Update (end of August edition)

After two months of leveling on alliance side, i have to say that people from both factions of the game are completely alike. There are smart ones and dumb ones, casuals, hardcores, etc.  What i find more of is that the people on a smaller faction will know each other better.  There are a lot less anonymity on the smaller faction, which works out in favor of those who are "good" or deemed good by other players. 

What i also find is that there is a greater need for healers and tanks, but mostly healers in our realm and faction.  Any alts willing to join and be my "pocket" healer is always welcome.  Healbot not required. but a good sense of awareness is.  and that's basically the key factor when raiding, dungeoning, and pvp.  we have to be aware of our surroundings at all time, while naturally doing tip top dps.  these two things arent mutually exclusive, but they are very difficult to master together. 

So to my friends who read my blog and ever had this little inkling of healing, i'll coach you! i will make you master healer in no time!  jk.  i wont make you master healer.  but i will give you as much support as you will need. but what i ask is that you empty your minds of the things you're used to.  a full cup cannot be filled.  that's what my teachers said when i was a kid.  that is what Mo'at, the Tsahek said to Jake Sully.  and i find it difficult in real life as well.  and i have come to the point where i will not teach anyone who is not willing to learn.  sometimes we just need to put aside our old habits (you know, the things we learn first and continue doing even though it's not efficient, effective or popular, it's brought us this far, so why not?) and learn to heal, or in fact, play the game in a different light.  sometimes it's as easy as zooming out, or switching addons, or removing recount.  recount is a good tool to use after a fight to analyze how well or badly someone did. but it isnt tip top priority in a fight.  staying out of bad, interrupting, slowing, dispelling, countering specific mechanics, staying out of bad, etc.  all of these things are way more important than dps.  or hps. hps shouldnt even matter. 

anyway. just my little philosophy this friday.  sometimes we all have to relearn how to play.  i had to when learning to play my hunter efficiently.  i am still annoyed at my dps.  i dont watch it during the fight since there's so many things to watch than recount, but i do look at it after a fight.  i also have skada installed and they both tell me different stories.  finally, i've set up a world of logs account just to upload and see how well or badly i do personally, and eventually be able to perfect my own shots and rotation. 

In the near future, i am planning on posting several things.  one, i will be showing my UI, or user interface.  i will go down the list of the addons and tools i use in order to help me stay aware of my fights.  most of these things are completely customizable and can fit into anyone else's character and playing style.  Some things are strictly redundant but i need those redundancies to help me monitor how the party or raid is doing.  second, i will be going down the list of some of my power auras for certain events.  i am sure weak auras can do the same things.  either way, i dont really want to show you an how-to, but more of a why-to, so that you can make something similar which will help you monitor your own buffs, debuffs, abilities and cooldowns. Third, i do want to show my combat logs, fights, etc.  i know many fights involve a lot of movement, and a lot of timing where i cannot get the best "rotation" available. but i do want to show my own progression as a hunter.  i dont think i have grasped the whole of being a hunter.  as someone on the internet has said before, playing a hunter is one of the easiest things to do in wow.  playing a hunter well is one of the most difficult.  in all actuality, i find it very difficult to play a hunter well, especially when limitations are in place, like focus cost to set traps? or even use the trap launcher? really? that costs focus? wtf? and the whole trap launcher mechanic is super clunky at best.  i wish they just made it automatic. i can launch a trap at my feet if i wanted to.  seriously. 

in any case, look for more hunter-related posts here!  my days of playing a druid are not over, however.  i've been logging on to my druids daily to make gems and transmute for gold.  it's quite a feat now that their duties does not involve fighting the fight and taking it to deathwing, his kids, or ragnaros.  but instead, to supply the fighters with mats so that they can eventually beat down and destroy the evil that threatens azeroth. haha.  whatever.  i just want more gold.  anyway. see you all next time!