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Elizabeth Harper

Austin, TX - http://

WRUP: Why am I still awake edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Feb 6th 2010 (3 days ago)

It's four in the morning -- so why, exactly, am I still awake to write WRUP? Personally, I blame BioWare and Mass Effect 2. Not that the game has secret mind control powers (that we're aware of), even though a vast majority of our staff seems to have been sucked into the game this week. Give us a bit of time, and I'm sure we'll all find our way back to Northrend, though. But in the meantime, here's a run-down of what we're playing at WoW.com HQ this weekend and -- in honor of the upcoming holiday -- we talk about our favorite in-game events.

Filed under: WoW Insider Business

WRUP: Not in Azeroth edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Jan 30th 2010 (10 days ago)

Is it just me or does it seem as though everyone (myself included) is playing Mass Effect right now? I suppose there are a few people who aren't, but I'm pretty sure they're off playing Star Trek Online. Well, I suppose we all have to find something to occupy our time between raid resets and daily timers. Oh, for the simple times when all we had to worry about was chasing Arthas and pals around Northrend -- juggling more games only means more problems! For this week in WRUP, commemorating the recent release of Bioware's Mass Effect 2, I've also asked the team what game they're looking forward to most in 2010 -- some of them even got the answer right. (Hint: it starts with "c" and ends with "ysm.")

Filed under: WoW Insider Business

WRUP: Our favorite classes edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Jan 23rd 2010 (17 days ago)

This weekend is not half as exciting as last weekend for those of us here at WoW.com, but it is another weekend -- and what are weekends for if not gaming? I'm sure by now all of you know the drill of our weekly WRUP features, but in case we have any newbies in the audience: this is the place to see what the WoW.com team is up to this weekend as well as chat about your own in-game agenda. Sound like fun? Then read on to find out what sort of trouble we're getting into this -- and to share any trouble of your own.

Filed under: WoW Insider Business

WRUP: 1up'd edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Jan 16th 2010 (24 days ago)

Exactly like clockwork, every week comes to a conclusion and I send a mail around asking what everyone's weekend gaming plans. And slightly less like clockwork, our writers chime in, one at a time, laying out their elaborate plans for the empty space of two full days before them. This week, however, was a bit different...

Michael Gray (@writegray): I'm getting married to the person who makes my whole world possible, and starting a new home for us to watch the world spin 'round us.
Chase: I think we all just got 1up'd.

Yes, somehow all of our plans seem a bit puny in comparison. But for those of you who still care about the rest of us, you can read on for what the rest of the team is up to this weekend. (And answers to this week's bonus question: what's your favorite caffeine consumption method?)

Filed under: WoW Insider Business

Why so empty, Crystalsong?

by Elizabeth Harper on Jan 15th 2010 (25 days ago)

Some actual new information from tonight's developer Twitter chat with Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street and J. Allen Brack? I'm as surprised as you are. When asked why the resplendent (and glowy) Crystalsong Forest is oddly barren of anything to do beyond sightsee (and, of course, the rare quest), we received some interesting info about game performance:

Part of the problem is that it sits beneath Dalaran, which ended up being more of a resource hog than we had anticipated. We didn't want to draw too many more players to that zone. Initially the Crusaders' Coliseum was going to be there, which is why some of the quests send you there. We just worried too much about the performance hit.

So what does this mean to the average WoW-player? That you can enjoy the peace and quiet of Crystalsong Forest for a long time to come, because additions to the zone just aren't on Blizzard's agenda. And it's probably for our own good -- we all know what a lagfest Dalaran can be, don't we? Now close your eyes and just imagine combining that with all of the players that come and go from the Crusader's Coliseum. If your thoughts on this imaginary scenario are anything other than "do not want," well, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Filed under: News items

Reminder: Columnist application deadline today!

by Elizabeth Harper on Jan 15th 2010 (25 days ago)

Maybe you're aware that WoW.com is looking for a few new columnists and maybe you aren't -- but it matters not, because this post is for all of you. For those of you in the know, consider this a reminder: we're only accepting columnist applications until the end of the day today (specifically: Friday, January 15th, 11:59PM EST). For those of you not in the know, we're looking to bring in new weekly columnists for: druids (balance/restoration), paladins (holy), shamans (enhancement/restoration), lore, and addons. Does this sound like the chance of a lifetime? Read onward for all the details.

Filed under: WoW Insider Business

WRUP: Pick a dungeon, any dungeon edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Jan 9th 2010 (1 month ago)

The holidays, alas, are behind us, and most of us are back to our regular daily grind of work, school, or whatever other responsibilities life might have set for us. But on the weekend, we can put all of that behind us and slack off 'til our heart's content -- or if not content, at least more contented. For many of the WoW.com staff -- and perhaps many of you, as well -- this means we'll be in World of Warcraft, running ICC, leveling alts, and grinding our way through as many random dungeons as possible. So, if you care about our poor exploits (or even if you just want to brag about your own), read onward!

Filed under: WoW Insider Business

WRUP: Dungeon finding edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Dec 19th 2009 (1 month ago)

The dungeon finder tool that rolled out in Patch 3.3 has been a game-changer for most -- if not all! -- of us. Instead of waiting around to find the dungeon group you need, an ample supply of players eager to run the instance you need is only a few clicks away. With this new-found freedom to run any dungeon any time, a lot of the WoW.com team is out running dungeons all the time: gearing up, collecting gold, leveling alts, collecting tier 9, stocking up on emblems... Well, safe to say that no one's quite sure how they lived without it. And looking forward to another weekend of chain-running dungeons, I don't think anyone wants to find out, either.

For more of our exploits -- and yours -- in game this weekend, read on!

Filed under: Odds and ends

Around Azeroth: Happy holidays from Utgarde Pinnacle

by Elizabeth Harper on Dec 19th 2009 (1 month ago)

Even the dungeons are getting into the spirit of the holiday season -- as proven by this screenshot from Nexmors of <The Elites> on Nagrand (EU). So... what? How? Why? Well, I think I'll just let Nexmors explain:

"When encountering Svala Sorrowgrave she bugged after the speech which meant no fighting could commence so we decided to take advantage of this by taking a festive screenshot."

And, really, a nice cool, dark dungeon? It's bound to be the perfect place to keep your snowmen safely frozen. Why we don't see more snowmen dungeon crawling year 'round is quite the mystery.

Do you have any unusual, beautiful or interesting World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!

Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, Val'kyr on mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran. Older screenshots can be found here.

Gallery: Around Azeroth

Filed under: Screenshots, Around Azeroth, Galleries

WRUP: We're just that predictable edition

by Elizabeth Harper on Dec 12th 2009 (1 month ago)

Ah, patch 3.3! Between Icecrown Citadel and the Dungeon Finder Tool, most of the team is too busy chain running dungeons to bother to let us know what they're playing this weekend. But at least some of our stalwart crew of WoW-playing adventurers managed to get their heads out of the game for long enough to let us know what they're up to -- and, no surprise, most of them are hanging out in Icecrown and collecting loot using the Dungeon Finder. The suspense lies only in the details -- which you may read on to see for yourself.

Filed under: Odds and ends

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