The Mafiascum World of Warcraft Thread

[Fenchurch]

I don't think I have time to start characters on a new server, but if there is anyone else on EU servers, I have:

Level 60 Human Paladin on Runetotem (my old main)
Level 39 Tauren Warrior on Bronze Dragonflight (my new main)

I only got sucked in again recently with the promotion of Cataclysm, and the fact that my work buddies are playing it.

[Fenchurch]

What kind of guilds are you guys in? On my old char/server I used to be in a small social guild; now I'm in an even smaller guild which is just people I know irl - there are only 4 of us. It's good because I like them and I don't have to deal with idiots or pigheads or ninjas, but it's annoying because I want the new guild rewards, and it is soooooo slow with just us working towards them. After 3 weeks or so, we're 6% of the way to level 1. Of 25. Anyone got them already?

[Fenchurch]

Okay, serious step one: loot everything, sell it. Kill everything in your path at the beginning of the game. WoW has a questhelper thing built into it now, so if you go to your map you'll see exactly where you need to go for each quest. Do quests in bulk - accept all the ones you see in an area, then go out and do them ALL, then come back and turn them back in.

And once you make it to a city, buy whatever bags you can afford on the auction house. Nothing is more annoying than being in the middle of a bunch of quests and running out of space to pick up loot.

[Fenchurch]

Really? I think I had one as a random drop, but I don't think I've got any from quests this time round, and I only started four weeks ago. Must've missed them.

Netherweave are about 15g on my server, but a 8 or 10 or 12 slot is still useful and affordable in early levels, if you have bag spaces available. And you can buy a 16-slot bag now for 1g from the quartermaster in each major city (1 per char) if you have revered rep or above with that city's faction. The reputation is easy to gain by running a couple of dungeons whilst wearing that faction's tabard (also bought from the quartermaster).

I have heaps of cash now anyway, because I took blacksmithing and can craft rods for enchanters, which sell for 10g - 40g on my server. It's criminal.

[Fenchurch]

I quit WoW a long time ago, then I came back, then I quit again, then I came back again. And I frequently look back, at all the fun times I've had whilst playing.

Really though, it's up to you. I never subscribe for more than a month at a time though, then if I get bored I can just drop it again.

[Fenchurch]

I played a holy paladin back in vanilla, and I didn't think I was the most effective healer back then, although things might have changed now.

I'd like to know what the supposed order is for tanks. My prot warrior is definitely a more effective and enjoyable tank than my paladin was, but I seem to see the most calls for druid and paladin tanks nowadays.

[Fenchurch]

IME, Blacksmithing is easy as pie to level, whereas Engineering is a major pain what with all the weird mats needed (but fairly unique because of it).

Or you could just taken Herbalism as your second, for the golds.

I want to see a second scummers guild on EU servers... come and join me on Bronze Dragonflight, someone.

[Fenchurch]

I was subliminally influenced to say that

[Fenchurch]

What is cap for dodge and parry? I didn't even know you could cap those...

IIUC it's not exactly a cap, it's just the point where diminishing returns mean it's not worthwhile stacking any more of that stat.

There's some example math here that I don't totally understand, but that's out of date by two years anyway; I don't know what current figures are, nor which stats are best to focus on, but I'm only level 64 now so I don't think I need to optimise yet myself.

[Fenchurch]

I agree with AGar. This matches what I've read on tanking blogs.

[Fenchurch]

Which blogs?

Well I'm still a relative newbie and I haven't read that much, but:
Tank like a girl
Sword & Board
Warrior Tanking
The Dead Good Tanking Guide (has useful-looking cheat sheets for Cata dungeons)

They're mainly written from a Prot Warrior viewpoint. Kadomi's blog has a couple of links for DKs, but they don't seem to be especially up-to-date or tanking-specific.

[Fenchurch]

0-60 was way quicker, 60-80 was a pretty sizable grind.

This is it. Basically, Azeroth got a huge overhaul, and quests are now:
- shorter and easier
- less repetitive (eg. go fight something at the back of this cave... here's a magic item so you can teleport out afterwards)
- more varied (eg. transport quests, weird minigames)
Plus dungeons have maps, and quest-givers just inside the entrance, so going through the dungeon finder is wonderful.

BC and Wrath hark back to vanilla WoW, it's still enjoyable (and it was all new to me), but it's a lot slower. It took me about a month to get as far as Outland, and another to reach Northrend.

Personally, I've really enjoyed the changes, and levelling to 0-60 for the second time has been a blast. Apart from maybe the easier dungeons, if that's what's fostered the "gogogo" attitude, because I hate that.

Also grats to the scummers guild on Level 2

Mine is still only halfway there

[Fenchurch]

Also, you should check your account... I dunno if it's the same in the US, but on the EU accounts there is usually a free 10-day reactivation trial available, if you haven't played recently.

[Fenchurch]

And Aaaaanyhow if I am tanking and eveyone else is modus I believe you still get it? At least for 10 mans I know you need to have at least 8 I assume 5 mans is 4?

You get some even for 3/5. They changed the system recently:

Guild members can contribute experience to their guild level by completing quests, daily quests, killing dungeon and raid bosses with a group comprised of at least 80% guild members, and winning rated Battleground matches with a group comprised of at least 80% guild members.

An exception to the 80% rule is for five-person dungeons, which only require 3/5 people to be in the guild to earn guild experience and achievements. The amount of experience gained scales, with 3/5 guild members granting 50% normal guild xp, 4/5 giving 100%, and 5/5 giving 125% guild xp. The amount gained from each boss scales with your level relative to the boss's level, with Heroic bosses worth even more (1.5x). It pays off to have a full group of guild members!

Anyhow, moral of this story is: more of you should roll tanks. Seriously, tanking is awesome.

[Fenchurch]

What level are you? I'd say the basics are:
a) You pull. It's a major pain trying to get aggro off someone else at the start of the battle with zero rage.
b) Get the Prot talent Blood and Thunder. Charge, Rend + Thunderstorm into groups, repeat Thunderstorm as often as possible.
c) Use Sunder Armor (later replaced by Devastate) and Shield Slam and Revenge on your main target.
d) I like Gag Order, for silencing casters, to ease maneuverability without using line of sight. I find that besides threat, the main challenge as tank is ensuring the fight happens in the right place so you don't get adds.

Additionally, an addon like Tidy Plates: Threat Plates works wonders for telling you which mobs you're losing threat on.

[Fenchurch]

Oh yeah... I forgot Charge isn't allowed in Defensive stance as default. I took the Warbringer talent which allows it, but you can't get that until level 25 or so. Prior to that I never bothered changing stances, I just ran at the mobs manually, or used a ranged weapon to pull them back (annoying if there are caster classes though).

And no, that's as good a macro as you can get. Cooldowns make it impossible to have everything happen without pressing the button more than once. But it is still very handy to have a sequence of events on one button.

[Fenchurch]

?

[Fenchurch]

You should get back on it. It's awesome. What server were you on?

[Fenchurch]

Unless it sits inactive for like two years I think. But yeah.

Mine's sat inactive for longer than that. I don't think they ever delete accounts for inactivity, or at least, I don't think they ever have yet. It would be against their best interests, since they can often lure people back with a new expansion and or a temporary free trial. I'm sure they have the right to delete them, but that doesn't mean they will.

[Fenchurch]

Check the character names.

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How do you find Will Smith in the snow?

Look for the fresh prints.

[/badjoke]

[Fenchurch]

Hey... I

said

"bad joke".

[Fenchurch]

Mind you, I find warriors clunky to play as well.

Reconsider the paladins - they're fun!

Weird; I started as paladin, then played warrior, then I tried paladin again later and found I couldn't go back.

I love warriors mainly for Charge. Having to actually run at things as a paladin just felt so slow.

[Fenchurch]

Yeah they made Mists part of the base game when they did the latest big patch.