THE LEGION EXPERIENCE 01/05/2018: Pugging high level Mythic pluses can be a challenge, because there's usually one or two dps that are quite low so it prolongs fights or the dungeon run in general. It would be nice if everyone did over 1 million DPS or close to it, then beating the timer would be much easier. With that said, it's a dime a dozen finding players who can maximize their DPS despite gear levels. More often than not, the ilevel does not necessarily equate to high DPS. I know how toxic and unpleasent pugging can get, so I'm usually more than willing to go through wipe after wipe (if time permits). For me, I'm just taking it one keystone at a time and see how high I can go. I really don't intend to push it that much. 12/21/2017: This is why I prefer not to use voice comms: Fat Kid Refuses To Get Off My Xbox "It doesn't matter if I lag?!" muhaha 12/05/2017: Mythic Keystones - It's About Time... I should have queue'd for these earlier. I'm sure it's much more of a challenge beating the timer at lower ilevels for sure. But nonetheless, there are other variables involved. In order for a dungeon run to be fast and smooth, some variables include - good DPS (AOE damage helps) and heals, players being on the same page, familiarity of the dungeon itself, among a few. With that said, I'm geared at a level where I could jump in at +10 or higher. But I've decided to gradually build my way up - hopefully to +15 at some point. Not sure how far I'll get nor how often I'll queue up. I'm still a PvP'er at heart. It's disconcerting that it's been tough to get into even normal raid pugs. They shouldn't be difficult, but in some sense, I can understand why players would put up unnecessary requirements to enter - "high level achievements / ilevel needed" and the like. I'm not a raider to begin with, so pugging is a dime a dozen and not going to fret over it. 12/03/2017: First off, I have never raided of all the years that I've stayed subscribed (solo'ing old raids not counting). I've been mostly PvP'ing, but I felt compelled to check out Antorus by pugging. With all the toxicity that exists, I'll have to tolerate learning pugs (as I have to learn the nuances as well). I know that raiding is not overtly difficult (perhaps over-tuned at times), at least until a player attempts Mythic no less. But to step into one for the first time, it'll take some to get used to it and a few practices. Lagging and high latency certainly does not help, which I have been unfortunately experiencing since the new patch released. In essence, the hype appears real as Antorus seems epic. Still need to clear normal. As for the new allied races, I might consider creating a Nightborne. 11/22/2017: After Antorus, I would expect the typical content drought between now and the next expansion; since Antorus appears to be the final raid of Legion or so they say. There could be a minor patch afterwards or a minor raid. But for sure, we already know there'll be two more PvP seasons. So how long of a drought remains to be seen. Despite that, what can players do to keep themselves preoccupied. The easiest solution would be to temporarily unsubscribe or quit the game and play something else entirely. But if there is something else to invest in (such as going after achievements, leveling alts, or other goals), that is still content and something to do. Besides PvP, I can go back to the Draenor raids and finish them. Unfortunately, "Glory Of The Draenor Raider" is not possible since some of the achievements are not solo-able (at least for certain classes). They certainly did not say much in regards to "Battle for Azeroth" at Blizzcon, and that has quite a few concerned. I suppose it's just a wait-and-see to find out if more information is going to be provided, and or if the expansion is really in its early stages. 11/05/2017: WoD All Over Again? / No Red Shirt Guy... Conceptually, "Battle For Azeroth" sounds cool and I'm excited for it as any experienced PvP'er (I've carried randoms, held my own individually, and got achievements in pugs - as difficult as they can be). But I've heard some complaints about this possibly being a "filler" expansion with unfinished content and announcements that do not make it in-game. Sounds a lot like WoD - where Tanaan Jungle was not finished, and they left out a capital or major city as I heard. Nonetheless, I'll reserve judgment on that if more information becomes available. We better have our Horde leaders intact and alive, or else there'll be hell to pay. At this point, I have no qualms about quitting or unsubscribing although I prefer not to. I can just as well learn and conquer other video games out there. No Red Shirt Guy this year at Blizzcon 2017 unfortunately. I'm sure Blizz implemented the pre-screening or question approval policy, because they did not want to be stumped again by him. Or, they did not want his popularity or fame to overshadow their meager panel. 11/03/2017: Next Expansion Announcement - "Battle For Azeroth" And so it'll begin again heheh. I'm definitely quite excited since I'm a PvP'er at heart, and would love to continue to stomp the opposition. But which side is going to be portrayed negatively or positively? Either way, I do not give a rat's ass. I can't speak for others, but I'll be horde for life. I already have an idea for the new web page heh,heh. I'm hoping that Sylvanas is not a raid boss, but it's a possibility. Hadn't we had enough of Horde raid bosses already? (sheesh). Instead of the Siege of Ogrimmar, it should've been the Siege of Stormwind. I'll probably upload the cinematic as well with more thoughts to come... "Let's get ready to rumble!" 10/08/2017: As far as brawls go, the "TM vs.SS" is the only one for me that is interesting or fun - a queue-able team death match type battleground which gives casters or ranged the edge for a change. The only issue with this is that the 40-man per team brawl with all these spells or abilities used produces lag spikes up the wazoo. Fortunately, my FPS isn't as low as some but on occasion it makes the BG unplayable - as if the abilities are unresponsive and your character is stuck in slo-mo. I'm not sure if there is an overall technical solution to this, but it seems that it's up to the user or gamer to do something about it. Although I feel that I can master a melee class eventually, I'm a caster at heart. So I'll stick with working on my Lock for now. It's fine since I do not PvP competitively to begin with - not yet if at all. 9/06/2017: Woot! Should I go after the meta achievement? 'Cloud Nine' is the next difficult achievement, so much so that I stopped going after these. Usually, a premade is required but it can be done however difficult in a random pug - which can be unpredictable or lopsided. 9/02/2017: After having played a ranged or caster class for years (no melee), it's certainly a different experience playing a melee class. It's going to take some time getting used to, as far as being in 'melee range' is concerned; whether it's keeping the mob or enemy player in front or in range. If there is any consolation to world quests, they are another way to gear alts. I'm not an alt-a-holic, but leveling and playing alts (new character / class) is certainly a way to study and learn about other classes in terms of PvP. You can straight-up study every class, or play a few and learn about it like that. Also, it is important to know how to play them anyway if a PvP'er or an Arena team / player needs to switch up in order to counter certain comps. 8/30/2017: Assault On Argus - And 'Tho' It Begins... Patch 7.3 - Shadows of Argus arrived yesterday. I wish they didn't gate the entire quest or story line, but then they'd have to do that since a lot of us would finish everything within a day or so. However, I am certainly not eager nor interested in continuing to do world quests unless there were worthwhile rewards (which there hasn't been in recent memory). So far, Argus has lived up to its reputation as being bad ass. It is ridden with Fel energy and the usual Fel demons. I actually like the improvements in animation, although still more could be refined. On Argus: 8/09/2017: Patch 7.3 - Destination "Argus" We are heading to Argus for patch 7.3. Are they claiming that this'll actually be the biggest patch in WoW history again? muhaha. I'm curious to who the Final Boss is going to be. It probably isn't as evident or obvious, but the three candidates most are considering could be Illidan, Khadgar or even Velen. (Proudmoore or Sylvanas as also probables). Blizz is known to throw curveballs as well. I've been recently leveling and learning the arts of other classes. Right now, I'm focusing on ww monk and probably get back to lock and rogue. They are a bit more viable as compositions go for RBG's at least, which I might try to "yolo" again. They can be just as atrocious and uneven as a random. A bunch of melee against casters? Or the match starts with uneven sides? No thanks. I would probably program or code the queue system in a way that would make sure that only a certain number of melee or classes are allowed. Or, match pug against pug / no voice vs.no voice - if that's ever possible. Although I excel at my mains (with more nuances to learn), I still have to excel at other specs as well. I've just not been into the AP grind unfortunately. Destination Argus: 7/14/2017: Competitive PvE Now they are holding Mythic Dungeon Keystone tournaments from I hear. It doesn't really matter to me, since I'm more of a PvP'er and solo player. And it's not going to necessarily change my participation or not. In any competitive tournament, teamwork is the most important aspect of it all. And then team composition - this is mostly true in PvP where certain classes are more favored over others depending on what is buffed or nerfed. They don't call this "World Of Melee-craft" for nothing muhaha. A skilled player can still make do and adapt, although of course it be in the best interest of the team to select classes that can run over others quite easily without much effort. Is the next expansion going to be announced at Blizzcon '17? Stay tuned folks heheh. 6/09/2017: In the tradition of completing the "Glory of the....Hero" achievements, I finally got around doing this. There were two achievements that required to switch class (priest for resurrection) and spec (arcane for supernova 'knockback ability'), but otherwise it's usually one or two-shotting most bosses at current gear and ap levels. Some achievements probably require toning down the damage in order to gain debuff stacks or something like that. And now, I've been attempting some "Glory of the....Raider" achievements. But the metas are not possible, since some of the achievements are unfortunately not soloable because of the mechanics. I have to say that the Legionfall campaign and questline have been a disappointment. More grinding, and waste-of-time questing such as picking up chests that spawn like once a week or rarely. I reckon a lot of the resources and effort went into the Nightborne/Nighthold questline anyway, which was great. The Southshore vs. Tarren Mill brawl. This had potential, but the lag and uneven sides made it a bit unplayable. System glitch? What else is new. 5/15/2017: I watched some of the Arena Cup twitch stream the other day that'll culminate at Blizzcon '17. Altough I've seen a few local tournaments here and there, I usually only have time to watch a few matches since a series can take quite awhile to finish. I could probably say that I've come along way in PvP, but not at the level where you have to know not just your class but all classes. Thorough class knowledge and viable compositions are crucial to have success in Arena and to an extent RBG's. I could hold my own in a 1 vs 1, but if I took that next step and studied the toolkit of every other class and how to counter them more effectively, who knows. Perhaps I can envisage starting to Arena. Finding viable partners with good synergy (as well as decent personalities who are not toxic in the slightest bit) is difficult in of itself. And that could make or break a good team. The "Lore" master of hair. Enough said muhaha. 4/23/2017: They should have made or need to make 'Tarren Mill vs Southshore' a permanent fixture to the BG queue at least. Only offering it once in a while in a rotation is just awful and not practical at all. New BG's is what PvPer's want (no gimmicks, vehicles, etc). Just a simple objective-based game that involves actual PvP. They could develop or create a battleground that involves the Legion or is Legion-based, but apparently all their resources revolve around PvE or they just don't have any ideas that can work anymore. As for the Eye Of The Storm 'brawl', two big thumbs down. Disappointed would be an understatement, but being thrown up in the air is purely a gimmick and not really fun at all. Forum poster of the year: The "This guy is crap" guy beats Lazylarry or Oatmeal muhaha. 4/11/2017: Thrice The Legendary I received my third legendary off of a chest in the COS dungeon. Thanks for the detour! (Not quite 'thrice da powah' though heh). Aside from pwning and being an occasional Random BG hero, I've started to work on rep gains for the 'Pathfinder' achievements as well as working up the forgotten professions. I could only hope that a worthwhile crafted Legendary recipe might have a better chance at dropping, but you never know with RNG. For all new to PvP players - once you get your skillset down, add-ons and macros definitely help. Experienced or pro players can either suggest 'BattlegrounTargets' or 'Healers Must Die'. Just as hardcore Raiders can ask PvE'rs to install DBM/Recount and such. To become a competitive or a tournament player, not only does it require a lot of practice or game time, it also takes good teamwork and synergy with other players to do well. As a solo PvP'er, that usually has been my obstacle since I don't second guess my other abilities. I used to advocate a rated 1 vs 1 play, but the reasoning is understandable due to the severe class imbalances. Nonetheless, my battle cry is this: "Waa-Paaah!" or "C'mon son, bring it to meh!" heh. 3/25/2017: Patch 7.2 - The Tomb of Sargeras The release is next Tuesday. Finally - what took them so long? muhaha. I'm nearly maxed out in prestiging, although I probably won't hit lvl 10 until the new PvP season begins. If I did, I would've worked on my alt more. 2/12/2017: The Nighthold. Although I PvP instead of raiding or PvE-ing, I'll queue into an LFR once in awhile if there are worthwhile rewards such as required items for a quest or just seeing content. It is somewhat important to me to keep up with the storyline in Legion at least. With that said, The Nighthold is a raid that PvE'ers or raiders finally take the fight to Gul'dan. From the wings that I've done so far, the raid is aesthetically nice and the bosses are engaging. I particarly enjoy the Auger Etraeus fight, even though it's giving fits to LFR groups smh. There have been such LFR bosses in that past that pugs have to pay attention to, such as Durumu. Other than that, I've enjoyed the Cenarius fight in the EN. Finally: This achievement takes awhile, because the wPvP quests appear randomly. A player can get the same one for a few days, and even the same few ones for weeks. Eventually, The rng cycles through every one however. I could imagine it would be more difficult to finish when there are more PvP players engaged in them, but nothing that cannot be overcomed. 2/06/2017: Unexpectedly, a second legendary dropped after a BG win (it's a 940 trinket). Unfortunately, I did not update the class hall to equip another legendary item so it'll be a wait. I have other things to keep me busy (such as pwning in pvp) rather than focusing on grinding for a legendary. And I certainly advise players not to focus too much on acquiring legendaries because the rng can frustrate you. If or when it happens, it happens. Find an activity that you enjoy or you are skilled at, and focus on that instead of gear. In the meantime, "I have da powah...again" muhaha. 2/05/2017: Patch 7.2 I heard there is going to be some PvP content in this patch. Something called 'PvP Brawls' as well as implementing 'Tarren Mill vs. Southshore' as a BG. Although I'd prefer a completely new BG, it's at least something. I'm all for a piece of elite gear as an award for prestige at higher levels. If not, then at least put some effort in re-designing the pennants or mounts instead of a carbon copy or a re-skin. Damn smh heh. I certainly would not mind having the 'Flag of Ownership' as a reward to place on a player's corpse. 1/27/2017: "I HAVE DA POWAH...AND DA PWNAGE" muhaha Heroic deeds have been done. 1/22/2017: Alterac Valley can be an epic and competitive battle as long as it isn't a zerg on either side. I've avoided this BG for awhile, but now beginning to queue for it again. There are Horde groups that finally defend and backcap for once, as well as knowing what strats to use on offense and defense. Otherwise, it's usually the opposite. I haven't stepped into ioc in over a year or two, and I don't ever plan to (unless I decide to finish the "Khan" achievement). They might as well replace this BG with something new. My advice is to figure out and practice using the toolkit your class and/or spec currently has (assess the situation), and play to its maximum potential rather giving up on it just because it's been nerfed. It might not be viable in competitive or rated play at the moment, but it might be again in the future. For me, it's knowing how to use what I have to land the most success in a getting a kill against one or more players. Aside from wishing for new BG's (such as a brawl for all), it would also would be nice if the rewards beyond Prestige Level 10 is more than just pennants and mounts. Perhaps elite gear? 1/15/2017: Patch 7.1.5. I really did not need to read this patch to figure out that it's one of the usual 'buff this, nerf that' shit. And of course, the usual player complaints that come with it. They change around and remove/add talents. They buff certain classes as well as specs so that players can switch it up. That kind of force-feed usually warrants a viable complaint. For me, I've always stuck with what I play and have done well with it (if not optimally). "C'mon son, bring it to meh!" heheh. I actually seek out a good fight now and then against anybody. Yes, my spec has been nerfed to the ground and is not viable for competitive play. Well, it is but other overpowered and re-buffed classes get priority usually. It's alright though, it's just that time to just stick with randoms and go heroic on the opposition's asses. NPC:"...I know it's not of the humble variety but why don't you crack a few nuts while yer at it" Me: "No thanks, I'd rather crack a few Worgen heads hehe" *heading off to PvP WQ. 1/02/2017: So I'll be away from the game again this week. When I return, I won't lose that much ground and can probably reach at least prestige level 7 if not more by next PvP season. Although I've held my own 1 vs 1, a 1 vs 1 skirmish or queue-able matches sounds intriguing - if the game were balanced around it which it isn't. And I'm wondering what the update on the new PvP brawls is, as well as the revamped Arathi Basin. 12/24/2016: Merry Christma...New Yea-aah! Hordies. Well, tis the season for the damn company to give out nerfs and buffs as usual. As I said before - only skilled players can work around it (albeit can only do so much with some undeserved nerfing). I'll work on my alt on days when there is nothing but the usual quest grinding to do (and lopsided / noob BG matches /pugs that I'll leave). Otherwise, I've been sticking to World PvP and BG's when they are competitive. But for the most part, I seem be in more winning random BG's than Rated ones; simply because I don't necessarily have to obey the RBG leader if the strat is wrong (on the few occasions but certainly not often) - I'll sometimes take matters into my own hands, and call out strats or just become the BG hero of the day. Otherwise, I'll just go with the flow of a competitive game. Because sometimes, it's also the team composition and undergeared players that is the problem rather than strat. Sylvanas: "Greymane's forces hold the Warden Towers. Break their ranks, show no mercy!" Me: "Yes, ma'am" muhaha 12/18/2016: Woot! This is one of those BG Achievements that is usually gotten via premades: I suspect "Capping Spree" in Deepwind Gorge as well as "Cloud Nine" in Twin Peaks is another one. Probable doable in pugs, but extremely difficult. I haven't done Yolo RBG's since WoD S1, where at least there were some pretty good groups. For sure, it certainly isn't the way to go if a player is serious about climbing ranks. This season (Legion S2), I started a few, and might continue to sign up here and there just for wins. It's a crapshoot, a player will have to suffer through terrible Yolo's while perhaps joining a good one now and then. 12/08/2016: I'm back! Could I reach Prestige Level 5 before the new season begins? Definitely not, I most likely won't reach Level 4 considering it'll begin soon. I get a kick out of 1 vs.1, 2 or 3's, but since the game is not balanced around this; we mages and/or cloth wearers are at a disadvantage somewhat. We have to rely on mobility and our survival toolkit (as well as something called kiting to survive) in order to land a kill. Otherwise, we're easy targets I suppose. I probably could hold my own against arena players if not outright beat 'em (unlikely against skilled players). 11/26/2016: Well, I won't be able to log in for awhile unfortunately. But taking a break from WoW is needed for all players. Hopefully, I'll survive the trip and whatnot. Nonetheless, I should be able to jump back into again. If it weren't for the queue times, I'd be prestige level 3 already but I'm nearly there nonetheless. 11/13/2016: Completely unexpected, but satisfying. My first legendary item dropped after a SOTA BG win. I've been just playing to win and gain prestige levels, not so much for gear. But I'll tell ya, RNG has made me completely ambivalent to acquiring gear; if it drops, it drops. If not, then so be it. The situation is that the Horde queue times into Randoms is about 10 minutes. So either the few matches that I get into are either wins, losses, or a mix of both. I do all the World PvP quests (only less than 30 minutes minus the trip getting there) at least, that makes up slightly for the honor points lost heh. I guess I just don't play enough. "I'VE GOT DA POWUH!" HEHEH 11/05/2016: Blizzcon '16: Legion "What's Next"? Oh Yeah.. We can definitely say that there is content to look forward to. In what was a disaster in WoD, "Legion" has been delivering as far as content is concerned. And players should be happy about that. Of course, there are misgivings and disappointments but no expansion is ever perfect. For me, it's been the RNG and another mission tables in the class hall; hell no, no thanks heh. With each honor and prestige level I gain from PvP, I've pretty much caught up with the gearing with all purps. I have yet to step into Mythics, but I can understand the concerns of most players. Getting declined over and over from overly-picky groups is not as convenient as just simply queueing. In the end, skill is always greater than gear or ilevels; but at some point, higher level gears always helps. I've been focusing mostly on PvP'ing, and it's possible I'll reach Prestige Level 4 by the time the new PvP season begins. I'm curious about the new additions to the PvP scene in the upcoming patches as highlighted by Blizzcon; PvP Brawls, a winter AB, possibly adding SW vs.Tarren Mill as a BG? Woot! I might also have to try Brawler's Guild as well. And of course, what would Blizzcon be without the Red Shirt Guy? He asked a straight-forward question that should not have confused the panel at all, but the answer still was not very lucid heheh. And the moderator - she kinda sounds like Glitch from "Wreck-It Ralph" muhaha. The hardcores versus the casual players controversy is always on-going, but a game cannot cater to one-side always. I would consider myself a PvP'er so I separate myself from that. More thoughts to come... Is the next expansion pack hinted toward World of Warcraft: Argus? Weird Al at Blizzcon! It's been awhile, since I've been listening to Youtube musicians in recent years. Still, there's always nostalgia. As the lyrics go, "Those Were The Good Ole' Days....the years roll by but the memories stays..." 10/02/2016: I've been focusing mostly on PvP with whatever time I have to log in, and I probably would have reached prestige by now had I began right at 110 off the bat. It can be a grind, but a PvP'er can accumulate honor points through BG wins and PvP world quests. When it comes to the RNG fiasco as far as gear acquisition is concernd, it is not worth the hefty grind. And Blizz even managed to include useless items to auto-delete in certain drops. Yeah, it is becoming apparent that "Legion" has its flaws. RNG, or Gear Grinding is the biggest flaw of them all. Also, I'm not going to even rant about some clunky quest designs that seem impossible to get to in terms of getting there; or whether it's a quest mount you can't dismount or mobs that are hidden or impossible to find. As far as gear acquisition is concerned via PvP, they should make it so that elite gear is purchaseable at high Ratings or Prestige levels. This makes sense, and why everything has to be RNG-dependent has been just awful. Other than that, I've been lovin' the content so far heheh. Funny Quotes(not exact): "...only get it from the fat ones" -world quest in Aszuna involving bears "...and it comes out the other end" -Neltharion's Lair boss "The river provides.." -Highmountain Tribe....that's it? "Go un-jahm it den!....you just waaaaeeeiiit" - Hanzgar and Fran'zgok in BRF from WoD 09/18/2016: I only hit 110 a few days ago, only because there was no rush to. Some players have specific goals in mind, so reaching max level right away was a priority I'm sure. For me, it's a journey not a race or a sprint. And the goal for me was just to enjoy every storyline and new scenery as possible. So far, all the zones have been well-designed and engaging in questing. I can't say for sure what my favorite was, but I'll just have to put up landscape screenshots. Although aesthetically speaking, Suramar is quite colorful and you could tell a lot of effort was put in here (as opposed to the rushed and lack thereof in WoD). The questing adventure is not over at 110, as I'm still in the midst finishing the questlines for this zone; as well as doing a World Quest here and there for any worthwhile reward. PvP. I'm not sure if I'll get into Rated BGs this expansion, unless I switch over to Fire spec: the mage flavor of the expansion it appears. Frost is quite viable in my opinion, only in the hands of skilled PvP'ers who know what to do with that spec. Still, they'll say that Frost or Arcane is not up to par with Fire which is probably somewhat true. Time to get my Fire artifact weapon heh. Nonetheless, I won't be changing my spec anytime soon though since I can still hold my own. With class pruning, removal of purchasing PvP stat-based gear and whatnot, how much of a difference is acquiring raid or PvE gear going to make? Right now, things have been simplified and dumbed down somewhat, so really a player can use any gear for their spec. The RNG is still as precarious and unreliable as ever, as I have not gotten much. Anyway, still beginning the journey as a fresh 110. One of these days, perhaps they'll have the inspiration or resources to create a new BG. But then again, this is a PvE game. 09/04/2016: I've only completed two storylines in two zones so far, but I've enjoyed the experiences in Stormheim and Azsuna. Although it might be a bit early to declare that WoW is back to its glory years, but it seems that way. There is noticeable refinement in the graphics, the questing and stories have been engaging, and the dungeons so far have been fun. Certainly looking forward to doing Heroic and Mythic levels. The journey to 110 is not a race or a sprint, but for players like myself, enjoyment. I'm sure taking my leisurely time. If you are Horde, I'd recommend Stormheim. You delve right away into the Sylvanas storyline and the Valk'ir. Patch 7.1: Return to Karazhan. I never did this raid, but it's coming back as a dungeon. I don't mind re-hashed content as long as it is fun and engaging, which most haven't been. From the previews, it looks interesting. There is much more content now than the entire WoD expansion. Level scaling. I know why it's been implemented (to avoid out-leveling content, etc), but I prefer having different-level zones than scaling. If anything, you get scaled gear right away. 08/30/2016: And So It 'Actually' Begins... Well, considering how the other expansions turned out muhaha. Anyway, the long-awaited Legion expansion is finally here! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to play at the midnight launch, but certainly I'll find some meaningful time to immerse myself in the new content and begin questing. Throughts to come...but until then, I'll be busy like everyone else in this new expansion.