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The Queue: Irrelevant intros are new and exciting
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Did you know a possible explanation for the origin of the "succubus" as a serious mythological creature is that men suffering from sleep paralysis turned to the supernatural to explain why they were locked in a semi-lucid dreamstate wherein they were wracked with visions of dark, unexplainable things whilst utterly unable to move, speak, or wake up? Did you know that sleep paralysis might also be the origin of alleged alien abductions that people in the modern era claim to experience? Additionally, many children who are truly, legitimately terrified of going to sleep because of seeing ghosts, spirits, or men all in black (very specific!) may be afflicted with an adolescent form of sleep paralysis. They're not just lying so they can sleep in their parents' beds. Though they are children, so you may never know for sure. We, as a race, may have been advancing both culturally and technologically for thousands of years, but many of the same psychological problems have remained throughout our entire history. The only difference between sleep paralysis now and sleep paralysis then is that the zeitgeist of humanity has turned from the fantasy of mythology to the fantasy of science fiction as their supernatural explanation for natural phenomenon they don't understand. What does this have to do with WoW? Well, beyond the succubus part, not a whole lot. I'm also not a doctor or any sort of expert or specialist in the field, so please don't diagnose yourself with sleep paralysis because of my descriptions of it. You may, in fact, have been abducted by aliens last night. Now let's pretend this conversation never happened and dig into the Q&A. Aezir asked: Dose time go by in dog years for Worgen or dose it go by normally?
The Perfect Ten: Shapeshifters
Because we are true geeks, last weekend my wife and I went to see X-Men: First Class. Afterward, we got into a discussion about what mutant power we'd pick for ourselves if we had the choice. I was torn between teleportation and quick healing, while my wife wanted to be able to turn into cash to pay off our mortgage. I think one of us is more grounded in the real world than the other. But the more I think about it, the more I was intrigued with the idea of a shapeshifter. To be anyone would give you unparalleled freedom -- and plenty of chances to get into mischief, too. Come to think of it, it's probably best I'm not granted that particular superpower. However, plenty of MMOs do give players the chance to shift between their normal forms and something else entirely. While there are far more than 10 examples that the brain trust over here came up with, I'm going to pick out my favorites to highlight.
Lichborne: Racial abilities for death knights
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done. With all the upheaval regarding death knight abilities and DPS happening right now, it's sometimes a good idea to go back to the basics and figure out some of the stuff that underlies a good, solid death knight. One of the most basic cornerstones of choosing a death knight is choosing your race. Since every single race can be a death knight, you have your pick, and since there's a race change service, you don't even have to stay the same race forever. Personally, I tend to say that you choose whatever race feels right for you -- but for those who want to pick a race (or change your current race) based on what racials are "best," this guide is for you.
Know Your Lore: The curse of the worgen and the Scythe of Elune, part one
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Though we've speculated time and again as to the origins of the worgen race, and we know for certain now that these worgen were at one time night elves, worgen history itself has been somewhat shrouded in mystery. The druids responsible for the worgen curse -- Druids of the Pack -- were deliberately using a druidic form that was forbidden to the night elves. So why would they choose to use it? What kind of situation would require defying Malfurion Stormrage's orders? More importantly, we have the case of the Scythe of Elune, an artifact that has been referenced here and there since the early days of vanilla, where both Velinde Starsong and Arugal were tied in to the Scythe's unusual history. But where did the Scythe come from originally? What makes it so peculiarly special? More to the point, how on earth did the worgen get into Gilneas? Interestingly enough, everything ties together -- from the Scythe to the origins of the Druids of the Pack to the unfortunate fate of Gilneas. Please note: Today's Know Your Lore contains spoilers for the five-issue miniseries Curse of the Worgen -- an excellent series that I highly recommend people pick up. If you do not wish to be spoiled, turn back now!
Know Your Lore: Update on current Horde politics
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how, but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Around this time last year, Know Your Lore did a series on the politics surrounding both Horde and Alliance, along with some predictions as to what was going to come to pass. Some theories were right, some were wrong -- but as far as the Horde is concerned, there has never been as tumultuous a time as right now in Cataclysm. While some of the conflict is out in the open, other signs of discontent are found in hidden away or in discreet areas, out of sight unless you're directly looking for them. Garrosh Hellscream's reign as Warchief kicked off with a bang. The first few weeks of his rule as Warchief saw the destruction of Orgrimmar and its subsequent rebuilding as a result of the Shattering's devastation. In addition, the Horde found a new set of allies in the quirky, greedy, and often bizarre goblins, something that could be construed as either good or bad, depending on which way you look. On top of all of this, the duel with and subsequent death of Cairne Bloodhoof affected Garrosh deeply and caused him to create a closer alliance with the tauren race, giving them a special section of Orgrimmar in contrition for what happened. Garrosh seems to have a somewhat level head on his shoulders and the best of intentions at heart, but a closer look reveals that the Horde is no longer as united a front as it was in the days of vanilla ... and some of that blame can be placed squarely on Hellscream's shoulders.
Blizzard updates Cataclysm and leaders art galleries
Blizzard has updated the Cataclysm and leaders art galleries with a few new shots featuring an awesome picture of Genn Greymane all wolfed out, a moody shot of Gilneas, and a familiar shot of goblins taking on a worgen. The galleries are always a source of awesome art, and it's nice to see them getting updates more and more these days, even from expansions past. Most recently, Blizzard updated the Wrath of the Lich King art gallery with some cool shots. WoW Patch 4.1 is on the PTR, and WoW Insider has all the latest news for you -- from previews of the revamped Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub to new valor point mechanics and new archaeology items.
Final issue of Curse of the Worgen now available
Curse of the Worgen is a pretty cool look at the worgen story and the lead-up to Cataclysm from the Gilnean point of view, and the series' final issue is now available. Not only that, but to celebrate this great series coming to an end, Blizzard has a treat for everyone: hi-res wallpapers of each of the Curse of the Worgen covers.
World of Warcraft Magazine issue 4 preview now available
Do you like World of Warcraft news? Do you like your World of Warcraft news in convenient paper form? Does the number four fill you with such joy that you obsessively compulsively collect all things with that particular number on it? Well, good news on all these fronts: The folks at World of Warcraft Magazine appear to be sending issue four to the printers. Hopefully, this means the magazine will be shipping and arriving in mailboxes soon. The 148-page behemoth contains a look at the creation of the goblin and worgen races, a selection of artwork from Blizzard artist Samwise Didier, and a behind-the-scenes look at BlizzCon. If you just can't wait, head over the the official website and check out the excerpts for preview that were just posted.
Curse of the Worgen #4 on sale now online and at comic stores
Gilneas City erupts into violence as the worgen attack! During the madness, Halford seeks understanding behind who is friend and who is foe, while also dealing with his own animalistic worgen urge to kill. In desperation, King Greymane forms an unlikely alliance... The World of Warcraft comic miniseries Curse of the Worgen is nearly at the end of its five-issue run. Issue #4 is now available for purchase both online and at your favorite local comic shop. The five-part series, written by Micky Neilson and James Waugh with artwork by Ludo Lullabi and Tony Washington, details the origins of Gilneas and the worgen curse in a way that the worgen starting zone can't even begin to encompass. If you have not picked up this series, I highly recommend it -- the artwork is stunning, and the story is one of the best put out by the Warcraft comics team to date. If you're a fan of the worgen in Warcraft, this series is a must-read.
Know Your Lore: King Genn Greymane of Gilneas
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. He brought it on himself, ultimately. This is not to say that he deserved it, precisely. He was proud, perhaps arrogant, and entirely too willing to let the whole world be damned as long as he saw no danger to Gilneas in the damning. But he was not malicious. He did not wish ill on anyone so much as he only wished weal upon those people he saw as his, and he saw his duty to those within his borders first, last and always. If he did not see clearly enough how the situation outside those borders would affect the people of Gilneas, it cannot be said that his failing was an absence of love for his people. Genn Greymane, King of Gilneas, never failed his people by an absence of care or dedication. Like many who love something totally and completely, Genn's love for Gilneas was so strong that there was nothing he would not countenance in its defense. And sadly, it may well have been that willingness to do anything for her and anything to protect her, and the desire always to think of her first, last, and always, that doomed her. Even as his people have been forced to flee their kingdom, driven out by invaders who come to defile and steal a land that was never theirs, Greymane remains devoted to his land and his people.
Lord of His Pack live at Blizzard's community site
Do you like worgen? Sure, we all do! Well, I do, anyway. And if you liked the Gilneas starting zone and wanted to get to know more about the origins of the place and its independent-minded king, Genn Greymane, Blizzard has you covered. James Waugh's Lord of His Pack is all about the king himself, his relationships with allies and adversaries like Darius Crowley, and how they made the trip across the ocean to Darnassus following their flight from their homeland. The past and the present are both explored, and a fuller picture of the Gilneas that was and the Greymane that is come to light. Go check it out now.
Addon Spotlight: Worgen Auto Transform
Each week, WoW Insider brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same. This week, I spotlight your suggestions for Community Choice 3! It has come to my attention that there are worgen in Cataclysm. Like... wolf people. Real-life wolf people. I see them scampering about the fields of battle and inside the keeps of Tol Barad, sniffing the ground, frolicking in the grass, and chasing abandoned siege vehicles. Bark all you want, worgen -- you aren't taking The Slagworks. As a Horde player, seeing worgen is a novelty for me. And, for the most part, I see worgen in their combat wolf-state -- a growling, menacing wolf man who will occasionally act like a worgen mage and make funny arm motions at me. Is he trying to tell me something? What is is, boy? What is it? The Alliance are losing Warden's Vigil?! Come quick?!
New hoodie and Cataclysm designs from SwagDog
Online apparel company SwagDog is pleased to announce the arrival of the zip-up hoodie to its selection. SwagDog has always been famous for its WoW-themed apparel -- more notably, the fact that you could get anything screenprinted onto these shirts. Favorite class? Guild tabard? Why not grab an embroidered hat of your chosen profession? Now you can add more than just a regular short-sleeved tee to your wardrobe. On sale now for $44.99 US, you can purchase a comfortable, long-sleeved, zip-up hoodie version of the classic black guild tabard shirt. Now you can proudly show off the might of your guild, all while staying warm this holiday season. SwagDog has also announced the arrival of both worgen and goblin-themed clothing as well. Since they're now part of the World of Warcraft designs, you can root for Gilnaes or cheer for the Bilgewater cartel. Make sure to head over to SwagDog.com to see more of this great merchandise.
Know Your Lore: Sylvanas Windrunner, part 2
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how, but do you know the why? Each week Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Sylvanas Windrunner had a very important question to answer both for herself and her people at the end of Wrath of the Lich King: "What now?" Since their emergence as an ally of the Horde, the Forsaken have sought ultimate vengeance against the being responsible for their unfortunate fate. At the end of Wrath, the Forsaken and Sylvanas attained that goal; the Lich King was dead, and the Forsaken were left with ... well, nothing really. Sylvanas had a lot to think about as a leader, her people were looking to her for guidance and a new goal to singlemindedly march toward. What Sylvanas discovered in her pondering was that she'd forgotten about one simple fact regarding the Forsaken -- they were undead. Ever since the beginning of World of Warcraft, new Forsaken were introduced as being former soldiers of the Scourge who had broken free of the Lich King's control. With no Lich King, there was no Scourge, and with no Scourge, there was no way to bolster the Forsaken's numbers. Without new Forsaken, Sylvanas' people would quickly die out. Please note: The following post contains spoilers for the Forsaken storylines featured in Cataclysm content. If you have not played through Silverpine, Hillsbrad Foothills or the Western Plaguelands, turn away! And go play through those zones, because they are amazing.
Know Your Lore: Shadowfang Keep
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Since I talked about Gilneas last week, it only makes sense to continue the discussion with one of the most worgen-centric places in all of the World of Warcraft, namely storied Shadowfang Keep. It debuted in vanilla WoW as a brooding ruin infested with those dastardly worgen and the angry, unquiet ghosts of their victims. Now, some six years on, it's a brooding ruin infested with those dastardly undead, led by three traitors to both the Forsaken and Gilneas itself, also jam-packed with the ghosts of its former worgen masters and their victims. In short, time hasn't done much to improve Shadowfang Keep's general disposition. Well, unless you like your keeps to be atmospheric, top-filled with raging monstrosities and jam-packed with the loots -- in which case, the former estate of Baron Silverlaine awaits you. Yes, before it was a dungeon, Shadowfang Keep was the ancestral home of Baron Silverlaine, a noble who owed allegiance to Gilneas and whose ancestral lands lay just outside of where the Greymane Wall would be erected. Ruling over the settlers of neaby Pyrewood Village, the Baron seemed a relatively capable leader... until, of course, the coming of the Scourge.
Sexual dimorphism in Cataclysm
Three years ago, I read this article by Annalee Newitz on sexual dimorphism in WoW, promptly filing it away in my head as one of those interesting quirks about the game and games in general. What really struck me at the time were the alpha pictures of trolls and tauren. While I like the current tauren female model, I'm not terribly enamored of troll ladies, if only because 95 percent of them (not an actual statistic) seem to choose the same blandly "pretty" face. Alpha troll women seemed to share a lot more of the troll male's features, with more pronounced tusks, sharper profiles and more of a hunch like the men. In general, I found these alpha models fascinating. Also interesting to note was that this trend goes both ways: when blood elves debuted, the males were much closer to the females and were beefed up in The Burning Crusade beta. As Annalee Newitz pointed out, the other race that debuted in BC, the draenei, are extremely dimorphic; males are bigger and more massively muscular than orcs, while their females are far less mesomorphic. What interested me, at least so far as the tauren and troll model changes went, is that players complained that the tauren and troll women weren't to their liking, which most likely had an influence on the design of draenei and blood elves. Now, with Cataclysm, we have two new races to consider. How do the worgen and goblins stack up on the dimorphism scale?
Know Your Lore: A history of Gilneas
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Ironically, for a nation we will only get to see with the arrival of the Cataclysm expansion, Gilneas has a long and storied history both within the Warcraft setting and in the games that have comprised it. Colonized during the first flowering of the Arathor after the Troll Wars, Gilneas grew alongside the other colonized regions of the Arathi Empire even as the heart of that empire faltered. As proud Strom entered a period of decline, Gilneas joined other human settlements like Lordaeron and Stormwind in becoming fully independent, and a strong but insular culture developed here. How then, did Gilneas go from one of the strongest of humanity's kingdoms to what it will be when you come to it as a player? It's said that pride goes before the fall, but for Gilneas, it could be said that pride both precipitated and delayed its fall, and that what kept it secure for decades is what ultimately brought about its current fate.
Countdown to Cataclysm: Why go worgen?
This article is part of our Countdown to Cataclysm series, helping you prepare for Cataclysm launch one day at a time. As Deathwing makes his escape from Deepholm, the Greymane Wall finally collapses, revealing the kingdom of Gilneas. For years, the kingdom had locked itself away behind the wall, shutting out the troubles of the rest of the world. King Genn Greymane, leader of Gilneas, has been dealing with his own problems behind the wall, however, including the spreading of the worgen curse, which is turning his people into ferocious creatures.
Officers' Quarters: Managing the alt invasion
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available now from No Starch Press. I'll never forget that first month after Wrath went live and the endless requests from guild members to invite their death knight alts into the guild. The second anyone rolled a DK, they wanted to bring that toon into the roster to be part of the social experience as we all explored what the new expansion had to offer. I couldn't blame them. It is painful to be cut off from your guild during such an exciting time. As it turns out, the DK influx was only a small taste of what the Shattering has wrought. Now it's troll druids, tauren paladins, and undead hunters springing out of the woodwork, or dwarf shaman and gnome priests for Alliance guilds. Even this, however, is just the rumblings before the earthquake. In one week, a deluge of goblins and worgens will engulf our rosters. How can we manage this alt invasion? Let's take a look!
Curse of the Worgen #1 on sale now online and at comic stores
The World of Warcraft comic series is back with Curse of the Worgen #1, on sale today at your favorite comic book shop and online. The story follows a detective in Gilneas investigating a series of monstrous murders. The comic's first issue is just in time for Cataclysm, and if you're a fan of the worgen, the World of Warcraft comics, and everything in between, this looks like a fun pickup. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.
