You Can Leave WoW, But Can You Get Away?

My World of Warcraft account lapsed some time ago.  I haven’t been in the game since some time in April.

But some of our guild is still subscribed and playing.  And apparently somebody has had some trouble.

A character on my account holds the position of guild leader, primarily because I usurped the old leader when he stopped playing for a year. (Sorry Mark!)

But since my account holds that position, I got this email last evening:

Grettings!

Account Name:
Realm: Eldre’Thalas
Character Name: Tistann
Guild Name: Twilight Cadre
Item(s) Restored: Bolt of Imbued Netherweave x15
Bolt of Runecloth x28
Dawnstone
Diamond-Cut Refractor Scope x4
Ebonweave x2
Embersilk Cloth x4
Eternal Earth x30
Heavy Borean Leather x40
Heavy Netherweave Bandage x20
Living Ruby
Moonshroud
Netherweave Cloth x15
Nightseye
Noble Topaz
Saronite Bar x4
Scarlet Ruby x2
Shining Spellthread
Spellweave x2
Star of Elune

It has come to our attention that your guild bank had items removed without the guild’s consent, resulting in item theft.

We are very happy to inform you that we were able to assist your guild in this particular case.

Please keep in mind that In-Game Support will review reported guild bank theft, but that restoration for any such losses are not guaranteed. We strongly recommend that guild withdrawal limitations are set to be more conservative to help prevent incidents like this occurring in the future. While we will make every effort to verify and restore your loss, the decision to go forward with a restoration is entirely at Blizzard’s discretion.

You will find the item(s) already in your character’s inventory or in the mailbox as an attachment. If the item(s) was lost due to an accidental sale, the appropriate amount of money will be charged. If you do not pay the COD to retrieve the item from the mail, and the mail expires, unfortunately your restoration will be forfeit.

Please note that items with random modifiers (of the Bear, of the Eagle, etc.) are randomly generated; therefore we are unable to guarantee that you will receive the same modifier you had on your original item. We are also unable to guarantee the restoration of enchantments or add-ons (such as gems, scopes, etc.) the items may have possessed. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have been caused.

For further information please check our Restoration Policy located at (http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/20457)

Thank you again for contacting us. We hope you continue to enjoy your experience in World of Warcraft!

Regards,

Game Master Shendranikus
Customer Services
Blizzard Entertainment
www.blizzard.com/support

Well crap.

Somebody else in our guild got their account hacked… again!  Not a new story here I am afraid.  Even the guild bank looting we’ve been through before.  It is one of the most pressing issues facing WoW, and I cannot escape it.

I think there are maybe 8 or 9 accounts maximum in our guild, and at least three of them have authenticators attached.  But in total I think we’re batting 33% of accounts hacked now, or 50% of those without authenticators.

I’ve mocked Sony for getting their system invaded and brought down for weeks, and we have heard that the same happened to Codemasters and Bethesda, though the latter of which apparently didn’t even notice. (Which probably isn’t that uncommon.)

But Blizzard, as yet unhacked on the large scale as far as we know, seems to be suffering the death of a thousand cuts as account after account falls.  Did I say a thousand cuts?  There are millions of accounts out there without authenticators, which seems to be the only thing that slows the hackers down.  I have had one on my account for two years now.

Roll Stock Authenticator Footage Again

From top to bottom, that is my mother’s, my daughter’s, and my authenticator.  That is three of the accounts in the guild covered.

And the galling bit is, because I hold the guild leadership on my account, to recover the items that have been restored, I have to reactivate my account.

I learned, through the experience of another friend whose account was hacked (I’ve lost count on people I know but who are not in our guild) that items restored to you through the in-game mail have the same timer on them as any other in-game mail.  His account got hacked and restored just before it lapsed, so he didn’t collect his items.  Then, months later, when he came back, his restored items were nowhere to be found.  So if I do not resubscribe soon, there won’t be anything there to recover.

Though I am not sure if there is anything on that list that is really worth recovering.

I do wonder whose account got hacked this time.  Was it somebody’s first time, or a repeat event?

And are we looking forward to a further hacking spree when Diablo III comes along?

The Five Most Pressing Issues Facing World of Warcraft?

I decided to do an assessment on what World of Warcraft needs based entirely on the search terms that brought people to this site in 2010.

While you must admit that there are worse ways to determine what a game company needs to address, I am not exactly sure this best route for Blizzard to pursue.  Still, let’s see what people search for.

5 – Dalaran Portals

A heavy favorite since the launch of Cataclysm.  Blizzard apparently needs to put up a big sign where the portals in Dalaran used to be indicating that they have been removed and that you either need to find a mage or fly on out to Howling Fjord or Borean Tundra and take the boat back home from Northrend.

Remember how EverQuest used to have big signs all over?  Blizzard could do the same thing.  You couldn’t miss it.

Suggested Signage

The war in the north is over. Arthas has been thawed or something.  The funding for portals could no longer be justified in the Stormwind military budget, especially with a cataclysm to clean up after.  Set your stone Stormwind and pick up one of those Argent Crusader tabards if you feel the need to go back to Northrend regularly.

4 – Bolvar Fordragon

I have no idea why so many people are searching for Bolvar Fordragon.  I have personally never had any problems finding him when I needed him, though I haven’t needed him all that often.  But based on the search terms, there is a demand for him and his location.  The last I saw him he was out at Angrathar the Wrathgate exchanging steamy glances with Dranosh Saurfang.

Bolvar and Dranosh and Innuendo

He looked like he had everything under control once some dragons showed up, so I am sure nothing bad happened to him and that he lived a full and wholesome life and was never entrapped in an effort to save Azeroth.  Nope, not a bit.  So Blizzard should get with it and add “Bolvar Fordragon” to the tracking options available there on the mini map.

3 – Dire Maul Summoning Stone

Nobody can find it, or so I gather by all the searches on it.  I am not sure why they need to find it since Blizzard introduced the whole Dungeon Finder thing over a year ago, but the demand is there if I read my search results correctly.  So Blizz, get somebody to make the summoning stone just a bit more obvious. (Make that lighting effect strobe or something.)

Until then, it is just off to the left when you are heading into Dire Maul.

Dire Maul Summoning Stone Pictured

Or, to put it on the map, it is just about where my little arrow is pointed below.

2 – WoW Account Hacked

Hey, an actual issue, and one that they have been focused on for a while.  Not one that Blizzard has been able to solve, but not for lack of trying I suppose.  Here is your best option so far.

Roll Stock Authenticator Footage

Of course, if your account has already been hacked… well, now you know better.

1 – Guild Name Generator

Besides prognosticating cephalopds and anthropomorphic felines, nothing has brought more people to this site in 2010 than Nick Yee’s WoW Guild Name Generator.  Blizzard should give Nick Yee some money and integrate his guild name generator into the game.

Or they could just do what they do with any addon they like; integrate it into the game without a nod to the originator and act like they thought of it first.

Really, That is it?

Well, those are the things that bring people here looking for answers about World of Warcraft.  A bit further down the list there are things like Phishing and Cataclysm Beta, but these are the top five.

Of course, there might be other things on which Blizzard ought to be focused.