Project Lore

So I've had some time to reflect on my feelings about Season 4 PvP Arena gear and I gotta say I'm not sure it's worth it to me. Really. While the gear is quite epic, it's a lot of time commitment, and as I've said before, I'm not sure I want to spend all weekend in AV or EotS or any bgs for that matter just to get some gear so I won't get my squish cloth butt kicked as much. Sure, the extra stamina would be nice and the pretty new dress/armor would be fun to show off standing on the bridge in IF, but why? I already have a sweet little mount that gets enough attention when even I ride it. But the game has never been an e-peen for me. While I am all for gearing up and having fun, it's just a time commitment thing. I got lots of RL stuff to do and seeings as i don't think I'll be able to spend time doing my oh so favorite bgs AV, I may just wait to WotLK to gear up any further... unless you know anyone who wants to run me through SSC and TK to kill Vashj and Keal'thas. Seriously. Do you know anyone? I got the macros.. I know the fight... I got the gear... uhh, I.. oh sorry. What was I saying? Oh yeah. So I won't be busting my butt to get S4 Arena gear anytime soon. :( Besides Alexis already beat me to it. Oh well. It's sill a fun game. Besides, my favorite outfit is my formal wear. I prefer a tux and some nice Dress Shoes. Nothing says digital toon class like a tux. Others like the casual Friday's look like Adrale here. He seems to prefer the Stylish Black Shirt while others I know prefer the Black Swashbuckler's Shirt. What's your favorite outfit? Let me know. After all the game is all about the pretty dresses. LOL

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Well here's an interesting follow-up to my last post here at ProjectLore.com. In a strange turn of events, I was on WoW the other night. I haven't had much time to play 'cuz I got all these episodes to make for you, but I had a moment or two to do a fishing daily. While I was running around Shatt, I saw a friend pop on that I hadn't seen in some time. I clicked on his name to see where he was and saw that he was no longer in a guild. What happened? This guy was a great pali tank and he wasn't in a guild? Kara, SSC, TK, BT, Hyjal, some Sunwell and no guild? I watched this guy go from pali healer to pali tank over the course of a few months to be one of the best tanks I've ever seen. So what gives? As you can see from the screen capture, something stupid happened (btw - the names have been blurred to protect the innocent (I think they're innocent - who knows)). His guild /gbooted him right out of the guild for being afk for too long. WTF? Their main tank booted 'cause he had to go afk to help his kids out? His RL children needed help and the guild booted him. What a-holes. Now who knows if the his side of the story is the complete picture, but I do know of more stories where someone was kicked out of a guild for some of the stupidest reasons I have ever heard. I've seen people get booted for not showing up to raids or bad mouthing the guild or ninjaing gear in pugs thus soiling the guild's name - all of which are mostly legit reasons to /gkick someone, but I've also seen some absolutely stupid reasons people have been booted. What's the raziest /gboot you've seen or heard of? Did someone not wear their tabard to a raid? Did they not rez someone when it was easier for them to run back? Did they not bring enough mana biscuits? So what was it? Let me know.

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I've been playing WoW for sometime now and I have been fortunate to have been in a very good guild. I say have because they disbanded months and months ago and I'm still looking for another one that raids later on my server Frostmane. We raided everything up to BT/Hyjal and then it fell apart one weekend over... well... over some real BS that I won't go into detail about here. All I will say is that I'm not in either of the two or three pick-up guilds that formed out of respect for some of the people I know who joined 'opposing' guilds. Here's a couple rants for this post, in no particular order: 1. Why can't I see what time it is on a server compared to my local RL time zone before I make a character? Did I miss something? Is there some place that Blizzard tells you what time zone each server is in? Why is this so frustrating? Because, even though I have the gear and even though I have the experience in Hyjal and BT and even though there are some guilds that I could apply for, they all raid too early for me and my RL job here at Project Lore. Of course, later I found this fantastic link which would have saved me hours in-game looking for progression guilds because at least I would have known what RL time zone my server was in before I made my toon. I'm in LA on a Chicago-time server that used to have a guild that raided midnight NY time. Ugh! And I can hear the crys now, 'Just switch servers.' No. Sorry. I do have loyalty. That and about five alts that make up my grinding / AH income that keeps me in money to raid... if I ever do again. Damn I want to kill Vashj and Keal'thas. I was there so many freakin' times but damn if the guild didn't destruct probably a week before it would have happened. 2. What is it with the emos in WoW? For me, an emo is an emotional person who /gquits if they don't get a raid invite or, worse, when they don't get to need on a blue drop that's five levels below their gear just so they can DE it for them self and end's up leaving party after the first boss kill. Really? WTF? I'm here to play and play well. I'm here for PvP and PvE and progression raiding. I know my class. I know my roles in raid. And I know WTF to do and not do and when to do and not do it. Btw - I'm cool with Loot by Need and maybe DKP if it's done right, but what gets me is the emo baby BS that turns ppl against each other over some f'kn drop that we'll all probably see in the next week or two. Okay, okay... rares like Ashes of A'lar or Fiery Warhorse's Reins might cause a stir, but really, what's the deal with /gquitting over a Primal Nether. Yes it happened and it was before you could buy them with badges. So if you were ever in a guild that completely fell apart, what happened? How did it go down? And what was the real cause? Was it drama or just RL invading playtime? Let me know 'cause I'm sure you have some horror stories that absolutely top mine. And if your on Frostmane and are looking for a well-geared, experienced raiding mage to raid late server time, let me know. I just want to kick Vashj and Keal'thas' ass.

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Oh my favorite dailies friend of all time, other than my RL buddies whom I play with from time to time has to be K'iru. She is, or he is, the wonderful Naaru that appears after all of the Shatterd Sun Offensive objectives have been completed and the Isle of Quel'Danas has been taken back from the jerks trying to take over the island. So why is she / he my favorite friend? One word... err buff:  K'iru's Song of Victory. What does that do? Well let me tell you. It gives you a fantastic buff of 79 stamina nd 40 intellect while in Sunwell, Magister's Terrace and the entire Isle of Quel'Danas... for free... forever... for freakin' frackin' awesome. Woot! Can we just agree that this buff is quite nice when doing those 15 or so daily quests around the Isle? It's so nice. And to have that buff while in Sunwell and MgT is super awesome... well not that great since you can't stack fortitude or arcane brilliance with it, but still very nice. So has your sever unlocked K'iru yet? Was it one of the first or is it still trying? Let me know. I'm always curious how my server Frostmane is doing compaired to other servers. Just fun info for me. If you got it, run to the Isle, grind those dalies, and go buy some really over-priced bags to get ready for WotLK. See you on the Isle.

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This past evening, for his heroic efforts in the Battle for Alterac Valley, SaintGermain was awarded the Gold Medallion for honoring the Spirits of Competition. This award is a great honor and could not be more fitting for SaintGermain. His tireless efforts to rally troops and provide valuable battle strategy in the midst of the chaos and carnage has time and time again saved the lives of his countrymen and women. If it were not for SaintGermain, many digital lives would have meet an untimely ghost walk and rez. A humble man, looking not for recognition for himself and always focused on the good of the whole, SaintGermain was overheard saying amongst his fellow competitors celebrating their AV victory at a local tavern in Shattrath: "Sweet - New Pet!" Oh, yes. The Spirits of Competition have been kind to SaintGermain. Very kind indeed. And with WotLK coming out soon... maybe... SaintGermian will soon have a place to keep all of his pets. Yes. All of them - the 30+ pets sitting in the bank taking up space and only coming out when it's time for the Azeroth Vanity Pet Show, if they ever have one. Nothing like a good macro to show some of your pets. So thank you Spirits of Competition. Thank you kindly for gracing us with a fine new freakin awesome flying dragon vanity pet. I just wish it would give me fortune cookies when I clicked on it.

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So I play an Alliance toon on Frostmane. I also play several other toons on a few servers, all Alliance. I enjoy playing humans for the most part, probably as an extension of familiar escapism, being as I am currently a human in RL. lol. But I don't hate on those who choose to play the Horde. I may hate on the Horde, and at most opportunities on the PvP servers, I will choose my battles with them wisely, but I really don't hate the RL person who plays it. I figure that's their choice. Like they say, don't hate the player, hate the game. The Horde races, and my perception of the lore of the Horde, never really appealed to me. I dabbled playing an undead lock for a few levels and a BE Pali but it just didn't feel right to me. It's just not my thing. So I ask you, all of you Horde players, why? Why do you play a Horde character? What is the allure of being an Orc or Troll or Blood Elf? Okay maybe a Blood Elf for the /dance... seriously... the BE dudes dance like Napoleon Dynamite and the Female BE dance like Britney Spears her video Toxic video - very funny. I'm seriously not h8in here. I just want to know your thoughts: what are your reasons for playing Horde? I'm just curious. Thanks

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WOOT! OMG... OMG... OMG... Woo-Wooo-WooooooT ! Oh yes, oh yes. I win. Okay. Maybe that was a bit too excited, but tell me if you wouldn't be doing a little happy dance if you got what I just got. So let's back it up a bit and start from the beginning. Several months ago I, like many of you, saw an interesting banner on the official WoW website. The banner promised to bring my toon to life in a real 3D existence. I clicked and the banner took me to FigurePrints.com. FigurePrints creates 3D miniature replicas of WoW toons in a plaster-like substance, sealed with resin and painted to look just like the in-game character. The technology to do this is a form of rapid prototyping that manufactures have used for years with CAD machines - great for making new car engine part prototypes and now AWESOME for making WoW figures. As you might have guessed, hundreds of thousands of people instantly wanted their very own figurines to immortalize the effort and joy received from playing the game of WoW. But FigurePrints didn't have the man / woman power to met the demands, so they initiated a lottery system to select the people who would have a chance to get their character rendered in plaster. So each person had to register, fill out a form, and wait. And wait. And pray to win that lottery and hear the words, "Let's make your toon." Well guess who won the lottery. ME! WOOT! And no there was no funny business between me and them. No favors or backroom deals to get their name here or have me yap about how cool they are. No. Fair and square I won it. Just like I won that roll oh so many months ago for my favorite trinket, the Serpent-Coil Braid. Now of course I will be paying a little RL money in exchange for FigurePrints' fine craftsmanship - a mere $125 +S&H for a truly one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that commemorates my digital WoW accomplishments. It's a small price to pay, if you ask me. Now, after a few months in WotLK, I might have to enter that drawing again. The point is this: most everyone I know who plays the game would love to have their toon immortalized in plaster and paint. With FigurePrints, this is a reality that might just come to you. Check out their gallery and let me know what you think. And when mine arrives in about a month, I'll let you know how well they did.

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Thank you ladies for all of your kind responses to my last blog. I'm glad to see that the women who play WoW and the men who love them are kind enough to share their perspective about playing WoW. While I'm on the topic, I'm interested in a few things that I wanted to ask the ladies. Now guys I suppose you could chime in, but really these questions are for the ladies. First, as a player that just happens to be female, do you think that there is anything that Activision / Blizzard could or should include to make the game more appealing to a greater audience of woman? I know from your posts that you enjoy WoW and like playing MMORPGs and I just wondered what you thought might increase your enjoyment of the game and a woman's enjoyment of the game. Second, as a female that happens to play World of Warcraft, do you think that there is anything in the game that is marginally offensive to women or potentially derogatory towards women in any way? I only ask because, while as a hetro male in RL I from time to time enjoy the WoW digital eye candy, I don't have a perspective of being female and am not sure how those 'ideal bodied' barmaids in WoW come across to the RL ladies. Then again, the digital dudes' physique in WoW would be the envy of most pro football players and they would probably topple over iRL being so muscle bound top heavy... lol. And third, is there anything that you've wanted to say about in-game play or players that really frustrated you but you never had the forum to vent and get it out? Write about it here. Be kind and PG-13 if possible. And if I like the post, maybe I'll do a series on it. It'll be fun. So as a player that just so happens to be female and as a female that plays WoW, I'd like to invite you to write a few world here. Maybe we can stir up a discussion or two, maybe even get the WoW developers to take notice and drop a patch on us with your suggested improvement. Who knows? But for now... It's ladies' nite, and the feelin's right. Oh yes it's ladies' night, come on and write. Don't you want to write? ( you're singing the song right? lol )

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I know a few women who play WoW. I have talked with them on Vent and they are real. I also know several people who claim in chat to be women. And of course there are dudes who roll female toons, for whatever reason: sometimes for asthetics, sometimes to get more loot 'cuz they're a chic' or sometimes to see themself dance... weird. Now I'm a guy in RL and yes I have a few female toons and it's fun. Somehow it's so much more gratifying to have a woman toon go kick the crap of of a dragon or hold their own in bgs. For some reason, it seems to me that female toons get treated a little kinder, sometimes get loot preference but are hit on far too much. It's kinda awkward being a dude and having some young pup of a kid ask my female toon to dance for him... again weird. Anyway what I really what to know is how many women play WoW. Really. And it's not to pick up on them. Trust me, I've got that area of my RL covered quite nicely thank you very much. I am in LA, by the beach, living the dream: playing WoW, getting paid and enjoying this life. There are plenty of RL women around whose company I enjoy. So I'm just curious how many women play WoW and why do they do it? Is it for some of the same reasons I play? Do they like killing things or gaining rep or making pretty dresses (Yes I have an alt the makes pretty dresses and I Love It - Rich Purple Silk Shirt for the AH Win!) Do women play WoW with their partner or by themself? Do they get hit on all the time? Do they like kicking the crap out of people in PvP? Just curious. If you're a woman - a real life woman and not some dude who wants to pretend they are a chic - then comment here and give us your thoughts. What do you like about the game and what would you change? And Dudes - again, this is for the ladies. Don't mess it up. If you're smart, you could learn how to treat a lady by listening to what she says here. So for your sake, and for this post - shut it. Ladies, the microphone is all yours...

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So, as most of you know from my older post about my alt I'm currently leveling a Druid. From the comments I've tried a bunch of stuff and I'm having a bit more fun, so thanks everyone! That said, I'm now spec'd balance. I know, I know, but it's a change from my Rogue so I'm really enjoying it. Recently though, I was questing in the lovely Redridge Mountains, and I got a random whisper from someone asking for my help with a 26 Elite. "Ok," I said, and I headed over. We had a full group of 5 and there wasn't a tank. So I did what any good level 27 Druid would do and *bam* bear form, growl, swipe. I have to say, it was almost a life changing experience. After such a long time trying with all my abilities to avoid aggro, it was so freeing to want it for a change. And not having the guy leave me to kill a healer was so satisfying... I think I'm going to be a Bear Tank! - Dr Dark

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