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Take out the trash (timers)!
Over at Blessing of Kings, Coriel recently made the case for removing the respawn timer on trash mobs in raid instances:"When you go into a 5-man instance, you expect to clear it, even if it is your first time going to that instance. You may wipe once or twice, but the general expectation is that you will finish that instance. In this case, an instance time limit is a good idea. If you hit the trash respawn, it's a sign that something is wrong, and perhaps it might be a better idea to try again later, maybe with a different group or after gearing up a bit more.... In contrast, in a raid boss fight, you expect to wipe a lot. That the fight is intricate enough that learning and mastering it will take multiple hours. It took us two or three evenings to refine our strategy and master The Lurker Below, and he's generally considered an easy boss in SSC."He makes a few more good points in the article, including the fact that for casual guilds, losing time to trash mob respawns could be better spent learning a new boss. Obviously this affects more casual raiders than hardcore ones, but I think Coriel summarizes his points well and is worth a read.
Learn2raid: A beginner's guide, part 3
Learn2raid is here again, offering those fledgling raiders a peek into the world of end game loot and 25-man encounters. We're rounding up the first section of our series in which we talked about the three steps required when you are getting into raiding: Introspection came first, followed by Preparation. Today we will flush out that triptych with the final step: Application. For those of you already in a raiding guild, or in a guild that is moving into the raiding scene, I still suggest you read on. Perhaps this information will prove useful to you in the future, even if it is not immediately applicable. Either way fear not: we still have a few topics up our sleeves that might be of more use to you.Getting Ready to RaidStep Three: ApplicationIf I haven't scared you off yet, then you're obviously dedicated enough to be able to raid. The next step therefore is application. Applying to a guild is both exhilarating and frightening as hell. If you don't want to get booted out on your behind before you ever see your first loot drop, take my advice and do the following: Write up an application beforehand: Taking a moment to write up an application without a guild attached to it will save you all kinds of time. Just about every guild application will have the same information on it: name/class/level/spec (with a link to your armory)/guild history and why you left/professions/why you are looking to raid/a paragraph about you and why a guild would be crazy not to accept you.
Learn2raid: A beginner's guide, part 2
So you want to be a raider, eh? Plenty of people will argue against it, tell you it's not worth the time, but in the end, in your heart of hearts you know you want to see that end game content and wield those ungodly weapons. Not sure how to go about it? Well, that's what this guide is for. Learn2raid first took you through the questions you should ask yourself to make sure you are the sort of person that can be a good raider. But knowing you are a raider at heart isn't enough. If you remember from part 1 of this beginner's guide we said we were first looking at the three steps needed to get ready to raid: Introspection, Preparation, and Application. There is a lot that goes into getting into raiding, and without prep work your most valiant attempts may fall flat. Getting Ready to Raid Step Two: Preparation Now that you've answered some questions about yourself, you're ready to prepare to raid. Preparation for getting into raiding requires more than just making the decision and applying to 45 guilds in the hopes that one will accept you. Take the time and do your homework. It will save you a lot of trouble – and the anguish of possible rejection - in the long run. Gear: First, make sure you research your gear. Do you have the best possible gear for a casual player in your class? If you don't do you know where you can get it? There are a couple great resources on gear for your class and spec out there on the net. I have bookmarks to WoW-loot.com and WoW Wiki listed on my bar, but honestly, I found that the best way to research gear was looking at players I knew.
Learn2raid: A beginner's guide, part 1
Recently as you know, I made the decision to get into raiding. I looked at what I wanted to do with my time in the game and realized that in order to see everything Blizzard has laid out on the Azerothian buffet table I would have to raid. I admit I was skeptical that this sort of playstyle would be for me, but I found out that I enjoy this as much, if not more than the unfocused casual pace I originally took with the game. I don't play any more than I used to, I just have an ultimate goal now: to kick Illidan's booty. If you too are looking to step into the raiding arena, here's a how-to guide to give you some idea as to what you should do. This is by no means definitive, and if you have any input, feel free to comment. I am just putting down some thoughts on the subject based on my recent experience. Getting Ready to Raid You can think of your entry into the raiding world in three steps: introspection, preparation, and application. Skipping any one of these steps means that you will have a rocky start as you set into the world of hardcore (and yet still PG rated) gaming. In this first part of this guide of ours, we'll look at Introspection.
LaCie intros 2big trio of professional RAID drives
We know, you're probably still gawking at that shiny hunk of hard drive that LaCie announced earlier today, but for the pros out there, this lineup is likely to be more your style. The 2big family -- which will include the 2big Dual, 2big Triple and the 2big Network -- range in capacity from 1TB to 2TB, and all include a new "thermoregulated progressive smart fan" to keep things cool and quiet. As for the 2Big Dual, you'll find eSATA II and USB 2.0, while the 2Big Triple offers up both flavors of FireWire / USB 2.0 and the 2Big Network "is an Ethernet version that can act as a file sharing or backup server." Pricing on the trifecta will vary based on storage space and connectivity options, but you can find these hanging out in September and starting at $399.[Via Electronista]
LaCie intros 4TB Biggest Quadra RAID drive
LaCie's 4TB Biggest Quadra certainly isn't the largest drive to rock the LaCie badge, but it does give users four ways to sync it up with their PC or Mac. The four-disk RAID drive touts FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, supports RAID levels 0, 0+1 and 5, and will automatically shut down if temperates get too high. Reportedly, the device will ship with backup and recovery software and is slated to land in October for $2,199, right alongside the $1,099 2TB and $1,599 3TB versions.[Via TGDaily]
Guildless: The saga continues
As you might remember, I made the decision a while back to try my hand at raiding, and for the first time ever /gquit. It was with a heavy heart that I applied to a friend's raiding guild, one that had previously accepted a few of my guild's members that wanted to get into raiding. It took a couple of weeks to be accepted in, mostly because my gear was so very shoddy in comparison, and they were looking toward TK and SSC. In addition to that, I had a friend in the guild who was fighting on my behalf with the guild master, and just about the time that talks opened up between the three of us, I shipped off to BlizzCon.So I came back from the convention with an absolute burning desire to play again, something I haven't had for a good long while. I messaged the Guild Master, eager to know the results of her discussions with the other officers. No answer. I messaged my friend, and was given the run around. Just about the time I thought I better throw in the towel, my answer came. It came in the form of a guild invite. I had managed to weasel my way in.
LaCie unveils 5TB Biggest S2S SATA RAID tower
LaCie is apparently looking to grab video editors' attention with the introduction of its latest RAID tower, which comes stocked with 5TB of storage and is scalable to up to 20TB for HD multi-stream support. The 5TB Biggest S2S five-disk RAID boasts a 3Gbit/sec eSATA interface, direct eSATA-to-SATA connection, burst rates of over 200MB/sec, and the ability to link up with three other S2S units on the eSATA PCI-X / ExpressCard to achieve the aforementioned 20TB solution. Furthermore, the disks are hot-swappable and the tower is hot-pluggable, and it can even be setup to beam out email alerts in the event of disk failure. The 5TB S2S is available now for $3,699 with a PCI-X card, or you can toss in an extra Benjamin and go for the PCI-E bundle.
Netcom intros eSATA-based RAID 5 system
While it's far from the most spacious storage system we've seen, Netcom's new eSATA-based NR5-4 system will accommodate four drives for up to 3TB of storage in a RAID 5 configuration, something the company claims to be an industry first. If RAID 5 isn't your thing, you can set things up in your choice of RAID 0 or 10 configurations as well, and you'll be able to keep an eye on the goings on thanks to the unit's backlit display. You'll also, of course, get the requisite PCI host adapter, along with a one meter host cable, and a "comprehensive" one year warranty. Not surprisingly, the unit doesn't exactly come cheap, with it boasting a near $2,000 price tag. If that's not a deal-breaker, you can get your order in right now.
Spiritual Guidance: Priest sets (part two)
Every Sunday, Eliah or Elizabeth will bring you their thoughts on the Priest class with Spiritual Guidance. Whether it's keeping your fellow players alive or melting their faces, you can read about it here!The archaic stuff out of the way, in part two of this two-part series we turn to the hot new stuff: the Priest sets from the Burning Crusade. BC made one tremendous improvement in the way class sets were handled: raid gear for off-specs. For us men and women of the cloth, that means Tier 4, 5, and 6, as well as Arena gear, are available in versions befitting both healing and shadow priests. As before, I'll start with the epic raid gear, T4, T5, and T6, pictured above from left to right. They really went crazy with the shoulders, didn't they?
Thank a Tank (and everyone else) Day
I find it really interesting how class roles, originally created completely by Blizzard, have been given their own flavor by the people who play them. Take a main tank role, for instance-- sometimes it's the raidleader (although it doesn't have to be), but usually it's someone dedicated to the success of the raid, a person who likes getting their hands dirty, is super knowledgeable about both the bosses and their own gear, and both supports and benefits from (in the form of gold for repairs or first choice on equipment) the entire raid. The main tank (just like the top DPSer or the main healer) is a position created partially by Blizzard, and partially by the people who play it.Donaven (quite randomly) calls today "Thank a Tank Day." Unfortunately, he himself is a tank, so the actual proclamation sounds more like whining about being a tank rather than a sincere thanks for a tank who knows what they're doing, but the thought is noble. Instead of just thanking tanks, how about we thank all players who take a role and fill it out to the best of their ability-- who take a job, whether it be grabbing aggro, laying down damage in the right places, or playing the whack-a-mole game of healing, and do it well and without question.For all the QQing about PvP and all the crying about how Arena is unbalanced, the best times I have in this game are in PvE situations, where everyone is working together and doing what they're meant to, all the way until the boss' health reaches zero. The main tank plays a huge part in that, by standing where they need to stand, and laying down sunders when it counts. But when a raid is really working together, everyone does what's needed, and that's when it's really great. I'll thank everyone for that.
Mac Pros gain RAID storage option
Oh Apple, you sly devil, what with all the secretly upgrading hardware and not even telling us. Thanks to eagle-eyed reader Eric Wortman, we now also found that the Mac Pro gained a RAID card option for those who need mounds of storage and a secure, redundant system with which to manage it. The card supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 0+1, and Enhanced JBOD. The card also features a 256MB cache and a 72 hour battery with which to protect that cache, and it occupies the top PCI Express card slot, connecting to all four internet drive bays.What's all this RAID connectivity going to cost you? A cool $999 on top of the price of your Mac Pro.
Apple offers PCI Express RAID Card in Mac Pro
As if Cupertino didn't give you enough to chew on today, it looks like the Mac Pro received a small update as well. 'Course, it seems pretty minute until you check out the pricetag ($999, for those wondering), but nevertheless, users looking to maximize their machine can now opt for a PCI Express RAID card to come built right in. The card promises "up to 304MBps of sequential read performance in RAID 0" and supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 0+1, and Enhanced JBOD. Moreover, it sports 256MB of cache and an integrated 72-hour battery for protection, and while the machine ships with each hard drive individually configured in the Enhanced JBOD level, you can migrate the drives into a RAID setup of your choosing without reinstalling OS X by tapping into Apple's RAID Utility software.[Thanks, Alex]
QNAP intros well-spec'd TS-209 NAS server
Following up on the firm's TS-109, the all new two-bay, hot-swappable TS-209 NAS server ratchets things up a notch for SMB and SOHO. QNAP's latest Pro Turbo Station hopes to catch the eye of the almighty suits, and packs a fairly potent 500MHz processor, gigabit Ethernet port, and 128MB of DDR2 RAM within to "significantly boost file sharing speed." Moreover, ingrained server features such as automatic syncing / backup, SSH remote login, and cross-platform sharing for Windows, Mac, Linux, and UNIX machines are included, and the device can be equipped with up to 2TB of storage in a RAID 1 mirroring array. Look for this one to land next month for a currently undisclosed price.[Thanks, Ivan H.]
Zul'Aman screenshots and impressions
We've got some nice eye candy from Zul'Aman for you, including some images of the animal aspect bosses Nalorakk, Akil'Zon (above) and Halazzi. We had a chance to stealth into the instance earlier in the press room, and our initial visual impression of the dungeon can be described in two words: Indiana Jones. Or rather, a cross between Indiana Jones and Zul'Gurub on steroids. A 20-minute "sacrifice" timer started counting down as soon as we zoned in, and at the end of the timer Hex Lord Malacrass's voice yelled across the zone that we had failed in our mission, and that every sacrifice made him stronger. There were a couple of closed doors barring our way from exploring further into the instance, but we were able to get a first-hand look at Nalorakk, the bear avatar boss, and Jan'alai the dragonhawk avatar before being detected and mercilessly pwned by a 4-pack Amani'shi patrol. The interior is incredibly picturesque, with cascading waterfalls, carved stone altars and a lagoon area. Populating the area are a number of elite Amani'shi mobs including Flame Casters, Guardians, Handlers with crocolisk pets, and the good old Beserkers we know and love. Shortly after the zone-in point and down a flight of stairs are a line of Amani'shi troll guards that look like a formidable initial pull -- we're so looking forward to getting 9 of our closest friends together, flexing our bad mojo and making our way through Zul'Aman.%Gallery-5517%
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.
Build Shop: Priest 23/38/0
Consider this the beginning of Season 2 of Build Shop. I've given each class a turn (for real this time), and now I'm going to kick things off with another build of my own, this one on my main. Priest is the first class I got to 60, and the first class I got to 70. Although I leveled to 55 or so as Shadow, healing is really what I love on my priest, and I've been various kinds of Holy since then.My current build isn't really original; in fact, it's probably the most common PvE healing build for priests right now: 23/38/0. Take Discipline down to Improved Divine Spirit, and Holy down to 3/5 Empowered Healing (skipping Lightwell and Circle of Healing, in my version). The main alternative builds would probably be 21/40/0 or 20/41/0, and there may not be a clear-cut "best" build out of the three.
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!
Why do we raid?
It's a question that comes up more and more as I talk to my friends in the game. Why do we raid? The topic comes fairly close to home because I am in a situation where raiding is not quite on the horizon. Sure we have our Kara keys, but the coordination of an actual run has been far from successful. In addition to whatever challenges we have in my guild, there is the fact of my class. I am a mage, and currently the best gear I can reasonably attain is crafted, not found in an instance. So why am I pushing to raid Karazhan when I can get gear made that is better than what I'll find? Quite simply put, I want to know. I want to know what it is like to experience the instance. The more I see of the Warcraft universe, the more I come to appreciate the complex beauty of it as a whole, with rich and deeply laid foundations of story and lore that intrigue me. If the game were a novel (and I've read the novels too, this is just a metaphor) I would sit down at the beginning and read until the end. Raiding is the climax to the story as it has been told, since the pivotal plot points are told in the raid instances. It is in Mount Hyjal that players finally face Archimonde, and in the Black Temple where they can best Illidan, providing they are uber uber leet. In order to read to the end of the story, you must raid. I guess what I'm saying is that I want to raid not only for the chance for sweet gear, and I'm sure there is some still out there for me, if only in the form of weapons. I want to raid because of experience itself. But many are disillusioned with the game since TBC, and some say raiding is broken. Why still do players charge out into the 25-man instances, if they feel that the accomplishment has lost its grandeur despite the game elements becomin more difficult to overcome? Why do we raid? [via James]
Sonnet announces D400, D800 Fusion RAID storage systems
Sonnet's mainly popped up onto our radar for its various iPod accessories, but the company also has quite a few other products up its sleeve, to which it's now added a pair of new RAID storage systems. Boasting support for up to four and eight drives, respectively, the Sonnet Fusion D400 and D800 systems each come bundled with a PCI Express RAID host adapter, which will let you set 'em up in your choice of RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, 10, 50, or JBOD configurations. Fully loaded, the D800 will give you a maximum 6TB of storage, although you can just buy one empty and pop in additional drives as needed (or pop out, as it's fully hot-swappable). Look for it to set you back just over $2,000, with the D400 a comparative bargain at around $660.
