With your powers combined.....

I am Captain Website! Oh hai! Yeah so really the things that are combining here are going to be school and WoW.

Yeaiknowrite!

I am taking a class right now called Writing for the Web. The final project is to create a website with 5 pages. The content is entirely up to the student, and it can be about anything. The instructor would prefer that you are excited about whatever you make your website on.

I said "So I could make a website about Paladins in World of Warcraft?"

"Yes."

"Oh ok, I will think of something else.... HEY! You said yes!"

"Yeah that is fine. I just hope this game has enough to write 5 pages of web content on. If you have trouble with that, let me know early so you can change your project."

"I think I can manage."

So guess what? I am going to do my take on a Paladin-centric website. Most likely leaning heavy toward ret. I know there are plenty of websites that will cover this stuff already, but I have a few of my own ideas for it. This should be a freakin' blast! And I can play WoW and claim that I am doing research! Double win!

What happened to my DK?

I will tell you.... there are too F@%#ING many of them! And its not because its the Flavor of the Month class. Its because they are kinda awesome! I can guarantee that there will be tons and tons of DKs well into the next expansion. So, I don't see a need for another one. And right now, I have my hands full with my two pallys, so maybe I will work on Amadis later. For now, he can look cool at the character select screen.

You must have control!

It's about time I made the post on my control setup. Euripides @ CriticalQQ has posted on how he does things with his mage. My original inspiration for this post came Ferraro @ Paladin Schmaladin, which kinda covers all pallies. So I figure I should get my post out there.

This setup is really geared toward ret paladins. Although, it is easily swapped around for holy or prot with minimal movement of the main hotkeys. Also, my Dominoes setup is made to closely mimic the layout of my keypad. I am a visual person, so it helps me remember where things are.

My setup differs from a lot people in that I use a peripheral pad (the Saitek Cyborg/Pro Gamer Command Unit) to do almost everything. The one pictured above is what I use, well pretty close anyway. Mine is the Cyborg version with a different color scheme, but that is irrelevant. I also make use of a Logitech G5 mouse and a Logitech G11 keyboard. The mouse, I don't think I could do without it. The keyboard, well my bro gave it to me because I needed a keyboard, and he had this laying around. As long as the damned thing types, I could care less what keyboard I have.

So lets look at the main part of my control scheme, the Saitek Command Unit. I have this thing mentally broken down into sections:

-Top Row: This is where I put buttons that I need to hit quickly, but not often. Left to Right is Arcane Torrent/GoTN, Divine Plea, Trinket, Repentance
-Second Row: This is the workhorse row. The things I need to hit fast and often are here. L to R is CS, Judgement, DS, HoW
-Third Row: Easier to reach then the top row, so I put a lot of spells on here that are used almost as much as the second row. L to R is HoJ, Seal of Choice, Consecrate, Exorcism
-Fourth Row: This row is a little tricky to reach, so stuff that gets used on occasion goes here. L to R is Turn Evil, Reserved for Hand of Reckoning, Holy Wrath
-Palm: Easy to smash when things get hairy. Lay on Hands.
-Left Vertical Row: The top "button" isn't a button. Its a switch to change the key layout. I leave mine on Red (top position). Down from there is Jump, Vent, Divine Shield
-Thumb Area: I use the hat for movement. Top button is Flash of Light, bottom is Wings/Trinket Macro

So that is the Saitek. Next is the mouse. The only thing special here are the center mouse button for HoF, page forward button for Cleanse, and page back button for auto-run.

I had tried the Belkin N52Ti right after my first Saitek wore out last month. I couldn't get used to it. It looks comfy, but in practice the giant hump is really limiting. The D-Pad, with or without the stick attachment, is too stiff, which makes it distracting. The scroll wheel is pretty useless since I can't think of a reason why you need one on the pad when there will be one on most mice. Really, the most positive part of the Belkin pad is that short throw keys, which would be awesome on the Saitek. Also the interface is a little nicer for setting up key binds on the Belkin. However, the Saitek one isn't too bad either, you just have to take the time figure it out. The Saitek programming software is also a lot better at setting up combo keys like CTRL+1 and macros (which are kinda useless in WoW, in my opinion).

All in all, I think the Saitek is awesome, and its fairly cheap compared to the competition. And there you have it, my control setup and a bonus review. Enjoy!

She's back........

[Ghostcrawler]
"Ghostcrawler, Real Name, No Gimmicks..."

[Record Scratches]

[Beat Changes]



Two cat form druids go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside.
Two cat form druids go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside.

[Kikidas]
Wooo!

[Female Voice]
"Ooooohhhhh!"

[Kikidas]

Guess who's back, back again
K is back, tell a friend
Guess who's back, guess who's back,
guess who's back, guess who's back,
guess who's back, guess who's back,
guess who's back...


I've created a monsta, 'cause nobody wants to
See Kvasira no more, they want Kikidas,
I'm a DOT giver.
Well, if you want Kiki, this is what I'll give ye
A little bit of DD, maybe Shadow Cleave
Some Siphon Life you gonna die quicker
Then a shock when I get Holy Shocked at the boss
By the Pally when I'm not cooperating
When I'm rockin' the aggro table while I’m DPSing "Hey!"
You see what’s going on I’m Immolating
'Cause I'm back, Hey that DKs Desecrating!
I know that you got a job Mr. Tanky
But your threat’s not the problem keep Consecrating
So the D-E-Vs won't let me be,
Or let me be me so let me see
They tried to shut me down in WSG
But it feels so empty without me.
So come on Imp, do your Phase Shift
Back flip
Use your wit and I’ll cackle a bit,
And get ready 'cause this shits about to get heavy
I just popped all my trinkets, "Fuck you Skadi!"

Chorus:
Now this looks like a job for me
So everybody just follow me
'Cause we need a little warlocky,
'Cause it feels so empty without me
I said this looks like a job for me
So everybody just follow me
'Cause we need a little warlocky,
'Cause it feels so empty without me


Little hellions, mobs feelin' rebellious
Embarrassed, their hit points won’t get’em through this
They start feelin' like critters, helpless,
'Then someone comes along on a Dreadsteed and yells "BITCH!"
A Demonologist, Succubi are sexy, she started Seducing,
Now try all that Retribution
Here’s a Shadowbolt,
Your gonna feel a jolt and a little harassed,
As a matter of fact, a Death Coil is coming after your ass
And your gonna die faster, I’m speccing Affliction tree
Gonna snag Contagion then Eradication, and what about Improved Curse of Agony?
Well I'm back (Da Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) fix your busted gear
Now look out cause I’m about to Haunt and Fear
My way to HKs, it's so easy I need a beer
To wash down the taste of your QQ tears
I'm speculating, contemplating respeccing
Unstable Affliction might be good for questing
"Testing: Fel Vitality!?"
I have no apprehension cause I got Suppresion
Looks like the Rogue is gonna hide from me,
But that’s ok, I just Banished his Tree

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
A DOT here, a Curse there,
I gotta prepare cause here comes a Bear, is that a Druid with hair?
Oh crap! My Hunter dropped a Flare and there’s a Rogue hiding behind that chair
Thinking I don’t know where, lets see how he likes Howl of Terror,
And Moorabi?, roflpwns are my hobby,
You’re a translucent wooly mammoth who’s a little snobby
You don't stand a chance in this land of cold
Let go, it's over, just give us your gold!
Now let's go, just give me a portal
And I got a Soul Stone, I’m practically immortal
I been ignored, hanging out here in the Howling Fjord
And now Prince Arthas is out of his gourd
But looky here, I’m on the loading screen
Everybody only wants to DPS
But I specialize in dealing death
But it's just me I'm just obscene
Though I'm not the first queen of warlockery
I am the worst thing since jabberwocky,
To do fel magic so selfishly
And use it to get myself wealthy! (Hey!)
There's a concept that works
20 million Death Knights have emerged
But no matta how many DKs are in LFG
It'll be so empty without me

Level 80: Planning

Ok, well once I figure out what is going on with my digital camera, I am going to do a post on my control setup. Inspiration for that is courtesy Ferraro. For now though, I am going to put out some thoughts on pre-raid planning for my ret pally, Tyrol. Yeah my boy needs some attention. I haven't logged on to him to actually play for weeks! Solerian has been getting a lot of my time. In any case, I will level Solerian some more, but I would like to make a little progress on my OG pally. I mean hell he is already 80!

Time for me is starting to come at a bit of a premium. I have a lot to do, and not nearly enough time to do it. From my baby girl, to school, to work, to friends, to WoW, there is just too much to do. To make matters worse, it would seem that there are about as many things to do in WoW. Rep, professions, gear, and earning some money would be enough. And then there are achievements to boot! And to me, it can get overwhelming, especially since I have a habit of flying by the seat of my pants. So, I need a plan. And that is something I can do outside the game. So first things first. I need to prioritize:

-Gear up for Heroics
-Gear up for PVP
-Level up my Enchanting to at least 410
-Drop engineering, decide on a new secondary profession, level accordingly to a minimum of 410

So from there, I know the first thing I am going to look at is my PvE gear. My PvE gear is pretty sad right now. I sport low crit, high hit, and no expertise. So what are we aiming for?

-As much Strength as possible
-Hit rating needs to be at 230 approx (woot for Heroic Presence!)
-Expertise rating needs to be at 214 approx
-Crit should be in the mid 20% range at least. Obviously the more crit the better, but it has to be balanced
-Armor Penetration and Haste are going to be ignored for now, avoided even. Per Elitist Jerks, they don't do much for us anyway, and I feel that it would be wasted item budget at this stage of the game

So with that in mind, lets find some easy upgrades for my current equipment. Keep in mind, this gear is going to try to avoid any heroic Dungeon or Raid.

Head: None at the Moment
Neck: The Severed Noose of Westwind - Icecrown Quest Chain
Shoulder: Spaulders of the Giant Lords - Sons of Hodir Revered
Back: Cloak of Bloodied Waters - BoE Drop (hopefully I can spot it in the AH)
Chest: Whalebone Carapace - The Kalu'ak
Wrist: Vengeance Bindings - BS Crafted
Hand: Astrid's Riding Gloves - Storm Peaks Quest Chain
Waist: None at the moment
Legs: Cold-Blood Legplates - Storm Peaks Quest Chain
Feet: Death-Inured Sabatons - Knights of the Ebon Blade Exalted
Ring: Ring of Scarlet Shadows - JC Crafted
Ring: None at the Moment
Trinket: Crusader's Locket - In the bank I think
Trinket: Not Sure
Weapon: Runeblade of Demonstrable Power - Knights of the Ebon Blade Revered
Libram: None at the Moment

Next post, we will look at enchants, gems, and armor kits for this gear.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!

So I have been kinda busy, and kinda not. I have got absolutely nowhere with my new post-op Draenei pally, Tyrol. There are two reasons for this.

1) My Horde pally, Solerian
2) Crappy Saitek Pro Gamer Command Unit

So I have been working on my Horde paladin a lot as of late. I have a good guild and I have meet some cool people on Azjol (talking to you Clael, Priestzorz, and Tenderyara). I have been getting a lot of encouragement from them to keep leveling up, and they really need to a Ret paladin to fill groups out (my how the tables have turned). As it turns out, I am pretty good at DPS. So yeah, there is a huge timesink. I am only 75 too, so there is a bit more leveling that needs to be done.

However, I had planned on spending a few days working on Tyrol to try and get the rep grind started with the Sons of Hodir, and to work on my Wyrmrest faction. I wanted to get moving into Heroics as well. I also wanted to get the Merrymaker title, which would have involved a little time.

As it turns out though, my Saitek pad had taken a crap just as i was going to start working on Tyrol. I tried to use my brothers Belkin N52TE, but it was awkward. I have been using the Saitek for over a year and it worked well, right until the analog stick decided to die. So I had to find one (which I was able to find a new one on Amazon) and then I had to wait for it to come in.

Now that I have a new one, I can comfortably play again. I know, I know, I shouldn't need a peripheral game pad to play WoW. The keyboard should be enough. But the Saitek is what I use, and I love it. I can't stand the keyboard anymore for WoW. I tried at the request of Clael, but it just wasn't working.

Of course, my vacation is over so I am back to work. School is also starting back up Monday. So this is going to leave me a lot less time to play. Especially since I will actually have to pay attention for this set of classes. I have also started exercising a bit too. I have resolved to lose at least 20 lbs by the end of the year as well as get in better cardiovascular condition. So, that means less WoW.

On the upside, that should help prevent the dreaded WoW burnout since I won't have time to play as much.

For the next post, I think I am going to look into adding *gasp* content to my blog! So maybe something about Ret DPS. I have no idea what to discuss that hasn't been touched on yet, but I will think of something.