Archaeology in Cata

What is this and what does it do for me?

Its a secondary profession, a time sink and a way to get some cool rewards. The other aspect it brings into the game Lore *GASP* why did they do this? To add another thing for people to do with their toons. To see the rewards check out this link.

How do you do this?

See your trainer in for your faction in any major city. For Stormwind it is Harrison Jones and for Orgimmar it is Belloc Brightblade. Now if you intend to go forward with this WoW give you a bit of info if you click on your profession tab. Pull up your map and it will add little shovel icons to show you were to go. Next put your dig icon on your hot bar to make putting out your scope faster.

Head off to your dig site, you view this by the little icon of a shovel on your map. As you enter the zone you will see on your map an area oranged out for you approximate location. Now when you get there know a few things; you can dig 3 times in this area, no one else has this dig location and it can be anywhere in the world (according your skill and toons level).

Are you ready to dig? Click on the shovel icon it looks like this and was the one I suggest to be put on the hot bar.

Now the only thing left to do is read where you need to be. After the scope is placed you will get a direction and a color light. The bigger end of the scope is which way you need to go and the color will tell you approx. how far you need to go. Red indicates you are the furthest, yellow is closer and green means you are within yards. If you are in the area you need to be a clickable treasure will appear.

You will need up to 27 to finish the artifact you are working on. Once you get enough of the items, click on solve and you will get the item you were looking for as well as some lore to read about the artifact.

As of launch in cataclysm, this is not a extra raid buff for you or PVP buff type job. Right now its just a ton of fun. According to the video below there may be something later on in game but as of now it might lead to an epic or boa weapon. For leveling purposes I got XP, at level 81 I was receiving almost 9k per dig.

Please enjoy the video below for further details.

Revised leveling zones in Cataclysm

I'm lost in a zone I know?

Been lost since the shatter? I have, here is my story.

The DK that I have been tanking with only has one profession, for the crit buff and the fact I don't have a skinner I picked it up with the DK. The first few parts of skinning are easy. I logged for the day and started again when I logged the next day I decided to head to Tarren Mill, the area I needed to continue to level. Much to my surprise the level has changed, the whole zone has changed. Well, DUH...the whole world has changed.

I took myself to google to see where I needed to be and ran into a great blog and excellent map of the revised leveling places. I also seen that most of the dungeons have had level revisions. With the below map and a bit of time I was gaining skinning points again.



leveling flow

(Source )

This is a wonderful map for those who want to level a new Goblin or Worgen. I guess out of naivety I didn't know ALL the leveling zones had been changed. All the WoW I play and I didn't look further into this makes me feel very newbish.

New level requirements for 5 man dungeons:


In order by minimum level to enter.
The Deadmines – Level Range: 15-21 (10)
Ragefire Chasm – Level Range: 15-21 (10)
Wailing Caverns – Level Range: 15-25 (10)
Shadowfang Keep – Level Range: 16-26 (11)
Stormwind Stockade – Level Range: 20-30 (15)
Blackfathom Deeps – Level Range: 20-30 (15)
Gnomeregan – Level Range: 24-34 (19)
The Scarlet Monastery – Graveyard – Level Range: 26-36 (21)
The Scarlet Monastery – Library – Level Range: 29-39 (21)
The Scarlet Monastery – Armory – Level Range: 32-42 (21)
The Scarlet Monastery – Cathedral – Level Range: 35-45 (21)
Razorfen Kraul – Level Range: 30-40 (25)
Maraudon – Purple Crystals – Level Range: 30-40 (25)
Maraudon – Orange Crystals – Level Range: 32-42 (25)
Maraudon – Pristine Waters – Level Range: 34-44 (25)
Uldaman – Level Range: 35-45 (30)
Dire Maul – East – Level Range: 36-46 (31)
Scholomance – Level Range: 38-48 (33)
Dire Maul – West – Level Range: 39-49 (34)
Razorfen Downs – Level Range: 40-50 (35)
Dire Maul – North – Level Range: 42-52 (37)
Stratholme – Main Gate – Level Range: 42-52 (37)
Zul’farrak – Level Range: 44-54 (39)
Stratholme – Service Entrance – Level Range: 46-56 (41)
Blackrock Depths – Prison – Level Range: 47-57 (42)
The Sunken Temple – Level Range: 50-60 (45)
Blackrock Depths – Upper City – Level Range: 51-61 (46)
Lower Blackrock Spire – Level Range: 55-65 (48)
Upper Blackrock Spire – Level Range: 55-65 (48)
(Source)  and (source)  

Enjoy the leveling and the new areas Blizz has put in.

How to Tank in Cataclysm ~

Important questions -
Times, they are a changing. Go look in the mirror and ask yourself, do I really want to tank? Seriously, go ask or at least turn your monitor off and look into it. Now, let me ask, are you ready for the coming changes? This might sound crass but looking at the beta vids, hearing Blizz talk and the fact the changes we have now in 4.0.3a tanking will be different.

Oh, I have a bit of a gift for you all, more on that later.

Back to the future -

*This is something we must all make the adjustment with but if you have only tanked in cataclysm please re-read this.

I am not going to sugar coat it this should be a guide to point us that way. Wrath was easy on us all, if we make adjustments, play smarter and play with in our toons limits it will make the runs easier for all involved.

Back to the basics -

Mark your adds - Allow the DPS to see what you need dead first. Tell them to target your target with cute little icon over the NPC's head.

Use CC - You have it, use it. This will help your group as well. All accounts Cata is going to be harder on us all, healers will have less mana to play with and less damage makes their life easier.

Pull smarter - Learn to LOS, let your group know you are doing it. Use the body pull as well. If CC goes off and you throw shield or holy wrath you could break CC and we don't want to do that. It’s why we used CC. This body pull thing... learn how to do it, its a controlled face pull.

Give instruction - Tell the DK, Hunter, Mage you need them to kite. Let the lock know you need seduce and make sure no one is to far bomb the group.

Take suggestions - Regardless of our queue times, we are not the royalty of the group that we think. Yes, Cata DPS will not be able to do a heroic without you but it doesn't mean you need to be an asshat. You are there to take damage and reduce damage to others, let them know you know what you are doing and if someone says "hey I seen it work this way" do not rage quite or tell the group, kick me or GTFO. Your heroic wrath gear will not say what a big shot you are any longer.

Improvement -

Know your toon - Put a bit of time into learning your toons. What do I mean by this? Know cool downs, heals and damage reduction. Be liberal on your Cool downs and use stuns. Is this a caster group? Have Resistance aura up instead of Devo. You have hands for a reason, know when to put a hand on someone in your group.

Know your enemy - Sure there will be an adjustment period, a time when no one in the group can find their behind with both hands. But have an idea of what you are facing. Expect on pull a burst of damage. Know when a special ability is coming and let the group know. In other words, things will be dangerous never underestimate your opponent.

Assist the group - This goes back to healer’s mana and you soaking damage, oh and using tools. If there is a dot on you; cleanse it. If the healer has one on him, cleanse it. LoH, Salv and BoP all work wonders at helping the group. Let them know you know how to tank. I believe that a well-placed hand or LoH's sends the message, you are the go to guy/girl in this place.

Don't be "that tank" - Know what classes have what CC, what buffs and by all means allow the healer to have mana. Don't ask a mage to sheep undead, it won't work. You will look like a fool!

Use buffs - This is no longer Wrath; you cannot zone in and pull. At least initially, use some consumables. Pots, food and buffs will help you along. There was a time when a tank was not in any way shape or form part of DPS that has changed. Do what you can to speed the run by taking a second to use your toons potential.

TL;DR - Use common sense as the tank; mark your adds, use your tools and don't be a tool. But I suggest you read this, its not really that long.

There is a great post on MMO champion along these lines. Good read and well, its MMO Champ so you know the responses you get but the OP gave a more detailed all role break down.
 
My Gift -
 
Some might know this, lots don't but here is my gift to you as a reader...Clear your quest log out, everything, clear it out. Go grab 25 dailies and do them until December 7th. You should by now have your hearth set to your home city. As Wrath goes live, spend the first 10 to 15 minutes turning in your 25 dailies and you now have 1/3 to 1/2 of a level and some extra gold...FREE! Hearth to your home city and start your journey to level 85!!!

A World Shattered!

A new land, a new tank and a long awaited look at the world-

Well I logged on today on my banker just to see how things were and I was amazed. I seen pictures of Org but I had no idea it was that different. Its a cross between the Argent Daily area and old Org. The graphics are very nice, so vibrant. I am impressed and on that topic my impressions:

I will say the no portal thing is a PITA but I will wait til Cata starts before I really judge. We only have a few more weeks left in Dal so after that you won't really need the portals.

Guards are BAD to the bone now. 116k HP's per guard and a few are higher, I seen a NELF get smacked and 2 shotted on the way into Org. That was pretty funny.

A new tank is in the works!

Meet Vasey:

I rolled a Belf Warrior just to see how it was and I must admit, its kinda fun. Much more so than I thought. I really like the new flight paths added and the torrent rage you get is OP. I can't wait to see how tanking goes.

Tanking-

I did get down to business and tank on Chasey. I had the talent reset and did my build up. I like the Divine Plea giving 3 holy power. For the first times since 4.0x launched I had a bit of mana concern. Not an issue at all but I sat to drink.  Aggro was no issue at all. I didn't notice any extra damage with the "nerf" to the mastery reduction. I have been running lots of heroics due to the fact I don't have my JP capped yet.

With the reset in points I'll be making my off set Ret for the first time in a LONG time.

On the move-

I am looking so forward to cataclysm. On a sad note, I moved my hunter to a new realm. I enjoy the hunter and it was sitting idle so he left the only server he had ever know to move to Hyjal and others will follow. With my change in schedule I have a more PST time zone life right now. I have found a really enjoyable guild with fun people. Lets hope it works out.

Happy Holidays to everyone.

The adjustment.

Wrath, YOU won't, be, missed.

Welcome to Wrath 2.0 or better know as 4.0.1. When we all log back on we will find, totally different rotations, skills, feel for the game and overly inflated prices. This is all going to lead to a total adjustment in about everything we do. Not to mention, time to reset up your UI and download all your mods again.

I know most of you don't come to my site to figure out pally mechanics, the ins and outs of the class, rotation info or just about anything that is theory crafting related. This doesn't hurt my feelings in the least, nor does it make me bad. There are far more knowledgeable people out there in WoW that devote time and set up programs to allow us all to understand this info that is coming to us really soon.

Up and coming...

So with the glut of newness and our new holy combo point stacking ability, I'm going to link you a few sites of worthwhile info. Please check these out and read up on the new mechanics of game play for prot pally's. After all this is what my blog is about, trials and tribulations of a prot pally.

Here are a few things we are going to have get a grip on: Mastery ~ avoidance ~ stats ~ glyphs ~ talents ~ rotation ~ cool down management.

In other words folks, if we were a foot ball team we'd have new offensive and defensive coordinators, hell from the looks of it a new coaching staff.

But we will make the adjustment!

How do I know? Well, yes we were at times OP in Wrath, but the BC tanks, adjusted and became the great tanks, the tanks the most of us strove to be. The Naxx and 3.0.1 tanks made the adjustment. The F.O.T.M tanks made it work to. So I have no doubt that the tanks or Paladins for that matter that take time to read a blog will make this work.

Sources-

Here is what we have had removed:

Removed Talents

•Redoubt has been removed from the tree.
•Combat Expertise has been removed from the tree.
•Spiritual Attunement has been removed from the tree.
•One-Handed Weapon Specialization has been removed from the tree.
•Improved Devotion Aura is gone.
•Divine Sacrifice has been removed from the tree.
•Improved Righteous Fury has been removed from the tree.
•Stoicism has been removed from the tree.
•Guardian's Favor has been removed from the tree.
•Anticipation has been removed from the tree.
•Divine Strength has been removed from the tree.

MMO's Paladin section Before I get into the list of the places I find my info I just wanted to say, the enitre time I was typing this my downloader was running, so...wow...ya...this is a big patch.

4.0.1 Guides:

Knaughty basics to 4.0 pally tanking

Rightous Defense guilde to 4.0.1 need to know

Glyphs - make sure you click on the pally hammer to see all the spec's glyphs.

Mastery and Runeforging - great discussion, I'd say probably a work in progress (WIP)and more to come.

Gear and gem/enchants - still WIP

Here is something every tank should read!!! Its Barathon's "Entry lvl to ICC tank" in the age of GS and what he went thru to pull this off.

A mount by any other name...

There are some things in game that are rare, some that are amazing and some truly make you stop what you are doing and look for a second to say...WOW, that's amazing.

I'm sure the first few times you seen the Ashes of Alar mount flying around Shatt or Dal you had that feeling. Its truly an amazing mount and well, you don't see very many people in game with them. Its rare and you know when you see on that its special. At least in the context of the game, this mount is a thing of pride.

So on to my point, Blizz has announced that they will be releasing a version of this mount via the guild rep vendor. Yes you will need the reputation, and gold to do this but did they have to do that with this specific mount? I mean, this is a one of a kind mount in game, and doing a bit of research there is  some meaning behind this. It seems that a young man that was pretty sick, used his Make-A-Wish, wish to visit the good folks at Blizz. He wanted to meet the team that put this game together that meant so much to him. Blizz does do special things in game for people all the time.

I don't think however this should be the model they copy off of for something so unique. The Dark Phoenix mount now, will have a different skin and name but the look is the same and well, to me it detracts from the specialness of Ashes. You only need to do some dailies and stay in your guild to get this as the guild mount.

To be honest I'm not a huge mount guy. I do have the Ironbound proto drake from Ulduar 10 and the 50 mount achievement. I never went to Blizz's store and purchased the spectral BOA mount either. I feel that maybe a mount should remain special. For the longest time I only had 1 flying mount on my Chasey. I spent hard earned gold to get that mount too. It took me til almost the release of Uluar to get Epic flying. I had the CoT drake in my bank forever.

I guess I feel like an old man sitting on the steps with his pals and complaining about the change that is about to take place and how the good old days were better but, I don't really see how such a symbol is getting a skin change and being sold to those who want to grind, stay with a guild and have gold stocked up.