podcast

Podcast Topic: Cataclysm Healing Class Balance

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Each week on Matticast we will be featuring a topic driven by our audience. You can submit your comments on this post, or e-mail us with your thoughts. You can even send us an audio clip (mp3 format please). This is your chance to have your say on what we discuss on World of Matticus. Also don’t forget, if you have general questions you’d like answered on the show, you can send them our way!

This week we are looking for your opinion on class balance amongst healers in Cataclysm. A debate was sparked by Paragon’s Xaar on the EU forums over how useful Druid and Shamans are in high end raiding. What are your thoughts? Are you avoiding taking Druids and Shamans on your raids? Are Paladins and Priests that much better? What healer makeup does your guild prefer to take?

So How About a Podcast?

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Over the years, the idea of establishing a podcast has continued to remain in the back of my mind. There were many obstacles in the way. For one, I lacked the technical expertise. I really don’t want to half-ass stuff and that’s why I never tried to go for it. I didn’t have the time to really learn about how to produce a really awesome show. It wasn’t until recently that those factors have been resolved and I found someone who can give me a hand with that aspect so that additional focus can be placed on the cooler stuff: Content creation. Brian Hough former co-host of Raid Warning and current co-host of The Creep will be handling the producer and moderator duties.

Well, what’s it going to be about?

Think of it as a further extension to the blog. I won’t be discussing as much about news or anything. There’s enough news podcasts out there as it is. The fact is, this blog has evolved to its current point where the team writes about 3 things: Healing, raiding and leadership. The podcast I’m envisioning will contain topics related to those 3.

One of the ideas that came up is where we’d take feedback and comments from a post earlier in the week and air it on the show. We’d like to get additional interaction in that regard and give you, the readers, a “voice”.

Granted, I don’t know if it’s going to work. I don’t know if it’s going to catch on. I don’t know if it’ll be well received either. All I know is, I won’t know unless I try.

Looking for another host

The current plan is to present a more conversational style show. Brian will be directing the discussion and acting as moderator. The potential third person and myself will do the heavy lifting.

I’m looking for someone who has a focus on the three topics of the blog. Someone who is an independent thinker and can carry a conversation. Namely, someone who shares the same passion and work ethic I do about the game.

How do I apply?

Interested applicants can submit a 2-3 minute mp3 sound file. Spend the first minute introducing yourself and why you want to do this. Go ahead and come up with one topic about healing, raiding or leadership and talk about it for a few minutes. Remember, try to be conversational.

Stuck for ideas? Try one of these.

  • What do you think of guilds establishing their own PvP divisions?
  • Do you give second chances to players who leave your guild? Why or why not?
  • Do you find 10 or 25 player raiding more appealing? Give a couple of reasons why.

Email it to me

What about the Circle of Healing podcast?

Good news! It’ll be coming back out of hiatus in early December. I have no intention of leaving but I also need to see what how the workload will be like. You can expect to hear the same, cool healing stuff in the first half of the season. Pretty sure I can pull it off. Keep an eye out for it!

Edit: For a better idea, listen to the How Stuff Works Podcast: Stuff You Should Know

Enter the Circle of Healing Podcast

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I mentioned it briefly before, but it’s official now. There is a new World of Warcraft podcast in town. I’ve always had my sights set on expanding to podcasts and videos. Dawn Moore, the host and producer (Spiritual Guidance on WoW.com, discipline) will be regularly joined by Kinaesthesia (vodka’s ace priest, holy) and myself (some guy with multiple blogs, who plays both).

Now to be fair, we’re all priests. There will be times where we make efforts to discuss healing from perspectives of other classes. I suppose you can call us the Circle. Or something. Once get a little more established and comfortable, we’ll be bringing in some guest healers and specialists.

We’ll be recording new episodes twice a month.

What this podcast is

  • Healing discussion: We’re going to be talking about healing stuff. Expect to hear our thoughts and opinions about any and every aspect of healing.
  • Question and answer: Have a healing question? We might have a healing answer. These can either be fictional or real. But we figured someone out there will benefit from it.

What this podcast isn’t

  • It is not a WoW news show: Don’t expect us to be providing news or opinions on general WoW changes. There’s enough podcasts out there that do that already.
  • An update on our lives: We won’t be talking about what we did today or that week. We’re trying to keep a tight schedule so it’ll be straight to business. Although random interjections and tangents may occur, it won’t be a regular occurrence.

Why you should listen to it?

  • How many other WoW related healing podcasts can you name?
  • An educational experience (we hope)
  • Stuff that no other podcast has
  • Kinasthesia’s wit
  • Dawn’s on it
  • Me being… me (that’s not a selling point, is it?)

Oh but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what a former guildmate of mine had to say about it:

“Great insight from some of the game’s leading minds in Priestlyness. Hoping to hear more from them in the future!”

– Infiniz

Okay, enough of that. You want to listen to it and you want it now.

Episode 1: Introductions

Introductory podcast where we discuss our backgrounds, our thoughts at the current state of the healing priest (comforts and discomforts), and these blue posts about healing.

Mirror 1: Circle of Healing Podcast
Mirror 2: World of Matticus

Episode 2: Priests, Masters of Tangent

Big news for this episode? Cataclysm priest talent previews are available. I know that I didn’t put up a post yet detailing my thoughts on it, but you can hear my take on some of the talents here.

Mirror 1: Circle of Healing Podcast
Mirror 2: World of Matticus

The site for the podcast itself is still being developed, but the podcast episodes themselves were ready. Figured we may as well push them live.

Remember, we’re just starting out. Feel free to hit us with feedback, what you liked, didn’t like, want more of, and healing questions are always a plus.

Thespius and Matticus featured on “Power Word: Fail”

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Image is courtesy of Brian Hough.

Kind of a fun title, no?  I’m ready to let the “fail” jokes ensue!  Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

In all seriousness, the folks over at Raid Warning (xSeven and Epiphanize) have assembled this special podcast (scheduled to be released March 1st) – a roundtable of some of the community’s most prominent priests.

Raid Warning’s last roundtable, Wild Shots, was a huge hit.  It was a roundtable of some very well-known hunters in the community.  You can follow links on their site to listen.

As for Power Word: Fail, I cannot be more excited for this event.  I’ve been recording with these guys for a while, and it’s always a blast.  If Wild Shots is any indication of the level of discussion we’ll have, then you’re sure to get some detailed insight into “The State of the Priest”.

Here’s who you’ll have the pleasure of hearing:

This podcast is going to center around questions you provide by emailing Raid Warning here.  We take your questions and discuss them throughout the podcast, as well as current news and speculation. 

I hope you’ll all submit questions, and check it out on March 1st!

Email: Elder.Thespius@gmail.com | Twitter: @Thespius

Guest Casting on the Rawrcast

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I mentioned Monday that I would be appearing as a guest on the Rawrcast.

Stomp asked me to help her out and solicit some questions from the readers here. I believe the topics will be on:

  • Dual specs
  • Mana regen
  • Ulduar
  • Anything else is fair game

    • Go to this post and flood her comments (or email) accordingly.

    I’m getting grilled tomorrow (Friday afternoon).