Woes and Hoes

LFR and Stupidity
Feng.
I hate you.
I remember a long time ago I was flabbergasted by the easiness of LFR and wondered if Blizz really thought players were that stupid. Then I did Feng and realized they may have been right. Can people just simply not run out of the raids when DBM yells at them?!?!?!?!?!? Can they not spread out? Can they not realize that big explosions are bad?!?!?! WHY!?
Every LFR I've done has involved a wipe on Feng. Good groups have only wiped once. Bad groups never get past it. Other crippling factors include low dps and low heals. And if I see one more DPS Bear I might stab them.
Grinding. Grinding. Grinding. 
I'm worn out. And not because the game sucks or has no content. It has too much content. Everyday I log on and feel pressured to do dailies. The dailies are varied enough, but it's a hour long chore session no matter how I look at it. Some of the dailies are fun though. The Rolling one...OMG. I did it over and over again, giggling because it was some of the best fun I'd had in a while. I also enjoyed the Onyx Serpent one where you jump from drake to drake. It reminds me of Northrend, but it's still fun to be grappling around.
Raiding
I'm in a very close knit guild, who has seen rough times and thinning ranks. A few of us want to start raiding but we're having problems getting some people to commit. They either keep changing their main, won't run dungeons unless we are running them (and they do horrible dps), or say they'll be on but not show on. It's frustrating and is making one point clearly obvious- we are going to have to start recruiting.
I don't know how I feel about this, if it's at all possible. We don't even have a set raid going on, how can we build our ranks with nothing.
My problem is more on trust. I have a hard time trusting new people in game, especially those who are not friends of friends. I've been burned too many times for being open, and I'll be damned if that happens again. We haven't had to recruit in a real long time, so it'll be interesting to see if how this all pans out.
That guy
Have you ever had someone in your group/guild/raid who is just a bad player? 
And you can't just exlude him because he's also a close friend of someone vitally important in the guild. So you're basically stuck with him.
I've never really considered myself an elitist, but I definitely have my moments. I did a long time ago when I was raiding with a group of friends. We had a healer who was not exactly very good. Part of it was he just didn't care as much as the rest of it. I'm not sure what part was exactly skill. His numbers were far below mine and our priest, but he still did enough that it wasn't entirely hopeless. That and the priest was a great healer too. I think my only real problem with him was that he always asked who to beacon. Hell if I know, I'm a druid.
This new guy is a whole set of different problems. He is the definition of tunnel vision, but even when that's okay, he still doesn't pull off the numbers he needs to be. What's even more disturbing is that instead of trying to fix the problem, he immediately blames the class and decides to level another alt. He has about 6 alts or so.
I'm trying to convince my raid leader/his friend that it might be best to have him DPS...as a mage...in a corner. But he thinks that as a healer, he'd be less of a problem. As a healer being told that I think I almost faceplanted on my keyboard.
It's also bad enough that during a LFR run, said bad player was called out in the raid and then effectively and loudly kicked. In LFR...
At least it's not all in my head.
When we do finally start raiding, I'll get to see how it all plays out. I'm pretty much in charge of healers, but I've been in this position before, and I almost lost my mind. I'm not good with people not doing their part.
Ultimately, there is a plus side. The player this time is actually dedicated (last guy wasn't so much, which was part of the reason why he sucked), and willing to help. And I can appreciate that.
But is there a line to draw in the sand?
Carrying people is no fun for the people involved.
Farming Master
I farmed up and fished up and finally got my Master of the Ways title. Basically you must master every branch of cooking to gain the title. This is done by leveling the branch from 550-600 and it's a separate skill level outside of cooking. There's one for each main stat, so there's five of them. The amount of meat, veggies and fish needed for each one was quite a bit, and even converting extra meat and veggies to Ironpaw tokens to get what you need is an inefficient method. So I farmed and fished and got this badass title that I think fits a monk perfectly.
I'm actually impressed with the fluidity of the Tillers and the extensiveness of the Cooking this time around. It's a bit of a grind, but now I'm faced with getting 50 Ironpaw tokens to buy my Cooking Bell, which supposedly has MORE dailies, as I teach another the ways of the kitchen. Kinda cool. Just gotta get them damn tokens. :(
Reputation Update
So I am exalted with the Cloud Serpents, Tillers, and Golden Lotus. I did realize that I had worn myself out a lot by doing so many dailies, so I only do three, which may seem like a lot, but it mostly feels like just 2 long ones. The Anglers and the August Celestials are not that long so together they equal one Golden Lotus imo. Man that daily chain was a drag. So glad to be done with that. Shado-pan are okay. They're a but long just because there's a decent amount of traveling. I don't particularly enjoy them, but the ultimate reward will be worth it.
Hopefully, when we start raiding, I'll be feeling happier.
  

The Endgame Lifestyle: Farmville Style

So I've been 90 for about three week now. The life of an endgame player besides heroics and raiding basically just includes dailies. I've been working on professions for my Monk and some pet battling since I'm a secret Pokemon-holic, but I find that in general, a good portion of my time goes towards dailies.
A few days ago, I finished The Order of the Cloud Serpent. In general, gaining Exalted was extremely easy. I only had to farm a few eggs as well, and that was all luck and casual glancing. I was rewarded with three gorgeous Cloud Serpents.

From eggy.

To hatchling.

To Mount! Huzzah!

I named her Sherbert. Reminds me of delicious sherbert.

I did like the way this mount grind was handled. It was fun watching my Serpent grow up, finding food for it, picking up its poop and playing catch with it. Not a bad set up. The race was kind of weird because I wasn't quite sure what direction the course was. The balloons can be difficult to spot, and they vary in height differences. The cloud rings are another clue, but they're are so many and also in varying height that it can be difficult to figure out. I won 2nd place on my first try though, so must not be too hard.
One down. Six more to go.
I've been very vigilant in doing my Order of the Cloud Serpent, Golden Lotus, Tillers and Anglers dailies everyday. So when I finished Order, I thought that I could pursue Klaxxi. But then I reached revered with Golden Lotus...and Shado-Pan AND August Celestials opened up.
Dailies are basically consuming my WoW time and I'm starting to despise it. They aren't particularly hard to do and their varied enough from day to day, but each hub has between 4-8 dailies and it gets annoying at times. If I have limited amount of time online, like Wednesday when I'm at school most of the day, I feel pressure to log on and do dailies. It's not particularly enjoyable.
It still bothers me that both Rep and Valor Points are needed for the gear. I remember Blizz wanting people to be able to earn gear the way they wanted to. That's why we're getting Valor doing dailies. However, requiring rep forces people to do dailies, so I don't see how this ideal is achieved. But then again, this was back in Blizzcon 2011. Long time ago.
Farmer B*tch
I reached Tillers tonight, which I was particularly excited about. I can't believe I'm saying this, but my absolute favorite side thing to do is my farm. Well...Yoon's farm. He sucks at farming because he's a city boy (who knew pandas could be city boys), so I have to do everything. Thus, it's mine in my mind. I plant everything, fight off the wild vines, hoplings and birds. I pick the weeds off, pull up the runty plants, water and apply pesticide. Then I harvest them and do the entire thing over again.
On paper it just seems so monotonous and silly. But I love it. I get some sort of calm tending to my farm for a few minutes. I like seeing the crops I yield, what I can cook with them etc. It's silly. It's crazy. It's awesome.   
So I after reaching Exalted, I went and purchased my fancy Riding Goat. I have mixed feelings about the mount. He seems... Small. Ish. I guess I expected him to be larger than a ram, which his model is made after, but he's still kinda neat. I don't regret not purchasing all three.
I also fully cleared out the junk on my farm, so I have 16 plots to grow yield crops on every day. Which is gonna help out alot, because the amount of crops I need to level and make Banquets for raiding is ridiculous.

Being accepted into the Tillers.

16 Plots to waste time on. 

Not as cool as my Terrible Turnip. It'll do.

The Farmer Hayate Squad

Transmog Post: Hunters and Dragons

I've been working on some outfits for my hunter. Since my old guildmates came back, we've been running the hell out of old content. It's been a lot of fun, and these runs, along with some Auction House hunting has produced a variety of nice outfits. It's unfortunate I can't just wear them all. 
The outfits reflect the blog name and my obsession with House Targaryen (for Daenerys!). Prepare for some dragons (and fire. and blood. and no caps.) 
Silver and Gold Dragon
And red, but that would make the title super long. I like the T1 pants from Molten Core, but not a big fan of the chest piece. A little ingenuity and some nice shoulders from Karazhan and wahhlahhh, an outfit to match the Magnetized Projectile Emitter.

Helm: Steamworker's Goggles - Ulduar 25 man (Flame Leviathan)
Shoulders: Dragon-Quake Shoulderguards -Karazhan (The Curator)
Chest: Wrathfin Armor -Random Drop Level 61
Hands: Marauder's Gauntlets -Random Drop Level 31
Waist: Tracker's Belt- The Slave Pens (Mennu the Betrayer)
Legs: Giantstalker's Leggings - Molten Core (Magmadar)
Feet: Giantstalker's Boots - Molten Core (Gehennas)
Weapon: Magnetized Projectile Emitter -Ulduar 10 man (XT Hard Mode)

Fire and Blood
I mentioned back on a warrior/dk transmog post, that I thought it would be neat to make Fire and Blood outfits. For those non- A Song of Fire and Ice fans, "Fire and Blood" is the motto for House Targaryen. After finally getting the Crown of Destruction from Molten Core, I now had the biggest fuel to my fire...or something... lol puns. I wanted to keep the outfit black and red, but that is, of course, easier said then done. I was lucky to scrounge up some rare green legs, Ebonhold Leggings, from the AH for a really low price. Along with my Drakescale Hauberk, a rare blue drop from Hemathion, I was able to complete the two biggest pieces of the Ebonhold set. To show the fire into cool molten rock, I looked at the T9 offset mail piece, similar to the shaman T9.

Head: Crown of Destruction
Shoulders: Shoulders of the Ground Breaker -WotLK Legacy Vendor in Dalaran (T9)
Chest:Drakescale Hauberk -Hemathion (Rare in Blade's Edge Mountains)/ Ebonhold Armor
Hands: Gloves of Taut Grip -Ulduar 10 man (XT)
Waist: Valestalker Girdle- Mount Hyjal (Kaz'rogal)
Legs:Ebonhold Leggings -Random Drop Level 51
Feet: Boots of Unsettled Prey -Ulduar 10 man drop (other version's as well)
Weapon: Wrathful Gladiator's Rifle - WotLK Legacy PvP Vendor (Stormwind/Orgrimmar/Tanaris)

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.  

Character Post: Marpessa

So I thought I'd do a new thing and focus on my individual character's stories. The great thing about WoW (and what I thought was missing in SWTOR) is that I have much more freedom to create the background for my character. I'm not going into full blown storytelling mode here, just a little bit of background. This is actually a Transmog project for me, because I want to create outfits for each part of their storyline. There will most likely be 3-4 outfits, depending on their adventures in each expansion. I'm excited to do this project, because transmog is a passion of mine, and this is a good exercise for me to try and be more creative. However, have to admit, farming for these outfits is a pain in the ass.

Marpessa Duskbreaker
Blood Elf Hunter
(all my information is from wowpedia.org. If I have a canon error, I'm sorry and I'll try and correct it.)

Real Impressions of Guild Wars 2

Well, life is back into the swing of things. I hate to see summer go. Especially recently, with releases galore and things I want to do. But I'm back to being a responsible person, going to class and going to work. (Well, during the summer, I do work a lot, but I've been on a nice week long vacation prior to this Sunday.) But that's boring information. Let's get to the good stuff.

Background Story and Characters
So I did play headstart. You read my woes there. I guess I should actually talk about the game and not the headstart/launch.
 So, it's an MMO. And it's "Free to play"... kind of. You don't need a subscription, but you still pay for the game to access it. So its a non sub Pay to Play? It has aspects of Free to play. You can buy diamonds to purchase cosmetic upgrades, more character slots, extra bonuses, keys for lock boxes, etc. But to access the game, do PvE and PvP, WvWvW, all you need to do is pay the 60 bucks for the game.
I'm not really sure what's going on in Tyria (the setting). I've only played the Humans, and a very little bit of the Norn and Asura. I'm assuming it's tied somehow to Guild Wars 1...maybe....who knows...maybe not. I mean its a new game entirely right...Anyways, obviously I didn't care enough to do any sort of research. In fact, it's safe to say I am not really invested in the game's story at all. I do like the idea of the human race being in danger. I guess we're being driven around by centaur. I'm not sure I'm convinced about my own personal storyline, but it's nice to have variety. Basically you can choose if you're from nobility, common folk, or the poor. You also can decide what your biggest regret is (of three, of course), what god or goddess you're from, and how you deal with things (charm your way through them, fight, or show some dignity). These are just for human, by the way, each race has a different thing. The Asura, who are more technological, get to choose their teacher and what kind of school they're in. Norn choose an animal spirit and Char choose a military section (kind of).
Battle System
The game's battle system is a bit different too. Each profession (basically your class) learn skills from weapons. Equip a different weapon and you gain different abilities. This also changes with off-hands/shields as well. You can have dual pistols, or a pistol and a shield and maintain the first 3 abilities from having a pistol, but get 2 different abilities for the shield. You also learn skills by using skill points you gain through leveling. These are tied to your last buttons, since your weapon abilties are keybound to 1-5, and your healing ability is 6. That is one thing that is interesting- your abilities cannot be moved, or changed, and in general, you are stuck with your main abilties (there are plenty of skills to choose from, but at max level, looks like you can only have 3 or 4 total...can't remember). Casting does not require being stagnant. That's right...you can jump and cast/channel! FUN. Your first skill acts as auto-attack and for some professions, it changes different attributes (different debuffs etc) which I thought was pretty ingenious. Professions are well ranged as well, with 3 different casters, 2 ranged, and 3 melee. I've really only tried out Engineer, Elementalist (in beta), Mesmer and Necromancer.
Dynamic "Questing" 
So...there is a small questline, that you follow that is the main story. Then there are heart side quests, where you do tasks for people around the area and fill up a bar to feel good about yourself and gain access to some decent rewards. Finally, there are dynamic events. These are random public quests that open up when certain circumstances are met. Usually, and I'm not 100% sure if this is right, it involves there being a certain amount of people in one area. I find that these events start when more people appear in the vicinity. Not all are like this though. You can start them by speaking to NPCs as well. Now these events are fun, especially since the realms are ripe with people. But honestly...dynamic's pushing it. They still feel like quests after a while, especially when you've done the same ones over and over. And I can't stop thinking about rifts...from Rift when I do it. I just hope these things lasts. Right now there are plenty of people, and if that stays the same, then this thing won't be so bad. But if things change, subs drop, or activities change (maybe people focus on dungeons or PvP when they hit cap), I wonder if dynamic events will still be around. See a huge problem I've been finding is that I lack experience to move to next areas. After doing side quests and exploring, I'm still short on the next bubble. I assume these dynamic events are supposed to fill that void. (That or PvP/WvWvW...I heard those things give massive amounts of EXP). But if activity falters, will there be enough? Of course, this will all be interesting to see play out later. (These and other critical points of view can be found on a great article from Massively).
Engineer
Currently I'm leveling an Human Engineer and have finished up the first area, Queensdale, which lands me around level 15. I promised the boyfriend I'd wait for him, although it more benefits me than him. I am having a TERRIBLE time trying to complete the storyline quests and definitely need a partner to soak up the damage.
So besides the weird heart grinds that you do around the world, the actual "quests" you have involve your personal story. You phase into your own instance to do them. Honestly, the human storylines are mediocre as far as interest go (although I do like the human race story in general). They do have a level besides them (suggestion maybe?), although it doesn't really seem to matter because you scale to that level when you go to do it. Every time I go to do them though, even if I outlevel the requirement by quite a bit, I somehow get my ass handed to me. Usually I just get overwhelmed with people, and I've found that some skills do far more damage then other ones. For example. Getting shot in the face does very minimal damage, but getting hit by one slice of a "whirlwind" type move halves my HP. When I'm fighting "elite" mobs (bronze circles around their portrait), I usually eventually just can't survive against them. They damage me a lot more than I damage them, and my healing cooldowns usually run out. I can kite okay, but only for so long and a lot of my enemies have been ranged.   My healing abilities are minimal, and I've even switched to the healing technology to double my healing efforts, but that seems to not work.  
I thought maybe it was a gear problem, but gear is hard to find, and I've crafted the best that I could wear. I can't rely on my own drops, and I can't rely on others. The Trade Market has been down the entire time, so no use shopping, and I've tried buying from the mass amounts of people in chat, but usually I'm out of luck or just too late. If its a choice of skills, well too bad for me because you can't reset skills. I've switched traits twice, but will probably settle on firearms or grenades or something.
The only way I was able to overcome the fights was to set up a turret, which basically acted as a dummy. It would usually gain the attention of the elite, allowing me to kite and kill the three or more adds that come with it. Then I have to hope the turret survives a decent amount so I can damage the elite, then kite to survive long enough (which has even involved me running to other areas to LOS them) to set up another turret. It's worked, with a bit of trial and error, but I'd rather just wait for my boyfriend, one because I want to play with him, and two because this shouldn't stress me out as much.
I don't know how I feel about the Engineer. I feel like I have a lot less abilities then everyone else. In fact, weapon skills, we only have about 3 sets. A rifle, 2 pistols, or a pistol and a shield. We do make up for that with kits that give us a whole new set of abilities. So far, I have unlocked a Healing Kit, which allows me to drop healing packs for people to pick up; a Grenade Kit, with several different types of grenades; and my favorite, a Flamethrower, which is....a flamethrower. In fact, since I've picked up the Flamethrower, my damage has skyrocketed.
Final "initial" thoughts
In the end, I feel that Guild Wars 2 successfully does its own thing great, while adding its own mix of other features MMOs have used. I enjoy the game, and been slowly moving my way around. It's a gorgeous sight to behold, although I'm more impressed by the artwork on each load screen....it's so...pretty. I'm really thankful for the battle system because it's not another WoW clone type (coughRiftSWTORcough). I have yet to try out PvP or WvWvW which is another one of the big draws of GW2. I'm also still trying to find a nitch I feel comfortable in as far as profession goes. So far, it looks like Engineer, although I'm enjoying Necromancer.
It's been hard finding time for the game though. Lately, I feel like I can't quite juggle this game with WoW...there's lots to do in patch 5.04 and since a few of my old guildmates came back. I like running stuff too. That and school and work are back in full force. WoW will always have that pull...
 

MoP Cinematic: What's wrong with it?

First off, let's take a looksee

Or 5...in my case.
I've watched it at least 5 times.
Now my initial thought was...awesome. I'm sooo ready for this expansion! Let's do it. I am going to roll a panda monk at the very beginning of the expansion, and do nothing but fight over quest objectives for the next few days. I was exhilarated. Pumped up. Fist pumping even?
Loved the music, thought the CG was smooth, was relieved the panda didn't look like Jack Black, and was in awe at the last shot that featured cherry blossoms floating over a glimpse of Pandaria.
After having "a moment", I finally decided to see what other's had to say.
And a lot of it was either confusion, or discontent.
Many of the complaints can be summed up by Klepsacovic @ Troll Racials

"In the past, the cinematics gave some sense of the enemy to fight.  In the original we had the factions and the Burning Legion.  Burning Crusade gave us Illidan and introduced the new races, without either stealing the spotlight entirely.  Wrath of the Lich King gave us Arthas showing off his power while his father's words echoed in his head, perhaps giving us insight into the madness and evil within.  Cataclysm had Deathwing blow up the world.
And now... who is the enemy?  The panda?"

He points out pretty much the problem.

But let's be real. Mists of Pandaria is looking to be a far different expansion then WotLK, or Cataclysm for that matter. For one, the biggest difference is that there is no "main evil." Somehow, the Horde and Alliance, their war, and the effect of that war on Pandaria is supposed to be the evil. So what are they supposed to show in the opening cinematic.
Well, Cataclysm showed Deathwing breaking free and blowing up the world. Basically what happened before the Cataclysm. In essence, that is what the MoP cinematic is doing. The Horde and Alliance, while at war with each other, crash land on the island that ends up being Pandaria. I know this. I listened to Metzen announce it at Blizzcon 2011.
So this is what they decided to show.
Two ships fighting. Obviously Horde and Alliance, if you couldn't tell from the flags. They crash land on this island. They then begin to fight, basically trashing some really nice pandaren architecture.
A pandaren monk must've heard them because he decides to intervene. 
He then basically starts owning the Horde and the Alliance at once in combat. I found it to be a pretty cool fight scene. But it does basically make us seem pathetically weak.
It also points out my biggest problem with the cinematic.
It basically shows us, Horde and Alliance, teaming up, to fight off a bigger, badder (stronger) foe. Extremely misleading. It's not even that the Pandaren seems like the evil bad guy in the cinematic (which isn't entirely true. He's more like the opposing force). It's the fact that we joined up against him.
A lot of times, people get angry because they take what they see as a grain of salt, instead of looking at the bigger picture. But even when you look at the cinematic alongside the bigger picture, you still can't help but scratch your head.
Now, in the cinematic's defense, it did showcase the new race and the new class, in it's own way. I don't really find a problem with them showcasing the pandaren, and only showing orcs and humans. Honestly, those two basically represent the Horde and Alliance, and we will be seeing to vastly different styles of leadership coming from an orc leader and a human leader.
So what should of Blizzard done?
I was kind of hoping for a Vanilla/Burning Crusade cinematic. Something a bit more montage instead of linear storyline.
With a type of story so vastly different from the last two, it just doesn't seem like the smart idea going a similar route. Both the Arthas/Lich King cinematic, raising Sindragosa, and Cataclysm's Deathwing blows up everything, were able to achieve the whole, "rawr me big bad evil coming to get you." These were great set-ups for an evil we were all planning to ban together to destroy.
But what does the cinematic for MoP offer us? It doesn't prepare us to go to war against the Alliance or Horde. It doesn't have us eager to explore the secrets of Pandaria. It doesn't hint at Garrosh's future, doesn't show the destruction of Theramore. It just shows us that hey, Pandas are cool. Monks are even cooler (and are going to be getting nerfed alllloottttt). Have at it. 

PS....I still liked it. <.< September 25!

I choose you...

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

Transmog Post: Hunter T13 Look

Been really loving the current tier look for hunters. The helm and shoulders combo is a nice tribute to the WotLK dragons, Frost Wyrms. Because I'm only doing LFR, I made a set for that version.

Frost Wyrm (Blues, LFR)

Helm: Wyrmstalker's Headguard- Dragon Soul-Raid Finder (Token from Warmaster Blackhorn)
Shoulders: Wyrmstalker's Spaulders -Dragon Soul-Raid Finder (Token from Hagara the Stormbinder)
Chest: Mail of the Geyser -Legacy Justice Point Vendor in Dalaran (iLevel 264)
Hands: Spiritwalker's Gauntlets - Black Temple (Shade of Akama)
Belt: Naturalist's Preserving Cinch - Black Temple (Supremus)
Legs: Frozen Forest Kilt - Heroic Nexus (Ormorok the Tree-Shaper)
Feet: Boots of Oceanic Fury - Black Temple (High Warlord Naj'entus)
Ranged: Felglacier Bolter - Heroic Pit of Saron (Krick & Ick)

Transmog Post: Game of Thrones-Daenerys and Cersei

Winter is Coming
So I'm obsessed with Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire. Which is of course seeping into something I'm also obsessed with...TRANSMOG! WOO...So here's the first in a series I hope to complete. Game of Thrones Character Outifts! I'm focusing more on the outfits based on the TV show, simply because its better visual references.

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.

I R Disappoint

Today I am going to make a list of things that have disappointed me over the past month or so. My mood has greatly soured over the past day and now my poor blog gets to feel the wrath of it. There might be some spoilers for a few tv shows, but I'll spare you the Dark Knight stuff. And yes I liked the movie but I was still disappointed... Maybe I'll share it wayy down on the bottom.


SWTOR: My first victim.
I was given 7 free days of game time to try our 1.3. While I had fun doing a couple storylines, I wasn't overall impressed. My biggest disappointment in Swtor is the Legacy system. I don't like that I have to spend credits on some of the more wanted perks. I don't like that its ridiculous amount, even though credits aren't that hard to come. I don't like that, despite this, nothing has changed. No more subscription for me.

Game of Thrones will feature book 3, A Storm of Swords, in two seasons instead of one. 
As the cast list grows and grows, the storylines become more complex and drawn out. So yeah, it's no surprised that A Storm of Swords is getting two seasons. But at this rate, I'm going to be like in my 30s by the time the seasons finish. And whose to say that other books won't get split up. From the looks of it, A Dance with Dragons is like three times the size of A Game of Thrones. I only mention my concern/disappointment because I worry about the shows longevity. As the show gets more expensive to make (them dragons and dire wolves be growing) I worry it will become more of a burden to make and they may stop making it.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII may have been canceled. But we don't really know.
The only game (besides a possible Kingdom Hearts 3) I've been looking forward to console and Ps3 -wise was FF Versus XIII. The characters intrigued me, the battle system, what little I knew, made me wanna try it. I loved the gothic feel they were going for. But we haven't heard anything in a while, and the game has been obviously missing at game cons and showcases. Square only seems interested in pushing out more Lightning games, which doesn't appeal to me at all. I hated FFXIII. Aside from the fact that it was damn beautiful, I thought the characters were boring or annoying (cough Vanille cough), the battle system wasn't for me, and I didn't much care for the story. I instead long for the days of old Squaresoft and the amazing RPGS they used to release. To make matters worse, they haven't even really said yay or nay to FF Versus XIII, so we don't even know for sure if its done for. But most sources point to yes. Square's having some sort of party/announcement thing soon so I'm sure we'll be put out of our misery soon enough.
Speaking of disappointment...the one recent game I would buy of theirs, Theatrythm Final Fantasy is Nintendo 3DS exclusive. Considering I wouldn't even play any of the games in 3D makes the console a waste of money for me...but that game looks soo much funnnn.

Spoilers below for True Blood and The Dark Knight Rises

MoP Beta: Pet Battles Overview

They're here!!!! Probably one of the most anticipated parts of MoP...or at least mine. Pokemon Pet Battles!
Let's be honest here...this mini game is a complete rip off of Pokemon. Shifting battle scenes, turn-based system, and midi sounding music. But hey! Maybe that's the key here; taking a widely successful system and integrating it into the game. A perfect mini game to waste some time on.
I've put together some screenshots of my (extensive) experience with the Pet Battle System. I think overall, the system was handled nicely, but there is some room for improvement.
However, this is still beta...although I'm sure this is pretty much how the system will feel.

(Beware...mucho pictures under cut...I went a little Screenshot Trigger Happy. >.<)

Class Specific Outfits (minus druids)

Hunter

Alliance Hunter

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.

Helm: Wyrmstalker's Headguard- Dragon Soul-Raid Finder (Token from Warmaster Blackhorn)
Shoulders: Wyrmstalker's Spaulders -Dragon Soul-Raid Finder (Token from Hagara the Stormbinder)
Chest: Mail of the Geyser -Legacy Justice Point Vendor in Dalaran (iLevel 264)
Hands: Spiritwalker's Gauntlets - Black Temple (Shade of Akama)
Belt: Naturalist's Preserving Cinch - Black Temple (Supremus)
Legs: Frozen Forest Kilt - Heroic Nexus (Ormorok the Tree-Shaper)
Feet: Boots of Oceanic Fury - Black Temple (High Warlord Naj'entus)
Ranged: Felglacier Bolter - Heroic Pit of Saron (Krick & Ick)

Warrior

The Unburnt

 
Helm: Jaw of Repudiation - Valor Point Vendor
Shoulders: Destroyer Shoulderguards - Tier 5 Token from Tempest Keep (Void Reaver)
Chest: Lifeforge Breastplate - BoE drop from Ulduar (Ignis the Furnace Master)
Gloves: Gauntlets of the Molten Giant - Tier 12 Cataclysm Justice Point Vendor
Belt: Girdle of Unyielding Trust - WotLK 226 ilevel Justice Point Vendor in Dalaran.
Pants: Legguards of the Molten Giant - Tier 12 Cataclysm Justice Point Vendor
Feet: Hellfrozen Bonegrinders - Blacksmithing Crafting 264 ilevel (Recipe from ICC Vendor)

Transmog Post: The Unburnt

 I've been a bit obsessed with George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, and it's TV show Game of Thrones. My favorite character is Daenerys, Mother of Dragons and the last of the Targaryen Dynasty. Half my toons are named after her and her family members.

One of her title is The Unburnt, which I thought would make a really cool RP type name for a DK. A Death Knight preserved by the fires of the Dragon Queen, similar to what happened (and which we don't know about...biggest kept secret on Azeroth...) to Bolvar Fordragon. Anyways, I started making an outfit based on fire, which was pretty easy considering Firelands, but in general, I never made an outfit I liked under this pretense.
This changed, however, when I started my warrior. While toying with gear that I liked, I found the perfect outfit that fulfilled what I was looking for. Although my warrior isn't called The Unburnt, I still think the outfit is pretty nice.

Helm: Jaw of Repudiation - Valor Point Vendor
Shoulders: Destroyer Shoulderguards - Tier 5 Token from Tempest Keep (Void Reaver)
Chest: Lifeforge Breastplate - BoE drop from Ulduar (Ignis the Furnace Master)
Gloves: Gauntlets of the Molten Giant - Tier 12 Cataclysm Justice Point Vendor
Belt: Girdle of Unyielding Trust - WotLK 226 ilevel Justice Point Vendor in Dalaran.
Pants: Legguards of the Molten Giant - Tier 12 Cataclysm Justice Point Vendor
Feet: Hellfrozen Bonegrinders - Blacksmithing Crafting 264 ilevel (Recipe from ICC Vendor)

The chest piece was a fluke. I lucked out on the AH one day. I like how its different and matches both the helm and the legs. I know the helm is supposed to be Deathwing-like, but I think it fits well.

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.

Priest Leveling

I'm currently leveling a Night Elf priest on the new server we picked out. I've been dappling between all three specs at some point, and find that I enjoy aspects of each, but don't specifically lean towards one. I started with Discipline until level 32 simply because Shadow was not an efficient leveling build until I received Shadow Word: Death and the Glyph of Spirit Tap. Since then, I've been enjoying Shadow, and think I might stick with Shadow once I hit 85. I've always struggled with priest heals, sometimes because I feel overwhelmed by the toolbox. One of the problems might be that I haven't really leveled from start to finish, and since the LFD tool is now here as well, I can sufficiently grow with the talent specs.
I struggled a bit healing in the early levels, specifically while doing SFK. After a few teeth to nail fights, I respec'd Shadow and went DPS through SFK. I found I wasn't the problem while I watched another healer, in heirlooms, struggle. I also discovered the strangely inefficient leveling spec that is Shadow at lower levels. It doesn't make sense to me, but alas, once you hit 32, it's all in the past.
For healing, after the horrific experience that was SFK, I ended up switching to Holy when I hit 30 and got my dual-spec. Holy is a different story. While it doesn't have the DPS value that comes with an Evangelism/Atonement Disc build, I never ran out of mana and had the capacity to heal large amounts of damage when faced with it. I did not find this when I did Disc.
I do find Holy kind of boring.  Of course, it's cuz I'm  at lower levels. But it helps that I can queue as both DPS and Heals and I tend to get DPS most.  While tanks are still hot commodities, I guess most people think that being a healer will get them faster queues at lower levels.
The other problem I find is that I can never get the gear I want/need. Not only am I competing with a huge amount of Ele shamans and Balance druids, but since everyone can Need, I've lost robes to hunters and wands to paladins.While I understand the need for such a looting system at lower levels, sometimes it annoys the hell out of me. Speaking of which...
A while ago, when I was leveling a mage through LFD, I encountered a Shadow priest who flipped out on a healing Shaman for rolling and winning a cloth robe. I stood up for the Shaman, saying that caster leather is a bit rare to find at these levels, since most is designed for the more "efficient" leveling build, ie. Agility leather. The priest of course, started telling me I was dumb and that boohoo it's not fair that I can only wear cloth. Then we had someone else jump in and end all our discussions by reminding us that this is just a game. (btw. I hate these people. These people act high and mighty by saying oh noesss it's just a game. Yes it is just a game, but don't demean the way people spend their time.)

Anyways, aside from that...a side...
I've hit about 54, and respec'd Holy back to Discipline. I'm going to see if having Divine Aegis will help me out, but I have yet to try it out. I still enjoy Shadow, even though I have no AoE abilities, which my Paladin partner finds kinda frustrating (TOO BAD ANTHONY).