Category Archives: art

Heroic Nexus Is the Birthplace of Bad PuGs

September 29, 2009 Pike 23 Comments

I’ve actually been playing my healer a lot lately. Mostly because she’s been sitting around in this patchwork mixture of blues, Naxx10 my-first-epics, and super OP new-badge-stuff, and I’d like to even that out a little and that way potentially be a help to my guild in the future if an extra healer is needed. (I know you’re about to warn me “Don’t do it Pike, once they start taking your healer you’ll never get to DPS again!” but my guild is actually unusual and informs me that “TAWYN IS 4 FITE”, so I don’t have too many worries about having to scrap DPS forever.)

Not to mention, ever since Tawyn got that trinket, DPS’ing heroics has turned into “Hey check it out, I can pound on random buttons and get 4k DPS”, so I’d might as well play something that can use the badges a little more, eh?

I’ve also started to enjoy my Tree more ever since I started using Lifebloom again. I stopped using it at the advice of a Very Good Tree who told me you could do just fine with Regrowth/Rejuv/Nourish, and I tried that style for a while, and it was effective and you got less overheal, but I didn’t like the style. Druid Healing, to me, has always been like Disc Priest: it’s about damage prevention and anticipating when people are going to take damage, and pre-healing. But with a Regrowth/Nourish heavy style, I was back to Whack-a-Mole, and it just wasn’t as fun. So I’ve gone back to my tactic of triple-stacking Lifebloom on the tank, and letting it bloom (for your instant heal + mana back), and using my other heals as needed for AoE damage or an extra buffer or preventative stuff. It is just a lot more fun to me and I don’t have any mana problems with it.

Anyways, I’ll stick my Tree in LFG for heroics that I know are Super Easy to Heal. Heroics that are Super Easy to Heal = Nexus, UK, Drak’theron Keep, and VH. Maybe CoS if I’m feeling adventurous. Some of the others are pretty easy too but they’ll have some aspect to them that I don’t like or something– for example, the Chain Lightning crap in Halls of Stone, or the stupid fish in the water in Gundrak. I have actually now successfully healed HToC as well, and it was a very smooth run, but I’ve convinced myself that it was a fluke and am still scared to go in there, for the most part, so it is also off of the list.

For some reason I keep getting invited to Nexus, and for some reason I keep going, despite the fact that Heroic Nexus is shaping up to be where all the bad PuGs happen.

First Special Group:
Consisted of a Fury Warrior who was doing a spectacular and amazing 417 DPS, and a Paladin tank who was running out of mana about 10 seconds into every pull, and blaming it on me not healing him enough. And for those of you who are about to say that he was overgeared: he was in Blues and getting upgrades from this Heroic.

After defeating Anomalus the whole group (sans-me) bravely leapt off the edge into that hole– you know the one I’m talking about– the Hole of Death From Which There Is No Rez’ing.

One guy had to abruptly leave because apparently his wife was yelling at him or something, and our brave, mana-thirsty Paladin Tank decided we could four-man it! Of course, he wasn’t aware of the fact that I was outDPSing the Fury Warrior with Moonfires and Starfires between heals, but hey. We actually somehow finished the Heroic. I was shocked.

Second Special Group:
This group actually wasn’t as bad, and the tank was way overgeared. When you’ve got a way overgeared tank and a healer who has at least a small idea of what is going on, you can brute force your way through most heroics even if none of the DPS is doing over 1.2k (as was in this group). As such, this heroic went overall smoothly, it just took three times as long as it should’ve.

I’ll admit to making a mistake here, namely, all the DPS jumped down, sans-tank, after fighting the Ormorok the Tree Shaper Guy. Now for those who do not know, there are baddies roaming around down there. In a moment of hubris I figured I could keep the DPS up and save the day, since two of them were plate wearers, so I hopped down as well, but it turns out that Arms Warriors and Ret Paladins are about as squishy as a mage. Byebye Tree. Hey, I tried, right?

As I was flying away from that run, I got a whisper asking me to heal H. Nexus. I was very relieved to inform them that I’d just finished it and was saved.

I don’t think I’m going to put myself in LFG for Nexus again for a while…

art, fun

Don't Ask. (aka Pike's Sketchbook Is a Scary Place)

September 20, 2009 Pike 9 Comments

art, fun

Tawyn and Wash do the Safety Dance

April 8, 2009 Pike 28 Comments

It all started when The Safety Dance came on my playlist and it got me thinking about the Heigan part of my “Eyes of the Beast” post… and then a light bulb went off in my head and I went dashing for the nearest pencil and paper. This was my first “real” try using a computer to ink and color a hand-drawn sketch (thanks once again to GIMP!) and it turned out a lot better than I thought it would. In fact, the hardest part was finding a good background of Heigan’s room that didn’t have a bunch of, well, people in it.

Next time I do Heigan I’m going to see if I can get a nice screenshot of the floor with the green fire on either side and I’ll set it to that, then I might try tossing it to the Blizz fanart folks just for the heck of it.

Anyways, I hope it made you smile. ^_^

art

Why I Need to Keep Learning and Improving My Teaching Skills

February 22, 2009 Pike 11 Comments

As an educator, I’ve come to realize that staying current with best practices, new technologies, and changing student needs is essential to providing high-quality education. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, I know that I need to prioritize ongoing professional development and skill improvement. In this article, I’ll explore the importance of continuous learning for teachers and highlight the benefits of eLearning and on-site training as effective ways to improve my teaching skills.

Statistics on the Importance of Continuous Learning for Teachers

A study by the National Education Association (NEA) found that 93% of teachers believe that ongoing professional development is essential for improving student achievement. (1) I couldn’t agree more – I know that staying up-to-date on the latest research and best practices is crucial for my students’ success.
According to a report by the Learning Policy Institute, teachers who participate in ongoing professional development are more likely to report improved student outcomes, including increased student engagement and motivation. (2) As someone who is passionate about teaching, I want to do everything I can to engage and motivate my students.
A study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that teachers who receive regular professional development are more likely to report feeling confident in their ability to teach and manage their classrooms. (3) I know that feeling confident in my abilities is essential for providing a positive and productive learning environment.

The Benefits of eLearning for Teachers

Online learning platforms offer me the flexibility to learn at my own pace, anytime and anywhere. (4) As a busy teacher, I appreciate the convenience of being able to fit learning into my schedule.
eLearning courses can be tailored to meet my specific needs, allowing me to focus on areas where I need improvement. (5) I’ve found that eLearning courses are particularly helpful for addressing specific skills or knowledge gaps.
A study by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning found that online learning can increase teacher confidence and competence in using technology. (6) As someone who is not always tech-savvy, I appreciate the opportunity to learn new skills and build my confidence in using technology.

The Benefits of On-Site Training for Teachers

On-site training provides me with the opportunity to learn from experienced educators and receive personalized feedback and support and also Improving Outcomes with Expert Insights. (7) I’ve found that on-site training is particularly helpful for addressing specific teaching challenges or questions I have.
On-site training can be more effective for me because I prefer hands-on learning and need to work in a collaborative environment. (8) I’ve found that on-site training allows me to connect with colleagues and share best practices.
A study by the National Staff Development Council found that on-site training can lead to increased teacher job satisfaction and reduced turnover rates. (9) As someone who is committed to teaching, I want to do everything I can to stay engaged and motivated.

Best Practices for eLearning and On-Site Training

Identify specific areas for improvement and set clear goals for professional development.
Choose training programs that are relevant, engaging, and aligned with teaching goals.
Encourage peer-to-peer learning and collaboration.
Provide ongoing support and resources for teachers to continue learning and improving.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I know that continuous learning is essential for me to stay current with best practices, new technologies, and changing student needs. eLearning and on-site training are effective ways for me to improve my teaching skills, increase confidence, and enhance student outcomes. By prioritizing ongoing professional development, I can stay ahead of the curve and provide high-quality education to my students.

art

Just Some New Site Artwork

January 6, 2009 Pike 22 Comments

I love drawing cutsey renditions of my hunters’ pets, and it’s always bugged me that I don’t have more of them on my site, because I do have so many hunters and thus, by extension, a lot of pets. The site banner has Tux and Locke, and on my Dramatis Personae page, you can see Lunapike with Alyosha and Althalor with Regulus. But some of my very favorite pets were nowhere to be seen.

So I opted to fix this, and now on the site sidebars, you can see Eltanin the Windserpent and Serenity the Firefly, proselytizing my contact info and my Hunter Kindergarten guides, respectively:

Both made 100% via the GIMP. I had a lot of fun making ’em, and I’m glad to see more of my pets make an appearance here. ^_^ Hopefully you all like them too!

art

Aspect of the Beast: An Unlikely Love Story

October 22, 2008 Pike 18 Comments

So I was playin’ around on one of my lowbie hunters today and it occurred to me how much work I really have ahead of me in terms of Hunter Kindergarten. Aspect of the Viper at level twenty? Level twenty? Now I’ve gotta write a whole post about it since many more hunters are going to “stick around” long enough to get it now than before. I do think I will put that post off until Blizz is done tweaking it, though.

For today’s topic, though, let’s discuss a little thing called Aspect of the Beast.

Prior to 3.0, this Aspect did one thing: It made you untrackable by other hunters (and by druids in cat form). It was a 100% PvP aspect that was banished away to my hidden Tradeskills action bar and which I would use maybe once every six months in some random Warsong Gulch game when I remembered that it existed.

Post 3.0, it has some extra stuff added to it. Namely, aside from making you untrackable, it also increases your melee attack power and your pet’s melee attack power by 10%.

My first thought was “Great, I still won’t be using it.” The pet bonus sounded yummy but… melee? I have a hard enough time remembering to switch to Monkey when something gets in my grill– heck, I usually don’t bother. I didn’t see any use for this newfangled Aspect of the Beast.

…until the other day when I was leveling Serenity and he was having some initial difficulty holding aggro, and a little light bulb popped into my head…

1. More pet damage = More pet threat.

2. No Aspect of the Hawk = less hunter damage = less hunter threat.

3. ???

4. Profit!

Aspect of the Beast, as it turns out, is a super epic grinding aspect! You dispose of things with ease without having to break much of a sweat keeping the aggro firmly planted on your pet, even if he is a bit low level. Now, I want to make sure everybody is clear, this is NOT an instance/raid Aspect. This is for grinding/leveling/soloing/that kind of stuff. Where your DPS doesn’t matter so much. And even then, you should probably only be using it over Hawk when you are having pet threat issues.

I have also decided that this is a decent–though probably not the best– PvP aspect, partially for the untrackableness but largely because if you are stunlocked, there is a good chance your pet will not be, so he can still be pounding away with his 10% extra damage. (I learned this in several scuffles with a level 67 ret pally. THOSE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS EVEN WHEN THEY ARE LOW LEVEL AND IN GREENS. HANDLE WITH CAUTION.)

To summarize, if you are leveling or grinding or working with a low level pet and are having trouble keeping threat firmly on your pet, brush off Aspect of the Beast and give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

In other news, happy NATIONAL MOLE DAY! Have a picture of Avogadro the Mole that I made a while ago:

…hey, I told you I was a geek. It says right on the sidebar.

art, blogs

Special Announcement!

February 24, 2008 Pike 13 Comments

This is post number 100 in Aspect of the Hare.

This blog began in August of last year, when I had only been playing for a few months and was just level 48 or 50 or so. I realized that I was spamming my Livejournal with WoW rambles and decided I needed a new place to put them. So I started this blog and began posting my WoW rambles here, convinced that nobody would ever read them or even want to read them. In fact, now that I think about it, it probably would have turned into another one of my unfinished projects: I’d write for a while and then quit, and nobody would notice.

And yet here I am; six months later and level 70, and I’ve made 100 posts and Feedburner tells me I have no less than 149 subscribers. I have no idea if that’s accurate or not but regardless, I’m here to thank you all. Thank you to everyone who has ever linked to me or read my posts or commented on my posts or came here from Google searching for hunter advice or WoW-On-Linux advice. I have read every single one of your comments. I don’t always respond to them, but I read them all thoroughly and I cherish every compliment and take to heart every bit of advice.

I have no idea why you guys find my ramblings so interesting or entertaining, but thank you.

Here I would also like to throw out a special shout-out to Kestrel for being the first person to ever comment here. Kestrel, I’m not sure how you found me– I’m gonna guess through my Blogger profile link in a comment at BRK, or something– but really, look what you did! All of a sudden I seem to be popular! =P Thank you for showing me that I was in fact a not-too-terrible blogger and inspiring me to branch out and really start to participate in the WoW-blog-community.

The other day my boyfriend and I were talking a little bit about some of the awkwardness that comes with the transition between a “casual-hanging out” guild and a “casual-raiding” guild; my main’s guild is going through that transition right now and I won’t deny it’s been a little awkward to have to go from being “the guild’s main hunter” to “one of several good hunters in the guild”. I’ve been spoiled, I think, and I have to keep reminding myself that I am no longer one of the few people around that can do my job, and that it’s not a bad thing.

But lemme paraphrase what I told him last night. I said: “In the end, I don’t have to be the best hunter on the server, or even the best hunter in the guild. I just want to be the girl who loved her class the most and made the most of it. If I can do that, then I will have succeeded.”

And I mean every word of that. And my blog is like that too. This isn’t here to be the most informative blog or the funniest blog or the most popular blog. This is here so passers-by can stop by for a bit, take a deep breath, and re-experience a little of that joy and magic that I feel so often in this game. There are a lot of little things in this game that make me happy. And I want to share that happiness with you. Because too often we get caught up in drama or problems or making the game less fun than it’s supposed to be. And if one of my posts has reminded somebody for just a split second, “Hey, this game can actually be pretty fun!” …well, then I’ve done my job.

I sat down with a pencil and paper for the first time in a while today: