20 Silver, 91 Copper

That's how much money I have across all of my characters this morning, down from about 8000 gold or so. I'm also out 8 Primal Mights, 32 Primal Fires, and just about any other Primal or item of worth that I had in my bags when I logged out late last night. In all, it amounts to well over 10k gold worth of materials lost.

So this is what it feels like... for the second time.

This is really getting old.

I logged into my Warlock expecting to be in Dire Maul, where I usually plant him upon logging out for hopes of finding a rare spawn upon my return. But when I logged in this morning, I noticed immediately on the Character Select screen that he was in Shattrath and felt incredibly uneasy about it. I loaded him up, and indeed found his bags empty. I checked my other toons--theirs were empty too.

The uneasy, eerie feeling I experienced during those first moments were not unlike those that I felt when I logged into my blog and found a vacant, empty space those many weeks ago. It's not so much an "OMG MY STUFF IS GONE!" kind of emotion as it is a "How on earth did this happen?" kind of thing.

Now before you go on thinking about all of the irresponsible actions and behaviors that could result in having an account compromised, hear me out.

I don't visit weird sites. I don't download weird programs.

I scan my HD regularly, and am very cautious and concerned about my internet security. I have set up Firewalls, both software and hardware, and felt pretty secure about all of the extra precautions I have taken.

Obviously, none of this was enough, and even after scanning my drive with two different programs, nothing turned up. I am totally baffled, but will be taking more time to figure out how things went wrong. Hopefully it'll be something to learn from.

In the meantime, I really have to ask myself if this game is really worth all of the trouble it has been lately. And sadly, I don't have an answer for that just yet. Ironically enough, the thief left all of my TOONS intact, allowing me to play just as I have been over the past many weeks. No gear was vendored. All gear is accounted for.

And if this is some sort of twisted joke, it's totally not funny. Not at all.

If any of you could offer up some advice on what to check, where to check, etc, after an account has been compromised, please let me know. And thanks if you do.

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The Warlock vs. Melee Conundrum

Some of you may be wondering why I have a picture of a little Farm boy on my blog this morning, waiting by the fireside by the buff. Indeed a valid question, especially when considering my one-month hiatus from blogging. But whatever you pervs are thinking, stop. It is simply to illustrate a Warlock/WoW-related point, which we'll come back to it in just a second.

But first, one of the issues, if not THE issue PvP Warlocks are facing these days is the lack of balanced survivability against melee classes. Rogues and Warriors are currently the bane of our existence, with an array of tools and abilities that can keep them close in proximity and preventing us from doing anything substantial. I'm sure you've all had the pleasure of experiencing what seems like hours worth of spell push-back due to fast melee attacks, all while getting intercepted, gouged, cheap-shotted, and kidney-shotted all the way to death, and with no real means of escape.

Fear? Please. If it hadn't been nerfed to death with immunities, trinkets, and diminishing returns, maybe. But in it's current form, it is a VERY weak defensive spell, and sadly, it is our class-defining ability. What does that say about Warlocks as a whole?

Deathcoil, while a great stand-alone defensive spell, only delays the inevitable. Warriors can intercept right back to the Warlock and continue smashing their faces in, and Rogues can, well, do about 10 different things that will keep them in control of the encounter--thinking about all of them makes my head spin, actually.

NO class should have absolutely NO chance to win when engaged with another, but in the case of Warlocks and melee, we are pretty close to that point. Even Soul Link, with the lack of Pet Scaling and the 5% nerf it will be receiving soon, isn't enough to handle the obscene amounts of white damage melee can produce. Such unbalanced encounters can make for very frustrating, one-sided experiences akin to the "Warlocks are Mushrooms" days of early WoW PvP. Add to that the multi-crippling effect that Resilience has on our abilities and the availability of Ignore Armor stats to melee and you can understand the up-hill-balance-battle that we Warlocks are now facing.

Things have got to change, and as we approach the beta phase of WotLK production, our question becomes this: what changes would help create balanced survivability for Warlocks against heavy, fast-hitting melee?

We've all heard of the new self-teleporting Demonic Circle ability Warlocks will be receiving in Wrath of the Lich King, and indeed it's sole purpose is to help the Warlock escape from within melee range. But in thinking critically about the spell, you should also be asking yourself a multitude of questions about it. For example, in it's final form, what will it's range limit be? Will it be affected by line of sight? What will be it's cooldown? Will it be enough?

Since the ability, as with all new WotLK abilities, is still under development, it's tough to say. But the short answer is "no," and here's why:

Each combat stat is designed to have a single counter-stat in the World of Warcraft. Or, at least, this is the ideal blueprint that Blizzard used to apply. Spell Resistance was countered by Spell Penetration. Percent chance to Dodge was countered by Hit Rating, etc. It was simple, and for the most part, successful... until the Arena came along and the concept of Resilience was introduced.

Resilience, from the start, was a terrible idea--to minimize Critical strikes in the PvP equation completely gimped Mages, Destruction Warlocks, and a multitude of other classes and specs that are only successful when they are allowed to crit with no penalty. But, it was what it was, and at least it ONLY severly gimped one Warlock talent tree. That is, until Blizzard strayed from their original blueprints and allowed Resilience to counter a SECOND variable, Damage over Time spells, and therefore indirectly affecting Spell Damage at the same time.

At this point, two Warlock staples, Spell Damage via DoTS and Spell Crit Chance, are countered by a single PvP stat. And it didn't stop there.

Soon, Channeled spells were thrown into the mix, becoming the THIRD variable affected by Resilience. This was only done to minimize the effect of drain teams, but a change to the approach Warlock PvP should be played nonetheless.

Lets put everything together now to put this problem into perspective.

The Warlock class has had its defensive spells nullified by buffs to melee. What offense we did have left is nullified by the effects of Resilience on our spells and abilities. What on earth do we have left? An SL/SL build that requires us to ride the coattails of our Rogue or Priest or Druid or whatever other cookie-cutter combo we can team up with?

Things have got to change, and it is up to the Warlock and general player communities to place pressure onto Blizzard and it's backward-stepping e-Sport fetish to refocus the game and help make things right again.

Now, consider the picture of the child at the top of this post again. Notice what he's wearing? Chain mail armor. In a system where Resilience exists in it's current form, THAT KID HAS MORE LASTING POWER AGAINST MELEE THAN A WARLOCK DOES.

GG.

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Tay Zonday Does "Pork and Beans"

Hey all!

I hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend. Mine was AMAZING.

I experienced my first Father's Day ever, which was truly an awesome time! I'll write more about it later, when I'm not totally exhausted and drained of energy, cause the day really deserves my utmost attention to convey just how adorable it was.

I've also been working on a few Warlock-centric pieces that I promise I'll put up soon.

But in the meantime, enjoy this clip of YouTube's own Tay Zonday of "Chocolate Rain" fame doing Weezer's "Pork and Beans." It's epic, and for now, it's all you get, so enjoy it! =P

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For Temerity Jane, the Marshmallow Queen

After yesterday's marshmallow-stuffing goodness, a little video just for you!



Next time you invite us all into your web cam space, I hope you use this as motivation. =)

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This Week's LOL: New Destruction Spell

This video is W.I.N. for so many reasons, that I shouldn't even have to explain any more about it. Just watch and if you're an old-school gamer, you'll see what I mean. =)

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GH3: Through the Fire and Flames, 100% on Expert

Seriously. I never thought I'd see the day.

The hardest song of any Guitar Hero or GH-like game ever released met it's master yesterday, when some dude named Chris hit every one of the song's 3,722 notes in stride. His reaction at the end of the video says it all... he definitely didn't expect it could be done either.



Grats on an epic gaming moment, Chris. You better not have been cheating! ;)

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A Very Good Warlock Gear Guide

Canadianpimp, aka Kobekid of Kilrogg, is a seasoned poster over at the very constructively destructive Warlocks Den forums. Taking his helpfulness to another, almost deifying level, he has put together an incredibly valuable gearing guide for the Warlock class. In it, he uses an objective rating system he came up with called DP (short for "DPS Points"), which rates gear based upon all of their DPS-friendly stats.

The guide will lead you from your early cloth-wearing days to end-game Sunwell gear, and with a concise clarity that you will appreciate. New and seasoned warlocks alike should definitely take a look, and often, because he updates the guide fairly regularly.

Follow the link below, and if you can, be sure to thank him (on his blog) for a job well done!

Canadianpimp's Warlock Gear Guide

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10 Ways Gamers Can Save Money

While the stereotype of your average modern gamer is an individual that lacks adequate hygiene and lives in his parent's basement, there are actually many of us that are making our own way. We are independent, have families to support, and bills to pay, and in this economic crunch that we all currently find ourselves in, what could be more responsible than searching for ways to lighten our financial load?

Beyond the standard gas-consumption-related advice that you see and hear almost everywhere, here are 10 things that we, as gamers, can do to help our wallets stay just a little bit more chunky during these tough economic times:

1) Rent games with low replay value. How many of you have games in your library that you haven't played in, say, the last week? What about the previous month? Year??? I'm sure there are PLENTY of games on your shelf that fit any one of those categories, and that's just not financially smart, my friend. $50 doesn't go far these days, and especially not when it's collecting dust. Get the most out of your money set aside for gaming and only buy games with high replay value. Rent others that you know you want to play, but will only play a few times at best (i.e., many single-player RPGs).

2) Unplug cathode case lights. Cathode lights, while considered "cool" by some and included in many big-name PC gaming rig designs, are really just an unnecessary accessory we can do without. Their cost can readily add up as well, considering that many will run you between $8-10 and need to be replaced upon extinction. In flipping the switch and turning them off, you will not only start saving money immediately, but you won't have to spend money replacing them when they burn out either - a win on both fronts.

3) Unplug your gaming consoles when not in use. It's well-known that modern electronics, including gaming consoles, can be quite the energy hogs. This is partly due to the fact that many items simply do not turn off when told to do so! Instead, they beam a little red light back at you, stating that they have entered a "standby" mode that continues to drain energy at an alarming rate. For example, leaving a PS3 on standby uses 5x more energy than running your refrigerator for the same amount of time! I'm sure the Xbox 360 and even the Nintendo Wii are guilty of a little post-use drainage as well. So, instead of just flipping the power switch off and sending those trickster consoles into standby, unplug the little leeches until you're ready to get your game on again. Heck, while you're at it, unplug EVERYTHING that can go on standby, like your flat screen TV, sound system, and DVD player, and save even more money! GG, electricity bill. GG.

4) Downgrade your home phone service. Many of us connect to the net via DSL over our home phone line. If you're one of those gamers, you know that in most cases, DSL requires an active, working phone line to function. In this age of cellphones, free minutes and long distance, however, that phone service contract is a waste of money. All you need a line for is DSL, so instead of paying a premium for a bunch of features you will never use, call up your home service provider and drop your service contract down to the bare minimum. No Caller I.D., Call Waiting, nothing. Ask about "per-minute" contracts and pick one up if you can, as their monthly fees are among the cheapest you will find. When that's done, simply unplug your phone, and you're off to saving several hundred dollars a year.

5) Downgrade your broadband to a speed you need. Most internet users are overpaying for their services. Why? Because they sign a contract for a speed that is either much faster than what they actually need or that their computer can even handle. The problem is that, as gamers, we approach this pitfall far too often. We want the fastest graphics, refresh rate, response time, and latency, and will pay more for it even if we don't need it. And trust me, you don't need it. Downgrade to a speed that is around 1500/768 Kbps, and not only will you continue to enjoy reasonably fast online gaming, but you'll also save yourself a large chuck of change too.

6) Make your computer energy efficient. Rising energy costs are nothing to balk at. The price has increased about 50% in the past ten years and continues to rise sharply today. To save you as much money as possible, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends that you turn your computer completely off (and unplug it) in situations when it will not be used within the next 2 hours. That way, the cost of the energy surge needed to power the system up again is offset by the down-time. And this doesn't just apply to computers, but to all of their peripherals as well. Monitors, speakers, printers, you name it, should all be shut down and unplugged when not in use. If you want to streamline the process, have a smart surge protector do it all for you.

7) Turn off the lights. We all know that it's appropriate and energy-efficient to always turn off the lights before leaving a room. We've been drilled by this way of thinking for quite some time, and indeed, it's a great way to lower energy costs. But what about the other way around? What about turning the lights off while remaining inside a room? While gaming, we need no other light source than the tube, plasma, or LCD sitting directly in front of us. So turning off every other light source, and lowering your energy bill in the process, is definitely not a bad way to go. Just be careful not to trip on your way out!

8) Purchase gear only when you have to, and like you're saving money. "Frugal" is the word here, folks. If you can borrow a game, don't buy it. If your friend has a replacement computer part he doesn't need, ask for it. Don't be shy. Be smart. Approach every new or replacement purchase as if it is an opportunity to save money. Want to buy a new title for your gaming library? Buy it USED off of eBay or Half.com. Need a sound card to replace the one that just crapped out on you? Buy it OEM, and don't empty your wallet for newer technology; only buy exactly what you need! Nothing more.

9) Ditch carbonated, expensive energy drinks for tap water. We gamers need energy to get us through those all-night frag fests, and sodas and energy drinks happen to be our method of choice, as they are for the rest of the nation. It's no surprise, then, that they cost consumers hundreds and hundreds of dollars a year, which is pretty fail considering how TERRIBLE they are for our health. Caffeine is a diuretic, which dehydrates the body, and as a carbonated beverage is considered by many to compete with calcium absorption (biochemistry anyone?). Tap water, while not as tasty, requires a fraction of the cost of other beverages, and is much better for you because it hydrates the body and helps with mineral absorption. So kicking the soda can will not only mean that you will save a lot of cash now, but also that you will be healthier, saving countless dollars on potential doctor visits later.

10) Keep playing video games. Gaming, if approached responsibly, can be one of the cheapest forms of entertainment you can find. Yes, it's reasonably expensive to get things started, with what, having to buy either a console or computer to pwn noobs on. But once received and the gamer settled into a minimalist approach, think about how little that will cost him one, six, and twelve months later. And compare that to how much other hobbies or activities would cost in that same amount of time. And hey, it's much more enjoyable too! So ditch the movie, the bar, and the expensive restaurant, and roll some Alliance head with a pizza instead. Poetry to live by, my friends. Game on. ;)

Got any of your own money-saving methodologies to share? Post them in the comments now! =)

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Sex, Shadowform, and the Spectral Tiger

I have lost all faith in humanity.

According to The Numbers, a website that compiles box office data including daily profits, The Sex and the City movie took in almost 27 million dollars on it's opening day yesterday.

Yes, THAT movie. And yes, it seriously did THAT well -- 3rd in 1st-day profits this year, even when people should have known better.

The movie has been receiving scathingly terri-bad reviews since previewed by Hollywood's elite weeks ago. Rotten Tomatoes, a liberal movie site, even gave it a 5.8/10. That's an "F" people! FAIL! And yet somehow, it performs, and I can't even begin to tell you how.

I mean, I know there are some crazy people out there that are fans of the show, but this is definitely beyond "some." If you break down ticket sales and costs, the opening day statistics amount to almost 3.9 MILLION crazy people that forked out hard-earned cash to see this heap of feces on film!

That's way too many crazies enjoying way too many feces!!!

But in all seriousness, what on earth can this movie possibly offer? Thought-provoking adult situations? Seriously smart dialogue? Aging, clucking, borderline-whores, one of which whose face looks like it grew a foot where it's nose used to be, and all of which probably have a raging case of genital herpes?

Well, the latter two, yes, but that's it.

And if you enjoy garbage like that, may you be cursed with the foot-face and STDs you seem to so admire.

/sigh... some people...

Anyway, enough of that nonsense. I'll point my sleep-deprived foul mood towards a WoW moment I had yesterday instead. =)

While running alongside a Shadow Priest from the UC to the Zeppelin tower just outside, I noticed something fairly peculiar about her ride. It was a tiger mount that seemed fragmented, like a broken graphic or something of that sort. At first, I thought it was a glitch of some kind. But as I got closer and started talking with her, I realized that it wasn't a glitch after all:


Turns out that it was a Spectral Tiger in Shadowform, looking both very cool and very odd as it stretched it's limbs out in front and back behind itself, invisibly moving it's armor as if they were supernaturally elevated pieces of plate.

I'm not sure if this graphic is as it was intended to be, and thinking about it now, I've never heard much of a complaint from proud priestly owners of the spectral mount. But I have to wonder if that is because they enjoy the way it looks, or if they simply aren't the types to complain about a mount they surely are happy to display, given it's rarity and worth.

In any case, it's a cool thing to see in motion. So if you happen to know a Priest who owns one, ask them to go dark and whip it out.

Hopefully, they'll know what you mean. ;)

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Song of the Week: Pork and Beans

One of my favorite music videos of all time is what Blink 182 put together for their song "All the Small Things." It is basically a spoof of music videos put out by every trendy girl and boy band of that era, and was hilariously perfect in every way.

This week's SotW, "Pork and Beans" by Weezer, is similar in that it's video is a spoof of the current major trend: YouTubing fame! If you Tube (ha!) often, you'll definitely recognize the cameos you're about to see. The video rocks 'em, and the song is great too! For PvE, PvP, whatevah.

Enjoy!

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Mages Can Be So Wrong Sometimes...

Here we have his mage-ness, Jean-Claude van Damme, performing "Conjure Biscuit" on a balcony somewhere I don't ever want to be.

I mean who does this? Seriously? And with cameras around?

Weirdo.

If you can think of a better line to go with the image than what I have written, let me know. I was too mesmerized to come up with anything good...

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New Warlock Talents, Abilities: Wrath of the Lich King

Since WoW Insider and MMO Champion have opened the flood gates and direct players to once highly-guarded info, I figure I will do the same. Besides, Blizzard wants you to see this information anyway. With Age of Conan out there stealing a bit of their thunder, they're definitely okay with a healthy bit of Wrath leaking. ;) Keep in mind, these are early talent designs, and can (read: will) change.


New Warlock Talents, Wrath of the Lich King (Alpha)

AFFLICTION

Eradication: 3 pts; requires 25 pts; Your Corruption, Siphon Life, and Curse of Agony ticks have a x% chance to increase your spell casting speed by 1% for 8 sec. This effect has a 10 second cooldown.

Death's Embrace: 3 pts; requires 40 pts; Increases the amount drained by your Drain Life by 30% while your health is at or below 20% health, and increases the critical strike chance of your Shadowbolt and Haunt spells by 15% when your target is at or below 20% health.

Soul Depletion: 3 pts; requires 40 pts; Your Corruption spell ticks have a 15% chance of consuming w% mana, x energy, y Rage or a z Runic Power on affected targets.

Everlasting Affliction: 5 pts; requires 45 pts: Your Corruption, Siphon Life and Seed of Corruption spells gain 20% more of your bonus spell damage effects, and your Drain Life and Shadow Bolt spells have a x% chance to reset the duration of your Corruption spell on the target.

Atrocity: 1 pt; requires 50 pts; You devastate the area, causing Corruption (Rank 8) to all targets within 15 yards. In addition, your Corruption spell will do 434 Shadow damage to the target when it finishes its duration.

DEMONOLOGY

Demonic Empowerment: 1 pt; requires 30 pts; Grants the Warlock's summoned demon Empowerment.

Succubus: instantly vanishes, turning the Succubus invisible and restoring it's health to 100%. The vanish effect removes all stuns, snares and movement impairing effects from the Succubus.

Voidwalker: Increases the Voidwalker's health by 20%, and it's threat generated from spells and attacks by 20%.

Imp: Increases the Imp's damage by 20% and chance to critically hit with spells by 20%.

Felguard: Increases the Felguard's attack speed by 20% and breaks all stun, snare and movement impairing effects and makes your Felguard immune to them.

Felhunter: Resets all the Felhunter's cooldowns.

Empowered Imp: 3 pts; requires 35 pts; Increases the damage done by your Imp by 15%, and all critical hits done by your Imp have a x% chance to increase your spell critical hit chance by 100%. This effect lasts 8 sec.

Fel Synergy: 2 pts; requires 35 pts; Your Summoned Demons share an additional 10% of your Armor, Intellect and Stamina, and you have a 100% chance to heal your pet for 15% of the amount of damage done by you.

Love Struck: 3 pts; requires 40 pts; While the Succubus is active, physical attacks done to you or your Succubus have a 15% chance to heal you or your Succubus instead of doing damage. The healing caused by Love Struck will not exceed 50% of the Warlock or Succubus' total health. This effect has a 6 second cooldown.

Demonic Empathy: 3 pts; requires 40 pts; When you or your pet is critically hit, the other has a x% chance to have their casting or attack speed increased by y% for z seconds.

Demonic Pact: 5 pts; requires 45 pts; Increases your Spirit by w% while your Demon is active. In addition, your pet attacks have a x% chance to increase your party's total Health and Damage by y%. Stacks up to 3 times. Lasts z seconds.

Metamorphosis: 1 pt; requires 50 pts; You transform into a Demon, with full health and mana. While in Demon Form, you gain Demonic abilities and your armor is increased to 360%, but your pet no longer is summoned. When leaving Demon Form, your health and mana is returned back to normal and your pet is re-summoned. Lasts x seconds.

DESTRUCTION

Molten Core: 3 pts; requires 5 pts; Your Shadow spells and damage over time effects have a x% chance to increase the damage of your Fire spells by 10% for 6 sec.

Kindling Soul: 2 pts; requires 35 pts; Your spell damage is increased by 10% of your Spirit, and your spell criticals increase your Spirit by x% for 10 sec.

Backdraft: 3 pts; requires 40 pts; Increases the critical chance of your Conflagrate, Immolate and Shadowflame spells by 10%.

Torture: 3 pts; requires 40 pts; After you critically strike with a Shadow spell, your next Searing Pain or Immolate spells have a x% chance to become instant cast. This ability has a 20 second cooldown.

Eternal Flames: 5 pts; requires 45 pts; Your Searing Pain and Incinerate spells have a x% chance to refresh the duration of your Immolate spell on the target, and increases the critical strike damage of your Destruction spells by an additional 10%.

Decimate: 1 pt; requires 50 pts; Your next Shadow or Fire spell is instant cast, and does damage in the form of Chaos damage, ignoring all resistances, absorption, and immunity mechanics. After the end of the Decimated cast, you become exhausted, disabling you from casting a spell of the same school for 3 sec.

New Warlock Abilities; Wrath of the Lich King (Alpha)

Shadowflame: Rank 1; Level 75; 745 mana; instant cast; 15 second cooldown; Targets in a cone in front of the caster take 934-1020 Shadow damage and an additional 492 Fire damage over 8 sec.

Haunt: Rank 1; Level 80; 650 mana; 30 second cooldown; You send a corrupted soul into the target, doing 800 damage over 2 sec. Haunt will continue to travel between targets who suffer from your Corruption spell. After traveling from up to three targets, the corrupted soul will return to you, healing you for 50% of the total damage done.

Sift through the material -- we'll talk more when I post more details about each spell (and others not made public just yet) later on. Have fun. ;)

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"All Gladiators Are Not Created Equally"

There is a hierarchy in all that we do. No matter how successful we may be, there is always a perception that it can be done better. The following is a portion of a conversation that I had weeks ago, with one of the world's most competitive Warlocks. He is a Season 2 Gladiator, tournament winner, Blizzard insider, and all around stellar guy. Here, he offers great insight as we discussed class balance in the outside context of WotLK development.

...
Jagoex: Changing PvP or PvE is one thing. But merging the two is impossible, especially when they require totally different elements that are a part of the game's design. If they want to make it work, EVERYTHING needs to be reworked.

SN: I'm not sure you are seeing it as I do. What do you think the motivation is behind what changes are made?

Jagoex: I compare it to taking reactive prescription drugs. Your first set has side-effects, so you take a second set to take care of them. But that second set also has side effects, so you take a third set, and so and on. You're simply plugging holes that will eventually affect your first set of drugs, which now need to be tweaked because of the other drug side-effects. That leads to a constant circle of change and never any stability.

SN: The game isn't as sensitive as you think it is.

Jagoex: The Affliction tree.

SN: ?

Jagoex: DoT coefficients were nerfed to balance out changes that were made before it. Together with other changes, it rendered Affliction useless in high-end-game raiding. And we know what's happening in WotLK.

SN: Okay.

Jagoex: You can't keep chipping away at something without eventually having an impact on what you just changed. Kaplan fails to understand this, apparently.

SN: He understands it. It just isn't a part of the Warcraft formula.

Jagoex: WoW + Kaplan = WTF?

SN: Lol. Kaplan, Chilton, all those guys aim to keep the game changing. They are smart. Always remember that. And they want to keep as many people paying their 15 a month as possible. You're a psych guy. Figure it out.

Jagoex: Reinforce everyone.

SN: But not at the same time.

Jagoex: So you end up with imbalanced classes and a cycling of class power. They're the same exact things that the devs are advertising they are trying to fix.

SN: But they "can't." Not because it's impossible, but because it wouldn't be a good business decision. It's a very effective business. Frustrating, but effective. It has been the same way since release.

Jagoex: So how can you create a serious and competitive environment around it?

SN: You can't. Especially not in Player vs. Player.

Jagoex: It doesn't seem like it. That pretty much dooms this whole e-sport thing then, being pigeon-holed into whatever class or compositions are at the top of the power cycle.

SN: From the player's perspective, sure. But not from a business perspective. The power cycle, as you call it, keeps players and their money coming back. E-sport brings in big money advertising. The company wins on both fronts.

Jagoex: Makes sense, but that still takes away from the game I think -- especially PvP accomplishments.

SN: Very much so. All Gladiators are not created equally, my friend.

Jagoex: Lol, you're such a battlegroup whore.

SN: It's true, I am, but that's beside the point.

Jagoex: Oh I know. I get what you're saying -- it was the same with Rank 14ers back in the day.

SN: Getting to the top of the PvP ladder is based on so many things that have nothing to do with the easily accessible ability to play one's particular class or roll correctly. The server. Battlegroup. Arena maps. Opposing composition randomness. They all matter just as much, collectively, as a player's gaming ability.

Jagoex: Hmm.

SN: They are what create the top tier players, not the players themselves.

Jagoex: I'd be so inclined to disagree with you if I haven't seen just those variables come into play myself. Grinding to HWL, my biggest challenge had nothing to do with skill, but was more a factor of how much spare time I had.

SN: And more importantly, how much free time OTHERS ON YOUR SERVER had.

Jagoex: Exactly. And also how ass-hatted they were when pitched an honor cap to save everyone some time. I've also seen entire PvP guilds up and leave a server and move to an "easier" Battlegroup and do exceptionally well.

SN: It happens all the time. Like I said, all Gladiators aren't created equally.

Jagoex: It's still pretty impressive, though. All skill being equal at that level, Glads usually have more dedication.

SN: All skill isn't equal at that level. That's the point. And it's not that impressive. Any stable, dependable team can rank Gladiator in time. Rank 14 was much harder to get. I'd trade my title for yours any day, Jag.

Jagoex: Only if I get your Merciless Drake.

SN: Small price to pay.

Jagoex: Lol. So what of skill then? Where does it come to play?

SN: In Bloodlust.

Jagoex: Lol...

SN: I'm serious.

Jagoex: I know you are. That's why it's funny.

SN: Lol. It's true. Every real Arena junkie knows that unless they rank Gladiator in Bloodlust, they aren't really Gladiators. The best play here, and the best elsewhere aren't good enough.

Jagoex: "All Gladiators are not created equally."

SN: Exactly.

Jagoex: What about tournament play?

SN: It's too concentrated. In a system plagued with imbalance, it is impossible to gauge skill in only a few games.

Jagoex: Understood.
...

Interesting perspective. What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?

Thanks for the convo, SN. ;)

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The Story of Arthas

The original to the image below is a work by Paul Kwon, a regular contributor to the Blizzard Fan Art Program and who has created some spectacular images. Go to the Screenshots Page to see more of his work, on display now!


The World of Warcraft is the first and only game in the Warcraft series that I have played. So it is no surprise then that when I first began playing, I was very unaware of the vastly developed storylines embedded within the game. And, to be honest and quite sadly, I'm still a total lore noob even today.

With the Wrath of the Lich King in the Alpha stage and the ruckus being made about Arthas falling victim to only ten men, I figured it would be a good idea to learn a bit about the Death Knight, his sword, and his history; to help me appreciate the game more, I guess. After a quick Google search, I found a series of 12.5 videos on YouTube, called "The Story of Arthas."

The clips are compiled by user Glyndis08 who used in-game footage from various Warcraft titles to follow Arthas from his days as a lowly Prince studying the ways of the Paladin to the moment he takes his seat atop of the Frozen Throne as the Lich King.

The videos are quite lengthy, running at about 10 minutes a piece, but they contain a lot of vital information about Warcraft's history that I was simply unaware of before! The story does not stick to just Arthas either, but implements the storyline of many others as well, including Illidan, Sylvanas, and Kael'thas.

There are a few issues I experienced with audio, when it would just disappear and reappear quite annoyingly. But other than that,I found the clips to be well made, easy to follow, and very helpful in leading me to understand the story behind the game.

I highly recommend giving them a peak when you have the time -- definitely worthwhile if you have some catching up to do on your lore, like I do. ;)

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