Tauren Think Tank: The Podcast About the Blizzard Gamer Behind the Keyboard

Team Number One Pickle killed Megaera this week; Jules was on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Warcraft video; new raid team news for Jules; Reported for Awesome has their second raid team running; Tell Us One Thing; feedback from you; a discussion about the things that kick our butts into gear when we get into a slump, and what gets you there in the first place; we answer questions from a new raider having problems thinking about both raid mechanics and spell rotations at the same time, a husband wanting to show his wife how to play better but she's happy the way she's playing already, and what happens when a guild master brings his friends in to officer positions when they're not qualified for the job. Our question in-box is getting lighter, so now is the time to get your question to us for the show! E-mail at questions@taurenthinktank.com for a chance to have your question featured in our next recording.

We learn Rem's talent for swearing Tortos to death; Reported for Awesome is recruiting and a second raid team is forming; Jules can't kill a single boss; heroic raid lockouts are confusing; we're looking for letters about the things in the game players deem "compulsory" to do to be a good player; Tell Us One Thing; a discussion about circumventing raid mechanics because your class has a way around it; feedback from you and from our discussion on Episode 56 about WoW as primary form of entertainment; we answer questions from a wife who is ready to transfer off her low-population server but her husband isn't as willing, a healer who gets easily discouraged by criticism from other players, and an introverted boyfriend who is afraid that his relationship with his extroverted girlfriend spells trouble for their future. Be a part of our show by sending your e-mails to questions@taurenthinktank.com!

Raiding was a bust this week; Tell Us One Thing; a discussion about the new flex raiding system coming in 5.4; a special discussion with your letters about WoW as the only form of entertainment; we answer questions from a boyfriend whose girlfriend is frustrated learning how to play the game with him, a Russian player torn between playing on Russian servers vs. EU servers, and a player dealing with the frustration of his account being hacked and his characters being transferred. Be a part of the show by sending your questions at questions@taurenthinktank.com!

Stay tuned after the show for a special chat with Koltrane from Convert To Raid, who happened upon our chat room and into our broadcast! Tortos is a big punk for Team #1 Pickle; Rem has officially declared LFR to be dumb; Jules killed H Ji-Kun; Battlefield Barrens discussion; Tell Us One Thing; a discussion about how relationships work or don't work; feedback from you; an update from a question we answered in Episode 53; we answer questions from a hunter who isn't concerned about DPS meters, but wishes others wouldn't judge him for that, a guild master who's been questioned about having an application process for a family-friendly guild, and a new player who wants to know how to deal with rudeness in dungeons. Be a part of the show by sending your questions to questions@taurenthinktank.com. /moo!

Rem falls asleep in LFR and still cleans up in DPS; good times adjusting to new raid chemistry for Team #1 Pickle; Jules had a fun time editing Convert to Raid last week; heroic raiding is a big adjustment; Tell Us One Thing; a revisit to our discussion about acceptance vs. tolerance; feedback from you; we answer questions from a raiding perfectionist that just wants to enjoy raiding without feeling inferior, a WoW player that just doesn't love anything in particular about the game but wants to find his niche, and a raid leader dealing with overt stress and burnout. Send in your questions for the show at questions@taurenthinktank.com. /moo!

It's our one-year anniversary show! Jules shares some news about her involvement with Team #1 Pickle; Jules will be co-hosting Convert to Raid for two weeks; Rem's raid leading update,;Tell Us One Thing; lots of clips from our past year; feedback from you; we answer questions from a player who splits his time between his parents' households and his father doesn't understand his gaming, a discussion on why players need to tell others that they are the top in their role, and a girlfriend trying to hold on to her boyfriend whose only interest is playing the game. Send us your questions at questions@taurenthinktank.com to be part of the show!

Jules is back and talks about her visit with her parents; Rem went to the circus; raiding update; preview of our 1-year anniversary show next week; Jules will be co-hosting Convert to Raid for two weeks; Tell Us One Thing; a discussion about real life friendships vs. online friendships; we answer questions from a husband who wants his wife to enjoy doing instances and LFR with him, a new raid leader looking for advice on how to lead effectively, and a player who wonders why total acceptance is encouraged in our society. Send your questions to us at questions@taurenthinktank.com to be a part of the show!

With Jules away, Rem sits down with Mama Rem for a special edition of TTT. They discuss their weeks in WoW, Mama Rem answers questions from the Moo Crew, and the two enter a conversation about social interaction and how it's changed so dramatically in a short period of time. Mama Rem attempts a commercial and takes a shot at the outro. All this and more! Questions and comments are always welcome - questions@taurenthinktank.com.

It's Episode 50! Jules is back from Vegas; Rem can't find Tortos; Rem was THAT GUY again on Nalak; BlizzCon ticket fun; Tell Us One Thing; a mash-up made by SpencerHD; feedback from you; we answer questions from a new guild member who has ideas for the leadership that are not being implemented, a raid team that is losing their drive, and a husband struggling with helping his ailing wife understand that gaming helps him de-stress from the major challenges in their lives. Send us your questions to questions@taurenthinktank.com to be part of the show!

We speak to special guest Sgt. Jim Beverly, a pharmacy technician in the U.S. Army. Sgt. Beverly has been an avid gamer and WoW player throughout his service. In 2003, he was severely injured while on patrol in Baghdad, and has suffered PTSD for the past 9 years. We discuss gaming while deployed, how WoW and other games have helped with PTSD recovery, and much more. We hope you will enjoy this look into gaming from a soldier's perspective.

Summary: T14 is now clear; Jules talks LFR woes; Rem finally got a kill on Galleon; Blizzcon tickets sale dates announced; Tell Us One Thing; Korean snack tasting, and Jules tries Marmite from England; we answer questions from a guild master who wants to have it all, how to find love for a character again after having a bad experience in a dungeon group, and a player asking for help to not play WoW so much. Next week, join us for a very special discussion with gamer and Army sergeant Jim Beverly. We will be talking gaming while deployed, how gaming helps PTSD recovery, and much more. Send your emails to the show at questions@taurenthinktank.com!

An epic week of raiding progression; Rem announces a new show with Phytt; Ask Mama Rem; a mashup made by SpencerHD; feedback from you; we answer questions about co-GMs that don't feel equally responsible, why trolling in dungeons is so much harder to take than in battlegrounds, and a gamer with PTSD who wants to connect more with others and feel like he belongs. Send us your questions to questions@taurenthinktank.com to be part of the show!

A productive week in raiding; doing dailies with friends is a good thing; the Ask Mama Rem contest is still going; Tell Us One Thing; feedback from you; Mexican treat tasting with more spicy; we answer questions from a raider and wife whose husband has started raiding 4x a week with another guild, an addon user who is curious why we are so dependent on outside programs to play effectively; and a transgender raider who is afraid to speak in voice chat for fear of being shunned. Send us your questions to questions@taurenthinktank.com to be a part of the show!

Rem is back in the lead; enjoying the new patch content; doing LFR on the first day is always an adventure; Ask Mama Rem contest announcement; TTT t-shirts are now available on slashloot.com; Tell Us One Thing; Mexican treat tasting; feedback from you; we answer questions about whether attending Blizzcon alone will be a good time, how to avoid getting guild leader burnout, and an aspiring raider wanting to know how much he sucks at raiding. Send us your questions to questions@taurenthinktank.com to be a part of the show!

Rem dinged Reported for Awesome to level 25; Jules had another crazy week; 5.2 dropped; we saw the first boss in Throne of Thunder; Tell Us One Thing; lots of feedback from Episode 43 about Asperger's and raiding; Ubisoft gamer researcher joins us to discuss his studies on relationships in game vs. outside of game, gender stereotypes in MMORPGs, the effect of having jobs in virtual worlds, and the power that avatars have on external self-confidence. You can find more about Nick Yee at http://nickyee.com and you can send your questions to the show at questions@taurenthinktank.com.