Link Roundups – A Blast From The Past!

Yeehaw! It’s a link roundup! (This is still a WIP, though now that I’ve posted it, I’m likely never to finish it!)

The past month or so, that is. At any rate, let’s dig in!

This time the topics include an epic RP Storyline, some Auction House stories, thoughts on Spending Cash in the cash shop and elsewhere, some thoughts on the Past, Future, and the Present (of WoW).

RP Storyline

I don’t know if you keep up with the Feathermoon crew much (I haven’t of late, to tell the truth), but Too Many Annas has a nice short with our good Headmaster Arrens in it. It made me quite curious to find out what happens next, and luckily I got to read on, as seen in the follow-up stories in this mega-storyline:

• Old Enemies: The Magical Rogue by Lorelei. (Also found on Anna’s site.)
• Old Enemies: Demonology 101 — Introduction to Disappearances by Sarcanna de Roux.
• Old Enemies: Intellect, Reason, and The Self by Order of the Rose’s Hinote.
• Old Enemies: Trailing Off (Part 1) by Order of the Rose’s Shalia and Hinote.

Hopefully there will be more soon!

Auction House

Phat Lewt’s Gold Blog points out that TSM 2.0 is in open beta. I didn’t even know there was a 2.0! I think I’ll stick with the old fashioned TSM for now until more info is out on TSM 2.0, because at least I know how it works!

Power Word: Gold gives the rundown on how iLvl jumps work and how you can profit from them. Full of pretty graphs!

Spending Cash

The Grumpy Elf has some thoughts on WoW, the new cash shop model, and if it will ever go F2P.

If Navimie from The Daily Frostwolf was in charge of the WoW Cash Shop, this is what she would add (or remove).

The Daily Frostwolf also reports that one of their guildies has actually bought the transmog helms from the ‘pet store’. They actually look pretty nice on a Tauren, as seen in the post. But… I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be paying $15 for them. Maybe if they go on sale…

And for a slightly different take on how you can spend your money, Cold’s Gold Factory reported way back in July that the most recent WoW TCG expansion has all the loot cards! Maybe it’s time I get back into that hobby? Maaaaybe.

A Look To The Future

WoW Rare Spawns gives us a preview of … well, rare spawns! In 5.4 on the Timeless Isle, apparently. Neat!

In a look at futures that could maybe (possible) be, Variant Avatar suggests Blizzard make guilds more appealing. A compelling argument, with good improvement ideas to boot. (Yes, I would like to create my own guild quests!)

Herding Cats writes a little on the future (or lack of future) of MMO blogging. Not specifically WoW-related, but this is a blog about an MMO (or two, or three), so it’s a good read for you bloggers out there.

A Look To The Past

Tome of the Ancient prefers the places in Azeroth that haven’t changed. I must say, I’m rather adverse to change as well. But I haven’t even touched most of the Cataclysm leveling zones yet… (not that surprising, knowing my leveling record).

Power Word: Gold got a rare drop and asks if you remember a time you got an exceptionally rare item? I know I do; it was a fancy purple ring I got in a Scarlet Monastery run that freezes enemies that attack you. She’s outgrown it, obviously, but I’m pretty sure I’ve kept it in her bank.

WoW In The Present

Now with sub-categories: Just Playing and Raiding (which I suppose is a subform of playing but nevermind that!)

Just Playing

The Grumpy Elf talks about soloing WoW for the challenge.

Is leveling too easy? Not if you forget how to play your class, as Tome of the Ancient helpfully demonstrates. Don’t worry — I’ve done that very thing P L E N T Y of times.

Fellow altoholic at That Was an Accident has a goblin problem, I presume much like I have a Tauren problem.

Why do you play Warcraft? The Grumpy Elf examines this in a thoughtful post; I agree with many of the sentiments expressed.

Raiding

The Daily Frostwolf gives an example of how they decide who sits out for their 10-man raid. My guild does it easy — no backups. Of course, this means sometimes we don’t raid at all when people are missing… >_>

The Was an Accident! has been having fun in LFR. First, a look at healing LFR without friends, and then going to LFR with friends. Plenty of screenies in these posts too!

— — —

That’s all for today! Happy gaming, everyone!

—Misha

Link Roundups – From Last Month And Beyond!

Yeehaw! It’s a link roundup! (This is still a WIP, though now that I’ve posted it, I’m likely never to finish it!)

Welcome to yet another edition of Link Roundup, where I share with you some neat blogs I’ve read as I’ve ever so slowly catch up on my blog reading (people keep posting when I take a break for a few days — how rude!)

This week I’ve picked up on quite a few WoW Topics, including Auction House players, tanking, healing, PvP, GMing, art, and so much more! Including a few people talking about the upcoming in-game store. I know a lot of people wrote about this, so maybe I’ll catch up on those when I do another archive binge in Feedly. 🙂

Oh, and there are a few other links regarding other games such as SW:TOR and everybody’s favorite, Animal Crossing! (Be my friend so I can visit your town? >_>)

Auction House

Theoretical Gold Farming, the ‘new kid on the block’ if you will, has a pretty good post on how to do ‘the shuffle’ without using spreadsheets (as long as you’re already using TSM, which I am). I’d put this to use but I don’t have JC at a high level. Maybe next expansion! XD

Power Word: Gold has a good analysis of what gear sells well (for them) based on the item’s suffix. I found it quite interesting. (Maybe because I like spreadsheets and numbers?)

Tanking And Healing In WoW

Tzufit explains why she’s monk healing nowadays instead of tree healing, and goes a bit into character identity too. (And one of these days I may have a Monk at max too… *laughs and laughs and laughs*

A Sunnier Bear lists off different ways fights encourage (force?) the use of two tanks. A very good summary of MoP tanks fight styles.

PvP!

Alt:ernative will be hitting up arenas again soon, with the upcoming changes. Will you? (As for me, maybe, maybe not. I’ve enjoyed a bit of pvp here and there, but unlike Alt:ernative, I’ve lived all my WoW days on carebear servers. 🙂 )

The Daily Frostwolf has a series (term used loosely) on their latest forays into the world of arenas and tournaments and the like. Pretty neat stuff, especially when reading from the perspective of a pvp noob like me. Here is the second post on arenas, and then the third is here.

In-Game Store Musings

Achievements Ahoy has a list of cosmetic-type items that would be cool to have in an in-game WoW shop. Looks good to me! Though really, wouldn’t scribes make dye since they’re already milling herbs for ink? /SCRIBEPOWA (Plus, some of these, for the WoW game engine, would be hard to implement, like armor dyes (the coolest idea, of course). And trading in multiple pets for a better pet? Yes please!

Alt:ernative also talks about what would be on her list of things to buy in an in-game store, as posed by the Community Blog Topic from WoWInsider.

Variant Avatar also has some thoughts on Blizzard’s cash store.

Other WoW Type Stuff

GMing can be hard. Alt:ernative gives an example in the post, “When Love Breaks Down“,  and further elaborates on her GMing in “Cruel to be Kind“.

Bible of Dreams lays it out pretty clearly: The Raid Boss Doesn’t Care if You’re Not a Raiding Guild.

Look at this pretty watercolor art Vidyala did! Pretty! (And she does commissions too! 😀 )

Spellbound is too cool for Tirion’s help while defeating Arthas.

Let’s do the time warp agaaaaain! Or… just read this article by The Grumpy Elf on how time perception during fights in-game can seem to warp. That’ll do.

Other Games

In An Age has been playing a game called Don’t Starve, and boy does it sound hard. Not too sure if I’d enjoy it or rage quit after dying for the 10th time. Seems interesting though! (You can read a follow-up post on Winter here).

MMO Melting Pot pointed out MJ’s delightful article on Barping – Bar RPing – as it is in SW:TOR. A very good references for RPers, even if you do not play SW:TOR as much of the advice can be ported elsewhere!

Also on SW:TOR Life, MJ interviews a person who RPs as a droid. Sounds like fun, and a nice change of pace to boot!

Tales of Aggronaut lists out the top 10 must haves for MMOs. I rather agree with the list, they all seem rather nice to have. And here’s the follow-up post: Other MMO Wants. I especially approve of mentoring – it was really nice in City of Heroes. /weepsForTheFallenGame

The Wolf Den has an interesting post called “Confusing Gear-To-Play with Learn-To-Play“, stating that while people may say ‘l2p’ in games, nowadays no skill is involved with games – merely more gear (gotten through time). I’m not sure if I entirely agree, at least when thinking about WoW — after all, even if you put a poor player in the best gear, they still will not function as well as well-communicating highly-skilled heroic teams. And I would expect more parity in raiding (such as everyone at the start of an expansion doing nearly equally well on all bosses in an instance). The article still makes a good point, though.

But Mostly Animal Crossing

Lady Jess has caught the bug that’s been sweeping twitter — Animal Crossing. And it leads to much much more than that!

Hestiah is also playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and has lots of advice to share. For example, I’m really wishing I had planted my first perfect pear! Oh well, a little late now. And thank goodness I ended up with an eye shape that I like!

— — —

And that’s all for now! Must. Keep. Reading. XD

—Misha

Liiiiiink Roundups is the place for me….

Yeehaw! It’s a link roundup! (This is still a WIP, though now that I’ve posted it, I’m likely never to finish it!)

Welcome to another edition of Link Roundup, where I, Mishaweha, walk you through posts I found interesting 2+weeks ago and have finally found the time to format and post them for your reviewing pleasure, in case you missed them. (Really, I don’t understand how the rest of you manage your awesome posting schedules!)

This latest entry for Link Roundup was, in part, inspired by Google Reader shutting down, which forced me to start anew elsewhere. I had taken a look at commafeed, but when Feedly finally showed me their cloud version, I was hooked. (Amusingly, my husband also started using Feedly independently.) It seemed like the perfect time to get back into reading WoW blogs on the regular! (Too bad I’m already behind).

Anyway, the topics for today’s link roundup include: WoW – Lighter Side, WoW – Moar Serious, Other Games, and Transmogs. Because I love me some transmogs, even if my grand outfit plans have barely come to fruition.

WoW – Lighter Side

Want to feel rich every time you sell something on the AH? Power Word: Gold points out the addon for you!

The Lion Guard, responding to the community blog topic, states Humans as their favorite race. Fah! Tauren are clearly superior. (And yes, a Tauren is my main… and I have lots and lots of Tauren alts. Femtaurs ftw).

Tzufit talks about her Mom playing WoW; a good read for those interested in seeing something from a new player’s perspective.

Tome of the Ancient has a chain-smoking Death Knight. Yeah, you should go read that post.

WoW – Moar Serious

Life In Group 5 has a nice analysis of how healing is coming along in this post: Status Check: The Healing Game as of 5.3.

The Grumpy Elf has an epically long post with thoughts on LFR (and whether Flex raiding will end it), CRZ & Virtual Realms, and random grouping in general.

Alt:ernative talks about server communities and if there is any hope for them existing again, what with those virtual servers looming in the distance.

An interesting post at The Daily Frostwolf continuing discussion on women in WoW. (I know a lot of other people wrote about this too: You can find some linked in The Daily Frostwolf, and I’m sure you’ve seen even more).

The Grumpy Elf also talks about how people are feeling ‘the end of expansion blues’ already… or is it something else? (Something that I am currently feeling, I think. I agree with this post wholeheartedly).

At Tree Heals Go Woosh, Tzufit muses on why the Battlefield: Barrens is not the most exciting battlefield out there. I tend to agree — I was all gungho the first 3 weeks, and now suddenly I don’t have the time/interest to head out there and kill bosses. Least I got my pet.

In An Age talks about why, in this day and age, warriors still need to have shields to do a Shield Bash. Or rather, why they won’t anymore.

Other Games

Tales of the Aggronaut talks about Rift and how you should play it (I’ll play it with you!), along with how consoles — specifically their graphics and gamplay — used to have an advantage over PC gaming. And then starts a series on how to Rift, starting with character creation!

In An Age gives us impressions of the Firefall Beta. Seems interesting, but I already have lots of game on my plate! (Plus, I’m still keeping an eye out for Wildstar beta invites. *stare* )

Transmogs

Phixuscarus‘ transmogs! I love the rogue! :3

Klym on Ravencrest certainly has a striking transmog, as pulled by Transmog Fashion.

And the WoW Fashion Police have found this stunning number in black. Along with this awesome transmog, with a goblin lady model to boot!

Shorts? There are shorts! Cool!

Someone else is wearing Mandlebrot’s number – the Ancestral Woolie! (Well, at least something sharing the same model.) And they’re making it look good, too. (Coincidence that this one is a blood elf guy too? I think not.)

This pose with this outfit is awesome, right? I thought so. (But for a minute I thought she was a DK wearing this – sorry!)

You do not mess with the lady in blue holding a scythe.

— — —

And I think that’s all for this roundup! See you again in a month (or two). >_>

-Misha

Many Link Roundups! Handle Them!

Yeehaw! It's a link roundup! (This is still a WIP, though now that I've posted it, I'm likely never to finish it!)

Welcome to another edition of Link Roundup! I’ve been monitoring links throughout the week, and boy were you guys on a roll! Looks like I’ll have to break things down a little more than I usually do!

In this Roundup I’ve pulled out posts on Pandaren (where be the women folk?), Helpful Tips (Alchemists will want to check this out), Shaman (a personal favorite of mine), Musings on the Current, Future, and Past state of WoW (there’s some SW:TOR and Gnomes in there; you have been warned), NaNoWriMo (encouragements) and a few Silly Posts.

Hope you have the time to read through all this great stuff!

Pandaren

Holy Concentration explains her love of Pandaren and is really tired of your complaints about them.

Ratshag makes the very valid point that there are no female Pandaren in the concept art. I too hope that they put more time into the female Pandaren design. Maybe for the next race they’ll design the ladies first (as a true gentleman would do)!

Amerence ponders what class she’ll make her Pandaren, and also finds a possibly real concept image of what female Pandaren will look like! If it is real, I am pleased with the results. If it’s not real… it should be!

Is this the Pandaren Female Design? If not... can you make it be the Pandaren Female Design?

Helpful Tips!

Power Word: Gold has a warning for you Alchemists out there: Change specs now! 4.3 is bringing a new, more expensive way to switch your specialization, while taking away the old version.

Just My Two Copper talks about manually adjusting addons to get them to do just the right thing. While this post talks about more auction house related addons, you could apply the same ideas to other addons you use. Have you ever tweaked an addon before?

Shaman!

Interested in a MoP Shaman talent preview with a Resto twist? Totem Forest has got you covered.

For those interested in Shaman changes in the more near term future, Life in Group 5 wrote about the Shaman Tier 13 bonuses and the changes to our healing spells. I agree that changing Ancestral Healing to add health to your target isn’t the best idea (especially since it can’t be tracked!) And the 4-piece bonus for Tier 13 is something that I would probably never use; I hardly remember to use Spiritwalker’s Grace anyway (maybe THAT’S why it’s a bonus… to get silly Shaman like me to remember to use those new spells they gave us at the start of Cata).

Current Game Musings

Screaming Monkeys would like more games to allow your high level toons to easily swtich servers/factions to help out friends in need. What do you think?

The Grumpy Elf has written an interesting two part series on how DPS are just numbers. It’s a little introspective, and yes, a little grumpy I might add. But it does sum up the sad state of the world (of warcraft) that people think of tanks as tanks, healers as healers, and dps as the dps who did 13K. See the first post here, and the second here.

Restokin talks about Stat Inflation (you know, the reason why DPS numbers just keep on climbing to ridiculous heights). There are two solutions discussed; Mega-Damage and a Stat Reset. I agree that a stat reset would be best.

Upcoming Game Musings

Azuriel at In An Age muses that the upcoming MoP talents changes may not be so different from the old Vanilla/BC style…

In the more near-term future, Rades is not impressed with the looks of Death Knight Tier 13. I’m not either, though I haven’t liked many Death Knight Tier sets in general. Maybe because it just looks like the human is covered in construction paper tubes with drawings on it. Maybe it looks better on a different race/gender, like my lady Tauren DK Mourninglory.

While the armor still isn't the best, it looks way better on a Tauren. :3

In other news, Screaming Monkeys has a little story involving two game company employees discussing Star Wars: The Old Republic. I’m a little surprised by their comments too.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Priest With A Cause remembers Karazhan, a place we both miss. I think I miss it more than my guildies; we spent a lot of time there. >.>

Alas remeniced about PvPing with a group of identical Gnomes… which has now spawned a Gnome Clone project. You can find more about the Gnome Clone project here, on its blog Revenge of the Gnomes. Even more details on the EU version were written up over at Spellbound.

NaNoWriMo!

I’m still hard at work at my attempt (which I may post about later), but Rades has been writing up a storm with his Letteres. Feel free to read about the silly Azerothians who waste their gold to store useless items and to wear matching clothing. Or would you rather read about ADORBS CRITTERS and how they SHOULDN’T BE FIGHTING EACH OTHER D: ? (I suggest you read both, and the other letters Rades has written so far!)

For those of you who are participating in NaNoWriMo, I Like Bubbles gives some encouragement.

Bika has a less flowcharty encouragement here.

On The Silly Side

The Grumpy Elf had lots of random thoughts. I must agree, coming up with names for your toons is pretty hard, especially so many of the ones that make sense have been taken!

I may have missed out on the #iwasanoob twitter hashtag, but Elfi didn’t, and carefully transcribed many tweets for your enjoyment!

Fulguralis asks… What Would Star Fox Do?

And I think that’s all the links for today, folks! Thanks for reading!

A Wild Link Roundup Appears!

Yeehaw! It's a link roundup! (This is still a WIP, though now that I've posted it, I'm likely never to finish it!)

Happy Hallow’s End and welcome to the Link Round Up!

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I blame a lack of round ups due to me not reading other blogs consistently. However, I’ve recently been sprucing up my Google Reader and therefore started to read blogs again. This leads me to find interesting links to share with you in a round up! Let’s see if this trend continues, even as NaNoWriMo looms…

Today we have some thoughts on leveling, Pandaren, gold making, art, and storytelling. But first up is some Hallow’s End goodness!

• For those who are last-minute trick-or-treaters such as myself, Revive & Rejuvenate has a listing of all the candy sites in Azeroth!
• Need some extra gold this Hallow’s End? Cold’s Gold Factory recommends you check the chests in SM: Graveyard! He also mentions that the PTR has BOE Sinister Squashlings and recommends you hold onto them, just in case the PTR isn’t lying.
• There’s a nice little post on Just My Two Copper about wisely investing your time when playing the AH. I know I have trouble balancing my other WoW activities with playing the AH; it’s either too much or not enough!
• Priest with a Cause is reviewing zones from both sides, and has some interesting thoughts on Azshara and Ashenvale.
• Cynwise‘s Shaman alt, Cynix, tries leveling through PvP some more, and raises some questions about PvP XP gains. (Play-by-play of Cynix’s leveling experience can also be found there).
• Holy Word: Delicious has a nice post speculating about Monk Melee healing. I, for one, am looking forward to it. Several other games have the ‘do damage to heal’ classes and I’ve found them rather fun. You just need to think differently.
• Rades mentioned this post at Flavor Text that talks about why Pandarens might actually a legit reason to be chill.
• And speaking of Flavor Text, Cat has decided to start drawing some WoW characters, and one of them is mine! I’ll definitely be showing off the results!
• In that same post, Rades also asked for suggestions for NPCs with interesting stories to tell after the Shattering for his NaNoWriMo project, Letters from a Shattered World. You should submit some!
• The previous year’s NaNoWriMo letters project was Letters From Northrend, which you should also read:

I, for one, I’m looking forward to art from Cat! If I find some time, maybe I can return the favor…

Anyway, that’s all for this round up! Thanks for stopping by!