Oh What a Night!
Last night was a fun fun fun night! First, the finale of So You Think You Can Dance was on. I love that show. This was the best season so far. And I'm not just saying that to follow the hype. The talent was top notch!
Also...my time in WoW was exhilarating. I stayed up much later than I should have, but it was well worth it.
ToC 10 (Priest)
The night started with my 10-man going to ToC 10 regular. I DPSed my way through while one of our warriors healed on her priest alt. It was pretty much a cake walk. It's amazing how much easier it is now than it was when ToC came out. I can remember going in there on the first day and being overwhelmed by Gormok the Impaler and his pesky snobolds! Experience + gear + skill = success!
Ulduar 10 (Priest)
We then headed over to Ulduar 10 to do the Deconstructor fight for those who still needed the weekly raid quest. We killed FL, Razorscale and Deconstructor. We were a bit cocky and actually wiped once. But it was all good. We focused later when it was necessary.
ToGC 10 (Priest)
Alts were switched out for mains and we went into ToGC 10. Beasts? Pfft! Lord Jaraxxus...um...bad RNG? Or cockiness carried over from Ulduar? A few wipes later... Faction Champs...one shot! Twins...two shots! Woo hoo!!!!
It was really late. I mean, really late. I shouldn't have stayed. But, I did. I couldn't abandon the group right before our first attempt at Heroic Anub'arak. So, hoping my husband wouldn't file for divorce, I continued on. We made several very commendable attempts. On a few of them we had him to about 300k hp. Soooo close! We finally had to call it when others had to go. We have 30+ attempts left, so I think we might get him down this week.
So friggin exciting! Yeah, I know, it's old content at this point. But, we're a 25-man guild, not a 10-man one. So, this is personal progress.
10 Man Core Group?
Last night I had one of my lack-of-confidence moments during our raid. When it was close to the time that I had originally intended on quitting, I told the raid leader I had about an hour left. About 15 minutes later another healer logged in (one that I mentioned in an previous post who is newer to the guild than I but much much better geared). The raid leader said, "Oh, so and so is online. She can replace the healing spot when the time comes."
My first reaction to that? I was convinced there was relief in his voice. Her healing output is much higher than mine. Of course, she provides more assurance that a raid will be successful. (I'm also basing this on the fact that when she's in 10-mans with us, I'm assigned to DPS.) I couldn't keep myself from thinking that he must wish he had her instead of me as a regular member.
Then today I got a delightful surprise. I saw that on our guild forums my raid leader listed me on his list of core members. Not only am I on the list, but I'm #3, right after him and the top dps of the group. He mentioned the other healer, but only indicating that she fills in when needed. Woo hoo! I really wish I didn't have these moments of self doubt. They're so unattractive. :\
Miscellaneous
Tonight is raid night again. ToC25 and ToGC25. I'm praying that I get a good drop...hopefully Misery's End. I won't hold my breath...my weapon drop luck has never been good!
I hope to play my Mage and Druid this weekend. It feels like it has been forever since I've played them. But...I have to do holiday stuff on my priest.
So much to do...so little time!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
December 16th, 2009
Icecrown Citadel 25 (Priest)
Last night I was delighted to get an invite to ICC25. I really expected not to get a spot but somehow I lucked out. Woo hoo! It was a ton of fun. We only wiped a few times -- one was intentional since someone activated the ship event while some of our raid members were not yet on it. I got the Storming the Citadel (25-Player) achievement.
I had terrible disconnection issues last night. I disconnected several times throughout the Lady Deathwhisper fight. I was sure they were going to replace me because of it. But, during a 10 minute break I rebooted my computer router and modem. No more disconnects the rest of the night! Woo hoo!
I didn't get any drops (more on that below). But, I got to see the content, which is awesome. :-)
Ulduar 25 (Priest)
After ICC we went to Ulduar 25 to do the weekly raid quest (or whatever it's called). Deconstructor was the goal. I got two achievements from the run: Must Deconstruct Faster (25-player) and Three Car Garage (25-player). Others got Unbroken (25-player), but I already had it.
Onyxia 25 (Priest)
We then knocked out Onyxia really quickly before calling it a night.
Icecrown Citadel 10 (Priest)
After the 25-man raid was over, my 10-man team gathered. We sailed through Icecrown Citadel in an hour and a half. Pretty good, considering it was my first time in there as DPS. It's a heck of a lot easier than ToC. Of course, I am playing with some top notch players...and it's only the first quarter of the instance.
I didn't get any drops. /sigh
Also, as I mentioned above, I was DPS for the run. That's a mixed blessing. On one hand, it makes me self conscious that I'm relegated to DPS for these 10-man runs lately. Though, I can't deny the fact that the other two healers are much better geared than I, so it's best for the raid.
On the other hand, it's a great way to see the DPS side of things. In the past, I've only understood the DPS role in raids based on listening to raid leaders describe things to the DPS team. Since I'm doing both healing (25-man) and dps (10-man), I'm getting both perspectives. It was really helpful last night. When we did the gunship encounter on 25-man I had no clue what was going on. I just healed. But after doing it as dps on 10-man I figured it out. That fight, by the way, is very fun. :-)
So...if I'm going to be mostly DPS in our 10-mans, I better get some dps gear. Triumph Badges are easier to come by now, so I think it will be easy for me to get the non-trophy tier gear from ToC. DPSing with my healing tier gear is definitely hurting my effectiveness.
Mage Guild
So, last night before I logged in with my priest I logged on my mage. I said goodbye to the guild members that were on. I /gquit then joined the guild my fellow officers had joined. It felt weird...but I'm glad I finally did it. Of course, I couldn't stay on because I had to switch to my priest.
Winter Veil
Winter Veil started last night. In order to get the Merrymaker title, I only have three achievements to get: With a Little Helper From my Friends, Fa-la-la-la-Ogri'la and Bros. Before Ho Ho Ho's. Doesn't seem too hard. I hope I get can do it!
What's Good for the Guild...
I need to vent. I have no right to be bothered by this. Before joining the guild I read the loot distribution rules. I signed the application form stating that I understood the rules and agreed with them.
That doesn't mean I won't sulk about them sometimes.
Last night there was only one priestly drop -- the Frozen Bonespike. I rolled for it -- it would have been a great upgrade over my Plasma Foil. Yeah...after all these months, I'm still walking around with an Ulduar 10 weapon. My luck with getting weapon drops is abysmal. Remember almost a year ago when I tried day in and day out to get the mace in Nexus? /sigh
I rolled on it, not really expecting to get it, knowing the rules of loot distribution. As expected, it went to a higher ranking priest. It's all good...that's how it works in this guild.
So what irks me about this? The guild leader recently gave a speech about loot distribution...stating that "for the good of the guild", in addition to the normal loot rules (rank first, EPGP 2nd, etc.), the relative upgrade of an item will be considered when deciding who gets an item. In other words, if two people are rolling on the same item, for the good of the guild, the loot council might decide to give it to the person who would be getting the biggest upgrade from it, regardless of rank or EPGP.
So, what happened last night? The priest who just two weeks ago won Misery's End, and then last week won a dagger (I don't remember which), is the person who was awarded this dagger. Was that decision in line with the loot rules? Absolutely. He is a higher rank than I and has more Priority in EPGP.
But what about all that stuff about "what's best for the guild"? The upgrade he got last night was relatively minor. It would have been a MAJOR upgrade for me. My healing power already fell far short of his. Now the gap is going to be even wider.
So what's better for the guild? To further increase the effectiveness of one of the top geared healers? Or to increase the effectiveness of one of the lesser geared healers? Is it more beneficial for his healing power to go higher? Or for mine to be brought up closer to his?
Since we're exploring new content, it's going to be like this for a while. Like I said, I understand the loot distribution rules. When I joined the guild I confirmed that I understood them.
That doesn't mean I have to like them.
Last night I was delighted to get an invite to ICC25. I really expected not to get a spot but somehow I lucked out. Woo hoo! It was a ton of fun. We only wiped a few times -- one was intentional since someone activated the ship event while some of our raid members were not yet on it. I got the Storming the Citadel (25-Player) achievement.
I had terrible disconnection issues last night. I disconnected several times throughout the Lady Deathwhisper fight. I was sure they were going to replace me because of it. But, during a 10 minute break I rebooted my computer router and modem. No more disconnects the rest of the night! Woo hoo!
I didn't get any drops (more on that below). But, I got to see the content, which is awesome. :-)
Ulduar 25 (Priest)
After ICC we went to Ulduar 25 to do the weekly raid quest (or whatever it's called). Deconstructor was the goal. I got two achievements from the run: Must Deconstruct Faster (25-player) and Three Car Garage (25-player). Others got Unbroken (25-player), but I already had it.
Onyxia 25 (Priest)
We then knocked out Onyxia really quickly before calling it a night.
Icecrown Citadel 10 (Priest)
After the 25-man raid was over, my 10-man team gathered. We sailed through Icecrown Citadel in an hour and a half. Pretty good, considering it was my first time in there as DPS. It's a heck of a lot easier than ToC. Of course, I am playing with some top notch players...and it's only the first quarter of the instance.
I didn't get any drops. /sigh
Also, as I mentioned above, I was DPS for the run. That's a mixed blessing. On one hand, it makes me self conscious that I'm relegated to DPS for these 10-man runs lately. Though, I can't deny the fact that the other two healers are much better geared than I, so it's best for the raid.
On the other hand, it's a great way to see the DPS side of things. In the past, I've only understood the DPS role in raids based on listening to raid leaders describe things to the DPS team. Since I'm doing both healing (25-man) and dps (10-man), I'm getting both perspectives. It was really helpful last night. When we did the gunship encounter on 25-man I had no clue what was going on. I just healed. But after doing it as dps on 10-man I figured it out. That fight, by the way, is very fun. :-)
So...if I'm going to be mostly DPS in our 10-mans, I better get some dps gear. Triumph Badges are easier to come by now, so I think it will be easy for me to get the non-trophy tier gear from ToC. DPSing with my healing tier gear is definitely hurting my effectiveness.
Mage Guild
So, last night before I logged in with my priest I logged on my mage. I said goodbye to the guild members that were on. I /gquit then joined the guild my fellow officers had joined. It felt weird...but I'm glad I finally did it. Of course, I couldn't stay on because I had to switch to my priest.
Winter Veil
Winter Veil started last night. In order to get the Merrymaker title, I only have three achievements to get: With a Little Helper From my Friends, Fa-la-la-la-Ogri'la and Bros. Before Ho Ho Ho's. Doesn't seem too hard. I hope I get can do it!
What's Good for the Guild...
I need to vent. I have no right to be bothered by this. Before joining the guild I read the loot distribution rules. I signed the application form stating that I understood the rules and agreed with them.
That doesn't mean I won't sulk about them sometimes.
Last night there was only one priestly drop -- the Frozen Bonespike. I rolled for it -- it would have been a great upgrade over my Plasma Foil. Yeah...after all these months, I'm still walking around with an Ulduar 10 weapon. My luck with getting weapon drops is abysmal. Remember almost a year ago when I tried day in and day out to get the mace in Nexus? /sigh
I rolled on it, not really expecting to get it, knowing the rules of loot distribution. As expected, it went to a higher ranking priest. It's all good...that's how it works in this guild.
So what irks me about this? The guild leader recently gave a speech about loot distribution...stating that "for the good of the guild", in addition to the normal loot rules (rank first, EPGP 2nd, etc.), the relative upgrade of an item will be considered when deciding who gets an item. In other words, if two people are rolling on the same item, for the good of the guild, the loot council might decide to give it to the person who would be getting the biggest upgrade from it, regardless of rank or EPGP.
So, what happened last night? The priest who just two weeks ago won Misery's End, and then last week won a dagger (I don't remember which), is the person who was awarded this dagger. Was that decision in line with the loot rules? Absolutely. He is a higher rank than I and has more Priority in EPGP.
But what about all that stuff about "what's best for the guild"? The upgrade he got last night was relatively minor. It would have been a MAJOR upgrade for me. My healing power already fell far short of his. Now the gap is going to be even wider.
So what's better for the guild? To further increase the effectiveness of one of the top geared healers? Or to increase the effectiveness of one of the lesser geared healers? Is it more beneficial for his healing power to go higher? Or for mine to be brought up closer to his?
Since we're exploring new content, it's going to be like this for a while. Like I said, I understand the loot distribution rules. When I joined the guild I confirmed that I understood them.
That doesn't mean I have to like them.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December 15, 2009
Phases
(another disjointed stream of consciousness-type post)
Yesterday I mentioned being in an odd place regarding my Mage and Druid. I've been thinking a little more about that post and am now thinking it's just another phase. Obviously it's partially fueled by my reluctance to /gquit on the mage when someone else in the guild is on. But, that's really just an excuse. I'm reluctant to play the other toons because I feel like I should be on my priest.
I didn't want this to happen when I joined the big guild. But, it has. Take last night, for example. Mondays are not raiding nights, so theoretically I should have had the night off. I logged in with my priest to do dailies and to do the new 5-man dungeon quests. I had every intention of switching to my mage when I was finished.
But then a guildie called out to form a group to do rep farming in ICC 10. Rep farming? Oops! I hadn't been keeping up with the changes in 3.3. Suddenly there's a new faction to gain rep with.
As a member of a top raiding guild, I am expected to maximize everything. That includes rep farming when doing so means top end gear. Sure enough, this new faction gives rings (like Kara) as you gain rep levels.
So much for switching to my mage. I spent the rest of the night with guildies killing the trash mobs in ICC. I achieved friendly status and got the Ashen Band of Wisdom. It increased my haste, which makes me happy. But it lowered my Spell Power and Spirit slightly. I'll take it, though, as it is an upgrade in other respects.
Anyway...my point being that I ended up only playing my priest last night. Tonight I'll most likely only play her since it's raiding night. Wednesday night I'll probably do 10-mans with my priest -- or take the night off to spend with my husband.
What happened to the days when I had enough time to play all three of my main toons? Or at least the days when I could choose between my priest and my mage? Will they come back? Or are they gone now that I'm in this top raiding guild?
Is this just a phase?
Being honest with myself, I know I'd be playing my mage more often if she were in the raiding guild. Recognizing that, I do have to point out another thing that's going on. I currently feel like I'm not well connected in the big guild. There's a core group of people who interact a lot and I am just someone who fills one of the 25-man slots. Reasons for this are:
I went through something similar when my priest was in her previous guild. I was an officer to make it worse. But, in that case, I freely spent time on my other toons. I did so partly because I didn't need to do anything to establish my identity in that guild. I was an officer. I was on the "A" team. I didn't need to do relationship building. (In retrospect, I should have -- but that's not relevant to the point of this post.) I had all the gear I could get, save that which could only be gotten in our weekly raid runs. So, there was no need to play my priest on off nights.
But now it's different. I have to establish myself, unless I'll be content being just a slot-filler.
Is this a phase? Will my daily activities be different a month from now?
(another disjointed stream of consciousness-type post)
Yesterday I mentioned being in an odd place regarding my Mage and Druid. I've been thinking a little more about that post and am now thinking it's just another phase. Obviously it's partially fueled by my reluctance to /gquit on the mage when someone else in the guild is on. But, that's really just an excuse. I'm reluctant to play the other toons because I feel like I should be on my priest.
I didn't want this to happen when I joined the big guild. But, it has. Take last night, for example. Mondays are not raiding nights, so theoretically I should have had the night off. I logged in with my priest to do dailies and to do the new 5-man dungeon quests. I had every intention of switching to my mage when I was finished.
But then a guildie called out to form a group to do rep farming in ICC 10. Rep farming? Oops! I hadn't been keeping up with the changes in 3.3. Suddenly there's a new faction to gain rep with.
As a member of a top raiding guild, I am expected to maximize everything. That includes rep farming when doing so means top end gear. Sure enough, this new faction gives rings (like Kara) as you gain rep levels.
So much for switching to my mage. I spent the rest of the night with guildies killing the trash mobs in ICC. I achieved friendly status and got the Ashen Band of Wisdom. It increased my haste, which makes me happy. But it lowered my Spell Power and Spirit slightly. I'll take it, though, as it is an upgrade in other respects.
Anyway...my point being that I ended up only playing my priest last night. Tonight I'll most likely only play her since it's raiding night. Wednesday night I'll probably do 10-mans with my priest -- or take the night off to spend with my husband.
What happened to the days when I had enough time to play all three of my main toons? Or at least the days when I could choose between my priest and my mage? Will they come back? Or are they gone now that I'm in this top raiding guild?
Is this just a phase?
Being honest with myself, I know I'd be playing my mage more often if she were in the raiding guild. Recognizing that, I do have to point out another thing that's going on. I currently feel like I'm not well connected in the big guild. There's a core group of people who interact a lot and I am just someone who fills one of the 25-man slots. Reasons for this are:
- I am still fairly new to the guild -- one month tomorrow.
- I spend time on toons that aren't in the guild (mage, druid, warlock).
- I am not on the "A" team.
I went through something similar when my priest was in her previous guild. I was an officer to make it worse. But, in that case, I freely spent time on my other toons. I did so partly because I didn't need to do anything to establish my identity in that guild. I was an officer. I was on the "A" team. I didn't need to do relationship building. (In retrospect, I should have -- but that's not relevant to the point of this post.) I had all the gear I could get, save that which could only be gotten in our weekly raid runs. So, there was no need to play my priest on off nights.
But now it's different. I have to establish myself, unless I'll be content being just a slot-filler.
Is this a phase? Will my daily activities be different a month from now?
Monday, December 14, 2009
December 14, 2009
Boy did I miss an exciting week! I was out of town when patch 3.3 hit. I'm glad that I missed the patch day rigmarole, but I do feel like I'm behind everyone. With that said...
Patch 3.3 Stuff
Not wanting to log in with any of my known toons, I chose to go on my warlock. I did a /who to see where my friends were and I saw them in places I didn't recognize. Hmmm...new instances!
I got the quest right outside the Dalaran bank and tried to find the Icecrown Citadel. On a slow flyer, it proved to be too annoying. So, I went to WoWhead and got the answer quickly. After much circling up and down the structure, I finally found the entrance...to the raid area! D'oh!
I went straight up and found the 5-man area. Then...I tried out the new LFG system. I'm not 100% sure if I like it or not -- I'll give it a chance. But, in the case of my warlock, it was a god send. I only had to wait 10 minutes for the first group invite. We went through the Forge of Souls in about 20 minutes. I could tell immediately that the people in my group had already been there (and it was later confirmed when I was the only one who got the achievement). I died a few times due to me having no clue about the fight mechanics. But, I made it through.
Next up was the Pit of Saron. This time around, I made a really stupid mistake, which I think is partly due to the fact that they put the quest giver inside the instance. :( While waiting for the group to form, I entered the Forge of Souls, thinking it was the Pit of Saron. Then I exited and tried to get into the right one. Well, the game didn't like my instance-hopping, so I got a big fat message saying I had entered too many instances. The problem was that I ended up stuck on the wrong side of the portal. So, I couldn't do anything but wait. Luckily, when my group formed, I was able to enter the instance without a problem. Phew!
I got the quests inside Pit of Saron but didn't have time to read through them before the group ran away to clear it. Stupid me...I missed the fact that I was supposed to free captives. We cleared the place before I realized this so, I went back afterward to free them. Unfortunately, the NPC was no longer there for me to turn in the quest, so I have to go back and turn it in another time.
I got a new pair of boots, though. So, it wasn't a total loss. Of course, it's on a toon that I don't play often, but that's OK.
Because of the problem with turning in the quest, I couldn't go to the third instance. So, I decided to take a break and prepare myself for raiding.
ToC 25 (Priest)
We started our raid night in ToC 25. I got an invite right away. It didn't surprise me. I assumed I wouldn't be invited to go to Icecrown Citadel since the higher ranked raiders would get those spots before me.
Nothing really to report, other than we cleared it easily. I didn't get any drops.
Icecrown Citadel 25 (Priest)
After the ToC raid, I wasn't immediately booted from the raid, so I headed over to ICC. I was glad I had found the place on my warlock earlier, so I didn't look completely stupid. I stood outside for a while, fully expecting to be booted. But, then I thought I should be more assertive. And...I was curious to see the inside of the place. So, I zoned in.
They had already cleared the first three bosses of the Lower Spire during the week. So, I was able to take the portal to the different areas. Not much to see, really, since all the trash and bosses (except the last) were cleared. But, I at least got to see what the place looked like.
I stood with everyone else in the Deathbringer Saurfang area (I can't remember what the zone was actually called, but that's the boss). Then, to my surprise and utter delight, the final raid switches were made and the EP/GP counter started. I was in!!!! Woo hoo!
We wiped once, which was fine, considering there were a couple of us who hadn't been there for the previous attempts during the week. And considering they made many attempts that first night... But, we happily defeated him on the second attempt. Woo hooo! I didn't get the achievement that most of the others got, but at least I got to see a new boss down. Yay!
The tier token for priests, paladins, etc. dropped. I didn't have a chance, but I needed it anyway. Our main tank won it. Woot! I'll get mine some day. :-)
I was really really happy that I got in. I'm very conscious of my healing numbers being so much lower than the other healers. Until I can get close to their numbers, I know I'll expect to be left out. I won't blame them. It's better for the guild to bring our best healers, dps, etc. when doing new content. So, I will enjoy my invites when I get them. Yay!
ToCG 25 (Priest)
Since the rest of ICC isn't open yet, we moved on to ToGC 25. I maintained my healing spot (yay!). We cleared Beasts and Jaraxxus. Then we gave a shot (or two?) at Faction Champs before calling it a night.
No drops for me. :\
ToGC 10 (Priest)
My regular 10-man group had done ToGC 10 during the week. They were at the Twins. We tried several attempts. I was DPSing for the first few, then I switched to heals. We didn't get them down. :\
Miscellaneous
I know I just got back from vacation yesterday, and Mondays are usually my "blues" days. So, I shouldn't take any negative thoughts too seriously. But...I am curious about my decisions lately with respect to the toons I'm playing. I've basically been avoiding my Mage and Druid. For some reason I'm very uncomfortable about changing guild with the mage, despite the fact that all my fellow officers moved to the raiding guild. Why don't I just get past this?
Patch 3.3 Stuff
Not wanting to log in with any of my known toons, I chose to go on my warlock. I did a /who to see where my friends were and I saw them in places I didn't recognize. Hmmm...new instances!
I got the quest right outside the Dalaran bank and tried to find the Icecrown Citadel. On a slow flyer, it proved to be too annoying. So, I went to WoWhead and got the answer quickly. After much circling up and down the structure, I finally found the entrance...to the raid area! D'oh!
I went straight up and found the 5-man area. Then...I tried out the new LFG system. I'm not 100% sure if I like it or not -- I'll give it a chance. But, in the case of my warlock, it was a god send. I only had to wait 10 minutes for the first group invite. We went through the Forge of Souls in about 20 minutes. I could tell immediately that the people in my group had already been there (and it was later confirmed when I was the only one who got the achievement). I died a few times due to me having no clue about the fight mechanics. But, I made it through.
Next up was the Pit of Saron. This time around, I made a really stupid mistake, which I think is partly due to the fact that they put the quest giver inside the instance. :( While waiting for the group to form, I entered the Forge of Souls, thinking it was the Pit of Saron. Then I exited and tried to get into the right one. Well, the game didn't like my instance-hopping, so I got a big fat message saying I had entered too many instances. The problem was that I ended up stuck on the wrong side of the portal. So, I couldn't do anything but wait. Luckily, when my group formed, I was able to enter the instance without a problem. Phew!
I got the quests inside Pit of Saron but didn't have time to read through them before the group ran away to clear it. Stupid me...I missed the fact that I was supposed to free captives. We cleared the place before I realized this so, I went back afterward to free them. Unfortunately, the NPC was no longer there for me to turn in the quest, so I have to go back and turn it in another time.
I got a new pair of boots, though. So, it wasn't a total loss. Of course, it's on a toon that I don't play often, but that's OK.
Because of the problem with turning in the quest, I couldn't go to the third instance. So, I decided to take a break and prepare myself for raiding.
ToC 25 (Priest)
We started our raid night in ToC 25. I got an invite right away. It didn't surprise me. I assumed I wouldn't be invited to go to Icecrown Citadel since the higher ranked raiders would get those spots before me.
Nothing really to report, other than we cleared it easily. I didn't get any drops.
Icecrown Citadel 25 (Priest)
After the ToC raid, I wasn't immediately booted from the raid, so I headed over to ICC. I was glad I had found the place on my warlock earlier, so I didn't look completely stupid. I stood outside for a while, fully expecting to be booted. But, then I thought I should be more assertive. And...I was curious to see the inside of the place. So, I zoned in.
They had already cleared the first three bosses of the Lower Spire during the week. So, I was able to take the portal to the different areas. Not much to see, really, since all the trash and bosses (except the last) were cleared. But, I at least got to see what the place looked like.
I stood with everyone else in the Deathbringer Saurfang area (I can't remember what the zone was actually called, but that's the boss). Then, to my surprise and utter delight, the final raid switches were made and the EP/GP counter started. I was in!!!! Woo hoo!
We wiped once, which was fine, considering there were a couple of us who hadn't been there for the previous attempts during the week. And considering they made many attempts that first night... But, we happily defeated him on the second attempt. Woo hooo! I didn't get the achievement that most of the others got, but at least I got to see a new boss down. Yay!
The tier token for priests, paladins, etc. dropped. I didn't have a chance, but I needed it anyway. Our main tank won it. Woot! I'll get mine some day. :-)
I was really really happy that I got in. I'm very conscious of my healing numbers being so much lower than the other healers. Until I can get close to their numbers, I know I'll expect to be left out. I won't blame them. It's better for the guild to bring our best healers, dps, etc. when doing new content. So, I will enjoy my invites when I get them. Yay!
ToCG 25 (Priest)
Since the rest of ICC isn't open yet, we moved on to ToGC 25. I maintained my healing spot (yay!). We cleared Beasts and Jaraxxus. Then we gave a shot (or two?) at Faction Champs before calling it a night.
No drops for me. :\
ToGC 10 (Priest)
My regular 10-man group had done ToGC 10 during the week. They were at the Twins. We tried several attempts. I was DPSing for the first few, then I switched to heals. We didn't get them down. :\
Miscellaneous
I know I just got back from vacation yesterday, and Mondays are usually my "blues" days. So, I shouldn't take any negative thoughts too seriously. But...I am curious about my decisions lately with respect to the toons I'm playing. I've basically been avoiding my Mage and Druid. For some reason I'm very uncomfortable about changing guild with the mage, despite the fact that all my fellow officers moved to the raiding guild. Why don't I just get past this?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
December 2, 2009
Last night I logged in and had a brief chat with my previous guild leader. I assured her that I would be moving my mage to the new guild soon. But I had to raid last night on my priest.
Onyxia 25 (Priest)
Our Onyxia 25 run wasn't as smooth as it could have been, but we one-shotted it, as usual. No drops for me.
ToC 25 (Priest)
I healed all boss encounters in ToC 25. I got a Trophy of the Crusade, which I used to buy Velen's Cowl of Triumph. I socked it with a +34 Spirit gem. But, I might change that to a Spellpower or Intellect one, giving up the socket bonus. We'll see.
My darned mace didn't drop -- hmmm...always seems to be my luck when I'm hoping for a certain mace. Ah well, maybe in two weeks (next week I'll be on vacation).
I can't decide if going for the 4th piece of the Tier set is worth it. It only improves the first tick of Renew by 10%. Not really that much of a benefit in the scheme of things.
ToGC 25 (Priest)
After easily clearing ToC 25, we moved onto Heroic. /sigh We couldn't get past the beasts. Definitely an off night for us. I found something interesting -- the incredible healer I mentioned in yesterday's post was not invited to the progression portion of the raid, though I was. I really truly expected them to favor her over me because her numbers are much more impressive. But they didn't. I'm impressed. Perhaps they truly do go by fairness. The Raid Leader did ask me before every encounter if I needed something from the upcoming boss. Whether it was items or emblems, I needed to be there. She agreed and included me. yay!
Onyxia 10 (Priest)
Although it was late, I once again joined my 10-man team right after the guild raids. It's a bad habit I'm getting into, but I don't want to turn down the opportunities.
First stop was Onyxia. There were a few amazing things about the fight. First, we got through Phase 2 without any Breaths. This means that our dps was so high up there that we burned her more quickly than expected through that phase. Then, after coming down for Phase 3, we killed her lickity split and earned More Dots! (10 player). That was without a shaman to give us Heroism. Woo hoo! No drops for me.
VoA 10 (Priest)
We quickly killed the first boss in VoA 10. Nothing to note.
ToC 10 (Priest)
We finished the night by running through ToC 10 real quickly. I won an off-set boot item. It was so late that I can't even remember what boss it was from, so I can't tell you which boot item it was.
I went to bed at 3:16. Ugh...another day of sitting her at work, fighting to keep my eyes open.
Onyxia 25 (Priest)
Our Onyxia 25 run wasn't as smooth as it could have been, but we one-shotted it, as usual. No drops for me.
ToC 25 (Priest)
I healed all boss encounters in ToC 25. I got a Trophy of the Crusade, which I used to buy Velen's Cowl of Triumph. I socked it with a +34 Spirit gem. But, I might change that to a Spellpower or Intellect one, giving up the socket bonus. We'll see.
My darned mace didn't drop -- hmmm...always seems to be my luck when I'm hoping for a certain mace. Ah well, maybe in two weeks (next week I'll be on vacation).
I can't decide if going for the 4th piece of the Tier set is worth it. It only improves the first tick of Renew by 10%. Not really that much of a benefit in the scheme of things.
ToGC 25 (Priest)
After easily clearing ToC 25, we moved onto Heroic. /sigh We couldn't get past the beasts. Definitely an off night for us. I found something interesting -- the incredible healer I mentioned in yesterday's post was not invited to the progression portion of the raid, though I was. I really truly expected them to favor her over me because her numbers are much more impressive. But they didn't. I'm impressed. Perhaps they truly do go by fairness. The Raid Leader did ask me before every encounter if I needed something from the upcoming boss. Whether it was items or emblems, I needed to be there. She agreed and included me. yay!
Onyxia 10 (Priest)
Although it was late, I once again joined my 10-man team right after the guild raids. It's a bad habit I'm getting into, but I don't want to turn down the opportunities.
First stop was Onyxia. There were a few amazing things about the fight. First, we got through Phase 2 without any Breaths. This means that our dps was so high up there that we burned her more quickly than expected through that phase. Then, after coming down for Phase 3, we killed her lickity split and earned More Dots! (10 player). That was without a shaman to give us Heroism. Woo hoo! No drops for me.
VoA 10 (Priest)
We quickly killed the first boss in VoA 10. Nothing to note.
ToC 10 (Priest)
We finished the night by running through ToC 10 real quickly. I won an off-set boot item. It was so late that I can't even remember what boss it was from, so I can't tell you which boot item it was.
I went to bed at 3:16. Ugh...another day of sitting her at work, fighting to keep my eyes open.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December 1, 2009
Mage Guild
Uh oh. I'm in one of those hiding phases again. Last night I didn't log into any of my known toons. Why? Because I'm avoiding the guild situation on my mage. I've said I'll switch guilds with her so I can be with the players I enjoy. But, for some reason I'm reluctant to /gquit on her with others on. They all know what is going on -- raiding toons are switching to the sister guild, while alts are staying in the main one. But, still, I don't want to have to interact with those people still in the main guild. I don't know how how they feel about the who switching guilds thing. I want to /gquit when no one is around so I don't have to discuss it.
Tonight I'll have an excuse not to deal with it -- raid night on my priest.
I'm such a wimp sometimes.
Alt Leveling
So...last night I hid on my Pally. OMG shoot me now! I know I've said this before, but this time it's really getting to me -- leveling is so mind numbingly maddening. Again with the same quests? Again with the long distances between quest giver and quest objective?
The only change of pace would be to switch to a Horde alt and level on that side. But, when I switch to my Horde server, I stare at my toons and can't decide which to play. They have no money and they have no heirloom items. Leveling over again is frustrating enough...to do so by starting from scratch? Get the f*(k outta here!
I'm considering paying for a faction transfer for my pally. If I go through with it, I'll give her all the heirloom items she needs and a wad of cash. That way she'll be pretty set. I'll be able to experience Horde side leveling without starting from scratch. But...I'll permanently cut her off from my other alts. Do I really want that? Or will she end up becoming one of those toons I never play?
Anyway... I got her to 30 last night. I can't remember if I can get fast mount speed on her at this point. I can barely remember what it was back in BC. Was it mount at 40, fast mount at 60? Then flying at 70? Sheesh! I can't believe I've forgotten. I remember it was such a big broo ha ha when they lowered the requirements. But, for the life of me I can't remember what they used to be and what they are now.
Getting old is a pain.
Note: Right after publishing this I checked out Wowhead. I swear, it's the best WoW db site out there. They have a full explanation of the riding skill levels. I don't get epic mount riding until 40. Ah well, so much for speeding up travel time now that I'm 30.
Uh oh. I'm in one of those hiding phases again. Last night I didn't log into any of my known toons. Why? Because I'm avoiding the guild situation on my mage. I've said I'll switch guilds with her so I can be with the players I enjoy. But, for some reason I'm reluctant to /gquit on her with others on. They all know what is going on -- raiding toons are switching to the sister guild, while alts are staying in the main one. But, still, I don't want to have to interact with those people still in the main guild. I don't know how how they feel about the who switching guilds thing. I want to /gquit when no one is around so I don't have to discuss it.
Tonight I'll have an excuse not to deal with it -- raid night on my priest.
I'm such a wimp sometimes.
Alt Leveling
So...last night I hid on my Pally. OMG shoot me now! I know I've said this before, but this time it's really getting to me -- leveling is so mind numbingly maddening. Again with the same quests? Again with the long distances between quest giver and quest objective?
The only change of pace would be to switch to a Horde alt and level on that side. But, when I switch to my Horde server, I stare at my toons and can't decide which to play. They have no money and they have no heirloom items. Leveling over again is frustrating enough...to do so by starting from scratch? Get the f*(k outta here!
I'm considering paying for a faction transfer for my pally. If I go through with it, I'll give her all the heirloom items she needs and a wad of cash. That way she'll be pretty set. I'll be able to experience Horde side leveling without starting from scratch. But...I'll permanently cut her off from my other alts. Do I really want that? Or will she end up becoming one of those toons I never play?
Anyway... I got her to 30 last night. I can't remember if I can get fast mount speed on her at this point. I can barely remember what it was back in BC. Was it mount at 40, fast mount at 60? Then flying at 70? Sheesh! I can't believe I've forgotten. I remember it was such a big broo ha ha when they lowered the requirements. But, for the life of me I can't remember what they used to be and what they are now.
Getting old is a pain.
Note: Right after publishing this I checked out Wowhead. I swear, it's the best WoW db site out there. They have a full explanation of the riding skill levels. I don't get epic mount riding until 40. Ah well, so much for speeding up travel time now that I'm 30.
100th Post!
As I pressed the New Post button I noticed that I was at 99 posts. This is my 100th! (Well, one post isn't actually published -- it's a "draft" that I use for notes. But, that's just a technicality.)
I think this is the only diary I've ever consistently written to. I remember my first attempt at one back when I was living in Modesto (Central California) one year as a child. I created the diary by first writing the date on every page of a notebook....fully intending to make an entry each and every day that year. I learned quickly how naive that approach was. Two obvious problems with that system were:
I created subsequent diaries without pre-dating the pages. But, they still flopped.
What has made this one different? I think it's because it's a diary with a specific focus. It's not a diary about my life, though I do occasionally write personal things like I am today. It's specifically about my experiences in WoW. And, since I play it several times a week, on average, there's usually something to say.
I wonder if I'll have a 200th post?
I think this is the only diary I've ever consistently written to. I remember my first attempt at one back when I was living in Modesto (Central California) one year as a child. I created the diary by first writing the date on every page of a notebook....fully intending to make an entry each and every day that year. I learned quickly how naive that approach was. Two obvious problems with that system were:
- Many pages were going to be wasted, as I obviously wasn't going to write in it every day.
- It didn't allow for those days on which I had more to say than would fit on one page.
I created subsequent diaries without pre-dating the pages. But, they still flopped.
What has made this one different? I think it's because it's a diary with a specific focus. It's not a diary about my life, though I do occasionally write personal things like I am today. It's specifically about my experiences in WoW. And, since I play it several times a week, on average, there's usually something to say.
I wonder if I'll have a 200th post?
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