12/3 Hotfixes: Valor Points Increased….barely!!!!

The increase from 25 to 40 valor points per raid boss is a mere drop in the bucket of the weekly cap

I’ve been actively raiding with my team (Noogie Nights, represent!) and we’re currently 4/6 in MV 10 normal. However, in my inebriated state last week, I realized that we were only receiving 25 valor points PER RAID BOSS! I honestly thought this was a joke that escaped me. Well, the value did escape me like my two year old’s wet diaper. Quite honestly I was floored that a RAID BOSS gave as much valor as 5 dailies. And, I’m sure we’re all sick of dailies at this point. 🙂

Just yesterday, Blizzard implemented some 5.1 hotfixes and now they’ve increased the valor points rewarded per raid boss to a whopping 40. I feel a Dr. Evil “reallllly” coming on while I stroke my hairless cat. 40 points. 40. Let that sink in. 40.

So, I’m someone with limited playing time, and now that I’m back to raiding 6 hours per week, I can’t afford to do my dailies, LFR, dungeons and scenarios like I was before jumping back into raiding. All of those activities were to prepare for raiding. It certainly looks like I’ll never hit the VP weekly cap now, not that I ever did in the first place. Assuming we’re knocking out 6 bosses in a couple of weeks, that would still put me at only 240 VP. I ain’t got the time to supplement the remaining 760, outside of a few dailies.

I suppose though, that the devil’s advocate would purport that I have the chance to obtain 489 epics through raiding INSTEAD of gaining valor points for the purpose of obtaining gear, and there is some validity to the point, but I don’t believe it as far as some at Blizzard that have stated it’s essentially double-dipping. This was the argument for eliminating championing factions with tabards in heroic dungeons. In fact, I hit the loot jackpot last week, receiving 3 plate dps items (I’m a frost DK), and 1 set of tanking boots in 4 bosses. Yes, I got a drop a boss, so I’ll stop bitching for a while about my lack of gear, but that’s beside the point to the philosophical argument I present to you today :).

What are your thoughts on the meager increase in valor points, and the general challenges of capping valor AND reputation every week?

Oh, and by the way, I had taken a few months off to take care of family matters, but I’m ramping up my recording schedule, including the AIE Raid Wrapup.

Sihx
@epicdiapers

Segment #5 on “The Instance” – Don’t Drop Your Tank!

Guess i gotta drop this dungeon...again

Audio

I had a little rant for my fifth segment of “Epic Diapers” on “The Instance.” With my limited schedule, I plan my 6 hours of raiding each week (2 nights, 3 hrs each), and opportunistically play whenever I can. Some of this time is filled with quick leveling of alts, but if I think I have an hour or so, I’ll join the dungeon queue with my main. The problem is, I often am interrupted unexpectedly when trying to squeeze in this playing time. It might be my daugther, son, or my wife that need me at that very moment, or perhaps the house caught on fire. It’s surprising how little personal time you can count on having when raising a family.

I like to tank, but with these constant interruptions, I personally feel it’s rude to drop frequently if you are a tank. The other 4 members are relying on you, and if you can’t give the community a reliable commitment, just DPS. DPS can be replaced immediately in a random PUG, but when a tank drops, it can take 5-10 minutes sometimes. Of course, it’s your right to tank if you want, even if you have to drop 4/5 randoms you run. It’s your $15 a month. I just believe proper dungeoning etiquette can go a long way.

Stay epic, my friends!

-Sihx

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3rd 85….and cheating the heroic system

Good umpires aren't noticed...just like good players in heroics....

I dinged my 3rd 85 last week…a belf paladin. The thing is, I wanted to get him into heroics right away, as both my main and 2nd 85 (a mage) were able to do so with a little, well, um, going around the true spirit of the game, if you will.

The normal process for gearing up is through questing in Twilight Highlands, normal dungeons, and Justice Point vendor items. Quite frankly, I don’t have the time for that. If I’m going to run an instance, I don’t want 333 pieces (or even 316). I want my 346s right away. Also, with many PUGs now outgearing the content (at least comparatively to launch), and with more players knowing the encounters, I don’t quite feel as bad for inflating my gear score in a slightly unethical, but allowed way: purchased PVP gear! That’s right, most of the bloody/ornate blue PVP gear is cheap, and at ilevel 339, it’s perfect for buying a few pieces and raising your gear score to the minimum 329.

What’s the downside here? I mean, I get into heroics right away, which means a chance at 346 drops (and with a pally, it’s plate dps, tank, AND healer gear) and faster accrual of justice points. To be clear, I currently only queue as DPS as I clearly don’t have the gear to tank or heal heroics yet. Also, some of my equipped items are actually around 312-318 ilevel, as some of those pieces are of course, better than the 339 pvp healer gear that “counts” for a slot or two. Remember, they only need to be in your bag, you don’t actually have to equip them…believe me, I just tested this. Once I picked up a new 339 piece from my mail box, I would instantly watch my gearscore tick up. I’ve also purchased a couple of cheap 333/346 PVE blues off of the auction house. What’s the downside/risk to this? Well, my dps flat plain sucks at the moment. I’m used to 14k on my main DK, but this ret pally is pulling 5-6k right now. So far, I haven’t received any degrading comments in these heroics…probably because 1) I’m being carried, so my dps isn’t critical, 2) we are finishing the content, and 3) I stay out of the fire and do what I’m supposed to. Basically, I’m like a good umpire: I’m not noticed.

At the end of the day, I am asking the first dozen or so heroics to carry me, but I’m willing to risk the flaming from any group in order to take this shortcut, and eventually save tons of time.

Question is…I’m still not sure if I’m going to main spec holy, prot, or ret yet…so I’m hanging onto my justice points until I have an epiphany.

Now entering heroics…..there’s an app for that…

Are you there yet?

Despite the farming for elementium ore, I can be a little ADD, especially when I thought the prices had bottomed out. I wanted to explore the new content, despite the fact that I would be cutting into my profits. Alas, I leveled my DK main to 85 and promptly purchased the ilevel 346 shoulders and legs with my 4,000 justice points I had banked before the expansion hit. That, along with several reputation items from Hyjal and Therazane, my ilevel sat at the precipice of heroic dungeoneering at an enticing, yet frustrating ilevel average of 328 (329 is required). Frustrated at the concept of being one point short, I realized that one of my dps rings was level 318, highest for that slot. Well, what if I purchased the level 333 tanking ring from Therazane….would that up my average? So, I purchased it and magically, I witnessed that average level bump up to 329!

So, here’s a tip: if you’re still short of the 329 average item level, just purchase any reputation rewards for slots with low item levels, even if it’s not for your spec! It worked for me!

Afterwards, I visitied all of the dungeon entrances I had yet to discover, and promptly entered the queue to face 45 minute waiting times.

The problem with being a father of a 5 year old and especially an infant, I rarely, if ever, have long periods of uninterrupted time to play this game. That’s okay when I’m questing or farming; I can just hop on my flying mount and hover safely for 15 minutes while I attend to pressing family matters at 1am (mainly a crying infant). However, with these new heroics taking some time to complete, I cannot just walk away. I have tried 3 heroics thus far and have yet to complete one, as something always hits the fan after entering the queue. It’s frustrating, but to be expected. This is also the reason why I can’t tank heroics. Although it would be faster to farm rep and rewards this way, it’s unfair to the others in the dungeon. So, it will take some time to get those valor points and reputations raised with this process. That’s okay, I still need to quest out Twilight Highlands, Uldum, and Vash’jir anyway….then there’s my alts to level too!