Server health is something that folks tend to focus on only when they’re considering transferring characters in game but it’s much more than the existence (or lack thereof) of a lot of competent players. For instance, I’ve spent the majority of my WoW career on three servers; Staghelm, Gnomergan and Proudmoore. Each of the servers has different strengths and weaknesses.

Proudmoore had the most talented and dedicated player base that I’ve yet to encounter in WoW. Most of the pugs I played in were at the low end, competent, and at the high end, exceptional. That said, the talented player base had its downside as well. Many guilds on the server were loathsomely elitist…take a gander at some guild websites to get an idea of the mindset of raiding guilds on the server.

Gnomergan will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the first server that I played on. For the most part, Gnomergan is on the seeping edge of raiding (not first, certainly not last, but somewhere in the nondescript middle). I’ll still drop in from time to time to check out the Auction House and listen in on Trade Chat to see how the server is doing. Its funny to try and contact players that I first met in the game almost five years ago; a digital walk down memory lane.

Staghelm is somewhere between Proudmoore and Gnomergan. The raiding population covers the full spectrum; from focused raiding guilds to a bunch of kids hanging out killing time. Compared to Proudmoore, the state of pugs (especially competent ones,) would best be described as slightly anemic. However, Staghelm is one of the only servers in the game where I’ve ever felt truly at home (players that share similar mindsets and play styles.)

What stands out in my mind as the real differentiating factor for each of these servers was the time that I spent on each. Gnomergan was Vanilla WOW, Proudmoore was TBC and half of WOTLK and Staghelm is the tail end of WOTLK. Each time I log into these servers, I’m reminded of all the treasured moments I’ve had in WOW on that server. Anyone else have experience on multiple servers that is similar (or even better, something completely different)?

This week Haf and Stomp dive into loads of Cataclysm Beta Updates including much discussed Druid Eclipse bar, loads of glyph system updates, and the breakdown of the anticipated “We WERE Legendary” Guild Achievement. Now we can just be “Hardcore” and “Awesome”… /sigh. We also say fond goodbye to the current configuration of Zul’Gurub, the first raid instance tacked back in Vanilla WoW.

Links to topics discussed this month:

• Cataclysm: Big Glyph Updates!
• Cataclysm: Ghostcrawler Discusses New Glyph System
• Cataclysm: Druid Eclipse Bar Sparks Debate
• Cataclysm: New Guild Achievements Encourage Race Diversity
• Cataclysm: New Companion Pets & More in the Current Cataclysm Beta Build
• Zul’Gurub Will No Longer be a Raid Instance in Cataclysm
• Blizzard Customer Support NOW on Twitter!
• Lady Jess’s post The One Where I PUG Inspires Stomp to pose the question….
  • How are you spicing it up, what are you doing right now in waiting for Cataclysm?
  • Leveling an alt?
  • Playing the game a different way?
  • Preparing for Cataclysm?
  • Tell us – hugesack@rawrcast.com or 559-949-RAWR(7297)
• Congratulations Niniel at Swiftmend on Conquer of Ulduar
• Check out the updates and amazing content on Restokin.com
• Plectical’s Post on Rawrcast.com Addresses How Raiding in Cataclysm May Progress

EXCLUSIVE THIS WEEK

• Eulixe Begins the First of His Dragon Aspect Series by taking a closer look at Malygos, Deathwing’s angry brother
• The Rawrcast iPhone Application is NOW LIVE!
• Rawrcast Goes to Blizzcon with your support! Get involved!

Special Thanks to our Sponsors
WootLoots.com &  UGT-Servers.com use the code RAWRCAST for 10% off!
| facebook | twitter | call us: 559-949-RAWR | discussion forums | support the rawr |
| DFW WoW Meet-up Squad |

Music Provided by: Dusks Embrace – Oracles Song of Unceasing Wrath

Raiding is the new Black. Chances are, most people that you know in WoW have raided in WOTLK. Blizzard’s most recent expansion helped to bring raiding into the mainstream, simplifying complex strategies into more easily digestible doses and throwing open the doors of raiding to the overall WoW population. It’s been argued that by dropping the difficulty of raiding and giving players access to higher levels of gear, more players are now raiding than at any other time in the history of WoW.

It seems like this trend will be continuing in Cataclysm as Blizzard has promised a raid system that offers similar difficulty options to players. One thing that has been been puzzling for me is the discussion of class mechanics within 5 mans and raids. It sounds like healers are going to have to cast way less to conserve mana, tanks are going to have to focus on maintaining aggro much more in addition to surviving, and DPS are going to be focusing on crowd control once again. What’s strange is that this sounds like a complication of the same combat mechanics that Blizzard is trying to simplify.

By asking players to learn to play their classes in a new way, is Blizzard erasing the gains that they made in WOTLK? How will players adjust to fight mechanics that ask them to Sap and Sheep again? Are you all looking forward to more complex encounters or are you dreading the removal of the AOE spam fest that was raiding/5 mans in WOTLK?

I want to see “The Raid” Pre-Screening because…

The entries will be read during the FFA portion of the show, and a winner will be picked LIVE.

Be creative!
Be spontaneous!

And, You Must Be:

• Over 21
• In the Anaheim area on October 23rd
• Logged into Ustream
• Have a valid e-mail account
• Ready to attend one kick ass party!

Space is limited. Entry is not guaranteed.

Links to topics discussed this week:

• Cataclysm: We Are Legendary – Retroactive!
• Cataclysm: Dual Spec Level Requirement & Cost Lowered
• Tom Chilton Hits GamesCon
• Crowd Control in Arenas, Haste Wasn’t Considered
• Cataclysm: The Details about the Latest Beta Build are Here!
• Resource Section of the Rawrcast/Bound Forums
• Guild First Shadowmourne Video Capture – BIG GRATS TO Burnsblunts!

EXCLUSIVE THIS WEEK

• Eulixe debunks the role and involvement of the Stormwind Assassins
• If you read these silly show notes, please check out the NEW Rawrcast iPhone Application, and let me know what YOU would like to see on the application as EXCLUSIVE content!

Special Thanks to our Sponsors
WootLoots.com &  UGT-Servers.com use the code RAWRCAST for 10% off!
| facebook | twitter | call us: 559-949-RAWR | discussion forums | support the rawr |
| DFW WoW Meet-up Squad |

Music Provided by: The Erotics – Today the Devil, Tomorrow the World

Most importantly to the readers of this blog, BlizzCon will be right around the corner at that time. I can’t wait to participate in the coverage! This is going to be a blast, and I hope that you come to Rawrcast for your BlizzCon needs.

It was a blast being on Rawrcast with Stomp and Haf. During the podcast, I noted that the social aspect of the game was one of the strongest selling points that Blizzard has, and I felt that Blizz wasn’t doing much to promote that. So I was going to write an article about what I would do to promote the social aspect of the game. How do I get someone that hasn’t played WoW to enjoy the game like I do? How do I show a total noob that this game has had me laughing so hard that I almost fell out of my chair? How do I show how this game has made some really great friends? What did I do differently from the other 70% of people that try the game and don’t get to level 10?

I joined a guild.

…and then I realized that Blizz is doing a pretty good job of rewarding us with guild rewards. So realizing that, I am going to STFU and just sit back and hope that Cata is coming out sooner rather than later.

…at the speed of maximum enjoyment!!!

Cuz I am getting bored.

Links to topics discussed this week:

• Cataclysm: Guild Achievements & Guild Leveling
• Cataclysm: Guild Rep Q&A
• Cataclysm: UI Updates include Power Auras
• Cataclysm: Reforging Made Clearer
• Podsafe Music found can be found at MusicAlly.com

EXCLUSIVE THIS WEEK

• Eulixe explores the origins of Undercity, held under the palace of Lordaeron, in this week’s Lands of Lore.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors
WootLoots.com &  UGT-Servers.com use the code RAWRCAST for 10% off!
| facebook | twitter | call us: 559-949-RAWR | discussion forums | support the rawr |
| DFW WoW Meet-up Squad |

Music Provided by: Djizoes – We Are the Gatherers

Remember when the Achievements System was controversial? Remember when players were broken into camps, either for or against, screaming the implications of the incoming system throughout trade chat? It seems that the anti-Achievement voices have died with a whimper as all of the implications of said system have come to pass over the past few years and changed the face of WoW as we knew it.

I’d wager that the biggest change to the game  was a change in player motivations. Let’s use Battlegrounds for an example. Previously, players would run Battlegrounds to earn Honor Points in order to purchase more PVP gear so they could be more competitive in BGs. Player motivations were always clear; kill as many players as possible and master the objectives of the Battleground to win (there is some debate here about whether the second motivation motivated anyone at all…at least Alliance side).

Now, there are innumerable motivations that could be driving the actions of players in BGs. You’ll find players in any Battleground pursuing odd objectives that don’t necessarily benefit the rest of the BG. Hell, you can find players requesting Achievements in 5 man Pugs! Players simply play the game way differently than they played in pre-Expansion.

The real question is whether or not achievements have added anything useful to the game. Think about the last time you saw an achievement in guild chat. What did the achievement tell you about that player? Was there anything specific to the run that the player was in? Was the player responsible for leading a heroic effort on Putricide or pulling the tank out of a perilous situation? I guess what I’m trying to say in a roundabout way, is that achievements actually tell you very little about a player and their specific accomplishments.

A better approach (up for vigorous debate) would be to recognize individual players for their contributions by having a achievements for that players class. For instance, on my Warlock, I’d love to have an achievement that rewarded me for the total amount of times I’ve run with a Destruction spec in raids or an achievement that recognized my proclivities for soul stoning the same person each raid (Fondre and Claw, looking at you two). Wondering if anyone else is disappointed with the current implementation of the Achievement System?

It has been an exciting week here at Rawrcast! Stomp has been busy finalizing plans for Blizzcon, and ironing out Rawrcast’s planned coverage of events. We are pleased to announce that we are helping to plan “The Raid” Pre-Screening event & Blizzcon After-Party in Anaheim this coming October! Keep listening to Rawrcast, and all of your other favorite World of Warcraft and gaming websites for your chance to win a ticket to this EXCLUSIVE event! A full list of the podcasts and websites participating will be posted on JoinTheRaid.com.

We also announce this week that we have launched our IndieGoGo.com Campaign, and started offering incentives in an effort to secure funds for our Blizzcon trip and coverage of the events. Full details can be found there, or at Rawrcast.com/Blizzcon! We have exciting coverage planned for Blizzcon, but we can only get there with your support. So, please take a moment to Support the Rawr!

Links to items discussed this week:

• Cataclysm: Serious UI & Character Pane Updates – by Anne Stickney
• The High Cost of No Consequences – by Rhabella
• Cataclysm: Guild Vendor Rewards
• Cataclysm: Class-less Relics/Idols/Librams/Totems
• Cataclysm: Original “Stats-Only” Relics/Idols/Librams/Totems Post on MMO-Champ
• Cataclysm: No Value in “Picking” a Raid Healer
• Azamath’s Guild on Staghelm: Reawaken

EXCLUSIVE THIS WEEK

• Special Guest: Ozimandias – Editor in Chief of Rawrcast.com
• Lands of Lore: Eulixe responds to this week’s lore news regarding TRAITORS creeping up in the Cataclysm beta

Special Thanks to our Sponsors
WootLoots.com &  UGT-Servers.com use the code RAWRCAST for 10% off!
| facebook | twitter | call us: 559-949-RAWR | discussion forums | support the rawr |
| DFW WoW Meet-up Squad |

Music Provided by: Rayzing Sons – Crunk Bounce

As I stated in my last post I continue to keep myself busy overclocking and benchmarking hardware for DogHouse Systems but I’ve (finally) been able to eliminate a number of stresses in my life and it should be much easier to schedule my time moving forward. This week I want to take a short while to bring up a few points involving the friendly household dust bunny. Dust (in bunny form or otherwise) builds up in our computers for a number of reasons, some of which are: a dusty home/room, smoking, pets and poor case airflow and filtering.

The first three points are fairly self explanatory but I wanted to make sure to hit on the 4th one. Even the dustiest and most animal crowded homes can still house relatively dust free computers. Many people simply don’t take the time to take the necessary precautions. One of the first things people think of when attempting to prevent dust buildup is fan filters. While having filters on your case’s intake fans will help, it won’t do the entire job for you and also create their own bit of maintenance. Just as important as fan filters is the design and capabilities of your computer’s case to circulate air as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately for many people, there’s only so much you can do to improve on your computers airflow without transplanting everything into a new box.

There are often situations in which a case has room to accommodate additional fans and this is often a good idea but beyond the amount of airflow the problems typically lie with the design and airflow mechanics of the case itself. While on the topic it’s important to note that there are many many circumstances where more airflow isn’t always the answer, positioning and balance of intake and exhaust fans is almost always MUCH more important. One positive note is that there are a number of cases available in many different price ranges that can comfortably house a high-end gaming PC but some people may have to compromise more than others when it comes to a cases aesthetics and cost when looking for something with balanced airflow.

Breaking down some of the finer points of airflow balance and case design will more than likely end up boring more people then I have already so if any of this has peaked any interest I’d encourage you to catch up with me on Twitter or leave a post in our discussion forums if a 140 character limit isn’t forgiving enough. As I mentioned earlier, I continue working on stress testing a number of hardware configurations for DogHouse Systems so if you don’t see anything from me for a week or two I wouldn’t panic, you know where to find me.

- Cornelious0_0

When it comes to the new talent trees, there are 3 types of people in the World… of Warcraft.

• The people who love it
• The people who hate it
• The people who couldn’t care one way or the other

For the purpose of this post, we’ll say goodbye to the 3^rd group. Don’t take it personally, however in this situation your opinion doesn’t add weight to either side of the spectrum. I still love you.

What’s The Big Deal?

In the current build of the game, once you hit level 10 you get a talent point, and you continue getting a talent point every level, until you hit the level cap at 80. In previous expansions, such as Wotlk, 10 new levels meant you gained 10 new talent points. So right now, a max level toon has 71 delicious points to spend how they like. Simple? Good

In Cataclysm, the level cap is being raised to 85, so you’d presume as an intelligent sentient being, that you’d gain 5 additional talent points out of this. But alas, life is never that simple.

Blizzard looked at the current state of the tree’s and decided that there was too much “bloat” In laymen’s terms, there’s a lot of shit there that isn’t needed. So after much deliberation, the decision was made to reduce the number of talent points to 41 at max level, and get rid of aforementioned “bloat”

As well as reducing the number of talent points gained (you’ll gain a talent point roughly every second level now) Blizzard is also laying waste to “hybrid builds”. As it stands, you can be running around with a 25/25/21 build. I’m not sure how effective it would be, but if you’re that way inclined, there’s nothing stopping you.

However once 4.0 hits the live servers that will change. As soon as you spend your first talent point, you will be “locked” into that tree until you spend at least 31 points in it. Thus reducing the chance that new players will be running around with a horribly ineffective spec.

Red Pill/Blue Pill

With such a drastic change there is always a split in the community. Love/Hate it’s one of those things.

As with any argument, and because it makes it easier for my brain to understand, I like to write out the pros and cons.

PROS

• Less “Bloat” – There are too many uninteresting talents in the current trees that a lot of players would like to see gone.
• Newb-Friendly – Locking you into a specific tree, helps newer players and “trains” them to spec correctly…for the most part.

CONS

• Less Choice – Although a large chunk of the current trees are made up of “filler talents” Players like the large variety of choice that’s available to them.
• Virtual Freedom – Newb-friendly sure, but what happens If I want to experiment with “hybrid builds” If I want to mix and match my spec, what harm’s it doing?

Personally speaking, I can see the direction Blizzard is aiming for. The current trees are saturated with dull, unexciting talents that you take purely because you want to get down to the next tier. In an ideal world, I would have loved for them to have kept with the current number of points, and spruced up everything, but that’s just wishful thinking on my part.

As for locking players into a tree… I don’t agree with that. I love the idea that Blizzard is trying to help newer players spec correctly, but wouldn’t the new UI that pops up and explains each of your trees be enough? I’m not one of those “Blizzard are making the game too easy” players. On the most part I agree with the majority of changes that have taken place.

However, once I know how to spec, I would like the game to give me some leeway. Is that too much to ask?

What Say You?

What are your thoughts on the new talent trees? Is there anything you particularly like or dislike about them?

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!

Eulixe