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Monday, March 12, 2007
WoW Journal - 12-March-2007
I had a bad weekend in World of Warcraft, so bad that by Sunday afternoon I decided that ironing my shirts in front of the TV would be more fun. But the funny thing is that nothing special happened, just the usual series of wipes in raids, 5-man groups that never start because one class is missing, people leaving groups in the middle of an instance, and being ganked in PvP. Me not being able to stand that any more tells you more about my advancing symptoms of WoW burnout than about the game itself.
Well, at least I got to see Karazhan, and we even killed the first boss, the stable master. Then we spent two days wiping on the second boss, Moroes. Don't bother explaining me how easy he is to beat with the right strategy, it was the raid group not being very focused that caused the wipes. I was unable to convince the other healers that we would need healing assignments, because with the priests being on shackle duty nobody wanted to be solely responsible for MT healing duty. We had several wipes caused by the other priest in the raid having a bad internet connection and getting disconnected. We even wiped on trash mobs, when the raid leader marked mobs as target for shackle which turned out to be immune to that. But most annoyingly the wipes caused people to lose focus and interest, some people left, we stood around waiting for replacements to arrive, and then got wiped by respawns. With a little more training and organization, and with everybody on top of his game and his internet connection, we certainly could have done it. But Karazhan is very unforgiving to even the slightest mistakes or problems. I never thought I would say that, but I'm kind of missing Molten Core, where a single person losing connection, going afk, or being drunk (don't laugh, happens often enough), isn't instantly destroying the whole raid for everyone else.
But as I said, I'm suffering from burnout. A year ago I would have shrugged off that sort of problems and not let it bother me. Now it makes count the days until LotRO comes out. I could play the beta, but I'd rather explore Middle-Earth with a real character that doesn't get wiped. Well, one more month until that.
Meanwhile I'm trying to make the most out of World of Warcraft and especially the Burning Crusade expansion by doing the quests I haven't done yet. With my priest I had systematically done all quests in Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, and Terrokar Forest, and hit 70 by doing the first Nagrand quests. With my warrior I skipped a lot of those quests. And now that I hit level 65, I'm starting where my priest left off, doing the level 65+ quests in Nagrand. I do like Nagrand, it is so pretty. But I sure do hope that the other quests there are a bit more exciting than the ones I was starting with for Nessingwary's expedition: kill 30 rocs, 30 clefthoofs, and 30 talbuks, to get a new series of quests that has you kill 30 bigger rocs, 30 bigger clefthoofs, and 30 bigger talbuks. Once I'll have finished that I'll be able to kill one boss roc, one boss clefthoof, and one boss talbuk, to finally get some item rewards. Can this be the pinnacle of modern quest design?
I did some PvP too, in Nagrand. Horde had captured Halaa, which doesn't happen often, because on my server there is a 2:1 Alliance:Horde player ratio. So Alliance turns up quite quickly to take it back, but they get struck by a bug I had already experienced in the beta: one of the guards disappears, and the score is stuck at 1 out of 15 guards. In that situation it is impossible to capture Halaa (until the next server reset). But of course lots of people see the 1/15 score and flock to Halaa to capture it, giving rise to some PvP action. That was fun for a while, netting me 21 Halaa battle tokens. But then the numerical superiority of the Alliance slowly came to bear, and we had 20 Alliance ganking 10 Horde. Horde couldn't do anything, you just got killed the moment you rezzed. And Alliance couldn't do anything either, because of the bugged guard preventing them from doing the actual capture. Not very satisfying for anyone. I could have bought a plate belt for the 1 research token (gained by handing in 20 powders from random kills in Nagrand) and 20 Halaa battle tokens. But the belt was obviously designed with PvP in mind, not for PvE tanking. The "resilience" stat it gives, which lowers the chance of enemies landing a critical hit on me, and also lowers their crit damage on me, isn't of much use in PvE soloing. For PvE I'd rather have defence.
- posted by Tobold @ 8:03 AM Permanent Link
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Umm, in LOTRO you can carry your beta character through to the final release. If you preorder you also get to hit the servers 10 days before the main populous.
WS
WS
# posted by 
: 12/3/07 09:57
: 12/3/07 09:57
It's slightly different in Europe than in the US. AFAIK you only get the 10 days advance over here, so that's why I counted "one month" to the 14th of April.
Halaa was surely fun. this was the second Sunday late afternoon Halaa Raid our Guild organized. you could have given me a shout for an invite in one of your "chatchannels Tobold" I was in Halaa with my lvl 65 Warrioress and it got me around 70 battletokens. I would have taken both the legs and the belt, but i just hit Nagrand this Sunday and thus had no powder to hand in. Time for me to wait till the next Nagrand Event is up. Or i am lucky that horde captured Halaa in the early morning.
There are some very funny Quests in Nagrand involving the Ogre and ORC population.
On the other hand there are lots of kill X of this and Y of that Quests aswell. The "Ring of Blood Event" has a great Tanking Sword as a reward aswell.
There are some very funny Quests in Nagrand involving the Ogre and ORC population.
On the other hand there are lots of kill X of this and Y of that Quests aswell. The "Ring of Blood Event" has a great Tanking Sword as a reward aswell.
# posted by : 12/3/07 12:00
: 12/3/07 12:00
I'm in a very similiar position than you tobold in that I'm VERY VERY tired of World of Warcraft, which is why for the last week or so I've been focusing on beta testing LotRO... but for some reason, that doesn't do it for me either... don't know why. It's fun, but it's no World of Warcraft... it won't change anybodys world around causing them to drop university, losing girlfriends and forgetting to eat and sleep for several days in a row.
I seriously suggest you play the beta to about level 20 before you set up your lifetime subscription on LotRO... and yeah, you can kiss your world of warcraft good bye at that point, since I got my beta key, I haven't opened the client once...
I seriously suggest you play the beta to about level 20 before you set up your lifetime subscription on LotRO... and yeah, you can kiss your world of warcraft good bye at that point, since I got my beta key, I haven't opened the client once...
In order to get over this WOW ennui why not play a single player game for a few days Tobold. There's nothing like an engrossing single player game to rekindle ones love of gaming. It always works for me anyway. I know you don't like first person games and I suggest you take a break from role playing so my reccommendation would be Company of Heroes. It is a very enjoyable strategy game with excellent sound and visuals to suck you into the atmosphere. It is much more lightweight than Medieval Total War but there is enough in the game to provide an entertaining challenge. The simple intuitive controls are easy to pick up so it is a game you can dip into intermittently without fear of forgetting how to play. I know WW2 games put many people off but the setting really suits this type of small squad based RTS and the whole environment is superbly done making the game extremely immersive.
cezoI have been playing wow from day one,stopped playing my other games, stopped reading as much watching tv as much and the other things i used to do.Even though i didnt do many dungeons or raids I always found something to do whether it be levelling up a new character or learning a new trade,whilst waiting for the expansion for about a month I would log on do a bit of mining and i was quite content doing that.But the urge to play has gone my best character is stuck at level 69 its game over for me.Im not so much bored with wow but just cant be bothered anymore I know others feel the same.Why it took the expansion pack to do this is beyond me.
# posted by : 12/3/07 12:56
: 12/3/07 12:56
Judging by your spelling (forgive my ignorance of any previous posts stating differently) you're in the US?
If so - we poor subs in Europe also get the 10 days prior-to-launch-access if you preorder, Cloak of the Peacekeeper, reduced monthly subscription, etc.
WS
If so - we poor subs in Europe also get the 10 days prior-to-launch-access if you preorder, Cloak of the Peacekeeper, reduced monthly subscription, etc.
WS
# posted by : 12/3/07 13:15
: 12/3/07 13:15
oh I just have to say that I got a theory that you get tired with world of warcraft now because you USED to be maxed out, but now you got so much more to learn... it's like a new game, but a new game that is exactly like the game you loved to play for 2 years... and it might feel a little disappointing... did to me anyways :)
By the way - while I'm here - it feels to me like LOTRO expects you to have played WoW. It's the first game I've played (and I've played a lot) that I get this distinct vibe from - not just because of the shared UI and features - but how you are dropped into the world, if that makes any sense.
No - it's not a WoW killer though - but I don't know why. Maybe it's because things DO look more realistic, and therefore take away from the use of ones imagination to make the world real. Maybe it's because your avatar runs like a drunk squid on an ice patch, or that you slash wildly away with your dagger like you're reaping a seed crop. I can't put my finger on it, but it doesn't 'feel' right. WoW either got lucky, or had genius behind it - or maybe both - because from minute one of level 1, it feels perfect.
WS
No - it's not a WoW killer though - but I don't know why. Maybe it's because things DO look more realistic, and therefore take away from the use of ones imagination to make the world real. Maybe it's because your avatar runs like a drunk squid on an ice patch, or that you slash wildly away with your dagger like you're reaping a seed crop. I can't put my finger on it, but it doesn't 'feel' right. WoW either got lucky, or had genius behind it - or maybe both - because from minute one of level 1, it feels perfect.
WS
# posted by : 12/3/07 13:19
: 12/3/07 13:19
Just goes to show how different servers can be; on Demon Soul the Horde rarely loses Halaa.
I've done all quests in Hellfire, all the quests in Zangarmarsh (without levelling my spore. rep for any extra quests with them), and I'm pretty far into the Nagrand quests. As someone else said, the Nagrand quests are VERY much the kind where you get bonus XP for grinding the crap out of something. A guildie called Nagrand the genocide zone because you basically do your best to make everything that lives there extinct.
I've done all quests in Hellfire, all the quests in Zangarmarsh (without levelling my spore. rep for any extra quests with them), and I'm pretty far into the Nagrand quests. As someone else said, the Nagrand quests are VERY much the kind where you get bonus XP for grinding the crap out of something. A guildie called Nagrand the genocide zone because you basically do your best to make everything that lives there extinct.
# posted by : 12/3/07 13:31
: 12/3/07 13:31
Solution to WoW burnout:
Try RL with no WoW for 2 weeks. If that's too boring, pick up a book. In this case, you don't have to worry about some drunk with a bad internet conection runnning about with a big sword, ruining your fun.
Try RL with no WoW for 2 weeks. If that's too boring, pick up a book. In this case, you don't have to worry about some drunk with a bad internet conection runnning about with a big sword, ruining your fun.
# posted by : 12/3/07 14:04
: 12/3/07 14:04
Moroes is rather difficult. Seems to be quite unforgiving in group makeup. The only CC we had while attempting him last night was a priest shackle, pally fear, and mage slow kiting. Since we had to burn down 3 adds before focusing on Moroes himself, our healers always ran out of mana when he enraged and we could never get him.
I think you need at least two forms of permanent undead CC. I'm a fan of priest shackles and hunter traps - that way you can just take down two of the adds.
I think you need at least two forms of permanent undead CC. I'm a fan of priest shackles and hunter traps - that way you can just take down two of the adds.
Nagrand has some of the best quests for the horde. Once you do all of them (there might be specific ones but no one has really been able to unlock the pattern so they just say "do all the quests") you get to start the chain starting with the Greatmother and Hellscream's son where you bring Thrall back to visit and he tells the story of Hellscream turning back and killing Mannoroth. On my server someone will announce in General they are about to turn the final piece in, and horde all over the zone will come to the town to watch and /cheer Thrall. It is pretty amazing.
# posted by : 12/3/07 15:00
: 12/3/07 15:00
pick up a book. In this case, you don't have to worry about some drunk with a bad internet conection runnning about with a big sword, ruining your fun.
well, hopefully
well, hopefully
# posted by : 12/3/07 15:01
: 12/3/07 15:01
I'm not at the point where ironing shirts seems like a better option (I doubt I'll ever get to that point!), but lately, I have found myself hoping something else would spark my interest besides WoW.
I still enjoy finding new quests to do but I don't have that feeling of being compelled like before. I still enjoy killing new bosses in Karazhan or beating a heroic, but I don't have that enthusiatic feeling of wanting to beat something new.
The sheen of BC has worn off I guess, in less than 2 months. I still like playing but in the back of my mind I wish I could find another game that gave me that sense of newness and whatever that feeling is that compels you to keep playing (on the other hand maybe its a good thing I don't have that feeling.)
I still enjoy finding new quests to do but I don't have that feeling of being compelled like before. I still enjoy killing new bosses in Karazhan or beating a heroic, but I don't have that enthusiatic feeling of wanting to beat something new.
The sheen of BC has worn off I guess, in less than 2 months. I still like playing but in the back of my mind I wish I could find another game that gave me that sense of newness and whatever that feeling is that compels you to keep playing (on the other hand maybe its a good thing I don't have that feeling.)
Solution to WoW burnout:
Try RL with no WoW for 2 weeks. If that's too boring, pick up a book. In this case, you don't have to worry about some drunk with a bad internet conection runnning about with a big sword, ruining your fun.
I have 3 weeks on an island planned for my summer holidays, and I won't take my computer, so no WoW or anything (although I'm a bit worried about the blog). Too bad that is still 4 months away. Meanwhile, if some drunk with a big sword ruins my fun ironing shirts, I'd start to get worried.
I used to play single-play computer RPGs, but now I find that once you've done lots of MMORPG, it is very hard to go back to the single-player variety. Maybe strategy games would be the better alternative, as mbp suggested.
I'm also reading books, but that is currently "The Hobbit", and I plan to re-read "The Lord of the Rings" during summer, so I can't say it's totally detached from MMO gaming. ;)
Try RL with no WoW for 2 weeks. If that's too boring, pick up a book. In this case, you don't have to worry about some drunk with a bad internet conection runnning about with a big sword, ruining your fun.
I have 3 weeks on an island planned for my summer holidays, and I won't take my computer, so no WoW or anything (although I'm a bit worried about the blog). Too bad that is still 4 months away. Meanwhile, if some drunk with a big sword ruins my fun ironing shirts, I'd start to get worried.
I used to play single-play computer RPGs, but now I find that once you've done lots of MMORPG, it is very hard to go back to the single-player variety. Maybe strategy games would be the better alternative, as mbp suggested.
I'm also reading books, but that is currently "The Hobbit", and I plan to re-read "The Lord of the Rings" during summer, so I can't say it's totally detached from MMO gaming. ;)
> But as I said, I'm suffering from burnout.
Take a short break, as someone else suggested.
Or start a low-level character, of a class/race you haven't played with and new professions.
Spend time grinding rep, farming and doing quests. There's a lot to be said for raiding, but the solution isn't more of the same - instead, change focus for a while. If you're a cook, spend time farming and cooking lots of buff-food and give it as a present to select people going to the next raid. Same goes for potions if you're a herbalist/alchemist. You'll feel better about yourself, your mates will thank you even though you're taking a break from raiding - it's a win-win idea :)
Hang around the guild channel and offer to help low-level alts with instance runs. Miss MC? Imagine how fast you can go through SM at level 70 :)
Personally I don't have the money to pay for 2 MMO subscriptions, but even if you have the money, do you really have the time to invest in both and do them justice? I'd rather be better in one game then average in two... but that's just me, to each his own :)
> In order to get over this WOW ennui why not play a single player game for a few days Tobold.
Hehe I guess there really is no arguing with taste... me, I can't imagine going back to single-player games now that I've been hooked on MMO games. A while back, my ISP had a few bad days where I couldn't stay connected to WoW. Bored silly, I bought NWN2, installed and started playing. Back in the Stone Age, I loved NWN, it was one of my favourite games. I had read good reviews of NWN2, so I figured "what the heck". Man, what a waste of money. Alone, with a UI that just didn't work right and a camera control that soon had me cursing, I soon realized that Blizzard had not only made a good *MMO* with WoW - they made a good *game*. But even once I got used to the controls and at least could put up with the camera, I was still missing something. And that something is human interaction. There was no guild chat. No general chat. No Auction House. No Trade Channel. No Chuck Norris jokes!! NWN2, for all its visual beauty, felt cold and sterile and *alone*. There was no satisfaction in doing the quests and beating the mobs - my computerized companions couldn't care, or share. The sense of accomplishment and fun I once got from single player games is completly gone - how can anyone ever compare playing with other people vs. playing with a computer? Sure, the magical sword in both is just a bunch of digital bits - but in an MMO, it's a bunch of digital bits that other people can see and appreciate and *that* makes all the difference.
Take a short break, as someone else suggested.
Or start a low-level character, of a class/race you haven't played with and new professions.
Spend time grinding rep, farming and doing quests. There's a lot to be said for raiding, but the solution isn't more of the same - instead, change focus for a while. If you're a cook, spend time farming and cooking lots of buff-food and give it as a present to select people going to the next raid. Same goes for potions if you're a herbalist/alchemist. You'll feel better about yourself, your mates will thank you even though you're taking a break from raiding - it's a win-win idea :)
Hang around the guild channel and offer to help low-level alts with instance runs. Miss MC? Imagine how fast you can go through SM at level 70 :)
Personally I don't have the money to pay for 2 MMO subscriptions, but even if you have the money, do you really have the time to invest in both and do them justice? I'd rather be better in one game then average in two... but that's just me, to each his own :)
> In order to get over this WOW ennui why not play a single player game for a few days Tobold.
Hehe I guess there really is no arguing with taste... me, I can't imagine going back to single-player games now that I've been hooked on MMO games. A while back, my ISP had a few bad days where I couldn't stay connected to WoW. Bored silly, I bought NWN2, installed and started playing. Back in the Stone Age, I loved NWN, it was one of my favourite games. I had read good reviews of NWN2, so I figured "what the heck". Man, what a waste of money. Alone, with a UI that just didn't work right and a camera control that soon had me cursing, I soon realized that Blizzard had not only made a good *MMO* with WoW - they made a good *game*. But even once I got used to the controls and at least could put up with the camera, I was still missing something. And that something is human interaction. There was no guild chat. No general chat. No Auction House. No Trade Channel. No Chuck Norris jokes!! NWN2, for all its visual beauty, felt cold and sterile and *alone*. There was no satisfaction in doing the quests and beating the mobs - my computerized companions couldn't care, or share. The sense of accomplishment and fun I once got from single player games is completly gone - how can anyone ever compare playing with other people vs. playing with a computer? Sure, the magical sword in both is just a bunch of digital bits - but in an MMO, it's a bunch of digital bits that other people can see and appreciate and *that* makes all the difference.
(although I'm a bit worried about the blog).
Try having guest bloggers. Have a few people write up a brief essay about something, submit it to you for proof, and then stagger the posting out over the course of your vacation.
Try having guest bloggers. Have a few people write up a brief essay about something, submit it to you for proof, and then stagger the posting out over the course of your vacation.
Solidstate I think it is wrong to expect a single player game to deliver the same experience as a multiplayer game. That is like expecting a book to deliver the same experience as a evening with friends. A good single player game is a rewarding solitary experience but it cannot fulfill your social needs. I am aware of the let down that happens when you go straight to single player gaming from an MMORPG because it takes time to adjust your expectations. I have found that once you get your head around the fact that they are different you can still enjoy a good single player game in much the same way one can enjoy a good book.
I just pvped 31500 honor for the gem. I'm bored. Need a new 40 man 61-70 battlegrounds.
Merge battlegroups so there are more per group.
Merge battlegroups so there are more per group.
# posted by : 12/3/07 22:47
: 12/3/07 22:47
For LotRO in the US:
It's in closed beta. Those characters will be wiped when Open Beta starts. Then, the pre-orders are guaranteed into the Open Beta (As well as the other benefits). Those characters will be transfered into Release, but have a level (15?) cap. This was just confirmed in the Stratics IRC chat.
The Closed Beta (i.e. chars you are playing NOW) Will be wiped.
BTW, latest patch REALLY screwed up the economy - you are probably glad you are not playing ATM.
It's in closed beta. Those characters will be wiped when Open Beta starts. Then, the pre-orders are guaranteed into the Open Beta (As well as the other benefits). Those characters will be transfered into Release, but have a level (15?) cap. This was just confirmed in the Stratics IRC chat.
The Closed Beta (i.e. chars you are playing NOW) Will be wiped.
BTW, latest patch REALLY screwed up the economy - you are probably glad you are not playing ATM.
# posted by : 13/3/07 02:14
: 13/3/07 02:14
"A good single player game is a rewarding solitary experience but it cannot fulfill your social needs."
mbp,
I seriously question your statement that a good single player game can be a rewarding experience, when compared to the availability of MMO games. Especially if those MMO games are just as good if not better in many other respects. How do you see the single player as rewarding any more?
Single player games have 2 advantages - no need for a monthly subscription and no need for an internet connection. Mostly these points translate to money and "needing" to spend less time on the game, to keep up with others.
However even the monthly subscription advantage is just a problem of some MMO games - GuildWars for example doesn't have this.
mbp,
I seriously question your statement that a good single player game can be a rewarding experience, when compared to the availability of MMO games. Especially if those MMO games are just as good if not better in many other respects. How do you see the single player as rewarding any more?
Single player games have 2 advantages - no need for a monthly subscription and no need for an internet connection. Mostly these points translate to money and "needing" to spend less time on the game, to keep up with others.
However even the monthly subscription advantage is just a problem of some MMO games - GuildWars for example doesn't have this.
I think single-player games still retain a number of advantages. For example in role-playing games single-player games have much better possibilities to tell a story, while MMOs are often stuck in an open-ended world in which the players just click through the little bit of lore available from quest texts without reading them.
In strategy games single-player games offer the unique advantage that the opponent doesn't mind losing. Often you can adjust the difficulty level to something you are comfortable with, which is usually the level where you still win, but need to put in some effort to do so. In a multi-player game one player *has* to lose, which is often a lot less fun. And pairing people against others of equal skill is a recurring problem, making the adjustment of difficulty very hard.
In strategy games single-player games offer the unique advantage that the opponent doesn't mind losing. Often you can adjust the difficulty level to something you are comfortable with, which is usually the level where you still win, but need to put in some effort to do so. In a multi-player game one player *has* to lose, which is often a lot less fun. And pairing people against others of equal skill is a recurring problem, making the adjustment of difficulty very hard.
I'm currently questing in Nagrand at level 68.
The Halaa rewards are total junk for me, so I have no interest in battles there. There are only 2 cloth items available, and both of them are worse than what I have already acquired previously in Terokkar and Hellfire.
Now I'm just trashing the tokens and powder, as I can't even vendor them; don't think too much thought went into this event, really.
As for grinding for Nesingwary; don't Blizzard ever listen? It's well known that Stranglethorn is disliked for its tedious grind quests, and yet Blizzard reproduce the exact thing again in Nagrand.
There is enough grinding to do in BC (motes etc) without making the quests so boring, too.
Nagrand is a great place, but the quests are so 'seen it, done it'.
The Halaa rewards are total junk for me, so I have no interest in battles there. There are only 2 cloth items available, and both of them are worse than what I have already acquired previously in Terokkar and Hellfire.
Now I'm just trashing the tokens and powder, as I can't even vendor them; don't think too much thought went into this event, really.
As for grinding for Nesingwary; don't Blizzard ever listen? It's well known that Stranglethorn is disliked for its tedious grind quests, and yet Blizzard reproduce the exact thing again in Nagrand.
There is enough grinding to do in BC (motes etc) without making the quests so boring, too.
Nagrand is a great place, but the quests are so 'seen it, done it'.
# posted by : 13/3/07 13:52
: 13/3/07 13:52
An old, but golden, game: King of Dragon Pass
http://a-sharp.com/kodp/
A bit hard to get, but should be possble to a person with a credit card.
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http://a-sharp.com/kodp/
A bit hard to get, but should be possble to a person with a credit card.
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