realID: gtfo!

So the RealID forum changes were called off!

I'd like to take some time to speak with all of you regarding our desire to make the Blizzard forums a better place for players to discuss our games. We've been constantly monitoring the feedback you've given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums. As a result of those discussions, we've decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums.

You know what this means?

I CAN RESUBSCRIBE! WOO, PARTY!

My previous blog post seems rather silly now, after that announcement, but I'm leaving it up as a reminder of what this game meant to me and how close I was to losing that (MELODRAMA!).

Thanks to all those players who spoke up against the RealID changes and voted with their wallets! There were so many people who said they had already unsubscribed when this madness was announced. It's nice to know that we were able to make our voices heard.

However, the RealID thing is not exactly over yet:

Over time, we will continue to evolve Real ID on Battle.net to add new and exciting functionality within our games for players who decide to use the feature.

Hm...I wish they wouldn't leave us in the dark about what their ideas are for this feature. Only time will tell what Activision's true long-term plans are.

realID: so does this mean goodbye?

By now, everyone on the internet has heard of the RealID forum changes and the subsequent massive outrage that rose up from the community. Just from skimming the original announcement post on the forums, you could see that the vast majority of players think this is the worst idea in the history of Worst Ideas, ever. Blizzard has done quite a few things in-game that I didn't agree with, but I've kept subscribing because in the end, whatever little annoyance I had was far outweighed by my enjoyment of the game itself. I got over it. However, these new RealID changes are a dealbreaker for me. I realized that, however much I enjoy this game, just can't support the direction it's going.

Read More

end of year WoW meme!

This post in wow_ladies popped up today, and since my answer is probably too long for a comment I'm going to post it here instead.

What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been!
an end of the year WotLK meme for WoW_Ladies~
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Our Intrepid Heroes

[1:] Who/what are your mains?
-Illythia, 80 Blood Elf priest is my MAIN main.

[2:] Which alts were your favorite this year?
-I will always love my Undead mage, Adenine, who was my first character, ever...even though I don't play her as much. My druid actually got more attention this year since I was so determined to get her to 80.

[3:] How many characters did you get to 60? 70? 80?
-Two! My mage hit 80 in July and my druid hit 80 a couple of days ago.

DING!

[4:] What character are you most proud of and why?
-My priest, because she is the character that I try to get all my achievements on, and who has the best gear. (Not THE best gear, but...the best gear out of all my characters.)

Around Azeroth

[5:] What was your biggest/most memorable achievement(s) this year? What was the most painful?
-I suppose it was getting a 1300 rating on my 2s team (and getting Brutally Dedicated.) I'm not very good at arena-ing, and it was difficult, so getting 1300 certainly felt like a great accomplishment to me. It was also the most painful accomplishment.

[6:] What has been the most fun raid/pve fight so far in WotLK?
-I like that Onyxia's back, mostly for the nostalgia.

[7:] What was your favorite quest/questchain?
-Battle for Undercity, hands down.

[8:] A lot of powerful lore has been introduced in this expansion. Any favorite bits?
-Everything that happened in Battle for Undercity; the fact that we got to meet Alexstrasza.

[9:] The rise of the Lich King has changed Azeroth and its people so much. Who's your favorite NPC(s) in this expansion?
-Definitely Sylvanas. I'm sad that they had to change her voice, but she is still a total badass. And it's great that she has more of a prominent role in the expansion.

[10:] Which in-game holiday was the most fun this year?
-I liked the Midsummer Fire Festival, mainly because I got to do most of the achievements with my boyfriend.

Friends and Enemies

[11:] Did you change guilds this year? If so why?
-Yes. Because my guild fell apart and I didn't do anything with them anyway (I joined in the first place because I knew the guild leader from our previous guild, who I raided Karazhan with in BC, but he left). Now I'm in Kessel Run, which is full of RL friends and our alts.

[12:] What was your guild's biggest/proudest accomplishment this year?
-Um, we...don't really do anything except farm badges and arena.

[13:] Did you make a lot of new friends? Any mortal enemies?
-I like chatting with the people in Mayari's guild! They seem to be pretty chill. As for mortal enemies, I'm pretty sure that I hate the entirety of the Horde population on Dragonmaw (with the exception of a certain Undead mage who helped me with an elite).

[14:] Any fun or memorable PVP encounters?
-Every time I healbot one of my friends in a battleground is fun! We like to tear shit up, yo. OH, and there was also this one time when I was playing my druid and some mage tried (key word: tried) to kill me. Let's just say that shadowmeld saved my ass, and I got my revenge.

Looking Ahead

[15:] What changes are you most excited for in Cataclysm?
-Flying mounts in Azeroth! YES. Oh, and the fact that we only have five more levels, not ten. That's a plus.

[16:] Which new race/class combos are you going to roll? Got any names yet?
-I guess I'm going to have a spiffy new goblin bank alt! Seems fitting, yes?

[17:] Where do you see your character in the next few months?
-Wherever she is, I hope she's kicking serious ass.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hope everyone had a great WoW year! Happy new year to all, and I hope all of you get a lot of achievements in 2010!

/cheer

happy (belated) pilgrim's bounty!

happy (belated) hallow's end!

I opted for a High Inquisitor Whitemane costume this year! The good folks at Wowhead compiled a list of two versions of old Sally's armor that are attainable in-game, so go check out the comments for the list!

Yes, I am too lazy to list them here myself.

the home stretch is ahead!

...For my druid, I mean! Yes, I have finally hit 70 (and Northrend).

I had been sitting at 68 for a little bit while I was leveling in Nagrand, and it wasn't until today that I remembered - "OH YEAH, I CAN GO TO NORTHREND NOW. OOPS." So I took Mayari down to Stormwind Harbor to make the journey to the land of iciness and undead things.


...To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would end up in Howling Fjord or Borean Tundra (LOL ALLIANCE NOOB) , but at this point I didn't care. I just wanted to level, dammit!

Eventually, I learned that the Stormwind boat goes to Borean Tundra.

It's a statue of King Varian Chin Wrynn!

Then I quested my kitty butt off, until FINALLY:


Whew.

...Only ten more levels to go.

blizzcon 2009: part deux!

PICTURE SPAM INC:


Sarah Kerrigan makes for a pretty badass Facebook profile picture.


Lyn, the winner of the WC3 tournament.


Yay, cosplayers!


OZZY. Too bad we were way far back. But the show was awesome. I kinda wish I was closer to the front; he was spraying the audience with a hose.


And that's my boyfriend and me. ♥