In the space of twelve hours this weekend, I ran into four bugged and impossible quests. if it had been one or even two I may not have minded much. But four seemed like a lot, especially considering they were all group quests and one of them was necessary to complete a larger chain.

On Friday night I ran the crypts of Auchindoun with my guild, the Forgotten Legion. It was a solid run with only one wipe at the very last boss when a shadow-clone got a lucky hit on our healer. I had two quests for the crypts: “Auchindoun . . . ” and “Everything Will Be Alright“. After the boss died, someone in my guild started talking about a giant crystal face floating above me. I thought he was joking. I looked all around and saw nothing. My guild mates targetted the giant face, D’Ore, but when I targetted them I couldn’t see it. I filed a ticket with a GM. This quest was the next step in a massive chain in Nagrand where you free the spirits of the orcs of Garadar, so i really wanted to complete it.

At the entrance to the dungeon there should’ve been the spirit of a grandfather to accept the quest “Everything Will Be Alright”. I couldn’t see him either. I amended the GM ticket and was alternately consoled and mocked by my fellow questers.

I stayed online for a few hours, hoping I could get a GM response. I also emailed the GM group at Blizzard. I went and quested some more and then logged off. One of the absolute worst features of the GM system at Blizzard is that the moment you log off–or in some cases disconnect–your GM ticket goes away. You get an email saying it’s being looked into, which I don’t believe for a second.

On Saturday morning I logged in to quest again. I hit the Blade’s Edge mountains and teamed up with a group to do missions for Rexxar, Hero of the Horde. It seems there were some ogres that needed poisoning and killing and a wyvern to rescue. This lead to the now infamous “Showdown” quest, which is notoriously bugged. When we finally got to that part after dealing with the insane respawn rate of the elite ogres we found that the giant mob we were there to summon was already there, chilling out, watching us kill his minions. He didn’t seem to mind and was very nimble as he evaded every attack I threw his way. I filed a new GM ticket and was disgusted with Blade’s Edge, so I moved on to Netherstorm and the quests of Area 52.

Near Area 52 I happened upon a downed Fel Reaver and a goblin who wanted his heart. i teamed up with a druid and rogue who were in the area and we started the quest, only to find that the heart was spawning deep underground and unreachable. I amended my GM ticket, again. Later, while questing, I noticed that the ticket had disappeared without a GM so much as contacting me. So I posted on the Customer Service forum.

Four bugged group quests. Two GM tickets that were never answered even after waiting over four hours. All of my emails to the GM department were returned with automatic responses telling me first that the quests were working as intended and that I needed to read the quest log closer, then that it was a known issue, then that my information was useful to Blizzard and they would add it to their own and then, this morning, a note saying that I should address my queries to the accounts billing department. Because apparently the billing department now handles bugged quests.

The bugged quests are annoying but the utter lack of customer service is appalling.

There are many quests in the Outlands that are vast improvements on their terrestial counterparts. The dialogue is snappier. The show is flashier. The bombing runs are . . . well, there are bombing runs. One of the funniest quests yet is “Digging Through Bones” and can be found at the Sha’Tari Outpost in Terokkar Forest. A group of Dwarven archaeologists led by Chief Archaelogist Letoll need escorting and protection on their way to a dig site.

Yes, it’s an escort quest. But the dwarves are badass and dont really need much protection. The quest is listed as Group, but it is very easy to solo.

You escort them across the wastes, past two scorpions, and to the dig site. They begin digging and then they begin talking, and that is when things get interesting:

Chief Archaeologist Letoll says: We’re here! Start diggin’!

Chief Archaeologist Letoll says: I think there’s somethin’ buried here, beneath the sand!

Chief Archaeologist Letoll says: By Brann’s brittle bananas! What is it!? It.. It looks like a drum.

Explorers’ League Researcher says: Wow… a drum.

Explorers’ League Researcher says: This discovery will surely rock the foundation of modern archaeology.

Explorers’ League Researcher says: Yeah, great. can we leave now? this desert is giving me hives.

Chief Archaeologist Letoll says: Have ye gone mad? you expect me to leave behind a drum without first beatin’ on it? not this son of ironforge! No sir!

Explorers’ League Researcher says: This reminds me of that one time where you made us search silithus for evidence of sand gnomes.

Explorers’ League Researcher says: Or that time when you told us that you’d discovered the cure for the plague of the 20th century. What is that even? 20th century?

Explorers’ League Researcher says: I don’t think it can top the one time where he told us that he’d heard that Arthas’s “cousin’s” skeleton was frozen beneath a glacier in Winterspring. I’ll never forgive you for that one, Letoll. I mean honestly… Arthas’s Cousin?

Explorers’ League Researcher says: I dunno. It can’t possibly beat the time he tried to convince us all that we’re actually a figment of some being’s imagination and that they only use us for their own personal amusement. That went over well during dinner with the family.

Chief Archaeologist Letoll says: Shut yer yaps! I’m gonna bang on this drum and that’s that!

Explorers’ League Researcher says: Say, do you guys hear that?

Chief Archaeologist Letoll says: IN YOUR FACE! I told you there was somethin’ here!

And then . . . well, I won’t spoil that, too.

My deadline has come and gone, and I am still at level 58. Le sigh. The brass ring illudes me because something odd happened at this level.

I ran out of solo-able quests.

So here I am, so close to 60, and all I have are a handful of (Elite) quests, and about 10 BRD quests. Last week, there were only three 60s in my guild, but we merged with Imperium Brotherhood over the weekend. Hopefully, with the larger ranks, I can get some questing done between classes.

- Guest Author Victoria Stewart

If Blizzard really wants to see the game properly, the developers should have to play the game for at least 2 hours with a 7 year old. Every detail is scrutinized, every unclear instruction debated, every over simplified storyline has to be filled in and God forbid there should be a glitch.

I was in Darnassus with my 7 year old when suddenly she jumped off the second story of a building and sat down in the water near by and refused to move or talk.

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I have abandoned my quest for “tier 0.5″, otherwise known as Dungeon Set 2. This article outlines pretty much all the problems with it.
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Here are some good details of post-Scourge stuff for after your server has won 150 battles. (Shadow Council did it early Sunday morning, my time, so my Sunday morning crew just missed the temporary Scarlet Monastery graveyard boss.)

8 days after the Scourge invaded Proudmoore, the invasion is over. The new Scourge bosses have all disappeared from the instances, and the necrotic runestones are no longer spawning around the countryside. All that’s left are Argent Dawn agents in each of the capital cities handing out greater marks of the Dawn like candy.

Thankfully, the collection quests from Light’s Hope Chapel are still there, and will remain a permanent fixture. So get grinding for your 18-slot bags, people!

Also, those of you who found letters and missives and handed them to the Keeper of the Rolls at LHC, probably would have received one or more sealed research reports in the mail. They aren’t supposed to start a quest or give you any additional conversation options, they are simply meant to direct you to NPCs who can sell you friendship bread and freshly squeezed lemonade

– From the Black Swan Guardians BBS, thanks Jeremy

There’s this little shop in the Apothecarium in Undercity, and they sell just one item, a Field Testing Kit. I wandered by there, time and time again, wondering, what the hell is this used for? Why a special merchant and vendor? What’s this all about.

Today I found out. If I never see Alessandro again, it will be far too soon. If I have to kill another goddamn scorpid or hyena or basilisk and test its goddamn remains again, so help me god, I’m gonna be ill.

Yes I used WTF for 2 posts in a row. Sue me. So one of the things I love about World of Warcraft are their obscure references to just the most random shit. Like the quest I was recently on for the Samophlange. So the Samophlange comes from the old cartoon Thundercats. But it’s got an even more specific reference to a soundclip from a set of flubs that got out about 8 or 9 years ago. I kept them around because they’re just a ton of fun. So if you are looking for a Samophlange here’s why :-)

If you want the whole set of flubs grab em here.