Gitr Knows WoW

Unlike your other World of Warcraft blogs. Quality over quantity, and a terrific community.

Dump Wowaceupdater for Jwowupdater

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I’ve had problems with Wowaceupdater even loading for months. Then I heard from PhiLogical this weekend that he was having the same problems. Due to a recent Windows blows issue that necessitated a fresh install of XP, I gave Wowaceupdater another try.

After the download started, it stopped. I tried to resume it, but it told me that it had already begun and couldn’t continue. So I deleted the temp folder it was creating and calling out as the issue several times, but it refused to try again.

Throwing my hands up in the air, I decided to Google for a Java-based updater, just on a whim. I found Jwowupdater at http://code.google.com/p/jwowupdater/ and I’ve never been happier with a little piece of software in my life. Not only does it download your Ace addons, but you can point it to the interface addon sites to download updates to non-Ace addons.

Jwowupdater screen

All you need is to have a semi-current Java installation from http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp and it will automatically link the .jar filetype for the updater to run with Java. The program’s interface is a bona-fide stupid-easy, but there is an excellent README included.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

Patches Are Creating Stupid-Easy Mode

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Blizzard is making the game too easy. Sure, I see why they are doing it: there are fewer and fewer people playing in the Old World to make it easy to group up and complete Elite quests. Now that you know I know why, I’m going to complain about it anyway to make a broader point.

Remember those Elite kill quests in Winterspring? The bear, Ursius; Chimera, Brumeran; and that ever-so-hard cat, Shy-Rotam? Man, those were benchmarks of greatness! If you could take those on as like-level or below, you were the bomb!

Those benchmarks are no longer cool, because Patch 2.3 removed the l33tness from them. Ursius is just a big bear, and he’s not the only mob that’s been neutered. I’ve noticed things being easier than before and it just wasn’t clicking that they are no longer Elite.

So what the heck are we supposed to do for benchmarking our abilities? I can kill things 4-5 levels higher than me right now, but how would I stack up against the great Ursius?

I’ll never know.

What former Elite mobs are leaving you with a big let-down when you go after them?

Remembering My Epics

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I was thinking about the gear I used with Paladr – particularly the number of epics he had pre-50. The difference with Protectr leveling without a single epic has been unnoticeable, though. So, why do we bother?

On Silvermoon, the same epics I had on Velen cost a minimum of 250g, and upward of 650g. Insanity! I’m not paying that much for 5 levels of use. Oh, sure, sometimes you come across an epic or even a rare piece that lasts 10 levels due to its extra-special stats that make it worth passing up tons of other pieces of higher levels.

So, let’s set the stage:

You have level 70s who are doing dailies for easy gold, but you are busy leveling your lowbie, so your balance usually hangs around 40-100g. How much is too much to spend on an epic?

How Things Have Changed

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Friday night, a level 70 guildie ran me through Sunken Temple because I had about 5 quests to take care of. When we were done, he got on guild chat and said,

I’m getting tired of this game. Nothing ever changes.

Most of the replies from similarly-geared guildies were in agreement with him. I was not, but I was too tired at that point to make my case.

Without consulting patch notes, I can think of quite a few changes since I joined Azeroth, and I’ve heard of the nightmares of beta and some of the first patches. We all know that they added instances with patches early on: Mauradon, Dire Maul, and Molten Core, but what has changed about the game?

I’ll get the ball rolling with the first comment.

Leveling With a Buddy

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I have been lucky as of late. You see I have had the opportunity to level with a buddy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2xEwEHbrE[/youtube]

So as I was saying; since about level 30 Protectr and I have been questing together. I usually like to play it solo and every once in a while, and only when necessary, I group up. Well I had no idea what I was missing. Grinding these last 17 levels or so have been some of the most fun that I have had in WoW to date.

There are many advantages to working in a pair; the obvious being that you can kill mobs much faster and complete quests at a very high rate. There are other advantages as well. For me it has provided the opportunity to get better at not pulling aggro from the tank. Protectr is a dang awesome tank, but I still have to be careful to not come in too soon.

Protectr is a Protection spec Draenei Paladin and Phrixus is a Demon spec Human Warlock (AKA awesome). We are a great team, though I had to learn not to go all out with my spells. I SS him and provide a healthstone and depending on the area I bring out which ever demon will be the best suited. He Buffs and heals me when needed. Protectr will go in a grab aggro on up to 5 mobs and I wait a bit, send in my Demon and start DOTing away. The only hiccup occurs when he says to run and I let my (over)confidence get the best of me. I generally don’t die, but that’s only because he runs back and saves my butt.

While I think that any combination of classes will make the game more enjoyable; for the best effect one should find a class that is symbiotic to your own (e.g., DPS finds a healer, healer finds DPS, and Rogues reroll). So for my money nothing can beat a Pally-Warlock duo… well except a Warlock-Warlock duo, but that would be like having two Supermans and that just wouldn’t be fair.