Intro to Shamanism and loot drama. . .

Well, first of all, the intro to shamanism I'm talking about is not "walk with the earth mother" . . .maybe thats druid. . .I get the tauren confused, damn hippies, all look the same anyways. Anyways, I am talking about a fresh 60, have a chance to have a tree mostly filled out, and how things play out.

Enhancement:
I hadnt planned on sticking with enhancement. I mean I like it, dual wielding is fun, but my goal was always dual spec Elemental/Resto at 80. I figured 60 was a good time to make the switch. And then I discovered the awesomeness that is spirit wolves. Now, my goal is still to stand back and hurl lightning in a raid setting, prolly heroics too, but for everything till then, I'm going enhancement all the way. I remember when leveling my warrior, I would get overwealmed very quickly. 2-3 mobs and it became a war of attrition I would lose. Now, I pop magma totem, earthbind totem (for those pesky runners), mana spring totem, and spirit wolves. I've taken down 7 mobs at once my level, and I don't think thats the upper limit. Hit shamanistic rage and it's like free mana and health all the time. In short, I just feel like enhancement has too many tools for leveling to give it up at this stage. That may change if I decide to try leveling by BG's as my friend Ruhtra suggested.

Restoration:
I am starting to think that the most complicated part of healing is learning the abilities and getting healbot set up how you want it. I will be honest, I'm not there yet. I think I got to the point with my druid that I knew what to do when, and it was just a question of gear. Shaman healing is. . .different. I don't even have a full set of resto gear yet (I'm 62, it will take some time), but I am pretty impressed so far. Earth shield and earthliving weapon are solid bonuses, and I seem to be able to do a decent job with riptide/lesser healing wave on the main tank. My biggest issue seems to be over casting (I'm too used to druids who cast lil HoTs constantly) and running out of mana. I think once I get used to it, I will love druid healing and my orc still looks like he could kick some ass in his resto gear, which is a bonus.

Loot drama:
Oh how I love loot drama. Wait, I don't. So my newly 60 shammy is running around hellfire, and I see someone in general looking for DPS for blood furnace. Now I despise that instance, but for clothies or shammies, its like required. ossum lewts in ther. Anyways, so our group consists of a warrior tank, a tauren deathtard, me, a shadow priest, and a resto druid healing. Now, I hate being in instances with tauren. They are too big, get in the way and I can't target around them. That having been said, we get to the first boss, and he drops the necklace. It has strength, stam, and agility on it. I'm still wearing a level 50 quest item, so I need on it, as does the deathtard. I win the roll, and proceed to equip the necklace. Then the warrior starts spouting off about how its a tanking necklace blah blah blah.

Begin rant: douchebag, they have not yet instituted the change where shammies do not benefit from strength for attack power. Furthermore, your deathtard buddy got a necklace from questing way better than what I was wearing. Also, while I don't get a huge benefit from strength, he gets about an equivalent benefit from agility. If it was a tanking necklace, it would have defense on it, and then I wouldn't have rolled. How about you try to know what the hell you're talking about before you say in party chat "learn how to gear your class". End Rant

I did pull somewhat of a n00b move in a different run. We were in ramps, and the hammer drops. Now I could have sworn that hammer was one handed so I needed on it. I'm sure it's been two handed the whole time so it is worthless to me, but no one else in our party could have used it, so I don't feel too bad. I did win a greed roll on the leather waist which got gemmed and will be my belt for my enhancement set :-)

So in summary, shammies are awesome, douchebags in pugs, and I'm semi oblivious.

The Wow Economy and You. . .

Personally, I'm tired of articles about how to make gold in Wow. There are plenty of people who have sites dedicated to it, and plenty of people who see the gold on their account as their own personal mini-game. I look at gold in Wow like this: it is a resource to acquire things that you would want. If you have more gold than you need, you've wasted time. Now, far be it for me to tell people how to waste time in the game. I'm trying for 12-16 level 60+ characters, that might seem like an utter waste of time to some. Anyways, the point of this post is not to instruct you how to make money in the game, there are many people around who can do that way better than me. It is more to look at the Wow economy in comparison to the real world economy.

Now, the Wow economy is EXTREMELY basic. There are no loans, there is only one centralized currency, so it mostly gets rid of any Arbitrage. Arbitrage is a more advanced economic concept I don't really want to deal with but basically it is profitting due to a difference in two related markets. Doesn't exist in Wow, not an issue. Wow has boiled it's economy down to the most basic level, you make money by producing goods, providing a service, or engaging in commerce. Making money in Wow is so basic, it can be boiled down into two variables: risk and time.

Producing goods:
Gathering and crafting are the two ways that you can produce goods in Wow. Picking flowers, mining for ore, prospecting ore into gems, making potions, etc, all are producing goods. Enchantment has switched from a service only to a profession that can produce goods with the introduction of scribe produced scrolls that can hold enchantments.

Gathering professions are going to be pure profit, but come as somewhat of a pain. Lets be honest, the resources that you are attempting to gather are finite. In some cases, it is impossible to predict exactly where the resources in question will spawn, and there is a high degree of competition (I'm looking at you Titanium). With gathering professions there is no risk (you can't lose money when something is free to you), but they can be quite time intensive.

Crafting is another means to producing goods. This can either be done in the form of crafting from gathered components, which is pure profit, but limits the crafter to that which they can gather themselves, or through purchasing components, in which the crafter assumes the risk that the crafted item will be less profitable than the sum of the parts. Crafting can be quite risky, and there is also a considerable amount of time in leveling and producing goods.

Providing a service:
When the old guy with the question mark over his head says "go kill 10 rats", and you accept, you are providing a service. When a lower level character says "I will pay you 10g to run me through the stockades", you are providing a service. Enchanters selling enchants are generally providing a service, unless they are putting the enchantments on scrolls, then it is a good. Services, as with gathering only present a time sink. However, unlike gathering, the rate at which one makes gold this way is fairly stable, unless blizzard makes changes.

Engaging in commerce:
Commerce is the act of buying low and selling high. There are a variety of tools useful for this in Wow, one of the most well known being Auctioneer. Now, engaging in commerce can be quite a time sink and involve a large amount of risk. I have a friend who does a fair amount of posting on the auction house and says it takes him hours to get everything properly listed. Obviously if things don't sell, you're out the auction house deposit (which is a concern with anything you're listing on the auction house, in general).

I'm not attempting to say which way is best for making gold. As I work in the financial services industry, I'm not particularly interested in playing the auction house. Gathering is a necessary evil and something I can do while questing. Leveling is my main way of both advancing my characters and generating income, which I supplement with some Jewelcrafting done by my pally. I'm also not rich by any means in game terms. Sure, it would be nice to have 40-50k to get epic flyers for some alts and be able to buy mats to craft whatever I want. However, to me, it just isnt worth the time expenditure to get there.

Me, the doctor & P in real life. . .

So I promised I would post pics from my trip to St. Louis in the blog. Obviously, there were more than two pics taken, but after reviewing them, most of them probably shouldn't be shared in such a public forum. I had an awesome time, thedoctor & P were great hosts, and meeting them and their friends was the highlight of my trip.

One thing that I thought was hilarious, we texted before actually hanging out, and although we've left each other a lot of comments and have common interests, we didnt know too much about each other. If you were expecting a 50yo construction worker, sorry to disappoint. And no Ferraro issues here, its hard being really really really good looking, but we have learned to deal. . . lol

Anyways, here are the pics. . .

Thats the doctor and myself. He's pretty tall, and yes, I'm pretty short



There's P and the doctor. I promise the doctor was not the only one comsuming tasty adult beverages that night. . .

I have a lot more pics from that evening, anyone I met that night, feel free to contact me, I do have more pics up on one of the many social networking sites ;)

The grass is always greener & upcoming trip

So first thing I wanted to tackle is based on a comment I got from annonymous on one of my previous blog posts (as a side note, that guy must have multiple personalities, because I could swear they're more than one person). Basically it said the grass is always greener on the other side. I assume this to mean on PvE vs PvP servers. I have my own opinions on this, and admittedly, I am more wishy washy on this than anything else in the game.

PvP:
My PvP server is Daggerspine. I started play there, I have the most time in there, I have the highest level characters there. My main, Leshif, is there. I am also a member of a guild there with a lot of people that I either know in real life, or have a good relationship with in the game. That is a major benefit for wanting to run things and in general having people to talk with in game. The downside of being on a PvP server is being killed/attacked. To be honest, it pisses me off. I don't like PvP, have no desire to participate in PvP, and it has led me to ask: "Why do I play on a PvP server?" The answer is "Because my friends do."

PvE:
The PvE server I play on is Azuremyst. I have a full stable (10) of alts on there, my highest being a 74 pally. I love leveling on the PvE server. No one kills me, I can level wherever I want. Its very soothing. Its also very boring. There are a few isolated people I could/have talked to, but its not like the guild I'm in on Daggerspine. I've looked, I just can't find a similar situation.

My ideal situation would be to find a guild like MAS, but on a PvE server. Any PvE server. That being said, I have to balance which option annoys me less: Dying/being harassed or solitary play. That is really the issue that I am back and forth on. Now, with summer having ended, I believe most of the douchebag players will have less time (I believe most gankers to be bored kids, I have no data to support this, its is just a belief), so it may ease up. However, with the "new" content having been out for some time, it may leave existing players with 80's bored and there is a long tradition of lowbie hunting on PvP servers. So, the question really is: do I think things will be bearable on Daggerspine, or do I think I can find a similar guild elsewhere? If I had the answer, I wouldn't have to ask the question.

On a lighter note, this weekend I am going to St Louis on my trip. I will hopefully be hanging out with thedoctor and P from WTFSpaghetti & Lincoln Freed the Slaves. Alchohol will be consumed, pictures will be taken, and if they agree, I will post some on the blog. I'm ok with having my face out there, but I wouldn't want to post anyone else without their approval.

All in all, I've had a good week, looking forward to a fun weekend!

+hit, and Style vs Substance. . .

First of all, thanks to everyone who left comments on my recent Shammy vs Druid post. Your comments and insights were extremely helpful and helped me reach a decision.

I have decided I really dislike the hit cap. I decided this when trying to gear my paladin for retribution, and thinking about having a caster DPS has re-inforced this even more. The hit cap seems like the defense cap for tanks: you must have this level to play. It wouldn't be that horrible except that there seems to be so few ways to accumulate it outside of raids and sporadic heroic drops. Can I use emblems to get +hit mail? Ok well surely there is some crafted gear that has it. . .oh, its cloth. No jewelcrafting necklaces (that I saw, I might be mistaken) or rings. Sure, I could socket a bunch of epic gems, but how many pieces have sockets anymore? Not many. I hate to say it, but the more I think about it, the more I am in favor of simplifying gear as blizz said they were going to do in Cataclysm. Hit, crit, haste, spellpower, DPS wants drastically different gear from healers, even if they're the same class. Its enough to give a guy a headache.

Now, having said all that, and firmly considered, I have come to a conclusion. Before I come out and say it, I have done a lot of considering about what is important to me in the game. I think most decisions (apart from faction) come down to a question of style vs substance. Sometimes, certain questions are answered for us (you want to be a druid, you are Tauren or Night Elf. . .for now). Sometimes it comes down to a choice (Horde side, you want a warrior, you can be any race except blood elf). How you make that choice determines what is important for you. Some people like the look of Tauren, I don't. That is why my highest level warrior is an Orc. I think orcs look bad ass. Likewise, my horde shaman is an orc. I like the look of them. I made a conscious decision of style over substance. Would my warrior benefit from extra health? Hell yes! But I have to spend hours looking at him and quite frankly, I want him to look cool. That is also why I prefer human paladins and pretty much humans in general.

Which brings me to my point. I have heard Druids can put up respectable numbers. Both healing and DPS, they are powerful. However, although I don't mind tree, I can't STAND moonkin. Can't do it. I can't look at an owlbeast's ass for hours at a time. What's the point of collecting cool looking gear if you never see it? Call me stupid, call me old fashioned, I am playing a video game because I want to see my avatar do cool stuff. The end effect is not as important to me as how you get there. Also, let's be honest. I am not super hardcore raider guy looking to top the DPS or healing charts on every run. When I heal, I want to do enough so the group doesnt wipe. If a few DPS die, well. . .it happens. As a DPS, I want to do enough damage so the tank doesn't get overwelmed and die. I want to achieve pulling my weight level, not elite level.

I will save the PvP vs PvE discussion for a later post, I have far too much to say to go on about that here. . .

Shammy vs Druid

Well in talking to my friend/trusty GM Rhutra, be brought up a valid point. "What are you going to do when you get to 80?" I really dont enjoy raiding with my Paladin. I think the key words there are "with my paladin". I could see how raiding wouldnt be that bad if I was a caster DPS. Don't stand in the fire, don't pull aggro, goodness. I just hate having to run around, check facing, avoid things, its just not fun. And tanking a raid seems way too stressful, I can barely manage heroics.

So, in thinking about it, I see two viable options for "endgame": Druid and Shammy. The reason I say two viable options more comes down to utility than anything else. First of all, I want a class that can heal. That rules out most classes right there. Healing can be a great way to go through heroics and pick up DPS gear no one wants/needs. Secondly, I want a class capable of ranged DPS. Yes, I kind of just want to stand there and nuke. Now, that does leave one other option: Priest. However at this time I am not totally sold on Shadow Priest, obviously Holy priests are good healers (I'll leave best healer arguments for others). But I've always said feel and enjoyment is more important to me than raw numbers. As of right now, Shadow Priest isn't as fun. I might adjust that thought down the road (it has been known to happen), but as of right now, its Shammy vs Druid.

Healing:
This one seems like a no brainer to me. Although my buddies from WTFSpaghetti might disagree, Druid is the big daddy healer in Wow. I really enjoy druid healing mechanics and I rarely feel overwelmed healing normal content. I like "maintenance healing" throwing dots on everyone, trying to make sure everyone is in a nice middle zone. I have never healed on a shammy, so I don't really know how it works. I know most of the tools that are there, but most of my shammy research has been DPS related.

DPS:
On this side it's the Druid I have no idea about. Shammies are fun. I love chain lightning. I love throwing lightning bolts and shocks. I think Elemental is like an awesome armored mage. I don't much care for the totem mechanic, but they help more than get in the way, and they're good for groups, and don't require buffing individual people like pally buffs (ok, gift of the wild is even easier, but this wasn't a debate about best group buffs). I also think shammies LOOK really cool. Yes I can be bought with cool appearance. Now, I know the spells a druid gets, some of them are quite cool. My main issue with the druid is appearance related. Why does Moonkin have to look so dumb? Everytime I see one, I think back to azuremyst seeing the moonkin waddling around. I can almost be ok with the broccoli, but seriously?

This is where I ask for help from you my readers. Balance druid, how good are they? Right now I give a slight edge to the Shammy because they can heal and I just like them. Maybe thats enough. But having a druid at 71, its kind of a shame to waste him.

My new favoritest class: The Shaman

I was reading something over at Righteous Orbs about the awesomeness of Shamans, and it got me to thinking: I really like Shamans, they're really cool.

Like most people who play Wow, it was not my first RPG. In addition to many table top games, I played a few of the final fantasies (I loved 7, 8 and tactics, hated 10), all of the elder scrolls games, diablo, etc. Normally I like melee fighters who can wear heavy armor and self heal. That made the Paladin a natural choice in Wow. I still like Paladins. My two highest level characters are both paladins. However, I have decided I just like the shaman more, for a variety of reasons.

Reason 1: The best hybrid
There are three hybrid classes in Wow (I don't count shadow priests): Paladin, Shaman, and Druid. When I say best I mean most able to use a variety of abilities. Paladins are incredibly durable, even in DPS spec and powerful in melee. I still prefer a prot paladin for AoE grinding over any other class for their durability. However, this durability comes at the expense of range, a paladin basically has to be on top of a mob to do anything. Druids have to choose between caster DPS or melee DPS by shapeshifting. Shamans can use their caster abilities even in their melee DPS spec, and can melee in their caster spec. While it is true that the Druid and Paladin can fill more group roles than a Shaman, Shamans have the best all around use of abilities regardless of spec.

Reason 2: Cures the caster problem
This could be said about balance druids as well, but lets be honest, moonkin form looks dumb. I love mages, and I like locks and shadow priests. They are fun. However, without some type of mitigation, they get chewed up pretty quickly. Shamans don't have to worry about that. They wear mail, and can pull out instant cast pain. Also, even caster Shamans can use windfury weapon. Shaman are far from soft squishy targets.

Reason 3: They look cool
Let's be honest, a large motivation in the game is looking cool. I love druids, but they miss this completely. Moonkins look ridiculous, Dire bear looks the same at 40 as it does at 80, and cat looks the same at 80 as it does at 20. Shaman gear looks cool, they can dual wield, and their abilities just have a lot of flair. Chain lightning is probably one of my favorite looking abilities in Wow.

Basically, I like casters, I like beating on things, I want to look cool and be able to heal myself a lil bit. I probably should have been playing a Shaman all along. . .