ARCHIVED ENTRIES
03/01/20: On Second Thought...
The re-vamped "Deepwind Gorge" might be aesthetically nice, but consensus says that it is just another AB (just with more flags - I mean, we already have Gilneas). It is also too expansive or broad.
Blizz should have left the cart-carrying - just left it the way it was, except for the re-design (which is an upgrade).
Wintergrasp as a BG had potential, but it's been a disaster - certainly a terrible one at that. Unless one side is completely undergeared or if the sides are uneven, playing defense is an auto-win and a 15 minute bore-fest / waste of time
(after destroying towers). On offense, an auto-wipe at SR it seems and players just leave. I look forward to Ashran and IOC more.
I think a 1 vs 1 queue system can work. As long as gear is equalized (bring back templates, or let us select essences, traits, gear at our own level), and make caster vs. caster, melee vs melee, healer vs healer type. Homogenization is another solution.
but that in of itself can be an issue. Class balancing has never been given a priority - but it might not really be possible anyway without homogenizing - which defeat the purpose of classes and having uniqueness.
02/17/20:
I don't use or haven't been using any PvP add-ons (or any add-ons), mostly because they tend to glitch out for me. Or I'm not inclined to download the latest versions. It's a chore to continuously update add-ons. Which is fine,
I've been holding my own. It is absolutely advantageous however, if you can track your opponents CD's and read / react accordingly. If I were to begin a competitive setting, add-ons are a must (as well as the use of discord).
It goes without saying - you can do well or hold your own without add-ons. Experience is very important - and playing a lot of classes / specs. Remember the three C's - calm, cool and collected. Panicking can throw off anyone's game.
Sarcasm at its finest. Hey PvP Devs - I issue a 1 vs. 1 challenge to ya (and you can have a head start with any corrupted, Mythic gear of your choosing). If I win - you do exactly what the PvP playerbase says to implement. This is why they stick with PvE or why this is mostly a PvE game haha.
02/10/20:
What is there after 8.3? I heard that this was the final patch of the expansion, and nothing else (aside from a minor patch or two). Between now and "Shadowlands", I reckon we'll be in for that inevitable content drought. As of now,
the Ny'alotha raid is fairly new, with a new LFR wing being released every other week. I'm just focusing on PvP'ing on all my characters.
Well, there is the new year or new seasons of the AWC tournaments. It'll be interesting to see how much of a factor corrupted gear is going to affect gameplay.
02/04/20:
What's this "Warcraft III" fiasco I'm hearing about? At least Blizzard is allowing refunds. Holy bugginess, incompleteness and more re-skins, Batman! Next thing you know - they'll turn it into mobile haha. "Don't you guys not have phones for that?"
The dailies are usually never worth doing - they ramp up the ratio (amount required to get your vessel vs. the amount you can get per daily) so
that it becomes a chore to do them everyday.
My focus is PvP, and I'll stick with that. Like trying to YOLO an RBG, pugging a raid is not going to get you too far. They can be picky, toxic, or can disband quickly for whatever reason. For non-PvE'ers, a learning group is highly recommended as they are more tolerant.
01/31/20: Ny'alotha Raid Progress (Week 1) - 10/12 Normal
Apparently, I just need to down the final two bosses. But finding a PUG has been difficult - there hasn't been any (specifically for the final two bosses, unless I start fresh or in the mid). But at least cleared up to it during the first week of 8.3 release.
The issue with PUGs, is that it can disband anytime - most of us don't have the time to do a full clear (or put up with too many wipes).
I focus mainly on PvP (world, randoms, and practicing the occasional 1 vs 1, 1 vs 2, etc.). I'd be up for a queue-able dueling system (ranged vs. ranged, melee vs melee-type system). Dueling in of itself can be daunting, albeit scarce these days -
you don't know who's geared, skilled, experienced. Sometimes, you just have to put yourself out there and take your lumps or losses to gain experience.
Adjusting your talents and tightening your rotation is necessary for PvE - in particular, raiding. I guess I'm finding that out on my alts.
01/22/20: Ny'alotha Ending Cinematic 'Spoiled' Like A Rotten Egg
I heard about the disappointment to the underwhelming ending cinematic after defeating N'Zoth. But I'll find out myself eventually - most likely through LFR. I'm not a raider, but a PvP-er.
Usually for the final raid of an expansion, I'll try out Normal with a PUG (completing a run-through would be an achievement in of itself). But I tell ya, Ny'alotha seems as expansive and
challenging as Antorus was on release....except purple heh.
Learning groups - I don't mind wipes, and others shouldn't either. The purpose of a learning group is to learn through wipes. Learning through experience is the most ideal, since you get a "hands-on" approach (reading and watching videos is always helpful and would minimize the amount of wipes). Of course, I prefer to keep them at a minimal. There is a point
where wipe after wipe can get exhausting and a waste of time.
Squeal for Squeakers? More like *Puke haha. I'm pretty sure Blizz is going to try to think of every single critters or animals there is to sell as a mount for their store.
01/16/20: Visions of N'Zoth
Patch 8.3: Visions of N'Zoth released on the 14th - new content couldn't come any sooner. I recommend waiting until the files are fully uploaded (optimal level at least), to experience the cinematics smoothly as well as other gameplay.
At least the legendary questline took awhile - it is certainly not a quick experience - most of it is in scenarios and completing assaults. I am still uncertain about corrupted gear, but it is a new challenge. I think a player has to acquire
gear with abilities that might actually be quite useful (and I don't mean ones that are probability-based, "...has a chance to" - I'm not sure how useless they are). There's also corruption cleansing or resistance.
The Deepwind Gorge re-design is great - wish they could replace the existing one instead of making it a brawl. I prefer Farmer Fung's Cooking brawl actually - that one is quite unique. Next week is new PvP season and the Nyalotha raid.
01/06/20:
Patch 8.3 is supposed to arrive around the 14th so I heard - not a few weeks. Well, it's something.
It's been awhile since I played Frost - most mages have been rockin' Fire for all of BFA practically. Playing multi-specs is just as potent as multi-classing, especially if you can
master them all. It's a never-ending learning experience however, especially when you have to work with different essences, traits, pvp talents, etc.
12/31/19:
The end of the year, and the end of the decade - we wish it was already the end of BFA as well haha. The new year is going to bring that dreaded "content drought" after patch 8.3 has run its course - and the patch is still a few weeks away.
It's fun to watch local / player's tournaments now and then.
11/14/19: Shadowlands Still in Early Development?
There are some pessimists who think that the new expansion won't release until the end of 2020 or even in early 2021. If "Shadowlands" is indeed in early development and far from being remotely finished,
Blizzard apparently still felt the need to announce it at Blizzcon to prevent a backlash (we all expected an annoucement anyway). Regardless, how opportunistic is it for Blizzard to immediately announce that the new expansion is available for pre-order knowing that the expansion is in shambles (thus, the lack of
content on the presentation - the deep dive seemed to be a regurgitation but with more specifics). It is a pure money-making scheme - they are a business afterall.
I never pre-order anyway. But customers should be wary of schemes like this - Shadowlands might not be a full product well into late next year. It's a wait-and-see.
11/03/19: Blizzcon '19 Thoughts...
I believe Blizzard redeemed themselves with "Diablo 4" at least. As for WoW "Shadowlands", that remains to be seen haha. The cinematic left a lot to be desired, and players
are already jumping to conclusions with the way it turned out. I do agree however that the story should've been about something else other than Sylvanas, and that amount
of power should not have been given without any kind of rhyme or reason - at least ones that actually make sense or is canon. Reasonable, canonical or logical are words that don't seem to be in Blizzard's vocabulary. If anything, there was a split
second moment in the cinematic where I thought Sylvanas would put the helmet on.
I am a bit underwhelmed with the features of "Shadowlands". Although covenants sound like another grind-fest, we need to give it a chance as with any new expansions. Who knows. Most players
are excited about the return to Class emphasis as opposed to Specs. I can't wait for that. I'm also intrigued about the character customization - I might have to roll a human. However, I would have to break my stance on never joining the ally unfortunately.
I wish Blizzard would do something about the long queue times for Randoms - although I'm against cross-faction groupings, it might resolve the long queue times. I also hope they'd re-consider solo-queuing for rated PvP eventually. And even a 1 vs.1 queue system in PvP.
Although it seems very impractical before, I think the positives outweigh the negatives.
Watching the AWC on Blizzard's stream was a better experience than on Twitch - practically no fuckin' ads. I didn't have to close the browser everytime.
It was nice to see the OG Red Shirt Guy again. Unfortunately, it wasn't a lore question - probably would not have been selected anyway. But you can always count that the question is going to be the most interesting or relevant of them all. Anyway, onto Blizzcon '20 I guess haha.
11/01/19: Into The "Shadowlands"
Blizzcon '19 has begun, and the new WoW expansion reveal is:
Besides the cinematic, not much was revealed about the expansion except for a few zones. And the inevitable level squish - not a fan of that, but in the end - it's just a number. More thoughts to come about
the cinematic and when other information is revealed (if there is content to be revealed).
10/30/19: The Ultimate Screwjob? The AWC / MDI Prize Pool Debacle
This is Blizzard's "Survivor Series" screwjob. Apparently, the crowd-funding appeared to be a ploy so that they can pull out of contributing to the Prize Pool. Of course, if the minimal amount wasn't met, they would have to contribute.
But it was absolutely a money-making scheme. It's quite tragic that businesses these day operate only on making money at the expense of the consumer and even the player.
Lesson learned, folks. Don't buy any more toys haha.
If Blizzard had any decency, they would put their 500K back into the prize pool in addition to the profit generated by the crowd-funding. We need a new red shirt guy to call them out at Blizzcon.
10/10/19: Patch 8.3 - Visions of N'Zoth
Apparently, there is an entire video on Patch 8.3 content. It's mostly PvE stuff, including what appears to be the final raid of BFA -"Ny'alotha, The Wakening City" or something like that. Countdown to Blizzcon '19 begins.
In addition to Hazzikostas and Holinka, perhaps it's time to blame Kaleicki going forward haha. Because we all know that the "Current State Of WoW Is A Steaming Pile Of Dookie" haha.
09/28/19: Is The Blizzcon Hype For Real?
As the saying goes, "it better be real...it better be damn real" haha. From Holinka's tweet (via The Red Shirt Guy):
"So, I'm not going to give anything away, but god damn Blizzcon is going to be hype. The WoW team in general is doing amazing stuff, but I'm extra proud of the work my team has been doing lately. I think players are going to love it. 5 weeks."
09/26/19: Survey Says...BFA Is A Steaming Pile Of Dookie? haha
I think a forum-goer described it best - "A Steaming Pile of Dookie". This expansion could perhaps be actually worse than WoD. Let me count the ways:
- Island Expeditions - after trying it out the first time, never did it again. There are no premade groups to be found which is an indicator.
- Warfronts - this would have made a decent BG, but just plain tedious (at least allow us to spam it instead of having to wait and wait...)
- Dueler's Guild - complete failure. Needs to be a queue-able system. I'm up for a 1 vs 1 system.
- Benthic Gear - WTF? The amount of manapearls required, and the lack of manapearls attainable or available to attain (Did the thought of adding it as a reward to the first LFD or LFR of the day ever occur?). You do the Math heh. The gear isn't even worth it.
- Essences - inaccessibility to higher ranks. I don't give a fuck really - it's only necessary or needed in top-tier competition (I can hold my own with what I have in what I do).
- Nonsensical Storytelling & Out-of-Character NPC's - ask RP'ers and PvE'ers about that one. I heard a lot of complaints. The Teldrassil fiasco for example.
I'm sure there are other misgivings, but enough said for now. Was there anything positive about the expansion? Other than the concept of a faction war, I can't really think of any. Well,
Nazjatar was alright.
We hope Blizzard can get their shit together in the next expansion, whenever that is announced. It would behoove them to begin hyping it up soon. Otherwise, Blizzcon '19 is going to end up as another clusterfuck.
Are we going to see a new Red Shirt Guy? haha. Also, the only thing to look forward to Blizzcon is the Arena World Championship.
09/22/19: Congrats to Cloud9!
It didn't look like Cloud9 would be able to beat MB (from yesterday's showing - although I had a hunch they would make it back to the Grand Finals), but they did. C9 definitely are a team to be reckoned with at Blizzcon. Still, it's anybody's game and there could be surprises or upsets.
Never let your guard down.
09/13/19: Thrilling Conclusion? We Would Be "Thrilled" If BFA Ended Now haha...
Patch 8.2.5. I heard that the war campaign is going to come to an end in this patch. As for the content, believe whatever leaks or spoilers you want. Right now, WoW Classic is what a lot would consider new content, or even a ploy for players to stay subscribed (at least for the vanilla WoW'ers). Until the next content patch whenever that might be - perhaps not until early next year.
08/25/19: Staying 'Classy' With 'WoW Classic'
WoW Classic has been dominating WoW news these days, and you have to wonder if all of this could be part of a cover-up for the inevitable content drought or lack of updates on 8.3 or the next expansion?
Personally, I was anticipating for more leaks or rumors on what the new expansion is. If I can't get on a PvP server for this, I probably won't level up a new character on WoW classic - not that I would have the time for it anyway. There's also Doom Eternal to look forward to (I can only hope
to get a gift card for that at some point). Why? Because content drought is inevitable - it's f'n Blizzard afterall haha.
Operation: What The Fuck? Well, it's definitely a challenge for sure heh.
08/03/19: Lumberjack Cleave?
I wonder if that'll be a thing haha. Imagine an Arena map in Grizzly Hills, playing as Kul Tirans heh.
07/18/19:
I don't buy into rumors about what the new expansion is, but it does get folks talking as well as paying attention again heading into Blizzcon '19 (if the expansion gets announced that is - knowing Blizzard,
they might fuck it up again).
- I'm against a level squish, but just like a stat squish - it's probably inevitable and most likely is going to happen next expansion. There was a hint of it at a Q & A. In the end, it'll become irrelevant anyway as we are more focused
on honing / refining our skills in PvP or PvE, attaining achievements, etc. But gawdammit - couldn't Blizzard just let us enjoy our triple-digit level at least one more expansion sheesh (130 isn't that high at all - but apparently to them, it is).
- The content surrounding N'Zoth and unleashing the 'Darkness' (whatever that means) - I think we could foresee it coming anyway. As far as new zones, more revamps or isles?
- Faction Neutrality?! - keep the factions separated (This isn't World of 'Peace'-craft). You know, the song that goes "You Gotta Keep 'Em Separated"...heh.
There are other rumblings and whatnot, but they do not interest me at all. But at least rumors generate buzz and a bit of an excitement for what the next expansion could be about or what kind of content might there be. Some of it might be true, others false. But I suspect the title might be different - as is usually the case upon reveal. We'll just
have to wait or hear about what has been trademarked.
07/01/19: To Nazjatar/Mechagon!
I found the new zones worthwhile, although a bit too compact. The new quests and continued storylines keep you attentive - overall, it is new content. The newness of any content patch is always going to run out eventually, so take your time as there are two new zones to immerse in.
The reputation grind toward "Pathfinder, Part 2" is something to work on, as well as collecting manapearls for benthic upgrades. It might not be much, but it's an alternative to the RNG crap of getting the same, useless gear from the weekly chest (of any lack of upgrades from there).
Holy horrible WQ's, Batman! It's "Jumping Jellies" this time, you enter a whirling vortex only to have it throw you in any which way, completely throwing you away from the jelly platforms. It absolutely is a waste of time, and not worth the worthless rewards (unless they make it 100 manapearls or something).
What a fun night of some "Tarren Mill vs. Southshore" epic battlegrounds (as long as the lagging is kept to a minimum). They weren't just stomps, but close, epic brawls from one town to another. Even in the losing end (fighting within Tarren Mill) was fun nonetheless. I suspect the new Essences are going to make somewhat of a difference (as well as the nerfs / buffs to some classes) as far as Arena and Tournament play is concerned.
We'll see when the Summer Cup resumes.
I'm already thinking about whether the next expansion is going to be announced at Blizzcon '19. They better, after last year's fiasco at Blizzcon with the whole mobile Diablo mess.
06/24/19:
Cloud9 has emerged as the powerhouse of NA, and they appear quite unbeatable when running MLD - Frost/Destruction/Resto - comp. The scary thing is, they still haven't utilized their other well-known team member.
If things change drastically after 8.2, might we see an appearance or is Cloud9 planning to just stick with this? As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Well, at least they're turning World PvP areas from past expansons into new Epic BG's (first Wintergrasp, and now Ashran - if creating new BG's is too much of a chore or resources / ideas they don't have anymore, I guess why not). Get rid of IOC, and all is well.
I'll give more thoughts on Patch 8.2 as we delve into it.
06/19/19: Patch 8.2 Begins On 06/25
Well, I was incorrect in my assessment - but speculating mid-month was the closest. Sometimes, you have to speak up in order to get updates or any kind of news.
But it shouldn't come to that.
Anyway, Patch 8.2 is the next major content patch with a new raid - facing off against Azshara. Talk about 'Malice' in the 'Palace' heh.
When it comes to E-sports broadcasting, having a hype man energizes the desk and can be entertaining. Of course, things can get out of hand at times. Whatever the reason, it's just unfortunate circumstances.
What I'm more peeved about is the influx of useless / garbage ads - twitch ad blocking doesn't seem to work or it's been prevented without affecting the stream in its entirety. I just have to close the browser during the wait times.
06/09/19:
It doesn't appear that Patch 8.2 is going to release any time soon, probably in July or early August. With BG queue times back to the long waiting times (what's with the 20+ minute waiting time for Epics), we'll have to deal with
the current lack of content. I think they should add PvP Brawls permanently instead of the "every-other-week" crap.
Blizzard/Activision can lazily half-ass their work or what they call "content", and delay or stall major content patches these days. I don't think they give a crap as much as they used to, as long as business is still booming or subscriptions are
still at respectable levels to make profit. This comes as no surprise, but I wouldn't hesitate to unsub at any moment's notice. It's unfortunate that the days of giving a crap about the customer-base (with profiting becoming a priority over all else) is no longer
part of that priority.
05/25/19:
Apparently, the Summer Cup tournament begins around 06/15. As for Patch 8.2, I would guess either early in the month or mid-month.
05/14/19: Feels Like 'Seventh Heaven' For 'Cloud 9'
It was LAN weekend, and 'Cloud 9' (formerly known as the Super Frogs) won it all. At this point, they are the team to beat. Bring on the Summer season!
05/05/19:
The "Wrecking Ball" achievement - this was a surprise the other night. It is considered one of the most difficult PvP achievements, but a bit easier in larger-scale BG's.
Anyway, woot!
04/20/19: Patch 8.2 on the PTR
Apparently, the focus is moving towards an eventual confrontation with N'Zoth (after some manipulation) and Azshara is the lackey with the upcoming raid in 8.2. That's probably not exactly correct, but something like that. Who knows if N'Zoth is the end boss for this expansion,
but we probably won't be able to completely defeat the old God.
Finding or knowing where the elusive War Supply Chest (With a quick spawn timer before disappearing. There aren't any - if at all - guides out there that exactly tell where and when they spawn), makes this achievement (BoB) annoying as hell. I've finished everything else for the CoA meta achievement.
04/01/19:
Blizzard's yearly April Fool's gag just gets worse and worse, that in it of itself is comical. They're too easy to spot (if you are unable to make it convincing, at least try to be creative - which it hasn't). Perhaps the entire expansion is one big April Fool's joke.
Here's an idea for a good one - "Blizzard prioritizes PvP and pays attention to it at last - Devs actually listen and balances classes accordingly to the playerbase suggestions".
03/29/19:
I thought there was a weekend tournament, but just realized that the Cups for this season have already finished. There is the LAN, but there is a one month break.
Whatever happened to the "Should I Go To ('Enter Fast Food Name Here')" poster. It's been one of the entertaining ones, among complaints and trollish forum posts.
03/15/19: Wintergrasp - Nostalgia...is here!
It's an epic version of "Strand of the Ancients", although I miss that battleground because it's quicker. Nonetheless, it's pretty fun, and certainly beats IOC (I just leave it when it I have to enter it, unless it's a quick romp - it's Blizz' way of trying to increase participation in that).
Nice updates to the scenery in WSG and AB. I thought it was overdue for an update.
03/10/19: Super Frogs vs. The Move, Game 5
I haven't watched enough Arena Tournaments to know if there were a lot of nail-biters, or matches that had the commentators nearly losing their voices heh. I'm sure there were a few of them last season, and seasons before.
This was exciting. Elite players can pick up a new class or spec, and masterfully adapt or play well with them within a quick amount of time. Although this cup might belong to the Super Frogs, do not count the Move out just yet.
03/03/19: So Far, Tis The Season Of The Super Frogs
How can you not root for them. And Krag'wa would be proud I bet heh. But anything can happen, since Blizz tends to change things up with buffs and nerfs. But I think they'll still be racking up the points, if not winning or becoming finalists in the rest of the cups.
I think we should have been allowed to completely defeat or beat Jaina Proudmoore instead of her escaping, but then again - the entire point of Battle of Dazar'alor was in the alliance's favor anyway. I guess they gave this expansion to them.
02/03/19: Greater Pyro vs. Chaos Bolt
I just dusted off my Warlock, and beginning to level up the alt. Destruction spec is all the rage I hear, so I've switched (besides, I'm tired of DOT-ing all the time). Both Greater Pyro and Chaos Bolt deal massive damage, but GP has a longer cast time
and usually requires a setup in order to get it off in a timely way (when it comes to competitive play in Arenas at least). In BG's, you can get it off in the midst of a group fight while the enemy is distracted (since the teams are larger, and there are objectives to consider).
Chaos Bolt has a shorter cast time, but requires soul shards. The complaints on Warlocks is that they are easy targets with their limited mobility and such. But they can be viable when used correctly - there is still demonic gateway, burning rush, fear, etc. It's been awhile, so need further practice for sure.
01/31/19:
The queue times for BG's have been relatively quick the past few days, not sure if it's going to last. I personally don't mind if Blizz entices the opposition
with high-level gear and buffs - as long as participation increases, queue times are reduced, and there are more alliance to pound on heheh. But in regards to BG's, objectives are priority of course.
I still think faction incursions should occur more often. They can occur at odd times during the day, when most of us are asleep or too early in the morning. Sheesh.
01/27/19: New Brawl Thoughts
I had reservations about the new Cooking brawl - the concept in hindsight is absolutely silly in conjuction with the war or battle theme of this expansion. But I tried it, and I felt it
was cute and entertaining enough. It was nostalgic, and made me miss MoP music and environment (the comedy aspect in a way). You get to provide ingredients for a cook-off while pummeling the enemy at the same time heh.
Remember, folks. Farmer Fung and Nomi approves, and I guess that's ok with me heheh.
01/13/19: Patch 8.1 And Beyond...
"The Battle for Dazar'alor" seems to be the type of raid that goes along with the theme of "battle" or "war". In that sense, it might be worthwhile. By why in the holy hell do we need to play as the opposing faction - to see their point of view? This is a faction war-themed expansion, and we need to fight the opposition's bosses.
In terms of a practical standpoint, there would not be enough bosses to go around anyway. Personally, no thanks. At least it might be an upgrade from "Uldir" (other than the Zul fight, which was decent).
In keeping up with the theme of looking at another's point of view, I might go the other way with one of the alts to to see the storyline from Saurfang's POV. Again, I do not really give a rat's ass about the direction the story team is taking this as I'm strictly a PvP'er and an achievement guru. Nonetheless, I'd blissfully go against any NPC who would consort or collaborate with the opposition or the enemy to begin with.
As well as completely ignoring the story and just PvP-ing as well as questing - just for progression's sake. Keep in mind that this is only a damn video game heh. Real life is an entirely different matter of course.
We already figured that Sylvanas has a hidden agenda, and might be ousted eventually. Whether she'll be a raid boss remains to be seen. At least let us fully defeat Jaina Proudmoore again if that is the case. In this game where a player might want to make the most of seeing content, it might benefit to use our alts to see the story from different sides (within your faction, of course).
12/22/18:
The faction incursions need to happen more frequently, but it is what it is. At least World PvP has become semi-active again - funny how when you are in a pre-made, sometimes there aren't any enemies around and vice versa. When the odds are against our favor? That's when we should shine the most (unless you are mobbed or rush foolishly into a mob a la Leeroy Jenkins heh).
12/16/18:
Got the achievement today, woot! Next up is "Conqueror of Azeroth" - this might take awhile. The plan is to get these on at least two characters or at least I'll try to - mage and spriest.
12/15/18:
Gawdammit. I was 9/10 on "The Alliance Slayer" achievement, but got separated from the group and got eventually mobbed. Unfortunately, you can't get credit in a raid group for that.
So I had to drop group, and get the HKs. Oh well, there's always next time. I'm certain eventually, if the quest ever comes up again.
It's time to get into World PvP more, which is the point of War Mode and this expansion's theme - the faction war. Unforunately, joining premade groups is the only way to find some action; even then,
there can be a lull or almost nobody participating in it. I've decided to work on the "Conqueror of Azeroth" achievement, which I think is a cool title. It's going to be a grind for sure.
12/13/18: That's "Still" A Lotta Damage?
The Patch 8.1 class nerfs and buffs. Some Fire Mages are up in arms about the nerfs to the Blaster Master trait, but I never got all three pieces anyway. Still, I was able to hold my own.
Even with the nerf, I still think they can do a "whole lotta damage" if not outright demolish someone. However, we tend to gravitate towards classes or specs that have been buffed.
Shadow feels the way it should've been. But I didn't mind the tankiness (but more damage please). I plan to continue in polishing the Elemental. Remember - if you lose, don't be sour or sore. If you win....well, gloat hard haha. Joking aside, be gracious in everything (avoid toxicity, if possible).
12/08/18: Francis Wields....Frostmourne!
It's the gift that keeps on giving, or taking down a Christmas tree muhaha. This is non-WoW related, but the sword makes a cameo appearance:
The next major content patch (new PvP season and raid) is not until the end of January. What a wait. But it's their way of spreading content without players finishing too quickly. The drawback to that is that players have to continue waiting and waiting...
11/25/18:
Solo-ing Mythic raids is possible after two expansions (one to two shotting in WoD - probably the discrepancy or leap in scaling between WoD and Legion), but doesn't appear to be so in just the previous (at least for some classes). What gets to me is how some achievements are not solo-able even after all this time because of mechanics.
I can't wait for new Shadow buffs - it'll be fun heh. They're nerfing Frost mages even more (this time, snares / slows. Seriously - nerfing their damage when it's already been meh should've been already enough). I've had to adjust and adapt in becoming adept with the other specs - Fire (and probably Arcane in the near future).
Skip Patch 8.1, and new content actually should begin with 8.2. What is it with x.1 patches - either it's recycled content (more of the same shit), and useless crap. The quality of content has rapidly deteriorated at the expense of trying to make a profit - in terms of tapping into the mobile market, microtransactions, and simplifying game play / content.
11/10/18:
Holy queue times, Batman! The queue times for BG's have remained stagnant at around 9+ minutes, and epic BG's have gone up to 15+ minutes. I guess players are becoming disinterested - well, I don't blame them. Who'd want to queue into uneven sides, a team with no healers or undergeared players, etc.
Once in awhile, there is a competitive match - that's what keeps me going and racking up the HK's as well. In the meantime, I'm leveling up and learning the nuances of some new classes.
As I mentioned before, I think Warfronts would be better off as battlegrounds. But this is a PvE game so no surprise there. A "Battle of Stromgarde" in the style of Arathi Basin (capturing a node game is always fun and competitive - if PvP devs lack the innovation to come up with anything than a lame vehicular bg such as Isle).
Instead of killing the opposing faction's NPC, the BG objective would be to infiltrate and capture their base by capping one huge-ass flag representing the faction logo. Along the way, have other side objectives to capture to aid in the cause. Just a rambling thought - probably not very innovative either heh.
11/04/18: Blizzcon '18 Aftermath
As I thought, NA all the way and did go...all the way! "Pen and Paper" was the surprise team of the tournament that went further than expected (and could have nearly made it all the way). In a competitive setting,
any mistake at all could be game-breaking or costly. The dynamics of the tournament might change again, with further nerfs and buffs to classes in coming patches.
It appears that the WoW Red Shirt Guy has been retired, or is no longer allowed to ask questions. That's fucked up (as well as Blizz' business model and their unscrupulous attitude towards their customer/fan base). Well, is there the Diablo Red Shirt Guy now? You can say that he's been "immortalized" haha.
But there is only going to be one true legend, and that is the WoW RSG. Well, in lieu of the Red Shirt Guy, Chris Metzen showed up in a cameo to ask about the new Warchief. Nostalgia at its finest - one of the original panelists (and devs from the early days) from the now classic "Blizzcon '10" video where they were put in their place heh.
The business model should always be about making your customer/fan base happy - not at the expense of it. Sure, they could do whatever the hell they want to make a profit. But it's the customers that pay for the games. I don't play Diablo, and do not give a rat's ass about it. But I feel for the Diablo gamers who have
to settle for mobile gaming - or, they could just hope for a Diablo 4 if at all.
11/03/18: Blizzcon '18 - Diablo Fiasco..
Apparently, there's a new red shirt guy at the Diablo Q & A. By now, most if not everyone should have heard about the unanimous displeasure at the reveal of the Diablo Mobile game. I don't play Diablo, but I'd have to agree.
A mobile game is not much of a reveal - it should have been a side project that could have been revealed at any time. A new expansion or a new game is worthy of a Blizzcon reveal.
With that being said, I can't imagine a PC or a console gamer who would actually be interested in mobile gaming *shaking my head. We need a "Francis Hates Diablo Mobile or Mobile Gaming" video for sure muhaha.
10/30/18: So Let It Be Written...
"Pen and Paper" appeared to be on their way as the surprise team of the tournament only to be stopped by the Gosu Crew - but P&P put up a good fight.
I personally thought P&P could've pulled it off - don't we all root for the underdogs from time to time. I didn't watch Blizzcon tournaments in the past years, but apparently
Pen & Paper never made it out of the first round until now.
10/26/18
I haven't played Fire spec since two expansions ago - I've been mostly a Frost specialist (and that I haven't even completely optimized yet). But at some point, I needed to get out of my comfort zone
and try out different specs. In Legion, it was Arcane as the go-to but now it's Fire (with the damage buffs). Frost has been viable and useful for its survivability and snares, but their damage could use buffs.
Fire mages are having a field day with their damage output. I've just begun to re-learn it, so it'll take time in getting comfortable with it. As the chant goes from "Revenge of the Nerds" '84, "Fireball!, Fireball!, Fireball!..." heheh.
10/16/18: Grab Your Booster Seats - Arena World Championships At Blizzcon
I might watch some of this (if at all) - I prefer the regionals however. With more nerfs and buffs, it remains to be seen what is going to happen. Can the Super Frogs be super again, and is the Gosu Crew be movin' up or goin' down?
Stay tuned, folks. Same WoW-time, same WoW-channel heheh.
10/14/18: Patch 8.1 - More Blizz Blunders?
If you read the RSG's article on Blizzplanet, it's a particularly harsh criticism of the new warfront in 8.1. Definitely things worthy to be asked, and perhaps needed to be asked at the Blizzcon Q&A heh. But you can bet your bottom dollar
that he might be prohibited again, or might not even attend this year. For sure, I believe that Blizz has gotten lazy and are taking shortcuts in making the game. Dialogue and story have become inaccurate as well as certain plot points in the story. But then again,
if you can make up anything on the fly or just create something on the whim with complete disregard to canon or what is, then you might as well hire any bum on the street because they can. I don't even want to get into the quality of the art work on gear *shaking my head - but thank god for Transmog for that.
In essence, I don't get emotionally involved or invested in the dialogue or storylines - so I don't necessarily give a rat's ass. However, it is still essential to get it right. But whatever.
10/08/18: Spoiling The Fun - Party's Over..
Well, it was '4'fun while it lasted - watching 4Fun make it all the way to the grand finals. This goes to show that you never know what new team can or is going to surprise in a tournament.
But the story of the tournament is what the Arena players call Turbo Cleave. Season of the Witch? More like Season of the Turbo heh.
09/30/18: Movin' On Up - Wanna Run With The Crew, huh?
Fortunately, this weekend's Arena tournament was fast-paced for the most part and didn't last all day (don't think I should do that again - sit until 9 PM such as a few weeks ago heh). But I usually do go outside for a walk as a breather.
There's one more coming up before Blizzcon!
09/22/18: Patch 8.1 - Another Siege Raid?
I think it was Sylvanas who says, "How utterly predictable" (I think - or some other NPC). But in the words of Palmer from "The Thing" - "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me" with that drab voice heh.
Let's face it - Blizz writers have become predictable and one-sided. But that's not why I'm still subbed or play the game. I just PvP, get my achievements, and do my thing - I'm not overly concerned about any kind of story, and I stopped giving a rat's ass about things.
It's just a damn video game. If you want to RP to your heart's content, please feel free. However, I do agree that Blizz needs to put 'balance' back in their vocabulary when it comes to not just class balancing but faction story as well (not just always vilifying Horde characters, or telling it from one perspective only all the time).
09/12/18: "And Down Goes...."
I believe the new Arena Tournament season is almost upon us. I guess the saying goes - NA all the way! heh.
Warfronts would have been better served as a BG. I almost wished that it were, instead of Seething Shore. If anything, it's a nice catch-up mechanic for alts. But I have no interest in repeating it, unless I want free gear.
But I'd prefer to delve into Mythics and through PvP'ing in BG's.
09/07/18:
Behind every nerf bat for certain classes, comes a new playstyle, re-talenting, etc. Skilled players are going to either switch to a more viable class (and master it), or make do and adjust with what they have (as in my case).
I still have yet to find out what the most optimal setup is, after experimenting with different playstyles and finding the most viable or optimal traits. It's a learning process for sure.
09/06/18:
The first raid of the expansion is out - Uldir. I have yet to do Mythics and Mythic Pluses (eventually), but in the early going ons - PUG requirements appear to be more strict and I'll probably won't get into one (if at all); until I'm more geared.
Fortunately, the emissary quests give some entry-level epics and rep points. And I found some use for the mission table heh.
Blizz does have some explaining to do - especially when it comes to NPC's like Lillian Voss. This is something the RSG should bring up at Blizzcon '18 (and I'm sure there are other questions as well), if he isn't permanently banned from the Q & A that is. Just let the guy ask away!
08/25/18:
Of course, there is the Pathfinder achievement that comes with every new expansion. Unfortunately, the rep grind is the most tedious part. Also, 100 world quests - really. I don't find WQ's fun to do, but I'll do a few world quests here and there for the gear (or for this achievement). But that's it.
I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the state of mob scaling at 120, but certainly the mobs no longer just fall over in an instant anymore. I don't really mind it - there is at least a semblance of a challenge where interrupts, CC's, are actually used again. And it makes you think twice about pulling too much at a time. But I do agree there are too many mobs in certain confined areas.
"Get bent" - Garona
08/22/18:
With every new expansion, there seems to be a few players who complain that they are bored already. And another few who just hate the expansion for whatever reason. As for being bored and whether a feature was lazily put together a la WoD (/cough - Island Expeditions? heheh), I can't really argue nor support that case or complaint.
However, there are always things to do. Perhaps not just brand new, or to your liking or taste. I just don't think that those kinds of players have found their niche yet or made an effort to - whether it's obtaining achievements, Rated PvP'ing, Battle Pets, etc.
If you hate BFA, you can always take it up with Francis muhaha.
Freehold is a humorous dungeon - a cross between Highmaul and Neltharion's Lair. So, would you rather "look like Elekk Poodoo" or "smell like parrot guano"? heh.
08/19/18: At 120
Well, I hit 120 yesterday. The combination of running BG's and dungeons helped I guess. But ran them just to alternate experiences rather than questing all the time - not to level up quickly. Now at the max, it's time to gear up and
continue to do max level activities. It's a wait-and-see whether I'll yolo Rated BG's again. Who knows - perhaps my class might be more relevant again. I could still hold my own.
Dueler's Guild. This is something I might try out, although I'm not much of a dueler. First of all, the game is certainly not balanced around 1 v.1. But it is certainly winnable against another random player - you never know if they are inexperienced, new, not good, etc. unless you try.
Apparently, rogues are currently the OP class. In the hands of a skilled player, there is practically no chance to win. But it might be worth a shot just for the experience.
08/18/18: You Come Get De Voodoo...in Nazmir?
What an eerie zone with a ton of quests - the bats, the temples, and the swamps. Leveling has been quicker than expected (I'll hit 120 this weekend) - I've been doing BG's as well just for the PvP. Gotta love them Tortollans - they just tell it like it is, and the dialogue is sprinkled with humor.
I couldn't help but giggle.
Francis be like, Krag'wa is my kind of Loa! muhaha. Or perhaps I should just mingle with the Kul Tirans.
Perhaps screenshots forthcoming.
08/14/18: It has begun...in Zuldazar!
The idea is to immerse myself in the quests and storylines. So for every new expansion, I'm usually never in a rush or a hurry to reach max level. Zandalar is proving to be a broad and expansive island, although there are only three zones.
But most likely enought quests to go around. Perhaps screenshots forthcoming. The trolls should form their own bobsled team for the WoW Olympics (if there ever were one) - "It's the Zandalari bobsled team, mon!" heheh.
So I turned on War Mode from the get-go, and it was quiet - there were no allies around to get in a skirmish with in Silithus. I probably have to wait until 120, but even then - PvP participation (especially World PvP) hasn't been that high in recent years so I wouldn't expect too much.
I'm taking it all in, and enjoying the moment. Probably within two weeks or so.
08/13/18: The Hour Is Upon Us...
In T-Minus.... I've done some bg's the other day to get in the mood. War Mode all the way! Meh, we'll see. For now, I'd rather enjoy the leveling process and the new zones.
Get yer war on!
08/08/18:
BFA goes live in less than a week! Where has the time gone. Nevertheless, let the hype train begin heh.
I enjoyed the "Battle For Lordaeron" scenario - they could've added a few more skirmishes here and there. Apparently, Blizz made Sylvanas quite 'villainous' and there's been an uproar over it. But it can be a matter of perspective.
Obviously, Blizz should have gone in a different direction - perhaps an ally sabotaging or being responsible for the Teldrassil atrocity - but it is what it is. For me, what I did was completely ignore the questline
and re-imagine it fresh from the "Battle For Lordaeron", as if the ally were invading Lordaeron for their own greedy purposes.
I just stay away from being too much into the storylines. I'm not an RP'er anyway, but once in a while - it is fun in a way when the right moment or situation arises. Unfortunately, they are few and far between.
08/01/18: It's August! 12 More Days...
As far as the storyline goes, it is what it is but I reckon that it was somewhat expected or predictable (considering the amount of leaks). Why would Blizz ever change their ways? Perhaps the guy who started the "WoW is boring, Dad!" thread does have a point somewhat heheh.
So the question of the day would be - are we going to fight Sylvanas as one of the final bosses in a 'Siege of Ogrimmar 2.0' type of raid? It remains to be seen.
I'm mostly a PvP'er, and although I enjoy the leveling and story experience - I don't necessarily give that much of a rat's ass about it. I just want to get to max level, pimp out my gear, get more achievements, and kick ass in PvP.
Until max level, I'll be experimenting with different combination of spells and talents. I'm sure there is an optimal set up at 120.
Now that the Teldrassil questline is over, it's time for the siege on Lordaeron! Perhaps the ally should ask Francis for help muhaha.
07/19/18: Pre-Patch 'Experience'...
Well, it's just getting acqainted with the new BFA changes - class redesigns (new rotations, talents, seeing what works or what doesn't, etc), damage numbers / item level reduction, etc. I thought the "Teldrassil" questline would begin at the get-go, but I guess not.
You can say that it's not much of an experience in that regard heh.
Certainly, the ability to adapt to changes and to make the most of what has been gutted, pruned or added can tell a lot about a player's skillset or whatnot. It'll take time, and for sure a lot of things are meant to be balanced around max level (120). So take it with a grain of salt for now, although
things might appear broken at this point. There are always going to be a few classes that are not as viable or have become not viable, but changes seem to be frequent anyway.
I was used to seeing damage numbers in the millions. It feels like we're on our leveling alts instead of our mains.
Nobody likes or enjoys content that is gated. But I suppose it is done so that players don't finish content in one day - as most of us do.
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