ARCHIVES 11/05/13: With Blizzcon '13 just days away, the recent trademarking could indicate that the new expansion is about to be revealed. I'm not going to discuss about it until it is actually made official or disproven. I'm sure the rumors of the return of the Burning Legion is something to look forward to for a lot. Either way, there should be answers by next week for sure. 10/17/13: Blizzcon '13 The question I'm sure in most players' mind,......is the new expansion going to be revealed? That, and whether the Red Shirt Guy is going to make another guest appearance muhaha. 10/08/13: Apparently, there's the 20K+ achievement points group. I wouldn't necessarily say that that's the elite of the elite, but it sure is quite an accomplishment. Right, lot of hard work there muhaha. 10/06/13: 10K+ achievement points. But I wouldn't say that I belong to an elite group just yet muhaha, that's probably 15K+. But considering that I'm a soloist and I only focus on achievements sparingly, I suppose that's alright. I don't go for vanity achievements but when I do, they're usually ones that require bit of effort. There are quite a few group-required achievements, and usually the meta-achievements has that one achievement that I'm missing to get that meta. Oh well. The first two wings of the "Siege Of Ogrimmar" so far. I've enjoyed the bosses so far, and looking forward to the end encounter with Garrosh Hellscream. However, I can attest like most competent players that the LFR has been less than pleasant. This isn't any more difficult than ToT, but I guess I could just hear the angry fat guy or even the angry german kid screaming..."it's...too...hard!!!" muhahahahaha. No, it's not. The first week or two of a new wing is tolerable, wipes are expected in order to learn and adapt to the new content. But after that, players become less patient and more agitated with the learning curve if some don't. We all have to understand that new players enter in all the time. But it's the ones that are unwilling or unable to adapt or learn that is quite frustrating. Raising the ilevel requirements of the wings can help, but no amount of DPS or stacks of determination is going to help if players aren't situationally aware and get killed by standing in fire and shit. 9/23/13: I've been enjoying the "Timeless" Isle, not so much the weeklies or the dailies, but just exploring and killing the elites and rares muhaha. They are tough, and quite a few absolutely require groups. However, I have solo'ed almost all the elites except for the High Priest of Ordos; which has an insane amount of health to solo and can two-shot anyone. As for "Proving Grounds", certainly plan to get back to it again to hopefully finish off the most difficult level. I always believed that good/skilled players (PvP or PvE) can adapt to any changes and make the most of it, even if they don't agree with them. Bad/unskilled players usually whine/complain, insult, or whatever. Buffs or nerfs, Blizz usually has a reason whether it is a necessary or an unnecessary one. I definitely don't believe in making changes for the sake of making changes. And it is probably true that certain changes can only get you so far. There has to be a balance or a fine line of buffing one class and nerfing another. But anyway, going back to the Frost spec. It is what is, and I suppose only number crunchers would know whether or not the new changes does increase DPS somewhat factoring in other items like increase to DOT's, increase to pet damage etc. But from what I've been hearing is that Icicles is most potent at higher Mastery percentages. So far, that seems to be the case. I guess it is premature to overreact immediately, but I'm still not sold on the aesthetics of having icicles dangle over your char muhaha. 9/12/13: One command prompt did the trick. Perhaps I should keep a list of useful cmd lines to clear glitches like this. The Frost spec has gotten a nerf, but I'm certainly not going to switch back to Fire just yet. That doesn't get competitive at all until certain stat thresholds are met. For PvE, a decrease in damage for Frostbolt, considering that its the main cast, is certainly not good for PvE. The Mastery change is pretty lame both aesthetically and damage-wise, but it is what it is. For PvP, Frost has a plethora of utilities that allows a player to survive and CC well. Burst damage is an added bonus or a luxury, and of course we all want to kill players fast. But a skilled PvP'er can still kill players anyway, perhaps not as quickly. Either way, frost mages should still hold their own well. The "Proving Grounds" feature is pretty cool, although I thought it would be more like Brawler's Guild where you go against unique bosses with increasing difficulty and various mechanics. I'd prefer it that way. But each wave is timed, and players have to be conscientious about the timer in terms of planning kill order and popping CD's. With gear scaled down, it can be a challenge at the most difficult level. For sure, there isn't any need to wait in a queue which is definitely a plus. 9/10/13: Patch 5.4 is here, as well as a few technical glitches as expected with a major patch muhaha. Of course, the standard resetting of the UI (deletion of 3 folders which includes the cache) didn't work this time; even deleting the other cache folder, but to no avail. Right now, my main is stuck with npc's, players and mob portrait frames that are completely out-of-wack. I'm sure other players are experiencing this. However, my alts aren't affected which seems to be a character-specific glitch I suppose. Although character displays/portraits might not affect game play, it definitely is a major inconvenience. As of now, I can only play on my alts until this is resolved. 8/23/13: Patch 5.4 On September 10th That's still a few weeks away but considering that it's probably the last major patch of this expansion (unless the new expansion is still far off), it should be worth the wait. It's time to topple Garrosh Hellscreams' tyrannical regime. As for me, I have things to do across all my chars in the meantime; considering that I'm logging in sparingly these days. 7/31/13: My characters are more or less geared up at this point, but there are additional item upgrades and other achievements to go for. Or just work on my alt. I log in sparingly, mostly because I'm cutting down but continue to remain active and achieve as much as possible within certain time constraints. I think in essence, you have to take everything in moderation including WoW. So when is Patch 5.4? I surmise that it'll be another month or so perhaps. Given the pattern, it's usually a few months on the PTR for a major patch they say. Woot. Not. Muhaha. 7/21/13: For all the achievement-goers, I recommend wowhead for some informative hints. There isn't any shame in that. Or you could figure it out on your own, which I prefer. Understanding coordinates and having addons definitely helps, although not needed. We were all new to content, and I think it would behoove the experienced players and/or players who can adapt quickly to show a bit more patience and compassion to the new ones. I'd be happy to explain a fight or assist a player in need when asked, without having to say anything else but the content in question; whether it's in an instance or even questing. I would imagine that the Angry Fat Guy would "still be having trouble" with all three, but it's ok. He would make a 'fine' snail as an alternative muhaha. 7/14/13: Patch 5.4 Although MoP is not quite finished yet, I do think about what the next expansion is going to be about. I personally think that they should go back to the 10-level increments, but I understand if that's pushing it a bit too quick. I think I heard somewhere that there still is a lot of WoW lore to tell with the expansions, and they would rather do it 5 levels per pack. But this is still far off, so let's get back to 5.4. There is some juicy content so far including "The Siege On Ogrimmar", so we're all looking forward to that. Survey says, what's considered the top "I'm laughin' my ass off" kaput in LFR? (players new to content are exempt and lag nothwitstanding, however) a.The Elegon Floor Drop b.The Durumu Death Beam/Maze Phase c.Eaten By Snails In The Forgotten Depths For me, it's "a" muhaha. As far as Durumu is concerned, it's a challenging mechanic; particularly for LFR. But it's something that's certainly a breathe of fresh air from all the tedious tank 'N spank fights of the past. I did figure it out even before the nerf, but the maze was nearly impossible to navigate the way it was anyway. But here's the tip for this: get in front of Durumu once he starts casting the Disintegration Beam or right before, which is harmless before the maze begins. Search for purple wavy lines on the floor. If these lines appear to the left of the beam, Durumu will rotate clockwise. If the lines are to the right, he will rotate counter-clockwise. Search for an opening (a DPS and a melee path) that will appear, although not quite obviously. Since the beam seems to move faster, it is imperative to find the safe zone as quickly as possible. 6/03/13: I'm sure 5.3 was only brief to transition into 5.4, where the final raid will take place. It better be epic as TOT. As for the state of PvP, I'm fine with the notion that the removal of resilience will allow non-PvPers to try PvP'ing or BG'ing. It doesn't really matter to me, I'll still PvP and hold my own. But in the meantime, a heed of warning to the experienced PvPer's doing Randoms. At least on the Horde side. You will take your lumps and experience losses like never before until the new PvPers get use to or get the hang of BG objectives and going against other players/classes. For me as an experienced, I'll stay away from it for awhile. I like my alts. But my main is where its at, where all the achievements and PvP will occur. I don't feel the need to go for the same or even different achievements on my alts other than my main. It's just disgusting. It's disgusting to hear how WoW'ers who are also parents, can neglect and mistreat/subject their kids to human indecency as a result of WoW. Please. Don't let WoW control your life. It is enjoyable, and can even possibly seen as a profession for a pro gamer if one can excel at it and devotes enough time. It's just sickening to hear that, and it makes my stomache turn. Players are responsible for their own actions. Not WoW itself, and that's the bottom line. 5/03/13: TOT Is One Heck Of A Raid... Even in LFR, some TOT boss fights have been challenging and interesting enough. Never mind that the loot doesn't seem to drop as often as in previous tiers, it has become pretty epic all the way to Lei Shen. Except for Megaera, a straight-forward tank 'N spank fight at least in LFR. Patch 5.4, which will most likely culminate to the Siege on Ogrimmar, better be epic as well. 4/21/13: Gold Bags Are Fail Bags? muhaha Players wait 40+ minutes in queue, have to endure wipe after wipe on a new boss, and they look forward to..... more gold?! RNG is RNG, which is fine. But to say that Blizz added loot to the so-called loot bags is quite exaggerating or not true at all muhaha. Or where did that rumor start? I guess patch 5.3 and 5.4 can't come soon enough muhaha. 3/25/13: Just a few days ago, I was doing the PvP portion of the 5.2 quests and I was suprisingly happy that there were two alliance characters; either a player with two characters or two separate players with two characters- repeatedly wailing on me. It took awhile before I could finally finish the last of the PvP quests. Of course they killed me repeatedly but on a PvE server, it's still PvP action and I'll take it. That was pretty fun, although all the damn NPC's gettin' in the way are not muhaha. If I had more time, I would consider transferring to any PvP server for more World PvP and perhaps actually getting into Arena, where you have to know not just your class but every other class as well. Precision and quick awareness/reaction time is required to succeed in that, which I feel I have if I devote enough time that is. Right now, I have too much going on that I have to prioritize in life. 3/15/13: Frost Is Boss... I have to agree that Frost is now adroitly competitive, even moreso in both PvP and PvE. Frost has always been the choice spec for PvP because of its CC/Survivability. As far as damage, it's all about maximizing it through proper rotation or quick awareness. It's true for any other class or specs. Players should learn how to maximize their own damage or DPS by learning as much as about their specs as possible. Sure, a few classes have been buffed much more. But still, it's the challenge of being the underdog class that makes it a bit exciting and less boring in a way. As far as the 'Throne Of Thunder' is concerned, the bosses have been interesting so far as mechanics are concerned. Of course, I only have time for LFR so I probably would never see real raid time mechanics. The PvP quest options are a breathe of fresh air, with all the NPC's in the way quite a nuisance. Of course on a PvE server, there's still not much PvP action. I'd like to transfer to one of the top PvP servers if a spot opens up. They're still quite full. 3/08/13: Patch 5.2 Has Arrived... Although I'm sure there are still quite a few out there who don't consider dailies to be new content, but they'll either have to live with it or quit altogther because dailies has become a major part of end content. I'm not exactly a fan of doing the same exact quests every day for new faction reputation, but then again we can't expect every patch to contain something unique. But at least switch up and randomize the dailies so that the exact same ones aren't repeated over and over. Otherwise, I don't them mind them at all muhaha. Especially if the rewards are worth it. But for the sake of progressing or unlocking more new content, things could go a bit faster and less 'rarer'. With some major and minor class changes, I'm sure players will be switching specs. With the Fire nerf, I've switched over to Frost; at least for PvP. I haven't played Frost in awhile, but still familiar with it. The Ice Shatter Combo is just as potent as the old PoM Pyro or the briefly implemented Inferno Blast/Living Bomb spread 'buff' that was sorely needed for Fire. Perhaps I'll experiment with Frost for PvE since Pyro is whimpering out in damage with the nerf as well. So far, it's been pretty fun. I'm not too sure about this 'same server progression' of unlocking new quests or content, but hopefully it's not meant to be taken literally or else we might end up remaining at Stage 1 for the duration of the patch. Bugs are pretty much inevitable, but I'm not sure what I'm experiencing is one. I'm not getting the bonus reputation that is supposedly given after doing the initial Dungeon Finder and/or Scenario of the day. Of course I selected the rep faction. There's either one minor detail that I usually overlook, or it could be an isolated bug altogether. 2/19/13: The Dominant Offensive Questline The plot is surely unfolding, as we get to see Garrosh slowly becoming power-hungry and completely ruthless that even the Horde factions will eventually turn against. And it is this very Sha energy that Hellscream wants to utilize, and apparently it is this negative energy that has turned the Mogu into such a malicious force. The questline culminates in Garrosh's finally capturing the Divine Bell, and a tragic ending which I won't reveal and players just have to find out. In order to do so, the D.O. dailies must be completed. And then one of the quests for that story arc will be released. I enjoyed it, mostly because it was essential to the story arc which is starting to flesh out. Also, the rewards are worth it to gain reputation in my opinion, if not solely to kick some alliance ass muhaha. Must be even more fun on a PvP server. Most players probably know by now that the end boss is Garrosh and the Siege on Ogrimmar, but how this comes about is the intriguing and fun part. Knowing the story and lore is part of WoW, even if a player doesn't focus on it. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, as that is still far ahead. Blizz has got to do a much better job on that raid than Dragon Soul. At least on par with ICC, and I'm just speaking on what raiders are probably thinking. I think the consensus has agreed that Dragon Soul was a disappointment. Not a bad raid, but certainly felt rushed and just not epic enough. For now, folks are anticipating Patch 5.2: The Thunder King cometh.... 2/09/13: WoW'ing On The Road... Aside from updating content for this site, I have been logging into WoW as well. That's the beauty of a portable notebook gaming computer (albeit a outdated/slow one, and the clunky weight muhaha), and a trusty bag fit for it. When you are on the road, all you need is free wi-fi access and all that gear. But here's several inconveniences; the WoW account locks whenever you try to log in on a new network. So every time I hit a different city or town, I have to unlock the account and change the password. And secondly, the awful lag that has been quite frequent on the road. But it is what it is, and I have to just deal with it until I finally settle down. Coordinating and guiding a PUG group in a battleground can be like pulling teeth when you have a team that's incorrigible or unwilling to be cooperative in meeting objectives. I can deal with new players willing to learn, I sympathize with them because we all used to be new. In that regard, I can take losing with stride. But then you have the other extreme at the other end of the spectrum, where a player continuously blames and insults everyone else when I've noticed that it's that player who's the problem; incorrectly geared, low damage, no contributions, etc. I always say, you either 'Put Up Or Shut Up'. The bottom line is that PUGS are PUGS; you will never know what to expect. Some days, Horde dominate and others they are just awful. I just leave and do something else. Or just re-queue, until there is actually a competitive group. That's not very often, but it happens. Anyway, I know I'd kick alliance ass if I had time for Rated games in premade groups. But I don't. And neither can I allocate time to participate in coordinated raids. However, since I enjoy PvP, I'd be willing to transfer my characters to a top-end PvP server if a spot opened up. 1/24/13: A Case Of The Alts..../Revenge Of The 'Nerfs'.... I used to think that I wouldn't have time for alts other than my main character but after the launch of MoP, I said to myself that I'd have to at least try out a Pandaren character and the Monk class. After a few months in of this expansion pack, I finally got around in creating a Panderan Shadow Priest and an Undead Monk. Interesting combos, but I sure didn't want to create the same thing that many players will usually opt for; the Panderan Monk. I'd rather be different or unique, something that isn't as common or seen too much. I thought it would be quite a bore taking these alts back to leveling/questing, but it's been pretty much alright for the most part; especially when you have to learn and master new classes. Although dungeons give better gear than quest greens, they don't give everything and sometimes it's necessary to finish a questline to get that elusive piece that's missing. Or just buy everything from the AH muhaha. Nah, not my style unless I have to. Perhaps I'll give another go-around for a Warlock, a character I should have kept. 4 characters is pretty tame compared to what most players have, but again I'd never thought that I would even think that I'd be able to manage that. One thing is for sure, a true WoW'er usually always have alts anyway muhaha. I heard about the nerfs coming to the Fire Mage in 5.2, and despite that I would probably still stick with it in PvE. But perhaps go more frost in PvP. I think most already know the damage that it can do in PvE settings, but it has been just as powerful in PvP when used correctly and efficiently. The addition of Inferno Blast and the improved Scorch talent has provided a lot of burst damage and mobility in a lot of settings. You add that with the new passive Fire talents that boost damage, it has been a powerful spec. The instant pyro proc and the spreading of DoT's like Living Bomb has made Inferno Blast so invaluable. But the impending nerfs to these spells that will remove these, will make Fire less viable unfortunately. Frost will be given a few buffs, at least that'll give the Frost Mages something to be giddy over muhaha. But I've been commited to Fire, but will switch if necessary. C'mon, Blizz has already nerfed Flamestrike to the ground by giving it a cast time muhaha. I'm not too concerned with class imbalances, and although some classes are indeed buffed to the extreme, it isn't anything players should whine about. Either they can switch classes, or just learn to master their preferred class of choice. I prefer it that way, and that can at least get someone pretty far. 12/22/12: Patch 5.2- 'The Thunder King' Will Rise.... According to the official World Of Warcraft website, Patch 5.2 will bring a new Ulduar-style raid called 'The Thunder King'. It sounds ominous, but that's a good thing. And the image looks pretty bad-ass too. It's familiar territory if anyone has completed 'The Thunder King' questline or storyline in Kun-Lai Summit, and 'you know' that there is unfinished business for sure muhaha. Anyway, this sneak preview is brought to you by Blizzard right before the holidays. Nice gift, Blizz muhaha. It's supposed to hit the PTR in January and go live later in the year. World PvP. It only works well when you're on a PvP server. That isn't true entirely, but the fact that players are not flagged while questing is a main reason for sure. Patch 5.1 brought the Horde and Alliance back to the shores of Pandaria, where there are new factions to gain reputation points with. I haven't done too much yet, but so far there hasn't been any PvP action. I'd gladly transfer to a PvP server if it were for free, since I've been pretty clear on the point that I'm not willing to pay for a transfer. Not yet at least. But who knows... 12/11/12: Holy Account Replenishment, Batman! My Battle.net account has been regularly replenished without any hitches until yesterday, when it failed to replenish. Now that I had to re-add the cc, I probably have to wait a few damn days before the new balance kicks in. As the angry fat guy would say,...'hurry the f*ck up blithard!' muhaha. 12/03/12: Raiding 'Old-Style'... Now that older raids can be accessed without a raid group, I guess solo raiding isn't exactly considered raiding either muhaha. Especially when one out-levels it about 20 levels. Still, it's about seeing old end game content from vanilla to the lich king. But unfortunately, only plate-wearing classes who are 90 raid-geared can possibly solo the later raids from WOTLK. From my experiences so far attempting to solo as much as possible from the beginning, this much is certain; there isn't much that can be soloed by a clothie muhaha. Mages have a lot of utilities damage and cc wise, but they aren't called glass cannons for nuthin' muhaha. That, and there seems to be an endless supply of stuns, fears, and silences every few seconds from a boss and boss adds that completely shuts out a DPS class. Tempest Keep is the latest attempt I've tried, where the main boss Kael'thas Sunstrider has adds that just uses every trick in the book when it comes to those. A pocket healer or a tank is necessary at least, until I get more geared and have health potions and/or trinkets that breaks out of any movement-impairing effects. The Void Reaper was also a pain in the ass, as he silences continuously before you have a chance to even get off one burst damage or a DOT. SSC and AQ40 are also difficult to solo if not impossible, and I'm not sure about BWL, but I reckon that's also about near-impossible for a mage. Nevertheless, I have finished a few TBC raids and planning to attempt perhaps the early WOTLK ones if at all. More on that later... 11/27/12: Patch 5.1: Landfall For the first time in quite awhile, WoW'ers like myself feel inundated with content. I'll definitely take part in the PvP, and certainly will look forward to the 'Brawler's Guild', where soloists can test their mettle on a few tough bosses. Or are they really that tough? muhahah. This requires an invite however by purchasing it either on the BMAH, or by a guildie. I'm not to keen on that, but hopefully there'll be a way. I'm also glad to see that players can now enter older raids without having to form raid groups. Which means, we can go back and see content in the previous expansions by soloing them. Many of them will still be a challenge due to a few mechanics, but for the most part it shouldn't be too much trouble at all. More thoughts later. 11/18/12: The Loot System... I haven't been able to log in for a few days, and that's the way it goes for a part-timer. I'm not sure if I'll have time to even create a Pandaren, but I'll have to find time for that. It's part of the MoP experience for sure. But anyway, about the new loot system installed for the LFR. Although the intention was to give everyone a fair shake at loot for their own class, it is a bit disconcerting to get a cache of loot with only gold in it. Every single time so far. You get a few pieces here and there off of a boss when the roll is in your favor, but so far there hasn't been any tier token drops either. Whether they'll drop in later raids remains to be seen, but this is a bit disconcerting. I'd much prefer to see the loot table for each boss and roll for every relevant item, that way it doesn't seem that there were absolutely nothing on the boss. I wonder if it's too complicated to program it in way that can identify the player by class or type and restrict them to roll on them *sarcasm. There are probably other variables as well but currently, other players are expressing their discontent as well. Despite all this, I could live with it. I think there are a lot more issues with the other system than this one. 10/23/12: "Slow down, life is to be savored!" retorts a Pandaren NPC muhaha. It's one of my favorite quotes coming out of an NPC when questing. Otherwise, they're all words of wisdoms. Definitely you can apply them to RL. I almost caught up gearing in PvE, finishing the Loremaster of Pandaria and gaining reputation through various factions. Finally started the first of the raids in LFR, and I'm fine with each one being released one after another and not all at once. There's much to be said about the LFR, but the bottom line is that it is a tool for everyone to see end game content. It's not considered real raiding, but I certainly don't have any doubt that I'd succeed in that if I dedicated myself to a good guild. I can only find enough time for solo content at this point, but who knows. It's almost time to create a Pandaren and try out the Monk class. I'm thinking about 2 more characters in total, but where will I find the time? I'll have to utilize one log in session per character in any event. I'll have to power level with these 'alts', since leveling through quests in old content which have been done over and over isn't really an option. Perhaps it'll be an opportunity to use heirlooms of which I have heard so much about. 10/15/12: Brawl For All... There's definitely going to be some pwnage when a player dives into PvP action after a new expansion has come out, especially if one has immersed in PvE content for the first few weeks or so. It's like playing catch up, utilizing a combination of old tier gear for the PvP stats and the new PvE gear for the up-to-date ilevel stats. Until then, the PvP'ers who have already geared up beforehand will tend to pwn, especially if the said PUG has players mostly in PvE gear to begin with. So I decided to take a break from reputation questing and heroics, and start gearing for PvP once again. There's not much to the new battlegrounds as far as objectives are concerned, with each team needing to rack up their points or resources for the win. For me, I enjoy the capture the flag style fights like WSG or capture the node style like AB. I also think most players like death-match style fights that pit team against team for a brawl-for-all. I also think that players should be able to queue for 'War Games', or it should be revamped like queuing for a Heroic Dungeon or Raid; with a set amount of heals, DPS and melee. I'm curious about the new "Brawler's Guild" in Patch 5.1, since I'm more or less an efficient solo player. And yep, I'm looking forward to testing my mettle with the so-called toughest lol.... 10/09/12: Now it's time to quest for various reputation, which will take awhile. Mogu'Shan Palace and the adjacent faction terraces are beautifully rendered and a sight to see in the Vale Of Eternal Blossoms, where everything seems to come together and where it's protected/guarded from all the negative encounters on the outside; in particular, the invading Mogu. The gates finally open when a player gets to 89, and it's the hub of all 90 introductions and transactions. I'm sure in the first week when a lot of players hit 90 right away, there were a lot just a taking in the scenery. It's quite vacant now, but there are quite a few things to do now. I bet Ogrimmar and Stormwind will still be the places to chill. I ran two Scenarios for the first time after hitting 90. They are basically group quests/adventures, which require more than a person to get through. Each scenario goes through four stages, and although the mini-bosses have as much as Dungeon mob health, they don't hit as hard. Which in a three-man situation, is perfectly fine. There isn't supposed to be a tank/healer anyway, just using one's savvy and know-how. The second run was two-manned, since a player dropped out at the beginning. It was completed, and fortunately, it was a Druid who stayed; whereby utilizing heals in addition to DPS'ing. At the same time, I added a bit of cc/kiting in addition to DPS with the frost utils to save a few seconds here and there. While there seems to be plenty of content so far, Patch 5.1 is apparently ready for the PTR soon. Wow. I think Blizz is certainly living up to its promise of providing new content muhaha. So far, I am definitely sold. 10/07/12: Once At 90... I just hit 89, so almost there. But I assume that most have already hit 90 by now. It's been almost two weeks since release, but since playing a lot of hours the first few days, I've readjusted back to the regular part time routine of just a few days per week. That, and I've been immersed in doing all the quests and questlines in each zone. Certainly, I've been appreciating the journey towards 90, and the fascinating and engaging story that has been unfolding in Pandaria. The Shadow-Pan is an interesting faction, Pandaria's only fighting faction so to speak. They are the protectors or warriors of Pandaria I guess, and the invading Mantid as well as the negative manifestations called the Sha has been problemtic for the denizens of this peaceful continent. Shadow-Pan Monestary isn't a joke the first time around at 87-88, and it actually was a breathe of fresh air to see some actual difficulty in the normals. At 90, it'll be interesting to see how the 90 'Heroics' fare, despite intentions of making dungeons not as difficult or time consuming as Cataclysm dungeons. Ironically, I preferred it that way. So what will I immediately do once I hit 90? Well, gear up of course. Get the starters 90 PvP and PvE gear and work my way up. All the way, start doing dailies and rep grind to get those prized mounts like the cloud serpent. And achievements, and more achievements. And pet battles. And holiday events. And...alright, one thing at a time muhaha. And then there is creating a Pandaren character possibly a Shaman, and a Monk class. 09/30/12: Screenshots.../Holy Nesingwary, Batman! I decided to provide some screenshots below while taking them logged in, just a sampling of the majestic scenery or landscape of Pandaria; including a parody screenshot muhaha. So far, I traversed through three zones going through quests and questlines. I think the RP and cut scenes have made it more engaging and interesting as well. The themes that prevail in Pandaria like the manifestions of negative energy called the Sha, is something to discuss in another entry. I guess you can't get rid of Hemet Nesingwary and his gang muhaha. For every new continent, the family has to hunt down prized wildlife but for us players, it's been nuthin' but a grind. I remember STV and all the animal mastery quests that was just so laborous and grindy. So much so that it wasn't worth doing again. Or how about that missing pages quest that was too much of a chore or grind? Fortunately, it wasn't too much of a grind. Decided to do it for the achievement. 9/29/12: Downing A Cold One With The Chen... There's something ubiquitous about downing a beer while going on the brewery questline. But anyway, here's to another 'cold one' Chen! muhaha. Although the queue times for the two lower dungeons has been over 30 min lately, it isn't going to really matter until 90. Gear will be replaced as a character levels up, but I suppose players don't really start gearing until at least 88. "Gotta Catch 'Em All". I suppose that should be everyone's causes muhaha, certainly mine but Pet Battles is something I might try down the line. I do have a hefty inventory of pets, although probably not as elaborate as most pet collectors. Why let it sit there idly as unused inventory? This will definitely give some uses for pets besides just for vanity reasons. And the journey continues.... 9/25/12: "It Has Begun...." Right off the bat, I popped a beer at 3 AM and began the journey into the new continent with other fellow players. Sounds irregular, but why not. I think I drink too much coffee anyway muhaha. Nevertheless, what could I say? I was immediately drawn into the new world of Pandaria and began questing for two hours before hitting the sack. After a few more hours today and a few more wings and slices, I'm nearly done with 'The Jade Forest' with just a few more questlines to complete. When I said that I'll immerse in the quests and lore, I meant it. All I could say is that MoP is off to a damn good start. The scenery is breathtaking, and the quests/story flow well. It's definitely a relief that we're back where there is continuity, where zones are interconnected and there is actually content again. I'll be enjoying the journey to 90, although for a lot of players I suspect that they want to get to 90 as quick as possible. Once I get well into questing, I'll make a Pandaren character....on the Horde! The 'Pandaren vs. Panderen' possibilities in PvP is what makes things interesting, since they start out as a neutral faction before the Horde and Alliance discover and loot/pillage the enigmatic but breathtaking land of Pandaria. It's time to take sides folks...