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Wednesday 15 April 2015

Warlords of Draenor - Month 5

 
Garrisons:
Level 3 Garrisons - Paladin, Warrior, Hunter, Shaman, Priest, Mage,
Level 2 Garrisons - Druid, Death Knight, Rogue
Level 1 Garrisons - Alliance Warlock
(Monk is still level 80 for Herald of the Titans)

I levelled my Mage up without using the /castsequence macros like I had with the Priest and Shaman. Unlocked Harrison Jones (with Treasure Hunter trait) and have recruited a whole heap of other Treasure Hunters.

Gear & Raids:
McTacky - Item Level 670/661 (Ret/Holy)

I have started running 'LFR Blackrock Foundry' with one of Xyn's alts in Friday Nights. Still running 'Normal Blackrock Foundry' with the guild on Sunday nights. Making progress on the Legendary Ring quest because of all this.

Pets/Mounts/Toys:
Finished off Raiding with Leashes III: Drinkin' From the Sunwell achievement. Purchased a Mechano-hog off the Auction House!

Trade Skills/Fishing/Archaeology:
All trade skills maxed out done now. No fishing this month. No archaeology this month.

Thoughts
I am still having run with patch 6.1. Less mindless fun this month and more focused on specific things at a time.

Friday 10 April 2015

McTacky Saves Noblegarden (Part 4 of 4)


Early in the morning, Master Blood Knight McTacky was waiting for his followers to wake up. Finally Aeda Brightdawn, Vivianne, Shadow Hunter Rala and Olin Umberhide leave the Frostwall Barracks.

"What is all this?" asked Vivianne, seeing McTacky's eggy handywork.

"Noblegarden!" said McTacky, proudly.

The four followers exchange a look.

"Mon, you really thunk we be impress with this?" asked Shadow Hunter Rala.

"We're not children, commander!" pointed  out Aeda Brightdawn.

"Nevermind! It is our day off Commander, we don't have to put up with your pointlessness this time," said Olin Umberhide.

"Half-day!" reminded called out McTacky.

The group ignored and walked away up to the hill towards the Garrison flight master, Bron Skyhorn.

Harrison Jones however appeared to be having fun hunting eggs, dragging along all the new Treasure Hunter recruits as his 'assistants'.

"Watch out kid! You almost stepped on an egg!" said Harrison Jones.

"Sorry Doctor Jones," said the recruit.

"You always have to watch where you are stepping. You could step on the letter J and almost fall down a bottomless bit," said Harrison Jones, using his archaeology brush on the egg before picking it up. He was clearly taking the egg hunt way too seriously.

But they appeared to be enjoying themselves.

"So, what treasures did you end up putting inside?" quietly asked Senior Sergeant Atain the Orc Blacksmith to McTacky.

"Some money and a bunch of Balanced Weapon Enhancement and Braced Armor Enhancement," said McTacky.

"Gear upgrades, that is generous," said Atain, "it looks like Noblegarden a success."

Atain picked an egg off the ground and took a bite off the top before McTacky could stop him.

"Uh, how does it taste?" said McTacky, worried about the Lead OreNitroglycerin, Sodium Nitrate and Time Magic used to accelerate the cooking process of the chocolate.

"Strange. Raw and spicy?" said Atain, confused.

"It is a delicacy," lied McTacky.

"Delicacy? You went all out for Noblegarden! I misjudged you, Commander" said Atain, taking another bite of the chocolate.

Atain burped and a jet of fire came out of his mouth.

"I really have to get going. Busy. Things to do..." said McTacky, backing off as a look of realisation crossed Atain's face.

"Where are you going, Commander. You haven't had any chocolate yet!" said Atain, advancing on McTacky with a cruel savage smile on his face.

"I have to pass. I'm not particularly hungry," said McTacky, stepping backwards from the hulking Orc Warrior.

"I must insist, Commander! It would be rude to refuse!" insisted Atain.

Terror entered McTacky's eyes as he was forced to bite into the chocolate.

"I must go now," said McTacky, if he hurried he could make it to the out-house in time.

"The whole egg!" insisted Atain.

McTacky gulped in fear, accidently swallowing the first bit of chocolate that had been in this throat. Already he could feel his stomach burning up.

"Really?" asked McTacky.

"I really insist," said Atain.


(((Hours and One Whole Chocolate Egg Later...)))
"We're back, half-day like you said, Commander," said Vivianne.

McTacky sat dazed inside the Town Hall.

"No new orders?" asked Aeda Brightdawn.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh," groaned McTacky, eyes glazed over.

"Mon, you look like you need a half-day," asked Shadow Hunter Rala.

"Nevermind. We'll just take the rest of the day off. See you tomorrow," said Vivianne.

"Merry Noblegarden, Commander" said Olin Umberhide, as the group he left.

Thursday 9 April 2015

McTacky Saves Noblegarden (Part 3 of 4)

Master Blood Knight Aloysius McTacky had put "treasures" in the "chocolate" eggs and wrapped them. Now he had to place them around Frostwall Garrison.
 
 

 "I can't hide the egg here on the snow! It really stands out!" said McTacky to himself.

In fact if McTacky hadn't painted the eggs at all they would be very easy to hide in the snow.

 
"The path isn't much better. I painted it too well." said McTacky to himself.
 
Hiding eggs was hard. He would have to pit them in shadows and behind things for there to be any challenge.
 
Noblegarden Challenge: How many eggs in this image?

Wednesday 8 April 2015

McTacky Saves Noblegarden (Part 2 of 4)


(((External Establishing Shot: Frostwall Garrison Tavern at night.)))

Master Blood Knight Aloysius McTacky, Commander of the Frostwall Garrison, sat inside the tavern, Loupe in his eye as he carefully painted an egg.

"It is late, I need sleep!" complained the Bartender. It was the dead of night and McTacky was keeping him up.

McTacky paused painting the egg and looked up at the Bartender.

"I need space to work and the Jewelcrafting Workshop is out in the cold," pointed out McTacky.

McTacky, satisfied he answered the bartender's question, went back to painting.

"Why not just go downstairs to the kitchen then?" asked the Bartender.

Interrupted, McTacky paused painting and looked up again.

"I can't work down here. No room left. I have Gorok processing my stockpile of Cocoa Beans into Chocolate," said McTacky, "good thing they stack to 200 bags."

McTacky tried to resume painting, but the Bartender kept talking.

"But the process of Fermentation, Drying, Winnowing, Roasting, Grinding, and Pressing beans into chocolate can take over 2 weeks, you only have a night," said the Bartender.

Irritated, McTacky slammed down his Paint Soaked Brush and took out his Loupe his eyes, and glared at the Bartender.

 
 
"Which one of us has a cooking skill of 700?" asked McTacky.

"You..." said the Bartender.
 
"Which one of us has a cooking skill of 6?" asked McTacky.

"Me...." said the Bartender.

"I think I know more about making chocolate than you do," insisted McTacky smugly.

"As a Illustrious Bartender, I know something about Fermentation. You can't do it overnight," said the Bartender.

"Sure you can. You just have to have the right recipe," said McTacky.

The Bartender looked worried.

"What did you add to the Cocoa Beans?" asked the Bartender.

"Nothing that bad," said McTacky, "just a little bit of Lead Ore..."

"LEAD!?" demanded the Bartender.

"Not much. Not much. The lead content is within acceptable safety limits..." defended McTacky.

McTacky got back to painting the eggs, but he messed up a line when the room shook from an explosion from downstairs.

"What was that?" the Bartender.

"The Nitroglycerin and Sodium Nitrate I guess," shrugged McTacky, "that Orc Chef, Gorok, really has to be more careful, I am trying to concentrate here."

"Are you insane!?" demanded the Bartender.

"700 cooking skill. 6 cooking skill," reminded McTacky at the Bartender, fixing his mistake he made on the egg with some more paint.

"It still won't work," said the Bartender, "you don't have enough time, even with the dangerous ingredients."

"That gives me an idea. Go downstairs and cast Time Warp on the chocolate over and over. And hurry Bartender, every second counts" said McTacky, off in his own world, painting eggs with the care he would cut gems.

"I have a name," grumbled the Bartender, heading downstairs of the tavern. It was going to be a long night.

Tuesday 7 April 2015

McTacky Saves Noblegarden (Part 1 of 4)

Master Blood Knight Aloysius McTacky stood over the Mission Table in Frostwall Garrison. A group of followers, Aeda Brightdawn, Vivianne, Shadow Hunter Rala and Olin Umberhide enter.

"I have a new missions for each of you, it will take 24 hours," said McTacky.

"It is Noblegarden tomorrow, we were wanting time off, Commander," said Aeda Brightdawn.

"Noblegarden? Bah Humbug!" said McTacky, "these are critical missions!"

"Critical? It is for 'extra experience' again, isn't it?" asked Vivianne, sceptically.

"No!" lied McTacky.

Vivianne's lifeless eyes peered into McTacky's soul.

"Maybe," said McTacky.

The gaze from the Forsaken Mage pieced McTacky's mind. It burned!

"Of course it is!" admitted McTacky, breaking under the pressure.

The four followers groaned.

"That is all we ever do!" said Aeda, "it is pointless! The four of us are already skill capped."

"Only the new followers get to do the +gold missions with their Treasure Hunter trait." defended McTacky.

"We want Noblegarden off!" said Rala.

"You are not getting a week off!" insisted McTacky, "this planet doesn't even celebrate Noblegarden! It isn't even spring here!"

"A day!" said Olin.

"A half-day! You get a half day for Noblegarden tomorrow," said McTacky firmly. He was the Commander of this Garrison and by the light, he was going to have a smidgen of respect around here.

The group of followers grumbled as they left the great hall. McTacky crossed his arms, irritated. He needed those Big Crate of Salvage for items inside to level up his new gold-finding followers. This half-day would delay plans.

 

That night was another cold night. It still felt like winter, far from the spring weather Silvermoon was now experiencing far away. McTacky rosed from his sleep by a noise outside..

Aloysius McTacky sat up in his bed. The sound was like a chain dragging across the ground.

"Who is there?" demanded McTacky, bellowing out into the dark.

"The Ghost of Noblegarden Past," lied Atain, Orc Warrior, Blacksmith, & Drudge. He was moving supplies from the forge across to the pile outside the great hall.

"Can you do your blacksmith-whatever more quietly, I am trying to sleep," said McTacky.

"Asleep already? You must have worked fast," said Atain.

"What do you mean?" asked McTacky.

"It is traditional for nobles and lords to hide coins (and sometimes treasure) inside painted chocolate eggs," said Atain.

"So?" asked McTacky, getting impatient.

"You are the Commander of this Garrison. So it is up to you to do that!" said Atain, rolling his eyes.

McTacky realised in horror that the Orc was right, he had to save Noblegarden!
Déjà vu! Wait... he's not even in supposed Silvermoon this time!

Friday 3 April 2015

Obligatory New Characters Model Post

McTacky from November 29th 2014 on the left.
McTacky from Today on the right.
 
First I notice is that the belt buckle and tabard logo are less squashed horizontally. Also the shoulder armour fits a lot better. The boots don't have that bugged brim at the top. Not seen here but Capes work better.

The only problem is that the belt is still too thin to hide all the entire tabard gap.
 

Left: Old. Right: New
 
Obviously the face has more detail and definition. The hair and eyes are far enchaned as well. But there is also geometry differences, the face is more filled in, and with two prominent nasolabial fold clearly seen.
 
Combine the shoulder armour fitting, the filled in face and the nasolabial folds, it overall makes McTacky look like gotten older and more mature.