Post Patch 5.04: The Little Things

So. The other behemoth in the room. The contender to face off against new release MMOs...Patch 5.04! YAY!!!!!
Kinda....I personally hate giant patch releases. Especially pre-expansion ones. It's cool when new things get added, but usually they break the game, addons, other things...my class sometimes. They involve lengthy maintenance and sometimes, lengthy downloading. Or in this case, optimization... I didn't mind the optimization, but the time left indicator was really odd. It sat at 0% for about 30 minutes, then creeped to about 4%...then shot to 100%....very accurate.
I also don't like patches because they break addons. I really like my UI, and am pretty reliant on things like Adibags to not make myself go nuts. I also feel uncomfortable without my Vuhdo, even though I've successfully healed without it. Just not the same.
Despite all this stress, I'm still incredibly pleased with the new patch. It brings about a ton of changes, but they are all, in my opinion, good, and I feel that there is something exciting for every class.Whether it be cosmetic glyphs, quality of life changes, or just new abilities, Mists of Pandaria is starting to look good.

Guild Rep and Experience Cap Gone!
You can also earn the same amount of rep and exp at all levels, so I've been seeing level 40s with exalted guild status...cool but crazy!

After nearly a month of grinding dailies for rep, I finish off two weeks worth in 10 quests...

Four days of dailies later...

Hunters are cool! :D
Between our new talents, (A Murder of Crows, Blink Strike!) to glyphs (Fetch!) and quality of life improvements (bai bai range), I've been absolutely in love with my hunter. Beast Mastery got a lovely boost, and pets got a great revamp. We have some new and unique utility and I can't wait to go tame some more pets in MoP.

One of the new families: Water Striders.

  My biggest applause goes to the revamp of hunter pets. Being able to instantly switch from Tenacity to Cunning to Ferocity outside of combat, and with whichever pet you want, is a great change. It allows for people to use the pet they love, only having to consider abilities, and only really, at certain times. So outside of dungeons/raiding/bgs, you can use whatever you want, which is nice if you're leveling/questing. For those more important PvE endeavors, pets still offer different buffs, but some are changed and some are new.
Cats and Spirit Beasts now offer a boost to Mastery. (This replaces the Agility/Strength buff.)
Hyenas and Serpents increase Melee and Range speed by 10%. 
Water Striders offer casters a 5% increase to Spell Power and Crit.
Water Striders are a cool addition to the pet family. Not only do they offer a buff to add to our utility arsenal, but they also give us Water Trot, our version of Water Walking. Love it! Been easily getting around Tol Barad using this pet when I do dailies. :) The other addition in patch 5.04 (excluding the MoP families) is Basilisks, who have a stone CC ability.
I also like how our ranged weapons now appear on our backs. Makes me feel very Katniss. I recently got the beautiful Golden Bow of Quel'Thalas and it looks amazing and uncomfortable on my hunter's back. :)

Still tryng to figure out a transmog outfit to match. It's a lot harder than it looks :(.
Account-wide Pets and Mounts

You've been far to unused for far too long.

So, a long time ago, I was running my bf through Stratholme on my paladin. And guess what dropped...Rivendare's Mount! I don't play my paladin...ever, but it all paid off in the end. Account-wide mounts are an amazing thing to behold. Now I get to enjoy my Rivendare's Mount, Ultramarine Qiraji Battle Tank (arch mount), and Phosphorus Stone Drake on all my toons. Love it! :D

Druid Stuff
Tree form's back

  While my days as a druid have been numbered thanks to recent events, I still have a lowbie I've been leveling for fun. Once I hit level 25, I grabbed my glyph and went for it. Gotta love those shaking roots. :)
Boomkin on mounts.

Enough said.
No more fishing poles.
I suddenly had this crazy idea that I wanted to level fishing on my hunter, since I've only ever leveled it on my druid. I forgot to put a fishing pole on, so I was surprised when I looked and I didn't need it.

I think it's kind of clever they just made it a stick with a string. It reminds me of my days as a kid at the park lake. :)
Until then, just enjoy the view. 
These are just the little things; mostly nonessential or cosmetic. The big changes, such as the leveling experience, the LFR loot system, Talents/Glyphs changes and of course, Healing Mushrooms are for another post. I'm still finding new things every day.  

I choose you...

I caught all 151 (that extra is from the achievement reward, Celestial Dragon)

Things to do before Pandas

Been out and about in the lands of Warcraft, preparing for a new adventure. I'm pretty excited about the new expansion, and most of my activities preparing for it. I'm in the MoP beta, part of my annual pass, but I haven't been doing much. I have horrible lag in Pandaria, so I usually just mess with talents and glyphs and punch dummies in the face.
So we got about 60 days until release dayyy... what do I need to accomplish.

150 Pets
This might not happen before the release of 5.0, which will of course happen before MoP, and includes, if I'm not mistaken, the account wide companions. So by the time 5.0 comes out, if my luck doesn't take a nose dive turn for the better, I won't get this. But I'm trying, mainly for my own satisfaction. With out a doubt I will hit 150 when the account wide stuff hits, so it's not like it's impossible or a huge struggle. Just seeing how lazy I am.   

Warlock to 85/ Inscription to 525
My warlock has been at 72 for a while now. I am planning to play a Warlock in MoP, especially with all the changes that have been made to them. They will probably be my choice caster dps since I am going to focus on Feral in MoP on my druid. So far, leveling my warlock has been the victim of drastic laziness- honestly, warlocks feel like they're at an odd state; noone seems to play them, and blogs I read about the class seem to proclaim them dead. However, MoP is offerring some great new additions and I think they will make a nice difference. 
My warlock's profession is Inscription, and to be honest, it's probably more important than leveling the warlock herself. I've been regularly doing research so hopefully, I'll have a decent set of glyphs to offer when the new 5.0 comes out. Hope it works. >.<

Learning all the glyphs
Speaking of, it's going to be important to learn as many as you can before 5.0 hits. I would see what new glyphs are being kept and which are being deleted to know what your class needs. I'll be doing that for the druid and hunter soon, and may work on other alts if I feel they are worthy.

Get to exalted in my new guild on Aenerys
It looks like I will be able to accomplish this by the end of August, which is perfect timing in my books. I freaking hate the guild reputation system, not because its rep but because of the cap.
Anyways, I really would like to do this to obtain the pets and mounts...I know that sounds bad, but I am not sure if the guild I'm currently in will change their rules once expansion comes out (I'm currently running around with a skeleton crew), so I want those before I might be forced to leave.

Get Magria
Stupid pet is totally being elusive and hiding from me...I haven't seen Ankha either, but man Ban'thalos....best friend's he and I.

Complete Transmogs for toons. 
Been checking the AH daily for assorted gear for Transmog. I've been lucky enough to find some nice pieces (Ulduar gems) and other things. Also running certain raids when I can. Sometimes, I can't wait to be 90 so I can have an easier time in places like BT and SSC. But again, I like the satisfaction of feeling that I did something special.   

Looks like that's about it...Seems like there's a lot to do, as long as I keep my ass going. I'm very excited for MoP though, so even if I don't finish the list, I'll still be happy. September 25th! Can't wait.

Transmog Post: Blues and Purples

I have two new outfits to share, one druid and one hunter. I've been working on the hunter outfit for some time.
Hunter's got the blues (and golds)
The cool thing about wearing mail is that hunters can use some shaman looking pieces, so instead of being confined to scaley looking pants, I was able to create a very girly look with a long mail skirt. The main piece this outfit is centered on is the Frozen Forest Kilt, along with the Helm of Soothing Currents, which is based off the shaman tier 6 helm. While I hoped to get the matching recolored shoulders, The Wavemender's Mantle, I haven't had any luck yet. Luckily the T5 Hunter shoulders are a perfect match in terms of color and style. Don't ask how that weapon fits with the outfit...I just like it. >.<

Helm: Helm of Soothing Currents : Black Temple (High Warlord Naj'entus)
Shoulders: Rift Stalker Mantle : Tier 5 Token from Tempest Keep (Void Reaver)
Chest: Lord's Breastplate : Random drop; level 48
Hands: Rift Stalker Gauntlets : Tier 5 Token from Serpentshrine Caverns (Leotheras the Blind)
Belt: Tol'vir Hereditary Girdle: Drops from Cyrus the Black, rare in Uldum.
Legs: Frozen Forest Kilt : Ormorok the Tree-Shaper, in The Nexus
Feet: Savage Gladiator Greaves :  Drops from Anub'Shiah in Blackrock Depths (honestly, any black toed boots will do.)
Weapon: Brutal Gladiator's Longbow : Legacy PvP Weapon vendor in Stormwind/Orgrimmar.

The Dark Druid
So, as mentioned before, I was able to snag a beautiful Phosphorus Stone Drake on my beloved druid. It's my favorite of all the stone drakes, with its perfect shades of purple and grey. So, in honor of my new favorite mount, I pulled together a nice purple/black rogue-ish outfit.
There's a pretty long history behind this outfit. It's basically been in the making since I was able to snag my own Cursed Vision of Sargeras. I was going for a black, ninja/rogue like outfit during most of my efforts, but usually settled with just wearing it with some of my druid outfits simply because it's cool. I've always been partial to Mantle of Shadowy Embrace, because I like its mixture of black and dark purple, but the piece itself isn't part of a set, so I had to come up with that on my own. The only other full purple set is a recolor of the Shadowcraft armor (heirloom/replica), and I didn't like the legs of it. I was soon able to find a Proto-Hide Leggings off the AH, an Ulduar BoE drop, and was delighted that it fight in perfectly with what I was looking for. I'm very happy with the final product, although I would like to eventually find a more suitable staff.  

Helm: Cursed Vision of Sargeras : Black Temple (Illidan)
Shoulders: Mantle of Shadowy Embrace : Keli'dan the Breaker, H Blood Furnace
Chest: Vest of Vengeance : Keli'dan the Breaker, Normal Blood Furnace
Hands: Deft Handguards : Quagmirran, Normal Slave Pens
Waist: Shifting Sash of Midnight : Reinforced Fel Iron Chest: Normal Hellfire Ramparts
Legs: Proto-Hide Leggings : Ulduar Trash Drop
Feet: Rapscallion Boots : Karazhan (Shade of Aran)
Weapon: Halion, Staff of Forgotten Love: Icecrown Citadel 10 man (The Lich King)
Here's a shot of this outfit with my new drake :D

(I still need the feet :( )

Cataclysm Reflection

I have to admit- which is hard for me because a lot of people I know aren't necessarily on the same boat as me- but I am really excited for Mists of Pandaria. There's something so exciting about new content in WoW that gets me giddy. I did not feel this way at all for Cataclysm. In fact, I was flat out dreading it. I was extremely content in my WotLK happy-land, and most of my favorite memories happened in that expansion. Fast forward to the end of Cataclysm, and I've traveled servers, lost guilds, switched alts, PvP'd, quit, joined other MMOs, all to end up back here, where I eagerly await MoP. Cataclysm can soon become a faint memory...a forgotten, badly digested meal. And yet, it's effects on me are endless. I'm entering MoP on a realm, nearly by myself, with a class I am very worried about. The silver lining is that I get Tree form back.
So Cataclysm, what happened? How did I end up here? And how am I still playing?
Hopping of all sorts.
Cataclysm started out good. We were cruising through Tier 11 content fast and were well on our ways to finishing normal in a timely fashion. Then suddenly, a lot of people had real life hit them, and the guild disappeared. I was a bit shocked by how fast things changed, but it had happened in WotLK, and I had somehow dealt with it.
But when I look back on it, I had a horribly long journey into finding a new guild after <Taint> fell apart. I sat around with the skeleton crew for a few months, before trying out 25 man casual raiding (short...there's no such thing), then 25 man hardcore raiding (too...bleh), before finally landing in a 10 man casual/hardcore guild. This was the guild I felt mostly at home with, had my greatest raiding experience in, and am probably most devoted to. Even today, while not in WoW, I keep in touch and have followed them to other games. So the entire idea of searching for a new WoW guild after them seemed nearly impossible. It looked long and tedious, and I honestly didn't think I would find a place or people that I felt as comfortable with as I did them.
I stopped playing right in the middle of T11, before that ZA/ZG patch came out. A couple of my old guildies tried out Rift, so I followed them as well. It was fun, but we all lost interest after a bit.
Some of my real life friends convinced me to try out a new realm that they played on in WoW, and I raided a majority of Tier 12 with them. It was a different experience, but we still progressed well. Had LAN parties. I had my frustrations, but thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. Still, time went on, and SWTOR was around the corner, so I left shortly after T13 was released. I really liked SWTOR, and spent a lot of time playing it. But something also wasn't right.The game lost its sparkle for me shortly after I hit 50 on a toon. I tried making alts, and at one point, got really into one, but once I hit a certain chapter in the story, the newness faded fast. I returned to WoW, simply because my druid will always be that comforting blanket I can't live without. Ultimately, I ended up with a friend on Icecrown. I'm pretty satisfied here, although I'm still stuck playing Alliance. Icecrown is well populated realm that's PVE, and after the news about Garrosh, I'm pretty sure this is where I will stay into MoP.
What can I do for you?
Perhaps the most serious problem I felt was how druids, particularly restoration, was being handled throughout Cataclysm. We struggled in Tier 11, were amazing in Tier 12, then nerfed back to Tier 13. While I have yet to really feel these changes, I look at what is in store for us MoP and seriously worry about where we are going as Trees. But hey, we are going to be trees again you know. The biggest problem I see with us isn't that we are being nerfed, buffed, nerfed or anything of the sorts- I just don't feel like we are given a clear goal- we're constantly in this grey area, where we are okay at everything, but not really particularly good at anything. And while that's not terrible, it has its downsides when we seriously lack utility or uniqueness. Sure, we're the "HoT" class, but how effective is that really? It can be, but its not why we're picked up as a class. It's not for Rebirth, since someone else can do that now. Our healing output is subpar at best. Our AoE heals have been nerfed back to Tier11 status, which isn't good. Looking into MoP, there are some signs of hope. In our talents, we get a possible utility buff, and Nature's Swiftness was buffed a bit. I haven't seen any vast improvements, and Healing Mushrooms (technically our ONLY new healing spell) is subpar at best. We are being loaded down with GCDs (both Lifebloom and Healing Mushrooms require 3) and I'm kinda worried about how our toolbox is shaping out. But I'm clinging to the belief that there is some hope before I through in the towel and switch classes. There was a time where I was going to- I thought I'd go hunter and do DPS, but I always came back to my druid. It's like with a sports team. I'm not a bandwagon fan; I'm a true fan. Been in it forever, through the bad and good. And sometimes I feel like I will be there through it all, because despite everything, my druid is still my main, my favorite class.
One is the loneliest number
The biggest downfall of Cataclysm was that I lost a lot of friends. To real life, boredom or disinterest.
I didn't really lose them- the wonders of Facebook. But, in general, I am alone on my server, trekking my way around. You can't really blame people; between expansion time is the quietest time in guilds all around, and with other games like Diablo 3 and SWTOR out, there's plenty of other choices to take into consideration. It's certainly not their fault that I'm the only person in the world that found stuff to do on WoW. But sometimes, those empty guild chats and quiet friends lists can be discouraging.
Luckily, a huge thing Cataclysm taught me was that, although at times limiting, I can trekk through an MMO as a solo player just fine. Whether it be earning gold, leveling new toons, or simply preparing for the new expansion, I've found plenty to keep me busy, especially as of late. You learn to take things in stride, even when you feel lonely. And leaning towards appealing to the casual gamer, something Blizzard seems to have shifted their focus on, has plenty of benefits for the solo gamer as well. Unfortunately, I don't feel that Cataclysm was made that way, so the transition might've been a bit hopeless in this expansion. Yet this direction is taking full shape in Mists of Pandaria, and I am definitely looking forward to it.
Final Thoughts
So how do I feel about Cataclysm? Well, to be honest, especially compared to WotLK, I hated it. It was...if I will, a "Cataclysm" for me and my Wow playing. I left the game a lot (once for Rift, once for SWTOR, and one kinda time for Diablo 3) and didn't regret it. I lost a lot of interest in raiding, leveling became so easy it was a bore, and the community seemed to become more distant, yet restless at the same time.
I felt incredibly alienated as a resto-druid player. The ups and downs of our changes in each tier was discouraging at best. I still sometimes feel that they have no idea what to do with us. We didn't have the right utility, we didn't have the good enough output (and when we did, people QQ'd and we got nerfed). We keep getting told our toolbox is good enough (which it could be yes), but over and over, it seems that that belief is flawed.  
Raiding and healing has become a stale activity. I particularly don't care for raiding anymore. Finding a guild is difficult, especially one I want to raid with, and the LFR experience is nothing I want to experience anytime soon.
Still, like I've said before, I'll stick it out. There are some fun, albeit shallow, things to look forward to in MoP, and I realized that if focus on the solo experience, and the smaller group content, and the Pet Battle System, I'll be fine. For how long though, remains to be seen.

Of Druids and Heals and LFR

On the WoW front.
I finally transferred my druid from the PvP server, Deathwing, to a PvE server, Icecrown. I'm pretty happy with the change. There's something comforting about not being flagged every single moment I'm not in an Alliance only territory. And if I was flagged, and came upon someone of the other faction, there's a higher probability they won't attack me.
LFR

MoP Beta: Screenshot Edition

So I finally got my MoP Beta invite, since I'm an annual pass holder. To be honest, I wasn't really planning to play too much, simply because after SWTOR beta, I found some of the magic of the new content wore off during beta play. Still, I decided I was curious enough to go check out few of the new things.
Creation and Pandas
First, I decided I wanted to try the Pandaren monk starting zone and see how I felt about the female Panda models. I'm not too impressed by them. They're curvacious and fluffy and the hairstyles scream Anime to me. I do like the new creation menu, and find it easier to go back to a style I liked instead of having to re-click through everything. I like that when you choose a class, all the classes wear different armor sets instead of just beginning robes, so you can kind of get a sense of the character's gear looks. After I finished creating and brought to the start screen, I was immediately turned off by the female panda's idle animation. She does this weird annoyed huff/slouch thing, that is fluid and well detailed (thus once again showing how much better the graphics are getting), but I didn't really like it as a whole. Makes her seem kinda uptight.
Anyways, I entered and was greeted to this.

 As you can see, after struggling just to click the stupid quest giver, I decided this wasn't going to work and logged off immediately.
Druid Dappling
I decided instead to go find the glyphs on my druid and maybe explore the first area. I took my dear Aenerys and we ran around Jade Forest and went to the first dungeon there to get the glyphs. I also tried out the talent tree, which, upon trying out for the first time (I haven't really been following MoP stuff online), decided I could eventually work with this. My first spec was fresh so I picked Restoration and had fun picking talents. I like the movement first tier and while I didn't really do anything with those talents, I think I'll try them out later. Teleportation Tree! Yes please! After spec'ing I thought maybe I would want to try out leveling in Jade Forest, so switched to my second spec. For some reason I am completely locked into Guardian spec (bear) and no matter how many times I pay for a respec cannot get out of Guardian spec. So that ended my leveling idea. Instead I loaded up some glyphs, including Tree Form !!!! :DDDDD and Orca. I then decided I had to see the Stag and started running to the first dungeon (Jade Serpent Temple?) where the glyph vendor is.
I have to admit, this place is beautiful. I love the scenery and really enjoyed just the trip to the places I went. I saw this strange looking creature.

What a weird creature right! He deserved a screenie I thought.
Moonglade has always been my favorite area, but this next place I ran to will probably replace it. I love the deep shades of blue and grey. Gorgeous. 

  I finally made it to Jade Serpent Temple (?) which was also gorgeous. I literally ran around in Tree form exploring the area. I felt so awesome! Tree FORM!

You can't really see it, but there was a single pink lily in the water (right hand bottem corner). I love the detailing of the red blossom trees with the low hanging branches of the willow like trees. So beautiful. (AND LOOK! I'm a TREE :D)

Druid Glyphs and Abilities

So I did eventually try out the new glyphs. 

This is Ursol's Vortex, a talent ability that slows mobs inside the vortex. I decided to go into the middle because it looks like I'm a tornado treeeee!

And here's Glyph of the Orca. While I probably won't use this in the long run, I thought it was fun to try. The Orca is much more nicer looking and smoother then the stupid seal form. I'm quite pleased with it.

I guess I didn't take any pictures of the glyph of the Stag, but it's basically a white stag, kinda like Marlone. I can't try the Glyph of Stars (caster boomkin form) because I can't get a Boomkin spec. The Glyph of the Chameleon isn't anything too special. I just change colors each time I go into cat or bear form. Might be cooler on a troll druid, because their colors are more eclectic.

Transmog Post: Fire Druid

Been a while since I showed off some transmog outfits. I was messing around with a few pieces. My first thought was creating a "fire druid" outfit to go along with my Fandral's Flamescythe (ie. Fire kitteh staff), although I also really like my Funeral Pyre staff.  I particularly stuck with the colors of red, yellow and brown, simply because those remind me of fire. Because of the limits of the gear available, my toon looks more like someone whose dappled within fire, then actually being on fire themselves.

Helm: Gladiator's Kodohide Helm-1000 Honor ; Vendor in Netherstorm
Shoulders:  Titan-Forged Spaulders of Triumph: Wintergrasp Vendor
Chest: Thunderheart Tunic: T6 token from Illidian in Black Temple
Belt: Thunderheart Belt : T6 token from assorted bosses in Sunwell Plateau
Hands: Loramus' Gloves: The Altar of the Storms quest in Blasted Lands 
Feet: Boots of the Frozen Seed: Crafted 264 boots from ICC. 
Staff: Funeral Pyre: Shared loot from bosses in Firelands.

Maybe I'm a secret slut, but I prefer gear for night elves that show a little skin. That's why I like the Thunderheart Tunic/Chestguard so much. The Gladiator's Kodohide Helm, a red version of the T5 helm, is a perfect look of charred antlers and red.  I also prefer the Titan-Forge Spaulders, which have insets that have flames, better than the Obsidian set (t12), which, while charred and fire looking, reminds me of a strange looking bug.

This set swaps Thunderheart Tunic for Robes of the Summer Flames, which I think is far more obvious in terms of fire, then the previous chest. I do hesitate whether I like it or not simply because it's a bit loud in terms of detailing, but then again, when has fire ever been silent?

Chest: Robes of the Summer Flame: Drops from Magister's Terrace, Kael'thas Sunstider, Normal Mode.

100 Mounts? :D

Today! I got 100 mounts. Scratch that. 101 mounts! :D So what were the 2 last mounts?
First off, it's the Darkmoon Faire. I missed a day and a few quest item turn ins, so I had to wait an extra month to get the last mount. I was pleasantly surprised by the Darkmoon Dancing Bear, which I put off getting since I already had a bear and wanted my first tailstrider mount. Instead of roaring when you stationary spacebar him, he dances! I love it!

I'm hanging on!

Then, I got my Spectral Gryphon for forcing him with a gun inviting my friend, Anthony, back to WoW with a scroll. I thought the little mail was cute from "my favorite Spirit Healer." (is there even such thing?)

After learning it, I got my achievement and a beautiful blue dragonhawk to ride around. :D Cheers!

MoP NDA Lifted: Holy Information, Batman!

Garrosh
 First, the biggest news, to me, has been the anouncement that the final MoP boss (in the final MoP content patch) will be Garrosh Hellscream (noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo)
He will be part of the raid called The Siege of Orgrimmar, and the goal will be for Alliance and Horde players to take "the mantle of Warchief" from him.
I'm fine if he's not Warchief. It's sad but I'm really just not invested in any of the leaders in general. I used to like Thrall but then he went all Hippie Mary Sue on me.
However, I am invested in my beloved Garrosh Hellscream, and am incredibly sad that he'll be jumping off the crazy ledge of villian-y and into a raid. It's safe to say I won't be partaking in the raid, even if it involves some really cool scenes, fights or whatever. I'll watch it on youtube.
Um can I sack Stormwind?
In all honesty, I could see this coming. Garrosh has become such a hated figure in the community and in the Horde that his doom was just waiting for him. But to partake in the siege of Orgrimmar? That I am disgruntled by. Sure, Orgrimmar is a direct representation of Garrosh, all black metal and red. Fortified for war. A war machine, as said by Metzen in his interview with WoWinsider. But I think it's the coolest city around, and if there was anything Garrosh did right, it was fortify the capitol of the Horde. Unlike a certain King I know who after Deathwing ravaged the gates of his city, built himself a statue (I'm looking at you Varian). Apparently Varian is going to be coming to his own as well, finally becoming the leader he was supposed to be, ala Uther. I never liked Varian. He is like Garrosh in so many ways. I guess we're seeing two sides to a coin, two different paths. Varian and Garrosh both carry that sort of angry, brooding, hotheadedness. The difference is that Varian will be growing out of it (by some miracle. I'm thinking Jaina's lady parts) and Garrosh won't. It's just unfortunate that I'm more attached to the latter.
So, the Horde goes destroys Theramore and Alliance screams HORDE BIAS. But now they get to sack Orgimmar. Um...so can I go sack Stormwind. There's a statue I'd like to take down.
ASIDE: The Metzen interview is fairly interesting read. He mentions that when they decided to take out Garrosh people freaked out saying that they "loved that guy." Really? Where are these people? I would love to meet them since sometimes I feel like I'm the only one. End of ASIDE

Well, I know what I'm playing: Druid
It's safe to say that, unfortunately, the announcement of the new druid Glyphs have cemented my attachment to druids. Yeah, I am that shallow. Give me cool glyphs but force me to be a hybrid and give me no new spells and I'll still play.
My most excited glyph is Glyph of the Treant which has been confirmed to give back our PERMANENT TREE FORM (pause for squealing and running around). Add to that glyphs of Orca (new swim form,) Stars (caster form instead of Moonkin) and Stag (basically...I have officially become a mount) and I'm totally sold on MoP. Forget Pokemon or ...whatever else they're adding...monks, panda, ASIAN STEREOTYPES....TREE FORM YEAHHHH

Hunter
Cool new move for Hunters is Stampede, which is a move that the hunter calls all 5 of his pets out. It's going to be a super move. This, is going ....to be ...SO COOOOOOOLLLLL.....Glad I have a huntard. 


Other
-Uh...No more prime glyphs. The glyph system is weird enough as it is. Safe to say all my glyphs are going to be cosmetic if I can do it. DOO EET. YEAH TREE FORM...TREE FORM!
-Speaking of Pokemon rip-offs...HOW ABOUT SOME FARMVILLE!
-Female Pandaren model is curvy and anime-ish. No comments. I dropped out of the Panda wagon soon after Blizzcon-high wore off.

That's all I really read about for now. I was mostly interested in seeing the female Panda model. I was also unfortunately glued to reading every bit about the Siege of Orgrimmar and must now go into early-mourning.
...

TREE FORM!

Scrolls and Trials

Scroll of Resurrection
So, the Scroll of Resurrection has rolled out. No one I really know has appeared, but my boyfriend promised me he would accept an invite from me so I can get the mount, and he can join me PvPing. I've been making alts a lot on different servers trying to scout out a new one for me and my friend to play on, so I've accepted quite a few ninja invites into guilds on my low levels. It's strange seeing the News Feeds so full of activity, with people popping from level 10 to 80 in one sitting. But that's the miracle of Scroll of Resurrection.
I have to admit I'm pretty disgruntled by the Scroll. I commit myself to a year and only get a mount and Diablo 3 (which I'll probably get the LE anyways).MoP Beta I don't really care about. But if I had my account inactive, even without the other expansions, I can pay for one month and get all the Expansions (that's almost 90 dollars or more), a free realm/faction transfer (albeit with restrictions to the invitee's realm/faction) and a free level 80 (albeit the toon who does the transfer). You also get 7 free days of game time (which doesn't bother me but I thought I'd mention it). While I can understand why this is being used as a marketing ploy (although it screams desperate to me), it still rubs me the wrong way. I feel like my devotion to Blizzard isn't as much rewarded. Because let's face it-these extras/perks for renewing for a month, kinda seem like rewards for not playing.

Heroics
Anyways, one of my friends did come back but he plays Horde, and while I thought, well now is a great time to jump back on my shaman, it hasn't been that fun. We've been running Heroics, which are a struggle. For some reason, we get the lower end dps who can barely do more then 12k, or the tanks who get smashed in the face in three hits. I've mentioned before that I am baffled by how low the iLevel expectation is for the LFD system, and it just reinforces. Whenever I queue, I am always terrified I'll get either ZA or ZG, and that just simply can't be good news. Luckily it hasn't happened yet.
On my druid, heroics are always smooth sailing. Maybe it's the iLevel thing. I always queue when there's an Exotic Satchel to be earned, although besides pots and gems, the only thing I've gotten is a parrot pet. I really like running the Hour of Twilight Heroics. Certain fights I dislike (cough Tyrande/Mal'ganis cough) but in general, they are interesting enough, not too difficult but not too easy and quick. Thrall still annoys the hell out of me. I can't understand why they didn't give him a mount in the Hour of Twilight heroic, because Ghost Wolf is much slower. I think its funny when Benedictus chains him during the Shadow phase. For being the World Shaman, he still needs our help a lot.

PvP
PvP hasn't been fun at all. Interestingly enough, it seems like queues are longer than on Undermine, and I always get smaller BGs. I got WSG for the first time since I started my PvP rampage. PvP on my druid is funner than my Shaman. I definitely enjoy longer survivability, simply because I understand my toolbox much more. I've always felt that Resto druids have quite a smaller toolbox compared to other classes, but found that my toolbox as a druid in general helped me a lot in PvP. Love sneaking around, watching for incoming forces, and switching to Bear form when I'm serving as a distraction. I like the mobility of being a HoT healer, especially since I'm usually the target.
Gearing hasn't been too bad. I had a few pieces from Season 10, which is like, 10 iLevel lower then the current Season. Still it's better than nothing. I had my 2 set almost instantly, and will probably have my 4 set in no time.

Trial
Been thinking about starting a Trial account so I can create a raids with myself. Isn't that sad? I think so. Lol.  

It actually happened.

After spending Cataclysm being completely devoted to Archaeology, on and off (I received the Professor title long before they added more items or "nerfed" the profession), I have finally obtained what I seeked out most (after the Doll of course, which is now outdated at this point)

BEHOLD

When this showed up, I nearly fell off my bed. I squealed. It was sad since noone but me was around.
The final product.

I now am 3 mounts away from the 100 mount achievement. It sure is a slow process. I'll probably keep digging just to get the Crawling Claw, which is a really neat looking pet. It's amazing to think all I have left are 4 more rares to getting them all. I don't always dedicate myself to the profession, but go in spurts. However, I was incredibly dedicated to it at the beginning of Cataclysm, before T11 content. Had to get that damn doll.
Glad I got the mount though. It's definitely unique and kinda skitters about in a strange way, but I really like it. 3 more mounts. Oh man.

Return of the Druid: Episode 2: Shaman

SWTOR Update
I rarely log on anymore. :( It's mainly because it's just an unpleasant experience. Going from WoW, which plays smoothly, to SWTOR which is a hit or miss, was getting kinda distressing. I would like to PvE in the game, but I'm just so disinterested that maybe I don't want to. It's a shame because I want to like the game, but I've been finding more shortcomings then wins. If I could get into another class, then I think I would go for it, and while I really enjoyed the play style of the Jedi Sentinel, I really don't find the story interesting. Playing Sith is always an option, but noone in my guild plays Sith so I am usually alone. I did finally finish chapter 1 on my Sith Inquisitor Assassin on a different realm. The sith storylines are just so much more interesting. Force Storm is way more OP then Forcequake (just saying). Assassin leveling has been odd at best. I've been going the tank route, just for pure survivability, and I find it a simple, Thrash, Shock, Thrash, rotation of boredom. Still, my survivability is more important than interest, and I've never been one for the "theif" lifestyle. I've read on forums that like fine wine, Assassin gets better with age, so maybe I can try the cool specs once I get there. BTW, my legacy title is Hellscream :3, befitting of a Sith in my opinion.

WoW: Zee Shaman
I had mentioned before that I was feeling indecisive about doing shaman or priest. Priest basically overwhelmed me with all its functions as a healer. This is what happens when I come from a class with a small toolbox. I tend to lump certain spells in the same category, such as Nourish (druid), Healing Wave (shaman), Heal (priest) and Holy Light (pally) all being mana efficient, yet slow casting speed and low HPS heal. When I switch between classes, laying out that kind of foundation found in Blizzard's healing plan helps with the adjustments. After assessing the heals for a priest, however, I found that had I so many spells, more than I knew what to do with.
On the other hand, Shaman is very similar to druids in just the right amount that it is easy to adjust and get into. My shaman is a goblin, which kinda bothered me at first, but over the course of playing, I found I kinda liked being small.

Gearing for PvP
So all I've been doing on my shaman is pvping. Or was. IDK what happened, but I've subsequently stopped due to some sort of unknown drama beyond my comprehension. Gearing was an interesting experience. Depending on the battleground, and length, I found you would get anywhere between 80- 500 ish honor per. Considering pieces of Season 11 are between 1250 and 2200 honor, the process itself took a bit of time. However, within a week and a half, I had a pretty decent set. Unfortunately, I've started fairly late in the PvP game, so I felt that by the time I was decently geared and getting my first amount of Conquest points towards my first Cataclysmic piece, people around me were in near full Cataclysmic sets, beating me to a bloody pulp. Yes, and I mean really beating me. I am the healer afterall. Still, the actual process of gearing was fairly quick. I was surprised I was able to hold out as long as I did, since BGs never seem to change, and I've always had little patience for them.

Pvping in General
 Thanks to some companionship during Pvp, I was able to understand a bit more how some of these BGs should work. I've always, for the sake of my sanity, stuck with the plan of, stick with a group and heal. Of course, this always lead to headaches and was not always ideal. Now, I feel a bit more understanding of what needs to be done in order to win. Except for maybe Warsong Gulch (which I had not done at all, interestingly enough) I have won one of each, and probably would be able to understand why we didn't win if we lost. Forgive me if I sound like a complete noob, but these are observations from someone who has always PvE'd first, and PvP'd never.
-Alterec Valley and Isle of Conquest are my favorite, simply because I prefer bigger groups over smaller ones for Bgs. I find that the less people there are, the easier it is to tell right away if you are going to succeed or fail, and if you are failing, it's going to be a long long fight. Unfortunately, AV and IoC can be a big pain in the ass. I'll never understand the people who think they can direct a group of 40 to victory. People tend to do what they think is right, no matter what someone is yelling at them. If these 40 people aren't, for the most part, sticking together and going forth in the right direction (ie capturing towers and graveyards or destroying the right gate) then the battle is swiftly (albeit slowly) lost. I'm not saying there shouldn't be anyone defending or wreaking havoc back at base, but the end bosses tend to be made for a fairly large group. 
-When losing becomes inevitable, then people start complaining, all the way to the last freaking second/resource point. I can and will never understand how freaking out and calling people out about how bad they are will make the loss any easier (the answer is it doesn't). Yet somehow, rain or shine, if the bg is going the wrong way, then there will be someone telling us how bad we are and how we all fail. It bothers me that people doing BGs do this simply because BGs are a team sport and one person cannot carry an entire group. MAYBE MAYBE in one of the Capture the Flag BGs, but I highly doubt it. If you get so upset because a group sport is not going well, so much so that you must make my chat miserable until the very last second, then go do arenas, where the people probably will tolerate you more, and where you have the brunt of the responsibility. Or maybe...that's why you're doing BGs in the first place. People won't do arenas with you.
-This guy.

I reported this mofo, and got such a quick response that I don't think I am the only one. He is one of two multiboxers I saw in BGs, and in Alterac Valley. The other was a bunch of DKS following a tiny gnome. While it's hilarious in theory, it's still pretty freaking ridiculous. Also, if you're going to multibox, make it less obvious by not naming all your toons the same name. God, you remind me of Grabnare.

Gearing in PvE
I also geared the little shaman in PvE, since some items are easier to get this way. 378 gear baby. Woohooo! I think my gearscore on my shaman exceeds my druid. I find that the gearscore decided on by Blizzard in terms of what is acceptable for certain heroics is a bit low. I was allowed to go do Heroic Hour of Twilight dungeons far earlier then I would feel comfortable with. Heck, I was allowed to do Heroic Cataclysm dungeons far earlier then I would've wanted. The reality is that players aren't all magically attuned to each other's gearscore, and most don't even bother to check. I tried healing a Heroic Vortex Pinnacle with a well geared shaman and decent dps, and it went okay. We wiped on the last boss because everyone decided to let themselves get Static Clinged, and I did not have the mana pool to be dispelling everyone and their mother. Still, we made it out pretty unscathed.
The second time I did a Heroic, was also Vortex Pinnacle, and I dared tread through it alone. I was slightly more geared then, but not much and my mana pool and spirit regen were still smaller then I would've preferred. Still, I felt that I was in a better position then I had been, and I should be able to handle it. I was wrong. We made it through the first two bosses okay- I was still kinda shaky since there was a lot of unnecessary damage going down. The hunter never seemed to understand what CCing was and the tank was below the acceptable iLevel to go without CC. We wiped at the end, when noone would CC the casting Tolvirs and they were healing everything. We wiped again when the hunter didn't CC again and the fight was going on for more than 5 mins. Said hunter left before the end of the battle, and when I died, I was blamed and subsequently kicked. That ended my healing bid in Heroics. I decided to just wait the long q (which surprisingly never exceeded 10 mins) and just did dps. I also jumped right into Heroic Hour of Twilights, since I was allowed (<.<) and was able to get better amounts of JP and better gear drops. After I obtained my two set bonus in T12, which cemented my mana confidence, I felt comfortable enough to heal again, and found some great groups lurking in LFD and had no problems.

Shaman: The End?
In the end, I found that I really enjoyed PvE healing on my shaman. I was getting to a point that I was looking forward to trying out the LFR finder on him. (haha who knew). I also was getting confident enough to venture into PvP on my own (albeit not by choice), and was excited that I was closing in on my first Cataclysmic piece. Still, being blindsided by...I don't even know what happened still... I felt pretty discouraged and unwanted by the new group of people I had been playing with. I haven't really logged onto my shaman since. Maybe I'm being as cowardly as I saw the person who did this to me, but I hate when game drama enters my life. If I want to continue playing Horde, I would like to stick with my shaman, but the aforementioned problem caused me to withdraw from him fast. I will probably revisit the shaman closer to MoP.

Return of the Druid for Realzies
First off, BEHOLD

I actually like it more than the purple one, believe it or not, but I ain't riding it. I REALLY want the Heart of the Aspect mount, but am hesitant to pay 25 dollars for it. That really does seem like a lot. I also got
BEHOLD

My Dark Phoenix Mount! It's amazing to think that last semester, I helped our guild get one of these and I am NOW just getting it, but I am finally getting it. It's a really great mount. It's dark and glowy and reminds me of some sort of dark rave. I love that it matches my skin tone.
So now I am 4 mounts away from my 100 mount achievement. I'm hoping for a White Tailstrider, but still no luck. I can't believe I've run Mag T over 50 times. If all else fails, I can buy the honor mounts and the emblem mammoth from Dalaran. It's just a matter of whether I feel up to running BGs or Heroics.
I'm not to keen on running BGs without any honor gear. I have a couple pieces but they are from Season 10. It would be another long trek after the shaman gearing, so I'm not sure I feel up to the challenge.
My current idea is to try and use the JP I earn as honor (although the conversion rates aren't necessarily ideal) as I reach for the VP cap each week. I think I will like to one day do the LFR on my druid, just to say I've seen the end boss of this expansion. I haven't done a 25 man in a really long time, so I'm a bit interested to see how druids stack up in this raid composition, since 25s are supposed to be our weak point at the moment. Still, the earlier said drama kinda messed up my WoW playing, but since I'm stuck here, maybe I'll eventually return.
I did get Burgy Blackheart's Handsome Hat or whatever. I camped there and logged on a few times and found him pretty quickly. Now I can be a gnome with just a switch of the hat. woo hoo.

SWTOR Again
Despite my comments earlier, and my hesitance to start an alt, outside of my Trooper, I did reroll and level my Jedi Knight. I really do love Sentinel, and running around with not one but TWO lightsabers is badass. I'll probably stick with her and my trooper as far as alts. Once I got my Legacy, I lost a bit of interest in doing Sith simply because my guild on Sith are all on hiatus thanks to school. Who knew I was so social. 

Quick Updates

Finals
It's finals time, which means I'm not around. My free time is usually spent not studying, and raiding. 
Anyways...
Transmog
Since 4.3 hit I have been OBSESSED with transmogrification. I'm still desperately trying to figure out an outfit I really like for my Cursed Vision of Sargeras, which has ended up with me and headaches for many nights. I really should just pick some dumb rogue look-alike set and go for it. I did do an Ulduar 25 run the other night and was lucky enough to win The Lifebinder. Speaking of getting phat loots...
Dragon Soul
I got a bunch of gear raiding last night. My t13 hands dropped from the new BH boss and I won the roll for the One-handed mace, Vagaries of Time from the first boss of DS. The one who looks like Stonecore's boss...Ozruk...yeah...
It's a neat looking mace, with gears turning. Yeah. I've noticed a theme with the weapons, in particular. They either, look like we ripped a piece off of Deathwing and decided we'd use it as a weapon. Or, they have a Bronze Dragonflight flare to it. So I'm hoping to make with a Bronze Dragonflight theme to go along with it.
Early Access
I am SUPER EXCITED because early access for SWTOR starts next week. And guess who pre-ordered hers the first day and put in the code ASAP. ME! :D So hopefully I get a super early. 12/20/11 12/13/11!

Oh yeah! the whole reason for this post.
I updated my transmog page to include resources and separate pages for my outfits. I will be adding more soon! I hope you enjoy it!

Make it work!

So sadly, as I logged in to do my transmog (which was one of the very few things I was looking forward to), I discovered that in my excitement for finally gaining my tier 12 shoulders, I de'd my Passive Resistor ones. That means no more shiny blue falling feathers for me. I probably won't be raiding anytime soon, especially the lower instances, so I just had to improvise. My set was a mixture of the tier 5 set i wanted to use, and the extra pieces from tier 9 that I liked. The overall outcome was actually pleasant, and I like the way I look.

 The coolest part about transmog is that your enchants on your current weapon show on your transmog weapon. So that beautiful staff is glowing with Power Torrent. :)
Feral by Night
My feral outfit is horrendous. Like depressing. It's such a bad mixture of rogue tier, druid tier, and heroic dungeon sets that it makes no coherent sense. Well that's okay because I have transmog to fix it :D
In case your curious, this is what I look like currently. The helm looked so stupid that I just transmog'd my Ruthless Gladiator helm over it just to have a better look. I still don't match at all though.

I decided to stick with the main idea of using the tier 9 chestpiece which I love. I think it looks...well hot, which my boyfriend points out is because my boobs are showing. <.<
In general, I think of robes, skirts, kilts, dresses as a caster thing, so I choose the T9 legs to match the bluer chest, the crafted Knightbane Carapace. I added some tougher looking boots, and a shady looking helm, that is simply a high collar. Finally, to add that druid touch, I added the green version of the Thunderheart shoulders. I think they add just the right amount of druidism to the outfit without making it overwhelming.
The perfect staff ended up being an old PvP staff, the Brutal Gladiator's Staff, which is a recolour of similar staff in Mt. Hyjal. I like that the blues create unity between the staff and the outfit.

I'm a rogue druid!...and here's a better look at the staff.

Who do you wanna be?
My current WoW Transmog project will be putting together prominent druid NPC outfits together. I tried Broll Bearmantle at first, but there are some odd discolorations between the chest that is perfect and the legs. However, I was able to successfully create a Hamuul Runetotem,-post Leyara attack/Molten Front. This is an exclusive Alliance only outfit because some pieces are are the t9. It's kind of weird considering Hamuul Runetotem is wearing them. But hey! He's cool like that.

I forgot to take a pick of the side with the staff. I will put all the details of each outfit in my transmog page. I hope you liked them. I'll get Broll fixed up and do a few others; maybe Malfurion pre-man/bird/chicken form, and some other NPCs, like the Molten Front guards.

BlizzCon Day Uno: Pandas!

So, I don't know if you guys heard, but China stereotypes the Pandarens are coming to WoW!
It was a pretty exciting first day here at the convention. A lot of new announcements and plans for the fourth expansion. I'm not going to go over every single one, cuz all you need to do is go to wow.joystiq.com and you can get all the information there. I'm also lazy cuz I've only had 7 hours of sleep the last few days.
Mists of Pandaria. It's a risky chance they're taking, but I think at this point, Blizzard has to take that chance to continue holding the attention of its gamers.
Pandas and China Pandaria
The biggest news was obviously the new expansion. Pandarens (those Kung Fu Panda looking pandas) will be the new race and the Monk class will be the new class. Monk class is NOT a hero class, and will start at level 1. Yep, when you are leveling your Panda, I can bet you'll be in dungeon qs full of Pandas. Or maybe not...
The response has been largely mixed, which is no surprise, since when they trademarked the title, the speculation of pandas was also received with mixed feelings. You either love the idea, are freaking SO EXCITED to be a panda, or you freaking hate the idea, think its stupid and wtf pandas!
I understand the skepticism. I think they look outrageously cartoony, especially compared to other races. The idea of Pandarens besides Taurens and Orcs, or Night Elves and Humans, is really odd (hey don't they belong in a zoo?). And it's really hard not to look at them and think, Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda). So I get it.
But at the same time, I think you should give it a chance. The content and videos you see are actually really pretty. I loved the geography and concepts so far, and they really make the world feel like almost ancient China. Rice Paddies, mist surrounded rock pillars. It's a beautiful world. It's also massive, and we will get to explore every inch of it.
The Pandas are a risky race to choose, but it would be difficult to pick up another race. The idea of how the Horde and Alliance come across Pandaria isn't so far fetched that it's bad plot device. Blizzard is extremely lucky to have The Sundering and Deathwing to hide and shake things up.  Nice, convenient lore devices there. I think the oriental feel of Pandaria is great for the artists. The buildings and new creatures have a distinct look to them, and while it sometimes screams stereotypes, I think it breathes a lot of beauty into WoW that has been missing. Seriously, you should see this Giant Turtle island you start on as a Pandaren. Awesome!
The Monk
If you really hate the idea of pandas, well fear not because you don't have to play them at all to play monk. Monk will be available to all races except Goblins and Worgens. There could be many reasons for it. I created a lore theory behind it. The starting areas (which you would be at because Monks start at level 1) are phased areas that deal with the Shattering, and it's aftermath. Having Pandarens magically appear to teach the two races how to be Monks would make no logical lore sense whatsoever.
Anyways, the Monks feel on the little demo I played is hard to describe. You have three power resources, a Chi bar, which is your main power source, then two orb bars that are like runes or something. You get dark and light orbs and a certain amount allows you to use certain moves. Considering I only got to level...er...4? I didn't get to do much with them. The neatest thing about Monks, feel wise, is that they do not auto attack (OH NOES). This allows for more martial arts like play style, which I think is really neat. Also, Monks get Roll...we roll. A lot. Just running around, and then you ROLL. ROLL!
War
 Back to the story. Instead of pulling out Dragonball Z a new super villain on us, like the last expansions, the main villain will be, "war". Basically, red vs. blue. Horde vs. Alliance. It all makes sense now, Garrosh being Warchief. It was the right move to make him Warchief, because let's be honest. If Thrall was in charge, we'd be making cake for Varian. By having two hot blooded, war hungry leaders to take us to war, there isn't a "good" or "bad" side.
Although, in essence, we are all bad. We are basically disturbing a beautiful, rarely touched world that has lived in peace for years. We even bring about evil spirit creatures, that are created by the negativity of our actions. This concept of "war", the villain, makes us all seem like villains.
Talents!
The talent system as a whole is completely different. There are core abilities, which are abilities that all specs should have. Then there are specialization abilities, which are the abilities that pertain specifically to your specialization. Then the talent system, which consists of tiers. At every 15 levels, you choose between three talents, which all have a similar function (Crowd control, Healing, Damage Mitigation, Movement), but do it in a different way. For example: Crowd Control: One move may stun, the other may be an AOE fear that has a CD, and no specific control, and the last will be a single fear that you have more control over.
This is Blizzard's attempt to kick the min/max cookie cutter spec out, and allow for more customization.
They are implementing this system pretty well so far. They went through every. single. talent. tree (how does GC not lose his voice)for. every. single. class. and we got a good look at what they are hoping. I like it a lot! I think it's a good system and is in the right direction.
Do I think it'll actually work? I'm not sure it's enough. I feel like it will be very difficult to balance each talent so that it is an actual personal decision instead of a cookie-cutter one. But it is definitely still way too early, so we have plenty of time to watch it unfold.
Also, talents can be changed like glyphs can, which is great for me! I can simply swap some things so I can have a PvP build and a PvE build without a 3rd spec. I accept :D
Druid Changes
Hey! Cha-cha-changes!
We are now a 4 spec class. Feral has been split up into two specs. Feral (Cat) and Guardian (Tank). It makes sense, and I think its a fair change. Druids are specifically a hybrid class, and our greatest feature is our flexibility. That being said, will being a hybrid player be viable in a raid or dungeon environment, where we each specifically play a role? The last (uber) talent tier involves being a hybrid.
Note: (This is what they have so far, and can of course, be subject to change)
From Sunfyre's Nest: 

• Heart of the Wild (6 min cooldown):  Dramatically improves the Druid’s ability to serve combat roles outside of normal specialization for 45 sec.  Balance:  Healing spells generate Lunar or Solar Energy and benefit from Lunar and Solar Eclipse.  In addition, 50% of Intellect as Agility, 100% of hit rating as expertise rating, and increases armor by 95% while in Bear Form.
• Master Shapeshifter:  Improves the Druid’s effectiveness at briefly switching between forms.  Your melee abilities increase your spell damage by 10% and your non-instant spellcasts increase your attack power by 10%.  Both effects stack up to 3 times and last 15 sec.  Each ability used which benefits from one of these effects consumes one application of that effect.
• Disentanglement: Shapeshifting now removes roots.  In addition, shifting into a form heals the Druid for 20% of maximum health.  This heal cannot be received more often than once every 30 sec.

Will this be okay for raids? Will we be wanted? I'm not sure.
Also, Shamans can spec into a totem talent that basically does what Tranquility does. :( Rawr!
 Anyways, on a positive note.
We did get a new cooldown.

• Cenarion Ward (30 sec cooldown): Protects a friendly target, causing any damage taken to heal the target for 2660 every 2 sec for 6 sec. Gaining the healing effect consumes the Cenarion Ward.  Useable in all shapeshift forms.  Lasts 30 sec.

And Nature's Swiftness finally buffed.

• Nature’s Swiftness (3 min cooldown): When activated, your next Cyclone, Entangling Roots, Healing Touch, Hibernate, Nourish, Rebirth or Regrowth becomes instant, free and castable in all forms.  The healing and duration of this spell is increased by 50%.

Finally! That was a change we really needed.
Oh, and I can choose to summon healing Treants....I can be a treant with more treants. :O
As a restoration druid, I feel weird. With the 4.3 changes and now these, I feel constantly jipped as a druid healer. We never get new spells, we get our form taken away, and we get buffed, then nerfed in an endless cycle under the disguise of "balance". I see the new changes for other classes and I'm excited for them. But I don't feel that excitement as a restoration druid.
And I can't imagine rerolling. But sometimes I feel like I should. Druid is what I am in this game though. I just don't know.
Other Changes
No more ranged slot. No more Relics! Mages, Warlocks, and Priests can be Harry Po'er. No more minimum range for hunters. Eee gads!
PvE Battlegrounds? Yes please! Scenarios? Even more! Challenge Dungeons? YEAHHHHH!!! Transmog items! So pumped!
GOTTA CATCH EM ALL!
No I did not spend BlizzCon playing my Nintendo handheld. Blizzard is implementing Companion Battles, which are essentially Pokemon battles with your cute collectible pets. It's kind of ridiculous. There are some you find in the wild, others you obtain normally. They have a Pokedex Journal that keeps track of them, and where you can find them. You can eventually trade them off as well. You'll get to name them. It's super effective everything, but without the balls.
I personally think this is neat. I love Pokemon. Why not tap into a franchise that is beloved and has transcended generations time and time again.  
Blizzard's Future
We've got SWTOR on the horizon, Rift purchasing bus advertisements outside of the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend, and FTP games everywhere we look. Blizzard's got it tough, and Mists of Pandaria is risky. A comical looking race, a NEUTRAL comical looking race. Pokemon. A newly revamped talent system. Again. It's a lot. But at this point, Blizzard has got to take the chances. If they played it safe, they wouldn't make it. It's what makes them a great company. It's how they pave the way in their industry. I thnk Mists of Pandaria has a lot of new stuff to look forward to, and we're just getting started! I am looking forward to seeing their future.

PS. I'm not sure if I loved or hated the Contests. I'll get back to you.

WTB Transmog

 

Yeah, pretty unfortunate looking. Luckily my tabard covers most of it. But wtf is with that ugly dagger. I need a new weapon.

I've been going through raids the past few months not getting a single drop, and then tonight, I felt like Firelands shit loot on me. I also won the trinket (I usually don't win stuff...ever.)

So it was kind of exciting. Between my Rep belt, buying my tier 12 chestpiece, and two drops, I was a happy camper. 

It's nice actually getting pieces that are itemized for with Haste now. None of this tier chest piece with crit and mastery but no spirit on it. WTF is with that anyways . IDK...

I got my T6 chest piece tonight. I just need the helm to have a complete set. IDK if I will use it. I have a feeling a lot of people will use the tier 6. It's a popular set, and if I was a tauren, I would wear it. But I'm a night elf. So I'm going for pretty. :)

 

Final Custom Outfit

I found an awesome belt, so here's the final product.

It's mogging time!

Not quite. But hey, a girl can dream. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited for Transmogrification in 4.3 It's probably the only thing I'm really looking forward to. Well, that and by extension, Void Storage, since I can't fit anything else in my bank/bags. It's getting kind of stuffy in there.

Tier Choice
My top tier choice is the tier 5, Nordrassil set. My favorite part about this tier is the color scheme. The dark browns and greens, encircling purple gems. This is my choice "druid" outfit. The Pillar of Ferocity also perfectly matches.

Custom Set 
My all time favorite piece is the Passive Resistor Shoulders. Nothing beats those gorgeous blue feathers, gently falling down, the electric pulse they randomly give off. Unfortunately, this is part of one ugly colored set, with bright blues and ...orange? Peach-ish orange? Not sure. So here is my custom outfit, which I will probably use when 4.3 comes out. I've decided on the T9 chestpeice, since it not only has subtle blue feathers outlining the back and arms, but some nice greens as well. I've paired it up with the T8 headpiece, which matches the crescent shapes on the robe, as well as matches my usual title, Starcaller. Finally I have chosen the Staff of the Redeemed, a blue quest staff that is very similar to Velen's staff. I might use the Pillar, since it matches the belt, which I borrowed from the Tier 5 set. I am looking for a belt with some subtle blues in it, but so far no luck :(.

This is what I've got for now. I don't think I've ever spent so much time on Atlas loot. I hoped you enjoyed my attempts. I will definitely be checking out more leather outfits but for now, these are my choice pieces. I'm hoping that through our Black Temple runs, I can pick up the leather blindfold off Illidan. Then will definitely be creating a set around that.
I love transmog!

Best Decision Ever?

Take my money Blizz!!!!
So I ponied up the money and transferred my old main, Covington the druid, over to Deathwing. I have to admit. Probably one of the best decisions I've made in Wow lately. I am so incredibly happy to have my druid back on my active side. I forgot how active I used to be on her (Troll man now a pretty Night Elf female). Max fishing and cooking (score!) and I can dig again, in places where pretty stuff has a chance to drop, instead of greys. My gear looks AMAZING on her. I am sorry, but I love the tier 11, even if only for the winged shoulders. I might just use this as my transmog outfit because I am so attached to it!
It's been weird adjusting to the new mastery. Harmony is a lot different in thought then Symbiosis, and I admit I was obsessed with making good use of Symbiosis back then, but now all I got to do is make sure I have a direct heal being used every 10 seconds. Not hard for my healing style.
Yesterday we did all of Baradin Hold. My heals were pretty meh until I was forced to pop Tranquility. Wow, did my numbers pop up. I think Tranquility is what they need to be nerfing. O.o
Tonight will be my first time in BoT since the nerf on my druid, and then we're off to Firelands. I hope I'm up to game and can flex my power. I'm really excited to get back into this healing thing!
I might update my guide since I'm back healing. Maybe post it on our guildsite forums. r
Blizzcon
My bf is super excited because they announced Foo Fighters for Blizzcon. It's nice that we're getting a concert for the price we paid for our tickets. I'm a convention goer, and Blizzcon is by far the most expensive ticket I've ever bought. Even Comic-con isn't this expensive. However, I've never been and I'm sure it's going to be really fun.