Archive for August, 2017

World Of Warcast Episode 256, “Not compatible with cats”

Ren:

Started on Argus campaign with rogue (as predicted)

Still playing Diablo 3 but having some repetitive motion injury issues with right hand

Ditched Bagnon for ArkInventory

Pleased with TV appearance on THE DEAD FILES – and cancelled Sling (HDTV antenna works great – between that and Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football, Giants season is saved!)

Caught 3rd eagle this week

Mike:

Argus! Wait, it’s only one chapter?

Can’t do the dungeon yet

What’s this cloth?

Spoilers!

Chests everywhere

Couldn’t get enough items for the i880 gear (not that I need it)

Mobs aren’t that hard to kill.

What’s with the eye quest?

20% more damage in/out?

Some guy’s been buying my stuff on the AH and not making a profit

Uldaman

Tomb of Sargeras w/Ali

This Week in Wow

One word: Argus

Next week: Mac’Aree zone opens, unlock Invasion Points, and a questline to open Greater Invasion Points that can drop 930 gear.

For those who aren’t into Argus, it’s Cataclysm Timewalking.

The Archaeology reward for next 2 weeks is a toy called the Crystalline Eye of Undravius, which lets you look around and see invisible NPCs as demons or changes existing NPCs into demons for 15 seconds (apparently Khadgar is a succubus). If you’re a toy collector or are after your 8 archaeology quests for a new artifact tint, go for it. Collecting 300 toys will get you a mount, the Mechanized Lumber Extractor.

7.3 News

Nightfallen reputation requirements removed from several Suramar quests, making it possible to complete the Suramar campaign without reputation gates.

Undocumented changes

Artifact catch-up for alts:

Artifact Knowledge now starts at 41 regardless of book

Removes Class Hall Campaign for third relic slot

Removes Broken Shore campaign to unlock Empowered Traits

Higher drop rate for artifact appearances, and you can get them for artifacts you own that you aren’t currently using (off spec)

I880 Relinquished Gear no longer available to purchase with Nethershards.

Completing opening Broken Shore scenario on one character is required to unlock Argus

Reduced requirements for Breaching the Tomb – example, you only need 50 Mark of Sentinax instead of 100

Timewalking dungeon loot starts at 880, and Black Temple timewalking loot starts at 930.

Lots of Tomb of Sargeras changes – mostly nerfs

Nomi Work Orders can now yield Broken Islands Recipe Scrap (drop rate lower than Nomi Snacks). 10 scraps = one undiscovered recipe

Fishing Round the Isles achievement now requires 20 world fishing quests, not all of them

Levitating players can now jump

Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning updated animations were not implemented. Apparently they got bad reviews on the PTR.

Two new class hall follower catch-up items added to Warmage Kathleen at Deliverance Point: Grimoire of Lost Knowledge (adds 6000 XP to follower for 2500 nethershards) and Relinquished Armor Set (sets champion iLevel to 880 for 400 nethershards)

New missions for followers may be related to a new side quest, available to players after completing the An Offering of Light main quest series. These side quests unlock a new type of troop or missions that offer new follower equipment

Helpful toy: Sightless Eye (not to be confused with the Sightless Eye currency) – makes you much less detectable to mobs on Argus or Broken Shore for 10 minutes, with a 5 minute cooldown. Any damage, including falling damage, breaks this. (Or just make a rogue)

Diablification #1: Antaen Light-Bringer in the first part of Argus — after the first few quests, you join Kil’jaeden and Prophet Velen to destroy a siege weapon that looks like a large green portal of some type

Spoiler: it pops up and it’s a big mob

Ren: Recognized this IMMEDIATELY because it looks almost exactly like a mob called the Realmwalker in the Battlefields of Eternity level in Act IV of D3, who is a giant mob who hides in the ground with a big portal eye on his head. Knew what was going to happen

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This Week in Trek Episode 305, “May cause anatomical inversion”

News

Mike visited the Enterprise

Bryan Fuller was pushed out because his scripts were months late & overbudget.

Discovery S1: Klingon War. S2: Aftermath of Klingon War. S3: in work.

Lootcrate Star Trek edition: Every other month starting Dec 2017. $39.99 for 1 or $34.99 for 6 – paid all at once.

Anovos now has TNG skants (female only)

@jbillingsly60 (Dr Phlox) is now on Twitter.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/extras/star-trek-marathon-poll-whats-your-favorite-episode

From @Asetisis

Ten Forward:

Chris on Twitter: Which Trek character do u think had the biggest impact in the series they were in: Spot or Porthos?

Star Trek in pop culture:

This Leapfrog learning toy may have borrowed from Captain Picard (thanks “how now” on twitter)

00:14

Episode insight: ENT: S3 Impulse

Subspace communications

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World Of Warcast Episode 255, “Banned From Argo”

Ren:

Cable cutting: Sling TV, HDTV antennas, solutions for watching football

Played opening scenario for Argus

What is it with night elves and bottled water?

Don’t see myself going through this with more than one character

Mike:

Another legendary (waist)

Got it from the world boss on the Isle

i909

Working on getting the tokens for the next legendary upgrade.

No new mounts.

Forgot about Trial of Style

News

Patch 7.3 NEXT WEEK

https://www.icy-veins.com/forums/topic/32790-patch-73-official-patch-notes/

Other worlds??

Seat of the Triumverate – new dungeon

4 bosses

Argus WQs (no surprise)

Artifact customization

New combat animations

New items for mining, herbalism, skinning, tailoring, and shoulder enchants

Achievements for the number of tabards you have.

Class changes

Broken Shore now has an emissary quest

New factions: Army of Light and Argussian Reach – both advance with world quests, emissary quests, order hall missions and weekly quests

Army of Light – Exalted reward: Lightforged Warframe mount for the low low price of 500k gold – looks like a gold mechanical golem

Argussian Reach

Exalted reputation paragon caches can include one of three Elekk mounts

Other rewards

Not a fan of the Hearthstone musical

Not understanding the marketing behind it.

Kel’Thuzad is the new hero in Heroes of the Storm

What was with Jaina? lol

Ali-Yesterday at 11:34 PM

Oh hey everyone @here ….make sure to turn in your Legionfall Supplies before the patch. Once it drops, you’ll no longer get the chests from that and the ap reward is also reduced.(edited)

Email from Zak

We fall down a rabbit hole about rare items from Uldaman.

Discord: https://discord.gg/0igWZxupFC0N8mH4

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/starmike

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This Week in Trek Episode 304, “You sank my virtual space cruiser”

News

Terry Farrell and Adam Nimoy are engaged

QMX insignia badges $14.95 – not screen accurate, but better ones will come soon enough.

I have one!

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/08/18/the-william-shatner-interview

From @EKavlar (Raven 322)

Ten Forward:

Chris on Twitter: What would be the synopsis of an episode of TOS written by you?

Star Trek in pop culture:

The Jean Claude Van Damme movie: Death Warrant. 1990. A computer nerd kid is helping his romantic interest do computer things.

00:15

Last week in Trek

Episode insight: TOS: A Taste of Armageddon

Character insight – Eclipses

Subspace communications

Discord: https://discord.gg/0igWZxupFC0N8mH4

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/starmike

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World Of Warcast Episode 254, “The race is on”

Ren:

Still feel like I’m waiting around for 7.3 – marking time

Love the lighting effects in Dalaran

Update on The Dead Files

RL achievement: Banded first bald eagle of the year, posted picture on Twitter.

Mike:

Yes, there’s a level 1 mount

SPriest is terrible at leveling, not bad in dungeons (but could be better)

Leveled up my DH and *love it*

Trial of Style!

This week:

Legion Dungeon event

Spirit of Ech’ero mount for weekly archaeology

Trial of Style mini-event starts today and goes til Tuesday

5 players given 2 minutes to create a transmog based on a theme – some PTR themes have included Summer Styles, Winter Wear, Mismatched Mayhem, Fun and Flirty, Tabard Time, Faction Pride, Epic Purple, and of course, the ever popular Freestyle

You can’t see what your competitors are doing as they appear to be wearing smocks to cover their transmogs until the unveiling

Contestants are pulled onto a stage where people can vote on two at a time – strike a pose such as /wave, /cheer, or /dance

After several rounds of voting, prizes are awarded, 1st through 3rd and Consolation. Contains Trial of Style tokens that can be traded for transmog gear in Dalaran

Some complaints on forums of people getting kicked from scenario groups and getting a 30 minute deserter debuff

http://www.wowhead.com/news=269877/trial-of-style-transmog-holiday-august-17th-22nd

News:

7.3 – details will be announced at Gamescon via the Blizzard Reveal Ceremony on Wed 23rd

Also at Gamescon – WoW European Championship Finals, and two top Euro guilds (Nova and Set Sail for Fail) will race each other in a live mythic showdown

Whispers of a Frightened World scenario live as of Tuesday http://www.wowhead.com/news=268553/whispers-of-a-frightened-world-scenario-now-live

Without spoilers: get a quest to go to Sholazar Basin and meet with Magni, to enter the Hall of Communion at Maker’s Overlook. Starts a scenario.

Getting high reviews from people who have completed it

New combat and casting animations shown

Resto Druid

Blood Elf Female Ranged Attack

All Mage Specs

Holy Priest

Shadow Priest

Elemental Shaman

Item level changes in 7.3

Dungeon item level drops will be each going up one rung. Normal will move from 825 to 845; heroic from 845 to 865; mythic from 865 to 885.

The Name Change that Didn’t

Blizzard announced almost a year ago it was going to shift from “Battle.net” to “Blizzard” for its online services

Branding change fail: they decided they will become “Blizzard Battle.net”

Activision Blizzard Investor call – 2nd Q 2017 (April through June)

Blizzard reported: All time record monthly active users, up 38% from last year

All time record daily active users and Q2 record time spent

Legion continues to outperform Warlords

Overwatch monthly active users have increased each quarter since launch, rose to a new all time high in Q2

Net revenues of over $3.3 billion (just Blizzard)

Blizaard outperforming the other divisions (Activision and King). Activision has titles such as Call of Duty, Destiny and SKylanders, and King brings you Candy Crush, Pet Rescue, Farm Heroes and Bubble Witch

Discord: https://discord.gg/0igWZxupFC0N8mH4

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/starmike

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This Week in Trek Episode 303, “They’re made of bacon”

News

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Animated_Series

Shortly before Fontana’s report, NBC had replaced its old Nielsen rating system with a new and updated one. When they ran the original figures through their new system they found out much to their surprise that it had not only reached full penetration into their most coveted target audience, the male population between 18 and 45, but also that the series had been one of the most successful series the network had ever aired. The sickening realization hit upon the dismayed network executives that they had slaughtered the proverbial goose that laid the golden eggs, something that every fan at the time could have told them.

Anovos: TAS Klingon tunic $50. Preorder now!

Star Trek cruise: 2 cruises the first 2 weeks of Jan 2018.

Complete Discovery merch licensing list:

Simon & Schuster for a worldwide publishing program

IDW for comics

Titan Entertainment for souvenir magazines

Disruptor Beam for a mobile game update to “Star Trek: Timelines”

Rubie’s for costumes

Eaglemoss for die-cast ship models

Trevco for t-shirts in the U.S.

Anovos for replicas of the new Starfleet uniforms in the U.S.

Rizzoli for calendars in the U.S.

McFarlane for figures in the U.S.

QMX for prop badges and replicas in the U.S.

FanSets for pins in the U.S.

Gentle Giant for 3D replicas in the U.S.

Danilo for calendars in Europe

Pyramid for posters, prints and fan gear in the U.K.

Cotton Division for apparel and accessories in France

Impact Rock for posters and prints in Australia.

Think Geek pin – $29.99, get a $24.95 CBSAA credit

ThinkGeek

Jason Isaacs says, “Fans are going to have to adjust”

Kurtzman says more Trek is possible, if people would stop crapping on this one:

“I think that’s totally possible, it was a really cool idea, but it wasn’t necessarily an idea that everyone immediately agreed with.”

“I think the idea might be that there are more Star Trek series [further down the line].”

Ten Forward:

Chris on Twitter: Have u ever referenced anything in Trek when giving advice to a friend?

Star Trek in pop culture:

Senior Skip Day (2008). Canadian high school party movie.

00:15

Last week in Trek

Episode insight: Voyager S1: Phage

Character insight – Ben Sisko

Subspace communications

Discord: https://discord.gg/0igWZxupFC0N8mH4

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/starmike

This Week in Trek Episode 302, “Kurzodo”

News

People on twitter should stop being awful and nasty to the DSC team. Nobody deserves hatred.

“There will be technobabble”.

The whole “No God” thing was a misunderstanding. It’s allowed.

Commercial!

https://twitter.com/startrekcbs/status/894641168230694914

James Cawley has a new Fan Film Academy

http://trekmovie.com/2017/08/07/les-moonves-tells-cbs-investors-first-six-episodes-of-star-trek-discovery-are-terrific/

Kol has a Starfleet emblem. @isolinearchick noticed.

TNG cast reunion (without Frakes)

VOY cast reunion

DSC panels

Ten Forward:

Chris on Twitter: Two more observations about The Inner Light: only had one story and ZERO action in it. A lot can be said about that.

Which is a funnier episode: A Piece of the Action or The Trouble with Tribbles?

Star Trek in pop culture:

Suggested by Jordan McKinley

Over the Hedge – 2006, one of the characters voiced by William Shatner

This dialog happens during the end credits.

00:19

Last week in Trek

Episode insight: Continuing the body-inhabiting theme – DS9: Facets – suggested by Matthew

Last week’s episode (“Unexpected”) was suggested by Anisha

Character insight – Worf in DS9

Subspace communications

Discord: https://discord.gg/0igWZxupFC0N8mH4

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/starmike

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