I’m just gaining so much blogging XP from learning to do all this cool new stuff! I even learned cool new stuff for other games like Sims! I am on a roll! But I can’t spend my time going on about all this neato stuff that I am late to the game learning, I have to share the news, the lootz, the goodness with you!
Search Terms
I don’t often get those search terms that make me smile or throw me for a loop; I get useful tidbits searching for heirlooms, specs, mastery, etc. I have even gotten things like being called A Mage’s Tear! Nonetheless, I got one recently that has me puzzled. It could mean one thing that I have mentioned on this site but it is by no means a focus…or it could be highly inappropriate. The search term: toplesstar.com. So…does this mean:
- Topless Tar.com – We all know that I strut my topless Tar proudly!
Or…it could be…
- Topless Star (dot) Com – to which I say…you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree!
The Cataclysm Buzz
Recently, Blizzard released the new talent tree changes for the priests, druids, shamans, and rogues. I do not play any of these classes enough to know about their paritcular trees, but there has been the buzz over the blog world where others are speaking out on the topic”
- Icedragon at Druid Main talks about the Balance and Feral
- Angelya covers the Balance & Resto changes
- Other druid writes can be found at Restokin, Dreambound, and Healing through Stupid!
- Zelmaru talks about healer PEW PEW.
I have been on the watch for more/any posts containing priest, shaman, or rogue information but I haven’t found any. To be honest, I don’t think I have ever seen a rogue post anywhere, ever.
Other Cataclysm news including Path of the Titans and other mechanic changes are covered by Gazimoff and Rhidach.
A Personal Note
I have something to say, and I don’t want to write a post about, it would be a rant and repetitive. So I will say it quick and I will say here, and hope I don’t scare off some of you in the process; when you are writing a blog, whether it be class specific or techniques in real life, or cooking, or any type of “guide” blog, you have to understand it is a GUIDE. To define the word guide is to say that you are giving a direction or instruction, this does NOT include absolutes because something will always be better or changing. You should never tell someone they are doing anything wrong, rather it is your job to guide them in the right direction.
I feel like I have said it before but I will say it again that what works for you may not work for the next, but what works for them WORKS.
ICC Update & Accomplishments
Okay, so my EPIC PUG that scheduled this great continuation, I mean I even watched the videos, and I got stood up! That was so sad, but I used the time productively and got the motivation to finish off my Argent Dawn reputation. I need bank space and I am almost Exalted…and the Baron Rivandare mount wouldn’t hurt either! 2 hours later:
A 3rd achievement is in the chat log: 20 Exalted Reputations!
Good-byes
Well, I am doing a quick wrap-up of this before a D&D game because yes, I am that geek. I will keep my eyes and ears tuned towards the Cataclysm news; I’m still waiting on other talent previews for trees I am familiar with like paladin, mage, and hunter.
I hope you all have a great week and thanks for tuning in!3
PS. OMG NERDRAGE that this didn’t post! I scheduled it and it didn’t go through. I am SO sorry. Did I mention NERDRAGE!?!?!!?!?!??!?
Seeing as your personal note applies to me, I just can’t agree with you on that. I’m sure for some healadin out there, gemming Spirit works for them. Does that mean I shouldn’t tell people not to do it? Saying “don’t gem Spirit!” is pretty darned absolute.
I should clarify that there were *several* entries in my reader,and some not so recent, that were all saying the same thing and I just feel that it is negative to a player who may not know otherwise.
There are also some things people talk about that apply to me and how I do things and I am a pretty accomplished healer so while it isn’t negative, it just pisses me off at the one-way approach to everything.
While there are things that SHOULD be absolute for things, I believe that saying their way is wrong is just harsh.
…but gemming Spirit -is- wrong. Any healadin that is gemming Spirit deserves to be told that it is wrong, so that they can fix things. I would never call out any such person by name on my blog, as that is just rude (even those “fail PuG” entries people make using names and servers strike me as rude), but using a general tone to explain -why- what they are doing is bad is aiming to help him/her and others like him/her improve.
This is a videogame based on statistics and numbers. While there are certainly things that can be argued for personalization due to playstyle (glyph of Beacon of Light vs. glyph of Divinity, for example), there are others that are, in fact, wrong. A HL paladin not using the glyph of Holy Light, for example. When it moves away from weighing options for the most gains, as in the first glyphing example, into simply eating losses in the second example, there is a right and a wrong to the situation.
As to the situation you alluded to that applies to yourself, that is the nature of MMOs and why there is more than one healing class in WoW. Everyone has the right to play how they want (as long as it doesn’t inhibit the rights of other players), but that doesn’t mean that how they choose to play is -correct.- I’ve healed swathes of ICC-10 in my Disc priest’s PvP gear, but that doesn’t mean I am -correct- to do so. If bloggers out there decided to write about how people raiding in PvP gear is nerfing their raiding groups, they would be absolutely right to do so. I would nod, agree with them, and then go back to doing it with my friends “for the lawls.” Heck, I’ve run raids naked “for the lawls;” that doesn’t mean it should be an acceptable practice!
As to your comment down there… *points down* …while I agree that a certain level of tact should be maintained by a writer (no naming names or using insults), that doesn’t mean readers should be coddled. If a certain action is wrong, then wording it a different way isn’t going to make it -less- so. WoW is rated teen for a reason; there is a certain amount of maturity that is expected to play the game, so it is reasonable to expect that level of maturity from the readers of WoW blogs. If a reader is searching for information about a class (ex. healadin gemming), then it is rational that they will -receive- it in a straight-forward, informational way. Saying “gemming for Spirit is wrong” is absolutely the most straight-forward, informational way to say what needs to be said. Instead saying something like “you probably shouldn’t gem for Spirit as a paladin” not only takes longer, but may lead a reader to an incorrect interpretation of what is written.
…this was a lot longer than I meant it to be… *coughs* Sorry about that. <_<
I’m not so sure if I fully agree on not being harsh in guides. A guide is meant to help people, but sometimes, people need harsh criticism before getting it right. Of course, this doesn’t apply to everything, but some things are better said in a harsh way imho. Otherwise, some people just won’t get it.
I know, because I used to be one of those people. I can’t even remember how many times I was told that I was doing it wrong and I refused to believe it, because it worked for me. Even though that may have been the case, now that I’ve changed some things, I can definitely see improvement in my overall performance.
On the other hand, guides don’t need to be unnecessarily harsh when it comes to topics where you have multiple options, even when one option is clearly the best. I’m not sure about the exact reason for your post nor the context you’re referring to, but I can imagine people “doing it wrong” when it comes to guides. I’ve tried writing some tings up myself, but it’s not easy.
I think there is a difference between being harsh and being blunt. Saying “Gemming spirit is silly/wasted” is different then saying “Well, if you’re gemming spirit you’re doing it wrong”…one way attacks the situation where one attacks the person.
And it really is the multiple options that gets to me. I mean when there is a clear cut line, it makes sense to know which is right, but when there are options, closing of your mind to a one-way approach and all others are WRONG…isn’t fair to say.
That’s more or less what I was trying to say. Forgive me if I wasn’t completely clear on this, I seem to get a bit tired as it’s already late in the evening and I’ve had a rough day at work
Oh by the way, I’m not sure if I got this right, but you were saying you didn’t know of any rogue blog? I do know one, even with a post on the talents preview.
http://thenoisyrogue.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/cataclysm-rogue-talents-preview/
I had never seen a rogue blog, thank you for the link
It is great that we seem to be on the same page, I don’t think I was coming across very clear either
I think the best guides don’t just give advise, but give the reasons behind it too. There are a lot of assumptions and context that go into gearing and rotations and such, and if the guides describe why they recommend choices, player can better evaluate if the advice applies to them.