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WoW Moviewatch: Stopping the Iron Horde
Man, if only we'd been thinking. Stopping the Iron Horde from Mooclucking is a pretty short little piece of machinima, but it points out an almost painfully obvious solution to our little rampaging Warlord problem. I have no idea why we didn't think of it before -- why not fight iron with ... well, iron? The only thing that made this piece more amusing was the panic of pretty much everyone in the Stormwind throne room at the thought of yet another expansion to contend with. Honestly, I can't really blame them -- by now, those guys are probably getting a little touchy when it comes to sudden announcements. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
What to do after hitting level 100
Congratulations on hitting level 100! But after 10 levels of fairly directed content, what to do next can be a big question mark for many players. So to help you get started, we've built a list of just where you can go from here, whether you're interested in soloing, raiding (though raiders-to-be may also appreciate this guide by our friend Matticus), collecting... or just about anything else. Wondering what to do next? Let's dive in. Pick your level 100 talent After going for ten levels without any new talents or skills to deal with, you might forget that you get a new talent when you hit level 100. (I know that I did.) Be sure to select yours for both talent specs if you tend to switch back and forth.
The Queue: This is a Placeholder
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today. I've had this song stuck in my head for a while now, so you guys get to follow me on a trip down memory lane. I think one of the more entertaining memories I have from vanilla is that invariably, when something messed up with the servers, it was always the boats and graveyards that seemed to be affected. One minute you were sailing away, the next you were falling to your death at a graveyard in Stonetalon Peak. Why Stonetalon? Mysteries, my friends. Mysteries that will never be explained. midnightlurker asked: Do you think there could ever be a T4 garrison? It looks like there's space to expand past the south gate. Absolutely! If they felt like doing so, they could expand out a bit. Or just put in level four buildings without changing the map, that would probably work too -- they'd just have to be careful to design the buildings within the same footprint that the level three buildings already take up. It really just comes down to whether or not they feel it's necessary.
WoW Moviewatch: A Typical Garrison Day
There may not be as many dailies this expansion, but that doesn't mean that the daily grind is gone, as Wowcrendor explores in this video, which outlines a typical garrison day for (probably) all of us. The endless fishing quests, the failed missions, the followers that just won't stop talking... But maybe Crendor's typical day isn't your typical day. So what do you say, readers? What scenes match up with your daily garrison grind? Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
The Queue: All about that base
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today. I love my garrison and I probably spend way too much time in it. But I really like the whole home away from home base that I built all by myself. It's cool. I can invite my friends to it. I keep discovering new and weird things about it, every day. Did you know the NPCs really hate it if you sit in chairs that they're allowed to sit in? They will either stand directly behind you and breathe down your neck to try and get you to leave, or stand directly in front of you with their butts in your face, trying to accomplish the same thing. It's like living with a fleet of cats. They'll leave you alone unless you want to be left alone. slipperee asked: Q4tQ: Who is your favorite follower and why? Mine is Blook because who doesn't like having a big ogre/gronn stomping around? At the moment, I think my favorite follower is still Lantresor. I loved his story in Burning Crusade, and I was really happy to see him again on Draenor this time around. But I tell you what, if Cro Threadstrong ever somehow magically made his way into the follower database I would never, ever, ever deactivate him. Ever.
The Queue: What's up with Gorehowl?
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today. Those of you who had a holiday yesterday, I hope it was festive. Those that didn't, I still hope it was festive. I hope you had random festivities just happen because you're cool and you should get to be festive all the time. Now let's talk about World of Warcraft. Our first question is one I've mused about before. ChaosInHyrule asks: do both Garrosh and Grom wield Gorehowl? if so, did Grom ever notice? Yes, and yes, sort of. When Garrosh was transported to Draenor, he didn't have Gorehowl - he left that behind in the chamber the Heart of Y'shaarj was discovered in and where the forces of the Alliance and Horde faced the Sha of Pride. When Garrosh informed Grommash of what Gul'dan's offer would mean, the elder Hellscream wielded Gorehowl in the fight against Mannoroth. But when Garrosh took Grommash's place as Warlord of the Warsong Clan from Garroshar in Nagrand, he was using Gorehowl, and when we see Grommash in flashback scenes like the one in Shadowmoon Valley, he isn't using Gorehowl, which implies that he entrusted it to Garrosh along with the responsibility of leading the Warsong. So, since it seems that Grommash let Garrosh use Gorehowl, he probably did notice that Garrosh was using it.
Know Your Lore: Ner'zhul and the breaking of the pact
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. This is one of those times when we're talking about the Warlords version of a character, and not the original. This is not the Ner'zhul we know - this is not the elder shaman who united the orc clans while being manipulated by Kil'jaeden. Although this Ner'zhul is certainly a respected shaman and the leader of the Shadowmoon Clan, he's not the same as the orc we know - he hasn't made the same choices. And yet, he is Nerzhul. The deathspeaker, the shaman who watched the stars and listened to the stories they told him. On the Draenor we now explore, history has unfolded differently. Some things are the same - Ner'zhul's student turned on his master and sold his soul for demonic power, and attempted to lead the orc clans as a whole into slavery and a genocidal war against the Draenei. But on this world, Ner'zhul wasn't so easily deceived. There are differences between the worlds even before Garrosh Hellscream's arrival - and those differences, great and small, have led to a different Ner'zhul, who made different decisions, and brought about a dark destiny for the Shadowmoon Clan. Was it worse than the rise of the Old Horde? In some ways, of course it couldn't be - at least the orcish clans of Draenor still own their own souls. All, perhaps, except Ner'zhul and the Shadowmoon.
Know Your Lore: The Molten Core
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. In the deepest parts of Blackrock Mountain, the Dark Iron toil relentlessly, slaving away at the whim of an ancient, terrifying master of flame. The Molten Core, as it is called by the denizens of Azeroth, is not this creature's home. Instead, it is the home of a dark ritual gone terribly wrong, a ritual that not only backfired, but subsequently resulted in the enslavement of an entire dwarven clan. The 10th anniversary of World of Warcraft has some extra special goodies this year, including an updated, 40man LFR version of the Molten Core. Although many players lurked in its depths in the original iteration of the raid, the story of the area and how it came to be was scattered all over Azeroth -- because the tale begins long before there were dwarves, clans, or anyone to call Blackrock Mountain by name.
WoW Moviewatch: Pride
Fair warning: This is a very, very long machinima, clocking in at over and hour and a half, and there is some NSFW language at various points in the film. If, however, you were looking for the ultimate in Siege of Orgrimmar story machinimas, this is it. We featured the trailer for Pride just before BlizzCon, and the movie itself came out on November 5, just as everything was beginning to kick off in Anaheim. However, the trailer has nothing on the full film, which features the story of a group of horde heroes who have let the Sha of Pride tear their group apart, but manage to pull together to achieve the impossible, and defeat Garrosh Hellscream. The film is a pretty amazing combination of Blizzard cinematics and voiceovers interspersed with the main story written by Suge. And on top of all of that, actual raid footage from the Siege of Orgrimmar was also used to full effect, showcasing guilds The Fallen and Blow fighting the 25m Heroic (now Mythic) version of Garrosh Hellscream and his cohorts. It's a pretty amazing film, and although there are a few voice actors with less than optimal microphones, it really doesn't matter so much in the long run. Pride may run a little long, but it's worth the watch. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
The Queue: Draenic marshmallows
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today. Look, I'm not going to argue the mechanical wonders of goblin engineering. I mean I'm a goblin engineer and everything. But I'm wondering where the heck this particular goblin managed to find marshmallows on Draenor -- I'm not objecting, mind you. I'd just like some for myself, thanks. BlazeNor asked: Do anyone know if the rarity of followers effect the benefits to the profession shops they are assign to? Nope! All rarity affects is how many traits your follower has, which in turn plays into how good they are at completing missions. An uncommon follower with the ability to work at the Engineering shop will offer exactly the same things as an epic follower that has the same ability.
WoW Moviewatch: Tree of Life
I'd missed the first part of today's story when we featured it a little over a year ago, but both the first part of this tale and today's Moviewatch are pretty amazing. Nixxiom originally released The Druid last year, a story about a druid who shares a story with a priestess of Elune. It was a really well done story, and the visual effects, despite using the older models, worked remarkably well in conjunction with it. Tree of Life returns to Ashevn the druid, who is still telling stories in the Temple of Elune. This time, there is no script, simply a haunting soundtrack to accompany the visuals. And even without words -- maybe even because there are no words -- the movie is incredibly effective. I really love the play of black and white vs. color that takes place throughout the piece, it really hammers home the key parts of the tale. Give it a watch -- and if you like it, be sure to check out Nixxiom's Youtube channel for more machinima. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
The Queue: Not cute
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today. You might think the above screenshot is incredibly cute. Aw, look at the little podlings! They've found an elekk to ride around the town. Yes, it's very adorable until you target the podlings, realize they are in fact Hungry Podlings, and then have to deal with the disquieting possibility that they are eating that elekk alive. Podlings are gross. Benjamin Seeberger asked: So once I hit level 100, how much time will it reasonably take me to actually get to ilvl 615? Not too long, all things considered! Questing in Nagrand will help considerably -- the rares out there drop some pretty high-end rewards, and quest rewards are also pretty good. You'll end up doing some dungeons as well, but with the changes to Personal Loot now guaranteeing you a piece at the end of an LFG dungeon run, you'll find yourself there in no time. You've got until January to run Molten Core, so there's really no need to worry about whether you'll be there in time. It took me a few days, but that was less because it was difficult and more because I didn't have a ton of time to run dungeons for gear right off the bat.
The Queue: Looking back on 10 years of WoW
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today. Consider this one a slightly more personal Queue than most, because today's the start of WoW's 10th anniversary celebration, and that means telling a little story. That screenshot above is from just before I got my Sulfuras, which I still have - I've had it for eight years now. But I wouldn't have gotten it, or done any of the raiding I did then, or even played this game at all if not for the fact that WoW let me talk to Julian, my wife (she wasn't my wife yet then) when we were separated. World of Warcraft was our means to stay in touch after we were parted for a while, and it became something we did together - we ran through Southshore and up to Scarlet Monastery together, back before you could just queue for dungeons, when the only way to get summoned was via a warlock. Before Blackwing Lair was even out, we ran Molten Core together. We were both guilded together, raided together, and before that we leveled together. World of Warcraft has been special for me entirely because of how it made a bad patch for the two of us better, let us share sunsets on the docks, let us camp that annoying Horde druid who kept ganking lowbies outside Southshore and just kill him until it wasn't any fun for him anymore. I proposed to Julian during a Molten Core run. The game has been a part of our lives. It is just a game, admittedly so, but it's a game we shared, a game that we met friends in, a game we played together. A game where I was once forced to level a character entirely so I could stand in a swamp and cast Heroism so that my wife could tame a special rare pet. It's been a heck of a decade, World of Warcraft. I might not be married if not for you. I certainly wouldn't have a job writing about you if you didn't exist. So thank you. And now, for your questions. Zheo asks: QFTQ: Next expansion - Legion or something else? I can guess if you want. I have absolutely no evidence to support this, I'm making up an answer based entirely on my personal beliefs, no one's told me anything - but I think it's pretty likely that at the end of this expansion we well and truly tick the Legion off. I would not be surprised if the next expansion was the Legion come around again. That being said, I'd be okay with a completely different expansion. I still think a gnome themed expansion could work.
Know Your Lore: Nobundo
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. One of the fantastic things about Warlords of Draenor is getting to see the way history provides context for a life. By seeing how people have changed, and how they could have been we get a sense of how they are, as we know them - and for me one of the most fantastic changes to contemplate and understand is that of Vindicator Nobundo, a stalwart draenei paladin, who in a different life became Farseer Nobundo, first draenei shaman. Nobundo's story is one of overcoming horrific loss, enduring not just the destruction of his way of life but a corrosion of the body that threatened his very soul, and his ability to overcome and become someone who could inspire his people to a new path displays his strength of spirit. The Vindicator Nobundo we meet on Draenor - the one who helps fight the Burning Legion forces in Talador, who comes to Nagrand to help calm the elements - has not endured the same trials as Farseer Nobundo. He has not come out the other side of seeing his people nearly destroyed, his body warped by fel energies, his connection to the Holy Light severed. And yet, he is Nobundo - he embodies everything the Farseer was, everything he lost to become who he is today. So who is Farseer Nobundo? And who is Vindicator Nobundo?
The Queue: Dungeon difficulty, Dungeon Queues, Boost a warrior.
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today. I'm one of those people who liked Mists of Pandaria. I thought and still think that it was a solid, well designed, well developed expac with a lot of solid new lore, well designed content, and that its major flaws were a lack of dungeons as the expansion continued, some PvP issues, and that deadly year plus with no new content at the end. So while I'm heartened to see Warlords having a positive effect and people excited for it, I'm not down on the 'stupid pandas' trip a lot of people seem to be on. If you didn't like Pandaria, that's your call, but it doesn't make those of us who did less intelligent than you. It's just a matter of taste. That said, I'm in a paraoxysm of joy over the draenei lore in this expansion. I haven't leveled Horde yet - my tauren's getting impatient, but I have so much to do on my main it doesn't feel like the right time yet. Draenor is an incredibly well designed and executed expansion so far. It's a joy to play through. Bugboy asks: Q4tQ: I haven't gotten into the new dungeons yet, but recall that, difficulty-wise, they're supposed to be somewhere between Cata and MoP. Is that about where they are? I'm of the opinion (based both on my own experiences and those of my friends) that some dungeons are harder than others. Slag Mines has issues if you're melee, as an example. I'd definitely argue that they veer towards the Cataclysm side of things. Skyreach and Auchindoun didn't seem too bad.
WoW Rookie guide updated with garrison guides
If you're just jumping into WoW -- or back into WoW -- for Warlords of Draenor, you may be a little lost when it comes to the addition of garrisons to the game. But whether you're trying to figure out what to build or how to best gather resources, we've put together a section of the Rookie Guide that's all about garrisons. And for the players just hitting level 100 and trying to decide what next, we have a section to help out new to 100 players, too. So why wait? Head over to the Rookie Guide and get caught up on what's new in Warlords of Draenor now. Of course, Warlords of Draenor is still brand new and there will be more content on both of these fronts in the weeks to come. If you have burning questions about what to do or where to go in Warlords, send them our way and we'll look into covering it for a future WoW Rookie! Just because you don't know everything there is to know about World of Warcraft doesn't mean you can't play your A-game. Visit the WoW Rookie Guide for links to everything you need to get started as a new (or returning) player, with new sections on garrisons and what to do at level 100.
The Queue: DDoS, WoW's population spike, and flying
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) will be your host today. I've only answered two questions in the Queue today. Enjoy. Keleli asked: Are the DDoS attacks still ongoing or are these queues the norm now?
Know Your Lore: The Pale
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. When the draenei first came to Azeroth, they landed in spectacular fashion, tearing up an island off the coast of Kalimdor. New draenei players are taken on a journey through the wreckage and the mess, picking up the pieces and dealing with the unique effects the crash had on both flora and fauna. Several years later, and it seems the draenei are still doing clean-up work -- although that may be more due to Azuremyst being perpetually stuck in the past for mechanics purposes, rather than story content. Why bring this up? Because it's not the first time the draenei have shattered a world. On Draenor, the new inhabitants of the planet landed in similar fashion, tearing up a great chunk of Draenor's landscape in Nagrand. Both times, the incidents were due to faulty ships -- and both times, the surrounding region was affected. But while Azeroth's torn landscape and blood-tinged skies were obvious demarcations of narrowly-avoided disaster, the landing of the Genedar was viewed as something different entirely to the natives of the world. To the orcs, it was unknown -- and then thought, perhaps, to be a gift from the ancestors. They couldn't be further from the truth. Please note: The following Know Your Lore contains several spoilers for Warlords of Draenor. If you are avoiding spoilers while you are leveling, come back when you've finished Nagrand.
The Queue: Ode to the Frostwall Woodcutter
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) is answering all kinds of questions today. Oh Frostwall Woodcutter, I know not who put you in this game, nor do I understand why you and your brothers are content to do endless rounds of squats rather than toting your lumber to the appropriate building. But I am certain, dear Frostwall Woodcutter, that perhaps you would be more comfortable with a shirt. I mean come on. There's snow on the ground here. Although I do kind of like that whole burly lumberjack thing you've got going on. Zug zug. DavidBaldock asked: Not that I'm concerned about getting to 100, but in a non rushed approach, if I start on Monday and put in say 3 hours a night every night, when should I expect to hit max level? Friday? The following Monday? Just curious. If it's three solid hours of questing and dungeons, I'd say maybe a week to ten days or so, two weeks at most -- and that's mostly if you spend a lot of time fiddling around. Leveling really doesn't feel like an arduous chore this time around. It's fun, and seems to be pretty well-paced. Make sure you park it in your garrison or an inn to get rested XP when you aren't playing, and the process should be pretty smooth and painless. No rushing necessary.
WoW Moviewatch: Warlords of Draenor 8 Bit
Okay, so it's not 8 bit exactly, but I really don't care. Warlords of Draenor 8 Bit is Ian Beckman's attempt at turning the Warlords of Draenor trailer into something incredibly old-school, and I think he manages to successfully do that -- it might not be NES, but it's a least late SNES/Sega Genesis, or early PS1. And beyond that, it's a nostalgia laden reminder of an era in which we all thought these kinds of graphics were astonishingly cool. And they totally were, back then. I'm not sure what Warlords of Draenor would've played like if it weren't an MMO -- certainly the old consoles weren't capable of anything like what we've got today. Maybe something more akin to those old school point and click adventure games, like the ill-fated Warcraft Adventures that never saw the light of day. I got a good laugh out of this piece though, it was really well done. If you like what you see, be sure to check out Ian Beckman's Youtube channel for more machinima shorts. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
