Had a visit from my mom this weekend which is always a good time. Anybody else out there ever go through TWO seasons in your life where you think your parents are wrong about a lot of things? Okay maybe it's just me :) Anyway I digress ... we had a good visit. Talked a lot about the "old days" around home. Which I guess as you get older, those old days come up more and more often. I'm not sure since I'm not old ... ahem :)
As I do get "more mature" though, I'm finding out many things about my family that I'm glad I didn't know while growing up actually. Perhaps this blog isn't a good place to share some things. Perhaps though I will anyway and you can just stop screaming at me to not write it ok? Sheesh. Pushy.
Well back to why we were talking about the "old days". Basically it was Halloween over the weekend in case you missed it. I started talking to mom about how I actually didn't miss grandma and grandpa's house (or mamaw and papaw's house actually). I was saying to her that I didn't miss it because of all the strange things that went on in that place. I have some tales which would curl your toes out there (and you know who you are). I mean you'd be so scared you'd end up perched on someone's head like a cat! :D
Pretty much, just growing up in that house was a mini-scary movie in itself each time I'd wake up from a terrible nightmare to see/hear things in the house that weren't mamaw/papaw/mom. Let's leave it at that shall we?
In talking about that house, mom opens up to be about some things that went on in her childhood at her house. Honestly I'd never heard those things from her before and won't repeat here. If mom wants to blog about that she can. She did tell me that my grandpa was diagnosed as a manic-depressive schitzophrenic, at one time. Well, that was news to me. I knew his mom, my great grandma, had mistreated him badly and HER mom had killed her husband way, way WAY back in the day. And the story just gets better as we get closer to me. Read on true believers.
See, my dad left before I was ever born. Not an uncommon tale nowadays which saddens me to say. But when I was growing up in the 70's, it was a bid deal to not have a dad around. Nobody to be that male role model; nobody to play catch with; nobody to teach you to use tools; nobody to give you those father/son talks; never feeling dad's arm on your shoulder. Just trying to bring all that home for those of you who grew up with dads. It IS a big deal to not have one. Sons need their fathers.
When I was around 10, my mom got married to my step-dad and for the first time I left "home". This guy had never taken any interest in me and I was a super-shy kid; needing someone to pull me out of my shell. After that I'd be fine but I wasn't one to come out and make new friends; much less new fathers. Sheesh does this sound like "As the World Turns" or what, right? Well the dad I'd hoped for ended up being a jerk and abusive to her, me and my half-brother. Don't worry; it wasn't physical abuse. It was mental, so that's much better right? Dark humor there kids. It was during all this bad stuff happening I developed my now deeply rooted sense of humor both dark and defensive; the cutting type of humor that can be silly as you please but for those that need an "adjustment", it can also be really hurtful. I used to revel in the hurtful type of insulting humor. And man I was good at it; I thought about it all the time. Planned my comebacks based on several different conversations I'd script out in my head. But that road leads to nowhere pretty quick. So when I was around 15, I gave that dark/mean humor up (even though its still a temptation now and then) and stuck with just silly humor. This was mainly because it was at that age, I found faith and started attending church. But don't worry I'm not one of those preachy types :) I've stayed fairly normal, lol
So. Why did I share all this. Well for one, I need to get this out. I've never really totally shared it all before. Have certainly never seen it in print and I wanted to see what it looked like. Certainly I've skipped many details. Another reason to share this is that I also have friends on here through the magic of the internet that even though I've never met them in person, they've still become very dear to me. So I wanted them to know about it. Its what good friends do. They talk about their stuff that's happened. Sure hope they still hang around me after this though.
So having been through all this shhhhtuff, seen all these things, and primarily from not having a Dad; it has instilled in me a super-strong desire to be a good father/husband/family kinda guy. Do I make mistakes? Oh yeah. Have I messed it all up at times. Probably no worse than you though so don't get cocky :) But the title of my article is true. For some reason, whatever that is, I'm different than most in my family. Now don't read that as "better", it's not what I meant.
The thing is, we have all done things we're not proud of; and learned lessons both publicly and privately that we wish we could have learned without the pain that problems bring. But the primary factor between those of us that "make it" and those that wallow in their problems, waiting for someone else to bail them out is this; a willingness to get back up when we mess up and a willingness to change when we realize we're wrong.
Mamaw and papaw used to tell me to "stick to your guns kid" and so often in these past few years, their words have rung in my heart. I hope if they are watching me somewhere, that they are proud of me and I hope someday to get to see them again. There are much different questions I'd ask them now if I could. Much different conversations I'd have with them. I miss them. But the things that I saw in their lives, no matter the mistakes that they made, I tried to take the best from them, ignore the worst and make a better life than those before me, for those ahead of me.
I think, for all intents and purposes, that is the purpose for all of us here. I could be wrong though. I have been before :)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Seasons Change
Ah don't you just loooove both days of the fall season that we now have here in the Midwest? J Gosh I love it when its 90 degrees one day and then a week later it's cold and raining. What happened to my very favorite season of all? I sure do miss autumn, fall, whatever you like to call it.
(old person voice) Back when I was a kid, fall lasted from about the first of October until the end of November. (end old person voice) Sure you occasionally got a good snow right around Thanksgiving. But that was okay (and still would be by me). Actually when I was a young'un, it started getting into "jacket weather" around mid-September.
Fast forward 25-30 years.
NOW we get near 100 degree weather all the way THROUGH September and the 80's through the second week of October. Sheesh! What's a guy to do? You know what I think? I think it's not fall that I miss so much but rather the youth that I remember with it. Now stay with me here ... I enjoy my life, yes siree Bob, I do. But like most of us, those willing to be honest with ourselves, I think life hasn't turned out like I expected or perhaps I wasn't told what to expect and so the expectations I drew for myself were from, as it turns out, an empty well.
I'll try and bring this around I promise so as not to be depressing :)
I think what I miss most about fall is the brisk, fresh feel of energy in the air. The friskiness that you'd see in the animals as they sensed the approach of winter and burned off the last of summer's energy as they prepared to rest and wait for Spring's warm return. Often as a child, I'd spend my whole day outside playing in the leaves or just walking in the woods. My cousin and I would pack our backpacks with a lunch and take our bb-gun out, spending the whole day riding our bikes along trails in the woods and back near the "old mines" not far from our houses.
We didn't worry about falling into those mines, didn't worry about breaking our legs and not being able to get home, and didn’t worry about the woods being riddled with copperheads. Nah. We were just in it to have fun. The troubles didn't matter because we were focused on the goal. And the goal was adventure.
So to wrap it up, and self-analyze what I've written before me in pixels and print, I guess I'd have to say that I think I've been focused too much and for far too long on the problems and maybe I've missed some adventures along the way. Speaking from a dad's perspective and in no way demeaning that of a mom, sometimes, you feel like you're trying to get this whole "plane" of having a family depending on you, into the air. If you can just get it off the runway and into flight ... now if you can just get it to a certain altitude ... now there is this destination you need to reach ... well then after all that is done, well then you won't feel bad about having a hobby, or heading out to a movie with friends, etc.
The bad part about waiting for all that “fun stuff”to for yourself while you sacrifice all this time to others is that you (or in this case me) end up missing a lot of fun stuff along the way. You kind of wake up one day and realize/remember some things you missed or could have done differently. That life really isn’t all as serious as you make it out to be. I mean you realize this if you take the time to go back through things like I have/did. (I used to wear this t-shirt all the time that said “Don’t be so serious, it’s only life”. Man, it’s been a long time since I thought of that.)
Also, you realize you could have done the things you wanted to AND the things you needed to if you’d just opened up to your family and not been an idiot J And I mean that in the nicest way, lol! And then you realize like I have, that you’re starving for good friends, for good talk, for some genuine innocent fall-like fun again and that you’ve been missing it for so long.
So the lesson is this, Dads. Don't lose site of the adventure going on around you while you focus on your flight plan. But most importantly don’t forget to include the people on the “plane” with you as to how the flight is going and whether you need to make any detours along the way. They boarded the plane because they wanted to go with you wherever you wanted. They won’t mind a pit-stop here and there :)
That's it from me for today true believers; tune in next time for more Oddly Oakensledge Orations!
(old person voice) Back when I was a kid, fall lasted from about the first of October until the end of November. (end old person voice) Sure you occasionally got a good snow right around Thanksgiving. But that was okay (and still would be by me). Actually when I was a young'un, it started getting into "jacket weather" around mid-September.
Fast forward 25-30 years.
NOW we get near 100 degree weather all the way THROUGH September and the 80's through the second week of October. Sheesh! What's a guy to do? You know what I think? I think it's not fall that I miss so much but rather the youth that I remember with it. Now stay with me here ... I enjoy my life, yes siree Bob, I do. But like most of us, those willing to be honest with ourselves, I think life hasn't turned out like I expected or perhaps I wasn't told what to expect and so the expectations I drew for myself were from, as it turns out, an empty well.
I'll try and bring this around I promise so as not to be depressing :)
I think what I miss most about fall is the brisk, fresh feel of energy in the air. The friskiness that you'd see in the animals as they sensed the approach of winter and burned off the last of summer's energy as they prepared to rest and wait for Spring's warm return. Often as a child, I'd spend my whole day outside playing in the leaves or just walking in the woods. My cousin and I would pack our backpacks with a lunch and take our bb-gun out, spending the whole day riding our bikes along trails in the woods and back near the "old mines" not far from our houses.
We didn't worry about falling into those mines, didn't worry about breaking our legs and not being able to get home, and didn’t worry about the woods being riddled with copperheads. Nah. We were just in it to have fun. The troubles didn't matter because we were focused on the goal. And the goal was adventure.
So to wrap it up, and self-analyze what I've written before me in pixels and print, I guess I'd have to say that I think I've been focused too much and for far too long on the problems and maybe I've missed some adventures along the way. Speaking from a dad's perspective and in no way demeaning that of a mom, sometimes, you feel like you're trying to get this whole "plane" of having a family depending on you, into the air. If you can just get it off the runway and into flight ... now if you can just get it to a certain altitude ... now there is this destination you need to reach ... well then after all that is done, well then you won't feel bad about having a hobby, or heading out to a movie with friends, etc.
The bad part about waiting for all that “fun stuff”to for yourself while you sacrifice all this time to others is that you (or in this case me) end up missing a lot of fun stuff along the way. You kind of wake up one day and realize/remember some things you missed or could have done differently. That life really isn’t all as serious as you make it out to be. I mean you realize this if you take the time to go back through things like I have/did. (I used to wear this t-shirt all the time that said “Don’t be so serious, it’s only life”. Man, it’s been a long time since I thought of that.)
Also, you realize you could have done the things you wanted to AND the things you needed to if you’d just opened up to your family and not been an idiot J And I mean that in the nicest way, lol! And then you realize like I have, that you’re starving for good friends, for good talk, for some genuine innocent fall-like fun again and that you’ve been missing it for so long.
So the lesson is this, Dads. Don't lose site of the adventure going on around you while you focus on your flight plan. But most importantly don’t forget to include the people on the “plane” with you as to how the flight is going and whether you need to make any detours along the way. They boarded the plane because they wanted to go with you wherever you wanted. They won’t mind a pit-stop here and there :)
That's it from me for today true believers; tune in next time for more Oddly Oakensledge Orations!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wanna meet the puppy?
Some of you have known for awhile that we have had a life-changing experience. A puppy.
Well here is our "delicate little flower" as I affectionately call her :D She's a tiny little thing at 80 lbs and 8 months old now ... in this photo she was only 7 months old though, and you guessed it, 70 lbs.
How nice it would be to be able to gain 10 lbs a month and look as slim as she does!
Next to her, is the real Oakensledge, who could probably stand to LOSE 10 lbs a month for a while :D But hey, as someone once told me, I'm loved for my wit and charm first ... and darn it, I'm working on this weight thing ok? :)
Well there you have it. Storm. And me, Oakensledge's assistant. Cheers!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Two New Chapters in Life's Book
Well lots to tell and where to begin with it all. Perhaps we'll just jump right in and see where it leads. Sound good? Here we go.
I got fired.
I look at those words and the fact that they apply to me somehow doesn't quite seem to fit. Men in America, at least when I was growing up here in the Midwest, were raised to be providers for their familes. "A man shouldn't lose his job" ... "you be a good provider for my daughter" ... "a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat" ... those were phrases I grew up with. Maybe you've heard them too.
So I'm struggling a bit with this to be honest. I know I'm not my families' ultimate provider, that is a job for God and Him alone. I get that. I do feel I have a responsibility to stay employed at all times though, thereby doing all I can to keep things running smooth. So I'm bummed that this happened and I do feel like I failed.
Probably more on this later. Right now I'm just still absorbing information/feelings about it. I'm sure it'll all come tumbling out someday.
And now back to the game.
Oak is nearly level 67. And I've moved servers, leaving behind the land of PVP for the glorious and unbidden rapture that is PVE. I even messed around and started a guild called appropriately, Quest In Peace.
There is an old saying .. Life's too short to dance with ugly women. Yes that doesn't apply here but it brings the opportunity for a nice segway to a new saying that I will coin in simlar fashion.
"WoW is too long of a game to spend your time being ganked in world pvp".
There is the long and short of how I feel about pvp servers. You may disagree. That's ok. I'm sure you're wrong about other things too. Most likely you also believe in evolution and aliens. I forgive you.
When you do read this and come to your senses though, there is a good guild waiting for you where the questing is easy, the leveling is unabated, and the only sounds you hear are the casting of your ranged attacks, the whistle of a blade through the air and the thud of another mob hitting the ground, all bringing you ever closer to the level cap.
That's my rambling for the day. I do apologize that it's been so long since my last writing. And too, I'm sorry for the fact this post is sorta "mean" sounding. I'm still a tad bummed.
May all your hits be crits!
Oak
I got fired.
I look at those words and the fact that they apply to me somehow doesn't quite seem to fit. Men in America, at least when I was growing up here in the Midwest, were raised to be providers for their familes. "A man shouldn't lose his job" ... "you be a good provider for my daughter" ... "a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat" ... those were phrases I grew up with. Maybe you've heard them too.
So I'm struggling a bit with this to be honest. I know I'm not my families' ultimate provider, that is a job for God and Him alone. I get that. I do feel I have a responsibility to stay employed at all times though, thereby doing all I can to keep things running smooth. So I'm bummed that this happened and I do feel like I failed.
Probably more on this later. Right now I'm just still absorbing information/feelings about it. I'm sure it'll all come tumbling out someday.
And now back to the game.
Oak is nearly level 67. And I've moved servers, leaving behind the land of PVP for the glorious and unbidden rapture that is PVE. I even messed around and started a guild called appropriately, Quest In Peace.
There is an old saying .. Life's too short to dance with ugly women. Yes that doesn't apply here but it brings the opportunity for a nice segway to a new saying that I will coin in simlar fashion.
"WoW is too long of a game to spend your time being ganked in world pvp".
There is the long and short of how I feel about pvp servers. You may disagree. That's ok. I'm sure you're wrong about other things too. Most likely you also believe in evolution and aliens. I forgive you.
When you do read this and come to your senses though, there is a good guild waiting for you where the questing is easy, the leveling is unabated, and the only sounds you hear are the casting of your ranged attacks, the whistle of a blade through the air and the thud of another mob hitting the ground, all bringing you ever closer to the level cap.
That's my rambling for the day. I do apologize that it's been so long since my last writing. And too, I'm sorry for the fact this post is sorta "mean" sounding. I'm still a tad bummed.
May all your hits be crits!
Oak
Monday, April 21, 2008
Advent of High-Speed at Oak's Castle
Having once tasted the glory of high speed internet and then spending FOUR long years wandering in the darkness of dial-up, listening to the riddles of customer service promising that "coming soon it is, yes?" ... I'm elated to announce that on Thurs I will be rejoining the ranks of high-speed internet users.
The problems that have arisen over the years, from having only dial-up are really too painful to recall them all. Its not that I can't count them or anything. They aren't that numerous. Just too freaking painful to dredge back up.
The single most thing that I'm looking forward to the most is finally being on even terms (connection-wise) during pvp encounters. Dial up has SO much lag sometimes, and at the worst possible times, that its going to be so nice for things to be "smooth" again. I can't wait.
So bring on the horde ... no I don't care what your level is either or about your amazing leet gear. This little Oak just got his most important item back in his inventory ... response time. Yes I realize, I'll still die. But I'll die swinging ON-TIME and not standing there "waiting to swing", listening to the thunk thunk thunk of the WoW interface telling me it's waiting to process a command while it's in turn waiting for dial-up to download the data.
Heck I may re-roll another rogue just because so much of what they do is based on timing and I never got a chance to enjoy it.
It's been a long, long, looooooong dry spell but on Thurs it all comes to an end and the high-speed bliss of yester-years past begins anew.Can I get an Amen?
The problems that have arisen over the years, from having only dial-up are really too painful to recall them all. Its not that I can't count them or anything. They aren't that numerous. Just too freaking painful to dredge back up.
The single most thing that I'm looking forward to the most is finally being on even terms (connection-wise) during pvp encounters. Dial up has SO much lag sometimes, and at the worst possible times, that its going to be so nice for things to be "smooth" again. I can't wait.
So bring on the horde ... no I don't care what your level is either or about your amazing leet gear. This little Oak just got his most important item back in his inventory ... response time. Yes I realize, I'll still die. But I'll die swinging ON-TIME and not standing there "waiting to swing", listening to the thunk thunk thunk of the WoW interface telling me it's waiting to process a command while it's in turn waiting for dial-up to download the data.
Heck I may re-roll another rogue just because so much of what they do is based on timing and I never got a chance to enjoy it.
It's been a long, long, looooooong dry spell but on Thurs it all comes to an end and the high-speed bliss of yester-years past begins anew.Can I get an Amen?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Puppy crits you for 10k, you die ...
Okay I'm not dead but man I'm tired. And RW has to be even more and much tired-er-er.
For those of you who think having a puppy is as much work as having a kid. You're dead wrong. In some ways, it's much worse. In some ways much better. But the "better" is never funny so let's dwell on the negative shall we?
Puppies love to eat things they shouldn't. Like people. Firewood. Blankets. Walls. Unlike the game, I've not found anything to feed them that particularly influences their "happiness" or loyalty. They do come with the inate abilities: "mutilate", "claw", "swipe", and "rank 12 poo".
Training puppies is so much harder than in the game too. Wow. WTB puppy trainer IRL. For that I WOULD buy gold from a chinese farmer to pay for training. For that I'd slap a baby gnome.
So after that brief rant, suffice it to say I should be back very soon. Although I'm not a very integral part of well .... anything ... I do miss talking to everyone. And when the puppy is knawing on me or I get up at 2am for her potty break, I even miss being ganked by horde :P
See you all soon - just wanted to say .... Oakensledge lives still!
For those of you who think having a puppy is as much work as having a kid. You're dead wrong. In some ways, it's much worse. In some ways much better. But the "better" is never funny so let's dwell on the negative shall we?
Puppies love to eat things they shouldn't. Like people. Firewood. Blankets. Walls. Unlike the game, I've not found anything to feed them that particularly influences their "happiness" or loyalty. They do come with the inate abilities: "mutilate", "claw", "swipe", and "rank 12 poo".
Training puppies is so much harder than in the game too. Wow. WTB puppy trainer IRL. For that I WOULD buy gold from a chinese farmer to pay for training. For that I'd slap a baby gnome.
So after that brief rant, suffice it to say I should be back very soon. Although I'm not a very integral part of well .... anything ... I do miss talking to everyone. And when the puppy is knawing on me or I get up at 2am for her potty break, I even miss being ganked by horde :P
See you all soon - just wanted to say .... Oakensledge lives still!
Monday, November 5, 2007
A foray into Theorycrafting
Let's do some math boys and girls!
As time ratchets forward, I'll adjust these numbers as I get to study Oak more, but this will get things started. Omg, he's gonna do some math for us, stand back folks!
So the debate here (for me) is: which is better for leveling a Ret Paladin, Sanctity Aura or Retribution Aura? Now just to be clear, the debate for me is NOT which is better for raiding or pvp. Since I'm not 70 yet, my primary concern is grinding/questing. So I'm not trying to address those aspects and I'm trying to keep this pretty basic.
And the last thing to try and determine from all this is; should a Ret Pally sometimes use one of these and at other times use the other aura? That is to say, is it situational and there is no "best" solution for grinding?
So here we go. Some of these numbers need to be tested more but here is what I have so far.
Let's start off and assume three scenarios.
Scenario 0: I'm fighting a non-caster, melee type that is attacking as fast as I am with my current weapon and doing similar damage. This is with Sanctity Aura and will be my baseline for comparison.
Scenario 1: Using Retribution Aura (Improved), I'm fighting a non-caster, melee type that is attacking as fast as I am with my two hander, and doing similar damage.
Scenario 2: Using Retribution Aura (Improved). I'm fighting a rogue-type mob that is attacking fast (some of the dark iron dwarves in Searing Gorge are like this).
(Remember I haven't attempted to factor in critting or other bonuses - I didn't want to do that quite yet since this is my very first attempt at this sort of thing)
I'm using a base weapon damage for Oak of 280/swing, a 30 second fight with Oak getting 9 melee swings in that fight. During that time he will get about 6 Holy attacks, Judgements/CS (5 second avg gaps), each of those doing a base damage of around 255.
And here are the Results:
Scenario 0 (This then becomes my standard to meet or beat.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base melee damage: 2211
Base holy damage: 1683
Retribution dmg: 0
Cumulative damage: 3894
Base damage per sec: 130
Scenario 1: Improved Retribution Aura vs. 2H slow (4 sec) weapon, non-caster
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base melee damage: 2211
Base holy damage: 1530
Retribution dmg: 300
Cumulative damage: 4041
Base damage per sec: 135
Scenario 2: Improved Retribution Aura vs. "rogue-type" (2 sec) melee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base melee damage: 2211
Base holy damage: 1530
Retribution dmg: 900
Cumulative damage: 4641
Base damage per sec: 155
So from the little charts above it seems clear that for soloing, Retrib Aura would be the way to go "most times". Again, this didn't factor in crits, SoC or other bonuses which would only add to the damage listed above.
Judging Crusader instead of Judging Wisdom (and I usually use Wisdom) creates a HUGE swing in damage but results in a total mana burn pretty much every fight. Boo! Give us pallies better mana-management or a large pool, darnit! :D
The thing I didn't allow for because it simply didn't occur to me until right now, is to factor in "misses", "resists", etc. I tried to come at this from a simple point of view and basic math just to prove to myself, if nobody else, which one would be a better way to go with Ret.
More to come concerning this stuff later. I think it requires more research, its better than doing my job at work and it's good to get this outta my head :)
(Major disclaimer: I'm not "good" at this stuff. So if another pally reads this and is offended by my lack of knowledge, then I apologize in advance. I would like some constructive input if anybody cares to share.)
As time ratchets forward, I'll adjust these numbers as I get to study Oak more, but this will get things started. Omg, he's gonna do some math for us, stand back folks!
So the debate here (for me) is: which is better for leveling a Ret Paladin, Sanctity Aura or Retribution Aura? Now just to be clear, the debate for me is NOT which is better for raiding or pvp. Since I'm not 70 yet, my primary concern is grinding/questing. So I'm not trying to address those aspects and I'm trying to keep this pretty basic.
And the last thing to try and determine from all this is; should a Ret Pally sometimes use one of these and at other times use the other aura? That is to say, is it situational and there is no "best" solution for grinding?
So here we go. Some of these numbers need to be tested more but here is what I have so far.
Let's start off and assume three scenarios.
Scenario 0: I'm fighting a non-caster, melee type that is attacking as fast as I am with my current weapon and doing similar damage. This is with Sanctity Aura and will be my baseline for comparison.
Scenario 1: Using Retribution Aura (Improved), I'm fighting a non-caster, melee type that is attacking as fast as I am with my two hander, and doing similar damage.
Scenario 2: Using Retribution Aura (Improved). I'm fighting a rogue-type mob that is attacking fast (some of the dark iron dwarves in Searing Gorge are like this).
(Remember I haven't attempted to factor in critting or other bonuses - I didn't want to do that quite yet since this is my very first attempt at this sort of thing)
I'm using a base weapon damage for Oak of 280/swing, a 30 second fight with Oak getting 9 melee swings in that fight. During that time he will get about 6 Holy attacks, Judgements/CS (5 second avg gaps), each of those doing a base damage of around 255.
And here are the Results:
Scenario 0 (This then becomes my standard to meet or beat.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base melee damage: 2211
Base holy damage: 1683
Retribution dmg: 0
Cumulative damage: 3894
Base damage per sec: 130
Scenario 1: Improved Retribution Aura vs. 2H slow (4 sec) weapon, non-caster
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base melee damage: 2211
Base holy damage: 1530
Retribution dmg: 300
Cumulative damage: 4041
Base damage per sec: 135
Scenario 2: Improved Retribution Aura vs. "rogue-type" (2 sec) melee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base melee damage: 2211
Base holy damage: 1530
Retribution dmg: 900
Cumulative damage: 4641
Base damage per sec: 155
So from the little charts above it seems clear that for soloing, Retrib Aura would be the way to go "most times". Again, this didn't factor in crits, SoC or other bonuses which would only add to the damage listed above.
Judging Crusader instead of Judging Wisdom (and I usually use Wisdom) creates a HUGE swing in damage but results in a total mana burn pretty much every fight. Boo! Give us pallies better mana-management or a large pool, darnit! :D
The thing I didn't allow for because it simply didn't occur to me until right now, is to factor in "misses", "resists", etc. I tried to come at this from a simple point of view and basic math just to prove to myself, if nobody else, which one would be a better way to go with Ret.
More to come concerning this stuff later. I think it requires more research, its better than doing my job at work and it's good to get this outta my head :)
(Major disclaimer: I'm not "good" at this stuff. So if another pally reads this and is offended by my lack of knowledge, then I apologize in advance. I would like some constructive input if anybody cares to share.)
Why hello you big beautiful lvl 56, pally you
The biggest news is that I'm one step closer to 60 and yet another mount that doesn't take up a bag slot :) Man I love being a Paladin! Oh sure I know that two bag slots aren't that big of a deal, but I just love that I don't have to worry about them.
Well as the title indicates; ding 56! Sort of a disappointing level though. When I trained, I only got a new rank of Frost Protection Aura and a new rank of Retribution Aura ... neither of which I use.
Which leads me to the main content of my post, which as it turns out, is talking about my next post. Let me explain. No, there is too much ... let me sum up.
I have questions about RETtribution Aura. Seems like a solo'ing Ret Pally would be running this aura all the time. Thus the Ret in Retribution, right? But I've seen few who run it and many who talk about running Sanctity Aura instead.
I myself am usually running Sanctity Aura in my travels and have always read that "thats the way to go for Ret damage". But being an inquistive little dwarven soul, I just have to see for myself and run some very generic, extremely vanilla numbers.
And that's where my "next" post comes in. Or it will. I had intended to get this all done at work today and post the numbers up here but I'm still researching. What I have found so far is a big split in the pally world. No surprise there, this is a game played by millions and heck when was the last time everybody in a guild agreed much less thousands of strangers playing pallys :D
There seems to be just as much information supporting Sanctity Aura as the main way to swing the light as there is Retribution Aura. As with so many things in this game, it most likely comes down to play-style and preference as much as anything else.
But I'm going home tonight to research this some and run numbers on Oak. I've already created an interesting little spreadsheet and I just need some of my very own Pally-data to plug into it. It should be a fun read but alas, it will have to be later tonight or early tomorrow before that is all up on here for debate and for my fellow pallys and guildies to poke fun at my theorycrafting :D
I'm looking forward to it. Onward!
Well as the title indicates; ding 56! Sort of a disappointing level though. When I trained, I only got a new rank of Frost Protection Aura and a new rank of Retribution Aura ... neither of which I use.
Which leads me to the main content of my post, which as it turns out, is talking about my next post. Let me explain. No, there is too much ... let me sum up.
I have questions about RETtribution Aura. Seems like a solo'ing Ret Pally would be running this aura all the time. Thus the Ret in Retribution, right? But I've seen few who run it and many who talk about running Sanctity Aura instead.
I myself am usually running Sanctity Aura in my travels and have always read that "thats the way to go for Ret damage". But being an inquistive little dwarven soul, I just have to see for myself and run some very generic, extremely vanilla numbers.
And that's where my "next" post comes in. Or it will. I had intended to get this all done at work today and post the numbers up here but I'm still researching. What I have found so far is a big split in the pally world. No surprise there, this is a game played by millions and heck when was the last time everybody in a guild agreed much less thousands of strangers playing pallys :D
There seems to be just as much information supporting Sanctity Aura as the main way to swing the light as there is Retribution Aura. As with so many things in this game, it most likely comes down to play-style and preference as much as anything else.
But I'm going home tonight to research this some and run numbers on Oak. I've already created an interesting little spreadsheet and I just need some of my very own Pally-data to plug into it. It should be a fun read but alas, it will have to be later tonight or early tomorrow before that is all up on here for debate and for my fellow pallys and guildies to poke fun at my theorycrafting :D
I'm looking forward to it. Onward!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Breakout from Un'Goro
Well the pvp-bowl that IS Un'Goro Crater is for the most part, finished. And not soon enough for this short, stout lager-laden-laddie. Up until Un'Goro, Oak had given as well as he'd taken, in regards to beatings in world pvp. But UC has been a lesson in humility from the first day I slipped my plate-covered tootsies into that hazy-green world of beasties and hordsies.
They all hated me everyday and I even took to playing at odd times just to get through quests unscathed. One-on-one, I do alright but I've yet to win a pvp battle when it's me against two (or more).
Oh well - enough ranting. Geez, I'm whining like a clothie! j/k :)
The good news is ... ding 54 and darn it ... almost ding 55! Whoo hoo! Couldn't help but have a little "pre-ding" celebration there. If I get on-game tonight I'll get to hit 55 and I'll also get to wear my Imperial Plate Chest Piece. Woot!
And that reminds me, I must hit up a new dungeon or two soon though and grind for a new weapon. There doesn't seem to be much on the AH lately for decent weapons at my level and I just don't think that the ol Lightforged Blade will last till 59.
The reason that I mention 59 is that from 59 to 68, I've amassed quite a collection of swords and axes in my bank; I've been building them up for some time. RW has given me a good weapon drop for 66, Bacon gave me a great drop for lvl 59 or 60 (can't remember which) and I've made some purchases too.
Maybe the best thing is to just keep polishing up the Lightforged Blade and swing it till 59.
Last thing to blab about in this post is mods. Yep I'm still using my lvling Mod and I still love it. They have even sent out invites to users of their mod to ask for help in developing it further and make it even better ... gasp! ... is this my road to fame, before me, in WoW? I'm thinking about taking them up on their offer and help them out with quest research and whatnot.
Time will tell.
But the latest thing for mods is that I dropped that old friend of mine ... Titan Panel. Queue the "sad goodbye" music. This was my VERY first mod I ever installed in WoW and I've used it ever since.
But much like an old stale relationship gone bad, I just needed more than what Titan had been offering; so it was time to move on. I mean I owe it to myself right? Why spend even more time with a mod that clearly has different interests than me? I need more. And so it was time for Titan to start seeing other players and for me to start seeing other mods.
That's when I met the Bartender.
She was version 3 which I assume means she's been around. But who am I to judge. All her buttons were in the right place and she didn't seem to mind my looking. Heck I was on the mod rebound. I have to admit I wasn't picky. Things looked good.
So I asked her over and before you know it, she was all into my interface folder and I can't say that I minded. Two crazy kids like us, needing something from each other. Bartender needing someone to pay her attention and me, to be honest, well I've always been a button man.
And although I'm loath to admit it, and I'm not usually into this kind of thing, Lou said Bartender had treated him right.
So there you have it. A man. A old mod and his new one. This game has it all.
P.S. - Get your own Bartender, btw, this one is mine.
They all hated me everyday and I even took to playing at odd times just to get through quests unscathed. One-on-one, I do alright but I've yet to win a pvp battle when it's me against two (or more).
Oh well - enough ranting. Geez, I'm whining like a clothie! j/k :)
The good news is ... ding 54 and darn it ... almost ding 55! Whoo hoo! Couldn't help but have a little "pre-ding" celebration there. If I get on-game tonight I'll get to hit 55 and I'll also get to wear my Imperial Plate Chest Piece. Woot!
And that reminds me, I must hit up a new dungeon or two soon though and grind for a new weapon. There doesn't seem to be much on the AH lately for decent weapons at my level and I just don't think that the ol Lightforged Blade will last till 59.
The reason that I mention 59 is that from 59 to 68, I've amassed quite a collection of swords and axes in my bank; I've been building them up for some time. RW has given me a good weapon drop for 66, Bacon gave me a great drop for lvl 59 or 60 (can't remember which) and I've made some purchases too.
Maybe the best thing is to just keep polishing up the Lightforged Blade and swing it till 59.
Last thing to blab about in this post is mods. Yep I'm still using my lvling Mod and I still love it. They have even sent out invites to users of their mod to ask for help in developing it further and make it even better ... gasp! ... is this my road to fame, before me, in WoW? I'm thinking about taking them up on their offer and help them out with quest research and whatnot.
Time will tell.
But the latest thing for mods is that I dropped that old friend of mine ... Titan Panel. Queue the "sad goodbye" music. This was my VERY first mod I ever installed in WoW and I've used it ever since.
But much like an old stale relationship gone bad, I just needed more than what Titan had been offering; so it was time to move on. I mean I owe it to myself right? Why spend even more time with a mod that clearly has different interests than me? I need more. And so it was time for Titan to start seeing other players and for me to start seeing other mods.
That's when I met the Bartender.
She was version 3 which I assume means she's been around. But who am I to judge. All her buttons were in the right place and she didn't seem to mind my looking. Heck I was on the mod rebound. I have to admit I wasn't picky. Things looked good.
So I asked her over and before you know it, she was all into my interface folder and I can't say that I minded. Two crazy kids like us, needing something from each other. Bartender needing someone to pay her attention and me, to be honest, well I've always been a button man.
And although I'm loath to admit it, and I'm not usually into this kind of thing, Lou said Bartender had treated him right.
So there you have it. A man. A old mod and his new one. This game has it all.
P.S. - Get your own Bartender, btw, this one is mine.
Friday, October 19, 2007
ouch, ouch, OUCH! Unfriendly Un'Goro
What a pvp-bowl the crater was last night. Poor little Oak was cut down, split up, and stacked away for winter ... by a few different classes.
First up. 48 Shaman. He tried to gank me while I was fighting two Ravasaur-types but I bubble/healed and oddly enough, he RAN. I was blown away by that. He stuck around though .. and I don't know if this was part of his elaborate ganking plan ... but he just sorta watched me from a distance until it really got on my nerves ... so I ended up rushing the bum and embarrassingly enough - he totally owned me.
"Anger clouds the mind" - Yoda
As I came riding up, he threw down 3 totems of various types. I dismounted and entered the fray. I have to admit - my mind wasn't really into the fight as I began and it showed. He totally killed me. In retrospect, I wonder if I had ran right into the middle of his totems and threw down a consecrate .. would that have killed them while I hacked him up off to the side?
Wish I'd gotten his name though, I need to get in the habit of that so I can look people up on the armory later and check their spec/gear. I think it might help to start doing some research on how to fight various classes/specs. I need to get into this pvp stuff or switch to a pve server - lol
Anyway, not long after that, actually <5 mins or so, I was fighting more Ravasaurs (two actually) and a lvl 49 Rogue (BE - geez I hate Blood Elves), stuns me and then ... wait for it ... just backs off and watches the mobs kill me while I'm stunned. Classic. Had to hand that one to her. Very creative stuff.
So I go on, mowing through quests, undaunted ... well that's not true. In reality I was about to eat my keyboard as a snack in a fit of rage, just to make this game go away. But I pressed on instead.
So I was turning in a quest up near the entrance to UC, standing there with that big Tauren quest-giver. From out of the mist, and down the hill, I see a lvl ?? Tauren Shaman riding along. Starts to pass me ... then turns up the hill ... crap ... he 3 hits me, remounts and then goes calmly over to get his Power Crystal for which he'd apparently been after all along. So he had been nice enough to cruise up to me, use me for speed bump, and then get his quest/rep item.
Glad I could help Mr. Shama Lama. Hope I chipped your axes with my handsome dwarven chin.
Well after all this my dander was definitely up. So, it was Talon-time. I logged with Oak and although I knew better, went and got Talon.
I say that I knew better because why? ... say it with me boys and girls ... "after the horde gank you, they disappear while you get your main". I don't know how they do that. Are there night courses somewhere that they take in order to learn how to be such pains in the posterior?
Talon slides into UC and there are no horde to be found. Poof! It's like they never even were. Agggggghhhh!
But, eventually, Talon did make life rough for one lvl 55 warrior. Poor guy. Hated to take it out on him but not really. Started killing him at Marshal's Refuge and followed him clear back to Gadgetzan, harrassing/sapping him. I'm sure he hates alliance.
And I'm pretty sure I hate the horde :)
First up. 48 Shaman. He tried to gank me while I was fighting two Ravasaur-types but I bubble/healed and oddly enough, he RAN. I was blown away by that. He stuck around though .. and I don't know if this was part of his elaborate ganking plan ... but he just sorta watched me from a distance until it really got on my nerves ... so I ended up rushing the bum and embarrassingly enough - he totally owned me.
"Anger clouds the mind" - Yoda
As I came riding up, he threw down 3 totems of various types. I dismounted and entered the fray. I have to admit - my mind wasn't really into the fight as I began and it showed. He totally killed me. In retrospect, I wonder if I had ran right into the middle of his totems and threw down a consecrate .. would that have killed them while I hacked him up off to the side?
Wish I'd gotten his name though, I need to get in the habit of that so I can look people up on the armory later and check their spec/gear. I think it might help to start doing some research on how to fight various classes/specs. I need to get into this pvp stuff or switch to a pve server - lol
Anyway, not long after that, actually <5 mins or so, I was fighting more Ravasaurs (two actually) and a lvl 49 Rogue (BE - geez I hate Blood Elves), stuns me and then ... wait for it ... just backs off and watches the mobs kill me while I'm stunned. Classic. Had to hand that one to her. Very creative stuff.
So I go on, mowing through quests, undaunted ... well that's not true. In reality I was about to eat my keyboard as a snack in a fit of rage, just to make this game go away. But I pressed on instead.
So I was turning in a quest up near the entrance to UC, standing there with that big Tauren quest-giver. From out of the mist, and down the hill, I see a lvl ?? Tauren Shaman riding along. Starts to pass me ... then turns up the hill ... crap ... he 3 hits me, remounts and then goes calmly over to get his Power Crystal for which he'd apparently been after all along. So he had been nice enough to cruise up to me, use me for speed bump, and then get his quest/rep item.
Glad I could help Mr. Shama Lama. Hope I chipped your axes with my handsome dwarven chin.
Well after all this my dander was definitely up. So, it was Talon-time. I logged with Oak and although I knew better, went and got Talon.
I say that I knew better because why? ... say it with me boys and girls ... "after the horde gank you, they disappear while you get your main". I don't know how they do that. Are there night courses somewhere that they take in order to learn how to be such pains in the posterior?
Talon slides into UC and there are no horde to be found. Poof! It's like they never even were. Agggggghhhh!
But, eventually, Talon did make life rough for one lvl 55 warrior. Poor guy. Hated to take it out on him but not really. Started killing him at Marshal's Refuge and followed him clear back to Gadgetzan, harrassing/sapping him. I'm sure he hates alliance.
And I'm pretty sure I hate the horde :)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
What the Flux? An evening in Searing Gorge
Well I pretty much finished up my quests last night in Searing Gorge. A lvl 49 rogue practiced his sapping abilities on me and I practiced hunting him down. :D
Other than that it was a fairly easy evening. Here is a little rundown of what I did though.
My biggest mission, having previously chosen to accept it, was to travel waaaaaay down deep in the bowels of the Cauldron in the Searing Gorge. In there, is a lvl 50 leet Dwarf that one needs to get past in order to obtain an item for the quest "What the Flux?". (Love that quest name Blizz!)
Anyhow, behind said nasty is a scroll on a table, which is your quest item. He is flanked by a lvl 50 non-elite dwarf. These guys are both something like "Sith-Pallies". They can bubble, they can sheep, they can use Shadow magic. Its quite the experience. So my plan was to go in and die once (killing the non-elite in the process) and then run back and take on the elite ... just me and him ... in a dark cave ... where no one could hear his cries for help as the blackness of cold death clutches at his soul. Ahem. Sorry, the rogue in me came out there for a minute.
So I set my plan in motion. Killed the normal guy, ran back and healed up for the elite. I run in, swinging and judging aaaaaand ... dead! But it was ME that was dead, not him.
New strategy. I run back, heal up, put him to sleep with Repentance, pick up the freakin quest item and bubble/jump from the big tall dropoff behind him, falling down several levels to the cave floor below but thanks to my bubble-chute, I was healthy as a horse.
Very rogue-like of me :) Well I figured he'd bring the whole dang place to bear down on me but instead, I was almost immediately out of combat. I was little bummed because I needed that elites head for a quest but I figured I could wait for another day.
As luck would have it, on my way out of the Cauldron I run into two hunters that needed help with that very quest. So I group up with them and head right back in there.
I do my pally thing and give them and their big cats Greater Blessing of Might (the hunters were using mainly melee attacks for some resason). They didn't seem to have been there before or it had been awhile, so I even got to help find the place and recommend a turn here or a tunnel-twist there. The dwarves in the Slag Pit also net people while they are fighting so I got to provide a few BoFs and then reapply GBoM. So that was good practice.
In the end, We kill our elite with no problem at all - both hunters were lvl 51 and one was beast-mastery specc'd. So I end up getting my quest item from the big mean nasty dwarf anyway, netting me some more experience.
Feeling rather satisified with all that and being halfway to 53 now, I think tonight I'll visit the Crater and hit 53, maybe 54. I have some Imperial Plate items that I'm just dying to put on :)
Other than that it was a fairly easy evening. Here is a little rundown of what I did though.
My biggest mission, having previously chosen to accept it, was to travel waaaaaay down deep in the bowels of the Cauldron in the Searing Gorge. In there, is a lvl 50 leet Dwarf that one needs to get past in order to obtain an item for the quest "What the Flux?". (Love that quest name Blizz!)
Anyhow, behind said nasty is a scroll on a table, which is your quest item. He is flanked by a lvl 50 non-elite dwarf. These guys are both something like "Sith-Pallies". They can bubble, they can sheep, they can use Shadow magic. Its quite the experience. So my plan was to go in and die once (killing the non-elite in the process) and then run back and take on the elite ... just me and him ... in a dark cave ... where no one could hear his cries for help as the blackness of cold death clutches at his soul. Ahem. Sorry, the rogue in me came out there for a minute.
So I set my plan in motion. Killed the normal guy, ran back and healed up for the elite. I run in, swinging and judging aaaaaand ... dead! But it was ME that was dead, not him.
New strategy. I run back, heal up, put him to sleep with Repentance, pick up the freakin quest item and bubble/jump from the big tall dropoff behind him, falling down several levels to the cave floor below but thanks to my bubble-chute, I was healthy as a horse.
Very rogue-like of me :) Well I figured he'd bring the whole dang place to bear down on me but instead, I was almost immediately out of combat. I was little bummed because I needed that elites head for a quest but I figured I could wait for another day.
As luck would have it, on my way out of the Cauldron I run into two hunters that needed help with that very quest. So I group up with them and head right back in there.
I do my pally thing and give them and their big cats Greater Blessing of Might (the hunters were using mainly melee attacks for some resason). They didn't seem to have been there before or it had been awhile, so I even got to help find the place and recommend a turn here or a tunnel-twist there. The dwarves in the Slag Pit also net people while they are fighting so I got to provide a few BoFs and then reapply GBoM. So that was good practice.
In the end, We kill our elite with no problem at all - both hunters were lvl 51 and one was beast-mastery specc'd. So I end up getting my quest item from the big mean nasty dwarf anyway, netting me some more experience.
Feeling rather satisified with all that and being halfway to 53 now, I think tonight I'll visit the Crater and hit 53, maybe 54. I have some Imperial Plate items that I'm just dying to put on :)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ding 52 and a short story
Well this weekend I mustered my defenses against the The Pillow (actually just played in the afternoons) and grabbed the brass ring that has 52 stamped on it.
Nothing grand to report at 52, just new ranks of existing stuff. Guess there was one new thing though, come to think of it. I did also get Improved Blessing of Might, which is nice, and also requires reagents (of that I was not aware). Moving on.
Before I dinged though I did run into a short pvp encounter which I though was worth mentioning. It was however with a rogue so apologies to rogues in our guild as I tell this ... you guys will always be able to kick my short dwarven rear I'm sure.
So there I was minding my own business, trying to get a quest done in the Searing Gorge by rounding up 8 Thorium Daggers, and those drop from Dark Iron Dwarves. Having engaged said Dark Iron Nasty to obtain aforementioned quest item, in order to complete the previously indicated quest ... I was otherwise unaware of a lvl 53 UD Rogue sneaking up behind me.
He shortly made his presence known though however by cracking me, quite soundly I might add, in the head causing me to sag in embarrassing fashion directly in front of my dance partner who just kept right on dancing and helping my new head-cracking friend out.
Well with daggers-a-flyin' and undead noises echoing across the Cauldron, the rogue stabbed and stabbed ... until his stun faded and I bubbled. Then I healed to full health and the grin slid off his little malformed head.
He continued to fight so kudos to him for that. He got in some good licks but mine, although they were not nearly as often, were much much bigger hits and crits. You could say, I gave him a sudden case of the crits. Lol!
However his last mistake was that, he decided to try and stand toe-to-toe with a plate wearer/healer; he never moved from in front of me. Maybe it was because my mob wasn't dead ... maybe he was a terrible rogue ... or maybe he was combat specc'd; removing the need to move around a lot ... maybe he thought "heck the guy is two levels below me and he's only a pally".
Whatever his reasoning he was very wrong. He should have tried to stunlock me some more.
So after I bubbled/healed I proceeded to politely reach out and rearrange his face. It didn't last long. And he tried to run, but Judgement found him ... wanting.
Then after I had sufficiently introduced my rogue-friend to the graveyard, I turned my back on his dead and foresaken (pun-intended) corpse and killed my mob, who in all this time, had not yet found better things to do.
For whatever reason, in very un-horde-like fashion, my rogue friend didn't come back to try and dance again :)
Nothing grand to report at 52, just new ranks of existing stuff. Guess there was one new thing though, come to think of it. I did also get Improved Blessing of Might, which is nice, and also requires reagents (of that I was not aware). Moving on.
Before I dinged though I did run into a short pvp encounter which I though was worth mentioning. It was however with a rogue so apologies to rogues in our guild as I tell this ... you guys will always be able to kick my short dwarven rear I'm sure.
So there I was minding my own business, trying to get a quest done in the Searing Gorge by rounding up 8 Thorium Daggers, and those drop from Dark Iron Dwarves. Having engaged said Dark Iron Nasty to obtain aforementioned quest item, in order to complete the previously indicated quest ... I was otherwise unaware of a lvl 53 UD Rogue sneaking up behind me.
He shortly made his presence known though however by cracking me, quite soundly I might add, in the head causing me to sag in embarrassing fashion directly in front of my dance partner who just kept right on dancing and helping my new head-cracking friend out.
Well with daggers-a-flyin' and undead noises echoing across the Cauldron, the rogue stabbed and stabbed ... until his stun faded and I bubbled. Then I healed to full health and the grin slid off his little malformed head.
He continued to fight so kudos to him for that. He got in some good licks but mine, although they were not nearly as often, were much much bigger hits and crits. You could say, I gave him a sudden case of the crits. Lol!
However his last mistake was that, he decided to try and stand toe-to-toe with a plate wearer/healer; he never moved from in front of me. Maybe it was because my mob wasn't dead ... maybe he was a terrible rogue ... or maybe he was combat specc'd; removing the need to move around a lot ... maybe he thought "heck the guy is two levels below me and he's only a pally".
Whatever his reasoning he was very wrong. He should have tried to stunlock me some more.
So after I bubbled/healed I proceeded to politely reach out and rearrange his face. It didn't last long. And he tried to run, but Judgement found him ... wanting.
Then after I had sufficiently introduced my rogue-friend to the graveyard, I turned my back on his dead and foresaken (pun-intended) corpse and killed my mob, who in all this time, had not yet found better things to do.
For whatever reason, in very un-horde-like fashion, my rogue friend didn't come back to try and dance again :)
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Pillow (background)
C'mon I HAD to write something down :) I haven't logged onto the game in so long, I just decided to basically write about the epic struggle between the The Game and The Pillow. Here lately, my pillow has been pwn'ing the game :)
But for any of you thinking that I'm leaving WoW ... no such luck for you :) The poem below was just fun blog-filler :)
But for any of you thinking that I'm leaving WoW ... no such luck for you :) The poem below was just fun blog-filler :)
The Pillow
The Pillow
(with apologies to Edgar Allen Poe)
Once upon a midnight dreary, logging on to WoW, so weary,
Whence upon mine eyes so bleary, fell an image I now am fearing,
And in my mind there came a rapping - rapping as at my chamber door.
"Tis the drink," I muttered, "sounding at my mind's door,
Only this and nothing more.
My bed so soft and calling, in my mind I felt myself falling,
To a safe and restful state, of which I'd never felt before,
But then a voice I heard repeating, twas a voice filled with pleading,
"When did we last in Azeroth explore?"
Crossing the room, I opened, my chamber door;
Darkness there and nothing more.
Again a sound came and this time longer, with a desire even stronger,
Crowing for my attention, insistent promises of something more;
So that to still my heart's beating, then to myself I stood repeating,
"Nothing to fear this evening, only someone at my door"
"Some late visitor asking entrance at my door"
"This is it and nothing more"
But panic took me and I crossed the room anxious to escape the gloom,
Into my bedchamber I tread, fearing the things of which my heart dreads,
And then again I repeated, the same just as before,
It twas nothing, just faint whispers outside my home's front door.
Night sounds and jitters, nothing more.
I approached the pc my nerves disheveled, anxious now to quest and level,
The logon screen it opened shining and then came a new insistent whining,
A familiar yet elusive sound, in my head it bounced around,
Twas the noise that I abhor, called to me just as before.
"Questing can wait longer. Come to me and rest some more"
I turned and saw my pillow laying there, calling to me as I stared,
It crooned to me a pleasant bleat, promising peace and a dreamless sleep,
The pillow; and I yearned to heed it as I stared, abhorred,
But it called to me again saying more,
Questing you need do; nevermore.
My login screen waited at attention, I heard Oak's cries for intervention,
Calling to me from that virtual scene, pleading to quest, to say hi to my team,
But the pillow again called, weaving its seduction and drawing me o'er,
At last the screen forgotten, I was captured, as by the Sirens of lore,
The Pillow called me to rest. And quest?
Quote the Pillow, "Nevermore."
(with apologies to Edgar Allen Poe)
Once upon a midnight dreary, logging on to WoW, so weary,
Whence upon mine eyes so bleary, fell an image I now am fearing,
And in my mind there came a rapping - rapping as at my chamber door.
"Tis the drink," I muttered, "sounding at my mind's door,
Only this and nothing more.
My bed so soft and calling, in my mind I felt myself falling,
To a safe and restful state, of which I'd never felt before,
But then a voice I heard repeating, twas a voice filled with pleading,
"When did we last in Azeroth explore?"
Crossing the room, I opened, my chamber door;
Darkness there and nothing more.
Again a sound came and this time longer, with a desire even stronger,
Crowing for my attention, insistent promises of something more;
So that to still my heart's beating, then to myself I stood repeating,
"Nothing to fear this evening, only someone at my door"
"Some late visitor asking entrance at my door"
"This is it and nothing more"
But panic took me and I crossed the room anxious to escape the gloom,
Into my bedchamber I tread, fearing the things of which my heart dreads,
And then again I repeated, the same just as before,
It twas nothing, just faint whispers outside my home's front door.
Night sounds and jitters, nothing more.
I approached the pc my nerves disheveled, anxious now to quest and level,
The logon screen it opened shining and then came a new insistent whining,
A familiar yet elusive sound, in my head it bounced around,
Twas the noise that I abhor, called to me just as before.
"Questing can wait longer. Come to me and rest some more"
I turned and saw my pillow laying there, calling to me as I stared,
It crooned to me a pleasant bleat, promising peace and a dreamless sleep,
The pillow; and I yearned to heed it as I stared, abhorred,
But it called to me again saying more,
Questing you need do; nevermore.
My login screen waited at attention, I heard Oak's cries for intervention,
Calling to me from that virtual scene, pleading to quest, to say hi to my team,
But the pillow again called, weaving its seduction and drawing me o'er,
At last the screen forgotten, I was captured, as by the Sirens of lore,
The Pillow called me to rest. And quest?
Quote the Pillow, "Nevermore."
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Leverage says you ....
I think I feel a change in the winds says I.
Everybody else has blogged about it. Everybody has forumed about it. Everybody who's played past the noob area knows there be a big patch-a-comin and it could mean good and yummy things for those of us crazy enough to climb the limbs of the Retribution Tree.
Let's break these babies down and start the arguing early, shall we? :)
Let's take the next ones as a group.
All in all I think this will be a good-news day for Rets and pallies in general. Bring on the patch! I can't wait to get this stuff! :)
Everybody else has blogged about it. Everybody has forumed about it. Everybody who's played past the noob area knows there be a big patch-a-comin and it could mean good and yummy things for those of us crazy enough to climb the limbs of the Retribution Tree.
Let's break these babies down and start the arguing early, shall we? :)
- Vindication (Retribution) frequency and duration increased and now reduces all attributes by 5/10/15%, not just Strength and Agility.
- Pursuit of Justice (Retribution) is now 3 ranks and increases movement speed by 5/10/15% and also reduces the chance you'll be hit by spells by 1/2/3%.
Let's take the next ones as a group.
- Exorcism's mana cost has been lowered (Source)
- Holy Wrath's mana cost has been lowered (Source)
- Hammer of Wrath's mana cost has been lowered (Source)
- Vengeance has been increased to 30 seconds (Source).
- New Talent - Sanctified Seals (replacing Sanctified Crusader): Increases your chance to critically hit with all spells and melee by 1/2/3%, and reduces the chance your Seals can be dispelled by 33/66/100% (Source)
- Crusader Strike cooldown is being lowered to 6 seconds. (Source)
- Improved Seal of the Crusader effect added to base abilitiy (Source)
- Improved Seal of the Crusader now gives the effects of Sanctified Crusader (Source)
All in all I think this will be a good-news day for Rets and pallies in general. Bring on the patch! I can't wait to get this stuff! :)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Still lurking about ...
Yes it's been awhile since I've logged on ... been some time since I've posted too. Sorry about that. I know that many of you come here to get your daily dose of my ramblings (lol, right!).
But I thought I'd let everybody know that I'm alive and kicking.
Personal injury report incoming ... badly sprained my ankle recently and that hurt something wonderful (getting up there in years now, lol). The stink of it is that the doc tells me I should stay off of it as much as possible which would exclude me from family vacation this coming weekend (we have a trip planned to head back to Monterey Bay, CA).
So that's a bummer if I don't get to go out there. However, I suppose I'd get to log some serious leveling time with Oak, who is long overdue for some questing attention.
Anyhow that's all from me. If I'm at the house this weekend, which it appears that I will be, I should be able to come up with some adventurous yarns for ya'll from our Wonderful World of Warcraft :)
But I thought I'd let everybody know that I'm alive and kicking.
Personal injury report incoming ... badly sprained my ankle recently and that hurt something wonderful (getting up there in years now, lol). The stink of it is that the doc tells me I should stay off of it as much as possible which would exclude me from family vacation this coming weekend (we have a trip planned to head back to Monterey Bay, CA).
So that's a bummer if I don't get to go out there. However, I suppose I'd get to log some serious leveling time with Oak, who is long overdue for some questing attention.
Anyhow that's all from me. If I'm at the house this weekend, which it appears that I will be, I should be able to come up with some adventurous yarns for ya'll from our Wonderful World of Warcraft :)
Monday, September 24, 2007
Ding 51
Well I skipped the "ding post" on lvl 50 because it all happened this weekend and I just always avoid posting using my cursed dial-up connection. Yes that's right I play WoW on dial up and that really blows at times. If you're the prayin' type of guildie reading this, I could really use high-speed internet soon :)
But I digress.
Well Oak has had no epic battles of late but I did run into a few epic guildies. Namely Bacon, Magnusson and Lou.
The other night, Lou was helping a buddy of his on a run from Menethil to SW and it turns out that my pal Lou seems to have never made that run himself (can you say Ebay character, I knew you could). So I offered to tag along and was really excited to see Lou in-game for the very first time.
He's really short. Lots of beard and mustache and appears to wear a monicle. Sorta like if the monopoly guy turned drug-czar. That's what struck me about him :) Ah but a finer rogue (except maybe Sylvara) you're never to find than Lou. He's of strong stock that gnome and has a winning attitude to boot! Good to see you in-game buddy :)
Next up was Bacon and Magnusson. Now Bacon and I go back a few years now, I've worked with him IRL and it's always good to see my buddy Bacon. Him and Magnusson, along with RW, were kind enough to help me out on a quest to ST (Lou, that means "Sunken Temple" - its a dungeon in the Swamp of Sorrows, lol) .... sorry couldn't resist another shot at my gnome buddy.
Anyhow I had a quest to get the following sword Lightforged Blade which is a pally chain-quest starting with Inert Scourgestones and ultimately yields this sword. (A little trivia that I've read about it is that its the only weapon in the game that adds specifically to holy damage.) It is a NICE weapon and I'm thankful to have it.
Anyhow I needed some feathers in ST for the last step of that quest. Bacon came to throw down some phat healz, RW did the big damage, Magnusson joined us and he and I did dual-tanking/off-dps.
In typical Heroes fashion, it was an odd group makeup. But with Bacon and RW there, it went off without a hitch. That Magnusson boy, I can learn much from that pally. He's a good egg and has really worked hard on his gear and that shows, as well as him being a good player. As for my performance, I felt like I held my own on dps and I had fun too.
As for Bacon, well I'd have to quote Mike Martz from back in the Marshall Faulk era. " I mean that was just Bacon being Bacon. Just when you think he's gonna do this or that he surprises you and takes it to the next level. He's Bacon". So thanks for coming man, its always great to hang with you in-game.
And as for RW - well she's my wife. I wouldn't be this far in the game or life in general without her :)
In general, it was just good to group with some Heroes for a change and I really appreciate their help.
As a matter of fact I think I'll post this on our forums just to make sure they get the proper thanks :) That's it from me!
But I digress.
Well Oak has had no epic battles of late but I did run into a few epic guildies. Namely Bacon, Magnusson and Lou.
The other night, Lou was helping a buddy of his on a run from Menethil to SW and it turns out that my pal Lou seems to have never made that run himself (can you say Ebay character, I knew you could). So I offered to tag along and was really excited to see Lou in-game for the very first time.
He's really short. Lots of beard and mustache and appears to wear a monicle. Sorta like if the monopoly guy turned drug-czar. That's what struck me about him :) Ah but a finer rogue (except maybe Sylvara) you're never to find than Lou. He's of strong stock that gnome and has a winning attitude to boot! Good to see you in-game buddy :)
Next up was Bacon and Magnusson. Now Bacon and I go back a few years now, I've worked with him IRL and it's always good to see my buddy Bacon. Him and Magnusson, along with RW, were kind enough to help me out on a quest to ST (Lou, that means "Sunken Temple" - its a dungeon in the Swamp of Sorrows, lol) .... sorry couldn't resist another shot at my gnome buddy.
Anyhow I had a quest to get the following sword Lightforged Blade which is a pally chain-quest starting with Inert Scourgestones and ultimately yields this sword. (A little trivia that I've read about it is that its the only weapon in the game that adds specifically to holy damage.) It is a NICE weapon and I'm thankful to have it.
Anyhow I needed some feathers in ST for the last step of that quest. Bacon came to throw down some phat healz, RW did the big damage, Magnusson joined us and he and I did dual-tanking/off-dps.
In typical Heroes fashion, it was an odd group makeup. But with Bacon and RW there, it went off without a hitch. That Magnusson boy, I can learn much from that pally. He's a good egg and has really worked hard on his gear and that shows, as well as him being a good player. As for my performance, I felt like I held my own on dps and I had fun too.
As for Bacon, well I'd have to quote Mike Martz from back in the Marshall Faulk era. " I mean that was just Bacon being Bacon. Just when you think he's gonna do this or that he surprises you and takes it to the next level. He's Bacon". So thanks for coming man, its always great to hang with you in-game.
And as for RW - well she's my wife. I wouldn't be this far in the game or life in general without her :)
In general, it was just good to group with some Heroes for a change and I really appreciate their help.
As a matter of fact I think I'll post this on our forums just to make sure they get the proper thanks :) That's it from me!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Just one little level
Ding 49 baby! And with my last point put into Fanaticism, that means I'm only one point away from the beloved talent point that gives me the new ability Crusader Strike. Can't wait. I hope after all this time, it doesn't turn out to be a giant disappointment, lol.
The pally whacking has been going well of late. I've got a good feel for the solo PVE scene and in world PVP, I'm remaining fairly calm. I need to get my tight little dwarven rear into some battlegrounds soon and start testing my abilities there (while hording some sweet honor points/marks).
It looks as though my mod is leading me back to the Hinterlands next for a few quests, untold riches and the ever-present race of watching the exp bar whoosh across the bottom of my 19" LCD monitor (with 8ms response time). Just had to throw in a techie point there since I don't do that often on here. The mod btw is still behaving well, can't say enough good things about it. I did have one concern in that I thought they had only done it to 50 and after that, I'd be stuck alt-tabbing to their website. But it turns out that it's done to 60 now, they just released some new yummy upgrades. And the beta testing is going on clear to lvl 65. Level 70 content for it should be done in a couple of weeks.
So they are staying way ahead of me in upgrades which is great news for Oak. Keep that walkthrough coming so I can catch my guildies before they all roll alts and lvl past me (again). ;)
Ah, so much to do in this game. I can't imagine how tempting it would be to play more often if I had high-speed :)
The pally whacking has been going well of late. I've got a good feel for the solo PVE scene and in world PVP, I'm remaining fairly calm. I need to get my tight little dwarven rear into some battlegrounds soon and start testing my abilities there (while hording some sweet honor points/marks).
It looks as though my mod is leading me back to the Hinterlands next for a few quests, untold riches and the ever-present race of watching the exp bar whoosh across the bottom of my 19" LCD monitor (with 8ms response time). Just had to throw in a techie point there since I don't do that often on here. The mod btw is still behaving well, can't say enough good things about it. I did have one concern in that I thought they had only done it to 50 and after that, I'd be stuck alt-tabbing to their website. But it turns out that it's done to 60 now, they just released some new yummy upgrades. And the beta testing is going on clear to lvl 65. Level 70 content for it should be done in a couple of weeks.
So they are staying way ahead of me in upgrades which is great news for Oak. Keep that walkthrough coming so I can catch my guildies before they all roll alts and lvl past me (again). ;)
Ah, so much to do in this game. I can't imagine how tempting it would be to play more often if I had high-speed :)
Monday, September 10, 2007
Farewell Former Hero
Dagnabit! Dang it to heck and tarrrrrrrrrrnation! Now that I got that off my chest ... our good friend and tankdadin has moved on to another guild, thus the brief venting.
Just when you have a sweet night in questing, killing Gammerita and sneaking up on lvl 50, something like this happens and just ruins the ride. Ah Honors, if you're reading this, I'm not mad at you my friend - just teasin.
Origami has a really good post about his feelings on the matter and I do have to say, that he has some good points. That drood has a good head on his shoulders in regards to what a guild ends up being to a player after they've spent some time in the guild, developing friendships - he captured how I'm feeling about things exactly.
I blogged not long ago about being happy to be a hero and to a certain degree (as bad as it may seem to do it) I have to bump my own post. Origami's post today and that one seems to go hand-in-hand ... like paper-wad fights and good friends (couldn't resist that jab at your character name)!
Well at this point I feel as though I'm rambling which I guess you get that from bloggers from time-to-time. Kinda feels like a rainy day, even though its sunny outside where I live.
So tonight the only remedy for this mood is, with extreme prejudice, to finish shrinking my giants in Feralas! Yeah that's the ticket ... Giant spankings and watching the exp bar edge closer to larger repair bills in the future ... suh weet!
Cheer up Heroes - you can still kick me around :)
Just when you have a sweet night in questing, killing Gammerita and sneaking up on lvl 50, something like this happens and just ruins the ride. Ah Honors, if you're reading this, I'm not mad at you my friend - just teasin.
Origami has a really good post about his feelings on the matter and I do have to say, that he has some good points. That drood has a good head on his shoulders in regards to what a guild ends up being to a player after they've spent some time in the guild, developing friendships - he captured how I'm feeling about things exactly.
I blogged not long ago about being happy to be a hero and to a certain degree (as bad as it may seem to do it) I have to bump my own post. Origami's post today and that one seems to go hand-in-hand ... like paper-wad fights and good friends (couldn't resist that jab at your character name)!
Well at this point I feel as though I'm rambling which I guess you get that from bloggers from time-to-time. Kinda feels like a rainy day, even though its sunny outside where I live.
So tonight the only remedy for this mood is, with extreme prejudice, to finish shrinking my giants in Feralas! Yeah that's the ticket ... Giant spankings and watching the exp bar edge closer to larger repair bills in the future ... suh weet!
Cheer up Heroes - you can still kick me around :)
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Ain't she the cutest thing?
Those eyes, those lips, those nose ... and then I had to kill her :) Well sorry Gammerita, but the xp bar wins out over your "stunning" looks.Having put an abrupt end to our brief and torrid relationship, I headed back to Aerie Peak in the Hinterlands and turned in some quests, then flew to Menethil, boated to Theramore, flew to Gadgetzan (where I finally got my noggenfogger quest chain done), then I hearthed to Shatt, portaled to Darnassus, rode to Rut'theran Village and then ...
Ding 48!
Long way to go for that I realize but I have to keep typing in order to get around the picture of this freaking big turtle on the right :)
So yes, I dinged 48 and man I'm still loving this mod. I just run straight down my little checklist of things to do on my map and bingo, bongo, bango ... I'm still leveling faster than I ever have before. I know it's just because it keeps me focused though - no magic in any leveling guides other than that.
No new cool stuff at 48 other than new ranks of existing spells and that was a drag. But in 2 levels I'll get me some yummy Crusader Strike and I can't wait for that one :)
P.S. - Since I'm at home and don't yet have Photoshop, I can't change my lvl on my blog title but I'll get around to it on Monday so stop yelling at me. I can hear you. Quit it. I mean it now, I may cry soon.
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