One thing I’ve noticed lately is that I usually get confused and curious comments or Twitter messages when I mention that guns are by far my favorite type of ranged weapon, or that I am obsessed with Mechanostriders, or that I like gnomes and goblins. And because curiosity is typically a good thing, I am here to reward that curiosity with answers! *nods*
Okay, first, let’s go back to the basics. I believe I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll mention it again because it’s relevant: I’ve always been more of a sci-fi person than a fantasy person. When I was a kid, I found aliens and spaceships and androids to be much more interesting than more abstract concepts like elves and dwarves. I shoved various fantasy films and cartoons aside in favor of Star Trek or Star Wars, which never bored me, despite the fact that I’d seen the various movies enough times that I could quote entire scenes verbatim.
As I grew older, I finally started to sort of grasp and appreciate fantasy much more than I had in the past, but that longstanding love for sci-fi has really stuck with me.
As such, I really REALLY like anything involving robots, steampunk, rube goldberg devices, mechas, crazy machines, airships, flashing lights, and any sort of otherwise otherworldly and machiney contraptions.
One of the awesome things about WoW and the Warcraft world is that Blizzard isn’t afraid to occasionally toss all those awesome things into their games. Sure, I was always the girl who preferred StarCraft to WarCraft back when they were strictly RTS games (go figure), but even the WarCraft games had glaive throwers and flying machines and all sorts of fun stuff. So I’m naturally drawn to all that stuff (and by extension, to gnomes and goblins).
Anyways, this fangirlishness of mine has manifest itself today in the form of showering my characters with all sorts of fun contraptions:
I’m not sure if it’s quite possible for me to express the awesomeness of having a mechanical mount and a mechanical minipet. I have actually started collecting Mechanostriders in various colors and while I love all minipets, the robotic ones (such as Clockwork Rocket Bot) are my favorites. The particular set you see here; the Gnomeregan Mechanostrider and the Mechanopeep, cost 140 Champion’s Seals all told. That’s a lot of dailies. And you know what? It was totally worth it.
I love the way Mechanostriders appear to have so much personality for being a machine (I am a sucker for that sort of thing), but recently I discovered that they have tail-lights, and my Fangirly Squee reached new heights:
Tail-lights. On my mount. Tell me that’s not awesome.
Now let’s move along to guns. Truthfully, there are sort of a myriad of reasons why my various hunters tend to gravitate towards guns instead of bows/crossbows, the major ones among them being a.) roleplaying (Tawyn has close ties with the Dwarven District of Stormwind, for example), and b.) Me being shallow (Male blood elf + gun = drool)
Largely, though, it all goes back to phasers and light-pistols and tricorders and things that go PEWPEWPEW very loudly and with lots of flashy lights. It reminds me of Trek and Star Wars and those warm, cozy, and oh-so-fun childhood memories of watching the good guys triumph with their little laser guns in hand. (Well, and lightsabers, but that’s what glowy stat-sticks are for.) I want my made-up hero to be like that too. So gimme guns, baby.
Now I know what you might be thinking. You might be thinking, “Pike, are you seriously going to pass up a ranged weapon upgrade just because it isn’t a gun?”
The correct answer is: no, of course not. I only saw Arrowsong drop once, ever. But I rolled on it so fast your head woulda spun. I lost, but you know. Back in Burning Crusade I replaced the sexiest ranged weapon of all time, Wolfslayer Sniper Rifle, with The Choco-Bow as soon as I had the badges. I am, afterall, a hunter. I’ll take any good ranged weapon.
…but that doesn’t mean having a gun gives me a little thrill and makes me happy in a dorky way.
I used Nesingwary 4000 for a very very long time. I love that weapon. It looks absolutely gorgeous. I think it’ll stay in my bank for time and all eternity (alongside Wolfslayer). The other day, the new gun from Trial of the Champion dropped. I waffled on taking it for a bit because the stats alone weren’t super hot, but in the end, it’s enough of a white damage increase that I’m pretty sure it is an overall upgrade. It’s not quite as pretty as Nesingwary, but I like it; it’s a very handsome weapon in its own right.
…and it’s a gun. *squee*
I’m loving Ulduar so far. Guys, it’s full of robots and vehicles that chuck bombs at people. HOW IS THIS NOT AWESOME? (Hint: It is, in fact, extremely awesome.)
Okay, I’m done fangirling. Just figured I’d explain some possibly odd little obsessions of mine. Carry on now…
Speaking of ranged weapons… I never seem to see people running around with a crossbows. Everyone has some gun that drops in ulduar, envoy of mortality, or true aim rifle. Uber epic bows/crossbows don’t drop very often (I’ve never seen arrowsong drop). In other news, mimiron’s repeater dropped the other night but no warriors or rogue was in my 10 man ulduar group so I rolled on it even though the stats on there are pretty bad for hunters to say the least. But that gun looks smexy and makes an awesome effect when shot. It’s become my show off gun *brushes shoulder*
Oh I know how you feel 😀 I’m a dwarf/gnome fanatic all the way anyway and regarding sci-fi: Han Solo was my idol growing up :), so yeah I sorta know where you’re coming from. To be honest though I prefer the stocky Dwarvish war-rams, they just seem “punchier” to me
You, ma’am, are awesome.
And so are gnomes and guns and all the steampunk stuff in WoW, dammit.
Very evil comment: you wasted 140 Champion’s seals, you know that? Since you are exalted with Gnomeregan Exiles, you could simply buy their normal mechanostrider. You could also buy a Mechanical Squirel (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=4401) for about 15G, so you could get a mechanical mount + minipet for almost free.
EWWW, i hate guns in game. They are far too noisey, all that BANG BANG BANG hurts my ears.
Now, give me a bow and i am a happy man. The almost silent “pffft” noise they make, makes me feel like i am sneaking around the woods stalking my prey.
Of course being a Troll, i’m liking the raical bonus with bows too 😛
The other exceptionally appealing thing about guns in WoW is the *fantastic* noise they make when they fire. Arrows just make a disappointing swoooooshing sound but I must admit to unending childish glee in the succession of loud bangs that is a hunter, out in the wilds, with auto shot and enthusiasm.
If you are really into guns, I suggest you take a look at this.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=21800
Not a lot of guns look like ermm…. that “part” and shoots RED mist.
I’m a Draenei Hunter and I LOVE guns 🙂 If I have to use a bow or crossbow, I die a little inside. I think the Nesingwary 4000 is the coolest gun (apart from the BRK-1000 ^^).
@ Gevlon – I wanted the purple n’ orange one though! I already have their other mechanostriders. Also I already have the mechanical squirrel.
@ Tamarind – I 100% agree!
Being a Troll Hunter, I by far prefer bows to guns as bows are better for my racial bonus. So when I was able to move from the Nesingwary to Arrowsong I was thrilled (Arrowsong is a gorgeous looking bow as well, matched only by the Gladiator ones). Sadly I only had it for a few weeks before the Golemheart Longbow dropped which was an upgrade though looks pretty poor.
Then the inevitable happened. Giant’s Bane dropped before Siren’s Cry. As a responsible Hunter I bid on the gun and got it.
Pike, if you like the look of steampunk gadgetry, you want Giant’s Bane. It has steam jets off the barrel. It has a little vacuum tube diode thing with a sparking wire sticking off the top. It has an ornately curved brass-looking handguard. And it’s loud.
Still want a bow though.
If you don’t like the noise of guns there is an addon to change the noise to the star wars gun sounds, very pew pew.
I don’t like guns at all in WoW. Addons to silence the banging or turn it to something else aside, I simply hate them. I like being an “old-school” hunter. Guns? No thank you, I’ll take a lovely bow/crossbow any day of the week.
I used the Flamehawk Crossbow (from Nightmare in Karazhan) all the way up to level 76, when I went into Gundrak for the first time and got the bow off of the Drakkari Colossus. The reason I used it for so long wasn’t because there were only guns for upgrades. In truth it was because there were NO upgrades until I got in there. My poor hunter has barely set foot in naxxramas though… 10 man construct and arachnid quarters only so far. My guild leaders are more interested in “progression” and keep pushing back or cancelling all non-ulduar raids with the occasional Trial of the Crusader thrown in for the best geared people.
I’ve never really been a fan of the Mechanostrider, although I’m an engineer with my own flying machine! I’m into the rest of the steampunk stuff – steam tanks, blunderbusses and other crazy machinery – but I just don’t really like the look of the mechanostriders.
I would suspect that most of the people who are really against the mecha-steam-robo-contraptions are from a more traditional swords and spells fantasy background while those of us who appreciate a bit of sci-fi are naturally more inclined to appreciate the work of the gnomes and goblins (and titanic artefacts!). Unsubstantiated speculation, though!
Not sure what your professions are but if it’s not engineering you should level that up. The flying machine you can make is great and has a little Hula Girl Doll. My gf and I both prefer Guns for our hunters. Currently I have a Upgraded Dwarven Hand Cannon and a Nesingwary 4000 waiting in the bank for when I hit 80.
Guns are the best. I would have used the badge crossbow from Sunwell, but I just couldn’t give up my beloved Wolfslayer for that stupid technicolor turkey. I actually used Arrowsong for a really long time because KT wouldn’t drop a gun for me, I just recently got to switch back to a gun when the one from the new heroic dropped for me the first time I went in there.
I get very sentimental about stuff like that. Heck, I still carried my Sonic Spear around until I was 77 or so.
Lol at first I thought you were going to post your libertarian manifesto or something 🙂
There is a steampunk “mmo” called Gatheryn, which is kind of like puzzles and steampunk not sure if it’s really an MMO like WoW or more like Guildwars, it’s mostly puzzles i think. Tipa has written about it at WestKaran.com a few times.
westkarana.com i meant
just one question pike, Wrath of khan? or Voyage home?
@Kattrinsaa – Ohgosh, that’s like asking Kirk or Picard.
Nnnnngggg… gonna have to say Voyage Home. It has more sentimental value. I loved them all though.* I knew those movies by heart.
* Well, okay, maybe not the fifth one…
hm, kirk FTW, with janeway a close second. sorry jean luc, you were too diplomatic…
“we come in peace, shoot to kill…”