The Queue: Who questions the questioners?

Today’s a real grab bag, folks. We’ll start off with a real gaming question and then head off the map into mystery and/or adventure, just like a Murloc wielding Thunderfury.

So let’s Queue.

I’m actually not excited about it at all. And it’s not that I particularly feel like it’s bad, but I haven’t been playing much constructed lately — all Battlegrounds and Mercenaries, with some Tavern Brawls thrown in for good measure — and reading about the new mini-set just made me think “geez, more cards?” So enthusiasm levels low.

However, I am excited to see Diablo show up in Battlegrounds. I’m quite curious as to what that will be like. The other two new heroes also sound interesting. I love getting new Battlegrounds heroes; it always shakes things up. Diablo in Duels may be interesting as well. Multiclass characters could add new card combos to the mix and revive this somewhat unloved game mode. I’m interested, at least.

And though I’ve been playing Mercenaries most, it may be the new mercs that I’m interested in least. More mercenaries means more coins to collect, and also that I’m slightly less likely to get coins from any of the mercenaries that I do want. It just sounds like a bad deal all around and I’m not terribly thrilled.

Still, there are some things I’m looking forward to in Hearthstone — but constructed isn’t one of them, at least not now.

I will consult my good friend, the dictionary. Merriam-Webster defines pain thusly:

a localized or generalized unpleasant bodily sensation or complex of sensations that causes mild to severe physical discomfort and emotional distress and typically results from bodily disorder (such as injury or disease)

Okay, “severe physical discomfort” does sound bad. But what about agony?

intense pain of mind or body : ANGUISH, TORTURE

Or alternately:

the struggle that precedes death

So I have to vote agony here. Agony is bad stuff.

ALL THE TIME!

Being able to do magic would be great. And maybe being a mutant would be great, too! Have to try it to find out.

Nay, though it’s nothing against the mount. It’s quite cute, but not for me. I am, after all, a dog person and I am already quite fond of Shu-zen, so I’m content without getting a mount.

Both! A moat has to be difficult to maintain, particularly if you want to keep it properly stocked with alligators or sharks or piranhas or whatever you need to discourage zombies and/or other threats.

Heck, even a koi pond requires maintenance, and a moat would be bigger. It’s probably a a homeowner’s nightmare.

However the moat would obviously be your last line of defense against external threats. That’s the whole reason you take all the effort to maintain a moat in the first place!

I’ve heard this from several people, but I don’t feel like these two mounts were precursors to Shadowlands. They do have a bit of Ardenweald aesthetic, but not a lot of it. The blue color of both is lighter and brighter than anything in Ardenweald — if anything, the tone seems closer to Bastion to me. And another thing: Vulpine Familiar in particular has delicate silver chains on its head and around its tail and the Sylverian Dreamer has an engraved silver collar with blue gems. The aesthetic of both is refined and very much man-made, nothing of the natural materials and graceful curves of Ardenweald. And we’ve seen nothing like these two anywhere in the Shadowlands, so they aren’t native creatures. I just don’t see the connection, or at least not a close connection.

If anything, the new Sunwarmed Furline reminds me of the Vulpine Familiar — they have similar delicate chains around their heads, though our new kitty-cat friend’s is more elaborate. Maybe the art team just likes pretty things wearing pretty jewelry?

In short, I don’t think the blue color scheme of the last two mounts was necessarily said anything about Shadowlands, and I don’t think this new mount necessarily heralds anything either. Sometimes a glowing cat with big green eyes is just a glowing cat with big green eyes. Perfectly normal, do carry on.

I float around, but I do have a dedicated desk that’s the ideal place to work. But sometimes I like to sit at the kitchen table — especially during the summer, because it’s cooler in the kitchen than the rest of the house — the floor is tile, and the tabletop is a big chunk of granite which always feels cool.

Sometimes I’ll sit in the bedroom, which is the ideal place if I want to multitask and watch TV, but the worst place for writing. I’m writing this while sitting in the bedroom now, with a lap desk. but the computer isn’t at the perfect angle for typing or for looking at, and if I sit wrong I can really make my wrist and/or shoulder hurt by holding them at unideal angles.

On nice days it can be nice to sit outside, but outside isn’t great for monitors, plus all of the posture problems I mentioned above if I sit in the chair on the back deck or front patio. I have lots of nice plants out there, and bushes block the street behind the house. It’s pleasant to sit out there.

So I guess the answer is yes, I float around, but having a desk is the ideal for the best typing position and healthiest posture.

Travis Willingham. It’s just so entertaining to watch everything terrify him. And he’s an awfully good sport about it.

Plus he just seems like a really nice guy.

And that’s all for now my friends. I hope you have a good afternoon and a most excellent Halloween, full of gentle scares and delicious candy. And until next week, this has been the Queue.