Twisted Nether BlogcastTwisted Nether Blogcast

Shared Topic: Of PTRs and News Websites

Saturday, 12th of December 2009 at 07:00:50 PM

Windsoar of Jaded Alt suggested a topic from quite a few weeks ago (unfortunately, I was crit by the RL monster and haven’t been able to get the Shared Topics up) exploring the impact of PTR’s and news websites on the game.

“I thought it’d be interesting to see how people felt about PTRs and the news information about WoW that this generates. It seems more and more these days that before content is widely available (live!) that the community at large is already aware of all the bosses, the items that will be available, and people walk into a dungeon with a firm strat and a gear list in hand.
I personally am divided on this issue — for example, I love seeing my tier sets and their bonuses before they come out, but I avoid any and all information regarding dungeons — I don’t want to see pictures of the dungeon, I don’t want to know the boss’ abilities, and I sure don’t want a loot table. To me, having all that information detracts from the noobish awe and fun of a new raid instance.”

Responding to the topic this week are the following:

Jeffo at Looking for More

Windsoar at Jaded Alt

Rajjs at The Angry Alt

Adam at Casualcraft

Ophelie at The Bossy Pally

Uskan of The H(e)alo

If you would like to participate in the Shared Topic, or post a new one, please visit the Blog Azeroth Forums!

I am also looking for someone who would like to handle the Shared Topic between the 28th December and the 28th January while I am schlepping around overseas, neglecting my internet duties. Basically, you would be asked to write a post very similar to this one – pretty easy, huh? If you are interested, feel free to contact me (whether it be on Twitter, or through email at destructivereach AT yahoo DOT com DOT au) for more information.

Resource Site Spotlight: Boss Tactics

EuripidesOutDPS

Friday, 11th of December 2009 at 02:04:06 PM

Note: This is a repost of a column written by the OutDPS addon guru, Faeghleis.

Boss Tactics is an a phenomenal tool to make your raid run more smoothly. What it does is allows synchronized graphical walk through of boss encounters. “Huh” I hear you ask? Boss Tactics let’s you and everyone in your raid to see the same thing at the same time for the strategy for the encounter. The addon is laid out in a very clear and concise manner: instance selection and bosses are at the top followed by custom text options and details about trash. Looking down to the left is where the heart if the addon lies, in a screenshot section where movable pins are located. The raid leader (or raid assistants) have control of these pins. But that’s just the beginning, not only is every pin move broadcasted to the raid keeping everyone in sync, you can also ping and draw on this screenshot section. If you need to illustrate a complex maneuver it’s extremely simple and intuitive to do.

Continuing down from the tactics space is the raid management tools. These are both for integral functions of the addon itself, as well as more generic raid functions such as automatic promotion of raid assistants. Other buttons in this section are for starting and synchronizing the boss tactics sessions and the tactics mode- more on this later.

The right hand half of the addon is dominated by the text description of the encounter, again the text is customizable. If the text has changed on the raid leaders version, the addon will send the appropriate changes to the raid.

For raid assistants there is also a raid leader’s chat channel built into the addon on the right hand side. The addon also automatically generates chat channels for your heals, dps and tanks, although these are accessed via slash commands.

There is also has a special “Tactics Mode” to allow raid leaders to prepare and modify the default strategies that come as standard without having to be in a raid to prepare. All in all Boss Tactics is a great little tool to help you wipe less.

Below are two walk though videos that the BossTactics author Sorontur made for raid leaders.

You can download Boss Tactics here but make sure you download the individual instance modules.

The resource site spotlight (aka wiki tiki utility posts) should happen every week, but is written by Euripides from outdps.com, and endeavors to fill your favorites bar with an unmanageably large quantity of WOW resource sites. So much knowledge that it hurts. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.

TNB Live Friday 12/11 8pm PST – Tempeste, Wemb and Wych

Nibuca

Thursday, 10th of December 2009 at 03:55:14 PM

Please join us in our live chat room as we chat with Tempeste, Wemb and Wych from the Bind on Equip Podcast.

Listen in our LIVE chat room and we’ll take questions (and hopefully answer them if we can).
The BOE necklace is from the ALBUDesign. Nib thinks these would make great Holiday gifts.

When is it?: This live show is scheduled for Friday December 11th at 8pm PST (3pm Saturday in Australia). Not sure what time that is for you? Use this handy-dandy time converter!
Where do I go? To participate on the live show, you will need to go to the TNB Live Show page to connect with the stream. See, totally easy. If you are having issues then go to the Ustream page.
Some general ground rules:
1. Be nice. If you say very inappropriate things be aware you will be kicked from the room. We are doing this to have a great time, come with a beer, come during a raid, come how you wish, just don’t come to cause trouble.
2. You may ask questions to the participants during the show, but we reserve the right to use them if and when we can. I will be monitoring the chat room and if I can I will use the comments during the show. We love that you are with us, but I will have to weave them in. Even if it isn’t asked, we all appreciate your questions

Outside of that, we will love to have you join us and partake in an enlightening discussion that is sure to follow! Hope to see you there!

Episode 69 – Hordie with a “D”

Nibuca

Thursday, 10th of December 2009 at 01:27:33 AM

We welcome Kim from World of Warcraft Wanderings this week and we ponder the great meaning of 5.. We also talk about “How to do top DPS” and that WoW.com is hiring. Listen and be Amazed.. I know we were..

Episode 68 – Twisted Gnomer Blogcast

Nibuca

Wednesday, 2nd of December 2009 at 12:02:55 AM

Another week, another show! This time, our guest is from down under (that’s right, Ironforge!).. Gnomaggedon from Armaggedon’s Coming is with us to talk about the Aussie way to play WoW and dig deeper into the Pilgrim’s Bounty holiday than you ever thought possible! WoW turns 5 and Warcraft turns 15. Join in on the festivities! And we double our wikibrarian’s pay, but cut their bonuses and vacation time!