your WoW experiences

[kilpajr]

I finally finished downloading earlier. I sat up at school on the wireless connection which let me download at 100 - 150kBps. I was only getting about 30kBps on my 3Mb DSL connection.

Anyway, I just started playing tonight. This is a very fun game once you figure things out. Here are some things I figured out (this is coming from an RPG newbie, I usually play RTS games): You can sell all of the seemingly worthless stuff you get from the creatures you kill. You need to find the trainer for your class to be able to get special abilities. You can also find people in the town to buy armor and weapons from.

I do have a few questions, though:
1. Is there an easy way to find NPC's that you are looking for?
2. Can you view a better map than just the one at the top right corner of the screen and the world map? I would like to see a detailed view of the town and where I am at.
3. How do you view your frames per second? I tried using control-r, which I think someone suggested, but I did not see it.

[Barham]

1. Not really. Some of the bigger towns have signs that tell you where certain classes should go, but for the most part you have to find them yourself and just remember where they are.

Oh, not all towns have every type of npc. You have to go to bigger towns for crafting and such.

2. That's the only map that you get. If I recall, though, the mini map show buildings and stuff. There might be a resource like that on a website somewhere. Try googling it.

3. It is ctrl+r. Make sure you're not doing apple+r. The fps will show up right in the middle of the screen at the top of the experience bar.

I don't suggest checking your fps if you're on a Mac. It's kind of depressing. I'd just tune the settings to where you think it looks smoothest and wait for Blizzard and Apple to come together better on drivers.

Also, try GameOptimizer at MacUpdate.com. That can smooth things out quite a bit.

-Hasta

[7on]

ugh, depressing since my campus limits bandwidth. Never gets over 20KB/s on the download.

[Fezwick]

2. Can you view a better map than just the one at the top right corner of the screen and the world map? I would like to see a detailed view of the town and where I am at.

In the bigger cities (Thunder Bluff, The Undercity, etc.) the world map zooms in so you can get a layout of the city. In the smaller towns you are stuck with the mini-map and the big world map.

[Jimong5]

Im not sure wether to be happy or not, but im getting 20-40 FPS on my Mac. Dual 867 G4, 1 GB RAM, Radeon 9700. its playable, and looks nice, I just cant crank it. lag is a bigger problem than detail.

[shortyjj]

I'd like to be playing, lord knows I spent TWO DAYS downloading the client, and now it says that the open beta signup has been closed?

If this is right, I'll no longer be purchasing the game.

I know that they don't owe anybody anything, that the open beta is a bonus, but to put me through that trouble and let me install it just to say "sorry, no can do, but make sure you give us your $120 come Nov. 23" is just ******.

[ExoticFish]

i'm still downloading it. it's insane!!! i'm just glad i created an account before they closed it. now if only this download would finish!!!!!! :(

[Elan0204]

i'm still downloading it. it's insane!!! i'm just glad i created an account before they closed it. now if only this download would finish!!!!!! :(

If it makes you feel any better their servers have been down for 5 hours now, so even people who have completed the download can't play.

[Spike Spiegel]

I am having a hard time playing it since I am still downloading it. Does anyone know of a way to avoid download rates of between 0 and 20 (more often 0)? I'm on a school network, but I opened up the necessary ports that are supposed to speed up the download. Is there anything else I can do?

[Laslo Panaflex]

If it makes you feel any better their servers have been down for 5 hours now, so even people who have completed the download can't play.

Doh, I was hoping to play when I got home this evening, so they are still down?

[shortyjj]

Actually, that doesn't make me feel any better. Thanks for trying tho.

[bertinman]

1. Is there an easy way to find NPC's that you are looking for?
yes. if you need them for a current quest they show up as a dot on the mini map. otherwise ask a guard and they will put a flag on your map for well known npcs

2. Can you view a better map than just the one at the top right corner of the screen and the world map? I would like to see a detailed view of the town and where I am at.
you can zoom in and out, and try the "m" key to get a fullscreen map

[Elan0204]

Doh, I was hoping to play when I got home this evening, so they are still down?

As of about 5 minutes ago, yes the servers are still down. Hopefully they will came back soon, since the estimated down time was only 3 hours, and now they've been down for 5.

I don't know if FilePlanet is still hosting the file now that open beta signups have closed, but I got the whole install from them in about 7-8 hours. The actual download took only about 2-2.5 hours, but I had to wait in line for about 5 hours before I could start the download.

I was downloading from BitTorrent and FilePlanet at the same time, too, trying to get the game downloaded as quickly as possible. Both downloads finished after I went to sleep last night, so I've actually downloaded the whole 2.5GB twice. BTW, some people reported problems downloading a file over 2GB in their browser, but I can confirm that you will have no problems using Safari.

I gave up on Blizzard's version of BitTorrent very quicky, so if FilePlanet or another torrent are options for you, I recommend taking advantage of them.

edit: I just took a look on FilePlanet. The download is still available from them, and their servers currently only have about a 70 minute wait time. That means you should be able to get the whole file in only 3-4 hours, depending on your bandwith. Free registration is required to download from FilePlanet.

[dan-o-mac]

I'd like to be playing, lord knows I spent TWO DAYS downloading the client, and now it says that the open beta signup has been closed?

If this is right, I'll no longer be purchasing the game.

I know that they don't owe anybody anything, that the open beta is a bonus, but to put me through that trouble and let me install it just to say "sorry, no can do, but make sure you give us your $120 come Nov. 23" is just ******.
Nobody put you through anything, you decided to download and install before you had an account, who's fault is that? :rolleyes: Blizzard? I did the opposite. :D As far as WOW, it was great. It was my first mmorpg, I'm a big rts fan also. I was up till about 4:30 in the morning before my brothers PC decided to restart mid game. :eek: :confused: Customizing your character could be a hell of alot more deeper. unless i'm missing something, there's only 1 outfit for each class? You can't change the color of the outfit? About 10 faces for each class. the whole creation process is kinda lame. not exactly what I call variety. My brother plays city of heroes and the creation process is so much deeper, you will never see the same costume. As soon as I logged in all I saw was clones. That was my only complaint. So far it's was a great experience for me, gonna put a few more days under my belt to see if I'll get tired of the game. So far it looks like i'll be buying come Nov. 23

[Fezwick]

If anyone is still downloading (really slow I might add) then try this link (http://x74.fileplanet.com:28900/^874546128/102004/worldofwarcraftopenbeta.zip). Not sure if it will work at all, but give it a shot.

I hate to see my Mac brothers suffer. :)

[cazlar]

I gave up on the torrent and started getting it from fileplanet. So far I've got 1/3 of it but had to stop it to head to work. Anyone know if I'll have any problem resuming the DL?

[Nermal]

I stopped and resumed the FilePlanet download several times.

[kilpajr]

yes. if you need them for a current quest they show up as a dot on the mini map. otherwise ask a guard and they will put a flag on your map for well known npcs

I tried asking a guard to find the NPC but apparently I was doing something wrong. How do you ask them where an NPC is?

[kilpajr]

I'd like to be playing, lord knows I spent TWO DAYS downloading the client, and now it says that the open beta signup has been closed?

If this is right, I'll no longer be purchasing the game.

I know that they don't owe anybody anything, that the open beta is a bonus, but to put me through that trouble and let me install it just to say "sorry, no can do, but make sure you give us your $120 come Nov. 23" is just ******.

I tried to sign up at fileplanet when the open beta first came out. It did not work correctly and I had made the same decision: if I am not able to try the game for free, I am not going to buy it. I realize that Blizzard does not have unlimited servers and bandwidth but it would be nice if they let more people in in stages so those who couldn't get in at the beginning would still have a chance to try the game.

I did get into the open beta (I signed up at Blizzard as soon as I saw that keys were available). I am pretty sure I am going to buy the game now. I really want the Collector's Edition but that is alot of money. After I play longer, I probably won't want to give it up and will end up buying it.

[thatwendigo]

My observations so far, having started three characters because of the rest limitations:

1) People are far from being above kill stealing and looting what you've already weakened. This is an especially big problem in the smaller areas that are intended for lower levels, or was where I started, and the only thing that it seems you can do about it is to grin and bear it.

2) Grouping together cuts experience deeply but makes it far easier to survive tougher encounters, especially if you have complementary classes. So far, I've only taken part in two and three member groups made up of good friends I already knew, and we deliberately played the same race to limit the problems with linking up. If you're really looking to level up quicker, stick to encounters that are near your level and solo them.

3) Do quests. They're generally going to be in the places you'd hunt anyways, and you can kill while you're pursuing the goals. I can't swear to the ones for other races, but the Night Elf starting quests end up giving you equipment that's equal to the higher level stuff you can buy when first starting out, with the addition of having it bonded to you. I didn't do this on my first character, and I probably could have saved a tidy bit of cash if I had.

4) Buy every ability you can. The added flexibility and enhanced ability to function when fighting is worth every cent, especially if you're a magic user and can't just slog your way through. A well-coordinated use of your abilities will let you hunt higher level mobs, getting more experience and better loot.

5) Don't try to fight more than one opponent, especially not when you first start out. The level balance seems to be pretty consistent and correct.

[Converted2Truth]

I'd like to be playing, lord knows I spent TWO DAYS downloading the client, and now it says that the open beta signup has been closed?

If this is right, I'll no longer be purchasing the game.

I know that they don't owe anybody anything, that the open beta is a bonus, but to put me through that trouble and let me install it just to say "sorry, no can do, but make sure you give us your $120 come Nov. 23" is just ******.
I'll let you use my open beta account. I'm done with WOW for now. I PM'd u too.

[Nermal]

I just had an annoying experience:

A guy ran up to me and started attacking. I tried to attack him back, but for some reason it wouldn't let me. Then I realised that his attacks weren't hurting me! I ran away, and I could see him standing on the other side of the hill, still going slash-slash-slash, and my character was still crying out in pain whenever he slashed :confused:

After about a minute of this, I got 'connection interrupted' then instantly died. :mad:

Edit: When loading the game back up later, it gave me a 'bonus' - I was trying to get 8 bunches of grapes, and I'd only picked up 1, but when I reloaded the game I had 2 :D

[7on]

Nobody put you through anything, you decided to download and install before you had an account, who's fault is that? :rolleyes: Blizzard? I did the opposite. :D As far as WOW, it was great. It was my first mmorpg, I'm a big rts fan also. I was up till about 4:30 in the morning before my brothers PC decided to restart mid game. :eek: :confused: Customizing your character could be a hell of alot more deeper. unless i'm missing something, there's only 1 outfit for each class? You can't change the color of the outfit? About 10 faces for each class. the whole creation process is kinda lame. not exactly what I call variety. My brother plays city of heroes and the creation process is so much deeper, you will never see the same costume. As soon as I logged in all I saw was clones. That was my only complaint. So far it's was a great experience for me, gonna put a few more days under my belt to see if I'll get tired of the game. So far it looks like i'll be buying come Nov. 23

I'm sure they'll add more customization to the final game.

[stevietheb]

Nobody put you through anything, you decided to download and install before you had an account, who's fault is that?

Can't imagine putting myself through hours (20 hrs for me) of downloading when I wasn't sure that I would even be able to play the game. There is going to be some kind of system where you can get a free 10 day trial if you're referred by a friend or something...so maybe you can take advantage of that.

Having played other MMORPGs, I can say that WoW LOOKS really nice, but I'm not sure that it's anything special. Of course, my highest level character is 7 or something like that...so I'm still a newb. My complaint has to do with lvl-matching. I've played a hunter, warlock, and a paladin, and consistently attacking mobs at my level, or 1 above, never have I come close to death, except when a kobold called to his buddy. In fact, I've never even gotten to 1/2 life. It just seems a bit easy at the moment...

[shortyjj]

I'll let you use my open beta account. I'm done with WOW for now. I PM'd u too.

You've re-affirmed my faith in humanity. Hallelujah!

[QCassidy352]

my experience is that it's as addictive as crack, and now I am hooked!

[shortyjj]

my experience is that it's as addictive as crack, and now I am hooked!

Perhaps I should rethink this whole "purchase" idea...

Does anybody think it's possible to play casually and still be a worthwhile investment - in other words, get yer $15/mo. worth but still be a productive member of society? I know that during the stress test, I didn't get jack ***** done...

[cb911]

well this is still installing for me, but almost done now.. :D but unfortunately i'll have to wait till later to play it... :(

just a question about that Game Optimizer script... what does it do exactly? :confused:

okey, i just looked at the site, it looks like GO just 're-nices' the game? well... i guess i'll give it a shot..

[7on]

Got my WOW a'playin'. Though the Server just shutdown. I admit it's quit fun. Especially when the undead "die" you can choose to find your corpse instead of paying the spirit to revive you. I also like the jumping ability, too few RPGs have a jump button.

Runs ok on my powerbook with the wtf file edited a bit to turn off stuff. There a bit of graphic problems on the menu screens and such. I think it could be a Raedon 9000 problem since that's who seems to have it. Personally I'd rather play a PvP game - but I chose the normal mode instead. Which is more like no PvP at all. Oh well. I'm Jackalship on server 5 CMT. I'm an undead priest ;P

But yeah, also read the anouncements when you join. I was booted for killing things when there was a message to avoid animal confrontation. It's still the beta and they're still ironing the thing out.

Now to see if it's back up at all ;P

EDIT: oh it was back up alright - for like 2 minutes. It was toattly weird. There were no NPCs, no animals, just the community and the chat. Then the chat stopped working - totally odd. Also I couldn't disconnect, had to cmd+opt+shift+esc to force quit the current app. It was weird though... yet delicious ;P

[Quobobo]

1) People are far from being above kill stealing and looting what you've already weakened. This is an especially big problem in the smaller areas that are intended for lower levels, or was where I started, and the only thing that it seems you can do about it is to grin and bear it.
.

How does this work? Whenever I've been playing, only the person who started fighting the monster got the experience and loot (unless you're on a team, of course). Does this change at different levels?

[pillboy]

If anyone is still downloading (really slow I might add) then try this link (http://x68.fileplanet.com:28900/^620321491/102004/worldofwarcraftopenbeta.zip). Not sure if it will work at all, but give it a shot.

I hate to see my Mac brothers suffer. :)

Hi, im a newbie. I wanna ask is this client Mac version?? :)

[Golem]

Having great fun, Did the three quests involving the Mo'grash Ogres in Loch Modan last night where you end up killing a whole lot of 18-20 elite Ogres with a lvl 22 boss, Took 2 hours and I by the time I was finished I had 4 new pieces of gear to wear:) I learnt the hard way that no I (a cloth wearer) cant tank a elite my level even if he does only have 15% of his life left and 3 dots ticking away on him

[Fezwick]

Hi, im a newbie. I wanna ask is this client Mac version?? :)

The client comes with both the PC and Mac version. Just run the appropriate installer and you're good to go.

That link doesn't work anymore. I'll edit the post and look for another link.

[QCassidy352]

I dont really do anything anymore except eat, sleep, go to work, run, and play WoW. And frankly, the first 4 are losing a lot of priority to the 5th. :D This game is EVIL... and yet, so incredibly amazing... :eek:

[cb911]

it's pretty SWEET!! :D

i just got it playing this arvo, and got the update... funnily, the 'downloader' for the actual game would not connect to peers...i had to use a torrent from a mac site elsewhere.. ;) but the patch 'downloader' worked just fine, peaking at 90kb/s. :D

well i think i'm getting the hang of it, seems like it's very simple to understand so far.... which is a good thing. i'm not a fan of games where you've got such a big leaerning curve just to learn the basics of it. :/ like EVE Online...

but i have a Q as well... what do those dots up the top of the screen near enemy's names mean?

oh, i also found out not too long ago that you can have multiple quests accepted at once. handy that... ;)

well i didn't know what server was closest to Brisbane in good 'ol Aus, so i just went on the Mountain time server. seems to me lots more on other time zones though...

BTW, what race is everyone playing as? i'm an Night Elf myself... Level 4 Rogue, for the time being. you can create more than one character at once, right? if so, that's going to be fun. :D

oh, i've can see this taking up lots of my time as well. it's so easy to sneak a quick session here & there...

and when you leave the game... does it matter where you are? do you have to go back to a 'safe' area? that's what i've been doing so far, but just thought i'd ask. :)

and pillboy, i see you asking about the WoW installer... but you do realise that the Open Beta signups are now closed? :( so unless you've signed up already...

[MacMarino]

Hi! If anyone else has had enough already of playing WoW and would be so kind to give away their account. Could you please let me know and let me try out the game. I have it downloaded and of course nowhere to go with it just the log in screen :(

Macmarino

[thatwendigo]

How does this work? Whenever I've been playing, only the person who started fighting the monster got the experience and loot (unless you're on a team, of course). Does this change at different levels?

I'm not sure if it's a bug or not, but I've had people come in and attack a creep while I've already cut it down most of the way to dying. It doesn't usually upset me much, but I had to start an Elite quest all over again because someone else made the killing blow and therefore kept the quest trigger from going off. As far as I can tell, it doesn't matter if other people help as long as you deliver the final damage, but I'm playing a druid and usually have Thorns and Moonfire going on anything big enough I'd be worried about it. With constant damage chipping away, on top of whatever else I might be doing, all someone has to do is swoop in and attack - spells, ranged, or melee - and I've lost all the effort.

[Nermal]

well i didn't know what server was closest to Brisbane in good 'ol Aus, so i just went on the Mountain time server. seems to me lots more on other time zones though...

Pacific is closer, it's the west coast of the US. If you're considering changing, do it now, because I'm pretty sure you can't move your characters from one server to another.

[ExoticFish]

i'm a level 8 Night Elf Hunter on the Eastern Test 36 server. it's great fun so far.

i wanted to start exploring the world so i went to the main land and just started walking a trail. i'm a ways in and get killed every few minutes by some huge beast who's level is written as "???"... i just try to avoid. but all the Elf cities on the main land are EMPTY. it's quite disheartening. I think I might try to walk back now and level up another 40 times before going back into the wild. :p

[advocate]

I'm not sure if it's a bug or not, but I've had people come in and attack a creep while I've already cut it down most of the way to dying. It doesn't usually upset me much, but I had to start an Elite quest all over again because someone else made the killing blow and therefore kept the quest trigger from going off.
Nope, that's not how it works. There's no kill stealing in WoW. If you start working on a mob, it's yours as long as it's engaged in combat. (If combat stops -- say because you run away -- then it might reset, but it will also be at full health again.)

Next time you target a mob, look at the colour of the background where its name is written in the top left of your screen. If the background is grey, you won't get any experience or kill credit. If it's red, it's (potentially) yours. If you attack a grey target then you're "helping" but you won't get anything for it.

[7on]

I like test server 5 CMT - Undead Priest - Jackalship. Please join me ;P

[dan-o-mac]

[QUOTE=MacMarino]Hi! If anyone else has had enough already of playing WoW and would be so kind to give away their account. Could you please let me know and let me try out the game. I have it downloaded and of course nowhere to go with it just the log in screen :(

Macmarino[/QUOTE

I won't give away my account but maybe we could work out a system so we can share? I won't be playing this weekend, maybe you could send me a pm so we could work out a system like alternate days, or whatever works for you.

[dubbz]

BTW, what race is everyone playing as? i'm an Night Elf myself... Level 4 Rogue, for the time being. you can create more than one character at once, right? if so, that's going to be fun. :D

I've heard the limit is something like 10 per server, up to maximum of 50 total. I bet it'll change in the final version though, because it's far more than what's common.

[iAmAzN]

I have a level 14 Orc Shaman goin in test server 11 on Mountain Time Zone :D It's a very addictive game and I can't believe i'm actually still doing good in school :eek:

[cb911]

well, i'm a Level 8 Rouge now... and was doing fine until some killer lag came along. :(

i'm on Mountain server - Test 29, i think.

i might try one of the Pacific servers later, just to have a play as a different race.

ExoticFish, you do realise that you don't have to walk back to the town... you can transport with that stone thing. ;) sure is a big time saver.

[vraxtus]

Test server 30

Level 18 Tauren Shaman - Vrax

Look me up if you need help.

And yes there's no such thing as kill stealing in WoW.

[thatwendigo]

Nope, that's not how it works. There's no kill stealing in WoW. If you start working on a mob, it's yours as long as it's engaged in combat. (If combat stops -- say because you run away -- then it might reset, but it will also be at full health again.)

That's all well and good, but my experience doesn't match up to what you're saying. I've had people come in and kill still, and I've not gotten experience or lost a quest because they involved themselves in the kill. As I said before, it could very well be that their instancing code is just bugged, but my observation is that it's possible and has happened. I'm well aware of how it's supposed to work, but there are some problems.

Other problems:
1) If you're playing as a Night Elf and die on the mainland, there's some kind of bug that can prevent you from resurrecting even if you find your body. There won't be a marker on the map, and no matter how close you get (I was right on top of my body the two times this has happened to me), the game won't allow you to reclaim your life. Twice, I've lost basically all my money on repairing all my stuff because I had to use the spirit healer just to come back to life and the gamemasters weren't responding after twenty to thirty minutes of waiting.
2) Related to the first bug, if you're wandering around as a wisp and come along the Long Wash to place where the sea creature is, be careful. It wasn't drawn in on my screen and I somehow manager to phase through it, only to have it pop back into reality and lock me between its stomach and limbs so that I couldn't get out. It took twenty minutes of jumping and positioning to finally get out, where it only took two attempts when I was alive and walking on the corpse.
3) As a druid, it's sometimes possible for a creep to get up too close to you and prevent your melee attack from even detecting it. I took some damage from one before I realized what was happening and backed up, removing the overlap and getting my bear form to whack the thing again. Also, beware of the respawn time on some creeps, since it's entirely possible for you to be fighting one in some places, only to have four all around you in a sudden rush.

I'm playing a Night Elf Druid (14), an Undead Warlock (4), and a Night Elf Rogue (4) on Central Server 26.

[cb911]

if you go to the Spirit Healer as a Wisp, do you lose all of your inventory & money? :eek:

glad i didn't try that out then... :D

and has anyone else had bad lag? it's happend a couple of times on the server i'm on... but i guess that's why it's called a Beta.

well, time to go and see if the server is up again...

[Elan0204]

Sadly, my server seems to have just died. Anyone else on Test 25 in the Central Time Zone? We should meet up when the server comes back.

[QCassidy352]

my server just died as well. :( Test server 20. I'm a lvl 13 Tauren Warrior. I'd love to meet up with any MR members who are playing. Name is Magnar.

[thatwendigo]

if you go to the Spirit Healer as a Wisp, do you lose all of your inventory & money? :eek:

No, no.

When you use a Spirit Healer, the penalty for the first time is that all of your equipment is reduced to 0 durability and that's why I lost all my money. I tend to operate on a margin where I spend all my silver on new spells and equipment as soon as it's available, so repairing my gear sometimes takes all that I have and then some. It's frustrating, and I've heard stories of some people with high-level characters completely starting over because they couldn't afford to fix all their equipment.

[MacMarino]

I won't give away my account but maybe we could work out a system so we can share? I won't be playing this weekend, maybe you could send me a pm so we could work out a system like alternate days, or whatever works for you.[/QUOTE]

Hey Dan i've PM'd you. Thanks for the consideration ;)

Macmarino :p

[cb911]

ah, okay. thanks for that info. :) i currently have my dagger down to 0 durability... so i'm just playing unarmed. :eek: but this is bringing up my unarmed skill level. :D

another question, i can't seem to find on the WoW site... i have chain mail armor/equiptment and an axe - but the word 'mail' in the top right of the item description is a red color, and i can't equip the item because it says i don't have the skill necessary... so how do i get the 'skill' to use mail clothes? anyone please, i'm dying to use this stuff...

and just before my Test 29 server went down, there was a Mac users there asking how to take screenshots... then it got real laggy, and he said "lets go back to town and take a screenshot". :D well, should have done that, would have been fun. :D

[vraxtus]

ah, okay. thanks for that info. :) i currently have my dagger down to 0 durability... so i'm just playing unarmed. :eek: but this is bringing up my unarmed skill level. :D

another question, i can't seem to find on the WoW site... i have chain mail armor/equiptment and an axe - but the word 'mail' in the top right of the item description is a red color, and i can't equip the item because it says i don't have the skill necessary... so how do i get the 'skill' to use mail clothes? anyone please, i'm dying to use this stuff...

and just before my Test 29 server went down, there was a Mac users there asking how to take screenshots... then it got real laggy, and he said "lets go back to town and take a screenshot". :D well, should have done that, would have been fun. :D


You need to see your class trainer to see if you can actually get that type of armor trained. As a Shaman you need level 40 to actually get it trained. So I would sell that armor since you probably won't be using it by the time the beta ends.

[QCassidy352]

gah! these server outages are killing me!! :(

lvl 14 btw. :D

[MacGuy1]

Yea.. Lag about sums it up for me. Server lag that is.. non from my Mac

[Elan0204]

gah! these server outages are killing me!! :(

Me too... :(

And when the servers do work, there is so much lag that it becomes impossible to do things.

I guess the servers just can't handle the weekend load.

[7on]

ah, okay. thanks for that info. :) i currently have my dagger down to 0 durability... so i'm just playing unarmed. :eek: but this is bringing up my unarmed skill level. :D

another question, i can't seem to find on the WoW site... i have chain mail armor/equiptment and an axe - but the word 'mail' in the top right of the item description is a red color, and i can't equip the item because it says i don't have the skill necessary... so how do i get the 'skill' to use mail clothes? anyone please, i'm dying to use this stuff...

and just before my Test 29 server went down, there was a Mac users there asking how to take screenshots... then it got real laggy, and he said "lets go back to town and take a screenshot". :D well, should have done that, would have been fun. :D

That would be Cmd+Shift+3

Also about the mail... usually there is a city nearby where you can "train" to learn new things. Though it also depends on class. I as a priest can not use guns.

[QCassidy352]

Me too... :(

And when the servers do work, there is so much lag that it becomes impossible to do things.

I guess the servers just can't handle the weekend load.

As I just posted elsewhere, blizzard says it's deliberate to test the servers. But they had better have it running a whole lot better by retail because "weekend load" will not be an acceptable excuse once this is a game that costs $50 + a monthly fee instead of being a free test.

[jared_kipe]

hello I am wondering if maybe I could get 2 accounts to try for a little bit (one for me one for my girlfriend who's 1200 miles away).

Thank you,

[iAmAzN]

hello I am wondering if maybe I could get 2 accounts to try for a little bit (one for me one for my girlfriend who's 1200 miles away).

Thank you,

2 accounts = $50x2 and $15x2per month
but if you're talking about beta, you have to wait for Blizzard to re-open signups of they choose to.

[vraxtus]

No, no.

When you use a Spirit Healer, the penalty for the first time is that all of your equipment is reduced to 0 durability and that's why I lost all my money. I tend to operate on a margin where I spend all my silver on new spells and equipment as soon as it's available, so repairing my gear sometimes takes all that I have and then some. It's frustrating, and I've heard stories of some people with high-level characters completely starting over because they couldn't afford to fix all their equipment.


It's not just the first time, its EVERY time.

[ExoticFish]

my only real problem with the game is that I'm on a quest where i'm trying to find some Rogue person in the main Night Elf city to tell them something and I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO FIND THEM. I've walked all around the city numerous times. I'm just hoping there is something I'm missing that helps you find what you're looking for.

EDIT: level 10 Night Elf Hunter on Test 36 Server (EST) :)

[Laslo Panaflex]

my only real problem with the game is that I'm on a quest where i'm trying to find some Rogue person in the main Night Elf city to tell them something and I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO FIND THEM. I've walked all around the city numerous times. I'm just hoping there is something I'm missing that helps you find what you're looking for.

EDIT: level 10 Night Elf Hunter on Test 36 Server (EST) :)

If you have problems check out http://wow.allakhazam.com/ they should have answers to what you are looking for.

[Jimong5]

on a fun note: today I just made my 1st 1 gold. I found the secret to money is go places that are a lower level, not higher, that way you stay alive. of course, I have the best class in the entire game :)

L15 NE druid, the normal form has attacking and healing spells
and bear form works like a warrior, which can mow a bunch of stuff.

[X-Factor]

Finished downloading it in roughly 2 days with my Cable modem (1.5 Mb/s).
Have been playing it all day, every day. Wow is just incredible, 'cept for all that Lag. If you don't have it yet... GET IT! :cool:

[cb911]

speaking about getting it... when it goes retail... this 2.5GB DL we all just did will be useless? :eek: oh well... i guess it was fun while it lasted. :p

and thanks heaps for that link... that'll definitely help me out.

it's also nice that you can just switch to windowed mode at any time... like when you have to lookup the 'net for some help... ;)

[Golem]

Blizzard have previously posted that the reason for the everybody re downloading at start of final stress test was that this one can be used to play the release version.

Simply download a patch on release day enter your cd key into the appropriate spot and you will be good to go.

[shortyjj]

I'd like to repeat what somebody said earlier - this game IS addictive as crack. i love the huge world and the non-linear, roam anywhere, play by yourself or with others, do what you want gameplay. love it.

thanks again to converted2truth for the account

[cazlar]

Yep, very addictive and very good so far (Lvl 8 Human Paladin - Server 8). However, it may be too addictive for me :eek: . I'm undecided at this stage whether to cough up the money for it as I don't have as much free time as I did last time I played a MMORPG (ClanLord).

[beefcake]

I just downloaded the demo (48 hours behind a firewall) and haven't really gotten into it yet as a result of my workload. When I did open it up on my 1Ghz TiBook (1GB ram) it was a dog. I dropped the resolution to 800x600 and brought most settings to low, and it was playable, but still choppy. Are there any ways to improve frame rate beyond bringing the settings down? I had some stuff running behind it, maybe changing that will help.

[vraxtus]

I just downloaded the demo (48 hours behind a firewall) and haven't really gotten into it yet as a result of my workload. When I did open it up on my 1Ghz TiBook (1GB ram) it was a dog. I dropped the resolution to 800x600 and brought most settings to low, and it was playable, but still choppy. Are there any ways to improve frame rate beyond bringing the settings down? I had some stuff running behind it, maybe changing that will help.

Nope. I get about 10 FPS average on my PB.

[shortyjj]

It's still smooth enough on my 12" 1.33 to enjoy, and it's great to sit in bed late at night, wire-free.

[QCassidy352]

up to lvl 18. :D I too, got my first gold yesterday. Then I got my second gold just a little bit later... but I spent most of it on new warrior abilities. :)

This game has taken over my life. If I have an ounce of sense, I won't buy the retail... I don't have an ounce of sense, of course.

[kparvez]

I finally finished downloading earlier. I sat up at school on the wireless connection which let me download at 100 - 150kBps. I was only getting about 30kBps on my 3Mb DSL connection.

Anyway, I just started playing tonight. This is a very fun game once you figure things out. Here are some things I figured out (this is coming from an RPG newbie, I usually play RTS games): You can sell all of the seemingly worthless stuff you get from the creatures you kill. You need to find the trainer for your class to be able to get special abilities. You can also find people in the town to buy armor and weapons from.

I do have a few questions, though:
1. Is there an easy way to find NPC's that you are looking for?
2. Can you view a better map than just the one at the top right corner of the screen and the world map? I would like to see a detailed view of the town and where I am at.
3. How do you view your frames per second? I tried using control-r, which I think someone suggested, but I did not see it.

1. NPCs have a bright yellow question mark above them. As well, if you use the mini-map in the top right corner, you will see a yellow dot when you're somewhat near an NPC (i.e. after finishing a quest) and if you place your mouse over the yellow dot on the map, the name of the NPC appears.

2. try www.thottbot.com they have tonnes of solutions to quests, where NPCs are, etc.

3. ctrl-r

This game is very addictive. Lots of fun but a huge time sink. The community is great. I've been playing on Server 12 as a Night Elf Druid, and it's great fun. Lots of people are playing and are always up for a group quest/adventure. PvP (player vs player) servers are great fun as you can attack members of the opposing factions in contested areas.

[cb911]

aarrrgghhhhh!!! :eek:

i just went to log-in and it said 'connecting' - 'handshaking' etc... but then at the end of it i got a message saying 'session expired'?!! :eek: :mad:

it seems that lots of others on the WoW forums are having the same problem, anyone else here with this? :confused: well i think there's nothing to do until they get this problem fixed... :(

but to try and lift our spirits... the Downtime Haiku...
Trying to log in...

Authenticating, Success

Session Expired

:D

but i've also been reading about what might happen at the end of the OB... lots of people seem to think that the characters will be wiped. :( oh well... i just really hope that i get some more chances to play before the OB ends...

[mishi]

i am amazed at how well it ran on my computer (my mac). i thought it would be really bad but, the only time it was real choppy was when i was right in dolonaar with a ••••load of people.

Although it doesnt compare with my PC its GREAT. the most addicting game ive ever played.

[Santaduck]

I'm looking for a mac user in the open/closed WoW beta who'd be interested in writing a review for Macologist.org. If you're interested, PM me with a writing sample.

thanks =)

[7on]

I'm looking for a mac user in the open/closed WoW beta who'd be interested in writing a review for Macologist.org. If you're interested, PM me with a writing sample.

thanks =)

I'd be a poor choice as a writer for a review - me being slightly on the dyslexic side - but I do have a fair amount of screenshots that I've been taking of my adventures. Nothing too pretty - but they're good real world examples of the game in action.

[7on]

Srry for the double post, but I need to bump this,

NEW PATCh UPDATE! ;p

[Converted2Truth]

Srry for the double post, but I need to bump this,

NEW PATCh UPDATE! ;p
Enables FSAA/etc?

[vraxtus]

Enables FSAA/etc?

Beta ends tonight.

There will be a character wipe.

Suffice to say I won't be playing retail.

[cb911]

tonight? :(

everyone in the game was saying 'tomorrow' but i guess it depends on where you live... but i guess it has to end some time.

i won't be buying either, but i'll hopefully be getting into WarCraft III online now... :D i actaully purchased the game and i still haven't played it online. :eek:

[Drgnhntr]

After playing the beta I have decided not to purchase this game. It started out fun, but the quests got teadious, the lag was horrible (it was beta so maybe they will fix this), the teenagers got annoying, and I lost interest. I don't think I have a short attention span, I simply don't find walking around for nearly 2 hours to return someone'e pick axe entertaining.

This was the free version and I stopped playing after a week. It seems like a quality blizzard game, I supposed I just don't like mmorpg's. I guess it is back to diablo2 and starcraft until blizzard releases their next game.

[Laslo Panaflex]

After playing the beta I have decided not to purchase this game. It started out fun, but the quests got teadious, the lag was horrible (it was beta so maybe they will fix this), the teenagers got annoying, and I lost interest. I don't think I have a short attention span, I simply don't find walking around for nearly 2 hours to return someone'e pick axe entertaining.

This was the free version and I stopped playing after a week. It seems like a quality blizzard game, I supposed I just don't like mmorpg's. I guess it is back to diablo2 and starcraft until blizzard releases their next game.

I find it unfortunate that people aren't going to buy the retail of this game, but I can understand. Personally, I love this game, and now I have my brother into it (I let him use my account when I wasn't). The best thing about MMO's is the community feel, it's like a huge interactive chat room. I can understand how people can become bored soloing and doing quests, so what you need to do is make friends and fight in groups and do quests together. Once one gets higher level there will be few things to do solo, so getting good at grouping and working with others early will be key to later success.

I think that most people are intimidated by MMO's becuase there is no way to "win" and it is really time consuming. I also understand that it seems like alot of time is spent on doing things/quests with little or no imediate benifit or reward, but that's just the way that these types of games go, and actually WoW has very little of it compared to others.

So, I am sorry to hear that some of you are not continuing on, but I understand.

[Converted2Truth]

I just don't want to fork out $50 bucks to play a game ~10hrs/wk for only 1 month. So for the first month, you'll pay $1.67 a day! After that, you pay $0.50 a day. I really don't want to pay that, but i'm still sooo tempted. I would do it if the game was a free download (didn't have to pay $50 for a retail copy). Does anyone know if you HAVE to buy the retail copy to play?

Edit: I guess you have to buy the retail to get a key, right?

[kilpajr]

I really enjoyed this game at the beginning but my experience in the end sucked (if you're interested, it's in the IT'S OVER thread). I want to buy the Collector's Edition but I am not going to unless I have people who are fairly experienced who would be willing to group with me. I figured out a lot during the beta but I want to learn more from others. I thought this was one of the benefits of MMORPGs.

So, who wants to join in a group with a NE druid (or another race/class if you can convince me to switch ;) ) when the game officially begins?

I had one person who grouped with me during the beta (someone I did not know) and I really enjoyed this. I hope I can find a group to join before the game starts or I am going to have a hard time justifying the purchase of this game.

[chibianh]

Wow! what an ending to the open beta, eh? Those doom guards and infernals at the end there was kinda cool! :D

[Elan0204]

I enjoyed my time in the beta, but I won't be purchasing the retail version. I just can't justify buying a game for $50 that I then have to pay $15 a month to play. As someone else posted, if the game were free, but you pay to play, I would do it. I have a way of playing games for a little bit, then taking a long break, and then randomly having the urge to play again. So a game where I have to pay to play, and buy a month's worth of access at a time, doesn't really fit my play style. I still haven't finished Warcraft III, and it would really bother me if I had to pay $15 to continue playing the game tomorrow. I bought the game for $50, and I feel that I should be able to play it when I want. I feel like you can sell the game, or sell the service to play the game, but not both. I would pay $50 for WoW, or I would pay $15 a month to play WoW, but not both.

That being said, I wish that I had realized the beta was ending today. A few days ago, I encountered a serious bug that left my character trapped in limbo for a few days. A GM finally had the time to help me yesterday, and I haven't played at all since my issue was fixed. I'm not so much upset that I didn't have time to play more, but I'm upset that I didn't get to say goodbye to the 2 people I was playing with. I grouped up with them pretty early on, and we had been playing together ever since. They knew eachother, but they still let me in their group, and they were really great people.

As for players being rude and/or unhelpful, I never really encountered that. I asked a bunch of questions in the General Chat (/1), and always get helpful replies. I also sold stuff to other players, and found that to be an enjoyable experience. So while I had a good time in the open beta, I pretty much got my fill in the week I had the beta, and the retail version of the game just doesn't fit with the way I like to play and pay for a game. I'll probably want to play the game again at some point, but unlike Warcraft III I won't just be able to pop in the CD and play whenever I want, so unfortunately, my time with World of Warcraft is done.

[QCassidy352]

I'm surprised at how many people are not going to buy the retail. I have never played this type of game before, but I found it incredible and very addictive. Blizzard has done it again.

[BrianKonarsMac]

well i enjoyed the game immensely, pvp is really quite addicting. nothing more exciting than stomping rival druids in the moon glade :).

the end of OB was pretty exciting, although they discriminated against central and eastern servers for some reason :(. a major burning legion invasion occurred, and since my high lvl. chars were down on central server, i was continually slaughtered on my lvl. 1 noobie accts by Infernals, Felhounds and some crazy demonic Satyr. Watching them go was well worth it though, as was the ensuing panic as all noobers fled for their lives to the relative safety of the NPCs.

anyways, cmon 23rd, hurry up and get here!

i have decided i will NOT be playing druid come retail, they are shameful when compared to a shaman, which basically drops the worthless shapeshifting and makes you useful :/. too bad they gimped druids, but the game is fun regardless of class :). i recommend joining a guild to have loads of questing buddies on tap.

[zosma]

I wasn't sure I wanted to get WoW, but playing the OB has persuaded me to buy it. My overall experience was a good one, I found the community to be helpful most of the time and found many people to group with. I usually found answers to questions in the general chat channel and often found people to trade with in the trade channel. I even enjoyed helping random people whether it was giving directions, healing them, or an escort form Teldrassil to the Eastern Kingdoms. I recommend this game to anyone that feels they have the time and money to invest into it.

I was only able to obtain level 16 and 11 characters so I don't claim to be very experienced, but I would be happy to help or group with anybody from Mac Rumors. I think we should start a thread with our character names and which realms we are playing in when retail starts. Now I just have to wait for the 23rd.

[Laslo Panaflex]

I think we should start a thread with our character names and which realms we are playing in when retail starts. Now I just have to wait for the 23rd.

Heck, maybe we should start a macrumors guild, I will be playing on the west coast servers. If anyone wants to start a guild, lets get a list together and make sure we play on the same server at launch.

[zosma]

Heck, maybe we should start a macrumors guild, I will be playing on the west coast servers. If anyone wants to start a guild, lets get a list together and make sure we play on the same server at launch.

I'll be heading up a guild with my cousin on a Central Server. Hopefully I will be able to be in a different guild on a different server, otherwise I am interested in being in a macrumors guild.

[thatwendigo]

i have decided i will NOT be playing druid come retail, they are shameful when compared to a shaman, which basically drops the worthless shapeshifting and makes you useful :/. too bad they gimped druids, but the game is fun regardless of class :). i recommend joining a guild to have loads of questing buddies on tap.

I'm not at all sure how you could claim that druids were gimped, since my most effecive and easily leveled one was a Night Elf druid. I hit level seven or eight on my five or six alternates, but she was the only one to keep powering through to sixteen. I didn't push beyond that because I was expecting the wipe to come and wanted to experiment with different classes before retail, but I fould the combination of combat magic, healing magic, and physical combat in a druid to be ideal for soloing. Most of my quests and levels were done without help, and that included the Elite one to kill Oakenscowl around level eight or nine.

All of the classes have their strengths and weaknesses, and all of them make for good potential if you play them well. The fastest leveller I had was a warrior, the next my druid, and then my warlock, all of whom I took to eighth or higher in solo runs. The one that dragged the worst was my dwarven hunter, actually.

However, my general impression is that the game is a well-polished and well thought-out system from the good folks at Blizzard. The few problems I saw are likely to be solved at retail, especially if they keep up this level of support from their coders. I filed bug reports, suggestions, and left ideas for the developers whenever I encountered something that seemed odd, lacking, or buggy, since I was mindful that this was a beta test to establish the readiness of the system and the maturity of the code. Within three days of reporting a few errors I found, there was a patch that added the escape button to get out of being stuck in terrain (happened to me as a wisp), a fix for a bugged quest that wouldn't properly set itself in your quest log, and complaints about cooldown and cost for some powers with different classes. That's not to say that I think Blizzard is going solely on my word, but it was nice to see it happen.

The "community" aspect isn't something I'm interested in for its own sake, as I'm mostly playing it for my own enjoyment. If there are good friends of mine on and around, we have or plan to have characters set aside to group together all through the game, and that's just fine. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy toiling away at making it on my own or forming impromptu groups when I spot someone in trouble in an instance. Often, I would find someone embroiled and over their head, heal and buff them, and then invite to a group so that we could share experience. We'd finish whatever quest I was on, do whatever they were on, and then part ways at the end when our alliance of convenience wasn't so convenient anymore.

I've also heard at least anecdotal evidence that Blizzard kept the majority of their server hardware in reserve, seeing just how well a partial run of their machines held up under load. Retail is supposed to spread things out a bit more and reduce the lag by opening the floodgates on their server farms. We'll see about that when it happens, though the first week or three are probably going to be somewhat problematic. After all, big-name retailers are already sold out of the collector's edition as we speak, and the regular copies are being snatched up, too.

If people really do want a Clan MacRumors, though, I might be interested. We ought to pick something like Central or Mountain in order to minimize the effects of lag on everyone, though, rather than favoring those on the west coast.

[Drgnhntr]

I think that Elan0204 hit the nail on the head for me. I just can't pop the CD in and play whenever I want. It took me almost two years to beat warcraft 3 and frozen thorne. I'd play and get bored or frustrated and put it on the shelf for a month.

The way the beta ended was quite good and I was felt lucky to have witnessed it. 30 to 40 people valiantly trying to defend Ironforge (while roleplaying) was a spectacular thing to watch. Last night was also the first time I grouped with someone and had a good time. I think that this game totally depends on the people you play with as it is not too much fun solo. I was on the RP server, and at the beginning of the beta, there were very few people roleplaying. Last night, everyone was roleplaying in my area. Everyone's attitude was polite and friendly. It was a much welcome change.

I have posted a few of my thoughts about this game on the WoW forums, (not going to buy retail among other things) I was told that I would not be missed as well as other remarks about needing to get a job. They were generally rude, and this furthered my thinking that everyone on WoW was rude. Having posted here, and having civil conversations with Macrumors members, I wished I had posted here sooner. Laslo Panaflex your comments were quite good as I think this game is quite intimidating, at least for me. The more time you invest, the more friends you make, the better the experience and I get that now. I just don't know if I have that time to make the game worth while for me.

Was there a Macrumors guild that I missed during the beta? That would have been great.

[BrianKonarsMac]

I'm not at all sure how you could claim that druids were gimped, since my most effecive and easily leveled one was a Night Elf druid. I hit level seven or eight on my five or six alternates, but she was the only one to keep powering through to sixteen. I didn't push beyond that because I was expecting the wipe to come and wanted to experiment with different classes before retail, but I fould the combination of combat magic, healing magic, and physical combat in a druid to be ideal for soloing. Most of my quests and levels were done without help, and that included the Elite one to kill Oakenscowl around level eight or nine.
well i lvled my druid to 23 and obviously they are the best soloers since they can do anything really, but in groups they aren't exactly the best. i'm not saying my druid was BAD, far from it, in several raid instances I was the leader of my group, pulling monsters with my attack spells, healing group members, rezzing the dead, and even turning into a bear and tanking for the final boss. Druids are fun, and are easily the best soloing class, but have no real purpose in groups other than backing up a few roles (secondary healer, rez the priest if he dies, etc).

compare a druid to a shaman however and you start to see why a druid is gimped. shaman's can heal, rez (without a stupid maple seed or 30 minute cooldown), wear mail (at lvl 40, which puts our leather to shame, although we get dire bear form to compensate), use shields, specialize in certain weapons (we get staves...2H hammers...and staves, o or ONE fist weapon!? no dual wielding even with fist weapons), and use totems for groups. so they do everything a druid does, just not shapeshift (which has no real use in a group scenario, other than for fun) and they do it better than a druid. they also get tons of personal buffs, and can reincarnate now! not to mention they get travel form at lvl. 20 (we get at 30!?), i can keep going, but it's obvious the shamans have more love.

just look at the fact that NONE of our four shapes have a dance animation, yet the shaman's spirit wolf can dance!? O SALT IN THE WOUND!

i've also played paladins, shamans, warriors, hunters, etc. all above lvl 10+ and have to say that paladins are studs. no other class can take on 5 enemies of the same level, and win! but they can't pull if their life depended on it, so they have to be tough as nails :P.

[vraxtus]

compare a druid to a shaman however and you start to see why a druid is gimped. shaman's can heal, rez (without a stupid maple seed or 30 minute cooldown), wear mail (at lvl 40, which puts our leather to shame, although we get dire bear form to compensate), use shields, specialize in certain weapons (we get staves...2H hammers...and staves, o or ONE fist weapon!? no dual wielding even with fist weapons), and use totems for groups. so they do everything a druid does, just not shapeshift (which has no real use in a group scenario, other than for fun) and they do it better than a druid. they also get tons of personal buffs, and can reincarnate now! not to mention they get travel form at lvl. 20 (we get at 30!?), i can keep going, but it's obvious the shamans have more love.

I was a lvl 25 Shaman and let me tell you, Shaman > all.

[BrianKonarsMac]

I was a lvl 25 Shaman and let me tell you, Shaman > all.ya i found that out after i dueled with a lvl 19 shaman (i was lvl 23) and he almost won...just to ensure it was not a fluke, we dueled again, and he still almost won :(. mind you i was FAR better equipped, all of my gear had attribute bonuses (i spent the majority of my time trolling the AH for good buyout opportunities).

shaman is the one class i think that needs the LARGEST nerf, and despite this blizzard gave them MORE LOVE in the last patch, with the ability to not only rez others, but themselves as well! shaman needs to be nerfed heavily :P. blizzard themselves have said that the DRUID is not the jack of all trades, but the shaman is!? WTF!? THEY ADMIT THE SHAMAN IS OVERPOWERED! They are the only class that can wear mail, use both healing and damage dealing spells, ressurect others and themselves, have various elemental buffs and totems, and get a DANCING TRAVEL FORM!? talk about a slap in the face of druid's everywhere :P.

needless to say, i will be a god like shaman in retail :P. probably a troll since they have best racial abilities.

sorry for venting my frustrations, i think this is the first time me and vraxtus agree 100%!!

[bertinman]

...not the jack of all trades, but the shaman is!? WTF!? THEY ADMIT THE SHAMAN IS OVERPOWERED!...

Sorry, this is just a big pet peeve of mine, "jack of all trades" does not mean what you think it means. It means, dabbler in all trades but good/expert in none. Blizzard saying that the shaman is the jack of all trades means they are intending the class to be support for all the other classes. It might be overpowered but that is not what they are admitting with that statement.

I agree that they are pretty powerful, I fought quite a few and won and lost to players at lower levels than me, but they have their place. Nurfing a class, for nurfing sake, so it is the opposite of overpowered is not a good idea. Instead of yelling about it, state specifically what happened and how changing that would help the class be more balanced.

[vraxtus]

needless to say, i will be a god like shaman in retail :P. probably a troll since they have best racial abilities.

sorry for venting my frustrations, i think this is the first time me and vraxtus agree 100%!!

IMO Tauren Shamans make the best battlemages, what with their 5% life increase and war stomp which can let you get a critical Healing Wave off, if need be.

[cyberddot]

I loved the Open Beta experience, and fear for the promises I'll have to make to myself and my loved ones to make sure I don't become a WarCrack-head. Having never experienced such a thing before (other than a poor variation during the original Diablo) I was immediately impressed. Considering the fact that people all around me pay $40/mo just to be able to watch television (rural cable, no antenna TV), and that I haven't had TV in 8+ years, I can easily rationalize this late night additiction's expense.

As in another thread, I'm all for a MacRumors or otherwise configured guild/clan, as long as I can get in on a PvE and/or PST server.

My Collectors edition should be showing up just in time for launch. Let us all know if an experienced MMORPGer is looking for recruits!!!!

dot

[BrianKonarsMac]

Sorry, this is just a big pet peeve of mine, "jack of all trades" does not mean what you think it means. It means, dabbler in all trades but good/expert in none. Blizzard saying that the shaman is the jack of all trades means they are intending the class to be support for all the other classes. It might be overpowered but that is not what they are admitting with that statement.

I agree that they are pretty powerful, I fought quite a few and won and lost to players at lower levels than me, but they have their place. Nurfing a class, for nurfing sake, so it is the opposite of overpowered is not a good idea. Instead of yelling about it, state specifically what happened and how changing that would help the class be more balanced.shamans need to lose:
spirit wolf travel form.
ability to rez better than a druid.
much of their trainable weaponry.
the ability to rez themselves.
they should make shamans more unique with their bloodlust spells, healing waves, etc. make them pivotal groupers like paladins with their totems.

ATM shaman are what druids should've been IMO, and druid's shapeshifting is not beneficial enough to give them the ability to go toe to toe with a shaman. sure they can become a dire bear at 40, but while they are in bear form the shaman can wear mail, heal, and attack with magic all at the same time. we would need to morph to standard form, use our spells, then morph back. want to switch to cat form? you need to morph to standard form THEN to cat, can't go from bear to cat :P.

i love druids and am thinking about playing one anyways just because i love the concept, and have faith blizzard will show them their much needed love eventually. however, the shaman is basically everything good about a druid, combined with the ability to compete with a druids forms in standard mode.

shaman may be intended as a supporting role (what class isn't?) but they are far too powerful to compete with, except for high DPS which they do not have. i think you forgot what nerfing means...it doesn't mean to turn them into crap, it means to change the way you play with them. shaman should not be able to stand up to 3 same lvl. monsters in melee and live it's that simple :P. only a warrior, paladin, or bear should, and should be close to dead at the end.

if you haven't played either class past lvl 10, please don't respond since you have no idea what you are talking about. no offense, it's just the truth.

i suggest removing their res. completely, and turning them into the ultimate buff class (to coincide with the alliances paladins, which are their versions of our shamans).

[BrianKonarsMac]

i think my guild is recruiting still, not sure. check it out at:

www.vagrantsofwar.com

not much to see :P, but not much to play either heh.

[kparvez]

IMO Tauren Shamans make the best battlemages, what with their 5% life increase and war stomp which can let you get a critical Healing Wave off, if need be.

I agree that Tauren are a great race to play. I tried playing a Tauren during the stress test back in Sept, and as a Tauren Warrior, it was fun killing things really quickly. On the other hand, I tried out a Night Elf Druid during the 2nd StressTest/Open beta that started Nov 1, and I reached lvl 22 and it was lots of fun playing Alliance, but since it was a PvP server, i noticed Horde constantly raided our lands and the best horde raiders were Tauren shamans and Orc Hunters.

So I've decided to seriously play as a Tauren Hunter. The 5% HP boost and war stomp are great, coupled with being ranged (i.e. guns/bows and the option to get some serious melee, 1H sword usage) during fights is great. And having a pet i heard is great for soloing too. Plus I'll be a skinner/leatherworker as those two professions I've seen can generate some nice coin. Can't wait to see you all online!

[Santaduck]

review posted at macbytes
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98215

[Quobobo]

I agree that Tauren are a great race to play. I tried playing a Tauren during the stress test back in Sept, and as a Tauren Warrior, it was fun killing things really quickly. On the other hand, I tried out a Night Elf Druid during the 2nd StressTest/Open beta that started Nov 1, and I reached lvl 22 and it was lots of fun playing Alliance, but since it was a PvP server, i noticed Horde constantly raided our lands and the best horde raiders were Tauren shamans and Orc Hunters.

How'd playing on a PvP server work out? I played on a normal server in the beta, and would like to hear the ups and downs of playing on PvP or roleplaying servers. I'm considering RP just because there would be less people who would make me want to stab people in the face over the internet (http://bash.org/?4281).

[kparvez]

How'd playing on a PvP server work out? I played on a normal server in the beta, and would like to hear the ups and downs of playing on PvP or roleplaying servers. I'm considering RP just because there would be less people who would make me want to stab people in the face over the internet (http://bash.org/?4281).

I played on a PvP server... and it was alright. As a Night Elf Druid, we had horde attacking us all the time in a contested zone called Ashenvale, and it was hard to do quests there because of all the horde. That's why I'm making my main character/first character on a PvE server.

Also when I was a lvl 20 Night Elf Druid, i managed to get to an area called Theramore Isle and walked all the way to Bloodhoof village and started killing/ganking lots of Horde as payback, and lo and behold, my reputation with the alliance dropped because the horde I was killing was well below my level. These are issues you have to be aware of, and i'm sure people accomodate their playing style to avoid being or performing ganks (killing low levels players and taking reputation hits).

Once I managed to reach a lvl 60 on the PvE server, i'll head over to a PvP server and make a new character and then try out true PvP. Keep in mind, PvE servers also have the capacity to have PvP in battlegrounds (not yet implemented) and if you go into a horde city (if you're an alliance member for example) you can kill important NPCs. Also, if the other side attacks you, they're flagged for PvP and you can attack them in return, so it's possible to have some PvP experience on a PvE server. So i'll be trying that out before i go to a PvP server.

Cheers,
K

p.s. i obtained the collector's edition as of 10 am today (MST). yay and installing it as we speak. See you all, i'll be a hunter/tauren with skinning/leatherworking skills on Doomhammer.