Blizzard Involved in Secret Research

Oh come on, they HAVE to be. With the advent of patch 6.1 I don’t think there can be any doubt. Blizzard MUST be conducting secret annoyance tipping point research to ascertain the maximum frustration level which would cause you to reach your Cancellation Tipping Point.

I mean they could sell that stuff for big money. I know my cable company would love to get hold of that Maximum Frustration Metric. Phone companies … internet providers … anyone who bills you monthly. They NEED to know just how much crap you can take. That information has the potential to rake in millions and millions.

It’s kind of like the studies that told companies with automated phone systems that if you repeatedly disconnect the line when the customer manages to overcome the robot voice and is about to talk to a human … they will eventually give up in defeat …

Sorry, lost my train of thought there.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure that’s what Blizzard is up to. It can’t have escaped their notice that WE DO NOT LIKE RNG. Soooo … those long awaited profession traders … R EFFING NG.

My alchemist was so excited, counting down the days to 6.1. Nothing … nada. As far as I can tell from trade no one has seen anything but the fur and leather trader so far.

Want to upgrade a crafted weapon … wait some more.

I’m fine with visits from Muradin even though not one of my characters have even entered the Proving Grounds yet this expac. I like him, it’s fine.

I have three characters with archeology who were dying to host Harrison Jones in their Garrison. I’m fine with  him visiting the Elemental Shaman instead.

I’m not fine with the profession traders being random. I am reaching my maximum frustration level and I’m feeling a little tippy.

And enough with the social engineering crap Blizzard. I’ve had random people in my Garrison. We did not become BFFs, I have not made lasting friendships. Most left group before I could type out a ty. The really friendly ones responded to my “Thanks!” with some variation of XD, :-), :), :D, :o).

Yeah … I’m frustrated. I just want my freaking recipes. I’M FEELING REAL TIPPY ABOUT NOW! My Cancellation Tipping Point may have been reached.

Until … Is Where Galertruby Explainifies The Random 6.1 Vendors.

Had it not been for that gentleman’s eloquent explanation I might have fallen right off the tipping point cliff.

 

A Reason for Living … well … Sorta Living

So. Waiting for Patch 6.1. There’s nothing to do but read over the Patch Notes this morning. I’m not sure why I do it as I’ll forget most of it, after eight years of changes I’m usually remembering changes from three years ago. For example I had NO IDEA that you could spec your hunter pets to any specialization. WTF! When did that happen?

Anyway, I’m usually a day late and a dollar short. Cat got her fishing to cap right before they changed the fishing dailies to award 15 points. Stuff like that. But today, because I read the patch notes AND the comments I have learned something for once BEFORE I wasted a lot of time.

Unfortunately it may mean the death of a character. Or continued undeath, I’m not sure with a Death Knight.

My DK had one reason for living, just one. Open boxes with her skeleton keys … that’s it. I would have started her on her journey tonight or tomorrow as Hunter just reached 100 last night.

She was ready, she even has an archeology weapon ready to go. When servers come up I’m going to have to face her and tell her it’s a no go. I don’t need her. I only suffer through leveling her (yes, I suck as a DK) for her box opening abilities. Can’t do that … don’t need you. I am so not looking forward to this discussion.

I don’t think I should have to to this … yeah okay … she’s a DK, she’s not radiating a warm fuzzy glow … but still … I hate hurting her feelings. I mean DK’s do still have feelings don’t they? Blizzard should have to tell her why they did this, not me.

So for the first time ever, I have learned of something BEFORE I wasted a lot of time and effort because I read the patch notes … well the comments on the patch notes.

So see, read the patch notes and save some time.

And take away the only reason for living from your character. A character who’s already been through so much … crap … I might have to level her just to avoid the guilt … this is ridiculous.

 

Bodyguards, Patch 6.1 and Where the Hell Are We?

It was decided that Cat the Druid would take care of the Wingmen achievement. Cim the Warlock doesn’t need another body hanging around. The Elemental Shaman sure could use a bodyguard but I got her to 100 and that’s all I can take, so Cat gets the honor.

Cat … well … there’s just no way to say this diplomatically … HATES the bodyguards. Talonpriest Ishaal wasn’t too bad. He kinda hung back and didn’t die TOO much, Tormmok died a little more often but she managed to level him up.

Cat and Defender Illona are just not hitting it off … at all. It’s painful to watch.

First there’s the personality difference. They just don’t mesh.

Illona, for Elune’s sake! Could you not aggro everything? I hate to tell you but you’re overestimating your abilities. REALLY! Could you PALEESE not do that!

“Have no fear, you are not alone!”

Oh crap!

Illona? Illona? Oh thank Elune, she died … er … I mean … aw … poor Illona died.

Yep, Cat gets such a thrill when she sees that skull. Yay! Yay! Yay!

I can see this is going to take a while. Cat’s not really good at looking after others, probably good she never showed any interest in being a healer.

Patch 6.1 is coming! The Patch is almost here! I must prepare! I must take a before picture of my little level 6 Blood Elf Paladin to compare with his new beautiful self!

What do you mean, shallow? I know there’s other stuff coming in 6.1 but I’m counting on his soon to be more beautifulness to enable me to get first, a Blood Elf leveled over level 10 and secondly, a Paladin leveled. I think my highest made it to level 45 before she got the axe. Look how pretty he is … he’s just adora … what? Okay, I’ll stop.

I don’t know if it’s just me but I suddenly realized I have no idea how to get to another zone this expansion on foot. I’ve been flown to each new zone when the time came to visit. I feel that if I had flying I would have known how to get around by now.

This is my new personal achievement. Find out how the hell to get out of these zones on horseback … um … wolfback. So far Cat’s managed to suss out how to escape Shadowmoon Valley.

Have a good time, Cat! Drop us a postcard! See you!

Personally I just think this is her way of getting out of more bodyguard sessions with Illona. I could be wrong but … yeah no.

 

Idiosyncrasies

My real life has changed rather drastically lately which has also changed my play style profoundly. I basically have to play like there’s a pause feature. I have to drop everything and leave the game.

I have found that I really, REALLY don’t like my characters to die. I don’t mean death while fighting creatures, that’s honorable, I mean abandoning them and returning to find them dead … laying on the side of the road … maybe Warleader Tome got them, I don’t know. I can’t bear that.

I know they aren’t real … really I do. But I still can’t stand for them to die a lonely death so they are mostly stuck in the garrison sending out missions.

I’ve also noticed that I can’t “hear” chat if I play with the sound off. I know, how crazy is that. I notice chat messages only as long as I can hear.

But hey, I’m not the only one. Cat has a few idiosyncrasies herself. She takes a bath every day in the garrison fountain, okay that’s fine as long as it’s in Cat form but she’s driving me nuts with the weapons.

Cat isn’t much into transmogging like Cim the Warlock but she persists in spending all kinds of gold every time she acquires a new weapon that she finds amusing. Right now she’s sporting Durg’s Heavy Maul which kind of looks ridiculous but who am I to talk considering the whole can’t hear chat without sound thing.

My hunter is the only character leveling right now and as she’s a Night Elf I though we’d be able to quest because of her racial, Shadowmeld. I could quickly leave her safely and return later … nope. Her pet, she won’t leave them alone. Should have seen that one coming.

While hunting down mount drops I’ve noticed both Cat and Cim do not immediately loot the corpse. They seem to think waiting a certain number of seconds will improve their chances. Yeah, I know … weird. So see? I’m not the only one with peculiar ideas.

Anyway … I’ve got to go check on their missions, now where did I put my “lucky mission socks?” Can’t check missions without those babies on. What? Really, it helps!

 

Does RNG Have a Conscience?

Cimmeria the Warlock has been after Mount Parade for some time. Actually between everyone it’s taken eight years. Yeah I know, but since I don’t raid, all those Glory of this and Glory of that mounts are pretty much beyond our reach. Since I don’t PvP, all those Black this and that’s are too. So … eight years to get to 200.

But this is kind of a spooky story about the last few mounts. I swear someone or SOMETHING was watching. I could feel them … watching.

We were down to the wire, three to go. I never TRULY believed a mount dropped from Slabhide in The Stonecore. Some drops I believe in, some I don’t. For example there really is no Doctor Theolen Krastinov in Scholomance. This is some kind of wow urban legend. Okay, I know he’s not a mount but still.

Anyway, The Stonecore mount dropped for Cim, unbelievable luck Cim! Yay!

Unfortunately this is when the dangerous behavior started. I found that Cim had given instructions to the bank alt. Look for cheap mounts.

Cim! No, that’s cheating! Only two more! Do it the right way!

Luckily there were no cheap mounts.

At this point … something … seemed to whisper to Cat, check rep mounts. Cat was sure she had bought them all … she was positive. Oh go ahead Cat, just do a quick check. Go all the way back.

Something or someone was right. Apparently after purchasing the Reins of the Grand Ice Mammoth she never bothered going back to The Sons of Hodir for the regular old garden variety Ice Mammoth. One more! Cim, just one more to go!

Off she went. EoE nope. Okay off to the Throne of the Four Winds. Nope. Nothing.

Aw Cim, I’m sorry. Why don’t you take a break? Cat has an invasion. Why don’t you let her do that while you take a mount hunting rest, you’ve earned it.

The Stonecore drop had felt incredibly lucky, finding an unpurchased old rep mount was too but what came next was … ridiculous. This can not have happened without intervention … from someone … or something.

Cat did her Botani Invasion. Alone as she always is she can do in the 800s, maybe 850 on a good day, that’s it. That’s the best she can do armed with a bodyguard. Never has she even approached 900.

She got 1593 … alone … supposedly.

And this was in her reward bag. We hadn’t even known it existed. Number 200.

I know, you think I’m crazy. But someone was helping that last stretch, I felt a presence. I think it was RNG. RNG has grown a conscience. After eight long years of giving her a hard time RNG grew a heart. RNG must have been there kicking Botani butt for Cat.

I don’t know if RNG has had a general change of heart or if this is just a one time thing, nevertheless, RNG? I salute you. Maybe we’ll meet again.

And no … Cat’s never managed to get over the mid 800s in an invasion since … spooky.

 

The Jewelcrafter’s Consolation Prize

Is it just me? Where are the glory days of creating elegant mounts that would be the envy of all. Huh? Well yeah … no … I never actually made any of them but still … I could have. It just seems jewelcrafting has become a little underwhelming.

You can make jewelry but sales will be limited by the 3 crafted limit. You can make gems although few have actual … you know … slots for gems. And then we have the fun items like Prismatic Focusing Lens, yeah I know. Big whoop.

I just imagine whoever was in charge of jewelcrafting for WoD going whoa, hey! We kinda stepped in the dogs business here … crap … we’ve got to do something or Jewelcrafters are going to rise up with their jeweled pitchforks of nerdrage and come after us. Damn, THINK THINK! What can we do?

WAIT! I have it! Gold! We’ll give them gold!

So hence was born the garrison jewelcrafting daily! Once you have a Level 2 Gem Boutique and assign a follower with the jewelcrafting trait to it you gain access to a variety of dailies that reward a big bag of gold.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a big bag of gold but I can’t help feel I’m being placated for the lack of useful or fun things to make.

But did it work, you say? Did this appeal to your dark, avaricious side work? Did you embrace jewelcrafting, lured by easy money?

Well HELL YEAH! They dodged the bullet on this one at least for me, every time I pick up my hush money I think, fun jewelcrafting items get old, but my precious, precious, gold is FOREVER HAHAHAHAHA!

Well yeah … until I spend it all.

Seriously Nat and Sightseeing Pays Off

Seriously Nat, seriously? I know it wasn’t that nice of me to call you a deranged stalker the other day but this kind of childish behavior certainly isn’t going to make me think any better of you. You need to listen to constructive criticism and learn from it.

Ever since I made just a teeny tiny comment about his alcohol consumption Nat has taken to showing up and dieing at my feet. For Elune’s sake Nat! I used to hold you in high regard but these puerile pranks are ridiculous. Nat? NAT!

Poor Cat, she can’t seem to get any peace while fishing for lunkers, it’s almost like Nat is trying to sabotage her.

Cim decided to head to EoE for another shot at a Drake. She took a taxi from Dalaran and as she flew over Wintergrasp she had an idea. In Wrath they all stayed out of Wintergrasp except for the fishing daily and no one had ever seen the Vault of Archavon. Alliance had control, so she decided to visit on her way back to Dalaran.

Cim did not receive the Azure Drake once again … oh well … time for some sightseeing, and off she went to check out the Vault.

For all her interest in ponies, she did not know there was a mount to be had in there. Imagine her surprise when the first boss she knocked over dropped the Reins of the Grand Black War Mammoth. She’s now down to only five more to reach 200 mounts!

So there’s something to be said for sightseeing, goofing around really paid off for her.

And … um … Cim? I thought you said you wanted to show the mount off for the Firebeards, you know, Keegan and Fanny? I don’t see them. All I see is you, perilously close to crushing that stable … OH! So that’s who you’re showing off for. Maybe he’d like a Mammoth ride, why don’t you ask.

Jeez … she’s getting almost as bad as Cat. A flirty Druid doesn’t seem so bad but a flirty Warlock … that’s just wrong.