Archive for General

Gnome racials are underpowered, just like everyone elses.

Posted in General, Humor with tags , , , on November 10, 2009 by thistlefizz

The Stoppable Force had an article today about racial abilities.  Rather than take up enormous space in his comments section (I already did that is his post about instances), I’m gonna cheat a little and just do my own post about what I think would make cool racial abilities.

Over all I would like a few things to change things across the board.  First of all, I would like to see a change to any profession bonuses.  Either I would like there to be recipes/schematics/whatever that are only available above the level cap (thus actually providing some benefit to having 465 engineering as opposed to having 450), or I would people without the profession (but have the racial bonus) to be able to access one or two of the cool high-end things.

Secondly, get rid of weapon racials.  I hate them. They are stupid. Sorry, I don’t actually have clever reasoning to give.  I just don’t like them.

The other thing I would like to see is the racials being more helpful to each class that race can be.  For example, having an “Expansive Mind” (plus 5% Intellect) is useless as a warrior, or a rogue..  Sure that’s great for mages, warlocks, and eventually priests, but not the other two.  Yes, you could say that Escape Artist makes up for it, but really that’s beneficial for all the gnome classes.  If there’s something for casters, I would like to see something for the melee.  It doesn’t even need to be as specific as something for heals, something for ranged dps, something for tanks, something for melee dps.  Just something caster & something for melee.  But maybe that’s too much wishful thinking.

Anyway, let’s get to the heart of the matter.  I’ve kept most of the good ones, just with a couple changes.  Also, I’m aware that some of these are probably waaaaaay overpowered.  But that’s the fun part right?  Oh and by the way, as I only really play a gnome and a troll, those are the only two I’m going to do this for.  Because doing it for all the races would take way to long and way more energy than I have.

Gnome:

Tutelage of the High Tinker: 15 point bonus skill to engineering.  Allows limited access to certain engineering-only devices regardless of skill level/profession. (e.g. Dalaran AH, enchants)

You Can’t Hit What You Can’t See: Instant, increase dodge/block/parry by 10% by 6 sec. 3 min. cooldown. (something for the warrior tanks out there!)

Expansive Mind: (passive) Increase Intellect by 5%. Also increases hit rating by 3%.

Arcane Resistance: (passive) Increase arcane resistance by 3%.

Escape Artist: Escape the effects of any immobilization or movement speed effects, and makes you immune to them for the next 10 seconds. Instant cast. 1 min, 30 sec cooldown.

For Gnomeregan!: Opens a wormhole to the center of the newly retaken Gnomeregan.  3 sec cast. 30 minute cooldown. (not shared with hearthstone)

Troll:

Regeneration: (passive) Increase healing regen by 10% in and out of combat.

Da Voodoo Shuffle: (passive) Reduces the duration of all movement impairing effects by 15%

Berserking: Instant. Increases melee speed/spell haste by 20% for 10 seconds.  (No longer related to health level because I think that’s stupid. Again, nothing clever, just stupid.)

Beast Mastery: Affinity towards beasts.  Taming pets is easier/faster.  Also grants the ability to purchase and ride any faction mount regardless of reputation.

Jungle Beat: (passive) Nature resistance increased by 3%.

The “I Win” Totem: Only available to troll shamans.  Instant cast. 6 month cooldown.  Drops a totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster. Grants 100% to all stats of all members in the raid.  Kills any enemy within 200 yards, regardless of level.  Includes raid bosses.  Lasts 5 minutes.  Consumes all mana available as well as 15% of your total gold across all characters.

Ok I totally lied.  I thought of a few good ones for some of the other races.

Dwarf:

Cartography: (passive) Skill with maps increased.  Grants ability to track treasure, ore, and herbs simultaneously.

Strength of the Explorer: (passive) Increased stamina/strength by 5%.

I’ve been here before: (passive) Allows dwarf access to old maps, books, and word of mouth which grants them every flight path in Azeroth (including Northrend) and Outlands. Reduced travel cost.

Skill of the Titans: (passive) Increased blacksmithing skill by 15.  Allows access to blacksmith only enchants regardless of skill level or profession.  Also reduces material costs for smelting certain items.

Runed Iron Form: (formerly Stoneform)  Instant. Removes all disease, poison, magic, charm, curse, or any other damage over time effect.  Reduces movement speed by 50%. 5 min cooldown.

Human:

Diplomacy: Increases the rate at which reputation is gained by 10%.  Also, starts off all reputations with at least 50% neutral.

Human Spirit: Increase spirit by 5%.  Increase resilience by 15.

Loyalty to the King!: Instant.  Calls on the will of the Alliance increasing total health by 20%

Dude, I see you: Increases stealth detection on PVE targets.  Able to completely see through PvP target’s stealth when activated.

Skilled hands: Increases tailoring skill by 15.  Increases the effectiveness of cloth scavenging.  Allows access to tailoring only enhancements regardless of skill level/profession.

Draenei:

Blessing of the Naaru: Instant cast. Heals target by x amount over 15 seconds.  Based on spell power/attack power whichever is higher.  If activated when at full health, increases total health by 20% for 30 seconds.  5 minute cooldown.

Gemmcutting: Increases jewelcrafting by 5.  Increases the effectiveness of prospecting skill. Allows access to jewelcrafting only enhancements regardless of skill level/profession.

Heroic Presence: Aura.  Increases chance to hit with spells and abilities by 2% for all party and raid members.  40 yard range.

Shadow Resistance: Reduces the chance to be hit with shadow spells by 3%

E.T. Phone Home!: Instant.  Reconnects with the mother ship, completly eliminating rez sickness and reducing durability loss from spirit rez to 20% (down from 75%).  Only effects equipped items.  5 hour cooldown.

Night Elf:

I’m a dirty hippie: Whines and moans about a bunch of nonsense about saving the sick gazelle in the Barrens.  Increases whining by 10% and judgmental nosiness by 100%.

Shadowmeld Run Away!: Steps into the shadows, reduces enemies ability to detect you.  Drops threat.  Allows you to watch the rest of your party die while you hide in the shadows.

Summon Very Big Bad Guy: Call down the forces of some evil villain thinking that you will be able to exploit them for your own gain, only to have them turn against you.  Again.  (Burning Legion anyone?)

 

 

I’ll leave the rest of the Horde to someone who knows those races better.  Besides that, I think my creativity is all tapped out, as you can tell by the boring ones for the Draenei.

“[Insert clever sign off phrase here]“

~Fizz

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How did I miss this?

Posted in General with tags , on October 25, 2009 by thistlefizz

So, leveling up my mage in Howling Fjord I came across something I had no idea was there.  While doing the quest, “The Echo of Ymiron” I discovered, while in the spirit world via the incense’s influence, the Lich King, standing there in front of Utgarde Keep.  Since my mouse icon changed to a sword when I moused over him, I figured I’d see what happened if I attacked him.  Well, he snatched me over, stunned me, went into some diatribe about me bowing to his power, but I wasn’t yet worthy or powerful enough or some nonsense.  And then he killed me.  Killed me dead.

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting that I had completely missed this when leveling Thistlefizz through the Fjord oh so many months ago.  There’s been a few things I’ve noticed recently that I hadn’t before.  Like the mage in Dalaran that randomly sheeps people.  And the other (I assume mage) who goes around lighting the lamps in the town at night, and then sells a wand you can use to light the lamps he missed.  Makes me wonder how many other things I just totally walked by without giving a second notice.

“[Insert clever sign off phrase here]“

~Fizz

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The New LFG

Posted in General with tags , , , on October 22, 2009 by thistlefizz

So wow.com has recently posted info about the new LFG interface. I’m at once filled with deep apprehension and cautious optimism.

Before you continue on past the cut I must leave a disclaimer.  Yes.  I KNOW this is all still on the PTR and is subject to change.  So don’t tell me that.  I’m not an idiot.  I’m still going to voice my opinions about it.

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Resource bars

Posted in General with tags on September 25, 2009 by thistlefizz

You know what bothers me?  When you target an enemy mob, the only resource that is ever displayed is mana. No rage, no energy, no runic power (and eventually for hunters, no focus).  I never really thought about it until the Trial of the Champion.  I’ve run that thing quite a few times on both my Horde and my Alliance characters.  I’ve faced each of the different champions.  I’m good at remembering which ones are the shamans, and the warriors, and the mages, but for the life of me, I just can’t keep track of who is the rogue and who is the hunter.  I should probably make a sticky note and put it on my monitor, but that’s neither here nor there.  Every time the champions come out I wish that I could click on the rogue and see an energy bar.  Cause then I wouldn’t have to sheepishly ask every time, “um…remind me again which one the rogue is?”

I know it’s not a huge thing.  And maybe it’s too much of a hassle to program every mob in the game to have a resource bar.  But it bugs me.  There’s already a huge amount of things I feel like I have to remember when I tank and am in charge of marking mobs.  And if other mobs had energy bars I feel like it would be a lot faster to asses which mob needs to die first without having to memorize the difference between Stormforge Ambushers and Stormforged Runeshapers.

What do you think?

“[Insert clever sign off phrase here]“

~Fizz

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The lies we tell

Posted in General with tags , , on September 22, 2009 by thistlefizz

I worked a gig today that had a big band orchestra that played old time swing music.  They had a lot of eclectic instruments and machines with them, giving them a unique flair.  One of the coolest things they had was an old wax cylinder recording machine and its playback counterpart.  At one point during the show they actually used the machine to make an real wax cylinder recording.  When the band was done, the technician took the cylinder off the recording machine and put it on the playback machine.  They played the recording and it sounded awesome.  The audience was impressed.  I mean, taking an large orchestra like that, with a live audience and cutting a perfect wax recording in one take is down right amazing.

But, I knew something the audience didn’t know.  I knew that during rehearsal just a few hours earlier they had played and recorded this song 7 or 8 times until they got a take that they liked.   Then during the show they had simply used the best recording from rehearsal. It was a clever deception.  The audience was close enough that they could see the wax being etched by the needle bouncing across its surface.   So they knew a recording had been made.   But when the technician switched from the recorder to the playback machine, he was able to swap cylinders without he audience noticing.

I suppose it was a harmless enough ruse.  No-one got hurt or anything.  And if the truth were to come out I doubt if anyone would be bothered by it.  Some might even appreciate the lie as a necessary part of presenting a flawless entertainment experience.  A little white lie.  Harmless enough.

But it got me thinking; what about the lies we tell?  What ‘little white lies’ do we tell and how do we justify them?  How often have you said you were saved to an instance when you weren’t simply because you didn’t feel like running with the person who asked?  When someone asks what your dps is, what number do you give?  Raid buffed?  5man buffed?  Unbuffed?  Have you ever logged off in one set gear to make yourself look attractive to a potential new guild as a tank/dps/healer when you know full well you don’t have any intention of filling that role, but a different role?

How do you justify it?  “I don’t want to run with that person because I don’t think they are good enough, but I don’t want to hurt their feelings.”  “Everyone gives their highest dps number, and besides I’ll always have x,y,z buff, so it’s the most accurate number.”  “I stand a better chance getting in if I apply as a tank/dps/healer.  Once I’m in I can still do that and then I can switch to the role I actually want.”

Now I’m not out to judge anyone.  Not outright anyway.  And I’m not saying one lie or justification is better than any other.  All I’m pointing out is, no matter what we tell ourselves or how we try to shade things, a lie is, a lie, is a lie.  And in each of the cases justification can be given even for the justification.   And you know, who’s to say that wanting to spare someone’s feelings isn’t a noble goal?  But good intentions don’t wipe away lies.  In fact, there’s a well known road that’s paved in good intentions, but I don’t think anyone actually wants to end up at that roads’ destination.  Yeah, if you tell that person you don’t think they are good enough to run with, you most certainly will hurt their feelings.  But, if you are honest as well as kind there is potential for you both to grow.  Maybe all they need is a little encouragement and a little nudge in the right direction to become an awesome player.

Every at some point will tell a lie.  Be it a lie of omission, an exaggeration, a downright deceit, or to protect someone–it’s a lie.  But maybe we don’t need to be lying to each other so much.  Or at all.  Even when it seems harmless or for the greater good or like it doesn’t matter because it’s just an online game not real life.  But I’m a strong believer that the golden rule still applies online just as much in real life.  And by acting like decent human beings we aren’t just improving ourselves.  We are elevating the entire human race.  And the gnomish race too.

“[Insert clever sign off phrase here]“
~Fizz

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Welcome to my Blog!

Posted in General with tags on September 1, 2009 by thistlefizz

I hate first posts.

This is where I’m supposed to jot down a bit about myself, my blog, and what I hope will come of it.  It’s not that I dislike the idea of first posts–in fact I love going back in other people’s blogs and reading their first post.  The problem is I’m not very good at first posts.

It reminds me of my first day of college when the teacher went around the room and had everyone say their name, maybe list a few hobbies, their favorite food, etc.  Row by row people stood up and said their names.  Everyone seemed to have something witty or interesting or funny to say, and there I would be, dreading my turn.  I would try to plan out what I would say, try to think of a joke or make up some obscure hobby.  Four more people till me. –Come on, think of a hobby.– Three more people. –Underwater basketweaving? No, that’s stupid.– Two more people. –European tight-rope-walker?– One more person. –Albino rhino hunter? Yeah that’s it.–  Ok it’s my turn…

I forgot my own name.  I’m not even sure what I said in the end.  I remember standing up, my mind going blank, mumbling…something…and then sitting back down.  I did get a laugh though, so at least there’s that…

But I digress.  I hate first posts ’cause I always put too much on myself to be clever, or funny, or come up with some grand all-encompassing summary of what my blog will be.  I’ve actually tried to start blogging on at least 4 other occasions, but never managed to get past the first post.  I was really good at setting up the templates, themes, fonts, about page, links, calendar, background image, header, and hit counter.  But that damned first post….

But I’m going to make myself get through it.  And I apologize in advance if it’s not very elegant.  But the info will be there.

This blog will be about my favorite leisure activity: World of Warcraft.  I don’t have an idea of what specifically this will mean.  It may be any of the following: tanking (which I LOVE), my user interface (which I’m in the process of rebuilding, addons (I’m a total addon junkie), Thistlefizz (my wonderful little gnome), my shaman alter ego (Resto4Life!), or my gross overuse of parenthetical statements.  I’m hoping that as I put pen to paper–or pixels to screen as it were–that a plan and a focus will form itself.  And if not, well, I guess I’ll just keep meandering around, much like I have in this damned first post.

“[Insert clever sign off phrase here]“

~Fizz

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