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Archmage Vargoth's travels documented in blog form
As I've said a few times on the site before, I love seeing Archmage Vargoth in the weirdest of places. Wherever players can go, I love seeing that little purple guy show up, too. And so reader Horns has made my day-- he's started a blog completely dedicated to seeing Archmage Vargoth all over Azeroth. Vargoth in the Undercity, Vargoth in Feralas, Vargoth in that little cave above WC, and Vargoth under the hammer of Rag in MC.Awesome. And Horns needs your help-- if you've got a pic of Vargoth in a funny or interesting place (or even a boring place-- would be awesome to see a hundred Vargoths standing in Ironforge's AH), get it to Horns and he'll post it for you. I'd really like to see Vargoth in places that he shouldn't go-- since he actually summons a little bit off center of the player, it should be possible to stick him in place players can't go, shouldn't it? Like on the roofs of buildings in Stormwind? I'll try messing around with it when I get a chance, but if you guys pull it off, send the pic to Horns.
Around Azeroth: The end of Ragnaros
Reader Titcouette of Suramar (EU) sends in this hard to catch shot of Ragnaros. Sure, we've all seen the ubiquitous kill shots with the giant hammer sticking out of the lava, but before you get to that point Ragnaros throws up his arms and implodes in a shower of sparks -- and it's that precise moment you're seeing here. Says Titcouette:...[This shot is] one I've tried to shoot for some time, and never been able to do when I was 60, dead more often than alive at the end of Molten Core... Some people still like to play and enjoy the old content, even though we've already done it so many times. It's much more fun and relaxed pace now, finishing a MC in one evening, even with only about 20 people up in the guild, is really something enjoyable. 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%
Guildless
Our little guild has been steadily losing members and momentum for a while now. It's not new, this is the sort of thing that happens to guilds, but what is new is my reaction to it. I searched hard within myself for what problems I felt I was having with the game, and came to the conclusion that I want to raid. Now, I've been on various raids as PUGs or in alliances before the expansion came out. I got a chance to see most of Zul'Gurub and to wrench a couple of pieces of Arcanist Regalia out of Molten Core. This taste of raiding gave me an appetite for it, an appetite I thought would be satiated when our guild got enough people keyed for Karazhan. And we have, only they keep leaving because we're not raiding (ironic, don't you think) despite the fact that we set the runs and they just don't show.
Two Bosses Enter: Instructor Razuvious vs. Ragnaros
Two bosses enter... but only one of them will get to leave in our series of fantasy deathmatches. Here at WoW Insider we're pitting some of the game's most fascinating bosses against each other until we come up with a final victor in the end. And the best part? Every week, you get to decide who wins.This week we're going to consider a fight between Instructor Razuvious in Naxxramas and Ragnaros in Molten Core. Who will win and who will lose? Read up on the abilities of each and then let us know what you think!
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Ooops!
Every week Matthew Rossi will be writing The Care and Feeding of Warriors, a column dedicated to the lumbering, clanking, mana-deprived folks who spend a lot of time yelling at monsters to ignore the people in dresses and that guy stabbing them a lot in the back.Introductions are always hard, especially when you're about do something ludicrously arrogant like presenting yourself as an expert on something. Still, it's better to do something all the way then it is to tenderfoot it, so here goes. I'm Matt Rossi, and I'll be writing about warriors for WoW Insider. I've played two to 70, have another to 68, a Draenei I'm letting rest at 51 for now and another who I left on an RP server at about 60. Basically, I love warriors, always have. Every time I play my pally or shammy alts, I keep muttering but where's my charge gone in my best Johnny Depp lamenting the loss of his rum voice. Warriors have had their ups and their downs... who can forget when we lost all rage on a missed execute? But I've played since my wife brought her copy of the game to move in with me, and all that time warriors have usually been my mains.I wanted this first column to break the ice a little, so instead of writing a deep treatise on tanking basics, or the merits and drawbacks of various tanking specs, or how playing another class can help your tanking, or the mythology that's built up in players from other classes about how amazingly awesome plate armor is in game, I decided today would be a good time to humiliate myself in public with one of the biggest screw-ups I've made as a warrior. This way, we can all laugh at what a cretin I am together! Since I'm sure I'm going to post something that will convince you of that sooner or later anyway.
The masterminds of WoW on gaming
Have you ever wondered what the names and faces behind WoW do in their off time? In the recent interview 1up had with Shane Dabiri, Rob Pardo, Jeff Kaplan, and Tom Chilton, we get to find out a bit about that -- at least in regards to some of the games that they're playing right now. Two of them were really no surprise to me: Guitar Hero II and God of War. Those two have been all over the gaming media and are a lot of fun to play, so it makes total sense. The two titles that caught me off guard were several mentions of Viva Pinata and Rob saying that he plays the PopCap game, Peggle. They also covered some great background information from their gaming roots, to some ways they think WoW has changed the genre. Check it out!
Around Azeroth: Inside Ragnaros
This shot is very old Azeroth, but while I've died a great many times to Ragnaros in the past, I can't say I've seen him from quite this angle before. From reader Shmoobedoobe of Kilrogg comes this screenshot of Ragnaros' oddly hollow interior, which you get a glimpse of if you die in just the wrong spot. Look at that -- you can even see his name floating above his head (obviously equipped with sunroof!).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%
Are loot drops really random?
If you've been to a few raids, there's no question that you've heard some interesting theories about loot distribution. The drops are determined by the precise time (to the second!) that the first player zones into the instance. Or perhaps the drops are determined by the class of the group leader. Or maybe by the first letter of the group leader's name. Does the current phase of the moon have something to do with it? Perhaps it's a little of all these things!Trust me, I've heard every theory that's tried to make sense of what Blizzard constantly assures us are completely random loot drops. However, EU forum-goer Rooted came across a post by Blizzard employee Issuntril which stated:There are many other variables which effect which items are going to drop. I'm afraid this is information not intended for the community however, and is not something I can comment further on.Other variables, you say? So... loot isn't random? The conspiracy theorists were right all along?!
WoW TCG Molten Core Battlegrounds this weekend
If you're a fan of the WoW Trading Card Game, you'll want to head to your local retailer this weekend for a special Molten Core Raid Deck Battleground. This is the most casual level of tournament play. For a $5 entry fee you can play your Hero with others to form a raid party against Ragnaros. Every Hero will receive a randomly selected the Raid Deck's treasure pack. If your group defeats Rag, you will also get to keep whatever treasure cards drop from him, possibly even Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnoras.The official site has all the details plus a very extensive list of all the retail outlets that will be running this event.
New Molten Core Raid Deck released
The constant expansion of the Warcraft universe never ceases to amaze me. We've seen novels, free online manga, credit cards, clothing, soundtracks, boardgames, a pen & paper RPG system, plus the tightly-under-wraps movie. And now, the newest addition to their Trading Card Game: the limited-edition Molten Core Raid Deck.Upper Deck Entertainment has announced this new deck has shipped to retail outlets. What's cool about it is you can either play the heroes fighting Ragnaros or, get this, you can play Ragnaros himself. He has his own deck and comes with ten loot cards to unseal when defeated. There are also many other Molten Core bosses to face down including Lucifron and Majordomo Executus.And let's not forget the randomly inserted cards that give players access to in-game items. Anyone looking to learn more can head to the WoW TCG official site for demos, instructions and previews of different cards. They also have an online walkthrough of the new deck in three parts. So who among the WoW Insider faithful enjoy the Trading Card Game? Let's hear from you!
Guildwatch: Reasons for lack of progressions
I'm not exactly sure why that guy's got a green triangle raid target over his head-- wait a minute. Is that Moroes?? Did he sneak up to the Prince with this unsuspecting guild? Look out guys! That garrote'll getcha every time!On a completely unrelated note, it's time once again for this week's Guildwatch-- your weekly dose of drama, downed notices, and recruiting pleas. If you've got something to share for next week, send your tips and info to wowguildwatch@gmail.com, and click the link below to read this week's GW. But watch out for sneaky raid bosses impersonating fellow guildies!
Revenge of the Joi of Warcraft
Serial entrepreneur and unofficial World of Warcraft spokesman Joi Ito recently sat down in the studio of Mobuzz.tv for an interview, which you can check out on their site. He touches on many of the most interesting aspects of the game (IMHO) including leadership and guild management, trust and bonding, achievement and value, and the implications of interface design when the current cadre of young players enters the business world and expects great tools to help coordinate personnel in that ever-elusive "real world." As one who sees a lot of parallels between my experiences in game and my "day job" experiences in the virtual office at Weblogs, Inc., I appreciate the way Joi communicates how World of Warcraft can provide inspiration for future leaders in the future office, as well as discussing the value that different and historically undervalued leadership qualities can bring to group coordination and management -- whilst simultaneously conveying the satisfaction and fun of pwning face.
Lucky you
When I came upon this post in the Raids and Dungeons forum, I had to laugh. The guild Dissension on Bleeding Hollow apparently got three Rejuvenating Gems -- each about a 5 percent drop off the three drakes in Blackwing Lair -- on one run. The funny thing is, the exact same thing happened to my guild this summer before we could even clear BWL. One of our healers thought it was funny and told a real-life friend of his, who happened to be in another raiding guild on our server. That guild would not talk to us for several days, aside from random "I HATE YOU SO MUCH" tells from their druids, priests and shamans. The same thing happened later in the summer, when we killed Nef and got three Ashkandis out of our first four kills. I did the math on the Rejuv Gem drops and it came out to be about a one in six thousand, five hundred chance occurrence. (Please correct me if I'm wrong -- it's been a long time since I've been in a statistics class.) End of Days on Black Dragonflight reported an even more improbable loot table: four Talismans of Ephemeral Power off the four Molten Core bosses who drop them. This has a chance of happening in one out of every seven hundred and fifty thousand and change Molten Core clears. Have you ever had a wildly improbable run of loot luck? And not an improbable run of not getting loot -- sorry, there's going to be a lot of guilds out there still waiting for that last Wraith Blade or Bloodfang Chest. People who complain about "it must be our loot seed, we've never seen a Eye of Sulfuras" need to look up the phrase "random" in a dictionary, along with "two percent drop rate."
Around Azeroth: Remembering Ragnaros
I remember my first trips to Molten Core, those very first attempts at downing Ragnaros, the thrill of a first kill, and the cheers on Ventrillo when we managed to down him pre-Sons (a feat for which we were promised extra DKP at the time). But before any of us reach raiding success, there's an endless stream of frustrating wipes (practice does make perfect, after all), such as this one, sent in by Brixie of Prelude to Chaos on Guldan. Not that I miss the wipes, but I do feel sort of sorry for people leveling to 60 after the release of the Burning Crusade. Will they ever run Molten Core and challenge Ragnaros? Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part.See more of your pics from Around Azeroth.%Gallery-1816%
Remembrance of raids past
As we all get hyped for the new content of Burning Crusade, Mallet of Medivh pauses for a toast to Molten Core, Blackwing Lair, Ahn'Qiraj and Naxxramas, who had their last pertinent reset this week. Most of us have had some experience with these raids, and although many sincerely wish there had been more small-group content, you've got to applaud the thought and effort that went into the 40-man raids. Mallet asks us all to remember our best raiding moments. Personally, I remember working nights and following guild progression on instant messenger as our little guild was dragged kicking and screaming through Molten Core, and the feeling of accomplishment whenever we killed something new despite being years behind in content. I remember everyone passing on Earthfury for my best friend because it was his birthday. I remember stepping into Blackwing Lair and thinking I would never ever understand the Razorgore encounter enough to beat it, and laughing hysterically with the other rogues during damage meter competitions on Vael. I remember getting dizzy running back and forth and back and forth to attack the melee brother on the Twin Emps. I remember getting yelled at for not knowing what "Sweep the leg!" referred to on Razuvious. Most of all, I remember the good times I've had with friends and guildmates, memories that will outlast any loot we gained. So raise your glasses in a toast to the last 40-mans and repeat the mantra that all raiders have heard a thousand times: "LOOT THE #@*&! CORE HOUNDS!" What are your best raiding memories?
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Breakfast Topic: Hand of Ragnaros is a druid weapon
I have seen reports of druids winning the Hand of Ragnaros before. I seem to recall one raidleader handing off the Eye of Sulfuras to his druid girlfriend, but I could be wrong. Hey, it isn't like I committed the brilliant forum thread to memory. Well, now we have another report of a druid snagging the HoR, this time it's Napier, a druid from the Greymane server. As you can imagine, this thread is dominated by folks either calling Napier the most selfish player in the history of MMORPGs or defending his right to spend his DKP as he sees fit. And yes, Napier has a long-winded response to the haters, which contains his rationale for spending his DKP on the mace. All in all, a typical forum thread, but there are aspects to it which raise some interesting questions...Shouldn't any DKP system have some kind of priority list or mechanism which prevents warriors from bidding on a caster staff or a druid from, I don't know, snagging a legendary mace which serves him no purpose whatsoever? I have never been in a guild that employed a straight DKP system which didn't make allowances for class needs. There is no way, for example, a hunter could bid on leather, simply because he could wear it. Is a druid with the HoR the absolute worst example of misguided DKP use? Or have you seen worse? Does your guild restrict rolling on certain items to particular classes? Or is it a free-for-all? And at this point, so close to the expansion release, does it matter who gets what? I mean, we will be upgrading everything very, very soon.
Around Azeroth: Ninja!
I can't turn down posting a good screenshot of a ninja -- though a pirate would obviously have been better... Reader Richard sent in this shot of a lone ninja braving the depths of Molten Core.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part
WoW Moviewatch: A song about Molten Core
I am obviously a sucker for a goofy World of Warcraft related song, or possibly just easily amused -- because this video had me laughing for the longest time. Though that could have, at least in part, been because I couldn't figure out what song they were parodying (despite the fact that it sounded awfully familiar) until the end....
Organizing raids with Raidar
Raidar is a neat little site that claims to let players plan and organize guild raids in WoW. It's pretty clear the site is new, so it's not completely done yet (not to mention that almost no guilds are in the system at all), but in my few minutes' experience signing in, creating a guild, and setting up a raid, it all worked pretty smoothly (and AJAX-y, if you're a web designer into terms like that-- the site works like it was built in Ruby on Rails).So what's still missing? The "planned features" page promises a top-to-bottom guild management system, incluing email raid notifications, character profiles, and even a "Looking for Guild" board. The one thing I missed in setting up a was the ability to set up numbers for class balance on a raid, but over on the site's message board, the creator says that wasn't a priority for him quite yet (seems to me like it would be a big one). But as I said, the site looks smooth-- if he keeps up with it and throws in all the features he promised, it could be the place for raid planners to set up on the Internet.And as far as I know, there is still a hole for one right now. One of my guilds simply uses our Guildportal message boards to set up and plan raids-- members sign up on the board, and our guild leader keeps track of who signs up and who we need. I know Guildportal has a system for it as well, but none of our members seem to have be interested in using it yet. The other guild I'm in, which is a little bigger, uses the Guild Event Manager addon to announce and plan raids ingame. I do like the way GEM works-- it's easy to use and set up, has that min/max feature that I want from Raidar, and keeps up a constant list of who's signed up for a raid in what class roles.But the only real problem with GEM is that, as far as I know, it's ingame only. There's no way for me to check when a raid is or sign up for one unless I'm in-game (not always an option, especially at work). If Raidar can fill out its features, and do the same thing that GEM does (but from anywhere), we might have a winner.
Around Azeroth: How not to use Divine Intervention
Are you familiar with the paladin's Divine Intervention ability? Well, if not, it's an ability that sacrifices the life of the paladin in order to put a protective shield around another player. It's a handy thing to cast on someone who can rez when you're sure a full-party (or raid) wipe is imminent. However, Suricate sends in this screenshot of a less traditional use of the skill -- to save the life of a rogue. (Hey, can't you guys vanish?!)Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part.
