Firelands is coming!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCfWHqrYUqo

So something big is coming.. in the next week or so. No, it's not a shark (though I really really want an underwater raid at some point...), it's Firelands!

And are we ready? Well, the elite guys are gearing up--they've spent countless hours on the PTR, they've been gearing up their alts, honing their team roster... I'd say they are ready as they'll ever be. And the race should be exciting, too.Something I know the elite teams like. It can't be much of a competition if there aren't a lot of teams trying to stake their claim for the top spot. And wish them all the best of luck in their pursuit! If you're like me, you'll be watching as closely as humanly possible (without actually breathing over the shoulder of an elite raider) and you may even have your favourites that you're rooting for.

Another change coming with patch 4.2 is the nerfing of the first tier of normal raid content in Cataclysm. This is an inevitability that we're used to by now but it is often received with a mixed response largely based on where we might be in the raiding content. Most of us are not elite raiders so it's likely we're still making our way through the various bosses and for those still working on the normal modes, the nerfs to those fights can feel like a relief or a disappointment. I mean, just because you're in a casual raiding guild does not necessarily mean you always want things to feel 'easier.' But nerfing is part of life in an MMO like WoW.

I've put a new poll up on my research blog about your reflections on where you are with first tier raiding content as we stand at the transition into the next tier. Let me know how it went for you! http://www.raidingresearch.co.uk/?p=878