Rave: Figure Prints

I always check my email every mid-morning before heading into work. I knew that the Figure Prints drawing was Friday and I figured it would be the same result as always: Sorry but you weren't selected in this month's drawing. However, this was not the case. It just turns out that I was chosen as one of the lucky view to have a Figure Print made of my character!

I was ecstatic. I usually don't get excited over these sorts of things but after my Diablo 2 Hardcore L99 Paladin expired, I realized then that online games do not last. They don't stand the test of time. Eventually, World of Warcraft, as we know it, will cease to exist. This is the perfect opportunity to show my legacy in this game.

Creating a Figure Print is a very simple task. They did a wonderful job on being able to pick your stances and base. All you need to do is type in your character's name and choose a server from the drop down menu. After a minute, Figure Prints will pull up your character from the armory. They give you a few options like 'no cloak', 'no helm', having your weapon out or not, and displaying your tabard (if I remember correctly).

Next, I had to choose a stance. This was time consuming because there are 35+ to choose from. I wanted the Paladin casting stance but my face was buried in my shoulders :D. From bows, to guns, stealth, and blocks. They have everything. I ending up choosing the attack stance because it was centered with the name and it would look better on my coffee table.

Finally, there are three bases you can have your Figure Print stand on. There is a marble stone base, a tiered base and a pile of gold base. I chose the marble base because it looks more Alliance-like.

He is a picture of what it is going to look like...



It's going to cost $99.99 for the figure and $14.99 for the shipping. It will take 30-60 days to receive Aticus in his glass dome. I really can't wait!

Rave: Blizzard Downloads and Copytrans

As my previous post said, my laptop died on me. I did an overnight defrag, rebooted and a piece of my raid was deleted. In other words, I had to do a system recovery. I lost everything (band songs, videos, pictures, notes, etc) but I was able to get my music off my iPod thanks to the third party program Copytrans. Well worth the $20 price tag! I was able to one click my music back on my computer without losing a single file.

Now, back to World of Warcraft. I dug out my WoW CDs and ran the install. The problem I had though was that I downloaded the Burning Crusade from Blizzard instead of buying it. The worst part was the CD key was on the laptop [when it crashed] as a HTML file. My luck turned when I went onto Blizzard's site. I was able to download the client and install the Burning Crusade without any problems!

Props to you Blizzard for aiding your customers with an easy install.

I should return with more posts within the next few days. Once this all settles down and I start playing again.

Podcasts: A Way To Increase Your Knowledge Of The Game

I've been home sick with a cold for the last few days and I started getting caught up with my Podcasts. Podcasting is one of the ways where I get my information on World Of Warcraft. After a few months of playing World Of Warcraft, I started to listen to Podcasts (WoW, Football, Gaming, etc). However, most of the Podcasts I listened to were about World Of Warcraft. I found it great that I can play a game and listen to people talk about the game at the same time. After I started listening, my views and overall look about the game increase greatly. I knew nothing about the game beside my Paladin and the zones I have already leveled in.

I have a few websites listed on this blog to my favorite Podcasts. But, I will give you a little review about my top 3 favorites.

3. WoW Insider Show

This Podcast is hosted by numerous people from WoWInsider.com. This Podcast is going to be the most informative Podcast about World Of Warcraft. They cover all topics about the game. The only problem with this Podcast that there is too much variety. I never really know what I am going to listen to. However, what they do produced is great and it will surely keep you informed about the game; every aspect of the game. Check them out over at www.WCRadio.com.

2. World Of Warcast

World Of Warcast is hosted by Starman and Renata. This Podcasts covers endgame raiding, news, mods of the cast and more. This was my first Podcast. As a newbie, it was difficult to follow along at first but I quickly gained some knowledge of what they were talking about. They go in depth about news and their experiences. Well worth it if you know a bit about endgame WoW. They update about once every 2 weeks. Check them out at www.worldofwarcast.com

1. The Instance

The Instance is hosted by Scott Johnson and Randy Deluxe. This Podcast gives you a sense of two regular guys just talking about WoW. Personally, this is my all time favorite Podcast. They talk about all sorts of topics about WoW including mid-level content, new content, classes, news, PVP tips, mods, and much more! My favorite part is when they answer questions from the public. They are very precise in their answers. Their segments include: News Of The Week, Rumors & Skuttlebutt, Drop Of The Week, and Town Cryer. Also included are Mean Gene's PVP Tip and Patrick's Mod Of The Week. They have a new Podcast up just about every week (about every 8 days according to Scott). Go check them out at www.theinstance.net.

One last thing... WoWRadio host many shows about World Of Warcraft. If you have the time, check them out too.

Here is a short list of other WoW Podcasts I listen/listened to:

Taverncast (retired from WoW)
Titan (Returning soon. WC Radio)
Casually Hardcore
Analog Hole Gaming (Mature Audiences)

I use iTunes for my Podcasts and I recommend it for everyone!

(I am not doing this for these podcasters. I do this on my own accord.)