To delete or not delete?

Over the years I have spent playing World of Warcraft I have played all the classes available to the adventures of Azeroth. Well I say “all” what I mean is I struggle to play the Warlock class past level 15 and have never had one at max level for any expansion, but to be fair to the class it has changed quite a lot over the years and for me may now actually be playable.

It is change that brings me to write todays blog, When World of Warcraft was new I was one of those people who was rolling characters all over the shot. Within a short period I had rolled a Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Paladin and Hunter. I had not rolled a Druid and the Night Elf was the only race at the time that could play that class and I wasn’t about to lower my standards and roll and Elf!!

Anyway most of these characters I kept, some I deleted but in the end I had a full compliment of the classes baring Druid and Warlock. I had briefly (several times in moments of boredom rolled Warlocks and Druids only to delete them around level 15 to 24, the classes just never caught my imagination. So I just never bothered with them and carried on playing my other many characters.

Then the burning started!

Sometime during The Burning Crusade expansion I had a little spare time so once again tried rolling a Druid, this time I had managed to do some reading and spoke to some people in the guild I was in and rolled a Balance Druid or as I became to call them “Lazor Chickens”. This was more like it pew pew all over the shot, I really got into the Druid class now and very quickly got max level. For me the class became even better in Wrath of the Lich King expansion and I played the snot out of my Druid and even had a full set of armour from the tier vendor, the only other character that was better equipped was Banhammer.

Cataclysmic intervention.

During the Cataclysm expansion Blizzard did the most amazing thing ever and that was to introduce the “Sunwalkers” or in game terms, Tauren Paladins! So after levelling Banhammer to Max level the next logical choice (for me at least) was to roll a Tauren Paladin and Saintangus was born. Maxing him out was a pleasure but next onthe list I chose to level my Druid (called Moomin btw) but now Blizzard had changed the class and introduced some Sun/Moon thing (I get it this is the “balance” thing) but I just could not pick up the class again, my DPS was always lowest and I felt ineffectual.

Ok look, for me being high on the DPS chart is not a big thing, but if my DPS is soo low I feel like I am not bringing anything to the group, even if it is a LFD run, this annoys me no end to the point that the only reason Moomin was max level at the end of the Cataclysm expansion was that I levelled him in the world and avoided dungeons completely.

7 Years later.

I have played since the EU launch of World of Warcraft with only a few months off in total. Yet still I have no Warlock at any level in my character lists (several Paladins, 3 on my main server alone). I think maybe the time has come that I should try out Warlock class again, the issue is this. Should I delete a character on my main server or roll on one of my alternative servers? I personally leaning towards my main server because I have my own guild there and plenty of gold, items and heirlooms to go around. This then is why this particular blog post exists, even if it was once again a long and winding road to get to the point.

Should I delete Moomin the unplayable Balance Druid and roll a Warlock? To delete or not to delete that is the question, a question I am failing to answer myself.

Perma Death!

Sometime ago I tried the “Ironman Challenge” where the goal was to survive using only grey/white quality, no talent points or having trade skills. I rolled a Paladin, Tauren of course and managed to get her to level 50 before stopping. I stopped mainly because it was a pain in the butt to get armour and weapons which made levelling a slog. In short I was not Iron enough for the Ironman Challenge.

Having recently got my 4th level 90 character my Mage called Windlepoons. The more aware of you will not the achievement says “Terrific Trio” and I said “4th” level 90, that is because I have two Paladins at level 90. As the achievement is for different classes I was not awarded it early because of that.

Anyway bringing the conversation back to Perma Death, after getting Windle to max level I decided to try and get back into my Ironman character, the thing is the changes to how characters level in terms of spells means that most of the spells I would be using while levelling requires actually picking a spec, which under the Ironman rules would be a violation. So I decided to roll her (for it is a female Tauren) as a Protection Paladin, I really need to learn to tank with my Paladins but I am finding protection spec a little over “technical” for my tastes.

Ironman for a new generation.

What I have decided to try out is my own version of the Ironman challenge. The rules are simple but a little more generous that the normal version.

1. Pick a spec and talent tree options (as you level)
2. No gifting cash, heirlooms, weapons and equipment from other characters.
3. No guild or guild perks.
4. No Auction House.
5. Only items that are gained as quest rewards or player made. Only exceptions will be gems in TBC and above content.
6. No dungeons, LFD or otherwise.

While I am sure there are rules I could add that seems enough for now, but I think you get the gist. With those rules in mind I was thinking of trying again with my own set of rules, the only thing to do is to pick a class and race. Tauren is a good bet for me

Dead classes = Boring!

I have 3 characters at level 90 now and trying for the 4th and to get the achievement for 3 max level characters who are different classes. The character who drew the short straw for that task ended up being my Mage called Windlepoons, he is named after a character from a Discworld novel.

Currently he is level 89 Fire Mage and about half way to level 90, but I am struggling to play him effectively. The reason for this is that the current recommended spell rotation relies on A) being a Octopus or at least have an extra hand and luck at getting spell effects to boost damage.

I’ve give you the current recommended rotation as it seems to stand as listed by a few sites.

Execute the following priority for optimal DPS.

1. Combustion with Ignite on the target.
2. Pyroblast with Pyroblast! proc.
3. Inferno Blast when Heating Up procs.
4. Living Bomb refresh with < 1 tick remaining.
5. Fireball as a filler spell.

The issue I have is that the first 3 of that “rotation” are actually “if” spells, if you get the right spell effect press the button. The only two spells in the rotation are Living Bomb and Fireball!
Last expansion Mages had a proper rotation, his spells put DoTs or spell effects on the target that boosted damage. For example if you had Living Bomb and Pyroblast DoTs on the target spell damage was increased. This meant your rotation had to include spells to keep up DoTs all I do now is play “bash the button” or “Whack a Mole” if you will.

What is really annoying me is that not only is Fire Spec currently the bottom of the DPS ratings for class right now (Arcane being the best) I am being out damaged by a good 10k DPS by other classes.

When I look at Recount I am being shown as having my DoTs up for longer than most, as active, if not more so than most other people in the instance but I do bugger all damage.

Another thin that is really killing the class (in my eyes at least) is that the spell casting effects has become listless and not “amazing” looking as the class used to be. To be far the graphics for the Fireball & Pyroblast spells was changed some time ago to actually look like a ball and around 90% less cooler!

Dowdy Graphics

I managed to capture this screen shot that makes the casting of the Fireball spell look amazing, but the actual “ball” looks shite. Look at that piece of shit! it’s rubbish, it is in fact just a lava textured badly created “lump”

Shaman’s lightning bolt has was also slapped with the dowdy graphics bat sometime ago and in stead of launching bolts of lightning from their fingers you get this gods awful “fizzle” effect. The end result for the Mage and Shaman class is to have removed the “bang, fizz crackle boom” from the class and replaced it with this fat wheezy dribble spell animations. It certainly take the edge of the class for my money at any rate. 

Bananas in Power Armour

Last months White Dwarf magazine from Games Workshop featured a handy guide for painting yellow in the form of a “How to paint Space Marines of the Imperial Fists chapter” painting anything bigger than a shoulder pad I always felt was a pain in the butt. Not so with Citadel’s new paint system it seems.  I went to the local GW store and bought the paints listed in the guide.  Overland Sunset, Yriel Yellow and Flash Gitz Yellow and the all important “shade” of Seraphim Sepia.
In the past the normal method for painting anything yellow was thus
1, Undercoat the miniature in white, a white as pure as driven snow.
2, Paint on a coat of yellow.
3, Repaint over the yellow.
3, Give the miniature a 3rd coat of yellow.
4, Get annoyed, give the yellow a wash of orange.
5, Paint on more yellow, give up6, Wonder how the hell the ‘heavy metal team get such good results, give up and paint Ultramarines instead.

I picked out the bits I needed to make up a Space marine and gave him a quick coat of Ceramite White as an undercoat then applied a coat of Averland yellow. The colour goes on great even over a rushed undercoat, it also dry quite quickly which means you can get to the shade/wash pretty quickly.
Once the Seraphim Sepia is dry you can start with the layer on Yriel yellow. At first I thought this paint was going to be a little like the old days but it covers quite well, not perfect but well enough, although the model did need two coats and a few “touch up” spots. Last up was the highlights using the Flash Gitz yellow, as I was on using this to highlight it was being used in very small lines of colour. When I was painting it was not always visible and took a few goes to get a good highlight, however the light I was painting with was not the best but in the cold light of the day Flash Gitz yellow made a striking highlight. The end result is a Space Marine of pleasing quality that I have now painted several more. I am now beginning to like yellow,first time in 20 years.

This blog post was made on my Google Nexus 7 using the WordPress app, not quite worked out all the details yet so I will add pictures later.

I think I love you!

The other night my word was rocked, I fell deeply in love (well deeper). Yep I am definitely in love, although I am now having very weird thoughts about metal suits. I will say I already have the massive hots for Gwyneth Paltrow, I’ve even found it in my heart to forgive her for marrying that massive arse from Co****ay (I’ can’t even bring myself to type his name or the band he is in). When my girlfriend is fully aware that if Gwyneth decides to dump him and finally come around to the idea that I am the man for her, she is being dumped like a hot stone. Now that may seem harsh (but it’s Gwyneth Paltrow for gods sake!) but conversely I am fully behind her choice of kicking my arse into touch if David Boreanaz rides into town to take her away to live in paradise.

Anyway when she linked the Iron Man 3 TV Spot #2 trailer for me to see on my Facebook wall I had to go and have a lie down. I mean Gwyneth Paltrow in a Iron Man suit!! OMG

“I’ve got you!” “I got you first!”

The first time I watched the trailer I didn’t quite see what was happening at around 0:18. The self fitting Iron Man suit is being attaching it’s self to Pepper Potts, then it cuts to the scene where she is protecting Tony Stark from falling debris. You can watch the trailer on Youtube here.

Iron Man 3 TV Spot #2 Trailer.

Not the biggest fan.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of the “super hero” comics and films, I did watch the original Superman films at the cinema when I was a kid, well we all did back then we only had 3 TV channels (maybe 4 but I cannot remember when Channel 4 started), we also watched the Batman TV series but that was when choice was limited, no saying that they was bad programming or not entertaining but my interest was firmly in World War 2 films, Star Wars and comics such as 2000AD, Battle! and the old Commando “war comics”. Hey it was the late 70’s early 80’s that was all the rage back then, maybe not be up to todays nanny state, politically correct standards but all good fun!

As I grew up, well I mean I started working and had my own money I got into more adult comics (mostly American ones) such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nam, Watchmen and other sorts of comics but mainly Sci Fi or Military. I have been slow to the “Super hero” party, but I have seen all the Hulk’s, X-men, Iron Man films they have thrown our way all be it months after the cinema release date and on DVD or Blu Ray.

Of all the films I have enjoyed the Iron Man films most and the Avengers Assemble was great can’t wait for what they will take the Avengers next!

Next time.

I should have talked about how fucking amazing the new Battlefield 4 reveal trailer was, but Gwyneth wins out over that. Needless to say it was AWESOME.

Anyway watch it here!

OMFG!

Paladins & Some game history.

I spent the majority of Classic WoW playing a Mage by the name of Windlepoons I’d specced as Fire and refused to change to Frost for Molten Core, mainly because Frost spec is was and is (to me at least) boring. Early on in Burning Crusade I switched to Elemental Shaman, who I called Lowping, mostly because I had never played a Shaman and I loved the look of the Dreanei so I had to roll one.

For quite a while was the only Elemental Shaman in a guild doing 10/25 man raids Burning Crusade raids, the other Shaman being Enhancement, nobody seemed to play as Restoration Shaman in the early days, well in my guild at least.

Like most people I had many alts to keep me occupied, I had one character I rolled, about my 5th alt if I remember correctly who was a Dwarf Paladin. I called him “Olafolafsson” as he was the “son” of my first character I made, a Dwarf Warrior called “Madolaf”, anyway I digress.

Wibbly fade to history effect.

I had stalled in levelling Olafolafsson at around 45, give or take a level. As playing Paladin just struck me as a chore, buffing every 5 minutes, until you got the “Greater” versions the Paladin buffs. DPS seemed low compared to other classes and when (in my case if) you get to level 60 the armour drops from Molten Core pretty much forced you to become Holy spec. Personally I wouldn’t want me healing me let alone a 5 man or a raid. So Lil’ Olaf as I began to call him slipped from the levelling schedule and was the only character out of 10 that wasn’t level 60 when Burning Crusade Expansion hit the servers.

A guild mate of mine, who raided along side me as a fellow Mage got to talking one day about our characters and I remarked about my Paladin being stuck at level 45. He said that I should play him again as the new expansion has brought a few changes to the class. So one evening I logged Lil’ Olaf in and began once again to play him. I got him to Outlands quite quickly and (no pun intended) became bogged down in the Zangermarsh zone. Once again I had hit a levelling wall, this time around 62 and stopped playing him.

Fast forward a few more months and either by design or by accident Blizzard gave the Paladin a little bit of redesign and the class became viable, many would say overpowered. I logged him back in and it was not long before he had spanked his way through the denizens of Outlands and was standing along side my Shaman and Mage at level 70.

Needs more tail.

However, one day I joked to my friend that the Paladin class was still missing something. I told him that Paladins "Need more tail!” This was the point that I rolled Banhammer and this was the point at which I was started to play as Banhammer more than I did as my Shaman. On one particular occasion I was asked to tank a dungeon, I’d never tanked as Paladin (or even as a Warrior) before, but I was given a link to a web page that detailed the basics for me and the group of people I was tanking for was quite patient. After that I was hooked, Banhammer became my main and I was tanking 5 man normal and heroics instances.
By this time I was not in a raiding guild and my time was my own, lots of random 5 man  and I could make decent “starter” armour as a Blacksmith also at the Argent Tournament grounds the vendor there sold epic armour for Justice points. I couldn’t be more happier, I was tanking all night, I had bought a complete set of Tier 9 Retribution and Protection “Turalyon’s” armour sets. In my eyes I looked the “bomb”

Cataclysmic changes.

Wraith of the Lich King Expansion was replaced with the Cataclysm expansion, for me this is when things went wrong. Don’t get me wrong I loved the expansion zones, new quests to complete and enemies to fight, places to explore and a story to live. What did disappoint me more than anything was the tier armour sets. If I wanted to complete a set I HAD to raid! I did not want to raid, I did not want to set foot inside a raid or in the LFR, yet if I wanted to complete the set of armour I had to raid, to maybe get the chance to roll of the token for my class. *sigh* So there Banhammer was wearing 3 pieces of the fugly Tier 11 armour set and a mixture of pieces from around various 5 man heroics. Not a happy bunny to say the least. Not even rolling a Tauren Paladin could put all of the smile back on my face.

When Blizzard announced Tier 12 I was hoping that they would remove the token requirement for but they didn’t even when tier 13 came out I would still have to hope I downed the boss and then actually won the roll to get the token. By this point I was playing less and less, seems odd that one little change would effect me in such a way, well Ok combine that with the Transmog PvP armour set bullshit (fuck you Blizzard) then for me it wasn’t that small of a change.

Getting old but not giving up.

Now we get to current content, Mists of Pandaria, typically polished and epic adventure that we have come to expect from Blizzard and with Pandas to boot. I levelled up Banhammer and then Saintangus and was looking at whom should I level next. The obvious choice had to be a Monk. I had already booked the name “Gingerpaw” with a level 1 alt, so I deleted him and rerolled him as a Panda.

Lucky I had heirloom weapons cloak, chest and shoulders, combine that with the 1 hour “Zen Pilgrimage” xp Buff you could get every day and it was not long before I was actually on Pandaria content. Monk is a very easy class to play compared to have “clunky” Paladin has become. I also found that in 5 man heroics as a Paladin I was losing out on trinkets and armour/weapons to ninjas (bad luck it would seem) Plate tanks and even Holy Paladins rolling (and winning) DPS trinkets and armour items, so I started playing as Gingerpaw. He seemed to be more lucky than Banhammer or Saintangus and very soon I was actually all geared head to toe (paw) in iLevel 463.

These days when I log in to WoW I find my self logging into Gingerpaw first, completing farming tasks at Halfhill then a few dailies and some scenarios and heroics. If Banhammer and Saintangus are lucky they get dusted off and a run or two but they are for all intent and purpose semi retired adventurers.

Next week I may continue this little mild whine/rant history or I might just hate on Druids in flight form!

Banhammer

It’s all in the rod, daily!

My faithful Monk, Gingerpaw has been completing his fishing dailies in the hope that not only will he increase his fishing skill and finally upgrade from Seth’s Graphite Fishing Pole he got from Seth in the Lower City of Shattrath. I would normally have completed the rep grind for the Kalu’ak fishing pole as modelled by Banhammer, but with only 3 dailies and about 3 one of quests that makes getting that rod a up hill struggle.

Fortunately during Wraith of the Lich King expansion they added two fishing rods obtainable via the fishing daily quest found in Dalaran. Both of which Banhammer had been lucky enough (re: persistance) to get them. First off is the dazzling Jeweled Fishing Pole for those that like to look fabulous while fishing or if you are looking for something suggestive (got bone?) you could hope for Bone Fishing Pole fnar fnar!

 

Cartier for the keen fishermen.

Got bone!

So far Gingerpaw has had no luck from the dailies but he has managed to garner enough reputation with the Angler’s faction to be able to buy the Dragon Fishing Pole from Nat Pagle in Krasarang Wilds.

Sadly it was added to the game files as a gag by Blizzard but I would love to see the quest they would put in game so that we could earn a Legendry quality fishing pole! Yep that’s right there is(n’t) a legendary quality fishing pole! Checkout this link to the item at WoWhead. Crafty’s Pole – Legendary!

Just realised I have not even managed to get the Weather-Beaten Fishing Hat yet, although I have lots of Sharpened Fish Hook and Glow Worms to be had for now but the item Nat’s Hat is looming on the reputation horizon for Gingerpaw so I’ll have that instead I think.