Changes

It's been a while, now. I always seems to fluctuate between posting every 5 minutes and posting every 5 months, as far as these blog things go. Many changes, and when I remember to ftp some screenshots to my office, where I usually think to update this blog, I'll have a little "snapshot day."


So! What's new...

Rasaiel and I are currently sitting at 40/38 respectively, and yes, she did get her mount. A cute purple elephant Elekk. I'm eagerly awaiting that ding to 40 so that I can join her at the new "top speed" which--having been literally hoofing it around as a priest for 38 levels--would be a VERY welcome change. She also managed to pick up the group runspeed buff Aspect of the Pack, so our pains are somewhat lessened, but I'm trying to grab every little piece of experience I can to assemble that nice shiny "40" next to my picture.

The biggest changes of course have been related to the 2.3 patch, which was QUITE a drastic difference, both in experience to level (my required total for 38 dropped some 10k xp I believe) and in the world around us. As an ironic gesture from fate, Ras and I had been questing in Arathi, teaming up on the Stromgarde Syndicate to try and convince Otto and Falconcrest that-- really--they didn't need their heads to function, and we would be paid handsomely for them, so why not make it a win/win situation?

They didn't like that idea, though.

It was a weird shift. Monday night, we were fighting on the edge of our skill and capabilities (at 37 and 38/9, Ras levelled in there), blowing cooldowns and potions and generally having a BALL, because it was an awesome challenge and we felt like we really knew what we were doing. Yes, Falconcrest mananged to remove my torso while I was still standing, and we weren't able to make a convincing argument on the whole "head =/= necessary" debate that night, but we were getting elite xp and feeling rather "uber." Tuesday night...well, we had a parade through the streets of Stromgarde, throwing out ticker-tape death to anyone that would come watch. And not only did we win that debate, but Otto gift wrapped both heads (see, it WASN'T necessary) and Falconcrest made us some dinner before we left. It was almost pathetic. Something that not every two-person team could accomplish at our level became a trivial fedex quest. We then completed all other stromgarde quests that we had in the next 15 minutes and had them all turned in before anything respawned. Well, ok, I exaggerate there. I think a Syndicate caster or two were missed due to their hiding in the basement, praying that we wouldn't open the door.

I feel slightly insulted.

Ah well, all other changes were good. Rasaiel can't stop raving about how much she loves being able to twang arrows into her targets from 5 feet away, I greatly enjoy Chastising casters 2/3rds of the way through their spells (but really, a 0.5 second cast time? What was the point...), there are a RIDICULOUS number of quests in Dustwallow now, I can get my artisan alchemy spells in IRONFORGE (no offense Feathermoon Isle, you're pretty...you're also nowhere near my hearthstone target), and seeing as how my PC is a dual-core, WoW is running even more flawlessly than before. Which, I have to guess at. Since I was already stuck at the framerate cap before the multithreading efficiency upgrade. But hey! I can display a TON of ground debris. That was cute.

Oh!! OH!! BOAT CREWS!! I'm a sucker for environmental details like that. I can make boat trips that much more efficient now. (But gone are the days of taking the obligatory "look, I'm steering the boat!" screenshots)

And that money thing I mentioned last time? Yea...after buying her mount, and new mail armor, between my wife and I we have some 300 gold. I'm of the firm belief now that the economy is just inflated from Outlands cash. No harm no foul, as this time around I'm definitely not waiting on the wallet to get to level 40 for my mount...