Ever get the feeling that you’ve been playing Too much WoW? Ever look at the departures of Great Bloggers like Auzara, Phaelia, BRK and think to yourself, What went wrong? Did they burn out? Am I going down that same path? Well, There’s a new blog out there that is thinking the same things, and asking others to share their stories.

Wow Relief has been up and running since late March and already has a large amount of posts detailing some WoW Player’s stories of how they take WoW in moderation, how they let WoW take over, and how they took their lives back from the brink. The approach of WoW Relief, as detailed in a short email I recieved introducing me to the blog is quite simple. “The site is about displaying WoW users in a positive light versus what is assumed of most players.” This, I think is a great concept and a great reason to start a blog.

I think of myself and my initial reaction when a friend asked me to play WoW with him. I was adamantly against it, having the false view that all WoW players were fat ugly slobs living in their Mother’s basement, playing woW rather than going to their Jobs, getting fatter and dumber as a result. It’s this view that WoW Relief is trying to push from people’s minds. I think that’s a novel concept.

WoW players are just like everyone else.  We have friends and families, significant others, children. We work, or go to school. We participate in sports and other extra Curricular activities. We’re just like everyone else, but instead if sitting on the couch flipping channels every night, we sit at our PC or Mac and play WoW.

Sure, some people take it too far and give up the better things in life. Some peope allow their addiction to the game to ruin relationships and take away from their jobs. But the same can be said of any activity. I know people who spend so much time working out at the local Gym that they’ve completely alienated their friends and family to a point that they literally have nothing else to do now than go to the gym. How is that any different than the small percentage of people who take their WoW too seriously? I’ll tell you, it’s not.

Wow Relief is a site designed to remove that stigma from people’s minds. Their goal is to show people that we’re not all trolls living in our Mother’s basements. We’re Students, retail workers, accountants, Soldiers, Firefighters, Doctors, IT professionals, Artists, Factory Workers, Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters. We’re people, just like everyone else. And there’s nothing wrong with playing Word of Warcraft, in moderation.

Another part of what WoW Relief can bring to the community is a catalyst. Perhaps there’s someone falling down the hole into WoW addiction. Perhaps reading the stories at WoW Relief can help that person to learn to take the game in moderation, and not wind up in that downward spiral. At least that’s what the authors are hoping for. I hope so too. I’ve seen the effects of WoW addiction break up a Marriage. I’d not wish that on anyone. If WoW Relief can help stop that from happening in even one case, I think it’s all worth it.

So in summation, go on over, take a look at what they’ve got posted. Read some Interviews and stories; send in your own. In the end, all it can do is help someone.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hi Maer,
We all know that you are a super-amazing druid, tree extraordinaire, but are there any other classes that you enjoy playing? Any that you don’t like to play at all?
Keep on twisting!
<3
Sun

Thanks Sun! You’re the best, but you know flattery will get you nowhere unless it’s accompanied by cookies, snowballs, or beer.

As for Classes I like to play, I’ve not tried them all to their fullest yet, but for those I’ve played to a respectable level (60+) I’ve liked them all. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten them that high.

The Paladin took some time to grow on me, but right now is my favorite alt. I’ve leveled him Ret most of the way, with a few small stints as Protection to try AOE grinding in my mid 40′s. That was fun. I think if I get him to 80, he’ll go prot/ret.

My Shamans, I loved leveling them together to 60, and then I started Hellfire solo because I don’t have BC on the second account, and things died way too slow. I did some research, found a DPS rotation, and I spent nearly a month farming leather  in Winterspring a little every night. I loved it and I could go forever without running out of Mana. and Hello! I can heal myself!

Now, for classes I really don’t enjoy? Warlocks. I got one to 17 and just fizzled. Perhaps I should have gotten him to at least 20 before giving up, but really… with so many other characters to level up, I went with the ones I enjoyed more. I’m not even sure why I didn’t like him. I just fell out of love.

Death Knights… I’ve played two through the starting zone and abandoned them. I just don’t really love them. I think once I get to a point where I am happy with the paladin I may move to the DK again to try it… But so far It hasn’t jumped out at me.

The Rogue… I liked until BC, when I just couldn’t kill things efficiently anymore. I haven’t touched her in months and months, and recently deleted her… Not a Rogue fan… It’s a kitty who can’t heal herself. What’s the point?

Otherwise… I am undecided.

Priests: never got one past 11, and he was just an RP priest I played with my cousins.

I had a mage and got her to 25 before going back to Druidry full time. I think had she been on a server I played on more often I’d have stuck with it, but not having any ties to the server or guild she was in made it hard to play her.

My Hunters have all stuck at around 16, not for lack of desire but just because I always had other things to do.

Same goes for Warriors, but I think the only one I ever made stopped at 3 before I decided gearing up for raids was more important than a new alt. So I can’t say if I like or dislike them.

Remember, You can ask Maerdred your own question! Just use the “contact me” button up in the header, and make sure to use the Subject “Answer the Questions“

Popularity: 1% [?]

I was looking over some of the gear which I’ve been able to pick up from Naxx and other raids, and I find it funny. I have a fairly full stock of 213 ilevel gear for my resto set, and according to my spreadsheet, I have BIS in quite a few slots. I have looked at my “feral” gear, and while it’s a mix of tanking and DPS gear, it’s just about all ilvl 200 or up epics. I have no idea how viable the mixture of gear I have is for raiding in either a DPS or tanking role, but it’s all good gear. I know I’m not at the hit cap.. an I’m not at the defense cap… but how close am I to either? I have no idea. ::Quick Edit:: thanks to comments to this article, I have been made aware that defense gear is redundant. Way to go Druids! I never knew. ::end edit::

I then looked at my Balance gear, which is pretty much anything which I’ve been able to pick up with Spellpower AND hit on it. I have 5 pieces, three of which are T7.5(one of which doesn’t have hit other than gems). Why is Spell/hit gear so hard for me to get? Is it because we always had a moonkin in he raid who needed it? Is it because more of us were rolling for it? Is it going to shamans? I just don’t get it. I have two rings from quest rewards I think. I have a Blue cloak with SP and Hit which I got from Gundrak. I have a blue staff I got somewhere with hit and SP on it.

When I swap into my “Balance gear” I lose about 500 spellpower and gain about 230 hit…  I need better Balance gear.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I’ve recently been told that I don’t seem to blog enough, and was ordered to step up my game! I don’t have that many ideas so, I’m asking my readers to email me questions, which I may sift through and answer in my blog. Perhaps making a weekly column about my answers to your questions.

I have 2 Rules. Make the question pertain to World Of Warcraft. and One question per email. That’s all.
I’ll do my best to answer each and every question that comes in. But if this works, I may not get to your question for a while.

So, how does one submit a question? See that “contact me” button in the header image up top? Click it! Or click that link I just added into the previous sentence. Or… you can email me at

Please make the subject of your email “Answer the Questions” or your question may be ignored.

Thanks in advance to anyone who submits a question, or two, or 57.

Popularity: 1% [?]

This weekend I didn’t really want to do much. Friday I was out. Saturday I slept all dang Day. Sunday I was out in the good weather until the middle of the afternoon…

I did get some play time in though. Saturday evening/night I tweaked my UI with some ideas I had gotten from some recent posts on No Stock UI (post incoming). When that was done I looked at my herb stocks and decided it was time to do another circuit of my favorite herbing routes. First off, it was Zul’Drak. While I was there I looked at my achievements, and I only needed 9 quests to finish the zone. Well I can do that! So, as I was flying around, I looked for exclamation points on my minimap. I didn’t see many, but the ones I saw, I took and finished, and then continued herbing.

I hit Gundrak with a pug group, since I had 2 quests in there(which don’t count towards the achievement, by the way) and hey that place is fun! After flying around with the wowhead map open with locations of all quest givers, it wound up that I had 95 out of 100 quests done, and the only exclamation point I could find was blue; then I went to the Amphitheater of Anguish. Mwahahaha!

I read up on it a bit. 6 total quests. Easy for 80′s. I put out the call to the Guild and was joined by two guildies to do some killing.

Hmm. Hunter, Lock, and Tree… Can we do this? We may need a tank. Don’t worry! We has Gorilla and Blueberry. We’ll be fine! Oh were we ever! it took about 15 minutes total and Boom!

I’m done! thank you and goodnight! Yeah I didn’t even wind up finishing my herbing. It was about 10:00 and I went to bed…

Then comes Sunday. I spent my late morning and early afternoon out at breakfast and in the nice weather, but at bout 3:30 I was ready for some WoWage. So, I logged in, and went straight to Storm Peaks for some more herb action. We mana users sure love that Icethorn and Lichbloom, don’t we? So, I start my ru and see, to my delight, three little yellow Exclamation points at K3. Ohhh more quests! Let’s see how that Achievement’s coming along… 85/100? I can do 15 quests! That’s easy! Easy is a relative term. Quests in this stupid zone have you flying all over the place. Quest givers are on the opposite side of the map from the quest mobs, and nothing seemed linear to me…  I just wish I had paid more attention to the lore. By the end of that zone it was really interesting. I’ll just have to pay more attention when Fohrbin gets there. But I got it done. 100 Quests down in the Storm Peaks!

Tonight, Sholazar Basin for more herbs, and then I’ll have to go fishing. I’m down to 5 pieces of Spellpower fish, which should get me through a night in Naxx, but I always like to be prepared for anything. So I’ll probably head off to the Fjord and Grizzly Hills to fish up a few stacks of fish to use and sell. All this upkeep is more time consuming than actually raiding… I don’t get it. It’s almost like having a job.

Popularity: 1% [?]

It seems that somehow I have been tagged by the Saucy Scot Bobette herself,  Softi. She seems to believe that I am Brilliant, and deserving of an award! I must agree with her.

Well, If you haven’t seen this meme already, mine is probably the only blog you read. If that’s the case… what’s wrong with you? Look to the right, where it says Blogroll. Click the links. I’m pretty sure they’ve all already done this, so if you haven’t read it yet, shame on you. you’re grounded.

But I digress, I’ve won a major award! It’s a Major award! Fragile… Must be Italian.

“This award is bestowed upon a fellow blogger whose blog content or design is, in the giver’s opinion, brilliant.”

The Rules are thus:

1. When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to the said person so everyone knows she/he is real.
2. Choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have seven friends. Show the seven random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.
3. List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself. Then pass it on!

Step 1. Check.

Step 2. Skipped. Eff the rest of you. I’m the one who’s Brilliant! Sod off!

Step 3. Commencing.

Honest thing #1. I drive like a maniac, and yet only have one speeding ticket, and zero accidents to chalk up to it!

Honest thing #2. I know nothing about any of the trash or boss abilities in Naxx, I just stand where they tell me to stand and heal my ass off.

Honest thing # 3. I am 100 lbs overweight and balding, yet I still think I’m one of the best looking people I know. How’s that for Vainglorious?

Honest thing # 4. I’d rather fish in-game than run a heroic.

Honest Thing #5. I do not know the difference between Agility, Strength, and Attack Power. And I couldn’t care less.

Honest thing # 6. I never beat Super Mario Brothers, yet I’ve beaten Super Mario World 6 times.

Honest thing #7. I sing in the shower, and in my car.

Honest Thing # 8. If I won the lottery, I’d probably move to Disney World and play golf every day.

Honest thing # 9. I am lazy enough to not go out and purchase lottery tickets.

Honest thing # 10. I told a lie earlier in this post. But I’m not telling you what it was.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tonight I get to go to Maly 25 for the second time ever…

I am nervous. I don’t think I was the weak link last time, but I seriously had no idea what I was doing. I’ve taken the time to read up and watch videos, but… what if I mess up? I’m still the new guy. Nerves of Marshmallow Fluff. I tell you!

At least phases 1 and 2 are easy. Phase 3 I am a bit under prepared for, but I think I have a firm grasp on what I am “supposed” to do. It’s not that difficult a concept. Ride Drake. Heal Drakes. Don’t die. Oh, and as usual, I will be doing my best to heal the mages.

Popularity: 1% [?]