Episode# 21 is now live and available for download. We conclude our series on party dynamics covering the Tank, Healer and DPS responsibilities DURING a pull and throughout a dungeon

Enjoy!

The iTunes Link
The MP3 File
The RSS Feed

Recording wrapped up last night on the epic conclusion of our party series. Oh…and two minutes of bloopers as well. Look for it on Friday!

Episode# 20 is now live and available for download. We continue our series on parties by covering everything that happens BEFORE the first pull including the all important buff stage. This may not be the exciting stuff, but it’s important nonetheless so give it a listen!

SHOW NOTES:

THE BREAKING WIND

In our new NEWS FOR NOOBS segment, we cover Blizzard’s hints regarding changes in Patch 3.3.2, the New WoW Armory and very interesting data mining statistics of the highest played class/spec combination here.

For those who haven’t read it already, here are the patch notes for Patch 3.3.2 changes here.

A HELPING HAND

In our tips and tricks segment, we continue our Party Basics series, this time covering the all-important discussion of buffing your party members:

For a complete list of party buffs in the game, check out this link here.

And for all those who have buffing needs, check out this addon called SMART BUFF.

WELCOME TO THE END GAME

This week, on our WELCOME TO THE END game segment, we discuss the importance of reading up on your class. We recommend the following websites:

• Elitistjerks.com - General Class Information
• Tankspot.com - For Tanks
• WorldofMatticus.com - For Healers

THE RAZOR’S EDGE

This week, we cover the great buffing tool (SMART BUFF). See above for the link.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

We congratulate the most recent level 80 dingers.

Enjoy!

The iTunes Link
The MP3 File
The RSS Feed

Episode# 19 is now live and available for download. We continue our series on parties by changing EVERYTHING we said last episode…thanks Blizz on the timing on that GAME-CHANGING function we now call the Dungeon Finder. Despite being a bit late, you can still find some helpful information on this great new toy for finding other parties in the game.

Enjoy!

The iTunes Link
The MP3 File
The RSS Feed

That’s right…AT&T came through on their fourth attempt. I’ve rejoined the land of the internet at my new place which means that we’ll finally get back to recording the podcast. Expect an episode by the end of the week!!!

Alright, I know some of you may be employed by or support AT&T in some way, so I don’t want to offend you. However, AT&T messed up my internet installation three straight times…their fourth time is this upcoming Monday.

Unfortunately, without internet access, podcast recording is difficult, if not impossible…so our next recording had to be pushed to early next week.

Keep your fingers crossed that 4th times a charm!!

Hey folks, just a quick heads up. To help offset the costs of hosting and recording costs, we decided (long ago) to use Google’s Adsense. Until the time that someone sees fit to support us financially, we have to use the internet’s tried and true method of ad marketing.

Unfortunately, Google’s adsense takes keywords from our website and links in advertisers automatically, without our consent. As you can imagine, one the largest ad supporters for WoW content is gold sellers.

To remove the ads, I have to manually add the website of each gold seller that advertises through google. As you can imagine, these grow and change every day. At present, I have over 30 blocked websites, but new ones come up every week and I simply don’t have enough time to police it on a daily or hourly basis.

I know that this can cause some confusion over our support (or LACK THEREOF) for gold buying and selling. In the case above, we’re asking you guys NOT to support us an to NOT click on the gold seller ads (confusing I know).

I’ll do my best to remove as many as possible. In the meantime, maybe they’ll start adding ads for things we can use.

Thanks.

Okay, I posted this in our Guild Forums, and I thought you fans of THE STARTING ZONE might get a kick out of it.

We’ve all been there. The Event / RAID / Dungeon was scheduled a week in advance. You’re all signed up. You’ve watched videos, tweaked your gear, re-specced, posted on forums, bought stuff off AH. The day of the Event / Raid / Dungeon arrives, everyone is summoned, everyone is running inside the RAID. The RAID leader has blathered on for 10 minutes about encounter strategies! Ready Check hits and you see this run across chat….

“Gotta Hearth back to Dal, forgot to repair.” or “Gotta Hearth back to Dal, forgot my flask” or… you get the picture.

So, you wait another five minutes. Then someone else asks to go take a smoke or a bio… five turns into 10 minutes… then you have to take a BIO. Half hour later, after the RAID LEADER re-explains the fight, you’re running the instance. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

So, I’ve devised something I like to call, The PRE-RAID / DUNGEON check list. Feel free, to cut and paste this and print it out and tape to your monitor or the back or tattoo it on the back of your hand. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Put this some place to make sure you cut down on the amount of “Oopsies, I forgot… XYZ”

PREPARATION: This isn’t the check list, it’s stuff you do leading up to the day of the RAID or INSTANCE.
1) Read about the Fight. Go to WoWWikki or WoWhead.com and read up on the bosses and what they do. Trust me, it helps everyone, and it saves you from the 15 minute Q&A with the Guild Leader prior to the first Fight.
2) Watch the VIDEOS. Especially if they are posted in the guild forums. WATCH Them not once, watch them 3 times. Seriously. I’m not kidding. We usually post TANK SPOT videos here, and they are about 2 - 3 minutes. Do it on your lunch break. Just Do it.
3) Determine your Schedule. Was the RAID scheduled for 10:30pm, but you have  12:00am Hard Out? Determine that and let your team know ahead of time, so ALTS can be lined up to replace you should the team want to go longer than an hour and a half.

GET THERE EARLY!
If you are going to run something at 8:30pm, don’t log on at 8:30pm (then get hit with a Patch download, like I did this week). Log on about 15 minutes prior, so you can get some stuff done before the RAID.

PRE-RAID CHECK LIST (out of Game): This is the stuff you do in RL before you show up at the scheduled time.
1) Do a BIO run: Remember when Dad, used to get mad on the Family Trip, when you would ask to pee, ten minutes after being on the road? Yeah, we all have that same face on when you ask to take a BIO when the READY CHECK hits.
2) Are you thirsty? If the answer is yes, get your beverage on hand early. For me, on a healthy, good day, this is water. On a good day but without much sleep, something with caffeine. On a bad day, it’s beer. On a really bad day… well, you don’t want to know.
3) Are you a Muncher? Then have your handy dandy snack food at the ready, your trail mix, cheetos, gummy worms, pita chips and hummus, brownies, severed monkey heads whatever they are, get them ready.

PRE-RAID CHECK LIST (in-game): This is the stuff you do in game before you show up at the scheduled time.
1) Do You have the right set of GEAR on?
2) Do you have your secondary spec Gear in your back?
3) Do you have your buff food? (just in case no one lays a Fish Feast)
4) Do you have your Flasks? (just in case no one brings any extra)
5) Do you have your Mana and Health Potions?
6) Do you have your Reagents? (Locks, Paladins, Priests, Mages, you all know what I’m talking about)


PRE-FIGHT CHECK LIST: This is the stuff you do before ready check hits!
1) Did you down your flask?
2) Did you eat the Food buff? (Fish Feast)
3) Are you in the RIGHT SPEC? You would be surprised.
4) Do you have the right Stance, Aura, Presence, Aspect (or whatever your Class does) on?
5) Did you Buff yourself?
6) Did you buff the party? (if there are multiple reps of your class in the party, then ask the other Paladin or whatever, what they’re going to use on the party as a buff ahead of time).
7) Did you Seal up, Paladins?
7a) Is the right Pet or Minion out, Locks and Hunters and Unholy DKs?
7b) Is the Pet or Minion buffed?
7d) Did you lay out healthstones (cooikes), Locks?
7e) Did you lay out Struddle, Mages?
7d) Do you know what Totems you are laying down, Shamans?
8) Is your health @ Max?
9) Is your mana @ Max?
10) For Tanks, is your Stam with buffs look about right?

If you have done all these click “Ready” on the Ready Check and fight on adventurere!

There are some addons that assist with this process. Some are class specific. Please, check them out and use them when appropriate.

Well, for old times sake, I lead a RAID through NAXX last night, and it was great to see some NEW PLAYERS tackle a 10 Man Raid for the first time. We forget that not many new players get a shot at a RAID leveling 1 - 60 and surprisingly it doesn’t happen very often either 60 - 80 despite the BC content available. So, some of us more experienced RAIDERS ventured in and did the Safety Dance and kited some slimes. A good time was had by all.

It’s amazing to think that with 3.3 upon us NAXX feels even less significant that it did as Ulduar and Trail of the Crusader were unleashed upon the WoW masses. However, despite the fact it’s not the prime END GAME RAID anymore, NAXX offers some excellent fights for players to learn more about their class and their play as a RAIDER.

I am beginning to understand the “It past me by” feeling the casual player or raider experiences with END GAME content. While, I’ve don a full 10 man clear of NAXX and made progress on Ulduar and TOC 10, I haven’t done a full clear, let alone much work in the world fo 25 Man Raids on any of the content outside Ony and VOA. Now with a whole new epic END GAME RAID in Citadel looming. I’m wondering if players will ever take on such a difficult fight like Yogg Saron. Makes you think. This game really does age fast. While it does a wonderful job staying fresh, that content just kind of sits there, once it isn’t new and shiny anymore. I guess that’s why their blowing it up for Cataclysm.