Websites for Gear

Over yonder (to your right -- you may have to scroll down) is a list of some interesting websites that can help you figure out gear upgrades and more.

Here's a quick run-down:

• Be Imba
  This site gives a rating to your equipment, then shows generally in what instances you should perform well and find gear upgrades. While a little arbitrary, it does provide some good references on enchants that are best for your spec. It relies on the current WoW Armory info, so if you logged out in your PvP gear, that's what you'll see on Be Imba. Also, you can look up an entire guild... just be aware that this may take awhile.
  
• WoW Heroes
  This is another gear rating site. This and Be Imba are good ways to gear check characters if you're preparing for a 10 or 25 ahead of time. Probably the coolest feature of this site is that you can see how people rank on the server.
• MaxDPS
  This is a pretty powerful site. It will load your character info and/or allow you to manually enter abilities and other variables. Then you can see how your DPS or HPS is affected. It also makes gear upgrade suggestions based on the criteria you've entered.
• WoWJuJu
  This site shows you your rep with all the factions, what you can do to increase your rep, and then the available rep rewards.
• Armory Light
  Just an alternative to the official WoW Armory.

So... check them out and please post comments on what you like or don't, as well as any other sites you've found valuable.

Aggro vs. Pull: Yes, There's a Difference

Definitions - 'Aggro' is the result of performing an act that causes a hostile mob to initiate an attack upon you and/or your party. 'Pull' is the intentional action of causing aggro in a way that is both controlled and expected, and almost always results with the tank(s) topping the aggro table.

Usage - Oblivious DPSer: "Sorry, I didn't mean to accidently pull that first Emalon trash mob and wipe us." Tank: "You didn't pull, you aggro'd! [/kick]"

Further Detail - Here are some scenarios that may help you determine if you just pulled or aggro'd:

• If you didn't know you pulled, you didn't; you aggro'd.
  
• If your heart jumps and you say "Oh, Sh!t" inside your head as the mobs attack, you just aggro'd.
  
• If a hunter used Misdirection, you pulled... whether the tank knows it or not.
  
• If a mage uses Polymorph... well, depends on the level of communication before the cast.
  
• If you didn't know the mobs were there until they were attacking you, you aggro'd.
  
• If your back was to the mobs when they attacked, you aggro'd.
  
• If Shystechris is your tank, at best it's 50/50.
  

Line of Sight (LoS)

Definition - An unobstructed (clear) view between two toons and/or mobs. Taken from radio technology, it refers to the characteristic of high-frequency radio waves to travel only in straight lines - much like light - resulting in the requirement for there to be a clear path for transmission between transmitter and receiver.

Usage - "You died, Shystechris, because ONCE AGAIN you got out of LoS of the healer..."

Further Detail - In WoW, this applies to spell-casting. Spells can not be cast on targets with which they do not have line of sight. This goes for damage spells and healing spells, alike. Tanks can use this principle to their advantage when dealing with spell-casting mobs. The tank pulls the mob by intentionally producing aggro (see article "Aggro vs. Pull: Yes, There's a Difference"), and then moves to a position that is out of LoS from them, causing them to run to the tank in order to attack her. A lack of awareness of LoS between a party and it's healers, however, can have devastating results. Heals are spells and are therefore held to the same LoS rules. Remember, very few heal spells can be cast while the healer is moving, so tanks and DPSers need to have an awareness of where they are in relation to their healers, or they risk stacking too much of the Death de-buff (a.k.a., damage) before LoS can be re-established. Please note the following common obstructions to LoS:

• Walls (and most half-walls)
  
• Some trees
  
• Hills
  
• Walls
  
• Stairs
  
• Pillars
  
• Wardrobes (but not lions nor witches)
  
• Walls
  
• Some shrubbery
  
• Large, natural formations (see Trees, Hills)
  
• Large, man-made formations (see Walls)