For the Horde!

[lazarus]

WoW's 4.3 patch is out, and it's lots of fun. Some good new instances, for example.

The two biggest changes are:

1. Transmogrification. Basically, you can pay to have any gear changed to look like other gear of the same style (chain, leather, etc.). So I can outfit my iLvl 365 feral to wear Tier 0.5, if I like the looks of that. I just have to get the lower level stuff. Lots of people running old vanilla and BC raids for drops.

2. Looking For Raid. So, one of the new raids has three difficulty levels: Heroic, standard, and LFR. LFR is basically a more formalized PUG. If your iLvl is, I believe, 371 or higher, you can do it. Sign up for your role, and eventually a 25 man raid is put together. One vet signs up as Raid leader, and will hopefully have vent. I can't imagine raiding without vent. Heck, my guild even uses vent for the new instances, it's just a lot faster for communication.

the new raid drops gear that's between the instance iLvl and the Tiered stuff the raids drop. It's a good way to learn raid mechanics and gear up.

My new guild basically has 5 85s and bunch of alts. We're working with another small guild (4 or so) to come over, then we just have a slot or two to fill out, and gearing up. I'm close, but have to take a break as I have Finals next week. The new instances drop 378s! Lots of JP and VP stuff available, too.

Oh, one other change. Darkmoon Faire is now on an island which looks like it was designed by Tim Burton. Lots more quests and dailies. You basically travel to wherever it used to be (outside Thunder Bluff, for instance), and port there. I'm halfway to having enough tickets to buy a pet. Figure it'll be a year or so before I get all the companions at this rate, though.

I haven't played with transmog at all. I'm a tauren feral druid, so I spend all my time either looking like a cow, or in kitty or bird mode, so spiffy armour doesn't matter to me.

Last thing. I assume WoWers have heard about Mists of Pandaria? New expansion set up for a year from now. Panda monks! Everyone's going to be a panda monk!

They're dropping relics for some reason, and apparently they're dropping reforging, which they could have done this patch, for all I care. It's a money sink, you basically have to reforge half your gear whenever you upgrade.