Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game -- and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!
In addition to asking our wonderful staff what they're playing this weekend, I also posed something of a challenge: in one sentence (or less), give your current reaction to patch 4.0.6. Did everyone succeed in this test of brevity? Let's find out!
Allison Robert (@AllisonRobert): Raiding again with the guildies, and probably more archaeology. I'll also be trying to salvage an antique picture frame with my grandmother. As for patch 4.0.6, I'm still too occupied with current content to give it much thought, but I can't say I'm happy about losing Berserk's Fear immunity or the ability to break roots on shapeshifting. Feral PvP merited a nerf, but it's more than a little depressing that attempts to fix this will have such a punitive effect on bear PvE.
Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey): I've got a babysitting stint on Saturday that will likely involve children showing me mass amounts of stuff they think is cool. This is usually anything from technology to cartoons to strange objects in the backyard, so that ought to be entertaining. Sunday is raid night, not sure what we'll be going after. As for patch 4.0.6: Meh. Not really excited, not really bummed.
Alex Ziebart (AlexZiebart): My adventures with Oblivion have already come to their conclusion. Sandboxes can only keep my attention for so long. In between writing for WoW Insider, writing over on my StarCraft 2 site, and getting the general gaming commentary blog I'm working on with a few other WoW Insider people together, I don't have a much time for games this weekend. What little time I do have will be spent playing my warrior alt, who just hit level 84. You can never have enough tanks. My reaction to patch 4.0.6 so far: For the love of god, let Divine Storm generate holy power already.
C. Christian Moore (@TheArenaGuy): I'll be doing a lot of arena and hopefully some rated battlegrounds as well. I'll also be leveling up my death knight, mage, and possibly paladin. I'd like to get more characters to 85 to play even more arena than I am right now. While they've gotten better over time, half of the PvP changes in 4.0.6 are completely necessary while the other half are mind-boggling.
Chase Christian (@madsushi): Going to be knocking out more raid bosses with my guild, in addition to working on editing our kill videos. My PC has been having some problems with FRAPS, and so I'll also be doing some technical troubleshooting to get things working properly.
Dan O'Halloran: I hit 85 with my druid and promptly specced out of healing. If they fix that in 4.1 I'll go back. Until then, gearing up a bit more before I start tackling heroics via Uldum, Twilight Highlands, Grim Batol, Lost City and Halls of Origination. Also working on my dwarf enhancement shaman who is up to 44 but is sidetracked by gold making via Inscription. As for the upcoming patch, I'm annoyed that druid shapeshifting won't take us out of root effects anymore. I'm sure this is for PvP reasons, but it impacts PvE as well. EverQuest 2 redesigned its spell/ability system so that it could tweak spells for PvP and not affect PvE; why can't Blizzard do the same?
Daniel Whitcomb (@danielwhitcomb): I'm still on vacation and still hanging with my family. I have discovered that my netbook can run WoW, so I have been doing cooking and fishing dailies and a bit of archaeology when I have some downtime, but I probably wont get back to playing in earnest until Tuesday. As far as 4.0.6 goes: Bummed about the Death Strike nerf, super-excited about everything else.
Dawn Moore (@dawnwow): This weekend I'll be playing more Chrono Trigger DS, doing some dungeons, interviewing with a potential new guild, and picking up herbalism on my druid. I'll also be recording the Circle of Healing Podcast with Matt and Kinaesthesia. 4.0.6 looks good for priests, with some exciting changes and acceptable balancing; I like the Glyph of Prayer of Mending a lot.
Elizabeth Wachowski (@leeatwaterlives): I work during the day this weekend, so if I play at all it'll be Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. I would like to start God of War: Ghost of Sparta, but my PSP has lost one button and another sticks, so I probaly can't. If I have time at night I'll try to get my pally to 85 and progress my druid and shammy further into the 50s.
Joe Perez (@Lodurzj): Twitter poll has decided that I level the paladin to 85 before I finish leveling my druid, so I'll be working on that. Getting ready for Monday's raid which I will be livestreaming. More random heroics and breaking in a couple new raiders. My guild Unpossible on Zul'jin is still looking for a few raiders, so hopefully we'll get a couple more apps. As far as my feelings on patch 4.0.6? Alas, poor Mana Tide Totem! I knew him, Matticus, a fellow of infinite mana, of most excellent fancy.
Kelly Aarons (@Cadistra): Slowly taking my druid through the rest of Uldum and frantically making money on dailies. I also finished Professor Layton and the Unwound Future earlier this week, so I'm waiting to see if Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective will appear at my local EB Games. As for 4.0.6? AWESOME. There is a lot of really great druid stuff now, and the guild perks make things so much sweeter!
Lisa Poisso (@emused): Herbalism, archaeology and relaxing. Bonus question: Waiting for balance to be achieved ...
Mathew McCurley (@gomatgo): Trying to get caught up on record keeping and playing WoW. I'm thinking about getting Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood for the multiplayer, but I just don't know if I want to spend the money right now. I am really, really excited for 4.0.6, because I hope with it comes the Tol Barad changes we want and need.
Matt Low (@matticus): My shaman and paladin are not at 85. Time to bring up the druid and the night elf arcane mage next. Thank goodness for heirloom cloaks.
Matthew Rossi (@MatthewWRossi): Gonna be working on some heroics for folks who are a trifle undergeared. Patch 4.0.6 is one of those patches that kind of surprised me, the changes it makes seem kind of unnecessary as far as warriors go and the buffs to Arms I was expecting didn't happen.
Robin Torres (@cosmiclaurel): As I am having severe issues deciding which character to play on a session-to-session basis, I can't be more specific with my answer than to say that I will be playing WoW. As far as the patch: I'm a little shocked, a little thrilled, a little disappointed but mostly annoyed. I know there are things to fix and adjustments to make; but after so much change, I really wouldn't mind having the game remain the same for a while.
Sarah Nichol (@mentalshaman): I will be raiding and dabbling in archaeology. Or I will be delving into a book by Peter Hamilton or Simon R Green! I've also got Kick Ass and a couple of animated films to watch. That is if I get time aside from spring cleaning and entertaining my parents. As for 4.0.6, I'm ambivalent about this particular patch. It holds some buffs for my lively lightning-fiends, but it doesn't solve the awkward niggles.
Zach Yonzon (@battlemasters): With any luck, some actual play time? in all likelihood, though, I'll probably be asleep recovering from another exhausting work week. it's so ironic (or tragic) that it's when the game's at its most fun that I can't even find enough time to play. If I do manage to get into Azeroth, I'll probably catch up on some gear.
The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can't get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you're playing this weekend!