14th July has 22 articles
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WoW, Casually: Playing with your preschooler
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 9 hours ago) [Source]
Robin Torres wrote on 14th July 10pm
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime. Of course, you people with lots of playtime can read this too, but you may get annoyed by the fact that we are unashamed, even proud, of the fact that beating WoW isn't our highest priority. Take solace in the fact that your gear is better than ours, but if that doesn't work, remember that we outnumber you. Not that that's a threat, after all, we don't have time to do anything about it. But if WoW were a democracy, we'd win.
In the comments for Drama Mamas, Orkchop asked about tips for playing WoW with his 3 year old daughter. Since, as he put it, this is more of a Mama question than a drama question and I also have a 3 year old daughter, I thought I'd create a guide for playing WoW with preschoolers. Parents have limited playtime due to their family priorities -- not necessarily because they don't want to play as much as the more hardcore players. So mixing parental duties and leisure time is efficient as well as rewarding.
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Instant Vote: [+] [-] (No votes yet)
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 9 hours ago) [Source]
Mike Schramm wrote on 14th July 11pm
It's been a while since we've seen a fun screenshot like this, so here you go: Lawlessness of Norgannon-H saw fit to add a little text to their kill picture of the first boss in Ulduar. If you want to send us an exceptionally cool screenshot your guild has done, feel free to send it (and any other tips you have about drama, downed, or recruting news) to guildwatch@wow.com, and you might see it here in the future.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 11 hours ago) [Source]
MMO-Champion wrote on 14th July 8pm
Trial of the Crusader - Final Boss PTR Testing
Quote from: Daelo (Source)The final boss for the Trial of the Crusader is now available for testing on the North American PTRs. Pardon the last minute announcement of this, we're still having some technical difficulties on the North American PTRs and we weren't sure if this testing was going to be available.
PTR Focused Testing - Anub'arak
If you plan to stream the encounter please send me (Bibi) a PM on IRC : irc.quakenet.org #mmo-champion. (Webchat). Feel free to join us to discuss the streams and the encounter!
Streams
Blood Legion
Quote from: Daelo (Source)The final boss for the Trial of the Crusader is now available for testing on the North American PTRs. Pardon the last minute announcement of this, we're still having some technical difficulties on the North American PTRs and we weren't sure if this testing was going to be available.
PTR Focused Testing - Anub'arak
If you plan to stream the encounter please send me (Bibi) a PM on IRC : irc.quakenet.org #mmo-champion. (Webchat). Feel free to join us to discuss the streams and the encounter!
Streams
Blood Legion
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 11 hours ago) [Source]
Eliah Hecht wrote on 14th July 8pm
It's going to be on 10-man, which is kind of strange, given that most people (and especially hardcore raiders) seem to think of the 25-man version as the "real" version of the raid. Maybe they wanted it to be easier for spectators to follow the action.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 11 hours ago) [Source]
Eliah Hecht wrote on 14th July 9pm
This post by Eric Heimburg on the excellent MMO design blog Elder Game, alleging that WoW is currently run by Blizzard's B-team, has ignited a fair amount of controversy around the blogosphere. The general argument appears to be that the people previously in charge of WoW, like Jeff Kaplan, have moved on to other projects. As a consequence knee-jerk changes are being pushed through very fast, without being sufficiently tested first. "Back in the day," claims the article, "QA held the game to a higher standard."
My reaction to these claims are mixed. Kaplan may not be in charge of WoW anymore, but I don't think that "the steady hand has left the rudder," or if it has, maybe a less straight-ahead course is a good thing. Changes may be getting pushed through very quickly - Ghostcrawler routinely refers to players getting whiplash from the frequency of balance changes - but in many cases, I think this is for the best.
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Liquid Nitrogen and the Leidenfrost Effect
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 11 hours ago) [Source]
Daldain wrote on 14th July 8pm
Not sure why there is an altered voice, but this is educational nonetheless.
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 13 hours ago) [Source]
Eddie Carrington wrote on 14th July 6pm
Knowing that both spreadsheets are good at what they do, there is one fundamental issue, both require you to have Microsoft Excel running on Windows or some selected Mac systems. Using this as a good excuse to become more familiar with JavaScript and Ajax, Zehera took the challenge and created Zeherah's Hunter DPS Analyzer.
When I asked why she decided to pick up such a daunting task, Zehera responded, "I was particularly interested because as a Mac user my ability to make use of the spreadsheet has always been limited, I don't have a Windows Excel and many features like the stat values and armory import don't work in the Mac version. This kept me motivated, but it also makes parts of this project extra challenging since I've had to try to figure out how parts of the code in the spreadsheet worked without actually being able to use or test them myself."
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 13 hours ago) [Source]
Adam Holisky wrote on 14th July 7pm
We here at WoW.com are on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere.
- Druid of the Moon has a great kitty guide to Mimiron.
- Rolling Hots embraces empowered touch in patch 3.2.
- Moonglade takes a look at the economics of getting yourself to exalted with all the home factions.
- Pally Man has impressions of the new Paladin Tier 9 gear.
- Not WoW related, but StarCraft II is now up for pre-order at GameStop. Release date is listed at 12/31/09, but that's just a placeholder. Current expectations are that it'll be out before that.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 15 hours ago) [Source]
Lisa Poisso wrote on 14th July 4pm
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes - from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.
Fun is a great motivator for learning – but you knew that, didn't you, World of Warcraft player? Think of all the math you've used poring over DPS charts and gear stats, all the reading you've done deciphering terse quest instructions ... the research you've put in to decode what you need to know and then where to find it ... the tactical analyses you've ground out figuring out how to get that last boss to fall ...
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 15 hours ago) [Source]
Lesley Smith wrote on 14th July 5pm
A WoW player living in Indianapolis was arrested after he used in-game chat to threaten to blow up a plane, Indystar.com is reporting. The eighteen year old later told Johnson County sheriffs that he "was going to board a plane at 7:30 to Chicago and that (he) was going to try and kill as many Americans as possible".
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Addon Changes
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 16 hours ago) [Various Sources]
wowfix.com wrote on 14th July 4pm
| Name | Languages | Rating | Author | Version | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GroupCalendar |  |
0.00 | mundocani | cursegaming | ||
| v3.1 | uiworldofwar | |||||
| 5.0b5 | wowinterface | |||||
| ÆADD |     |
-?- | Shooshting | cursegaming | ||
| uiworldofwar | ||||||
| 1.1 | wowinterface | |||||
| BindPad - GUI to set keybindings for spell/item/macro | |
-?- | Tageshi | cursegaming | ||
| 2.1.4 | uiworldofwar | |||||
| 2.1.4 | wowinterface | |||||
| d | |
-?- | Drshow | uiworldofwar | ||
| 1.3.4 | wowinterface | |||||
| Flightpath Puzzle League | |
-?- | BlankDiploma | v1.1a | uiworldofwar | |
| 1.4 | wowinterface | |||||
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 17 hours ago) [Source]
Chase Christian wrote on 14th July 2pm
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 talk about Fan of Knives, and how to get the most out of it.One of the great Rogues on my server recently released a video, showcasing some unique world PvP clips. All of them involved aerial kills using Killing Spree and engineering items to blow up a target on a flying mount. I showed this video to a few of my friends who also play Rogues, and many of them were surprised that you could successfully kill opponents in midair, and that Killing Spree was even usable while moving.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 17 hours ago) [Source]
Alex Ziebart wrote on 14th July 3pm
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.
After a year of writing this thing, I've run out of quirky ways to introduce this thing that don't reek of veiled desperation. So screw the veil. Along with your question in today's edition of The Queue, I want you to write an introduction for the next edition of this column that I write, which will be the day after tomorrow. I will pick the best of the bunch to use. Keep it clean!
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 19 hours ago) [Source]
Shawn Schuster wrote on 14th July 12pm
Sometimes you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all those other shiny MMOs! Check out this roundup of the latest news from the wider MMO world.
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Blogger compares Aion to WoW and WAR Keen has two blog posts up discussing the similarities and differences between Aion and World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online. The first thing you should bear in mind is that he has not played Aion all the way through to the end game, even though he has "finished" both other MMOs. The second thing of note is that these points of comparison were requested by his readers. |
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More server consolidations in WAR? Less than three weeks after launching Land of the Dead, the Warhammer Online Herald is reporting another round of free transfers from several source servers to a few destination servers. Members of Ironfist, Vortex, Monolith, Magnus, and Skull Throne have been urged to transfer to more populated servers. Players on all servers are being rewarded with an extra 20% experience and renown bonus to mark the occasion. |
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Emergent behavior to be produced in Trion's Heroes of Telara Emergence is one of the aspects that many MMOs aspired to, only to drop in favor of static storytelling. The problem with emergence is that simple decisions would have a compounding impact on the world. Heroes would solve problems, only to perhaps create further problems with their implemented solutions. Most game architecture can't handle decision making of that nature, as it would need developers to constantly code in the new events that would occur. |
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George Lucas involved with The Old Republic This may not come as much of a surprise to Star Wars fans but according to BioWare's own Ray Muzyka, George Lucas is keeping an eye on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Of course, Lucas tends to keep an eye on generally everything LucasArts does, so this isn't so much a revelation as it is confirmation. Although it's important to point out that Muzyka has never personally shown anything to Lucas, not even that awesome CG trailer from E3, apparently. |
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The reason why you hate Second Life and a few ways to fix that Second Life gets a really bad rap from the MMO community that's largely undeserved. I get to hear all of these slams like it's a usless waste of data, there's nothing to do, it's a bunch of sex sims, and how I should work on my "first life" before my Second Life. Har, har, har. |
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All Points Bulletin video podcast shows off some ink All Points Bulletin is one of those upcoming games that tends to defy easy categorization. It's an urban crime game that has persistence, quests (missions), and fantastic customization options. It's not an MMO as we'd typically define it, and APB developer Realtime Worlds has also hinted that it may eventually become something of a virtual world. Maybe this is part of why we're interested in this game, it seems to be breaking new ground in online games. |
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Peer into the bowels of SWTOR's voice production So you've heard that Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to be completely voice acted. All player characters and non-player characters will have a professional voiced track for every bit of dialog. We're certain that you, much like ourselves, have imagined this project to be a huge undertaking. BioWare's pretty sure most of us are underestimating this, and their latest developer diary makes sure we truly understand the depth and range of the project. |
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Reentering the Age of Conan So here we are, coming back to the digital realm of Hyboria just past a year since everyone first ventured into its lush and deadly landscapes. What will I find? What will I think? These are just a few of the many questions that go through my mind as I boot up the game for the first time in a while. |
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Global Agenda entering phase one of closed beta July 24th Okay, so this one is slightly confusing. Hi-Rez Studios, creators of the upcoming Global Agenda, have said that on July 24th they'll be entering the first phase of closed beta. Now that's exciting news, to be sure, but this isn't your standard beta process. |
1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 19 hours ago) [Source]
Michael Gray wrote on 14th July 1pm
Restless is the first machinima effort by a new author named Neoz. It's a story-based music video, featuring a few of Wrath of the Lich King's general themes. An undead scourge kills some innocent bystanders in Dalaran, motivating a human warrior to give chase on a quest for vengeance. While the pair of fighters battle it out in Northrend's rocky terrain, the human realizes that the undead was actually once a friend.
While the story itself may be standard fare, I think Neoz gave the visual effects of Restless a lot of energy and power. For a new machinima author, especially, Restless is a fast-paced treat. I think Neoz did a great job keeping the action moving.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 21 hours ago) [Source]
Elizabeth Wachowski wrote on 14th July 11am
"I finally got my Red Proto-Drake and took a tour all over Northrend showing its ruby-colored hide off," writes Drager of <Synod> on Lightning's Blade. "Flying through Borean Tundra I came across this pathetic little Gorloc. At the time of my arrival he was jumping around, trying to catch a bee. I'm sure he envied its ability to fly and so easily stay out of his reach. I can only imagine the extreme shock and awe that hit him when he saw me hovering above in all my rubicund glory. You can see the look of astonishment on his face." Thirty-six points for the use of 'rubicund' on a triple word score, Drager.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 21 hours ago) [Source]
Alex Ziebart wrote on 14th July 10am
This is still rumor central here, but according to Zakk Wylde's Twitter account, we might be seeing a level of rock heads and tails above what Level 70 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain can offer at this year's BlizzCon. We might be getting Ozzy Freaking Osbourne.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 21 hours ago) [Source]
Adam Holisky wrote on 14th July 10am
Folks that paid attention to BlizzCon 2008 last year will remember the comedian Jay Mohr acting as host and funnyman. And while Blizzard has yet to announce it, WoW.com has been able to independently confirm that Jay Mohr will be back for BlizzCon 2009 this year, August 21st and 22nd at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
This year's BlizzCon promises to be big. The WoW.com staff is pretty much all in agreement that we'll have to hear something about the next expansion, and the recent trademark registration of Cataclysm really lends a lot of credence to that.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 23 hours ago) [Source]
Daniel Whitcomb wrote on 14th July 8am
It's Tuesday morning, and you know what that means: downtime. On the plus side, we here on the US Servers don't have any more complicated type of down times with various groups of servers getting extra downtime seemingly at random and so on. Then again, that just means we all get to suffer through extended downtime together, from 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 208 days 23 hours ago) [Source]
Daniel Whitcomb wrote on 14th July 9am
So I've been thinking a lot about lore lately, and one thing that's been nagging for a long time is how fast some really cool and interesting storyline and organizations seem to fade into the background once the patch or zone that focuses on them is over and done.Example prime might be the Ethereals. They were an amazing group. The Consortium was Goblins except with actual charisma, business savvy, common sense, and inventions that worked. The Protectorate was a pretty badass group of elite fighters battling the forces of darkness. Even the Ethereum had a story of tragedy and corruption to make the Scarlet Crusade look like amateurs at the whole fanatic game.
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 209 days 3 hours ago) [Source]
MMO-Champion wrote on 14th July 3am
It's maintenance day! I figured it might be the time to do a small recap of the patch 3.2 posts to keep you busy while the servers are down. I probably forgot a few of them but most of the important stuff is here. (Oh and just in case, this is just a recap, the patch is obviously NOT deployed this week)
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1 posts (Updated 2 years 209 days 7 hours ago) [Source]
Alex Ziebart wrote on 14th July 1am
The Breaking News box has recently cropped up in-game, announcing tomorrow's maintenance for North American realms. As you can see in the image to the right, servers will be down from 3:00 AM PDT until roughly 11:00 AM PDT, assuming all goes well. If you're not sure what time this is in your timezone, use this timezone conversion tool.[View Remaining 1 Paragraphs]