Here’s the verdict: I’m not going back.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that assassination is better than combat. Based on what I read, both are good specs for raiding. It’s simply a matter of preference and I have to say that I really like assassination at this point. Note that this is coming from someone who prefers swords over daggers, so I didn’t go into this with high expectations. I just wanted to see what the fuss was about.

So, comparisons. I think I’m going to have to write about the details in a separate post. The short version is that DPS in assassination is a bit harder because I have to maintain Hunger For Blood. By maintain, I mean I have to make sure it’s always stacked at the maximum (3) and then I have to remember to keep it up. The second thing that makes it tougher is the skill rotation. Mutilate is expensive at 60 energy. I have to keep Slice and Dice up while using Mutilate to acquire combo points. I already mentioned that I have to maintain Hunger For Blood too, right? I see this as a temporary problem that I have to overcome. Right now, I think I just need to find the right groove.

I’ve been having a hard time classifying what kind of guild we are. At this point, I think it’s safe to say that we’re a casual raiding one. Our approach to the game is still not as serious as other guilds are, but at least now we actually take the time off to raid. I’m just hoping that we can continue the push till Wrath hits.

On a personal note, I respecced to Assassination to give it a taste. I’ll write about that later.

Anyway, thanks to the nerfs by patch 3.0.2, we finally cleared it. I’m actually looking forward to progression at this point. The expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is less than a month away. It would be nice if we could somehow clear Zul’Aman before that.

Which brings me to the next issue: loot distribution. We saw two examples of how loot can become an issue during our Kara run, so I need to find a way to prevent it from escalating. Right now, I’m looking at various DKP systems, so I hope I’ll be able to find one that suits all of us. Again, we’re all friends, so it shouldn’t be too hard to convince everyone to use shift loot distribution, but maybe I’m being naive.

I am also the guild master of a group of friends in World of Warcraft, a position that I love and have grown to occasionally dislike at the same time. How I became the GM is sort of a coincidence. Back when we were new to the game, I was the only one who studied the guild creation process. When we executed it, I became the guild master. Since then, no one has protested.

It’s a position that I have carried for two years. I’m only writing about it now because it never bothered me before until recently. It was only during the last couple of months when I felt the responsibility, pressure and burden of—well, leadership. I know it’s only a game, but when you’ve got ten or so people relying on you for progression, activities and events, it’s not as easy to dismiss. Thankfully, WoW has more than enough content for everyone and the Kara raid, something we’ve been organizing for the past two weeks, has given me a personal boost. I’m glad we cleared it. It’s certainly an uplifting way to end an otherwise stressful week.

So there you have it. My first WoW-related post. Hopefully the loot system will push through this week. I just hope my guildmates respond well.

Now that we have that out of the way, I’m looking forward to writing more enthusiastically this month. Think of it as a soft re-launch with a better focus.

Technorati Tags: world of warcraft, blogging, announcement