Components of Latency

Latency (in computer networking) is the amount of time that passes between connected computer's sending an instruction to a server and its receiving of a response from it. In an MMO like World of Warcraft, it greatly affects how much a player enjoys the game. In a raiding scenario, a delay of more than 500ms (half of one second) is usually considered unacceptable.

While network latency is a significant component of the total delay, it is not the only one. In any case where signals need to be sent from one physical place to another, a time delay will exist, no matter how short the link or how fast the signals can travel.

Five reasons to like Moonkin

World of Warcraft's portrayals of things are noticeably cartoony when compared to real life equivalents. Moonkin (also known as owlbears) and druids in Moonkin Form are no different, being any combination of cute, adorable, cuddly, pitiable and likeable.

1. Wide abdomen
Much like the bear, the moonkin has a wide profile. Also, much like the owl, the moonkin is covered with soft, fluffy feathers. These appeals to the hugger's touch.

Riding Out the Swarm

The Heroic Anub'arak encounter places great strain on a 10-man raid attempting it. Teams with a relatively weak dps team may choose to bring two healers into it, placing a great burden on the healing team during Phase 3.

Phase 3 is notorious for Leeching Swarm that Anub'arak keeps up during this time. This is coupled with a heavily ticking Penetrating Cold debuff cast on three random players. Due to high-hitting melee attacks and Freezing Slash, one healer usually must focus 100% on healing the main tank, leaving the other healer handling the raid and the offtank. That raid healer has a hard job, though a few tips and tricks may make it much easier.

WoW Mathematics: Fatally Attracted to You

Back in the Burning Crusade era, Mother Shahraz was notorious for the encounter's high Shadow Resistance requirement and her femininity. She would also, at random times, cast Fatal Attraction on three random non-tank players.

Despite having Shadow Resistance at the cap, the damage is still great, and the unlucky trio need to separate promptly if they are to survive. It may be useful to know, given a certain set of vectors and using calculus, how fast they are moving away from each other...

Father rescues son from Icecrown Citadel

The Deathbringer Saurfang encounter provides for a very tantalising and moving lore moment. Not only is the more recent death knight dilemma explored, but also it draws from history as far back as the First War.

A father (Varok Saurfang, also known as High Overlord Saurfang ingame) talks to the reanimation of his son (Dranosh Saurfang, the Younger), the latter of which is obstructing the former's passage. A commentary on the more detailed Horde version of the dialogue is offered in a Q&A format.

High Overlord Saurfang yells: Kor'kron, move out! Champions, watch your backs! The Scourge have been...
Deathbringer Saurfang yells: Join me, father. Join me and we will crush this world in the name of the Scourge. For the glory of the Lich King!

Names of Raid Target Icons

Each of the eight raid target icons (also raid icons or lucky charms) are referred to with common (and usually standard) names. However, for some of them, the names used in mathematics are different.

A few definitions

• Shape: An object occupying space, distinguished by its perimeter (outer boundary).
• Plane figure: A shape occupying a two-dimensional plane.
• Quadrilateral: A plane figure with four straight sides
• Parallelogram: A quadrilateral with opposite sides parallel to each other respectively.
• Rectangle: A parallelogram with at least one vertex (corner) a right angle.

RuneScape's Cryptic Clue Fest: A Retrospect

On 26 November 2009, following a system update, Mod Howes (pictured to the right) started the Cryptic Clue Fest, a series of puzzles sending players throughout the F2P world. All puzzles were needed to be done in sequence to finish the whole exercise.

Each step required talking to certain NPCs while carrying the correct quantities of various 'code items'. To find out which, how many and who, various cryptic messages needed to be deciphered: some involving interpretation and some involving mathematics. The Clue Fest proved to be very challenging to players with a poor wield of various skills and knowledge.