The reason I come back to your blog is because of your exceptional writing and knowledge of the game that we all play and love so much. I am amazed at the amount of time you spend crafting articles that will help us grow. I am no longer spaming Mangle, I know pounce, mangle, shred maim. Then laugh as the target bleeds to death. I no longer have the armor enchant on my cloak. AP gems are out and AGI are in.

All of the above is great and if I need game knowledge I can simply glance to the links on the side of your blog. However it is the fact that you appear to be a tangible friend that I come back for more. In all honesty you don’t know what to expect when you log on to your site, will it be another awesome article, a great story, or my favorite a mild mannered man in jogging shorts beating the hell out of some disrespectful kids.

I believe you have a bond with your readers that many strive for and while it is easy for all of us to criticize anything and everything please don’t let those “Asshats” get you down.

Itok

I fully subscribe to your model of “write as if it were your friends listening”. It is unfortunate when insecure coconuts become abusive in an effort to relieve their endless day-to-day pain of knowing they suck.

I hope you do know that the vast majority of your readers are from that group of friends you’ve been developing for months and months. I look forward to your posts every day, for a unique combination of entertainment and information, and the best “take no baloney” kind of attitude I’ve ever seen. Maybe I need to virtually hang out (read: lurk) with more Marines :-)

I am pretty much a lurker here as well but I really enjoy all of your posts and you have encouraged me to level my own druid who had been sitting at level 35 for many months and who I have now recently gotten to 70 and am slowly starting to gear out as much as possible.

I hope you keep writing this blog as I am a very frequent reader although I have never commented on a post until now.

I am looking forward to reading many more of your blog posts in the future, keep up the excellent, entertaining and informative writing.

I was standing over there near the bar and couldn’t help overhearing what you were saying. :)

I’ve been lurking here for… ooh, almost a year now, but this is the first time I’ve succumbed to my urge to post. I came to this place while looking for Druid info, but stayed for the chat. I always found your thoughts and opinions interesting, rants and all. Yours is the first blog I read every morning, and I pounce on every new post. If you were to give it up now, I’d be a sad bear.

I hope you manage to find a balance that keeps you happy, whatever that may be.

So anyway, let me bring my chair over. I’m not very talkative, but I’m a good listener. Let me get the drinks in, what are you having?

My first character was a resto druid. Levelled 1-60 resto. Yes, it took like a year to do. I loved healing as a druid. But when BC came out, I didn’t make the transition to Lifebloom; I had a meltdown.

When BC first came out, everything was broken (UI-wise.) There I was, in tree form, in 5 mans, trying to use HoTs to keep everyone up, with no UI assistance in working out how long was left on any of my HoTs. Eventually, trying to manually time up to five different HoTs of differing lengths in my head just crushed me. I locked away all my toons. To this day, I’ve never played my poor Druid again.

But recently, I found myself wanting a lowbie alt that I could just pick up, play for 30 minutes, and put down again. A toon that wasn’t in a guild, that wouldn’t be bugged about stuff. Something nice and relaxing to play. I didn’t want to roll an Alliance toon, since I prefer to keep all my current characters on one realm on the same faction.

After musing on it for a few hours, I eventually decided to give playing feral a try. In part because I missed playing a druid, but also in part to you. From my point of view, you’re to druids what BRK is to hunters: someone who gets up and writes passionately about them, who clearly loves them to pieces, and whose enthusiasm is infectious.

But I’d never really played feral much; I’d specced feral for 60-70, but that was a long time ago. Your posts on low level talents, and how to play were really invaluable. In many places, it confirmed what I thought I should do, and in others helped me make a better decision.

I’m now enjoying my little lowbie feral a lot. And much of that is thanks to you.

Now, as much as I appreciate all your feral posts, the reason I keep reading and have you on my favourite blogs list is all the non-wow stuff. Look at the EJ forums; they have a lot of really great info. But it’s clinical. The people there are just names and avatars.

On the other hand, despite having never met you in-game or IRL, I’d consider you a friend. The PBeM posts, the stories, it all makes you more than just a URL and a 125×125 JPEG.

I don’t want you to keep posting because you feel obligated to. As much as I cherish your stories and advice, I don’t want it to be at the cost of a sad bear. Post because you want to, and don’t let the sanctimonious, self-absorbed raving pillocks spoil that for you. If they do, let me know, and I’ll kite them to and misdirect Doomwalker on to them. That’ll teach ‘em to mess with our bear!

I have a Delicious Chocolate Cake for you, but the mailman says they don’t deliver from Hyjal to Kael’thas. But I’ll keep it in the fridge if you ever stop by. :)

Am another pervey eavesdropper (cough… I be an Australian librarian …for a bita give-n-take) shamed into commenting ^_^ okay okay I have little shame – but I do feel for you so I am popping in a 2 cents like the others. I have been reading you blog since … hmmm well since you had it on the old platform and the huge bear butt picture in your blog header made me laugh errr my butt off so-to-say. You must write well because I have never levelled a druid past 40 yet I find myself returning to your blog for wow related news and stories (guess it is kinda like a form of creepy stalker solo wow-socialization :p) – oh I believe you have been in about 3 of the podcasts I listen to regularly as well.

It’s a shame people are making you feel crap – I hear it happens a lot to bloggers who get popular :(

I like your posts because you do express an opinion on topics which get me thinking hmmm what do I think about that? You have probably inspired a few blog posts over my way.

It makes things better. :)