Ding, Level 90!

Ding 90

Not so much WoW time this weekend since we were out of town most of the weekend or out and about. Did manage to get enough playtime in to hit 90 while questing in the Dread Wastes, which is by the way very dready and wasty I suppose. Hopefully more instancing and what not next week. Oh man is it nice to fly again…

Mists of Pandaria, Week One

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Ding, level 88! I know, I’m the fastest leveler ever right? I swear that most people are either at or approaching level 90 but now and hopping on the gear treadmill. Definitely glad that I am not really feeling pressured to rush to the level cap, though being towards the bottom end of your social group’s leveling curve sucks a bit. It was exciting back in the day, running heroics ASAP at the front of the pack, it I just don’t seem to have the time or interest for that sort of play style anymore. Also, I will get there eventually so I don’t really see the point of rushing through everything.

I *gasp* actually got my crap together and started tanking instances the other night, which was interesting considering that the last time I had seriously tanked since what, the end of Burning Crusade? My tanking gear is mostly crap, in fact the vast majority of it was replaced by a half-night of questing. I must say, it was nice not having to wait for a tank in the LFG queue for a half hour.

So anyway, questing: Valley of the Four Winds was a fun zone, the brew quests are a blast. I like the WoW farming mini game, despite thinking that it sounded a bit silly when it was first announced. It’s simple, quick, different, and feeds right into the cooking profession. Currently working on Kun-Lai Summit. I am enjoying the East Asian martial arts aesthetic quite a bit; From peaceful meditation, training montages to trekking up a mountain Everest style. Departing from run-of-the-mill high fantasy archetypes is a breath of fresh air. The lighthearted pseudo-Chinese theme reminds me of Avatar the Last Airbender, which is most definitely not a bad thing in my opinion.

Like all MMO’s, I am curious as to what the general feel for MoP will be 3 to 4 months from now once the most people have settled in at the level cap. That was about the time when Cataclysm attrition has started to hit (for myself included), so I am very interested in seeing what Blizzard had planned to mitigate player loss.

ITS Airsoft Event at Strategic Operations

Dave and I had the pleasure of attending Integrity Tactical Solutions‘ inaugural game at Strategic Operations a few weeks ago on the 22nd of September. It was $65 for an all day event + lunch (1pm to 9pm) at the STOPS training facility in San Diego. The price point seems a little steep but really, it’s not bad for all day play on such an excellent field (with pyrotechnics!) I am used to casual pick-up games at Mr. Paintball so being a apart of an event where just about everyone is geared out and uniformed appropriately (alpha = green, bravo = tan) was pretty sweet.

This event was so much fun. The music, the pyrotechnics and the detailed field really added to the experience. There were a few communication issues regarding game rules and the respawn locations probably should have been better clarified. But overall, good times; We are definitely planning on attending their next event in November. Videos below:

Kind of got lazy with the second video and just stitched a couple of clips together from the rest of my footage.