Cataclysm

[Samprimary]

the two big things to get down are

1. ability usage / cooldown priorities, and

2. gear itemization priorities

and that's the largest steps towards competency. Not all, but the major hunk.

In the case of gear itemization it's usually just knowing what caps you have to hit and what to prioritize after that. For me it's Get Hit Cap then Get Expertise Cap then Reforge Any Surplus Anything To Mastery. And that my primary stat is more important than anything else by a long shot. The help on the class forums usually covers the bulk of it!

[caladein]

As far as class guides, go to the official class forums and read the sticky threads. Those are kept up to date and have everything you want and need. Spec, Gear, How2Play it's all covered, accurate and relevant.

A guide is at the mercy of its maintainer no matter where it's hosted.

The Discipline Healing Guide and Discussion on the (official) Priest board for example is 6+ months out of date in both its discussion of mechanics and in its recommendations for glyphs and spell selection.  The writer hasn't had any activity on the posting character since February.  Both the Marksmanship and Survival threads are written by the same person and haven't been updated for this patch.  No activity on that posting character for almost two months.

On the other hand, the Elemental thread is up-to-date and generally a bit more approachable (although less useful in my opinion) than its EJ equivalent.  Also, I think the introductory Resto Shaman thread is excellent in many respects.

[Simond]

Blatantly stealing the link from the SA "let's play dress-up" thread, I bring you: http://roleplaygear.wordpress.com/

And from a gold-making POV, assuming that Blizzard doesn't restrict things too much, I think there's going to be some interest in all of the blue and purple tradeskill-made gear, especially the stuff that used to be at the skill-cap that levelling people tend to skip over now (i.e. the original-WoW 300-skill items, the TBC 375 items etc).

e: I'd forgotten how soon tailoring gets decent looking gear. Wonder how much mooncloth robes will go for? Funny how almost everything past original-WoW looks terrible for tailoring, though.

[Merusk]

Coincidentally, I found that link last night Googling "warcraft fashion."  While it's ok if you want to go with the looks presented there, it's not a full listing, uses full sets instead of mix & match and shows only the sets that blog host feels are "good looking" or perhaps they just don't know about one that drops in only a narrow range that isn't found on the AH much these days due to fast leveling or being a good source of enchant mats. (They're missing the Hero's Mail set for example.)

In the end I found downloading the WoW model viewer and building my own outfits, then using WoWHead to find where the gear drops to be a more satisfying choice.  Plus it lets you hunt for shoulders that aren't ridiculous.
Hunter:
Rogue:

[Jimbo]

Wow Merusk, where does that model of gun drop?  The Hunter reminds me of a Snake Plissken from Escape from New York.

Thanks for the information everyone!  The last game I played a tank in was CoX, so it was a great read for me on what to do.

[Merusk]

That's what I was going for, thanks 

The gun is my favorite gun model ever, the Wolf-Slayer Sniper from Big Bad Wolf in Karazan.

I'm going to have to lose the eyepatch, though.  Turns out I did sell my Malefactor's Eyepatch back in the day.   I'm sad. Wish I could apply leather to my mail, because there's plenty of leather patches around.  Best you can do for random drop mail is the Fiery Beholder Eye which just isn't the same.

[Hawkbit]

That was a Kharazan model, from memory.  Maybe the Big Bad Wolf's gun??  Back when I was playing my hunter in Vanilla, I pulled for us in Khara before quitting the raid scene.  I think that gun was my first major upgrade after having Rhok.

[Lakov_Sanite]

My clothies will forever be wearing monocles.

[Sheepherder]

[Evildrider]

I'm really surprised at how much you all are excited for this.  It's not gonna make the game any less boring at this stage.   

[Lakov_Sanite]

While I certainly won't resub just for this, I can see outfit collecting being a good metagame

[Merusk]

I'm really surprised at how much you all are excited for this.  It's not gonna make the game any less boring at this stage.   

If you're still playing it's a nice thing to have.  Finally able to craft your character to the vision you have for it rather than what a Blizz artist feels your char. should be running around committing genocides in.   Now shuddup and leave me to play with my dolls action figures!

[Evildrider]

Hah.  I'm still playing actually, but I seem to just mainly log in for raid time now.  Even that is getting shitty cuz we keep losing people that are too bored to stick it out til SWTOR.

[Sheepherder]

I'm really surprised at how much you all are excited for this.  It's not gonna make the game any less boring at this stage.   

I'll come back for the threat changes, I'll stay for the pretty dolls.

[Fordel]

Oh me too, me too!



And the reality in game:

[Merusk]

Yeah, I imagine druids are all "Big whoop" about this. 

[Sjofn]

The healer druids get to be pretty!

[Fordel]

My Paladin can always join the Crusade:




-edit- So can a rogue:




-fake edit- Good old days  (I had too much time on my hands between BGs)

[Sjofn]

The paladin on the right is meeeee! Until I changed her into a dwarf. 

[Fordel]

I think the only character in that picture that is still around is my Paladin, everyone else got into gnomish teleporter accidents.

[proudft]

Is the bald guy me?  I don't remember having that sword.

[Fordel]

That's Reys the warrior yea. It's all just model viewer shenanigans.

[proudft]

He didn't have a transmogrifying accident - he was just shown the error of his ways by the Lich King!

I'll admit that Fordel totally turned me into a costume-collecting slut.  I have most of the Dungeon 1 sets on my various dudes (though, annoyingly, still missing one piece on my alleged main guy).  So I will almost certainly be a big sucker for this clothes storing system.

[Sjofn]

Oh God, your paladin is going to be in That Outfit, isn't he.

[Ingmar]

What is this weak unupgraded suit.  

Me as soon as I farm the sword up (not hard, from General Angerforge):

[Sjofn]

I have fought off playing dress up with the model viewer for YEARS, are you guys seriously going to make me break down and do it for both my paladins?

[Fordel]

I really want to say there is a better shield for that Ingmar.


Sjofn, you know you want too.  



-edit- http://www.thedailyblink.com/2011/08/youre-a-death-knight-charlie-brown/ 

[Setanta]

What's the weapon?

My Tauren Warrior has the same but used to use the Blackhand Doomsaw as a 2H and the 2 Dal Rends - which I still have stashed away. I always wanted to do the recoloured Questline but never found the group to speed run Strat UD.

[Sjofn]

I really want to say there is a better shield for that Ingmar.

Not for what he's going for, which is the "casual level 60 warrior out of shit to do" look.

[Ashamanchill]

Yeah, I imagine druids are all "Big whoop" about this.  

You are incorrect sir. When is the time when you want to look your absolute best? Why strutting around town. When do I not care about how I look? When there is an angry boss in my face spewing fire I have to dodge, with my eyes flying back and forth between my CDs and my health bar.

I think this change is downright ballin' even though I am in another form for most of the game. But, if Blizzard wants to throw bears a bone, and up their dodge percent by 20% because they get stuck looking at a furry ass while the rest gets this shiny ne change all the time, you won't hear a complaint out of me!

[Fordel]

Here you go Merusk: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3053956119

 

[Merusk]

I'm very sad she didn't mention anything I didn't know.

I've been doin' the plate/ mail bikini thing since Vanilla. Yes, I'm just that sad. 

It's incredibly hard to get the Glorious/ Lofty stuff these days. Not nearly enough players running the 40-54 bracket where they dropped. Best bet for the "omg naked" look is to just run Dire Maul yourself until the Energized Chestplate drops. Tho summoning Hakkar for the Warrior's Embrace (the most hilariously mis-named piece of female armor, ever, IMO.) might be quicker than the long-ass run through DM to the end. I hate all the bs around that event though.

[Lantyssa]

Here you go Merusk: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3053956119

Bikini sets wouldn't be my first choice (Except the Outrunner's, I like it for some reason), but I think I'm in love with that Lull person.  She takes fashion to a new level.

[Sheepherder]

What's the weapon?

My Tauren Warrior has the same but used to use the Blackhand Doomsaw as a 2H and the 2 Dal Rends - which I still have stashed away. I always wanted to do the recoloured Questline but never found the group to speed run Strat UD.

Blackblade of Shahram

I was hoping for a Sacred Charge / Tribal Guardian, or a Doomsaw.  But it dropped on the same run as I finished recollecting my Valour, so that works too.  I forget what I have to pair with my Draconian Deflector.

I never did like the colour of Heroism.

[Ingmar]

I have a Tribal Guardian but not a Sacred Charge, at the moment. I'm not really inclined to go SMF just to use them though.