Friday 31 March 2017

Companion App Working Again

So the companion app started working again, but the the Auction House / Armoury went down.

I guess that's what you expect around a new patch!

Thursday 30 March 2017

Auction House Mobile App Is Back

I hadn't tried to login to the mobile app for ages (the armoury/auction app, not the legion companion app) and when I discovered the companion app I gave the auction house app another go.

And it worked!!!!

Woot, now I can sit a work and sell crap on the AH.

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Legion Companion App Broken with Patch 7.2

So after only discovering the Legion Companion App yesterday I tried to login today and it would only get as far as the character select screen.

Whenever I tried to select a character nothing happens. There is offline by each of the character names - obviously because I am at work.

I then realised it's patch 7.2 day and maybe the realms are offline, but Blizztards Realm Status Page says the realm is up. I can't actually log into the game at work to check if this is accurate!!!

According to this post it's not just me and Blizztards do know something is up. Bloody Typical!

Tuesday 28 March 2017

Legion Companion App

On the subject of being behind the curve, I've just discovered the Legion Companion app on my phone.

Thinking about it, I do vaguely remember hearing about it about 6 months ago on The Instance but then proceeded to totally forget about it.

This is going to make my levelling so much quicker, because when I get home I spend most of the early evening grabbing a few minutes here and there to get the garrison (sic) quests kicked off on all my characters, leaving next to no time for actual levelling/order resource gathering and end game world questing.

Now I can go on the app when I get into work and kick some garrison (sic) quests off. Then at lunchtime, check up on them and start others if applicable and again just before I go home. (In reality at any hour during the day, just don't tell the boss!!!)

Also, it looks like (I'll confirm when I get home) you don't need your character to be in your order hall to actually do the quests, which means I can leave them in their quest areas allowing them an even quicker kick start.

Update: Confirmed (although it is rumoured that the character has at some point had to have visited the order hall mission board) characters logged out in the field can access the missions on the app. Same as auction house posting in the mobile armoury thingy.

I'm also hoping that I can be logged into one character on my PC and whilst they are flying between quest areas that I can log into another character on the app and deal with their garrison quests. Fingers crossed!

Update 2: You can't be logged onto the game and access characters on the same account through the Companion app.

Monday 27 March 2017

Burnsprocket is Third Max Level

Woah, I'm really mixing things up this expansion.

Usually I enjoy the levelling experience with my main, Marcus Maximi and complete all the quests before really looking at other characters.

Marcus, was the only character I managed to get to level cap in Vanilla, which isn't surprising as it took so long to level back then. Arguably, this gave the original game longevity. The end game may as well have been an entirely different game!

For many it took a fair proportion of Vanilla's 2 years to reach level cap; it took me nearly 5 months. Alts were mostly unheard of and were used either as bankers or a way to hide from the guild and just tinker. Reaching level cap on an alt was quite rare. My main alt Runesprocket the gnome warlock (or Marcusminimi back then) didn't hit level 60 to well into TBC!

Now, when Marcus is out of rested XP I'll usually switch over to Runesprocket on my son's account and keep him close behind and he generally hits level cap during the relevant expansion and the other alts may or may not keep up.

This held true for TBC and Wrath, especially during Wrath as this was the time when I levelled MM and Rune up together whilst multi boxing, with Rune hitting cap a day behind MM.

Come Cataclysm though, MM hit cap in March and the Shaman, Altruista was next to cap in December, just ahead of Rune who didn't hit cap until January.

And then with MOP things got changed up again, with me not paying too much attention to the expansion and actually letting my subscription lapse for extended periods for the first time. MM was the only character to hit level cap within the expansion and was the first time that my son managed to get his character to cap during the expansion.

It was 2 months into WoD before Rune hit MoP's level cap and he was closely followed by all my other characters except Porkpie the warrior.

During WoD I regained my mojo and for the first time managed to get all my characters to level cap. Marcus managed to hit cap in less than 50 days, a record, and was followed by Rune 4 months later. 3 months after that my priest, DocMarcus, beat the neglected Shaman to cap by a month!

My son then got his warrior to level cap, 6 months later, the following April and he was followed by Burnsprocket the mage 3 weeks later and the newly rolled and level boosted worgen rogue, Pedigreechum, 6 days after.

The Death Knight also made his level cap debut with 2 months to go before the expac only leaving the Hunter to languish, unloved at level 90 and the warrior still down at 75!

Now I've slowed down a little, all the lvl 100 alts are gaining some levels through order hall missions, but only really get out into the world to grab some more order hall resources.

It took 99 days for MM to hit cap and 2 months later the rogue hit cap followed today by the mage, Burnsprocket.

Poor old Runesprocket is still sat at 103, with the other characters on my son's account which has spent more of the current expansion un-subscribed than subscribed!!!

So, currently this expac we're looking at Paladin, Rogue, Mage.

Which (I'm going to really annoy warlocks out there) is very close to how this blog started out.

Heal Stab Dot was the URL I chose for the blog, based on the fact I was playing Paladin as a healer at end game and enjoying warlock dots and rogue stabbings as my hide from the guild alts!!!

Now the lock has been replaced by a mage and the original Night Elf rogue is sat at level 46 on my 3rd account (which hasn't been active since the start of Wrath) and has been replaced with the new Rogue.

I would imagine that all my characters, including the Hunter and Warrior, and maybe even the Monks that my son and I occasionally play with together, will make level cap this expansion as it becomes easier and easier to level, but I wonder who will be next and who will be the 2nd to cap in the next expansion.

Sunday 26 March 2017

Legion Flying Guide


In the upcoming and long awaited Patch 7.2 Legion Flying will be introduced. Just like in WoD you will need to jump through some hoops and grab some achievements to get it. It has been reported that it won't be quite as onerous though.

The two meta achievements you will require are Broken Isles Pathfinder, Part One and Part Two.

Luckily, though, you can get a really good head start now and get Part One.

This consists of:
Broken Isles Explorer - Explore All the Regions
Loremaster of Legion - Do all the Zone Storylines
A Glorious Campaign -Complete Class Order Hall Campaign
Variety is the Spice of Life - Complete 100 Different World Quests
Broken Isles Diplomat - Hit Revered with the 5 Zone Factions

Then when Patch 7.2 hits you just need to do the content there.

Part Two, which awards Legion Flying, consists of:
Part One
Defender of the Broken Isles - Complete the four legion Invasions *UPDATE* as of Hotfix on 06/04/2017 this has now been removed from the meta achievement so is no longer required to get flying
Explore Broken Shore - Explore
Legionfall Commander - Earned Revered with the Armies of Legionfall

There is even a tool on Wowhead that tells you what you still need to do.

Here is my own progress tracker

PART ONE

Broken Isles Explorer - COMPLETE!
Explore Azsuna
Explore Highmountain
Explore Stormheim
Explore Suramar
Explore Val'sharah

Loremaster of Legion - INCOMPLETE
Good Suramaritan 63.6%
Complete the followin Suramar quest lines:
An Ancient Gift
The Waning Crescent
Blood and Wine
Statecraft
Jandvik's Jarl
Eminent Grow-main
Moon Guard Stronghold

A Growing Crisis - finish this by doing The Emerald Nightmare raid, kill Xavius
A Change of Seasons - got to hit 20/21K revered with Nightfallen and done The Emerald Nightmare
(separate from main)
Breaking The Lightbreaker - quest Lyana Darksorrow - Starts at 30.8, 59.1
Tidying Tel'anor - quest: The Lost Advisor - Starts at 45.8, 40.2

Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Azsuna Matata
That's Val'sharah Folks!
Vrykul Story, Bro

A Glorious Campaign - COMPLETE!

Variety is the Spice of Life - COMPLETE!

Broken Isles Diplomat - COMPLETE!
Court of Farondis
Dreamweavers
Highmountain Tribe
The Nightfallen
The Wardens
Valarjar

PART TWO

Part One - INCOMPLETE
Good Sumaraton

Defender of the Broken Isles - COMPLETE
Invasion of Azsuna
Invasion of Highmountain
Invasion of Stormheim
Invasion of Val'sharah

Legionfall Commander - INCOMPLETE
1% Friendly / Revered

Explore Broken Shore
Deliverance Point
Deadwood Landing
Soul Ruin
Broken Valley
The Weeping Terrace
Tomb of Sargeras
Felrage Stand
Felfire Pass





Thursday 9 March 2017

What Happens to Artifact Weapons and Knowledge at Level 35 and Patch 7.2



So, I've just hit level 35 on  Ashbringer and was confused as I was still adding artefact power to it.

"What's going on?" I ask myself.

Paragon
Well, it turns out that after you've got your fourth golden dragon you can power this 35th trait up another 20 times to level 54. Some call this paragon levels or something. Probably related to Diablo I guess.

So DPS can increase their 5% increase to 15%, Healers will do something similar with healing power and tanks boost their armour (?) further.

Extra DPS or Other Specs
So, should you got for these extra points or start levelling your other specs? Well the common consensus is that unless you're a high end raider you should level your other specs. It's been asserted that once you get to around level 44 you could have levelled another spec all the way to 35. I don't know how true that is and I can't be bothered to verify it :P

But if you are never going to use your other specs (can you as a fire mage guarantee that frost isn't going to be the go to spec for 7.2?) then you may as well work to level 54!!

Patch 7.2
So, what's going to happen with patch 7.2? Well to start with there will be more Artefact Knowledge to gain. It is rising from 25 level t 50 levels with 200,000% artefact power increase at level 50. That sounds huge, but I think we're going to need it!!!

Then there will be more traits added for your weapon. But it sounds like all 35+ weapons will be standardised. ie it won't matter if your level 37 or level 54. The impression I get is that after you complete a short quest line at A-level 35
  • All your old traits will be removed. (Maybe not, but it's going to get a bit busy otherwise!!!)
  • Your 0-20 post 35 traits will be removed.
  • Your AP spent on those 35+ traits will be refunded.
  • Your Weapon will be made stronger to compensate for the trait removal. (This is where I think the standardisation will come in. I think there will be a one size fits all power increase so that all level 35 weapons will be the same, the only difference is next ...)
  • You can now use your refunded AP to buy ...
  • New traits on your weapon.
  • Also, the old AP tokens you're picking up now CANNOT be used to buy these new traits so don't go squirreling them away in the bank, they'll be pointless (and worthless as the new traits will carry on with their pseudo-exponential cost scaling).
  • But, you'll be able to sell them for gold, which will be introduced in a mini patch before 7.2
So, get your weapons to 35 and then keep pumping in the AP, don't go wasting time keeping them.

NB: I'm spelling it artEfact as I am English. Artifact (as per Blizztards) is a legitimate spelling in EN-UK and EN-US. I just like being different :P 

Monday 6 March 2017

Where is Jarod Shadowsong for The Warden's Signet?

After spending ages looking for Jarod in and around Bradensbrook to hand in The Warden's Signet, because the Blizzard quest hand in ? says he is there, I resorted to looking him up on WowHead.

The first comment on Wowhead said: He is now in Heroe's Rest - cords 38.91 51.00 in Val'shara

Crucially, this comment explained a lot (it looks like Blizz have failed with proper QA again): If you've completed That's Val'sharah Folks! or atleast the Bradensbrook/Black Rook Hold portion, and then pickup The Warden's Signet, he won't be in the village anymore.
He can be found at Heroes' Rest, in the Ravencrest Mausoleum, or across the path from the Black Rook Hold summoning stone.

The best directions were definitely: I was so confused on where to find him. From Bradensbrook if you are facing the mayor head to the left down the path where the sheep are on the right, head down the path till you get to Marl's Stead turn right go across the brook and up the hill to Heros Rest. Stay to the left a graveyard will be on the left. Head across the courtyard go to the stairs on the left and he is there. No need to run through Black Rook Hold like I did. Hope this is helpful.

But the best bit is: The completion of this quest is hilarious if you do it after finishing the BRH portion as Jarod exclaims "She must be at Black Rook Hold!" and Maiev is standing right next to him.