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Scattered Shots: Addons for shot timing, threat tracking, and pet training
Last week, Scattered Shots hit the bull's eye on which professions are best for a hunter. Today, we take aim at some interface problems hunters have, and the addons we can use to eliminate them.A user interface is an ever-evolving work of art. You can use it one way for a long time and then suddenly find one simple addon that lets you change everything and make it much better. Especially with all the problems that show up every patch, I've begun to look at my interface as a constant work in progress. As such, I'm usually in a constant state of getting rid of old addons, enjoying the ones I use now, and looking for new ones that might help me even more in the future. Every choice of what to put in or what to take out is a conscious decision about what will help make my game play smoother, more successful, and more visually interesting. As hunters, there are a number of needs that we have which other classes don't have - and special hunter addons are there to help in many of those cases, while in other situations, one of the more generalized addons might fit our needs best. Today I'll cover three of the most glaring interface problems for hunters and show you how I deal with them at the moment. In the comments section, feel free to share your own different interface issues, as well as your own solutions, for the benefit of our readers. Keep in mind that a user interface is an extremely subjective thing, and one solution may not work for everyone. Nonetheless, often times just sharing your idea will inspire someone else to vary it a little and make their own thing out of it, which is even better.
Forum Post of the Day: I'm a WoW Widow
And Belfaire doesn't care.Reader Kyver tipped us off to a gem of a post on the Customer Service Forums today, titled "I'm a WoW Widow" (moderately NSFW, PG-13 rating). The story goes like this: A girl, Missmegan, lost her boyfriend to the Burning Crusades [sic]. They used to play together horde side, but after buying the expansion he turned to the alliance and is dedicated to his guild mates. All is lost, as he's no longer interested in his girlfriend's "assets" and rambles like a two-year old.Of course this makes our forum posting protagonist upset, and she needs her boyfriend back. Now obviously this is a joke. At least I hope it is. And Katie (my girlfriend), if you're reading this I promise I'll never let it get this bad. I mean, I only play for 5 hours a day, not 13 as the boyfriend in the story does. And I make money with all this, so it's okay, right? Sweetie? Darling? Honey... D'oh....Tagging the first response to this thread is Belfaire The Mighty, with the simple response "Dear WoW Widow, It's actually Burning Crusade. Yours, Belfaire." This had myself and the other writers here laughing. We had to share it.So dear readers, I ask you, are you a WoW widow?
Loot Reaver gets his revenge
Void Reaver, after 2.4, is apparently, "wrecking fools," according to Korin on the Silver Hand. We all called him Loot Reaver before 2.4 -- if your guild could finish off Karazhan, and survive VR's trash, he was basically a pushover. But a whole combination of factors, including addon problems (with DeadlyBossMods and VoidReaverAlarm) that killed the addons that made it cake, as well as a few bugs and other problems with the fight after the patch, means Loot Reaver is getting his revenge. He's back to being a real challenge in Tempest Keep.The hardest part of the encounter is avoiding these orbs he shoots out at random spots where a guild member is standing. When he shoots one out, everyone in the guild has to move away from that spot and each other, since getting hit with one is instant death. Those addons were meant to tell you when an orb had been fired, as well as let you keep an eye on the proximity of where it was hitting (so you could easily dodge it). But without the addons, people are back to judging where the orbs might land, and guilds that haven't practiced the fight much aren't that great at judging. Not to mention that there are some bugs, apparently -- some of the orbs are invisible, and others may even be moving through walls and underground.The fight is still doable, but apparently Blizzard wasn't happy with how easy it was to waltz in there with some addons and collect your loot. Whether it's bugs or addon changes, Void Reaver is currently back to "wrecking fools."
Profile problems?
We've gotten a lot of e-mails lately from people who are having trouble getting into their user profiles -- apparently, passwords aren't working. Never fear! We're aware of the problem and we've asked that it be looked into. We hope to be able to report a fix soon. For now, the only known solution, if you must change your profile details, is to use a new login name. Which is to say there's no solution for the moment, but bide a while and we'll get you fixed up.While we have your attention, we've also got a little announcement about our recent casting call. Did you apply? If so, please be patient; the process of winnowing through applications takes a while. We've received a lot of e-mails asking when we might make our decision, but please keep in mind that it hasn't even been two weeks since we stopped taking submissions, and we have a vast and incredible pile of applicants to sift through. We'll get through 'em, don't worry. It just won't be today. We're picky.
Rumor: Age of Conan in bad shape
A poster to the boards at IGN has let loose with a lengthy list of problems in the current Beta build of Age of Conan. The beta, as he describes it, sounds like it's in pretty bad shape. Missing elements include: PvP, including the much-vaunted border skirmishes. The option to play as a female character. Most of the zones; estimate for launch was at one point 35 and in the Beta they apparently have only 14 half-finished areas. Most spells/abilities. Any sort of working economy. He also lambasts the current state of ranged combat, the AI mobs offer, performance, the choice of mounts, and a large number of invisible walls in the game, keeping players away from content. His assessment isn't completely negative: the spot-on melee combat we got to see at CES is apparently as good as it seems.This is, of course, a rumor as of right now. This is either a beta tester breaking the NDA (and thus is already not to be trusted), or someone out-and-out lying. It's still enough to give you pause. Given the unexpected death of Gods and Heroes last year, the possibility that there are so many problems with the game so close to launch ... We'll attempt to get a comment from the folks at Funcom as soon as possible.[Via Common Sense Gamer]
WoW, certain routers causing network problems
Datth on the forums confirms that WoW is causing some home networks to go down completely. After hearing reports that on some networks, logging into or playing the game would cause the entire network to lose their internet connection, Blizzard asked players to report technical specs if the problem happened. And after researching, they've reported now that the problem supposedly lies with folks who have a "Siemens, 2wire or older model Motorola modem or Netgear router."So if you have one of those and are having this problem, Blizzard has at least identified the cause. They say they're working with the router manufacturers to come up with a fix, but if there really is a problem in the router itself, odds are Blizzard won't be able to hotfix it on their site, so you may have to go to the router's manufacturer for a fix (all that information, when it becomes available, will likely be on their site). I am surprised, however, that this problem didn't appear before now. Blizzard says that the most recent patch (would that be 2.3.3 and the improvements to load time?) is responsible for "revealing a bug in the hardware," so if the router manufacturers don't release a fix, Blizzard may have to reverse whatever changes were made. At any rate, a fix is coming, no matter where it comes from.Thanks, Jonate!
Wii Warm Up: Problems and issues
With all the new Wii owners who are surely lurking out there -- and the owners of new Wii games and accessories -- we're willing to bet that people are encountering some problems. Are you among them? Got sticky buttons or discs that won't read, or maybe just general problems? Share 'em here, and maybe through the power of community, we can sing and dance ... er, solve problems. Or, y'know, we can commiserate while you call Nintendo. Either way.
Nintendo: Wii shortage causing planning problems
When Reggie Fils-Aime talked to Reuters a few days ago, we were so focused on the Nintendo of America president's displeasure with unofficial Wii bundles that we didn't even notice the Reggginator acknowledging the business problems Wii shortages are causing his company. "The level of demand we are facing complicates all of our future business planning," Fils-Aime told Reuters. "All of that becomes a much tougher exercise until we have supply and demand curves that intersect."The hard-to-predict hardware supply complicates other company decisions, Fils-Aime said, such as how many units of Wii Fit to produce. "We at Nintendo America are focused on getting to the point when any consumer can walk into any of our retailers and find a Wii," he said. "Then we can plan, on an ongoing basis, the rest of the business."It might seem a little ridiculous for Fils-Aime to be complaining about the problems the shortages are causing Nintendo. After all, if this was really a concern, couldn't they just spend whatever it takes to turbo-boost the supply chain? Then again, that added expense could become a liability down the road if and when the current Wii mania eventually starts its downturn. Whatever the case, we're pretty sure that any supply problem so dire that it forces a company to pull advertising is less than ideal. We're just saying, is all.
Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 HD DVD arriving sans quality?
It's not like we haven't seen a high-profile HD title released without the expected level of quality, but it seems the QA lapse is bugging the HD DVD camp this go 'round. Apparently, hordes of angry Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 HD DVD buyers are flocking to message boards to grumble about the shoddy packaging, scratched up discs and other picture / audio niggles that certainly should not be appearing on a $70 (or more) box set. As the above image illustrates, it seems that some buyers are receiving the set only to find a plethora of unwanted scratches (presumably due to misaligned packaging), and if the stuttering playback wasn't bad enough, some customers are also finding image quality / audio sync issues with the included mini series. So, dear readers, have any of you experienced similar headaches? And if so, what's your plan of action?[Image courtesy of Amazon / J. Ryder, thanks Robert P.]
Charter hit by second fire in Malibu area
For the second time this season, Charter Communications and its Malibu, California-area customers are dealing with outages stemming from wildfires. Granted, one's cable service is the least of our worries when dealing with situations such as this, but a whopping 12,000 feet of the operator's primary fiber optic cable was recently torched and will have to be replaced. The cable also provides feeds to homes in Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, and while the firm is working to provide service to those affected, it's having to wait for power crews to sweep through first. Notably, Charter was already in the process of constructing a "redundant path to make the company less vulnerable to fire damage," and the latest word is that it's still a few weeks away from being completed.
Leopard delivery delays hit some areas
Brian A. sent a tip to say he called his FedEx delivery manager in Huntsville, AL, and they told him that they were backed up with Leopard deliveries. Apparently, they weren't able to make the 10:30 AM deadline in some areas, and though delivery is still scheduled for sometime this afternoon, they'll be showing up late. How late? We're not sure, but hopefully not too late for Apple stores to receive their copies. Hopefully, this is just a hiccup in shipping, and not the start of a widespread delay.In other news, reader Don also had a problem with his Leopard delivery-- when checking his tracking number with FedEx online, he noticed to his dismay that someone named "Ramirez" had already signed for his package (and he doesn't know anyone named Ramirez). He called Apple and they blamed FedEx, saying that FedEx was reusing tracking numbers, and the signature Don was seeing was for a different package.And even if you have your copy, you may still be having problems-- Paul got his copy in Australia last night, but says Software Update has been zerged to death. With so many people trying to sign on and get their new apps, it may be a rough road for installers this weekend. Good luck out there.Update: We've also heard about a delay out of Indy. If you were expecting Leopard in the US by 10:30am, odds are you don't have it yet.
iPod touches "self heal" from read-write access after jailbreak
I have yet to jailbreak my personal iPod touch but interesting news has come to my ears from a variety of sources. Many iPod touch jailbreakers find that their systems lose read-write access after reboot. The iPod seems to "self heal" and "modify" the /etc/fstab file on their system. The problem may simply arise from the file not getting written properly during the jailbreak itself. For the moment, iPod touches that are jailbroken using older (primarily Windows) versions of iPhuc are leading this trend while Mac jailbreaks resist the reversion. More as this develops.
Popular Science on gaming's hardest technical problems
It only takes a quick, comparative glance at Pong and BioShock to see how far gaming technology has coming in a relatively short time. But despite all the progress, we haven't quite reached the pinnacle of a real-time, controllable, photo-realistic environments quite yet. What's stopping us? Popular Science takes a look with a recent piece on the ten greatest challenges in making realistic games.The photo essay looks at some neat cutting edge technology aimed at fixing virtual modeling problems both natural (water and fire are particularly nasty to model) and human (artificial intelligence and uncanny valley faces, for instance), but the technology that impressed us most is based firmly in the real world. Organic Motion's Stage system replaces the standard black-with-ping-pong-balls motion capture suit with a simpler system. "Subjects step in front of the camera in their street clothes, and instantly their avatar forms onscreen," reads Pop Sci's description of what sounds to us like the coolest thing ever.So will we ever reach that holy grail of totally reality simulation? It's a possibility if Moore's Law keeps up, but there'll almost certainly always be something to improve. As one designer put it to the magazine, "the more we can do, the more excited we get, and the more we want to do." In other words, the reach will always exceed the grasp.[Thanks Wonderflex]
WoW is a Work of Art, part 1: A journey into Azeroth
The day I walked into the store to buy World of Warcraft, I had been taking care of my mother as she underwent chemotherapy for brain cancer, and I desperately needed something to do that wasn't cooking, cleaning, sorting pills, or running errands. I needed something that would connect me with people while at the same time letting me stay at home and care for someone I loved.When I picked up a box with a pretty, yet severe night elf woman's face on the cover, I wasn't thinking, "I want to get to level 60 and start raiding Molten Core for epic gear!" or even "I'm going to be a PvP god!" Instead, I was hoping to create characters with a personal background, with feelings and ideas all their own, and act them out in an imaginary world where no one knew who I really was, a world in which our purpose was to share creatively and interact as a team, not to make money or exchange gossip.In short, I wanted to roleplay. But what I got was something much more than even a roleplaying experience, more than me and my characters, more than an endless stream of quests and rewards, experience and reputation, monsters and loot. I found myself in a world filled with its own people -- real people -- and a series of problems for these people to overcome together in order to progress and travel even deeper into this world. At every stage, I found something new opening up to me, whether it was access to more abilities of my own, more ways to interact with others, more vast landscapes to please my eye, or more stories to capture my imagination.
DS Daily: It's great, but ....
Even the best games sometimes have flaws, though we often gloss over them when trying to sell our friends on our favorites. But today is a day for honesty (because, uh, we said so), so we thought we might discuss those flies in the ointment. From issues with "blue" in Brain Age to Trauma Center adding even more difficulty when arbitrarily deciding you've done something wrong, we've seen dark spots in even the best of what the DS has to offer. Of course, that leads to another question: could that explain why, despite all of the great games on our favorite handheld, the reviews often seem a little lower, on average, than games for other systems? Or is there another reason that you suspect?
Breakfast Topic: Refreshing addons
I'll admit it-- I'm a lazy addon user. Whenever Blizzard updates the client, I always manage to forget about my addons. I'll log in, realize I have no addons working, and then jump back out and just "enable out-of-date addons." Eventually, those addons will show bugs, so I'll log back out, disable them, and then keep playing without them for a while.And sooner or later, as happened this past weekend, someone will point out that I'm not running KTM, or that I don't have the latest version of CTRaid up and running, so I'll write down a list of everything I need, go and download them all at once, and refresh them all completely. When I do this, it's a good feeling. It makes the game seem new again to me-- everything works, and everything does what I want it to once again.Until Blizzard puts out a patch, and then the whole grueling process starts over. I would just download new addons when a new patch drops, but addon authors aren't all on the same schedules. And I know programs like the WowAceUpdater help (by checking for updates for me), but so far I've never gotten around to installing those programs either.But that's just me, and I've got to deal with my own problems. How often do you refresh your addons completely? Do you have a good system for keeping your addons up to date, or, like me, do you only get around to redownloading everything when something stops working?
HP relaunches CableCARD media PC, redubs it m8100y
Well, would you check this out. Those "issues" that HP was apparently having with its Digital Tuner-equipped m8010y have finally been remedied... in the form of an entirely new machine. Strange as it may be to believe, searching for an m8010y or d4890y at HP's webshop yields information about two recently decommissioned products rather than giving you access to buy one of your own, and users searching for a CableCARD-ready media PC will instead be forced by buy an m8100y. Interestingly, the base CPU is now a 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo E6560 and the included graphics card is the 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS, and while you'd certainly benefit from a few select upgrades, mettlesome souls can snag the newest HP to (hopefully) play nice with ATI's Digital Cable tuner for as low as $1,149.99.
T-Mobile's prepaid refill system goes down; free minutes for all
File this under extremely annoying. According to T-Mobile, all systems for re-upping users prepaid phone minutes (online, phone-based, and refill hotspots) are not only currently inoperable, but have not been functioning correctly for the past three days. As a result, no minutes can be added to customers phones, but T-Mobile says that users of its prepaid service can continue to make calls from their phone with no charge until at least 11 pm tonight, even if they have no minutes remaining. The company hopes to correct the problems they're having by this evening, and we'll bring you more info as it becomes available. In the meantime, use this freebie to catch up with grandma!Update: Just to clarify, as far as we know this problem is affecting T-Mobile customers in the US. Also, the representative with whom we spoke said that calls would be free until 11 pm -- we have yet to hear an official announcement, however, so proceed with caution.[Thanks, Eric]
DS Daily: Problems and solutions
After seeing this thread over at NeoGAF, we spent a little time thinking about the DS Lite. Obviously, we're fans, but we're not going to say it's perfect. There can be problems at times. We're not sure we're ready for a whole new redesign (though we don't hate Shogmaster's mockup design at all), but if someone handed us a free new DS with a few issues fixed (d-pad, anyone?), we wouldn't argue. So we thought we'd ask you: what would you change? What would you fix? What do you think the Lite didn't address when it moved up from the DS?
HP not offering CableCARD on PCs due to configuration issues?
We were admittedly joyful when HP decided to unveil its media-centric m8010y and d4890y desktops soon after the stylish DEC lineup headed to an early grave, but apparently, things aren't going so well with the sophisticated machines. According to a user report, HP informed the owner of a malfunctioning m8010y that the company was "no longer selling Digital Cable Tuners due to problems with the current configuration." Sadly, we've no idea how that conversation continued nor why HP would be having so much trouble integrating CableCARD tuners into its machines, but there's certainly no shortage of vendors willing to take its place in the meantime. So, dear readers, have any of you ran into issues ordering a CableCARD-equipped HP of late?
