Category Archives: thoughts

classic wow, thoughts

The Interesting Thing With Exploration In (Old) Azeroth

1 Comment

I recently found myself talking about this in a forum I go to – namely, the really unique sense of exploration that was to be found in this game all those years ago when I was new and the world was young.

Back then, a lot of stuff was blocked off, gated behind walls or doors or what-have-you.  I’m talking about the Timbermaw Fortress in Azshara.  Or old Grim Batol guarded by dragons.  Or the gate to Uldum down in the bottom of Tanaris.  Or the Greymane Wall in Silverpine Forest.  Or Mount Hyjal, which you could barely glimpse through an instance portal in Winterspring.

There was something about all of this stuff that you couldn’t get to.  Something compelling.  Despite the fact that I knew that this stuff wasn’t programmed into the game, it almost felt like it was.  Almost felt like if you could just squeeze through a hole in the wall, you could break in, and discover an amazing new unexplored world ahead of you.  Did anyone else ever get that feeling?  I got it a lot.

Although we went on to get most of those locations actually in game, we did lose the mystery.  Not saying that’s a bad thing, but I kinda like a little mystery sometimes.  And sometimes I kind of miss it.

tumblr_macgdfyqFW1rwmb58

meta-wow, thoughts

An Interesting Thing About the World of Warcraft Experience

4 Comments

I’ve been thinking recently about how with most video games it doesn’t really matter when you first play it – the experience is similar for everyone.  So, for example, you can play Deus Ex or Morrowind today and talk to people who played Deus Ex or Morrowind when they first came out over a decade ago and your experiences with those games will probably have been fairly similar.  You can talk about the story, areas of the game, obnoxious bosses and so on and have a lot of common ground.

But World of Warcraft is always changing, oftentimes a lot, and so you don’t always get that ability.  Imagine someone who played the game ten years ago talking to someone who is just starting out today.  They would have some common ground, of course – but how much? Keep yourself focused, these are some of the best phentermine alternatives.

People who started raiding in Cataclysm or Mists of Pandaria have a largely different view on the game than I would – I, as someone who did her raiding in Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King.  The bosses were different, the mechanics were different, and the memories were different.

look at this adorable Karazhan gear
look at this adorable Karazhan gear

Other than WoW I’ve never really been a huge MMO player so this is all a different and new concept to me.  Other games are constants, but WoW is more like life, where new generations are constantly rising to play an experience that is similar to – but certainly not the same as – what the older generations experienced.

Weird, huh?

thoughts

This is it. This is my favorite city in World of Warcraft.

5 Comments

I have a lot of love for a lot of the cities in World of Warcraft.  I have fond memories of entering Darnassus for the very first time; of falling in love with Stormwind; of… of… getting lost in Exodar.  (I still get lost in Exodar.)

There is one city in the game that I love more than any other, though, and that is:

WOW_LOCh_005.psdYup.  It’s Thunder Bluff.

What is it about Thunder Bluff?

I don’t quite know.  Perhaps a lot of things, actually.  It’s the peaceful, serene environment.  It’s the really relaxing music.  It’s the tauren, i.e. one of the best races in the entire game.  It’s the fact that no one else is ever there and the fact that I know where everything is because it has always been my favorite city and it has never really changed much.

It just feels like “home” to be, whether I’m on a max level “main” or a low-level alt.  I can always sit down on one of the hammocks in the inn next to the bank and log out, knowing my character is nice and cozy and among friends in Thunder Bluff.

What is your favorite city?

 

thoughts

World of Warcraft Needs More Gnomes.

2 Comments

This game has a big problem, and that problem is that there are not enough gnomes in it.

Yes, gnomes.

Gnomes are great.  They’re easily my favorite Alliance race, and are a top contender for my favorite race in the game period (though they’re gonna have to duke it out with goblins, tauren and blood elves.)  And yet I feel like more often than not they’re a “joke race” who doesn’t really do much in the game – not much that’s serious, anyway.

Gelbin_Cut_ShortGnomes deserve better than just being, you know, that joke race for jokes.  Look at Star Trek, for example.  Deep Space Nine had a ton of great Ferengi episodes whilst still maintaining the core super serious plotline.  Heck, even Voyager had episodes where freaking Neelix of all people had really in-depth storylines and character arcs.  If Star Trek can pull off Ferengi and Neelix, why can’t Blizzard pull of gnomes?

What, you think people won’t buy short people being awesome and badass?

CS 65 Friday 22nd October 2010Cause um, Tyrion Lannister already exists proving that people will eat it up.

And yes, in fairness, High Tinker Mekkatorque is pretty good, and his story is rather well done.  It establishes him as a character with both baggage and ingenuity.  A strong leader who cares for his people without losing what makes him a gnome.  But is that all we’re gonna get?  Come on Blizzard.

I want a gnome legendary questline.

I want a gnome novel.

I want a gnome expansion pack.

Make it happen!

With WOTLK Classic being released on 26 Sep, WoW players can once again experience their favorite game expansion.

meta-blog, meta-wow, thoughts

Stuck On You

3 Comments

The last time I had a subscription for an entire WoW expansion, with no breaks, was for The Burning Crusade.

I took one or two short breaks towards the end of WotLK, I took a very long break during Cataclysm, and I only played the first couple of months of MoP.  That last break there was the longest, clocking in at two years and some change.  In fact, I’d actually convinced myself that I wouldn’t be coming back.  The game was different now and I’d moved on to plenty of other games – heck, there were plenty of other games I was pouring hundreds of hours into, just as I had with WoW.  My gaming life was good.  WoW was a memory.

And yet, like a loyal dog, WoW waited for me to come back.  And like a sap, I did.

The Warcraft section of my gaming display shelf. Did I mention I have a gaming display shelf? I do. It's big.
The Warcraft section of my gaming display shelf. Did I mention I have a gaming display shelf? I do. It’s big.  Not pictured: Warcraft I, because I have that too.

I think I’m starting to accept now that I’ll never quite go away entirely.  And you know what?  That’s fine.  I’ve reached a comfortable equilibrium knowing that I can play for as long as I want and then drop it for as long as I want, and it’ll still be there.  Different, perhaps – probably a lot different, in fact – but there.

So brace yourselves, Internet – cause this dumb blog is probably never quite going away. >:D

druid, thoughts

I Want My Druid Back

2 Comments

Surround your Kids with Healthy Options at Home

Kids eat what is available and what they see adults eating. Surround your kids with healthy options at home and demonstrate good nutrition to encourage a lifetime of healthy eating. Healthy eating habits formed during childhood lead to a healthy life. Try this alpine ice hack.

Kids need different amounts of foods at different ages, genders and activity levels. Proper nutrition is key.

Parents can teach their children good eating habits by being positive role models in their own choices and by explaining to their children the importance of a balanced diet and how to choose healthy options from each food group. Learn about your child’s nutrition requirements, alpilean reviews does it work.-

Mother Involving her Daughter in Food Choices

Improve Your Family’s Nutrition Habits

Involve your Kids in Food Choices

  • Include your kids when planning the weekly family menu.
  • Look at your school’s website together to see what is being served, and decide if you will make breakfast and lunch at home or buy it at school.
  • Shop for groceries together. Make a list before you go to the store and only buy foods on the list. Once in the store, let your kids help you find items on the list. Read food labels out loud and talk about the choices you are making.
  • Invite your child to cook with you. They are more likely to try new foods if they’ve helped to prepare them.
  • Hold family tastings. Buy different brands of a healthy food (whole grain pasta, for example) and let family members decide what they like best. Check these alpilean reviews.

Snack Healthy

  • Healthy snack ideas include:
    • Fruits (sliced or cubed, applesauce or dried fruit without added sugar)
    • Vegetables and dips (try carrots and ranch dressing, celery sticks and peanut butter, snap peas with hummus)
    • Whole grains (pitas, tortillas, rice cakes, popcorn, granola)
    • Low-fat dairy foods (yogurt)
    • Nuts and trail mix. Read more about alpilean.
  • Give your child a variety of healthy options, so there is no wrong choice.

Reduce Sugar

  • Offer water, low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice instead of juice drinks, sports drinks or soda.
  • Do not give sweets or candy as a reward. Try nonfood rewards or family activities instead.

Watch Your Own Habits

  • Never skip meals, especially breakfast.
  • Avoid fast-food restaurants by planning meals and snacks in advance, before leaving home.
  • Eat only when you are hungry. Teach (and show) healthy alternatives to eating when bored, frustrated, anxious or sad. (Exercise, reading and working on a project are good options.)
  • Enjoy family meals together whenever possible.
achievements, thoughts

Shake Your Bunny Maker is Slightly Creepy

Surround your Kids with Healthy Options at Home

Kids eat what is available and what they see adults eating. Surround your kids with healthy options at home and demonstrate good nutrition to encourage a lifetime of healthy eating. Healthy eating habits formed during childhood lead to a healthy life.-

Kids need different amounts of foods at different ages, genders and activity levels. Proper nutrition is key.

Parents can teach their children good eating habits by being positive role models in their own choices and by explaining to their children the importance of a balanced diet and how to choose healthy options from each food group. Learn about your child’s nutrition requirements.

Mother Involving her Daughter in Food Choices

Improve Your Family’s Nutrition Habits

Involve your Kids in Food Choices

  • Include your kids when planning the weekly family menu.
  • Look at your school’s website together to see what is being served, and decide if you will make breakfast and lunch at home or buy it at school.
  • Shop for groceries together. Make a list before you go to the store and only buy foods on the list. Once in the store, let your kids help you find items on the list. Read food labels out loud and talk about the choices you are making.
  • Invite your child to cook with you. They are more likely to try new foods if they’ve helped to prepare them.
  • Hold family tastings. Buy different brands of a healthy food (whole grain pasta, for example) and let family members decide what they like best. Check these best diet pills.

Snack Healthy

  • Healthy snack ideas include:
    • Fruits (sliced or cubed, applesauce or dried fruit without added sugar)
    • Vegetables and dips (try carrots and ranch dressing, celery sticks and peanut butter, snap peas with hummus)
    • Whole grains (pitas, tortillas, rice cakes, popcorn, granola)
    • Low-fat dairy foods (yogurt)
    • Nuts and trail mix
  • Give your child a variety of healthy options, so there is no wrong choice.

Reduce Sugar

  • Offer water, low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice instead of juice drinks, sports drinks or soda.
  • Do not give sweets or candy as a reward. Try nonfood rewards or family activities instead.

Watch Your Own Habits

  • Never skip meals, especially breakfast.
  • Avoid fast-food restaurants by planning meals and snacks in advance, before leaving home.
  • Eat only when you are hungry. Teach (and show) healthy alternatives to eating when bored, frustrated, anxious or sad. (Exercise, reading and working on a project are good options.)
  • Enjoy family meals together whenever possible.
thoughts

WoW Token and an Uncomfortable Past

1 Comment

Surround your Kids with Healthy Options at Home

Kids eat what is available and what they see adults eating. Surround your kids with healthy options at home and demonstrate good nutrition to encourage a lifetime of healthy eating. Healthy eating habits formed during childhood lead to a healthy life.

Kids need different amounts of foods at different ages, genders and activity levels. Proper nutrition is key.

Parents can teach their children good eating habits by being positive role models in their own choices and by explaining to their children the importance of a balanced diet and how to choose healthy options from each food group. Learn about your child’s nutrition requirements.

Mother Involving her Daughter in Food Choices

Improve Your Family’s Nutrition Habits

Involve your Kids in Food Choices

  • Include your kids when planning the weekly family menu.
  • Look at your school’s website together to see what is being served, and decide if you will make breakfast and lunch at home or buy it at school.
  • Shop for groceries together. Make a list before you go to the store and only buy foods on the list. Once in the store, let your kids help you find items on the list. Read food labels out loud and talk about the choices you are making.
  • Invite your child to cook with you. They are more likely to try new foods if they’ve helped to prepare them.
  • Hold family tastings. Buy different brands of a healthy food (whole grain pasta, for example) and let family members decide what they like best.

Snack Healthy

  • Healthy snack ideas include:
    • Fruits (sliced or cubed, applesauce or dried fruit without added sugar)
    • Vegetables and dips (try carrots and ranch dressing, celery sticks and peanut butter, snap peas with hummus)
    • Whole grains (pitas, tortillas, rice cakes, popcorn, granola)
    • Low-fat dairy foods (yogurt)
    • Nuts and trail mix
  • Give your child a variety of healthy options, so there is no wrong choice.

Reduce Sugar

  • Offer water, low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice instead of juice drinks, sports drinks or soda.
  • Do not give sweets or candy as a reward. Try nonfood rewards or family activities instead. Check more about sex pills.

Watch Your Own Habits

  • Never skip meals, especially breakfast.
  • Avoid fast-food restaurants by planning meals and snacks in advance, before leaving home.
  • Eat only when you are hungry. Teach (and show) healthy alternatives to eating when bored, frustrated, anxious or sad. (Exercise, reading and working on a project are good options.)
  • Enjoy family meals together whenever possible.
thoughts

Four Things I Want To See in the Warcraft Movie

2 Comments

So the Warcraft movie, which was first announced approximately 35867 years ago, is finally coming out next year.  Surprisingly we haven’t really seen any public teasers or anything for it yet, so what we know about it is still pretty limited. It looks like it takes place during the First War (contrary to what we were initially told), and… okay, that’s all I know.

Anyways, I dunno about you, but here is what I WANT TO SEE.  In all caps.

1. More Than Just “Orcs & Humans”

Look, I know it’s based off of the first Warcraft game which was literally titled “Orcs & Humans”.  But other stuff was certainly happening on the Eastern Kingdoms continent at the time of the First War.  The gnomes and dwarves weren’t directly involved with the conflict but obviously knew what was going on due to their close proximity to Stormwind.  Meanwhile, the Amani trolls and the high elves were up north dealing with their ongoing personal blood feud.  All of these races, at least, should have a shot at appearing in the movie.  Especially gnomes.

2. Cool lore stuff

Okay Warcraft movie, let’s really dig into the lore here and give us turbonerds more to talk about.  Not really much else to say about that point.  This does lead us nicely into point three:

3. Shoutouts to the fans (but not George Lucas style shoutouts)

Remember in the Star Wars prequel trilogy movies where every time George Lucas made some shoutout to the fans you could almost see him on screen winking slyly at the audience?  (Yes, I’m talking to you, R2-D2/C-3PO introduction and that one part later where Boba Fett looks slowly at the camera for no reason.)  I don’t want that.  I do want little blink-if-you-miss-it things that only the nerds are gonna get.  Wreck-It Ralph did a really good job of putting in references like this, I think.  Speaking of which:

4. Moroes needs to say “Mmm, unannounced visitors” or “How terribly clumsy of me” or something.

Moroes is in the movie and if he doesn’t quote his lines from Karazhan then I’m walking out of the theater damnit!

arghAlright, enough of me trying (and probably failing) to be entertaining.  What do YOU want to see in the Warcraft movie?

thoughts

Okay Blizzard it’s time to revamp draenei and blood elves

3 Comments

I’m sure I’ll get some comments that disagree, but IMO draenei and blood elves have basically the best lore in the Warcraft universe.

But, of course, if you roll a new draenei you get the same old “OUR SHIP JUST CRASHED!!111!1” quests we got eight years ago, and if you roll a new blood elf they’ll helpfully inform you that ~~Kael’thas is going to lead our people to Outland~~ even though that stopped being current lore, like… halfway through that same expac.

maroney_rect1-460x307_crop_northRevamp both starter zones already, Blizzard.  Make them flyable.  Make it so more of Silvermoon is rebuilt and not covered in statues of Kael’thas or fel crystals, because all of those stopped being relevant like seven years ago.  Seriously, Blizz.

While we’re at it, let’s revamp Outland.  I mean, as much of a nostalgia junkie as I am, I’m also a realist, and I accept that jumping from the Cata-revamp content to Burning feckin’ Crusade kind of hurts a little.

Actually, you know what?  To heck with it.  Let’s just get a draenei/belf expac.  This can be followed up an expac where Chromie teleports us millions of years into the past to watch the Titans and Old Gods fight because it would be awesome.