Carac, a content writer over at World of Raids, today released an article that examines the wow achievement system and how it affects raiding, both with old content and moving forward in Wrath of the Lich King.
With the launch of Wrath of the Lich King, much noise has been made about the comparatively "easy" state of available PvE content. Especially because of the accomplishments of Ensidia, forums community-wide have been abuzz with the concern that our favorite aspect of the World of Warcraft-endgame raiding-has become an unfortunate casualty of Blizzard's recent push to make all aspects of the game accessible to a larger player base. I will not spend time or space here delving into arguments about that guild's gear level or previous experience with the majority of the content, nor the enormous differences in gear progression between The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. Instead, I will here focus on one aspect of the game that many members of the community seem to have forgotten about in this new era of WoW: Achievements.
Since the release of patch 3.0, players have accepted the arrival of the new wow Achievement system in various ways. Some have gone practically insane attempting to acquire every achievement possible, while others have written off the system as a gimmick and have chosen to disregard it entirely. There can be little argument, however, that the system did fundamentally change how players experience the game, and that includes players primarily interested in the raiding aspect. To me, the most interesting portion of the Achievement pane is the "Dungeons & Raids" section. On one hand, this section provides exciting impetus for guilds to venture back into older instances. Whether raiders have conquered those older zones time and again in the past and merely want to rack up more achievement points or are experiencing the encounters for the first time, the new system brings players back to fun and interesting content that they would otherwise have little or no reason to experience at this stage of game evolution. This can only be looked at positively; not only do World of Warcraft players again have reason to vanquish the likes of Ragnaros, Nefarian and C'Thun, but Blizzard has found a way to revive-at least temporarily-quality content that is now vastly underused, a significant victory in the realm of achieving "replayability," which is arguably the ultimate goal of a MMO.
Nonetheless, between 3.0 and the launch of Wrath of the Lich King, this was as far as I thought Achievements would really impact the raid environment. Now, however, having looked more closely at the Achievements available for Northrend raid zones (and having begun to attempt them), it has become clear to me that this new mechanic is deeply affecting how raiders experience the game in Wrath of the Lich King. In the Burning Crusade, when a player wanted to boast about his raiding prowess, he or she would simply say that he had managed to defeat Kael'thas, Illidan or Kil'jaeden. The claim could be backed up with a piece of gear or by the simple reputation of the player's guild, but the novelty of that accomplishment was decidedly fleeting. Especially for guilds on very high-population servers, the fame of being the only guild on the server to have vanquished The Betrayer or The Deceiver lasted merely days or even hours. Thereafter that player and guild was then simply in the company of five to ten (and in some cases more) other guilds on the server that had achieved the same thing.
Wrath of the Lich King raid Achievements, however, have added substantially more layers to the process. While it is one thing for a guild to have progressed through and completed Naxxramas on Heroic difficulty or to have defeated Sartharion the Onyx Guardian in his lair, it is quite another to do so without letting a single raid member die or without first sacrificing a single drake. Indeed, the most difficult of these Achievements reward the player with a title recognizing his or her accomplishment. Therefore, while there may be ten or twenty guilds on the server that have defeated Kel'Thuzad, even on Heroic difficulty, it is likely that only a smaller portion of those guilds have the honor to wear the title "The Immortal."
Though hardcore players may or may not like it, it is both reasonable and likely that Blizzard developers have intended the Achievement system to play such an integral part in the difficulty of endgame raiding. While in both original WoW and The Burning Crusade, the most prominent "achievement" of high-end raiding guilds was simply the successful completion of the most difficult raiding instances in existence, the Achievement system has allowed, and perhaps forced, the focus of high-end raiders to shift. Now, Blizzard has designed their game in a way that allows a greater percentage of the player base to experience the content they have spent so much time creating while still allowing opportunities for and providing challenges to the most skilled of players (and guilds) as well as the means to display those accomplishments when achieved. I fully expect to see these types of difficulty layers to continue and even improve as the game progresses to Ulduar and wherever else we are to be taken in the future, and I welcome the idea that content can be accessible but still challenging through the Achievement system.
When you will feel OOM?Maybe u will tell me ur melee player.As a matter of fact,u r always confronted of Out of wow gold!
Inflation,the top assassin.As a priest player(especially discipline priest),i feel boring to cast those weak spells:Smite,SW:P ,SW:D or Holy fire(now 10S CD!)blah blah blah...SO,the ultimate Discipline talent: Penance--What a wonderful metaphor.In TBC,we may get ten world of warcraft Gold every daily quests(25 quests limited) .Now we can achieve more daily quests and less wow Gold. For the sake of reputation, the daily quests cause diminishing returns.
"Time is money,friend".So,Nefarian yells:"In this world where time is your enemy, it is my greatest ally. This grand game of life that you think you play in fact plays you. "Every day,we work work as a Peon but at night and weekend a Peasant in a farm we call it WOW.Maybe that is why we face to "BOSS" anywhere.OTAKU? OK,you've got upper hand.
Under no circumstance does the world of warcraft goldeffect every facts in the World and WLK.Feel boring to be seared or dazed in chilly Northrend?-Come on,Puppy,we supply the strongest BUFF:Gold.(Of cource,the Buff is undispllable!)
Therefore,to buy world of warcraft gold is not a problem any more. Here I have a good recommendation for those who are short of gold and in urgent need of it. Just as what I have told you that I am wow priest player,and I meet the problem often. So I usually buy wow gold at http://www.gmbar.com which is the most reliable,professional and cheapest wow gold seller online. They promised to deliver my world of warcraft gold fast and provided the best service. And they did it. It's the fact without doubt.
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The Air Jordan XX3 (Jordan 23) is a ground breaking shoe like many of the other Air Jordan Shoes. MJ and JB took strides forward with sustainability producing the shoe without the use of any glue - the first of its kind for a performance basketball shoes. This was accomplished with complex and fine tuned engineering from none other than Tinker Hatfield. The stitching on the side of the shoe adds strength to the shoe, but also makes it much harder to bootleg - something else that JB took into consideration when making these jordan shoes.
The Titanium Jordan XX3 was released on January 25th to only 23 stores who only received 23 pairs. Oh yeah, the price $230 - catch the Jordan 23 theme? The first Jordan XX3 released was the White/Titanium-University Blue colorway, but there will be more colorways of the Jordan 23 coming in the future.
To fully conquer the Silvertine Lodes in Lord of the Rings Online's Mines of Moria, you must first understand them. This has been the goal of all Moria Hero's Guides written by Turbine, and this latest one is no exception.
The deep Silvertine Lodes were once a great resource for mithril and stone used in building the fortresses throughout Moria and funding its expansion. Now, the area is mined dry of mithril and overrun by dark forces. Most of your adventures in this area will revolve around saving lost travelers or defeating the Goblin infestation, but regardless of the task, your presence is sorely needed. Take a look at the complete five-page Hero's Guide to Silvertine Lodes, as well as all previous Hero's Guides in the collection.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 09:31 PM EST [General]
Tina Turner performs "We Don't Need Another Hero" on her "69 And Oh So Fine Tour".....unreal....seriously....a picture like this shouldn't exist on Earth.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 09:28 PM EST [General]
No está mal, acerté tres de cuatro en los cuartos de final del fútbol mexicano. Teniendo en cuenta la igualdad del torneo y que cualquier partido se puede decantar fácilmente para uno u otro equipo, creo que acertar el 75% en la liguilla, no está nada mal.
A pesar de que San Luis terminó como súper líder del Apertura 2008 pronostiqué la clasificación de Santos por su poderío ofensivo. Tengo que reconocer que no esperaba que Cuauhtémoc Blanco influyera en el ataque del actual campeón, pero el ¨Temo¨ ha callado mis críticas con sus dos grandes actuaciones. Dije que Atlante eliminaría a Tigres. A pesar del empate en casa, el equipo de Guadalajara fue el mejor visitante y por eso seguí con esperanzas de avanzar pero yo le tenía fe al equipo de Cancún en casa y después de dos empates avanzó. Ya íbamos dos de dos. Toluca no defraudó. Llevan siete partidos sin recibir gol y Tecos, aun siendo el mejor ataque del torneo no pudo anotar un solo gol a Diablo en dos partidos. Tres de tres. Pumas no había sido eliminado por Cruz Azul en la liguilla en torneos cortos, no pensé que esta sería la primera vez. Al final la barba de Joaquín Beltrán continúa intacta.
Ahora Cruz Azul va con Atlante. A pesar que la vuelta se juega en Cancún creo que Cruz Azul pasará a la final. El ataque de Santos podrá con la defensa de Toluca.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 09:26 PM EST [General]
You do know this is where I lived and attended college in Waukesha Wisc, I just could not balance mom and school, my children are older now, they love me in Wisconsin, I do HAVE OPTIONS... Pete Meyers you make me sick, hear that... Pete! Pete!
8:25 pm Let "her" loose who in the crowd baby mics ONE live!
I'mma what, I was a good one not for the BULLS now what, OBAMA is President because I was a GH thank you very MF much for knowing...
8:31 pm I never know when this will be over with I loved being Mommie in Milwaukee 7440 W 76th I can still remembert my addresa and 239 Hinman in Waukesha, I agev up school and have WONDERFUL family fun, at the drop of a dime... since yo don't know me...
Oh yes... sine I am such a ..."nuicance" I will gladly start my bizness there I will drive you crazy, yes I will elave and return for visits only... all I need to do is find a job there and communte, I don't have a problem with that... do you know how much money I made booking for Carlson Travel... I am Ms Vegas the original one and YOU don't know why do you... Mark Travel baby... top in my group when I had them:) the year Jordan retired!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 08:23 PM CST [General]
Hello Ladies! Are you staying warm and dry? Is Jack Frost nipping at yor nose? How about a place where the weather is always perfect... Where you can indulge in all the chocolate and sweet desserts you desire with no calories... Engage in warm conversations with your Red Hat sisters...
We've got just the place! The Rose Garden Group is always open and ready to welcome you with open arms! Pop in and talk about your day, your chapter or whatever is on your mind! Explore all the threads and topics in the forum! Start a new one if you choose!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 06:21 PM PST [General]
Common Wants Your Mind: Rapper Tests Boundaries on New Album
"I always wanted to be on stage and be a star. Since my mother took me to some Jackson 5 concer****hink it was the 'Victory' tour ...and since I seen Big Daddy Kane doing shows," Loni Rashid Lynn Jr. says from his cell phone after plugging it in to ensure lasting battery life.
"I always wanted to see people reacting to my music." Eight albums ago he was Common Sense, a local Chicago emcee famous for thought provoking poetic lyricism that generated some buzz but didn't quite make him a house-hold name. Today, Common, minus the "Sense," is not only known for his music but also for his acting. His eighth release, 'Universal Mind Control,' is a trippy alternative ride that pays homage to Afrika Bambatta and the Universal Zulu Nation's dance music of the 80s.
"Universal Mind Control is definitely a progression from what I've done before. The sound has more of an international and futuristic tone to it. It does feel like I combined rock with electronic sounds and hip-hop to create something that knocks. The energy of the album is really about having fun and letting go." While on tour overseas with Kanye West last winter Common's new sound was inspired by an elevated global perspective. When his personal DJ declined to play his music in a club he realized that he wasn't worldwide enough for an international arena. The result was him getting in the studio with the Neptunes and West to birth this latest work.
Coming off the lackluster sales of 2001's 'Eclectic Circus' (Common's first music departure from the emcee his fans grew to love) and the impressive sales of 'Be' and 'Finding Forever,' Common isn't worried about how his core audience will react to the diverse music. "I'm a dreamer," he says. "I always believe each album I do is [going to] be a great success. I felt as I was listening to the songs I was making not only is my audience going to enjoy it but more people that were aware of Common through other facets in my career would be able to enjoy it." Continue reading Common Wants Your Mind: Rapper Tests Boundaries on New Album
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 06:17 PM PST [General]
Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Coldplay, Leona Lewis And Alicia Keys Are All #1 In 2008
As Yahoo!, iTunes and a cable on-demand service release their year-end charts, the results are all over the place.
A long, long time ago, say, in 2001, when a massive pop band like 'NSYNC released an album like Celebrity, you could count on them to top the charts across the board. But these days, things are more democratic. No one seems to know how to measure who the real #1 artist is, so everyone gets to take home a shiny trophy - just like pee-wee soccer!
The deluge of year-end charts has begun, and the winners are all over the map. They include mild-mannered Chris Brown - whose videos and interviews were reportedly seen 43 million times on the on-demand Music Choice TV service. Brown was honored at the first Most Demanded Awards show, which, like his videos, was available on-demand for free beginning on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Music Choice executive Damon Williams said that teenage girls were primarily responsible for Brown's victory over such runners-up as the Jonas Brothers and Lil Wayne.
On iTunes, Coldplay took the top prize, as Viva la Vida was dubbed the most downloaded album of the year, with more than 500,000 digital copies sold since June, the AP reported. Coldplay were followed on the iTunes album list by Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static, the soundtrack to "Juno," Wayne's Tha Carter III and Sara Bareilles' Little Voice. The top-selling single on iTunes this year was Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," which sold 3.2 million digital copies, according to her label. iTunes said the second most downloaded single was the title track to Coldplay's album, followed by Flo Rida's "Low" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl."
Over at Yahoo! Music, Alicia Keys got a shiny crown, thanks to her "No One" video, which was the #1 most viewed video on the service this year. According to AbsolutePunk.net, the diva-tastic list also includes a #2 slot for Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" clip, followed by Lewis' "Bleeding Love," Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music," Jordin Sparks' "No Air" and Wayne's "Lollipop." Oh, and that pesky Sara Bareilles snuck in at #9 with "Love Song."
But in the end, no matter what calamities, joys or economic disasters are going on in any given year, you can count on one person rising above the din to unite us all. No, not Barack Obama (he's stuck at #3). For the seventh time in eight years, Britney Spears topped the list of Yahoo!'s most popular search topics. Once again, World Wrestling Entertainment had to take a backseat to Brit, who sat atop a list that also included Miley Cyrus (#4), the enduringly popular MMORPG RuneScape (#5), Jessica Alba (#6), the manga and anime series Naruto (#7), Lindsay Lohan (#8), Angelina Jolie (#9) and something called "American Idol."
God: Hope you're listening. I am feeling, tired, anxious, frustrated and sorry for poor little ole me. You have blessed me abundantly and I feel ashamed that I even have a complaint. I have asked, many times for help with this problem, and it seems that like Paul, it's a cross I'll bear for life. What can I do?
I fall for the same dang thing over and over again. I let good people leave my life and cling to the bad ones. And then I feel bad for even assuming that bad ones are bad or behaving badly. I try to relate but, I'm not perfect. I cannot seem to make sense of unconditional love, or perhaps it's codependence that I cannot see my way out of. I don't want to drink, but I have thought of a drink. I heard that a couple of good friends who just got married this year actually relapsed together and I felt envious. I was talking to a friend about The Matrix last night, I'm sure you heard, about how I sometimes wish I could somehow take back taking the pill that showed me what was real.
I am obsessed. Lift the obsession to gain approval from people, no not people, men, that reject me. Help me to see the Truth. I know the Truth, but I think I need to feel it. I am feeling numb. I am feeling dull and and it's hard to admit that I don't believe I can feel anything positive. I want to feel something better, but I don't want to take the wrong path to feel it. You know what I mean; I'm sure it makes sense to you. A tiny epiphany, spirtual awakening, or bolt of lightning will do. :) Thanks. I'll keep trudging until the answer comes.
