Prepare for Trouble

Today I have caved and done something I've been thinking about for a long time.

I created Wizard101 team rocket.

Yes, Jessica and James Star are out there in the spiral stealing poke--uh pets, and causing general mayhem.

They're fire and ice.

Dang.

I think I'm turning into a Pokenerd.

~Heather

The Sporting Life

I've been watching a lot of PvP recently. And whether I've been supporting my friends, or just watching random matches I've noticed something. There are lot of bad sports out there. PvP is really the 'sport' of Wizard101. So why not treat it like the sport it is?

Okay as some of you might know, I am not a big sporty person at all. Once upon a time I thought 'March Madness' was football. (I know, I know. Please don't hurt me. I was young and foolish!) But something I have been taught and have learned over my life is the value of sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship that is.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sportsmanship thus:

Sportsmanship: conduct (as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport.

Does that sound all that hard? Really now? Okay it kind of does, but trust me it's not.

The integrity of the game is everything. - Peter Ueberroth 

I think that there has already been a lot said about cheating and spamming in PvP by people much more experienced than myself, so I won't pretend like I've got that much more to add. Just, play nice. Don't abuse the system. It might be nice to win, but think about the cost. If your a spammer, nobody is really going to like you all that much. 

Sports do not build character. They reveal it. - Heywood Broun 

Don't accuse people. Of... well anything really. Saying it like it is, and accusing people of random bad stuff are different. Accusing people just antagonizes them and makes people generally feel bad. 

Fans don't boo nobodies. - Reggie Jackson

One thing I also have been noticing is the lack of respect of the fans/audience/spectators of PvP. Cheering on your friends is one thing, ragging on the opponents is another. It's not cricket old boy. 

Also chatting away like you're in the nearest Starbucks is really distracting to the players and it's disrespectful. I can speak from experience, when I was playing with KCK there was a lot of excess chatter that was very distracting. I mean have a good time, by all means! But if you want to discuss with your friend whether your outfit looks good for the up coming party you're both going to, try to whisper or group chat it. (I mean it was so bad I had to put people on my ignore list because I couldn't stand their chats running through my box all of the time.) 

Something else I've learned as a spectator, if you feel the need to remind someone of the rules, or you would like to point something out to them, generally instead of smacking down, it's more effective to state it cleverly. 

Victory is in the quality of competition and not the final score. - Mike Marshall

Winning isn't everything. Winning doesn't make you famous or popular. Playing cleverly does. 'Nuff said.

Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play. - Mike Singletary

I think most of all PvP should be fun. I think that whether you're playing with old friends or new, it should be a great time to learn and challenge yourself to play the game better. To become the best player you can be! (This sounds soo... olympian.) 

I think sportsmanship is knowing that it is a game, that we are only as good as our opponents, and whether you win or lose, to always give 100 percent. - Sue Wicks

I think as both competitors and as spectators, we have to be advocates of good sports and fair play. Not like, go out and take down every team that is bad. Or get all preachy. Just do. Support people who play well. Whether they're your friends or not. If you play, play well. It's pretty simple when you think about it.

One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it. - Knute Rockne

So the point of this is really to remind everyone just like a little post-it note stuck to the edge of your computer screen. Play well. Be respectful as a spectator. Have fun. It's a game. Yes it's a challenge. But it's a game. 

~Heather

paraphernalia

Here's just a little status update because I couldn't even stand how deep and wordy this blog has become!

I beat Wysteria in an afternoon! Yay! I personally like Wysteria a lot.

Then I went on a Helephant tower run with some friends, but Wizard101 crashed at the final boss! That was not fun. But we did it again the next day and finished it off. 

Our team and Headmistress Belladonna Crisp and a random dude

 Yesterday I decided to get the funny new badge Napoleon Complex.

You know I love my Time Bandits quotations!

While on the one hand it might be considered as referring to Napoleon Bonaparte, it could just as likely be referring to Napoleon Solo! I am inclined to believe the latter.

The "Napoleon Complex" is an established phenomena where you daydream about becoming a suave spy on the side of goodness, with razor sharp wit, a cool name, a great tailor, and a very wry Russian side-kick. 

~Heather

An Autumn Leaf Falls

I am a sentimentalist. And a romantic (A deadly combination I assure you). So when I heard that Autumn was archiving Homework in a Graveyard, and that she was retiring from the Wizard101 blogdom, I became very sentimental. I could go on about how I've always admired her blog, and how many good times I've spent as the result of her kindness and ingenuity. But a picture's worth a thousand words.

So if you a newer to the community or the Wizard101 blogdom, take a minute to check out HiaG. Pursue the archives. It is one of the best wizard101 blogs ever created. I bow down to Basil. And never forget, TENURE FOR DORGWYN!

~Heather

On How KI Drives Me Cuckoo for Cocoa-Puffs Some Days

Yes this is going to be a rant, but I have constructive criticism and specific complaints!

I have three things. Number one: The new pet display page (hotkey I).

Old display

New display

Okay besides the fact that it looks totally janky, there is no way you can convince me that having to click over to view the derby talents and then back to the 'regular' talents is more functional. I mean, why did they even mess with it in the first place? I can see no good here. So... I'd like the old one back please!

Number two: The Wyvern's Hoard Pack.

The one and only pack I have bought

Okay so when the Dragon's Hoard came out a while back I busted almost 2,000 crowns (all I had) on them. I did not get what I was really after, which was that awesome sword, or anything else that I deemed either cool or useful. I watched my friends spend huge amounts of crowns trying to get the items they wanted. It made me really glad that I had a limited amount of crowns to spend. I think adding a feature like this into the game is not .... healthy. If any of you can remember WAY back to when there was the big backlash over wishing wells (Here's a TFN post talking a little bit about it) well I was painfully reminded of that when DH packs came out. The only difference is the fixed price and the way they package it. Basically it's gambling. It's like buying a lottery ticket. You know there is a jackpot, but will the odds turn in your favor? Eventually you can continue buying lottery tickets and then you'll have more and more chances of getting the jackpot. You aren't guaranteed anything but spending money. Who's the one winning? KI! Right. They want to make money, that's reasonable, they are a company and it's part of how you keep the game running. But there are alternatives. What they could do is have a DH or WH pack and then offer select items from the pack in the crowns shop so someone who just wanted that really cool sword, or bone dragon mount could get it. But of course at some expensive cost, so that the DH/WH packs would still be appealing. "Ooh I have a chance of getting something for only 399 crowns instead of 7,500! I guess I'll buy one!" But obviously they don't want to do that. They want to make as much money as possible with the DH/WH pack system. (I seriously hope they prove me wrong here.) Also did anyone else notice that they, just happened to not release it on the test realm, they saved that surprise for live? Are they so worried that they will get so much backlash that they won't even let people test this feature?
Well until something gives here there will be no more Wyvern's Hoard packs in Heatherville. Because as the old saying goes: "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."

Number three: No new houses.
This makes me sad mostly in combination with the other two things. "A janky pet display and a new gambling pack, and NO HOUSES! WHAAAAAA! D': " I know I wasn't the only one who thought that they were going to be coming out with this update. I would have liked to have had them with this as well because Wysteria is so short it would have been nice to have something else to do (but no, we got WH packs to spend time on instead. xD).

If you've gotten this far you're probably saying to yourself, "Well Heather what in the heckhound do you like?" I really do like Wysteria. I plan to hang out there a lot. :) And I also like that the teleporters are available to craft and to buy for crowns! I was very pleased with that decision. I like crafting so I can just craft them, but they are available to all people (not just GM artisans who have access to Celestia) to use them! Yay! Fun with teleporters for all!

Okay now I'm off to enjoy the new world of Wysteria. End rant.
~Heather