Getting closer

Drakhan hit level 68 last night and he is finally doing the Terrokar quests. I spent a lot of time in Nagrand doing the quests and just grinding away. I figured I would grind there anyway so might as well get some xp for it while I was at it. I am really in no hurry to hit 70 with the hunter, but it will be nice to have him “ready” for WotLK. On the bringht side he finally has LW up to 375 and he has Ebon Netherscale Breastplate, Ebon Netherscale Bracers, and Ebon Netherscale Belt sitting in the bank. I had to buy some of the mats off the AH, but when you spend 4 levels grinding in Nagrand all that Thick Clefthoof Leather makes some nice gold.

I now have a conundrum... My recent shift of pve towards pvp has got me wondering. Should I even wear the cool Ebon Netherscale set in the BGs? Should I just pick up the PVP blue set and just work from there? I guess I really do not understand how important of a stat resilience really is? Maybe I should just write Megan a long e-mail begging for advice lol.

On a different note I am enjoying the BGs with my Paladin. I like the hybrid role. I have several stuns for WSG, I have heals, and aoe. I have been debating making up a huge batch of eng bombs just for fun too. I am not sure I like my spec for BGs. My heals do not land for as high as I like for a healing role. On the flip side I still goof off with friends in the pve realm and really enjoy my spec for that. What I need is like an "Outfitter" addon that lets me have two specs at the same time. Hit my addon button and change gear and specs.... Yea... that would be nice.

Token Grind

I have been in the BGs this week. Lots of WSG gulch, a sprinkling of the others. I am gaining pretty good honor, but sheesh... this token grind is going to kill me. I do not mind the AV grind, it is the others.

I think that there should be a token exchange program or something. Turn in 10 tokens of your choosing for any 1 of another type. While I am on the exchange program nonsense... how about 100 honor for 1 arena point too :)

PVP Grind

I realized last night that the pvp grind is a looooong ardous journey. This is WSG weekend and I won one match. I played like maybe 9 games total last night, and only the one. I did manage to capture the flag a total of 4 times, twice in the winning game, but still. I have never played much WSG. I always found it to be my least favorite of the BGs. I have never really paid much attention to how much rep I had with the Silverwing. Well.... I am still neutral. This is going to be painful if I want that title. I do not need the cool pvp title, just a spur of the moment decision.

Every so often I look at my WoW experience and try to decide...
What about the game I still find exciting?
What parts of the game give me the most stress?
What parts of the game do I find tedius?
What parts do I find relaxing?
What parts of the game do I find rewarding?
What gives me the most "bang" for my "time" buck?

I turned my eyes back towards pvp this weekend. Not hardcore pvp mind you. I will probably not be shooting for a cool arena team. Just casual go into the BGs and try to enjoy the ride. As I did this I looked into my bags.... I looked at the healdin gear, grind gear, tank gear... So much wasted space on the off chance I tank, or heal a 5 man. I never do. I can not tell you the last time I did anything other than help a friend out in Ramps or SP, or UB... At level 70 I really do not need my tankadin gear.. my grind gear with spell dmg does just fine.

I think I am going to try for some gladiator and see where that takes me.


Gladiator's Aegis
Gladiator's Lamellar Chestpiece 14,500 Honor 30 AB
Gladiator's Lamellar Gauntlets 10,500 Honor 30 AV
Gladiator's Lamellar Helm 14,500 Honor 30 AV
Gladiator's Lamellar Legguards 14,500 Honor 30 WSG
Gladiator's Lamellar Shoulders 11,250 Honor 20 AB

Minor Update

I talked a friend into dual boxing with me. He is rolling with 2 shamans, currently level 17 I think. He is trying to catch up to me so that we can destroy contenty together. I have recently changed the way I am operating. I now have two WoWs going on my system and do not see much of a performance hit. I play on a laptop and therein lies the problem.... Two windows on my little laptop screen.... Hurts. Otherwise it is nice to hit one button and have both of my toons do their thing.

I can see the appeal of 5 boxing but could not justify the expense. I rationalize my current two accounts as one is used by my son. As a matter of fact his account was bought just for him... I just ninja it after he goes to bed.

On a side note, this may be a light week for me. I have VBS this week at church and will not have much time to play or blog... but we shall see.

So much to do

I am effectively leveling 3 low toons at more or less the same time. I am unable to decide between my shaman, priest, and mage. All three have merit, all three are fun, but doing all three are making it go slow. As of last night, all three have completed all the SW quests up to Westfall and have run Deadmines repeatedly getting all drops that they could use. The shaman and priest have also ran SFK. The priest still needs the Robe of Arugal and the Odo's Ley Staff, the shaman is done. The mage will get his turn tonight. The shaman has completed all the Exodar quests as well.

Shaman
Run IF quests
Run Darn quests (Aberdeen area)
Run Barrens quests
Run Stockades
Run Wailing Caverns

Priest
Run IF quests
Run Darn quests (Aberdeen area)
Run Exodar quests
Run Barrens quests
Run Stockades
Run Wailing Caverns

Mage
Run IF quests
Run Darn quests
Run Exodar quests
Run Barrens quests
Run Stockades
Run SFK
Run Wailing Caverns

Why do I run all the low zones you may ask? I really don’t know. I can not help myself. I like the free rep. I feel like I have to. It is some sick compulsion, but all my toons do it. I hit all the low zones. I do not mind skipping other zones, just not this one.

Crazy People

So…. I am running various alts through various low level zones. I do not know why… relaxing. I have done Dead Mines, Stockades, and Shadowfang Keep, all just because I can. I recently gave my son my Druid and my Hunter so that he can have a high level toon and so that I can use them to run my low level toons on his account. I have to say… for low level runs… the paladin is a thing of pure beauty. I mean all the yellow reflective damage numbers all over my screen… Wow.

I am not sure if you have done this or not, but I run lots of Azeroth instances for friends. I run them solo just to do it sometimes to see if I can. I tried Dire Maul solo… I tried Strat solo… I tried Scholo solo. Just for the fun of it. With that being said, I recently ran a friend through Scarlet Monastery. We did a full clear and it was a blast. In the cathedral I pulled the whole entire courtyard…. Both levels… all at the same time. I would have to say that 90% of the mobs died in a nice semi circle around my paladin. Retribution, Shield Spike, Blessing of Sanctuary, and of course Consecration makes a wonderful display of reflective damage.

My hope as of right now… of all the things that WotLK will provide… Please let there be a “thorns” for inscribing…

Back on track...

So... I am running myself through an instance in Shadowfang Keep and I get this /t.
x : "Hey, how are you in there at level 21?"
Me : "I think you can enter at 16."
x : "Is that hunter running you."
Me : "Yes.... I am running myself, it is my other account."
x : "If you summon me can I join?"
Me : "Sorry, as I said... I am running myself. How did you know?"
x : "I did a /who and you are the only two in there..."

Break in story... See I am relying on myself here... I am not harassing strangers. I am not interrupting their run. I am not mooching off of their hospitality. I am actually in the instance right now. Is this guy just being rude, or am I rude?

x : "Ok. You sure"
Me : "Yes."
x : "Could you summon me and another guy out there then?"
Me : "You are not joining the group, you just want a stone summon out here?"
x : "Yes."
Me : "Sure, one sec."

At this point I am sighing and kicking myself for giving in....

Me : "Sorry man too high to use the stone."
x : "No, you have to use your low toon..."
Me : "Ok, tried again... sorry, he is too low."
x : "Did you even try?"
Me : "Yes, I am sorry for you trouble but I would like to get back to playing now."
x : "Thanks anyway."

Several minutes go by....

x : "Where is SFK."
Me : "In Silverpine forest..."
x : "Could you give me directions from Storm Wind."
Me : "No I am sorry, I am trying to play here... Wowwiki it."

The Right of Passage

The right of passage… Becoming a “Man”… It has changed. Early in my WoW days there were certain events that you just knew were make it or break it. Those elites, those quests… They existed in all the zones. They were all throughout the levels. They have changed. Now you are not a “Man” until you step through that portal and get stepped on by the Fel Reaver. He is the new Un’Gorro Devilsaur. He is the massively huge abomination that gets even the best of us.

Days have come and gone… Patches have come and gone. Are we better? Is the World better? A matter of perspective I guess. I can see both sides and yet really can not decide myself. There are things I like about it… there I things I miss about the old ways… and there are even more changes I would love to see made.

World Elites
For the most part these guys are now gone in Azeroth. There were some quests in the “old” days that you either skipped or had to group up for. Or you could be one of the select few that “manned” up and took the challenge. There were the creative locks, hunters, mages… that kited. There were the paladins going toe to toe with the non-casters. It was fun and exciting. Personally when leveling my paladin (My first ever toon), the elite challenge was really what kept me going. I loved being able to say I took on that group alone.

Azeroth Instances
These have been improved. The loot is now nicer. Much more blues for your looting pleasure. But still…. Is it enough? How many people these days run DM, Strat, Scholo, BRD ??? Who runs ZG, Naxx, Ony, AQ ??? How about old world rep? There are still cool recipes out there that I just don’t have the time to farm for. There are still cool recipes out there that I just can not solo farm. I want a way to rep grind the old stuff without being waaaaaay too tedious. Perhaps a way to “tone down the old stuff”? A solo button kind of like the heroic button? I really have no idea how that would work, but still.. that is why I am no game designer. Maybe just dailies to grind for them? How about some new AD dailies where you have to bring them more crap and this time you get Naxx rep? Something in Silth where you grind AQ rep? This rep could then be redeemed for the recipe drops from those zones?