vanity-items
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Get organized with The Elder Scrolls Online's collections system
So you have a whole lot of stuff in The Elder Scrolls Online. That's great. How are you going to organize it all? With a house? Don't be ridiculous; what you need is the new Collections feature going live in the game's next major update. A new development blog explains how the system will allow players to organize mounts, pets, and costumes through a few tabs and a handful of blood sacrifices. (Mostly the tabs.) Items that belong in Collections will automatically be moved over when Update 6 goes live, removing any need to worry about inventory space when you need to summon a mount or don a costume. Any new items will also be tossed right in your Collections if they fit the criteria. The Collections also allow you to see vanity pets that you haven't yet obtained, thus giving you all the more reason to hunt down those elusive little critters for your collection-related purposes.
Warlords of Draenor: Updates to Darkmoon Faire
The Darkmoon Faire has come to the beta servers, and with it, a bunch of updates and additions including games, pets, and vanity items. There are new ways to earn Darkmoon tickets, new ways to spend them, and new discoveries to be made on the mysterious Darkmoon Island. Our friends over at Wowhead have tested out the new games, and they seem like a ton of fun. The first is the Firebird's Challenge, where you have to fly through rings of fire in the air. If you miss, you lose the debuff that keeps you aloft. There are a series of achievements for staying aloft, and earning the last and most difficult of them rewards you with the Blazing Wings, a vanity item that gives you a pair of fiery but non-functional wings for an hour. The second game is a racing game around the island, with a series of quests to go with it. You have to make it to certain markers along the western part of the Faire, while zeppelins shoot at you to slow you down. There are a number of power-ups to be had along the way, from simple sprint shoes to a sack of bunnies that will distract a zeppelin from shooting at you. In addition, there is a new pet trainer--Cristoph VonFeasal--and a new pet you can win in the bag of goodies you get for defeating him. There are a bunch of new vanity items, including both skirt- and pants-set versions of NPC clothing items found only in Gilneas. Sadly, these clothing items are white-quality, which means they cannot be transmogged. Finally, there are, as ever, a whole set of new epic-quality Darkmoon deck trinkets--the Iron Deck, Moon Deck, Visions Deck, and War Deck--which I'm sure will be hot commodities come WoD. I'm glad to see the Faire getting an update, it's one of my favorite regular events, and new things to do there are always welcome.
Spend your gold to get the Alliance Chopper in Warlords
In a move that will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, the losing bike design from Azeroth Choppers will in fact be added to the game. Currently, the winning Horde-themed bike will be given, for free, to any account that logs into the game before September 30th. The Alliance bike, however, will be added to the game sometime after the launch of Warlords of Draenor, and be available for in-game purchase. Blizzard is being coy on the subject of cost, but their article emphasizes that it will cost "a pretty hefty sum of gold," so if you want it, best start saving now.
Warlords of Draenor: More toybox details revealed
Collectors with limited inventory space in World of Warcraft (read: all of us) will be glad to hear more info on the toybox feature -- an in-game interface where toys and vanity items can be stored -- that's coming to the game in Warlords of Draenor. Details are still scarce, but Wowhead has collected some tweets that shed additional light on how the toybox will work. You'll add items to your toybox manually, but if you've deleted an item it may be lost for good. Perhaps most importantly, the list of items we've seen bouncing around the forums isn't complete -- so your favorite vanity item not being listed isn't room for panic. Lots of details are still up in the air about which items you'll be able to add to your toybox -- Don Carlos' Famous Hat and Bloodsail Admiral's Hat are both questionable. You will, however, still be able to wear and use items that are allowed to live in your toybox.
Warlords of Draenor: More information on the new toybox feature
Blizzard Community Manager Rygarius has posted on the US forums giving readers a good deal more information about the new Toybox feature planned for Warlords of Draenor. This follows a couple of snippets from Bashiok yesterday, where he mentioned that players will be called upon to provide feedback on what should and shouldn't be in the Toybox. As ever, you can read all Rygarius' responses to player questions after the break -- there's a lot of great information on how they're categorizing toys before players get to weigh in with their feedback. It seems likely that Archaeology items will be included, for example, and equippable items with effects will likely be turned into a spell, allowing the player to use the effect without having to have the item equipped. However, Rygarius does point out that certain items (the particular one under discussion being Sylvanas' Music Box) may remain character specific. Other things such as the Jade Raccoon are under consideration as toys, but not confirmed either way. Regardless, the goal is to free up more space in your inventory, something that will be welcomed by all!
Breakfast Topic: The things you regret losing
Every once in a while an item will get removed from the loot tables, or an achievement will turn into a feat of strength. The most recent example would be the vanity items from the patch 5.3 event, as well as the Darkspear Revolutionary and Hordebreaker titles. Maybe you couldn't log in at the time, or maybe you didn't bother farming the 500 Kor'kron Stone for a Whole Body Shrinka and now you regret not having one (sorry to let you know, but it's awesome). Maybe you deleted another toy item long ago to make room for bag space without thinking Blizzard would ever come up with a storage solution for toys. My worst offender in this case is the hydra hunter pet, Spirit of Atha, which I did have tamed before they removed the ability to do so. In my infinite short-sightedness, I abandoned it to make room for a spirit beast (we only had 4 stable slots back then). I still hope Blizzard will make the hydra family of pets tameable again some day because every time I see one (which is exceedingly rare) I am insanely jealous. Then there was that mail gear from the pre-Wrath launch event which I probably vendored for bag space. Who could have foresaw transmogrification back then? Ever since these incidents I've become a WoW hoarder and don't want to delete anything. The Warlords inventory improvements can't come soon enough. What did you delete or procrastinate on that you can no longer get back?
The bag space problem
World of Warcraft is approaching its 9th anniversary. For those of us who have played it for many years (and even newer players who enjoy collecting), bag space has become quite the inconvenience in our daily WoW playing lives. Transmogrification introduced the problem in Cataclysm, and Mists of Pandaria took it to a whole new level with toy and vanity items. Just look at my bank, void storage, and bags in the above picture. Keeping that many free slots took a concerted effort on my part. Bigger bags will only delay the issue, and seriously how much bigger can they get before we can't fit them on our screen with addons such as Bagnon? We need new solutions to the problem beyond bigger bags. If my current 432 slots cannot hold everything I want, I doubt adding an extra 100 slots is going to fix anything after another expansion of collecting.
Patch 5.4 PTR: Countless cosmetic items on the Timeless Isle
If you're one of the many players who don't like to spend real cash on virtual items (like Blizzard's recently added cosmetic helms), you'll be glad to know that patch 5.4's Timeless Isle is packed with cool cosmetic items that won't cost you anything but time. And by time, we mean grinding -- though with the array of interesting events and rare spawns to be found on the Timeless Isle, it could be more entertaining than your average grinding experience. So what's on offer? Mounts, pets, vanity gear, disguises, and odd gizmos of all sorts. There's so many, in fact, that it's hard to narrow the list down to our favorites, but these are some of the most interesting: Weather stones -- which come in sunset, rain, blizzard, and ashen varieties -- can be used to change the weather in the area. Cauterizing Core, an item with 20 charges which allows you to resurrect on death with 20% health and mana. Pi'jiu Brews, which summon a spectral monk -- mistweaver, windwalker, or brewmaster -- to fight for you for 10 minutes. Faintly-Glowing Herb, which restores 50,000 health per second for 10 seconds. If that sounds overpowered, it's probably because it's a BoA and has a duration of only a day -- so if you want them, you'll have to farm them yourself. As to how to get this gear, a lot of it comes from rare drops, rare spawns, or events, but some is bought with Bloody Coins or Shaohao reputation. And this list is only scratching the surface -- check out Wowhead for the full list of vanity items you're likely to find on the Timeless Isle as well as how to get them for yourself come patch day.
Rock on with Kang's Bindstone
I'm going to have to humbly beg everyone for their forgiveness for my terrible title pun. Get it?! Okay, but seriously. We know we've got Phat Loot Friday and all that, but Kang's Bindstone is such a neat item that it deserves its own post. The Bindstone is an item that buffs you with a chance to turn an enemy to stone upon delivering a killing blow instead of triggering the normal death effect. Loot and such is unaffected - this is a purely cosmetic item. The buff lasts ten minutes and works against critters, mobs, enemy players, and even bosses. Kang's Bindstone drops from Kang the Soul Thief, a rare mogu elite in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. He can be found in the far west of the zone, on Autumnshade Ridge north of the Five Sisters site on the map. He's a mogu sorcerer and does some nasty shadow-based attacks, but he should be soloable for a level 90 character. Happy hunting!
Patch 5.3 PTR: Darkspear Rebellion Quartermaster items
The Darkspear Rebellion has begun on the patch 5.3 PTR -- Vol'jin and his forces are attempting to lay siege to Orgrimmar itself. The content spans the breadth of Northern Barrens at this point, with quests and story for both Alliance and Horde players along the way. But what's a new set of quests without a new selection of goodies to be had? Sure, Vol'jin, we'll help you out ... but give us some cool stuff for the effort, okay? And it appears at the moment that there are quite a few new items to grab. There are plenty of new toys, a new pet, and a host of gear to be gathered from the Darkspear Rebellion quartermaster -- and we've compiled a list of screenshots for all of it. As of right now, there doesn't appear to be a reputation requirement for any of the new items. Simply gather a truckload of Kor'kron Supplies and turn them in for the rewards at hand. There are two exceptions to this -- the new battle pet Gahz'rooki requires a Radical Mojo to purchase, which is currently a reward for a weekly supplies-gathering quest. In addition, the Raptorhide Boxing Gloves require a Radical Mojo to purchase, as well as Brawler's Guild membership to start the quest that they offer. Whether or not these items will remain available without a reputation requirement is unknown, but the rewards aren't tied to Valor points, and they don't appear to be powerful armor or weapon upgrades. What they are, however, is a whole lot of promising fun. Take a look at the gallery for the full list of Darkspear Rebellion items coming your way in patch 5.3. %Gallery-185280%
Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite vanity item in Mists of Pandaria?
Holy punchable turnips, Batman! Mists of Pandaria is packed with an extraordinary number of vanity items to amuse us (while simultaneously stealing away our bag space). There are flippable tables, Botticelli clam shells, puppy hordes, and lovable (albeit misunderstood) yaks. Anne wrote up a nice guide to getting some of them earlier this month, but I'm certain there are still more out there. So here's a question: which one is your favorite? Obviously my favorite is Ruthers' Harness ... Nothing beats a yak by your side, gently nuzzling you with love and affection so you don't have to be scared of the dark (and rogues). But I also like Mr. Smite's Brass Compass, since I suffer from height envy whenever I play my tiny blood elf. What about bag space? How are you managing it all, given that the Royal Satchel is so expensive to make? Have you had to delete anything to make space for a new vanity item, and which items were worthy of that space? I myself deleted the Magic Banana and Puntable Marmot (I've never been impressed with the Prairie Dog model) but kept the Turnip Punching Bag and Covered Basket. You know, so I could go on picnics with a turnip ... And Ruthers.
Horrify enemies with hordes of angry spiders
I guess if there is one good way to take an enemy down, you can't really argue the fun of simply disgusting them to death. I hate spiders -- the spiders in Warcraft vary from fuzzy and vaguely non-threatening to full-out spindly-legged menaces that I keenly wish I could stomp underfoot without a second thought. So when I heard about this interesting toy hiding the in Krasarang Wilds, I had to decide whether it was really worth it to pick it up, or whether I should simply leave it be. But there's something to be said about suddenly having the ability to summon a horde of angry spiders on your enemies out of the blue. Sure, they're disgusting, they're creepy, they're crawly, and terrifying in the most primal of fashions, but the ability to unleash them on unsuspecting foes is pretty cool. So how do you go about getting a horde of angry baby spiders? By picking up an egg sac from their much angrier mother, of course. Ick!
Don't tell Scotty -- but go ahead and murder him to steal his visage
I am reasonably certain that sprites in World of Warcraft are the stuff of nightmares. Rather than being the adorable little pixies the name indicates, the sprites of Azeroth are strange little demonic leaf-beasts. I would not want to wake up in the middle of the night and see one of these things looming over me. Heck, I wouldn't want to encounter one in broad daylight, either. But just because the sprites of Azeroth are unsettling, it doesn't mean you can't have some fun with them. And perhaps because they are slightly unnerving, having the ability to turn into one of these creepy little twerps at a whim is actually pretty cool. I'm of the opinion that if you have a chance to startle the heck out of a guildmate, you might as well take it. Which is why I was delighted to find Scotty the sprite. Scotty, on the other hand, was not quite so happy to see me.
Where does he get those wonderful toys? Pandaren rares and loot
If there is one thing I have perfected in eight years of playing this game, it is filling my bags with useless stuff. I'm not talking about armor bits and pieces for transmog, or weapons with pretty glows, or bags full of crafting material like cloth or leather. No, I'm talking random baubles that will make you look like your neighbor. Or fling you in the air, without worry of what happens when you eventually hit the ground. You know, stuff. Everybody likes stuff. And who has the best stuff in Pandaria? Rare mobs, of course! But which rares have the good stuff? Which ones will let you summon a fleet of angered puppies in party hats to fight at your side? Or inexplicably get you ready for a day at the beach in the middle of a raid? Or turn you into a statue with no apparent purpose other than sitting there pretending to be a statue? You want useless stuff? Oh we've got all kinds of useless stuff for you, sorted by category.
Frolicking merrily with Martar the Not-So-Smart
Have you ever wondered, while you were wandering the lush forest of Pandaria, what it would be like to have a constant companion at your side? A friend to share the scenery with, someone to reassure you that in the end, everything will be all right? Someone who looks up to you as the triumphant hero that you are, impressed by your various exploits across Azeroth and beyond? Someone to snuggle with on those particularly cold nights at the heights of Kun-Lai Summit? I'm terribly sorry, but you're out of luck. But we do have a different sort of companion for you -- the kind that interjects with silly catchphrases while he's merrily pulling half the hostile wildlife to your side. The kind that stares down the face of danger without fear, only the empty eyes of one who has taken one too many blows to the head, tongue dangling wildly from the corner of his mouth as a gobbet of drool lazily grazes his cheek. His name is Martar. He's not-so-smart. But he'll tag along with you if you know where to find him.
Gok'lokk's Shell brings beauty to Pandaria
Mists of Pandaria has introduced a tremendous amount of fun vanity items, more so than any expansion before. So many in fact, that many players are begging for a vanity item tab that works much the same way as the pet and mount tabs that were added at the end of Burning Crusade. After all, when you find something that does something cool to your character, you automatically want to keep it. And when it's something truly odd, you want to use it at every possible opportunity. Imagine this: you're in the latest iteration of LFR. A tank has just left the group, and everyone is standing around waiting for a replacement to appear. Suddenly, you are assaulted with the sight of a muscular green orc, proudly standing in his underwear atop a clam shell a la Birth of Venus. He flexes. You boggle. And you think to yourself, where on earth do I get this thing because I need it immediately? It's Gokk'lok's Shell, and it's surprisingly easy to get, once you know where to look for it.
Flameseeker Chronicles: The long haul in Guild Wars 2
I hear a lot of Guild Wars 2 players talk about level 80. I hear, specifically, a lot of Guild Wars 2 doubters talking about level 80. Surely, surely, if the level cap could be hit in mere days (or for those of us well behind the vanguard, mere weeks), then the game must be content-light? Surely, surely, that would mean that the real game was "endgame"? Nope. Don't get me wrong; hitting the level cap is significant. It's cool. Your character strikes a pose (you know, the same one he has struck literally scores of times before at each and every level-up). Your character says a catch-phrase. You feel good. But in terms of actual gameplay, I can think of very little that is less significant.
WoW Archivist: An expensive history of gold sinks
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? If you had asked me six months ago what I imagined would be the most expensive mount in WoW's history, I would have imagined some kind of giant rock elemental where you rode around on its shoulder, possibly a 10-headed hydra that breathed green fire, or maybe a goblin shredder that transformed into a jet. As it turns out, the most expensive mount in WoW is now ... a cat. Granted, it's a very shiny cat. It also happens to be five cats. It can fly. But why does it cost so darn much? And what other ludicrously priced items has Blizzard offered us over the years? Read on to find out!
The Daily Grind: What vanity pet would you like to see in your favorite MMO?
Last week Turbine announced all sorts of huge updates for Dungeons and Dragons Online in 2012. Among exciting talk of expansions, Druids, and level cap increases, one little item may have slipped under some folks' radar. Vanity pets are coming to DDO in 2012 -- specifically, "fun and cute DnD critters," according to Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. Justin and I chatted a bit about that on this week's Massively Speaking, and Justin put forth the awesome idea of a tiny Beholder pet. I loved the idea and it set me to thinking. Vanity pets in MMOs are such a frivolous little thing, yet they're such fun to so many people, and it seems like everyone has a wish list of "wouldn't it be cool if..." vanity pets. So what's yours? Would you love a little Beholder in DDO? Would you love to see Fallen Earth offer a prairie chicken pet to go with your mount? Tell us what vanity pet you'd love to see trailing along behind your character! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: What would you pay for a fancy ride?
World of Warcraft set the bar at $25 for a shiny horse. EverQuest II followed suit. You can imitate Marty McFly or Aladdin in City of Heroes for about $7.50. And for various amounts of cash in Star Trek Online, you can pimp out your spaceship with all sorts of shiny new nacelles -- or you can ride in a ship with some famous modifications. It's certainly cheaper than a sports car in the real world, but it's still part of a trend of real-world cash buying you a new vehicle. (Or carpet.) So the question should be obvious -- what would you pay for a fancy in-game ride? Are you willing to drop sparklepony money? Would you not pay more than a dollar for something that doesn't have any functional benefit over other in-game options? Or would you drop even more money on something sufficiently shiny, perhaps a horse-car that could be seen from orbit? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
