Doora's Exploring

Ethical Dilemmas

2007-12-07T13:15:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Vyst, Maluna, and once more Sullivan (who this time sent me a some cash, a full set of fledgling armor – see left – and a BUNNY pet. I shall name him Mr. Fluffles.) And as you can also see, Doora has achieved her first green (uncommon) level item!

But that’s just the small stuff. Level 6, by now, and Doora’s travels have kept her constantly hopping (Fluffles willing) from one spot to the next. As described in my last post, things are rather frantic – you try struggling to meet the XP deadlines of four zones simultaneously, without exceeding any of them. Yet this is the least of my worries, for by now we’re entering the dubious twilight zone, pun unintended, of ambiguous quest chains.

Firstly, let’s take a look at all the different words Warcraft uses to soften the impact of its endless bloody kills. There’s “cull,” or “cleanse,” or “thin,” or “purify,” or even “destroy,” and when you need to do some serious corpse-looting you’re “retrieving” items. It’s honestly hard to resist – one becomes so accustomed to the mindless slaughter, that I still find moments where I’m still instinctually thinking of ways to slay my foes. So are we becoming accustomed to murder-by-numbers in this way? I think I’ll leave that question to the nosy politicians (but for the record, I take my cartoon massacres with a grain of salt, shaken, not stirred)

Still, there are certain objectives that don’t sit so well. For instance, cooking quests often require a gristly assortment of leftover animal parts. I can’t collect these myself, heavens no – but I can hire adventurers to do my dirty work! (I tried asking for donations, but after getting 2 spider legs in four days of beggary, decided a little incentive was long overdue) It’s an age-old question, mind you. If these creatures are going to be slain anyways – if for no reason than to satisfy some greedy traveler’s unquenchable thirst for XP – I might as well go the noble savage route and vulture myself out.

Jackpot!

Even more dubious is the question of escort quests, which invariably have you rescuing a wounded, dazed, or otherwise incapacitated ally NPC (non-player character). While aiding and abetting poses no qualm for Doora – she’s big on spreading the love and kindness – it’s the thought of rogue NPCs acting of their own accord, with no regard for Doora’s moral compass, that troubles me. Often very reckless, your escorts will charge into battle without warning. Think of it as a kind of pre-emptive self-defense? Which is all fine and well and good for riding the land of dastardly fiends, but it leaves Doora in quite the pickle. She’s fine with healing the injured and all, but if her very presence is instigating fights? She’ll just have to swallow her reservations and take it on a case-by-case basis.

One thing I’m noticing, sadly, is that a lot of gathering tasks have combat pre-requisites. Whatever happened to moral choices, Blizzard? I’m a conscientious objector. Pledged a vow to never spill cyber-blood. Dodged the draft! And look where it’s gotten me. Working minimum wage Fed-ex delivery jobs. Doora’s a freelance papergirl. Bottom of the food chain. Social commentary? I think so.

Even papergirls can use some hired help, though.

There are exceptions, of course. “The Perfect Stout” is one of them, a dwarf quest with multiple avenues of approach – you can go around maiming your enemies and stealing from their bodies, or play it the safe route and gather the goods from nearby baskets. Somewhat ironic how Teldrassil, the tree-hugging elf-land, has the fewest non-combat quests – whilst Dun Morogh, home of the ambitious, industrialized dwarfs, has the most (Granted, most of those revolve around alcohol, but I digress). The quest had me traipsing about the icy foothills, intent on absconding a collection of herbs for the local brewery, when I ran into trouble.

I think some of the nicest people I’ve met so far are the “newbs,” beginners who have yet to become entrenched in the hierarchical structure of late-game power struggles. When you don’t know what you’re doing, you tend to be a lot more friendly, I think… I guess when you’ve seen the same thing a hundred times over you develop a “do-it-yourself” attitude. And become very vocal in informing others of that opinion.

But when I got stuck between a mob and a hard place with this Perfect Stout business, Dun Morogh was falling all over itself to help me out. There I was, I was trapped dead on a frosty plateau – work of some nefarious ice trolls – and a whole gaggle of adventurers came running to free me. In addition to securing my freedom, these kind souls swept through the Trollish stronghold, giving me undisputed access to the Shimmer Fronds I so desperately needed. It was the perfect scenario – a mutually beneficial arrangement, where I tended to my new friends’ wounds after combat, and we were able to fulfill our goals simultaneously, in our own different ways. Quests like this give me hope. Besides, I make an awfully good parasite!

If you squint real hard, you can see both huts occupied. By Troll corpses.

Stay tuned, loyal readers. Next, Doora heads to the Darkmoon Faire for some well deserved R&R.

ADDENDUM: Earthen Ring Forum Post Here!

Off the Newb Boat (Part 2)

2007-12-04T13:35:00.001-05:00

Doora’s famous!

Okay, maybe it’s not your average, run-of-the-mill fame. Maybe it’s approaching some lunatic level of infamy that’ll result in white-coated men busting down my door to drag me away to electro-shock therapy in a pretty, pretty straitjacket (though I would get to hug myself all day long). Either way, you can’t stop the signal.

And you can’t stop the tram, even if the Flightmasters go on strike. Yeah, I’m all over the place.

Anyways, Hand of Valor, a Role-Playing site run by a certain special Samaritan called Sullivan, is the first to get the scoop. And to follow suit, the Earthen Ring forums will soon be getting a very warm hello by yours truly. What’s it all mean? Well, aside from some long-overdue publicity on my part (hint, hint), the experiment is striking a chord with some folk. Unfortunately that chord tends to reverberate in a negative way for a few people – making Doora’s travels rather tedious and apathetical as of late – but the good greatly outshines the bad.

Sorry my friend, I've no idea how to pronounce your name.

Take, for example, Volodymyr. This paragon of pint-sized virtue went out of his way to escort a fledgling Doora about his native Dun Morogh, risking life and limb to defend her from a nefarious Troll incursion. Doora, of course, couldn’t engage in the violent revelry, but she was more than happy to mend his wounds. This illustrates the first rule of Doorasploration – when possible, use an innocent bystander to tank for you.

While by no means do I wish to abuse this concept – jeopardizing Doora’s pacifisim by licensing murder-by-proxy on her behalf – I’m perfectly fine with acting in another’s wake. If some mighty slayer was to axe the resident Kobold population anyways, I might as well scavenge a few of their valuables, eh? I prefer to think of it as honoring the dead, or at least, giving their short, futile lives a sort of placeholder significance.

Thank you, anonymous mute Priest buddy in the distant background!

As you may have noticed, these pictures aren’t following any particular rhyme or reason. Neither is Doora – at this point, she’s happily skipping from one newbie area to the next as I scramble to complete lowbie quests before they gray out. This will be a consistent challenge; maximizing my returns on low-level objectives whilst simultaneously digging my heels so I don’t progress past them. I anticipate things should cool down by level 10 or so, but at this stage it’s so very easy to accidentally level (never thought I’d hear myself say that) and if I want to get as far as I can, every little bit helps. That, and I’m slightly paranoid of forgetting a quest, since they are scattered all over the place. If you spot any that I don’t have listed under the Checklist post, please let me know! In the meantime, I’ll keep on scampering about.

Stay tuned for next time – difficult moral conundrums will ensue!

Off the Newb Boat (Part 1)

2007-12-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

And now, a little philosophy:

Doora’s Explorings is a completely peer-funded journey. Without the help and kindness of the Earthen Ring server I wouldn’t get anywhere! As part travelogue, part social experiment, Doora needs YOU (neither for the army, nor to prevent forest fires) to help her achieve her goal. You lose a lot of income when you swear off combat, so I’m accepting donations of every caliber for armor upgrades, training, and flight expenses. A potion here, a buff there – every little bit helps!

So why a druid, you ask? Well, being a steward of nature is fitting for Doora’s peace-loving ways. But moreover, our furry feral friends are master escape artists. When venturing into areas wildly beyond my power level, I’m going to be doing an awful lot of fleeing. That settled, here’s the good stuff.

Baby’s first quest. Elune works in mysterious ways.

So a bit of clarification here. Doora is a pacifist character, but that doesn’t stop her from completing quests that don’t involve bloodshed. Often, of course, rampaging monstrosities guard mission objectives – but by clever avoidance, or by nibbling at the table scraps of less scrupled adventurers, she can do her duty after all.

The first day’s trials led Doora to eschew her native Teldrassil in favor of less-purple climates. Remember that in order to get full rewards from low-level quests, you have to complete them before progressing too far – otherwise their experience (XP) value depreciates. For the layman, this experience is a sort of mathematical limit on your digital avatar’s proficiency. You need 400 XP to go from level one to level two, for instance, and once you do your character becomes stronger, able to withstand more punishment. Thus you’re constantly progressing, but so too are your enemies.

The journey begins

Because Doora refuses to slaughter the natives for experience, she’s of course going to be lagging behind substantially. The run between the Elf and Dwarf zones is an inaugural trial-by-fire, the Wetlands being infested with devilish crocolisks. But with adversity comes random acts of kindness. It’s a package deal.

Thank you, Aahzz! Your valor is such that I’m willing to overlook the alpha and the omega in your namesake.

Slain and resurrected more than a few times on my journey (death being little more than an inconvenience in Azeroth), I made my way from one newb zone to the next. Though not before suffering a little verbal sparring.

Doora’s fame (or infamy) has begun to spread. I now advertise upon entering new areas! Just don’t take the opportunity to ridicule her. Every epic adventure starts with a little heraldry.

Next time – Dwarfland!

Checklist

2007-12-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

This is a spot for me to jot down the non-combat quests I have pending. If I go too long without completing these objectives, the rewards will atrophy and Doora won't be able to go as far! This post will update often. If by an incredible chance I make it past 30, this list will need to be re-tabulated. Quest information retrieved from WoWhead.

Teldrassil

- The Woodland Protector (Complete)
- A Good Friend (Complete)
- A Friend in Need (Complete)
- Dolanaar Delivery (Complete)
- The Emerald Dreamcatcher (Complete)
- Recipe of the Kaldorei (Complete)
- A Troubling Breeze (Complete)
- Denalan's Earth (Complete)
- Timberling Sprouts (Complete)
- The Relics of Wakening (Complete)
- Temple of the Moon (Complete)
- Elixirs for the Bladeleafs (Complete)
- Mist (Complete)
- Heeding the Call (Complete)

Dun Morogh

- A Refugee's Quandary (Complete)
- Coldridge Valley Mail Delivery (Complete)
- Tools for Steelgrill (Complete)
- Scalding Mornbrew Delivery (Complete)
- Bring Back the Mug (Complete)
- Bitter Rivals (Complete)
- Ammo for Rumbleshot (Complete)
- Beer Blasted Boar Ribs (Complete)
- The Perfect Stout (Complete)
- Rejold's New Brew (Complete)
- Shimmer Stout (Complete)
- The Lost Pilot (Complete)
- Tundra MacGrann's Stolen Stash (Complete)
- Stonegear's Search (20)

Elwynn Forest

- A Threat Within (Complete)
- Egan Peltskinner (Complete)
- Rest and Relaxation (Complete)
- The Fargodeep Mine (Complete)
- The Jangodeep Mine (Complete)
- Lost Necklace (Complete)
- A Pie for Billy (Complete)
- Back to Billy (Complete)
- Young Lovers (Complete)
- Speak to Gramma (Complete)
- Note to William (Complete)
- A Bundle of Trouble (Complete)
- A Fishy Peril (Complete)
- Further Concerns (Complete)
- Find the Lost Guards (Complete)
- Discover Rolf's Fate (Complete)
- Report to Thomas (Complete)
- Deliver Thomas' Report (Complete)
- Cloth and Leather Armor (Complete)
- Westbrook Garrison Needs Help! (6)
- Elmore's Task (9)
- Report to Gyran Stoutmantle (9)

Azuremyst Isle

- Inoculation (Completed)
- Spare Parts (Completed)
- The Missing Scout (Completed)
- Word from Azure Watch (Completed)
- Red Snapper - Very Tasty! (Complete)
- Find Acteon (Complete)
- The Great Moongraze hunt (Complete)
- A Small Start (Complete)
- I've Got a Plant (Complete)
- Precious and Fragile Things Need Special Handling (Complete)
- The Missing Fisherman (Complete)
- A Cry for Help (Complete)
- Learning the Language (Complete)
- Totem of Coo (Complete)
- Totem of Tikti (Complete)
- Totem of Yor (Complete)
- Totem of Vark (Complete)
- The Prophecy of Akida
- Search Stillpine Hold (9)
- Coming of Age (10)

Darkshore

- Flight to Auberdine (Complete)
- Return to Nessa (Complete)
- Body and Heart (Complete)
- The Family and the Fishing Pole (Complete)
- Gaffer Jacks (10)
- Easy Strider Living (9)

Loch Modan

- Stout to Kadrell (Complete)

The Barrens

- Root Samples (10)

Stormwind

- Harlan Needs a Resupply (Completed)
- Package for Thurman (Completed)
- Wine Shop Advert (Completed)
- Humble Beginnings (10)
- The Corruption Abroad (18)
- A Donation of Wool (20)
- Speaking of Fortitude (20)
- A Noble Brew (25)
- A Donation of Silk (30)
- Malin's Request (30)
- James Hyal (30)

Ironforge

- Deeprun Rat Roundup (10)
- Find Bingles (12)
- Speak with Shoni (15)
- A Donation of Wool (20)
- A Donation of Silk (30)

Darnassus

- The Temple of the Moon (Complete)
- Nessa Shadowsong (Complete)
- The Bounty of Teldrassil (Complete)
- Trouble in Darkshore (14)
- A Donation of Wool (20)
- A Donation of Silk (30)

The Exodar

- A Donation of Wool (20)
- A Donation of Silk (30)

Moonglade

- Moonglade (Complete)
- The Great Bear Spirit (Complete)
- Back to Darnassus (Complete)

Seasonal

- The Darkmoon Faire (Complete)

Arguement

2007-11-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

I always did love to travel.

Well, okay. One can hardly call roaming a game server travel in the conventional sense, but the novelty's still there. Have you ever dreamed of exotic lands? Salivated at foreign cultures? Flummoxed at your bank account's limitations? Then the World of Warcraft welcomes you with open arms.

For a puny fifteen bucks a month, you get to dive headfirst into the land of imagination, replete with magic, mystery, and space-goats. Climb the tallest mountain. Chart the ancient jungle. Assault the frosty citadels (This last one forthcoming). Unleashed from such puny things as social niceties, you can wander to your heart's content.

Or until the wonder dries up.

Your level 70 Affliction-specced Warlock is decked out in full Burning Crusade T6. If you've got no idea what the technical jargon says, reader - this means you can destroy anything that so much as looks at you funny. The challenge loses its appeal. The game is in danger of becoming just a game (and not the epicenter of your life.) You're bored.

Fear not, brave soul. There are still ways to recapture the enchantment. Start a naked disco party. Organize a gnome-punting contest. Or, level a pacifist character.

See how far you can get without swinging a blade or casting a spell. It's not easy, is it? Good. You're looking for the ultimate handicap. You're looking for Doora, an explorer. And like her famous namesake, she'll guide you throughout the land, though without the annoying monkey. She'll show you how to level by virtue of exploration XP alone.

It's a long, lonely path. Fraught with peril and frustration. Do you have what it takes?

(You're advised to roll a Night Elf, for corpse runs alone.)

And So It Begins...

2007-11-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

Moonfire Enterprise Presents
In Accordance With the Cenarion Circle
A Save-The-Treants Production

Doora's Exploring

Going from Zero to Thirty without firing a shot
(No moonkin were harmed in the making of this webumentary)