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Breakfast Topic: Tell us about your most epic WoW death
Xigwa posted a list of epic ways to die in WoW over at the official forums. Some of them are doable in game, while others are just fun things to imagine, such as "Tell Garrosh his head is too small." Many forum posters chimed in with their ideas, including Blizzard employee Crithto: Crithto I'm actually quite fond of Stood in Fire. Each time one of my characters has died to the flames, I spend another several minutes maximizing my camera distance to gaze in awe at the firestorm. 07/05/2012 11:34 AMPosted by Xigwa 5. Plan your wedding in the middle of Orggrimmar and invite all your Alliance buddies. I have just found new motivation to locate the missus! source My favorite ways to die aren't exactly epic. I enjoy complaining about dying to the Undercity elevator boss -- and I get to complain very often. I love when The Spousal Unit leaves himself underwater while going AFK, only to find himself drowned when he returns. It's particularly fun when he does it in full raid gear. He's really good at that one.
It came from the Blog: Join us for Flamefest 2012
It's that time of the year again when we get to set things on fire. Many things. So very many things. We also get tons of experience and gold and maybe even a hat. Join It came from the Blog for a Pre-Flamefest gathering with some of the WoW Insider staff and then the burning of things for the Midsummer Fire Festival. When: Friday, June 29 at 10:30 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. PDT, 8:30 p.m. server time) for the pre-event gathering and 11 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. PDT, 9 p.m. server time) for Flamefest. Where: Meet at the festival area in Thunder Bluff on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H). Who: Any Horde character level 10 or higher for the first part of the Flamefest, but you need to know all the Azerothian flight paths (non-Cataclysm) for the final part. What: Meet, greet, then set things on fire in a mostly orderly fashion. We will be running to flames on foot for the first part of Flamefest so that more levels can join. (Stay on the road! Protect the lowbies!) But the latter part of the event will be via flight paths so that we can complete the continent more easily. We always have a lot of fun for Flamefest. Please join us! Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All ranks can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: We met, we greeted, we scavenged
Last month's It came from the Blog event was our second scavenger hunt, with a meet and greet right before. We met in the Court of the Sun in Silvermoon City, enjoying the peace and quiet of an empty city. (A round of less lag for everyone!) Several WoW Insider writers showed up for the meet and greet: Megan O'Neill as Poneria Dawn Moore as Aurorarun Matt Low as Matticus Anne Stickney as Annephora Elizabeth Wachowski as Moocowski Robin Torres as Roblinator (Yes, I'm always there, but I answered a couple of questions too.) Our new and veteran guildies put the WI crew through their paces. Matt answered healing questions. Anne tackled lore and roleplay questions. Elizabeth made it clear that Around Azeroth needs more screenshot submissions. And there was much rejoicing.
Reminder: It came from the Blog scavenger hunt and writer meetup tonight
It came from the Blog events are fun. Scavenger Hunts are fun. Meeting WoW Insider writers is fun (even virtually). Mathematically speaking -- since fun is multiplicative -- we'll be having FUNx3 tonight. When: 10:30 p.m. EDT tonight (7:30 p.m. PDT, 8:30 p.m. server time) for the meet and greet and 11 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. PDT, 9 p.m. server) for the scavenger hunt Where: Meet near the fountain in the Court of the Sun, Silvermoon City on Zangarmarsh (US-PVE-H) Who: Any level Horde character. Gold will be provided to those who do not have enough. Tip: Mounted characters have an advantage, so making a death knight is a good idea if you are new to the server. What: Meet and greet with several of the WoW Insider staff, then a scavenger hunt through Eversong Woods for fun and prizes How: Ask any member of It came from the Blog for an invite, if you are not already in one of our family of guilds. The list of items will not be provided until just after the event starts. I will list them in /say and not repeat them for 10 minutes so that punctual participants will have an advantage. Your joining us is fun, by the way -- yes, I mean you particularly. So if you chat and hunt with us tonight, we'll have FUNx4. Obviously, you should join us. Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PVE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild ranks can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: Meet the writers, then join the scavenger hunt
Our last scavenger hunt was such a success that It came from the Blog is hosting another one tomorrow (Wednesday) night. (Because short notice is the best notice. Or something.) Many of our staff will be joining us as well for a meet and greet before the event. When: 10:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PDT, 8:30 p.m. server time) for the meet and greet and 11 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. PDT, 9 p.m. server) for the scavenger hunt Where: Meet near the fountain in the Court of the Sun, Silvermoon City on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) Who: Any level Horde character. Gold will be provided to those who do not have enough. Tip: Mounted characters have an advantage, so making a death knight is a good idea if you are new to the server. What: Meet and greet with several of the WoW Insider staff, then a scavenger hunt through Eversong Woods for fun and prizes How: Ask any member of It came from the Blog for an invite, if you are not already in one of our family of guilds. Your mission, if you choose to accept it: Meet some WoW Insider writers, run around searching for mostly useless stuff, earn prizes if you are quick enough. We hope to see you there! Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PVE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild ranks can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: Running of the Orphans 2012 snapshots
Last month, It came from the Blog hosted the Running of the Orphans. We met outside of the orphanage in The Drag of Orgrimmar and grabbed our orphans. We then proceeded to complete all of the quests together to get the pet and achievement. First, we traveled to Thunder Bluff via the Love Zeppelin and paid our respects to Cairne. We then took our orphans on a joy ride, which wasn't so much joyful as it was irresponsibly dangerous. We then paid a visit to Laday Sylvanas and debated whether she threatened our orphans or not. Upon our return to Orgrimmar, we spoiled the orphans with sweets and toys and then returned them to the poor matron. We've held this event before, but there was one disappointing change this year: No orphans were left behind when we got on a zeppelin. Perhaps it is a cruel thing to miss, but we did. After all, they order us around all day; a little revenge seemed appropriate. We will be holding another event this month. Look for an announcement Soon™. %Gallery-155653% Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PVE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild ranks can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
Learn the basics of Diablo III gameplay
Massively's sister site WoW Insider brings us this special bonus article tonight on the basics of Diablo III for folks who normally play MMOs like World of Warcraft. Enjoy the rest of Joystiq's WoW team's Diablo coverage over on WoW Insider, and stay tuned for our own Diablo III launch roundups tomorrow morning! Since Diablo II was released 12 years ago, it's safe to say that Diablo III will be the first Diablo title many people will have ever played. It's one of the most anticipated titles of the season and is attracting countless new players to the genre. We've received a number of questions asking how this game is even played -- and if it has anything in common with your favorite MMOs. We have you covered. The core of Diablo gameplay is the mouse click. You do everything from combat to looting to movement with your mouse, and your interactions with your keyboard are extremely minimal overall. On Twitter recently, many Diablo diehards have mentioned they were buying a new mouse specifically to use with Diablo III -- and that's not a bad idea. No, we're not talking a brand-new $80 Razer Naga; we're talking some $10 to $15 thing you can pick up off of a department store shelf. You want a mouse that you're not going to mourn when your buttons inevitably give out from the mountain of abuse you're about to unleash upon them. Grab something cheap and disposable so that when it dies, you will consider it a victory -- just another technological corpse for the bone pile.
The Guild Counsel: Saluting Scott Andrews on five years of valuable guild advice
This past Monday marked the fifth anniversary of Scott Andrews' Officers' Quarters, a weekly column on WoW Insider that deals with guild issues in World of Warcraft. He's also the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, which is a must-read for any guild leader. It's a terrific accomplishment to keep a column going for so long, and week after week, he's provided valuable advice to reader questions on guild management. Whether you've just heard of Officers' Quarters or you're a longtime fan, let's look at a few reasons Scott Andrews deserves a tip of the hat and a hearty salute.
It came from the Blog: Join us for the Running of the Orphans
Children's Week starts this Sunday, so that must mean that it's time for It came from the Blog's annual Running of the Orphans. As the event name says, we get orphans and we run around with them while completing our orphan quests. When: Sunday, April 29 at 12:30 p.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. PDT, 10:30 a.m. server time) Where: Meet at the pond near the engineering trainer that's next to the orphanage in Orgrimmar on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) Who: Any Horde character level 10 or over How: Ask any member of It came from the Blog for an invite to the guild if you are not already a member of our family of guilds already. We will have a fishing party while we wait for everyone to arrive and get their orphans. Then we will be orphan minions, taking them wherever they want to go -- the Running of the Orphan Caregivers may be a more accurate title, but it doesn't have the same ring to it. Time permitting, we may even try for some achievements. You have to be at least level 10, because you can't get an orphan otherwise. We also will not be forming a raid since we need to complete quests. We will have an event chat set up as usual, however. Hope to see you there! Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PVE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild ranks can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: Casual raiding for all in The Insiders
If you are into casual but organized raiding or would like to try out raiding in a comfortable, non-judgmental atmosphere, The Insiders on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) may be the guild for you. The Insiders is the sister guild of It came from the Blog, WoW Insider's event guild. Every month, It came from the Blog holds an event to which all are welcome. These activities are for the widest level ranges possible, depending on what we're doing. Some players enjoy the events and want to hang out with WoW Insider readers on a regular basis, so they can join The Insiders -- a casual, max-level guild. The only players not allowed to join are funsuckers and those who can't follow the very simple rules, which include keeping the guild chat to PG-13 and no drama. Unlike It came from the Blog, not everyone can invite. But there are usually enough players online so that someone has the ability to let you in on the fun. The Insiders have historically been a leveling guild, full of alts of people whose mains are on other servers. But they have been adding more and more scheduled raid nights, mostly for older content. This week, for example, they have four nights of Firelands raiding scheduled, a Sarth 3D fun run and a guild Raid Finder night. So if you want to join WoW Insider readers in some non-stressful raiding, come join the gang. It may be the perfect antidote to the restlessness caused by the pre-expansion lull. If you just want to join us for our monthly events, stay tuned for the next It came from the Blog announcement -- which will be some time next week. Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PVE-H) in It came from the Blog. Any rank can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
I write about dragons on the internet, Dad
When I moved in with my father, part of it was a genuine interest in reconnecting with him, and part of it was a keen desire to help around the house and simply keep him company. My dad turns 83 this year, although you couldn't really tell that from looking at him or talking to him. He grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, worked for Dow Chemical for an extraordinary number of years, retired, and somewhere in between had two marriages and five children. (I'm one of the products of the second marriage.) He has seen quite a lot in his life. He saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarves when it premiered in theaters in 1937. His first car was a Model-T that he dug out of a neighbor's manure pile and inexplicably got running again when he was 14. He served in the military as a paratrooper, worked with some of the first computers in existence, and can fix just about anything I bring to him, regardless of how technologically advanced the thing is. He hasn't grown old so much as he's watched the world get older around him and adapted to it as time goes on. And yet I still have this terrible reticence about trying to explain to him exactly what it is I do on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, and what I do for a living.
WoW loses another 100,000 subscribers
Thanks to our sister blog WoW Insider, we've got the scoop on today's Activision-Blizzard investor call. The results? Turns out World of Warcraft isn't dying, but it's certainly seen better days in its record-breaking run. Blizzard's flagship MMO now boasts "only" 10.2 million subscribers worldwide (10.3 million were reported during the call in November). The company believes the success of the 4.3 patch contributed to subscriber retention, as did the success of the annual pass; in fact, a million players took Blizzard up on a deal to purchase a year's worth of WoW in return for a free copy of Diablo III. Blizzard also confirmed plans to launch at least two titles this year, including Diablo III in Q2. Mists of Pandaria, WoW's much-maligned upcoming expansion, might be the other, though Titan, Blizzard DOTA, and a new StarCraft II campaign are also in the works. The company's expected revenue for 2012 is $4.5 billion US.
It came from the Blog: Lunar Lunacy 2012 snapshots
Last week, the It came from the Blog family of guilds celebrated our second annual Lunar Lunacy. We gathered in Orgrimmar at the Lunar Festival area near the flight path. The minimum level to participate was 10, so that we could organize a raid in order to make good use of guild perks. With participants from level 12 to 85, we got the following achievements: Elders of the Alliance Members of The Insiders (our sister max-level guild) summoned us with Have Group, Will Travel to the enemy cities and used Mass Resurrection as needed. Elders of the Horde Mage ports took us where we needed to go for this achievement. Elune's Blessing We defeated Omen and basked in the afterglow. Some players also got the Frenzied Firecracker and Rocket's Red Glare achievements while we were organizing the raid. Then those of us with all of the sub-Cataclysm Azerothian flight paths completed the Elders of Eastern Kingdoms achievement by following the Overachiever's Guide to the Lunar Festival, only abandoning one non-flying person along the way. (Sorry, Pricecut!)
It came from the Blog: Join us for the second annual Lunar Lunacy
This Saturday, the It came from the Blog family of guilds will be holding the second annual Lunar Lunacy event. We will be attempting a few Lunar Festival achievements and respecting our elders. Hopefully, they weren't paying attention to those of us who got the Scrooge achievement during the Feast of Winter Veil. When: Saturday, Jan, 28 at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST, 11 a.m. server time) Where: Meet at the Lunar Festival area near the flightpath in Orgrimmar on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H). Who: Any Horde player level 10 or higher (for raid forming) How: Ask Roblinator or anyone in It came from the Blog for a guild invite if you are not already in our family of guilds. What: The plan is to get Elders of the Alliance, Elune's Blessing and a few other achievements. The highest character you have will probably have the most fun, as otherwise you may be abandoned with the other lowbies if we honor some flightpath elders. Death knights don't take too long to be event-ready -- just make sure you are done getting food thrown at you by the time the event begins. Hope to see you there! Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All members can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: Caroling Carnage event snapshots
At the end of last month, It came from the Blog held its Caroling Carnage event in order to get the feat of strength achievement A-Caroling We Will Go. This involved putting on our Gaudy Winter Veil Sweaters and using them to carol in each Alliance city. We met under the tree in Orgrimmar, and the world server crashed. There were only around 40 of us, but maybe the normal population of the Horde capital city couldn't handle so many under the already busy tree. So after we reconnected and dusted ourselves off, we zipped out to the front of Orgrimmar. Our plan was to get to the area formerly known as Auberdine in order to get to Darnassus. A few of us were under level 20, so that meant hoofing it. We traveled to Razor Hill, sloshed through the mire to the Northern Barrens and then gathered at the Mor'shan Rampart. Then we stayed on the road, making our way to the Zoram Strand and then on the beach up to the wasted coast across from Teldrassil. The gallery of our travels, as well as the continuation of our story, are after the break.
Reminder: It came from the Blog's Caroling Carnage tonight
Tonight is the night that the It came from the Blog family of guilds will be singing in dangerous places while wearing the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater. A-Caroling We Will Go is this year's unique achievement and involves caroling in enemy cities while wearing the sweater. There will be death and destruction -- mostly ours. But there will also be fun, as usual. When: Tonight, Dec. 30, at 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST, 9 p.m. server) Where: Meet under the tree in Orgrimmar on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) Who: Any level Horde character, the higher the better How: Ask anyone in It came from the Blog for an invite to the guild, if you are not in our family of guilds already. What: Caroling in Darnassus, The Exodar, Ironforge and Stormwind If you decide to make a death knight in order to join us, please make sure you are welcomed into the Horde before the beginning of the event. We will have an event chat channel to coordinate our activities, so even if you are in another guild on Zangarmarsh, you may still join us. The more the deadlier merrier! See you tonight! Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All members can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: Join us for Caroling Carnage
This year's unique Winter Veil gift is the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater. You can wear this lovely sweater while caroling in enemy cities in order to earn this year's unique achievement: A-Caroling We Will Go. If you don't get this Feat of Strength by the second of January, then you will have received an ugly holiday sweater for nothing. (Well, almost nothing. You still get the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater achievement, but that's not as exciting.) So the It came from the Blog family of guilds will be singing our hearts out (probably literally) in enemy cities this Friday night for our Caroling Carnage event. When: Friday, Dec. 30 at 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST, 9 p.m. server) Where: Meet under the tree in Orgrimmar on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) Who: Any level Horde character, the higher the better. How: Ask anyone in It came from the Blog for an invite to the guild, if you are not in our family of guilds already. Warning: As our delightful singing will take place in enemy cities, we will not be welcomed as cheerfully as carolers are in shelters and assisted living facilities. There will be death -- our death -- and lots of it ... hence, Caroling Carnage. If you decide to make a death knight in order to join us, please make sure you are welcomed into the Horde before the beginning of the event. For one night, don't wait in those long Raid Finder or space opera queues. Instead, join us for some dangerous singing while wearing fashionably questionable clothing. Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All members can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
It came from the Blog: Pilgrim's Bounty 2011 snapshots
It came from the Blog participated in Pilgrim's Bounty this year, as we do every year. Deathwing did not come to visit us, but we had fun regardless. Together, we got the Food Fight achievement as well as Sharing is Caring. We also traveled to each town so that we all could acquire Pilgrim's Paunch. There was achievement spam galore. After the event, many of us continued to do the quests for fun and achievements and to raise our cooking skill. We will be sure to have an event this month for the Feast of Winter Veil. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, we have pictures below. %Gallery-140546% Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild ranks can invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
WoW Insider Weekly News Update for Dec. 2, 2011
The WoW Insider Weekly News Update is your source for all the biggest stories from the past week wrapped up in a neat little video package. Mathew McCurley hosts your quick look at this week's biggest news. If you haven't already subscribed to the WoW Insider YouTube channel, you should! This week's top stories include: Raid Finder bosses explained in 5 seconds Tips for succeeding in the Raid Finder Watch the Dragon Soul cinematics Watch Cataclysm's ending cinematic SPOILERS! New patch 4.3 mounts and where to get them
It came from the Blog: Deathwing joins the Candy Run
Once upon a time, It came from the Blog embarked on a Candy Run through the Eastern Kingdoms. We began at Brill, traveled to Silvermoon, then the Undercity, through Silverpine Forest and on to Hillsbrad Foothills. There were candy, tricks, treats, and lots of running. Then one bright and sunny afternoon, the sugar-rushed travelers trekked through Arathi Highlands. Someone said, "Wouldn't it be cool if Deathwing appeared?" Everyone agreed it would. Three minutes later, we were tested on that notion. Deathwing swooped down upon us and toasted us like s'mores at a campout. He then stuck around long enough to make sure that it took us several minutes to successfully resurrect without being toasted. But then he left us to go on his fiery way. Charred but undaunted, we continued our candy run. You want pictures? We got your pictures right here. %Gallery-140549% Please join us on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H) in It came from the Blog. All guild rankscan invite, so /whisper Roblinator or any online member. You are all welcome as long as you play by our simple rules -- basically, don't be a funsucker! Visit the guild FAQ for more details.
