A long time ago, I created a pseudo-spreadsheet for determining gear choices for Phaedra. In actuality, it was a PHP script executing some really nasty queries against a MySQL database. I called it "pain." (I tried making a version of it for Tonberry called "anguish" but didn't get very far.)

The issue now is that "pain" is out of date. It's not aware of spell haste and it made some questionable assumptions about gems and socketing equipment. [Read more about @title]

Such a silly, silly event.

In the end, I got 350 tickets. So I got Brewfest Dress, Brown Brewfest Hat, and Brewfest Pony Keg (for pre/post instance fun!). More stuff to clutter up bank space, I suppose.

In 2.3, Mystical Skyfire Diamond is getting a cooldown but an increased proc chance. The current consensus (without testing) is that the cooldown will probably be 45 seconds.

Right now, MSD has a proc rate of 5% with no cooldown. This averages out to approximately 1 proc per minute for Fireball. In order to continue to be 1 proc per minute with the new cooldown, the gem has to proc within 15 seconds - 5 Fireball casts. So the proc rate would need to be 20%.

Allegedly someone has determined that the new proc rate is 15% which would make it effectively half a percent less than it currently is.

If the proc is less than 20% and the cooldown is 45 seconds, MSD will likely come out at a loss to the new caster metagem (the one replacing RED). (This judgement is based on mucking with Vontre's mage spreadsheet and many not be particularly accurate.)

I'm just annoyed because I finally got Legwraps of the Aldor and commissioned a MSD to be cut.

No such thing, really. But it's really the only thing I can do in World of Warcraft during our RP sessions. Just park by Umbrafen Lake and fish, fish, fish until the Bright Baubles wear off of Seth's Graphite Fishing Pole. Apply another one, rinse, repeat. Since fishing skill ups depend on successful attempts, it's more efficient to just stand in one place rather than hunt down fishing pools. [Read more about @title]

I find myself stuck trying to figure out which alt I want to level up next.

The obvious one at the moment would be Astraea, my priest. She's currently 62. It wouldn't take much to get her to 70, in theory. Just a lot of PuGing and the like. If nothing else. I'd like to get her up to Honored with Honor Hold (say that five times fast) so she can make Elixirs of Major Agility. But do I really want to deal with getting a healer geared up?

The other real option I have is to level up a tank. I have one of each kind ready in the late 20's or early 30's. The only issue is that it'll require me to somehow discover the joy of tanking which is something that has eluded me thus far. (Of course, I'll get to pick up either the joy of blacksmithing or the joy of leatherworking too. So many joys to choose from...)

Jena writes:

Whenever you start doing anything online like this, people start wondering what you're like. Even though we, modern society, are familiar enough with technology and how it allows some sort of anonymity, we're not comfortable not knowing who it is that we're talking to or reading about or so on. We assign identities to them even through the anonymity and, after a while, we pretend that we know them because it makes us feel comfortable.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet myself. I figured I'd share it with you so that way you know more about me as a person, etc., rather than a collection of expressions, etc. [Read more about @title]

One of the (cheap) joys of being a rogue is finding out what various NPCs in the game have in their pockets.

Exarch Maladaar, the head guy in the Auchenai Crypts, had A Steamy Romance Novel in his pockets. He's hanging around a bunch of necromancers and dead guys with a romance novel. Think about it.

Ew.

It's official. Relentless Earthstorm Diamond wasn't really meant for casters after all and will not be "fixed" for casters. However, we might get an equivalent gem intended for casters. Not holding my breath.

Rumor has it that Relentless Earthstorm Diamond is fixed for melee classes in 2.2.2. While this is a good thing for Tonberry, it looks like it will probably not be fixed to work for casters. (It is entirely possible that since it's a +Agi gem, it was never intended to work for casters and the loophole that allowed casters to use it was introduced solely to allow Arcane Shot to work with the gem.)

I've worked out how I can use Mystical Skyfire Diamond but it depends on a single drop from Gruul. [Read more about @title]

To enable better referencing of items in discussions, I have installed the Warcraft Armory Drupal module. It looks interesting.

So far, I'm still importing the item data from the Armory but this should hopefully be done by the end of the day.