Tips for the Scribe - Part 1

My poor druid has been on a long vacation from her inscription profession but now I've decided to work on it again and gotten some great advice from my hubby who is making his fortune from this profession. Here are a few tips I thought I would share that may help you save time and increase your profit.

Watch for part 2 later in the week.

1) Do not farm herbs

Unless you have a great amount of time in the game, don't bother farming the herbs for inscription. Buy ONLY northrend herbs for 20g per stack or less and buy a few stacks if you can initially afford it. Remember you can trade Ink of the Sea for any other inks you may need to Jessica Sellers in Dalaran. Once you mill your herbs the snowfall inks you obtain should cover the cost of the herbs you just purchased. Perhaps you can find a regular supplier of herbs that will give them at the 20g per stack price.

2) Bag Space

Have at least two Pack of Endless Pockets (scribe bags) which you can easily trade in with your bank bags when needed after you put up your glyphs in the AH.

3) Paper

Have a minimum of 2 stacks of Resilient Parchment and Heavy Parchment and probably a stack of each of the others.

4) Inks

The most important ink will be your Ink of the Sea then Ethereal and next Celestial. Make sure you have a good supply of those. Others you want are a few Shimmering, Lion, Jadefire and Midnight.

Now you should have all the supplies you need to start things. As for me I haven't discovered all the glyphs yet so unlike my hubby I probably put up about 50 glyphs to his 190 glyphs per day. I don't make all of them because some are very low in price. There are 123 glyphs to be discovered/or obtained from the books of glyph mastery so unless you have a ton of gold it will take a while to have them all. The prices of the books has dropped significantly so perhaps invest in one per day when your glyphs sales are stable.

Next time I'll provide some information about the AH about listing your glyphs and maximizing your profit and time.

Where's the nearest Mall?

I'm just back from a little vacation to Niagara-on-the-Lake (small pretty town about 30km from Niagara Falls on the Canadian side). It was an awesome trip and I'm going to put up a few pictures later.

Now, lets talk shopping. I have spent a considerable amount of time in the game working my professions and utilizing the AH to put myself in a healthy financial position. As I mentioned before, when my druid hit 80 I was able to walk into 3 lvl 226 pieces from the AH. I WANT MORE!! I want to be able to buy alot more gear, rare mounts and just cool stuff.

Although I don't spend as much time raiding as others, I have spent alot of time farming and so for that work I would love to have more shopping options. It is very limited as to what I can get with my gold. It wouldn't bother me if they had shop that offered high end Tier pieces for 10k and up. Perhaps a handful of rare mounts at 25k or higher (just as an example).

It just feels my options are limited. It has gotten to a point where I'm not sure what I am farming for. I have enough gold for repairs/enchants/gems etc for the rest of my WoW life. A nice mall underneath Dalaran would be wonderful. It would be a high-end mall and prices would be crazy but it gives those who really work the professions an opportunity to get some cool stuff.

With all that being said, Hubby just brought up a good point as to why Blizz would be a little hesitatant about my plan. Gold Farmers. If the gold begins to hold value like that then people will use real money to buy the gold they want. /sigh Makes me angry but I know its true.

Oh well....my dream will be just that....in my dreams.

Wee Lost Girl

It was that time again. The summer has been quiet so hubby and I planned a couple of guild events. The first event was called Wee Lost Girl who was a level 2 female Gnome Warlock. We should first discuss getting this little level 2 to Shadowmoon Valley in her hiding spot. I ported her to Shattrath and thankfully I have the Travelers Tundra Mammoth which helped somewhat stay ahead of the mobs we aggroed but as you can tell from the image above it was an ugly journey. I would be riding along, hear nothing and then like a zipline she was pulled from the mammoth and dead on the road. I wouldn't even see it happen. Terrokar seemed more difficult than Shadowmoon maybe just because we had farther to travel through that zone.

The object of the game was to find this Wee Lost Girl but you must also bring her the items she has requested. In essence, it was a scavenger hunt for teams of 2 or 3 and the first team to find the Wee Lost Girl and open trade with her with the 6 required items, was the winner. We had given out 3 hints as to where the Wee Lost Girl was throughout the hunt and provided teams with the item list at the beginning of the game. The teams then went into different vent channels to discuss their plan. Our first place team with Rorik, his wife Millie & teammate hunter Deebo won 1000g and our second place team of Bre & her hubby Theo came in second with a 500g prize. It was a good time:)

My turn next with "LETS MAKE A DEAL". I had wrapped up 20 prizes with the in-game gift wrap. Any item that was stackable we wrapped an in-game mail note indicating what they had won ie. Abyss Crystal or Stack of Saronite. We rolled for a chance to the play the game and they selected a number between 1-20 as to which gift they wanted. I would pass it, they opened and then would get 2 opportunities to trade in their item. The third gift they took would be their final. Items ranged in price from 10g-800g including a Teldrassil Sproutling, Mechanical Yeti, Storm Jewel, stack of titanium, abyss crystal, cut gems and lots of smaller prizes. In the end everyone that attend the event got to play.

We had a great afternoon and it was a wonderful way to bring our guildies together.

So You Are Gonna Just Drop The Flag Huh?

With the druid 80 I've been practicing some healing in BGs. Not too bad until tonight. Two guys from Stormage server were purposely dropping the flag in WSG even with just one point to the horde. I was beyond frustrated. Trust me, I hate WSG because it can go on for a very long time but I cannot just pass over the game to the horde.

While I was healing him and he first dropped it, I grabbed it but then they both did it again. They were telling folks to let the horde have it and calling everyone noobs in letting it go on so long blah blah blah.

In AB I know there is a point of no return and the last few minutes can be honor kills but the tide can change in WSG and these two guys were decked out and could have won us the game if they played it. I've had some very good turn around matches in WSG that those are the best ones.

Laziness in BGs is so common place now. People just wanna give up the game and get the BG token. Sitting at the Graveyards, yelling out comments. I'm sure it improves their game:P Maybe I'm over-reacting? I love to win against the odds. Definately gotta do more guild PVP. At least I know we did our best and gave a good fight if we do lose.

NO MORE LEVELING!

Hitting 80 last Friday on my druid was an amazing moment only because I wouldn't have to face another quest. 78-79 were the most frustrating...being so close yet so far from 80. During part of level 79 my quests were in Scholozar Basin which was a mistake on my part as it's like another STV. Dunno what it is about that zone but there is always a gankfest going on. So hubby came with me to K3 in Storm Peaks and I finished things up there.

The last couple of days I've tried to wrap my head around healbot. I think learning not to over heal and waste mana is my biggest challenge. Staying calm during alot of group damage is also something I need work on. Doing BGs is a good place to practice with the healbot as there no great pressure there. That is the plan for this week....get my heals under control and learn to use the right heals at the right time. Any tips are greatly appreciated:)

I cheated a little and bought two Ulduar pieces for a good increase in my spell power and had a couple of other epics and blues ready so almost immediately I had my spell power over 1800 which was nice. Here are the two big pieces I've bought.

My head is swimming with all the druid healing things to learn but I'm really enjoying it.

Meters - Use Them, Don't Abuse Them

Upon reading gnomeaggedon and his discussion of the Seven Deadly Sins of WoW, I mentioned that I felt meter spamming was a top sin in my book.

You would never see the lowest damage raid member linking the meter in the raid. It is generally first or second in DPS that puts it out there. Not everyone is equal with their abilities in the game and no one wants to be embarrassed. Link the meter in PM if someone is asking for it. Hell, just give him/her the link to get the addon themselves. For me the meter is just a personal check of where I am and not a boasting tool. Don't use it to embarrass others but as a means to get your own game in check.

If it's a guildie you see that is struggling with DPS, private message with a suggestion of a rotation or a website with some helpful tips. Be tactful but helpful.

One of the most popular damage meters is Recount from Curse.com

Stacks for Snacks!

With a home daycare of 5 kids between the ages of 4-9 it is always tempting to use their computer skills for toon profit. No I wouldn't do it but the idea is kinda fun to think about. Hmmm I would set up 5 computers in the office and have 1 fishing, 1 mining, 1 getting herbs, 1 making pots/flasks and 1 workin' the AH. My own little gold farmers. Yes I would give them snacks (once they had 10 stacks of everything). *Stacks for Snacks* would be our motto.

Every so often I would hear their whining little cries "I don't wanna fish anymore" to which I would reply "this is how we build character sweetie...learning commitment and dedication to a task". Geez I'm almost convincing myself it would be a good idea hehehe.

Instead of giving these kids a valuable WoW education we are swimming, doing parks, going to movies, creating crafts and all that kinda stuff. My WoW daycare is just a dream.

A Leveling Server...I Think It's Brilliant

A post from WoW Insider discussed the idea of a "leveling server". A server where folks would go to level their toon then upon hitting 80 would move to another server. I think it's an awesome idea for several reasons.

Firstly, many of us end up leveling alone, which can make leveling kinda lonely. It can also be difficult to get groups together for group quests. Often you'll end up calling upon an 80 from your guild to come kill a mob for you. What about all those great low level instances? You can never get a group for your level to do them. I think that they are an important part of the game to get to know your class and understand teamwork in the game. People level to 80 sometimes never seeing these great instances.

Unfortunately from the article "A leveling server, just for leveling" WoW insider is pretty certain that Blizzard wouldn't be interested in such an idea. On a social level alone I think it would be worth it.

Speed leveling is nice but there is something to be said about really seeing the game and all it has to offer.

Ninja Epidemic

I can't begin to express the absolute anger it evokes in me when I hear of my guildies spending 4 hours in 25man Naxx only to have KT loot ninja'd. It is heart breaking.

Leveling up my toon I had heard of such things happening but never experienced it personally. I was shocked at level 70 when a guildie had indicated it had happened to them in an instance. People actually do that? I was absolutely shocked and even more angry. Our guild was ticked and it was the talk for an hour I'm sure.

Something is in the air in the last few months though, as it has become almost common place to have loot ninja'd and people are almost complacent about it. No one seems surprised when it happens or even barely upset. "The raid leader gave the loot to his couple of guildies that were there" is the kinda stuff I hear. "Awwww that sucks" someone might say, then end of conversation.

If I have run a 25man Naxx and you ninja the loot, you have stolen my time, my buffed food, my flasks, my mats and yes my chances to obtain that loot. Are folks really that desperate for stuff? Other than not pugging what could Blizzard do to make this more painful for these individuals that feel our time and effort is worth nothing?

Sorry for the bitchin' session. Can't help myself sometimes.

A Healer's Work is Never Done

My 69 druid, Sarmiento, whom I've neglected for many months has taken a liking to doing BG's. I've always wanted to heal so resto it was. I haven't looked up a thing about resto yet but Siarah throws a few "what the hell are you doing using regrowth there?" etc. I am a spam healer I admit it. Throwing hots everywhere I can and just praying "please don't let the hordie touch me, please don't let the hordie touch me"

It's an exciting position to be in as a healer to keep folks up while they bring the pain but also a scarey place since good healers can change the tide of a game. I'm just lucky to stay alive hehe. Even without any knowledge and just throwing heals through healbot, folks are appreciative.

One day in AB I asked a DK..."hey, mind if I keep you healed and if you could keep the horde off me?" and his answer was "no thanks". Well you know what that meant ..no heals for him but only death and destruction. I know what you are thinking.."what a bitch" and yes I was.

Offensively I panic and do stupid things like turn into travel form to get away which means immediate death or I'm too slow clicking my trinket to get out of a stun before my poor tree is just a pile of lumber.

BUT, even with all that...I love to heal. I doubt you will ever see me in a high level instance but if you are looking for a dedicated healer in a BG, give me a buzz.

Men Being Men in WoW

Another funny little moment in the game I wanted to share. When I was out one day in Nagrand a few months back I came upon an alliance who, if I remember correctly, helped me kill some horde that were ganking. He loved my toon's name "Justamom" and after that day would often simply send a tell of "hi mommy" every time he saw me online. All in good fun of course. We never raided together or farmed together but just always that quick "hi mommy" when he logged in and to ask how my day was going.

One day I was shocked to get a message from him that said "sup fag" then next line "MT" hehehe. I thought I would bust a gut laughing at this guy. He was was sooooo embarrassed to say that to me... apologizing like crazy. He was always so respectful and mild. I know that this how it is for young guys when chatting with others, to BS around like that.

Hubby and I had a great laugh about it and now when he messages "hi mommy" to me, my only response is "sup fag". Always makes me smile:)

Prospect This!

As most of you have heard with the upcoming patch you will be able to prospect titanium to obtain those epic gems. The prices for titanium after this announcement went insane on my server at 280g per stack. I'm not sure if anyone was buying them but that is what they were up for in the AH or 12g per individual ore.

Yesterday I noticed the prices were dropping to 180g per stack. I've been tossing around the thought whether I will prospect all my titanium or just sell them after the patch. My friend Rorik voiced his opinion that I should prospect them. I read a forum post where someone broke down the probability and talked about pricing. Unfortunately, I'm not great with numbers but the 25% probability rate is the best way for me to look at it. In my head right now I'm thinking of prospecting 2 stacks to start and see how it goes from there. Purchasing titanium to prospect isn't gonna happen on my end. I'll prospect whatever I have saved up until the patch. The competition for the titanium will slowly be increasing for sure. With 10 stacks of titanium stored away thus far, it's a good start for me.

In the meantime, the money has been good for mining. With the eternal shadows and earths I've been making the Shadowmight Rings for disenchantment getting 2-5 Infinite Dust per ring or a Greater Cosmic Essence. Selling a stack of infinite dust for around 70g per stack on our server. With all the saronite and trust me I've had tons of it, my patience with the AH is a little worn and so I sell it a little cheaper but in bulk to buyers. Saves me storage and patience:)

Now I have to think of a way to keep that holy pally Rorik out of icecrown, stealing my nodes. Hey Rorik...I have candy *holding out a mound of delicious sweet candy*

Putting Out the Welcome Mat

Spring has sprung and our guild has definately slowed down alot. Folks are out enjoying the warmer weather, walking, cycling, working in the yards, barbecuing....now what kinda crap is that?? You people should be in the game kickin' some ass in Ulduar ....geez

With those words of encouragement I am putting out the welcome mat to new members. We are a casual raiding guild on the Bleeding Hollow server and currently our numbers are down as folks have moved on from the game or are enjoying the summer *rolling eyes*.

We would ask if you are interested, please fill in our guild application and come in for a body cavity search *pulling at the elastic from my latex gloves* . We are looking for mature fun players that have some time to do a little raiding, some new stuff and perhaps some old. As a member of our guild you should be easy going, reasonably competent with your class, not an imposer on other guildies and simply up for a fun time. During the cavity search if I find big egos, they will be removed piece by piece with tweezers before the invite goes out.

So come on over to Bleeding Hollow. We don't care what level your toon is, as long as you plan to level it up and you may be surprised to get a run or two if you behave yourselves:)

Questing for Something Else

So the last few days I've done a ton BG's on my resto 69 druid which I've loved. I just can't seem to make myself quest though. Perhaps because I've also been leveling a toon on another server that I find the thought of questing presently sickening to me hehehe.

Last night I did something I never do and that was push for a run. "So who wants to do Kara?" One of our dedicated DK's spoke up "I'll go after Vaults" then my favorite Pally offered to tank. We would still need a healer, just in case we went a little crazy. After a pushy long distance call, I had Bre come on her Priest and her husband on his rogue and of course my husband had no choice in the matter. I think we had 9 by the time it was all said and done.

It was such a fun relaxing night for our guildies. When guilds go through alot changes, getting out there and doing some fun stuff together can definately help get things back on track. Sometimes we may go in different directions in the game but making time for some fun easy play can certainly create a nice relaxing mood for everyone.

It was a fun night which we plan to do more often. I'm still lovin' Kara.

The End of Days

I became a tad emotional yesterday as I was reading The Death of WoW at Wow Economics. Just the thought that Warcraft will end some day is kinda sad to me.

All the time spent earning and building our toons will all of a sudden be gone as if they never existed. The game has become such a large part of my famlies' lives in a positive way, it would most definately be missed. I'm sure I would continue to try to log in "just to see" if I could.

Would I do another game? It would be difficult and I would absolutely do some pouting for a while before considering another game. I think hubby would have an easier time moving on since he has done a few games over the years that he enjoyed.

Would there be much notice from Blizzard I wonder? Would I wake up and its gone? There would be a sense of loss not having my main toon, Justamom, who has made so many friends in the game. Miss the joking around and poking fun. There would probably be support groups set up for people like myself who would go through withdrawals and mourning.

It's a sad story that will have an ending but I'm no so curious to see it played out.

Guild Bank Maintenance

As an officer and long time member of the guild, I manage alot of the gbank transactions. I'm curious as to how most guilds maintain their gbanks. Every so often I will go in and clear out some old mats or gear and sell them, placing the gold back in the bank. I will distribute among regular guildies any excessive pots, scrolls, flasks and food etc. We use our gold for guild events and sometimes to help out a guild tank that has been doing alot of runs for the guild.

I try to deter folks from putting old mats in the gbank as they just take up too much room. It is absolutely much easier to organize the glyphs now with the colours and patterns for classes. It was a nightmare for a while.

I was just reading a post about a guild that has one tab as a free for all for guildies which I think is a great idea. Placing things that have been in the guild bank for a while or just old stuff. Putting a limit of 3 items per day to be removed. It can be hard to keep the balance of items at times and having a free for all tab may help.

Perhaps it's just our guild but it seems people hate to ask for anything from the gbank hehehe. When gbanks started I was thinking there were going to be issues with some people trying to take advantage etc, but its been the opposite. People hate to ask and hate to take stuff. Hopefully with a free tab guildies will be more likely to dip in.

Hangin' In a Major City

I look around while I'm in IF waiting for our raid to form. People in the AH, folks in the bank and at the mailbox and then those just jumping around saying silly stuff. Some are afk and I'm sure googling stuff about gear or spec. Some guy is stood in a santa costume really not appearing out of place as you will often find me in a bunny ears.

What does my druid teenage daughter do in the major city?? Tries on clothes in the AH. Yup...true story. She goes through gear as if at Bloomingdales determining which pieces fit her best and colours that match her skin tones. She particularly loves to start with shoulders and work from there to create an outfit that is "sick" as she puts it. It doesn't matter whether its leather, cloth, mail or plate. The weapons come last and she will even put on a gun just to see how it looks. Siarah's Warcraft world is definately like the image I've placed. Just a girl lookin' for the perfect outfit.

Funny what we do in major cities when we are bored. What do you do? I know thats you over there hopping around on the bridge, spinning your mount. Stop asking me to duel. Move your mammoth off the mailbox. Too many damn toy trains.

Justamom's Sunday Warcraft Trivia

Test yourselves and see how much you know about Warcraft without looking them up. These questions will be all WOW related with varying degrees of difficulty. Just place the question number and answer in your post.

1. Near which Alliance town is the Darkmoon Fair currently being held?

2. What are the names of the 4 towers in EOS?

3. A warcraft word that means “A nomadic tribe or group”?

4. What is the newest Alliance flight path to their first quest area in STV?

5. What is the maximum gold allowed for a toon?

6. Where would you find the Zandalar Tribe?

7. In what two locations would you find Timbermaw Furbolgs?

8. When you do the quest ““Chen’s Empty Keg” who do you gain reputation with?

9. Where does the rare mount “Swift Zulian Tiger”?

10. Which boss drops the Gloves of Centering?

Don't Be That Guy

"Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity"

I know my guildies are sick of me talking about this when we raid. As a mother and raider its my job to remind folks when they raid to come prepared. Nothing more frustrating than having folks arrive without flasks, food, bullets, reagents, pots etc. Regular raiding is expensive but if you plan to raid then you have to come up with a way to make gold to pay for supplies.

Of course people forget from time to time and I don't mind helping them out but its the people that show up regularly unprepared that put me over the edge. It is particularly important to come prepared if you are undergeared or your damage is very low. Flasks and buffed food make an incredible difference in damage/healing/tanking. If only 2 people are left on a boss and his health is low, it could make the difference in taking him down.

ie. My hunter hubby was in MT on the final boss, Kael'thas. He had taken a plus 30 stam food before the fight and was the last man standing with 290 health to take the final shots. Without that buffed food it would have been another wipe.

Don't let people carry you through a raid. Do your best to be at the top of your game. White damage is embarrassing and your toon should not just be on auto pilot when others are workin their buns off. I don't expect everyone to be top damage; (I'm certainly not) however, I do expect people to put in the effort.

Make me proud and don't be a burden to others when you raid. Come prepared.

Buying Rolls

So you are stinking rich with gold. You can afford to buy anything in the game you want. You are pugging in Wintergrasp Vault and there are 3 other hunters there besides yourself. You message the hunters privately and offer them 2k each for any Furious hunter pieces that may drop. Thankfully they all agree.

After about 5 attempts at Emelon you finally see him go down and are happily suprised to see the Furious Gladiator's Chain Gauntlets drop. So you pass out 2k to 3 hunters for a total 6000g.

That is my husbands story from last night. I was somewhat shocked he paid 6k for the gloves but he feels there is nothing else he is really interested in spending his gold on and his luck with drops has been crappy. In his opinion, what is the point in having it if you can't use it to get the things you want in the game.

Me, on the hand, I feel a little sleezy about it. I guess if you are pugging its not quite so bad, but I wouldn't want to put pressure on guildies to give up their roll. For those other 3 hunters I assume the gold was more important to them and they would wait their turn for the gloves to drop. I'm happy hubby got them...but just feel a little unsure about buying rolls.

Ulduar - I'm Just Not Feelin' It

I went to Ulduar for the first time the other day doing 10 man. The first vehicle fight I thought was alot of fun and I had the easy job as a passenger just shielding us and shooting at stuff. We did 6 bosses but struggled to get Ignis down. Overall it was an unexpected success. I was thinking it would be much more difficult to get through Ulduar than it was Naxx. I'm sure 25 and those hard modes are much more intense.

I do love that they have created these hard modes for the heavy raiders. Nice to have something for everyone. Yes of course if you put in the time and the skills you deserve the best loots.

Although doing Ulduar was fun there was a sense of disappointment. Perhaps my expectations of the game are higher. I'm not sure what it is, but something from Ulduar is missing for me. I think aside from the first fight it kinda lacks creativity. It was a little "ho hum" to me. I was happy with our success but felt a lack of "vavavoom" from Ulduar. I didn't feel that Blizzard stepped it up a notch. The first fight was very cool but the other bosses thus far seemed the same to me as every other instance.

In my mind Kara was very creative and entertaining but then again I haven't been to places like Black Temple.

Perhaps it's just me?

Chasing A Caravan

I am uncertain if I'm being clever or insane. In Desolace there is a caravan that travels north to south then south to north and the NPC, Cork Gizelton puts out a bot at either end of his pat. There are 6 different cooking recipes to get from each bot. None of the recipes seem common in the AH from what I've seen.

The bot stays open for about 10-15mins. It takes about 45 minutes from when he opens the bot for him to relocate to the other spot to open the other bot. The top picture shows the path he takes and where he stops.

So the other day I did it 4 times to get the recipes which I bought for a few silver each. I've sold some between 20-28g each. There are two in particular that are more popular than others and I think could easily sell for 40g or more.

Recipe: Lean Wolf Steak

Recipe: Hot Lion Chops

You will need lots of space in your bags as they don't stack. Depending on your server, this may be a good mid level money maker. So before you start reading blogs or watching stuff on Youtube, find this guy and position yourself for the first bot. Once you have the first set of recipes go to the other location and do your reading or tv watching and return in 45mins to see the other bot.

Not a fun activity but when you aren't in the game its a great way to pop in for some sales.

Oh and please note that there is a quest with this NPC and so that may make his travel time a little longer.

Justamom's Sunday Warcraft Trivia

Test yourselves and see how much you know about Warcraft without looking them up. These questions will be all WOW related with varying degrees of difficulty. Just place the question number and answer in your post.

1. There is a lumberjack in Elwynn Forest named Terry Palin. Where was the name “Terry Palin” derived from?

2. What is the name of the cat that runs through Naxx and where did the name originate?

3. What is the name of the "Grand Master Engineer" in the Zangarmarsh?

4. Who gives out the quest With a Little Help From My Friends in Ungoro Crater?

5. The original World of Warcraft was released in what month and year celebrating 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise.

6. Where in the game would you find an NPC named Ophera Windfury?

7. One of the quests in Netherstorm, Outland, is called Needs More Cowbell where the player needs to find the cow Bessy using a bell. Where did the Needs More Cowbell reference originate?
8. The episode, titled Make Love, Not Warcraft, was aired on 4th October 2006 and it was the second half premiere of the tenth season. Which show are we referring to?

9. In the 2005 Christmas event, several new NPCs and quests were added for a short period of time. One of the quests requested that you rescued __________ the Reindeer. What is the raindeer’s name?

10. Who Did Illidan Fight In Order To Claim The Title Of Ruler of Outlands?

A Nagging Pain While You Play?

Myself and my husband were discussing the "nag" word today and when is it that someone (me I guess we are referring to) is nagging. Now, I don't think I nag at all. I provide gentle reminders of things that I know would not be taken care of without words of encouragement:) Hubby's opinion is quite the contrary and even stretches into the game. When we can't get a boss down he tells everyone to stand back and send Justamom in and she'll nag K.T. to death *raising eyebrow* /sigh

I wonder how many of you get nagged while you play? I would guess you would respond in one of the following ways and I would appreciate your feedback on this:

1. Ignore your parter and continue to play

2. Do the task immediately to stop the nagging

3. Commit to do it later

4. Log out in anger, doing the task and pouting all nite and not return to the game

5. Or perhaps you avoid the nagging by doing everything before you log in

6. Maybe you have a nag-free life?

OH and definition of nagging:

To annoy by constant scolding, complaining, or urging.

My husband is nag-free...he just doesn't know it.....hmmm I must continue to remind him of that:P

Dwarf Chicks Make the Best Drinking Buddies

The first guild myself and hubby joined there were talks of raiding and lots of fun together but once we got in there we soon realized that the guild was not as described and was totally inactive. The GM was always asking me for gold, there were no runs of anything and although they had intensions of becoming something awesome, it was absolutely falling flat fast. We probably stayed a couple of months before getting an invite to Aculeus Upon Ordeum.

As soon as we joined we had welcomes all around and the mood was light, fun but busy. A casual raiding guild that was high energy and seemed to have a great attitude and we loved it immediately. It wasn't long before we were on vent for the first time and talking with these folks who were easy to be around, helpful and knew exactly the direction of the guild. We felt totally at home and knew this was where we wanted to be. One of the main officers, a little dwarf hunter, was especially impressive with vast knowledge of the game, toon and and an enthusiasm that was infectious. You couldn't help but be impressed.

That dwarf hunter soon become my dearest friend and the guild GM. We talk just about everyday...sometimes about nothing and sometimes about the dramas in our lives. My Breana has been like a family member, even talking to my daughter from time to time about issues she has. Always encouraging...like when hubby dyed his hair epic purple for the Make A Wish Foundation last year or when I was in a panic to tank on my mage in Gruuls. She listens to me ramble on about family stuff and my daycare kids.

Breana is such a strong amazing person. Outside the game, she is remarkable writer, a book reading monster, funny, intelligent, honest and overall a great friend. Now moved away from the game somewhat and working on her own personal blog. This week she opened up on her blog about her personal issue of Dyslexia that she struggles with. She has put herself out there in the game and in life for folks to learn from. Having Bre at my side in the last couple of years has just been nothing but a positive experience that has enhanced my life and that of my family. Although we are hundreds of miles away and live in different countries, I'd be lost without her.

CHEERS to the folks we meet in an online game that bring so much laughter and friendship to our lives.

Anti-Achiever

I can't really say what it is, but I just don't get the thrill most people do when obtaining an achievement. When we did a couple of achivements as a guild group on one occassion, I enjoyed playing with other guildies for a common goal, but when it dings that I have obtained an achievement I'm kinda "meh" about it.

I know I have guildies that are working very hard to get achievements done but I just don't have the enthusiasm for it. That being said, I get my rush from other ways in the game that perhaps are "meh" to you. When I strike an incredible deal in the AH, when I have a full page of AH sales, when I kill a difficult mob or perhaps escape an enemy.

I absolutely respect those who are into achievements and I know some of them are crazy difficult. One of our guildies, Miss Millie, is working on the Mountain o' Mounts achievement. Now that is some freakin' achivement to get. Perhaps because there are so many of them, they don't seem like achievements. I'm sure I /farted in an instance the other day and got an achievement hehehe. Sometimes it just feels that way.

Maybe if there were achivements in the area of making gold or sales, I would feel differently. I'm kinda surprised there aren't achivements in AH sales. Making 5k in a day or selling 100 items etc. Those might be achievements I'd be interested in and I think there would be a large number of other folks that would enjoy them.

An Oldie But a Goodie

There are alot of great instances but one of my favs is Durnholde Keep. Here you travel back in time by 7 years to the Old Hillsbrad Foothills. I even love the dragon flight down to the Caverns of Time. Although that LONG damn quest following that chick around is totally annoying hehehe.

My hubby loves the part after helping Thrall escape, he punches a guy in the face in order to get weapons. Everytime we go in that room my hubby says "wait for it, wait for it" POW! hehehe

You can do this instance at level 66 but, its no walk in the park at those levels. Lots of attacks on Thrall coming out of the Keep and its difficult to keep up with them at those levels. You need at least of couple of reasonbly geared 70s to take some of the stress off. Mages you can actually do some sheeping in this instance.

Following Thrall for the first time when he mounts up was very exciting and helping him to free Taretha's (although she never seemed captive to me) hehe. I love the feel of this instance and the history that goes with it.

Quest-ion of Insanity

Dr. Benwick: "Kathrine how are you this morning?"

Kathrine: "5 more vulture gizzards, 2 more boar lungs"

Dr. Benwick: "Are you still referring to those quests in the Blasted Lands, Kathrine?"

Kathrine: "5 more vulture gizzards, 2 more boar lungs"

Dr. Benwick: "You do realize these are just a few simple quests, correct?"

Kathrine: "Who killed those f***** vultures, those were mine!"

Dr. Benwick: "Those will respawn again Kathrine, no need to upset yourself"

Kathrine: "PVE SERVER....can't kill the horde can't kill the horde...thieves all thieves...taking my kills"

Dr. Benwick: "Lets take a deep breath, slow your rocking and calm down Kathrine"

Kathrine: "Bloodmage Drazial wants 3 more f***** boar's lungs...do I look like a butcher? Do I?"

Dr. Benwick: Lets remember this is just a quest Kathrine.

Kathrine: 1...2...3...4...5...6...7... 8
8 boars dead..only 1 lung...how can this be? Who took their lungs? I need those lungs, I need them now! ...the bloodmage is waiting.

Dr. Benwick: "I think it best you place your dagger on the table Kathrine"

Kathrine: "Dagger is dull, dagger is dull....must kill more birds...need more gizzards, need more lungs"

Kathrine: "Give me my dagger, GIVE IT TO ME!" You will pay, you will all pay"

Kathrine: "Take this off me, take it off me ...I must have my boar's lungs and gizzards!"

Kathrine: "Noooo, stop this, take this off me"

Dr. Benwick: "Don't struggle Kathrine, they are just trying to help you."

Kathrine: Noooooo I must kill them, I must kill them allll
/sob

Even Lowbies Need a Job

Don't let your lowbie toons sit and be slackers. Use your toons wisely to make gold for you. Here are a few ideas to put these lowbies back into the workforce for you.

1)Use a lowbie toon as a banker to place items up in the AH. You can use your main toon to do this as well to avoid saturating the market. Use this bank toon to store most your goodies so that they are in one spot and you know exactly how much AH items you have. I used this method before the patch to ready myself for sales.

2)A mid ranged farming toon with mining or herbalism would be great. Thorium is selling for crazy prices and mid range herbs for alchemists and scribes is another good money maker. Leave these toons in that particular zone to do their job and take them out for a couple of hours per week

3) If you have two 80's with any skill that can bring some quick gold, especially if they can both do a cooking daily, titansteel, JC daily etc. take advantage of it.

4) You could also place a toon at a neutral AH but really research the items you place there. There are lots of great blogs about WOW and its economy so use these resources to put you in the right direction.

I certainly realize most folks probably don't farm as much as I do but these are just a few options to make the most of your toons.

Greedy Globlin, Warcraft Econ, Just My Two Copper are just a couple of the great blogs that show you how to make gold efficiently.

Laying Out the Rules for Pugs

When you are looking for a pug, you should always have some general guidelines to provide your pug with so that things are clear.

Here are the rules I would expect a pug to follow.

1. Let us know how long you can stay so that there are no surprises in the middle of the raid that we need to replace you

2. Don't come doing white damage and expect to take loot

3. Patterns/recipes etc go our guild first if someone needs it

4. We may ask you not to roll on a specific item that a guildie has been waiting for

5. You may roll on any other items aside from the above mentioned

6. Don't get greedy ....roll only on items that are an upgrade

7. Don't roll on stuff, just to DE it

8. BOE stuff, unless it is an upgrade for you, will go to our gbank

9. Don't create drama with nasty talk and complaints...we've been doing this raiding thing a while and have succeeded many times without you

10. If things go well we would love to invite you back as a regular pug with our guild

Most of us hate pugging ourselves and hate having to invite pugs to our raids. I definately have expectations of pugs who come into our raids. I also expect when our guildies are pugging themselves out to be just as courteous and represent the guild well.

Be fair and clear about the rules up front with your pugs so that there are no misunderstandings. They are part of your team for that period of time and things will go smoothly provided they know what is expected of them.

Justamom's Sunday Warcraft Trivia

On Sundays I hope to put up some WOW trivia questions. Test yourselves and see how many you know without looking them up. These questions will be all WOW related with varying degrees of difficulty. Just place the question number and answer in your post.

This time our trivia is a little different. It's all about acronyms (abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name). Some of these will be very difficult and old school or perhaps just not as popular as other acronyms. Trust me, a few of these I've never heard of, but perhaps some of the more experienced players will know them. Remember...no Googling.

1. RFD

2. AQ40

3. ROFLMAO

4. SFK

5. MP5NC

6. EULA

7. LOS

8. BRS

9. LFG

10. BFD

Druid Pooh-ness

This post is meant for all my druid friends, particularly for BBB whom I think will love my new druid bear model *raising eyebrow*. He was talking about the new night elf druid forms but I propose a softer more loveable bear as I've shown here. Yes, this is Druid Pooh on steroids.

Bears don't have to look mean with long teeth and big claws. They can have a face that would melt hearts and have children begging for hugs. They would have a brand new top level talent and that would be the "big bear hug" ...

Rank 1 - a light gentle squeeze

Rank 2 - a pressure with affection

Rank 3 - a wee bit of difficulty breathing

Rank 4 - one by one ribs begin to break

Rank 5 - with the ultimate squeeze the enemies' head blows off

And while your sweet druid pooh-ness is squeezing a horde's head off, he will be smiling contently.

Farmer for Hire

So lets say you are an alchemist and you need lots of Lichbloom for flasks. You have been watching the market and become aware that the price dips a little on Wednesdays to 20g per stack but you can't pick them up quick enough from the AH before they have been bought out. Instead of playing this race during the week waiting for the prices to fall, find yourself a regular farmer. Someone who is willing to do that 20g per stack with your commitment to buy everthing he has. (not specifically referring to a gold farmer) I simply mean someone who makes gold for their toon with that particular profession and farms regularly.

Many regular farmers find this much easier than waiting for the items to sell in the AH or having to relist them. This way you get a good supply and he gets paid immediately. I met a JC who did this with saronite. He would buy everything the guy had in order to prospect it. The guy got rid of everything and got paid immediately and the JC always got his ore for a fair price, still making an excellent profit.

Now, don't mess with folks. If you say for 1 month you will buy every stack of Lichbloom they have, commit to that and don't play games. If they are mailing the stacks COD to you, don't let them sit there without paying the gold immediately. Its unfair and you will lose your good farmer and good rate for your herbs.

Start this process by doing shoutouts looking to purchase 10stacks of lichbloom and once you find someone who has that many, make a prosposal.

I'm sure this will help keep you in mats and keep your expenses in check.

Family Raid Nights

We enjoy raid nights together but always plan a little in advance as a family to get ourselves prepared.

On raid nights we eat our dinner ahead of time or have something prepared in advance(a hungry raider will only wipe the whole group).

We help each other get ready with passing herbs to my hubby Krys to make flasks, pots and getting our buffed food ready. We hate going unprepared.

My daughter Sarah has a list at her desk that she has been marking off the best pieces for her class as she obtains them but from time to time you'll hear yelling from room to room with the "SHOULD I ROLL ON THAT" from my daughter or a "I CAN'T BELIEVE I ROLLED A ONE". You'll hear screams of joy from my daughter (and sometimes Krys) when a new piece of gear is obtained. After a couple hours of raiding, Krys will usually give me the look of a 5 year old saying "are there any snacks?"

If we say we need 30secs from the game, we are absolutely no longer and you may see a mad rush to the washroom or to get a drink often having us bang into each other in the hallway (a wow family ain't always pretty)

My hunter hubby has yet to get the Envoy of Mortality but still holds onto hope it will drop one day. This is the one item that would really give him a big boost in DPS. I have just about everything I need from Naxx and I think so does Siarah.

Once the raid is done and we are getting ready for bed, we discuss how the raid went; where we need to improve, our damage/healing, how the pugs (if any) behaved etc.

Outside of raiding we do some instances together and share our WOW stories when something happens. I think I'm still shocked that my teenage daughter enjoys the game so much, although she isn't much of a farmer *shaking head*. Even in the game a mother can nag "you should be out farming so you always have gold for anything that comes up".

Both Siarah and Krys love the pvp aspect of WOW but Siarah has gained a new appreciation for PVE lately. For me, its just nice we are in the same space and often take on tasks working together for a common goal.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

I was reading a great post from Pike at the Aspect of the Hare. She talks about how chain trapping for hunters isn't being utilized much any more and same goes for sheeping.

As a mage, its been devastating the lack of needed sheeping. I'm assuming the reason for this is because of the AOE affect of most tanking classes. Pallies, DKs, Warriors which now all have exceptional AOE abilities. There are many glyphs available that enchance AOE damage in some way ie.

Glyph of Devistate (Your devastate ability now applies two stacks of sunder armor)

Glyph of Cleaving (Increases the number of targets your cleave hits by 1)

Glyph of Shockwave (Reduces the cooldown of shockwave by 3 secs)

Glyph of Hammer of the Righteous (Your Hammer of the Righteous hits 1 additional target)

I know there are many others and I'm also certain healers must be on their toes for this craziness. I know many folks may feel it makes moving through an instance much faster not having to CC stuff, but for me there is a sadness to giving up the strategy and I hope they create some stuff that will put hunters and mages back to work.

That being said, what about my sheep? I had been continuing to pay him even with this anti-sheep campaign going on but now the funds are drying up and I had to give him the pink slip. There was a alot of snooty looks with .."bah" this and "bah" that. Mary had a little lamb but now I've hired him on a contract basis. Please keep this information on the Q.T. as Mary is going through some difficulties herself with the whole recession thing going on.

I couldn't even tell you at this moment which of my keys is sheep as its been that long since I've used it.

I say "Sheep, Pull FTW"

She Who Fights and Runs Away.....

As you all know I am from the pvp server Bleeding Hollow, but recently created a new toon on a PVE server, now at lvl 40.

It's been very quiet but earlier the week I was doing my usual herb run when I came across two horde around Dun Garok in Southshore. They were questing, I'm assuming. When I clicked on the first one, a hunter, the icon changed. Is this a dagger I see before me? The "flagged for combat" knife hovered ominously over his head. Now I, a pacifist at heart, could count on one hand the number of times I've ever ganked someone. Doing so on this.... a PVE server felt very dirty, but a deliciously wicked urge came over me. There was someone else with the hunter, but I paid him no heed. I swear a cloud passed in front of the sun as I held my breath and summoned a frostbolt. The blast hurtled toward him and the terror I felt only intensified my excitement. The unsuspecting hunter was so focused on killing his target that he was unaware that he had become the prey. I used the aptly named Icy Veins... 2 more bolts and he collapsed, dead.

Then there was a shocking stab in my kidneys... the pain was horrific. I knew I couldn't take a rogue and so, when I could, I blinked. He was not far behind me and he wanted revenge for killing his friend. I ran, 'cause thats what I do best *GRIN*. He caught up to me once again and I was stunned for a moment and when I had the opportunity I hit my Life Blood for a good heal and blinked again. My next step was to use my Free Action Potion while he wasn't close to me (I never leave home without it). Then there was no stopping me, I was near the entrance to the Arathi Highlands when I was finally free of him.

Now, I know most of you are probably rolling your eyes and saying "what a coward" "how cheap" and I say YES & YES. But, then the excitement of killing was overshadowed by the sneakiness of getting away. I think I enjoy the pleasure of knowing that he was beyond frustrated not being able to finish me. That was always my pleasure in PVP since my skills are severly lacking in pvp. The game of getting away was the challenge.

Hard to believe on a PVE server, I have become evil:(

Justamom's Sunday Warcraft Trivia

Test yourselves and see how many you know without looking them up. These questions will be all WOW related with varying degrees of difficulty. Just place the question number and answer in your post.

1. Who is the last boss in Mechanar?

2. At what level can you mine silver?

3. What level 11 elite Riverpaw gnoll chieftain would you find in Southern
Elwynn Forest?

4. Who sells the "Gigantique" Bag? (Which building/city)

5. How many turkeys do you need to kill in the Friend or Fowl achievement?

6. What is used to summon a Tiny Snowman pet?

7. Although the area is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world and sandwiched between two deserts, the region is filled with exotic plant life and even more exotic creatures. Which zone are we referring to?

8. What is the increase in attack power upon drinking an Endless Rage?

9. What profession creates the Philosopher's Stone?

10. What are the 3 faction options for turning in Obsidian Warbeads?

Warcraft Landfill

"This is a post I had written on my guild site a while back and thought I would share it with you"

I continue to hold on to the merciless gear in my bags, having difficulty letting those pieces disappear into the warcraft nothingness. I often imagine there is a very large and dirty warcraft landfill where all these items from every dedicated warcrafter find their way. A scummy looking undead shovels them into a huge pit, filled with what was once the best of gear. In the air, the faint cries from those who have typed out the "DELETE" phrase for these once precious items. The undead simply gives a loud and content laugh and continues to shovel.

I know its a very silly attachment to have, but I loved my gear. I loved the colours, the way it fit and resilience that kept me alive in many dangerous situations. Everyone strives for the EPIC pieces that make us feel "we are finally there". These pieces represent experience and hard work, wipes, massive potions and elixirs, excitement and of course great memories. NOW, back to blues, back to grinding and armor that just doesn't fit well, and well...make me look fat:(The greatest thing about the upcoming months are the new adventures with my guildies. The excitement to get the epics again and whether that is for me or a guildie, its always a great moment. Sometimes I feel like the bionic woman before she was enchanced. "We can rebuild her, we have the technology....."God dammit....BRING IT!!!

Who is Your Social Director?

Over the last couple of years we have had some fun events to bring our guildies together. Aside from having a great time and getting everyone together, I take the opportunity to help clear out the guild bank by using stuff for prizes. (If you are anything like us, stuff builds up and people don't ask for anything) I would refer to myself as a Social Director like Julie on the Love Boat.

My hubby would create some clever ads for it like these to make it more alluring to folks.

Here are few events we've had over the last couple of years:

Trivia Nites - we do this in vent and have people type out the answers so there is no chaos in vent.

Beach Party - have everyone meet on an island outside Booty Bay, drink booze, have duels and prizes.

Wee Lost Girl - place a female gnome in a major city and give gradual clues as to her whereabouts until she is found. Start off very vague and difficult with your clues.

Naked VC Run - this was my favorite event. Have groups of about 3 people remove all amor and weapons. The only things you can equip are things you pick up in VC. Each piece of armor or weapon has a value ie. greys 1pt, greens 2pts and blues 3pts. The team with the highest amount of points at the end, wins. Myself and Bre were usually sat at the end of the instance waiting for the players to come out. OMG I'll never forget seeing one our (at that time) level 70 pallies with these nasty pink pants on. It was a hoot.

Group Achievement Nite - Pick a silly achievement or two and get some guildies together to go do it. We did the "To All the Squirrels I've Loved Before" and with a couple of mages it didn't take long. I had already researched the most efficient order in which to do it in.

Musical Chairs in Karazhan - this game I have never played but I'm anxious to try it. Here is a video of it. Looks like a hoot. *WARNING* turn your volume down a little ..its a tad loud.

Musical Chairs

Its been a while since our guild did some silliness so I better get my so Social Director hat on and plan something soon. I've been a slacker for sure.

WOW PET PEEVES

Yes there are many and I'm sure you can add to my list...where to start hmmmm

1. Strangers asking me for gold (my response is always ..don't you have a profession?"

2. People abusing the AH...folks who put a light feather up for 100g I assume to increase the price or have someone accidentally buy it thinking it was 1g...(eh hum,yes I've done that)

3. Lag....no other major city other than Dalaran do I have crazy lag and in 25man, which puts me over the edge. I turn off my addons and anything extra crap I don't need but still it doesn't help much.

4. Dishonest salesman...I had a guy I provided mats to in my early levels to make something for me ...he indicated he needed tomake it somwhere specific and took off with my mats and put me on ignore...my husband then messaged him and put the pressure on to return them and he did

5. Strangers asking for runs - I'm always surprised at the number of strangers that ask me to run them through an instance. My suggestion is always the same "ask your guild" or "join a leveling guild"

6. Gold Farm Spammers - I'm still shocked how these people can get away with this so easily. I guess I was living in La La land thinking there were Blizzard people monitoring this activity on each server.

7. Dependent guildies - Don't get me wrong I don't mind helping guildies but its when people step over the line of asking for help with anything that remotely looks scarey. Help from guildies should be for those quests when you just can't find someone in that zone or if you need to run an instance, just one shoutout to your guild asking if anyone else needs it....not spamming and not harrassing. Help should always come at your guildies convenience.

8. Lack of class knowledge - I am absolutely no expert in my class but did certainly look up a rotation for raiding so that I would not cause my raid to wipe because of lack of dps or be foreced to carry me. People don't need to do top damage but should be attempting their best to ensure a safe run without too much aggravation. I am never at the top of the meter but I hold my own.

9. AFKers - Even with the new system, BG afkers are still there. They move their toon from time to time to avoid being reported but they are useless and avoid combat as much as possible. Makes me crazy!!

10. Ninja Looters - I know this is a top pet peeve for many and I so wish Blizzard could offer some safeguards from ninja looters. If you pug its always a risk and lately I'm shocked at the amount of ninja looting going on. I've heard more than ever stories from guildies of Ninja Looters when they pug. Nothing disgusts me more.

On a happy note there are many things about WOW that I love which I will discuss in another post.

When to /GKick

I wonder do most of you have the same difficulty I do when it comes to kicking people from your guild. Most offenses are small ones and undeserving of a kick but a warning. I think the hard kicks are those kicks for people you actually grow to like but have a quality that comes out from time to time that is displeasing to some guildies.

I think I've only /gkicked twice as an officer. First time to a member that was showing online but was farm botting in Shadowmoon. I happened to see him while I was farming elementals and I knew from his movements and lack of response he was botting. After two days of botting, I felt this was not the kind of representation we wanted from our guild and so he was gone.

Second time was a more personal drama that was initiated from a guildie. He was over sensitive and being very difficult about small issues and complaints were beginning to trickle in from other guildies. It eventually grew into a blowout and he was toast.

I think by solving issues quickly before they grow helps to prevent a kick. For me there are some "no no's" that will get you a warning and some things will give you the boot from Justamom.

WARNINGS:

1) asking for gold in guild chat

2) repeatedly asking for help questing

3) spamming the meters in raid chat

4) making an inappropriate comment to another guildie

5) not bringing Justamom chocolate:)

GKICK

1) Another offence after a warning of above

2) Ninja looting from a raid (whether its us or pugging elsewhere)

3) Taking from the Gbank to resell items

4) Racial slurs

5) giving Justamom white or dark chocolate ...must be milk chocolate

Hmmm have I missed any?

My Dreanei Mage Update

I've just hit level 37 on my new toon and I'm flabbergasted at how easy it is to level and make gold.

It seems every quest almost gets me a bubble. It doesn't have that same grueling and at times overwhelming feeling it had in the early WOW days. I'm sure I'll feel different from 70-80.

Since I hate being without gold and I'm on a new server, I'm working that much harder to ensure I have gold at 80. With my Herbalism and toon level, its a perfect time to farm around Arathi Highlands. Steelbloom, Goldthorn and Fadeleaf sell for very good gold since not just the alchemists need the herbs but the scribes are using these lower end herbs and duel spec is a bonus

Presently, I have 1066g which I thought was pretty good for my level. It would probably be about 1200g but I did treat myself to a couple of armor pieces here and there.

Don't tell anyone but I've been purchasing the Icy Cloak Pattern regularly from Micha Yance, Trade Goods vendor in Southshore for about 14silver and then reselling it for 14-15g. A very nice profit for a low level. This makes it worth keeping my hearth in Southshore even though I'm questing elsewhere. Mages FTW:)

My good friend Rorik from The WoW Street Journal is a big WOW economy watcher and loves to follow the warcraft trends. For me I just kinda watch for them as they come to me.

So make sure as you are leveling a toon (especially a first toon) that you have a gathering profession that has no investment. It will make getting those mounts much easier.

Oh and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself with no ganking horde and my great new guild:)