My thoughts so far on MoP

I am currently sitting midway into level 87 and I will honestly say – hand on heart – I am sick of levelling already. It feels long.  Really long this time. I normally don’t mind questing, but I am finding it particularly frustrating this time around.

My very quick reasons for this – is the maps are confusing and quests are spread out all over the place.  I have felt as if I have spent all day running back and forth for like 2 quests, or you find a random in a forest who has 3 quests but had you not walked past him you wouldn’t have known they were there.  I would prefer you have a map with one city in the middle and some dude hands you out 50 quests all at once, then I can just go around the map and do them in some semblence of order.  Yes – I want order!

The second issue I am having is being unable to find ways to get into quest hubs, yesterday I spent 30 minutes riding around an entire map to find an entrance that was on my map, but not when I got there. It has happened multiple times.  Yes I know it is not Blizz’s fault because I get lost, but if we sued the above solution, I wouldn’t be annoyed about it !  :p

See, very quick negatives, onto the other things!

I have run both available dungeons :

First time I ran it I got locked out of one of the boss fights because the tank ran in like a looney – although that seemed to be a theme with the runs I went on today (5 – if memory severs me correctly). I didn’t get a chance to enjoy my time in there so I really cannot comment,  I hate the first boss who requires you spend the entire fight running in a circle….what a stupid fight for people that need actually cast….stupid….

 

The last boss in this place, I SWEAR!!  did different things when I went in…so I am assuming there is a random element to it..it may help if I actually read the dungeon journal – I might do that tonight :p  I liked this instance, the litle elemental things are in it They are awesome! Bad image but you know which creatures I am talking about.

I have been taking great care to read things and just enjoy the small things that are always in the game but generally missed out on.

A guildie also found one later that said something along the lines of scratching their botom they sniffed their finger and will never do it again.  I must try and track it down, it was funny   I liked the Hozen, not as annoying as JaJa binks but almost!

I am having massive bag space issues as the gear I am getting all looks so awesome, I am wanting to keep it, but my void storage is completely full, so is my bank and my only options now are to go through and delete any double ups of gear – like for my tier 13 stuff I have duplicate LFR pieces that I was using for PVP etc…I can get rid of them now and that may free up some space, but for the few pieces that will get rid of, I have already gotten quite a few novelty items from quests that I can’t bear to part with like my puntable marmot.  So transmog is an issue.  I am a fully fledged addict.  I want to enter more competitions! LOL

I am having issues with my mage – my damage seems to be crap.  I tried frost with no luck – I was struggling to get the hang of it, and am now trying fire.  I seem to spend far too long killing one mob, my normal spells are hitting for less than 20k (they used to hit for almost 30k and up to 50k for a crit) - I have to investigate what changes were made, was the damage output reduced for everyone or are the mobs just that much harder to kill? I am feeling quite distraught about it.  Fire is still RNG, although I enjoy the playstyle, I was barely doing 14k on some fights and others I was hitting just over 23k….which in my mind is pathetic.  If I get a chance over the next couple of nights I will start my investigations, this will be an easy fix once I figure it out I am sure.

Overall, I am enjoying myself!  I can’t wait to get to 90!

Dragons everywhere!!! OH GOD!!

So first couple of days in Pandaria and I have over 40 screenies with dragons in them.  Just dragons – everywhere!!   I can’t help myself,  I would say I am spending almost as much time taking pictures of dragons as I am actually questing! (possible exaggeration)!

I am just amazed at how wonderful the artwork is!

I was tempted NOT to hand in the quest in which you have to collect the 4 little dragons, just so I could have them wth me all the time, but I figured they wouldn’t last out of the area or even if I logged out…I didn’t want to tempt fate…but  I loved having four of them trailing around!!

This is also being added to my headers because it is pure win!

Here are some more that I got to ride on or past or around!

Seriously, I will stop here, I know it is only 4, but I would bore you all to death with just more dragons!  LOL

I am in heaven!!  DRAGON HEAVEN  TELL YOU!!

Raiding and my obsession.

Yes.

Obsessed.

I had not been raiding for an entire week.  ONE WEEK!  I was having withdrawals until last night when I got pulled into a full DS run by some friends   We did Mor’chok heroic and that was about it, the rest we ran like manics through.  I felt so good afterwards…just having been in a raid was enough to satisfy me for a few days.

As mentioned previously I am in the process of updating our guild website with all the raiding information and strats I can find for MoP.  I already have most of Mogu’shan vaults committed to memory, just the last 2 I need to work on a little more.

I have done a couple of the Heart of Fear bosses, mostly committed to memory – they look like fantastic fights!  Can’t wait! But I have done nothing about the middle raid yet.  Yes I have been slack.  But committing that many bosses to memory is hard work let me tell you

All this raiding information has made me literally wanting to raid.  I want the kill and I really want to see us do it – I don’t want to fail as a raid leader, I want to push people to be better and I want to be better myself.

This of course brings me to my mage.  I sucked at arcane, I am now sucking at frost and I am going to try fire at some point over the next few weeks – probably whilst levelling?  I am feeling very very uncomfortable on my mage and completely out of depth.  I was hoping a run in DS would help me practice the frost rotation and in all honesty I was pathetic.  For someone with my gear I should be kicking arse.  Is this the end of my mage?  Have I really come this far to not be able to do another xpac on her?

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!  I will not give up just because shit got hard!  If I stop playing her its because I want to…not because I can’t handle the changes!  SCREW YOU no self confidence!!  I’ll show you!!

errr….

Sorry I momentarily lost my train of thought….and it doesn’t want to come back. So I shall leave you here with my little tangent of anger at myself   LOL

Also found out the store I am picking up my collector’s edition from – isn’t having a midnight launch like they have every other xpac..so now I am going to just go to work on Tuesday, pick up my copy on the way home and get Wednesday off instead. No midnight launch for me

So close but so far away

I was having a chat with hubby last night, it seems we are not likely going to get a 25 man ICC off the ground before MoP hits, and I am sad.  I only need a few achievements in there, not even heroics.  So I am going to have to spend today as much as possible trolling trade chat and hoping a group forms up.  I could always start one myself, but I am not that great with a complete group of random strangers…one or two is fine….I am happy with my 10 man version - I am, but the 25 man is closer to the one in the video and what captured my heart all those years ago.

I am going to have to see what I can organise as I only have a little bit of time left.  I also want to find a consistent 5 man group to help get the achievements for the heroics, because I have not done any of them at all.  It would be nice to run a couple of heroics each night and get a couple done for that mount, but you need a solid group who can do it together at the same pace to make it easier for others…or..let me rephrase – screw everyone else I need 4 people consistently who can drag me through :p LOL

Then of course there is ULD 10 – I want that mount as well, I never seem to see a 10 man group running always 25 man.  IN theory I could get both of the ULD and ICC ones done in one day – but the heroic dungeon one will take me longer…do I have enough time and luck on my side? I wonder how many poeple I need to get the Uld ones done – I mean worst case scenario…I think for razor you would need more for the DPS..I have to check which ones I actually need with that meta

I have to do the grocery shopping now, and then some laundry when I get home, then cooking of the week’s lunches, so after all that…I may be able to get something done heheeh  Sure Sure

**Edited to add**

I am not saying I would not love the others done as well, but I came back midway through Cataclysm and I feel slightly undeserving of anything in here, especially since I ran with a guild that couldn’t do the content..I don’t want to be stuck like that again, I want to see it all and do it all in moP.  I want to get the achievements and the mounts and I know once again that won’t happen because we have people now who don’t want to rehash content the second it is no longer valid.  This breaks my heart that I am always always putting up my boots for other people.  I never get to do what I want to do – which is farm old shit until all my achievements are done and collect everything I can and be doing it with people who also want to do it, so I don’t feel like I am dragging them kicking and screaming with me.  OH WOE!!

Just chilling like monkeys do

We went and did some PVP last night and attempted a bear run and failed by about 1 minute – wiping on that damn Hawk dude was what screwed us. We may try again tonight for my damn bear.

We didn’t organise a DS run because we had hoped we would be running 25 man on Saturday night,  however due to some miscommunication that doesn’t look like it will happen, so I am going to try and find a DS to this week on my mage.  I can’t handle not raiding – I swear!!

To prove my obsession – I am currently updating our guild forums with the raid strats and video links I can find for the bosses in MoP.  Yes, already!!  I know,  I know we need to get to 90 first and get geared etc, but I want people to be ready and know wtf they are doing.  I love this part of raiding to be honest, researching and disseminating information in a way that people can understand.  It’s very satisfying for me.  I am weird right?

One of our guildies got a Vial of the Sands, really really cheap…I am very very insanely jealous   If I could handle doing archaeology, I would chase it, but it is such a horrific profession.

I also have to call my Eb store today and confirm the details of my CE copy and if they are doing a midnight launch etc.  I am so excited

Heroic ICC 25 man

No, I did not get my mount, it was harder than anticipated

We headed in on Sunday evening and we killed everything in heroic mode, but missed the non heroic achievements – not all, but some.  I already had most of them done in heroic mode except for Professor Purtricide, but I had to switch to my pally to heal Dreamwalker, thankfully my mage already had her on heroic so no loss for me.

I think the only achievement I got was boatship.  But I need to confirm.

However Navimie needed two bosses done in heroic for the mount and we got that done for her   I was happy.  I had been trying to get her into a run for a few weeks.

Anyway, I am going to try and get another 25 man going this weekend if I can to finish it off for those who were there with us, we don’t need heroic though just normal 25 – spankalicious if you ask me.

Old schooling :)

Last night the guild decided to do some Firelands, yes I admit I am being slightly selfish there by wanting to get embers.  I am now up to 9 of the little blighters – I am beginning to think I really need to find a Firelands group running 25 man via some of those Xrealm sites.  I want my legendary!

Anyway we managed to get up to Alyzrazor, we wiped on her though.  It is a tough fight for people seeing it the first time, and I was conscious of the time for the people that needed to leave.  We had a couple of Frosties come with us and kept a spot for another one who eventually appeared like magic   It was a fantastic run and even found out about someone who lives nearby, I like meeting people who live close to me given we are in regional Victoria.

We wiped on Lord Volcanowankerhead twice, the first time at 2%, the DK tank getting him 4% all by himself.  My bad judgement on that one I forgot which one of the DK’s was tanking and called the wrong thing. I felt so ashamed.  The next attempt went awfully bad, then the third one was cake walk, although a little unsteady at the start.  I really really really cannot stress how much I hate that fight.  We wiped on Baleroc once, which given a few hadn’t seen it we lasted quite while, we got him to below 20% pretty sure with about 4 of us dead.  Then it all went weird because certain people who shall remain nameless wanted the boss to be tanked on the side!!  THE SIDE?!!?!?  OMG, I couldn’t cope with it, I felt wrong the entire fight, never mind we were on the wrong side of the field anyway, we were on the left and should have been on the right!!  ARGHH!!!!!

I can’t handle change when I know stuff works a particular way, it messes my head up, not just ingame either, when hubby is driving and goes an alternate route it screws me up and I get all freaked out about it.  He mocks me of course, but, seriously I know I am a control freak, just don’t mess with my shizz!!!  ehehehh

We went off to Malygos after that as hubby only needed that one boss on his Shammy for the title, and we managed to get the 6 minutes and under achievement as well.

The night before we went to Ulduar 25 with the Frosties and Arvash as well.  I went on my boomy as she had never seen the place and OMG it was so much fun.  I sucked all night, I am so out of practice on my girl, but we were smashing through everything.  She got achievements on every single boss

Freya’s room had me wanting to spend hours in there, so many herbs I wanted to pick!!!  I HAVE TO GO BACK!!!

My beautiful girl, even saw Algalon!!!  ALGALON!!  Can I just say that is a horible fight…maybe it is just me and I am blind as a bat, but I can barely see the red circles to get out of them.  I know hubby was happy to see that fight, as he had never seen it before.  I do wonder how hard it would be to do that Herald of the Titans thing…I am tempted to find a group – but I need a toon first that I can even do it on.  My hunter is the closest to 70.

It was pretty cool though, I would have stayed for the Razormaw achievements, but I was falling asleep as it was, and I hope they did it!!  Grats to them if they did

I am having so much fun now doing old content!!

PVP Killing machines!

Me and the hubby about to head into the field of battle!!

I have managed to amass an alsmot complete set of PVP gear from honor points in a very short amount of time.  I still have a few things to buy, my pants being the last big perchase I need, and then boots and wrists, lastly weapon.  I am saving all my conquest points for the spellblade I want, which I then have to buy, and save another 3000 conquest points for so I can turn in the old one.  ACK!  It is a nice sword though

I am slowly getting better, however PVP does not suit me when I am PMTing, I tend to have extra low tolerance and people are just annoying me more by not killing the healers first or by not defending.  Every single AB – we cap the farm and every single person runs off and we lose it.  How did horde ever get a good name with PVP if people can’t stay and defend??  Anyway, it has been enjoyable and as I will never be a serious PVPer, I don’t mind the distraction from missing being in raids.

I can’t believe I have been involved in that many kills!!!  Hubby got his last night as well, we were about 200 apart, but given I have only ever played my mage it is not surprising that I am slightly in front.

I was so excited to see that pop up, it means I am 1/8th of the way there – Woot!  (sad panda face)  Oh the Pain!!

This is my girl in all her PVP gear  Doesn’t she look purdy?!?!?  I hate that cloak though, I really need to find something purple to transmog it to!!

ICC 10 man mount hunting

I have been wanting to get the last couple of my mount achievements done on my mage for quite some time, however very rarely do I actually see an ICC run going ahead.

Last night though, we picked up a couple of friends and trundled off to ICC for some mount hunting!

We did it all in heroic bar the lich king himself, and only because our tank and healer had never been to ICC and I think it is a confusing fight when trying to explain it.  We have to go back in again next week for at least 3 guildies to get the rest of their achievements as they were unable to join us last night and to get turned by evil blood sucking vampires   We may try him on heroic then given they now know it and can understand it.

I was pretty shocked when I died because I did not realise how quickly we would be killing him, the fight seemed (in my memory) to take much longer…clearly at level it did!!  eheeh

But it was well worth it for my precious!!  I think I took about 20 pictures at every angle!  I really want the 25 man version as well and was advised that I am not allowed to organise that ICC run on Wednesday nights..LOL…but I blame certain circumstances like a re-interest in raiding for certain people who shall remain nameless  – which I have no control over :p *cough* *cough*

I hoping to get ICC10 done quicker next week because we all remember it now, I would like to get Ulduar done on the same night – get that mount out of the way, although I have only done it on 25 man and that was AGES ago!  It might be a struggle.

Happy night though!!  Next week more people will have awesome mounts that are across all their toons!!  WOOT WOOT!

We also did a PVP match after the raid and I healed on my pally again – I actually didn’t do too badly this time because I had a few minutes to set up my grid…LOL  bad mistake though.  Somehow  I managed to make out of range toons completely disappear off my grid, which is kind of awesome for PVP because I am not even looking at them then, but it makes it hard to tell what is going on, so I have to fix that tonight before we do more

 

 

More PVP :)

So, we are doing some more PVP lately in a group of about 5 of us, I would love to get 10 together and do some rated bg’s.  But honestly I don’t know how it all works and I don’t have enough friends to fill a 10 man team at the same time!

However my mage has just over 1100 resilience now and I have enough points to get my head slot item.  I am trying to build my conquest points for the sword I want, but you know…that is a long haul. I don’t know how people do this and nothing but

My reporting and ignoring features have been getting very active in PVP I have to admit, they say some very nasty stuff!!

I am still getting some achievements, by accident, but I certainly don’t mind them popping up

I was in the most awesome EOTS match as well, we capped the flag the entire match.  As in, we would drop it, it spawned, we capped.  We did it about 13 times or something, it was awesome.

I have been surviving better and actually managing to kill people before they kill me – something unheard of before, however this is the first time I have had more than 2 pieces of PVP gear.

Because the five of us are DPS, i decided to try healing on my pally…bad bad bad bad bad bad mistake.  I haven’t tried healing since we transferred, and all my macros were gone, my raid frames were not showing out of range properly and I had no buttons on my bars.  It was horrific!!!  However, I was enjoying myself immensely – there is a certain satisfaction with running past someone engaged in battle and throwing them some heals so they can kill their opponent.  I was going to fix my UI last night – but shutdown was early so that put a crimp in…I will try and do that tonight before ICC