Spanking Blizzard

I'm yet to write about all the huge fun I'm having in Northrend, and I'm already compelled to give Blizzard a serve.

The queue on Dath'Remar (and many other realms) is insane. I know it's the launch weekend. I know it's the weekend. But you guys seriously got this wrong.

You've predicted a wonderfully high number of new accounts, lapsed accounts getting renewed for Wrath. You've painted a very pretty picture for your shareholders.

So why do we have a queue of about 1000 to get into Dath'Remar?

It's not like this is your first expansion. You have had this experience before with the Burning Crusade. You must have created a model about the increase in population for this expansion too. Didn't you?

Don't get me wrong. I get it. You can't run the servers to cater perfectly for everyone to log in at once. People have accounts that have toons on multiple realms, where only character can be logged into one realm at a time. If you created a server structure to cater for every scenario, your costs would skyrocket. Our subscription fees are high enough, thanks.

However, if you didn't actually meet your projections for account growth, then at least admit that you screwed us with your hardware "upgrades". If your projections where blown away by the increase in uptake, could you please use some of that fat wad of cash to lower the queues?

Lastly... here's my Saturday scenario.

1. Try to login. Oh no, a 40 minute queue
2. Get *disconnected* from the server
3. ANOTHER 40 minute queue
4. Power outage
5. Jondy gets back in since the latptop didn't require a restart
6. Borg logs into a 950 queue
7. Get *disconnected* from the queue at position 200
8. Borg logs into a 989 queue
- after 20 minutes is down to 689
- after 30 minutes is disconnected again
9. Queue is no 1006 ... there are no words.

Achievements Edition

Although I felt compelled to redo some content to get credit for my achievements, I've really enjoyed them overall. Zenborg has falled to one side before Wrath, since there was sooo much to do with Borg.

Borgthor did end up enjoying Hallow's End, getting the title "The Hallowed". The instant cast broomstick was great too!

With the nerf bat, comes new Achievements. Warrior AOE tanking improvements meant the lack of a pally tank wasn't a barrier. The nerf to boss health, and supendous improvements to DPS meant it was a white wash. We breezed through ZA post patch, taking 3 timed chests with us. It was nice to complete ZA, to round out our raiding achievements before WotLK.

I've really enjoyed the fishing achievements, and fishing in general. It was much quicker to get the fishing dailies done than the cooking... but more on that later. It was just after handing this in, that I got invited in on my spriest to a Zul'jin only ZA run to finish off ZA for him too... great timing.

I had a great time finishing off some pre-BC content with Obento, who had some renewed enthusiasm for his rogue. While I think of it, the Jenkins title was a hoot too.


We did go back and finish of Zul'Gurub, but Jondy and I have been 2 or 3 manning ZG for a chance at the turtle. No luck yet, but another great fishing Achievement.

The scourge invasion was a lot of fun, and as well as another feat of strength, helped with my Argent Dawn rep (already at revered from chasting that supply bag in my 50s).


I hadn't had a reason to travel to Ogrimmar, untill this fishing achievement. I took out about three guards, invisibility pot past four and I was there! I didn't last too long, but it was totally worth it.


One of my favourites! SSC, the shat'ari skyguard cape and a water walking pot to solo this one. I think I'll post the screenshot of Borg vs. Lurker in another post!

Gah! The achievement that had the most rework required (and we'd run out of uses for badges). Thankfully, due to the Champion of Naaru title, a few were already ticked off.


The only zones I had completed before the patch was Hellfire Peninsula and SMV, but I wasn't far off the others. Was great fun revisiting the other zones for a handful of quests.


I had a real affinity for The Argent Dawn while I was leveling Borg, and I'm really happy that the storyline of the expansion keeps them involved. Now onwards and upwards to assist the Argent Crusade!
Yes, Borg's sack is gigantique! With Zen not raiding, and Borg being on "farm only" for months, the cash was rollin' in. 22 slots is gold, and will stack up well even in WotlK.

I love bombing quests! After getting Bombs Away on the first after the patch, this rounded out all the quest achievements for Outland.


Tabards! Make sure you go to the Tabard vendor! I was planning a trip around all the exalted factions to pick mine up, until I wowheaded this achievement (yes, if google can be a verb, then wowhead should be too). They had my quest based tabards that I had "lost", as well as all the other ones. Just make sure that you bring to correct currency for Ogri'la and Sporegar.

Phew, that was a quick run down on some of the achievement I'd grabbed a screenshot for. I might have a look at them all and have a round two before I start in on WotLK ones.

However, I'm more insterested in hearing from YOU! If there are any achievements that have made you think, "wow, Borg is awesome" that I've missed let me know in the comments. If you have an achievement that you you particularly like, or are proud of, let me know!

I am the Warlock

Almost makes me want to roll one (the song, not the video).

Disclamer: A very clever archetypal metal song from Dave Grohl and Jack Black that has some strong language.

If you understand more than half of the myriad of reasons this song rocks, you might just know me in real life (or are a huge Jack Black fan).

Horseman's Helm

I'm absolutely NOT going to do all the Hallowed End achievements... there's a lot of work to be done with those. However, I was excited today to grab [The Horseman's Helm].

It's actually a DPS helm upgrade for Borg, but it also just looks plain cool!

Catharses

It's just a game. Intellectually I know this, but it only makes it worse. The changes brought in for 3.0.2 have destroyed my enjoyment of the game, until I can break out of this spiraling endless coil of despair.

Bear with me.... I'm venting. It's really not that bad. Being dramatic is going to bring catharses for sure.

I was having a ball in Burning Crusades. I've been guild master of a social guild, The Ancients who have, for their size, been kicking ass and taking names. We got Kara on farm, with a 3h22m clear. Our 2nd Kara group had just got Prince down a couple of weeks in a row. We got our first two chests in ZA too. We don't have enough toons for 25 mans, but we still managed to do Gruuls and Mags with a partner guild.

I wanted to see some higher level content. So I leveled up Zenborg, my shadow priest. With craftables, he was good to clear Kara from day one at 70. Some Kara, Mags, Heroics later, he was full epic. I took him to a raiding guild, and got 4/6 SSC, 1/4 TK, 2/5 MH and 4/6 ZA. That was a hoot until the raid schedule started to fall apart due to senior raiders heading to another guild, and the patch starting to draw nearer. I think I managed 7-8 weeks in the guild, built up my DKP, but there was not a drop to be had (particularly since at that stage we would manage only 1 or 2 bosses each night). I did have a hoot seeing the content, but it was pretty clear that wheels were falling off.

I managed to get Champion of the Naaru on both toons - even organising a full pug of Mags to get it done on Borgthor (it was very satisfying to hear the surprise on vent when people that had never grabbed a successful pug got him down).

I learnt a lot, and had a lot of fun.

Bringing up a DPS gave me a real perspective on what I was putting up with as a tank. There were bosses that we couldn't do because eventually even Jondy would OOM after 18 infernals on Prince, or the High Botanist would heal to full each tranquility phase. When I started melting faces... it all started making sense. Getting Kael down in Heroic Magister's Terrace before he even popped his shield was the least I could do.

Joining another guild with an alt was a great experience. The Ancients was the only guild I had ever been in, so it was great to see how another guild (particularly one with a greater focus on raiding) is run. The relief I felt when it wasn't me putting the raid together. When I just had to turn up and do my job. I got to explore and learn from all the things they did well (and there were a lot), and not so well. It really crystalised for me what I like about guild life, and gave me ideas about direction for WotLK.

Then the patch hit. 3.0.2 started out AWESOME! New talents, new abilities. I got a haircut!

Then the novelty wore off.

The first heroic was fun. Wow, look at how cool shockwave looks. Ooooh thunderclap affects all targets in range. Aaaahhh revenge is hitting HUGE, and it's even refreshing my shield slam cooldown.

The second heroic was unsettling. Hmmmm I don't need CC anymore, but here have a sheep target so you can turn it into a penguin. Ain't that cute. Oh dear, no one is even remotely close on threat, and I can't go a minute without seeing that misdirect icon above my head.

Then we owned Kara in 40 minutes less without breaking a sweat. Single target threat was trivial. Multi target threat was a joke... and the hunters cackled maniacally as their AOE tore shreds through elites and non-elites alike. Curator pulled with the last trash mobs? No problem, and you'll still break him out of his first evocate. It felt like a hollow victory.

Now, as I sit here, I can feel the pathology of my personality pulling me back to WoW (but the servers down, again). Achievements. I feel compelled to complete all the heroics I've already done... but the achievement is now worth nothing. I enjoyed tanking Heroic Shattered Halls because everyone wanted a Pally tank. Over geared or not, there was some sense of achievement, which is now gone. It feels like a long list of chores to be done.

Snap out of it Borg! Actually I'm feeling a lot better at the end of this post.

I finally understand all the QQ when things get hit with the nerf bat. The stories about walking 5 miles through snow to school, only to be met with corporal punishment the likes of which would be child abuse by today's standard are universal.

Blizzard have given everyone with an adictive personality a big wake up call. If the nerfing and mind boggling list of potential achievements hits hard, maybe your gaming habit is already very close to unbalanced.

So for the rest of BC, I'm going to get back to having a blast. I'm going to see ZA crumble, and charge (literally) through a stack of heroics. When WotLK hits, I'll be ready to enjoy it at my own pace, and surround myself with friends, both old and new in the World ... of Warcraft.

Turtle

One of our best friends in WoW, Obento (who's main is now his mage - Konbawa) had a mission! Polymorph: Turtle. It was a ball forcing a coin onto a guild mate so he could purchase the reasonably priced tome in the auction house.

It was well worth it! Konbawa insisted on paying us back in record time, and crowd control has never been the same.

Champion of the Naaru

Today, Jondy and I earned the title Champion of the Naaru, by successfully completing what used to be the attunements for 25 man raids, SSC and TK.

The quest chains involved several heroics - Shattered Halls, The Steamvault, The Arcatraz and Shadow Labyrinth - the harder heroics in the game. I was particularly excited to tank through the timed event in Shattered Halls without losing a hostage, since everyone wants a pally tank for that instance.

The quests also require you to complete all of the T4 content, particularly killing Nightbane, Gruul and Magtheridon. We downed Magtheridon the hard way, in a full PUG group that Jondy and I put together. With some diligent screening, we were able to put together a 25 man group that was patient enough to let it all come together. Since several other toons were after Magtheridon as the last step toward the title, it was a great feeling to lead the raid to victory!