2010: Best of World of Matticus

Every year, we take a moment to look back at the blog and pick out the top World of Matticus posts which generated buzz and discussion. It was a tradition on the blog when I first started writing and I have every intention of continuing it! Some of the more popular posts came from guest posters (to which I am grateful for).

This was another smashing year for the blog as we celebrated our third year of existence. Additional team members were invited aboard to contribute their own insights and perspectives. Even though we may not all share the same opinion, we do share a desire to help others when it comes to healing, raiding and leading.

So who got the nod this year?

Tanks and Healers Should Get the Biggest Rewards

Gordon from We Fly Spitfires launched 2010 with a heavily opinionated piece by stating tanks and healers should get front loaded with gear. Why? Largely because of the perception that those two roles have immense responsibilities. I will say that in today’s Cataclysm game, having gear for tanks or healers is like having more money: You can never have too much of it. The developers have done a much better job when it comes to consolidating gear overall in this expansion.

It Came From the P.U.G.: GearScore Edition

I’ve come to appreciate Lodur’s regular encounters with random dungeon groups. This one stood out because it was around this time that the GearScore addon really took off and players were being graded on their gear more than their skill. One glance at a number is the difference between players trying or not giving you the time of day.

Heroic Entitlement?

Not to be outdone in pickup group adventures, Thespius came around with his own stories. In his case, he had to deal with tanks who felt that just because they were tanks, they were entitled to things however they wanted. No 30 minute Paladin blessings? Fine, hearthing out. Not passing on the bouquet of roses during the Love is in the Air event? See ya! Of course, this isn’t a situation that’s linked exclusively to tanks either. Had a healer once who threatened to drop group and leave if he didn’t one of those holiday hats during the winter event (I was Shadow). I switched specs immediately and toggled on my healing gear and we just 4 manned the rest of the instance while he just sat there. That kid was an embarrassment to healers everywhere.

Why Did You Choose Your Healing Class?

The ever inquisitive Professor Beej posed this question to the readers asking what made select healing classes so appealing to certain players. I chose a Dwarf Priest largely because it was in demand at the time (and I’m so happy I stuck with it because of Archaeology). In any event, I do recall Beej messing around with his Resto Shaman at some point. Now it seems as if he’s migrated to his Priest. We can probably come to the conclusion that Beej is experiencing a mild case of healitus (Or too many healer classes).

Advice on Blogging Safely Without Fear of a Gkick

Blogging can be a dangerous activity. There is a strong chance it might warrant a removal from the guild. As one of the few individuals who’ve blogged as a member of a guild, as an officer of a guild and now leader of a guild, there’s a few things you might want to keep in mind before you go ranting about some Ret Paladin who is making your life miserable by constantly casting Divine Intervention on you every chance they get (Inside joke). The trick is to have some tact when writing. Text can almost always get misconstrued.

10 Reasons People Don’t Heal

You know, healing is an aspect of the game that isn’t liked by a number of players. And it’s completely understandable because there is a ton of stuff going on which just isn’t appealing. Wonder why your heroic queues are taking so long? Well, for one, there isn’t enough tanks. And two, healing is a thankless job. Of course, there’s more to it than that.

Related ID on Blizzard Forums: the Good and the Bad

This past year was not without its consequences either. Lodur voiced his frustrations and opinion. Real ID being enabled on their forums caused a big stir and uproar. It was enough to cause Blizzard to revisit and revise their policies. It demonstrated their willingness to at least listen to their player base. I think Bashiok got a pizza out of it in the end.

Shadowmourne: What do you do with Vanity?

I posted this question to readers when we finished our first Shadowmourne. Turning in the quest came with a variety of vanity items that had their own coolness factor but ultimately did not enhance anything performance-wise for the guild. There were compelling reasons for both selling it on the open market versus handing it out to the guild. After much internal debate, I gave a sell order (and a few items went to guildies at a reduced price). I have no regrets as the money gained helped boostrap Conquest into Cataclysm.

Reserved Loot in Pickup Raids

Poor Thespius and his PuG luck. He ran into the wall that is “Loot Reserved”. The one item he wanted to go after was just off limits to him. Loot reservation isn’t a new concept. It’s been around in previous expansions and is a way of securing a reward for the time and effort by the leaders of the raid. For the guy on the other side of the coin, it isn’t fun at all.

See you all in 2011!

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