Project Lore

I've been sitting on an Authenticator for months.  Despite receiving a free one as part of my BlizzCon 2009 goodie bag I didn't enable it until two weeks ago.  My delay was partly because I feel that I am an incredibly secure computer user.  I don't head out to fishy sites, I have all sorts of security measures, and, here's the big one, I am the only person that uses the computers that I play on.  Friends and relatives that are not as careful as us, using our otherwise secure computers is a huge culprit in the account security world.  It wasn't until my equally paranoid and security-minded officer was hacked that made me enable my Limited Edition BlizzCon Authenticator.

It only took two weeks for something to go wrong with it.

Okay, that's a bit of a white lie.  Something didn't actually go wrong with the Authenticator per se.  It simply locked me out of my own account.  You'll notice that when I mentioned who used my computer it was actually plural.  That's because I play on multiple machines, two in my house, one at work, and one at my parents house (basically, wherever I spend most of my time has a WoW installation ready for me).  This was the second reason I was resistant to applying my littleRSA token, I knew I'd forget it somewhere eventually.  That's exactly what happened yesterday.

/me thanks C'Thun that it wasn't a raid night.

My mental lapse got me thinking 'What information do I need if something actually happens to my Authenticator.'  Luckily, there's an app FAQ for that. 

Blizzard simply tells you to call in (1-800-592-5499) to verify certain information about your account to resolve all Authenticator issues.  If you can do so, then it's all honky dory.  But what if you can't because that information is outdated, such as college students who move all the time (six times in five years for me).  Keeping the phones numbers, addresses and apartment variables all in order can be a bit difficult alongside a busy class load.

Here's what we need to do to expedite any claim:

• Write down the Authenticator's Serial Number somewhere, this is "the most important thing." Unlike passwords, Blizzard will actually ask for this.   According to the rep, the iPhone's or iPod Touch's Serial Number will change when the item is updated.  She suggests that you remove the Mobile Authenticator from your Battle.net account before the update, and re-apply it after with the new Serial Number.
• Make note of your WoW CD keys.  I have a file on paper and on my computer (encrypted) with CD keys to my most beloved games.  That way I can image the disc and reinstall whenever I need to without digging through boxes or worrying about busted game discs.
• Be sure your Battle.net information is up to date.  This means your phone number, physical address, e-mail address and billing information.  A Customer Service rep may also ask for your World of Warcraft information, which may or may not mirror your Battle.net stuff.  Unfortunately, WoW account information can no longer be changed as far as I can tell.
• Oh, and don't forget the answer to your Secret Question.

It's really not all that much, but it's something we can easily forget to do during our busy lives.  Especially since when we think of World of Warcraft, we think of playing it, not any other "frivolous" activity. 

Think of the maintenance like wearing a helmet when riding a bike.  You may never need it in your life, but if you do, the time spent putting it on every time makes it more than worth the trouble.

Never before has a deep, demanding voice booming angrily at me through Ventrilo made me laugh so hysterically. But Samuel L. Jackson, of all people, stating in that signature big, bad voice of his, "THAT'S A 50 DKP MINUS!"... well, it's just too much for this girl to take without exploding into laughter.

No, I'm not buddies with the actual Samuel L. Jackson (although, I did take my picture with his life-size wax statue while I was in L.A. for BlizzCon... does that count?!) His interaction with my raid group actually came through a nifty little iPhone app that one of my guildies decided to share with the rest of us.

On the surface, iSamJackson isn't much different from other apps that allow you to interact with celebrity voices at the touch of the button. You pay a $2.99 download fee for either a "clean" or explicit version of the app, and in return get a collection of more than 150 Sam Jackson quotes delivered with his stylish swagger. But the best part is yet to come. The app also has two optional quote packs (for an additional $.99 each) -- Sports and "MMO pwnership." I'm sure you can guess which one makes it relevant to this blog!

Jackson takes inspiration for several of his quotes in the MMO pack from the infamous Onyxia wipe animation. So, while our raid leader quickly reviewed strategy for taking down Lord Marrowgar the other night, Samuel L. Jackson chimed in: "Do I really have to tell you NOT to stand in the fire?" (FYI - I'm paraphrasing these from memory). That got our attention, and the quotes kept rolling. "That's a 50 DKP minus!" And when we wiped while bringing down Deathbringer Saurfang because of some ranged coordination issues, Sam declared: "You know, up until the part where we all died, I thought it was going pretty good!" It kept our raid group in high spirits and laughing along with Jackson all night.

So would I personally buy the app? Absolutely -- if one of my guildies didn't already have it for everyone's amusement. It has definitely brought a lot of fun to the group, but I also wonder when the novelty will wear off. Perhaps if I still find it 100 percent funny a couple months down the road, I'll get it for myself, too. What would be GREAT is if, somehow, someone made the MMO-relevant quotes into a WoW addon.

Has anyone else encountered iSamJackson? What are your own impressions?

Blue Stew is a new daily column bringing you a delicious concoction of developer news, thoughts, and opinions straight from the boiling pot that is the official World of Warcraft forums. The highlights of each day include additional commentary by Project Lore staff. What a long, long weekend, folks. I decided to take a little breather from WoW, myself, spending a little "quality" time with NCSoft's Aion, instead. I also gorged myself on snacks, caught up on True Blood Season 2, and felt sorry for myself because I couldn't attend PAX this year (but at least I didn't catch the swine flu!). What were you guys and gals up to? As for Blue Stew, I sincerely apologize about the lack of updates, but there was simply nothing to talk about. Labor Day, as it turns out, has nothing to do with going to work, so I imagine that a lot of Blizzard employees were off hanging with their families and friends instead of answering questions on the forums. Today seems no different, with a marked decrease in overall Blue activity. But I think we can find at least a couple of things to talk about from the WoW Europe community. The Availability Of AddOns? Vanera is either an extremely bored CM or he's not very good at veiling his questions. It didn't take more than three replies for someone to call him out on the poll he posted earlier in the day. Ceriulun posed the following:

"Would the question be: 'Would you like an official AddOn browser feature in the new Battle.net?' my answer would be 'Yes.'"

It was the first thing that came to my mind, as well. Blizzard's been sticking their paws in all sorts of honey jars lately, and though it's not quite the same thing, I can't help but think about the company's reactions to Warcraft-theme iPhone apps. Specifically, the way in which they systematically shut them down before releasing their own, comprehensive Mobile Armory software. Will an AddOn Browser join Cross-Game Chat as one of the new Battle.net features in WoW? Now, Blizzard has a pretty open policy towards AddOns. Occasionally, they've even seen fit to incorporate the functionality of popular ones into the basic UI (see: the failure of in-game voice chat and the recently-added Equipment Manager), so I don't think they're about to outlaw anything like that. Rather, a poll like this seems to target modding community sites like WoWUI or Curse Gaming. Some of the sites have even started releasing independent AddOn update clients, which may be verging on the edge of what's kosher with Blizzard and what's not (and they sound an awful lot like those iPhone apps in terms of out-of-game functionality). But, if you use these clients, I wouldn't start fretting just yet. Perhaps, like Ceriulun proposes, Blizz just wants to incorporate their own AddOn browser into the game. If they follow a model similar to what they plan to use for the StarCraft 2 community, that means that you can download and install add-ons from the in-game interface, they can be ranked for popularity and monitored for safety, and the ones that rise to the top could even begin to earn revenue for their creators. It certainly seems to fit with Battle.net's modus operandi of having everything you need in one place. As convenient as something like this might be, what do you think about Blizzard exercising that much control over AddOns? Open Letter To Blizzard: Thank You Illea's made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside with the following post:

I know I'm just one man in a sea of millions, and I may not be able to express myself fully, but I felt this need to share my love of the game. Hopefully it might serve as a reminder to some. =) I want to thank the people who work at Blizzard Entertainment and all the people who have made World of Warcraft what it is. Because it is truly an amazing game. I can't think of any higher praise than saying that, after several years, I still get excited thinking about it. Once I stop bringing my problems to the game and really *feel*. Listening to the soundtrack. The sheer magic. Makes me want to create a piece of art. But since I can't do that right now, I write! Anyway, I think many people have forgotten that. Most of all, playing it remains *fun*, beyond any doubt. You really nailed the basic elements that make the experience fun, and I'm very grateful that you paid attention to that process. Most of all, I trust you. I believe in your ability to make the choices that serve the game and its players best. To continue improving this game. Even in the face of criticism, I believe you have made and will make the right choices, and I respect your ability to make the unpopular ones. At the same time you manage to be down-to-earth with your players, you can really sense the life and love behind the game, websites, events, posters... Somehow you all seem like buddies. I know that there are many others who feel like me. Who think this is a game that keeps on giving. Heck, just the other day I decided to really take a walk in the Temple of the Moon, noticing myriad things I never noticed before - the music and imagining the space, and it was a great experience. I'm looking forward to really rediscovering content both new and old. It's a great feeling, giving yourself to the experience. Of course there will be problems and challenges as the game goes on, but if I were to trust a group of people to deal with it intelligently, it would be you guys. I know the future of the game rests safe in your hands. Thanks for being an inspiration.

D'awwwwwww... it's good to see some nice words used on the forums once in awhile. Next time you want to bitch or cry about something in the game that you think is unfair, just stop and remember why you still continue to play the game. Somewhere along the line, you had fun, and hopefully you still do. If there is one company that cares about its fans more than any other, it's got to be Blizzard. They just happen to have one of the most continually popular titles on the market right now, and it's nigh impossible to make all 11.5+ million players happy at once. Couldn't you give 'em a break? Today really is a bit of a bum day for news, but as usual, comments are appreciated. I'm especially interested to know what you think about a potential in-game AddOn browser!

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I just picked up a new iPhone 3GS, and I must say I am really enjoying it. I've used a few WoW applications on it that aren't very good, but now Blizzard has released their second official application - the World of Warcraft Mobile Armory for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Once you login using your Battle.net credentials, you can access all of the armory in a very slick interface. You can see your gear, achievements, stats, and pretty much anything else that you could see in the full version of the Armory. In fact, it seems a lot faster than the web version of the Armory (even over 3G), and the interface is a lot easier to use. The home screen allows you to choose from your characters or bookmarked characters. You can quickly switch between them with a beautiful "page-flip" animation. Searching allows you to quickly find characters, items, guilds, or arena teams to view. The item view is wonderful and detailed showing where items can be obtained, their full stats and description, as well as disenchanting data. There appear to be notifications with the calendar feature, which could end up being extremely useful. I've been trying to find an easy way to get my armory calendar in Google, and having my iPhone let me know when its time to raid solves the problems entirely. Other features include a leaderboard for achievement points among your characters and bookmarked characters or guild, talent calculators, and armory news directly in the application. This replaces all of the other WoW applications I've been using and it does a much better job. Check it out at the official armory site! What do you think? Will this replace your alt-tabbing to evaluate players in-game, and do you really need the Armory on your phone?

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Earlier this week this video (thanks Kotaku) showing that someone had created a way to play World of Warcraft on the iPhone started circulating. TechCrunch called it the end of the world, and Gizmodo thought it had some potential. I just want it in my hands! The technology behind the program is a program called Vollee. Most of the processing is not actually done on the iPhone, but instead uses streaming video of the rendering done on another machine. The functionality was pretty basic, but it includes auction house access and also what would at least be a great way to get some dailies done without having to bring your computer on vacation. Unfortunately, the future of this and all WoW related iPhone Apps is up in the air. Blizzard just issued a Cease and Desist order to the makers of the popular apps, Armory Browser, Warcraft Characters, and Warcraft Arena Calculator. These apps used information that is freely available on the Armory, so why Blizzard would do such a thing is not quite clear at the moment. Perhaps Blizzard is making its own version of those Apps listed and doesn't want any other products out there to confuse users. Perhaps they're working closely with the creators of the Vollee application to give all of us addicts a way to get some WoW in while we're on the go. Whatever the reasoning, there is still a lot of potential in the iPhone and other smart phones for all of us. As a user of an iPhone and a couple of the apps that got Cease and Desists, Blizzard's decision to send out those C&Ds is a little frustrating to me. Hopefully Blizzard creates something amazing or gives up some control to the huge number of developers out there. I'd love a way to log in and chat with people while I wait for the bus and using the Auction House on the road would be amazing. What do you guys think? What kind of phone are you guys using? What World of Warcraft apps are you using on your phone? Would you play WoW on it if you could? What other WoW-related apps would you like to see?

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Edit: Direct Link to Battle.net Mobile Authenticator on iTunes App Store WoWInsider is reporting that the rumored iPhone Authenticator App is now available for free download on the App Store. I quickly grabbed my iPhone and did a quick search for "Blizzard" on the App store and a scrolled towards the bottom, revealing that it was indeed available for no charge! iPhone users will have to convert their WoW accounts to Battle.net in order to take advantage, but the App is a great alternative for those who haven't been able to find the $6.50 Authenticators due to the constant Sold Out status on the Blizzard store. This should also help relieve some of those supply issues as most users who have the ability will likely choose to use the iPhone over an extra device to carry. The description of the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator on the iPhone App Store is:

Do you play World of Warcraft using a Battle.net account? Protect the account with the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator for you iPhone, an optional tool that offers an additional layer of security to help prevent unauthorized account access. The Battle.net Mobile Authenticator gives you the security of two-factor authentication. Each time you log in to a Battle.net account, you'll use the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator to generate a unique one-time use password to use in addition to your regular password. Log in with both and you can rest easy knowing that the account is more secure against unauthorized access.

Now, since installing the program, I haven't been able to find it again on the App Store. Also, many users seem to be having problems finding it in other regions like the UK and Canada. Anyone out there able to get the App installed on your iPhone or iPod Touch? For now, I'll hang on to my key fob, but I may soon be able to get rid of it since I'll always have my phone on me. Of course, that also means I'll have to keep the iPhone charged.

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We saw a glimmer of this when installing Wrath, and its now beginning. Players now have the option to create an overarching Battle.net account and link all of their Blizzard games together. This may become mandatory in the future. After registering, you can "merge" your WoW account and your Battle.net account. Whenever you login to WoW, you then use your Battle.net credentials, namely the email address you used for your Battle.net account and your new password. Login for the non-WoW Blizzard games still uses their existing logon system and they will not (yet?) accept the new Battle.net credentials. You can add StarCraft Anthology, Warcraft III, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Warcraft Battle Chest, Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and Diablo II Battle Chest into your Battle.net account by providing the site with your CD key. You can also buy a CD key online from the Blizzard store. You are then able to download the fully patched game to your computer using the standard Blizzard downloader used for all WoW patches and media, and in the future there may be more integrated features to unify the games. Warcraft II Battle.net edition is notably not on the list. In the future, its likely that we will see "account wide achievements" and other such things. Its unclear how or if the older games will play into this, but you can be certain that Starcraft II, Diablo III, and the currently unannounced MMO that Blizzard is working on will use the new Battle.net heavily. Warcraft II, Warcraft III, Diablo II, and Starcraft all shared the same Battle.net servers and game channels could be joined by anyone from any of those games. I'd love to see WoW join in on this, as I still hop on Warcraft III and Starcraft once in a while and would like to chat with players across all of these games. In addition, Blizzard annouced that the highly popular Blizzard authenticator will be available as an application for mobile devices, namely the iPhone and iPod touch. Its a great piece of equipment that improves account security. It is being re-branded as the Battle.net authenticator. The authenticator will work with all Battle.net games. Downloadable software is much easier to keep in stock than hardware, so hopefully this will provide players with a venue to get an authenticator. Price is not yet announced, and it may be free to increase account security. Since mobile devices (especially the iPod) must authenticate over the internet, I don't think its unlikely that an exploit to replicate the authenticator will happen at some point in the future.

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Via JoyOfTech.com

By now, common readers should realize that I am a bit of a numbers freak. In my past life I was a min-maxer, but I have overcome that addiction and now focus most of my number crunching abilities on the open market and the Auction House. In doing so, I have managed to have thousands of gold in reserve - after learning my Cold Weather Flying – for my level 80 abilities and whatever else I (sorry begging guildies) may need. Now if only I could turn my digital success in WoW to meatspace success...

This thought process and this hilarious comic lead me down another road though. How much real world value has World of Warcraft cost me? The answer, $588.64, just over half of my mortgage. Don't forget, I did quit the game for a bit. The worst case scenario for a single-boxer as of now, would have the gamer buying each Collector's Edition, and paying the highest monthly fee of $14.99. That would run just shy of $1,000, at $959.47, although I highly doubt anyone has allowed that to happen. As the comic points out, investing that may have been a smarter idea, but the service that WoW offers is far more cost effective than an iPhone in my opinion.

Friends go nuts about their iPhones, acting like it is the best thing since the Internet, but really how often do you use its bonus features – the ones that make the unit and monthly fee so costly?  An hour a day on average, maybe two?  The iPhone service (and cell phone subscriptions in general) are way over priced for what they offer. Don't even get me started on the text messaging plans...For its part, WoW (and really any MMO) packs quite a bang for its buck.

Apples to Oranges you say? Fine, let's do some entertainment to entertainment comparisons. Over the course of my 4+ years of playing, I have saved hundreds of dollars thanks to WoW. How you ask? It is actually quite simple. If you are spending an hour or so a night in Azeroth, you can't be doing other, more costly, things. For instance, I started making meals at home and ordering in rather than going out to dinner. I would Netflix DVDs or watch TV rather than hitting the movies (two movies cost ~$20 in Philadelphia). I largely stopped playing other games. Yet, I managed to balance WoW and my social life well enough to continue being invited, and more importantly attending, friend and family functions.

Ponder on that for a bit. How much have you spent on your little hobby, but more importantly, how much has it saved you?

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