Trying to Resurface

After months of being overwhelmed by all the wedding and honeymoon planning, I’ve finally come out on the other side. We returned from our two week european honeymoon on Saturday night. I’m still suffering from jet lag.

I’m also overwhelmed by the thought of actually having free time again. What should I do first? I have fun new tools to cook with, games to play, things to write, draw, read, photograph… All my other hobbies were put on the back burner to wedding planning. Many new projects are popping into my head and I’m having a bit of trouble focusing. I’m going to attempt to organize my thoughts by writing them here, which might prove to be less than interesting for readers.

The Current State of WOW

Coming back a few days after the chaos of the 4.0.1 patch was rather nice. I arrived to stable servers, updated addons, and a plethora of information available to help me digest the changes.

I absolutely love the elemental shaman changes. The new rotation makes me squeal with glee – I love procs. I’m also thrilled about the new Blizzard power-auras type thing, as the proc for Lava Surge is very shiny and fun looking. Looking at my gear feels a bit disorienting, as mp5 has magically become hit. My gems and enchants are all wonky, and the concept of reforging makes my head hurt a bit. I’m sure it will all come together nicely once Cataclysm begins, but for now we’re stuck in a limbo where no one is raiding, and theory-crafters have less motivation to churn through the numbers.

I don’t have much to say about the resto shaman changes, but I haven’t actually healed an instance yet. The new healing style is just one of those things we’ll have to adapt to, and it will change in Cataclysm anyways with the larger health-pools and different encounter styles.

As to the rogue changes, all I can say is “meh”. The new mutilate rotation feels exactly how it did earlier in Wrath, before rupture got sidelined. It’s fine, and solid, but it is beginning to bore me. It’s only confirmed my decision that my shaman will become my main for Cataclysm.

The prospect of switching mains has been one I’ve been entertaining for awhile. After actually raiding on my rogue in a regular fashion, I found myself unsatisfied with her. It’s hard to let go of a character who has built up so much – all her pets, mounts, achievements, etc. Her name is my in-game identity. But I can’t continue playing her if it will make the game less fun.

My shaman has become my character of choice. I’m planning on changing her name to something that begins with “Kae” to help offset my loss of identity (not sure exactly what yet). I’m thrilled at the thought of healing in the new expansion, and the elemental rotation has left me actually excited about about being a ranged caster. I will be more versatile for my guild, and have two different play-styles on one character to switch between  when I get bored.

Cataclysm

December 7th seems very far away, but it will be here in a flash. The cinematic that was released this week continues to feed my excitement. It was beautifully rendered, and matches the style of previous cinematics.

Everything that I might say about the new expansion has already said on countless other blogs. We are all waiting impatiently.

I have high hopes for the in-game events prior to the launch. My guess is that they will kick off after Hallows End finishes. Of course we can already see the sporadic earthshakes in the major cities, but there is much more to come.

Future Plans and Projects (WOW Related, and Not)

Here’s a few ideas that have popped into my head upon my return from Europe:

• Self-hosting. I’m thinking about creating a self-hosted gaming/WOW blog. This would mean the end of this current blog. Since I’ve already scared away my readers by the lack of posting the past few months, I’m not too concerned with making the transition. It will also not happen overnight – I have to brush off my rusty web-design skills to come up with brilliant theme, and the blog still needs a name. I’ve never been in love with the name “Azure Shadows”, but I find it difficult to come up with something that feels right. The content will be the same as this blog – WOW focused, with a smattering of other gaming/geek stuff, and a dollop of Real Life.
• I also plan on hosting a website for my other creative endeavors – photography, writing, etc. I want to keep this separate because it’s something I would show to people I know in Real Life. It’s funny how I’m fine with my online friends knowing who I am in RL, but showing people in my RL the online persona makes me uncomfortable (especially family members).
• Cooking: I have a bunch of new tools to play with thanks to wedding gifts. All-Clad cookware, a food processor, etc. Our friends and family were very generous! I have new recipes and cookbooks to read and try. I’ve set a goal of trying a new recipe at least once every other week.
• Photography: Process the ~1000 photos I took on the Europe trip. Also play with my new macro lens.
• In-Game: Level my priest at least to the point where she can complete the Wrath-gate. Also run Zul Gurub a few times before it disappears into the void.
• I also have the arduous task of changing my last name. I despise paper-work, but this is something that must be done in the near future. Off to the Social Security office and DMV today to get started
• Selling all the crap that is sitting in our living room from the wedding. We purchased a lot of things instead of renting them to save money. If you know anyone who needs blue table linens, 120 wine glasses, tons of vases,  or tealights, let me know.
• Far-distant future: Organizing our finances and deciding if we can buy a house any time soon.

Expect more posting to come in the near future – far more than has occurred the past few months.