Unstick Me!

If I get stuck on a low-hanging branch, crack in the sidewalk, wooden plank, tiki torch, green leafy plant, small stone, snow mound, shallow staircase, hidden vine, curb or barricade one more time I am really, really going to freak out.

Leveling Up, Avoidance Down

As a tank leveling in Northrend I have watched my glorious pre-expansion dodge and block statistics dwindle to almost unthinkable numbers. When this happens the first reaction is to immediately feel that you are somehow doing something wrong as you replace gear or that you have dramatically misunderstood the new gear itemization. Don't worry - things are fine. Gear in Northrend for a tank, at least pre-raid gear, is very high on defense rating and pretty low on pure avoidance or block rating. Be sure you are stacking defense rating, stamina and strength.

Uncritability
As a tank our first priority is to attain uncritability - especially at the level cap. This means at level 80 you must have 540 defense. While leveling it is not absolutely essential to be uncritable but it is a goal that a tank really should be reaching for at each level of progression. Having this goal will make your gear choices easier and will help you avoid falling massivly short on defense when you do reach level 80. To be uncritable at each level this is what to shoot for:

• Level 71: 495 Defense
• Level 72: 500 Defense
• Level 73: 505 Defense
• Level 74: 510 Defense
• Level 75: 515 Defense
• Level 76: 520 Defense
• Level 77: 525 Defense
• Level 78: 530 Defense
• Level 79: 535 Defense
• Level 80: 540 Defense

I just hit level 75 late last night and I am currently sitting at 508 defense so you can see that I am already behind the curve a bit and need to do some work.

My New Gear
Here is some of the new tanking gear I have picked up recently that has replaced my previous epics. All of these are either quest rewards or items that I crafted. Some of these were outright upgrades and some were sidegrades. I found myself switching to some of the new gear even if it wasn't a huge upgrade simply because I love the aesthetic of Northrend gear.

• Betrayer's Choker
• Tundra Pauldrons
• Expelling Gauntlets
• Tempered Saronite Belt
• Tempered Saronite Legplates
• Tempered Saronite Boots
• Saronite Defender
• Crescent of Brooding Fury

The Holy Grail
As soon as any tank reaches level 74 the first priority must be picking up your new tanking weapon. The quest Wanted: Ragemane's Flipper rewards a choice of some amazing tanking weapons that will surely replace any weapon you had previously. I wouldn't be suprised if these weapons wouldn't last until level 80. They are that good.

• Crescent of Brooding Fury
• Hammer of Quiet Mourning
• Sword of Heartwrenching Slaughter

Don't you just love those names! I took the axe for the extra defense and it just looks amazing. The hammer is also a good choice but I would recommend avoiding the sword as it does not have any defense on it.

A New Home, A New Family

Many of you that have been following this blog since I began writing will be familiar with both my joys and failures as a guild master of first Mors Celeris and then Blackthorn. I enjoyed my time as a guild leader and I feel that I helped many people become successful and have fun in the game and I certainly met some very good friends along the way. Recent events however have forced me to question my commitment and reasons for leading a guild and in fact even remaining in Blackthorn. I needed to get back to basics.

After serious consideration and thought I disbanded guild Blackthorn and have joined the fantastic guild Al'shar lo Dor'ano. I met many member of the Al'shar while raiding toward the end of The Burning Crusade and they were always, without exception, people that I respected and wanted to spend time with in-game.

Al'shar lo Dor'ano is a role-playing guild which is something I have been wanting to dive back into. Being able to remain in character and enjoy the game as an immersive social experience is something I really wanted and needed. I'm also looking forward to raiding with the Al'shar. They are a group of very committed players that like to progress but not at the expense of fun. It really is a perfect fit for me and they seemed happy to have me join their ranks.

Wish me luck in my new home...

Astonishing!

I am speechless from this last weekend of playing Wrath of the Lich King. I have not had such an enjoyable time playing World of Warcraft for an extremely long time. The environment is absolutely gorgeous and the game lore has been so well integrated into the epic quest chains that I feel like I am reading a novel that I cannot put down. Congratulations and thank you Blizzard.

Gothyelk is currently halfway through level 73. Here are some photographs from his adventures over the weekend:

Get those Pets on that Boat!

I have secured passage for myself and four pets aboard the boat to Northrend. Some of these pets I am very happy with and, well, some not so much.

Tolstoy

Tolstoy has been with me since level 15 when I made the long and dangerous journey to the Barrens to tame him. He has been my partner and friend through every dungeon and quest. He has been a loyal killing machine, keeping me safe when I got in over my head and making me look good in raids. Tolstoy will always be with me - this is the pet I identify with. In Northrend Tolstoy will be called on to provide damage (and companionship) in dungeons and raids.

Tiberius

I have always admired the strength and courage of the gorilla in the wild and was often tempted to tame one despite their weaknesses as pets. With the changes recently however the gorilla became a very viable tanking and soloing pet. I found this massive silver back on an island off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale. Tiberius will be my primary questing companion in Northrend.

Kafka

Kafka is an experiment. I starting getting into PvP near the end of Burning Crusade and really enjoyed it. Battlegrounds were a hoot and I really began enjoying the challenges of the arenas as a hunter. The spider has a very nice PvP oriented ability called Web that will immobilize its target for four seconds -- keeping those nasty rogues and warriors off me. I have been tempted however to try a nice hyena in this spot instead. The hyena suits my personality a bit more than the spider and I'm not sure I want another manual-cast special ability to worry about during a frantic arena match.

Fáfnir

I don't know what to say about this beautiful creature. Tracking and taming this rare beast was an adventure I will never forget, but in reality Fáfnir never leaves the stable. I am not sure what role he can fill other than looking gorgeous flapping by my side. I'm also not to keen on flying creatures for some reason (being a dwarf I need things low to the ground). I imagine at some point in the very near future Fáfnir will be released back into the wild.

That leaves me one empty stable slot at the moment that I plan on filling with a Rhino once I arrive in Northrend later today.

Reputation Rewards for Paladin Tanks and Hunters in WotLK

I really enjoy the various factions that we encounter in the game, and if you are anything like me you want to know well in advance which faction have the rewards for the classes you play. I've compiled this list of faction rewards for paladin tanks and hunters that we will find in the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Depending on your current gear level not all of these will be upgrades. The biggest thing to know here is where to get your appropriate head and shoulder enchants.

Reputation Rewards for Paladin Tanks

Argent Crusade
Quartermaster: Veteran Crusader Aliocha Segard, Icecrown
- Special Issue Legplates
- Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector

Frenzyheart Tribe
Quartermaster: Tanak, Frenzy Heart Hill in Sholazar Basin
- Giant-Sized Gauntlets

The Kalu'ak
Quartermaster: Tanaika, Moa'Ki Harbor in Dragonblight
- Ivory-Reinforced Chestguard

Kirin Tor
Quartermaster: Archmage Alvareaux, Violet Citadel in Dalaran
- Fireproven Gauntlents

Knights of the Ebon Blade
Quartermaster: Duchess Mynx, Shadow Vault in Icecrown
- Toxin-Tempered Sabatons

The Oracles
Quartermaster: Geen, Sholazar Basin
- Glimmershell Shoulder Protectors

Sons of Hodir
Quartermaster: Lillehoff, Dun Niffelem in The Storm Peaks
- Lesser Inscription of the Pinnacle
- Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle

The Wyrmrest Accord
Quartermaster: Cielstrasza, top of the Wyrmrest Temple in Dragonblight
- Cloak of Peaceful Resolutions
- Breastplate of the Solemn Council
- Sabatons of Draconic Vigor

Reputation Rewards for Hunters

Argent Crusade
Quartermaster: Veteran Crusader Aliocha Segard, Icecrown
- Zombie Sweeper Shotgun
- Polished Regimental Hauberk

The Kalu'ak
Quartermaster: Tanaika, Moa'Ki Harbor in Dragonblight
- Cuttlefish Scale Breastplate
- Pattern: Dragonscale Ammo Pouch
- Traditional Flensing Knife
- Whale-Stick Harpoon

Kirin Tor
Quartermaster: Archmage Alvareaux, Violet Citadel in Dalaran
- Lightblade Rivener
- Spaulders of Grounded Lightning
- Boots of Twinkling Stars

Knights of the Ebon Blade
Quartermaster: Duchess Mynx, Shadow Vault in Icecrown
- Pattern: Nerubian Reinforced Quiver
- Arcanum of Torment
- Spaulders of the Black Arrow

The Oracles
Quartermaster: Geen, Sholazar Basin
- Toothslice Helm
- Oracle Talisman of Ablution

Sons of Hodir
Quartermaster: Lillehoff, Dun Niffelem in The Storm Peaks
- Giant Ring Belt
- Broken Stalactite
- Stactite Chopper
- Lesser Inscription of the Axe
- Greater Inscription of the Axe

The Wyrmrest Accord
Quartermaster: Cielstrasza, top of the Wyrmrest Temple in Dragonblight
- Fang of Truth

The Suspension of Disbelief

Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is an aesthetic theory intended to characterize people's relationships to art. It refers to the willingness of a person to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic or impossible. It also refers to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises. The state is arguably an essential element when experiencing any drama or work of fiction. We may know very well that we are watching an actor or looking at marks on paper, but we willfully accept them as real in order to fully experience what the artist is attempting to convey.

This suspension of disbelief is a critical component to the success of MMOs like World of Warcraft. Players readily immerse themselves in a world of magic and dragons that they accept as real, at least for a time, in exchange for entertainment and the substitution of the physical reality of our world for something fantastical. It is escapism and we all do it when we read a novel, go to the movies or play Warcraft. A problem arises however when this illusion is broken and one can no longer maintain the suspension of disbelief.

When I am playing World of Warcraft there are very few things that are more irritating and frustrating than something happening in the game that shatters the illusion and brings the real world crashing down around my head. Generally I find there are two primary reasons for me breaking my suspension of disbelief: other players and the game itself.

The characters one chooses to interact with in the game has a large impact on the degree to which one can maintain this suspension of disbelief. Guild members and friends can either be a fantastic catalyst for an immersive game experience (i.e role playing) or they can destroy any notion of escapism with a few words. A guild chat channel that is filled with discussion about girlfriend troubles, descriptions of a visit to the nail salon or stories about a terrible boss at work are a sure way to shatter the illusion that many of us strive to maintain. Instead of a group of adventurers wielding swords and magic the guild has become a group of people sitting around computers and desks in uncomfortable chairs chatting about real life. Boring. I can get that anywhere.

Blizzard, which is the second major party in this tacit agreement, also has the power to destroy our suspension of disbelief. This became obvious to me again last night when the Scourge began invading Stormwind harbor. Calls to arms were made, role-playing was at epic levels and we rallied around the king in the hopes of pushing back the mighty armies of the Lich King himself. Instead, we were met with insane levels of server lag and a game that was impossible to play. These world events are a huge opportunity for enjoyment, role-playing and immersion but when technical difficulties intervene we are back in the real world worrying about internet connections, frames-per-second and that new computer we wish we had purchased when we had more money. Shame on Blizzard for not being prepared and for breaking our agreement to suspend disbelief.

I only hope that when I begin my adventures in Northrend later this week I can do so without reality interfering.

Where in the World?

"Where in the World?" is a weekly feature in which I will post a screenshot from some beautiful location in Azeroth or Outland. I invite my readers to guess the location of the shot. I will be moving this feature to Sunday's starting next week.