The Year in Review … or Not

Well yeah, that’s sort of a big, fat, lie. It’s more like the last couple of months in review, and last night in review. If I think of something better before I stop writing I’ll change it.

So I asked Cat if she had something to say NON-PET RELATED. So she sent me the above screen shot. It doesn’t count Cat, you weren’t even there! That sullen Warlock Cimmeria went to Amateur Azerothian’s LBR last night. She won’t admit it but she had a good time. She was in a snit cause I made her wear a gaudy sweater and sing carols. Sheesh … Warlocks … no holiday spirit at all.

Great fun was had and guess what? Another Greatfather Winter showed up! Yes, I know that looks like a Gnome Shadow Priest but it’s really Greatfather Winter! After we finished Molten Core and Blackwing Lair, Greatfather Huckle pulled out many glorious pets we could roll on! Wontan was the big winner, I think everyone was afraid to roll against a stabby, little, Gnome Rogue. Cimmeria won’t admit it, but she’s scared of stabby, little, Gnome Rogues. Scary guys.

Azilem of Frost and Claws was there looking incredibly good in her holiday finery. And she’s even got a strategy for Razorgore posted so since he was stingy last night I can now return with a plan!

Kamalia was there under Alliance cover. I guess she thought we didn’t know who she really was and confessed to all sorts of things! :O

I was so happy I finally got the right night and right time so I could make it to the last LBR of the year! As always, JD and the Missus threw a great LBR!

I’m running out of space for the whole year in review thing. I always feel I’m pushing my luck if I natter on too long. Okay, I’ll just ask Cat if she’s got anything to say for herself.

Yay! Take that you stinkin little Thundering Spirit! Nah nah na na nah! Who’s the woman now, huh! I did it! I did it! I got your Earth Spirit right here! And you know what? I’m not leaving you alone … no, I’m coming back every day until you give me another and another and … pssst … hey Cat, mature much? Want to move it along? Anything else?

Yeah, I’m doing dailies again. Oh good, working for the Shado-Pan and Klaxxi then? Um … well no. It’s this whole Operation: Shieldwall thing, well it’s for the King!

Really? Is that REALLY why you’re doing that instead of what you SHOULD be finishing? It’s not perhaps something else? Something like RODENT TRAPS! Oh geez Cat, really. I know, I know, you just have to have a Sumprush Rodent. I should have known it would be battle pet related.

Any final words for the year? Been up to anything else?

Um … I’ve been thinking of taking a remedial reading comprehension class in the new year to better myself.

Really Cat? Any particular reason?

Um … yeah … no. Just might prove helpful, save money on repair bills and all. I didn’t really notice that Huntsman Blake said, would WE … WE as in multiple people, like to fight that Crane … it was a costly mistake.

I see … anything else you’d like to share? No, I guess not. I’ll save my quest to get the achievement, I’m In Your Base, Killing Your Dudes for next year. I don’t want to kill the holiday spirit with too much talk … talk of death.

I see. Well I guess that’s it for 2012. I guess Cat will review it next year. Happy New Year and take care out there!

Pro Pet Mob the Insane

Ohai. I’m hoping I can get back to normal now. At some point in the raising of 75 pets to level 25 it became some sort of mental disease. It really reminded me of the old Insane grind, there seems to be a tipping point where I become unhinged on these things. At least the holiday company was gone when it hit. Would have been ugly to see.

So yay! We have a Singing Cricket named Khizz, because Khizz is a singing cricket irl, er, singing human! I thought Khizz might want to see Ironforge at Winter Veil time, so we cruised the town checking out the light displays.

There is no doubt that the grind for the Pro Pet Mob achievement could take less time if you just leveled pets in the 22 to 23 level range instead of ones you like or who have cool animations but where would the fun in that be, so for the most part I leveled favorites. Scorpids, yes! Bandicoons, yuck.

Even aside from the leveling of pets, Cat’s just gone crazy. At some point she’s going to starve because she’s just living off the lousy 11 gold 40 silver the pet tamers give her, because THAT’S ALL SHE DOES. And she’s really becoming a poor winner. I’ll have to have a chat with her about doing that dance after she wins. I don’t think that’s appropriate. Really. Poor losers are bad enough but this taunting the tamers has got to stop.

When I complained about her obsession with pets she quickly pointed out that she’s been taking advantage of the cultural activities available throughout Pandaria. She attended a performance by the famed Drum Master Grohl Grohl. It was good to hear she was doing SOMETHING other than pet battling.

And yes, she’s enlisted the help of her Horde Cenarion sisters. Mimiyah has camouflaged herself and is hiding out on Jaguero Isle hoping she’ll be there when it rains and catch a Baby Ape. I think that’s very nice of her since she’s not that into pets.

Cat seems to have a new favorite pet. She does this a lot but this time it might stick, she’s fascinated by her mechanical kitten and has hope that she will go far.

She has a few complaints. She’s fine with pets losing levels when captured but it is hard to bear when you’re battling a rare with stats something like speed=415, power=378 and yay! Success! And on looking at the stats they’re now speed=260, power=260.

She’s had some good luck, she finally got her Pandaren Fire Spirit and a Porcupette but the Thundering Pandaren Spirit refuses to drop a Pandaren Earth Spirit.

She’s a little worried about the part of the 5.2 patch notes that says:

• Fleeing a pet battle will no longer despawn the pet that was being battled, but doing so will now inflict some damage on the fleeing pet battle team.

I wonder if that counts when forfeiting to Tamers. She’s ashamed to admit that to best the Thundering Tamer she forfeits until he leads with Sludgy the critter. So if it does, taking damage each time is going to eat a hole in her supply of bandages.

There’s no time to waste, we need that Earth Spirit to drop before the patch. That’s her excuse anyway.

/wave! Nice to get to talk to you! Got to go, Cat’s pulling on my sleeve, haven’t beat down that Thundering Tamer yet today. Today might be the day he gets tired of us and gives up that Earth Spirit!

Greatfather Arvash

This morning Cat went to harvest her crops and saw that those pesky Red Crane Champions were up to their old tricks. More taunting email, they really need to grow up, sheesh. What’s this! It’s not from those sore losers it’s from Arvash!

Arvash of The Crimson Hammer is the Master of Azerothian Magic, if there’s a wondrous toy, pet or mount Arv most likely has it and he had sent one to me! Cat was squeeing, “It’s a Nightsaber Cub! It’s a Nightsaber Cub! It’s wonderful!”

She wanted to make it feel at home and settle in before it started the journey that is a Battle Pet’s lot, endless killing sprees and bloody battles. That will come later, for now she wanted to make Arv feel welcome.

They headed to Shadowglen where many of Arv’s relatives were waiting to greet him. He started stretching and yawning so I think he felt at home.

Cat reminisced with Arv about her wonderful early years as a Druid just starting out. She remembered not getting Cat Form until about freaking level 30 and being beaten … she remembered swimming out to the back of beyond to gain Aquatic Form … okay Arv never mind, maybe the old days weren’t all as great as I remembered but this is where it all started, so it’s a special place.

Arv was getting along and making friends with the other pets, he seemed anxious to start his career. Cat wanted to thank Arvash, so she left to find him. She thought Greatfather Winter would be the one to ask, surely he’d know Arv’s whereabouts.

Now Cat does knows about the faction thing, she just really doesn’t get it … well, except for Garrosh, so she headed out to Orgrimmar although I told her I thought that a bad idea and the reception she’d get wouldn’t be what she expected. Of course she didn’t listen, she insisted on talking to Arv’s Greatfather.

Greatfather was very surprised to say the least, when he saw her. “What the … do you have a death wish Druid? What are you doing here?

“I want to know where Arv lives to thank him. He’s a handsome Paladin, a great hero of the Horde, I’m sure you must know him.”

“For someone with such BIG EARS you don’t listen well, I’m trying to help you out, someone’s going to notice you soon, scat cat, move along. Your rl human has a blog, thank him there where it’s safe. Now scoot, out of here!”

I reminded Cat of her total lack of prowess at PvP and that Greatfather had a point, so she agreed to thank Arv in a post.

Arv, thanks SO MUCH! I really love my little Arv. My Crunchy Scorpion has taken over his training, he thinks he’ll go far.

And another big thanks to everyone for the wonderful presents and for your company and comments, Winter Veil hugs to all!

Oh no … I’m getting all weepy and sappy. Okay … what to do. I got it!

The Season’s Upon Us

No, that’s not MY family … but there’s a dog.

August Celestial Stalkers … or Not?

This morning while … yeah, pet battling I noticed that I had mail. This is just going too far. What is wrong with those Champions who hang out at The Temple of the Red Crane. I mean those are dailies, I HAVE to defeat them. Why do they go all wingnutty on me and send those threatening letters. Really, the August Celestials should do something about this, it’s harassment.

So I picked up my mail expecting more thinly veiled threats and cryptic messages and OMG! It’s not a threat! It’s a Jade Owl! It’s a Winter Veil present from Cymre! I love it!

I was somewhat disappointed when I checked realID and it informed me  that she hadn’t been on for 43 years. I wanted to thank her but just like that she appeared! Yay! I told her I had to do a screen shot and I gave some thought to the appropriate location. What would be a suitable backdrop for a finely crafted Jade Owl?

I’ve got it! Who would most want to see her student’s skill displayed? Cat set off to visit Mai the Jade Shaper and show her what a master of jewelcrafting Cymre had become. Mai gazed at the beautiful Owl and pronounced it perfect!

Cat thought so too and went to show it off to the farmers at Halfhill while she did her planting.

Thank so much again Cym, she’s getting to know the rest of pets and settling in. I will now have a Cymre pet!

Reflection at the End of the World

So we’re on the eve of the end of the world according to some. If it’s true, I’m going to feel really stupid that I didn’t empty our bank account and buy a top of the line, fastest, bestest, computer ever to use until the end.

Seemed appropriate to spend some time quietly reflecting … just in case. Cat set off to Shattrath to pay a visit to World’s End Tavern, I mean where else would you contemplate deeply at a time like this.

Okay … it’s the end of the line … some deep and reflective thinking is called for. Cat? Cat? Any thoughts come to mind?

Yes … WHY IN THE WORLD IS THE TEAM I ALWAYS USED ON THUNDERING SPIRIT TAMER SUDDENLY NOT CAPABLE!!!!

I mean I’m not saying they always took her out the first go at her, it generally took one to three tries but this morning I think we had about five tries AND NOTHING!

Really Cat? The end of the world and that’s all you’ve got?

Well no, I have another.

Oh good, that’s a relief. I’d hate to think that at the end of the world all you thought about was pet battles, what else?

Well, my RNG luck has deserted me and I was trying to come to terms with it. I shouldn’t get mad when my luck’s bad, I should consider my RNG luck in other things. I mean I haven’t been struck by lightening yet, or a meteorite. That’s RNG luck isn’t it?

Well … yeah, I guess so. So that’s it? Those are all the deep thoughts you came up with? How many drinks did you have anyway?

Oh, a few. Anyway, I’ve got to get out of here. That stupid, rotten, dumbface Thundering Tamer is not getting away with this. I have to get back there and defeat her one more time … you know … just in case.

Untamed Hatchling’s Birthday Party

This morning I was somewhat disgruntled. Here it is the week before all the festivities and I got a cold that turned into a sinus infection, so dust bunnies may be staying right here. If you’re so sick what are you doing pet battling? Come on, it’s a perfect activity for playing under the weather. If you sneeze they all wait politely for you to finish, see, perfect.

So I was complaining to Navi that I felt awful. She said she’d cheer me up! Soon she arrived on Fenris bearing a gift! It was the best gift ever! An Untamed Hatchling!

By using the Ratshag Strategy I was able to get him to level 25 in record time. He’d worked so hard I promised him a 25th birthday party. He stomped over and ate all his cake but then I really think he deserved it.

Thank you again Navi, I love him, he’s much better than those stupid old Fire and Earth Spirits. You hear that Pandaren Spirits? I don’t even care about you anymore. Huh, let’s see if reverse psychology works on Pandaren Spirit pets. Now that I don’t care, will they come?

Now I’m off to go terrorize everyone in the Shrine of the Seven Stairs with my Papa Hummel’s Old-Fashioned Pet Biscuit enhanced hatchling! Good times!

1st Rule of RNG: You do not talk about RNG and Bargain Transmog

Since I opened my big mouth in my last post about how many Battle-Stones I’d received the above is the only “luck” I’ve had since. Lucky would actually have been if the Twin Emperors had dropped something instead of the easy first guy but that sounds ungrateful. So instead I’ll have to go back and be beaten to near death again by those two jerks. Oddly I also found out that I no longer have any idea whatsoever on how to be a bear, had to do them as kitty. I’d better do some studying up. Apparently bears have changed a little since the expansion dropped, who knew!

So, 1st Rule of RNG: You DO NOT talk about RNG.

Porcupette … another urban myth. Supposed to drop from the Sack of Pet Supplies. All I’ve been getting is belly button lint and stupid well loved toys. For me at least I think Porcupette is going to be another Anzu. A multi-year epic struggle that may or may not ever yield a payoff.

Yes, I know I sound testy, pay no attention to the whining it’s how I get this time of year. I have to do my annual house cleaning. You think I’m kidding. I am not. This place is dustbunnyville. I call it a protective layer of dust, it protects all our valuable stuff but once a year I’m called upon to dislodge it all so new dust can accumulate for another year. Kind of a Winter Veil tradition. And there’s the whole cooking stuff for everyone to eat thing too. I must go out and hunt for food. I think I will go hunt a Great Ham. If you leave me in charge you’re not getting turkey cause I don’t even like turkey. So that’s it. Great Ham and cookies FTW!

Oh and yeah, I can stand getting a bag of crap from the Pandaren Tamers but really after repeatedly banging your head against the Pandaren Spirit Tamers for a Sack of Pet Supplies I think you should be assured a bandage or something. I mean they are a little  more challenging than the rest. Whine. Whine. Whine. Oh, suck it up.

Here’s better news! Cat has found a way to look festive and pulled together this holiday season! Her bargain transmog secret is add one Disgusting Oozeling and there you go! No more worrying about mismatched gear, she was so pleased.

Okay what else. Oh! I know. Every time I take the quest to battle Aki the Chosen before I engage her she always says, “Travel safe,” like she’s hoping I’ll just leave. HAHAHA! I have her intimidated. Yeah Aki, just hand over the bag and I’ll give you a pass. No? Sorry, your pets are history then woman!

I was so happy to finally get to 55 exalted reputations. I just assumed that would give me the guild achievement United Nations. I really want it because, yes, another pet is the reward. I found they have to be specific factions not just a random bunch, so that means I STILL have to stop battling and go help out the Klaxxi and Shado-Pan. Sigh.

Since I seem to have a whole theme of complaint going here I might as well get this off my chest. I don’t care how many virmen I have to slay or alluring crops or any of the others but I HATE Wild Crops. Hate them. I’m thinking of just leaving them there from now on. Yep, just let my farm turn into a bunch of waving vines.

I think my favorite is Runty Crops. I have to be careful though. My head knows that how hard I hit the key in no way determines the outcome, but my thumb on the other hand does not. It feels the necessity to bang that key so hard it’s in danger of dislocation.

Geez, that’s a lot of complaining.

Okay, this was nice but I felt bad. Since I’m always alone I seldom pay close attention to chat. To get my attention you’d pretty much have to jump up and down in front of me. I noticed a lovely Blood Elf while doing the daily fights at the Temple of the White Tiger. She waited each time for me to finish and wait for her respawn. I finished and went on my way and only then saw that she had been /cheering me and giving me encouragement through each fight.

I was so upset with myself for not noticing. A nice player and I’d ignored them. They are a rare and special commodity that should never be ignored. So Thalliya, thank you! I know you won’t see this but to you and all the friendly players out there who take time to be nice to strangers, thank you!

I’m talking so much because I’m trying to put off my responsibilities. I need to go hunt the Great Ham. I need to go clear out the dust bunny warren. Holidays … dangerous business.

Happy Winter Veil!

Flawless Battle-Stones, Livid Warlock and Starting Fresh

Yeah really. How bad is that. That’s Ironsally’s twin sister, she’s got talents but that’s about all she’s got. She certainly has no sense of style … what … oh, she says I HAVE NO SENSE OF STYLE. She’s really mad, I don’t know why it’s so fun to do this to a Warlock, I mean I love Warlocks but something twisted in me always gets a thrill out of making her wear outlandish outfits. But come on, you’re leveling, it happens. BUT AN UMBRELLA! By all that’s unholy would you for pete’s sake get me a staff or something! RIGHT NOW! She didn’t really say for pete’s sake but I’m trying to edit for PG13.

Okay, enough with the harassment of Warlocks, I really should stop as it’s dangerous.

The other day I put some of the hundreds of stupid glyphs my Scribe made leveling up on the AH. Just for something to do because they are pretty much worthless on my server, I have NEVER been able to make any money on these things yet I’m hanging on to them because it just seems wrong to vendor all her hard work.

I can’t remember which glyph it was but it was posted at 20 gold with a buyout of 25 gold. When I next checked there was a bid on it. HOLY FLIPPING ELUNE! I was stunned, there are people to who the difference of 5 gold is an issue? It’s been so long that I had forgotten. So I canceled the auction and sent them one for free and got to feel all holiday-spirited, so now I think I’ll list those worthless things at really low prices because there are people starting fresh, yay, a use for those bag wasters! It brought back the memories of my Hunter at about level 24 with 4s. Really. She spent all her money buying her pets food to make them really, really, like her.

Yep. Wait for it … here it comes! Pet Battles. I’ve read about people complaining about the dearth of Flawless Battle-Stones. I felt kind of guilty because I’ve received so many I even upgraded some pets just because I liked their looks rather than stats. I wish I could say I was paying attention and could see a pattern as to why so many dropped.

Of course I pet battle a lot, but the only other thing I can think of that may have something to do with it are the teams I use. My leveling teams have a coach, Emperor Crab. A level 25 crab takes two rookies starting at level 6 or 7 who can withstand one round to the Heartland. The pets around there are pretty safe. You can usually count on a Marsh Fiddler in a group who is safe for a low level. I just make sure the lowbies don’t go against a pet with a poison attack or a turtle with grasp.

Admittedly it’s pretty boring slogging through three pets with my tanky crab but it’s my unscientific conclusion as to why so many Flawless Battle-Stones have dropped. I have many crabs, so many teams with low levels so I can go through them and before you know it the eight minute cooldown is done. Don’t have to waste bandages.

So there you go. My totally unscientific theory on my high drop rate, it’s probably complete bunk but hey, you never know!

Pet Battles … The Shocking Truth

… is that I really have an addiction. This from someone who thought … yeah big whoop … about pet battles. I can’t wait to visit the Darkmoon Faire and thrill in the power that is my Lil’ Ragnaros every day. BY FIRE BE BURNED!!! I yell it along with him, works out fine when I’m alone but it’s becoming so ingrained that I hope I don’t start yelling it out on the phone with a client.

Which is another thing I love about pet battles, I can stop in the middle and take a call. No one dies, everything stops just where it was and they all wait for me! Perfect! I have frequently died in the past from phone calls which is fine by me but one reason I didn’t like to group, as I can’t let other people’s characters die for my job, that’s just wrong. So pet battles! Perfect for people who are supposed to be working but aren’t!

I even have a little black book. In it I keep notes on what pets could use an upgrade, who works well against who and a list of my teams because I got a little pet battle dyslexic there for a while. I am very fond of Axel my Clockwork Gnome. I love his ow! ow! ow! and ouch, I became so enamored of Axel that I kept mistaking him for humanoid because come on, he’s Axel my bud! And then he was Axel the dead bud. So now I keep detailed notes in my closely-guarded little black book.Every Battle-Stone I receive is a thrill. It involves hours of study at www.warcraftpets.com and PetBattleArena making sure I upgrade a worthy pet. Do they have the stats I want? Could I use a better flying pet? Or would magic be better? So much to consider. Catwynn’s choice was made easy as the Battle-Stone was for flying. No contest, it’s the Crow. That Cat has no patience, so she figured that the odds of her camping a rare were about zero, so easy Rare Crow!

And that’s another thing, I wonder if anyone else does this. Cat is the pet battler. For some reason I must think that her months of experience at pet battling make her preferable to another character. I noticed the other day I had a character at the correct location but logged out and flew there so Cat could battle the tamer. You never know, best to play it safe.

When I first started pet battles I did it like everything else in-game, quickly. I must hurry to get him before he gets me, aaaahhhhhh! They died a lot. It was a eureka moment when I realized that I could take all the time in the world. I could calmly consider my next move. No one was going to jump me. I’ve done a lot better since. It’s like chess, no really.

I find it interesting that among so many fans of battle pets there are so many different interests. Some love hunting and capturing the rare ones. Some love PvP battles, some battling the tamers, others leveling all the pets.

Look at that! She gave me bandages AND a Pandaren Water Spirit! And here I though she really didn’t like me that much! Who knew! We’re BFFs now!

I told Navi I had an addiction. She asked if I wanted an intervention and I yelled, okay typed, NO NO NO! NEVER!  There is a lot that I love about this expansion. I like the farmers at Halfhill, in fact I like them so much I pay all their debts because I can’t beat them up. I was so touched by Farmer Yoon’s excitement when I bought an “Earth-Slasher” Master Plow for the farm. That Pandaren was giddy with joy over the addition to the farm. I like the beauty of the zones, even the creepy ones are gorgeous.

But I LOVE pet battles. My goal is to level EVERYTHING! I will then have a stable of choices, I can pick and choose. I can try different combinations. Cata lasted Cat about two months and then she had to get creative. Old content, Ironman challenges, making money. This time is different. I HAVE THE PET BATTLES! SQUEEEEEEE! Sorry … and yes, I do actually SQUEE aloud every time I get a Battle-Stone. My husband even now knows to turn to me and inquire, “Battle-Stone squee?” Ah … life is good.

Easy Quests Make for Lazy Druids and Stop Nagging Me

Twitter keeps nagging at me to make my profile “stand out” by uploading a header. I got annoyed and made the one above with old scary faces. I don’t have any new scary faces because I haven’t been in a “mood” for a while. I was going to upload it but then though maybe people would think the one on the right was actually me, so reconsidered.

So hey Twitter, give it a rest will you. Also because what I thought was a 15 minute downtime is actually somewhat longer so I can’t login and take a screen shot of my lazy Druid and I have to have SOME kind of picture so there you go.

I had complained about old Snow Blossom the Shado-Pan companion kicking Cat’s butt the first time she attempted the Challenger’s Ring quest. I realized I’m so used to everything being easy that I’ve become a very lazy Druid. Doing dailies I’m frequently guilty of just finishing off mobs with auto-attack. Lazy. But there are only so many Mogu you can get excited about really.

So the second attempt was successful because this time when she Ice Blocked me I didn’t stand there like a deer caught in headlights thinking, “Hey, hey, no fair!” I shifted like a proper Druid should, geez.

Around the same time I had read a post about slow-paced and fast-paced players at Sheep the Diamond. There’s no doubt that I’m a slow-paced player with a few quirks like Ironman challenges. It was interesting and I certainly agreed with the post especially the part about slow-paced players rarely being the ones looking down on fast-paced players. WE certainly don’t behave that way.

Well … oops.

So I finish off that Snow Blossom and start to leave when another challenger approaches. I was appalled! You could indeed say Cat looked down on such behavior. He brought friends! I think he had a healer and another dps with him. Just wrong, tsk tsk. So not only did I find out I was lazy I found out I wasn’t above … well … looking down.

Old slow-paced Cat feeling all superior, shame on her. It’s just as well the servers are down right now. I think she deserves a time-out for that.