We have been advised that we are moving over to a loot council, and it sounds fair -
Basically it looks like it will be the class leaders and GM/RL, , and in a round about way they will decide who gets the loot if its clear cut, or they will decide who gets to roll. Loot prioritys will be to the main Tanks. For the most things we have let our trials roll on items that Members want, this will probably stop - unless none of the members need them. A Trial is only 2 weeks so its not an unreasonable time to wait.

Because of this we have been asked to provide a list of bosses/items we need, to make it easier for the council, the reasoning for this change, is we had our 1st attempt at Supremous last night boss #2 in BT and we failed.. We got the phases right.. we just keep running into volcanos that would start spewing before they even fully formed.. and at 5k damage each.. OUCH! so we are seeing some progression and the loot is getting better.. and I’m fully supportive of giving it to the people who deserve it,
What I’m finding though is that the Quaility of most of the Cloth Gear for Shadow priests are not that much of an upgrade from the Crafted sets.
Yes there is more stam and intellect or Haste or hit/ Crit , but each of the crafted items have more +spell damage then what seems to be most of the drops, or are better off replaced with the new sunwell Isle Badge Loot.

and thus comes the age old question.. ( well maybe not.. ) Should a player who has not used the tools available eg Profession crafted items, Badge Loots get (eg tailoring/leatherworking/Blacksmith ) to get the Best easily available gear that can be learnt from a trainer.. get priority over someone who has?

theoretically at this point I am better off grinding for Badges to improve my gear then spending hours in raids because most of the upgrades to replace my shadowweave just cannot compare to the +damage - and realistically If I had the spellstrike hood and pants ( also crafted ) I would be even better off! My Belt is the Belt of Blasting.. and that would give me 6 crafted items that don’t have a suitably comparable upgrade via loot.

If I had to narrow down my list of Really Really Need. I think I would have three items. 2 new trinkets, and a ring, out of everything left in the game prior to Sunwell
The Items I want would let me do other things.. Eg Lose my Spell hit Talent points and put them into Crit. Improve my Haste ( I have 2% at the moment with a PVP haste ring and an Badge offhand ect ect… ) But this is where the loot council would come in. Do I NEED an item because of those reasons - probably not.

Lets see how we go…

On a happier note I get to meet a few of my guild this weekend for a semi large gathering in Sydney…. It will be interesting - I hope we have more then wow to talk about.

Kudos - and Credit firstly to  Tobold at Tobold’s MMORPG Blog Post on Player Housing who asked
“What do you think? Would you like to see such guild housing in World of Warcraft”

Absoultely….. but. Where does it stop? - This could be HUGE>> I like most of Tolbolds ideas…

The things I would like from player housing/Guild Housing would need to consider the following things..
Vanity
Practicality
Socialibilty

Vanity
From a guild Point.
A house, or a guild hall should be a place to show off your accomplishments, achievements, I like Tobolds idea about the trophy room I have some further ideas..
Each completed raid with a 75% single guild make up could have a badge or a plarque to hang ( this would stay with the guild name and would not be transferable. Yeah we cleared Dead Mines!!
Having said that, the Guild Hall or Foyer could be made public access. The Hall would only be active if there was a guild member in residence, and people could select the Guild they wanted to vist from an active list and wander into their hall and check out the guild progression…. Player Portraits of the officers and GM could be on the wall
Kennels for Hunter Pets
From an individual Point
I like Tobolds idea about the armour sets on Mannequines it would save bankspace and you wouldnt have to delete your Items. ( however There would be a cost for each mannequine.)
A bed or a couch and ‘rest’ time could give you a minor buff like a spirit increase for 30 min - you could also display all your titles / achievements on the wall. Eg Instances cleared - earned titles, Arena teams / PVP ratings.
People would need to be allowed to walk into your room and have a look - The quaity of funishings would reflect on your prestige - A wardrobe facility ( bankspace saver.. ) would allow you to wear in the hall Items you brought /earned Eg Special Events Holiday outfits. An equivilent to outfitter would make changing out of your armour simple. It could also let you change your hair style..
Non combat Pets could stay in the room. Imagine your little white kitten curled asleep in a cat bed, while your Bird or Firefly is on a perch ( these pet assesories would come with a cost.. )

Practicality
Calander/raid sceduling could be done ingame and displayed by the appropriate class. Raid annoucements, and news displayed on clickable boards.
A Noticeboard for Notes, or messages such as Afk’s ect ect.. Item requests,
It also could allow visitors to leave comments/ messages or guild applications.
The hall would have a mail box - and Bank,
A Library for reference materials or Warcraft Lore books - Or when you find a book eg in Scholomance you can bring back a copy and store it in the library.
Cooking facilities Food vendor - Armourer..

Social
Bar /beer facilities in the hall.
Guild round table where the officers and GM could sit and discuss things
Couches and A fire.. a Place to meet before raid, rest/go afk..

However….
Besides excluding alot of people just on what I will gather will be an affordabiliy point of any housing, Blizzard would need to find Enough reasons for people to want one.. Enough reasons for people to use one.. and Keep using it, and enough things to do while there…. Without removing the need for other vendors/trainers..
Eg - are we so entrenched with the Virtual world that we want our Virtual toons to be able to surf the Warcraft web and Buy what they need without leaving the couch in the guildhall.
It would be a trade off - as to what people want available.. and what would effect the game dynamics.. I like running into the auction house with everyone else and using it.

Just some ideas.. some probably aren’t orginal, but its a take.. not claiming copywrite..

My Guild Officers have announced that our Kara Runs for the non leets. ( Za Runs for the officers and Core raiders)  will now be  2 x ZA teams.  Its official We are over Kara,

Wait… I’m not.   I’ve missed out on 3 Weeks of a Decent Kara Run because I was being socialable for one of those nights and there were too many Dpsers and not enough healers and tanks to do more then one Kara run the other 2.  So I’m moaning a little because one Kara Clear would have netted me the Badges I need for the next self obtainable Weapon Upgrade of that Badges Dagger.  The Scryer’s Blade of Focus which has more +spell Damage and Stam  then my Current Dagger the Nathrezim Mindblade.

So after being told at 830 Invites were over…   I was like.  Crap. One more run and It would have been mine.   The Mats for Soulfrost are waiting for me in my Bank tab,  just waiting to be lovelingly applied to the new blade. - Besides being a little miffed..  I had turned down a ZA offer outside guild an hour earlier in the hope I would get Kara. I’m not moaning too loudley because I did get to do progression runs this week - so its a catch 22  - I don’t need any loot from Kara.. so I really shouldnt get priority which is fair,

So In a bid to get badges I thought I’d try a pug.  I do the whole Looking for group thing, and get two invites straight up - I’d only seen one guild around, and I figured I’d try that group.

“Ts or Vent I ask? -”
“Nope.”

“Opps..” Main Tank says ” I have to go.. “
“Darn” Says another team memember, thats the 2nd Main Tank we’ve had leave.

I say.
” Guys Im sorry, but this seems rather disorganised, and I’d rather not lock myself out for a week on a run that is having so many issues so early.”
So I left, and I don’t feel bad. I would only do a Non Vent raid like Kara with people I already knew. Not with a pug. Its a preference, and I am a firm believer that 1 voice is better then 10 people trying to strategise if they are new to the raid in Chat.
In addition, they were pugging a Main tank - twice… and no immediate hope for replacement.
Did I want an easy badge run - Yes and no.. I didn’t care if it were a full clear and I don’t mind dying in the name of learning…. - I just didnt want to waste my time.

So No Kara for me this week.
On the flipside a person who I found while pugging Kara some months back - asked me on sunday night to come to a Gruls Raid - I thought about it - and thought why not - there was no scheduled raids and even thought I hesitated that this would be their 1st guild attempt at Gruls - I figured they seemed organised enough to have a decent shot - the difference in my faith was I knew 2 of the people in the raid, including the Raid leader, and they were filling in dps holes, not healers or tanks which can be volitile..

and we went - and 2 shotted High King.
and had 2 attempts on Grul. Rock fall and Shatter can be a pain to get used to, and not many in the raid had done the fight before.. 34% on the 2nd attempt, which was decent, they now have a better idea. They have the dps to get him next time.

So Highking gave me a badge … taking me to 135 - only 15 more to go.
I need to do more herorics.. just have difficultly findning a non guild group as everyone wants mages and warlocks for specific fights.. Priest CC doesn’t seem to count, so in a 5 man a Shadow Priest is not the 1st choice often, and also maybe I’m over Pugging.. Less good people are pugging… and all that does is perpetuate the lack of progression on the Guilds that just don’t have the numbers or the gear..

We killed after several attempts ( ok 9 but it was a learning fight and we didn’t use the Illdari Flasks) tonight Naj’entus the 1st Boss in Black Temple. I never thought I would see this content, but WOOT!

No Loots for casters and a decent repair bill later and even though raid consumables are guild supplied, I and alot of other people provide their own.. ( so include the cost of each death for the non “through death flasks” ) its alot easier to have on you - you know what you want and it saves on who needs what - ect ect…

and WWS stats are released and I’m 11th Overall , and 11th on the Final Boss Kill, Considering that when the Bosses Bubble bursts he deals EVERYONE 8.5 K damage. So I was in most of my PVP and hence less shadow damage gear because I needed Stam When I lamented over my Shadoweave set Stats several weeks ago everyone said ” Shadow Priests don’t need stam!” It should only be for this fight, Overall - the better geared and more raid experienced Shadow priest did 200k more damange then me and 40k more on the final Boss fight then me, and I’m happy with that… I is getting better, I’m also getting more raids, weather it be because they need the VT of a Shadowpriest, or that I’ve signed up and seem to be not fracking up.

So I’m out Dpsing the tanks.. Booooyah…

so thats 2 progression Raids I’ve been in this week, do I cross my fingers incase it ends…

/cheer

We are getting there!

Kaz’rogal is down! - Boss three in Hyal..

Several learning curves…. and Waves on Waves of mobs-
We have succeeded. Kaz’Rogal is down… and Thrall when he was at his prime in the good old days… and not needing rescue from Durn is Awesome.. don’t be afraid to allow him and his goons to pew pew abit…

Its hard.. Kaz Mana burns…. and you have to do your thing and keep your mana up above 3000 odd or he blows u up. Check the Wow Wiki or boss killers for the details.. but yar is interesting and fun. Pot pot pot.. and if ur a shadow priest save ur fiend cooldown for the boss fight.. because not only do u blow up.. you blow other people up. One try I was hit by 7k damage because I was too close to another caster who blew up.. Bastardo!
My fault for standing too close. Keep VE up and yeah.. it can all be done.

So yeah I’m getting raids… even if im not on the ‘approved’ list.. there must be something to being reliable.. and being online and stuff..

So No loots for me. Cloth Boots dropped bu my shadoweave was prob a little better..
My IMBA says Im now at almost sunwell with my current gear.. butyeah its been fun!

The Add on Deadly boss mods omongst other things in Warsong Gulch will show whos carrying the flag for both sides.
How is this useful for a Priest? Well we have a talent Called Mindvision, with an unlimited range if I can click on the person/horse/ enemy I can see what they see.

You can also Skip from one Person to another. Eg See What A sees, then even if YOU can’t see person B but person A can click on Person B and Mindvision them, and so On..
Friend or foe.. Horse or Squirrel you can use Mindvision to Hop and Skip.. I’m not sure how many you can do in a row.. but I’ve skipped onwards of 6 times with no problems..
it can be useful to annoy people who always act silly in a city, or a Bg when they have been Mindvisioned…

How to use this in Warsong Gulch
You Can MC anyone of your side, and also since Deadly boss mods have kindly give you someone to click by identifying who is running round with your flag. You can select them and Mind Vision them to find out where they are.
Lose the flag carrier… and your not sure what Nook or cranny they have tried to hide themselves in at the base. Mindvision will find them!

I snagged the Haste Potion from the Ah today Haste Potion

I Spent 500 B/o on it. I’ve been waiting for it to hit the AH and had been prepared to spend round 350 Gold on it, but there was nothing on the Ah for a while, and the actual pots themselves haven’t appeared much on the Ah and when they did they were stupidly expensive.. and today I found out why…

So I send the receipe to my Alt to use, ( she is level 54 now and 375 Alchemy) and then I check out the prices of the ingredients…. and without going into specifics making 40 of them Hurt. So then I asked myself as i selected Buy Out.. Why? Why have the prices on so many things gone up, recently and prices for others gone down.
Eg - Greater planar Essences are now just under 5 Gold each on my server.
Stacks of Arcane Dust are going for around 20g Why. Both of them are the results of the majority of all those extra greens that are dropping. Great for enchanters if you need the mats, but Im finding that I’m only Deing only half of them and its better off financally to Vendor the rest.

So back to Economics 101
Supply and Demand.
Oversupply Prices Drop - Overdemand Prices Rise.- supposedly AHAH.. unless theres a hugh case of price fixing going on.. and people just trying to make the most money they can.. Mystic spellthread 150g RIP off… specially when the primals are only 12-13ish each

Some things to consider - These extra dailys are giving people a relative Easy up to 250 Gold aday plus greens - cloth - Mana motes, fire motes, Aldor and Scryer Rep item drops ect ect ..
but that takes time, and your looking at over an hour to do all 25 - so of that hour Play time what would have people of been doing otherwise? I would have been farming Mana Primals.. ( not anymore they are only worth around 12g each now.. )
So these people who would be adding things to the AH that they ‘farmed’ arent doing it as frequently by at least an hours worth of time, and for casual players an hour is a huge chunk of play time .
So in my opinion the result of the new dailys is - People have more money to spend , and there are less of certain Items on the AH.
This impacts on the base items neede to make something, Eg the Price of shadowcloth has now risen to 100 odd gold for 2 Why? The mats for Shadowcloth have risen in price.
Fire Primals are 35-37 Gold, Shadow primals are Similar.
I missed a cooldown day because the Cost of buying the Primals outweighed making the Cloth and it was a raid night and didnt have time to Farm, I would have been selling at a loss. So then next day I then Farmed what I needed rather then Buying at least one of the primals, and Sold the cloth at the average of the day price. ( price fixing ——–> me.. )

Is this a Virtual Take on world economics?
The cost of goods become too much so people either do without or farm themselves? Or is that me just being Frugal in a competitive environment.

People also then start hoarding the Mats when they farm them, I’ll farm a little extra so I don’t need to worry about it next time..

I know a few players who have been on wow longer then I have with Stacks of Primals- for a “Just in case they need them” and guilds hoarding items as well for long term plans PLUS suddenly you have all these people with extra money from the dailys who are willing to Pay or a forced to pay the higher prices….

and add onto the fact that there has been new badge gear added, and attunements lifted on some of the high end instances so more people now have access to new loot, that needs enchanting and jeming.. ect ect ect ect…

but whats the answer… easier money - or higher drop rates?

I’m Exhaulted with the Shattered sun and all I got was this lousey tabard.

yeap.

So as a Shadow Priest Apparently my Shattered Sun Pendant of Acument only works with Mind Blast and Shadow Word Death, so add the random proficiancy of the proc and reduce that with the spells actually cast in normal rotation.. and Its crap.

I was up untill 4am ( ok.. im on holis for a week from work so its ok.. ) doing the dailys to get exhalted.. and I get the pendant… and then it just won’t proc.. /cry But I will be purchasing the healing neck for an offset because yeah it works.. .

In the mean time, now with a complete raid/pvp and healing set my bag space is becoming sparce, and I’ve yet to win a role on the 20 slot bag from Mr T ( Magisters Terrace… ) and I reaaaaaally don’t want to go for the mooncloth bags because I am supposed to be saving for a epic flyer.. Except when I finally ge my 150 badges for new badges dagger.. then im gonna go broke with the soulfrost enchant mats because half the stuff has gone through the roof. /end rant.

Now that my Alt is the GM of a guild, I’m going to make her a website as a demonstration as to the very Basic free Guild Web site tools that are available.

I’ve picked Www.guildportal.com as my site. Its free, its upgradeable-and really its all you need for a start up. Yes it has annoying ads on it, but at this point I don’t want to pay for the upgrade as I want to demonstrate what you can do for free and without complication. It also has a Downloadable Guide to setting up the site.

So Part 1 - Making The Banner. Using Photobucket I’ve Played around with several Simple Ideas using an Image from Warcrafts Free Wall Paper of a dragon. Check out my other post How to make a Quick and Dirty Website Banner for a Basic Run through..

So these are my examples ( resized to fit in wordpress )

and

and

Now adding onto the website.
On the Guildportal Home page, under “Your guilds” The name of your new guild should appear. Click on it to Open up your guild page. You will see alot of Default text.
If you have the site administration access you should see a “Control Panel” and a little folder at the top of the page Click on it. This brings up a new Site admin Page.

To add the banner click on “Styles and Colours” and under Site Element Styles, Banner Image. Use the banner Image from the result that you saved to photobucket with the tag starting with http:// or the ‘Direct Link’ copied from Photobucket.

Make Sure Center Image on Page is selected and Save.
No go check out your site page.

I’m going to be running a Work in Progress at Blood Dragons

So my alt brought a a guild for 60 gold from someone in the trade channel. Its called Blood dragons - with wait for it.. a dragon on the tabard.. so I paid 10gold for a redesign.. kept the dragon and made the tabard a garish teal and pink…
No one but my characters will ever wear it.. and for 60 gold +10 g redesign, i now have a cheaper lot of slots then I would get then by buying bags and bag space in an alts bank. Win!

I dont have any intention of making it a real guild.. if anything I’d only invite my friends alts who need a tag and don’t want to be bugged by the random noobs that need to fill in numbers for guilds. - those annoying people who don’t even ask you if you want to sign.. at least when I tried ( and failed.. ) to get 10 people to sign and stay unguilded for te time it took me to run back to the guild dude. I tried.. I paid good money for them to sign.. and they joined a guild before I could even speak to the Guild start er uperer..

I should buy 2 - I was a bit apprehensive about buying a guild.. I mean what happens if they kicked everyone and stole all the loot… but everything seemed to be above board…. and it does happen all the time - starter guilds fail and then disappear.

There was nothing of worth in the bank, and o one online but the guy who sold it.

next tab is 250 gold.. with more space… and the more alts I want to have basically will mean more basic mats i could save with my newfound space to ease the leveling transistion..