Change is Coming

No, I haven't forgotten about this blog, nor do I want to abandon it.  Real life swallowed me whole after the holidays, and then I've had some changes in-game in the form of a couple of guild try outs (one Alliance side that failed and one Horde side that, so far, is working out).

First and foremost, I've joined with Enigma, a new guild on Wyrmrest Accord and, if everything works out, I will be raiding with them in the coming weeks.  The raid team is still being formed, but we've been running LFRs as a group as well as heroics and other activities.  I have to say it's nice to log into the game and see an active guild chat and even more exciting to hop on Mumble and speaking with some pretty awesome people.

In January I leveled my fourth 90, and it wasn't the Hunter (who, as of this writing, is sitting at level 87 and should ding 90 within the next week).  Back in January a friend needed a gnome mage for one of the Winter Veil achievements, so I offered to roll one for her.  After it was done I thought, "Oh what the heck, she looks cute and this could be fun."  So I purchased some heirlooms and, twenty-five days later, she dinged 90.  Yes, she, like all my toons, has a backstory and could be used for role-play if the occasion ever presents itself.  For now I'm enjoying the simplicity that is Arcane.

On the lore front, I've joined a book club of sorts called Warcraft Well Read.  Each month we're picking a Warcraft book to read through.  For January it was Rise of the Horde, a book that left me with a lot to say and which I'll be talking about soon.  This month we're covering Well of Eternity, the first book in the War of the Ancients trilogy.  There'll be more about that later as well.

As for the blog, I'm brainstorming with some ideas for what I want to do.  Now that I might actually be raiding again and role-playing, look for quite a few posts about lore and raiding.  Intermixed with that will be the occasional rant and some posts related to feminism.  One of the ideas I have is theme days, i.e. "Warlock Wednesdays" or "Sunday Afternoon Lore."  I'm not quite sure how I'll do that since real life might not offer me the time to be able to write for this several days per week.

Another idea I've had is possibly trying my hand at Livestreaming.  Currently, this isn't feasible, or at least not something I could do consistently.  My boyfriend and I are gradually getting together a wish list for a new desktop computer for me, but that will take time and will, of course, require money.  However, I hope to be able to accomplish this within the next six months, or to at least have the majority of the components assembled.  From there, we'll see.  Maybe I'll be able to make WoW into something more than just a hobby.

Ultimately, my original vision for this blog hasn't changed, it's simply evolving and gaining a few new layers.  So, stay tuned and maybe this place will become awesome.

Farewell, Cataclysm

So long, Talent Trees!

As of Tuesday, August 28, 2012, Cataclysm was officially over.  There's still some time before the world event involving Theramore on August 18, and the launch of Mists of Pandaria on September 25, but the "pre-expansion" patch 5.0.4 has already drastically changed how we play the game.  Farewell, Talent Trees!  Hello, Talent Calculator!  Shamans have lost their totems (sort of), paladins have lost auras, and hunters can now shoot things at point-blank range, and everyone either loves it, hates it, or is still staring at their screens asking what happened.

The end of Cataclysm and the arrival of Mists brought about changes for me outside of my class, too.  I've moved my raiding/role-playing main to a new server and joined with an entirely new guild, a decision that still stings a bit as I loved my old guild dearly.  It was time for me to move on and broaden my horizons, and to get ready for my first ever expansion experience in World of Warcraft.

And that's what brings me to this new blog.  In the last year and a half, I've learned a lot.  I've gone from one 85 to five, each from a different class, and I know at least enough about each of them not to get myself killed (too much).  I'm actually comfortable enough to answer basic questions concerning game play and class/spec, and even explaining strategy in PuGs.  I'm by no means an expert, and if you come to this blog expecting to be told in explicit detail how to be the best player in WoW, you'll be disappointed.  This blog isn't about that, it's about my adventures as a casual raider and role-player in WoW.

Some of the posts here will be silly, and will likely involve letters to/from/about my toons.  Some will be serious and will talk about how my feminism (yes, I am a feminist) intersects with and occasionally butts heads with my gaming experience.  Others will be cheering about my accomplishments in raiding, and the headaches associated with gearing a toon to be raid ready.  And finally, there will be some lore nerdery from time to time.

It is what it says on the tin:  "I am a casual raider and role-player in WoW.  I write about it."  The end.