/moonkindance

The forum's been a bit slow tonight, so I thought it'd be fun to have a Q&A of sorts: Players could ask us -- the other mods and I -- questions about being a Game Master, or our personal preferences, and we could answer... at least to as much of an extent as we dare on a public forum.

So, what would you ask of a Game Master? ;)

Q u o t e:
How do you deal with me constantly trolling this forum?

Well, at least I used to...this new 1 post per minute thing is totally throwing off my rhythm.

By the way, the ignore function is NOT an acceptable answer.

<_<

Odd, I'd swear I heard something. It was muffled, though... must have been my imagination.

Q u o t e:
I'm curious, what sort of work environment do you have? Is it like cubicles, or do you get nice large open plan areas?

The GMs I've spoken to allude to their area being rather like a dungeon with no windows, but there was this one that commented on the Everlasting Fountain of Coffee.

May the Coffee Machine never run low on consumables!

There are large open areas with cubicle like stations set up, with many computers, and comfortable chairs! We have offices as well, for various departments and positions - as well as places for meetings to take place, a break area and coffee break room. No one is too secluded from anyone else; it's a rather big and happy family. ;)

We are very fond of coffee here, and our supply is rarely low - I'm not sure I can ever recall us being out of coffee. *grin*

Q u o t e:
If it's a slow night with in-game petitions, do you ever find yourself having discussions with other players about various things?

I remember having a few really cool chats with GMs about random things before and it's always been great. :)

While productivity is always a major concern of ours, and there isn't nearly so much downtime as you may think -- as Benjamin Franklin said, "Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes... and petitions" -- there are occasionally opportunities to speak with players more casually while addressing other issues. Speaking from personal experience, I've had some quite long conversations about pie (I'm fond of Banana Cream), the epic battle raging between pirates and ninjas, and the question that shall plague humankind until the end of time itself: "What happens when The Unstoppable Force meets the Immovable Object?" Some mysteries of the universe, I'm afraid, were never meant to be fathomed.

Q u o t e:
You could probably say that with a lot of the gaming industry - very coffee driven. :P

Honestly, I'm not personally fond of coffee, unless cream and sugar almost completely mask its bitterness. I love the smell, though.

If my body craves caffeine, I need only saunter over to the cooler for a crisp Mountain Dew. Aah, refreshing! *makes thumbs-up sign*

"Pavonum receives loot: [Large Bag of Money]."

Q u o t e:
Just out of curiosity, what sort of gaming background do you come from? Ie. Have you played games for a long time or is Blizzard your first experience? Have you played some of the classics like Dune II, Command and Conquer, Doom I?

Well, World of Warcraft is my first MMO, but I've been playing console and computer games for years. My beginnings were humble -- Intellivision and Wolfenstein -- but I've played just about every major system since then. I'm especially fond of the Metal Gear Solid series, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES. I can't say my experience with computer games is quite as extensive, but I did play Doom I when I was younger, as well as Sim City 3000, in which I enjoyed loading up pre-made cities, destroying the mayor's office, and generally wreaking havoc. About the only genre I haven't really explored -- except for pony care... well, there was one time -- is sports. I can't stand them in real life (I was in Debate in high school, not Football), so why would the virtual world hold any more thrill? :P

Q u o t e:
the question i have is why wont you moonkin dance on our ah bridge :(

And how, exactly, do you know that I haven't? Invisible Moonkin leave no tracks...

Q u o t e:
I guess I'll just ask what you think of me? I know I'm not the easiest troll to deal with, lol

I've never found you "difficult" to deal with, Middie. Nothing but love here. <3

Q u o t e:
Oh, what's is your moonkin melee weapon of choice? :)

I dual-wield, as a matter of fact: [Patience] and a [Sharp Wit]. ;)

Q u o t e:
Are you guys really GM's? Isn't a 10 minute response time against the rules with you guys?

Indeed! Each mod here on the Customer Service Forum is a Game Master. I assure you that we have no such rule inhibiting us from having response times of 10 minutes, or less!

The forums are a different avenue to pose questions and seek assistance from the Game Master Department, and generally have fewer requests from players than the in-game help request system does. ;)

Q u o t e:
Tell me loot is random, not effected by "seeds", or other nonsensical variables!
I must know!
!
....
!
..
!
Also, Pav, favorite videogame? (outside wow)

As said by Drysc on the old forums at 4/27/2006 6:46:12 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
Each mob has a pre-determined loot table, and is not affected by any outside influences (such as those you listed). The one exception would be for items that are class specific being able to drop for a faction that does not harbor that class.

Anything that is random is going to exhibit some type of pattern at some point, and these patterns can cause a superstition to arise when no concrete evidence can be shown disproving their superstition is false. In fact, I can almost guarantee someone reading this will refuse to believe that the loot drops are not affected by outside influences simply because of a pattern they witnessed.

Hope that helps Jrixchan; And what, don't want to know my favorite video game?

Q u o t e:
Actually here's a question I got that I've been dying to know.

Did you have to move to Irvine after accepting the job? If so, what does Blizzard do for you in terms of finding a place to live and such?

Hey there Tiger! :)

I personally did not relocate, but I have a good friend who moved from Florida to California to pursue a position here at Blizzard Entertainment (he loves every moment!)! It was quite exciting. ;)

Unfortunately I am not in our hiring department and have no information either way, on whether assistance with finding a place to live is provided. My friend was fully prepared and handled everything himself. Sorry I couldn't let you know more about this.

I have been playing games for as long as I can remember, Intelivision was also the first system I ever owned. Although graphics get better and better, I am a classic lover, Chrono Trigger for SNES is by far, my all time favorite game. The only thing that comes close is the Resident Evil series.

Q u o t e:
Just out of curiosity, what sort of gaming background do you come from? Ie. Have you played games for a long time or is Blizzard your first experience? Have you played some of the classics like Dune II, Command and Conquer, Doom I?

I've played many games over the years including console, computer, arcade and hand-held. Just thinking off the top of my head, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn is one of my most favorite games. I've played many genres, and like Pavonum I have rarely found enjoyment in sports games (Although NFL Blitz had its moments!). I'd say my preferred games are of the RPG/Action/Adventure and Real Time Strategy category. I was players classics such as Doom I and Command and Conquer when those were the hit games around to play. ;)

Q u o t e:
Does being a GM allow you access to any information on World of Warcraft that normal players wouldn't have access to, possibly giving you an unfair advantage of sorts in some cases?

While a great deal of information is available to us so that we may address players' issues with all due accuracy and expediency -- it isn't reasonable to expect Game Masters to have experienced everything in a world as vast and varied as Azeroth, after all -- there are measures in place to ensure that our knowledge does not imbue us with any advantages that extraordinarily well-informed players could not attain for themselves. Remember, too, that Game Masters are just normal gamers when off the clock, and are treated just the same as any other player during our off-hours -- we get no special treatment, nor fancy gear, due to our position. I've earned all the epics on my main character. :)

Q u o t e:
Also, Pav, favorite videogame? (outside wow)

Oh, don't make me choose! I've already mentioned The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which is definitely one of my all-time favourites -- the theme song still raises my spirits, after all these years. Final Fantasy VII was an especial obsession for a good while; I actually had withdrawals after finishing that game, weeks after learning that the clock stopped counting at 99:59:59. Metal Gear Solid (on the PlayStation) was incredible, and I recall with fondness the joy of placing C4 charges on guards' backs while they weren't looking, then blowing them up at the urinal. There's also Goldeneye, which -- believe it or not -- I've never actually owned, but the memories of multiplayer madness with friends shall remain forever. It's hard to pick one favourite when there are so many good games out there; there are at least half a dozen others I didn't mention. ;)

Q u o t e:
Well, since I'm only semi-here, what do you think of the following video?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8718728501056290731

Well, so much for sleeping tonight. I'll never look at Shakira the same way again. o_O

Q u o t e:
Moonkin?

Mage. But I keep meaning to make a Moonkin. ;)

Q u o t e:
You sleep at night? I thought you were nocturnal! Everything I've been told is a lie! ;)

You'll learn that "tonight" is a relative term. My days don't follow the movements of the sun. :P

Q u o t e:
Silly question time!!

Whats your favroute board/card game?

Sorry! And Uno are mine. :D

I had great times with Sorry!, but Monopoly takes the cake in my book. When it comes to card games! I love Texas Holdem. ;)

Q u o t e:
Edit: In the Shakira video, I can't figure out what happens to the fat guy's belly hair. It disappears randomly.

As much as it pained me, I watched the video again; if I'm not much mistaken, that's not hair at all. It's mud from the river bank with which he, err... "decorated" himself. They keep cutting to different scenes, though, so it comes and goes depending on their original order. :P

Q u o t e:
<3 GM's

<3 Kitine

Q u o t e:
Whats your favroute board/card game?

I'm with the ape on this one: Monopoly is awesome. Does Balderdash count as a board game? :D

Q u o t e:
How much interaction to the various Forum Mods have with each other, and with other departments?

The other Customer Service Forum mods and I are always in close communication, and we have points of contact in a number of other departments in the event that an issue requires input from someone outside of the Game Master staff. Networking for the win. ;)

Q u o t e:
Favorite T.V. show?

The Simpsons, Family Guy, Jeopardy (yes, I'm a nerd), and House are all excellent. :)

Q u o t e:
Favorite Movie?

Garden State, V for Vendetta, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dogma... the list goes on. ^^;

Q u o t e:
How could you not watch That 70's show? :(

I never said I didn't. I used to have sideburns just like Hyde. :P

Q u o t e:
Also wondering what type of music that you guys listen to, personally, I enjoy an extremely wide variety. Such as My Chemical Romance, All American Rejects, Cradle of Filth, Daft Punk, general Happy Hardcore Techno, and all of the latest Hip-Hop and Rap.

Oh, I like all sorts of music; my tastes are pretty eclectic, so I can appreciate a myriad of genres -- not much country or rap, but there are some exceptions to that rule. My playlist right now is rather mellow for the most part; it helps soothe me when the office becomes hectic. I won't go through every song here, but here are some of the notable artists: Daft Punk, Death Cab for Cutie, The Faint, Jamie Cullum, Maroon 5, The Mars Volta, Muse, Rufus Wainwright, and Under the Influence of Giants. There are also dashes of Joy Electric, KT Tunstall, Jamiroquai, Imogen Heap, and Gnarls Barkley, just for good measure. In general, though, everything from Avenged Sevenfold to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is fair game. ;)

Q u o t e:
When you're playing your regular (non-GM) characters and experience something that would require GM help, do you submit a ticket? Or do you switch to your GM self and take care of it?

We do not have access to any Game Master abilities while playing at home. If we do require the assistance of a Game Master, we submit in-game petitions like everyone else. The last time I had to was for having full bags at the conclusion of an Alterac Valley match before the Marks of Honor would be forward via the in-game mail. I always thought it was funny when I got a petition about that, as I'm usually good about bag space. It never fails... if I take a customer complaint for granted, I'll have the same issue in-game a week later.

It is for this reason that I love you all. <3

Q u o t e:
What petition was the most entertaining that you've received? (either someone being utterly ridiculous, a bizarre bug, etc)

I did once have a rather flirtatious young lady who was adamant about wanting to speak with me via email/AIM when I got off of work. That was a pretty entertaining conversation. ; )

Q u o t e:
Why can't I send the CS forums GMs fudge? =(

I never said you couldn't send any fudge; you just need to find out how to get it to us. = p

Q u o t e:
What kind of vehicles do you drive?

It runs, and that's the important part.

Q u o t e:
Are any of you married??? :)

Our resident pigeon-taxi wears a legendary ring.

[Ring of the Claimed]
+35 Stamina
+1 Intellect
-3 Spirit
+300 Armor

Equip: Gives a 50% chance to avoid interruption of T.V. shows caused by nagging whenever holding [Lord of the Manor's Remote-o-matic 5000] in off-hand.

Equip: Transforms the wearer into a Leper Gnome, ensuring no female Night Elves within 100 yards will attempt to engage in conversation.

Erm... music.

I'm a fan of it.

Tool, Massive Attack, the Mars Volta, Radiohead, A Perfect Circle, Tricky, Dredg, Shiner, Bjork, Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, Pancho Sanchez, Idiot Flesh, Ozomatli, Sergant Garcia, the Streets, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Dead Can Dance, Beck, Muse, Saul Williams, Curtis Mayfield, and some others...

On a side note, I always find it interesting when asking about musical tastes; most people come back with, "I have a very eclectic set of musical preferences..." ::eyes Pav::

I want more often to have someone retort, "I have a very limited and ignorant taste in music, with very few exceptions from one particular style I like."

With that said, I do have a very broad taste in music with no particular genre immediately ruled out based on stereotypes. = p

Q u o t e:
Batta and Kaone, I demand you watch http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8718728501056290731 and tell me what you thought of it. I think it's hilarious. ;)

... Their realm must've been down that day.

...

I found another memorable response I provided to a petition:

Petition: Is it possible to tell me whats the point of the large keep sitting in the middle of the Stormwind Canals?

Answer: The Keep to which you are referring, which stands alone in the Stormwind Canals, is one of great secrecy. While the Stormwind government does not deny its existence, they have yet to confirm any activities or experiments currently under conduction in such a place. The chambers behind those walls are run and operated by members of the Stormwind elite, and left to their bidding; however, their undisclosed intentions for the building provide for many theories of conspiracy. I implore you to discover where the imagination may take you. Were experiments conducted in those chambers on the original Qiraji visitors to Azeroth, long before their presence became known on Kalimdor? Were beings from other realms attempting to peacefully contact Azeroth's once great Kingdom, only to become test subjects in a project of secrecy and National security? One may never know.

Q u o t e:
Batta, (or other Gms)

Do you like when people post on the forums when they get their chars, etc back from a hack?

PS, Batta I'm telling you again, I love you - marry me :P

PPS, This is the char I got back from when she was deleted when i was hacked ;)

We always love hearing good news!

I must admit my love for you as well, Littlebust; though I believe marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries. Perhaps we should slow things down and take one step at a time. It's not you, it's me. = p

<3

Q u o t e:


Hm, also! I know when I play I normaly have Itunes in the background (A little lower than TS) Do you do anything of that sort?

I'm buried in an Ipod of tunes as I type. ; D

Q u o t e:
How do you GMs stay sane dealing with us?

Crazy? I was crazy once. I was put in a large room with rats. It drove me crazy...? I was crazy once...

oh, nevermind. Junior high wasn't fun anyway.

Edit: External, a few of us have listed our musical tastes on pages prior. Scope it out, yo! ; )

Q u o t e:
How many GM's does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Seriously. I want to know!

None... we tell a manager.

Q u o t e:
I've heard before that sometimes GMs will go invis and put a player on autofollow while they address their tickets, just for fun. Have you ever had somebody on autofollow before where you notice out of the corner of your eye that they are about to get attacked by..s ay.. 4 of the opposite faction, and they precede to pull out something completley amazing and kill all of the other horde, or do something really impressive that makes you fly out of your chair and hit the wall of the other side of the room, then start screaming "OH MY GOD THAT WAS SWEET!!!"?

Also, have you ever followed me? o.o

Do you want to?

I have auto-followed players much in the manner you've suggested before, Kerrala. I never seen anything that completely floored me, but I've seen some cool stuff.

Who says I'm not following you now?

Q u o t e:
why dont you givwe a damn about about female dances?

dont make a smart comment, dont avoid the question with some BS excuse, just answer

Yes.

Q u o t e:
My favorite question is the one for most unusual petitions. It has the potential to bring out the most interesting answers. :D

One player basically stated that they had been addicted to World of Warcraft for some time, and could not bring themselves to quit. They asked whether there was anywhere they could go to stop their addiction. It didn't seem like they were serious, so I sent them this response via e-mail:

"We are hard at work to create World of Warcraft Rehabilitation Clinics in which it shall be possible for former players to remove all traces of MMO addiction from their systems, as well as rid themselves of their physical dependency on the intricacies of our game. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience, and recommend searching for a local WA (WoWaholics Anonymous) group in your community, in which you may find strength through others who have been swept away by the grind and wish to be free of the pixelated shackles that have bound them for so long. We wish you the best of luck with your newfound social interactions, and advise the liberal use of sunscreen when venturing outdoors."

Q u o t e:
Over 20 minutes and no GM talking to me in game? /sadpanda

I'm afraid we can't talk to you in-game, Amandere, but we'll always have the forums! <3

Q u o t e:



This is....dissappointing.


Queue the sad music.

:-/

You ruined my day :(

Aww. I didn't mean to. :(

You receive loot: [Moonkin Hug].

Q u o t e:
i still want to know if those of you in guilds. if your guildies know that you are gm's and if they give you a hard time when they have to put in a ticket :P

The first rule of being a GM, you do not talk about being a GM.

And the second rule...

Q u o t e:
When is the next PTR test phase?

In short, Luscifer, we don't know. We don't support the PTRs. :)

Q u o t e:
So Pav, the GMs in case they appear in-game, wear the blue robes only. Is this correct or not?

Yes, our wardrobe, when applicable, consists of blue robes. We don't get to wear epics. :P

Q u o t e:


Moonkins smell bad.


Discuss.


EDIT: I have lever duty on Chrommagus again. Wish me luck :-/

I don't think I smell bad, but I've been known to wear Eau d'Aggro anyway. :P

Also, I think I speak for everyone when I say:

"Amandere has died."

Q u o t e:
The sad part: it's a joke in my guild that I die almost every pull. I'm always the first to need the repair bots. Save me Pavonum!

Err... well, that may be a tad awkward. Does Moonfire count as a healing spell? :S

Q u o t e:
How come you guys are on the WoW Realm Status Forum aswell?

Haven't you heard? We're taking over. I, for one, welcome our Customer Service Overlords.

Q u o t e:
Oh, no! Does this mean I have to call you My Lord from now on?

"His Feathered Eminence" shall suffice.

Q u o t e:
Why moonkin?

If you're asking why I chose this as my avatar, the owlbeast has always been one of my favourite in-game models. It was an easy choice. ;)

Q u o t e:
Oh, and what is your type speed? =D

I type pretty quickly; years of sequestering yourself with a computer instead of partaking in normal social interaction will do that to you. :P

Q u o t e:
Thy Feathered Eminence, I come before thee as thy humble servant, and would like to offer a great gift from the core of my heart and soul to show my deepest gratitude for all thy deeds.

http://www.tcby.com/scoop/images/logos/rgb/caramel.jpg

This is an acceptable tribute to my honour and featheriness. You have my blessing. Go now, young one, and Moonfire the wicked.

All right, things have slowed down a bit, so I can answer a few of these. ;)

Q u o t e:
Does a gm ever actively interfere in the world they toy in?

As a general rule, we try to interfere as little as possible with the goings-on in Azeroth. Our goal is not to disrupt players' gameplay, which is what tends to happen when we reveal ourselves in a major city and attract a flock of people. We get a lot of attention, y'know -- both good and bad. :P

Q u o t e:
Are there server specific gm's or do they move from one server to another and cover more then one server..much like a kind of.. celestial tide that keeps the world working

Contrary to popular belief, there's no such thing as a "server-specific" Game Master; basically, there are teams of GMs who are assigned to particular groups of realms, and are then moved around as the need arises. I like the sound of a "celestial tide," though. Good one. :D

Q u o t e:
By the way, do GMs have the "timer" aswell when trying to reply too fast?

Truthfully, I haven't had reason to find out; I may wear a troll's clothing on this forum, but I'm not that fast. :P

Q u o t e:
Also, why is it that on the main CS Forum page the "k" and "p" in Kaone and Pavonum are not capital letters?

I've noticed that as well, and I'm not entirely sure. It's something I'll have to bring up with the Web Team. Thanks for reminding me. :)

Q u o t e:
Any particular type of coffee preferred? I'm a fan of hazelnut and vanilla myself (seperately).

Well, I don't really drink coffee, but I enjoy herbal tea quite a bit -- I take it with milk and lots of sugar. ;)

Q u o t e:
Do you ever get the urge to wreak havoc? In Azeroth?

I do sometimes wish I'd been around for the end of closed beta, way back when; between Magmadar rampaging around Orgrimmar, players being turned into chickens, and Infernals running free, it sounds like it was quite the adventure. That's about the extent of my "urge," though. :P

Q u o t e:
Oh, what music do you listen to when you raid?

I offered some of the artists that currently grace my playlist on an earlier page; that's usually what I'm listening to on raids -- softly, of course, so as not to interfere with Teamspeak -- although I've also been known to troll YouTube looking for entertaining videos in between pulls. ^^;

Q u o t e:
Do you have to go through a special process to become a Blizzard poster on the forums as a GM? Or is it arbitrarily picked, like names out of a hat?

All of the Game Masters who moderate this forum were specially chosen to represent the department. We are the few, the proud, the Moonkin. :D

Q u o t e:
How old are you guys?

I like to say that I'm 22, going on 40. But that's just because I feel old. :P

Q u o t e:
I wanna fight Pavonum in teh Arena! :O

Oh, I wouldn't recommend that. But as you wish...

*as Pavonum pulls a bat'leth from the wall, Klingon battle music begins to pulse in the background*

Q u o t e:
What's a Bat'Leth?

It hurts, dosen't it?

Oh, yes. :)

Q u o t e:
A geek after my own heart, you are. :)

Kaplah!

Qapla', indeed! You know, it's funny. I was in Las Vegas on vacation recently, and we stopped by the "Star Trek Experience" to see what it was all about. (If you have a chance, by the way, eat at Quark's Bar and Restaurant -- it's awesome.) While there, I picked up The Klingon Dictionary, and have been practicing my guttural sounds. I'm not sure about speaking it, but I may be able to respond to a thread in Klingon one of these days. :D

Q u o t e:
Is it possible for gms to do the same? I'd love to see Ragnaros or Nef in the middle of a fight say something off the wall like "Hey you guys! Stop that! I just wanna live in peace!" or some such..

Alas, we aren't able to "possess" objects or NPCs in such a way; that's an intriguing idea that you may want to post on the Suggestions Forum, though, where our developers can give it further perusal. It'd be interesting to see a talking mailbox: "Hey, get off me, blasted Night Elves!" ;)

Q u o t e:
Hey Pavonum!

You mentioned on the first page that you did debate in high school...what I want to know is which event did you do?

I won't hate you if you say Policy...well, maybe just a little.

Err... well, now I'm not going to admit that I was in Policy, am I? :P

I always wanted to try Lincoln-Douglas, but we didn't have anyone to coach it. :(

Q u o t e:
So, Kaone, may I ask where you guys have been all morning? I haven't seen anyone up till you since 4:00 AM PST. :|

On certain days and times there can be brief periods where none of us are around posting. However if that is the case, often one of us will be reading posts at least.

Q u o t e:
Since nothing is happening... Kaone, what's your favorite food dish? (I like pizza and mac & cheese! :) )

I don't know. I think gryphons could be quite partial to gnomes. *winks*

Q u o t e:
Looks like you're in for a slow night again, Pavo. ;)

Perhaps, but there are still some issues outstanding that I'm going to deal with before returning to this frivolous thread. :P