Balandar

From http://spaceweather.com/.

"Would you like a phone call when auroras appear over your home town? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE.

One of the most powerful solar flares in years erupted from giant sunspot 486 this morning at approximately 1110 UT. The blast measured X17 on the Richter scale of solar flares. As a result of the explosion, a strong S3-class solar radiation storm is underway. Click here to learn how such storms can affect our planet. The explosion also hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. When it left the sun, the cloud was traveling 2125 km/s (almost 5 million mph). This CME could trigger bright auroras when it sweeps past our planet perhaps as early as tonight."

Sun erupts in biggest storm in years

Earth in path of solar-ejected cloud

By Kate Tobin

CNN

CNN) --One of the largest known solar flares erupted from the sun on Tuesday, heralding a storm of superheated gas that could hit Earth within a day.

The outburst was classified an X17.2 flare, the third largest on record, according to Paal Brekke, a project scientist with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a sun-watching satellite mission jointly run by NASA and the European Space Agency.

In comparison, two solar storms observed last week were between X1 and X5, Brekke said.

Solar flares are associated with coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, eruptions from the sun that, if headed our way, can disrupt communications satellites and power grids.

As this particularly fast-moving CME is aimed directly toward Earth, it is possible that when it arrives midday Wednesday, the geomagnetic activity will be strong enough to stir up electrical trouble.

"The eruption was positioned perfectly. It's headed straight for us like a freight train," said John Kohl, a Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics scientist, in a statement. "A major geomagnetic storm is bound to happen."

Brekke is not so sure and awaits more data from SOHO and another deep space solar-watching satellite positioned between the sun and Earth.

"Until we know the orientation of the magnetic field in this cloud, we will know who how severe the geomagnetic storm will be."

Northern lights

Interacting with Earth's magnetic field, the high-energy solar winds produced by a CME often increase night displays of the northern and southern lights.

"Not all CMEs trigger auroras. Several, for instance, have swept past Earth in recent days without causing widespread displays," said Tony Phillips of Spaceweather.com, which monitors cosmic conditions related to the sun and Earth.

"It all depends on the orientation of tangled magnetic fields within the electrified cloud of gas. This CME is no exception. It might cause auroras, or it might not. We will find out when it arrives."

Researchers classify solar flares using three categories: C for weak, M for Moderate and X for strong. The largest flare on record, one of two known X20s, occurred on April 2, 2001, but was not directed at Earth.

In March 1989, an X15 burst knocked out power for millions of people in Canada. In recent years, however, satellite and utility operators have devised safeguards that usually minimize damage from solar storms.

Space weather forecasters say this spate of strong solar flares unusual because it is not following normal patterns of solar behavior. The sun follows an 11-year cycle of activity and the last peak took place in 2000.

-- CNN.com's Richard Stenger contributed to this report.

From slashdot.com

Dr. Zowie writes "This morning a very large solar flare erupted from a large sunspot group that is crossing the face of the Sun. The explosion sent over 2 billion tons of material hurtling across the solar system toward Earth. Movies from the SOHO spacecraft show the flare in UV and the associated coronal mass ejection in visible light as they happened, and the impact of high energy protons that the flare launched at about half the speed of light. NOAA's Space Environment Center shows that the Sun's X-ray brightness went up 100x during the flare. Expect more aurora and geomagnetic effects in the next day or two!"

Uh oh... found this on slashdot, seems amazon is in some trouble now.

"Yesterday, Slashdot readers discussed Amazon's brand new, technically impressive and highly useful book search feature that lets users search the full text of over 120,000 books. Today, the Authors Guild is saying that the publishers don't have the right to let Amazon do this. Uh oh."

Bah! No WoW?

Some days bring big surprises. Like many people, I always believed that it was impossible to write in space with ordinary pens because ink would not flow.

So imagine my astonishment when I read "Pedro Duque's diary from space" this morning.

Pedro Duque is an astronaut since 1992 and he flew on Space Shuttle Discovery back in 1995. Now, he's a member of the Cervantes Mission organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) and he's on board of the International Space Station (ISS) since October 18, 2003.

................ Read more at http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2003/10/24.html

This would have been handy when I had research projects in college and needed to find books on certain subjects.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/brows...2897871-5800008

A significant extension of our groundbreaking Look Inside the Book feature, Search Inside the Book allows you to search millions of pages to find exactly the book you want to buy. Now instead of just displaying books whose title, author, or publisher-provided keywords match your search terms, your search results will surface titles based on every word inside the book.

Ok, this guy is complaining a bit.. but he has valid points. Games of late have lacked depth and content. But at the end he mentions one that might soon change that.

HOOOWAAAH World of Warcraft!

To bad we have a long wait before it's release.

Anyway, I thought this would be a good promo for WoW.

http://www.ferrago.com/story/2377

If game developers knew about me, they'd try to bottle what I have - I am the equivalent of MMORPG litmus; an acid test. I've played most of the big ones - UO, EQ, AC, DAOC and now SWG, and I've exhibited the same reaction to almost all of them. You see, I'm always the fish that got away.

It always starts so well. I install, register. Spend an age perusing arcane and obscure sites to find the elusive best combination of STR and DXT and INT for that uber nuking mage or damage soaking tank. I make the decision, create a character. I change my mind, re-roll and start again. I do this several times, until everything is just right. But finally, I'm happy. I enter the game world.

And am immediately lost and confused. No MMORPG ever has managed to ease me into a game. Maybe I'm obtuse, but invariably someone takes pity on me and points me in the right direction - the rat/snake/mouse/snail killing fields, where I begin to cut my level 1 teeth with the other "n00bs". In UO and EQ, this was a delight - it was all new, we were all new back then. This was before the days of power levelling and macro'ing your way to level 40 before the game was even out. No. Back then, we ALL did our time in the rat fields. But despite the obvious menial nature of the task, it is still fun. The levels come quickly, new skills are learned and used, new items acquired and the next goal is only just around the corner. This is the MMORPG honeymoon period - the time where the grind is not just bearable, it's actually enjoyable. But like the real thing, the MMORPG honeymoon can't last.

It begins to creep in, almost unnoticed. The levels are further apart. You begin to notice that newly acquired skills are carbon copies of the old ones, with a different coloured icon and a two percent damage increase. You start to get 'class envy' - that feeling that almost every other race/class/profession is better off than you, and that the developers have it in for you and your kind. Suddenly, you find yourself looking for groups because you're bored of soloing, or soloing because you can't find a group, or crafting because you can't be bothered with either. You try out all the little distractions the developers have put in the game to make things 'deep', only to find they're broken, bugged or plain pointless. But you're a trooper. You stiffen that upper lip and press on, certain that if you can only hang in there the good times will arrive and the game will be FUN again.

It is at precisely this point, that me and others like me will part ways with our more determined MMORPG brethren. I, you see, am a quitter. And that's why developers should listen to me, because it is me and those like me who cannot be retained after the free month. Simply put, if I'm paying for it, then it's a winner. And I tell you all honestly, I'm TIRED of quitting. I want to proudly display my level 75 death mage to all and sundry. I want to tell bored "n00bs" of how I acquired my shiny Boots of Relentless Perseverance + 2 after a three day battle with a fire giant. I want to be that guy - I have it in me, to be that sad.

But frankly, and I mean this in the nicest possible sense, all the MMORPGs out there bore me senseless after two or three weeks. So where are they going wrong? Well, if you're still reading at this point, I'm going to tell you. Here follows Nick's list of MMORPGs do's and dont's... so without further ado, and in no particular order...

1) DON'T use me as pest control:

I've killed them all - rats, spiders, snakes, snails, wasps, worms, beetles etc. And more to the point, I've BEEN killed by them all. I'm tired of this crap - I know MMORPGs must have a sense of progression and therefore start small, but can't I start a bit higher up the food chain? For God sake, in real life I could give most decent sized mammals a good hiding and I don't even possess a shock spell or whirlwind attack. Let me fight something bigger.

2) DO allow me to play how I like, when I like:

I keep unusual hours. It's a by product of being socially ignorant, drinking vast amounts of tea and coke and generally preferring to skulk in darkness. That is my right. So if I'm on your server with only three others at four in the morning, please let me do something meaningful with my time, and don't force me to join up with someone as obnoxious as I am to level up. That's just cruel.

3) DON'T make crap classes/professions:

Because I am drawn to them as the moth is to the flame. I have a history of single-handedly and without prior research, choosing as my own the class or profession that is clearly 'screwing the pooch'. The only exception to this rule is Star Wars Galaxies, where I avoided Chef by the narrowest of margins purely because Ferrago's own Rich called shotgun on them for himself. Instead, I went a medic, and spent most of my time harbouring pent up rage at the lack of tips, with a sinking feeling as I realised I'd have to heal 1,057 more people before I get another skill. This may be unfair though, because SOE have commendably and originally screwed up almost every profession, in order to make everyone equally unhappy. Now that's thinking out of the box.

4) DO play other types of games, to better remember...

That games are meant to be fun. I mean, really, there are careers that are less demanding than your average MMORPG. I'm as lazy as the next person (in fact, much much lazier) - I get up late every day and really don't do very much, but even I balk at the man hours I'm expected to put in to level my character. Come on people. I completely understand the concept of work vs reward in games. But I need more reward, and need it more often.

5) DON'T pretend I can 'make a difference':

We both know that your over-arching storyline is wafer thin, and that I don't amount to a hill of beans in this digital town. Drop the pretence, I can handle the empty feeling of my own non-importance. I live in the real world, remember? I'm happy with my own little corner.

My most recent foray into the online world was with Star Wars Galaxies. In fact, I was so keen I couldn't wait for the European release and secured an American copy on eBay. I am a huge Star Wars and RPG fanatic, and am only just getting over my KOTOR withdrawal symptoms, so you'd think that SWG would be something of a panacea.

To put it simply, Star Wars Galaxies is the latest in an evolving series of MMORPGs that have yet to get the basics right, and each new incarnation adds more froth on a stale and uninventive gameplay experience. Let us look at the things that SWG gets right. Character customisation is excellent. The graphics are just right, if a little demanding. The crafting is deeper and more involving than any previous game, allowing players to exist totally without combat. Of all of these, only the crafting in SWG is a real innovation and truly game enhancing. Galaxies has all the same problems of previous MMORPGs - the grind, balance issues, economic problems - but is multiplied because of the number of professions and the stilted player economy. I honestly believe that Sony must never play some of the professions they have created, because they are stupendously boring to play. As a medic, I came to the stage of sitting watching TV as I ground my way through the early skills. Macros are springing up everywhere because players are too bored to play themselves. Every second entertainer is AFK, simply leaving their characters dancing away in the cantina as they do something more interesting and productive offline. Surely a game designer's number one priority is to entertain? SOE have managed something truly remarkable - they have actively bored me, as opposed to merely not entertaining. Do you see the distinction?

The responses of the developers and some players to all this seem ludicrous. Macroing is severely frowned upon, and I've witnessed huge arguments in the cantinas over tipping AFK entertainers. Some players resent those who refuse to waste their time grinding. These people miss the point. If the game made this process interesting in the slightest, it would not be a problem. When a game feels more like a job than a game, it's time to quit.

Galaxies has tried to innovate, but in my opinion has moved in the wrong direction, drawing all the wrong conclusions from the lessons of the last few MMORPG years. One developer, however, is moving in the correct direction and should provide the quitters like me with a reason to finally part with our credit card details. The game is World of Warcraft, and the developer is, of course, Blizzard. WoW gets me excited in a way few games do these days. It is frankly looking too fabulous to do it justice in anything less than a full preview, but already in its pre-beta state the Blizzard design principles shine through. There are far fewer classes, but each is completely self sufficient - although obviously certain classes will perform better at certain tasks than others. Blizzard has simplified the advancement process, making it impossible to produce a crippled character, but has a complex secondary skill system that allows customisation. The whole game is designed around principles of usability, friendliness to new players, simplicity and of course, fun. This is the key point. Blizzard have stated that they want to reproduce the Diablo-esque quality of forgetting to look at the progress bar. You simply enjoy the game and before you know it, you've gained a level, completed a quest or attained some other goal. This, and this above all, is what I've missed in all the MMORPGs I've played.

The MMORPG genre is now in a critical phase. Although a select few are financially successful, none have managed to produce the kind of gameplay that will keep average gamers playing for years. Developers are trying new things to find that magic formula, each citing what the previous generation of games did wrong in an effort to justify their approach. Shadowbane emphasises player guilds and inter-city combat. Anarchy Online boasted a futuristic setting. Dark Age of Camelot offered the player vs. player experience Everquest was lacking. None of these games, however, ever sought to emphasise simplicity or fun. If I'm right, then some time next year, Blizzard will show us all what we've been missing.

By Nick McCrea

Wait till WoW... then you will see evil

*tries to be evil*

test

From WoW Blizzard

Check out our new Quests page to learn more about the World of Warcraft adventure experience. This new addition to the World of Warcraft Town Hall breaks down how quests are found, tracked, and completed. An entertaining sample quest is included as well, along with new screenshots that illustrate how quests work.

Also

The best part about all these dungeons, large and small, is that they are yours and yours alone, created for your specific use when triggered by a quest. Anyone in your party can join in the "instance" (as Blizzard calls it) of your dungeon, and you can even send messages to friends outside the dungeon, inviting them in. (And should you disconnect accidentally, as we did, you'll land right back in the dungeon—not 800 miles away.) This applies to the game's largest überdungeons as well, which Blizzard has tailored specifically for large guild-style raids. No "raid collision" is even possible in World of WarCraft—guilds won't have to camp the game's biggest monsters, because every guild can create its own instance.

I decided to post this here from the leaders forum... that is where we are deciding on how the clan will function.

The Orcish Language

yes-yub

no- nub

ok- uki

hello- ug

bye- gugye

I- me

my- meeb

you- lat

you all- latz

them- dem

them all, they're- demz

there- der

where- wer

here- heer

is, are- am

know, understand- gruk ( I dont know- Me nub gruk )

talk, speak- blah

kill- clomp

have- hab

and- agh

of- ub

who- whu

what- wud

why- whi

when- wen

the- da

this- diz

that- dat

money- shineez

big, good, brave- bubhosh

small, bad, weak- nubhosh

thanks- rulg

humans- oomies

land - uzg

Bah!, Arg!, (exclamation of contempt) - Skah or skai

stinking - pushdug

fire - ghaash

Weapons

axe- lusk

hammer- womp

spear- kigg

dagger- igg

sword- zult

bow- olig

Numbers

one- ash

two- dub

three- gahk

four- futh

five- H ( meaning- hand: 5 fingers)

6- H ash

7- H dub

8- H gahk

9- H futh

10- HH

11- HH ash and so on...

hundred- hundrid

thousand- fowzund

million- milliun

Examples:

I dont have much time before I have to go

Me nub hab muj tyme befur me hab tu go

Give Tribute to Bloodgod!

Gib Tribuut tu Bludgod!

Stupid smelly human!

Tupid pushdug oomie!

I am a little tea pot short and stout, here is my handle and here is my spout.

Me ib liddul tee pot shurt agh.. Skah! Dis tupid, whi me blah lik panzee oomie!?!?

What are you looking at?

Wud lat luukn ad?

hehe, I am a stupid little orc. Look at me everyone!! I am an idiot.

har har, lat ib su tupid lats mum hab tu tye fuud tu lats nek su howlurs wuld pley wid lat!!

Some words from WC3

Zug Zug

Lok-Tar!

Lok-Tar Ogar!

Dabu

Throm ka

Lok-Tar Osh

Martok will be the other leader of the guild.... that info will be released later

History-

Long ago the Orcish race was a peaceful shamanistic culture, comprised of proud and courageous hunters, all of which merely struggled to survive in their cruel world of Draenor. That is, until the demons known as the Burning Legion corrupted them, turning them into a bloodthirsty, vicious race of conquerors.

Gul'dan, the mightiest of the Orc warlocks struck a deal with Medivh, a powerful human wizard, using strange magical trances in which they could speak, though they were worlds apart.

Promising the Orcs an entire world to conquer, as well as the location of an ancient tomb where the Demonlord Sargeras was buried, Medivh opened the Dark Portal to Gul'dan and his chieftain, Blackhand. For five long years, the Orcs ransacked the lands of Azeroth, driving the humans across the Great Sea. Seeking further conflict, they built ships of war and sailed to Lordaeron where they met their downfall.

Defeated, the remaining Orcs on Azeroth fled to the Dark Portal or went into hiding. Despite the Alliances attempt to destroy the portal, the rift between the two worlds remained. Meanwhile, Ner'zhul, a powerful Orcish Shaman, rallied the remaining Orcish clans in Draenor under his banner. Opening a smaller portal, Ner'zhul sent forth his legions to acquire powerful arcane artifacts needed to power the opening of more of the smaller portals to not only Azeroth, but other worlds as well.

Despite heavy opposition from the Alliance, Ner'zhul succeeds in opening gateways to several other worlds. However, he discovers that the energy of the smaller portals is beginning to rip Draenor apart. Knowing that no one could control the power threatening their world, Ner'zhul escapes through one of his portals. Alliance forces in Draenor realize that if they do not seal the rift to Azeroth, that it too, could be destroyed. At the last moment, the rift was sealed and it's speculated that they escaped through a portal to an unknown destination, never to be seen again.

Many years later an Orcish child named Thrall was captured and raised by corrupt humans. Escaping from his adoptive parents, Thrall sought his lost past. Seeking out his brethren, he found them in crude camps, forced to eek out a living passively, as they were always watched by Alliance members. Rallying the remaining Orcs under his leadership, Thrall promised to lead his shattered people back to their old ways. Reuniting them with the shamanistic powers, Thrall led them in a revolt against their captors.

As times change, and war comes once again to Azeroth in the form of demons called the Burning Legion, can the Orcs relive their past and ally themselves with the Alliance to defeat this new threat? What shall become of this proud race? Only time shall tell.

Unfortunately, the announcement of World of WarCraft comes at an awkward time for us. Its story line is set four years after WarCraft III, so you can see the predicament that we're in! How does one finish the history of a race when one cannot predict the result of what is to come? I suppose we'll have to wait a little while longer to see what happens in WarCraft III.

Characteristics-

Orcs are known to the humans as a brutish race of green-skinned, muscular, and dull-witted warriors. However, before their corruption by the Burning Legion, they were a noble, shamanistic race with intelligence to match their strength.

Lifestyle-

Originally, Orcs are from the red world of Draenor and prefer the somewhat muggy climate there. However, when Medivh opened the Dark Portal and lured them through to Azeroth, they were forced to adapt. Orcs will live just about anywhere they can establish a camp.

The Orcish race seems to be reverting back to its shamanistic ways through the leadership of Thrall, their new Chieftain. Their peaceful and ancient lifestyle is returning as they are at last wearing off the effects of the Burning Legions corruption.

Technology-

The Orcs have the ability to craft crude or advanced weapons, depending on the skill of the blacksmith behind the hammer. A common Orcish building is made with stone, wood, or straw and mud. Their allies, the Goblins, create and operate flying zeppelins, which the Orcs have used in the past for scouting missions.

The Art of War-

Unlike humans, Orcs prefer an offensive stance in battle. They'll often build up massive amounts of forces and attack their intended target, concentrating very little on defending their own base camps. Like most races, the Orcs are fierce fighters.

Gul'dan and the Betrayal

During the final days of the Second War, as the horde's victory over the Alliance seemed almost assured; a terrible feud erupted between the two most powerful orcs on Azeroth. The nefarious warlock, Gul'dan, master of the clandestine Shadow Council, led a number of renegade clans against the might of Ogrim Doomhammer, the war chief of the horde. As Doomhammer prepared his final assault against the Capital City of Lordaeron, an assault that would have crushed the last remnants of the Alliance, Gul'dan and his renegade clans abandoned their posts and set out to sea. The bewildered Doomhammer, having lost nearly half of his standing forces to Gul'dan's treachery, was force to pull back and forsake his greatest chance at victory over the Alliance.

The power-hungry Gul'dan, obsessed with obtaining godhood itself, set out on a desperate search for the undersea Tomb of Sargeras that he believed held the secrets of ultimate power. Having already doomed his fellow orcs to become the slaves of the Burning Legion, Gul'dan thought nothing of his supposed duty to Doomhammer. Backed by the Stormreaver and Twilight's Hammer clans, Gul'dan succeeded in raising the Tomb of Sargeras from the sea floor. However, when he opened the ancient, flooded vault, he found only crazed demons awaiting him.

Seeking to punish the wayward orcs for their costly betrayal, Doomhammer sent his forces to kill Gul'dan and bring the renegades back into the fold. For his recklessness, Gul'dan was torn apart by the maddened demons he had set loose. With their leader dead, the renegade clans quickly fell before Doomhammer's enraged legions. Though the rebellion had been quelled, the horde was unable to recoup the terrible losses it had suffered. Gul'dan's betrayal had afforded the Alliance not only hope, but also time to regroup… and retaliate.

Lord Lothar, seeing that the horde was fracturing from within, gathered the last of his forces and pushed the horde south, back into the shattered heartland of his homeland, Azeroth. There, the Alliance forces trapped the retreating horde within their volcanic fortress of Blackrock Spire.

Though Lord Lothar fell in battle at the Spire's base, his lieutenant, Turalyon, rallied the Alliance forces at the eleventh hour and pushed the horde back into the abysmal Swamp of Sorrows. Turalyon's forces succeeded in destroying the dark portal, the mystical gateway that connected the orcs to their dark, red home world of Draenor. Cut off from its reinforcements in Draenor and fractured by incessant infighting, the horde finally buckles in upon itself and fell before the might of the Alliance forces.

The scattered orc clans were quickly rounded up and placed within guarded internment camps. Though it seemed that the horde had been defeated for good, some remained highly skeptical that peace would last. Khadgar, the former apprentice of Medivh, convinced the Alliance high command to build the fortress of Nethergarde that would watch over the ruins of the dark portal and ensure there would be no further invasions from Draenor.

Ner'zhul and the Shadow Clans

As the fires of the Second War died down, the Alliance took aggressive steps to contain the orcish threat. A number of large internment camps, meant to house the captive orcs, were constructed in southern Lordaeron. Guarded by both the paladins and the veteran soldiers of the Alliance, the camps proved to be a great success. Though the captive orcs were tense and anxious to do battle once more, the various camp wardens, based at the old prison-fortress of Durnholde, kept the peace and maintained a strong semblance of order.

However, on the hellish world of Draenor, a new orcish army prepared to strike at the unsuspecting Alliance. The elder shaman, Ner'zhul - the former mentor of Gul'dan - rallied the handful of clans still left on Draenor under his dark banner. Ner'zhul planned to open a number of portals on Draenor that would lead the horde to new, unspoiled worlds. To power his new portals, Ner'zhul needed a number of enchanted artifacts from Azeroth. To procure them, Ner'zhul reopened the dark portal and sent his ravenous clans charging through.

The new horde, led by veteran chieftain such as Gromm Hellscream of the Warsong clan, and Kilrogg Deadeye of the Bleeding Hollow clan, surprised the Alliance defense forces and rampaged through the countryside. Under Ner'zhul's surgical command, the orcs quickly rounded up the artifacts they needed and fled back to the safety of Draenor.

King Terenas of Lordaeron, convinced that the orcs were preparing a new invasion of Azeroth, assembled his most trusted lieutenants. He ordered General Turalyon and the mage, Khadgar, to lead an expedition through the dark portal to put an end to the orcish threat once and for all. Turalyon and Khadgar's forces marched into Draenor and repeatedly clashed with Ner'zhul's clans upon the ravaged Hellfire Peninsula. Though neither side gained ground, it was clear that Ner'zhul would not be stopped from completing his nefarious plans.

Ner'zhul succeeded in opening his portals to other worlds - but he did not foresee the terrible price he would pay. The portals' tremendous energies began to tear the very fabric of Draenor apart. As Turalyon's forces fought desperately to return home to Azeroth, the world of Draenor began to buckle in upon itself. Gromm Hellscream and Kilrogg Deadeye, realizing that Ner'zhul's mad plans would doom their entire race, rallied the remaining orcs and escaped back to the relative safety of Azeroth. As Hellscream and Deadeye hacked their way through the human ranks in a desperate bid for freedom, the dark portal suddenly exploded behind them. For them, and the remaining orcs on Azeroth, there would be no going back…

Ner'zhul and his Shadowmoon clan passed through their newly created portals, as massive volcanic eruptions began to break Draenor's continents apart. The burning seas rose up and roiled the shattered landscape as the tortured world was finally consumed in an apocalyptic explosion.

Day of the Dragon

Though Gromm Hellscream and his Warsong clan managed to evade capture, Deadeye and his Bleeding Hollow clan were rounded up and placed in the internment camps in Lordaeron. Yet, despite the costly uprising, the camps' wardens soon re-established control over their brutish charges.

However, unknown to the Alliance's agents, a large force of orcs still roamed free in the northern wastes of Khaz Modan. The Dragonmaw clan, led by the infamous Warlock, Nekros, had maintained its control over the Dragonqueen, Alexstrasza, and her Dragon flight by using an ancient artifact known as the Demon Soul. With the Dragonqueen as his hostage, Nekros built up a secret army within the abandoned dwarf stronghold of Grim Batol. Planning to unleash his forces and the mighty red dragons on the Alliance, Nekros hoped to reunite the horde and continue its conquest of Azeroth. Yet, a small group of resistance fighters, led by the human mage, Rhonin, managed to destroy the Demon Soul and free the Dragonqueen from Nekros' command.

In their fury, Alexstrasza's dragons tore apart Grim Batol and incinerated the greater bulk of the Dragonmaw clan. Nekros' grand schemes of reunification came crashing down as the Alliance troops rounded up the remaining orc survivors and threw them into the waiting internment camps. The Dragonmaw clan's defeat signaled the end of the horde - and the end of the orcs' furious bloodlust.

Lethargy and Internment

As the months passed, more orc prisoners were rounded up and placed within the internment camps. As the camps began to overflow, the Alliance was forced to construct new camps in the plains of south of the Alterac Mountains. To properly maintain and supply the growing number of camps, King Terenas levied a new tax on the Alliance nations. This tax, as well as increased political tensions over border disputes, created widespread dissention amongst the leaders of the Alliance. It seemed that the fragile pact that had forged human nations together in their darkest hour would break at any given moment.

Amidst the political turmoil, many of the camp wardens began to notice an unsettling change come over their orc captives. The orcs' efforts to escape from the camps or even fight amongst themselves had greatly decreased in frequency over time. The orcs were becoming increasingly aloof and lethargic. Though it was difficult to believe, the orcs - once held as the most aggressive race ever seen on Azeroth - had completely lost their will to fight. The strange lethargy confounded the Alliance leaders and continued to take its toll on the rapidly weakening orcs.

Some speculated that some strange disease, contractible only by orcs, brought about the baffling lethargy. But the Archmage, Antonidas of Dalaran, posed a different hypothesis. Researching what little he could find on orcish history, Antonidas learned that the orcs had been under the crippling influence of demonic power (or warlock magics) for generations. He speculated that the orcs had been corrupted by demonic powers even before their first invasion of Azeroth. Clearly, demons had spiked the orcs' blood, which in turn granted the brutes unnaturally heightened strength, endurance and aggression.

Antonidas theorized that the orcs' communal lethargy was not actually a disease, but a long-term racial withdrawal from the volatile Warlock magics that had made them fearsome, blood-lusted warriors. Thought the symptoms were clear, Antonidas was unable to find a cure for the orcs' present condition. Many of his fellow mages, as well as a few notable Alliance leaders, argued that finding a cure for the orcs would be an imprudent venture. Left to ponder the orcs' mysterious condition, Antonidas' conclusion was that the orcs' only cure would have to be a spiritual one…

Thrall's Tale

During the dark days of the First War, a cunning human officer named Aedelas Blackmoore found an infant orc abandoned in the wilds. The infant orc, whom Blackmoore aptly named Thrall, was taken to the prison-fortress of Durnholde. There, Blackmoore raised the young orc as a favored slave and gladiator. Intending to train the young orc to be not only a peerless warrior, but also an educated leader, Blackmoore hoped to use Thrall to take over the horde, and thereby achieve dominion over his fellow men.

Nineteen years passed and Thrall grew into a strong, quick-witted orc. Yet his young heart knew that a slave's life was not for him. Many things had transpired in the world outside the fortress as he grew to maturity. He learned that his people, the orcs - whom he had never met - had been defeated and placed into internment camps in the human lands. Doomhammer, the leader of his people, had escaped from Lordaeron and gone into hiding. He knew that only one rogue clan still operated in secret, trying to evade the watchful eyes of the Alliance.

The resourceful yet inexperienced Thrall decided to escape from Blackmoore's fortress and set off to find others of his kind. During his journeys Thrall visited the internment camps and found his once mighty race to be strangely cowed and lethargic. Having not found the proud warriors he hoped to discover, Thrall set out to find the last undefeated orc chieftain, Gromm Hellscream.

Despite being constantly hunted by humans, Hellscream still held onto the horde's unquenchable will to fight. Aided only by his own devoted Warsong clan, Hellscream continued to fight an underground war against the oppression of his beleaguered people. Unfortunately, Hellscream could never find a way to rouse the captured orcs from their stupor. The impressionable Thrall, inspired by Hellscream's idealism, developed a strong empathy for the horde and its warrior traditions.

Seeking the truth of his own origins, Thrall traveled north to find the legendary Frostwolf clan. Thrall learned that Gul'dan had exiled the Frostwolves during the early days of the First War. He also discovered that he was the son and heir of the orc hero, Durotan - the true chieftain of the Frostwolves who had been murdered in the wilds nearly twenty years before…

Under the tutelage of venerable shaman, Drek'Thar, Thrall studied the ancient shamanistic culture of his people that had been forgotten under Gul'dan's evil rule. Over time, Thrall became a powerful shaman and took his rightful place as chieftain of the exiled Frostwolves. Empowered by the elements themselves and driven to find his destiny, Thrall set off to free the captive clans and heal his race of demonic corruption.

During his travels, Thrall found the aged war chief, Ogrim Doomhammer, who had been living as a hermit for many years. Doomhammer, who had been a close friend of Thrall's father, decided to follow the young, visionary orc and help him free the captive clans. Supported by many of the veteran chieftains, Thrall ultimately succeeded in revitalizing the horde and giving his people a new spiritual identity.

To symbolize his people's rebirth, Thrall returned to Blackmoore's fortress of Durnholde, and put a decisive end to his former master's plans by laying siege to the internment camps. Yet, during the liberation of one camp, Doomhammer fell in battle. Thrall took up Doomhammer's legendary war hammer and donned his black plate armor to become the new war chief of the horde. During the following months, Thrall's small but volatile horde laid waste to the internment camps and stymied the Alliance's best efforts to counter its clever strategies. Encouraged by his best friend and mentor, Gromm Hellscream, Thrall worked to ensure that no orc would be cast into slavery - either by humans or demons - ever again.

How do guilds work?

Players can band together to form guilds, which are large social groups, in order to help each other progress in the game. Players get to choose an emblem and color combination unique to their guild, embroidered on special guild tabards that players can display proudly over their characters' armor.

What kind of weather effects will there be in the game?

Players will experience numerous changes in weather throughout the world. The game features dynamic skies and clouds giving players the ability to actually see clouds begin to form and coalesce into stormy weather. Snow, rain, and fog are just some of many additional weather effects players can expect to find in the game.

When in the timeline does World of Warcraft take place?

World of Warcraft takes place four years following the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos™, when a great tension has settled over the ravaged world of Azeroth.

Will there be "zones" in World of Warcraft?

World of Warcraft will not feature "zones" in the traditional sense denoting loading screens between each area of gameplay. Our plan is to incorporate different regions of the world for players to explore, each with their own distinct look and theme. Questing through the majority of these regions will be seamless, however, certain regions may require a short load time

Will there be water-based, interactive environments?

Yes.

Can you explain a little about how the dungeons work in World of Warcraft?

Players will come across two types of dungeons while playing the game: micro dungeons and world dungeons. There are more than a hundred micro dungeons throughout the world of Azeroth, ranging in relative size from small to quite big. Micro-dungeon locations will include tombs, haunted mines, ice caves, and sunken ships to name a few. The transition into and out of these dungeons will be seamless, and you'll be able to run into other players anywhere along the way.

World dungeons, which are grander in scale than micro dungeons, are specifically designed for more epic encounters. World dungeons include places such as Medivh's Tower, the Westfall Deadmines, and the Scarlet Monastery. All these locations have common areas where players can meet up and fight together. But, deeper in the dungeons are areas set up specifically for more private group (or sometimes guild) adventures. These private dungeon areas, called "instance zones," allow you and a group of friends to have a more personal experience, exploring, adventuring, or completing quests in your own private dungeon. You also have the ability to invite others into your instance zone to join you. This relieves many of the camping, kill-stealing, and farming issues that MMORPGs sometimes face. The monsters in instance zones are typically more powerful, so groups of players will have to work together to defeat them, but with greater dangers come greater rewards!

How many characters are allowed per account?

Currently, the number is 8, but that number is subject to change.

Will there be "crowd control" spells like sleep, confuse, mesmerize, etc.?

Yes. In addition to crowd-control spells such as these, there will be a wide assortment of other spells and abilities that will vary the tactics players use to defeat monsters. Some examples are Call Lightning, Fear, and Dominate. Remember, though, that the monsters will have access to these too... =)

Will there be other things to do besides leveling?

There will be a huge variety of things to do to keep players from feeling like they just have to grind through one creature battle after another. Characters can craft items, fight in vast battles against other players, establish homes, and explore distant lands. Even when players do fight monsters, it will often be as part of a quest, or in search of special ingredients for their crafts.

Is there a way to finish World of Warcraft? How long can I play?

There will be thousands of hours of game play in the shipping game, and nearly infinite goals for players. Because we'll have a live team regularly adding new quests, creatures, and items, the game will never truly end.

How large is the party size for players?

Currently, the party size is five players, and the game is generally balanced for groups of five. Smaller groups can still be quite successful, and regardless of the group's size, everyone in the group will be able to make important contributions. Also, players will be able to "link" groups in order to form larger parties for raids or guild activities.

How and where can I bind?

Players can bind at bindpoints, which are scattered throughout the land. Anyone can bind at these locations, regardless of class or race.

How is death handled in the game?

A character will remain where he or she died for a reasonable amount of time (to allow for possible resurrection) or until the player chooses to "release" the character. After the player releases the character or the designated amount of time has passed, the character will reappear at a bind point with all of his or her equipment safely intact. Although there might be some penalty attached, our goal is to make sure that a character's death is not overly frustrating for the player.

How do you improve your skills?

Players will improve their characters' skills through a combination of usage and leveling. A character's level determines the maximum potential for any given skill, while actually using a particular skill determines the current proficiency in that skill.

How do mounts work in World of Warcraft?

World of Warcraft offers a variety of mounts for the different races of Azeroth (the world on which the game takes place). For example, Humans generally ride horses, and Orcs tend to favor their trusted wolf mounts. Mounts are a great way to travel the world for mid-to-high-level characters. With extensive training, riding specialists will be able to use mounts not generally available to their particular race, but this ability will be rare.

Do Tauren have mounts?

No, they instead have a special racial ability called Plains Running, which allows them to run very quickly for a certain amount of time.

When will the beta start?

The beta is expected to begin in Q4 (October, November, December), and it will be done in stages. That is all the information we have at this time; please watch the World of Warcraft site for any news regarding the beta.

What will T.H.E. play or be in WoW?

Orcs! Yes, that is correct, we will be playing Orcs. We have not decided if we will allow other races into the clan, but if we do, they may be slaves.

Update: We are going to allow Taurens and Trolls, limited amount of each. Uglutz talked me into it >:] The reason, classes are limited in WoW by race.

Will we have to roleplay?

Yes! You will need to learn to speak orcish and to act like an orc (or tauren or troll). Have an orcish, tauren, or troll name (so start thinking up one now). Note that Taruen and Trolls will need to speak orc as well. We do not want the "Hey Mon" speech in the guild. Speak the common tongue of the horde!

What will our guild name be?

Skullcrusher Orc Clan

Where can I find out more information about SOC?

We had a temp website set up for our orcs in UO, we will be taking a lot of this for use in SOC.

Update: Click on the World of Warcraft link at the top of this page.

But I want to be a paladin!!

Skah! Lat pushdug oomie! Whi lat bi nub bubhosh! Playing evil characters can be a lot of fun, I had the most fun in UO playing Orcs than any other race. It makes a huge difference when the game gets boring. Playing some honor bound virtuous fool can be fun, but if that is all you have ever done, try something new!

When will our website be up?

Update: Up now!

What about that I am playing now?

The first month of WoW will be free (I am assuming here since every MMORPG has had the first month free), so you can play it for a month and see if you like it. A lot of us have spent countless hours in other games. I still have my UO accounts even though I do not play that often (if ever). I can't give those accounts up just yet. I am also in SWG a lot and have spent many many hours in that game. But I have also done the same in DAoC, SB, EQ. All of which I have left. I hope WoW or another game will come out that will surpass all others and I can spend the next 5 years playing it, like UO in the old days. So it's up to you, but try it out for a month as most of us will. Who knows, maybe none of us will enjoy it.

Who will be our guild leader?

Grulg (Balandar) and Uglutz (Martok) are the leaders of the Clan. Grulg is the Warboss and Uglutz is the Vuduboss.

Will we have to roleplay in guild chat or other chats?

Nope. This will be used for general chat and not for roleplaying. You can ask questions about roleplaying, how to say an orcish word, etc.

What makes this game different from the others?

"A dedicated live team will create a constant stream of new adventures to undertake, lands to explore, and monsters to vanquish. This content ensures that the game will never be the same from month to month, and will continue to offer new challenges and adventures for years to come. "

What classes can I play?

All for Orcs: Rogue, Hunter, Warlock, Warrior, Shaman. Click here for more information. And all troll/tauren classes.

What city will we start out in?

Cities are limited by race, so we will start out in the only orc city available. Orgrimmar.

"Named in honor of the legendary Orgrim Doomhammer, Orgrimmar was founded to be the capital city of the Orcs' new homeland. Built within a huge, winding canyon in the harsh land of Durotar, Orgrimmar stands as one of the mightiest Warrior cities in the world. Behind Orgrimmar's immense walls, elderly Shamans patiently share their knowledge with the Horde's newest generation of leaders, while Warriors spar in the gladiatorial arena, honing their skills in preparation for the trials that await them in this dangerous land. "

Official Site

WoW Forums

World Map

About Orcs

Orgrimmar - The Orc/Troll city.

Movies

Noob Information Guide ( compiled )

Stratics

Warcry

I took this test before... I got a 140 then and a 144 now.. guess that means the last year in college has made me smarter (lol, yeah right). Only 9 weeks to go... anyway,

Congratulations, Chad!

Your IQ score is 144

This number is the result of a formula based on how many questions you answered correctly on Emode's Ultimate IQ test. Your IQ score is scientifically accurate; to read more about the science behind our IQ test, click here.

During the test, you answered four different types of questions — mathematical, visual-spatial, linguistic and logical. We analyzed how you did on each of those questions which reveals how your brain uniquely works.

We also compared your answers with others who have taken the test. According to the sorts of questions you got correct, we can tell your Intellectual Type is a Visionary Philosopher.

This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns. And that's just some of what we know about you from your IQ results.

Find out more about your unique intellectual strengths in your personalized 15-page IQ report. It's ready right now!