the Quel'Thalas server decided to use the gifts he received during the event to show his affection for Tyrande Whisperwind, leader of the Night Elves in Darnassus. Who did you shower with rose petals for the event?Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? Because we'd love to see it 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! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We prefer full screen shots without the UI showing. And please, no more sunsets. No, really. Ok, only if it's a sunrise in new Patch 2.4 lands. We'll take those anytime. Oh, and no more shots of Omen killed in Ogrimmar. It's cool, we get it. A lot of it.%Gallery-1816% Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
Gamers on the Street: Love trumps patch news
Gamers on the Street logs into U.S. servers to get the word from the front on what's going on in and around the World of Warcraft.When we logged onto Aerie Peak to visit with players for this week's installment of Gamers on the Street, we thought we'd be in for a nice chat about patch 2.4, The Sunwell Isle. But that's not exactly what we got. It's not as if there weren't players to talk to. At prime time on this heavy-load server, there was plenty of hustle and bustle in the major cities. In fact, there was more activity than usual. But it wasn't an infusion of energy from reading about the new content now being tested on the PTRs that inspired all this activity: love was in the air.We gave up trying to make direct contact with players after being soundly ignored by an award-winning streak of more than 20 Horde players, all intent on curing their broken hearts. Most of the players who replied to a general query for their impressions on the patch reports responded with a question of their own: "Hey man, I heard about that patch thing. What exactly is gonna be in there?" In desperation, we finally shot a whisper to the lovely young troll who had been pelting us with rose petals for the past five minutes. She was generous enough to share her thoughts on what was ahead – and her rose petals cheered us up long enough to finish surveying several other players. Thus, we bring you this week's word on the street – such as it is – of what's on players' minds about the upcoming patch.
Around Azeroth: Love is not in the Air
Player Gruelon of the Shadows & Dust guild on the Garona server saw something amiss with this holiday wreath. While traveling through Silvermoon City he came across the scene above outside the entrance to the Royal Exchange Auction House. He suspects some hooligan gnomes were up to no good in Silvermoon City. No love for Blood Elves, it seems. Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? Because we'd love to see it 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! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We prefer full screen shots without the UI showing. And please, no more sunsets. No, really. Ok, only if it's a sunrise in new Patch 2.4 lands. We'll take those anytime.%Gallery-1816% Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
Love is in the Air (in RL and ingame)
I'm probably the wrong person to be writing about this (I've never been one for romance or the woo-ing game, and this year is no exception), but the fact remains that love is in the air in Azeroth-- the game is full of people aiming to get Kwee Q. Peddlefeet (and getting lovely black dresses and romantic picnic baskets instead).If you want a quick rundown of how to play through Blizzard's Valentine's Day quests, you can check out our Sex in the Undercity feature from last year, or hit up WoWWiki's great guide to the holiday. Today's the big day-- are you getting something nice for your sweetie, ingame or in RL? Call me a grump (and put me in the same column as J. Geils), but even I can see that love is in the air. Have a happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
Breakfast Topic: Gnome noses are red, Draenei are blue...
Happy Valentine's Day! Even in WoW, love is in the air. The heart of this unexplained in-game phenomenon is a popularity contest between the faction leaders. Players can vote for their choice by turning in a Horde or Alliance Gift Collection near their favorite leader. The winner of the contest gets the pleasure of having Kwee Q. Peddlefeet around for a week of hit point buffs for anyone audacious enough to /kiss him. Many of us will be forgoing our Azeroth adventures in favor of spending time with the objects of our affections. Some couples will share special in-game moments with their significant others. May I suggest a Bouquet of Red Roses and some Delicious Chocolate Cake for your sweetheart? We would love to hear your stories of love and romance in WoW.%Poll-9469% Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
The companion cube cannot remain through the testing
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Weighted_companion_cube_comes_to_WoW'; Here's a little something to brighten up your Monday. Sharp-eyed tipster Aikiwoce spotted this dead ringer for a certain object that rhymes with "freighted D'Artagnan noob" outside the Stormwind gates, presumably as part of the "Love Is in the Air" holiday that kicked off today. I love Blizzard and their cultural references. Has anyone else seen something interesting?%Gallery-15723%SInce we're on the subject of real world references in WoW, check out this gallery of curiously familiar names of NPC's in game.%Gallery-1669%Also, players dressed as their favorite WoW characters at last year's Blizzcon.%Gallery-5529%And how can we forget people dressed up as their favorite characters from their favorite book/movie/tv series/game at last year's DragonCon.%Gallery-6901% Love is in the Air and on WoW Insider. Check out our continuing coverage of the event and our guide to earning the achievement. And you better hurry; the holiday only lasts five days!
