Episode 5 - What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a new expansion)

Episode 5 - What to Expect When You're Expecting (a WoW expansion)   Show Notes   Welcome back for episode 5 of Solo Queue and welcome to you if this is your first time listening.   1. Opening thoughts Coming to you from the westernmost island of Pandaria, in the Townlong Steppes and looking for any sign of a land mass that could host The War Within.   I am predicting a TWW launch of Tuesday, August 27, 2024.  I dare you to disagree.   Absolutely enjoyed my conversation with longtime WoW player and podcaster Gershom in the first interview episode a few weeks ago.  Freeform conversation was a fun change of pace!  Thanks Gershom!  @huntergershom on the Twitter.   2. News and updates • Hearthstone's 10th anniversary, yet another exhibit in a growing mountain of evidence that I am getting old. • Warcraft 1 and 2 now available in the Bnet launcher. My kingdom for the time to jump into them. • SoD phase 2 is off and running with new runes, level 40, and the Gnomergon raid. If you want to preserve some of the Discovery in SoD, but don't want to wander blindly around Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms looking, head over to Preach Gaming to make use of their riddles to hint your way to the location of your class runes.  It's kind of a fun middle ground for SoD round 2.  https://preachgaming.com/2024/02/09/sod-p2-rune-riddles/ • The Love is in the Air holiday wrapped up, with everyone somehow hating pink and angry they can't get one of the uglier mounts in WoW. There, I said it.  And not out of bitterness.  Not sure I have even attempted it, and certainly not more than three times.  Everyone needs to chill around the season of love.   3. 2024 Roadmap Update • 2.6 is still a mystery, but it is coming soon • Launch of alpha coming? Roadmap has it in early spring just after 10.2.6.   • Hard Mode Self-Found mode goes live on Feb. 29 - TOMORROW! No mail with other players, no AH, no trading of any sort, and only one death!  I am looking forward to trying this, though time might be limited for me.   4. Main Topic - What is there to do in retail WoW with TWW still many months out?  Some suggestions from me. • Leveling alts - Go and enjoy leveling. Don't treat it as a chore.  Lots of story to find, memories to chase, and each toon is another in your stable of alts! • Heritage Armors - There are now 20 races with a heritage armor available, some based on level and rep, but plenty with quest chains. Quality might vary, but if you have a favorite class or want to dive into some lore of a new class, get in there! • Legion Class Order Halls - Similar to Heritage Armors, they provide an opportunity to explore the denizens of Azeroth, but through the 12 classes available in Legion. These are a good way to level new characters and dive into some details of a specific class.  Can be a long haul with some reputation obstacles (Exalted with Nightfallen), but maybe repeatability will ease with Warbands in TWW?  Mounts and class sets on offer. • How about the small group, instanced content of: • BfA Warfronts • BfA Island Expeditions • Shadowlands Torghast Again, mog and mounts on offer with all three.  Sure they each had their issues, but you are a big, tough level 70 champion now.  What are you afraid of? • Dip your top into mog and mount farming, and what better way to start than here in Pandaria with the four main World Bosses: Galleon, Nalak, Ondasta, and the Sha of Anger?  Each drops a mount, most of them highly sought after.  Here is my tip: get toons on a low-population RP server, and it is rare to ever see anyone else farming them.  Why is that good?  No waiting around for the 15-20 minute spawn timer.  With rare visits, the bosses are often just up twiddling their thumbs.  My further advice:  camp a few toons at Isle of Thunder to farm Nalak.  Camp a few toons on the big part Pandaria, hitting Galleon, Sha, and Ondasta, then hearthing back to the start.  By the time you do that loop and log into the next character, your first boss is nearly or possibly up again.  Rinse, repeat, ride the mount that drops.  And, special bonus in the show notes, a macro that will let you see your attempts on these four.  Sadly, it is only on that character, so get your calculator out!   5. Outro A tired throat and the need to pack for a trip to France has me wrapping up. Thanks to all of you supporting, including the Solo Crew patrons Andrew, Righteous Bandy, and our newest patron ThatSkyGuy who arrived by donating a Solo Queue logo!  See it on the Twitter account header. Thanks all sound, music, and voice peoples at Blizzard. Thanks to the guys in OGRE for their killer music! @soloqueuewow on all the socials, Gmail, and at Patreon.com. Typing this from Logan Airport about to head to Paris!  Can't wait for the adventure.  I will tell you all about it in March!   I'll see you out there!