WoW.com http://www.wow.com WoW.com http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.wow.com/media/feedlogo.gif WoW.com http://www.wow.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[The Art of War(craft): A handy guide to winning at everything]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-art-of-war-craft-a-handy-guide-to-winning-at-everything/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-art-of-war-craft-a-handy-guide-to-winning-at-everything/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-art-of-war-craft-a-handy-guide-to-winning-at-everything/#comments Zach enjoys PvP in all its forms, thus celebrating when some form of PvP was introduced to the Facebook game Pirates Ahoy!

Let's continue from last week's handy guide which was titled intentionally to play on the various meanings of "good." This week, we'll go through a few pointers at how to win at everything. Or, at the very least, to put up a decent fight and not go down in a terribly embarrassing fashion. That's all one can really ask for -- that one puts up a fight. Note that in most cases, the victor won't care because a win is a win, especially in PvP. There are no moral victories in PvP, but there are educational defeats. If you're going to lose, at the very least learn from it, right?

The first rule to winning is to think you can win. If you don't give yourself a chance to win by thinking you're outmatched, then unless your opponent is a total buffoon, she's already won. Don't worry too much about class or your level differential. You must go into the battle thinking you can win or, if you're a healer, at least survive indefinitely. It doesn't matter if you can actually win or not, especially when you're clearly outmatched, such as when you're many levels below your opponent. In such cases, your opponents already expect to win, so if you surprise them with some resistance or maybe even bring them dangerously low, then you will have put some doubt into their heads. As I mentioned last week, most griefers don't actually look for a challenge. So there, the most important rule: Believe you can win.

Continue reading The Art of War(craft): A handy guide to winning at everything

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The Art of War(craft): A handy guide to winning at everything originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> battleground-guidebgbg-guidebgsfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppvp-guidewow-battleground-guidewow-bg-guidewow-guidewow-pvp (Zach Yonzon) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Raid Rx: A rock and a hard place]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/raid-rx-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/raid-rx-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/raid-rx-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/#comments
Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand pooh-bah of World of Matticus and a founder of No Stock UI, a WoW blog for all things UI-, macro- and addon-related. If you're looking for more healing advice, check out the Plus Heal community.

Stop me if you've heard this one. You're taking on some dragon. Some really powerful spell is about to hit you and the rest of the raid. You don't have any cooldowns to use because you had to pop them earlier. The tank who is busy yelling obscenities at said dragon just took a massive fireball to the face and is down in the red. You know for a fact that the next blow is going to be lethal and you have maybe 2 seconds to react.

If you move, you may well have condemned your tank to death. If you stay and heal, you'll end up taking some damage which could be lethal.

Normally, this isn't that big of a deal, but we're in an age where we have so many informative addons that tell us which attacks successfully hit a player and when it happened. What's worse is that this data means the difference between staying and getting cut from a raid (or a guild).

This is a topic of one of the emails that I received from a healing shaman.

So what is a healer to do? Is he wrong for making the decision to take avoidable damage to keep the raid or the tank alive? Is he better off just taking the damage so that he doesn't look bad? Either way, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. Lots of players don't understand that these are some of the decisions that have to be made.

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Raid Rx: A rock and a hard place originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cooldownsdecisionsfeaturedguideguildhealerhealinghealing-guidehow-to-healofficerraidraid-guideraid-healingraiding-guiderecruitwow-guidewow-healingwow-raid-guidewow-raid-healing (Matt Low) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Lawbringer: A rookie's guide to the TOU]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-lawbringer-a-rookies-guide-to-the-tou/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-lawbringer-a-rookies-guide-to-the-tou/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-lawbringer-a-rookies-guide-to-the-tou/#comments Welcome to the Lawbringer, Wow.com's weekly guide to the intersection of law and the World of Warcraft. I'm Amy Schley, a new law school graduate and your tour guide through the rabbit hole of contracts, copyrights and other craziness.

Greetings again! We're on part three of an examination of the various legal documents to which we must consent in order to play our beloved World of Warcraft. Parts one and two examined the End User License Agreement; this segment will look at the Terms of Use ("TOU").

The first thing you'll notice as you examine the TOU is that it is quite similar to the EULA. This is by design -- while one of the EULA's provisions is to agree to the Terms of Use, the repetition increases the likelihood we'll actually read it. There are quite a few differences, including the code of conduct and the naming policy.

Continue reading The Lawbringer: A rookie's guide to the TOU

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The Lawbringer: A rookie's guide to the TOU originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> behaviorchatcode-of-conductend-user-license-agreementEULAnamenamesrookierookie-guideTerms-Of-Serviceterms-of-use (Amy Schley) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The OverAchiever: Pimp thy ride]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-overachiever-pimp-thy-ride/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-overachiever-pimp-thy-ride/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-overachiever-pimp-thy-ride/#comments As you've probably already read, players will be able to purchase 310 percent flying speed from trainers in Cataclysm. While this is good news for people who hate raiding, think arena was shat into existence by the most sociopathic among the development team, or spent School of Hard Knocks trying to drown themselves in the nearest body of water, the bad news is that buying your way to super-fast flying will run you a cool 5,000 gold.

Outrageous, says this dyed-in-the-wool cheapskate. For anyone else who'd rather die than part with a centavo of hard-earned gold, the good news is that having even a single 310 percent flyer in your stable is enough to get you the skill free. Fortunately, there's plenty of time to snag yourself one of these coveted mounts before Cataclysm hits, and just as fortunately, each mount is the reward (or subject) of an achievement.

Strategy guides for obtaining each of the remaining 310 percent mounts is definitely beyond the scope of this article (although I'll probably devote an edition of OverAchiever to nabbing the Rusted Proto-Drake, above) but we can take a visual tour of the fast flyers that any hard-working player can still get in Wrath of the Lich King.

Continue reading The OverAchiever: Pimp thy ride

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The OverAchiever: Pimp thy ride originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 310-speed-mount310-speed-mountsachievement-guideachievement-mountsachievementsachievements-guidealarashes-of-alarbloodbathed-frostbrood-vanquisherephoenixepic-flightepic-flyingezra-chattertonfeaturedflying-mountflying-mountsflying-mounts-310speedguideguide-to-310-flying-mountsheroic-icecrown-citadelheroic-lich-kinghow-to-get-a-310-mounticebound-frostbrood-vanquishericecrown-citadelinvincibleironbound-proto-drakelich-kingmimirons-headmountmountsonyxiaonyxian-drakepatch-3.2.2phoenixreins-of-the-bloodbathed-frostbrood-vanquisherreins-of-the-icebound-frostbrood-vanquisherreins-of-the-ironbound-proto-drakereins-of-the-onyxian-drakereins-of-the-rusted-proto-drakereins-of-the-violet-proto-drakerusted-proto-drakeviolet-proto-drakeviolet-protodrakewhat-a-long-strange-tripwhat-a-long-strange-trip-its-beenworld-of-warcraft-achievement-pointsworld-of-warcraft-achievementswow-310-mountswow-achievementwow-achievement-guidewow-achievement-pointswow-achievementswow-guidewow-pointswrathful-gladiatorwrathful-gladiators-frostwyrmyogg-0yogg-saron (Allison Robert) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[WoW Rookie: More Cataclysm changes for newbies and leveling players]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/wow-rookie-more-cataclysm-changes-for-newbies-and-leveling-play/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/wow-rookie-more-cataclysm-changes-for-newbies-and-leveling-play/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/wow-rookie-more-cataclysm-changes-for-newbies-and-leveling-play/#comments New around here? WoW Rookie has your back! Get all our collected tips, tricks and tactics for new players in the WoW Rookie Guide.

We've told you how to get ready for your first raid -- and now, we're going to help you actually get your hands dirty, in a new series for beginning raiders in Ready Check. We fired things up last week with Raiding 101; look for additional installments in future weeks (including today!).

Beta access being what it is (up and down -- and when it counts most for deadlines, the latter), we were unable to complete the Horde companion piece to last week's Alliance newbie zone revamps in Cataclysm. We're still working on that for you ... In the meantime, since we've got you revved up for Cataclysm news, we'll round up more rookie-centric details found scattered across the site over the past month.

Spoiler No. 1: Cataclysm spoilers ahead; proceed at your own risk.

Spoiler No. 2: This week's content has been posted previously, elsewhere at WoW.com. If you're an assiduous reader, this week's content will not be new news for you.

Continue reading WoW Rookie: More Cataclysm changes for newbies and leveling players

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WoW Rookie: More Cataclysm changes for newbies and leveling players originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredguidehow-to-play-wownew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guideraidingrookie-guideworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraft (Lisa Poisso) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[WoW Insider Show Episode 155: Not doing much besides getting murdered]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/podcast-episode-155/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/podcast-episode-155/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/podcast-episode-155/#comments
Every week, we present you with the WoW Insider Show podcast -- an hour's worth of WoW community discussion, covering everything from the week's top stories here on WoW.com, to emails from our readers, to what's been going on with our particular characters in Azeroth.

Along with your hosts, WoW.com Senior Editor Michael Sacco and Contributing Editors Matthew Rossi and Mat McCurley, we also feature rotating guest hosts, whether regular WoW.com contributors or personalities from other sites.

Want to have your question answered on the air? Email theshow@wow.com!
Get the podcast:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.

Warning: This episode has a lot of Cataclysm spoilers. Don't listen if you don't want to be spoiled!

Continue reading WoW Insider Show Episode 155: Not doing much besides getting murdered

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WoW Insider Show Episode 155: Not doing much besides getting murdered originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedpodcastpodcastswow-com-podcastwow-dot-com-podcastwow-insider-podcastwow-podcastwow-podcastingwow-podcastswow-showwowcom-podcastwowinsider-show (Michael Sacco) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST WoW.com WoW Insider Show Episode 155 WoW.com Staff 1:11:48 podcast <![CDATA[Scattered Shots: A cure for the end-of-expansion doldrums]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/scattered-shots-a-cure-for-the-end-of-expansion-doldrums/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/scattered-shots-a-cure-for-the-end-of-expansion-doldrums/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/scattered-shots-a-cure-for-the-end-of-expansion-doldrums/#comments
Welcome to Scattered Shots, written by Frostheim of Warcraft Hunters Union and the Hunting Party Podcast. Each week, Frostheim uses logic and science (mixed with a few mugs of dwarven stout) to look deep into the hunter class. Got hunter questions? Feel free to email Frostheim.

A question that I'm getting asked with increasing frequency these days is: "I've done everything there is to do in Wrath, Cataclysm doesn't even have a release date, and I'm bored! I'm sick of ICC and I'm not in the beta. What can I do to enjoy WoW?"

The end-of-expansion doldrums are hitting us all, and they've teamed up with summer in a flanking maneuver sure to leave almost every raid sign-up sheet a sad and empty thing. As the expansion winds down, we're left in a limbo-land. It's not yet close enough to Cataclysm to start preparing ourselves for the new expansion, but we've already conquered all the challenges of the old expansion.

If you're looking to breathe new joy and excitement into your WoW time, I've got a solution that just might work for you. Set your uber-geared badass Kingslayer away for a moment. You've done everything there is to do with your hunter for now. Instead, take a look at the class with fresh eyes, with a horde of bearded friends at your side, and learn what epic really means by rolling a new level 1 hunter!

Continue reading Scattered Shots: A cure for the end-of-expansion doldrums

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Scattered Shots: A cure for the end-of-expansion doldrums originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> class-helpfeaturedguideguide-to-huntershunter-guidehunter-infohunter-talentstalenttalentsworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-guidewow-hunterwow-hunter-infowow-hunterswow-talent-guide (Brian Wood) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[WoW Moviewatch: Polystyrene Dream]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/wow-moviewatch-polystyrene-dream/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/wow-moviewatch-polystyrene-dream/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/wow-moviewatch-polystyrene-dream/#comments Some days are better than others. Other days are worse. Some days, you just want a palate cleansing. I'm in that kind of mood today. That makes today a great day to look back and revisit Yume's musical video, Polystyrene Dream.

The ethereal view still appeals to me, with the various and surreal imagery and wonderfully cadenced music. But then the jarring behavior of the characters is still just a little odd. Probably, no one knows what's really going on except Yume, but I still enjoy the trip into absurdity.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at machinima@wow.com.

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WoW Moviewatch: Polystyrene Dream originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guide-to-machinimamachinimamoviesworld-of-warcraft-moviesworld-of-warcraft-videoswow-created-movieswow-fan-movieswow-guidewow-machinimawow-machinima-guidewow-movie-guidewow-movieswow-video-guidewow-videos (Michael Gray) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Queue: Predicting the Cataclysm release date]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-queue-predicting-the-cataclysm-release-date/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-queue-predicting-the-cataclysm-release-date/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-queue-predicting-the-cataclysm-release-date/#comments Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column in which the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky, senior editor at WoW.com and webmaster of a new quick and dirty MMO news site, will be your host today.

The above image is what the new Cataclysm launcher looks like. It's shown in mid-patch, with enough data downloaded that I can play the game at least respectably. It really looks quite slick, and I love the additions of the amounts that need to be downloaded.

Lagothan asked:

"Soooo, any predictions on the release date for Cataclysm? Please don't say 'soon' or I will be a sad panda."

Continue reading The Queue: Predicting the Cataclysm release date

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The Queue: Predicting the Cataclysm release date originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedguideqaquestion-and-answerwow-answerswow-daily-answerswow-daily-questionswow-guidewow-player-questionswow-q-and-awow-questions (Adam Holisky) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Around Azeroth Beta Edition: Oh, the humanity!]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/around-azeroth-beta-edition-oh-the-humanity/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/around-azeroth-beta-edition-oh-the-humanity/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/around-azeroth-beta-edition-oh-the-humanity/#comments The goblin engineers run a pretty competent zeppelin service, with only the occasional incident of dropping everyone through the floor of the ship to their watery graves. And I've never seen a gnomish mechanostrider waiting for a tow truck on the side of the road. But something about this new engineering mount has me worried. Maybe it's the fact that it looks like it was built from whatever washed up on the beach in Tanaris. Maybe it's the loose rockets right next to the open flame. Or maybe it's the large death toll attributed to goblin engineering projects. Thanks, but I think I'll stick to the ground for now. (Thanks to Klangkor of <Game Over> on Greymane [US-H] for the screenshot.)

Gallery: Around Azeroth

Want to see your own screenshot here? Send it to aroundazeroth@wow.com. We strongly prefer full-sized pictures with no UI or names showing. Please include "Azeroth" in the subject line so your email doesn't get marked as spam, and include your name, guild and server if you want to be credited.

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Around Azeroth Beta Edition: Oh, the humanity! originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> around azerotharound-azerothAroundAzerothscreen-shotsscreenshotsworld-of-warcraft-picturesworld-of-warcraft-screenshotswow-screen-shotswow-screenshotwow-screenshotswow-ss (Elizabeth Wachowski) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Daily Blues]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-daily-blues/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-daily-blues/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/the-daily-blues/#comments Each day, WoW.com takes you through all the blue posts and other Blizzard news from around the internet. From the latest posts from Ghostcrawler (lead systems designer) to the lowdown on StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3, we'll keep you informed.

In which glyphs changing rotations was a mistake.

Table of contents

Continue reading The Daily Blues

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]]> blue-postsbreakingcataclysm-blue-postsdaily-bluefacebookfeedwarcraft-blue-postworld-of-warcraft-blue-postswotlk-blue-postswow-blue-postswow-blues (Adam Holisky) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: How far did you expect to take WoW?]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/breakfast-topic-how-far-did-you-expect-to-take-wow/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/breakfast-topic-how-far-did-you-expect-to-take-wow/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/02/breakfast-topic-how-far-did-you-expect-to-take-wow/#comments
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com.

I want to share with you all a story. Once upon a time, there was a WoW noob who was known as Donaldserrot the human warrior. I'm pretty sure the only thing he did right was Brewfest. But he had fun, at least until he either grouped up with other players (who made fun of his gear) or went to the Outland (where the mobs showed him how bad his gear was).

It was at this time that Donald reached the end. There wasn't much more he could do as he was, and he didn't have the desire to fix things, so he retired. At that time, a new WoW nooblet showed up. Donhorn was different and decided to try to learn more about not just his druidic class but also his tauren history. He knew of the trials Donaldserrot had gone through and knew that in order to go the distance, he'd need to train.

Continue reading Breakfast Topic: How far did you expect to take WoW?

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Breakfast Topic: How far did you expect to take WoW? originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Brandon Torres) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Classifieds: Wisfest and lots of hiring]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-classifieds-wisfest-and-lots-of-hiring/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-classifieds-wisfest-and-lots-of-hiring/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-classifieds-wisfest-and-lots-of-hiring/#comments The Classifieds brings you weekly news from around the WoW community, including the famous Random Acts of Uberness shout-outs to players who make WoW memorable.

One of the best things about WoW is the friendships you make along the way. It looks like this group has done plenty of that. Long, awkward silences between new acquaintances? Not this gang.
The Ancient Order of Wisdom on Arathor (EU-A) has had a very busy week.

We celebrated our fifth anniversary yesterday with a "Cattle Run" -- a bunch of level 1 taurens doing the run from Mulgore to Thrall (made more interesting since half the guildies there are very much pro-Alliance and didn't know exactly where to find him!). Naturally, we had to do this on a different realm due to the number of altoholics we have. There were a few hiccups on the way ... (by "hiccups," read grizzly deaths), but there was much laughter on Vent and prizes for the winners!

In recognition of this rather superb achievement, we also had the first ever guild meeting last weekend. "Wisfest" took place in York -- and had a weekend where real life was a parody of WoW. An ancient walled city with dungeons and ghost tours! Naturally, we had to sample some of the local ales. Fifteen of us turned up to meet and gel our online friendships into something more. I'm very appreciative of all those that came -- in particular Stony, who travelled all the way from Belgium. We had an absolute blast!

Needless to say, Wisfest 2011 is already in the calendar for next year.
Let's crack open The Classifieds ...

Continue reading The Classifieds: Wisfest and lots of hiring

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedguildguild-rankingsguild-recruitmentguildsrecruitmentworld-of-warcraft-guild-recruitmentworld-of-warcraft-guildswow-guild-recruitmentwow-guilds (Michael Gray) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Light and How to Swing It: Where did they go?]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-where-did-they-go/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-where-did-they-go/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-where-did-they-go/#comments With the Light as his strength, Gregg Reece of The Light and How to Swing It faces down the demons of the Burning Legion, the undead of the Scourge, and soon, an entire flight of black dragons. Please send screenshots as well as any comments to my email at gregg@wow.com.
Before we get on to business, I need another batch of screenshots for headers if anyone feels like tossing a couple my way.

A lot of abilities have been either renamed, revamped or removed in the Cataclysm beta. This is part of a consolidation process to remove a lot of buttons off of our bars. Other abilities were changed to remove durability and healing from retribution.

However, in the interest of explaining where things went, I decided it might be best to make a list of our lost and renamed abilities, for those of you who haven't been able to keep up with all of the changes.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Where did they go?

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The Light and How to Swing It: Where did they go? originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blessing-of-mightblessing-of-sanctuaryblessing-of-wisdomcat-betacata-betacataclysm-betaclass-helpDivine-Guardiandivine-interventiondivine-sacrificefeaturedFire-Resistance-AuraFrost-Resistance-Auraguideguide-to-paladinsguide-to-palliesguide-to-pallysholy-shieldjudgementJudgement-of-Justicejudgement-of-lightJudgement-of-Wisdompaladin-guidepaladin-infopaladin-talentspally-guidepally-infopally-talentsresistance-aurasacred-shieldseal-of-commandSeal-of-Corruptionseal-of-insightSeal-of-JusticeSeal-of-Righteousnessseal-of-truthseal-of-vengeanceseal-of-wisdomShadow-Resistance-Auratalenttalentsworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betaworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-paladinwow-paladin-infowow-paladinswow-pallywow-pally-infowow-talent-guide (Gregg Reece) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Gold Capped: Ask an auctioneer -- auction house PvP]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/gold-capped-ask-an-auctioneer-auction-house-pvp/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/gold-capped-ask-an-auctioneer-auction-house-pvp/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/gold-capped-ask-an-auctioneer-auction-house-pvp/#comments Gold Capped (from Basil "Euripides" Berntsen) is the column that will teach you how to brutalize your auction house competition and teach them the meaning of the term "opportunity cost."

OK, last week I claimed that I'd eventually make it through my emails. I now realize that taunting you guys is probably a bad idea, because this week's inbox made it clear that I'll never dig myself out of the Sisyphean pile of emails I've accumulated. I assume that the winding down of this expansion has everyone trying to prepare themselves for the next expansion by hoarding gold, the only thing that will still be really valuable after the gear reset we have in store for us.

Snowmane writes:
I have around 1,100g, and though it fluctuates up to 2,000 at some points, recently, I'm at a low. I am a 450 alchemist and a 250 jewelcrafter, though that's on hold due to lack of funds to buy things to level with. I've looked at different ways of making money with my profession, but none seem to work. I just don't understand how people can make all this gold and easily equip themselves with things needed for raiding, when I can barely afford gemming and enchanting new piece of gear.

Continue reading Gold Capped: Ask an auctioneer -- auction house PvP

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Gold Capped: Ask an auctioneer -- auction house PvP originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgoldgold-guidegold-makinggold-stratgold-strategygold-stratsgold-tipsworld-of-wacraft-money-makingworld-of-warcraft-goldworld-of-warcraft-money-making-guidewow-goldwow-gold-guidewow-gold-reviewswow-gold-strategywow-gold-tipswow-moneywow-money-guidewow-money-making-guide (Basil Berntsen) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Encrypted Text: Iconic rogue items]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/encrypted-text-iconic-rogue-items/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/encrypted-text-iconic-rogue-items/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/encrypted-text-iconic-rogue-items/#comments
Every Wednesday, Chase Christian of Encrypted Text invites you to enter the world of shadows, as we explore the secrets and mechanics of the rogue class. This week, we discuss some of the awesome rogue items that help define our class' image.

I remember the first time I was ever kicked from a guild. At the time, my main character was my very first rogue, who was a new level 60. I browsed around the realm forums for any guilds recruiting and found one that seemed to fit my schedule. I started raiding with them, and everything seemed to be going great. Well, it was going great, until I decided to argue with a hunter about weapons. The raid had a Core Hound Tooth drop for them in Molten Core, and a hunter had used his DKP to win the item. I saw him walking around Ironforge with it the next day.

I argued with him that a rogue should've had first priority for it, since it's one of our main weapons. His stance was that any weapon a hunter could use was a "hunter weapon," or else Blizzard would've made it so that they couldn't use it. His other weapon was an Azuresong Mageblade that he claimed boosted his Serpent Sting and Arcane Shot damage. It turns out he was a high-ranking officer of the guild, and our spat was grounds for a /gkick. Luckily for us, there are a few items in game that rogues can take claim of. These items were designed specifically with us in mind and have become instantly recognizable symbols of our class to everyone.

Continue reading Encrypted Text: Iconic rogue items

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Encrypted Text: Iconic rogue items originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> barman-shankerblood-elf-bandit-maskbloodfang-hoodclass-helpfeaturedglaivesguideguide-to-rogueshunter-weaponiconic-rogue-itemsperditions-bladered-defias-maskrogue-guiderogue-inforogue-talentsrogue-weaponstalenttalentswarglaiveswarglaives-of-azzinoth-rogueworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-guidewow-roguewow-rogue-infowow-rogueswow-talent-guide (Chase Christian) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Blizzard customer service now has its own Twitter account]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/blizzard-customer-service-now-has-its-own-twitter-account/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/blizzard-customer-service-now-has-its-own-twitter-account/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/blizzard-customer-service-now-has-its-own-twitter-account/#comments Blizzard has just announced via its Warcraft Twitter account and the forums that the Customer Support team now has its own Twitter. The full text of the forum announcement is below:

Auryk
You can now follow all Blizzard Entertainment Customer Support news and updates on Twitter. Just head over to @BlizzardCS, (http://twitter.com/BlizzardCS) for the latest Support related news, events and more. We will be providing constant updates during Tuesday's maintenance and service outages. Additionally, you will be able to view updates to our Queue Times for Game Master interactions, account investigations and escalated tickets alike.


No word if the intermittent outages of the authentication system that were recently being experienced will be reported on this new Twitter account, but I think this is a step in the right direction for further increasing the communication from Blizzard to its customer base.

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Blizzard customer service now has its own Twitter account originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aurykblizzardcsbreakingcustomer-servicecustomer-supporttwitter (Robin Torres) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Choose My Adventure: Death, dust, dwarves and distractions]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/choose-my-adventure-death-dust-dwarves-and-distractions/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/choose-my-adventure-death-dust-dwarves-and-distractions/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/choose-my-adventure-death-dust-dwarves-and-distractions/#comments
Choose the adventures of the WoW.com staff as we level our characters in <It came from the Blog> on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE-H).

Note: The video above and the stories on the next page contain Cataclysm spoilers. You have been warned.

Above is the video of last Wednesday's stream, in case you missed it. Turn the page for recaps from Prupher, Robinka and Peenk, as well as the latest about the level 60 raids.

Schedule
  • [Update: Due to a headache, I am rescheduling tonight's stream for Friday night. Sorry for the inconvenience.]Robin Torres as Robinemia, the Forsaken huntress: Wednesday Friday, 11 p.m. EDT Note: This will be streamed.
  • Amy Schley as Patent, the level 28 troll rogue: Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
Adventurers who play when they can
  • Fox Van Allen as Foxlight, the level 25 blood elf paladin
  • Lisa Poisso as Prupher, the level 11 tauren druid
  • Michael Sacco as Shockbroker, the goblin shaman
  • Christian Belt, as Selfloathius, the level 16 blood elf warlock
  • Robin Torres, as Robinemia, the level 29 Forsaken mage
  • Matthew Rossi as Andrenorton, the level 17 troll mage
  • Michael Gray as Grayfields, the level 17 tauren hunter
  • Gregg Reece as Sandwichdoc, the level 16 troll shaman

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Death, dust, dwarves and distractions

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Choose My Adventure: Death, dust, dwarves and distractions originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cmafeaturedguild-eventguild-eventsprupherrecapsrobinemiarobinkaschedulestorieswow-com-guildwow-dot-com-guildwow-eventwow-eventswow-insiderwow-insider-guildwow-insider-guild-eventwowinsider (Robin Torres) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Heroic Shadowfang Keep and Deadmines will be released with Cataclysm]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/heroic-shadowfang-keep-and-deadmines-will-be-released-with-catac/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/heroic-shadowfang-keep-and-deadmines-will-be-released-with-catac/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/heroic-shadowfang-keep-and-deadmines-will-be-released-with-catac/#comments
Good news, everyone! I've fixed the poison slime pi -- wait. We've got other good news! Heroic Shadowfang Keep and heroic Deadmines, which were said at the Cataclysm press event to have been scrapped until a later patch, are now slated to be in at release! Valnoth has confirmed that the new versions of these classic dungeons are being released with Cataclysm.

Valnoth -- Re: Now when Valnoth said ALL dungeons...
Quote:

Heroic SFK/Deadmines are not being released with Cataclysm, but with a patch after it goes live.

Heroic Shadowfang Keep and Heroic Deadmines WILL be released with Cataclysm. You will not have to wait for a later patch.


Players can now expect Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep to join the heroic ranks of Throne of the Tides, Blackrock Caverns, The Stonecore, The Halls of Origination, Grim Batol, Vortex Pinnacle and The Lost City of Tol'vir when Cataclysm releases.

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Heroic Shadowfang Keep and Deadmines will be released with Cataclysm originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cat-betacata-betacataclysm-betacataclysm-dungeonscataclysm-gamecataclysm-guidecataclysm-newsdeadminesdungeonsexpansionexpansion-threeheroic-deadminesheroic-sfkheroic-shadowfang-keepnext-xpacshadow-fang-keepshadowfang-keepthird-expansionworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betawow-4.0wow-4.0.2wow-betawow-cataclysmwow-cataclysm-betawow-expansionwow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-third-expansion (Mathew McCurley) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Spiritual Guidance: The greatest Shadowfiend nerf (or maybe buff) of all time]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/spiritual-guidance-the-greatest-shadowfiend-nerf-or-maybe-buff/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/spiritual-guidance-the-greatest-shadowfiend-nerf-or-maybe-buff/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/spiritual-guidance-the-greatest-shadowfiend-nerf-or-maybe-buff/#comments
The race to represent the Spiritual Guidance column is turning into a nail-biter. Dawn Moore, writer of the Sunday version, took an early lead due to her natural dual constituencies, holy and disc. Recently, though, Fox Van Allen, the shadow-specced author of the Wednesday column, has taken a statistically insignificant 46-44 percent lead over his rival in the polls. Some credit Fox's well-written, intelligent columns. Others point to the recent discovery of yet five more Shadowfiend-bite-riddled corpses; Dawn supporters all. "Yes we can" is so 2008 -- "... or else" is the new catchphrase for a new decade!

Ladies and gentlemen of the shadow priesting jury, I am outraged. Or possibly thrilled. You see, just this past week, Blizzard has done something totally unconscionable. Or possibly ground-breakingly awesome.

Of all the tools at the disposal of the shadow priest, there's one I hold in higher regard than most the others: my Shadowfiend. You see, spells like Mind Flay and Vampiric Touch -- they're all just spells. My shadowfiend is more than that. He's a pet. A friend. When I was sick and alone this past week, it was my shadowfiend who brought me a box of tissues and a remote. It was my shadowfiend that brought me a bowl of gnome noodle soup. It was my shadowfiend who rode across yellow- and blue-colored waves of sound to fight the evil dust empire that exists under my coffee table when I look down there and cross my eyes a little so things get blurry.

Granted, most of that may have just been a fevered dream or cough-syrup-induced hallucination. The key point stands, however: You don't mess with my shadowfiend.

This week's problem: Blizzard's been messing with our shadowfiend. Maybe. I mean, it's possible that Blizzard's been buffing it. I am incensed. Or possibly elated. We'll try out some funky, back-of-an-envelope math after the break to try and sort through exactly what's happening with our beloved shadowfiend and figure out whether or not this is cause for alarm ... or the best thing to have happened to shadow priests in the history of ever.

Continue reading Spiritual Guidance: The greatest Shadowfiend nerf (or maybe buff) of all time

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Spiritual Guidance: The greatest Shadowfiend nerf (or maybe buff) of all time originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cataclysm-gamecataclysm-guidecataclysm-newsclass-helpelemental-masteryexpansionexpansion-threefeaturedguideguide-to-priestsnext-xpacpreist-infopriest-guidepriest-talentsshadowshadow-priestshadowfiendsin-and-punishmenttalenttalentsthird-expansionveiled-shadowsworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-4.0wow-4.0.2wow-cataclysmwow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-expansionwow-guidewow-priestwow-priest-infowow-priestswow-talent-guidewow-third-expansion (Fox Van Allen) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Insider Trader: Making gold with titansteel]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/insider-trader-making-gold-with-titansteel/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/insider-trader-making-gold-with-titansteel/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/insider-trader-making-gold-with-titansteel/#comments
Insider Trader is a column about professions, written by Basil "Euripides" Berntsen, also the writer for the Gold Capped column. If you're looking for general auction house advice, you'll find it in Gold Capped, whereas Insider Trader will be focusing on specific profitable markets. Basil quickly realized that if he kept writing large comprehensive trade skill posts, he'd quickly run out of ideas for this column, so he decided to start deep diving into specific markets instead of trying to cram all the options into a single post.

I mentioned this briefly in my mining post, but Titansteel Bars are one of those products that seems to be used for just about everything. Check out the Wowhead "Reagent for" tab, and you'll see what I mean. It is also used in very large quantities by the more popular items, like the iLvl 264 BoE crafted items. One way or another, titansteel is one of those things that seems to have bottomless demand and is therefore an excellent product to sell.

High demand means high profit?

OK, so it's not perfect. Titansteel may always sell quickly, but that just means you'll have more competition. Also, every buyer has a fairly good idea of what market price is, so when the supply dries up, you can't make too much of a premium. Let's look at your costs.

Continue reading Insider Trader: Making gold with titansteel

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Insider Trader: Making gold with titansteel originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> alchemyauction-houseauctioneeringfeaturedgold-guidegold-making-guideguideminingprofession-guidetitansteeltitansteel-barwow-craftwow-craftableswow-craftingwow-crafting-guidewow-goldwow-gold-makingwow-guidewow-itemswow-makewow-professions (Basil Berntsen) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[WoW Moviewatch: I'm Still Sleeping]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/wow-moviewatch-im-still-sleeping/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/wow-moviewatch-im-still-sleeping/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/wow-moviewatch-im-still-sleeping/#comments Have you seen Gray? He didn't call in this morning. Last night, he said he was going out for some milk and now he's gone. "Going out for some milk" isn't a terrible euphemism, is it? Does anyone have his phone number? Moviewatch seriously needs him. Eh, whatever.

I'm Only Sleeping, a WoW/Beatles music video from Phixor2000, is not only is the winner of the GEE Machinima Award from the 2007 BitFilm Festival but is a video that surprisingly does the Beatles' I'm Still Sleeping justice, with a psychedelic vibe, semi-NSFW, sort-of-naked gnomes, and butterflies. I'm a huge Beatles fan, and personally love the crazy, creepy Beatles stuff from the late '60s, like the Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine. Also, I hold the controversial opinion that Octopus's Garden is not a terrible song, so hate me in the comments. You can't change my mind. It's not the best song, but Ringo tried really hard! And it's catchy.

Oh, right, the video. Phixor2000 captures the essence of the psychedelic period of the Beatles pretty damn perfectly with his Frozo-esque gnome experiencing Azeroth and beyond in ways we only wish were possible: frolicking gnomes, a metaphysical meeting with Aszhara and even Shivarra-inspired shenanigans. It's weird, and that makes it fun. Also, who doesn't want to start the day with some Beatles?
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at machinima@wow.com.

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WoW Moviewatch: I'm Still Sleeping originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guide-to-machinimamachinimamoviesphixorphixor2000world-of-warcraft-moviesworld-of-warcraft-videoswow-created-movieswow-fan-movieswow-guidewow-machinimawow-machinima-guidewow-movie-guidewow-movieswow-video-guidewow-videos (Mathew McCurley) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Queue: The corner of Elizabeth and Harper]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-queue-the-corner-of-elizabeth-and-harper/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-queue-the-corner-of-elizabeth-and-harper/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-queue-the-corner-of-elizabeth-and-harper/#comments Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column in which the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.

Apparently, this intersection exists in Canada. Who knew? Thanks for alerting us, Task!

Pieet asked:

"Since Tanaris will be (mostly) underwater in Cataclysm, what will happen to the Noggenfogger Elixir? Is the NPC still there?"

Continue reading The Queue: The corner of Elizabeth and Harper

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The Queue: The corner of Elizabeth and Harper originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cat-betacata-betacataclysm-betafacebookfeedfeaturedguideqaquestion-and-answerworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betawow-answerswow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-daily-answerswow-daily-questionswow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-player-questionswow-q-and-awow-questions (Alex Ziebart) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Around Azeroth Beta Edition: Certainly not a trap]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/around-azeroth-beta-edition-certainly-not-a-trap/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/around-azeroth-beta-edition-certainly-not-a-trap/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/around-azeroth-beta-edition-certainly-not-a-trap/#comments Hey, it's the Giant Mexican Nerdcatching Clam of southern Kalimdor! This wily carnivore lures its lonely prey to the bottom of the ocean through text messages and late-night phone calls. Then, when the intended victim reaches for the present left by his "secret admirer," the clam slams shut, trapping the unfortunate singleton inside for a quiet date with the clam's digestive system. (Thanks to Vurbs of <Lethe> on Laughing Skull [US-A] for the screenshot.)

Gallery: Around Azeroth

Want to see your own screenshot here? Send it to aroundazeroth@wow.com. We strongly prefer full-sized pictures with no UI or names showing. Please include "Azeroth" in the subject line so your email doesn't get marked as spam, and include your name, guild and server if you want to be credited.

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Around Azeroth Beta Edition: Certainly not a trap originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> around azerotharound-azerothAroundAzerothscreen-shotsscreenshotsworld-of-warcraft-picturesworld-of-warcraft-screenshotswow-screen-shotswow-screenshotwow-screenshotswow-ss (Elizabeth Wachowski) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Daily Blues: Zul'Gurub is gone as a raid instance come Cataclysm]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-daily-blues-zulgurub-is-gone-as-a-raid-instance-come-catac/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-daily-blues-zulgurub-is-gone-as-a-raid-instance-come-catac/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/the-daily-blues-zulgurub-is-gone-as-a-raid-instance-come-catac/#comments Each day, WoW.com takes you through all the blue posts and other Blizzard news from around the internet. From the latest posts from Ghostcrawler (lead systems designer) to the lowdown on StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3, we'll keep you informed.

In which Zul'Gurub is gone.

Table of contents

Continue reading The Daily Blues: Zul'Gurub is gone as a raid instance come Cataclysm

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The Daily Blues: Zul'Gurub is gone as a raid instance come Cataclysm originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blue-postscataclysm-blue-postsdaily-bluefacebookfeedwarcraft-blue-postworld-of-warcraft-blue-postswotlk-blue-postswow-blue-postswow-blues (Adam Holisky) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Are you a closet nerd or a flag-waving nerd?]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/breakfast-topic-are-you-a-closet-nerd-or-a-flag-waving-nerd/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/breakfast-topic-are-you-a-closet-nerd-or-a-flag-waving-nerd/ http://www.wow.com/2010/09/01/breakfast-topic-are-you-a-closet-nerd-or-a-flag-waving-nerd/#comments This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com.

We all know about the idea of the overweight, basement-dwelling virgin, the idea that gamers and comic book nerds all look like the comic book guy from The Simpsons. Many of us know that is not the case. You even see people in trade chat calling each other "nerds" and "virgins," although the inevitable response of calling someone else a nerd in WoW is laughable. In my guild alone, we have a lawyer, an author and a chef, along with many happily married people with children. Some are openly proud of their nerdiness; some try to argue they aren't nerds over Vent.

My girlfriend hides her geek from a lot of her friends. She watches anime, is a gamer and even dresses up for our local comic book convention, but many of her friends and work associates have no idea about this side of her. Me, on the other hand -- I let the geek flag fly. I wear my gamer T-shirts. I talk openly about WoW and other games with my friends. I still complain about the fact Firefly never got a second season.

Continue reading Breakfast Topic: Are you a closet nerd or a flag-waving nerd?

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Breakfast Topic: Are you a closet nerd or a flag-waving nerd? originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedgame-discussiongamergamer-discussiongamersgeekgeekynerdworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Josh Rose) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Defining Playstyles: Beyond casual vs. hardcore]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/defining-playstyles-beyond-casual-vs-hardcore/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/defining-playstyles-beyond-casual-vs-hardcore/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/defining-playstyles-beyond-casual-vs-hardcore/#comments In a recent Totem Talk post, I made a loot list for enhancement shamans that have access to ICC but are not progression raiders, because they are either alts or they are -- drum roll, please -- casual. That's right: I used the c-word without context. Casual. There, I said it again without context. Excuse me while I duck from the rotten vegetables being thrown in my direction.

The use of that c-word in relation to an Icecrown Citadel loot list sparked a very interesting comment thread. Most comments were well thought-out, added value and furthered the discussion. Some were, to borrow Adam Savage's favorite term, vitriolic, because of my heinous misuse of the term "casual." I said it again without context. I'm just casually throwing around "casuals" here.

Given the reaction that post received, I started doing some research into what exactly "casual" and "hardcore" actually mean. What I found was not surprising at all: They mean completely different things to absolutely everyone. The MMO population of players, across all games, is estimated at over 61 million people. There are as many variations on play time and playstyle as there are players in the game. Do you really think we can divide this many people simply into two groups of just casuals and hardcores?

I think it's time we move beyond the polarizing definitions of casual and hardcore and come up with some definitions of our own.

Continue reading Defining Playstyles: Beyond casual vs. hardcore

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Defining Playstyles: Beyond casual vs. hardcore originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> analysisanalysis-opinioncasualcasual-raidingclassificationDaedalus-Projectdaedelushardcorehardcore-casualnick-yeeopinionplay-structuresplaystylepvpraiding (Rich Maloy) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Reader UI of the Week: C. Christian Moore's PvP UI]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/reader-ui-of-the-week-c-christian-moores-pvp-ui/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/reader-ui-of-the-week-c-christian-moores-pvp-ui/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/reader-ui-of-the-week-c-christian-moores-pvp-ui/#comments
Each week, WoW.com brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs. Have a screenshot of your UI you want to submit? Send your screenshots, along with info on what mods you're using, to readerui@wow.com.

Readers, you are in for a treat this week. Reader UI of the Week tries to bring you ideas, information and discussion from all walks of World of Warcraft life: the raid UI, the Dalaran UI and the minimalist UI. One piece of the user interface puzzle, however, has been missing among my ranks -- the PvP user interface. Today, we remedy that omission.

C. Christian Moore, WoW.com's very own Blood Sport PvP columnist, approached me with a myriad of questions about his user interface. The WoW.com war room is a place of utmost professionalism, dignity and focus -- as such, I responded to these questions with detailed analysis. The result is something spectacular.

Continue reading Reader UI of the Week: C. Christian Moore's PvP UI

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Reader UI of the Week: C. Christian Moore's PvP UI originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add-onadd-on-configurationadd-on-examplesadd-on-guideaddon-configurationaddon-examplesaddon-guideaddonsblood-sportblood-sport-pvpbloodsportc-christian-moorefeaturedguidemoorepvppvp-addonspvp-uiuiui-configurationui-guideuser-interfaceuser-interface-guidewow-add-onwow-add-on-guidewow-add-onswow-addon-guidewow-addonswow-guidewow-ui-configuration (Mathew McCurley) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Totem Talk: Questions, blue quotes and healing waves]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/totem-talk-questions-blue-quotes-and-healing-waves/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/totem-talk-questions-blue-quotes-and-healing-waves/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/totem-talk-questions-blue-quotes-and-healing-waves/#comments
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast
.

Last week, we talked about the new shaman healing spell Healing Rain, a great new spell that is offering us a new option in our healing arsenal. While the visuals may be lackluster when not turned all the way up, the general response has been favorable to our new rain dance.

This week, I thought we would discuss some new information handed down by Ghostcrawler (Blizzard's lead system designer) about restoration shaman. I felt it would also be appropriate to talk about the other "new" heals we are getting in Cataclysm and how they affect our current toolbox. I am talking about Greater Healing Wave and Healing Wave. Cataclysm promises healers choice in the spells they cast, with appropriate consequences if they pick the wrong spell for the encounter. Understanding how these new spells function in relation to the other tools in our healing kit can make a big difference on the choices we make when deciding what heal to use.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Questions, blue quotes and healing waves

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Totem Talk: Questions, blue quotes and healing waves originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cataclysm-betacataclysm-blue-postsCataclysm-class-changescataclysm-newsclass-helpfeaturedguideguide-to-shamanshealingrestoResto-Shamanresto4liferestorationrestoration-shamanshaman-guideshaman-infoshaman-talentstalenttalentsworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-guidewow-shamanwow-shaman-infowow-talent-guide (Joe Perez) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Shifting Perspectives: Healers, selfishness and trouble ahead]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/shifting-perspectives-healers-selfishness-and-trouble-ahead/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/shifting-perspectives-healers-selfishness-and-trouble-ahead/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/shifting-perspectives-healers-selfishness-and-trouble-ahead/#comments
Every Tuesday, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting druids and those who group with them. This week, we stress the importance of pattern recognition.
Cirocco: I enjoy a healing model based around triage, quick reactions and maximizing output. I very much doubt I'll enjoy a healing model based around parsimoniously doling out mana and yelling at people who snipe my HOTs.
I've been guilty of a little pessimism concerning the restoration tree in Cataclysm. Many of my experiences healing on the beta haven't been good, and while I'm willing to allow for the likely possibility that that's just because I suck, it hasn't escaped my attention that a lot of druids have had the same hard time. Normal Cataclysm instances aren't bad if people are well-geared and play sensibly, but when things go wrong, it feels like you're emptying your mana into a group with nothing to show for it.

To be frank, it really is too early to evaluate whether the 5-man experience is representative of what we can expect in raids at 85, but I'm not worried about the numbers themselves. As Ghostcrawler (lead systems designer) has reminded us, numbers are pretty easy to fix. What worries me is more systemic; right now, it's hard to escape the conclusion that what made the restoration spec succeed in Wrath of the Lich King is a bad fit for Cataclysm, and a lot of our effectiveness is going to depend on player behavior that I'm not sure is going to change.

EDIT: Naturally I had to finish this article shortly before new information concerning beta build 12857 became available. It's not live on the beta servers yet, and may not be (12857 might be a purely internal build, in which case I wonder who Boubouille paid off), but there are a few things there that would have impacted how I wrote this column.

Continue reading Shifting Perspectives: Healers, selfishness and trouble ahead

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Shifting Perspectives: Healers, selfishness and trouble ahead originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cat-betacata-betacataclysm-betaclass-helpdruid-guidedruid-healingdruid-healing-in-cataclysmdruid-infodruid-talentsfeaturedguideguide-to-druidsrejuvenationresto-druidrestoration-druidrestoration-druid-in-cataclysmrestoration-druid-talentstalenttalentstree-of-lifetree-of-life-cooldownworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betaworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-druidwow-druid-infowow-druidswow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-talent-guide (Allison Robert) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[15 Minutes of Fame: Raiding on 8 hours a week]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/15-minutes-of-fame-raiding-on-8-hours-a-week/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/15-minutes-of-fame-raiding-on-8-hours-a-week/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/15-minutes-of-fame-raiding-on-8-hours-a-week/#comments
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame.

What marks the line in the sand between "hardcore" raiding and "casual" raiding? Is it an attitude, time spent ... both? We're not going to get into the debate here -- but you're sure to come away with new food for thought after this interview with the GM of <Skunkworks>, which recently downed the Lich King in 25-man heroic mode -- the 244th guild in the world and only the 70th in the United States to do so -- on just 8 hours of raiding per week.

15 Minutes of Fame: Let's start with some introductions.

Chupa: My former main (I'm currently on sabbatical for school) is Chupadruid, a healer in <Skunkworks> on Balnazzar (US-H). Before that I raided on my warlock, Chupavida. I founded the guild as <Casually Serious> on Crushridge (US) in September of 2008, in anticipation of the release of Wrath of the Lich King.

How did you arrive at the idea of a limited-schedule raiding guild?

I started playing the game in August 2006 to join some friends from work in their extremely casual adventures. As a married student dragging myself through undergrad, I didn't have time to join any of the guilds on my server (which all raided three to five nights a week). I also had no interest in joining a raiding scene where racism, vulgarity and general internet douchebaggery were the norm. As a consequence, my experience with raiding was limited to ogling the guys in T2 as they idled in Org and getting blown up in WSG by T3 premades. I did take my warlock to some feeble attempts to clear ZG and AQ-20, but those runs were lucky to kill trash, let alone bosses.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Raiding on 8 hours a week

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15 Minutes of Fame: Raiding on 8 hours a week originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arthaschupafacebookfeedfeaturedheroic-lich-kinglich-kinglich-king-heroicskunkworksworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-people (Lisa Poisso) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Blood Pact: Destruction warlock changes in the beta]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/blood-pact-destruction-warlock-changes-in-the-beta/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/blood-pact-destruction-warlock-changes-in-the-beta/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/blood-pact-destruction-warlock-changes-in-the-beta/#comments
Echoes of distant incantations fade through the stagnant air, announcing the warlock's departure. His maddening enslavement is no more, and fearful citizens once entrapped in darkness now fill the streets in celebration. But such revelry is hollow, for with the warlock lies the protection of his Blood Pact -- and where it is removed, destruction follows.

Greetings from the eternal dark, master summoners.

Here we are again, at the beginning of another week, and dealing with the hot mess that the beta continues to splatter all over our computer screens. It is quite the experience, let me tell you. In some ways, it is glorious and satisfying. In others, well, let's just say that I have witnessed numerous screen flickers, program crashes, and enough bugs to warrant an exterminator. And yes, I know -- such is the testing phase and I should just be happy for the opportunity to enjoy four frames per second of Cataclysm goodness while so many others just hope for an invitation. Believe it or not, I am thrilled about it. You just can't tell because, as usual, I am in an incredibly wretched mood -- I play a warlock, after all.

During our last meeting, we took to the trees to break down the interesting changes made to the once lowly but now supremely sexy demonology specialization, which has developed beyond puberty to become a stunning piece of work. This week, we shift our focus to the right. We'll be eyeing the key changes made to the least DoT-dependent of warlock specializations. Some call it the "shadow mage equivalent" and should be slapped in the face with meat cleaver. The more intelligent call it "destruction."

As is always the case with posts like these, there will be what some consider to be spoilers in the information ahead. So please, click responsibly.

Continue reading Blood Pact: Destruction warlock changes in the beta

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Blood Pact: Destruction warlock changes in the beta originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cat-betacata-betacataclysm-betaclass-helpfeaturedguideguide-to-locksguide-to-warlockslock-guidelock-infolock-talentstalenttalentswarlock-guidewarlock-infowarlock-talentsworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betaworld-of-warcraft-class-guideworld-of-warcraft-guidewow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-class-guidewow-class-helpwow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-lockwow-lock-infowow-lockswow-talent-guidewow-warlockwow-warlock-infowow-warlocks (Eli Khoury) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/mmo-roundup-last-week-on-massively/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/mmo-roundup-last-week-on-massively/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/mmo-roundup-last-week-on-massively/#comments
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around: past, present and future.
Teen kills disabled girl, plays DDO to "forget"
On Aug. 17, 18-year-old Tyler Savage led police to the body of a developmentally disabled teenage girl, whom Savage admitted to killing then raping. After hiding the body, Savage went to a neighbor's house and logged in to Dungeons & Dragons Online. He claimed that playing DDO helped him to forget his crime, a crime to which he has since pleaded "not guilty."
Final Fantasy XIV open beta date announced, new trailer released
Final Fantasy XIV closed beta keys were a coveted item for a while, as fans sent in beta applications in the hopes of seeing the game's ups and downs firsthand. Square Enix promised to grant that wish for everyone very soon with open beta, announcing that it would begin in early September. It looks like things are ready a bit earlier than anticipated, as the latest news from FFXIV has an open beta start date of Aug. 31.
Guild Wars 2 necromancer revealed
This is not your ancestor's necromancer. Much like the ranger, the necromancer in Guild Wars 2 is bigger, badder and deadlier than her Guild Wars counterpart. Head over to Massively for screenshots, videos and descriptions of the cool new necromancer abilities and combat resources.

Continue reading MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively

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MMO Roundup: Last week on Massively originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeedfeaturedmassivelymmo-rounduproundup (Alex Ziebart) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[WoW.com's Weekly Comic: Byron, the Tauren Rogue]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/wow-coms-weekly-comic-byron-the-tauren-rogue/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/wow-coms-weekly-comic-byron-the-tauren-rogue/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/wow-coms-weekly-comic-byron-the-tauren-rogue/#comments
Welcome to another edition of the WoW.com Weekly Comic, Byron the Tauren Rogue!

Well, here we are: the end of Byron. Our story ends with Byron, the bovine hero, watching a raid take place upon the ever-assaulted Crossroads. He has chosen his path but swears to use it to protect those who need to be protected. He is now one with the shadows, always watching over his beloved Horde.

I wanted to thank all of you for sticking with this story from the beginning. While I'll be the first to admit it got off to quite a rocky start, I feel that this comic has evolved a lot, and I'm ultimately happy with where it led. Next week, I'll be featuring an article which, among other things, will be an overview of the entire series. I'll talk about the characters, the story, the writing and many other points. I hope to see you all back again!

For those who are worried -- don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm taking a small, two-week break to write the next story and pen out a couple of fun little Byron-related goodies. Byron may come back one day, as this next story will be completely unrelated, but who knows?

From the Byron crew, we all thank you for reading. Take care!

Check out the full version right here, and tune in next Tuesday morning for a new page. You can also see all the previous pages in the gallery below.

Gallery: Byron The Tauren Rogue

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WoW.com's Weekly Comic: Byron, the Tauren Rogue originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> byronbyron-the-tauren-roguefeaturedroguetaurenworld-of-warcraft-comicworld-of-warcraft-comicsworld-of-warcraft-funnieswow-comicwow-comicswow-funnieswow-rogue-comicwow-taurenwow-tauren-comicwow-weekly-comic (Kelly Aarons) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[WoW Moviewatch: Gilnean Like Me]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/wow-moviewatch-gilnean-like-me/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/wow-moviewatch-gilnean-like-me/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/wow-moviewatch-gilnean-like-me/#comments With Cataclysm slowly approaching, now's a good time to take another look at this worgen masterpiece by Gnomechewer. Gilnean Like Me tells the story of the Gilnean people against the backdrop of the Forsaken invasion. As a group of undead sets foot in town to follow up after a brutal bombardment, the group discovers the terrible curse that has been levied on Greymane's people.

This video is probably one of the most beautiful and stunning portrayals of Gilneas and its wolven fate. I like the sense of horror and stoic resolve portrayed by the narration, as well as the dark sense of inevitability. The moment when the protagonist "wolfs out" is incredibly satisfying; it's a suitable crescendo to the story's build-up. That kind of execution is rare, and my hat is off to Gnomechewer.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at machinima@wow.com.

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WoW Moviewatch: Gilnean Like Me originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> gilnean-like-megnomechewerguide-to-machinimamachinimamoviesworld-of-warcraft-moviesworld-of-warcraft-videoswow-created-movieswow-fan-movieswow-guidewow-machinimawow-machinima-guidewow-movie-guidewow-movieswow-video-guidewow-videos (Michael Gray) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:40:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Cataclysm Beta: Updates to archaeology and inscription]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-updates-to-archaeology-and-inscription/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-updates-to-archaeology-and-inscription/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-updates-to-archaeology-and-inscription/#comments It's not on the beta servers yet -- which means the facts are still sketchy -- but there's information from a new beta (build 12857) up on MMO-Champion that includes a number of new items for archaeology and inscription. Archaeology item descriptions offer intriguing hints of things that may be, without any solid details on the items. Some examples:
  • Bone Gaming Dice Dwarves love gold and dwarves love drinking, so gaming seemed like a natural fit for both. These dice appear to have been carved from sheep bones. What might be dried blood is still visible on the 5 pip.
  • Cloak Clasp with Antlers This clasp is fashioned of lacquered wood carved to resemble stag antlers. On the reverse is engraved the name "Pyramond" in Darnassian.
  • Fossilized Hatchling When you finished assembling this tiny skeleton through some eldritch magic, the little critter sprang back to life. He's a pretty good pet. Since he's a skeleton he doesn't eat much.
  • Wooden Whistle A small whistle carved from oak. It might have been used to summon a pet or mount or possibly used as a child's toy. It appears to have been chewed on by an animal or young dwarf.
While there are just as many nondescript inscription items listed, some have more detail:
  • Cataclysm Reclamation: Blacksmithing Allows you to rewrite blacksmithing plans from once-lost recipe fragments.
  • Cataclysm Reclamation: Enchanting Allows you to rewrite blacksmithing plans from once-lost recipe fragments.
  • Cataclysm Reclamation: Jewelcrafting Allows you to rewrite jewelcrafting plans from once-lost recipe fragments.
  • Cataclysm Reclamation: Leatherworking Allows you to rewrite leatherworking plans from once-lost recipe fragments.
  • Cataclysm Reclamation: Tailoring Allows you to rewrite tailoring plans from once-lost recipe fragments.
  • Felfire Inscription Permanently adds 130 Intellect and 25 haste rating to shoulder armor.Can only be applied to your own armor, and doing so will cause it to become soulbound.
  • Inscription of the Earth Prince Permanently adds 195 Stamina and 25 dodge rating to shoulder armor.Can only be applied to your own armor, and doing so will cause it to become soulbound.
  • Lionsmane Inscription Permanently adds 130 Strength and 25 critical strike rating to shoulder armor.Can only be applied to your own armor, and doing so will cause it to become soulbound.
  • Swiftsteel Inscription Permanently adds 130 Agility and 25 mastery rating to shoulder armor.Can only be applied to your own armor, and doing so will cause it to become soulbound.
Check out the full list of updated profession items at MMO-Champion.

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Cataclysm Beta: Updates to archaeology and inscription originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 12857archaelogybeta-build-12857cat-betacata-betacataclysm-Archaeologycataclysm-betacataclysm-beta-build-12857cataclysm-inscriptioncataclysm-professionsinscriptionprofessionsworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betawow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-expansion-beta (Elizabeth Harper) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:20:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Cataclysm Beta: New character introductions for all races]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-new-character-introductions-for-all-races/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-new-character-introductions-for-all-races/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-new-character-introductions-for-all-races/#comments
Awesome new Cataclysm lore information has landed! Transcripts of the new player character introductions are now revealed, advancing the storyline of the old races and bringing new races up to speed. Remember, these new introductions contain some general WoW and Cataclysm spoilers. Check out the new introductions after the jump.

UPDATE: The Forsaken now have their transcript up.

This post contains Cataclysm story spoilers!

Continue reading Cataclysm Beta: New character introductions for all races

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Cataclysm Beta: New character introductions for all races originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingcataclysm-gamecataclysm-guidecataclysm-lorecataclysm-newscharacter-introductionexpansionexpansion-threeintroductionlorenext-xpacpc-introsthird-expansionworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmwow-4.0wow-4.0.2wow-cataclysmwow-expansionwow-guidewow-third-expansion (Mathew McCurley) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Cataclysm Beta: Guild achievements]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-guild-achievements/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-guild-achievements/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/cataclysm-beta-guild-achievements/#comments The latest beta build, which somehow worked its way into the hands of MMO-Champion before appearing on the beta servers (let's be really clear: these changes are not on the beta servers yet), includes a host of new achievements, including the much-anticipated set of guild achievements.

Also included, although not highlighted here, are the regular realm-first achievements, as well as the heroic dungeon achievements. Everything is pretty standard in that regard.

But what's not standard? The guild achievements. After the break, we'll take a look at the top ones.

Continue reading Cataclysm Beta: Guild achievements

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Cataclysm Beta: Guild achievements originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> achievement-guideachievementsachievements-guidebreakingcat-betacata-betacataclysm-betafeaturedguideworld-of-warcraft-achievement-pointsworld-of-warcraft-achievementsworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betawow-achievementwow-achievement-guidewow-achievement-pointswow-achievementswow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-points (Adam Holisky) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:45:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[The Queue: I still ...]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/the-queue/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/the-queue/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/the-queue/#comments Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column in which the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today.

How could we not use this image?

Bui asked:

"I am considering starting a new toon on an RP server and giving that a shot. My question to you is, how easy do you think it is starting on a server with zero support? I know people do it all the time, but do they stick with those new toons or do they go back? I mean, I'm not cutting my mains out of the picture or any such thing, I just wanted to know how much easier/difficult it is starting over."

Continue reading The Queue: I still ...

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The Queue: I still ... originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cat-betacata-betacataclysm-betafacebookfeedfeaturedguideqaquestion-and-answerworld-of-warcraft-betaworld-of-warcraft-cataclysmworld-of-warcraft-cataclysm-betawow-answerswow-betawow-cataclysm-betawow-daily-answerswow-daily-questionswow-expansion-betawow-guidewow-player-questionswow-q-and-awow-questions (Adam Holisky) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST WoW.com <![CDATA[Around Azeroth Beta Edition: What is this I don't even]]> http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/around-azeroth-beta-edition-what-is-this-i-dont-even/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/around-azeroth-beta-edition-what-is-this-i-dont-even/ http://www.wow.com/2010/08/31/around-azeroth-beta-edition-what-is-this-i-dont-even/#comments After heavy lobbying from Dr. Evil, frickin' sharks with frickin' rocket cannons attached to their frickin' heads will be available as flying mounts in Cataclysm. But whose bright idea was it to let the devilsaur man the controls? His arms are like a foot long! He'll never be able to fire the rockets. (Thanks to Klangkor of <Game Over> on Greymane [US-H] for the screenshot.)

Gallery: Around Azeroth

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Around Azeroth Beta Edition: What is this I don't even originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> around azerotharound-azerothAroundAzerothscreen-shotsscreenshotsworld-of-warcraft-picturesworld-of-warcraft-screenshotswow-screen-shotswow-screenshotwow-screenshotswow-ss (Elizabeth Wachowski) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST WoW.com