I have what you've been looking for

How would you describe the human spirit? Kind and compassionate, tender and caring. Proud and tenacious, strong and free-willed. These are some of my thoughts.

However, more and more throughout our daily lives the "asshole" makes an appearance. Rude and obnoxious, cold and mean-spirited. Arrogant and selfish, insecure and, yes, still free-willed. Call me cynical, but the trend is apparent throughout modern society.

I believe there is a reason for everything. There are no coincidences. Maybe the rich, extravagant lifestyles of our cultural icons are merely compensation for something lacking in their personal lives. Perhaps those lonely souls who spend countless hours in fantasy video game worlds have finally found a way to escape. Maybe, just maybe, we're all just looking for something.

What are you looking for?

As for me? I think I've found it at Brampton Lane, :)

Not-So-Happy Birthday to Me

Still celebrating birthdays? Whether young or old, birthdays are special--a celebration of the day you were brought into the world. Still, as we get older do we celebrate less the gift of life?

This is something I'm currently struggling with. Today at 11:52 I turn 25 years old. Wow-big whoop, huh? Do you remember what your 25th was like? What emotions do you recall coming to surface?

“It's a little sad.”

25, single, with no house to call my own. Pretty decent financially without major rent, etc. from living in the city, but how can I get my life to move fast-forward without losing precious time?

It's tough, and I have to think to myself, "Can I be happy with nothing to my name except a family?" And then I have to ask, "Would it be enough for 'her'?"

Coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence.

Ever exclaimed, "What a coincidence!" or heard that sissy version, "What a co-inky-dink!" and became speechless? I have.

Whether you were dreaming of Chinese food only to find a voicemail from your spouse asking what kind of take-out you would like for supper or your birth date shows up as a customer's order number, we have all experienced them at one point or another in our lives. Those completely unrelated events which come together at the same time. Coincidences.

“I don't believe in coincidence.”

Cymatics is the study of sound and vibration in visual form. A pinch of salt, for example, on a surface affected by various audible frequencies can be manipulated to form patterns. These patterns represent an emerging trend of expression and have become an art form over the last decade.

Alva Noto is a musician who practices the use of cymatics as an artistic medium. Noto creates music through the use of electronic transmissions--a fax modem or telephonic beeps and clicks, etc. He uses mathematical logic to add rhythm & blues or hip-hop grooves to his music. Think of it as the industrial metal of the Euro electronica outfit, perfectly choreographed. Quoting Noto:

“It is such a complex matter we live within, it is impossible to track logic and decision making really, so therefore each choice can actually only be seen as coincidence.”

I take this to mean that the patterns in life we cannot explain, we label as "coincidence." Quite simply because we have no other explanation. I could go all religious, and I will, and state that God works in wondrous ways. I could also say I am a victim of comic culture, stealing the lines from Batman (loosely quoted): I don't believe in coincidence.

Do you?

Top Five Recommendations for a Blackberry

As a relative newcomer to smartphones I took it upon myself to start digging. The first step was obviously to find a phone that both worked in my area and worked for my wants and needs. Luckily I found that in the Blackberry Curve 8330, though any similar Blackberry will work I felt I needed the full-size keyboard along with a camera and video recorder. Blackberries really are as easy to use as most say.

1. LCD Screen Guard
   Having a protective layer of film over the screen is essential to keeping the display scuff-free. There are different types of screen guards which offer mirror reflections or blur the screen for privacy from nearby busy-bodies trying to see what you're up to. A great investment to ensure the life of your Blackberry (even though replacement screens can be found on eBay for $5).


2. Holster/Carrying Case
   Unless you really like the pouch that probably came with your Blackberry, having a better case or holster for your belt is a big plus. However, not just any case is worth buying--make sure to get one that puts the unit in Sleep mode to conserve battery life!


3. Memory Card
   Having additional storage is a must-have for anyone wishing to use their handset to the fullest. A cheap, four gigabyte chip could provide endless photos and decent video recording. They can be gotten at a local retail store for $25 or more--but on eBay for half that price. Shop around and save some major cash for this basic upgrade.


4. Car Charger w/ IC Chip
   While many people now use a Blackberry for personal use, and are not far from a charging outlet for long, I recommend a car charger because browsing websites and other activities can really use up the battery. An "IC" chip will prevent overcharging of the battery.


5. Extended Battery
   Giving yourself a second battery is a great idea, but having one that is even better than stock is a plus. Check eBay, cautiously, and enjoy a cheap, yet functional replacement allowing you to surf YouTube even longer.

Everyone has two sides. Or do they?

"Everyone has two sides," she enlightened me with her wisdom. Her beautiful blue eyes wide open and focused intently. Dozens of icy stalactites radiated outward from her pupils, piercing me to the core and engraving those words into my brain.

Two parts influence and one part axiom, I agreed. Weeks later those words etched with a blue flame began to weigh on my mind. Do people really have two sides? Do we always put on a face to match our various activities (work, home, social)?

She was referring to two members of management for our client who had previously engaged in epic warfare in the conference room. Two major superpowers, one above the other in chain of command, having an all out discussion concerning an issue of repeated controversy which directly affects our operation. This will be winner take all in the end. This time the higher-up won the battle, but the war is far from over. They strive for the same cause, but in different ways.

“Everyone has two sides.”

My counter-point is that we only have one side -- the one which shows who we really are. Maybe most people are never stressed to their boiling point, the point in which one shows what they're really made of. Maybe we are sometimes bitter or cruel, but some people refuse to show that face to others on a daily basis. Maybe it's an act of courtesy, to not take it out on those around us who have not wronged us. Maybe it really is a two-faced society. So if we have two faces...

“Is this the real me? A better question would be ‘Is this the real you?’ Or are we shallow to the core?”

Exhibiting Ourselves - No, I'm Not Naked

So many things in our lives are left subject to interpretation. How we perceive one another, how our family perceives us, and how our co-workers perceive us are all good examples of our multi-faceted existence. Though we inhibit one being, we constantly exhibit ourselves to others. First impressions are extremely important, but not forsaking who we are as individuals is far more important in my book.

I remember this as I picture a young couple in a retail discount store last weekend. There was a guy and a girl in the greeting cards section as I was picking out a Mother's Day card. The girl was wearing dark clothes, jeans, and a studded, metal belt with matching bracelets. She wore her jeans, and belt, literally on the thighs just above where I imagined her knees were. I had to look twice, despite the hair and makeup, to determine that it was indeed a female.

Of course, she probably has a great personality. Maybe even plays online games like the rest of us. After all, she was in the greeting cards section. Still, that's no excuse for poor style, or am I wrong? -@

Feeling Prolific? What's Your Profile Say About You?

Do you have a social networking page or perhaps a blog? Most websites today have some form of a profile or biography page in which the user is given the task of describing him- or herself in a few brief sentences. Twitter has become one of my favorite social networking sites by forcing users to make a statement (or pose a question) in 140 characters or less. How many things can you describe with a character limit?

For decades television shows have catered to the drama of suspense and mystery. Everything from finding the culprit in a Scooby Doo episode or reliving the stories through enactment on Unsolved Mysteries or Rescue 911, there's a common trend involved-- people like filling the gaps.

I find myself always trying to flesh out entire profiles, even for the most mundane websites. Websites you may only ever visit once. It got so bad that I just took a Notepad file and copy-pasted my profile for each site. Of course, now I need change. Now I feel different and can't believe I wrote what I did about myself. Now I have to go and write some kind of a masterpiece which, hopefully, doesn't turn people off to how wonderful a person I really am. 

"Wow! He's arrogant," or "Man, he's got issues."

"Well, he sounds boring," or "Look--another wanna-be!

Can I just be me? How do I put that into words so everyone can understand?

The Secret Art of Palm-Pressing

Wishing you had a way to get more keys in games? I had a tough time managing key binds over the years. Eventually I developed a method I like to call palm-pressing. Through this technique, I am able to multiply the amount of buttons my fingers push. Interested?

A Word on Keyboard Etiquette

I recommend using a keyboard rest or an ergonomic keyboard wherever possible. Of course, when playing games for any length of time the bottom of my wrist begins to fall onto the keyboard rest. This is against etiquette, but with proper moderation and a good ergonomic keyboard little harm ensues.

Onto the Palm Press!

As the name implies, it involves using a part of the hand most people probably don't use on a regular basis, at least not for typing. As a conventional typist, I often have my fingers on the asdf keys, the home row for the left hand. This also means I keep my wrists off of the table or keyboard when typing.

The most efficient use of the palm press which I have found is the Windows "Control" key, located on the lower-left hand side of a standard US keyboard. This key is pushable by the side of one's hand as shown above. Majority of pressure on the key comes from the pinkie finger's knuckle, see image above. When not in use, the hand can use the wrist as a pivot back onto the keyboard rest.

Doubling the Available Keys

We have just doubled our available keys by holding down the CTRL button with our palm. For me, I can hold down the CTRL key while I push 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, q, w, e, r, t, a, s, d, f, c, v, b. And, if I try I'm able to also push 6, z, g, and x. That's pretty darn good in my book.

Even More Keys!

Remember the SHIFT key? Using the palm and pinkie approach, I can hold down CTRL+SHIFT and push all of the same above keys, effectively tripling the amount of keys available to me. But wait, that's not all! I can also use CTRL+ALT and gain even more keys. Combine that with SHIFT and ALT separately and that's one heck of a combination of keys.

So there you have it, the secret palm press jutsu. Ninja--VANISH!

*poof*

Do We Define Happiness with Things We Own?

It has been said time and time again that "money makes the world go round," but does the world truly revolve around our currency? We require the exchange of monies for services which enable or inhibit us to live a functional, productive (or in some cases unproductive) lifestyle. We use money to provide shelter for ourselves and loved ones, our clothes, and our vehicles. We pay others to provide services in which we have little expertise or out of convenience. So when is enough actually enough?

I consider my finances to be deeply personal, but here's a look into this bachelor's budget:

• Monthly medical bills
• Monthly rent
• Monthly savings deduction*
• Weekly gasoline purchase
• Monthly automobile insurance
• Monthly groceries
• Weekly church offering

A little dining out here or there, but otherwise that's a pretty conclusive list. Notice there's an asterisk on one of the items. Each month I make a deduction from that month's income (ten percent per month is a good goal). This money goes into a separate savings account which I absolutely will not touch for any reason other than it's intended purpose. The saved up money also doubles as an emergency backup. If I lost my job or my vehicle broke down, I have several months' income stockpiled in a savings account which accrues interest on a monthly basis.

“There's something about making a purchase which provides instant gratification.”

Despite this, I must confess that I love to spend money--it's in my nature. I see something cool which could help me out in even the slightest way and I instantly start researching it, trying to find good deals on it. There's something about making a purchase which provides instant gratification. Sometimes upon receipt of an item I end up wishing I had waited a little longer. It is, however, in most cases a subtle feeling as I am fairly frugal. Growing up I received a lot of gifts at Christmas and my birthday, so I think I am very fortunate for that. However, at home and in my house we often went without, especially when I very young. Could it be there is a void in which I have placed everything I always wanted or couldn't afford? Even though I probably never wanted a tool set as a kid I have the means to purchase one, and so I have.

I recall my older cousin next door having an 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System when we were growing up. I own that very system now, but what I really wanted growing up was this full-size Alf doll he had on his bed. I begged and pleaded for that Alf doll or one of my own, neither of which I ever received. To this day I have vivid memories of that doll. I still don't have it, but I did find a hand puppet stuffed animal Alf at a thrift store once (which I purchased). I also recently found a rock and roll hippie hand puppet Alf. I'll probably sell that one on eBay, though he's pretty cute.

So are these things false symbols of happiness or am I just that easy to amuse? Perhaps we're all searching for something to fill that void, be it with material possessions, significant others, or power tools and lumber. Who knows, maybe we'll find what we're really looking for someday. I think we will. In the mean time, I suppose I'll try to find a cheap deal on a genuine Alf doll. What is your personal void to fill?

Titan's Grip Penalty: +10% Whining

Blizzard is most likely adding a 10% damage reduction to Titan's Grip since the hit penalty they removed was too powerful. This is actually a good idea since it won't adversely affect the gearing and itemization of warriors the way the decreased hit chance did.

Surprising to some, hunters have an ability which let them DPS longer and harder over the course of a fight. It returns mana to them, but reduces 50% of their damage. Wow! Even still, they are able to dole out great amounts of DPS since they have less downtime. This is pretty neat.

I'm not sure how things are going to pan out right now and I don't have the PTR to experiment on things, but I threw together a small chart that should exemplify the DPS skimming thanks to this new penalty, if and when it goes into effect. It's basically a short ten off the top and the yellow line shows that consistency. As one dishes out more damage, the penalty scales to skim more off the top. Of course, one can view this as a bad thing (and most are), but it's actually good since that means lower DPS players (those without the gear or skill to throw out big numbers) won't be hurt quite as much. It will even out, hopefully, some of the previous imbalance with geared characters.

Here's the chart, pretty simple:

Revisiting the Three Core Principles

In September 2008 I wrote a short outline on three constants which would carry over into the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. View its entirety here. It's time to revisit that entry and see if it has really held up over time.

Three Core Principles of Tanking

1. Gearing is important.
   We're as gear-dependent as ever. Lots of choices for the non-raid, non-heroic players and it really helps.
2. Tanking is tanking.
   Yep, we're still tankin' bosses and holding trash. In fact, we now excel at tanking multiple creatures.
3. Damage is threat. Threat isn't always damage.
   This is and always will remain true. However, significant portions of our threat come directly from damage (even though it is not a 1:1 ratio anymore).

In the Line of Sight

I was recently reading a blog entry by my friend Veneretio in which he explained how to cluster multiple creatures into a group when tanking. In his entry, found here, he covers a scenario in which a creature is a caster or ranged shooter. This type of creature will not normally run to the tank and in most cases needs to be silenced. He went on to explain line of sight (LOS). When I read the following excerpt I felt that LOS deserved a bit more detail.

LOS pulling is shooting a mob and then running around a corner forcing them to follow you around that corner to get into range. This has the benefit of not forcing you to waste a lot of time back tracking and in most cases, it’ll cancel any spell being cast on you.

Johnny is in room A, which is connected via a hallway to room B. Room A is empty and room B has a creature in it. Line of sight pulling would mean using a ranged attack and luring the creature into the empty room for a cup of tea. The following illustration shows the layout of the immediate area.

As we can see above, Mr. Blue sees Mr. Monster. Mr. Blue throws a ninja star at Mr. Monster, making him very upset. Mr. Monster begins to cast a very powerful Fireball, but Mr. Blue runs back around the corner, breaking Mr. Monsters line of sight. Mr. Monster stops casting a Fireball since he can't find his target and runs around the corner, right into a big, fat Shield Slam.

A Real Understanding

All creatures have a center point. When you target a creature a small circle or reticule is created under their feet to show they are targeted. This is a good reference as to the creatures center point (large creatures typically have larger center points, i.e. devilsaur or adult dragonkin). Imagine a direct line from this center point to the center point of your character in-game. This is considered "line of sight." In most cases a creature cannot see behind itself, but they will turn around and chase their target when aggroed. The logic is that players and creatures must make and maintain eye contact with its target in most cases and with most spells or it interferes with their ability to target. Guess there's a little bit of sense thrown into the mix as well. Who knew?!

Conclusion

So line of sight works just like many other aspects of the game, in particular tanking. Creatures are aggravated, threaten to kill adventurers, and even require actually seeing their enemy before taking action. When I first started playing the game in 2004 I was shocked at how realistic those aspects of the game were. Pretty intuitive system.

Theory of I.D.D.

So my latest thoughts go into what it takes to be a good player. There's a lot of things such as not standing in fire, holding back on threat, or even just knowing a boss fight. Of course, we could go on forever discussing those types of things. What I want to touch on is what comes before all of that. Before boss battles, before threat capping, before fire (okay, might be hard to predate the origins of fire). I'm talking about I.D.D.—Having the initiative to gain the experience and self-discipline to rise above the impossible, pursue greater interests, and to devote oneself to becoming the most hungry hippo in the herd.

1. Initiative

One must be at the forefront of their class. They must learn, research, and capitalize on the mechanics behind their class using all available resources. One must learn to tell the difference between good or bad information and make decisions responsibly, from their own knowledge as well as that of others. Thus, having an open mind is key. One must also be accountable, calling themselves out before others when making a bad decision (there are rarely such occurrences as mistakes or accidents).

2. Discipline

Learn to control yourself and stop trying to control others. You will be part of a team. That is when one player is doing one job they are entrusted with that responsibility (for example using Polymorph or cleansing poisons). If the team cannot trust a player, then everyone is distracted. Learn to discipline yourself, to trust the team to do their roles and focus only on the task at hand.

If in a leadership role, which you may sometimes assume, learn to take the initiative to make judgment calls (and make them count). When you mess up, and you will mess up, take responsibility and learn from it. As they say, "Crap happens." Players who can't follow simple instructions need to go back to the basics. Leaders who can't give simple instructions need to be fired.

3. Devotion

If a player doesn't know much, do they take initiative to understand it or do they wait to be spoon fed? If they house a database of information in their cranium, how well is their execution? Combat experience in group content is the only way one can gain the discipline necessary to become better.

This is the most simplest of all because if one doesn't involve themselves in group content or teamwork for several hours on a regular basis then one will never learn. One can learn all the intricate details of a boss encounter, but it does nothing if the person is unprepared. Spend time with your character, don't settle for less (ever), and always be on time. If you aren't committed to being there, then don't go. Your guild will thank you for not signing up.

Conclusion

So like a lot of players I have A.D.D., but I'm a smart person. I'm going to try and cope with any of my weaknesses and turn them into strengths so. One way of doing that is by following the theory of I.D.D. By doing that, I am able to set goals for myself and later ask, "Am I really doing this the right way? Do I need to ask for help? Is this an independent or team-based task?"

These are the types of issues I face everyday at work. I have "independent work," such as monitoring traffic and logging guests, but then I have group work such as a two-person safety report. Even though this report is done together throughout the main facility, my partner and I do take separate routes along the same path at times. This means there has to be a trust between us that we, as individuals, are able to observe and record discrepancies on a similar level together, into a single report. I need to know that he is capable of handling his half of the workload just as I must be capable of handling my own because there's not a second head checking over our shoulders. This is called "individual effort."

In a group or raid, each individual must be capable of putting forth enough effort (either by tanking, healing, or dealing damage in most cases) to collectively complete an objective. In a fight such as Gruul, each player must avoid the high damage or be destroyed. If everyone is destroyed, then no one will win. The smaller the group content, and the harder of course, the more individuals are accountable for putting up big numbers or keeping a tank topped off. This probably isn't news to most of you, but sometimes it's good just to see it in print.

Blogging for Wowhead

So recently I mentioned a special little project, a new feature for Wowhead, in which I was asked to help work on. Well, it's been unveiled! Introducing the brand-spanking new Wowhead Blog!

That's right, folks. For only $19.95 you, too can enjoy the delicious & delectable—sorry, wrong article. Anyways, I wrote a post on there a few days ago (click here to read it). It was about some subtle changes which have made it into the game recently.

Last night, I redid a topic I had been working on & went a step further by addressing some concerns several others had about the post. I want my work to be top-grade, but still hold my own personal flare. So, without much adieu, here's my latest entry: Journey to Northrend. Enjoy!

My Choice in Talents

A lot of talk has been going around concerning talent builds & what the most optimal choice for Protection at 70 would be. In this post, I'm going to discuss a few builds which should hopefully show some examples of different styles & approaches to tanking (at least for level 70 content).

Veneretio prefers a wholly-focused survival build -> 5/3/53
No Cruelty, Impale, Puncture, or Imp. Heroic Strike. His views are that while they may be good & have a place in talent builds at certain points in time, they simply aren't needed & there are other, more important talents to have at 70. It is a great raid build which works as intended & is high on avoidance.

Ciderhelm prefers to focus on the here & now with a threat build -> 0/8/53
This veteran warrior believes that dealing damage is now a tanking responsibility. His views include placing talents as they may help now at level 70 & making changes for level 80 accordingly to how the content is designed. This is a build which negates all avoidance in favor of other talents such as Cruelty & Puncture. His view on Last Stand is that it really isn't necessary with the current changes to all end-game content at level 70.

So what would an Arideni pick?

Well, after much deliberation, I took this when the patch came out -> 2/8/51

However, I am going to respec.

To this customized threat build -> 0/10/51

The main differences between this build & the one I first one I used is avoidance. The first build was incomplete. It was made for level 80 & had points subtracted to work for level 70, and it works good, but it isn't as efficient for level 70 as this custom build.

It is also very similar to Ciderhelm's build as we both took the same approach - spec for now, not for 80. One of the largest problems I've had is opening up on a dynamic encounter such as the Headless Horseman. Sometimes I use Charge, but it can be tricky so I went back to basics — Bloodrage. This still didn't quite fit right with my style, so I chose to include Improved Bloodrage in my 70 build. This is something I really came to love through Heroics & have missed it greatly since the patch came out. It's a luxury, but opening with Shield Slam instead of Devastate in critical situations is worth it to me. I also chose to take Last Stand as I consider it a core point in Protection & considering the large amount of pick-up groups I am involved with it's a no-brainer. An interesting twist to this build is that I took two points of Improved Demoralizing Shout for bosses (no more than two points work on bosses normally). I felt this was more important than Improved Spell Reflect, but they all seem to be great "optionals."

So there you have it! Stay tuned for my next post about my experiences with the talent respec.

Post-Patch Defense & Uncrittable Status

A lot of people have been wondering about what exactly happens when warriors & paladins lose their free 20 defense skill from talents (it's being changed to 5% dodge for 5 talent points for those unaware). Here we're going to discuss the issue & what exactly we can do as an immediate resolution.

Do we still need 490 defense to tank at 70? What about 80?

Yes, warriors & paladins will still need to be uncrittable (that's why we increase our defense rating, it reduces the chance to be critically hit). Druids will need to achieve this as well, but I'm not going to comment on druids very much right now (lack of experience & knowledge on talents). At level 80, one will need about 540 defense against a L83 (raid boss).

My defense dropped to . . . What can I do to bridge the gap?

First of all, try hard to replace some of your gear. Hope you didn't throw away all those trinkets! Beyond trinkets (a list at the bottom) there are other ways such as enchants (also listed below). The first enchant to use if going that route is Enchant Chest - Defense. This is better than the others because pure health won't scale with most raid buffs or talents (such as Vitality or Blessing of Kings).

Is there any other way?

Resilience. Point for point, resilience rating increases your critical hit reduction by a greater amount than defense rating. The problem with resilience is that it does nothing else whereas the defense rating we lose equates to about a 2.44% loss in avoidance (dodge & parry combined) & chance to block.

How much resilience does it take to make up the lost defense?

The defense skill we lost was 20. That's about 48 defense rating which reduces chance to be critically hit by 0.8%. It would take about 32 resilience rating to achieve 0.8% critical hit reduction (with a little extra).

So what's the quick fix you mentioned?

Merciless Gladiator's Shield Wall (for warriors) & Merciless Gladiator's Barrier/Redoubt (for paladins). These three shields are a great "quick fix" & for many players offer a humongous upgrade from Heroic/Karazhan gear.

The Shield Wall gives 31 resilience rating (0.79% critical hit reduction) & the twin shields for paladins give 27 resilience rating (0.69% critical hit reduction). Paladins will need at least 473 defense using the two Spell Power shields.

Trinkets & Enchants Mentioned Above

• Adamantine Figurine
• Dabiri's Enigma
• Enchant Chest - Defense
• Enchant Cloak - Steelweave
• Enchant Bracer - Major Defense
• Arcanum of the Gladiator
  

Controlling Crowd Control, part 2

It became apparent to me that a lot of players felt differently to my approach on the timing of crowd control. I am not a "CC-hater," so to speak. However, I do not particularly understand players who continue to use certain abilities even though it may not work or is blatantly unnecessary.

Yes, I broke your sheep.

So, you sheeped the unmarked elf in a 3-mob pull. Thanks, but really we are ok — we can survive it. Unless these creatures are heavy-hitters like the Destroyers in Heroic Ramparts, I really don't feel a need to worry about them. Beyond that, Mortal Strike is the least of my concern in that dungeon & I would prefer you sheep the creatures that Disarm instead.

This isn't rocket science.
I'm a big fan of Thunder Clap, always have been. The old days of Charge -> Thunder Clap -> Defensive Stance are over, and a lot of players have either forgotten or never learned that we often Thunder Clap (especially early on). It's a great way to catch aggro on creatures who run by. I've even experienced mages who tried to sheep, in Heroics, while the creature was clearly standing inside of Consecration. After over a year of The Burning Crusade, it's time to learn about paladin tanking, too.

So pull back to avoid the sheep.

The problem is, a tank should always be pulling back. The sheep target shouldn't be able to really hit the tank because it should be sheeped, so why exactly do we need to pull back? Not all areas in the game have a large room to maneuver in. Start the sheep before it gets to the tank so it never gets near the group. Sheep pulling on non-critical fights is another option in many of these situations (make sure no creatures are near the sheep in case it breaks). A simple Bloodrage, Thunder Clap, or Shout will easily regain aggro of all the non-CC creatures. Paladins can taunt the creatures, or use Consecration, and druids can swipe or use a Roar.

Crowd Control sucks.

Wrong. Crowd control works wonders in new content or progressive content. Back in patch 2.0 & 2.1 groups were still doing regular dungeons & starting to tackle Heroics more often. Using crowd control to the point it made a tank healable allowed many players, myself included, to start playing in the big leagues without any special gear. The same trend will occur in The Burning Crusade & I will be sure not to push my healers too hard or stress them out. That's not going to help anyone.

Use Crowd Control, if you need it.

If the tank has things under control, forget about CC & just go with the flow. If something peels off, watch what the tank does. Is he paying attention? If not, obviously you should intervene to protect the healer.

Behave yourself!

Make sure you watch your aggro. Throwing the tank for a loop because you wanted to impress your friends with damage meters doesn't help anyone. In fact, it causes a chain reaction on creature threat tables (especially for tanks still gearing up, so to speak).

Controlling the Crowd Control

I recently read a post by my friend Veneretio which dealt with "The Druid Complex." The premise is that druids felt, and feel, the need to compensate for whatever reason. You can read his post, in its entirety, by going here.

So let's talk about crowd control.

As a seasoned tank, I no longer focus on excess crowd control. I prefer to have at least a rogue, hunter, or warlock in my group most of the time, but usually I'm more concerned with player competency than class ability.

It wasn't always like that, though. Back when The Burning Crusade was first released & groups were just learning the level 70 dungeons such as Shadow Labyrinth it was hard to find a good, hassle-free group. It wasn't unusual to ask for a mage, rogue, or hunter to at least have one form of crowd control for the large pulls. But for the budding tanks who were a step ahead, because we as tanks had to be, the numerous forms of crowd control available were as much nuisance as they were beneficial.

Players want to use crowd control.

Many players feel they have something to prove. Nothing brings out this feeling like that of a class which, in the mainstream mindframe, brings nothing to a group except damage. This occurs most frequently with rogues & hunters as they are very popular classes. Aside from dealing damage, what exactly are these players doing 90% of the time? Picking their nose? Clipping their toe nails?

Blizzard has taken care to help address these issues over the years. It affected me personally as my rogue saw several changes to Sap. It used to be that the ability would remove a rogue from Stealth. Only rogues with a few points in another talent tree could Sap & return to Stealth. That was changed to make it easier to obtain those talent points. Then the talent was removed completely & all rogues were given this ability. As for hunters, the trap cooldowns were changed, but they were also allowed to place traps during combat.

When players such as rogues & hunters join groups, they know that next to nothing is expected of them. They are high in supply & easily replaced. They are completely disposable.

I'm just trying to help!

So hunters often ask for a target icon to trap, rogues often go ahead & Sap if there are no icons. This comes from an overwhelming since of, just as Veneretio stated, insecurity. They know they are disposables deep, down inside & want desperately to show how great of a player they are. They want to contribute their portion to the group — to belong, to earn, to perform.

You don't always have to help.

Just do your job. That's all we want & if we need you, that's great! I'm glad you're a capable player who is willing to go above & beyond your calling. However, there is a time & place for everything. Let me do my job, and then you can better do yours without having to nullify the experience. For some tanks just want a big mobfest for the thrill of it all. For some tanks, there's nothing else left in this game.

Editor's note: Writing this post made me realize a very valuable lesson in real life at the workplace: just do your job, not everyone else's.

Devastating News

One of the new changes in the expansion, thus far, involve changing how Devastate works. Currently, Devastate provides damage & Sunder Armor (including the threat from both abilities). However, in the expansion Devastate will deal damage plus threat equal to 5% of attack power while placing Sunder Armor on the target. It will gain no additional threat via Sunder Armor.

Thanks to Satrina for testing these abilities & deriving some tangible values for the community. This may change between now & release, but so far this is how things look to be going.

So Devastate got nerfed?

Not exactly. All threat is being redone, so to speak. Instead of one point of damage being equal to one point of threat, all damage is to be multiplied by 2.0735 to achieve a numerical value for threat. So, for example if one does 100 damage, it is equal to roughly 207.35 threat. It is believed this is done at the server, but then rounded to an integer.

Upcoming Works?

So I get lots of ideas & not all of them come to fruition, but last week I had a couple great ones. The first is yet another article, talking about riding skill & mounts. I got this idea when trying to come up with a lot of new ideas. So, the Topic of the Week about Riding Skill & Mounts (link at the end) is working out great so far. It goes hand-in-hand with my second idea -- a primer for the Beginners' forums, introducing players to all the aspects of transportation available in the game, including mounts! Oh, better remind myself to include the famous "Tram!"

Anyways, what happened was I realized that, upon posting the latest TOTW, I ran out of future topics! When I first started the TOTW column over a month ago, I planned out 4 topics in advance & wrote them out, everything all at once. Since then, I have gotten a new job & been very busy with that.

Last night, I came home after a 10-hour shift & eventually fell asleep on the couch, totally forgetting to post this week's TOTW. Ack! So, when I woke up this morning, about 45 min after, I remembered it! I got sidetracked, but luckily I had one ready which I worked on some last week. So, it's published & up -- go read it!

Ah, well speaking of which, I need to go get a shower & get dressed for work today as well.