I am lovin this new pre-cata patch. Oh, I know, it wasn't exactly fair and I know plenty of warriors, combat rogues, paladins, hunters etc are out there QQing about the nerf. But some people did come out winners - namely all casters (have you recently raided with a shadow priest or warlock? They pump out simply ungodly numbers on the recount charts these days), elemental shammies, and mutilate rogues.
To be honest mutilate rogues didn't get a buff, but when it seems as though all melee classes got a big nerf, I sure feel lucky that my DPS has not dropped by any noticeable amount. All the talents are still about the same (minor tweaks here and there), and the only big mechanic changes are:
1. Rupture is now part of the mutilate rotation. Before you used it to get the bleed effect if no one else was applying one so you could get the 6% damage buff. Now every rupture tick will grant you energy regen, which means it's absolutely CRUCIAL to apply the longest duration of rupture on the boss and keep it up at all times. Not that this really complicates the mutilate rotation - before it was: mutilate, mutilate, envenom. Now it's: mutilate, mutilate, rupture, mutilate, mutilate, envenom. Oh noes one additional button to press! I swear rogues have the easiest rotation given how much damage they do.
2. The execute phase, which is sort of a major change, but a good one! When the enemy is below 35% health, your backstab grants you 35 energy regen! Which means when the boss drops below 35%, you can basically spam backstab until 5 combo points. The energy regain from the backstab (which is even more if you glyph for it), plus the extra energy from any rupture ticks means that during the execute phase, your energy bar never drops below 50% - more often than not I find myself not being able to use up my energy fast enough! What limits me is the global cooldown on backstab, which is just...insanity. Backstab crits for well over 10k too.
Ah, I've gotten totally sidetracked. The REAL buff that I'm happy about is the recuperate ability. Use your combo points (which can be on a mob already dead) to heal yourself for 3% health every 3 seconds....doesn't sound like much, and it won't do you any good if something hits you real hard, but for soloing dungeons? Fuggeaboudit. Yes, I could solo dungeons before - even some vanilla raids and end-game TBC dungeons. But obviously with no healing ability I'd fight a pack of mobs, then either have to eat or bandage myself in between. Sometimes long boss fights took me dangerously low, not to mention that it was annoying to have to fill my hp back up all the time.
But now with this recuperate ability, whenever I see my hp dropping a little I just use whatever combo points I have going on to HoT myself! Since most vanilla/RBC dungeon mobs don't hit that hard, the HoT is more than enough to get me back up to full and I can go on to the next pack with no downtime!
More importantly, I can now solo things I just couldn't do before. Fights where if I just had a little bit of healing in addition to potions, maybe I could survive. I soloed the tiger boss in Zul Gurub the other night - sure the boss doesn't hit hard, but those 500-1000 hits start whittling down your health as the fight draws on. But with recuperate ticking away, that damage is cancelled out! With other abilities like evasion, bandaging myself between phases, and healing pots, I was able to bring down high priest Thekal! Although sadly he did not drop his awesome Zulian tiger mount...someday!
I can even solo level 80 group quests now (omg I know so OP - whoever has heard of a rogue soloing anything?). I did Threat from Above, which wasn't easy - it took me down to about 10% health. But I figured out that after you bring down Chillmaw, you can simply vanish and the cultist adds will not despawn! So you focus fire on Chillmaw with the HoTs ticking away, right after she goes down just vanish! Move away, heal up, sneak back in and sap cultist 1, blind cultist 2, kill cultist 3, kill cultist 2 right as he comes out of blind, kill cultist at your leisure. Gotta love that 45 second timer on sap.
I realize that of course, some of this would not be doable without being decked out in end-game gear as I am. And I'm not sure if Blizzard intended for recuperate to even be useful to level 80s - I read somewhere it was intended to reduce downtime during levelling. But whatever, until it gets nerfed somehow in the next patch, I'm going to keep soloing things and enjoying the ride.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
zomg Arthas dead
Christ, how did I forget to blog about this one?? Last Thursday the guild downed lich king on 25man!!! We did it on our 4th try! People were dropping like flies during the valk/defile phase, but once we made it over that speed bump, things were smooth sailing. Arthas went down, some purples dropped, everyone celebrated...peace and prosperity for all!
I still want my icc drake, but with the big scary new patch coming out which will destroy all our talent trees, who knows if that will actually be accomplished. Maybe if they don't remove it from the game (though I have a strong suspicion it will be gone when cata hits), I can farm it at 85...
I still want my icc drake, but with the big scary new patch coming out which will destroy all our talent trees, who knows if that will actually be accomplished. Maybe if they don't remove it from the game (though I have a strong suspicion it will be gone when cata hits), I can farm it at 85...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Farmville??? Get a life.
I can't stand all these facebook requests I'm getting to start playing Farmville. So and so has sent you a gift on farmville! So and so wants you to adopt a sheep on farmville! So and so has just slaughtered a pig and wants to offer you some pork!
I mean, COME ON people. It's sad how addicted some people are at this game. Case in point: recently there was a mayor or governor somewhere who just had to resign because people found out he wasn't getting work done and playing farmville all day instead. I was just in Hawaii and I saw more than one person playing farmville on their laptops in the lobby downstairs. I mean, WTF!!!! I had a freaking kidney stone but I still went snorkeling despite debilitating pain. These people chose to ignore sunny beaches and beautiful waterfalls so they could do what? Raise some virtual corn crops on their virtual farm? Get a grip!
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with these cutesy little sim games. Heck, I've played quite a few myself and I think they're fun and addicting at times. But let's get one thing straight here: games like farmville are CASUAL games, meant to be enjoyed as such. They are meant for your iphone, to be dabbled in 15-min sessions while you're waiting in line at the airport. They are only meant to be played on your computer during episodes of extreme boredom when nothing else is available (ie wow patch days).
See, here's the way I see it. There are hardcore games, and there are hardcore gamers. In my opinion only three types of games qualify as hardcore - First person shooter, Real-time stragety, and MMORPG. The reason I say that is because hardcore games NEED to involve some sort of competitive online gameplay that pits you against other players - this aspect is what makes the game hardcore. The three genres mentioned above are the only ones where there is a large enough gamer base to ensure a true competitive playing environment. Sending your friend a basket of corn over farmville DOES NOT COUNT.
Hardcore games are not meant to be played safely in your own little world. Hardcore games are not meant to be friendly nor user-friendly. Hardcore games have a steep learning curve - they give you a few basic pointers then throw you out into a vast online world of competitive douchebags. You will be beaten and humiliated to a degree you will never experience in a game like farmville. No one gangs up on your livestock, teabags them, and /spits in your face before leaving.
Ultimately, hardcore games turn people into hardcore gamers. After losing a brutal match, you nerdrage, vow revenge, and begin learning. You read up on strategy online or on forums, you upgrade your computer to run the game better, you start devoting more and more time into becoming a better player, and before you know it you've become - ta-da! - a hardcore gamer.
So what I really don't understand are these people who play casual games as though they were hardcore gamers. People who devote wayyyyyy too much time into playing a silly little casual game. If you're going to spend 5+ hours a day playing a game, people, at least play something worthwhile. It takes the brain power equivalent of a nematoad to play these casual games (I mean, are you even doing anything besides clicking??? If you're not using at least 80% of your keyboard in any hardcore game you fail). If I ever played that much farmville I'd hide myself from all online communities and cover my face in shame, not broadcast my latest farmville achievement on facebook.
But I digress - if you want to be a total pussy of a gamer and spend hours feeding your chickens, be my guest. But please keep all that shit out of my face (metaphorically) by not informing me every 5 min via facebook of all your remarkable farm-related accomplishments. And please don't have the audacity to assume that I would ever want to disgrace myself and my laptop by taking part in your little farm adventures.
I mean, COME ON people. It's sad how addicted some people are at this game. Case in point: recently there was a mayor or governor somewhere who just had to resign because people found out he wasn't getting work done and playing farmville all day instead. I was just in Hawaii and I saw more than one person playing farmville on their laptops in the lobby downstairs. I mean, WTF!!!! I had a freaking kidney stone but I still went snorkeling despite debilitating pain. These people chose to ignore sunny beaches and beautiful waterfalls so they could do what? Raise some virtual corn crops on their virtual farm? Get a grip!
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with these cutesy little sim games. Heck, I've played quite a few myself and I think they're fun and addicting at times. But let's get one thing straight here: games like farmville are CASUAL games, meant to be enjoyed as such. They are meant for your iphone, to be dabbled in 15-min sessions while you're waiting in line at the airport. They are only meant to be played on your computer during episodes of extreme boredom when nothing else is available (ie wow patch days).
See, here's the way I see it. There are hardcore games, and there are hardcore gamers. In my opinion only three types of games qualify as hardcore - First person shooter, Real-time stragety, and MMORPG. The reason I say that is because hardcore games NEED to involve some sort of competitive online gameplay that pits you against other players - this aspect is what makes the game hardcore. The three genres mentioned above are the only ones where there is a large enough gamer base to ensure a true competitive playing environment. Sending your friend a basket of corn over farmville DOES NOT COUNT.
Hardcore games are not meant to be played safely in your own little world. Hardcore games are not meant to be friendly nor user-friendly. Hardcore games have a steep learning curve - they give you a few basic pointers then throw you out into a vast online world of competitive douchebags. You will be beaten and humiliated to a degree you will never experience in a game like farmville. No one gangs up on your livestock, teabags them, and /spits in your face before leaving.
Ultimately, hardcore games turn people into hardcore gamers. After losing a brutal match, you nerdrage, vow revenge, and begin learning. You read up on strategy online or on forums, you upgrade your computer to run the game better, you start devoting more and more time into becoming a better player, and before you know it you've become - ta-da! - a hardcore gamer.
So what I really don't understand are these people who play casual games as though they were hardcore gamers. People who devote wayyyyyy too much time into playing a silly little casual game. If you're going to spend 5+ hours a day playing a game, people, at least play something worthwhile. It takes the brain power equivalent of a nematoad to play these casual games (I mean, are you even doing anything besides clicking??? If you're not using at least 80% of your keyboard in any hardcore game you fail). If I ever played that much farmville I'd hide myself from all online communities and cover my face in shame, not broadcast my latest farmville achievement on facebook.
But I digress - if you want to be a total pussy of a gamer and spend hours feeding your chickens, be my guest. But please keep all that shit out of my face (metaphorically) by not informing me every 5 min via facebook of all your remarkable farm-related accomplishments. And please don't have the audacity to assume that I would ever want to disgrace myself and my laptop by taking part in your little farm adventures.
10m vs 25m
I think I posted sometime before saying that 25mans were actually easier than 10mans. I'd like to officially retract that post.
My evidence for such a preposterous claim came from a very limited experience of end-game raids, particularly in 25mans. I think my observation was from the simple reasoning that it's impossible for anyone to die when 7 people are simultaneously casting heals on you! Oh how naive. It is very much possible to die despite 7 HoTs and flash heals going off on you. When the boss can cleave for 70k, there's just no hope for non-tanks.
Anyways, ICC raiding has changed that outlook drastically. 25man raids are much more difficult, not due to the increased damage or HP, but from the number of adds (which usually TRIPLE), limited space to spread out in, and the sheer difficulty of trying to assign 25 people to do different things at once.
Don't get me wrong, I still think there are certain fights where it's actually easier in 25man. Sometimes when the raid has to split up into groups for more than one boss, the fight does get easier with more people. For example I've done the assembly of iron in both 10 and 25man version - the 25man run went much smoother because we had 3 dedicated tanks, who each had a dedicated healer (whereas in 10man you'd have someone be a "makeshift" tank receiving some heals once in a while, or a risky range/interrupt tank). But this is probably one of the very few examples.
In ICC particularly 25mans are very challenging. No wonder it took our server's top guild over a month between the 10man heroic and 25man heroic kill.
The problems of spreading people out to avoid splash damage become exponentially hard going from 10 to 25 man. Because while you can make up for increased boss hp and damage with your increased DPS and healing, there is nothing you can do about the size of the playing field.
Take the blood queen fight for instance. In my opinion one of the hardest fights to execute well in 25man. Spreading out that many people in that tiny little room, in addition to working out the bite order amongst ~20 dps characters becomes a nightmare very quickly. Oh no I have swarming shadows! Run in a circle! Oh wait no there are people EVERYWHERE and no matter where I go I will kill someone. Bite this guy! Oh wait he's dead from getting hit by 6 bloodbolts because people didn't spread out in the air phase.
Last night the guild attempted 25man lich king, which was really really tough. We didn't down him obviously (but we got close!) after repeated attempts, whereas 10man lich king took two tries. I remember everyone complaining about how much defile sucks and then seeing it for myself on 10man and thinking, "this is a piece of cake". Well, I think everyone was talking about 25man, because defile really does suck. When one of them unluckily drops on someone in the middle of the raid...there's just no way to run out of this thing. The longer you stay in it, the larger it gets, and by the time you realize it the entire platform is covered in that disgusting gray ooze. And your raid has either died or committed suicide off the platform.
Oh well, we're tyring again tonight. Maybe we'll get super lucky and get it this time.
My evidence for such a preposterous claim came from a very limited experience of end-game raids, particularly in 25mans. I think my observation was from the simple reasoning that it's impossible for anyone to die when 7 people are simultaneously casting heals on you! Oh how naive. It is very much possible to die despite 7 HoTs and flash heals going off on you. When the boss can cleave for 70k, there's just no hope for non-tanks.
Anyways, ICC raiding has changed that outlook drastically. 25man raids are much more difficult, not due to the increased damage or HP, but from the number of adds (which usually TRIPLE), limited space to spread out in, and the sheer difficulty of trying to assign 25 people to do different things at once.
Don't get me wrong, I still think there are certain fights where it's actually easier in 25man. Sometimes when the raid has to split up into groups for more than one boss, the fight does get easier with more people. For example I've done the assembly of iron in both 10 and 25man version - the 25man run went much smoother because we had 3 dedicated tanks, who each had a dedicated healer (whereas in 10man you'd have someone be a "makeshift" tank receiving some heals once in a while, or a risky range/interrupt tank). But this is probably one of the very few examples.
In ICC particularly 25mans are very challenging. No wonder it took our server's top guild over a month between the 10man heroic and 25man heroic kill.
The problems of spreading people out to avoid splash damage become exponentially hard going from 10 to 25 man. Because while you can make up for increased boss hp and damage with your increased DPS and healing, there is nothing you can do about the size of the playing field.
Take the blood queen fight for instance. In my opinion one of the hardest fights to execute well in 25man. Spreading out that many people in that tiny little room, in addition to working out the bite order amongst ~20 dps characters becomes a nightmare very quickly. Oh no I have swarming shadows! Run in a circle! Oh wait no there are people EVERYWHERE and no matter where I go I will kill someone. Bite this guy! Oh wait he's dead from getting hit by 6 bloodbolts because people didn't spread out in the air phase.
Last night the guild attempted 25man lich king, which was really really tough. We didn't down him obviously (but we got close!) after repeated attempts, whereas 10man lich king took two tries. I remember everyone complaining about how much defile sucks and then seeing it for myself on 10man and thinking, "this is a piece of cake". Well, I think everyone was talking about 25man, because defile really does suck. When one of them unluckily drops on someone in the middle of the raid...there's just no way to run out of this thing. The longer you stay in it, the larger it gets, and by the time you realize it the entire platform is covered in that disgusting gray ooze. And your raid has either died or committed suicide off the platform.
Oh well, we're tyring again tonight. Maybe we'll get super lucky and get it this time.
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