Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen, on the current PTR build, and confirmed by Forum Blue poster Eyonix, the attunement process for Karazhan will no longer be required for every player.

 Instead, only one person in the raid will need the complete attunement in order to open the door for everyone else.

 My spin on this is, overall, it will be a good thing.

 Why?

 First, let’s talk about the number one response I expect to hear, everywhere.

“Omigod now all the undergeared n00bs with no skillz will be trying to run Karazhan naked! Oh Noees!”

 In this case, I agree with something that Nightravyn said in a chat, that nothing has stopped n00bs from getting attuned previous to this.

 Skill has not really been required to complete attunement before. In fact, the only thing attunement really proves is that the person has, at least 5 times in their life, been inside of an instance… and has seen the end of Shadow Laboratory.

 Now, one hopes and prays that someone that is attuned did each isntance as part of a team, learned valuable lessons on teamwork and cooperation, and is ready to face the first challenges of playing in the ten man leagues.

 But let’s be honest… the people that you are worrying about the most are the ones MOST likely to try to find a group of 4 galactically over-powered, top geared folks to carry their lame ass through the runs.

 The people that, in fact, are the hardest hit in terms of attunement are exactly the same folks that I have mentioned in a previous post this week… people that want to play the game the ’straight’ way, facing challenges themselves, in the company of friends, learning as they go and trying to get better every day.

 People that might be in different time zones or working hours than the rest of their friends or guild, and have a real hard time getting everyone together for a single run.

 People that play the game with friends, and don’t want to PUG because of too many bad experiences with immature players. (Asshats, to use the common vernacular).

 People that enjoy playing all of the elements of the game as a shared experience, rather than something to hurry through with strangers to get to the raiding.

 So do I think that Karazhan ‘PUGs’ are going to suffer from a sudden flood of undergeared, inexperienced asshats? 

Absolutely.

 But for most folks I know, especially my friends, this is going to be nothing but good news. Finally, if they happen to be online particularly early for the first time in 6 months, and a Karazhan run is forming and looking for more people, we’ll be able to say, “Hey Daak… feel like coming along on the run? We could use your help.”

And not have to hear “Sorry man, but I still need an Old Hillsbrad run.”

“But… Daak… we did Old Hillsbrad like 5 times.”

“Yes, but we were doing it for fun when I was able to be on more, I haven’t been able to get a group together now that I’m on that part of the quest chain.”

Make of it what you will. I for one am not saddened by the news.

Every once in a while, I get in the mood to tell a long, long, long story. I think it comes from spending hours bored out of my mind around one too many campfires, where everyone passed the time telling stories. And today I’m just in that mood. Sorry.

Now, this here is a real no shitter. A real true story of the early life of the Big Bear Butt.

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