Plan on Taking Damage?

I’ve not been able to play much lately, but I have been able to play a little.  As such, I’ve been messing with some alts.

Tonight, I was running with a mid-level Belf Tankadin named Khesed, going through LFG like a fish through water. Picked up a group going through Zul Frak (or whatever the name of the troll ruins are outside of Gadgetzan).

Anyway, we were running through with little difficulty. No “gogogos,” or ashattery common to most pugs.  It was rather nice.  I was trying to use all of my cooldowns (at lvl 47), stuns, magic suppression, etc. You know, trying to be a good Belf Pally Tank.

I try to keep my gear and enchants up for the appropriate level.  Which ain’t easy, considering that I have ZERO high level toons on the server. I have no heirlooms, and the only gold I have comes from me working the AH.

The AH has been good to me, I must admit.

This has allowed me to keep a tank set of relatively good gear. It is made up of Dungeon/Quest Blues, and some bought/found Greens. I’ve also worn some crafted pieces.  I’ve gotten a pretty good mix (imo) of gear with good stamina, along with some dodge and parry. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t as good as heirlooms, but I’m trying.

My greatest fear is that of being “squishy” as a tank.  This leads to my one other conservative move, running with Seal of Insight active, instead of Seal of Truth.

So, my gear makeup combined  with my liberal use of cool downs and Seal usage lead to an interesting remark from the healer.

When the healer finally spoke up – she said, “Khesed, are you planning on taking any damage?”

Was that a compliment?

My replay was, “Yes mam.”

At which point I immediately switched to Seal of Truth and increased the number of mobs I was pulling from 3-5 to 6-8.

Her next remark was, “Much better.”

 

>.>

You know… Anything to keep the healer happy!

What have you done to keep your healer happy today?!

 

Z

P.s. If you happen to check out the armory; just know that I got two new pieces. I need to enchant the gloves.

Read Full Post »

Nature of Evil, Why PUGs Suck

I had a wonderful experience earlier today. I took my baby paladin through Shadowfang Keep on a PUG (Pick Up Group). I had been through it a couple of times as dps. I’ve even done the heroic mode on my main. But – the one time I tanked it, I was a horrible failure.

This time though was different. The group was so good, that they made me look like a pro! I told them I was new, and it was nothing but positive feedback and no complaining!

I KNOW!

RIGHT?!

If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t believe it either.

The sad part is that we’re surprised by a PUG going well because so often they go so horribly wrong. We expect people to be turds. We expect people to be selfish. We expect the worse.

I think PUGs suck because of the nature of evil.

…

…

…

You’ve not left yet? Thanks for hanging around.

I believe that the nature of evil is very natural. I think that the seeds of it are found within every person. I think it begins with selfishness. It gets into our self-centeredness, sense of self-preservation, to some extent of self-worship. If I think it is all about me, about my pleasure, about what I want, then I end up using you. Selfishness, combined with humanities natural tendency towards excess (feast or famine instinct) leads to all sorts of abuses. And I’m afraid that some people even make the excuse that since something is “natural,” then perhaps it is allowable. They end up legitimizing all sorts of abuses. They make us into nothing but animals; and to some extent they are right.

However, I also believe that there is something that separates us from other animals.

There is something that separates us from the little male doggy that senses the little female doggy in heat. That little male doggy will go crazy trying to get to the female doggy.

We are different.

We can choose to say “no” to our “baser instincts.” We can choose to say “no” to that which is “natural,” but also destructive. We can say “yes” to things that aren’t natural, but actually better.

I can say “yes” to my wife, to proper fidelity. I can say “yes” to my children, to spend the time with them that the desperately need. I can say “yes” to that stranger, who has fallen upon hard times. I can say “yes” to self-sacrifice, for it leads to a better world.

I can choose to respond to craptastic PUG experiences with respect, humility, and kindness. I don’t know what is going on with the person on the other side of the pixilation. But, I have control of the person on this side.

I choose that which is not natural, but very well may be better.

What about you?

Zwingli

Read Full Post »

Before You Quit…

Before you quit, take a breath.

Before you quit, take a look around.

Before you quit, know that you are liked by people on your server.

Before you quit, remember that the puggers aren’t your guildies.

Before you quit, remember that you’ll never see that particular pug group again.

Before you quit, take a breath.

——————————

I read BBB’s post about his latest and greatest healing experience.  You can read about it here.  Personally, I’ve seen our healers go through a lot of pain with the changes in Cata.  I’m not a healer, I can only comment on what I see the PhR healers going through.

My heart goes out to our healers.  All I can say is, “I’ve got your back.  I won’t complain if I die. I know you are doing your best.”

Now, a word to some of you other WoW players.  The poem at the beginning of this post is for you.  I would like to add one little thing:

Before you quit, make a toon on Sentinel’s Server, and look me (or one of my guildies) up.  Come, hang out with a nice group of people.  Remember why you began to play this game to begin with.

Also, if you think that people being “nice” is a let down.  I’m afraid that you’ve got other problems.

Z

Read Full Post »

Good Experience

I don’t PuG very much anymore.  I know some people that hate, absolutely abhor it! And yes, it can be painful. You’re thrown together with people of differing experience in their class. Some are on alts, some are on mains.  Everyone had a different gear skill level, or at least it seems.

But, that isn’t why I don’t PuG very much anymore. I used to do it all the time. Just now though, I have limited play time.  I’ll be on at night for about 2-3 hours.  I only have enough time to run one instance, period.  So, I wait for most of my guildies to get on, and we make a group. Most of the time we don’t need to fill a spot. But, every now and then we do.

This is what happened a couple of nights ago.  We had to pug a healer, and we ended up getting a resto-druid named “Refresh…” something or other. I should have written down his name.  He was a great guy.  It was his first time in HVP, while the rest of us had been through it a couple of times.  He didn’t complain when we wiped (twice), and kept a great spirit throughout the whole situation.

Refresh, if you’re out there.  Thanks! Thanks for being a pleasant companion, in what can be a difficult instance.

Thank you.

Z

Read Full Post »