Beta: Sorry About the Teasing

In all honesty, I have not had any time to play the Beta. I've got some screenshots to share with you, and I'll hopefully be able to log in soon and get some real testing of the new tree done for you (and some frustrated grumblings as I try to walk in it, as well). I can't promise it will be soon, as I have a lot of real life, important, sometime urgent, things to sort out (a temporary move, apartment hunting, getting my first real, career-oriented job, purchasing car insurance for the first time on my own policy...), I will do my best. I'm as curious as you guys, so if there's anything specific you want me to look at, let me know.

So, in the meantime, here are your screenshots!











And hey, if you like Spirit Beasts and/or Hunters, check out the shirts BRK is selling (again, my design).

Beta: First Impressions

While I haven't had too much time to play the beta due to the arrival of my step siblings from Ireland and general scrambling for employment, I do have some good news. Though my computer cannot handle running video at the same time as beta, I do have a Resto Druid friend who will be recording various things for me to post on the blog.

As well, BRK and a few of his friends, including me, will be heading into five mans as soon as our schedules align, and I'll be able to give a little bit of a better idea on how healing feels under pressure.

Everything is a little different in WoW now, even things on the scale of Stormwind Bank (which is really pretty but a little glitchy inside). The new water graphics look good, but also kind of inconsistent with the rest of the graphics. It may just take some getting used to.


I've done a little questing as a Resto Druid, and it isn't any easier or any more difficult than it has been before, except for the introduction of Insect Swarm to all builds. Yes, I have leveled as Resto since level 60 and I'm not changing for this expansion.

I also ran around and did a few levels of Worgen and Goblin. This has to be my favorite point of incompleteness so far:


If the stars align soon and we're able to go five man running on a relatively stable server, I'll have more information for you. Until then!

Guess What?

Druid Goodies

I know this blog has been really sparse lately, but I have been super busy. Fear not, however, as I have not completely neglected you all, and soon I may have a super surprise for you. But right now I have a different surprise, no less super!

I've mentioned before that I'm BRK's Executive Assistant. And as part of my job, I created this cute design:



Which BRK then put on a shirt, added a tagline, and threw up for sale. I'm super excited about it, and you should be, too!

If interested, head to BRK's website and check them out. He'll ship them anywhere in the world you can get mail, so don't think it's limited to just US kids. But, remember, these shirts are only available until July 19th, one week from today, so don't think about it too long!

A Chat Log

Some people seem kind of nervous to talk to me on AIM or e-mail. I don't know where that comes from because, honestly, I am just a person and I don't mind talking to people.

Here are some chat logs from a recent conversation I had with a friendly reader who had some questions! I've edited out some irrelevant information and corrected some spelling to make it easier to read, but otherwise this is a straight conversation.

(7:03:18 PM) Hump: What is the smartest way to do healing assignments? I hate the whole "x on tanks, y and z on raid etc."
(7:04:04 PM) Bellwether: well, it depends
(7:04:14 PM) Bellwether: Do you mean in like a PUG or in an established guild?
(7:04:29 PM) Hump: I tried having one healer on each group once in a 25 man, but i was told i was overcomplicating things
(7:04:44 PM) Bellwether: well sometimes that's helpful on certain fights
(7:04:44 PM) Hump: Guild 25 man progression
(7:04:49 PM) Bellwether: ah
(7:04:51 PM) Bellwether: hmm
(7:05:27 PM) Bellwether: Well with a cohesive guild usually people know where their strengths are and don't need a lot of direction. But things like HM LK I know my guild uses very rigidly defined healing setups you're not supposed to deviate from.
(7:05:45 PM) Bellwether: A lot of the time you go with class strengths, like Paladins on tanks and Druids on raid, etc.
(7:06:06 PM) Bellwether: But it's a lot about understanding both what classes you have and what the people who play those classes are good at
(7:06:13 PM) Bellwether: It's kind of an ambiguous answer I suppose

(7:06:18 PM) Hump: Im always thinking of the inefficiency of raid healers "bumping into eachother" any ways of combating that?
(7:06:33 PM) Bellwether: Hmm
(7:06:39 PM) Hump: As in 2 or more heals topping up the same guy
(7:07:12 PM) Bellwether: Well, that's going to happen no matter what you do (especially with the bonuses in ICC now) but assigning groups in raid-damage heavy fights for the raid healers can stop it a bit
(7:07:27 PM) Bellwether: There will always likely be some overlap, especially with Druid HoTs
(7:07:40 PM) Bellwether: And it's not a bad thing to have multiple HoTs on the same person
(7:07:52 PM) Bellwether: Usually the only time you worry about overheal in WotLK is when your healers are running out of mana

(7:08:19 PM) Hump: I also thought about putting raid healers in 4corners so they would be forced to only heal those in range
(7:08:31 PM) Bellwether: Well, that would likely depend on the fight
(7:08:44 PM) Bellwether: As you can't always do that with highly mobile fights that depend on stacking
(7:08:59 PM) Bellwether: You can do it with, say, Hardmode Festergut, where you use the melee in the middle, ranged on two different sides
(7:09:07 PM) Bellwether: Because then the raid healers can only reach their side and the melee

(7:09:25 PM) Hump: Ye, but I can’t trust my healers anyway. They’re always trying to top the meters :(
(7:09:54 PM) Bellwether: Mmm, trust between healers is usually really important. It's not supposed to be a competition.
(7:10:21 PM) Hump: I tell them, but i think our guild sort of encourages it
(7:10:27 PM) Bellwether: How so?
(7:11:03 PM) Hump: Because the dps'ers (or scumbags as i call them) are terrible for it
(7:11:13 PM) Hump: So healers are following suit
(7:11:39 PM) Bellwether: Well, it's okay to be a little competitive. But working together is really important, too.
(7:12:17 PM) Hump: Ye, but what they do is...
(7:13:05 PM) Hump: Keep healing, even when there is no healing to be done just to top meters. Instead of conserving mana or dpsing boss
(7:13:40 PM) Hump: I am the only healer who dps's when theres no healing to be done :(
(7:13:51 PM) Bellwether: Well, DPSing the boss is meh. Continuing healing when there's no damage doesn't add to meters (as overhealing doesn't show up on them). Druids pre-HoTing is fine, though, and often helpful.

(7:14:37 PM) Hump: They snipe at heals though, they also have no concept of pre-hotting
(7:15:03 PM) Hump: My last 25 man BQL, 2 druids no.1 heal was nourish
(7:15:13 PM) Bellwether: Heal sniping is silly, really. And kind of a double-edged sword.
(7:15:16 PM) Bellwether: ...What how.
(7:15:19 PM) Hump: We also had 2 holy Paladins in the raid
(7:15:56 PM) Bellwether: That's just wrong. On BQL druids should be using mostly Rejuv and Swiftmend, with some Lifeblooms for flavor on people dropping fire. Nourish once in a while yes...
(7:16:12 PM) Hump: I know this
(7:16:27 PM) Bellwether: Though a lot would depend on Haste, but still...
(7:16:38 PM) Hump: They aren’t even near haste cap either!!!!! XD
(7:16:59 PM) Bellwether: It's a little hard to tell anymore, because ICC has made healing so trivial on a lot of things. The boost wrecks a lot of "optimized" play so you can kinda bash your face against keybinds and win.
(7:17:25 PM) Hump: They’re clickers too :p
(7:17:43 PM) Hump: They will chew on mouse instead
(7:17:48 PM) Bellwether: Well, I'm a semi-clicker, and use mouse-binds, but well...
(7:18:03 PM) Hump: It’s ok for you...
(7:18:12 PM) Hump: You have your own blog
(7:18:15 PM) Bellwether: Haha
(7:18:16 PM) Bellwether: Well
(7:18:24 PM) Bellwether: I use key-binds, mouse-binds, and I click
(7:18:26 PM) Bellwether: It's a bit of a mix
(7:18:51 PM) Bellwether: Click for really rarely used things, keybinds for some non-targeted and self-targetted things, mouse-binds for healing the raid

(7:28:05 PM) Hump: Can i also ask? What is the worth of glyph of rapid rejuv?
(7:29:44 PM) Bellwether: Oh, it's wonderful
(7:30:09 PM) Bellwether: Glyph of Rapid Rejuv makes raid-blanketing more difficult, true
(7:30:30 PM) Bellwether: But the quicker healing just can't be beat, especially on Sindragosa and BQL and Infest on LK

(7:39:11 PM) Hump: Did your blogging fame stretch far enough to get you a beta key?
(7:39:15 PM) Bellwether: I think I need a different armory for eu servers
(7:39:20 PM) Bellwether: Nah

(7:44:06 PM) Hump: Healing rotation on Valithria?
(7:44:17 PM) Bellwether: outside healing the raid or inside portals
(7:44:20 PM) Hump: I use nourish with rejuv
(7:44:29 PM) Hump: Portals
(7:44:36 PM) Bellwether: Full HoTs, Nourish
(7:44:42 PM) Bellwether: Including Lifebloom stacks
(7:44:49 PM) Bellwether: Make sure HoTs are refreshed before portals pop
(7:44:50 PM) Hump: Why full HoTs?
(7:45:05 PM) Bellwether: Because they're super strong the more buffs you get, and it increases Nourish output
(7:45:18 PM) Bellwether: Plus you want all those HoTs ticking while you're inside the portals getting more buffs

(7:47:48 PM) Hump: Are [Holy Paladins] actually supposed to spam heals into tanks, even if their health doesn’t dip AT ALL?
(7:48:11 PM) Bellwether: Well, the problem with a Holy Paladin is you try to anticipate heals because you tend to have decent cast times
(7:48:22 PM) Bellwether: Plus, you're healing two tanks at once, so you're anticipating damage on two targets
(7:48:39 PM) Bellwether: It takes a very, very good paladin to manage that without spammy healing
(7:49:01 PM) Bellwether: I get a little spammy with my own paladin

(7:50:34 PM) Hump: What’s your opinion on healers dpsing in cataclysm?
(7:50:48 PM) Hump: We can cast wrath in tree now
(7:51:32 PM) Bellwether: Well they want us to be more mana-aware and efficient
(7:51:39 PM) Bellwether: So it doesn't make sense to DPS when there aren't heals needed
(7:52:03 PM) Bellwether: So I don't see the point.
(7:52:08 PM) Hump: There is one talent in resto...
(7:52:25 PM) Bellwether: Hmm?
(7:52:32 PM) Hump: Proc off a heal to give instant cast no mana cost wrath
(7:52:50 PM) Hump: I like it =D
(7:53:27 PM) Bellwether: Ah
(7:53:34 PM) Bellwether: I don't read too much Cataclysm stuff
(7:53:48 PM) Hump: I have a dream, one day i will finish fights above tanks and do my fair share of healing :)
(7:53:48 PM) Bellwether: Tree form shenanigans and lockout weirdness has turned me off
(7:54:10 PM) Hump: Lockout?
(7:54:37 PM) Bellwether: the whole 25 and 10 lockouts with same loot and such
(7:54:54 PM) Hump: Oh ye, i hate it
(7:55:00 PM) Hump: Also
(7:55:08 PM) Hump: In case you didn’t know
(7:55:28 PM) Hump: Cata ToL has 50% movement reduction
(7:56:18 PM) Bellwether: Oh I saw
(7:57:25 PM) Hump: Tbh, I would like to see trees just root themselves into the ground and be machine gun healing
(7:59:02 PM) Bellwether: oh god then there would be fire and we would die
(7:59:17 PM) Hump: Touché
(7:59:51 PM) Hump: Frost mage water elemental fire fighter?
(8:00:31 PM) Bellwether: haha
(8:00:38 PM) Bellwether: Make best friends with a mage I suppose

Contest Winner and Technical Problems

I'm so sorry this announcement came late. I have an excuse, but first: The winner!

This took forever. You guys had such amazing suggestions and it took me quite a while to sort through. But, in the end, the winner was Bittersweet, suggested by commenter Grizadams.

So, Grizadams, if you wish to collect your prize, send me an e-mail at 4haelz AT gmail DOT com (remember to spell it h-a-e-l-z) and specify whether you want me to mail you the card (with a stamp and everything) or you want me to just scratch it off and type the code out for you!

Now, for the reason this is so late:

A week ago, in the middle of a raid, my WoW randomly dropped from ~20 fps to 4 fps, and never got higher than 12 fps again. After checking my firewalls, shutting down all auxiliary programs, running virus scans, finding out my WoW repair wouldn't even connect to the server, shutting off addons...well, nothing worked. I finally had to uninstall and reinstall WoW, and delete all my addons. I'm in the process of redoing my Healbot bindings through muscle memory, and it's just...such a pain.

So, yeah, that was what I was doing this weekend.

Congratulations to Grizadams! And thank you to everyone who participated.

Omigosh Contest Time!

Some of you may have not read/were too excited about his return to bother with such trivial details/etc., but I am BRK's personal assistant. What does this mean? Well, besides jokes about having finally tamed a druid, it means I do his grunt work.

At the moment there isn't much grunt work so I do as much as my salary; that is to say, nothing.

However, I'm needing some help on something of my own, and I have something to give you for it!

You see, not long before BRK told me in secret to start spreading rumors about his return, I was ordered to get on my hunter and fly out to Storm Peaks by the awesome Druid Sonicoom. Apparently, there was a Skoll! And I tamed him and I was so pleased (he will tell you that I was so over-excited I forgot to put down a Freezing Trap and that I nearly died and we had to play an aggro game but anyway).

Now, the problem is...what do I name it? And I had a thought...

I'll ask you guys. 'Cause you're super awesome and I have never done a contest before.

So here's the rules and information!

1) Leave a comment with your entry for Skoll's name
2) Only one suggestion per person.
3) It needs to follow a theme. My hunter's name is "Sugarcake" and all my pets are some sugary treat or addition.
4) I do not repeat pet names. My previous pets have been named: Sprinkles (wolf), Frosting (bear), Coconut (warpstalker), Blueberries (blue plainstrider), Strawberries (silithid), Mint (chimaera), Marmalade (moth), Zebracake (hyena), Licorice (JORMUNGAR), Tart (raptor), Gumdrop (crocolisk, named by BRK himself!).
5) Read the other comments before posting. Do not repeat a suggestion! Think of something else or be faster, sorry!

The person who gives me the name I like best (yeah, you can't really impartially judge this sort of thing) will win a Slashdance loot card! I can scratch it and give you the code or mail it, your preference.

Good luck, have fun, and wrack those noggins!

EDIT: Forgot to say - you have until Thursday at 11:59 PM EST! I'll announce my favorite, and the winner, Friday.

UPDATE: Commenting closed, and now I have the difficult job of choosing the winner. Answer will be up tonight!