Dragon Soul In Under A Minute

Happy Boxing Day. You know that crazy day when you are absolutely mad to go to the store. When anythng and everything is packed to the extremely and all laws of personal space are forgotten. Oh what a great day to be Canadian. So with it being Boxing Day and it being Monday. I thought I would showcase a machinima, which could deal with the time restraints you will have on a day such as today. This is a machinima done by FatboyTV which is a guide to Dragon Soul in under 1 minute. The hilarity factor is much higher if you have completed the raid itself. Enjoy!



That is it. Hope you enjoyed it. Good luck cleaning up your reset today!

You Fail At Understanding The Cataclysm Ending Cinematic If...

Fail Day it is, and I promise today it won't be a rant. Have some real fails to take care of today that cannot go unnoticed. I want to say though there will be SPOILERS in this post if you have not seen the ending cinematic. So do not read it if you don't want to this to somewhat spoil it. Time to get to it.

You Fail At Understanding The Cataclysm Ending Cinematic If...

• You had no idea who the Dragon Aspects are
• You some how think when Thrall says "the Cataclysm is over" you lose the ability to do the Dragon Soul raid again.
• You think by power being expended means they are going to drop dead
• You believe they have no power at all
• You think they will now be stuck in human form
• You believe this some how makes it impossible for Nozdormu to become Murozond
• You think Alexstrasza impregnated Aggra for some crazy Christan reference
• You believe thrall is smiling because he is thinking "ya I tapped that"
• Your first feeling after seeing it is Kalecgos got screwed
• You believe they went with this idea because there was no one to be the Aspect of Earth
• You think this means anything that we kill now will not be as epic because we have no Dragon Aspects
• You some how believe this means that Old Gods cannot be killed because to kill their greatest minion needed 4 aspects that are now powerless
• You are making jokes that the age of mortals should be renamed age of pandas
• You think Nozdormu is bleeding to death when the sands are pouring out of him

and finally

• You think this was all caused because the Aspects took an arrow to the knee

Really only think there is one possible quote this week

"I can feel the elements awakening...rejoicing.. the Cataclysm is over"

There you have it. This week's edition of fail. Hope you all enjoyed it. Good luck on this reset also the first week that Deathwing will be Available in LFR let the failures begin.

Ask Gauss

It is Sunday the day of the week where we try and forget what tomorrow will bring. It is also the day though that I get to answer the questions you have sent me throughout the week. We call it Ask Gauss here in Gauss land. To be a part of it is very simple just click on the link at the top right of the page or send an email to gaussafication@gmail.com. So time to see what is being asked this week.

So what is the best thing you have noticed about 4.3?

Well to me it isn't an instance or a raid or a piece of gear. In the Well of Eternity instance there is an Easter Egg that Blizzard put in that can only be described as epic. After you kill the first boss and Illidan leaves you, and you have a player with the Warglaives equipped he says the following "Curious Weapons you wield...such power. You seem prepared." Really how awesome is that. That may be the greatest Easter egg Blizzard has ever given us.

Being a Lore guy your thoughts on using the current Deathwing model for WoE?

I am kind of disappointed that they did go this way. I almost think that an overly large black dragon would be better than this model. I am sure most people who play the game don't even care about it, and this would be why Blizzard in their own words didn't think it was worth the additional resources. He really isn't the main focus of the instance so I understand why they wouldn't think it was worth it. Not that I am not disappointed in the decision, but I do understand their reasoning. For those who haven't seen it here is the blue response to the issue.

I know that this might be a bit tough to swallow for some, but the use of the current Deathwing model in that scene was a matter of efficiency. A ton of work went into 4.3, and we squeezed in as much as we could, but it didn't make sense to dedicate the huge resources it takes to create a custom model for that one cameo, and we were concerned that using a generic black dragon model wouldn't have the same immediate value of recognition.Modifying the Illidan model made more sense because you actually spend some time running around with him in the dungeon.On that note, I should point out that creating custom models actually consumes substantial resources, so they're precious to us. Tyrande didn’t have her own model for seven years, Sylvanas didn’t have her own model for several years, etc. We'd love to have custom models for every character, for every scene at every point in the timeline, but the resources simply don't exist to make that happen. In the meantime, we hope that players can use a little bit of imagination and still enjoy the dungeons anyway, even if a given model isn't always a perfect reflection of the character.

I grouped with a druid named Tom Brady yesterday...

This really isn't a question, but trust me a feel sorry for you.

There you have it questions answered for the week. As always if your question doesn't get answered on here I will answer it and sometimes that takes longer than expected. For those waiting next week's Reader Post is going to be about the best Easter Eggs Blizzard has given to us throughout the years. As always you have until Thursday night to get those submissions in.

Dragon Soul End Cinematic

Ok first off this post is going to have SPOILERS. So if you don't want to hear about them or see the ending cinematic for Cataclysm please stop reading. I don't want to hear about how I ruined everything for you. I said it, but will say it again. This post contains SPOILERS. That word again was SPOILERS.

Here is the cinematic



So the age of mortals is upon us? Well I completely understand that this was the perfect point in time have to  the Aspects powers to diminish. Why you ask? For the simple fact that Deathwing is gone. The last tie in for the Aspects themselves. Now I think many people will misunderstand what them losing their power means. It doesn't mean that they are dead. They are still dragons and extremely powerful. They are like the other dragons that exist throughout the world. They now are not demi gods that can pretty much do anything. They have a lifespan, and will not live forever.

Also I very much enjoy that the mortal races will now just not run to the Dragon Aspects for help every time there is a problem. If you haven't realized the mortal races have done a lot to ensure Azeroth's survival. This now is the realization of everything, which has happened and everything the mortal races have done to make sure it has.

Thrall and Aggra having a baby fits nicely into the cinematic, but I am not sure it was needed. Not that I am against it at all. It basically comes full circle with everything that was done during the elemental bonds questline. I just hope Aggra isn't pregnant for years like Auduin seemed to be 8 for 5 years. As long as they don't mess this up it works.

And lastly, I think this really is a good way to be heading with Mist of Pandaria coming. Remember the entire expansion is going to be about the War between the Horde and the Alliance. With the Dragon Aspects not there to keep the mortal races in check both will be pushing back and forth to see who gains the power, and that leads us to the Pandarians who will teach us that balance is and always will be the most important thing.

4.3 So Far

As many of you know 4.3 was launched yesterday, and if you didn't know then I really have no idea what to say in response to that. So with the launch let me go over a few things that I have noticed and I think are worth mention.

LFR

I haven't tried it, but I have there is a problem with invited Real ID friends from cross server to form a group. This to me should be an important part of the system and I have heard at the moment this is working as intended. Also there has been mention that double token drops from the same boss can be won by the same person. As in regular raids this was a possibly, but was always frowned upon. Again this seems to be working as intended, but I would hope Blizzard would auto pass you on loot if you have won a piece and someone else is rolling for the other you rolled on. That sentence sounds awkward, but I assume you all understand the point.

LFD

Seems for the new instances this is crash city. Will give you my opinion when I actually get a chance. From what I have been told they are working the same as the PTR with minor changes. Honestly I cannot wait to see them all put together with what has been rumored to be the best musical score Blizzard has even created.

Transmogrification

The system I have been asking for, for years is finally here. So know all of you that have been listening to me bitch about it all this time now do not have to. One thing that I have noticed is the level 60 PvP gear is not able to be transmogified(this is a word I will now use till the end of time). This was true on the PTR, but was always assumed to be a bug. I am not really sure why you would want to look like the level 60 PvP models, but it should be an option. Blizzard do the right thing and fix it.

Void Storage

Finally a way to spend gold and a way for me to not be on WoWs first edition of Hoarders. I know I am not the only one to feel this way. I also don't see the gold fees to be a problem it isn't meant to be a bank its purpose is to be a storage locker.

Well there you have it 4.3 is upon us, and now it is time to enjoy it.

Blizzard Fails At 4.3 Trailer

Today is Fail day. Everyone's favourite day of the week here in Gauss Land. Today you probably know is also the day that 4.3 goes live. Because of this I had my standard Fail Day post prepared dealing with it being patch day. I was already to go ahead with it when something happened. One thing that I truly enjoy about patch days is that Blizzard releases trailers about the particular patch and what we have before us. I was excited to see what epic trailer they would have come up with. As has been in previous expansions. The Sunwell Trailer brought the entire Burning Crusade to the forefront and what we have been fighting for. In Wrath Blizzard did amazing job with their Fall of the Lich King trailer, in my opinion the best trailer of Wrath and one of the best they have ever done. So with those in mind the anticipation I had for the Hour of Twilight trailer was very high.

Then, of course, I viewed it this morning. Blizzard has never failed harder at something then they did at this. There was no voice acting at all, yes the music was mostly original, and there was some camera work done, but that is it. There was no epic feel to it whatsoever. There was nothing that made you say "Yes, I have to be apart of that!" or "Damn he is so badass". There was words coming on the screen the most fail way of telling you what was coming. These trailers have become Blizzard's way to showcase the content, and sure they show you things, but that was it. The trailer is not going to make you want to play in 4.3. It was as if it was just thrown together quickly without a thought.

Now I know many of you are saying it is just a trailer and it means nothing to the game. To answer that I would say it does mean something. It shows how much Blizzard cares and is excited about the content they are releasing. To me this shows a complete lackluster effort and a complete failure to end this expansion with what is their crowning jewel raid. If you think I am overreacting here are the 3 trailers from Cataclysm







Now if that isn't enough to show you how fail this trailer is. Here is a fan revision of the current trailer that just added sound files. And tell me that this in itself isn't 1000x better.



Enjoy your first day of 4.3 when you actually get on to get a chance to experience it. Until then you can bitch about the trailer with me.

Coming Voices in 4.3

If you have never heard me say it before I will say it again, you have to play with your sound on. In 4.3 we have some great voice acting done again. There is nothing like doing a dungeon or a raid and having a quote ring through. So much so that you always remember it. Think about it, how many of these have occurred since you have been playing WoW. One of the most notable being "YOU ARE NOT PREPARED", but there are countless others.

Today though I decided to share some of the PTR voices with you. If you don't want a spoiler then don't listen to them. Don't say you didn't see me say it then send me countless emails explaining how I ruined the game for you. Some of you may be laughing right now, but I tell you now it will happen. So here are a couple I think are worth listening to.

First we have Murozond the Infinite form of Nozdormu. There seems to be quite a bit of foreshadowing in everything he says, but being the Timeless One this makes perfect sense. Done incredibly well this is going to be one of my favourite for a long time.



If you know nothing of Azshara you may think this voice over is awful, but knowing anything about Azshara you will know how amazing and perfectly done this is. I salute Blizzard extremely well at hitting this one right on the head. Something which is incredibly hard to do with a character so many people have an image in their mind of how it should be.

You Fail At Knowing What is Coming With 4.3 If...

Happy Fail Day everyone! Yes, that is right it is Tuesday once again and your chance to laugh at those who are unfortunately clueless. Don't feel bad that you know more than others embrace it and point at those who fail. That is the spirit of Fail Day, and never forget that. With 4.3 closing I thought it was the perfect time to sit back and point out how little some know about the upcoming patch. So enjoy!

You Fail At Knowing What is Coming With 4.3 If...

• You think there will be Pandas
• You believe End Time meant that you had to buy a new game card
• You are clearing out your bank of old gear because there just isn't a point to have it anymore
• You keep asking if the Darkmoon Faire is in Thunder Bluff next month
• You are super excited for the Abyssal Maw dungeon
• You are stockpiling Valor points to spend on the new gear
• You have your stockpiles of ore ready to prospect
• You some how came to the conclusion that all your failures in raids by standing in Void Zones will be recorded and put in Void Storage thereby making applying to top end guilds you have no business applying to will know how awful you are
• You think it is super Blizzard isn't giving us a new raid
• You cannot believe Blizzard is not putting in a way to make your characters more original instead they are just putting in stupid futures with long words to confuse us
• You were not aware you could expand your horrible DPS, Healing, and Tanking abilities in Heroics to a whole new level in the LFR
• The words "Why do rogues always have to share their legendaries with Warriors" has come out of your mouth
• You some how think a patch exists where there is not a warrior nerf

and finally

• You were not aware it is the showdown with a dragon named Deathwing

There it is. This week's edition of Fail. With 4.3 coming I thought the decision of who the quote should be from was pretty obvious

"The sun has set on this mortal world, fools. Make peace with your end, for the Hour of Twilight falls!"

Good luck on which could be the very last reset before 4.3.

Ask Gauss

It is Sunday the first day of the week and the day of the week that is followed by the least favourite day of the week. But does anyone actually hate Sunday? I really don't think they do. Sunday in Gauss land though you should know is the day I sit back look at some questions asked to me during the week and then I answer them. So let's get to it.

I saw during the Reader Post that one was concerning epic gems, are you in favour of them being drops rather then from ore?

I was actually a big fan of the TBC system. Where they dropped in raids and later on were able to be purchased with badges. This is why. Epic gems should be treated just like epics. They should not be able to be gotten without participating in a raid which drops them or you will have to pay the price with either their hard earned badges or now would be points, or you had to by a crazy amount of gold. Prospecting allowed people who shouldn't have had access to something access to it, but that really was the model of rather and that which they are trying to get away from. So I am in favour of the Cata system although it has flaws it is much better than the wrath system.

What do you think of the 7 year anniversary award being a Tabard?

Well it being a tabard and it having an experience buff is a great idea. What i think is rather lazy is the fact that the tabard itself is not a new design. It was the tabard that was won originally during the PVP event back in Classic for those that got the highest Honor during the event. Now normally when they regift things they change the colour or give a slight design change, but they didn't really do that this time which is rather disappointing.

You going to watch the new WoW commerical?

I am not going to tune into a football game just to watch it. I will watch it on youtube afterwards.

There you have it this week's edition of Ask Gauss. For next week's Reader Post I want to know what you thought of the new WoW commercial. As always you have until Thursday night to get your submission in. Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

Importance of 4.3

It is Friday once again. The day where we do just enough to get by, but not too much as to strain ourselves for the weekend ahead. The day we spend staring at the clock pushing it to tick faster, and the day that we make sure the door is locked and we are on our way home the second we are finished. Isn't Friday wonderful. Friday also though is the the day of the Reader Post, the post of the week where I take a back seat and use your submissions for the topic at hand. This week I asked you all what was the most important thing to you coming in 4.3. So let's see what everyone had to say

Epic gems finally being added finally gives a way improve our character further without upgrades. To allow for more customization. The most important thing though is that these will not come from ore and be prospected. This won't allow for Auction House junkies to gouge the price for people actually playing the game. God forbid the people actually going to use them get them. I love nothing more than reading about how all of these people stockpiled all of this ore and will be left with it all. I can do nothing but laugh at them and their greed.

Darkmoon Island is something I am looking forward too. Especially since it will be a monthly thing and by the time it gets boring it will be new again when it shows up again the following month. Brilliant idea by Blizzard and a great new way to pass time. I cannot wait.

I think this is the patch where we can finally see some individuality. Transmoging gear will allow each and every person to show off their character or character in their own way. Although I am sure many people will just go to the staples of some of the most popular sets. I have confidence that many will develop their own sets based of gear they have found over the years and I cannot wait to walk through the cities and towns of Azeroth and see what everyone has come up with.

Space. It is as simple as that. For years I have been struggling and running off a couple bag slots because I wanted to keep pretty much everything that I have acquired through my travels within the game. With Void storage coming I can finally keep everything without an issue and not have the message "bags are full" every other minute.

I really think the LFR is going to be a huge part of the game as a whole. I think Blizzard's idea to make raiding more accessible and then in turn make players more interested in raiding will make this a huge success. When LFD came so many people who never want or did dungeons suddenly were doing them. They are going with what works and trying to get more and more people to experience the most important part of the game, that being the PvE aspect. I am sure in 6 months and of course when MoP comes out there will be plenty of people praising the introduction of LFR.

There you have it the Reader Post for the week. Thank you to everyone who sent something in even those that didn't get their submission added to the post. I did read them all as always. As always if you are interested in taking part in next week's post make sure to check out Sunday's Ask Gauss post for the topic. Until then have a great weekend everyone!

For Those With Bad Luck

In case you didn't know currently there is an event on the PTR where Deathwing informs you that you can now face him in the Dragon Soul Raid. He visits Orgrimmar and Stormwind and sets it aflame. Now from a lore stand point I am not sure I like this. Since Orgrimmar had to be rebuilt when the fire elementals attacked and set the city on fire. But now Deathwing is going to set it on fire and it will just disappear and everyone will be on their merry way. So from that stand point I don't particularly like it, but there is a lot of in game mechanics that lore was don't make much sense so I guess I can live with it.

The thing to remember though is this would all but guarantee everyone would get the feat of strength for getting hit by Deathwing because who isn't standing around in Orgrimmar or Stormwind? Now this kind of makes the feat of strength less awesome, but it never really was more than just luck anyway. So the people who some how are hated by RNG so much will finally get whats coming to them, a pissed off dragon is going to flyby and murder them.

Another thing to note is this could just be a PTR thing, but only time will tell if that is the case. Here is a couple videos of the event happening in either city

Ask Gauss

It is Sunday once again. I am awake rested and ready to go. At least it is that way at the moment. Ask me in a few hours and I would probably answer that question much differently. Anyways, being Sunday it is time for Ask Gauss. The post of the week where I get to answer questions sent to me throughout the week. So let's just get to it

With 4.3 getting close, have any good gold tips?

The thing with 4.3 is there isn't that main commodity that is going to change everything. Like any other patch people will be needing to enchant and gem their new gear. This is not going to change and this is always a tip that I will say to stick with each and every patch. The only thing I can say which will be 4.3 specific that will bring you in more gold is old gear that will be used for transmog purposes. Tier 0 and Tier 1 pieces which are perfect examples of this. Once the system becomes available those who haven't started to assemble these old sets might be looking to get their hands on them. Of course this isn't going to be a major gold maker, but it is something worth looking at.

What do you think will be the hardest thing Blizzard will be doing to make sure 4.3 is a success?

This is pretty simple. Everyone is talking about the fight with Deathwing and how it has to be epic. All this is true it has to be epic and it will be. Also how the cinematic has to be something that everyone will remember just like the Wrath ending. To me though the most important part of the patch are the 5 man instances. Not everyone raids and as that is important to the PvE community the 5 mans as the precursor to raid will define how successful the patch is for every player. If they are too easy too the masses right off the bad then people get bored with content quickly regardless of all the extras being added. If they are something to work towards then the boredness factor will not be wide spread and the begging for the expansion to be released will not happen within weeks of the patch being live.

Any thoughts on WoWCrusher?

You deserve everything you get if you steal the work of others and pass it off as your own.

There you have it this week's Ask Gauss. Hope you all got something out of it. For those waiting for it next week's Reader Post is going to what you think is the most important thing to happen in 4.3. As always you have until Thursday night to get you submissions in. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

4.3 Sooner Than Expected

There have been two things which point to this frame of thinking

and

Arena and Rated Battleground Season 10 is scheduled to end as early as November 15. At that point we will determine who is eligible for the end-of-season rewards, a process that should take approximately one week. It's very important for players who feel that they may be eligible for Arena titles and/or the Vicious Gladiator’s Twilight Drake to refrain from transferring their characters to another realm or faction until after Season 10 ends. During the break between seasons, all Rated Battleground and Arena matches will be unavailable.


First off if the PTR is already on the release and we know the current build has minimal changes this points to 4.3 being at minimum a week Tuesday. In addition the End of the PvP season points even more so to this going right out and saying that November 15th could be the earliest date the season ends. As we know 1 week after a season ends the new one begins and this means a new major content patch is upon us. So with all these things in place we could see 4.3 as early as November 22. I am not sold completely on November 22nd though as I believe American Thanksgiving is the 24th and that would mean they are forcing competitive guilds to play during holidays something which over the years they have always tried to avoid. Doesn't mean they won't do it, just means they haven't done it before. Some would say it is not because of competitive guilds, but because Blizzard employees won't be around to apply hotfixes. Either way I don't think it seems very likely, and November 29th seems much more likely, but only time will tell.

Also with Blizzard doing this they are allowing that Star Wars game you may have heard of coming out on Dec 20th its own date. Something in the past they have always tried to avoid and have released something to mess with other competing games release dates. Again there is a first time for everything. Regardless of what day it is 4.3 will be out soon so time to prepare is upon us.

Ask Gauss

It is that time of the week where the day ticks over to Sunday. Also it is that wonderful time of the year where the clocks go back and I get that hour of sleep back that was stolen from me in the spring. So I am awake and refreshed and what a better time to do the Ask Gauss post. For those among us who are clueless about how things work it is the post of the week where I answer some questions that were sent into me. As always it hasn't changed there is a link on the top right of the page or you can just email them to gaussafication@gmail.com. Time to just jump right in

4.3 has a ton of new features coming, over the years which do you think was the best feature added?

Any feature that has saved bag space has been a blessing. Maybe it has to do with the fact I collect everything and it makes that slight amount of space a big deal. I look to Mounts and Companion Pets changed to be in a menu rather than taking up precious space. This basically made it impossible to keep everything. Many time in BC no one carried a ground mount with them, because they just didn't have room for it with everything else they had to take with them. I think though the biggest thing they added to save shape they actually took out recently. You see when the keyring was put in keys were a huge part of the game. You needed them to go pretty much anywhere. Also the 14 slots were the common bag and 16 were rare and 18 were extremely rare. There were times you would head to a dungeon and realize you didn't remember your key to get in. Scarlet Monastery was often common for this, because it used to be a common farming place. You would stand there and wait for someone with a key to come by. Now obviously with keys being phased out the keyring had seen its time, but anyone who lived back then in the times of no keyring knows the pain I am talking about.

How are you hoping Cataclysm will end?

With Deathwing dying. I don't want no redemption nothing even close. This is a dragon that has tried to destroy Azeroth for over 10,000 years. Corrupted or not that is who he is. With the side plots with Thrall and the Aspects I am actually up for anything, although I would love to see Thrall come home to Orgrimmar and reclaim his rightful place. I actually doubt he would ever return to the Horde, and everything would be as it was. A lot has happened and you cannot just flip a switch and everything is back to how it was. On the Alliance side I want Varian to step up more and really be the leader of the Alliance, and if not him then someone else, but it needs to happen to make the plot interesting especially if MoP is going to be an all out war between both sides. That cannot happen without someone at the forefront.

What NPC do you miss the most?

Cairne without a doubt.

There you have it this week's questions answered. Hope you all got something out of it. Now since this Friday is November 11th and in Canada it is known as Remembrance Day the Reader Post is going to be about those NPCs we have lost throughout the year. So submit entries based on that. As always you have until Thursday night to get them in. Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

Noz In End Time

Friday! The last day before the long weekend begins. Well a long weekend in Canada at least. This is our Thanksgiving weekend. So yes it is my turkey day! Well Monday is at least. Anyways, Friday means it is time for a Reader Post. The post of the week where you all submit responses based on the topic I gave you. This week I wanted to know what you all thought about Nozdormu being in End Time, the new 5 man instance. So let`s see what you all had to say.

Him appearing as Murozond, the leader of the Infinite, the flight that we know are meddling with the timeline "for the sake of the greater good". What I think is rather interesting is the bronze flight always sent us back to ensure that time was kept the same,but this is the first time that the players actually assist in changing the timeline, rather than preventing it. Nozdormu seemingly makes light of those actions, saying that he'll handle everything. I just think this is the foreshadow of his demise.

Its weird, the Titans showed Nozdormu his death so that he wouldn't have the hubris to think he was invincible...and he just changed the future, therefore changing his end. Weird concept or intended result?     

I really had a very interesting idea. What if the newest patch is the story of not one Aspect's fall, but two? And not a cheap plot device, but a cunning act by Blizzard to tie all the ends together? Nozdormu had always known he'd go mad and die this way, no matter what choices he'd make. What wasn't clear was that it was us who assisted him all the way, both in committing the crime and taking the punishment. Just a thought I've had. Maybe I'm wrong, but looked at from this perspective, I think this patch keeps looking better and better.

It's pretty much been accepted at this point that Murozond is Nozdormu, but I'm stumped as to how this is possible give that it's been stated multiple times that Noz exists outside of time and while you will find multiple versions of a normal person in different time lines, there is and always has been only one Nozdormu across all timelines.

What if what the players witness and assist in doing is actually the very crime against the Timelord's own nature, the point in time where he learns to abuse his power, where the idea of fixing everything comes from, and that's what shatters the Aspect's mind? We know Nozdormu knows his own future, but is powerless to change it. What if, faced with the Deathwing threat, he chooses to betray his own nature and accepts his fate to give Azeroth a fighting chance? And the trip to the "End Time" is not only to show the adventurers the consequences of not stopping Deathwing, but to strengthen his own resolve before the crime he has yet to commit, accepting what it will make him, as well as the death at the hands of beings he deems worthy? To get rid of any regrets before sacrificing his own essence, for the sake of everything else, before he loses what makes him himself, his role as the Aspect? Before he takes the step that he knows and had always known will plunge him into madness?

I suspect that the Dragon Soul being brought into the present from the Well of Eternity may have something to do with Nozdormu's corruption.  The Dragon Soul itself was instrumental in the Old God's corruption of Neltharion. Perhaps the contact Nozdormu will have with the artifact as he returns it to its original timeline will be enough to get the corruption rolling. I think it's an interesting idea that would bring even more things full circle in the upcoming patch.     

Death by mortal hands. It sort of makes sense that he would not be able to prevent it in any way, and the easiest explanation of how all the timelines can lead to this one unavoidable result. Details will vary, but the end result "a mad dragon, slain in combat" is the same. If there were too many details, or if other details were too important, it would potentially make the fate avertable. Even the "mortal hands" bit may be debatable, but still unable to be averted. Even at the End Time, when there is no life left, his past self brings his prophetized end to him. I think this is that kind of mind blown moment everyone expects with time travel.

And there you have it. I just want to say there was countless submissions to this topic and I would have loved to include them all it just was not possible. I want to thank everyone who submitted something as it is always very much appreciated. This post itself would not be possible without all of you contributing to it. So if you would like to participate in next week's topic be sure to check out the topic during Sunday's Ask Gauss post. With nothing else left to say, enjoy your weekend everyone!

Ask Gauss

Yay for Sunday. The day you wake up and excited for the day even if you are hungover and are drinking so much coffee you can't think straight. Anyways, let's get back on track. Sunday means Ask Gauss in Gaussland so thats what we will be doing. You know the psot of the week where I get to answer some question which have been driving you insane. Someone may ask, "Gauss how can I send in a question?" I would follow that up with, "where the hell have you been all this time?" then laugh and say top right of the page or just email them to gaussafication@gmail.com. I know so very difficult, maybe one day I will write a instructions in 30 different languages. So with all of that out of the way let's get to the questions.

What do you think of Blizzard applying there LFR boss loot strategy to the game as a whole?

For those who don't know. In the new looking for raid system Blizzard is letting you participate as many times as you wish, but with the exception that you can only be eligible for loot from a boss once. Meaning if you have already killed a boss in the raid you will automatically pass if you are in for that  boss kill again.

So after that explanation I think this is a wonderful idea. Some people would love to do raids more than once per week and don't care about the gear. They just want the experience, and this is the best way to do it. Also there is the case where you may have been in a horrible pug and can't do any of an instance because you have that one boss kill that counteracts all the ones you haven't been able to do. Also think about guilds that could do multiple runs with just a few changes so that those not able to make it on said day or there were too many people on they can now not get locked out of guild raiding for the week. So if you cannot tell I would be all for would be one of the best things for Blizzard to incorporate into raiding.

So it could be that Nozdormu's end will be in a 5 man, isn't this a slap in the face?

Well we don't know the whole story yet, but I really doubt his end will be in a 5 man. I know they are dealing with the infinite dragonflight in a 5 man, but when you think about it all the infinite story lines have been in a 5 man or a quest. I think in this regard they are being fair, but I really doubt arguably the most powerful dragon in all of Azeroth is killed in a 5 man. I think the infinite storyline is perfectly fine to take care of in a 5 man, but Nozdormu's story itself is very far from done. I will do some specific post about this later in the week, but I am absolutely sure this is far from over.

Don't you think it is stupid to have Alexstrasza as a mount reward?

Well for years 90% of the WoW community has been wanting Alexstrasza to mount them. So I think this is Blizzard's way of throwing them a bone...

There you have it. That is it for this week's edition of Ask Gauss. As always thank you to everyone who sent in questions even if I didn't get to them here I always respond to them regardless. For those waiting for it, next week's Reader Post I want to know what you think of Nozdormu's presence in the new 5 man End Time as always you have until Thursday night to get them in. Enjoy what's left of your weekend.

Looking For Raid

Friday is upon us on this final day of September. What a September it was for WoW announcements. One of the biggest I think though has been the looking for raid and even with the big revelation with it yesterday I still asked for this week's Reader Post how you all think LFR would work. So here goes let's see what you all thought.

I think it may turn out to be worse then pugs for instances. Many people cheat to get the ilvl needed for instances by swapping PvP gear in and around could you imagine what they will do to get into raids? Blizzard also knows this will they then tune the encounters to deal with fail people or will see this as a fluke? I am extremely interested in trying this out so I can raid on some alts this kind of just scares me.

The one plus I see is that you won't get saved so if you happen to be part of a horrible LFR then you will have a chance to try another one. I think this is Blizzard's answer to bad groups. Everyone has been part of a horrible pug before and know it can mess up your heroic imagine if it could mess up your raid for the week? Just think about the forum rage that would erupt from that.

To me having Deathwing available to a LFR difficulty setting I think will take away the epicness. I know they want people to see the content and that is great, but I would really be in favour of them gating LFR to the server based upon what has been killed therefore LFR progression isn't the same as a servers until heroic s get taken care of.

I am kind of disappointed it is only going to be Dragon Soul raid. I was looking forward to finally get my Throne of four widns finally done. No one ever wants to do it after they have done it and it is extremely frustrating since I missed the first month and a half of Cata. Maybe Blizzard just wants to stick with current content though and not open up. Or maybe it is the fact that they don't want to go back and tune LFR for the previous instances.

I think this will be a great system to use as starter guilds or alt runs for guilds that just need to fill a couple spots. Although I am not completely sure how it will work out loot wise.

There you have it that is the Reader Post for the week. As always thank you for all your submissions they are always appreciated as this post would not exist without them. If you are interested in participating check out next week's topic during Sunday's Ask Gauss. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

PTR Model Farming

So yes 4.3 was just released on the PTR. There has been a lot of great information that you can go check out on MMO Champion but there is just one thing I want to talk about concerning the models. So for those don't know anything about Queen Azshara. Let me give you give you WoW Pedia's background on her

"Queen Azshara was born with golden eyes, which were quite rare in night elves before the Great Sundering. Thus, golden eyes were commonly regarded as a sign of future greatness. Indeed, Azshara became the most beloved monarch in all of night elf history. She was widely considered the most beautiful of night elves and swiftly became the most beloved monarch in night elf history. Strong-willed, manipulative, and incomparably beautiful, Azshara possessed far more magical talent than almost any other night elf."

Couple things to note here golden eyes and incomparably beautiful. I understand beauty is in the eyes of the one looking, but I think we can all agree that many comtain a natural beauty. Now let me she you the model that Blizzard has given Azshara.

So there is nothing special about this at all, and it doesn't even have golden eyes. I know many are thinking this is just Gauss being a Lore nut, but it isn't even that. This is Blizzard things need to be way they are. Now many are probably thinking this is just a placeholder model, but I doubt this since it is different than any other Night Elf model in terms of detail. Really though it is what the night elf female model would look like if it was revamped.

Like after reading that excerpt is this the picture you get? Now what frustrates me even more is the fact that they took more time into Tyrande's model. Was this done on purpose? This was Blizzard's perfect attempt to showcase what in all likely hood will be the big baddie for the next expansion. Now she will be in Naga form then, but maybe then they can give her the right eye colour and make her look different then every other female naga.

Looking at Tyrande's model do you understand my rant? Her is my question and really it is a simple one. If I didn't tell you that was Azshara would you have guessed it was? I can tell you I wouldn't have, but then I know that Azshara has golden eyes and not many may, so I am asking this seriously. I am actually happy with the way they did Tyrande's model I am actually happy with all the back in time models. When something is done wrong it just irks me to no end. It is like when there is a spot on my computer screen and I must clear it. I am just not going to leave it there. Maybe it is because I am some what of a perfectionist. When I saw the screenshot of the Well of Eternity has I was disappointed it wasn't the size that I always picture it, but that was just my interpretation being wrong it wasn't the fact that it was done incorrect on purpose. So I don't know maybe I am just taking this all to seriously and should expect mistakes. Hell this is why red shirt guy exists in Ironforge right. This isn't that bad though thinking someone was dead, this is a disregard to facts.

Ask Gauss

Sunday! Awake and ready to get to the typing. I don't know what it is but of any morning there is in the week Sunday I always seem like I am always ready to go. Who knows, but I always remember this being the case. Anyways, that has nothing to do with anything, it's Sunday so it means Ask Gauss time.  You know that post of the week where I go and answer questions sent in throughout the week. As will never change you can click the link on the top right of the page to send them or send them directly to the email gaussafication@gmail.com. With that out of the way time to get to it.

So no Tier Gear from Valor Points, what do you think about this?

Well I know many will be singing and cheering that Blizzard did this because they finally saw the light and don't want people getting tier just from running 5 mans. If you think this is the reason they did it you are far from right. They did this for the simple reason that LFR will not be on the same lockout as your regular raiding. Meaning you can get twice the amount of Valor points from raiding and twice the chance at tier drops. Now I know many will be saying well the LFR teir isn't as high item level. You would be right in stating that, but thats when the double dip of Valor comes in. Blizzard wants people not to feel like they have to endlessly be running 5 mans each week so instead they would rather these well geared and expierenced players take part in the LFR and help those not familar with raiding get the job done. It is a win win for them. Have players help others out in a real environment not in a 5 man where they can just bitch and complain and always hop in another right away. This will get more people raiding, the focus of the game, and will in turn make everyone better at it or at least those that are terrible better at it. Blizzard is thinking to the future and I think this is a step in the right direction.

Any ideas on the release date of patch 4.3?

Of course. SWTOR has just revealed its release date that being December 20th 2011. I would be willing to bet that 4.3 will be release the exact same day. Blizzard has a history of releasing game patches on the day a competition game releases. They do this so their game seems fresh while this other new game is fresh on the market. Also with what Blizzard has been saying about how there is still quite some work to be done on the patch just about 2 months away seems to make sense for the PTR especially if it is up and running this coming week as I expect it to be. So feel free to quote me on that even with all of you thinking in the background "that is too close to Christmas, Blizzard will never do that to people, especially the top guilds in the world". They will do this because it is what will be best for their game and will keep the most subscribers from switching to SWTOR.

So with the reveal that epic gems will be drops in raids what do you have to say to all the people who have banks and banks of ore?

DAMN...

There you have it questions answered for the week. Hope you all got some insight out of it. For those waiting for it next week's Reader Post is going to be about how you think the LFR will work out in regards to your game play. As always you have until Thursday Night to get your submissions in. Enjoy what is left of your weekend!

5 Mans Look Incredible

Well let me just say that after seeing the preview of the new 5 mans I was nothing short of amazed. If you haven't heard or seen the 3 new 5 mans which are going to be released with 4.3 all surrounding the story of Deathwing are all going to take place in the Caverns of Time. I am going to give you my view on these after just reading them.

End Time

First off yes the instance name is End Time. This is a trip to the future which reveals the world as if Deathwing has won. There is something important to see when you hear this.



Yes Deathwing himself doesn't even survive his future. For those of us that read Twilight of the Aspects this is what Ysera dreamed. As you can see from the screenshot he is impaled on the top of Wyrmrest Temple. In this instance you fight 2 leaders of today chosen from 4. Those being Jaina, Baine, Tyrande, and Sylvanas. I don't really agree with Sylvannas because it seemed at first they were using some lesser used leaders and this would be the perfect time to use everyone's favourite forgotten leader Lor'themar in a role that would not be useful but would at least be something. This is the main point though

"Once these shades have been laid to rest, the maniacal figure blocking Nozdormu's vision will be revealed at the Bronze Dragonshrine. None of the Dragon Aspects could have predicted what entity would have such power to interrupt the sight of the Timeless One… the ability to create a new and infinite dragonflight. Only by destroying a mysterious dragon known as Murozond will you give Azeroth's protectors the opportunity to avoid the potential outcome to which your eyes bear witness."

Now you all obviously should know about Anagrams. It is when you rearrange the letters to get something else from them Murozond is and anagram of Nozdormu. Again we knew he was the leader of the infinite from the Twilight of the Aspects book, but I really didn't think we would deal with it this soon.

Well of Eternity

This is the instance people have been waiting for years, but we aren't there for the reasons we thought we would be. We are hear to retrieve the Dragon Soul so we can use it modern day against Deathwing. In this instance we see a young Illidan and Tyrande and we not only have to make sure the Sundering Actually happens, but at the same time we have to retrieve the Dragon Soul for our future purpose. This instance sounds amazing in every way I just have one knock against it.

Every time I imagined the Well it was so much bigger than it is in this picture. I pictured it the size of a large lake not something as large as say a fountain. I guess I cannot have everything.

Hour of Twilight

Here is the excerpt which explains this instance

"Having shattered the infinite dragonflight and recovered the fabled Dragon Soul, Thrall and his allies must now journey to Wyrmrest Temple and rendezvous with the green, blue, red, and bronze dragonflights. Reaching their destination will be an arduous endeavor: the Twilight's Hammer has amassed its forces near the temple, determined to intercept the Dragon Soul at any cost.The final stage in this series of dungeons is set in the present-day Dragonblight, now under a full invasion by the Twilight's Hammer. Players must escort Thrall and the Dragon Soul safely to Wyrmrest Temple, where the assault on Deathwing is to commence. But the Twilight's Hammer forces are numerous, and their leadership remains strong. Those attacking the temple are commanded by a man known very well for the strength of will he's offered Alliance citizens. Now with his own will broken, he preaches only Deathwing's cataclysmic vision for all life on Azeroth."

So you read it. We will be at Wyrmrest saving the world all the while protecting the most simple of discs, which is now the most important thing in the world. And again the events which occurred in Twilight of the Aspects comes to the forefront when the final boss in the instance is none other than Archbishop Benedictus

So those are the three 5 mans coming. Like I said nothing short of spectacular. I am ready to take part in the them, how about you?