I tell you, this is not a story I ever thought I would have to give this much thought to. Having done audio and written toils for years now in promotion of World of Warcraft without the slightest hint of recognition or thanks on the part of Blizzard. Hell, I don't know any independent bloggers or podcasters who have seen any recognition of their work done to support this game, promote it, and help those who play it.
Then came GM Zevaryn. Last night I put a ticket in about a horde player who had a horribly non RP name and had tried to ninja an ore vein I was mining. I hoped from Medros to Arita shortly after, but GM Zevaryn messaged me a few minutes into that character and expressed sadness that both of these problems had come up. While I had the GM, I asked a couple of questions. The first being whether the Outlands uncommon quality gems had been removed from the loot tables of the ore veins, as I haven't seen a single green, and over a dozen blue gems since 2.4.
Zevaryn went out of their way to research this and find me as conclusive an answer as they could. They said that the drops had not been removed, but could not give numbers on rate. While I think this person is incorrect or mis informed, they still did try to research my question. They worked for it, and did their best.
My next question was if they had read this blog or listened to the All Things Azeroth podcast, which they hadn't but I hope they will. I gave links and encouraged the GM to drop by and give me their thoughts, even if it was in private. Then, just as the discussion was about to wrap up with the let us know what you think spam, I decided to throw out one last bit to see if I could get a conversation out of this.
"I tell ya, I am trying really hard to not cover all this Alpha leaks stuff, especially when I see your bosses doing nothing to help the little guys out" was my opening, and it led to a good conversation of the reasons why we should not report this stuff, and why so many sites are reporting it. I made the point that when sites like Gamespy and other's get in person reports from Blizzard, a beta or alpha leak for a small blogger is like manna from heaven.
Zevaryn was understanding and conciliatory about the complaints I made and advised me where I can go as a writer and podcaster to get my plight in the hands of those who can actually do something about it.
So here is my decision on leaked news. I will report it in part, but not explicitly. I will not report 'this is happening in alpha' as my post, but I will mention and link to the Alpha wiki in posts that are connected or related to the alpha leaks. Just please keep in mind, folks, that any and all of the content from the alpha which is being leaked can and may well change 5 minutes after it's posted there.
I assure you, my readers and anyone from Blizzard who has stopped by, that this is far better than the original plan I had which took more of a scorched earth approach since I see this leaked info as news. There is a lot of exciting stuff on the wiki, and every time I stop by I am reminded how excited I am to see all of the incredible stuff coming in Wrath of the Lich King.
Then came GM Zevaryn. Last night I put a ticket in about a horde player who had a horribly non RP name and had tried to ninja an ore vein I was mining. I hoped from Medros to Arita shortly after, but GM Zevaryn messaged me a few minutes into that character and expressed sadness that both of these problems had come up. While I had the GM, I asked a couple of questions. The first being whether the Outlands uncommon quality gems had been removed from the loot tables of the ore veins, as I haven't seen a single green, and over a dozen blue gems since 2.4.
Zevaryn went out of their way to research this and find me as conclusive an answer as they could. They said that the drops had not been removed, but could not give numbers on rate. While I think this person is incorrect or mis informed, they still did try to research my question. They worked for it, and did their best.
My next question was if they had read this blog or listened to the All Things Azeroth podcast, which they hadn't but I hope they will. I gave links and encouraged the GM to drop by and give me their thoughts, even if it was in private. Then, just as the discussion was about to wrap up with the let us know what you think spam, I decided to throw out one last bit to see if I could get a conversation out of this.
"I tell ya, I am trying really hard to not cover all this Alpha leaks stuff, especially when I see your bosses doing nothing to help the little guys out" was my opening, and it led to a good conversation of the reasons why we should not report this stuff, and why so many sites are reporting it. I made the point that when sites like Gamespy and other's get in person reports from Blizzard, a beta or alpha leak for a small blogger is like manna from heaven.
Zevaryn was understanding and conciliatory about the complaints I made and advised me where I can go as a writer and podcaster to get my plight in the hands of those who can actually do something about it.
So here is my decision on leaked news. I will report it in part, but not explicitly. I will not report 'this is happening in alpha' as my post, but I will mention and link to the Alpha wiki in posts that are connected or related to the alpha leaks. Just please keep in mind, folks, that any and all of the content from the alpha which is being leaked can and may well change 5 minutes after it's posted there.
I assure you, my readers and anyone from Blizzard who has stopped by, that this is far better than the original plan I had which took more of a scorched earth approach since I see this leaked info as news. There is a lot of exciting stuff on the wiki, and every time I stop by I am reminded how excited I am to see all of the incredible stuff coming in Wrath of the Lich King.
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