Let me say right off the bat that I do not believe that Cataclysm Heroics are overly difficult. I also, however, do not side with the camp that argues they are too easy. Can they be rolled by a well geared raiding guild? Of course they can. Do they pose a significant challenge to a randomly assembled crew fresh out of the normal dungeons? You better bet they do. With that in mind, are these five player instances serving their purpose? I think they are and find out why after the bump.
Showing posts with label Grouping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grouping. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Guild Recruiting the Right Way
Recently, I have been posting a lot about guild management. This is because, as of late, fulfilling my Guild Master duties has been sucking up tons of my time. Holding a guild together during the transition between expansions is tough. Growing it is even tougher.
As the last breezes of summer stir a wildfire of raid fatigue, I am frequently finding myself short raiders for our guild 25 mans. As a result, my leadership team and I have sprung into recruiting mode. We have been at this long enough to learn there is a right way and a wrong way to go about building your raiding guild's roster. After the bump, I'll offer my lessons learned by providing tips on how to recruit for your guild the right way.
As the last breezes of summer stir a wildfire of raid fatigue, I am frequently finding myself short raiders for our guild 25 mans. As a result, my leadership team and I have sprung into recruiting mode. We have been at this long enough to learn there is a right way and a wrong way to go about building your raiding guild's roster. After the bump, I'll offer my lessons learned by providing tips on how to recruit for your guild the right way.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Symbiosis in Warcraft: Building the Perfect Guild
Symbiosis is a biological term used to describe the interactions between different living organisms. Generally speaking, three different kinds of symbiotic relationships exist within the natural world: mutualistic, commensalistic, and parasitic.
Now you may be asking yourself what in the world all this has to do with guild management. Well, within the ecosystem that is World of Warcraft, a guild can easily be likened to a living organism. It moves, grows, and seeks to fill various needs. Similarly each guild member also exists as an independent organism. The relationship between a guild member and a guild can then logically be defined as symbiotic. After the bump, we'll walk through the different kinds of symbiosis and how, through a World of Warcraft lens, each type can help or harm your guild.
Now you may be asking yourself what in the world all this has to do with guild management. Well, within the ecosystem that is World of Warcraft, a guild can easily be likened to a living organism. It moves, grows, and seeks to fill various needs. Similarly each guild member also exists as an independent organism. The relationship between a guild member and a guild can then logically be defined as symbiotic. After the bump, we'll walk through the different kinds of symbiosis and how, through a World of Warcraft lens, each type can help or harm your guild.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Guide to Gear Score
Love it or hate it, the concept of Gear Score has become a persistent part of life in Azeroth. It often plays a roll in determining what groups you can get into, what guilds you can apply to, and generally how other players perceive you and your character. Despite these facts, many players do not understand exactly what a "Gear Score" is, let alone how it works. Thankfully, I intend to clear that all up below.
What is Gear Score?
Generally speaking, a Gear Score is a numerical value assigned to a character based on the quality of the gear that player has equipped. There are many different programs and websites which can tell you your "Gear Score," but the number scale and value associated with each piece of gear can vary greatly from one source to the next. When referred to in game, however, players are generally referring to the number generated by the GearScore addon available on Curse Gaming and if someone in game asks you what your Gear Score is, they likely want to know what number the add on assigns to you.
What is My Gear Score?
There are two ways to find out your Gear Score. The first is to simply ask someone with the GearScore add on to tell you what it is in game. Generally a "Can someone whisper me my Gear Score" posted in Trade Chat will generate some quick responses. Keep in mind that the Gear Score you get from other players might be out of date as your number is only updated for other players when they actually encounter you in game.
The other, better way to learn your Gear Score is by installing the add on yourself. You can download the GearScore addon from Curse.com. You can then follow the install instructions listed under the "Install" tab to activate the add on. The next time you log into World of Warcraft, GearScore will be running and your Gear Score will be posted on your character page. Additionally, over time, you will start seeing the Gear Scores of other players whenever you mouse over them. Welcome to the future!
How is Gear Score Calculated?
GearScore looks at each and every item a player has equipped and assigns it a numerical value. The number is affected by both the items quality (Blue, Epic, etc.) and the stats on the item. Generally speaking, items with a higher Blizzard assigned "ilevel" will also have a higher Gear Score. The add on then adds the numbers for all a player's items together and viola: Gear Score.
How Can I Raise My Gear Score?
The simple answer is get better gear, but there are some tricks you can use to quickly or artificially inflate your Gear Score. First, go all Epics as soon as you can. Gearscore severely penalizes items that are not purple so even a single holdout blue item can drop your Gear Score by hundreds of points.
Second, get some PvP gear. One of GearScore's biggest weaknesses is that it does not differentiate between PvP and PvE gear. That means that even though your ilevel 232 PvE boots may be better for your performance, ilevel 252 PvP boots will net you a significantly higher Gear Score. Cashing in a handful of Honor Tokens is a fast easy way to boost your Gear Score, especially if you only have those pesky blue quest boots holding you back from full Epics.
Third, you can plan your upgrades around your Gear Score. The GearScore add on will not only show you players' composite Gear Scores, but will also show the Gear Score point value associated with each piece of armor in the game. Once you install the add on, you will be able to tell which pieces of equipment are holding your Gear Score back. By replacing these items first, your can push up your Gear Score as quickly as you can.
Lastly, as you can use PvP items to inflate your Gear Score, you can also use powerful items that are not particularly helpful for your character. Whether it is a high ilevel off-spec item or a random greed roll purple you picked up in a heroic, GearScore does not care if you need or want an item. GearScore only cares how powerful an item itself is. A melee swapping out his green Attack Power Trinket for an Epic Spellpower one can easily fool GearScore and get you in groups your "real" trinket might bar you from.
Isn't Gear Score Unfair?
Some would say it is, others would say it isn't. Really, the add on itself is just a tool that players can use in fair ways and unfair ways. Aside from the tricks above, GearScore is relatively successful at giving a raid leader a snapshot of the quality of a player's gear. However, as any good World of Warcraft player knows, gear is only part of the equation. There are plenty of heroes wandering Azeroth that have amazing gear, but little skill. Likewise, there are tons of green laden alts and noobs out there who know every raid encounter and their class like the back of their hands.
With some discretion, a reasonable Gear Score requirement for a particular raid or guild is not a bad thing in and of itself. It is when the requirements become unreasonable or all discretion goes out the window that the GearScore add on starts to get a bad rap. Fair or unfair though, Gear Score is something that will affect how you play World of Warcraft, so it is best to understand it.
What is Gear Score?
Generally speaking, a Gear Score is a numerical value assigned to a character based on the quality of the gear that player has equipped. There are many different programs and websites which can tell you your "Gear Score," but the number scale and value associated with each piece of gear can vary greatly from one source to the next. When referred to in game, however, players are generally referring to the number generated by the GearScore addon available on Curse Gaming and if someone in game asks you what your Gear Score is, they likely want to know what number the add on assigns to you.
What is My Gear Score?
There are two ways to find out your Gear Score. The first is to simply ask someone with the GearScore add on to tell you what it is in game. Generally a "Can someone whisper me my Gear Score" posted in Trade Chat will generate some quick responses. Keep in mind that the Gear Score you get from other players might be out of date as your number is only updated for other players when they actually encounter you in game.
The other, better way to learn your Gear Score is by installing the add on yourself. You can download the GearScore addon from Curse.com. You can then follow the install instructions listed under the "Install" tab to activate the add on. The next time you log into World of Warcraft, GearScore will be running and your Gear Score will be posted on your character page. Additionally, over time, you will start seeing the Gear Scores of other players whenever you mouse over them. Welcome to the future!
How is Gear Score Calculated?
GearScore looks at each and every item a player has equipped and assigns it a numerical value. The number is affected by both the items quality (Blue, Epic, etc.) and the stats on the item. Generally speaking, items with a higher Blizzard assigned "ilevel" will also have a higher Gear Score. The add on then adds the numbers for all a player's items together and viola: Gear Score.
How Can I Raise My Gear Score?
The simple answer is get better gear, but there are some tricks you can use to quickly or artificially inflate your Gear Score. First, go all Epics as soon as you can. Gearscore severely penalizes items that are not purple so even a single holdout blue item can drop your Gear Score by hundreds of points.
Second, get some PvP gear. One of GearScore's biggest weaknesses is that it does not differentiate between PvP and PvE gear. That means that even though your ilevel 232 PvE boots may be better for your performance, ilevel 252 PvP boots will net you a significantly higher Gear Score. Cashing in a handful of Honor Tokens is a fast easy way to boost your Gear Score, especially if you only have those pesky blue quest boots holding you back from full Epics.
Third, you can plan your upgrades around your Gear Score. The GearScore add on will not only show you players' composite Gear Scores, but will also show the Gear Score point value associated with each piece of armor in the game. Once you install the add on, you will be able to tell which pieces of equipment are holding your Gear Score back. By replacing these items first, your can push up your Gear Score as quickly as you can.
Lastly, as you can use PvP items to inflate your Gear Score, you can also use powerful items that are not particularly helpful for your character. Whether it is a high ilevel off-spec item or a random greed roll purple you picked up in a heroic, GearScore does not care if you need or want an item. GearScore only cares how powerful an item itself is. A melee swapping out his green Attack Power Trinket for an Epic Spellpower one can easily fool GearScore and get you in groups your "real" trinket might bar you from.
Isn't Gear Score Unfair?
Some would say it is, others would say it isn't. Really, the add on itself is just a tool that players can use in fair ways and unfair ways. Aside from the tricks above, GearScore is relatively successful at giving a raid leader a snapshot of the quality of a player's gear. However, as any good World of Warcraft player knows, gear is only part of the equation. There are plenty of heroes wandering Azeroth that have amazing gear, but little skill. Likewise, there are tons of green laden alts and noobs out there who know every raid encounter and their class like the back of their hands.
With some discretion, a reasonable Gear Score requirement for a particular raid or guild is not a bad thing in and of itself. It is when the requirements become unreasonable or all discretion goes out the window that the GearScore add on starts to get a bad rap. Fair or unfair though, Gear Score is something that will affect how you play World of Warcraft, so it is best to understand it.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tips for Creating a Successful Guild
Running a successful World of Warcraft guild takes a great deal of time and effort. With proper planning, the right attitude and a hearty helping of patience, however, anyone can sit atop the guild of their dreams. Below are some tips to help you make your World of Warcraft guild leader dreams a reality.
1. Decide What Type of Guild You Want and Plan Accordingly
What makes a guild "successful" is inherently defined by the drive of its members. If a guild exists only as a social space for friends, the bar for success might be as low as having a couple bank tabs and keeping everyone happy. On the other hand, a progression guild might only be successful if it is capable of clearing the latest raid content or if it can master challenging achievements. Lastly, a leveling guild might solely be judged by the size of its membership.
If you have low expectations for your guild, your initial effort and ongoing administrative burden will similarly be low. If, however, you plan to compete with the top guilds on your server, you better be prepared to do your homework and put serious time into keeping your guild rolling. Make sure to not bite off more than you can chew while similarly not falling short of your own reasonable expectations.
Contemplating the kind of guild you want is also important in that you must be able to clearly express your expectations for the guild to potential members. If you do not have a clear idea of what goals you have for the guild, it is going to be impossible for other players to know if joining your guild will help them further their own personal goals.
2. Choose a Reasonable Name
John Locke once said that there is much in a name and that holds true for guilds as well. Though you and your friends may find the name "ZomgPawners" hilarious, odds are you will have a harder time recruiting your server's top players into a guild where the first impression your name creates is "these guys are ridiculous."
If you do not care about your guild's "status" or the size of its membership, the name you pick is largely irrelevant so long as it is not obscene or a violation of the World of Warcraft Terms of Service. If, however, you want to grow your guild, try to pick a name that will appeal to a broad audience. Lacking inspiration, try paging through a dictionary to get your creative juices flowing.
3. Form, Then Fill
Every guild, no matter its type, starts with 10 signatures on a Guild Charter. Many players make the mistake of trying to track down the entirety of their guild's membership BEFORE the Guild even exists.
If you are truly committed to forming your own guild, do not get too hung up on who signs your charter. Obviously, if you have friends or acquaintances who are on board and available, may as well have them be founding members. Otherwise, any warm body will do. Targeting new players and or offering a gold or two per signature can quickly fill your charter and have your Guild ready for business.
4. Offer Guild Benefits to Draw and Keep Members
Though there is a great deal to be said for the sense of community and organizational benefits a guild provides, that is not enough for most players. If you want to draw quality players into your guild, you are going to need to offer perks.
The perks start with a guild bank. A well stocked, multi-tab guild bank with reasonable use restrictions is a must for any respectable guild. Be certain to protect the bank from ninjas by restricting access to new members, but also do not preclude its use entirely. Give your members the trust they deserve, but nothing more. A guild tabbard is also a nice touch even though most high level characters will neglect it entirely. For a leveling or PvP guild, however, it is nearly a must.
If you are serious about your guild competing with the big boys, you will need to offer meta game benefits as well. For any serious raiding guild, a Ventrilo server is a necessity. You can purchase these servers for only a couple bucks a month from companies like Dark Star Communications. A website will also go a long way towards boosting guild communication and organization. There are many free guild website hosting providers available. I generally recommend Guildtag.com as they offer lots of customization options at a truly free price point.
5. Screen Applicants Carefully
Never forget, your guild can never be more successful than its members. If you are only looking to create a large guild, go ahead and invite whoever you can. If, however, you are trying to form a raid guild of any kind, quality is always superior to quantity. It is better to have a strong core group of players and have to PuG a couple slots for raids than to have bad attitudes and lazy players poisoning your guild. Eventually, the quality players you meet in those PuGs can be brought into the fold. It will take a while for your guild to be independently raid ready, but the results will be well worth the extra time and effort.
6. Be Flexible
As your guild grows and changes, it is important that your leadership grow and change with it. Allow trusted members to take on certain guild administration responsibilities. Modify schedules, raid targets, and policies as needed. It is your guild afterall, but unless you are flexible and adaptive, it will ultimately be a guild of one, sitting in Dalaran and wondering what might have been.
1. Decide What Type of Guild You Want and Plan Accordingly
What makes a guild "successful" is inherently defined by the drive of its members. If a guild exists only as a social space for friends, the bar for success might be as low as having a couple bank tabs and keeping everyone happy. On the other hand, a progression guild might only be successful if it is capable of clearing the latest raid content or if it can master challenging achievements. Lastly, a leveling guild might solely be judged by the size of its membership.
If you have low expectations for your guild, your initial effort and ongoing administrative burden will similarly be low. If, however, you plan to compete with the top guilds on your server, you better be prepared to do your homework and put serious time into keeping your guild rolling. Make sure to not bite off more than you can chew while similarly not falling short of your own reasonable expectations.
Contemplating the kind of guild you want is also important in that you must be able to clearly express your expectations for the guild to potential members. If you do not have a clear idea of what goals you have for the guild, it is going to be impossible for other players to know if joining your guild will help them further their own personal goals.
2. Choose a Reasonable Name
John Locke once said that there is much in a name and that holds true for guilds as well. Though you and your friends may find the name "ZomgPawners" hilarious, odds are you will have a harder time recruiting your server's top players into a guild where the first impression your name creates is "these guys are ridiculous."
If you do not care about your guild's "status" or the size of its membership, the name you pick is largely irrelevant so long as it is not obscene or a violation of the World of Warcraft Terms of Service. If, however, you want to grow your guild, try to pick a name that will appeal to a broad audience. Lacking inspiration, try paging through a dictionary to get your creative juices flowing.
3. Form, Then Fill
Every guild, no matter its type, starts with 10 signatures on a Guild Charter. Many players make the mistake of trying to track down the entirety of their guild's membership BEFORE the Guild even exists.
If you are truly committed to forming your own guild, do not get too hung up on who signs your charter. Obviously, if you have friends or acquaintances who are on board and available, may as well have them be founding members. Otherwise, any warm body will do. Targeting new players and or offering a gold or two per signature can quickly fill your charter and have your Guild ready for business.
4. Offer Guild Benefits to Draw and Keep Members
Though there is a great deal to be said for the sense of community and organizational benefits a guild provides, that is not enough for most players. If you want to draw quality players into your guild, you are going to need to offer perks.
The perks start with a guild bank. A well stocked, multi-tab guild bank with reasonable use restrictions is a must for any respectable guild. Be certain to protect the bank from ninjas by restricting access to new members, but also do not preclude its use entirely. Give your members the trust they deserve, but nothing more. A guild tabbard is also a nice touch even though most high level characters will neglect it entirely. For a leveling or PvP guild, however, it is nearly a must.
If you are serious about your guild competing with the big boys, you will need to offer meta game benefits as well. For any serious raiding guild, a Ventrilo server is a necessity. You can purchase these servers for only a couple bucks a month from companies like Dark Star Communications. A website will also go a long way towards boosting guild communication and organization. There are many free guild website hosting providers available. I generally recommend Guildtag.com as they offer lots of customization options at a truly free price point.
5. Screen Applicants Carefully
Never forget, your guild can never be more successful than its members. If you are only looking to create a large guild, go ahead and invite whoever you can. If, however, you are trying to form a raid guild of any kind, quality is always superior to quantity. It is better to have a strong core group of players and have to PuG a couple slots for raids than to have bad attitudes and lazy players poisoning your guild. Eventually, the quality players you meet in those PuGs can be brought into the fold. It will take a while for your guild to be independently raid ready, but the results will be well worth the extra time and effort.
6. Be Flexible
As your guild grows and changes, it is important that your leadership grow and change with it. Allow trusted members to take on certain guild administration responsibilities. Modify schedules, raid targets, and policies as needed. It is your guild afterall, but unless you are flexible and adaptive, it will ultimately be a guild of one, sitting in Dalaran and wondering what might have been.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Trial of the Crusader Quick Tips
Say you have just gotten into a Trial of the Crusader PuG and realize you have no idea what you are supposed to do. Now imagine it is your Guild's first run at the instance and you keep wiping, but you are not sure why. Lastly, picture you are a raid leader putting together a group for Trial of the Crusader and you need a quick easy way to explain the fights to that one new dps you just invited. In any of those situations, the Trial of the Crusader quick tips below are for you!
These tips do not lay out all the nuances of each encounter, but they should be sufficient to keep you alive and productive in both the 10 and 25 man version of Trial of the Crusader.
Beasts of Northrend Tips:
Gormok the Impaler
Tanks: Taunt off the other tank whenever the stacking debuff reaches three. Taunt the target back when your debuffs have gone away.
DPS: Do not stand in the fire. Immediately shift your dps to any Snobolds which are attacking you or your party members.
Healers: Do not stand in the fire. Call out for help if a Snobold is on you. Increase heals on the tanks when their debuff is at three.
Acidmaw and Dreadscale
Tanks: Point your worm away from the raid. Move the mobile worm out of poison clouds. If you get a Paralytic Toxin debuff, call out for a raid member with a Burning Bile debuff to come to you or, if necessary, go to them.
DPS: Burn down Acidmaw. Stay spread out. If you get a Paralytic Toxin debuff, immediately run to a raid member with the Burning Bile debuff. Do not stand in the poison clouds.
Healers: Stay spread out. If you get a Paralytic Toxin debuff, immediately run to a raid member with the Burning Bile debuff. When one worm dies, the other increases its damage, so step up the heals. Do not stand in the poison clouds.
Icehowl
Tanks: Only one tank is required. Tank him near the center of the room. After he knocks everyone to the wall, run out of his way if he is aimed to charge towards you.
DPS: Stay spread out. After he knocks everyone to the wall, run out of his way if he is aimed to charge towards you. Blow your cooldowns and hit him hard after he crashes into a wall.
Healers: Stay spread out. After he knocks everyone to the wall, run out of his way if he is aimed to charge towards you. Land big heals to keep the tank alive after Ferocious Butt.
Lord Jaraxxus
Tanks: Main needs to hold Lord Jaraxxus in the center of the room and interrupt Fel Fireball casts whenever possible. Off tank needs to pick up the Mistress of Pain who spawns from each Nether Portal and tank her away from the raid. Off tank needs to pick up the three Felflame Infernals who spawn from each Fel Volcano and tank them away from the raid as much as possible despite their aggro dumps.
DPS: Stay spread out. Interrupt Fel Fireball whenever possible. Spellsteal or dispell the Jaraxxus' Nether Power buff. When you are standing in green flame, run out of it towards the wall. Ranged dps should immediately switch to burning Felflame Infernals or Mistresses of Pain whenever they spawn.
Healers: Stay spread out. When you are standing in green flame, run out of it towards the wall. When a player gets the Incinerate Flesh debuff, immediately heal them until the debuff is removed. This fight is healing intensive.
Faction Champions:
Tanks: Go to more PvP viable offspecs if you can. Keep melee dps classes off of other players using Taunts, snares, and crowd control (subject to diminishing returns). Contribute damage to focus fire targets as much as possible.
DPS: Focus fire. Kill healers first. Use all crowd control and snares at your disposal. Heal yourself if you can. Kite mobs if necessary to survive.
Healers: Use all crowd control and snares at your disposal. Land heavy heals on the mobs focus fire target. Keep yourself alive and kite as needed.
Twin Val'kyr:
Tanks: Click the portal of the opposite color of the Val'kyr you plan to tank. Tank the Val'kyr close together. Touch orbs that match your color when possible.
DPS: Click the portal of the opposite color of the Val'kyr you are dpsing. If a Val'kyr begins casting Twin's Pact, switch dps to it (switching your color if needed) to break its shield and then interrupt the spell. If a Val'kyr begins casting Vortex, immediately switch to that Val'kyr's color to avoid being killed by the resulting AoE. Touch same color orbs whenever you can. Avoid opposite color orbs. The Twins share a health pool so dps whichever is convenient at any given time.
Healers: If a Val'kyr begins casting Vortex, immediately switch to that Val'kyr's color to avoid being killed by the resulting AoE. Touch same color orbs whenever you can. Avoid opposite color orbs. Try to stay the opposite color of the dps so as to increase orb absorption.
Anub'arak:
Tanks: Main tank holds Anub'arak where he starts, facing him away from the raid. Off tank picks up adds and tanks them on top of blue permafrost. When Anub'arak is underground, tanks help dps kite small adds and run from spikes if chased. Draw spikes into permafrost to destroy them if they you can no longer outrun them.
DPS: One ranged dps shoots floating orbs so as to scatter permafrost around area. Switch target to big adds and burn them down whenever they appear. Kite and kill small adds when Anub'arak is underground. Run from spikes if chased. Draw spikes into permafrost to destroy them if they you can no longer outrun them.
Healers: Run from small adds when Anub'arak is underground. Run from spikes if chased. Draw spikes into permafrost to destroy them if they you can no longer outrun them. When Anub'arak begins casing Leeching Swarm, let everyone but the tanks' health hover as low as you can.
These tips do not lay out all the nuances of each encounter, but they should be sufficient to keep you alive and productive in both the 10 and 25 man version of Trial of the Crusader.
Beasts of Northrend Tips:
Gormok the Impaler
Tanks: Taunt off the other tank whenever the stacking debuff reaches three. Taunt the target back when your debuffs have gone away.
DPS: Do not stand in the fire. Immediately shift your dps to any Snobolds which are attacking you or your party members.
Healers: Do not stand in the fire. Call out for help if a Snobold is on you. Increase heals on the tanks when their debuff is at three.
Acidmaw and Dreadscale
Tanks: Point your worm away from the raid. Move the mobile worm out of poison clouds. If you get a Paralytic Toxin debuff, call out for a raid member with a Burning Bile debuff to come to you or, if necessary, go to them.
DPS: Burn down Acidmaw. Stay spread out. If you get a Paralytic Toxin debuff, immediately run to a raid member with the Burning Bile debuff. Do not stand in the poison clouds.
Healers: Stay spread out. If you get a Paralytic Toxin debuff, immediately run to a raid member with the Burning Bile debuff. When one worm dies, the other increases its damage, so step up the heals. Do not stand in the poison clouds.
Icehowl
Tanks: Only one tank is required. Tank him near the center of the room. After he knocks everyone to the wall, run out of his way if he is aimed to charge towards you.
DPS: Stay spread out. After he knocks everyone to the wall, run out of his way if he is aimed to charge towards you. Blow your cooldowns and hit him hard after he crashes into a wall.
Healers: Stay spread out. After he knocks everyone to the wall, run out of his way if he is aimed to charge towards you. Land big heals to keep the tank alive after Ferocious Butt.
Lord Jaraxxus
Tanks: Main needs to hold Lord Jaraxxus in the center of the room and interrupt Fel Fireball casts whenever possible. Off tank needs to pick up the Mistress of Pain who spawns from each Nether Portal and tank her away from the raid. Off tank needs to pick up the three Felflame Infernals who spawn from each Fel Volcano and tank them away from the raid as much as possible despite their aggro dumps.
DPS: Stay spread out. Interrupt Fel Fireball whenever possible. Spellsteal or dispell the Jaraxxus' Nether Power buff. When you are standing in green flame, run out of it towards the wall. Ranged dps should immediately switch to burning Felflame Infernals or Mistresses of Pain whenever they spawn.
Healers: Stay spread out. When you are standing in green flame, run out of it towards the wall. When a player gets the Incinerate Flesh debuff, immediately heal them until the debuff is removed. This fight is healing intensive.
Faction Champions:
Tanks: Go to more PvP viable offspecs if you can. Keep melee dps classes off of other players using Taunts, snares, and crowd control (subject to diminishing returns). Contribute damage to focus fire targets as much as possible.
DPS: Focus fire. Kill healers first. Use all crowd control and snares at your disposal. Heal yourself if you can. Kite mobs if necessary to survive.
Healers: Use all crowd control and snares at your disposal. Land heavy heals on the mobs focus fire target. Keep yourself alive and kite as needed.
Twin Val'kyr:
Tanks: Click the portal of the opposite color of the Val'kyr you plan to tank. Tank the Val'kyr close together. Touch orbs that match your color when possible.
DPS: Click the portal of the opposite color of the Val'kyr you are dpsing. If a Val'kyr begins casting Twin's Pact, switch dps to it (switching your color if needed) to break its shield and then interrupt the spell. If a Val'kyr begins casting Vortex, immediately switch to that Val'kyr's color to avoid being killed by the resulting AoE. Touch same color orbs whenever you can. Avoid opposite color orbs. The Twins share a health pool so dps whichever is convenient at any given time.
Healers: If a Val'kyr begins casting Vortex, immediately switch to that Val'kyr's color to avoid being killed by the resulting AoE. Touch same color orbs whenever you can. Avoid opposite color orbs. Try to stay the opposite color of the dps so as to increase orb absorption.
Anub'arak:
Tanks: Main tank holds Anub'arak where he starts, facing him away from the raid. Off tank picks up adds and tanks them on top of blue permafrost. When Anub'arak is underground, tanks help dps kite small adds and run from spikes if chased. Draw spikes into permafrost to destroy them if they you can no longer outrun them.
DPS: One ranged dps shoots floating orbs so as to scatter permafrost around area. Switch target to big adds and burn them down whenever they appear. Kite and kill small adds when Anub'arak is underground. Run from spikes if chased. Draw spikes into permafrost to destroy them if they you can no longer outrun them.
Healers: Run from small adds when Anub'arak is underground. Run from spikes if chased. Draw spikes into permafrost to destroy them if they you can no longer outrun them. When Anub'arak begins casing Leeching Swarm, let everyone but the tanks' health hover as low as you can.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
World of Warcraft New Dungeon System Unveiled
Today, Blizzard lifted the curtain on several of the details for its new Looking For Group (LFG) Dungeon system. Be sure to check out the Official New Dungeon System Preview on the World of Warcraft website for details.
The most noteworthy feature, and one which has been the buzz around Blizzard for some time now, is cross realm instancing. Using the new interface, players can be placed in an instance group with players from their Battlegroup rather than being limited to the pool of players on their server. To accommodate these groups, the system will also port players directly into their instances similar to how the Battleground system currently functions.
Among the more minor, but positive changes being introduced are the elimination of the three instance que cap, more intelligent automatic group formation, and a vote driven player kick system. There is also some controversy built into the LFG interface in the form of a new mandatory Need vs. Greed loot system and automatic disenchanting. The new Need vs. Greed system has irked Paladins, Druids, and Shaman in that it restricts Need rolls to class ideal armor types meaning Paladins can only need on Plate, Druids on Leather, and Shaman on Mail. The automatic DE feature, which is active whenever you are grouped with an Enchanter, has been stoutly opposed by a segment of the Enchanting population as a hijacking of their trade skill.
Ultimately, the new system seems like much more good than bad. Unfortunately, the fear of change ingrained in all World of Warcraft players will cause many to be blind to the improvements the new Dungeon interface brings to the table. This, my friends, is progress, like it or lump it.
The most noteworthy feature, and one which has been the buzz around Blizzard for some time now, is cross realm instancing. Using the new interface, players can be placed in an instance group with players from their Battlegroup rather than being limited to the pool of players on their server. To accommodate these groups, the system will also port players directly into their instances similar to how the Battleground system currently functions.
Among the more minor, but positive changes being introduced are the elimination of the three instance que cap, more intelligent automatic group formation, and a vote driven player kick system. There is also some controversy built into the LFG interface in the form of a new mandatory Need vs. Greed loot system and automatic disenchanting. The new Need vs. Greed system has irked Paladins, Druids, and Shaman in that it restricts Need rolls to class ideal armor types meaning Paladins can only need on Plate, Druids on Leather, and Shaman on Mail. The automatic DE feature, which is active whenever you are grouped with an Enchanter, has been stoutly opposed by a segment of the Enchanting population as a hijacking of their trade skill.
Ultimately, the new system seems like much more good than bad. Unfortunately, the fear of change ingrained in all World of Warcraft players will cause many to be blind to the improvements the new Dungeon interface brings to the table. This, my friends, is progress, like it or lump it.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Watch the Typhoon Please
As a word of warning to all the budding Moonkins out there, while in a group, please use Typhoon sparingly. Positioning is often critical to your tank and dps both in terms of maximizing their damage, avoiding non-targeted attacks, and preventing wipes. As a result, scattering a pull around like a fallen house of cards will rarely lead to anything but frustration and death.
If you plan on using Typhoon in instances, use it smartly. If you want to use it simply for AoE damage, consider the Glyph of Typhoon. I would, however, steer you away from that course unless you are certain as the knockback can be exceptionally useful when applied properly. For example, a well placed Typhoon at maximum range can be the perfect tool for knocking a mob who is charging your healers/ranged dps right back into the tanks lap. It is also a reliable interrupt which can hit multiple casters at once. Though again be weary of undoing the work your tank did bunching all those caster mobs up in the first place. Just keep in mind that Typhoon is useful, but generally speaking, only in small doses.
If you plan on using Typhoon in instances, use it smartly. If you want to use it simply for AoE damage, consider the Glyph of Typhoon. I would, however, steer you away from that course unless you are certain as the knockback can be exceptionally useful when applied properly. For example, a well placed Typhoon at maximum range can be the perfect tool for knocking a mob who is charging your healers/ranged dps right back into the tanks lap. It is also a reliable interrupt which can hit multiple casters at once. Though again be weary of undoing the work your tank did bunching all those caster mobs up in the first place. Just keep in mind that Typhoon is useful, but generally speaking, only in small doses.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Bad Ret Pallies and How to Not Be One
Every one who has ever run an instance with a PuG (Pick up Group) has met that guy. He is the one who the group openly ridicules and the source of the many wipes which ultimately lead to your tank "restarting his computer" indefinitely. There is a that guy for every spec of every class. Put simply, that guy is a bad group member.
Being a bad group member does not involve having bad gear or not blowing consumables, it simply entails not doing things to help your group and doing things which harm them in the process. Below I take aim at PvE Retribution Paladins laying out the dos and don'ts of contributing to your party as a dps spec which is so hot right now.
On Helping your Tank:
Your tank, absent direct instructions to the contrary, wants only two things from you. First, do not pull agro. Everyone in your group is sufficiently impressed with your massive Paladin dps. While pulling agro amongst your friends might be a point of pride, in a pickup group it is frustrating at best. If you start moving two far up the agro table, lay a few blows on another target and/or Hand of Salvation yourself. Your tank will love you for it.
Second, keep track of your positioning. As a melee dps, you are on the front lines of the eternal struggle against the enemy of the day. The risks of you stumbling too near a roving pat or nearby bunch of mobs is always high. Whenever there is doubt, err on the side of caution and stay farther away from nearby mobs than the tank. That way, if he is not pulling them, neither will you. Along the same line, try not to stand in front of mobs. Many of Azeroth's denizens have crafted nefarious means of slaying all that stands before them. Try to see that you do not become one of their victims.
On Helping your Healer:
Though you may not be a tank, you are wearing plate and with great power comes great responsibility. You are always your healer's second line of defense right behind the tanks. If a mob makes a break for the healers time to bust out Hammer of Justice or Repentance. If your crowd control is on cooldown, throw a little bit of dps the mobs way. Generally speaking, a mob is not going to pound on your healers unless it is relatively agro free. This means you are only one massive crit away from being the mobs new best friend. Keep in mind you are only a temporary distraction, do not pile on the dps and bring the mob promptly to the real tank. Many an avoidable wipe has been caused by a Ret Pally afraid of getting hit.
The second way you can help your healer is to reduce his work load by healing yourself. The Azerothian gods gave you Art of War for a reason. Go into your interface settings and enable auto self-casting and use those massive holes in your rotation to instant cast Flash of Light yourself. Since, your instant heals no longer reset your swing timer and mana regeneration is a breeze, there really is no reason not to.
On Helping Other DPS:
The same advice about protecting your healer also applies to your fellow dps. You should be the hardiest of your damage dealing brethren so if someone other than the tank is doomed to take a blow, make sure it is you. Though it may take a bit more to pull a mob off an agro hungry dps, never forget that you are just a temporary target so keep it as easy as you can for the tank to reestablish agro.
Also, stay on top of your buffs. Paladin buffs, when combined and properly used, are fairly potent and can make a noticeable difference in your groups damage output. Give your group members the buffs they want, not the ones you think they should have and refresh them before they expire. If you find yourself frequently being asked for a rebuff, you are not doing your job.
On Helping Yourself:
One of the best way to serve yourself and your group is to not die every other pull. PvE Ret Paladins are notorious for getting cut down enemy mobs. Defy the stereotype by keeping your self bubble handy and watching your agro. The extra dps you gain by jumping most of your tanks first attacks will never equal the dps you lost by being dead for 99% of that one pull. Resurrecting you takes time and mana. Take your time, be prepared, and watch your positioning and you will see the end of many battles.
Lastly, spec for success. You are, no doubt, born and bred to be a dps juggernaut, but you are also a team member. When selecting talents keep in mind that your contribution to a group is measured not by your place on the damage meters, but by how you raised your group's damage and survivability on the whole. In the long run, you and your groups will benefit.
Being a bad group member does not involve having bad gear or not blowing consumables, it simply entails not doing things to help your group and doing things which harm them in the process. Below I take aim at PvE Retribution Paladins laying out the dos and don'ts of contributing to your party as a dps spec which is so hot right now.
On Helping your Tank:
Your tank, absent direct instructions to the contrary, wants only two things from you. First, do not pull agro. Everyone in your group is sufficiently impressed with your massive Paladin dps. While pulling agro amongst your friends might be a point of pride, in a pickup group it is frustrating at best. If you start moving two far up the agro table, lay a few blows on another target and/or Hand of Salvation yourself. Your tank will love you for it.
Second, keep track of your positioning. As a melee dps, you are on the front lines of the eternal struggle against the enemy of the day. The risks of you stumbling too near a roving pat or nearby bunch of mobs is always high. Whenever there is doubt, err on the side of caution and stay farther away from nearby mobs than the tank. That way, if he is not pulling them, neither will you. Along the same line, try not to stand in front of mobs. Many of Azeroth's denizens have crafted nefarious means of slaying all that stands before them. Try to see that you do not become one of their victims.
On Helping your Healer:
Though you may not be a tank, you are wearing plate and with great power comes great responsibility. You are always your healer's second line of defense right behind the tanks. If a mob makes a break for the healers time to bust out Hammer of Justice or Repentance. If your crowd control is on cooldown, throw a little bit of dps the mobs way. Generally speaking, a mob is not going to pound on your healers unless it is relatively agro free. This means you are only one massive crit away from being the mobs new best friend. Keep in mind you are only a temporary distraction, do not pile on the dps and bring the mob promptly to the real tank. Many an avoidable wipe has been caused by a Ret Pally afraid of getting hit.
The second way you can help your healer is to reduce his work load by healing yourself. The Azerothian gods gave you Art of War for a reason. Go into your interface settings and enable auto self-casting and use those massive holes in your rotation to instant cast Flash of Light yourself. Since, your instant heals no longer reset your swing timer and mana regeneration is a breeze, there really is no reason not to.
On Helping Other DPS:
The same advice about protecting your healer also applies to your fellow dps. You should be the hardiest of your damage dealing brethren so if someone other than the tank is doomed to take a blow, make sure it is you. Though it may take a bit more to pull a mob off an agro hungry dps, never forget that you are just a temporary target so keep it as easy as you can for the tank to reestablish agro.
Also, stay on top of your buffs. Paladin buffs, when combined and properly used, are fairly potent and can make a noticeable difference in your groups damage output. Give your group members the buffs they want, not the ones you think they should have and refresh them before they expire. If you find yourself frequently being asked for a rebuff, you are not doing your job.
On Helping Yourself:
One of the best way to serve yourself and your group is to not die every other pull. PvE Ret Paladins are notorious for getting cut down enemy mobs. Defy the stereotype by keeping your self bubble handy and watching your agro. The extra dps you gain by jumping most of your tanks first attacks will never equal the dps you lost by being dead for 99% of that one pull. Resurrecting you takes time and mana. Take your time, be prepared, and watch your positioning and you will see the end of many battles.
Lastly, spec for success. You are, no doubt, born and bred to be a dps juggernaut, but you are also a team member. When selecting talents keep in mind that your contribution to a group is measured not by your place on the damage meters, but by how you raised your group's damage and survivability on the whole. In the long run, you and your groups will benefit.
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