The introduction of cross-realm grouping was an attempt by Blizzard to remedy these problems, and for the most part, I would agree that they were successful. But with any solution of this nature there is always a rather large margin for error.  Every single WoW player has dealt with some jerk who thinks he knows everything about the game, or perhaps a player who doesn’t work as hard as other members in the group. I have come up with a list of what I believe to be the top 5 most annoying things about the random dungeon system, and possible solutions to these problems.

5. Players who skip bosses.

This is more of a personal annoyance of mine, which is why I have put it as the least most annoying of the five.  As it stands right now, random dungeon running is one of the most effective ways to level your toons, and part of the reason for this is the gear you attain from killing bosses.  The only time where  I believe it’s acceptable to skip bosses is when you’re at level cap, and your only reason for running random heroics is for your daily 2 frost badges. I’ve been in that boat myself.

• Possible Solution: If you do not wish to skip any bosses during a run, make it known to the rest of the group as soon as you start the run.  Also, if there are specific pieces of gear you require, research where it drops and off of what boss. After that, politely let your party know which bosses you do not wish to skip.
• Possible Solution: Another solution to this problem is to run with people you know.  Try and get a group together who will help you kill the bosses you require.
  

4. The wait as DPS.

Let’s face it – DPS is a dime a dozen when it comes to random dungeons. If you play on a decently populated server, the wait for a random dungeon group as a DPS may take anywhere from 10-30 minutes.  The wait can be an annoyance, so much in fact that it may even discourage players from queing up altogether.  But never fear! There are ways to make the wait a little more tolerable.

• Possible Solution: If you’re lucky enough to play a class that can re-spec to a tank or a healer, you can bite the proverbial bullet and at least get into random’s much quicker. This may not be preferable for a player who loves to DPS, but at least said player can attain badges much quicker for their DPS set, or if they aren’t at level cap, gain XP at a faster rate.
• Possible Solution: If, for any reason you hate either tanking or healing, or perhaps you play a class that is unable to do anything else but DPS – here’s another idea.  If you have yet to reach level cap, you can quest while you wait, or perhaps work on your professions. If questing is out of the question, then there is always farming if you have a gathering profession. Low on gold? Do some dailies! The fact that a lot of WoW players tend to overlook is the vastness of the game they have grown to love. WoW is huge! There is always something to do while you wait.
  

3. Players who drop group during the run.

There are very few things more annoying than waiting to get into a random dungeon (especially as a DPS), and having someone drop group.  I can understand if it’s a valid reason, but most of the time players will leave without even saying a word. Not only is that rude, but it’s bloody annoying.

• Possible Solution: The only real way to ensure that this doesn’t happen is to group up with people that you know and trust.  Not only does this make for a smoother, less complicated run, but it avoids players randomly dropping group and leaving you hanging. Apart from that, there really isn’t much you can do other than que up for a random, and pray to God that it goes smoothly.
  

2. Players who don’t carry their weight.

This, unfortunately, is a very common annoyance when it comes to random dungeons.  A lot of players (especially DPS) are notorious for joining a random dungeon, and not pulling their weight.  I can’t count how many times I have run dungeons where the hunter is only right-clicking the mob and letting the auto fire do its job, or a tank who refuses to hold decent agro on multiple mobs.  I think the most annoying thing for me is a healer who refuses to heal anyone else except himself and the tank.

I can understand if a player is new to the game and doesn’t really know what he/she is doing. WoW, like anything else, has quite the learning curve and it takes a while to fall into your own no matter what the class you play. But there is no excuse for people who join a random heroic, and don’t pull their weight.  By then you should know how to play your class, and how to work as a team. Too many times have I seen people who are under-geared enter heroics and expect everyone else to carry them through.

• Possible Solution: There really isn’t much that can be done about this. My only advice is to do the level best you can and let the chips fall where they may. Either that or try to run with people you know can hold their own.  The sad reality is that one bad apple can spoil the whole bushel when it comes to this game. Ask any serious raider and I’m sure they will agree.

1. The know-it-all/rude players.

This, by far, is the most trying thing when it comes to random dungeons.  If you’re an experienced player you can almost sense when someone like this is in your group, even before they open their mouth. I can understand when the rest of the group is doing something foolish and screwing around, resulting in a wipe. I’m a patient man but even that would upset me.  But unfortunately most times, that’s not the case.  Too many times have I been in a group where for no reason someone is insulting other players, or ordering people around like everyone else is stupid. People need to realize that this is a game, not a job, and most certainly not the be all and end all of human existence.

• Possible Solution: Sorry, there’s no cure for being an asshole.

- Prince Achilles

What would you do for a pair of Blizzcon 2010 TIX??

Here is how Blizzard describes it:

Here are some examples or previews of the wow mag:

PETS: http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1M4b2f964fedde4303.cde/page/9

COMMUNITY: http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1M4b2f964fedde4303.cde/page/33

5th ANNIVERSARY DETAIL: http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1M4b2f964fedde4303.cde/page/23

BATTLE OF SYLVANAS AND ARTHAS AND THE SIEGE OF ICECROWN CITADEL: http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1M4b2f964fedde4303.cde/page/15

The votes are in and a whopping 15 out of 24 contestants won prizing. Congrats to all who brought both excitting and sometimes heart wrentching stories to the Tales of Azeroth Contest!

1st Place - Lost but will never be forgotten (animeguru08)
“A beautiful story of friendship. A tale that shows that real honor is still left in the world…”

2nd Place - Priest killing Gruul (emancipator)
“Brilliant! Just goes to show how even squishies can dish it out in a time of crisis!”

3rd Place - How I got ganked IRL… (GankedIRL)
“This was a riot to read. Tip her well! For the alliance!”

4th Place - A Simple Paradise (Jdumoulin)
“Beautifully written! Really a moving story.”

5th Place - One morning on my way to work… (barf)
“Short but sweet! Where can I get one one of those stickers! *grin*”

Honorable Mention-The tale of Darkened Felstar (Darkened)
-diseased hunter (mross)
-Retaking the Undericty (Scythe8911)
-The amazing Leroy run! IRL (bigmanXX)
-The epic struggle (Zhek)
-Khasha (narsyn)
-Life,Love and World of Warcraft (Eclipsknight)
-Snow, Explosions, and Love (cursedseishi)
-Dedication to test the game (calis)
-Which would you choose? (webslider)

Read all the tales here. Continue to post your stories on TotallyWarcraft, we will be awarding random prizes ongoing….

~The TotallyWarcraft Guild~

• Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Throne
• Icecrown Citadel: The Forzen Halls
• Tier 10 Armour Sets
• Cross-Realm Dungeon Finder
• Quest Tracker

To look at the newest patch notes check out Blizzards official patch notes. Here We’ll leave you with the newly released Trailer for Patch 3.3. Enjoy

Who cares about achievements right? I mean its like we all play the game adn get achievements for talking to someone or walking into an area… So what?? Well finally a real achievement…. This guy completed every achievement in World of Warcraft – a meta-achievement. Everything,! that’s ALL:

• Quests
• PVP
• Reputation
• Instances… Raids
• World Events
• Professions
• Exploration

All 986 achievements were completed and every area in the game was visited by this level 80 Tauren named 小灰 (”little ash”), as reported by MMO Champion. This total of achievements includes everything prior to the launch of Wrath of the Lich King… so Fets of Strength are not included and rightly so as they are impossible ! A slow adjustment by Blizzard on their Achievement Table I might add …

So here we are again, on the verge of the final major patch of this expansion. It feels like only yesterday when we were all raging at M’uru wipes. Here’s a brief overview and reaction to the upcoming patch.

There are a LOT of changes coming to the new player experience system. Believe it or not there are still people out there that don’t play this game. I know it’s hard to believe! Between not getting dazed any more in the first five levels and rogues starting out actually dual-wielding, I’d say this is a welcome improvement for new and old players alike. Updated tooltips will help better explain what your abilities actually do to a newbie. These changes are awesome and will vastly improve new player experience.

Scrolling through the notes here… blah blah blah AOE damage cap blah blah blah… “Pet Resilience: All player pets now get 100% of their master’s resilience.” … HURGH. Holy sweet Jesus it’s about time they did that. How long has this been wanted? Probably ever since resilience was introduced with the Burning Crusade. Continuing on, we see ANOTHER will of the forsaken change. Are you freaking kidding me? This ability has to be the most messed with, toyed around, tinkered mechanic in the game. It seems like every patch they change it in some minute way. This time it shares cooldowns with similar trinkets. Neat, I wonder what the next patch will hold for WotF. I guess this is the reason they added “Will of the forsaken nerf” to the dropdown box of reasons when you try to close your account.

Unique totem art is cool. Aesthetics, while petty, do play a huge role in the “presentation” of the game. “Players no longer need to kill the final bosses in all four wings of this dungeon in order to teleport to Sapphiron. Teleportation orbs have been added to allow players access back and forth from Sapphiron’s lair.” Betrayer of Humanity runs, anyone? This is awesome. So far so good.

Some of the class changes are pretty mundane. DKs are getting a threat boost with Rune Strike. Druids get more haste in resto. A lot of hunter pet changes, mostly to improve avoidance and streamline the pet’s talent trees. They also doubled the speed at which hunter pets level. It seems like we get a lot of help with leveling in these final patches. Not much in the way of changes for mages, some mana cost improvements in fire which will be welcomed. Now as for paladins, something that made me raise an eyebrow was lay on hands causing forbearance – if used on yourself. Making it a 20 minute cooldown is a little much also. Paladin’s already don’t have many “Holly Crap!” abilities, so having to choose between 50% less damage and a full heal sucks the big one.

Priests get some shadow improvements, with haste now affecting their DOTs. Rogues don’t really have anything of note, except when ‘deadly’ is stacked to five stacks, your offhand poison will proc. That’s a nice addition. For shaman, you can now ankh every 15 minutes if you have it talented. Also elemental mastery in the elemental tree has been changed to 15% haste instead of crit chance. This is an AWESOME change, since elemental shaman are already stacked on crit. Warlocks have a bunch of talents switching around and changing. Conflag has been redesigned as has the talent Molten Core. Honestly, I have no idea what these changes mean because a warlock is one of the few classes I’ve never leveled. Sorry, kids. Oh, and warriors. Let me summarize your class changes:

Right, now that I’ve completely summarized the warrior class changes with the blank space above, let’s move on to the Icecrown content. As far as the “gated” entry to the multiple wings, it confuses me to a point. Elite guilds are going to spend two weeks clearing the first wing and the rest farming the crap out of it until the second wing is opened. They’ll have a substantial amount of gear and will probably blow through the second wing in just one raiding week. I could be wrong, because I have no idea of the difficulty level of Icecrown Citadel. From years of raiding experience and watching what the top guilds do, however, it’s pretty easy to guess what’s going to happen. I truly hope someone does blow through the fast wing, be it Ensidia or vodka or whoever, because I am dying to see what happens to the Lich King at the end. Arthas is a personal favorite villain of mine. Anyway, moving on. The new, NEW looking for group system features cross-realm pick-up groups. This idea is awesome, and I really hope it works out. Some things that could hold it back include laggy transitions, bad group make up and lack of leadership. I for one hope the launch goes smoothly.

This by far is not coverage for the entire load of patch notes. It just covers the most pertinent issues and changes. If you have any questions or comments, please follow the link here to discuss it on the forums.

For the full listing of patch notes, follow this link.

Here is the text version:
“World of Warcraft is celebrating its fifth anniversary, and we’re inviting you back to Azeroth to take part in the festivities. Your account has been selected to receive 7 days of FREE game time – simply click below to claim your time and rejoin the adventure.

While you’re back in Azeroth, you’ll be able to enjoy the following new additions to World of Warcraft:

• Grab your own 5-year anniversary pet, the Onyxia Brood Whelpling, just for logging into World of Warcraft during the celebration.*
• Find the Night Elf Mohawk to get your Mohawk Grenades… and help make Azeroth look “goooood”.
• Battle the newly updated level-80 version of the fearsome dragon Onxyia in Dustwallow Marsh.
• Answer the Call of Crusade in Icecrown, and take on all-new dungeon and raid content.
  And more to come… including the epic final confrontation with the Lich King himself.

We hope you join us for the World of Warcraft fifth-anniversary fun! – The World of Warcraft Team

Tweet this!

1. Get A Cool Pet! – Any character that logs into the game between now and Sunday, December 6 at 11:59 p.m. will receive an Onyxian Whelpling pet. This non-combat pet will be available for a limited time only.

2. Onyxia Raid Upgrade - Onyxia, the Brood Mother is getting a new model, a heroic mode, and a 310% speed flying mount drop. The update to Onyxia will convert the dungeon into a 10-player mode with a 25-player Heroic mode for the daft and celebrated. Here’s what Blizzard says on this “Loot will include Tier 2 helms, with stats updated to match the current level of content. There will be a special new item too: a normal drake-sized 310% speed flying mount modeled after Onyxia herself called an Onyxia Broodling. We will also be updating the encounter mechanics to be more fitting for modern raiding, but we can guarantee players will get to experience the frightening horror of deep breaths once again.”

3. World of Warcraft 5 Year Sweepstakes – Blizzard is running a 5 year Anniversarry World of Warcraft Swepstakes and will be giving out weekly prizes to players as a way to say “thanks” for being a part of the World of Warcraft community these past five years. >>>check it out

4. Dev Team Reveal - Developpers reveal their Epic stories about how the game came to be and what aspects of World of Warcraft are remarkable to them … err to their charater …. i mean to them>>> ROFL jsut check out the more than 40 interviews with the extended team here

5. The World of Warcraft Battlecry Campaign – This, also, is not bad… players take a photo of themselves with the Horde or Alliance logo in hand and submit it online. The ‘image collective’ is then organized into a mosaic and you can monitor the progress visually on the Battlecry campaign site. The greater the number of photos submitted, the more artwork Blizzard unlocks on the website. Once the total number of submissions reaches the threshold, an exclusive piece of art is revealed in a master mosaic.

Enjoy! Tweet this

A Cataclysmic event is upon us! Gear up now for the face of Azeroth will soon change forever…
As we prepare for a new, war torn Azeroth, your brethren ask that you conjure up your best tale from you World of Warcraft experience. Entertain the Alliance and the Horde with your stories for a chance to be rewarded with some of the best drops in history from Nvidia, NEC, SteelSeries and Crucial …

Go to our forums and enter the Tales of Azeorth contest. Conjure up your best warcraft related story and post it on our forums Link located at the bottom of this post. Your tale can pertain to ANY in game or out of game experience as long as it pertains directly to World of Warcraft. Stories will be reviewed and then voted upon. You could win the GRAND PRIZE consisting of a Custom GameRigs Gaming Case with a picture of your toon and guild tabard on it as well as a 24″ NEC Display, 2 GB Crucial Memory, a subscription to Massive Online Gamer magazine, and a SteelSeries QcK Gaming Surface (Wrath of the Lich King).

To Learn More about the contest, prizing and the rules please follow the buttons below.

Contest Starts October 22nd.