This I think is possibly one of the most useful changes to the default UI, the new filter option “Has skill up”, when I think of the times I’ve been spinning up and down the ever growing list of recipies trying to find the one which is the best fit to the materials I have or can get hold of quickly.
To my treeform, I heal therefore I shapeshift! Dammit Blizz, give me back my treeform, I’ve not logged into warcrack since 4.0.1 dropped (I’m not sure the realms are up yet) but I’m missing my proper healing form already.
The only plus is that MMO Champ have datamined some new TOL forms from the current beta build, so finally Blizz give us a new model and then tell us that we can only have it for 30 seconds at a time.
Gee, thanks.
Now that’s done let’s have a look, on the plus side we’re seeing the new shiny, more polygons, more detail, generally better in that regard. It’s not a friendly free, hell it looks even grumpier than the previous form. It’s falling in with the Ancient model so there’s some consistency across the land of druids but I’m not entirely convinced. For starters it looks like it’s a hunchback, while I can see some logic to a top heavy design (have a look at an oak or any similar tree, all of the ‘size’ is at the top) this seems a little ‘odd’ in the balance of the form. It’s too solidly top heavy for my tastes.
However we know that the first model mined out of a build isn’t always the final version, so we can only hope this is a first (if somewhat complete) stab at a new form and that they’re planning on a minor glyph for those who wish to retain tree form while healing.
[Edit: Larísa over at the Pink Pigtail Inn has a good point I hadn’t thought of, this is a change in the mechanics for PvP, though I have to admit that I rarely used ToL in battlegrounds anyway as it’s enough of a “Oi! Kill Me!” flag to be standing at the back waving your hands without being a tree, but for some people this will be a good mechanic change]
With the dropping of 4.0.1 onto the live servers (our servers are still down at the time of writing, current ETA 1600 European time), we have the merging of badges into a single currency and the chance to grab frost gear is the best ever. However should you splash out on that shiny 264 set?
Realistically I would have to say “no”, my experience within the beta is with three toons of various gear levels.
He’s the best geared toon I have, rocking in 264 and 277 ICC25 gear, he’s tanked Arthas to a kill on 25 & 10 man more than once. Currently he’s sat in Deepholm and SWMBO and myself are levelling as the traditional “tag team paladin” combo, though slightly different to previous expansions in that we’re Prot/Ret rather than Prot/Holy this time.
How much gear has he replaced, very little to be honest. The way things are looking I’m not expecting to change much until the back end of this zone or possibly in Uldum.
My deathgnome, her best gear is in dps and for levelling it’s where I have the most fun when running melee solo. She’s mostly in badge gear, with the odd drop but not much else. Part way through Hyjal she’s replaced a decent chunk of the gear.
Full badge gear with a couple of raid drops. Entirely happy in ICC10 but not topping the meters. She’s replaced pretty much everything at the start of Deepholm (levelled through Vashj’ir)
I have a mage over on the beta who’s mostly in Wrath questing and blue iLevel 200 drops, she’s currently at the start of Hyjal and I have to admit that mages aren’t my best class (as you can probably guess from her gearing). She’s going to be a no-brainer, I cannot see me turning down any of the quest drops to be honest and she’ll be in Cata greens and blues by the end of the first zone, if not earlier.
My money is on “no”, unless your toon is rocking seriously good gear now then it’s probably just as effective to sit on your points until level 85 and then splurge on the justice gear to pimp up your toon for dungeons and entry into heroics. The exception of course is if you have a specific need to boost your gear for something specific (mashing LK, Yoggie, etc etc).
Until then, kick back, relax and it’s only 55 sleeps until the Cataclysm hits.
It’s a hell of an achievement that’s for sure, I suspect that there are a lot of lapsed accounts at the moment, sure some people will be coming back now to get back into the swing of things prior to the world event at 4.0.3 but yet more will be hanging on until the 4.0.3 patch is actually announced / rumoured before shelling out their hard earned cash.
Another announcement in six months time for 13 million?
You have to admit, he’s got himself a pretty sweet deal there, good location, handy for the shops, hot and.. errr hot running lava. No problems heating the place in the winter that’s for certain. Pity about the neighbours and random wandering heroes popping in to trash the place, but I’m sure with whatever Deathwing is paying him he can find some security guards to help out.
Treeform!
When do we want it?
All the time!!
Due to two events co-inciding my brain has been able to do the maths and state that we have 56 sleeps to go until Cataclysm.
That is all, enjoy the next eight weeks.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxk3VqZZBsw]
Crowd control, absolute minimal DPS (don’t want to upset them, the drop rate goes right down).
As some of my readers are aware we’ve had a flock of ducks for a while, but unfortunately last year the local predator (we reckon Fox or Badger) decided to have duck one night. Finally we have replacements, five ducks and a drake, all Khaki Campbell ducks, also known as “a good layer but has the maternal instincts of a brick”. Hopefully in the spring the drake will do his thing and we’ll have some eggs to incubate for “Eggtopia: The first expansion pack”.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRsGyueVLvQ]
