Busy catching up on WoW and Cataclysm

Playing catchup is allot of what I seem to be doing, so really not allot of time to dedicate to writing anything much or anything long. Plus being a bit busy re-learning how to play and leveling up 3 of my lvl 80 characters to 85, so not much time to stop and talk about it either. Quite understandable that is. As well been reading some other blogs and forums trying to understand some the changes and mechanics of some the classes I play.

So not really busy trying to blog about much.

Did transfer my Paladin, Shadow Priest, Shaman back to the old server of my Paladin back to Zangarmarsh. At least to play with some old WoW friends in my old former guild. So was able to do that vs spending time building back up guild on the server where I was which i really don't have time for anymore.

Since leveling my Paladin to lvl 85 and with fairly ok mostly ilvl 333 tank/dps gear from leveling up for both specs, haven't done much or played since. Mostly been working on leveling up some profession when i can. Still have alchemy to level up a bit though leveled it up enough to craft the epic trinket that i cant remember the name of.

Started to work at leveling up my lvl 80 Shadow Priest, but first had to figure out a spec as well as relearn allot of how to even play one as well as learn the changes to the class vs before. So spend some time reading other blogs as well over at EJ to figure things out a bit. However was able to get my Shadow Priest to 85. I still find the class fun and not to difficult to relearn though it took a while after months of haven't played one.

So now just left with leveling up my Enhancement Shaman with a Elemental off spec who is currently at lvl 84. So had to look around for a few blogs to read that i read before that already had some good info as well as visit EJ forum to read their class compodium to understand class changes. So had to do the same as well as did with my Shadow Priest had to figure out spec and re-learn skills, talents and spells and dropping totems. Re-learn how to play the Shaman was to me harder than figuring out how to play the Shadow Priest. Took awhile. But so far been doing ok and almost there leveling up my Shaman.

Have found the new instances fun and challenging though been there just as dps really. Overall just busy playing, observing and catching up really in allot of ways so just not allot of time to blog right now. If anything i'm spending time reading other people's blog as well as forums just taking in and understanding stuff and class mechanics.

Most Crazy Fun Quest in Cataclysm

I think its called Gnomebliteration a quest a few deep into a chain quest you find from a item that drops off a Crazed Gnome Surveyor or something like that in the South Eastern Dessert of Uldum zone a bit south of where Halls of Origination dungeon is but where you also find a whole lot of gnomes.

You get to flame roll hundreds of gnomes which is a whole lot of fun. Too bad its not a daily quest, it would be so much fun to flame roll gnomes. Must be tough to be a gnome, they get picked on allot. You get a nice blue item piece for the trouble of flame rolling gnomes.

Shunning the Rat Race, lvl 85 gone Fishing

The constant burnout factor and been away from the game as long as I have as well as playing other MMO games have given me a different perspective of personal game enjoyment and how I choose to spend my time. No longer I feel the need to quickly burn myself and game enjoyment out of existence in a hurry for nothing, or join the Rat Race at lvl 85 for endgame efforts. After about 11 months away from WoW by choice and back playing the game for who knows how long, here I am having just started the new Cataclysm expansion and already facing the end of it at lvl 85 and the Rat Race beyond.

So after briefly exploring some of the Twilight Highlands I decided to do something I've always had a great love for, to do and always enjoyed the quiet times away from the rigors of combat to go Fishing. While many and most after hitting lvl 85 for their own reasons and have started their Race Race to gear up for Heroic and Raiding I've decided to go kick back at the riverside with a camp fire and go Fishing. I just choose to go do something different vs exerting my hardcore tendencies. Its a different time for me these days in WoW.

I guess I will level up a bit from 450 Fishing while I'm here kicking back enjoying the quite sounds of nature at the river relaxing and contemplating my thoughts and existence in this realm and the universe at large.


And so several hours past while enjoying one of my truly favorite past time activities in WoW as a real WoW Fisherman. I may swing elaborate shields and awesome weapons in combat to break the knees of hostile foes yet I can enjoy angling a fishing rod as well for awesome catches.

I guess I contemplate If my Paladin ever became a really old man and remembering the days of heroes, and wars of past he be hanging out with his buddy the famous fisherman Nat Pagle. Somewhere maybe crafting the latest new fishing rod and fishing away while swapping stories of past days of glory while angling awesome fish catches of the day.

Few the moments it were watching a half a dozen heroes drop by the river banks and gaze in wonder the man sitting across the river pond sitting with camp fire and fishing in the river. And then they themselves too join in interrupting the silence and fishing as well for several minutes and then probably easily grew bored and left to do other things.

Several hours after sitting by the riverside with my fishing rod, warm camp fire, enjoying the quiet sounds of nature and contemplating my existence and those of fish's here in the river or not I'm now a Illustrious Grand Master Fisherman. Having gone from from 450 Fishing to 525 Fishing all in one sitting at the river side. Yeah I caught ALLOT of fish.

No doubt I'm a real WoW Fisherman. Elsewhere in Azeroth the Rat Race goes on at full speed, I guess that's my perspective. Wherever you are in WoW, don't forget to enjoy the game, however you choose to play it for your own reasons.

So lvl 85 Finally.

So hit lvl 85 on Saturday sometime, can't remember when, but it was a very long day session playing WoW. Had just started the initial quest chain from Orgrimmar to get to the Twilight Highlands. And had just completed a few of the quests in Dragonmaw Port the horde foothold in the Twilight Highlands before hitting lvl 85.

Somewhere mid lvl 84's while doing the quests in Uldum with Harrison Jones and Bronzebeard completed almost every quests in the zone I could find and searched around to find but was out of quests. Somewhere I was missing a quest or completing it. The way quests are linear each unlocking others that can easily happen. Only had two dungeon quests left for the zone that had picked up so figured it was on of them yet to be complete preventing access to more quests probably. Couldn't figure out how to get to Twilight Highlands at the time and had not picked up the quest in Ogrimmar as yet to start the chain to get to the zone either.

Only Cataclysm dungeon hadn't yet found and unlocked was Grim Bitol in Twilight Highlands. And had two dungeon quests for two different dungeons in Uldum zone. Mid way to lvl 84 and out of quests decided to finally queue up from running quests to run my first set of Cataclysm dungeons just doing randoms. Didn't feel much like tanking for my first step back into dungeons so queued up as dps and ran several dungeons as dps till close to lvl 85 and by that time was just too tired. Seeing the new dungeons for the first time was all interesting. Had completed Halls of Origination quest for Bronzebeard in Uldum and still couldn't find any more zone quests unlocked anywhere in zone. Called it a night there.

Back in game again later after a marathon sleep found the starter quest which starts the chain which gets you to Twilight Highlands right there in Orgrimmar in front of the Warchief's building. So eventually completed the initial chain quests which got me to the Twilight Highlands and much different zone to being in the desert zone of Uldum. Wasn't but a few quests after being there at the port that hit lvl 85. Hard to believe the leveling experience is now over after it just started.

After which just went exploring the zone a bit to see what was there in the Twilight Highlands.

lvl 84 and onto Uldum

Completed all the quests in Deepholm yesterday hitting lvl 84 at the very end. That also including finishing all the daily quests at the end for the Therazune daily quests. I think I hit Honored with the Therazune. Not sure where their quatermaster is at, must recheck to see what they have. They weren't much else left to do but a dungeon quest in zone. Had allot of fun in zone but it was fun to be going someplace else to maybe see some sunlight or change of scenery. So doubled back to finish a few quests I believed I still had to do in Vashj'ir.

Turned out had only the last quest in Vashj'ir to do which involved the Naga's and Tidehunter with all the cutscenes. That was quite allot of fun to see and be involved in. I could only imagine somewhere down the line this Naga story will become a endgame raid of some sort for Cataclysm. Completed it and got the achievement for 20,ooo leagues below the sea or something like that. Jumped through the rift at the end following behind the NPC that got abducted and ended up finding and unlocking the Throne of Tides dungeon. Wasn't quite sure where to go so jumped into the dungeon and guess picked up a few quests for the dungeon.

As much as would of liked to see the new dungeon, didn't feel much like dungeoning and didn't feel like jumping in to tank my first return to WoW dungeon as yet. I think I must be still getting over some syndrome of getting used to playing my character confidently enough to tank again and tank in PuGs which I used to be famous for running in groups with.

I'm excited to hear CC is back again in Cataclysm. It was one the things that I totally hated about WotLK and mentioned my feelings here on the blog how everything was just a AoE fest and often no real group thinking and sad state of instance Pugs as well classes that knew how to use they own abilities in a jam if they had to. That in the end was one the reason I started hating Puging group dynamics in the end and the sad state of Instance Pugs/Raids. I love to AoE like anyone else, but I also or used to enjoy the art of executing a surgical pull with group dynamics to execute fun tactical play while tanking. And though I can barely remember at this point the exact details of every class CC abilities for tanking for obvious reasons at this point, I'm glad its back to the Dungeon/Raid game. Anyway for now I'm having fun with quests, leveling and shaking some rusts off using skills.

Already had picked up a quest in Deepholm towards completing most the zone that ended up sending me to Uldum by way of Orgrimmar and already completing several quests already. So decided after finishing things mostly in Vashj'ir to head off to the sunny dessert once again to Uldum.

Things learned in Deepholm

Zone is full of node spawn for the valuable Eternium and the other Obsidion Ore but lots of Eternium. Most the mining I did was just mining heading while heading to a quest spot to kill something or complete a quest. Beating other players to nodes can sometime be a fun little mini game. Pays well on AH as well.

If you explore the underground caves in the Crumbling Depths they spawn lots of nodes inside it seems, at least while I kept going through there they did. Just got to fight the worms to get to some of them or get around them.

Most Dissapointing Thing So Far in Cataclysm

Well to me at least. No solution to storing a bank full of Tabards, Faction Tabards and unique Tabards earned that fills up everyone banks that been playing the game for years. Would of hoped Blizzard would of come up with a solution for that.

Screenshots

In five years of playing WoW i've taken literally hundreds and hundreds of screenshots and for the blog to pic and use. Eleven months away from WoW and i've almost completely forgotten how to take screenshots. Too good a hiatus I guess. Anyway I now play on a Mac Pro Laptop so taking screenshots is a bit different than using a Windows PC. Its probably different to when i played on my Mac G5 desktop before which no longer works for Cataclysm.

Though I do remember how to take a screenshot thanks much to it being the same way to hit the same keys as in playing EVE Online I can't remember in WoW how to clear the screen UI interface so as to take a clean screenshot. Which is a bit different keys to hit on a Mac Pro as compared to doing the same thing in EVE Online. If anyone knows how to clear actually the UI to take a screenshot in WoW on a Mac Pro laptop please let me know.

Too long a hiatus from any MMO and you can forget how to do allot of things sometime and get quite rusty at even basic stuff you once did without even having to think about it.