specs
Latest
The Queue: Clap hands
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today.I clapped hands with Kil'jaeden pre-Wrath. He wasn't very happy about it.Maybe if he heard today's reading music he'd think differently.DoIt asked..."I've taken an extended break from WoW and am planning to come back and level some alts when Patch 3.2 drops, anyone have an ETA on it?"
BlackBerry Tour spec sheet reveals little but our impatience
Most of the specs printed on this leaked sheet provided to MobileSyrup about the upcoming BlackBerry Tour were either known or could've been easily deduced, but a couple line items in here stand out: EV-DO plus HSPA 2100, 256MB of onboard storage, 3.2 megapixel AF camera, and an 480 x 360 display are all confirmed one more time as this thing trudges toward release. If we had our druthers, this would already be available on Verizon by now -- but current rumors have it pegged for a mid-summer release, which would line it up with where MobileSyrup says the 9630 will launch on Bell in the middle of July. In the meantime, those dang 8830s certainly aren't getting any younger.
Equipment manager and dual talents won't mix
Now, I was under the impression that Blizzard eventually wanted to combine the dual specs and equipment manager features -- they were taking their sweet time making sure it was exactly right, but eventually when you switched specs, you'd be able to switch into the gear you wanted at the same time. But apparently that's not the case: the lovely Nethaera over on the forums says that no, there are no plans to connect the two. They believe that many people will want to change specs and gear at different times, so you'll still have to press two buttons if you just have two gear sets for two specs.Fortunately, that functionality is filled in very well with addons, and Eliah did a nice writeup last month of how to do it with a few of the available addons out there. Which is probably why Blizzard isn't doing it -- we've heard at the BlizzCon UI panel that they're more than happy to let addon authors fill in the extra functionality that they believe only a few players are looking for. And as you can see in the thread, there are macros that will tie them together as well.Better for Blizzard to get to work on something else than put together functionality that those who really need can already find. But yes, if you're waiting for an official solution to switching gear and specs at the same time, look elsewhere.
ASUS delivers full specs on Eee PC 1005HA Seashell
ASUS' Eee PC 1008HA hasn't even had a moment to enjoy its spot in the limelight, and already the company is pushing out even more machines in the rapidly expanding Seashell range. The Eee PC 1005HA is slated to launch with Windows XP Home, a battery good for 10.5 hours (we'll believe it when we see it) and a 160GB hard drive. There's also 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display (1,024 x 600 resolution) and your choice of Intel's played-out Atom N270 or N280. The rest of the innards could be guessed in your sleep: 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 0.3 or 1.3 megapixel webcam, VGA output, three USB 2.0 sockets, Ethernet, a multicard reader and audio in / out. Fans of colorful machines will appreciate the white, black, pink and blue motifs, but you'll need to muster up a little more patience before finding out a price and release date. One more look after the break.[Via Slashgear]
Thought controlled orchestra makes its debut in Prague
The Multimodal Brain Orchestra had its world premiere last week in Prague, a city known for its big thinkers (and its Velvet Revolution). As a guy in black tie-and-tails led the traditional players through their arpeggios and glissandos, an "emotional conductor" led four performers fitted with G-Tec caps as they controlled both visuals and the sounds, frequencies, and volumes of various instruments. The controls were based on two of the effects that EEGs measure, SSVEP (or steady-state evoked potential) and the P300 signal. While we're not sure if this will ever take off in the classical world, we do think that there are quite a few turntablists who could do some wild things with a thought controlled Kaoss Pad. Are you listening, Korg? Video after the break.[Via Make]
Nokia N97 specs fully revealed
The remainder of the N97's juicy technical details have now been spilled on Nokia's dev-oriented Forum Nokia site -- previously, only cursory data had been posted here -- and there are a couple notable bits that might be of concern to developers and would-be buyers alike. First off, the processor turns out to be a single-core ARM 11 putting along at 434MHz, just 65MHz faster than the 5800's. It's an improvement, yes, but when you consider that the competing i8910 from Samsung runs a higher-performance 600MHz ARM Cortex-A8, it throws a wet towel on the whole thing. Seeing how this is designed to be Nokia's premier device for 2009, couldn't they have gone for broke with the silicon? Secondly -- this is something we already knew, but the spec sheet reminded (and delighted) us -- the N97 supports charging via micro-USB, which the 5800 does not. Life's about tradeoffs, isn't it? [Thanks, M.]
Blood Pact: What's up with everybody?
Another week, another Blood Pact! Bringing you all the wacky Warlockery that nine out of ten healers recommend for a healthy diet. And it's not because Nick paid them off or anything. Hello again, my reprehensible cabal of spell casters I call a readership! How's it hangin?Not a great deal has actually changed for me since last week. I was forced to disband my raiding group due to unfortunate scheduling problems, so I still haven't set foot in Ulduar. And since heroics stopped offering an interesting challenge months ago, I haven't had much of a reason to log in as of late. With Noblegarden upon us though, I suppose I'd better get to it--a proto-drake in my class color doesn't come along every day, yo!Lacking any escapades of my own to pen for your amusement, I thought it would be nice if I did some research on how the various specs are being played these days, for the benefit of players (like me) who wish their spec' s play style would settle down longer than a handful of months. It's hard enough to be a DPS class beset by near-constant nerfs -- radically changing our play style all the time isn't helping. But enough QQ, lets talk about how Warlocks are doing their pew pew these days.
Verizon carries on with open development initiative, publishes LTE specs
Verizon's commitment to keeping its network open for anyone who'd like to make a device that can use it transcends the network's technology, apparently, as they've now published "initial" specifications for building compliant LTE goodies. Naturally, would-be applicants will have to wait for a live network for this to actually work, but the carrier wants to encourage everyone to get an early start in preparation for a planned 2010 commercial network launch in a handful of markets. The publication of the specs leads up to a May 13 web conference where interested parties will have an opportunity to get more information and share their opinions on the process -- so do your homework, read up, and get ready.
Save your specs with Talented
Respecs have been flying around lately like Prayer of Mending during a Sapphiron fight (healing priests, you know what I'm talking about). Several commenters have expressed annoyance at having to remember where exactly they placed those 71 points, and at having to click each of them back into place again. Heck, I would be annoyed myself, with three level 80s and various alts to manage. However, I don't get annoyed, because I have something that many of you apparently don't: Talented. Talented is an addon for managing talent specs, with several nice features:
Top 3.1 specs so far from 3D Armory
Not to be outdone by TalentChic, the folks at 3D Armory also sent us their lists of what the most popular builds are in the game after patch 3.1, and since everybody seems to be build-hungry lately (and why not -- we each get two!), here they all are.Warrior: Fury 18/53/0.Paladin: 0/0/0, which means you need to log in, Paladins! Also 51/5/15 for Holy.Hunter: 0/0/0 wins here, too, but Survival (6/14/51) comes in next.Rogue: Combat 15/51/5.Priest: 14/57/0 for Holy.Death Knight: 17/0/54 Unholy.Shaman: Elemental 57/14/0.Mage: 0/53/18 Fire.Warlock: 0/41/30 Destruction.Druid: 14/0/57 Restoration, which surprised me.Keep in mind that these are from only a small sample of the game, so they're not the most popular specs in the game, just the most popular among those surveyed by the 3D Armory. And unfortunately, unlike TalentChic, it doesn't look like there's any way to see where the points are going, just the distribution of points among the trees (though that reminds us that Blizzard probably has some amazing point-by-point stats on how popular talents are).
VAIO P spec bumps coming?
According to the folks over at Sony Insider, Sony might have something more than just color changes up its sleeve when it comes to forthcoming variations on the VAIO P. Supposedly, the company has a new series of the diminutive laptop in the pipeline numbered 700 (as opposed to the current 500 line), which SI says looks just like a typical Sony scheme for spec refreshes. Inside the new digits there's a designation for upcoming colors, but the existence of a fresh starting point as well as an additional "Q" in the mix might also mean that there are legitimate hardware changes happening as well. At this point this is just speculation, and it certainly wouldn't surprise anyone if Sony were to bump some of the internals of the netbook... er, ultraportable, but it would likely be a welcome change. For a more detailed analysis, hit the read link.
Four flavors of iMac
The iMac has come such a long way from the days when it resembled a very chic lampshade. The best part about the refresh of the iMac line is the introduction of a 24-inch model for only $1,499, thus proving that the rumor mill is right once again, though the mutterings of an iMac refresh have been audible since prior to Macworld.We're now down to one 20" model for $1199US, which features a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 duo processor, 2GB memory (upgradeable to 8GB), 320GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M video card with 256MB of shared DDR3 memory. We now have three flavors of 24" iMacs to choose from now, ranging from $1499US up to $2199US. The $1499 model has the same 2.66GHz processor as the 20" while the $1799 bumps you up to 2.93GHz (3.06GHz optional) and the $2199 has 3.06GHz. All three 24" models come with 4GB memory with the option to upgrade to 8. The two lower-end 24" models come with 640GB hard drives (can be upgraded to 1TB), while the high-end comes with a 1TB drive.The $1499 24" has the same video card as the 20", but the $1799 model has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory video card and the $2199 model has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory video card. Both of these models can upgrade to a ATI Radeon HD 4850 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory for an additional $200. All the models come with six USB ports, sorta: Four on the machine itself and two on the keyboard, then a single FireWire 800 port, built-in iSight camera and MiniDisplayPort. It also comes with a wired keyboard -- sans numeric keypad. If you want a wired keyboard with a numeric keypad, it's free but you'll have to indicate it when doing a BTO order on Apple's site. Apple seems to be out to make 20" displays a thing of the past as the iMac narrows its line down to the one 20" machine, and the 20" Cinema Display has disappered completely. By introducing a third 24" iMac at the same price of the former high-end 20", Apple is making sure that these larger machines are becoming more affordable.
GC: Dual spec will not change design decisions
Dual specs have been one of several hot topics while we watch patch 3.1 progress on the PTR. People have waffled about whether they mean to spend the 1,000 gold it's going to cost, we've learned that you'll be able to do it anywhere and at level 40, and players of all ten classes are pondering what to use their second spec slot for. However, according to Ghostcrawler, Blizzard is pretending dual spec does not exist. Maybe I should clarify: with respect to design decisions, they're pretending dual spec does not exist. Raids and talent trees will be balanced without reference to the fact that some players will be able to easily swap out. GC gives some specific examples of things the devs will not be doing, such as "Have a fight that requires 8 tanks, because you know, half the raid can change specs," or "Let Arms be the PvP tree and Fury be the PvE tree, because warriors can just switch out." This is good news to many, including myself. Although if I had been asked to guess, I would probably have predicted they would take this direction, it's good to know that (for instance) raiders won't be effectively required to take spec X and spec Y in order to complete encounter Z. Dual specs are there to offer us more flexibility, not as another way the devs can make us jump through hoops. And I know I'll be taking it on at least a few of my characters. %Gallery-45780% Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.
Player reactions to dual specs
Just in case you haven't been following what people have been saying about the dual spec system lately, Slashhug has a terrific post up covering all of the concerns and thoughts about the new system and how it will affect groups and raids. It's long, but he covers all of the bases, from how hybrids with two specs will affect which players get chosen for groups, to loot and how that will work (the same -- main specs first, offspecs if needed), and even soloing and why dual specs will be a blessing for classes who are normally built more for group play.There's not a lot of new complaints or answers in here -- lots of it has already been discussed on the forums and in our own posts. But Slashhug does a great job of wrapping it all up into one big tasty dual spec sandwich, so you can catch up on all the thinking about dual specs so far. The bottom line, in terms of player reaction, is that dual specs will allow you to do more with your class than you can with just one spec. If you want to heal, you can still heal, or if you're built for tanking, you can still do that. But in groups where things don't quite fit (you've got a few tanks and your DPS is a little low, or your Priest could use a little extra help healing for this boss fight), dual specs will let you make the necessary tweaks right then and there, and excel that much more. Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.
Dual specs at low levels
We heard a ton of news about the incoming dual spec feature last week, and for the most part, players were pretty thrilled -- besides the fact that we're finally getting the option to have two specs at once, we're also getting the much-awaited ability to preview our specs before they're saved, and the official Itemrack functionality that we've heard about for so long. But there was one thing Ghostcrawler said last week that hasn't sat well with many players: that we'd need to be max level before training for the dual spec feature.For many players, the main reason they wanted dual spec was to be able to switch between "leveling" and "grouping" specs, and obviously if you're already max level, you won't have much need for a leveling spec any more (more likely you'd be switching between "solo" and "raid" or "PvP" specs). Ghostcrawler's stated reason for requiring a max level was that they didn't want lower level players to be confused by having access to more than one talent spec too early, but as Zarhym says, Cvarto makes a good point: if a player uses only one spec for 80 levels and then gets the dual spec feature, he/she may not have enough experience with different specs to have any clue about how to choose another one.
Forum post of the day: Great idea, poor implementation
I'm still moderately excited for dual specs on my level 80 characters, it should be handy for switching between raids/instances and dailies. Cvarto of Proudmore began a thread about poor implementation about only allowing level 80 characters to use this feature. He fears that players will level as a single spec and have to relearn the other options for their class once they hit level 80.GC's reasoning is that MMOs are overwhelming for new players to learn without working with two specializations. Cvarto contends that it still more difficult to learn a completely new aspect of the game, such as tanking, at level 80. I'd like to add that most players have little patience for inexperienced tanks and healers at max level.
WoW Rookie: Level 80 - now what?
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Ding ... you're 80! So what are you going to be when you grow up? Don't get us wrong: levelling your first character to 80 (especially if this is your first massively multiplayer online game) is a not-insignificant accomplishment – but you're not quite ready for prime time yet. Hitting level 80 in WoW is less like being a graduating senior than it is being a new sophomore. You've finished WoW 101; now it's time to make sure you've covered all your core classes and start taking a stab at some electives and specialized coursework.If you've just hit level 80, consider this basic checklist a graduation gift of sorts from WoW Rookie. It'll help pointed you in the right direction for whatever type of game play you're interested in pursuing. Your game's just beginning. Dig in!
WoW Insider Show Episode 74: True opinions
Last weekend's podcast was an excellent one: Turpster and BRK were on with me, and we had a great time chatting with chatters, answering your emails, and covering the most popular posts of the past week. We answered some emails about the best Rogue spec to choose at level 35, the People in Chicago who Drink and WoW group (and don't forget to join the official WoW Insider page), and we talked about the 3.0.8 bugs and what's up with the Lunar Festival, going on all this week.And we have a great time throughout. Don't forget that we do the show live every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm Eastern, so if you're around next Saturday, be sure to join us for the live show (and when you do, you get a free aftershow with us at no extra charge). In the meantime, you can hear this past week's show by clicking any of the links below, and listening in on the media of your choice. If you have any comments or questions or want to send us an intro to play, drop us a note at theshow@wow.com.Thanks for listening as always, have a great week. Oh, and I almost forgot. Listener Traenall made this video after hearing Turpster's plans for gaining rep from the Timbermaw this week. Very funny.Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[Ustream] Listen to the unedited recording in Ustream.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
CCP Games not abandoning older hardware users in EVE Online
CCP Games definitely had a few EVE Online players up in arms last week, with their announcement that they'll be dropping the Classic graphics client as of the next expansion. While Machariel battleships no longer being that gorgeous black is clearly the only serious issue with that decision (only half-kidding), the fact that they were considering dropping support for older hardware drew a substantial amount of response from the player community. CCP's proposed two part plan was to:1. Drop Classic (and ShaderModel 1) with the Apocrypha expansion launch on March 10, making ShaderModel 2 the minimum system requirement to run the game with "Premium Lite" graphics.2. As of the Winter expansion 2009, drop ShaderModel 2 support, making ShaderModel 3 the minimum spec to run EVE, with full Premium graphics. Well, the players have spoken, and based upon this response CCP is moving ahead with step one -- dropping Classic, ShaderModel 2 will be the minimum needed as of March 10th -- and NOT step two. That is to say, CCP is holding off on phasing out machines that can't handle ShaderModel 3.
WoW Rookie: Do you have talent(s)?
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Are you a talentless n00b? It's really ok to admit it here, among friends -- you wouldn't be the first player in the world to have overlooked (or been completely befuddled by) talent points. Just take a peek at this post about a player who purposely skipped training his talent points, just to see what would happen. If you read through the comments after the post, you'll find plenty of players who missed training their talents along the way, either through not knowing that talent points existed or after becoming paralyzed by the sheer variety of choices.The talents you choose for your character can completely change the way you play the game. Your "spec" (specialization) is determined by where you've distributed your points among the three talent trees available to your class. So-called "hybrid" classes such as Druids or Paladins take on entirely different roles depending how they are specced: tanking, DPSing or healing. For other classes, spec is more of a flavor tool that determines how your character goes about doing his or her thing.
