Shared Topic: What Reminds You of Home

Or more specifically, what in WoW reminds you of home. Syrco of Syrco Owl came up with a great shared topic idea.

Have you ever felt like something in WoW reminds you of where you live or where you’re from?

Like a zone or area which looks like where you grew up, where you spent your holidays or simply reminds you of your country?

My first moments in WoW were experienced in Teldrassil. If you look up, that’s what you’ll see. A canopy of trees.

If you stand in my backyard and look up … yep … it’s almost the same. I can’t speak for all of Virginia, but where I live, you travel on winding roads through trees with only occasional glimpses of sky. A horizon is something you see in the movies. A horizon would probably scare the crap out of me.

A Night Elf cottage in Teldrassil.

A Night Elf cottage in my backyard. What?? Okay, so maybe it’s the shed but come on, one could have moved in there. It looks like they’d feel at home there.

It’s probably why I immediately felt at home in WoW. I loved Darkshore and Ashenvale and before that stupid Deathwing tore it all up I would make the trek to Kalimdor to level no matter where the character was born.

Now I’m going to check that shed for a sign of Elf. It could work both ways you know. Stands to reason, if I feel comfortable there, they’d feel comfortable here. Doesn’t hurt to check.

Shared Topic: Mountable Mounts

For this week’s Blog Azeroth shared topic Dragonray asks:

What are your top 5 mounts – or just the ones you go to all the time because you like the way they ride? What are the ones you really dislike and can never bring yourself to use – does it rub against your collecting nature (if you have one) to buy all the mounts even though you know you will never use them?

I’ve noticed my different characters have different favorites, so I thought I’d ask a few which mounts were their favorites. There’s Fire Cat up there being a Catbird which is the form she almost always uses for flight but she says her favorite mount is her Time-Lost Proto-Drake.

Whenever she feels sorry for herself about RNG, I remind her that she found him while reading the just published Wowinsider post on him. When I maximized the WoW window after reading about how to find him I found him on top of her flapping her head with his wings.

I asked my once main, once Enhancement Shaman who now tends a farm in Halfhill if she had a favorite mount, I was surprised by her answer. Her favorite mount is her Swift Mistsaber.

Way, way back in the shrouded mists of Vanilla and BC she very much disliked her racial mount, the Elekk. While I assured her it was only her imagination that he moved slower than other mounts she didn’t care. In a time when it was unusual to see races riding mounts other than their own, she refused to attend to any business until she became exalted with those Night Elves. She has ridden it ever since.

My Hunter the Alchemist’s favorite mount is the Sandstone Drake. She doesn’t use it often but it’s a symbol to her of my promise. Once she made it she could abandon Archeology … FOREVER! Unless of course another expansion requires her help … shhhh … I haven’t told her that part.

Sasche’s favorite mount is the Armored Bloodwing. It’s favored because it was a gift from a good friend and it reminds her of home when she travels the world … and she thinks it’s suitably Warlocky … very important to her.

The Heavenly Golden Cloud Serpent is Cim the Warlock’s favorite mount, she just doesn’t actually ride it. It’s beautiful but she gets sea sick if she rides it. She hovers occasionally on it to admire it.

Cim’s go to mount is the Headless Horseman’s Mount … again … suitably Warlocky … must keep up appearances!

So there are the five mounts that … what? But Liwu, it said five … I see … okay, go ahead.

Liwu’s very excited as it’s just ONE MORE DAY! Tomorrow she’ll make her Sky Golem. Even so, I’m pretty sure I can safely say that the Sapphire Panther will remain her favorite mount. As excited as she was about her flying machines she never mounts up on anything but Sapphire Panther. Another mount that is a reminder of great friends and good times.

It looks like all of my character’s favorite mounts are reminders of events and friends … except Cimmeria … figures … that Warlock is cold. Sometimes I think she actually IS the Big Purple Demon and just occasionally turns into that Human form.

Shared Topic: Oathmaker

I always want to do a Blog Azeroth Shared Topic post but I’m always late, or forget, or the topic might not be relevant to me. I saw Matty’s Oathmaker topic idea and thought, well damn, that’s WAY too hard. Can’t do that one.

What vows would your character say, intend, or break, and to what allegiance? Would it be to class/race/specialization, deity, or ruler?

Yesterday I had an accidental epiphany … a swift kick in the mental butt. I sometimes forget why I love this game. I become disgruntled because I try to play as others do, not as I do … then the trouble sets in … I’m being my own private, personal funsucker.

Because of my extreme feeling of guilt for deleting Sasche’s life savings I decided to get her some support staff like Cat has. Above is Phanta, a Rogue with heirlooms ready to go. She’s an Alchemist/Jeweler … she’s going to make Sasche some big bucks.

Sasche can’t afford to buy her all the mats so yesterday I roll Ironrose, the Druid. She had no heirlooms, she’s going to gather. Yeah … kinda boring I know. Phanta’s been around a while and she’s level 8. Yesterday while playing Ironrose I lost track of time wandering through Mulgore and Ironrose was suddenly level 10. Ironrose frequently sat down to enjoy the beauty of Mulgore and the music. I had enjoyed myself.

I will be taking a vow along with my characters. Be true to yourself, be who you are. Do what you enjoy.

I probably won’t always keep it, I’ll sometimes lose sight of it and have to rediscover it …

but I’m pretty sure Rose won’t need reminding.

Shared Topic — Three Must-Haves

Matty of Sugar & Blood asks:

With the new patch, and all the new things coming, what are three things that you will absolutely not leave behind? Consider these three objects your virtual backpack- the twist is, a tiny story to go along with each item.

This is harder than I thought, apparently I have a lot of must-haves but I finally narrowed it down.

Haunted Memento is definitely in the top three. I loved the Scourge Invasion event, while many didn’t my bank alt saw it as a challenge. She skulked around Darnassus at odd hours attempting to keep trade flowing. As it turned out no one was buying so she finally succumbed. Catwynn went out in the world  searching for Necropolis invasions and obtained some nice armor that she now regrets not hanging on to. Luckily she’s still got her creepy sidekick for hanging around on street corners frightening the unwary.

Essence-Infused Moonstone was part of the Druid flight quest line. After you received it you could summon Anzu back when he wasn’t just standing there undefended.  Anyone who wanted a shot at Anzu needed to find a Druid for the group. I carry this to remember the people who helped me complete the line and also because after 158 tries I GOT YOU BIG BIRD! After reaching an appropriate level, I used to go in there alone and get ping-ponged around and beaten to a pulp before I even got to Anzu. He’s paying for that now. I never let him rest. All those mounts I have, do I give him a day off? No. Revenge is sweet, run, Anzu, run!

Iron Boot Flask I carry around as a reminder of Storm Peaks, I loved that zone. I loved The Drakkensryd quest, even my Ironman did it. Another important function it performs is forcing me to fish at least five minutes, although I like to fish I don’t like to fish very long. So it’s my fishing egg timer, while transformed I must fish. It is the rule. No exceptions.

Shared Topic — My Main the NPC

This week’s shared topic at Blog Azeroth, proposed by Cymre of Bubbles of Mischief asks:

If Blizzard added your main as an NPC in WoW, where would they be located and what would be their function? Give us a shot illustrating the fact.

That’s an easy one, I’d be the DOG VENDOR, Yes Blizzard, us dog lovers want more Dog Companions!  We’ve got the crazy cat lady in Elwynn Forest. Dogs need equal representation. How about a demented dog lady in Winterspring. I volunteer.

There’s a little house over by Starfall Village that would be perfect. I’ll set up shop there. Dogs of course are so special that you can’t just run off willy-nilly as a low level character to procure one. You will have to level to the suitably lofty height of at least 50 to be safe, ensuring you’re experienced enough for dog ownership.

Okay, really Blizzard, you don’t have to put my main in the game but some dogs would be nice you know. I appreciate the pugs and the mastiffs and my Worg has been filling in as my dog all these years but how about just one more model, or two. Here, here’s some help, the AKC has a list of the most popular breeds. And I’d be happy with any but I personally like BIG dogs. Little accessory dogs are fine too, but I PERSONALLY like big sloppy dogs … just saying.

So there you have it, I stand ready to set up shop in Winterspring and handle the trafficking of canines for you Blizzard, if you need help. If you don’t need my help, fine but please, I love all the glittery mounts and thank you, but some of us just want a dog. Pretty please.

Professor Cat and the Pterrordax Hatchling

Cymre at Bubbles of Mischief came up with an archeology themed Blog Azeroth Shared Topic.

What’s so special about the Pterrordax Hatchling? Do you have an absolute favourite/s that you’ve gathered from the profession? Which ones, if any, continue to be the bane of your existence? Show us pics illustrating those pieces, including an outfit if you use one.

This was hard, as I like so many of the archeology pieces, but I’d have to say the circumstances around this pet were what made it special. I had been doing archeology a long time. I apparently no longer paid much attention to new projects. I guess I assumed it was just another I’d already completed. On completion of this project, this Pterrordax Hatchling was a happy surprise. Hopefully I don’t drive with the same lack of attention.

My Hunter also digs, and Druid does somewhat covet her Last Relic of Argus. My Hunter is the alchemist and there’s been no sign of a Canopic Jar at all, let alone one with Recipe: Vial of the Sands in it. My Druid of course has found a great many Canopic Jars as the recipe would do her no good. Sigh.

The item I think my Druid would most like to find is the Crawling Claw. I just hope if I do get it I’ll be paying attention this time. It would be awful to miss the suspense of collecting the fragments!

My WoW Wishlist — Mix and Match Titles

First, I don’t know what my Druid is doing, always hanging around in that dive. The Slaughtered Lamb is a Warlock hangout. I guess my Warlock told all the others about Jarel Moor. I don’t know why they all fall for the biker types. It will lead to nothing but heartbreak, mark my words, but I can’t always be around to watch out for them.

I was GOING to say I can’t talk long as I’m on a mission, but I see there is ANOTHER scheduled maintenance today, after the scheduled maintenance yesterday so I guess I have plenty of time to talk.

I’m in a hurry to complete the Elders of the Dungeons achievement because then I’ll have the Elder title and I’m making a request to Blizzard which I’m sure they’ll be eager to implement for me, I mean how hard could it be. I jest Blizzard, “how hard could it be” has been used so many times on me in my working career that I just wanted to see how it felt to say it. But it would be a nice gesture and would help keep our morale high while we wait for Pandaria. And this is like my fifth request, they haven’t fulfilled any of my other desires so I’m pretty sure this time they will … oh, and I have another. So at least one of them they might do for me.

I got the one I was dreading out of the way yesterday.  Maraudon, yeah, no need to say more, just Mara. Some kind person had very good directions posted on Wowhead so it turned out to be relatively painless and I made sure I could hearth out before I did it. Last time I found that elder I was in there lost for about 3 hours.

Off topic here for a second, my computer just locked up and I tried to Alt F4 out of it. Does that mean I play WoW too much? I have a lovely new computer with a GeForce GTX 560 Ti that frequently locks up. Not in game, but almost exclusively while writing posts … in WordPress. I don’t know if it hates WordPress or Firefox. Very inconvenient but I give up. Searching for fixes has only resulted in the knowledge that a great many other people are also in the same pickle. But enough of that.

So anyway, all I want from Blizzard is to kind of mix and match my titles. I know the Elder title is supposed to be “Elder Whoever” but I think we should be able to combine our titles and move them around so that I could truly represent the real me. Ancient the Insane Elder would be just perfect. I’m sure now that they’ve been alerted they’ll get right on that. So that’s why I’m in a hurry to complete the Elders of the Dungeons, so I’ll be ready.

My other request came to me after Ironyca found out that there is a new Ironman Challenge going over on the EU servers. Of course Ironsally was all ears, any chance to gain the spotlight and she’s right there. I think she wants to interview the participants. She even joined their forum to make sure she could follow everything. But here’s the thing. These people aren’t just Ironmen, they are CRAZY IRONMEN, which is even better as they’ve included a no-death clause, YIKE!!

Ironyca, Vrykerion and I twittered … tweeted … whatever about it and Vrykerion, one of the founders along with Pysnister of The WoW Ironman Challenge, said they had considered having a no-death requirement but had tabled that one. Sheesh, I’m glad they did. I could never have done that one.

So, if anyone completes this new Ironman I wanted to be able to send them something. Blizzard, you already have the faction balloons how hard could it be to add balloons to the store. You know, you could pick, Happy Birthday!, Get Well Soon!, Go Go Ironman!, yeah, that kind of thing. I know I would buy them, so just think about it will you.

Oh and I see someone else has requests for Blizzard! Hmmm, these are somewhat more sensible than mine so maybe these might get done. Professions could certainly use an overhaul. Blizzard, take a look at what The Godmother has to say, she’s done all the hard thinking part already, make it so!

Lastly, Akabeko of Red Cow Rise came up with a really fun shared topic on Blog Azeroth.

How do you express your geekery? Do you own obvious paraphernalia like a Horde-symbol bumper sticker, in-joke tshirts like the dps/ups pun, or less obviously related items like a gift from a guildie? Rather than physical indicators, do you mix nerd lingo into your everyday speech or talk/post about geekdom in non-nerd spaces? How do you advertise your nerd tendencies? Does it help you to attract new nerd friends?

I don’t care if anyone thinks I’m a geek, never really have. But recently, I’ve noticed that I don’t really seem to care anymore what anyone thinks of anything about me. It’s like my last birthday was some kind of tipping point. I used to answer my business phone with a tone that implied that I was dressed in a suit. Yesterday I talked to a potential client for the FIRST TIME and I told her that I would email the information to her “before nightfall, muhahaha.” I KNOW! Have I completely lost it. Anyway, we’ll see how that goes, haven’t heard back from her yet. It’s a law firm. I’m sure lawyers are jokey people, aren’t they?

As always I’m disorganized and unprepared and only have this one thing but I wanted to secure my nerd cred so here’s a photo of my note holder, I checked the important note and it’s reminding me to watch The Misfits on Hulu. I don’t know, does that enhance or detract from my nerdiness?

P.S. I didn’t post this as a shared topic cause the only thing I had was Darth Noteholder. Whole wrong galaxy thing and all. But you should go check them out!

Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Into the Real World

From Amerence of Amerence Love WoW comes a really interesting shared topic.

We all know that we play WoW in a fantasy world, but I am just so curious to know What if your characters are ported to the Real world? Where will you stay, What Inn? What food to eat? What clothes are you going to wear? How will you use your powers to help others in what’s happening in our society nowadays.

My Druid has visited us before but never for more than a few hours. Since she planned on staying a few days this time I ordered her some clothes that might make her fit in a little better. I thought about lending her some but while I’m tall, I’m not THAT tall.

There was a little misunderstanding about housing. She thought the garden shed was to be her “cottage” but I assured her that a room in our house would be preferable. I didn’t want anything happening to the wildlife hanging around the shed. The dog’s reaction to her was not surprising. The one who thinks cats are playmates was interested in her, the one who thinks a good cat is a dead cat wouldn’t go near her.

After settling in she watched the evening news with us. She was appalled by a story of car-jackings and attacks on holiday shoppers at local malls, or as she put it, in our “trade district” and wanted to help. People being victimized during Winter Veil shopping got her growling at the TV which started the dogs barking, so we said, okay, okay, we’ll help.

The next day, after assuring my husband that she rode a chopper in Azeroth, he lent her his.  He also adjusted an old helmet to fit her ears and gave her directions to the trade district. We were a little worried as really, she is still just a noob in this world so we followed by car. I mean it took me ages to stop being a noob in her world so a little patience was in order.

When we all got to the the mall there was some discussion on how to best carryout her plan without causing drama and mayhem when shoppers saw a large feral cat walking the aisles. She came up with the clever idea of stationing herself in front of a toy store, where shoppers would think she was part of the display. She put a bow on her hair like she’d seen in a Hello Killy display to try to blend in.

Her idea seemed to be working, so my husband and I decided it would be okay to leave her for a few minutes to get coffee. Unfortunately (for him) a thief struck a shopper coming out of an electronics store across the way. She sprang into action. I little more action than was probably called for, but hey, she’s still a noob here.

We found her guarding the body of the thief waiting for the guards to come. The thief was still alive, just chewed up a little. I told her she should get back in the toy display and we’d wait for the guards. I really didn’t want to have to try to explain the giant cat. Luckily when security came, the poor man the thief had attempted to rob was so shaken up, his story of toy cats leaping to his rescue was chalked up to hysteria and no one was the wiser.

All in all, I think her day at the mall went quite well. A few more visits and I don’t think we’ll need to shadow her. She’s getting it, it’s like she just learned how to keybind. She’s a quick learner. Oh, and she really enjoyed the coverage that night on the news too, giant toy cats leaping to the rescue … really … if they only knew.

Shared Topic: Your WoW Soundtrack

The WoW in-game music is awesome, but there are times (at least for me) when I’m listening to my own music instead. Are there any specific songs that you connect with WoW? Whether it’s tied to your own characters in some way or simply because it reminds you of WoW.

I noticed this shared topic posted by Saga on Blog Azeroth and thought I’ll have to come back and see the posts, sounds interesting but I turn down my volume really low when I play and usually don’t listen to music. I came back to read the posts and suddenly realized that I DO listen to music when I play Ironsally.

I think it’s a kind of  flask of scotch courage for her (me), just the musical kind. With enough motivational music I forget she’s nerfed and that’s when the chasing of rare spawns kicks in!

She got all cocky while listening to this and managed to take the Head of the Corrupter.

Okay, when I listen to Otis Taylor pretty much any of my characters start thinking they could solo a 10 man raid.

Great song to distract her from the fact that she was in scary, scary Mount Hyjal.

And a great motivational classic, she is a warlock, she doesn’t do mellow. Argh!!! Arthas, she’s coming for you! Be afraid, be very afraid.