Project Lore

The titles that we choose to have emblazoned over our toons (or lack thereof) can say a lot about what kind of players we are. And it also can say a lot about who we are in terms of what captures our attention in-game.

Personally, I choose a title based simply on what I think sounds cool. I'm partial to Champion of the Frozen Wastes, Merrymaker, the Hallowed and, now that I've got it, the Love Fool. None of these were particularly difficult or time consuming, I just like the way they sound.

But that would be different if I had any of the five badass titles that we've previously written about (the previous list included The previous list included Salty, Loremaster, of the Nightfall, the Immortal and any arena title), or any of the other extremely rare and difficult titles out there (I'm looking at you, Kingslayer). Add to that list a plethora of other titles such as the Exalted and the Insane along with some now-unobtainable titles. Now any of those, I would wear proudly.

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I've had a ton to keep my busy in WoW since dinging level 80 a couple of weeks ago. There's rep to grind, daily heroics to run and farming of the ToC to be had (building up my purple collection FTW). But on the side when I have a few moments (or hours) to spare, I've taken up exploring Azeroth. Perhaps it's not something that most players would have at the top of their priority list after hitting 80, but so far for me it's been a bit of a nostalgic way to re-visit the old world, run through parts I've never seen before, and earn some achievements in the process. Plus, now we have an even more compelling reason. With the imminent destruction of Azeroth in the Cataclysm, this could be the last time I see some of these zones before they are changed forever. Sure, I'll likely visit Orgrimmar and UC, but the surrounding areas? Probably not. And we still don't know what the expansion will mean for exploration achievements - if a zone is completely altered to the point of being split in two (I'm thinking Barrens), will the old exploration achievements be locked? The same could be said for questing in the Old World, but that's for a later conquest. Maybe there will be some middle ground on the issues, but I'd rather not take my chances. Anyhow, back on point. I started out in Kalimdor, from good ol' Durotar, where I had neglected to uncover Kolkar Crag. Then it was west to the grasslands of the Barrens, where my Zhevra visited her long-lost cousin. I worked my way west and then to the north, finishing off a couple of uncovered areas in each zone of Thousand Needles, Feralas, Mulgore, Desolace, Azshara, Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale, Felwood and Winterspring (and /love-ing every critter I see along the way). One of the high points: running into a pack of Worgen hiding out in Ashenvale and beating up on a few of them (good practice for future PvP fun). There also was Moonglade and Dark Shore, neither of which I had stepped foot in before. So far, I've finished up 14 of the 20 zones in Kalimdor, but I've still got a long ways to go before hitting that coveted Explorer title. It's easy to forget, when hidden away in the deep corners of Northrend, how vast and diverse Azeroth is. My secret pleasure - I've really enjoyed running into some of those humanoid tribes that you don't see too much of anymore: The Centaurs, Ogres, Furbolgs, Harpies and Wildkin of the world. I suppose Murlocs still are a pretty common sight, but I also made a point to run over top of every single murloc I came across, just to hear their gurgling battle cry while I galloped away. And more fun is yet to be had. I still have more nostalgia to come as I finish up Kalimdor, then head to the Eastern Kingdoms. Has anyone else taken to exploring lately? What about any other achievements that you want to get before the expansion? Don't worry if not - it seems that we'll still have quite a while before it comes out.

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In all my time raiding in WoW I have not seen an issue quite as polarizing as the Sartharion Encounter in The Obsidian Sanctum with all three drakes left alive (commonly called Sarth 3D.) This has been especially true in my guild lately as it is the last major hurtle we still have to overcome.

This encounter is commonly regarded as the most challenging fight in the current end game, and is something only a handful of guilds have accomplished. The incentive for winning this encounter is an achievement, an awesome title, and a rare mount that will only drop in this encounter. For me, there is also the sense that you have beat the hardest fight in the end game, but for many that is not enough.

See, there has been a lot of debate in my guild if this is something worth striving for. The guild has been split sharply into two separate camps. One camp, the camp I am a member of says: yes, this is important. My reasoning is simple. It is progression, it is the only fight we have yet to win, and I want to win it!

The second camp says: no, its is not worth all the time and resources we put into it. They say it is not progression, as it does not add any usable gear to the loot table, there are no new bosses behind him, and downing him will not help us at all in Ulduar. Essentially they see it as an achievement and nothing more.

While I am full aware that the 3 drake loot table adds no gear over the 2 drake loot table, I am going to have to express my opinion against camp 2. For me, raiding has never been about the loot. I’ve downed hundreds of bosses without the benefit of receiving loot personally. I play the game to overcome challenges. More importantly overcome challenges with my friends and guildmates. That’s why I play the game, to do something fun and challenging! This is the last challenge left for our guild.

Now I am aware that people have different priorities in this game. Some like raiding more than others. I for one love raiding and am not bothered by wiping for hours on end, as long as it is a means to an end. Some people clearly are bothered by it, it can be frustrating, and more importantly expensive (repair bills aren’t cheap!).

While we continue to grind away, and I am hopeful we are close, there is an undercurrent of internal conflict on every pull. For me it seems that Sarth 3D is something you have the motivation for or you don’t. My guild is unfortunately split on the issue. How about you guys? Is this a worthy goal, a waste of resources, or something you got out of the way a long time ago?

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Alright, I’m just going to come out and say it. I am dreading the new expansion, yes dreading. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much looking forward to exploring Northrend, unlocking achievements, and charging into a new end game, but lately I have been looking to Wrath with a sense of impending doom. The reason is pretty simple; I still have too much to do in TBC! I’m sure there are many of you that couldn’t disagree with me more, but as someone who got into the whole raiding scene a little late, I have a whole list of goals and not enough time to do them. This sense of doom was only amplified by the recent announcement that the Amani War Bear will no longer be available after the next content patch. Yes, one of my goals was to set up my guild with a nice cavalry of bears. Other goals included downing a few choice bosses and earning the Hand of A’dal title, another privilege that could be taken away when WotLK hits. I understand why Blizzard is taking all this away, in fact I approve of it. These things need to stay special. Because of this, I’ve had November 4th marked on my calendar for a while now as the big due date. It is the drop dead deadline for me to get all this done (assuming Wrath hits when people think it will). What I don’t approve of is the news that the new content patch may eliminate my chances even sooner. My time frame just went from a defined date to “within weeks.” My hopes of riding around on my bear with a new title above my head are quickly slipping away. Now, with the update to the launcher earlier this week, the chances of the patch hitting soon seem to be getting better all the time. These titles and prizes should be special and would be much to easier to earn at level 80. I understand why they must go away, I’m just worried they are going away a little sooner than I would like.

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