What a Rush

Updated today, the ICC buff has been increased from 5% to 10%. I know it’s meant to give more casual players a chance to see the latest content for the expansion, but at the same time it feels like anyone not on the bleeding edge is in a race against the clock. The race between guilds for rankings and first time kills is one thing, pitting skill vs. skill, but now it seems like there’s a countdown timer in-game to do the content while it still presents a challenge.

Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely worse things that can happen, especially considering you can turn it off if it’s really such a point of pride. But the fact that you have to pick between going E-Z mode and rejecting help when available for the sake of pride gives a sense of urgency I’m not overly thrilled with. The higher the buff gets, the more you lose the sense of good old fashioned accomplishment, and turning it off just has this sense of vanity that doesn’t go away.

On the Arrangement of Pixels: Holier Than Thou

Since last week, I’ve made great discoveries in the world of WoW costuming and fashion. The greatest of these is sure to be Kirina’s Closet, an extensive resource on WoW fashion and costuming for every occasion. Can’t find what you’re looking for in the regular blog? Click the Fashion tab at the top for an index of outfits she’s collected. Want more? Check out the Forum where other like minded fashionistas and costumers have contributed their ideas and browse through the various ‘catalog’ sticky posts with photographed listings of most every dress, top, and leg item you could be in search of.

So now that I’ve endorsed this amazing resource, on to my own designs. This next set are some of my very favorite outfits because they’re particularly special for my character. I have played and loved the priest class for years now, and I take pride in dressing my priestess as well as any priest you can find in game.  So this week I present to you some of my favorite priestly outfits.

Showing Up: How hard is it?

I’m more than a little peeved at some of my guildies of late. I should actually say I’m peeved at guildies and several former guildies, since last night we only had enough tanks for one ten man group. This provided our GM with a leisurely evening of trimming the roster of anybody who hadn’t raided in the past couple weeks. But really, it’s ridiculous. For two weeks in a row, we’ve farmed out the easy content, and nobody shows for anything even remotely progression oriented. I’m desperately in need of some ideas.

Astral Walker

So, we didn’t have enough to do progression. Still seething mad at folks who will show up, grab loot from the easy stuff, but then bail when it gets to actually working on content.

I am momentarily appeased and something less than murderous for now because at least we scrounged up enough to trounce Algalon. It was fun. Aside from somebody who came in with the key, nobody had done it on 25, some hadn’t even seen it on 10. We came, we learned, we stomped old content and got fancy titles. As well we should have, overgeared as we are.

Anyway, raid ended early so I made a fancy outfit to go with the fancy title. Astral Walker needs shiny things, flowing white dresses, and space and cosmos type backgrounds, so! BEHOLD! Ceralyn the Astral Walker!

After-patch Hangovers

Drunk with the power of the new ICC buff finally applying to my bubbles, the high of a smooth raid clearing up to Sindragosa with minimal mishaps, and the realization I had 5 emblems left to go, I scrounged up a 2am pug Ulduar and booked it straight to Threads of Fate to purchase the last 2 pieces of my 4 set.

Biggest regret thus far: 2 am pug raid on a work night. Not my brightest idea. But c’est la vie. It was quick, I was tired, and I get to test out how the additional shield buff measures up. But now that I am (semi-)rested, time to actually take a look at what I’ve invested in.

Patch Day!

Ah the joys of patch day!

Tons of lag, sorting your addons, not to mention hoping that the encounters still spawn correctly...

Okay okay so I'm having a serious negative day. Time to cheer up! After all, I got buffed! Or, well. Un-gimped, but hey that's a buff!

I also am having some success in camping for dresses in Moonglade. Two Red Traditional Hanboks and the bright springtime-y Green Wedding Hanbok (different than the dark green). Still no Formal Dangui. Someday it will be mine!! I've demanded Varimir check the vendor when the servers come up. Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, for more funtimecheerylike patch info, I found this most excellent summary of patchnotethings from another priesty-blog: Patch notes from I Like Bubbles

On the Arrangement of Pixels: Styles of the Sea

Having spent considerable time researching the subject, I find myself saddened at the lack of resources on my favorite niche of World of Warcraft – Costuming.

Everyone loves gear of course. You’d be hard pressed to find a player who hasn’t drooled over the ilvl of the leet purps coming from the latest content. Do you have a wishlist? Are you planning the perfect stat balance for your ideal gear set? I certainly am.

But really, when it comes down to it, we all want the same thing. To look awesome.

Gear is more than the dataset its attached to. The arrangement of pixels is what makes the difference between “Optimal/BiS” and truly “Epic”.  So let’s get superficial here, throw away all the stats, and see what we can take down the catwalk, or in this case, the plank.

No Progress

So no Lich King this week. Last night was worse than Wednesday even, so we ended up doing TOC. Regular. I was sick and feeling lazy/sneaky so I gave up my healing spot for Varimir's paladin alt. I guess it went alright, though only ret gear seemed to be dropping. He utterly despises his Aegis of Damnation and can't seem to replace it.

I was off negotiating terms of surrender and/or fruit snacks with a 4 year old when they finished. Got back to the room and apparently they had been waiting for me to start TOGC, with threat of -100 DKP for anyone not teabagging/jumping up and down on my avatar where Varimir had parked it in the instance. Well then. I had no idea, so hopefully they weren't waiting long.

The Means to Kill the Lich King

I got to play with the Lich King in 25 man last week.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I think the encounter is sufficiently epic for what Blizzard has built him up to be through the expansion. I wasn't far enough in to see the end of the Sunwell when it was current content, so I can't accurately compare the two, but I am having so. much. fun.

The Would-Be Blogger

I've toyed with the idea of a WoW blog several times in the much-too-long span I've played the game. It was a fairly novel idea at the time (I knew very few of note) and now suddenly everyone is doing it.

I think that may be why I'm doing it now. There's less pressure to be exceptional unless I'm seeking gamer-fame and I find security in the idea that even if my little blog goes entirely unread, it won't be alone in the sea of little fish floating through the internet at present.

So without further ado, here goes nothing!