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Build Shop: Druid 0/47/14
Last week I asked for Druid builds. How many of the builds I got do you think were Feral? That's right, all of them. Never let it be said I can't take a hint; here's a Feral build for this week. The tree is enjoying a justifiable period of popularity right now, I think. Every druid I regularly group with is Feral, and bear tanks do a great job. Tanks are in demand on my realm, so I haven't seen many druids get a chance to go kitty and shred some face butt, but when I have seen it it's been pretty impressive. And of course, like any other class that can heal, if they carry a healing set they can be pretty solid off-healers.I got two 0/47/14 builds from two different people. One build included Intensity and Savage Fury, while the other one had Brutal Impact and Natural Shapeshifter. For reasons I'll get into later, I prefer the first variant, by Athaliana of Moonrunner, so that's what I'll look at here. Oh, and to answer your question, bwest0526, there is, as you can see, no set reason why builds have to be 0/41/20 or 31/0/30 or other such patterns like that. However, talent trees are designed such that particularly appealing one-point talents are placed at 11, 21, 31, and 41 points into each tree, so many builds go into trees with the goal of getting one of those talents, and then put the rest of their points in a different tree for some other purpose. The 21, 31, and 41 point talents especially tend to be very good values in many cases.
Build Shop: Shaman 40/0/21
Late again, dear readers, and without a good explanation this time. To compensate, I'll look at a build from the class everyone's been clamoring for: Shaman. Now Shaman is, without question, the class I know the least about in the game. I did some research before writing this, but it's still going to be a bit shaky, so you'll just have to excuse that. It'll also probably be shorter than your average Build Shop, simply because I won't be able to segue into extended discussions of individual talents or skills as often.I didn't get very many Shaman builds, despite the class's vociferousness in the comments. To be specific, I got three: two elemental, one enhancement. I know enhancement is undergoing some shakeups right now, what with the dual-Windfury nerf and all, so I'm going to avoid that and just do an elemental build. Without further ado, I give you: 40/0/21. Shaggyg on Destromath thinks this build, taking points in both Ele and Resto, should "increase crits and improve casting performance" once his up-and-coming shaman hits endgame. (Aside: props on the <My Little Pwnies> guild name; I've seen it on a few realms now and it always makes me chuckle.)
Build Shop: Paladin 21/31/0
Hello, talent-loving faithful! Ready for some more build dissection? This evening we turn to a hybrid class that's getting a bit of a nerf for one of its roles in the upcoming patch, but some buffs to its other major role. Yep, it's time to poke and prod Paladin talents. The Holy talent Illumination, as I'm sure all Paladins reading this know, is receiving probably the single biggest nerf anything is getting in patch 2.1 (aside from Alchemy). On the other hand, the Protection tree is getting a few buffs, including a new Improved Holy Shield talent, elimination of the deadzone on Captain America's Avenger's Shield, and a buff to Ardent Defender.The arithmetically astute among you may note that the build above, 21/31/0, is incomplete. It only has 52 points in it, out of the 61 points available at level 70. This is because the submitter of this build, Mithral of Kael'Thas, isn't quite sure how exactly he wants to finish it off. The reason I picked this build is because, like Mithral, I "actually like the idea of a Hybrid class." His goal is to somehow make a Pally build that is decent at both of the class's primary roles, healing and tanking. This, he says, could also take advantage of Pally itemization, since "most Pally gear comes with +Spell damage AND +healing in one piece." I have my doubts about this point -- I definitely maintain very separate healing and DPS gear on my Priest. Just because it says "damage and healing" doesn't mean it's going to hold a candle to a dedicated healing piece.
Armory data: Popular and unpopular specs
Finally, someone has done something worthwhile with the Armory other than make fun of people's gear and complain about invasions of privacy. Zyph of Maelstrom wrote a program that pulled random names of level 70 characters off of Allakhazam and inputted them into the Armory, and then compared their specs. He ended up with the spec information of over six thousand players. Zyph wanted to find out three things from his study. First off, he wanted to know what percentage of a class was specialized (31 points or more) in one tree. Then he wanted to see how many people who were specialized in a tree skipped the 31- and 41-point talents of that tree, and how many took them. The results of his survey can be found beyond the cut.
i-Bean glasses provide mobile TV up close and personal
It's getting to the point where some of these gadget-laced glasses providers are going to have to collaborate, as hauling around a suitcase full of variously useful specs is really getting rediculous. Joining the ever-growing fray is Arisawa Japan, whose i-Beam contraption functions as a less invasive head-mounted display by beaming a virtual "21-inch screen" of broadcast television right before your very eyes. The device itself weighs in at just ten grams, packs an external attachment to house the TV tuner and four AA batteries, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack to boot. Of course, we'd probably recommend just snapping up a do-it-all GPS unit that handles television programming on the side, but hey, it's your ¥39,800 ($336) to do with as you please.[Via Wired]
Vintage mechanical spectacles take you way back
We've seen eyewear of just about every variety, and while we wouldn't necessarily recommend crafting your own over seeing an optometrist, Y4G3R's mechanical spectacles are probably better to look at than through. The brass-clad glasses resemble a mishmash of steampunk and modern DIY prowess, and while you may have seen a set similar to these worn in movies from decades ago, the mechanics here are likely superior. According to their creator, the "temple arms retract and the ear hoops pivot under for compact(ish) storage," and furthermore, "the bridge is spring loaded, extending another few centimeters when worn." So if you're curious to see just how neatly a pair of homegrown specs can plicate, click on through for the aftermath.[Via Wired]
Electrochromic sunglasses change color on demand
We'll admit, we didn't think MyDo's Bururu vibrating spectacles would be topped anytime soon, and while the University of Washington's smart sunglasses don't snatch the crown outright, they certainly make a solid case. The admittedly gaudy prototype certainly isn't the most attractive eyewear we've ever seen, but researchers are insisting that we focus on the electrochromic material that enables on demand color / tint changing rather than the bulky frames. The film can purportedly alter its transparency depending on the electric current that flows through it, essentially giving athletes and motorists an easy way to instantly adjust the level of reflection and tint depending on the ever-changing circumstances around them. Touted as "more active and more intelligent" that existing specs, this watch-battery-powered device allows the wearer to alter the shade by simply spinning a wee dial on the arm, and while we wish we could tell you that U-Dub's swank new specs would be arriving before the bright summer rays, it'll be quite "a few years" before these hit commercialization.[Via Primidi]
OLPC to get speedier hardware upgrades?
While OLPC test machines are circulating around, and orders are reportedly adding up in vast quantities, it looks like the green machine could be receiving a few hardware upgrades. According to Vulnerable Minds, the One Laptop Per Child panel at Shmooncon announced that the machine would now sport a 433MHz AMD Geode LS-500 processor (up from 366MHz), 256MB of system RAM (up from 128MB), and a 1GB NAND drive (up from 512MB). The CPU is of the .13-micron variety and only draws 0.08-watts, and it'll also sport the obligatory 7.5-inch sunlight capable display, 1,200 x 900 monochrome / 692 x 520 color resolutions, 802.11b/g, and interestingly, the draft version of "802.11s ESS mesh networking" will also be supported. The trio of USB ports, stereo speakers, VGA webcam, SD card slot, and microphone all remained unchanged, but if you (or your respective government) have any outstanding orders, we sure hope you're lobbying for the newly upgraded machines.
Breakfast topic: What have you learned from the Armory?
We've got some great tools for guilds. We've got generated signatures, lots of Legolasses (and Legolads), some liars revealed, and even the worst players (that last one is from an official Mike Schramm Troll Post (TM)(C)).So in the two weeks since it was introduced, what have you learned from the Armory? Have you figured out something new by checking out someone else's spec, or learned something about your guild from theirs? Have you gotten a good tip on an item you can't live without, or found one that you later asked a guildie about? Have you checked out a "famous" WoW player, or checked how many players have the same name that you do?Blizzard has put one of the most comprehensive tools online for any MMORPG. It's only been around for a few weeks, and it's only in Beta, so we're apt to see more functionality arise for it yet. But here in the beginning, just what are you using it for?
Two specs too easy?
As far as basic skills go, every character of a given class in WoW is the same (assuming they bothered to train all their skills; I've certainly left Feedback on my Priest and Wound Poison on my Rogue well alone). Where character customization comes in is with talents and gear. Gear is relatively easily switched -- many classes carry multiple sets routinely, and mods like ItemRack or Outfitter are great at helping you switch between them. Talents, on the other hand, are not quite so easy to switch up. Not only do you have to trek back into Azeroth to a major city to find a trainer, but you also have to pay, and of course the more you respec the more it costs. Granted, even the 50g maximum cost is a lot less now than it used to be, due to inflation, but it certainly adds up, and it's not really attractive to pay 100g (respec away, then respec back) just for one night of instances, PvP, grinding, or what have you. Blizz have said that the respec cost is not going away, as they want talents to have some kind of lasting implications, to be a somewhat weighty choice, but it does get somewhat frustrating to have to gimp yourself in one part of the game to be great at another part.Tobold's MMORPG Blog is always a good read, and today he debuts a new column about "single features that I think are easy enough to implement and which could make World of Warcraft a much better game." This being WoW, I'm sure the idea has arisen before, but this week Tobold has come up with the idea of letting everyone have two specs and be able to switch between them for free. You could still charge to change either spec, on the same plan as before. To avoid on-the-fly spec switching abuse, you could make people go to a trainer to switch. If this were implemented, I'd also want to see a spec switcher NPC in Shattrath, because that's where the party is these days.
MyDo Bururu glasses vibrate your dome to prevent sleep
While there's no shortage of devices that force your eyelids to crack open in the morning, things can get a bit hairy for those late-night cram sessions when you must stay vigilant. As glasses become more like theaters, it's not entirely surprising to see Japan's Vision Optic Company adding superfluous functionality to your everyday spectacles. The vibrating eyewear, dubbed MyDo Bururu, automatically senses when the wearer's head tilts down to a certain angle, and depending on the level of sensitivity you have it set on, will begin to shake, rattle, and roll right up side your noggin until your face returns to an upright position (or you hurl the glasses across the room). Of course, there's no real substitute for a great night's rest, but sometimes duty calls at all times of the day (or night), so if you're a professional student who crams for exams entirely too much, you can hit a pair of these up for around ¥45,000 ($371) -- if you can stay awake long enough to order 'em, that is.[Via PlasticBamboo]
Breakfast Topic: What's your archnemesis class?
Everyone has the one class or spec that they dislike irrationally. You call for them to be nerfed on the forums, you stalk them through battlegrounds, and you may even swear under your breath when one of them ends up in your instance group. This is your archnemesis class. There's an old joke that the traditional enemy of the rogue is every other rogue on the server, and I have to admit that used to be true for me. I hated other rogues more than any other class. Sure, there were really nice and skilled rogues, but they seemed to be in the minority compared to the giant amount of idiots that rolled a rogue to be cheap shot artists (pun intended.) All the ninjas, drama queens, and overall irritating people I met in my first few months of playing WoW were other rogues, and a deep sense of self-loathing festered inside of me. I was halfway tempted to reroll a warlock -- and this was back in the days where NO ONE was a warlock -- when the idiot rogues disappeared! Where did they go? A couple months later, when untalented, unintelligent, aggro-insensitive DPS warriors began infesting my guilds, I had my answer. To this day, I'm always a little suspicious of DPS warriors, particularly those who utterly refuse to consider tanking an instance and have a wishlist consisting of 90 percent of the one and two-handed weapons in the game. However, the recent warrior nerfs have sent the annoying DPS warriors back into hiding, soon to emerge again as whatever other class allows them to take a lot of loot and smash things. What class/spec annoys you most in WoW? Does the annoyance extend only to people you fight in PVP, or do you hate those of the same faction as you?
Apple TV gets a full blown specification list, sort of
Whether you've dropped your hard-earned $299 for Apple's forthcoming Apple TV, or you're just waiting to find out a bit more details on the thing before pulling the trigger, AppleInsider reportedly has the dirt we geeks adore. According to Apple's website, the device sports an elusive "Intel processor" and a 40GB hard drive, but we all know there's a lot more to this 7.7- x 7.7-inch box than what Steve is letting us know; thankfully, some folks in the know have supposedly dug up just what's under the silver lid, and it seems that you're paying three hundred bones for some rather antiquated components. Getting us started is a 1GHz Pentium-M-based chip, codenamed "Crofton," which has been underclocked to run on a 350MHz bus, and it's purportedly based on Intel's Dothan core, which includes 2MB of L2 cache. Additionally, an NVIDIA G72M with 64MB of DDR2 RAM is included for video purposes, and a quarter gigabyte of 400MHz DDR2 system RAM is soldered to the logic board. Also of note is its inability to function as its own wireless router / extender, despite the built-in 802.11n antenna, and while you'll find a USB port flanking the rear, it's presumably only there for "services and diagnostics purposes." So, in the end the Apple TV should still have plenty of horsepower to handle its well established duties, but it's certainly not packing a great lot of pizazz beneath the hood -- according to this report, anyway.
HTC Omni specifications unearthed
Hope you haven't forgotten about the elusive HTC Omni, as that self-coined Universal successor now has an (almost complete) lineup of specs to go along with it. The handset will reportedly sport a whopping 4-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, boast a slightly slimmer / lighter enclosure than found on the Universal, and will pack a 400MHz Samsung SC244X processor, Qualcomm MSM 7200 chip, GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA compatibility, 128MB of RAM, full QWERTY keyboard, 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0. Unfortunately, one of the most anticipated details -- whether or not it'll boast VGA out -- remains unconfirmed, but at least we've got enough hard deets to assure us that this mobile should elicit quite a few grins when finally hits the streets.[Thanks, Led]
Breakfast Topic: Leveling specs
I've been playing WoW for quite some time now, and have had a chance to level quite a few characters (thanks, altaholism!). It's simply a fact that some classes and some specs are easier and/or funner to level than others: on one side of the spectrum, you've got your Holy Priests, Prot Warriors, and (any spec) Paladins; on the other side, there's Shadow Priests, Rogues, Hunters, etc. I think I'd have to say that overall, my most painless leveling experience has been my Priest, whom I leveled Shadow (until 1.10 came out, when I switched to a lolsmite build just for kicks), followed by my Rogues, Combat both.I'm a big believer in having a separate leveling spec from your endgame spec. For me, it just makes the whole process much easier to maximize efficiency. Some players, though, advocate playing your endgame spec throughout, or at least from level 40 or so, in order to "get a feel" for it. What do you think, faithful readers? Leveling specs: the quick road to 60, or the quick road to being a 60 who has no idea what the heck they're doing? What was your best/worst leveling experience?One final question: I'll be rolling a Draenei warrior in the expansion. How should I spec him for leveling (PvP not a real concern)? I'm thinking Fury, but I don't have a ton of warrior experience.
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WoW Blog Roundup: 2.0.1 Edition
The patch came out yesterday and as you'd imagine, we have some opinions from around the WoW blogging community... Paladin Sucks checks in with an interesting piece regarding 2.0.1 pally specs (go figure) and why they like the talent system. Paladin Sucks likes something? Wow! Tobold looks at the changes for healers in 2.0.1. He is not happy. Like Mike, Photon at AFK Gamer is none too thrilled about Blizzard's response to the planned warrior protest. Lauren from Mystic Worlds looks at the different talent specs in 2.0.1. Hopefully 2.0.1 keeps Lauren around for a bit. Relmstein has some suggestions for new loading screen tips. Finally, Not Addicted checks in with one of my favorite topics, the level one alt forum troll! If you happen to read a good blog entry, or you write one yourself, let us know!
Rogue weapon specs: mace rogue = PvP server?
Some flavor of combat build is generally taken to be the easiest build for leveling a rogue. But once you get to the middle of the tree, you face a decision: which weapon type to specialize in? Fist Weapons is easily eliminated, since there just aren't that many fist weapons, pre-raid. That leaves dagger, for 5% extra crit chance; sword, for a 5% chance to get an extra attack on doing damage with the sword; and mace, for +5 weapon skill and a 5% chance to stun the target for 3 seconds when doing damage with the mace.While the swords play-style tends to revolve around Cheap Shot and Sinister Strike, dagger rogues lean more towards Ambush and Backstab. Why? Well, Sinister Strike is best with a high-average-damage (read: slow) weapon, and daggers are generally fast. And honestly, Backstab is a lot harder and more time-consuming to pull off in solo PvE than Sinister Strike. Sure, you can gouge and run through the mob, but it's so much easier to just stand there and whack it in the face with something big and sharp.
UK drivers change lanes to outsmart SPECS speeding cameras
Why pay thousands for that temptation-quelling adaptive cruise control option, or dream about the forthcoming Siemens VDO electronic governor, when all you have to do is switch a few lanes while smashing the pedal to the metal? The Home Office has fessed up to a "massive flaw" in the costly (and abundant) SPECS speed monitoring / ticketing cameras, which allows drivers to avoid any legal repercussions by simply ending up in a different lane than the one they began in. The system takes the average speed between two points to calculate if a motorist has been speeding, and then snaps their photograph and sends them a very unwelcome ticket in the mail if they were; however, the cameras are only designed to analyze and penalize those who remain in the same lane throughout the speed-checking segment, opening up a very exploitable loophole. Government officials, along with the cameras' manufacturer (Speed Check Services), have resorted to begging with the public to not evade the presumably imminent £60 ($112) fine in order to maintain a "high level of safety" on the roadways, but it's not likely that pleading to deaf ears (and lead feet) will entice folks to willingly suffer a penalty this easy to avoid.[Via FARK]
BlackBerry 8800 specs leaked?
The Pearl's all well and good, but judging from the sheer amount of buzz, the full QWERTY-sporting 8800 might be the BlackBerry everyone is holding out for. New intel from BlackBerry Cool suggests that we might all have to cool our jets for a full half year before any of the handset's variants filter into stores, but at least we have a little reading material for you in the meanwhiles. The leaked spec sheet promises a landscape QVGA display, 1.3-megapixel cam with video recording capability, 64MB of ROM expandable via microSD, Bluetooth 2.0, speakerphone, and that all-important 802.11g radio. Of course, none of these details are confirmed, but everything seems in line with what we might expect -- including, sadly, the spring '07 launch window.[Thanks, Gary C.]
A few more Wii details on the table?
Yet more unconfirmed gaming news today, this time on the Wii front; Maxconsole is claiming a Wii developer hooked them up with a slew of deets on the Wii's hardware, some of which does and does not jibe with things we've been hearing over the past year. They're claiming will be comprised of a 729MHz CPU ("Broadway), a 243MHz GPU ("Hollywood," which is supposed no different than the GameCube GPU, just faster), 64MB of GDDR3 RAM, 4.7 or 8.51GB single/double-sided disc drive, and optional Ethernet adapter. Apparently the Wii's I/O options will also be as follows: SD card slot, two USB 2.0, WiFi, four GameCube controller ports, two GameCube memory card slots, and an analog-only AV multi output jack. That's all well and good, but we're kind of beyond the point of obsessing over the specs on this thing, you know? We know it's not doing high def, and Nintendo's not exactly making a big stink about what a performer the Wii's going to be. So for right now you could say we're a little more bent on getting a release date and official price more than anything else.
