Peter's Blog

The big news could be the launch of Peter's Moblog. I got a new phone, a Sony Ericsson k800i as I wanted something with a better camera than my old K750i. This one is 3.2 megapixel and has a proper flash, albeit weedy. When I take pictures with the flash the background tends to be black. As a camera it is obviously not a patch on my Nikon D80 but the D80 doesn't fit in my pocket (I carry it in a backpack camera bag that I bought in Lidl). The k800i is a 'Cyberhot' i.e. branded as more camera focussed than a W series walkman phone.

The latest camera-phones are five megapixel but much more expensive and for me good lenses and low-noise electronics are more important than high resolution.

The flash pictures are a little noisy and the backgrounds are dark but they are ok, much better than the blurry efforts of the K750i. It has a feature that allows it to take nine shots at once, four before the shutter is pressed and four after so you can choose the best one. Problem is this doesn't work with the flash. It shares with the k750i an annoying long delay between pressing the trigger and getting a picture so a pose has to be held extra long. Thats something I love about the D80, photos are INSTANT.

The lens on the phone is very wide angle and one wonders why they bother with an autofocus mechanism. You have to get the phone quite close to the subject to fill the frame and it borders on fish-eye.

Anyway the phone has a built-in facilty to upload photo's as blog posts to blogger so I couldn't resist setting this up. I hate to think what my phone bill is going to be but I hope the moblog can be a non-techy slice of life, mainly watching my daughters grow. I really like the idea that I can update it anywhere there is a phone signal. The main problem with it is getting the portrait/landscape orientation right.

Sometime I may try to integrate the blogs by pulling the moblog posts into this blog.

UPDATE: if any blogspot veterans can let me know why some photos on the blog are disappearing then I'd be grateful.

UPDATE2: according to online billing, each picture post costs about 15p. Not too bad unless I do more than one a day when investing £6/month in a bundle may be better. It seems much faster for browsing so I may be using more data anyhow. Turns out phone is 3G and I could get Sky TV on it if only I didn't live in the back of beyond that is rural Kent. I think one of the G's get lost the other side of Maidstone.

UPDATE3: More notes:

• I like the ringtone I've chosen. The phone is a good music player, quite loud even if it isn't a walkman: perfect for annoying people on long train journeys. It can play CD tracks I've ripped in iTunes.
• Much less interference when talking close to a computer.

It's looking like a weekly news is forming. I won't change the title though.

Maezyn

I ran her around Hinterlands, then did a run from ratchet to Ashzara, Felwood and opened up Winterspring. She did a few quests in Ashzara and Felwood and is now 52. That's on only a handful of quests and lots of rest bonus and skinning bears. Levelling certainly seems much faster, just as well as I only play once or twice a week.

The bears and wolves in Felwood are starting to drop rugged leather. I've got her leatherworking up to 248 but need more thick leather to get to 250 where she can do a little sprint making rugged leather armour kits. She still can't make anything useful to herself but Maexyn is getting plenty of disenchanting materials. In fact Maexyn will have to do some enchanting as she is starting to get items sent to her that are too high a level to disenchant.

Beefy didn't have enough talent points to learn the latest rank of Gore until he was about level 51 but it seemed to make a big difference. He holds agro much better and things seem to be dying a lot quicker (level 51 bears about 15 seconds).

Maezyn has got the 41 point Marksman talent, Silencing Shot. I've used it once, on the guy at the top of a temple in Hinterlands who summons a fel thingy. I used it to pull him away from the other guys and then burnt him down. I don't think it is something I will be using regularly but it certainly looks useful against casters.

Now Maezyn has 41 points in Marksman I have been putting them into Beastmaster. I decided to stick with a Marksman twist and started on Improved Aspect of the Hawk rather than the beast buffing talents. Asking for trouble? I'm tempted to respec her for mortal shots (more crit damage) over improved arcane shot. I want to see those big numbers floating up the screen Agro? Bring it on. Biggest number seen so far is 750 for an aimed shot. Want to hit 1000.

Maexyn

Maexyn did finished off Wetlands and ran Southshore and Darkshire and is now level 30. She got a new DoT for her 30th, Siphon Life, transfers health from foe to her but it looks a bit mana expensive and didn't make a vast difference.

I finally twigged that I should be ROUTINELY using Drain Soul to finish mobs off for the mana boost it gives. She can kill something and still be 100% health/95% mana after a fight. The only downside is that her bags are always full of soul shards which is why I wasn't doing it before. I really need a 'destroy a soul shard' hotkey. Voidwalker is still > Succubus.

I also specced her in 'Nightfall', a nice little talent that gives her a chance at an instant cast Shadow Bolt. These are awesome and can take half a mob's health instantly, a 'die now' button. You lose the mana boost from drain soul but it makes up for it in fun factor. Also, like that hunter talent that I've forgotten the name of, it's something to make a fight less boring, waiting for the eight second window where you can have a blast (in two ways).

She's got the 'enslave demon' talent that sounds fun except I'm not sure there are that many demons in Azeroth to toy with. Outlands should be fun...

Being 30 she can now go on the quest for her own fel thingy, although my research shows it's only useful for pvp and since it involves running around the Barrens I'm not entirely sure I can be bothered.

She did a quest that involved getting a flower from Stalvan's garden and another from Wetlands and when she turned them it at Stormwind she was told to give some guy some beer to drink. The guy drank it and then dropped dead. Then nothing. What? Broken quest. The reward would have been a pointy warlock hat so I was quite disappointed.

Maexyn has been coming into her own recently. I enjoy running her, it's interesting to learn a different class.

Blog*Spot/Blogger/whatever it is has a neat feature to specify your own domain name for your blog. Using this I have set up a new url for my moblog at http://moblog.petersblog.org in addition to http://petersmoblog.blogspot.com.

"Why bother" I hear you scream? Well, if I publish that url and it builds up any kind of readership (we live in hope) then I am free, should the whim take me, to change my hosting to some other platform without losing my audience.

I do care about you.

Enchanting

I had time to do a big tailoring/enchanting session with Maexyn. By repeatedly putting +stamina on her chest she got her enchanting to level 175. I then did the irresistable: bought a pathetic elemental-slaying enchant for 11g (stupid money) just for the weapon glow! She still had a level 6 +1 stamina dagger so I bought her a staff (crappy but cheap, +4 stamina and strength but not much to choose from) and enchanted it. The top of the staff now glows in a rudolph-with-batteries-going-flat kind of way. She bought Maezyn a new +attack power dagger, enchanted it and mailed it to her. Maez will be needing another glowing dagger or she will look imbalanced. With Maezyn I am only using dual-weild daggers so she always has good melee skill and disengage will land: I just don't want to mess around levelling melee weapons.

I'd post a picture of the glow but it's such a pain. It would be easier to take a photo and put it on the moblog.

UPDATE: the glow is more impressive on Maezyn's dagger.

Tailoring

I blew Maexyn's silk stocks and she can almost make level 29 gear, she being 30. Her first aid will have to wait for fresh grinding, although she isn't using her bandages very much (no time to bandage when drain tanking).

I figured out how to scrape the Wow Armory for up-to-date information about my characters using ruby. This means I can do this directly in PetersBlogger without using third party signature generators that disappear overnight or get absorbed into wow gold sites.

   1    require 'net/http'
   2  
   3    #
   4    # Scrape wow character info.
   5    #
   6    def WoWInfo
   7      begin
   8        strRealm = 'Eonar'
   9  
  10        oInfo = []
  11  
  12        ['Pookypoo', 'Maevyn', 'Maezyn', 'Maexyn'].each do |strCharacter|
  13          oCharInfo = []
  14  
  15          #
  16          # Open url.
  17          # Need to specify firefox as user agent as this makes the server return an XML
  18          # file.
  19          # Look the data up in the european armory. Change this for US.
  20          # If this is not done we get html.
  21          oResp = Net::HTTP.start( "armory.wow-europe.com", 80) do |http|
  22                http.get( "/character-sheet.xml?r=#{strRealm.tr( ' ', '+')}&n=#{strCharacter}",
  23                            { 'user-agent' => 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-GB; rv:1.8.1.4) Gecko/20070515 Firefox/2.0.0.4'})
  24          end
  25  
  26          oDoc = REXML::Document.new oResp.body
  27          oDoc.elements[1].elements.each( 'characterInfo/character') do |oElement|
  28            oCharInfo << {:race => oElement.attributes['race']}
  29            oCharInfo << {:class => oElement.attributes['class']}
  30            oCharInfo << {:level => oElement.attributes['level']}
  31          end
  32  
  33          oDoc.elements[1].elements.each( 'characterInfo/characterTab/talentSpec') do |oElement|
  34            oCharInfo << {:spec => "#{oElement.attributes['treeOne']}/#{oElement.attributes['treeTwo']}/#{oElement.attributes['treeThree']}"}
  35          end
  36  
  37          oDoc.elements[1].elements.each( 'characterInfo/characterTab/professions/skill') do |oElement|
  38            oCharInfo << {oElement.attributes['key'].to_sym => oElement.attributes['value']}
  39          end
  40  
  41          oInfo << {strCharacter => oCharInfo}
  42        end
  43  
  44        return oInfo
  45      rescue
  46        return []
  47      end
  48    end

This lot generates the info in this page which is linked to under 'My Characters' over to the right. It should be fairly up-to-date as the cache will flush once a day causing the armory to be requeried. Currently the output is presented in a rails view thus:

   1  <% cache( :part => :wow) do %>
   2    <table>
   3    <% WoWInfo().each do |oCharInfo| %>
   4      <% oCharInfo.each_pair do |strChar, oInfo| %>
   5        <tr><td colspan="2"><b><%= strChar %></b></td></tr>
   6        <% oInfo.each do |oItem| %>
   7          <% oItem.each_pair do |strItem, strValue| %>
   8            <tr>
   9              <td><%= strItem %>:</td><td><%= strValue %></td>
  10            </tr>
  11          <% end %>
  12        <% end %>
  13      <% end %>
  14    <% end %>
  15    </table>
  16  <% end %>

All the work is done by the WoWInfo method which I put in the application helper. I didn't use a controller method for this.

I'm going to think about a nicer presentation with some pictures of the actual guys rather than generic pictures of bald redhead dwarves.

UPDATE: I've added my old Aerie Peak toons to the output but the code above still stands. Lugulas was my old auction alt who I've never named here before, hence level 10 with level 75 (dis)enchanting. I find myself missing them...

The mobile internet on my new phone seems much faster and more usable than it did on my old phone. The main thing that helps is that the phone goes straight to a google search page whereas on my old phone I had to wade through a load of vodafone branding. I am finding it handy to be able to google whereever I happen to be rather than have to remember to do it later.

I think the last time I used the internet on my old mobile was when I had sold my car and needed a taxi home from the wilds of Thurrock, alien territory. I went through the vodafone crap and found a search page and searched for local taxis. I got about three references, one didn't answer, another was limosine hire and the third was a bus company. I walked for miles that day.

I think (the phone doesn't make it obvious) I am using plain old WAP for browsing. I don't think any gprs is set up and I've turned off the 3G search as I have read that trying (and continually failing) to scan for a 3G network is a waste of battery power. The performance on plain old WAP is ok.

At work one of my chores is to set up the email on the managers new smartphones. That job has put me off the hassle of having one of those and the speed that the email downloads at isn't wonderful. I have installed the gmail reader on my mobile and that was much easier than trying to set up imap on a nokia. Oh, if only the company used google apps...

Yeah, sure.

Maezyn

I ran Maezyn around Un'goro and Felwood until she got to level 53 and her rest bonus was used up. After Un'goro I decided to give her a respec. She had five points in 'Improved Arcane Shot' which weren't being used as I am not spamming that like I used to. I decided to shuffle the points around and put them into 'Rapid Killing' and 'Mortal Shots'. I took the two points out of Beastmistress, she is now 100% markswoman.

Rapid Killing

reduces the cooldown on the Rapid Fire buff to three minutes but also gives a 20% bonus to the first Aimed, Arcane or Steady shot after a kill.

Mortal Shots

increases the crit damage.

Armed with these I went on a hunting trip with the bears in Felwood. I'd kill one, send the pet into the next and Aimed shot. The pet engaged before the aimed shot was cast and I'd carry on from there. The best hit I got was 1400 damage but as my crit chance is only 9.3% this only happens on one in ten attacks, normally the opening shot is about 600 damage. The big numbers are fun and, as I suspected, immediately draw agro from the monster but the killing was ruthless. I'd kill a batch of three or four, then stop to loot/skin them all, then continue.

Maexyn

Maexyn was in Southshore. She dealt with the murlocs which were troublesome, she died twice, once without the soulstone(!) and I became disheartened. She went on to the Yeti cave and was far more methodical, no casters in that cave and she killed every yeti with ease. The murlocs are always awkward. I was missing Maezyn's Silencing Shot which is excellent for pulling casters.

Maesyn

With no rest bonus I wasn't going to waste my time running Maezyn or Maexyn. What to do?

• Pookypoo (paladin): still can't face it. Until he can kill at a decent rate (hunter/warlock) it's too much of a slog.
• Sissle (priest): can't help thinking that priest play would be boring too. I'm not so interested in healing (pook can do that) and don't want to group anyway. So why run a priest?
• Lugulas (rogue): I don't have any fondness for rogues or male night elves.

So I rolled a druid. I'd avoided this for a long time because:

• have to be a night elf. Then I realised that running a female night elf wouldn't be so bad.
• hybrid class and hence not particularly good at anything. However, druids have some neat tricks (see below) that should make them more interesting to play than paladins.

Druid neat tricks:

• various forms, particularly cat form with buffs running at 130% speed, travel form with 140% speed, flight form at level 68 etc. Pity that epic flight form still costs 5000g and involves running a heroic In summary, travel is less of a chore.
• teleport to Moonglade. One can avoid boat trips with a hearthstone in the eastern kingdoms and teleporting to moonglade.
• stealth (but are there any useful applications for this? Soloing brd?)

Night Elf Advantages:

• forward somersault(!)
• Sabre mount! With no rep grinding!!!
• sexy female dance. But not for profit!

I named her Maesyn. I was tempted to call her Maecyn but decided that would be a better name for a mace weilder. I found out later that druids can indeed weild maces but too late, she was already made and I didn't want to kill her. So that's Maezyn, Maexyn and Maesyn, all pronounced the same way. Sorry for any confusion, I'm experimenting with the use of a written medium. My first novel will doubtless break the boundaries of english literature but the movie will baffle everyone. UPDATE: because I care so much, I've tweeked PetersBlogger to automatically convert the character names to links to armory profiles! No excuse for confusion now.

It took me 3 hours and 44 minutes to get her to level 10 and I think it was the first time I've done it without dying. She simply pulled from distance, cast wraths until the foe hit, then staffed it to death. Very easy and repeatable (no mana breaks) but I doubt it is representative of druid play (it was funny seeing pet-less hunter lowbies). The Night Elf start area is easier than the Dwarf/Gnome start area with less running about to do. I didn't do that annoying barrow-maze place.

She did struggle around level 8-9 against equal level mobs but mainly because I couldn't find the druid trainer and she only had level 6 skills (including moonfire, which helped). It was only after hitting 10 that a quest led her right up to the guy. It then turned out she could have had 'Entangling Roots' at level 8. I tried this on a spider and it was sublime, I'm going to have fun with that, it will open up new tactics. Without rooting she could just about handle pairs of foes by casting moonfire on them both and exploiting it's DoT while self healing (Rejuvenate: instant cast heal! Paladins eat your hearts out).

I didn't have time to do the bear form quest, I'm looking forward to that one. I bought her a big of the bear' mace but she needs to go to eastern kingdoms to learn the skill to use it UPDATE: hum, there is a trainer in the Exodar, two boat rides away.

I kitted her out with three netherweave bags so she has plenty of bag space. I made her a skinner as I love that so much. As a second profession I think I will make her a herbalist.

I'm debating whether to run Darkshore or send her to Menethil/swim to ironforge/run loch modan/westfall. I'll make sure she is in the right place to get bear form and then decide.

Maesyn will probably be Feral. She will be her own pet!

Question time: does it matter what base dps a melee weapon is when in bear/cat form? Surely the bear/cat aren't swinging weapons? UPDATE: no:

For weapons, until you get to Outlands, you should look for green Two Handed Maces or Staves with a name that ends on "of the Tiger", "of Strength", "of the Bear". Remember that the DPS of the weapon does nothing for forms, it is only about the stat bonuses on it. So often the green weapons are better than blue ones. Once you get to Outlands you should only be using weapons which add Feral Attack Power, you can get one from one of the first quests in Honor Hold / Thrallmar.

http://druid.wikispaces.com/Feral_Leveling

Damn game. Hooked me again.

A comment made to this blog led me to finding some gems for my new phone:

Google Mobile Maps

A java application that does google maps! I don't have a sat-nav as I would only need it about twice a year and it's cheaper to get lost. I usually print a google map before I leave home and make sure I have memorised enough to understand what I am doing.

I'll probably still do that but having google maps in my pocket will put my mind at ease when venturing into unfamiliar territory. I always get panicky when my fuel gets low and I have to find a diesel outlet. These days they tend to be hidden away at the nearest backstreet Tesco rather than being on the main roads.

The application includes a primitive (accurate to about 1km) location finder! And it can show satellite photos(!).

Opera Mini

A much nicer browser than the built in browser. It shows the whole page and you can move around it easily and zoom into the bit you want to read. This terse description doesn't do it justice. Very nice, especially in landscape mode.

I'm hoping the novely of my phone will wear off soon as otherwise I will need a data plan. I've spent £3.60 so far and each google map page is 80k of data.

Google Notebook

Not a java app but a link to the mobile version of Google Notebook. Post notes from your mobile and access them from your desktop without messing with syncing/email.

I haven't used my flickr account for ages, since they made it mandatory to have a Yahoo ID to log in. I have no desire to be a yahoo customer, the company has tried too many times to foist me off with the yahoo toolbar. They are too pushy for my tastes. I wanted to close the flickr account but to do that I had to log in with a Yahoo ID (Catch 22) so it was a job I kept putting off.

I decided to bite the bullet and do it. So that yahoo wouldn't be able to spam me I created a mail account with http://mailexpire.com and used that to create a yahoo ID. mailexpire gave me a transient email address that will expire in a few hours time. All email sent to this address is forwarded to my own address. It took me three tries to get the illegible yahoo captcha right and I was given the usual wilkinsonpeter321 kind of ugly yahoo loser email address. I used it to delete the flickr account and then I deleted the yahoo ID which was barely ten minutes old.

Time will tell whether mailexpire start sending me spam...

I noticed this on the Yahoo sign-up site:

NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site.

I'm not sure if this is a 'may contain nuts' kind of warning for a sign-up page that asks me for my name or if it means something more sinister.