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News Round Up: Tier 13, 4.3 Previews, and More
4.3 Dungeons Preview
Have a look at the five new screenshots we've added this morning to the End Time dungeon preview:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/3502665/
'Nuff said. :D
Meanwhile, here are all the previews:
4.3 Preview: End Time 5-man
4.3 Preview: Well of Eternity 5-man
4.3 Preview: Hour of Twilight 5-man
4.3 Preview: The Dragon Soul Raid
Tier 13
Keep in mind we do intend to allow tier 13 set pieces to drop for those using the upcoming Raid Finder. Similar to the difference between normal and Heroic versions of tier sets, the Raid Finder set will have a lower item level than the normal and Heroic counterparts.
Set pieces from all three difficulty levels can still be mixed and matched for the 2- and 4-piece bonuses.
Ultimately, we reco
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The Weekly Marmot - Patch 4.1 Survival Guide
Another major content patch, another survival guide. This week I outline all the major features going in with Patch 4.1, so you don't miss anything!
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The Weekly Marmot - The Physical Side of Gaming
This week I get awkwardly close to sounding like your mother, and talk about the importance of taking care of your body. But don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with any of that "staying healthy" crap -- no, this week's topic is all about making your body work for you. I talk about some simple ways to take advantage of how your body works to increase alertness and awareness, and also make "gamer fuel" products like energy drinks more effective. Listen up, you might learn something:
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The Weekly Marmot - Effort and Endgame
This week I dig back into the meat of MMO design to talk about why things not only SHOULD take a while to accomplish at max level, but why they HAVE to.
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The Weekly Marmot - Dealing with Younger Raiders
This week I aim the ramble-o-tron at the topic of younger players in your guild and raids. What can be some of the disadvantages of having them around? What about advantages? And for the younger guys themselves, what can be done to "fit in"?
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The Weekly Marmot - Gear vs Skill
This week I take a stab at the ever-popular Gear vs Skill debate. Which is more important? Can an undergeared player really outperform others just by the virtue of their own ability? Or is WoW really just a game of numbers, and whoever has the bigger ones wins?
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The Weekly Marmot - Dealing with RNG
Tank dead? Blame the RNG. Got stuck in the fire? Blame the RNG. Burnt your pizza? Yeah, total RNG fail. Right guys? Right?
Yeah, no. Let's talk this one over a bit. This week, I talk about how dying to random happenstance is... well, still your fault. Buckle up kids; let's do this thing:
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The Weekly Marmot - Taking out the Trash
This week's discussion centers around "equally interesting yet non-epic-dropping non-bosses", otherwise referred to as "trash mobs". Why are they there? Are they just there to be a time sink? Or are there actually some real benefits to having trash in a raid instance?
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The Weekly Marmot - Raid Leading: A Crash Course + PST Episode 17
This week I take a direct stab at the question, "HOW DO I LEAD RAID?" I look at some of the most important responsibilities of a good raid leader, and what you can do to set yourself apart as the guy everyone wants to listen to. Ever finished a raid and felt like you've just been through the worst several hours of your life? Might wanna give this one a look!
Check out this week's Weekly Marmot, as well as last weeks PST (oops) after the break!
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The Weekly Marmot - Patch 4.0.6
This week we got a little somethin'-somethin' called Patch 4.0.6. So, of course, I need to take some time and talk about it. I break down some of the more important changes in this patch and give a little bit of insight and HEY GUYS RET BUFFS WOOOOOOOOO
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The Weekly Marmot - How Addons Alter Game Design
This week, we look at addons from a little bit different of a perspective than usual. Instead of looking at what addons can do to affect the way you play directly, I get into some behind-the-scenes discussion of how addons change the way the developers have to approach their design of things like class and encounter balance. Does allowing players to create addons like DBM hurt the game? Or is there actually some benefit?
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The Weekly Marmot - Raiding and Dual Specs
This week, I talk about utilizing dual specs properly in your raid. Not just from an "oh crap all our heals are afk cookies" perspective, but how to use that flexibility on a more regular and "official" basis in order to strengthen your guild, how to make sure the dual specs you're using are gearing up effectively, and what it all means for the pure DPS classes!
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The Weekly Marmot - Guilds and the Raiding Experience
So a lot of you were a little upset about my answer to Phalion's question on
last week's PST
. "How DARE you, Lore! Some people need vacation time!" you said. This week, I decided to take a little time and explain when and why that's acceptable -- and also when and why it's not. Also, I am very good at math.
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The Weekly Marmot - Overextending Yourself
This week, I talk about the dangers of trying to pile too much responsibility on one person, especially the GM. How do you know when you've just got too much on your plate, and how can you keep from freaking out when it happens? Step 1 is watching this week's Weekly Marmot. Best get to clicking:
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The Weekly Marmot - 10 vs 25: In Review
This week, I put a little retrospective on exactly how the 10man vs 25man split is working out. Now that the general populace has actually some hands-on time with the new system, how does everything stack up? Is 10man raiding actually viable, or are 25mans still the only "real" option?
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The Weekly Marmot - Preparing for Cataclysm Raiding
This week, as everyone starts to hit level 85, I go over some of the most important steps to take to get yourself ready for Tier 1 Cataclysm raiding. It's not just gearing up in heroics, kids!
Also, I introduce my most favoritest newest best friend EVER.
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The Weekly Marmot - Tier 11 Raid Content
Sorry for the late posting, was a little preoccupied with a little thing called THE CATACLYSM! This week I give a quick rundown of the raiding content available now that Cataclysm has released. Lots of stuff coming up, stay tuned!
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The Weekly Marmot - Learning from Leadership Mistakes
This week, while everyone else is busy talking about the Shattering and how Azeroth has been changed forever and Deathwing is on the loose... I take some time to talk about how awful I am. Specifically, I talk about how making mistakes is a core part of being a guild master, and learning from them is key.
Also, I take a shower.
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The Weekly Marmot - Guild Advancement & Reputation
So this week, I go over the upcoming Guild Leveling and Guild Reputation features. There's been a lot of confusion around them, so hopefully I can clear up some of the misconceptions!
Also, if you're going to be in the Grand Rapids, MI area for Cataclysm's release, be sure to watch for info on an awesome pre-release event!
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The Weekly Marmot - The Hardcore 10-Man Guild
This week I get into a little bit of a hypothetical discussion. With 10-Mans becoming more "hardcore friendly" in Cataclysm, what will a "Hardcore 10-Man Guild" look like? What sort of issues will they face? And how does this compare to a 25-man guild?
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