Now that the lead designer on World of Warcraft is officially stepping down, I thought it would be a great time to point out World of Warcraft's single best improvement since launch: Dual Spec.
Dual Spec, part of WoW's new patch, allows characters to maintain two talent specs at a time and switch freely between the two. Having played a Shaman or Paladin for my entire WoW career, I can't count the number of times I wanted to change specs for a dungeon run or a guild event, but didn't do so because the cost in gold was outrageous.
I missed a lot of events in WoW because I refused to swap to a healing spec on my Shaman or Paladin. I even had the gear needed for each spec on my characters, but it just wasn't worth it to pay to swap and thirty minutes later watch my group disintegrate because the Warrior we picked up wasn't defense spec.
Dual Spec is fundamentally game changing, in a way that nothing else in a WoW patch has ever been. It truly brings the player to the forefront, and not the spec. The beauty is beyond just letting hybrid classes fulfill their various roles at any time. The pure classes benefit greatly as well, able to try off specs and pure specs at the drop of a hat.
I honestly can't state how great of an improvement this is for WoW. Unfortunately, Dual Spec is a couple years too late for me.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hmmmm...
All,
We are pleased to announce the following promotions within the Heartless Reproductive Team (HRT).
Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless have both been promoted to parents.
Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless spearheaded the PUP-E team in May of 2007, and shortly thereafter were promoted to pet owners. This team is responsible for raising and educating one dog, including all care and support that is involved. Currently the team is involved with such endeavors as teaching sit, stay, come, fetch, and NO! Mrs. Heartless and Mr. Heartless focus on providing for the team, project management and coordination, and working to provide an environment in which to succeed.
During this past year, December in fact, they had briefly decided to not upgrade the team’s peripherals to version 2.0 having been quite satisfied with the 1.0 version received through PUP-E. Maintaining PUP-E was easy and they were looking forward to simply seeing that through until it was phased out.
However in early December fate stepped in on the project planning, as it often does, and provided an expected addendum to the previously gathered requirements. Both Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless, choosing not to use any Change Management software at all, encountered a situation in which the bios was flashed on the motherboard and the firmware thusly affected upgrading the team to version 2.0.
And so, after years of project planning, at times going over budget, rewriting requirements and attending endless “meetings”; it is time to announce that the family is officially expecting a new addition later this year.
Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless are to be commended on their efforts thus far and we look forward to this new and exciting version 2.0 of the Heartless family.
We are pleased to announce the following promotions within the Heartless Reproductive Team (HRT).
Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless have both been promoted to parents.
Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless spearheaded the PUP-E team in May of 2007, and shortly thereafter were promoted to pet owners. This team is responsible for raising and educating one dog, including all care and support that is involved. Currently the team is involved with such endeavors as teaching sit, stay, come, fetch, and NO! Mrs. Heartless and Mr. Heartless focus on providing for the team, project management and coordination, and working to provide an environment in which to succeed.
During this past year, December in fact, they had briefly decided to not upgrade the team’s peripherals to version 2.0 having been quite satisfied with the 1.0 version received through PUP-E. Maintaining PUP-E was easy and they were looking forward to simply seeing that through until it was phased out.
However in early December fate stepped in on the project planning, as it often does, and provided an expected addendum to the previously gathered requirements. Both Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless, choosing not to use any Change Management software at all, encountered a situation in which the bios was flashed on the motherboard and the firmware thusly affected upgrading the team to version 2.0.
And so, after years of project planning, at times going over budget, rewriting requirements and attending endless “meetings”; it is time to announce that the family is officially expecting a new addition later this year.
Mr. Heartless and Mrs. Heartless are to be commended on their efforts thus far and we look forward to this new and exciting version 2.0 of the Heartless family.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Monpy Tython
Star Wars: The Old Republic is still looking OLD! I present: The Making of Tython.
After watching the video linked above, please read the following.
Is it just me, or does every new video for SW:ToR make the game look absolutely boring? Bioware better have some wiz-bang combat previews coming up or I am officially jumping off the train for this one.
After watching the video linked above, please read the following.
Is it just me, or does every new video for SW:ToR make the game look absolutely boring? Bioware better have some wiz-bang combat previews coming up or I am officially jumping off the train for this one.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Breaking Iron: An Ironbreaker Blog
Just a scheduled programming note: I have started an Ironbreaker blog entitled Breaking Iron.
I am going to use it to muse about the class, patch notes, and playing tips. It should actually contain only useful information, where as this blog contains mostly mindless rants one.
Enjoy!
I am going to use it to muse about the class, patch notes, and playing tips. It should actually contain only useful information, where as this blog contains mostly mindless rants one.
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
FIX the Damn Game!
Let January 29th, 2009 go down in history as the day Mythic decided to do something with this little thing called Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. More classes, a new scenario, live events, and an entire new zone! WARgasm!
Actually, all of the announcements weren't that exciting. Mythic missed the mark, again, and once again, Mark Jacobs had to respond to cries of "WTF are you doing Myhic! FIX the damn game first!".
MJB eventually came around to his senses and got down to talking about the things that are important for WAR (like fixing the pile of crap of a game that we are currently playing instead of just senselessly hyping new features that no one is going to care about if the game doesn't run better than a fat chick sucking a golf ball through a hose).
If you ask me, the letter to the Folks would have made one hell of a better Press Release than some marketing tripe about new classes, zones, and live events.
Oh well, I'll give you another shot Mythic. I don't know why, but Paul Barnett still amuses me slightly (or at least keeps me entertained and makes me believe community still might count for something in MMOs).
Actually, all of the announcements weren't that exciting. Mythic missed the mark, again, and once again, Mark Jacobs had to respond to cries of "WTF are you doing Myhic! FIX the damn game first!".
MJB eventually came around to his senses and got down to talking about the things that are important for WAR (like fixing the pile of crap of a game that we are currently playing instead of just senselessly hyping new features that no one is going to care about if the game doesn't run better than a fat chick sucking a golf ball through a hose).
If you ask me, the letter to the Folks would have made one hell of a better Press Release than some marketing tripe about new classes, zones, and live events.
Oh well, I'll give you another shot Mythic. I don't know why, but Paul Barnett still amuses me slightly (or at least keeps me entertained and makes me believe community still might count for something in MMOs).
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Breaking Iron: Rank 40
I have officially hit Rank 40 on my Ironbreaker in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.
Yes, that means I have not canceled my subscription as previously stated :P WAR isn't as bad as I had thought, but that is a discussion for another post. Right now, let's celebrate.
A big thanks to Casualties of WAR, because without them I would never had made it this far.
PS. For a Heartless Gamer, what a nice quest to finish on :)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tax time
It's tax time, so laugh a little bit!
Best joke of 2008, a must read.
The IRS decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to the IRS office. The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney. The auditor said, 'Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I'm not sure the IRS finds that believable.'
I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it,' says Grandpa. 'How about a demonstration?' The auditor thinks for a moment and said, 'Okay. Go ahead.' Grandpa says, 'I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.' The auditor thinks a moment and says, 'It's a bet.'
Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor's jaw drops. Grandpa says, 'Now, I'll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.'
Now the auditor can tell Grandpa isn't blind, so he takes the bet. Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Grandpa's attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.
'Want to go double or nothing?' Grandpa asks 'I'll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between.'
The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there's no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again.
Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can't make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much urinates all over the auditor's desk. The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a break even. But Grandpa's attorney moans and puts his head in his hands. 'Are you okay?' the auditor asks.
'Not really,' says the attorney. 'This morning, when Grandpa told me he'd been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty-five thousand dollars that he could come in here and piss all over your desk and that you'd be happy about it.'
Best joke of 2008, a must read.
The IRS decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to the IRS office. The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney. The auditor said, 'Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I'm not sure the IRS finds that believable.'
I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it,' says Grandpa. 'How about a demonstration?' The auditor thinks for a moment and said, 'Okay. Go ahead.' Grandpa says, 'I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.' The auditor thinks a moment and says, 'It's a bet.'
Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor's jaw drops. Grandpa says, 'Now, I'll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.'
Now the auditor can tell Grandpa isn't blind, so he takes the bet. Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Grandpa's attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.
'Want to go double or nothing?' Grandpa asks 'I'll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between.'
The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there's no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again.
Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can't make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much urinates all over the auditor's desk. The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a break even. But Grandpa's attorney moans and puts his head in his hands. 'Are you okay?' the auditor asks.
'Not really,' says the attorney. 'This morning, when Grandpa told me he'd been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty-five thousand dollars that he could come in here and piss all over your desk and that you'd be happy about it.'
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Get OFF the Damn Internet!
Stop streaming the damn inauguration, you are literally killing the Internet. Seriously, I know, I am working the issue as we speak (well actually, I'm at lunch, but rest assured I will be fixing your Internets soon).
Thursday, January 01, 2009
The Blame Game
Brett Favre’s honeymoon is over in New York. His team mates are now lining up to lay the blame for their late season collapse at his feet. First up, Thomas Jones, responsible for a whopping 23 rushing yards in the Jets game against Miami, believes Favre single-handedly lost the game and the Jets season.
Now, I agree with Thomas Jones that Favre deserved to be benched at one point during this late season slide. However, it was not in the last game against Miami and not because Favre was a bad player. Favre should have been benched against Seattle, when he definitely looked to have lost something on his throws due to a shoulder injury.
Brett Favre is the easy target during the Jets collapse. 2 touchdown tosses vs. 9 interceptions. That is enough to get any quarterback fired in this league, but somehow Favre was given the starting job every week. Some will say it was because the Jets spent too much money to bench him. Some will say that Favre was elitist. Some will say anything to lay the blame on Favre.
Obviously, the bomb-throwers haven’t paid attention to Favre’s career. When his team’s running game falls apart due to a subpar offensive line, Favre takes it on himself to get something going. That leads to interceptions, but it has also lead to the plethora of miracle-moments in Favre’s career.
Unfortunately, no one, especially Thomas Jones is willing to admit maybe, just maybe the rest of the team is at fault as well. Maybe that is why Favre wasn’t benched, because the rest of the team was playing just as shitty.
The irony of course, is that Thomas Jones was directly responsible for Favre feeling pressured to throw more than needed. Jones lackluster performances towards the end of the year lead directly to more pass plays, which lead to the interceptions. Sure, Favre gets the blame for the bad throws, but that doesn’t absolve anyone of the problems that lead to Favre’s bad play.
Earlier in the season, when the Jets were dominating, Favre’s interceptions didn’t matter. The Jets defense was holding up and the running game was running out the clock. As soon as one of those two, the running game, collapsed, Favre’s interceptions started losing games. At the same time, Favre’s arm lead to plenty of wins (remember week 1, fourth and goal, a miracle thrown to the heavens comes down in Jets hands for a winning TD).
What’s even funnier, an overtime catch by a certain Jets receiver on a perfect Brett Favre pass and the Jets are in the playoffs, beating both the comeback kids (Miami) and the best team in football (Patriots). It just goes to show how competitive the NFL has become, something that makes every game worth watching.
Good luck to Brett, he’ll need it to survive this disaster. Shame on Jones, this is the best team sport out there and throwing your teammate under the bus isn’t going to win anyone friends. If anyone is an elitist, it’s Jones, believing any single player loses or wins football games.
Now, I agree with Thomas Jones that Favre deserved to be benched at one point during this late season slide. However, it was not in the last game against Miami and not because Favre was a bad player. Favre should have been benched against Seattle, when he definitely looked to have lost something on his throws due to a shoulder injury.
Brett Favre is the easy target during the Jets collapse. 2 touchdown tosses vs. 9 interceptions. That is enough to get any quarterback fired in this league, but somehow Favre was given the starting job every week. Some will say it was because the Jets spent too much money to bench him. Some will say that Favre was elitist. Some will say anything to lay the blame on Favre.
Obviously, the bomb-throwers haven’t paid attention to Favre’s career. When his team’s running game falls apart due to a subpar offensive line, Favre takes it on himself to get something going. That leads to interceptions, but it has also lead to the plethora of miracle-moments in Favre’s career.
Unfortunately, no one, especially Thomas Jones is willing to admit maybe, just maybe the rest of the team is at fault as well. Maybe that is why Favre wasn’t benched, because the rest of the team was playing just as shitty.
The irony of course, is that Thomas Jones was directly responsible for Favre feeling pressured to throw more than needed. Jones lackluster performances towards the end of the year lead directly to more pass plays, which lead to the interceptions. Sure, Favre gets the blame for the bad throws, but that doesn’t absolve anyone of the problems that lead to Favre’s bad play.
Earlier in the season, when the Jets were dominating, Favre’s interceptions didn’t matter. The Jets defense was holding up and the running game was running out the clock. As soon as one of those two, the running game, collapsed, Favre’s interceptions started losing games. At the same time, Favre’s arm lead to plenty of wins (remember week 1, fourth and goal, a miracle thrown to the heavens comes down in Jets hands for a winning TD).
What’s even funnier, an overtime catch by a certain Jets receiver on a perfect Brett Favre pass and the Jets are in the playoffs, beating both the comeback kids (Miami) and the best team in football (Patriots). It just goes to show how competitive the NFL has become, something that makes every game worth watching.
Good luck to Brett, he’ll need it to survive this disaster. Shame on Jones, this is the best team sport out there and throwing your teammate under the bus isn’t going to win anyone friends. If anyone is an elitist, it’s Jones, believing any single player loses or wins football games.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)