WoW Video:The Avenger trailer

Selserene tipped me off to this really cool little video. This is the Avenger trailer by Dtbn. The full movie is probably going to be released sometime in late summer, and is described by the author as being "action packed."

I love to see action-oriented machinima, and if this trailer is any kind of indication, I think Dtbn will be able to deliver. I think it does a great job of setting up quick pathos for the main character, and then conveys stylized, interesting conflict. The use of bullet-time slow-motion and dynamic framing makes the action compelling and interesting, even if we know most of the character movements are based on in-game emotes.

While it is a trailer, and not all trailers turn into full movies, I hope Dtbn follows through. It looks promising, and I'm excited for it.

WoW Video: Inventing Swear Words 5

Inventing Swear Words has been one of my favorite Oxhorn machinima series. Its lighthearted, playful nature won me over early, and the unmistakable pokes at WoW culture frequently made me laugh. It's been a year since the release of Inventing Swear Words 4, when Mortuus and Lacy got married.

In this final chapter, the team has an epic plan to finally force their new swear words on the entire World of Warcraft. It's got all of the cameos you'd want out of the final chapter of a saga, a great resolution, and the same fun music you'd expect from Oxhorn. Mr. Horn does assure us the characters will be back in other works, which makes me happy. I love those guys.

WoW Video: The Scytheguard Recruitment Video

It's been a little while since we've had a guild recruitment video on Moviewatch, so I was pretty happy to get a note from Horror. He told us about the Scytheguard Recruitment Video, which he'd built for his Forsaken-only roleplay guild on Sentinels.

The video's got a few good ideas behind it, and has a few things that could be improved. First, I liked Horror's idea for a voice-over. Since his guild is exclusively for the undead, starting off with that nightmarish "you can't breathe anymore" idea is a great start to roleplay. That being said, I think the opening went a little longer than needed. Anyone checking out a trailer needs fast-paced action, or they'll wander off.

I think showing snippets of Northrend is also a good idea. There's enough random footage of gameplay out there that you want your prospective recruit to know you're progressing, and enjoying current content. Otherwise, they may assume your guild's just a few friends who threw a Fraps up on YouTube. (And while there's nothing wrong with that, it might get in the way of recruitment.)

Now, this was Horror's first and only video so far, so I can see why he's using an unregistered Fraps. But if he does more videos, he should go ahead and grab the registered version, and get the watermark off the top of his video. The video looks neat, but the watermark's a little distracting.

The Daily Quest: Of orphans and officers

• Our sister site Massively asks, "What's in a name?"


• You have a few days left to get your Children's Week achievements taken care of, and Herding Cats has a few tips for everyone's bane: School of Hard Knocks.


• Less QQ, More Pewpew has continued their Ulduar video series with their latest addition, Mimiron. You can watch it at the top of this post, or over on their site!


• World of Matticus's Lodur takes a very close look at the transition into becoming a raid leader.

WoW Video: Van Helsing Trailer

Wello posted his Van Helsing Trailer over on Myndflame, with some commentary that I found pretty interesting. First, it's his fourth video, and the one he feels best about. More importantly, Wello said that he'd searched far and wide for anyone else who'd already created a Van Helsing trailer. He found none, so immediately made one himself. He considered it his "time to shine."

It's easy to forget that the creation of machinima is usually sourced in an author's passion for the subject. Okay, so while Hugh Jackman rocking a crossbow and funny hat might not be humanity's key pathos, it's something for which Wello has a lot of love. (Hell, maybe Hugh Jackman is a strong enough collective obsession, anyway, given what opened this weekend.) Machinimators don't make a bunch of money off their work, it's entirely a labor or love.

The video itself is pretty keen. It's just a stylized recreation of the video, using stand-ins from WoW for the various actors. I was a little surprised to see Kate Beckinsale turned into a Blood Elf, but I guess that makes sense in context. I think Wello did a good job of choosing models and scenery, but the characters themselves could use a little more motion. Ultimately, it was a fun video that I enjoyed watching. I look forward to seeing Wello's skills grow.

WoW Video: Das Strafgericht in Naxxramas

Warning: Subtitles are in German. My amateur attempts at Google translation revealed no naughty words, but I could be wrong. The soundtrack is music only, but there are words that flash on the screen. If a coworker happens by your screen, and happens to read German, and the words happen to be innuendo, then this might not be completely work safe.

Das Strafgericht in Naxxramas was posted on Myndflame by Petunia. It is, in essence, a quick romp through Naxxramas, involving a bunch of cool scenes and kill shots. In that sense, this video isn't groundbreaking. However, it's a got a couple stylistic things going for it that I wanted to point out.

First, the opening scene is pretty neat. Members of a guild are hanging out on the beach and having fun. Their day in the sun is interrupted by visitors. The guild jog into a nearby shack for a Superman moment, dressing up in their finest tier gear and weaponry to do battle. I found this opening lighthearted and amusing. It's also notable in that it provides in-character motivation for the guild to go do battle in Naxxramas. Many of these highlight videos lack that kind of thing, and I think the inclusion makes Petunia's work stand out.

More importantly, the video itself is clean and concise. There aren't five minute stretches of people mashing their DPS buttons, or of a tank standing in front of the boss analyzing the boss's hygiene. It's just a few quick shots from each fight, before moving on to the next. It's fast, precise, and the video itself is pretty. What else could you want?

WoW Video: Downside Up by Lex

Lex only says about fifty times that his video, Downside Up, does not make sense. I have to disagree. Wookies on Endor? That doesn't make sense. This video makes sense. It's a music video, with various and meaningless scenes of an orc running. It's a showcase for music, with imagery meant to provide some kind of context to the sounds. It doesn't really have a story or a theme, but that doesn't mean it's sense-less.

Lex created this entire piece within four hours, so it's a quick one-off. But there are still some things to say about it. Lex did a good job of choosing scenery for his orc to run through. I like quick vistas like this. It shows off some of the beautiful landscapes and images that are present in the game. It's kind of nice.

Really, I can picture this video playing on a monitor above a club's dance floor. The action taking place in the video isn't the point, it's just setting up ambiance. I think Lex should explore this kind of thing, setting up a kind of YouTube play list of music videos. For all that he said "This makes no sense," I was able to appreciate the video as a showcase for the music.

WoW Video: "Ninja-ing mount, sry"

We don't really know how or why you would make an intro movie for a raiding guild, but there you go. That's the intro for Goon of Kil'jaeden, who are apparently currently working on Sarth 3D. I like the music, although as a trailer, it doesn't really work that well. Exactly what is coming soon?

Looking for your fix of guild drama, downed and recruiting news for the week? It's right here in GW. If you've got a tip about any guild from around the realms, feel free to send it in to us at wowguildwatch@gmail.com (we've got tons of tips coming in lately, so if you don't see your guild here this week, it'll probably be in next week). Click the link below to read on.

DRAMA

• Ninja alert: Pudge on Hellscream was leading a successful raid the other day in OS when he "accidentally" gave the bag to a Paladin named Spinnaz instead of the player, Tott, who actually won the roll. We hear Tott rolled a 94 to win the loot, but Spinnaz rolled a "/roll 95-100," and after the loot got passed out to the wrong person, Pudge apologized and said he didn't realize it was a joke. A ticket was sent to the GMs as the raid broke up, but then Tott noticed something interesting: Spinnaz and Pudge were fighting in the same Arena together. "Accidental" mis-looting doesn't seem so likely after all.


• Karmok, Alizey and Potgrum also ninja'ed all of the loot from a Sarth run, and apparently got kicked from Dark Chaos on Maelstrom for doing so. We also hear the guild folded, but kudos to the folks on Maelstrom for calling out idiocy -- apparently Alizey had an alt in Saint of Killers and he got /gkicked, too. That's cold!
  


• Of course, there's usually no /gkicking involved if the ninja is a guildleader. Like Cãt of Outbot on the Alliance side of Maelstrom. "I just wanted it, so I took it." I have to say, I wouldn't be in a guild with that guy.


• Larias of WoA on Illidan is reportedly on quite a power trip -- when he announced he was leaving the guild for another server, many of the people in the guild weren't quite keen on going with him (not to mention his looting of the guild bank to finance the new guild elsewhere). So two guildies apparently had a nice chat on Vent about it, saying to each other that they were bummed about leaving the server and that they didn't think it was very fair that Larias was ditching them and taking the loot with him. As fate would have it, he happened to be listening, and /gkicked both guildies for talking about him behind his back. Since then, he's kicked all of the guild's old members, leaving them with nothing. Sounds like you're better off without him, guys -- sucks he took all of the loot, but it's time to pay the money for another charter and start rebuilding without the jerk.


• This isn't a ninja per se, but it is someone to keep an eye out for. Lungbutter, formerly of Under Construction on Kul Tiras apparently picked up Betrayer of Humanity from a guild run in Naxx 25 (as well as a guild-supplied enchant), and then ditched the guild and the server. He changed his name, and they don't know where he went, but they're asking everyone to keep an eye out for a dual-wielding female Undead Fury Warrior with Betrayer of Humanity and the Jawbone and Berserker enchanted on both. He'll probably be with his girlfriend, a female Blood Elf Holy Priest, and his girlfriend's brother, a female Tauren Elemental Shaman. So if a Fury Warrior fitting that description shows up trying to get into your guild, definitely ask which guild he left behind.


• This one was apparently big this week: a Paladin decided he needed The Turning Tide to help with his tanking skills. Guys, I hate Paladins, and know almost nothing about them, and even I know that's not a Pally tanking sword. But the thread really gets good when a little Internet detecting gets done and we get Armory links of the raiders in question.


• Azerothian Protectorate over on Zuluhed had about enough of the racial slurs and obnoxious behavior of the two idiots on their server, Masiah and Holyherbman, and have publicly called them out on the guild website (bewarned, there is some offensive and NSFW language in screenshots on that page). These guys don't seem like much more than your run of the mill Xbox Live idiots, but who knows -- maybe calling them out for other guilds to see will teach them a lesson. As our tipster says, if people are going to go to those lengths to show off that they're idiots, the least you can do is show everyone else for them.
  


• I've been known to have a beer or two while I raid, but we hear that Hakkapolita of Guardians of Azeroth on Gnomeregan took it a little too far -- he showed up to a raid drunk and belligerent. When he messed up some of the raid strategy (he planted the Grobbulous clouds right in the middle of the raid), they tried their best to correct him, and he snapped back at them with insults. Eventually, the raid had wiped again and again thanks to this guy (racking up a 175g repair for the main tank), and when they finally called it, Hakka took the profanity off to guild chat. When he was asked once more to cut it out, he /gquit. What a mess. Coincidentally, the guild's message of the day happened to be "don't drink and DPS" -- too bad Hakka didn't get the message.


• After careful consideration, we have concluded we have no idea what's really going on here (probably not what either of these guys are saying), but this is funny: apparently Ownsjo on Nazrethim got called out Hiiji of Savant for supposedly stealing a loot card code from a disabled kid who was wondering how to enter it into the game, and got suckered on the phone into giving it away. Unfortunately, we have no idea if that's true or not, or if the kid even exists or how you can convince a kid to give up his loot card code. But don't worry, it gets better. Apparently something happened, because Ownsjo shows up later on in another thread saying that he didn't do it -- he got hacked! How is that an explanation for his supposedly calling the kid up and taking the code from him that way? We have no idea, but remember, we didn't say it made sense. We just said it was funny.


• Hey, a ninja from my old realm Thunderhorn! Brud lead a raid with Paranoid and a few PuGs, and then when the Grand Black War Mammoth dropped, he took it and said "ninjaing mount, sry." Sure, he apologized, but it was still a jerk thing to do.
  


• Shadow Syndicate on Exodar had an interesting guild bank ninja recently. Their GM logged on one day and was unresponsive, then proceeded to take everything in the guild bank, all four tabs of it. They sent him tells, they asked him what was up, but he didn't answer at all. Turns out the GM had actually eBayed the character he was using to run the guild, and whoever sold him the character decided to turn back up and take it back. Lame, but then again -- if you bought a character on eBay (which you already shouldn't even bother doing) and were in charge of a big guild, would you use that character as the guildleader?


• Finally, a bombshell: Vicarious on Area 52, one of the top guilds in the US, has apparently been bored in game while waiting for Ulduar. So bored, in fact, that their guildleader is reported to be selling large amounts of gold off to China for real-life money. And not only that, but he's apparently selling loot for RL money as well. There was an accusation on the forums, but it got deleted -- so it's been moved off of the official forums and onto the realm's unofficial forums. There's other accusations in there (favoritism towards certain guild members and a few other things), but wow. We have to echo the first question: Blizzard can track gold sellers. How did that much gold go around (600k is the figure quoted) without them noticing?

DOWNED

• NEED A DISPENSER HERE of Darkspear-H has cleared all Wrath content except Sarth 3Dand will be taking serious runs at Ulduar once it drops. They are actively recruiting Warlocks, Priests (disc and shadow), Boomkin and Elemental shamans, but will consider all apps.


• Horde Defense League on Zul'jin took down Malygos this week, completing all 10-man content. They're 9/15 in 25-man Naxxramas, but need more players! If you're interested in a casual, older raiding group, with no mandatory attendance, and a focus on camaraderie first, then give them a look.
  


• Awakening on Uther dropped KaelThuzad in 10-man Naxx the other week, and joined up with Chaos Incarnate to finish off the Spider, Plague, and Military Quarters of 25-man Naxx. They've also finished off 10 and 25-man OS, and are still working on drakes. They're also recruiting: 1-2 Healers, 2-3 DPS (casters preferred). Contact an officer in game if interested to apply.


• Beartron on Eonar cleared out Naxx 10 the other week, and also OS 10 (with three drakes, we assume) as well. They're seeking a few more healers and ranged DPS, including an elemental Shammy, for the 25-man team.


• Silent Redemption on Feathermoon has downed Malygos 25. Grats!


• Over the past several weeks, Knights of Ni on Dawnbringer have been rocking it. They cleared 10-man Malygos a few times, 25-man Naxx has been conquered, and they've taken out Sarth 1D so far. 25-man Malygos is on notice next, and Sarth 2 and 3D will go down soon after that.


• The Schadenfreudian Slips (winner of this week's Best Guild name award -- someone asked why we didn't have it last week, and it was just because none of the names tickled me) of Hyjal have finally taken down Naxx 10. Malygos 10 is up next, and eventually they're planning to do some 25s together.


• Burnination of Elune cleared Sarth 3D the other night -- they formed about five months before Wrath launched with the goal of downing Illidan, and they've done way more than that since, including completing all of the 25-man raid content in the game so far.
  


• Dissonance of Alleria finally downed Sarth3D in the 10-man version the other night. Grats on the black drake!


• dulcis quod decet on EU Zenedar-H had their first guild Naxx-10 run the other week, downing Arachnid and Plague in quick succession, getting past Patchwerk and eventually calling it on Grobbulus. They're a casual guild looking around for caster DPS and healers to round out the raiding team. If you join, please bring your sense of humour and a reasonable grasp of English.


• The Empire on Eitrigg downed Naxx 25 the other week. This was their first attempt at Sapphirion and KT in Heroic. They send out big thanks to everyone that put in the effort, showed determination and got this done! Malygos is on notice, and they're currently recruiting Hunters, Shamans, DPS Priests and Warlocks.


• ULrebels of Uther-A has finally cleared 25-man Naxx in only their second week attempting it. Not to mention that all bosses were one-shots except for Thaddius who took three. 10-man Malygos has also been finished off, and Sarth 1D got dropped using only one tank. Grats!


• Reroll on Drakkari finally cleared out Sartharion 3D to get the realm first Vanquishers titles. They used a VW tank (which they probably won't be able to do again), and here's the real kicker: the guy who won the drake picked it up and then when asked to show it off, discovered he didn't actually have the epic riding skill. Whoops.
  


• Gurubashi Gurus on Durotan cleared both Obsidian Sanctum and Naxx this week (we're guessing it was the 10-man versions). Malygos is on notice, and then it's onto achievement raiding.


• TheCloakAndDagger of Drenden successfully cleared Naxx 10 the other night on their first run. Next up, they're headed to Malygos, and they want to send out special thanks to the folks from Fail.


• Liquid Courage on Ysera cleared a guild first 10-man Sarth 1D, Malygos, and came within an ill-timed frost tomb from getting Undying. Sarth 2D is on notice.


• Eternal Scars on the Turalyon has cleared VoA, OS and Spider Quarter of Naxx on 10-man. Plague is on notice.


• The Murloc Noise on Rivendare got the Undying achievement on 10-man Naxx, with two new guildies being in there for the first time. Sarth 2D is on notice.


• Enduring Vision of Tanaris took down Heroic Malygos to clear all endgame content to date. Next up is gearing up for 3.1.


• Who Pulled on Aman'thul-H has now cleared Malygos... finally. Took 3 nights of attempts, we hear, with a couple of single digit wipes, but he's finally down. Sarth 1D is on notice, and they're headed up to 3D. They'll report back when they do that -- we're waiting with baited breath.


• Seraph Templara on Daggerspine-H downed 25-man Sarth 1D and bumped their heads up against Malygos for the first time, but he'll have to go down next time.


• The Schwartz of Alleria has downed Malygos 10 but unfortunately broke down after that: the guildleader apparently thought the raidleader was aparently trying to take over the guild (the real question is: was he?). Anyway, they're all in Nouvel Riché now and raid plans are still on schedule. Grats?


• Cubik and Proud Crusaders of EU Hellscream banded together to clear Naxx 25 out completely. Very nice job.


• Electric Sheep of Kargath Successfully did Sarth 3D 10-man for an Alliance first and realm second. Grats!


• Knights Templar on Boulderfist downed 25-man Malygos. Sarth 3D is on notice, as that's the only thing left before the patch.


• Heavens Plague of Spirestone downed Sarth 2D. They're going for all three next week, and everything else before the patch is dead already.


• FYSK on Frostwolf downed Sarth 3D a little while ago. Grats!


• Aint Afraid Of No Ghosts on Kil'jaeden has downed all content except Sarth 3D Heroic (which we assume is on notice) and are looking for Holy Priests and Pallies.


• The raiding collective Adjective Noun Raiding (of Earthen Ring) has downed Sarth 3D. Grats!


• Ruin (on Nessingwary) downed Heroic Sartharion with three drakes, which means they have now officially cleared all 25-man content until Ulduar is released!


• The Vigil on Moon Guard cleared Naxx 10 on their fourth foray into the floating citadel, snagging the Safety Dance achievement as well. It was also their first time up against KT, who they one shotted to add some icing to their victory cake!


• Reign on EU Quel'Thalas managed to get both the Dedicated Few and Undying done in one run the other week. Pretty impressive.


• Shadow on Firetree has cleared all Wrath content with the downing of Sarth 3D. Ulduar is being put on notice early.


• Knights of the Talon on Draka have downed Sarth 10 man with no drakes up in their first guild event. They even one-shotted him, too, and just for the heck of it, took out the 25-man version as well. They're also recruiting -- they're semi-casual and planning to raid 1-2 days a week while learning the endgame content.


• Distortion of Caelestrasz took out Sarth 3D and then nabbed the Dedicated Few achievement in Naxx for good measure. They're heading to Ulduar next when it comes out. They're also recruiting -- please be experienced and ready.


• Lucid on Dethecus-H downed Sartharion 2D. Sartharion 3D is on notice if they haven't completed it already.


• Red Phoenix Crusaders on Twilight's Hammer cleared out Naxx 10, which is quite an achievement considering they only had six active members in the guild a few weeks ago. Congrats to everyone who went in on the raid and helped out.


• Tre Lowen on EU Hellfire downed Sarth 3D Heroic the other night, and apparently there was even some drunken singing in their Vent channel. Can't say we really want to know, actually.
  

RECRUITING

• We Punt Gnomes is a new social / co-op guild on Korialstrasz inviting all classes and levels to join up and help progress through content. Please be mature and casual, ready to have fun while moving forward -- the game should be a game, not a second job. They have a tabard, bank slots, and as they get more members, a Vent server is on the way. Apply on the site if interested.


• MINISTRY OF TRUTH is recruiting Horde players on Winterhoof. With a mix of seasoned veterans and brand-new players still learning the basics, they welcome any player, regardless of class or current level.


• Not The Face, an Alliance guild on Aman'Thul, is recruiting all classes and specs to round out the 25man team. They've cleared all content save Heroic Eye of Eternity, and are currently farming Heroic Naxx. They're de'ing lots of good loot, so anyone who can commit to at least two days of raiding is welcome to come along.


• Northrend Explorers of EU Quel'Thalas are recruiting. They have cleared all Naxx10 and Sarth +1 drake, and are looking for more people to start raiding Naxx 25 regularly. Almost every class and spec needed.


• Echoes In Eternity on Dunemaul-A are looking to recruit easygoing casual players in the Australasia region or up late anywhere else. They're running Heroics now, and gearing up for raids soon.


• Fueled by Ignorance on Baelgun-H is recruiting healers and DPS. They raid two days a week, Saturday and Sunday.


• Scions of Proteus on EU Nagrand are desperately in need of tanks. A DKP system has caused some guild dropouts, and now they need tanks to farm the 10-man content and progress through the 25-man. So if you don't mind DKP, like friendly people, and are preferably over 16, hit them up.


• E M F of Perenolde is on the lookout for quality players. Said players must be able to jump out of void zones, and always be prepared to move out of fire waves! It's true -- endgame raiding is mostly a game of not standing in stuff.
  


• Two Percent on Uldaman-H is looking for some more healers and tanks who want to join their two Naxx and OS groups, with an eye towards Malygos. They are one of the oldest casual guilds on the server, so if you'd like a guild to hang out, quest, instance, and even raid with, but aren't expected to raid 4-5 days a week or forced into respecs, they may be the guild for you!


• Inquisition on Kilrogg is recruiting all classes to help fill out their 25 man groups. They've downed all but KT in 10-man Naxx, Four Horsemen and Thaddius in Naxx 25, and are working on making Sartharion with one drake consistent. They are a fun, nice group of people, and are looking for people who fit in with a tight-knit group and are respectful and mature.


• Dragon Knights on Area 52-A are recruiting any interested raiders to pursue 25 man content. Go say hi on the website if interested.


• Italian Most Wanted is an Italian guild on EU Darkspear and have recently cleared Naxxramas 25 and OS with one drake up. They are a friendly guild but with an eye on progression and are looking for Italian Paladins, Shamans, and DKs.


• Forgot to Wipe on Thunderlord-A is currently looking for DPS and Healers for Sarth 3D and in preparation for Ulduar! They recently transferred to Thunderlord and have all other content on farm, so they're really gunning for the achievement before 3.1.

WoW Video: Forrest GumpDK

I didn't originally think I'd feature Forrest GumpDK. Mojorising created the video to help celebrate the four year anniversary of his guild, The Enigma Order. While I like seeing these videos, it's usually not the kind of thing that appeals to an audience-at-large. After watching it through, however, the warm-hearted nostalgia grew on me. I actually found "Forrest GumpDK" to not only be a "happy anniversary!" card, but also a fond retrospective of raiding since Vanilla WoW.

The video is based off a certain Robert Zemeckis film from the mid-90s. At the end of GumpDK, the main actor is credited as "Tom Tanks." Hey, it's the little jokes that make things work. Basically, the movie starts off following a feather as it drifts down to a tuxedo-wearing Death Knight, sitting on a bench in Stormwind. The DK then begins telling the tale (in subtitles) of how The Enigma Order has been raiding over the past years.

While Forrest GumpDK is talking about his Guild, I think we all remember the days of fighting that big guy who's made of fire, then a dragon, then another dragon. And then, shooting off into "space!" That sense of wonder might have worn thin for some of us veterans, but Mojorising's Forrest gave me a gentle, rosy-glass view of the old times. For that, I thank Forrest GumpDK for a job well done.

WoW 3.1 PTR: Swimming mount video

You may have noticed an interesting little change in the 3.1 patch notes: ground mounts are now able to swim! This made us curious: how does a Mechanostrider swim? How does a Kodo swim? So, Adam and I ran off to the test realms to capture video of it all. And, before you ask, no bears were harmed in the making of these videos. (The Talbuks, though, whose heads seem to be under water even when you're on the surface, we make no promises about.)

Alliance Mounts

Elekk, Draenei Racial Mount



Horse, Human Racial Mount



Mechanostrider, Gnome Racial Mount



Nightsaber, Night Elf Racial Mount



Ram, Dwarf Racial Mount


But that's not all! We've got more mounts just on the next page. Check out Horde mounts and other assorted mounts:

Horde Mounts
Hawkstrider, Blood Elf Racial Mount



Kodo, Tauren Racial Mount



Raptor, Troll Racial Mount



Skeletal Horse, Undead Racial Mount



Wolf, Orc Racial Mount


But that's not all! We've got more mounts just on the next page. Check out Alliance mounts and other assorted mounts:

Other Mounts

Amani War Bear, reward for beating the timers in Zul'Aman (not available since 3.0)



Big Blizzard Bear, given out to BlizzCon 2008 attendees



Charger, Paladin class mount (Horde version)



Talbuk, reward for reaching exalted with the Kurenai or Mag'har in Nagrand



Traveler's Tundra Mammoth, sold by Mei Francis in Dalaran for a scant 20,000 gold (or 16,000 gold if you're exalted with the Kirin Tor)



Zhevra, reward from the recruit-a-friend program

A video guide to faster raiding

This video is entitled "Pull! A Guide to Faster Raids," and it's been produced by Kyth, of Fusion (US-Turalyon H). Set to the backdrop of (part of) a Naxxramas speed run, the video presents some easy tips for raiding faster. It's mostly addressed towards raid leaders, but I certainly plan on bringing some of the concepts here forward in my next raid. You should watch the video - it's well made and fun - but here are some bullet points I've taken away from it:

• Pull fast. Have impatient pullers, have your plate DPS off-tank trash if need be, and don't wait for rebuffs if one or two people die (just do it on the fly).


• Loot fast. Whether you use /roll, DKP, or loot council, make someone in charge of it, and do it fast.


• Set high expectations. Initially, your raiders might have difficulty keeping up with an increased pace if they're not used to it, but within a night or two they'll get used to keeping moving all the time, and you'll have more fun because you won't be standing around constantly.

The last point above brings up an important issue: fun is essential. For most guilds, it's why we raid. Pushing your raiders to play at a better level shouldn't suck the fun out of raids, it doesn't mean you can't joke in vent; it means there's less of what we don't like in raids: waiting while people are AFK, endless ready checks before bosses, and so forth.

Part two of the video is embedded below (and part one above), or you can download the whole thing in high quality from Warcraft Movies (recommended). There's also a web page associated with the video, including links for recommended addons, more tips, a WWS for the speed run, and so on.

[Thanks to Kyth for making this, and for the tip]

WoW Video: Keep Browsing 2

Warning: The language in this movie is not safe for work.

Today on Moviewatch, we take a look at the second piece from MozQ -- his first, Keep Browsing, was a fun little pastiche of geeky clips and fast cuts, and this one is more of the same. The animation has improved a little bit (the effects in the first few scenes with the gnome are done pretty well), but the humor stays about the same, so if you enjoyed the first one, you'll like this one, too.

Between then and now, he's joined up with a group called Silverlined Productions, so we'll expect to see more from MozQ and his compatriots. Their blog says they've hooked up with a music director to make music for them, so keep your ears open for some original music in future productions.

WoW Video: What have you done?

"What have you done?" is originally a song by the Dutch gothic-rock band Within Temptation. For whatever reason, every time I look at the title I can't help but think "What did you do, Ray?" Keyra created a music video for the song, also titled What have you done?

Keyra is totally up-front about the fact that, having used an older machine, the video's framerates suffer in a few places. So, that being said, let's pretend that's not the case for the sake of the review. At first glance, Hot-Blood-Elf and Rocker-Night-Elf sing to each other and walk around a lot. Also, there's angst. Okay, so not ground breaking choices there. But when the models for L70ETC kick in on the chorus, I start feeling like the video really comes together.

I really liked the elements for this video. They're all appropriate to the genre of the song, well-paced, and creative, even while operating in the confines of the genre's memes. (It's a rock video. Guitars, for example, are mandatory. Without them, it's not a rock video. Just ask Slash.) I liked the way Keyra framed the orc singer, and even the Blood Elf guitar player. (Usually, I just want to slap that guy, and this might be the first time I felt someone's made him look cool.)

Overall, I think it worked great. I hope Keyra keeps creating, and gets the chance to rock out on a computer without framerate issues.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

WoW Video: Powerthirst

Hey! Do you want to feel so energetic? Try Powerthirst! Energy drinks for people who need gratuitous amounts of energy!

You're gonna be uncomfortably energetic!

So the video above, by Thesoultorn, leaves a bit to be desired in the animation department, but in reality it's just a mock advertisement for a World of Warcraft in-game energy drink, Powerthirst. The video gets its jobs done quite well, because I now want to go and grab some Powerthirst.

The video reminds me of the (alcoholic) energy drinks high I had during my powerleveling trip I took when Wrath released. I made plans with The Girlfriend for some rather extended and uninterrupted playtime, and I managed to get to 80 in a few days. Of course to accompany me on my journey I had two cases of Red Bull, a one-seven-five of Grey Goose, and an ample supply of tumblers.

I want more Gnomergy!

WoW Video: The Paladin's Way of William

We're getting this week off to a great start with something unusual. William Wallace created The Paladin's Way of William. He has some language barriers, being originally from the Chinese servers. However, the simple and beautiful images he's created easily transcend language, and I think has something to appeal to everyone.

The first half of the movie is hand illustrated, and that's the part that really knocked my socks off. The simple and elegant drawings, painting, and purity of movement does a great job of telling a hopeful and melancholy tale. At it's heart, the story of a cheese vendor who dreams of being a Paladin. I'm not sure I would have gotten that without being told, but the story of common-man-dreaming-to-be-more is clear and obvious.

The last half of the movie involves in-game graphics. I can understand why that happens, and how it portrays important pieces of the story. (Not to mention, qualifies the "Paladin's Way" as being machinima.) Still, the manual art was so beautiful, I found the transition a little jarring.

Overall, this was a great piece, and a wonderful way to start the week.

WoW Video: I Gave You

One of the things I think is most awesome about Northrend is the fact that it adds a whole continent of "real-world" scenes to the game. Outland was so out there that it was hard to use any of the in-game terrain for any stories other than those that took place on another planet, but Northrend is a very grounded place -- while zones like Zul'Drak and Crystalsong Forest can seem very otherworldly, there are zones like Howling Fjord and Grizzly Hills that seem much more normal, if no less beautiful.

Today's Moviewatch definitely isn't a crafted masterpiece -- even the creator says it only took him about two hours to make, but it does show how haunting some of this Northrend landscape is. Just the cliffs of the Howling Fjord are enough to complement this stark little song and give it an extra dimension. I can't wait to see some more of the machinima that comes out of the new Northrend locations.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

WoW Video: Winter Weapons

The movie is apparently based on an old war story told by Selserene's grandfather. I'm not going to spoil it here, since the story is well-conveyed by the characters in the movie. There's a recap and explanation at the end to help make sense of what's going on, in case you don't entirely get it

The movie was satisfying, like all of Selserene's work. An impatient chap, I could have gone with slightly faster pacing, as it took me a little time to figure out what was going on. I want to draw attention to the amount of emotion Selserene manages to convey via her human soldier's face. We're seeing more manipulation of the face model in machinima nowadays, and Selserene makes strong use of that. Angles, slight distortions, and careful shots really help convey the consternation of the soldier.

WoW Video: Defias Mightiest

It might help if you know a bit about the Defias Brotherhood. (Lapdogs! All of you!) Defias Mightiest by Myndflame was originally featured (in part) at the opening of the epic Illegal Danish: Escape for Orgrimmar. This is a pretty neat stand alone music video in its own right, however. I wanted to draw attention to it, especially, because I'm excited about the upcoming release of Death Knights Ride Bikes. It's created by the same folks, and I like their WoW-inspired music.

The pacing and music are both pretty awesome, in my humble opinion. I will admit to being a little disturbed by how long I spent looking at Van Cleef's tushie, but that's kind of part and parcel of the joke. I want to note, however, that the final shot of the video's protagonist overlooking the spires of Stormwind is a strong image for anyone who knows the lore. It's funny that the moment captures the essence of the Defias story so strongly even while taking place in a comedy music video. That says something about the strength of both WoW's lore, but also the power of the machinimist responsible.

If you have any suggestions for

WoW Movie: Tinkle's New Year

Hopefully, we all had a pleasant night last night. X-Cross, the same chap behind Kippos, put this together to wish all of us a happy New Year. It's just a short shout out, with a few jokes along the way. And, of course, a male gnome in goggles and a dress, which can be quite the little humor in and of itself. It'll fit in nicely with some other pieces to help us get our holiday spirit going in the future.

The piece only took X-Cross about 5 hours to do, and he's up front about not considering the animation or the soundtrack to be his finest. All that being said, it was still a nice little "Happy New Year!" which makes it perfect for today. Tinkle is already making the rounds among my email list.

Voidwalker tanks Illidan, for real this time

The other day, in response to a Hunter pet tanking Gruul, I posted a video of a Voidwalker tanking Illidan... almost. The Voidwalker survived most of phase one, which is quite nearly identical to all of the 'humanoid' phases, so to me that was good enough. It wasn't good enough for everyone though, so they're back with a video of the entire fight.

The Voidwalker tanks all of the phases except for the fire elemental phase, because that requires far more finesse than what you can do with a pet, or they can do on their own. The Voidwalker also didn't tank the demon phase, because there wasn't one. Their gear levels combined with the new talents of patch 3.0.2 and the added raid nerf let them beat the encounter without ever seeing an entire phase of it. That's like opening a bag of Runts to find out someone took all of the bananas. The bananas are the best part, you jerks.