First small update. I was on my old guild meeting last weekend in Netherlands. It was such a great time. Thanks to everyone I could meet there! It was my pleasure. Hope we will be able to meet next year as well. I am already looking forward to it.
So I had great weekend. It would be perfect if my trip to Holland would been more comfortable. Driving there was pain in the ass cause of traffic in germany during the day. Driving back home was pain in the ass cause I was tired and had to sleep in the meantime (was driving during the night).. Why you, planes, are so expensive? And like no good connections?
Hooray though!
Patch 3.3 is finally released. Like everyone couldn't wait it I believe... I have to say I had great hopes in new patch. But unfortunaly, as I was afraid, they couldn't be fullfiled. And if you ask me if I am happy with new patch I would have to say no, I am not. I am rather dissapointed.
I logged in about 18. Had to visit Doctor yesterday (I am a bit ill). So sorted addons and had quick chats.
18:30 over 30 people onlines. Yarr, seems everyone was so eager to see new instance. Invites, we are ready to go at 19. Couple of pulls and what? LAAAAAAG. Same as on PTR. Really Blizzard? Can you pretty please make your game work for at least half of active accounts? Or is it something too much to ask?
Anyway, first boss Lord Morrowgar. V. nice model. I am impressed (despite I have already seen him on PTR). Plus for you guys this time. Pull - whaaat? What I am supposed to heal here? Oh the impaled damage is so sick.. Phase 2 - whirlwind. Oh my god. So scary. It really tickles. So bad. Does really population "devolved" to this level they have to get something on this difficulty level? So despite of lag and one wipe (guess the reason!), it was two shooted.
Next boss.. Pretty unplayable again. So decision was made to do 10 mans. They went rather smooth (grats Blizzard 10 mans work fine! you can play them). Nothing really hard so we were pretty fast over. Nothing else I expected so it is fine.
When I was waiting for 4th group to finish I tested new dungeon finder tool. BIG plus for that. I think troubles with looking for random heroic instance if you need badges have ended (unless it is only first day, but I dont think so and hope it will work quite nice). I got group pretty fast and was able to go to heroic. Really nice idea.
Back to 25 man though! 23 o'clock so no lag. 2nd boss 24 manned I think. Not bad fight. But could be more interesting (oh that person from boss' focus window which is targetted should be topped and shielded!), because of low damage quite boring but ok. It can be.
So going deeper into the instance (or to be exact higher!) we boarded Skybreaker and fought horde. So after Messy jumping, appearing, dying (23 ppl started, then 3 died?), bugging (rocket not properly working), v hard running from flashing rockets, Ogrimmar's Hammer was destroyed. In my humble opinion stupid faceroll..
And last boss we have got from blizzard - Deathbringer Saurfang. Pretty interesting mechanic of the fight, Enjoyable healing, spamming, gsing at the end, cause marks and boiling blood was everywhere. Almost everything which should be in fun fight! Really good encounter, so despite one shot and none deaths I really look forward for this one on heroic!
And finally thing I hoped someone is joking about.. Couldn't imagine how is it possible.. Some RP and Maraudin tells us it will take 28 days to open next door.. Why? Blizzard do you have to baby sit me and tell me when I am supposed to raid or something? I can't understand this. It is 4 weeks of mindlessly farming first bosses cause they are really really easy. You really like to use us stupid players and farm money, do not you? *sigh*
Ah we pulled 3 packs of mobs on 10 man (2 big skellies and one pack) it was interesting to heal, same as 2 big packs on 25 man. Probably more interesting than most of the bosses. Where are those interesting encounters (despite saurfang) you did promis blizzard? If my renew heal most of the debuff damage I am sorry to say you but it is not interesting..
So I feel a bit disappointed. It doesn't look promising for the future as well.. Ok maybe hard modes will be interesting, I can't deny it. But why blizz makes them easier for us as well (we have so much time till Arthas hits), so everyone will be pretty nicely geared.. And if they finally hit won't stop us or other guild for long.. Was it so hard to wait like one month, make like maybe one boss Sartharion like (so many possibilies there on CoA (hello people if you ever read that), why it is not used?) and give us whole instance at once so we can play how we want and not how you guide us like good mommy? If not you could make them at least a bit harder.. Do I ask for too much?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
World of Warcraft "Hardcore" playing
This is one of the main reason I decided to create that Blog. I read many things about Hardcore raiding. About stereotypes.. I have heard HC guilds are bad social wise, that people going there make mistakes, kills what the game is for etc. etc.
To ensure you I have quite extensive experience in raiding on different levels and don't write crap let me shortly tell my history. I started in Vanilla. Unfortunately I didn't find good guild at that point and after trying only Zul'Gurub I took a couple months break (I thought it was the end of WoW for me, but as we will all see soon I was badly wrong). It wasn't any my decision I played the game mostly with someone close at that point and we decided together we wouldn't play anymore. But I have already made one in game friend then (Hi Aldur), with whom I am in touch till today.
I don't remember the day I came back. It was some time after TBC launched (probably about one month). Mostly because I was too bored and I had to do something (yes blame me for my time consuming and bad hobby). Friend was still playing and convinced me to join to polish guild - Husaria. I thought it will be good idea to play with people which I could meet someday in real life and make new friends - wasn't that game make for it after all? I wasn't mistaken. I made couple of friends. I know them as well till today, we talk often, even meet in Real Life. Seems game made its goal.
But I move a bit from main subject - raiding. So in short how was raiding in that guild? To be honest from my current point of view it was bad. It was something new for me, giving me most fun from the game, but it started to stop being like that, because of many factors, mainly people not threating raiding seriously, not being prepared, making dramas, and so on. I wasn't alone of course. There were many people similar to me who wanted raid as well, but I was too tired and didn't follow them but joined one of the best alliance guild on server - Echoes of Lordaeron. To be honest I never thought I could make it at that point but I tried and it paid off. We were raiding quite ok (killing Kalecgos pre-nerf, clearing SWP as only guild on SSL post nerf). But Sunwell made a lot of drama (I don't mean loot drama at the end for those who know, but start of instance). It was clear it wasn't instance for us. Some people wanted to push though. Nevertheless we survived with tons of wall of text posts on forums (I think even I started at that point complaining) and Lich King came.
Around that time I was officer wanted to change some things, it wasn't possible hough in the end on my last server or I simply wasn't able to do that.. So despite EoL being quite ok guild I started to feel unhappy and knew I wanted more. I was always giving my best during raiding I felt I can expect that from co-raiders - which wasn't happening. I got some feeling of competetive raiding during start of Ulduar when we made some nice progress in 10 mans (thank you all who were with me). Couldn't understand why people didn't show up for oppurtunity to achieve something, to make first kills. Why they want to make alt runs or make pvp or whatever instead of comming with us? Couldn't understand and probably I will never do - that's why I eventually did what I did. I still tried though against all odds (like guild splitting). But one of the last like minded people from EoL left and I couldn't handle it more unfortunately and I had to follow him. What made me happy is new friends from EoL - I am in touch with them as well. More even - I go 900 km to visit them.
So this is where I stand today - I joined Numen after him (funny thing is I am still there, he is not, what makes me sad), top 30 guild world wide. Having more fun and excitement than I could imagine.
I am in very good guild. You could call it hardcore probably (but fun thing is since like a month I am raiding less than you are), does it make me unsocial person (in light of history I wrote)? Does it make me someone who probably in your eyes likes to be shouted at (I am in top 30 guild, RL have to shoud at ppl! other way it is not productive)? Does the thing I love to raid and achieve make me unsocial person (maybe a bit geek, yes, but how do you call sucesful sportsman who sacrifaces everything to achieve big things? in my eyes there is no difference, hell he is even more no life than I am!)?
So if you consider ever going hardcore / better guild I hope you are still reading and next part will help you eventually in making final decision.
First you have to answer the question. What for do you play the game? It is not easy question and you should really reconsider it from every side.
I read countless time WoW is social game.
Ok it is. But, as you see people don't have to be forgotten if you leave old guild. You don't have to let your friends behind (if they stop to like you.. well it means they weren't your friends). Ok you won't be able most probably to play too much with them. But tell me how does this play together look like? You whisper a lot during raids? Chit chat on vent during bosses? Ok, then you don't have to look for other guild. But if do dungeons together, spend time after raids, why you have to be in same guild? I am sure it helps, but you want to be still unhappy in your guild only because of that? On a sidenote though (oh yes lynch me for that) if you need to spend so much free time with "friends" in game, in my humble opinions it really means you have problems and WoW isn't thing it should be (of course they are exceptions, I agree with that). But if you answer you really play for couple of people, they are everything for you and they give you most fun. Then you can freely stop reading further. You won't find anything interesting for you.
So you won't leave your current friends in order to join new guild where you don't know anyone. But how many times have you seen in your current guild text like: "I am sorry guys I can't attend tonight's raid (2 hours before raid) cause I am meeting with friends" (I am really sorry here little dwarf) or after changing plans for Ulduar "Sorry I got work tomorrow can't join" Is it that hard to post it later don't sign? To make guild working like big good mechanism? And more is he kind of person you want to play with? Not caring about other people (24 other people can wait..), etc. This is social you want to give me? Losing time and praying some unreriable person will shown? Is it fun for you?
Fun, another factor.. Mantra I heard so many times.. I play for fun so I have to be relaxed and won't stress myself! Of course there are such places and maybe everyone plays having in mind that if you are on of them then you will be happy in such guild (but probably not, I bet they already stop reading..). But even if think one second. Aren't there other people who work hard for the success? Ah yes.. you don't care. Of course.. your fun is most important. You are most important. Everythins has to be as you want too. If you raid, please look at other people as well. They are as well humans. They try to have fun. Don't spoil it. If you can't please do something else. Naturally you can't be a martyr. If you don't have fun while being on time, prepared then again, plese do something else.
If you know that, probably already considered joining better guild. But your thoughts are: "They are bad and shout at people, I will have to raid PTR, read thousands of tactics! watch a lot of movies, there is no social aspect! People treat each other like shit. Hardcore guild's human management is realy bad (in matter of treating them)! I will have to farm consumables and gold for repairs!" I can tell you it is not entirely true. Of course I can't speak generaly I was (am) only in one hardcore raiding guild and maybe this is my luck it is mostly not true what you think about guilds like Numen. So let me cover quickly those concerns.
In my opinion good guild is similar to perfect machine - everything works perfectly from start to end. If you are not bad gear of it, are not up to standard you will be shouted at (or more likely faster you will probably be kicked and fail trial), but I don't think overall this an issue. People make mistakes. If you do too much of them, then well sorry you spoil others fun and you have to look further for proper place. Overall you get awesome raid leading in return, officers care about progress of guild (mixed alt / mains runs for increased drop rate of good items), 10 mans run are scheduled (we have a bit over 30 people and were able to do parallel 4 10 man runs, how much 10 man runs can you do in your 50 ppl guild?), they are humans as well if you don't give a shit, you will test their patience. You like raid, don't you? Oh PTR, isn't it better than not raiding at all cause blizzard is slow with releasing new content?
Preparing.. How much gold can you earn in 4 runs of toc? 150? Probably more. I bet it is over 200. For us currently it is like 6 hours? Like 3 flasks (yes you can be cheap and not flask for normal mode). I don't do dailies.. And my bank has more and more money. Yes grinding for raids is so hard. Of course there is progress time, probably you will be provided with flasks and on very hard fights guild repairs will be on. Where are you grinding? I really miss you! (Food buff is not different fishes are always provided, but it would be nice if you use your better food.. read again about spoiling fun!).
Last but not least social aspect. Believe me it is still there. People who quit are often missed. Others help. It is same as everywhere. Even your "friends" from guild don't care about you. Some are asses and will make your life miserably maybe. Ok.. Life is not easy. You will meet arses in your everyday life as well. You have to deal with them and learn to life together.
So summarazing TL;DR
if you love to raid, new bosses, progressing gives you most of the fun. You have enough of stupid mistakes. People quitting raid over spots, over loot, not comming for raids if there is no loot, troubles with making raids because can't find anyone who wants to do the same. You want to feel thrill of being good and seeing encounters as soon as possible. You should apply to good guild. It is hard at the beginning, to say goodbye to old people, even to write application (can write something about it later!). But if you finally find that home... if you are raider in your heart... you will never regret it and will never want to come back.
I think I covered most of the things.. Of course you can ask me always something if you want me to explain things more deeply.
In the end it is your decision of course. Don't come and blame me I lied to you. I presented things from my point of view. If you don't agree I would gladly talk with you.
If I hurt someones feeling (by either using situations, posting my thoughts or you thought I had been different person) I would like to apologize you. It wasn't my intend.
To ensure you I have quite extensive experience in raiding on different levels and don't write crap let me shortly tell my history. I started in Vanilla. Unfortunately I didn't find good guild at that point and after trying only Zul'Gurub I took a couple months break (I thought it was the end of WoW for me, but as we will all see soon I was badly wrong). It wasn't any my decision I played the game mostly with someone close at that point and we decided together we wouldn't play anymore. But I have already made one in game friend then (Hi Aldur), with whom I am in touch till today.
I don't remember the day I came back. It was some time after TBC launched (probably about one month). Mostly because I was too bored and I had to do something (yes blame me for my time consuming and bad hobby). Friend was still playing and convinced me to join to polish guild - Husaria. I thought it will be good idea to play with people which I could meet someday in real life and make new friends - wasn't that game make for it after all? I wasn't mistaken. I made couple of friends. I know them as well till today, we talk often, even meet in Real Life. Seems game made its goal.
But I move a bit from main subject - raiding. So in short how was raiding in that guild? To be honest from my current point of view it was bad. It was something new for me, giving me most fun from the game, but it started to stop being like that, because of many factors, mainly people not threating raiding seriously, not being prepared, making dramas, and so on. I wasn't alone of course. There were many people similar to me who wanted raid as well, but I was too tired and didn't follow them but joined one of the best alliance guild on server - Echoes of Lordaeron. To be honest I never thought I could make it at that point but I tried and it paid off. We were raiding quite ok (killing Kalecgos pre-nerf, clearing SWP as only guild on SSL post nerf). But Sunwell made a lot of drama (I don't mean loot drama at the end for those who know, but start of instance). It was clear it wasn't instance for us. Some people wanted to push though. Nevertheless we survived with tons of wall of text posts on forums (I think even I started at that point complaining) and Lich King came.
Around that time I was officer wanted to change some things, it wasn't possible hough in the end on my last server or I simply wasn't able to do that.. So despite EoL being quite ok guild I started to feel unhappy and knew I wanted more. I was always giving my best during raiding I felt I can expect that from co-raiders - which wasn't happening. I got some feeling of competetive raiding during start of Ulduar when we made some nice progress in 10 mans (thank you all who were with me). Couldn't understand why people didn't show up for oppurtunity to achieve something, to make first kills. Why they want to make alt runs or make pvp or whatever instead of comming with us? Couldn't understand and probably I will never do - that's why I eventually did what I did. I still tried though against all odds (like guild splitting). But one of the last like minded people from EoL left and I couldn't handle it more unfortunately and I had to follow him. What made me happy is new friends from EoL - I am in touch with them as well. More even - I go 900 km to visit them.
So this is where I stand today - I joined Numen after him (funny thing is I am still there, he is not, what makes me sad), top 30 guild world wide. Having more fun and excitement than I could imagine.
I am in very good guild. You could call it hardcore probably (but fun thing is since like a month I am raiding less than you are), does it make me unsocial person (in light of history I wrote)? Does it make me someone who probably in your eyes likes to be shouted at (I am in top 30 guild, RL have to shoud at ppl! other way it is not productive)? Does the thing I love to raid and achieve make me unsocial person (maybe a bit geek, yes, but how do you call sucesful sportsman who sacrifaces everything to achieve big things? in my eyes there is no difference, hell he is even more no life than I am!)?
So if you consider ever going hardcore / better guild I hope you are still reading and next part will help you eventually in making final decision.
First you have to answer the question. What for do you play the game? It is not easy question and you should really reconsider it from every side.
I read countless time WoW is social game.
Ok it is. But, as you see people don't have to be forgotten if you leave old guild. You don't have to let your friends behind (if they stop to like you.. well it means they weren't your friends). Ok you won't be able most probably to play too much with them. But tell me how does this play together look like? You whisper a lot during raids? Chit chat on vent during bosses? Ok, then you don't have to look for other guild. But if do dungeons together, spend time after raids, why you have to be in same guild? I am sure it helps, but you want to be still unhappy in your guild only because of that? On a sidenote though (oh yes lynch me for that) if you need to spend so much free time with "friends" in game, in my humble opinions it really means you have problems and WoW isn't thing it should be (of course they are exceptions, I agree with that). But if you answer you really play for couple of people, they are everything for you and they give you most fun. Then you can freely stop reading further. You won't find anything interesting for you.
So you won't leave your current friends in order to join new guild where you don't know anyone. But how many times have you seen in your current guild text like: "I am sorry guys I can't attend tonight's raid (2 hours before raid) cause I am meeting with friends" (I am really sorry here little dwarf) or after changing plans for Ulduar "Sorry I got work tomorrow can't join" Is it that hard to post it later don't sign? To make guild working like big good mechanism? And more is he kind of person you want to play with? Not caring about other people (24 other people can wait..), etc. This is social you want to give me? Losing time and praying some unreriable person will shown? Is it fun for you?
Fun, another factor.. Mantra I heard so many times.. I play for fun so I have to be relaxed and won't stress myself! Of course there are such places and maybe everyone plays having in mind that if you are on of them then you will be happy in such guild (but probably not, I bet they already stop reading..). But even if think one second. Aren't there other people who work hard for the success? Ah yes.. you don't care. Of course.. your fun is most important. You are most important. Everythins has to be as you want too. If you raid, please look at other people as well. They are as well humans. They try to have fun. Don't spoil it. If you can't please do something else. Naturally you can't be a martyr. If you don't have fun while being on time, prepared then again, plese do something else.
If you know that, probably already considered joining better guild. But your thoughts are: "They are bad and shout at people, I will have to raid PTR, read thousands of tactics! watch a lot of movies, there is no social aspect! People treat each other like shit. Hardcore guild's human management is realy bad (in matter of treating them)! I will have to farm consumables and gold for repairs!" I can tell you it is not entirely true. Of course I can't speak generaly I was (am) only in one hardcore raiding guild and maybe this is my luck it is mostly not true what you think about guilds like Numen. So let me cover quickly those concerns.
In my opinion good guild is similar to perfect machine - everything works perfectly from start to end. If you are not bad gear of it, are not up to standard you will be shouted at (or more likely faster you will probably be kicked and fail trial), but I don't think overall this an issue. People make mistakes. If you do too much of them, then well sorry you spoil others fun and you have to look further for proper place. Overall you get awesome raid leading in return, officers care about progress of guild (mixed alt / mains runs for increased drop rate of good items), 10 mans run are scheduled (we have a bit over 30 people and were able to do parallel 4 10 man runs, how much 10 man runs can you do in your 50 ppl guild?), they are humans as well if you don't give a shit, you will test their patience. You like raid, don't you? Oh PTR, isn't it better than not raiding at all cause blizzard is slow with releasing new content?
Preparing.. How much gold can you earn in 4 runs of toc? 150? Probably more. I bet it is over 200. For us currently it is like 6 hours? Like 3 flasks (yes you can be cheap and not flask for normal mode). I don't do dailies.. And my bank has more and more money. Yes grinding for raids is so hard. Of course there is progress time, probably you will be provided with flasks and on very hard fights guild repairs will be on. Where are you grinding? I really miss you! (Food buff is not different fishes are always provided, but it would be nice if you use your better food.. read again about spoiling fun!).
Last but not least social aspect. Believe me it is still there. People who quit are often missed. Others help. It is same as everywhere. Even your "friends" from guild don't care about you. Some are asses and will make your life miserably maybe. Ok.. Life is not easy. You will meet arses in your everyday life as well. You have to deal with them and learn to life together.
So summarazing TL;DR
if you love to raid, new bosses, progressing gives you most of the fun. You have enough of stupid mistakes. People quitting raid over spots, over loot, not comming for raids if there is no loot, troubles with making raids because can't find anyone who wants to do the same. You want to feel thrill of being good and seeing encounters as soon as possible. You should apply to good guild. It is hard at the beginning, to say goodbye to old people, even to write application (can write something about it later!). But if you finally find that home... if you are raider in your heart... you will never regret it and will never want to come back.
I think I covered most of the things.. Of course you can ask me always something if you want me to explain things more deeply.
In the end it is your decision of course. Don't come and blame me I lied to you. I presented things from my point of view. If you don't agree I would gladly talk with you.
If I hurt someones feeling (by either using situations, posting my thoughts or you thought I had been different person) I would like to apologize you. It wasn't my intend.
Day one
Finally I couldn't resist myself.. World comes to the end and I start to write Blog, but there are many things I want to tell you.. About me, things I am interested in (my decisions, WoW, books, boardgames, etc.). Things I have to do (work related stuff, some thoughts about coding probably). Maybe you will enjoy some of them. Most of them probably not. I will tag the posts so you can pick whatever is interesting for you. Either way don't hesitate and leave comment. I will be grateful.
Don't expect my posts will be Masterpieces. I am poor Writer and my mind is overwhelmed by many things. So it can be messy sometimes. Sorry for that.
Don't expect my posts will be Masterpieces. I am poor Writer and my mind is overwhelmed by many things. So it can be messy sometimes. Sorry for that.
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