New Year, New Bike, New Character

Hello there, and an early Happy New Year!  For those of you still following this blog, I apologize for the long absence.  I've had a number of developments in my life, some positive, some negative, but all time-consuming, and I haven't been updating like I should.  

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be coming back to start the New Year, and you might say I've got new incentive to get in shape, and a new way to lose weight!

I just purchased myself a new bike, since the old one kept jumping the chain, and rendering all attempts at working out kind of pointless.  This one is lighter, keeps track of distance traveled and calories burned, and provides more opportunities at a varied workout.  

More importantly, my wife and I found out in October that we will be adopting a baby that is expected in mid-to-late February, so the next several months will be spent getting in shape for running after a baby, picking up a baby, carrying a baby, playing with a baby...well, you get the idea.  

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long absence, and I'll be back better than ever in the New Year.  Can't wait to share all of my new adventures with all of you!

A New Journey Begins: Level 1 - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

And, we're back!  I'd like to first express my appreciation to everyone who participated in the polls that determined my new character's race and class, in addition to the appreciation that I have for people who stop by the blog daily or subscribe, for their ongoing support.  

While the vote for goblins was fairly one-sided, (and I'm happy about it, since it means that I get to not only play one of the two new Cataclysm races, but also experience Horde content for the first time) the class vote was hotly contested until at the end, mages won out.  

Ah mages, those fragile, yet lethal damage-dealing machines.  What's more fun than toying with your enemy before finishing them off, whether it's turning them into a sheep, or freezing them in place as you charge up a spell that they know is going to obliterate them?  Nothing, for my money!  Now, what name to give to my greedy, *ahem* "self-interest protecting" goblin with a full arsenal of magic tricks? 

ILLUSIONS, MICHAEL

Exciting news for this 1-85 journey!  All screenshots will be taken by me, personally, so you will be able to click on any of them for a larger, detailed view.  

The expository fly-over of the starting area, (which every race gets) explains that the Goblins are ruled by the greedy, power-hungry Trade Princes, and keep mostly to themselves, choosing not to pick a side in the ongoing conflict between the Horde and Alliance, (why do that, when you can cater to both sides and get double the profit?)  They inhabit the seedy city of Kezan, in the shadow of an active volcano (foreshadowing!) and have, over time, become extremely shrewd, due to their exposure to kaja'mite ore, which they harvest from mines underneath the volcano.  At first, they were made to harvest the ore by the local trolls inhabiting the area, but after prolonged exposure, they become intelligent enough to turn the tables, and enslave the trolls.    

As we join the story, we discover that the ruthless Trade Prince Gallywix controls Kezan, and is keeping an eye on our character, knowing that we want nothing more than to supplant him and take over.  Our character owns a kaja'mite mine, and has come up with the brilliant idea to manufacture it as a beverage that gives the imbiber intelligence.  You run the KTC (Kajaro Trading Company) and have a number of staff at your disposal, none more indispensable than your executive assistant Sassy Hardwrench.  

She gives you the troubling news that the kaja'mite cola production has slowed down, so you head to the mine and talk to the supervisor to see what the problem is.  Turns out that not only have the trolls grown lazy and refuse to work, but the mines are also under attack from some unpleasant gyreworms.  After killing about six of them, I hit level 2.  (You gain levels very quickly early on.)

Shadowmoon Valley: Level 67 - Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Similar to the original game's Blackrock Mountain, Shadowmoon Valley is as close to a 'final zone' that the Burning Crusade has.  The entire zone gears you up for the final fight against Illidan, which will take place in the Black Temple, which makes up most of the eastern border of the area.  Alliance players check into the Wildhammer Stronghold...

and Horde players get Shadowmoon Village.  

a few of the early quests have you dealing with some relatively small fish, like some stray ghost arrokoa and trouble-causing Naga...

but soon you finally get your chance to do some real damage against the Burning Legion, by infiltrating their ranks and sabotaging their bases from within.  

The Scryers and Aldor have also established bases close to the Black Temple, for the impending attack.

One optional path that players can take is to trick the Dragonmaw orcs who serve Illidan into taking them into their ranks.  This unlocks a number of daily quests that have you doing menial work for the orcs, while also sabotaging their mining operations and freeing netherwing drake eggs from the orcs, who break the noble dragons to use as mounts.  Eventually, when you reach a certain reputation, you are unmasked and ordered before Illidan himself, but some of the drakes that you helped whisk you off to the safety of Shattrath, and even allow you the honor of keeping one of them as a mount.  

The final phase of the zone sets the stage for your eventual raid on the Black Temple.  You are sent to meet with Akama, a broken draenei who threw in his lot with Illidan in order to attempt to take the Black Temple back from the orcs who had invaded.  He is having second thoughts about his master, realizing that he replaced one set of viscous overlords with another, and is now prepared to help you defeat Illidan.  He gives you a set of quests to prove your loyalty, and afterwards, some quests to facilitate your entrance to the Black Temple.  

 

However, the front door of the Temple is heavily guarded, and your raid will have to find another way to enter Illidan's stronghold....

Netherstorm: Level 66 - Tuesday, April 19, 2011

While I was able to get back into the workout routine after arriving home from the conference, I was unable to avoid eating the only thing that they provided for breakfast there...bagels and cereal.  

The zone of Netherstorm, located in the northeastern part of Outland, is not in great shape.  The destruction of Draenor ripped some holes into the planet's makeup, and unleashed a perpetual magical storm into the area, which is also floating around with no real rhyme or reason.  The only point of entry into Netherstorm is across a rickety, goblin-made bridge from Blades Edge Mountains.

Shortly after crossing, you arrive at the goblin town of Area 52, where, among other things, the residents are going to extreme measures to stave off encroaching blood elves, stone colossi giants, and some nasty creatures called brood lashers.  

The goblins have also established an outpost in the easternmost part of the zone, Cosmowrench, as a staging area for any adventurers who are interested in taking on Kael'Thas Sunstrider's forces in Tempest Keep.  

This massive craft, which is floating in the nether just off the eastern coast of Netherstorm, is what remained of the Draenei ship when they fled Outland and crashed onto Azeroth.  Tempest Keep has been taken over by Sunstrider and his blood elves, and houses 3 five-man dungeons, and a Level 70 raid where you do battle with Kael'Thas himself. 

Sunstrider has been busy in Netherstorm, by ordering his forces to construct massive manaforges that drain the magic energy directly out of the planet, which isn't helping the already unstable situation.  

The ethereals of the Consortium have constructed large domes and engineered environments within that are more comfortable for any mortal customers that they may get.  

 

And, as always, the Burning Legion are nearby, with more camps cranking out their evil forces.  

Blades Edge Mountains: Level 66 - Monday, April 18, 2011

As previously announced, I was at a conference on this day, and due to running around getting the booth set up and manning it, was unable to squeeze a workout in.  

The Blades Edge Mountains occupy the northwestern portion of Outland, and their hostile terrain and inhabitants mean that not even dragons are safe in this zone. 

Alliance players have two bases in Blades Edge, including the night elf settlement of Sylvanaar in the southern part of the zone...

and Toshley's Station, a Star Wars reference and base occupied by some enterprising gnome engineers.  

 The Horde get Thunderlord Stronghold...

and both factions are welcome at the Cenarion Expedition's outpost at Evergrove.  

There are many threats in the mountains, including a burned-out forest that now houses hostile fire elementals and imps...

an imposing cave occupied by treacherous members of the Black Dragonflight...

and the ever-present Burning Legion, who have established some more Forge Camps in this area, to churn out fel reavers, corehounds, and other nasty creations. 

However, the biggest threat in this zone comes from the numerous clans of hostile ogres that have established camps throughout the mountains.  

After one particularly long chain that has you kill the king of one particular clan of ogres, you are named the new king, and allowed entrance to Ogri'la, a small outpost high above the canyons of Blades Edge, where a group of enlightened ogres have established a peaceful alliance with the Shattari Skyguard from Terokkar Forest.  They give you daily quests that allow you access to powerful gear, and nether ray mounts.  

In the heart of the zone is the entrance to Gruul's Lair, one of the raids available for Level 70 players.  This instance pits you against the evil gronn, Gruul, the ruler of the hostile ogres in Blades Edge.  

Onyxia, Molten Core, Blackwing Lair, Ahn'Qiraj: Level 60: Monday, April 11, 2011

Hitting the level cap in WoW can be very overwhelming.  The entire leveling process is very linear; go somewhere, do some quests, move onto the next place, and repeat.  Once you reach the endgame, you have a number of choices of what to do next.  Most of the options can be boiled down to two broad fields.  You can concentrate on a lot of player-vs.-player scenarios like arenas and battleground, or you can get into endgame dungeons and large raids.  At the time, raids were tuned in difficulty to call for 40 players, and could only be cleared once a week.  The items that were obtained were much more powerful than those found in regular dungeons or from questing.  When WoW was first released, there were two endgame raids available, the one-boss encounter in Onyxia's Lair, and the cavernous Molten Core.  

Onyxia's Lair is the payoff to the storyline of the devious dragon who masqueraded as an advisor to the Stormwind King's son.  After you unmask her, she flees the scene, and you follow her to her lair in Duskwallow Marsh and chop her head off.  One boss, and that was it.  

Molten Core is an immense volcanic cavern that houses the elemental Ragnaros and all of his minions.  

Each section of Molten Core housed a burning rune that groups had to extinguish in order for the penultimate boss to spawn.  The only problem is that the runes were guarded by each section's boss.  

After all of the runes were extinguished, your group took on Majordomo Executus, a large salamander-like creature who had the power to communicate with Ragnaros.  Groups didn't have to kill him; just take care of his eight guardians, and when they were defeated, Executus surrenders and grudgingly consents to summon Ragnaros, although he warns you, it will mean your doom.  

Ragnaros is more angry at Executus, and promptly kills him.  He then turns to you, and if your group is successful, you get a nice photo opportunity with the only thing he leaves behind...his molten hammer.  

Blackwing Lair is the next step up in raid difficulty, and was implemented roughly 9 months after WoW's release.  In this raid, you and your teammates storm the stronghold of Onyxia's brother, Nefarian.  

The first room is unique in that you actually need to temporarily protect the boss that you will eventually kill, named Razorgore.  You need to use his strength to destroy all of the Black Dragonflight eggs that he is guarding, so one of your raid members needs to use a mind control device to manipulate Razorgore, while the rest protect him from the never-ending wave of orcs that storm in and try to kill him.  After you have him destroy the last egg, the mind control fails, and you are free to kill him.  If he dies before all of the eggs are destroyed, a massive explosion will kill everyone in your raid.  

In the next room, you find Nefarian in the process of subduing your friend from Blackrock Spire, the red dragon Vaelastrasz.  

Nefarian has weakened him severely, and has corrupted him to the point where he will turn hostile against you.   With his last bit of free will, Vaelastrasz casts a powerful spell on your raid that essentially gives you unlimited mana, rage or energy, which is important because this fight is a race to destroy the dragon before the spell wears off.  His normal strength is imposing as it is, but he also singles out random raid members with a spell called Burning Adrenaline, which increases their damage by 100%, but kills them after a short duration.  

After a number of other fights against various drakkanoids and drakes, and Nefarian's pet, Chromaggus...

 You come face to face with Nefarian himself, still in his human disguise.  

 Eventually, he sheds the costume and shows himself in his true form.  

6 months after Blackwing Lair was released, the Ahn'Qiraj raid debuted.  This raid was unique, because rather than have each person who wanted to experience it go through a series of quests to get attuned, the entire population on a realm had to participate in a war effort.  This involved characters of all levels crafting food, bandages, armor, and other items, and turning them into members of the war effort.  Once quotas had been reached on all items, an event began in the desert zone of Silithus.  

The bug invasions in Tanaris and Un'Goro Crater, among other places, were in fact warning signs that an Old God buried deep in the Silithus desert had awoken and started causing trouble.  Once the war effort is completed, there is a gate-opening event at the gates of Ahn'Qiraj, and raids could begin exploring the new content.  

Most of the bosses in Ahn'Qiraj are, or resemble, giant bugs, like the raid's first, Prophet Skeram...

or a giant wasp named Huhuran.

One of the most challenging boss fights was the Twin Emperors encounter, which involved two massive fighters who shared a health pool, and would heal each other if they got too close to each other. 

The raid's final boss is the Old God, C'thun, who first appears as only a massive eye, capable of doing massive damage.   

Once you deal enough damage to the eye, C'thun reveals his true form, and in order to defeat him, some raid members must attack him from inside his stomach.