Is Puggernaut the Answer to Finding Decent PUGS?

Solo players who need a group to raid with might be interested in exploring Puggernaut which according to the WOWHead blog is a "community of PUG raiders who use the Puggernaut site to arrange runs together."
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=164633

Scroll down to the bottom of this page on the Puggernaut website to read how PUGs are organized.
http://puggernaut.guildlaunch.com/custom.php?page_id=44745&gid=87302

Then scroll down to the bottom of this page and read the last article for even more details.
http://puggernaut.guildlaunch.com/index.php?gid=87302&page_id=44745

PUGChecker, which is used to rank players, is located here.
http://www.pugchecker.com/

If Puggernaut doesn't work for you, try Pug Raid Organizer.
http://pugplug.com/

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How WOW's Parental Controls Work

WOW Insider posts a screen-shot tutorial of how to set up parental controls.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/31/battle-net-parental-controls-guide/

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How To Increase Your Income in WOW

Tongue-in-cheek guide.
http://www.isheepthings.com/blog/how-to-increase-your-income-in-wow/

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Heirloom Guide (By Class)

Psynister tries to answer the question, "Which heirlooms are good for my alt?" in this essay.
http://psynister.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/guide-to-heirloom-purchases/

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Mount and Pet Organization Addon (Equus Infinata)

Want an addon that works with the existing Blizzard interface pane?  This mount and pet organizer's filters might be what you need.  There's a short interview with the developer, as well.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/29/addon-spotlight-equus-infinata/

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Reviewing Video Cards for Starcraft 2

Like other Blizzard games, Starcraft 2 doesn't need top-of-the-line equipment but it is still nice to see how various video cards play the game.
http://www.techspot.com/review/305-starcraft2-performance/

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A Glimpse of Hard Core Guild Raiding

Thanks to the MMO Melting Point, I've found this description of life inside a hard core raiding guild.
http://lifeingroup5.com/?p=1237

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Email Confirmation Added to Authenticator Setup

Prepare for more phishing emails to your WOW email login as Blizzard has just added an email confirmation step (starting July 27) to adding an authenticator to your Battle.net account.  Apparently you have to know the answer to your security question if you want to change the email address attached to your account so this should help keep folks who have hijacked your account from adding an authenticator to keep you out of your own account.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/28/email-confirmation-added-to-authenticator-setup-to-foil-hackers/

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Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

An essay on why players leave WOW and then return.  Many thanks to MMO Melting Point for linking to this article.
http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/why-we-keep-returning-to-wow/

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Cataclysm Safari

Mania's Arcania is doing a safari tour of the Cataclysm beta to find and describe all the pets.  There are spoilers about the changes to the landscape so don't read this if you don't want to know.
http://www.maniasarcania.com/2010/07/27/cataclysm-pet-tour-intro/

http://www.maniasarcania.com/2010/07/27/cataclysm-pet-tour-teldrassil-darkshore/

http://www.maniasarcania.com/2010/07/28/cataclysm-safari-ashenvale-stonetalon-mountains/

http://www.maniasarcania.com/2010/07/29/cataclysm-safari-mulgore-durotar-azshara-northern-barrens/

I'll update this article as the safari continues.

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I Want A Murloc Hoodie

Fortunately thanks to Kotaku's mention of the possibilities, I have two versions of murloc hoodies for your viewing pleasure.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/07/27/dinosaur-hoodies.html

You can order the custom murloc hoodie here.
http://www.dinohoodie.com/gallery.rawr!

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Take Back Trade Chat

Thanks to the MMO Melting Pot, I learned about this article full of ideas on how to take trade chat back from the children.
http://www.hotsdots.com/2010/07/taking-control-of-trade-chat/#more-5237

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Microsoft Game Psychologist Talks WOW

Interesting interview with a game professional who specializes in game mechanics and rewards.  I particularly liked his take on Real ID, social networking and Blizzard's making the game easier.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/27/15-minutes-of-fame-psychologist-and-games-researcher-john-hopso/#continued

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Starcraft One Plot Lines Explained

...in a five and a half minute video.  Thanks to Adam at WOW Insider for digging this out.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/27/the-queue-hell-its-about-time/

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Auction House: Calculating Inscription Prices

How to figure out costs and then pricing for inscriptions at the Auction House.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/26/gold-capped-how-to-calculate-inscription-costs-and-prices/

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WOW Arts & Crafts Resource

WOW Insider is organizing their postings about WOW crafted items a bit better.  They have set up an article that references their most popular arts and crafts (and video and music) postings.
http://www.wow.com/arts-and-crafts/

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Raid Frames and Addon Resources

This article stems from a request by the Solo MMO Player that I find a good frame for raiding.  I found mention of Grid, Perfect Raid and Picture Perfect Raid. I haven't discovered whether Perfect Raid and Picture Perfect Raid are the same thing or not, and I haven't found the one answer for the best raid frame, but I did find these articles:

Setting up Grid for Raiding
http://onemorealt.blogspot.com/2010/03/getting-started-with-grid.html

Picture Perfect Raid
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/packs/3785/default.aspx?CommentPage=3&AddonPage=2

http://www.wowmacroswarcraft.com/2007/05/29/priest-addons-for-raid/

Resto druid raiding frame recommendations
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=1371645655&sid=1

I've also found this list of recommended mods for raiders, including Easy Raid which seems to be a raid frame.  The second link is to CT Mod which was mentioned here.  Please note that this site has many lists of addons and mods for various topics.  I'm going to add a link to the main page to the list of favorite sites on the right for later reference.
http://www.warcraft-mods.com/Raid-mods.html

http://www.ctmod.net/downloads/

I've also found sites that list lots of addons and mods with.  This one has brief descriptions of each item listed along with the date of when it was last updated, rates each, and counts how many downloads have been done from the site.  Click on Mods at the top of the page to browse.  "Combat Assist" is the most likely category to have raid frame information.
http://wow.incgamers.com/

This is a WOW UI forum, with lots of information for players who need answers.
http://community.livejournal.com/wow_addons

Here is one player's list of recommended addons.  There's no date so I have no idea if any of these are outdated items that can't play on Patch 3.3.5.
http://www.mrbass.org/wow/addons/

Finally, for new players I have added a link to a good explanation of how to install WOW addons.
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Install-World-of-Warcraft-Addons

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Cataclysm Runes and Guild UI UPDATED

These are still in beta but it looks like this will be useful information in the future.  First, here's a video tutorial  about the runes system.
http://pwnwear.com/2010/07/24/video-tutorial-on-how-the-cataclysm-rune-system-works/

Secondly, here is the new Guild UI.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=164291

The regular UI is getting a big upgrade, too.
http://www.wow.com/2010/08/14/cataclysm-beta-ui-getting-a-serious-upgrade/

And relics will have sockets and bonuses apparently.
http://www.wow.com/2010/08/14/cataclysm-beta-relics-changed-to-carry-stats-and-sockets/

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Authenticators Required for Forum Postings

Out of the blue, Blizzard has announced an authenticator is needed to post on the forums.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=164302

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Cataclysm Is Out to Get the Solo Player

Thanks to MMO Melting Pot, I found this great article about Cataclysm and the effect that guild perks are likely to have on the solo player.
http://www.wowphilosophized.com/2010/07/guild-perks-and-death-of-independent.html

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Addons for Fishing, Cooldowns, Noise Abatement

This week's WOW Insider column about addons covers three of them:  SquawkandAwe timers for Balance Druids, OmniCC which is a nifty cooldown timer that counts down on top of your action bar buttons, and Fishing Buddy which helps you cast your virtual line one-handed.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/22/addon-spotlight-grab-bag/#continued

As a bonus, a reader of  WOW Insider has sent in a link to a way to turn off the buzzy sound when you can't cast a spell.
http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info10162-Noerrorsound.html

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Entertaining Achievements

WOW Insider has put together a list of what they call the most entertaining achievements in the game.  If you are bored silly with doing the same thing over and over, these articles might point you in a new and fun direction.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/20/the-overachiever-pure-win/

http://www.wow.com/2010/06/24/the-overachiever-the-25-most-entertaining-achievements-part-1/

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/22/the-overachiever-the-25-most-entertaining-achievements-part-2/#continued

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/29/the-overachiever-the-25-most-entertaining-achievements-part-3/

http://www.wow.com/2010/08/05/the-overachiever-the-25-most-entertaining-achievements-part-4/

http://www.wow.com/2010/08/12/the-overachiever-the-25-most-entertaining-achievements-5-3/

http://www.wow.com/2010/08/19/the-overachiever-the-25-most-entertaining-achievements-finale/

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Blizzcon Virtual Tickets for Sale

When the video starts playing and says  it "is coming with all its glory--and all its horror" I don't think they meant the online streaming video of Bizzcon October 22-23, but that is what this link advertises.  A virtual ticket to the show will cost just under $40.
http://blizzcon.rayv.com/

When I clicked on the FAQ link, the fine print seems to say that online viewers can look at four channels (two tournaments, the main stage programs and stage two programs) while DirecTV subscribers will just get one channel for the same price.  But don't quote me on that.  It is not clear just what folks who want to subscribe via DirecTV get versus those who use streaming video or watch in their browser window.

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Activision Did Not Place $100 Million Bet

Activision is now saying that the Wall Street Journal article that quoted them as spending $100 million on Starcraft II is wrong.  That's how much they spent developing and maintaining World of Warcraft.  You can raise your eyebrows at their statement here.
http://kotaku.com/5594862/starcraft-ii-did-not-cost-100-million-to-make

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Trailer for Curt Schilling's New Game

1Up's posted the trailer for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and a bit of information about the new game, including how it fits into the world of the MMO he's making.
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3180534

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Intro To Warlock PVP (Lich King Edition)

Want to beat the boredom by trying Battlegrounds?  Have a warlock?  Here's a nice introduction that explains what talents, glyphs, macros and addons will help you in the PvP world of Patch 3.3.  There is even some information about strategies the various flavors of warlocks should try.
http://cynwise.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/a-belated-introduction-to-warlock-pvp-in-wrath-of-the-lich-king/

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More Effective Tanking Mechanics

The Solo MMO Player doesn't currently have a tank but has seen a lot of them in action in the dungeon finder.  They are a pretty pitiful lot who have replaced the standard idiot-standing-in-the-pretty-fire ethos with a let's-fall-off-the-cliff-to-our-death mentality.

In other words, tanks need help.  ThinkTank to the rescue!  First up is a forum posting that explains Effective Health, Effective Hit Points, Avoidance, and Time to Live (in ICC as of Patch 3.3.3).  This covers the math of hit points and defines a great many other terms but it will really help tanks understand these topics.
http://www.tankspot.com/showthread.php?66564-Why-We-Do-What-We-Do-(An-in-depth-explanation-of-EHP-and-ICC-3.3.3-tanking-mechanics)

Once you make it through the above, you'll want to read the followup article which explains the advantage armor has over stamina in many situations.  There's more math and more big words but tanking isn't easy!  Dig in and you'll--probably--never fall off a cliff again.
http://wowthinktank.blogspot.com/2010/07/generalthe-dirty-secret-about-armor.html

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Thumbnail Signature and Avatar Generators

If you are interested in how to make small snapshot images and sig lines for your forum postings, this article talks about two programs that import information about your character from the Armory and use it to generate sig lines and avatar thumbnail portraits.
http://psynister.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/magelo-and-zetbit/

Here are direct links to the two websites mentioned.  It looks like you at least have to register to use the service but I can't say whether there are other costs involved.
http://www.zetbit.com/

http://wow.magelo.com/en/discover_signature.jspa

Thanks for the information, Psynister.

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OnLive Live Review

The good and the bad about the OnLive system with information about the drawbacks, the game interface, latency, the amount of broadband needed etc.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=164115

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Videos of Vanilla WOW

Since Cataclysm will destroy areas of the game, The Explorers League has been busy documenting hard-to-reach areas which are rarely visited.  Their YouTube channel is located at the link below.  Currently there are five videos to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheExplorersLeague

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Starcraft 2 Videos

If you are curious about Starcraft II, Kotaku has posted two of five tutorial videos that explain how the game is played.  This article also has links to the other three videos in the series.
http://kotaku.com/5592293/what-you-need-to-play-starcraft-ii

Speaking of Kotaku and Starcraft, Kotaku thinks Blizzard should stop making games and start making movies.  Evidence is this brand new Starcraft II trailer.
http://kotaku.com/5593086/kerrigan-returns-to-finish-the-job-in-starcraft-ii-ghosts-of-the-past

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How To Do A Group Battleground

Running a Battleground with a group of friends is called "premades."  Here is a bit about how they are organized and how they work.  The article helpfully lists restrictions that apply to each battleground, too.  Good article.
http://forceinbalance.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-run-premade.html

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The Art of Pulling in Five-Mans

The lack of skilled tanks is obvious.  After all, the Solo MMO Player had a second tank fall off a cliff while in a dungeon finder raid this week.  WOW Insider columnist Allison Robert has started a two part series on how to pull during a five-man.  The first article is about assessing the situation before a pull.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/20/shifting-perspectives-pulling-101-assessing-the-group/#continued

The next article is about the pulls as they are happening.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/27/shifting-perspectives-pulling-101-deeper-into-the-dungeon/

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Attention Starcraft Forum Users

With Starcraft II coming out July 27, the old forums will be erased according to a blue posting.  If there are articles you want to keep, you have to back them up, then repost them after the new Starcraft II forum opens.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/20/the-daily-blues-2/#continued

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ICC Raid Buff Now 30%

Per WOW Insider.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/20/icecrown-raid-buff-now-at-30/

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Confirmation We Spent Way Too Much Time on WOW

The story of the legendary Ashbringer sword, whose mention in-game set off a frenzy to find it.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/20/the-urban-legends-of-warcraft-ashbringer/#continued

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Tidbits about Curt Schilling's New Game

It will be called Kingdoms of Amalur:  Reckoning.  More information here.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180477

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Is Activision Planning Console Game Subscription Fees?

There is some evidence that Activision is planning to charge a subscription to play Modern Warfare 2 online.  Since the game has been out a long time, this is unlikely but perhaps they are thinking of using this for a new Call of Duty game with Black Ops coming out this fall.  After all, Activision has made no secret of their envy of xBox Live fees.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180442

However, Activision says no subscription fees are planned in a response to the story above.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180466

http://www.1up.com/news/activision-denies-plans-charge-online

I believe in the tooth fairy, too.

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More Opinions on How Cataclysm Will Effect Guilds

Cataclysm and the small guild-
http://birdfall.blogspot.com/2010/07/guild-perks-or-what-does-this-mean-for.html

Will Cataclysm stunt your guild's growth?
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/07/editorial-feature-will-cataclysm-stunt-your-guilds-growth/

WOW Head has a new guild perks page to help figure out how this will work.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=163763

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Extended Maintenance For ALL Realms Tomorrow

The list of realms that will have 24 hour+ maintenance downtime is here.  No word on how long other realms will be down.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/19/24-hour-maintenance-for-select-servers-on-tuesday/#continued

UPDATE;  All realms apparently are still down until 6 p.m. PDT due to problems with the authenticator server.  Can't log in until this is fixed.

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Ventrilo versus Mumble

A comparison of two gaming voice systems.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/18/ventrilo-vs-mumble/

By the way, Mumble got a rave review here.  Search on Mumble and Ventrilo to see more information collected elsewhere on the Solo MMO.
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/07/mumble-new-voice-chat-software-with-rave-reviews/

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PUGs, Dead or Alive? (With Tool)

As is the way of the Internet, today I have two articles on the same topic--pick up groups, i.e., PUGs.

WOW Insider has a guest posting about the best way to evaluate players for a PUG.  It refers to the PUG Raid Organizer (which helps raiders find PUGs and helps raid organizers evaluate and track raiders), so I've added a link directly to that site below the article link.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/17/guest-post-vetting-puggers-beyond-gearscore-and-achievements/

http://pugplug.com/

UPDATE: Here's another site that allows players to connect for PUGs.
http://puggernaut.guildlaunch.com/index.php?gid=87302&page_id=44745

Before you run wild, however, you might want to read what Hugh Hancock says about how he believes Cataclysm will impact PUGs and guilds.  Food for thought....
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/07/editorial-feature-will-cataclysm-stunt-your-guilds-growth/

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Cataclysm Talent Calculator (Beta)

Blessing of Fish reports that Blizzard has set up a fully functional Cataclysm talent calculator.  He also summarizes what is known about how talents will work here.  Thanks, Zal!
http://blessingoffish.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/stumpy-talent-trees-and-awesome-hats/

Here's the link that goes directly to the Cataclysm talent calculator.
http://cata.wowhead.com/talent

Remember, this is the beta version.  Things are still in flux and who knows how this will work once the next expansion is released....

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Activision Places $100 Million Bet UPDATED

The Wall Street Journal reports that Activision has spent over $100 million developing Starcraft II per Kotaku, but Kotick expects they will make 5-10 times that much on the game.
http://kotaku.com/5589040/starcraft-ii-has-a-100-million-price-tag

The WSJ online article is subscription only (and a very hefty subscription, too!) but here is a similar article by the same author that doesn't mention development costs.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/activision-looks-to-pump-growth-with-starcraft-ii-2010-07-15

Starcraft II comes out July 27.

UPDATE:  Activision is now saying the $100 million number refers to what they spend developing and maintaining World of Warcraft.
http://kotaku.com/5594862/starcraft-ii-did-not-cost-100-million-to-make

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Blizzard's Q&A About Real ID

The meat of the posting is that the ability to remove your real name from Real ID will hit about the time Starcraft II comes out, they are trying to come up with some sort of unique ID for the forums but there won't be a way to add a game name to Real ID inside the game.
http://kotaku.com/5589238/questions-and-answers-about-blizzards-real-id-plans

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Stokpile: Auction House Advice Blog

MMO Melting Pot highly recommends this blog's advice on using the Auction House.  Here's their posting.
http://theahpile.blogspot.com/2010/06/stokpile-index.html

And here is the Stokpile blog itself, all indexed into topics of interest.  Note that the author, having reached the gold cap, has retired.  Let's hope s/he returns for Cataclysm.
http://theahpile.blogspot.com/2010/06/stokpile-index.html

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Healing Flowchart

A quick prioritization visual aid for healers.  Thanks to MMO Melting Pot for pointing this out!
http://oddcraft.net/wordpress/2010/07/07/shared-topic-triage-and-you/

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Do Your Addons Reveal Your Real ID?

Part of the problem with the Real ID system is that many addons will be able to pull your real name from the Real ID.  Inside this article on this new site (www.MMO Melting Pot.com --bookmark it now) I found a link to a script that apparently tells whether your addons will reveal your identity.
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/07/a-brief-realid-roundup/

Here's the script itself, pulled from an MMO Champion forum posting apparently.
http://www.threadmeters.com/rYhyCm/Addons_can_show_you_someones_RealID/

By the way, there are rumors that both British and French government entities are investigating Blizzard's privacy breach.  I have been wondering myself how European governments would take this policy, whether Blizzard's reversing the policy will back them off, or whether this will open an investigation into Blizzard's lax security policies in other areas.

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The Shrinking Population and the Disappearing Servers

Gazimoff explains how Blizzard is invisibly shrinking the servers and predicts how this will play out in-game as WOW's player base shrinks.  This is a must-read for players interested in the mechanics of networking MMOs.  It starts out with a history of how Blizzard organized their servers (and realms) in 2005 and continues through today with the "random" battleground and dungeon finder systems which allow Blizzard to balance their servers.  This is why you end up in the same dungeon or Battlefield over and over again, by the way.  Blizzard is putting folks where they need them.
http://www.manaobscura.com/2010/07/the-growing-yet-shrinking-world/

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Big Red Kitty Decodes Cataclysm Beta Subtext

If you want to know what playing the Cataclysm beta is like, Big Red Kitty details the experience by explaining the "real " meaning behind the beta introduction.  Funny but true!
http://www.bigredkitty.net/2010/07/13/this-is-what-hidden-meaning-means/

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The PvP Destruction Warlock Video

This is the Destruction Duel Guide 2 video, highly recommended by Cynwise as a great introduction to playing PvP as a destruction warlock.  He says it explains how to beat various classes and says it is also very entertaining as it has a story instead of just being a How To guide.  It is almost 30 minutes long, though, so wait until you have time to savor it.
http://www.warcraftmovies.com/movieview.php?id=121739

Here's what Cynwise says in full:
http://cynwise.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/destruction-dueling/

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Cataclysm Interview: Blizzard Talks to The Guardian

A multi-part article about Cataclysm done with a big British newspaper.  At the end Blizzard employees reveal their obsession with "sandbox" gaming, which for me means their xBox Live/console gaming envy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/jul/16/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-interview1

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/jul/16/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-interview2

Many thanks to Larisa at The Pink Pigtail Inn for mentioning this interview.

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Timing is Everything (Real ID, Real Names, Quarterly Reports)

Gronthe believes the Real ID/real names policy change was released at the end of Quarter 2 by Blizzard to keep Quarter 3's numbers up.  He explains why at the top of this article.
http://deuwowlity.blogspot.com/2010/07/conspiracy-theory-current-tank-state.html

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Undermine Journal Beta (Auction House OnlineO)

A new way to track Auction House data online is in alpha now.  Note that not all realms are available in the alpha version.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/14/gold-capped-the-undermine-journal/

UPDATE:  The Undermine Journal is in beta now and ready to use to send alerts.
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/10/04/insider-trader-market-alerts-from-the-undermine-journal/

UPDATE #2:  Looks like Cataclysm changes are shutting this site down.  Story here.
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/10/gold-capped-the-undermine-journal-may-have-to-close-down/

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New Battle.net Site is Live

The new Battle.net site is live.  WOW Insider says there is not hint as to when the old Battle.net site will be replaced by this.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/15/new-battle-net-site-is-live/

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Ruby Sanctum Druid Loot

Gear the 10-man and 25-man raids offer for feral and restoration druids.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/14/shifting-perspectives-ruby-sanctum-loot-for-druids/

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Help for the Feral Druid Starter Tank

Big Bear Butt discusses the things a new tank has to master.  Note that this is specific information for feral druids but his point that you will never have good enough gear to avoid criticism from the geniuses that know everything that populate WOW is valid for all.
http://thebigbearbutt.com/2010/07/13/reader-mail-finding-the-confidence-to-tank/

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Real ID Off, No Beta

I've read comments on various blogs that say if you have turned off Real ID, you can't get into the Cataclysm beta.  You probably have to talk to Blizzard's Customer Service Hell to get Real ID turned on again.

Why isn't turning Real ID on/off easier?  Because they've put it in Parental Controls and don't want Little Johnnie having a work-around?

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Gear for the Level 19 Mage Twink

Since today's theme is proper costuming, here is an article on the right gear for a Level 19 mage twink who'd like to survive until tomorrow.
http://fieryweapons.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/gear-19-mage-twink/

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New Professions: Clothes for Summer

Kirina has pulled together outfits for the jeweler, enchanter or the scribe.
http://wowrpc.waddellconsulting.com/?page_id=1901

And she's reposted a forum article about Inscription Fashion here.
http://wowrpc.waddellconsulting.com/?page_id=2393

Dress for success, people!

UPDATE:  Kirina has done a post all about summer beach wear. Follow the link, then click on any photo for a much better look.
http://wowrpc.waddellconsulting.com/?p=2779

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Ruby Sanctum Death Knight Loot

Items to make your DK heart beat faster.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/13/lichborne-ruby-sanctum-loot-for-death-knights/

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Newest Email Scam: Free Sparkle Pony

WOW Insider reports the newest scam circulating is a fake offer of a Celestial Steed.  Those of us who wouldn't be caught dead on one of these are safe. Everyone else read this.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/13/new-scam-tries-to-give-you-a-free-celestial-steed/

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The Auction House Manual (and Ultimate Guide)

Cynwise is starting a new blog to talk about making money via the Auction House.  Here's the link.  So far there is an article about why you need a bank alt and the introduction, written in a very entertaining style.  This is the most entertaining introduction to the Auction House and gold making you'll ever read.
http://cynwulf.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/why-you-need-a-bank-alt/

Making money through grinding
http://cynwulf.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/two-apples/

Best ways to make money as a low level character.
http://cynwulf.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/starting-from-scratch/

Professions
http://cynwulf.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/the-value-of-a-profession/

Advice on Accumulating Start Up Capital
http://cynwulf.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/startup-capital/

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Ranged Damage and Critical Strike Addons

An explanation of Damaging Plus and Critbox by a feral druid.
http://outdps.com/2010/07/13/addons-and-mods-damaging-plus-and-critbox/

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Cartographer And Its Replacements (Addons)

Because I get so many visitors here looking for information about Cartographer, I am summarizing the information I was able to find in one posting.  First of all, as of Patch 3.3.3, Cartographer no longer works properly and the developers don't have any plans to fix the problem due to the amount of work involved.

Some folks just disable part of Cartographer.  Details here.
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=13705422468&sid=1

Here's a visual aid.
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/686420-Cartographer-replacement?p=7120467&viewfull=1

No Stock UI has come up with several replacements (Mapster, Cromulent, Atlas, MapNotes, and TomTom).  Remember, we are at Patch 3.3.5 now, so I can't say whether all this information is still current.
http://www.nostockui.com/2010/01/how-to-replace-most-of-cartographer-for-patch-3-3/

Someone says they have written a custom version of Cartographer that works only with Patch 3.3.5a which is the current version of WOW (July 2010).  Here's the download.  The article also mentions disabling "waypoints" and "Look N Feel" in the character account/addons management area.  Be cautious before you try this, however.  I can't vouch for how well it works.
http://forums.worldofopportunities.net/topic/3743/cartographer-v2-5-7-works-in-wow-3-3-5a

Finally, this link describes a sound problem when using Cartographer and Zygors together.  Updating Cartographer fixed the issue, although there isn't a new version of this.  Perhaps the person with the problem was using a very old version.
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=9158170784&sid=1

I hope all this helps.

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Cataclysm Guild Perks Analyzed

WOW Insider looks at the new guild perks system to be introduced with Cataclysm.  This is based on beta information, so it may change.

The first article looks at money and convenience perks.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/05/officers-quarters-rating-cataclysms-guild-perks/

The second looks at "active abilities, professions and points".
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/12/officers-quarters-rating-cataclysms-guild-perks-part-2/

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A Halion Tanking Guide

A guide to tanking Halion.  Read the Comments for more tips.
http://www.tankingtips.com/2010/07/09/a-quick-guide-to-tanking-halion1025/

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WOW Posters for Sale

If you haven't given enough money to Blizzard this month, you can browse the new art posters they are selling.  Some of the graphic prints are very good.
http://www4.printwarcraft.com/shop.html?c=poster

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More Cataclysm Beta Invites About to Be Issued

WOW Insider reports more beta invitations about about to go out.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/12/cataclysm-beta-next-round-of-invites-going-out-soon/

I'm repeating the link to tips for sorting out the real invitation from the fake ones in your compromised email address used as your official WOW logon.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/03/breakfast-topic-are-you-in-or-out/

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Real ID Firestorm's Aftermath UPDATED AGAIN

Echoes of Blizzard's decision to expose players' real names on the forums are reverberating still.

Gordon summaries the most interesting posts on this issue.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/07/11/the-best-of-the-rest-real-id-forum-fiasco-edition/

Gazimoff's looking at Blizzard with a changed perspective now and starting to look for alternative MMOs that have casters such as those he likes to play.  If you want to see what's in the near future, check out his list of possibilities.
http://www.manaobscura.com/?p=949

Finally, Gnomeaggedon has made plans for life after WOW.   He has come to some hilarious conclusions about Blizzard, what he might like to do in Real Life, and what gamers can look forward to in WOW.
http://gnomeaggedon.net/2010/07/12/my-life-after-wow/

July 6, 2010 is the date the Real ID on the forums policy was announced.  It was rescinded (for now) on July 9.  During this time, many serious players' views of Blizzard and its parent companies changed forever.

UPDATE:  Some folks about Blizzard's privacy breech complained to the ESRB which has something called a Privacy Online policy.  When the ESRB emailed these folks all back with one email pointing out Blizzard had rescinded the policy, they used Reply All, which exposed all the complainers' email addresses to each other.  Sigh.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/12/esrb-unintentionally-exposes-email-addresses-of-people-who-filed/#continued

UPDATE:  The ESRB has apologized.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/13/esrb-issues-apology-over-email-leak/

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Guide to Holy and Discipline Priests Plus Shadow

WOW Insider has started a guide to playing as holy or discipline priests.  Ignore the verbage at the front of each article.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/27/spiritual-guidance-so-you-wanna-play-a-priest/

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/11/spiritual-guidance-so-you-wanna-play-a-priest-part-2/#continued

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/18/spiritual-guidance-so-you-wanna-play-a-priest-part-3-levels-1/

They also have a series on leveling a Shadow Priest.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/16/spiritual-guidance-starting-a-shadow-priest-from-scratch/

http://www.wow.com/2010/06/23/spiritual-guidance-a-shadowy-work-in-progress/

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/07/spiritual-guidance-the-dawn-of-the-age-of-shadow/

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/25/spiritual-guidance-so-you-wanna-play-a-priest-part-4-levels-4/

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Hunter Gems and Enchants

Garwulf has posted two articles, one on hunter gems and the other on enchants for hunters.  The enchants link is first.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/garsnotes-hunter-enchants

http://huntsmanslodge.com/garsnotes-hunter-gems

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Why Blizzard is Likely To Win Any Privacy Lawsuit

Cleric's opinion is that because players sign the Terms of Service and the End User License Agreement, any suit due to damages from privacy violations have to go to arbitration and the cap on damages is $90.  He also points out the corporate responsibility Blizzard and its parent corporations have and how any such lawsuit is likely to damage these corporations heavily in terms of their reputation.
http://ferarro.blogspot.com/2010/07/nope-some-changes-gotta-be-made-because.html

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Datamining Feral Druids UPDATED AGAIN

Zardoz's last two postings on his blog (July 9-10, 2010) look at feral druids.  He took on the challenge of finding feral druid popularity figures and is displaying his results, asking for input in interpreting the data particularly for the cats.
http://armorydatamine.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/feral-druid-forms-yet-again/

http://armorydatamine.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/practical-cats/

http://armorydatamine.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/the-truth-is-in-there/

http://armorydatamine.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/the-talented-mr-druid/

http://armorydatamine.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/druid-forms-at-last/

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Interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta?

Here's how to sign up for the limited beta testing that has just started.
http://kotaku.com/5583374/star-wars-the-old-republic-testing-begins

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Call of Cuty Founders Versus Activision Lawsuit Date Set

Kotaku has the details of the three lawsuits that are pending.
http://kotaku.com/5583678/trial-date-set-in-activision+infinity-ward-suit

Some of the alligations are listed in a later posting.
http://kotaku.com/5583710/lawsuit-activision-created-modern-warfare-police-state

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Blizzard Reverses Mandatory Use of Real Names in Forum Real ID Postings

The blue posting is here.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25968987278&sid=1

I think Blizzard was wise to reverse this policy.  I also think they have damaged relations with the WOW player community.  I'm starting to see posts like these--Escape Hatch says Blizzard's customers are advertisers, not game players, so their games will be made to please advertisers instead of gamers.
http://esc-hatch.blogspot.com/2010/07/who-is-activisionblizzards-customer.html

And Gordon is looking to the future when Bioware eats Blizzard's lunch.
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/07/blizzard-backpaddles.html


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Auctioneer and the Snatch Function

How to use the Snatch function in Auctioneer.  Read the comments as this seems to be buggy for some folks.
http://greedygoblin.blogspot.com/2010/07/snatch.html

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Guide to Halion (Ruby Sanctum)

A guide for healers doing the Halion raid.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/08/raid-rx-healing-halion-in-ruby-sanctum/

One for paladins.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/11/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-healing-through-halion-and-friend/

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Real ID Firestorm and The Internet Dragon

Shade spells out his objection to Real ID in this phrase--"I want to kill Internet dragons."  A instant classic.
http://greyshades.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/an-open-letter-to-blizzard/

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HOW TO CUSTOMIZE OR DISABLE REAL ID

WOW Insider has posted the 8 steps you need to take to opt out of Real ID in an article that also recommends ways to customize Real ID if you plan to use it.  I've mentioned this before but since this is the clearest explanation of how to turn off Real ID and also throws in ways to customize it if you plan to use Real ID, this deserves a separate posting.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/08/customizing-and-opting-out-of-real-id/

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Addons Specifically for Hunters

WOW Insider has a few boss mods and threat/damage meters they recommend for hunters as well as PAWN and Power Auras.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/08/scattered-shots-hunter-addons/

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Real ID Firestorm Continues

The outrage about Blizzard's plans to force forum posters to use Real ID (and thus reveal their actual names) continues.  Here's are a few typical postings.
http://panzercow.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/realidiocy/

http://www.manaobscura.com/?p=942

http://stabbedup.blogspot.com/2010/07/wow-realid.html

http://spinksville.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/realid-around-the-web-the-future-will-be-written-in-chicken/

Some folks say this is just Blizzard trying to emulate and integrate with Facebook, whose CEO is very publicly against personal privacy, and we can expect more of this sort of thing.  Here is a posting from May that explains some of Blizzard's plans.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/05/blizzard-and-facebooks-friendly-social-networking-deal-launches-with-starcraft-ii-/1

Other folks say that Blizzard is just complying with Korean law.  Does anyone play Korean games who can speak to how well using one's real name works in cutting down on trolls in forums?
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/zeroday/2010/07/07/is-korean-law-driving-policy-at-blizzard/

Blizzard's response is to announce changes to talents, specializations and mastery when Cataclysm hits, hoping to distract players.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=162553

I failed to realize that tech support forums will require real names to ask for help on technical issues.  Most folks say this is a better way to get help than calling Blizzard's Customer Support.

Two folks have detailed how to turn off Real ID using the parental control options.  Apparently this is not straightforward and easy to find.  As the Greedy Goblin says, stop whining and start acting if you hate the Real ID system.
http://greedygoblin.blogspot.com/2010/07/would-you-stop-whining-about-realid.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-opt-out-of-realid.html

UPDATE:  WOW Insider lists the eight steps to opting out of Real ID and also tells you how to customize Real ID if you decide to risk using it.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/08/customizing-and-opting-out-of-real-id/

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Playing/Defeating Hunters in PVP

Tips on defeating hunters in PVP, written by a hunter.
http://outdps.com/2010/07/05/how-to-fight-a-hunter-in-pvp/

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Real ID Firestorm UPDATED

Blizzard's announcement that they will force anyone using WOW Forums to post using their Real ID (which will reveal their real name) starting with Starcraft II and the WOW Cataclysm expansion has set off a firestorm of comments.  I counted 14 blog posts about Real ID signatures in the forums this morning, 13 of which viewed this extremely negatively. i have not seen any positive postings supporting Blizzard.   Only WOW Head was neutral on the topic.   I list their message here so you can read the details and blue posting announcement to make up your own mind.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=162433

If you are intrested in Starcraft players' opinions on this topic, Lume the Mad clued me into a poll. I don't know if it is still open, but when I copied the link, 78% of Starcraft players responding to the poll said they would not post in the forums under this new system, 14% said they would sign forum postings with their real names, and 8% said they would create a new Battle.net account with a fake name so they could post in forums.  2,873 folks had voted.
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=134327

UPDATE:  WOW Insider is polling WOW players.  You have to vote to see the current results but when I found the posting, 81.5% thought using real names in the forums was a bad idea.  18.5% thought it was a good idea.  2,412 people had voted.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/07/breakfast-topic-real-id-or-real-bad-idea/#continued

You can find the negative postings yourself without any trouble.  Given Blizzard's record with security and privacy so far, the Solo MMO Player views this change in an extremely negative light.  There are crazy stalkers in this world, there are angry ex-significant others, there are employers who will view employee gamers in a negative light, there are students risking future careers by letting it be known they play WOW, there are folks who will enjoy harassing women who used to be able to use anonymity to avoid these cretins, there are parents who don't want their name associated with WOW just because their child uses their credit card to pay the monthly fees, there are folks looking to steal your identity, addons can be programmed to reveal your Real ID and thus your name....

The list goes on.  Let me quote Tobold here--"Blizzard is heading for their first privacy PR disaster."

UPDATE #2:  Blizzard has posted three updates to their original announcement.  First, the use of real names in forum posts won't be retroactive.  Only Starcraft 2 and Cataclysm forums will use real names.  If you use the Real ID opt out (part of the parental controls) the account can't post on the forums.  And Blizzard says they've given a lot of thought to the issue. They want to "create a great social gaming service" by giving away your privacy.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/blizzards-responses-on-the-real-id-situation/

The Solo MMO Player will not use the Real ID system.

UPDATE:  WOW Insider is reporting the rumor that Blizzard has changed its mind about blue postings having real names of their employees.  To date it is unclear what Blizzard will have its employees do.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/07/rumor-blizzard-employees-real-life-names-will-not-appear-on-th/

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Real ID Security Problems

Because of a security flaw in Real ID, addons can now expose your real name.  Details here.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/security-flaw-allows-addons-to-expose-full-real-life-names-witho/

By the way, Blizzard is going to use the Real ID system in their forums to cut down on trolls as real names will now be exposed.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/official-forum-changes-real-life-names-to-be-displayed/

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Interview with The Greedy Goblin (Undergeared Guild)

Frosthelm interviews the Greedy Goblin about his Undergeared guild, set up to prove that it is skill, not gear, that takes down bosses. Undergeared runs instances in blue gear only and are about 3/4 of the way through ICC.
http://www.warcrafthuntersunion.com/2010/07/frostheim-interviews-gevlon-of-undergeared/

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Guild Raid Management System: Pods

Rohan proposes a formal raid management system he calls Pods.  This allows guilds to set up 10- and 25-man raids that always have folks available.
http://blessingofkings.blogspot.com/2010/07/pods-raid-force-management-system.html

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New Foot Pedal Peripheral (Tap Chat)

The foot pedal peripheral is now available at the Blizard store (second link) and at the manufactuer's website (third link).  NOTE: it is currently sold out both places.  This USB device was designed as a voice chat hot key activated by a foot.  I don't know if it can be adapted to other uses, but I hope so for the sake of disabled gamers.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/05/world-of-warcraft-tap-chat-now-available/

http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100001062

http://us.store.creative.com/Sound-Blaster-World-of-Warcraft-Tap/M/B003BQKCUI.htm

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Signs That One Should Drop Out

Signs one should drop out of your current dungeon finder raid:

1) The healer inquires as to what sort of vanity pet your wolf is.
2) Your wolf draws more aggro than the tank.
3) The tank falls off a cliff.

Sadly, all these happened to the Solo MMO Player this weekend....

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Learning Data Mining in Your Spare Time

If you are curious about data mining, you'll want to read Zardoz's explanation of how he is improving his data mining skills.
http://armorydatamine.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/teach-yourself-datamining-in-21-days/

In the article, Z mentions an article by Chris Lewis on predicting a toon's class by looking at their items.  Of course experienced players can do this in their own heads, but perhaps not with such accuracy.  It's an interesting read for the math folks, regardless.
http://eis-blog.ucsc.edu/2010/04/mining-the-world-of-warcraft-armory/

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Soloing that Vanity Pet (Mojo)

How to solo getting the frog vanity pet as a Level 80.  Thanks to Birdfall for pointing this out.
http://warcraftpets.com/guides/pets/solo_farming_mojo.asp

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Starcraft II in 3-D

1Up is reporting that Blizzard plans to patch Starcraft II after it releases so that it can be played on 3-D monitors and televisions.  There's no word on what type of stupid glasses you'll have to wear.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180243

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Help Finding the Real Beta Invite

Help figuring out whether that Cataclysm invitation is real.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/03/breakfast-topic-are-you-in-or-out/

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Level 80 Mage Basics

A bit about how a mage works at level 80, with recommended enchants, heirlooms, etc.  This article is notable for a paragraph or two with tips for solo mages.  I should point out the author plays a Holy Paladin mostly, although he runs alts.
http://blessingoffish.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/hand-me-downs-mage/

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Ruby Sanctum Walkthrough

The author plays a shadow priest but this seems to be general enough information to help anyone.
http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/ruby-sanctum-and-you-dance-puppet-dance/

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WOW Matcher

Thanks to Skeeleton Jack, I've found a matchmaking site that brings players and guilds together.   It allows you to specify realm, type of guild you want, etc.  Results tell you the raiding schedule as well as lists guilds that meet a player's criteria.
http://www.wowmatcher.com/

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Raid Gear for Level 80s (Level 254 and Above)

From the WOW Insder's Arcane Mage column.  This seems to be for all types of mages.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/15/arcane-brilliance-level-80-mage-gearing-roadmap-part-1/

http://www.wow.com/2010/05/22/arcane-brilliance-level-80-mage-gearing-road-map-part-2/

Best Shadow Priest raiding gear (Patch 3.3.5)
http://www.shadowpriest.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=28437

Recommended raiding gear for the new Level 80 Shadow Priest.
http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/failsafe-shadowpriest-gearing-guide/

Help with Protection Paladin gear in ICC.  You may want to look at the earlier articles in this series also.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/02/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-gearing-a-new-level-80-tankadin/#continued

Feral Druid Tanks (slightly older information from January 2010)
http://www.tankspot.com/showthread.php?59727-3.3-277-Feral-Tank-Best-In-Slot-list

Hunter Gear from Heroics
http://www.wow.com/2010/04/05/scattered-shots-gearing-up-without-raids/

Level 80 Hunter Pre-Raiding Gear
http://www.wowhead.com/forums&topic=22358

Hunter Tier 9 Gear Analysis Patch 3.3.3
http://www.thehuntersmark.net/blog/2010/03/26/gearing-up-your-hunter-tier-9-and-heroic-rewards/

Hunter Gear Spreadsheet (web based)
http://www.femaledwarf.com/

Check this site for all class gear as it has been updated to Patch 3.3.5.  Put your mouse over the icons at the top of the page until you find the class you are interested and click.
http://www.wow-loot.com/

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Cataclysm's Beta Is Open (With Links to Info)

The Cataclysm Beta is open, but WOW Insider says invites haven't gone out yet.  Expect them in your email address you use for Battle.net login today.  Remember to be careful of pshished invites as these addresses have been stolen by spammers.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/30/no-cataclysm-beta-invites-have-been-sent-out-yet/

If you particpate in the Beta, there are several sources summarizing helpful information.  WOWHead's got their database up.
http://www.wowhead.com/

There's a new kid on the block for Cataclysm information that has Cataclysm talent calcuators up already.
http://www.raevyn.net/

MMO Champion often is the first to post new information.
http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/

WOW Insider has their Cataclysm class guide up and running.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/30/cataclysm-beta-new-skills-spells-and-talents/

They also have maps up. Maps are always great, right?
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/30/cataclysm-beta-new-maps/

Pwnwear is collecting flight paths.
http://pwnwear.com/2010/07/01/flight-paths-alpha/

Speaking of videos, WOW Head has a link to the Cataclysm videos Tankspot is making.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=162029

http://www.wowhead.com/blog=161758

Empowered Fire is making movies, too.
http://www.empoweredfire.com/2010/07/05/empowered-fire-does-beta/

Mania' Arcania has information about the new pets and new slots.
http://www.maniasarcania.com/2010/07/01/cataclysm-beta-pet-info-stable-slots/

Birdfall is also posting videos of pets she finds.   You'll have to hunt for them, though.  Even though she labels each article on Catacalysm Pets as "pets" the search function doesn't seem to turn them all up.
http://birdfall.blogspot.com/

More Level One starting pet information
http://www.warcrafthuntersunion.com/2010/07/level-1-hunter-starting-pets-in-cataclysm/

and a baby pet video.  Big Red Kitty promises more pet videos.
http://www.bigredkitty.net/2010/07/05/cataclysm-beta-hunter-guide-movie-baby-pet/

Mania's Arcania has set up a Cataclysm Pet Spreadsheet to collect pet information from the beta.
http://www.maniasarcania.com/2010/07/11/got-a-cataclysm-pet-question-see-the-spreadsheet/

Because Cataclysm is in beta, you can't use addons or move the standard Blizzard UI frames around.  Unless of course you know Pwnwear, who has posted information on how to move the frames.
http://pwnwear.com/2010/07/02/how-to-move-the-standard-blizzard-ui-frames/

Here are the UI changes in Cataclysm to date.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=162030

Specific info and screen shots of the UI changes that will show leveling notifications.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/03/cataclysm-beta-new-level-up-ui-video/

More UI update information
http://blessingoffish.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/cataclysm-giving-the-ui-a-much-needed-polish/

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Addons For the New Player

WOW Insider is starting an Addons 101 series to help the new and confused.  As always, I'll update this blog entry as more is writtin in this series.

Part One:  The Basics
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/30/addons-101-the-basics/

Part Two:  The Default Interface and Different Types/Categories of Addons
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/07/addons-101-interface-elements/

Part Three:  DPS and Threat Meters, Raid Warnings, and Cooldowns
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/14/addons-101-the-other-essentials/

Part Four:  Customizing Interfaces
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/21/addons-101-the-basics-of-customization/

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Blizzard Answers Your Lore Questions

WOW Insider summarizes some of the interesting tidbits from Blzzard's creative development team and links to a forum posting soliciting questions and then posting answers to questions puzzling players.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/30/blizzards-creative-development-team-answers-tons-of-lore-questi/

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