Connecting - You have been disconnected from the server

This was definitely the least smooth launch I've ever had, simply because I wasn't even able to log on. After finishing my daily errands, I logged on at about 11 pm my time, two hours prior to launch. At lauch I lagged like mad, just like everyone else, got stuck on a loading screen, was teleported to Shrine, had no portals, flew to the Stormwind portal in Paw'don, was stuck on a loading screen and got disconnected. After that I spent about an hour trying to log on to no avail, while the friends I was on Skype were managed to get a good amount of quests done in Draenor. So not everyone had a rough launch. I'm perfectly fine with lagging in game at launch, it's just a part of it... But it was a little disappointing I didn't get to experience so much of that rush this time, the madness of trying to tag mobs before anyone else's finger could tap their key. Or being stuck in a huge swarm of helicopters, like in Pandaria, which seemed like a very smooth launch at first.

I'm not complaining, though. So far Warlords of Draenor seems like a very good expansion, and the questing was made perfect. No question about that - from me anyway. I love that you don't spend ages questing in the same place in an area, but do a couple of quests here and then move there. It is the perfect style of questing for me, and I love it, as well as the "events." I am not level 100 yet, although I stayed up for over 24 hours on the day of the launch. Or maybe that is why, since my leveling efficiency wasn't very high a few hours into the expansion.

Well, what kind of a launch did you have? Have you been present at any other WoW launch?

Well, well, well - look who we have here

I did the inevitable. I took a break from WoW. My last blog update, and the only blog update of 2014, until this one of course, was in January; but no, that's not when I started my break. That's perhaps when I should have started my break. Should I have had my break then, things might be quite different from now. But no, I did the worst thing I could do - went mysteriously inactive for a time too long, and announced my break to what was left of my guild sometime during the summer. Kinsey was on a break, Lanfranco was on a break and not even certain if he'd play in Warlords of Draenor or not. I made the decision to put down the mantle of the Hex Machine for the time of my break, and made a trusted guildy the guild master. But that didn't work out, and the guild remained rather inactive until my return in the midst of this month. I made my return the night before the Warlords patch went live. The following day, there I was again, on World of Warcraft, alongside my good friends and co-guild masters Lanfranco and Kinsey, feeling excited about the game after so long. Lanfranco's face looked bloody awesome.

I returned to be a part of no raid team. I returned burdened with feelings of sadness, guilt and regret - feelings I'll probably never be able to shake off completely. I returned to a dying guild - yes, it is about time I admit Menagerie is a dying guild. Our Menagerie. The least I can do is lay the guild to rest honorably, just once I can gather my bones together to be the guild master I should have been all along. It's not impossible that Menagerie would one day rise to raid again, but for now I don't possess the motivation, energy or time to do it. And, I secretly admit that I'd like to be just a regular raider for a while. Imagine me saying that! I, who once said I could never imagine not being a guild master anymore. But now, as I've been that for over three years now, I could swear I'd never take that position again. It is an exhausting job, and I truly give my respects to anyone who can do that actively for years.

Finally - after four years and over 200 attempts.

 To be honest, I made a terrible guild master in the first place. I am too proud and too stubborn for a position like that. And too kind, as well. I never really understood why anyone would like to be in a guild with Nicasia as the holder of the highest rank. Must have been because of Kinsey and Frank. I enjoy being very hard on myself emotionally, and carrying the weight of a guild on my shoulders just isn't a good addition to that.

But yet, to have been the guild master of Menagerie is one of the greatest honors I have received in my life, and an experience I have learnt much from. Each and every member of the guild, current and past, has my heartfelt thanks for being a part of that crazy ride. Menagerie achieved a lot, not only in the way of raiding. While guilds are known have lived longer than that, not many do in the end. And not many mean as much to their founders as my guild does to me. No other guild will ever be referred to as my guild, for there is no guild I can feel as proud of as I do of my Menagerie.

Level 100 shaman talents

As I first saw the level 100 talents for shaman on Wowhead, it didn't take long 'till I had found my favorite.

Yep. Storm Elemental Totem definitely sounds like the best choice for raiding, particularly when we're talking about single-target oriented fights. It also sounds like the best one for Brawler's Guild style soloing - and I do hope we get new Brawler's bosses for level 100, since that was definitely one of my favorite features in Mists of Pandaria. And of course I'll welcome any new elemental companion. What will this one be called, air or storm idiot? Gusting idiot? I do wonder, though, if it will either replace one of the existing elementals, or if it can be summoned simultaneously with either of the two.

At the moment I don't play enhancement on any shaman of mine, but I don't get the "I'm definitely not going to get that one" feeling from any of the talents considering that specialization. I have to say that none of the talents sound particularly exciting for restoration, at least from my point of view. So far it looks like I'll be going for either Storm Elemental Totem or Rainstorm on my resto shaman Damjan, who I've really enjoyed later in Mists of Pandaria.

For elemental, Rainstorm sounds like the average passive talent. Very simple, no need to worry about it or think about it. One that I might consider going for if I was new to the class, or if I didn't play it as main.

If Reach of the Elements was passive for elemental, I would probably go for it in most situations, even if they nerfed its AoE effect. Exceptions would be those where I need extra burst and the Storm Elemental would come in handy. With my current talents I've tried to maximize sustained DPS over burst, which is a decision I've been rather happy with. I'd like to continue doing so with a passive talent like this one.

Naturally some, or all of the talents will be changed somehow before they go live. For now, you can view all the current talents here. If we leave the shaman subject for a moment, some talents for other classes that I really like include Defile for death knights, With or Without You for hunters and Death from Above for rogues.