AVR / AVRE Broken in 3.3.5

According to a blue post

This is a notice that we're making changes in 3.3.5 in attempts to break the ability for the AVR (Augmented Virtual Reality) mod to continue functioning. For those unaware, this mod allows players to draw in the 3D space of the game world, which can then be shared with others who are also using the mod. In some cases this manifests itself through drawing/tagging/defacing the game world, but more popularly is used to give visual guides for dungeon and raid encounters.

We're making this change for two reasons. The invasive nature of a mod altering and/or interacting with the game world (virtually or directly) is not intended and not something we will allow. World of Warcraft UI addons are never intended to interact with the game world itself. This is mirrored in our stance and restriction of model and texture alterations. The second reason is that it removes too much player reaction and decision-making while facing dungeon and raid encounters. While some other mods also work to this end, we find that AVR and the act of visualizing strategy within the game world simply goes beyond what we're willing to allow.

The change we're making in attempts to break the functionality is light in its touch and approach. When blocking any functionality we run the risk of affecting other mods, but we've targeted the changes as carefully as possible. If we find that the AVR mod (or any mod attempting to replicate its functions) are usable after 3.3.5 we will take further, more drastic steps.

This is coming from the same people that put sparkles on plants and quest items, updated the maps include giant yellow question marks for quest turn ins, and much more. On the whole the impact isn't that great for skilled players – but it may make the game more of a challenge for some folks that aren't so situationally aware. The nice aspect of this mod was the ability to mark and for it to stay consist throughout the encounter (whereas you have access to smoke flares still) so the issue isn't a large one.

I don't know Bliz.. my stance is that if there is a desire to use functionality to this effect – someone will figure out a way to code around it. Until then, there's already a tentative type replacement for those folks that do rely on the visual cues of AVRE. Enter Hudmap – it's much smaller scale but the effect is similar. This doesn't even go into the aspect of audible cues – what about that twist on things Blizz? Are you sure it's not taking away some reaction time on the part of the player?

Interface – First Looks

The first impression I had of the beta was "WOW" – why? Because they really changed a few things on the User Interface. I copied over my shaman – with a bit of gold – as premades aren't available yet. There was so much to explore – it was hard to decide where to start. Upon logging in – I naturally got the "Your talent points have been reset" message. This found me hitting the P button.. and WOW, what a difference.

Check it out- you couldn't visit the profession trainers, and you couldn't find the archeology trainer yet – but hey it's new yet.

The next awesome find was the talent tree itself. It resembles the Add On Talented – so if you're used to that type of interface, you'll find yourself right at home with the new talent point UI.



I'll add a post on once you spend your talents - the top changes but I've got to download the updated version.

Cataclysm – Beta?

I have an acquaintance at work – that posted to an internal workgroup that he used to play in Cuties Only (Horde guild) and that a few Bliz devs played there. He said he had contacted them for the Friends and Family Alpha for Cataclysm. Each Blizz employee got 20 invites, and while he couldn't guarantee invites – he stated that if we sent the battlenet name, he would see what he could do. I know the alpha is out – but when I checked my battlenet account – under games, I found a Cataclysm beta. Let the fun begin!

At first, just the screenshots while it was downloading was pretty exciting. As you can see my screenshots below – it did take a while.

Even more awesome – being able to mount in Stormwind on my drake -even more awesome!

Check back for some incoming screenshots and posts.

Got Cash?

The latest release in the Blizzard Online store has created quite a buzz, and I might add, revenue base for the software company. Blizzard announced yesterday that they would be selling the Celestial Steed and Lil' XT noncombat pet online. The steed itself is unique in that it's a Bind On Account item that scales with whatever level of riding skill the character has. It's also usable in Azeroth as well as a flying mount. The cost? $25. It binds to a specific account, so if you have multiple accounts, I believe (I'll need to verify this) you will have to purchase the item for each account, even if they are linked to the same Battlenet account.

The concept of a mount having such usefulness is great – but geez, the queue lines were horrendous. Blizzard racked in money from all over the globe yesterday. Sparks of controversy appeared.. and much discussion. I think Lil' XT was almost forgotten about.

Topics in our vent channel included "I wonder if they will be allowing armor skinning" to other customizable options- or if you had an item and wanted it skinned like old Tier 3, if they would offer that. This leaves me wondering – is Blizzard going to the route of "If your pockets are deep enough, you can have what you want."?

All skepticism aside, the mount does look awesome and there were several in Dalaran and elsewhere last night – as we covered a variety of instances. With the money Blizzard made in just the first few hours alone while the digital item was on sale, who could really blame them for offering up other similar services?

I expect with a fan/customer base as large as Blizzard has, we'll be seeing new digital items added.

Noble anyone?

This year's Noble Garden came and went rather quickly, or it felt that way. The first couple of days, eggs were hard to come to by. Holidays always seem to bring the worst out in people, and in the game of World of Warcraft, this is no different.

Of all of the achievements for the title, I think putting bunny ears on various level 18 (gg Blizz because we can't cheat now) females was probably the most challenging. The annoying cool down on the Spring Flowers meant that even if you found the female race you were seeking, you may miss your opportunity as someone else dashed over and put bunny ears on your target.

By the end of the holiday, things had calmed down quite allot. I managed to secure this title on my lowly paladin, Holygoatgirl the Noble. It has quite a distinct ring to it, eh? (LOL) What about you, readers? Did you successfully accomplish what you were after or was this just a lull of a holiday for you?

The Revolving Door

Ask any raiding guild, and the recruitment officer will tell you – it's a job that is never done. It may wane, and the need may not be so urgent, but a guild is a living breathing organism. In saying that, people come and people go. Real life happens – schedule changes, significant other aggro, performance issues, computer problems are among the many culprits, not to mention, just plain burn out.

Recruitment isn't a fun task to undertake. Not only is it hard, but at this point in the game, there are lulls. Every major guild that raids is recruiting. Summer is right around the corner (and more people will step away or take vacations). This is where keeping a small bench allows the raid to continue on. Finding the people to fill your raid slots and positions isn't always easy. If you recruit, in today's World of Warcraft player base, you have to be aggressive. This means not just replying (and please read the person's post) but also following up with in game contact. You can either try to catch the person in game, or leave the person an in game mail with a way of contacting you.

Personal touches matter – and keeping in mind that these are people who are looking to "hire" for your team, so you need to make sure you're clear on your expectations, what you are offering, and you cover the potential applicant's questions as well. These steps can help minimize the revolving door effect, but it is the nature of the game. There are several sites that you can post on, and other steps you can take to maximize your success ratio. We conduct vent interviews- and I literally have a check list to go down on topics that should be covered. (Yes, Soth will roll his eyes when I ask about the Authenticator) The reason I have this list is to make sure I cover and standardize the process. It also makes sure that other officers can conduct the interview, and while we may not have the same style, we do cover the same material. We offer the chance to sit in on a raid, to make sure the person understands the type of atmosphere and expectations.

When you recruit a new guild member, it's a vested interest on both parts. We take steps to try and ensure that it is a solid fit. It doesn't always work but most of our turnover has more to do with real life than people just not being a good fit. Occasionally you get the person that is looking for the bigger better deal- but for the most part, these type of people show themselves rather quickly. Our initiate phase is designed to maximize exposure to the raid core, both progression and farm content. This way we can determine how you handle wiping, if you can follow instructions, and if the raid conduct is on par with the expectation. We don't recruit people to fail, but we do recruit to fill a specific role. We understand not everyone may be happy here, but with that, this is a guild - not a jail. Happy raiding!

But do I have to??

Guild ranking systems are many; in today's World of Warcraft, you have not only "progression kills" but you also have "achievements"- normal modes, and hard modes. With all this, it's no wonder that finding a ranking system is hard. There are many sites out there that claim to offer this service: WoWJutsu , WoWProgress, GuildOx, and a fairly new site: WoW Guild Progress. Each site approaches this ranking differently. WoWJutsu hasn't really been updated in months, more than likely years. It's pretty much obsolete. WoWProgress weights the ranking on how quickly you accomplished the kill, in comparison to other guilds on server and gives you a value. The longer you take to kill the boss, the lower the value. Guild Ox measures "progression" based on specific points/achievements; they also have a separate achievement tracking system.

Why does any of this matter? It matters when you start recruiting. It matters even more if you mainly recruit off server. As a guild that really marches to its own drum, where we constantly are defining ourselves, with our values/goals/missions – this is hard thing to digest at times. Content has popped quite quickly. With the release of new content, there are still "progression points" to be had in old content. The issue comes in that some of your raiders (and maybe even officers) really don't want to step back into the older content. As the person that does most of the recruiting, I know this is something that I do bring up in interviews, right along with achievements, hard modes, and lock outs.

It matters because some folks only see purples. There aren't any gear upgrades in Ulduar for any "progression point" we haven't done, but there are achievements. ToGC is slightly different, but only because trinkets are something Blizzard regularly fails at. There are still several BiS trinkets in ToGC. There isn't any justification to spends weeks working on old content, but there is justification to step back and complete these instances. Since we use Guild Ox as our ranking site of choice, there are several points that would move us up the ladder. The fight is simply "do I have to?" in typical a Steve Urkel voice from some raiders – others are more than happy to see the content. This will take some incentives, I'm sure- but to be able to recruit quality players, it's worth the investment.