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Guildwatch: Too much holiday cheer
Well, our Christmas wishes haven't come true so far-- the drama we've seen in 2008 has so far been pretty undramatic. But hey, there's still 364 days left, and that leaves a lot of time for ninjas, guildleader meltdowns, and drama bombs, so we'll be patient and see what comes.And if you see it before we do, be sure to tip off GW about it-- send an email with drama, downed, or recruiting news to wowguildwatch@gmail.com. The very first GW of 2008 starts right after the jump.
Tabula Rasa servers down, rabble rabble rabble! [Updated]
In a bit of news that I am quite displeased to report, Tabula Rasa appears to be having server troubles this evening, as both Western servers, Cassiopeia and Orion, have gone offline for some seemingly unscheduled maintenance. When we first sat down to write this post, the European server Centaurus was down as well, but has since come back online. We're hoping that this is just a freak incidence of somebody tripping over a power cord or something, and not a debilitating outage. The Bane can't be trusted on a server by themselves all weekend.No word from Destination Games yet, but we'd expect an update soon. In the meantime, I'll be... I don't know, reading a book or something?[Update: As of 10:37 EST, the servers all appear to be online and in working order. Back to battle with you, soldiers!]
Mashing buttons can cause cooldown problems
Ever since patch 2.3, a number of players have been having a lot of trouble with their instant abilities, especially in PvP. They're finding they get constant "spell is not ready yet" and "target is out of range" errors whenever they mash their buttons. The main source of this problem has to do with a change to the way your computer communicates to the server what your character is doing. It's not very easy to explain, but I'll do my best here. First, I'll explain how the change affects longer spell casts, and then afterward look at how it affects instants.Here's how things worked in patch 2.2: I press a button to cast a spell or activate an ability. My computer says, "Hey! Realm server! David wants to cast Frostbolt!" The realm server says "Okay!" 300 milliseconds or so later (this round-trip communication time is your "latency"). My computer then starts a 1.5 second global cooldown, and shows me the Frostbolt casting bar. I cannot use any other abilities from the time I press the button to the time my Frostbalt casting finishes, unless I manually cancel the spell (as with a /stopcasting macro), or unless the server tells my computer, "Okay the spell is finished already!" or "Whoops! That spell got interrupted!" Either way, without a manual interruption on my part, I'm waiting on the server to tell me the outcome of the first spell before I can tell it to start casting the second. Here's how things work in patch 2.3: I press a button to cast a spell or activate an ability. My computer says, "Hey! Realm server! David wants to cast Frostbolt!" My computer goes ahead and starts the global cooldown for me, assuming the Frostbolt will succeed. The realm says "Okay!" 300ms later, and the casting bar shows up. Alternately, if there's a problem, then the realm says "No way, silly! David isn't finished casting Fireball yet! Wait a moment to try again, and cancel that global cooldown while you're at it!" Either way, I can send my commands to the server whenever I want, as long as my global cooldown isn't currently active -- and if it gets activated too early, I just have to wait for the server to tell my computer to cancel it before casting another ability. Sounds fine, right? Before, we had to wait for latency between our computers and the realms in order for any spell to go through, but now we just have to wait if we press a button too early.
Forum Post of the Day: Lookin' good
If you've been reading our Shifting Perspectives druid column, then you'll probably remember our discussion of the way druids look as they level up and get newer gear. The druids over in Europe have found a new way to show Blizzard how they feel about it on their forums: in a post by Rawr, entitled "[Screenshot] Season 3 Set Looks So Awesome," they've not only highlighted how druids look in the latest arena gear (as pictured above), but they've shown compiled pics very much like all the the different gear they've had leveling up, from level 10 to level 70.My druid looked something like this at level 10, which as you can see, is pretty drab. But once I got to level 45 or so, I completed a set I thought looked pretty nice. Now at 70, I have three sets for Bear form, for Cat form, and for healing. I don't mean to brag or anything -- my gear isn't the best in the world -- but one day I hope my druid can look like Xgeno does in his armor!There are many players out there who may think druids' opinion on their looks is a petty issue that doesn't matter, but when you think about it, there are lots of people out there with very strong opinions on class-specific issues that other classes don't understand in the least. In an age when some players stage riots on their servers or spam forums to protest class problems, these druids have once again demonstrated that there are alternative ways to share your feelings on a particular issue. For anyone out there who feels extremely angry, happy, or whatever, about any particular class issue, it makes sense to stop and think how you want to look in the eyes of other players before posting on the forums about it. Do you want them to get really frustrated because you're disrupting their gaming in some way? Or do you want them to read your post, then grin and say, "I see what you did there?"[Thanks Lewi!]Edit: Apparently the European thread Lewi brought to our attention has its roots in the US. The level 20 druid Pando showed everyone what her animal form looked like, and invited everyone to show theirs. Classic. [Thanks Delkral!]
Tranquility is flipping out
It must be all those new crazy Mac and Linux people-- the EVE Online server, Tranquility, is going mad this afternoon. EVEMon is telling me it's up, it's down, and then it's back up again. Probably doesn't hurt that this is primetime in Europe right now, and of course the new Revelations 2.3 patch dropped today.But if you were planning on doing some mining or ratting anytime this afternoon, better make other plans. Tranquility is taking a beating right now, and it probably won't be super stable again until the Europeans head to bed. If it's like this today, we can't help but cringe at what might happen next month.
Don't mash in 2.3!
Your character can be less effective if you mash buttons in 2.3, according to Altitis. You can also stop using the /stopcasting command in most macros. In the 2.3 PTR patch notes, "client spell cast requests are now sent to the server even if your player is already casting another spell. This eliminates the need for /stopcasting in macros to compensate for latency." What this means in English is that outside of global cooldown, your computer will try to send a new cast command to the server when you press a button, no matter what.
Tranquil rolls out Windows Home Server-based T2-WHS-A2
Tranquil sure looks to be serious about its Windows Home Server devices, with it now following up its recently-released T7-HSA model with its new T2-WHS-A2 Harmony Home Server. As before, you'll get fanless and near-silent operation, but with a larger casing that allows for more storage and expansion options. That includes two 3.5-inch hard drives for up to 2TB of storage (500MB by default), and six USB 2.0 ports to accommodate some additional devices. You'll also get fairly low power consumption (24 watts), and a pair of PCI slots that you can load up with four-port eSATA cards for even further expansion. Look for this one to start shipping next week, with it running £399 (or $830) for the base configuration.
Breakfast Topic: Where the roleplayers at?
After writing last week about getting started with roleplaying, it became clear that a number of people want to try roleplaying, but are having trouble finding the actual roleplayers, even on RP servers. Some players have even said that "RP is dead!" Those who still don't think RP is dead often complain that it's certainly not as alive as it used to be. You might even say that RP is undead in some places, which is a wholly unspeakable extreme.So today I'd like to ask you, where does the rumor mill tell you to find the best place to roleplay? Does your server rock the house with roleplayers everywhere you look? Have you heard your friend's girlfriend talk about how one time she overheard of her cousin's roommate's elder step-sister's 7-11 store clerk say where the RP really gets immersive? Or do you think it's not a matter of servers at all? Do you have to just team up with the best RP guilds around? If so, how do you find these guilds? Server forums?I have in mind that I'll go check out some RP servers to research this topic for myself as well. I'm pretty sure my home server (Scarlet Crusade) isn't the best. There, it seems a lot of the old roleplayers went off to do other things, or got involved in other activities and got too busy to roleplay. In any case, with your help and some additional research, perhaps we can come up with practical suggestions for how to track them roleplayers down and actually play the roles!
IBM rolls out "Mainframe Gas Gauge" for servers
Continuing its push into greener computing, IBM today announced the launch of its so-called "Mainframe Gas Gauge," which promises to let its server customers monitor their exact energy consumption in real time. What's more, IBM also announced that it'll begin publishing typical energy consumption figures for its z9 mainframe systems, following a recent EPA report that advised server makers to do just that. That data will be collected from some 1,000 servers around the world (a process that actually began in May), each of which employ sensors to monitor actual energy and cooling statistics, giving IBM enough info to determine the average watts per hour consumed and the total watts per unit. Individual server users will also get weekly reports on their machines' energy consumption in addition to the real time data, and they'll be able to make use of a new "Power Estimator Tool" to help them determine the most efficient means of expanding their server farms.[Via Slashdot]
Intel's Hapertown quad core processors get benchmarked
It looks like we're not quite done with Intel news out of IDF just yet, with the folks at HEXUS.net now scoring some benchmarks for the company's so-called "Stoakley" server/workstation platform. At the center of that platform are two-socket-capable quad-core Penryn CPUs, which are set to replace the current 65nm quad-core Clovertown models. And in that repect, it looks like Hapertown should be a worthy successor, with HEXUS calling it a "better quad-core processor than Clovertown: it's as simple as that." While their tests were somewhat hindered by Intel's choice to include the 32-bit Windows XP on the test system , they nonetheless managed to turn up some decent benchmark numbers and, just as importantly, found plenty of room for those numbers to grow, especially once SSE4.1-optimised applications start to turn up. Those looking for even more details can hit up the read link below for the complete rundown.[Via Slashdot]
Hands-on with EI's four-CableCARD 754 LifeMedia Server
Just as expected, Exceptional Innovation was showing off its new Model 754 LifeMedia Server at CEDIA, and sure enough, that bad boy was sportin' no fewer than four CableCARD slots. According to an on-site representative, this very machine should start shipping out to consumers within a month or so, and while we can only imagine how pricey this niche system will be, we're certain there's a few hardcore television viewers out there that will gleefully pony up.%Gallery-7072%
Intel rolls out quad-core Tigerton processors
Intel previewed its quad-core Tigerton processor way back in October of last year, but the company has just now let all that server-specific power loose on the general populace, with a couple of slightly scaled back versions also thrown in for good measure. Likely to attract the most interest, however, is the top-end X7350 processor, which clocks in at 2.93GHz with 8MB of shared on-chip cache and a thermal design power rating (otherwise known as TDP) of 130 watts.Rounding out the quad-core line-up are the 2.4GHz E7340, the 2.13GHz E7320, and the 1.6GHz E7310, each of which boast a TDP of 80 watts, as well as the 1.86GHz L7345, which drops the TDP back to 50 watts. If that's all a bit too much for you, Intel's also rolled out two dual-core Tigertons, including 2.93GHz E7220 and the 2.4GHz E7210, each of which have a TDP of 80 watts and 8MB of shared on-chip cache. Look for these to set you (or your company) back anywhere from $856 to $2,301 per chip, in 1,000-unit quantities, that is.
Synology Cube Station CS407 does DIY NAS
Don't fancy picking up a fully configured NAS with a bunch of off-the-shelf drives? Well then, Synology's Cube Station CS407 might be the NAS for you. Coming bare bones with four slots for SATA hard disk drives of your choice, the CS407 includes out of the box support for iTunes serving, a PhotoStation2 image hosting service, and PHP and MySQL support. It has a Gigabit Ethernet port, low power consumption, quiet operation, and came out OK in the performance tests that Hot Hardware carried out. The CS407 ain't perfect though, with its slightly dodgy build quality, standard rack mounts for Hard Drives, and slightly dear price tag of around $649.
Medion's Windows Home Server-based MD 90110 gets detailed
Just as HP reportedly delayed its own Windows Home Server-based device, Medion's iteration is getting all fleshed out, so let's get right down to the dirt, shall we? Apparently, the MD 90110 will feature an AMD Sempron 64 or Intel P4 LGA 775, an AMD RS-690 / Intel 945GC chipset, be based on a MicroATX motherboard, and include 1GB of RAM, between 500GB and 2TB of RAID storage space, an eSATA port, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 connectors. Additionally, users can look forward to "screwless internal hard drive bays," a recovery button, HDD status LEDs, and a variety of configurations to fit your needs (and budget). Per usual, there's no hard data available just yet in regard to pricing or release dates, but we'll keep you posted.[Via WeGotServed]
First photos of Fujitsu-Siemens' Scaleo Home Server
Fujitsu-Siemens is supposed to debut the Scaleo, its first entry in the Windows Home Server market, later this week at IFA, but this press shot -- the first non-renders we've seen -- have surfaced a bit early, along with some more specs. The Scaleo will feature 4 internal drive bays, four USB 2 ports, two eSATA ports, "always-available" operation as opposed to being always-on, and silent operation. No word on that rumored two-drive RAID array or that 50W power consumption, but we'll know more when we get our hands on one at the conference.
$1.4 million IBM server falls off forklift, finger pointing ensues
Yeah, we've seen our fair share of pricey accidents, but this one is just brimming with ridiculousness. Reportedly, a mysterious IBM server that was headed to the US Patent and Trademark Office managed to fall off of a forklift managed by federal contractor T.R. Systems. The firm claims that the mishap occurred after the forklift "hit the raised surface at the entry door of the warehouse," but rather than taking the fall for the incident, it's seeking damages in excess of $1.4 million from IBM for Big Blue's shoddy packaging. Not surprisingly, IBM has stated that it will "defend itself vigorously" in the case, but there's no word on whether the traditional shipping cartons will be replaced with armored iterations in the future.
How to find a new guild
Zodo from LFG KZ recently sent us a link to a post on his blog about "guildshopping on a new server" (yes, I know it's spelled wrong on his site, give the guy a break). If you've recently transferred servers or have just rolled up a new character and are looking for a good guild, it's definitely worth a look.There are a few things I disagree with in there-- I find it really hard to believe that small servers don't have high level raiding guilds, and in my experience, a bigger population may theoretically mean lower prices, but in practice that's not always true. But his later steps are good ones, especially making sure you put in the research on where a guild's at in terms of progression (some guilds will help you get to their level, but most really high level guilds would rather you're already up there with them), and what classes they're interested in recruiting. Even if a guild says they're not recruiting, being nice and chatting with someone from the guild (in a city, as Zodo says, not in a raid), can clue you in on at least how you might get a trial run with them.And applying for guilds is something very basic that everyone trying to get into a great guild should be more than happy to do. I used to be in the camp of "lol it's just a game i'm not applying," but the fact is that the guilds that seriously ask for (and consider) applications tend to be the better guilds to be in, and so the few minutes spent filling out a form intelligently is more than worth it in the long run. If you're about to face this situation, Zodo's guide is definitely worth a read.
Breakfast Topic: The perfect server
Spiritus has a good quesiton on WoW Ladies: if you could transfer, right now, to any server, what would you look for in the server you moved to?What makes the perfect server? I can think of a lot of things that would go into the server decision. If you had friends there already (this was the reason I rolled on the server I'm on now) Server population Server age (you reroll locusts) AH prices Guilds and progression Server type (PvE, PvP, or RP) And does anyone consider the server name in their choice? Would you rather be on Arthas or Thrall? So if you could conjure up your perfect server, what would it be like and why? If Blizzard offered transfers tomorrow to any realm, what would server heaven be like for you?
Sleeper Cartel throws second annual Summer Party tomorrow on Perenolde
Sleeper Cartel on Perenolde is a great guild-- they've shown up on Guildwatch more than a few times before, not for drama, but because they routinely put on really cool server events. Their events have a roleplaying flavor, but they aren't really hardcore RP-- rather, they're just a fun way for people to get together and do social things in game.And now, finally, they've told us about one of their events before it's happened, so we can tell you. Tomorrow (still not very much notice, I know), Saturday, August 18th at 7pm server, they're having their second annual serverwide party, and they are throwing quite a bash. Player-run quests, pirate costumes, a player wedding to kick everything off, tons of giveaways, items, fireworks, and they're even giving away a Professor Plum-- yup, one Epic will be handed out to a lucky winner.The whole thing is going to be held out at Fray Island (and probably a few other places around the server), so if you're free tomorrow afternoon, you'll definitely have to check it out. I've been super impressed with everything else SC has done, and I don't expect tomorrow's event to be an exception (and now that I've posted this, they'll probably have more people than they know what to do with). Should be a lot of fun.
Sony erects massive PS3 server cluster for Warhawk mayhem
C'mon, we all knew PS3 clusters were good for more than academia, right? Thankfully for those who are itching to jump right into a worldwide dogfight when Warhawk lands, it looks like Sony has you covered. Granted, the game will allow for PS3 owners to host and play on their own matches, but the Ranked-Dedicated servers that you may also opt for shouldn't be lacking in terms of sheer power. Constructed by the SCEA IT team, this ginormous PS3 cluster will soon be used to connect Warhawk gamers everywhere, and while we're never told precisely how many PlayStation 3s were scrounged up in order to make this happen, feel free to click on through for another shot and start countin'.
