The Final Count, One Billion
Six raids full. That’s 240 gnaked gnomes, plus the stragglers we didn’t get into a raid in time. Make it 250 for a nice round number. Movie is coming later, we’re exhausted.
Thank you to Bela, Kel, Kero, Lefaye, and TJ for their volunteer efforts. /applause!
After the race was over, we ported all the little buggers to Shattrath City. They went everywhere, but especially dug the canon.
Let’s hope there’s some great stories and screenshots coming our way.
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WOOT! 1st!!! Thank you BRK and helpers. It was fun. Now back to my server.
what a blast. Thank you BRK. I was laughing the entire time. Creepy and Strange? Here’s hoping I was just naked and swift.
There were over 200 people in my “guild” alone. I never even considered getting into a raid to be counted. I would up the count a lot. And thank you to all the Aetherial Circle guildies, made it that much more entertaining.
My guildies and I, all 6 of us, made it to telredor with only one casualty, then headed over to the Underbog to take down some bosses. Unfortunately you have to be 55 to enter, but hey, we made it down into the cave!!
fantastic idea, had a lot of fun.
What a hoot!
Thanks to BRK and the entire team for putting this together!!!
I got some screen shots with my cartographer map up and the “see guild members” function working. It was a great satalite view of the event. I’ll work on those when I get off work.
Nice to see a few Firefly fans in the crowd.
/can’t stop the signal
hehe, some of us don’t know the difference between eastern time and our own time, but we had a second race jsut for fun
It was a blast, and this time i’ll know to go an hour or two early incase my brain decides to flake out again
Grats to Frettchen for winning the race, and Grats to Shortnbald who one out little straggler race
Here ya go, BRK, some video for you…not as expertly done as yours will be, but I’m a fraps newbie, so.
Thanks again for the race, that was totally awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2BqH89Airo
Man, I so wanted to be there for the football race. But, the wife had to go take care of her grandmother, and that left me with 2 gnomes of my own to take care of (but mine aren’t puntable like the alliance kind). Ah, well, maybe next time. Glad you all had a good time.
It was an awesome time, thank you BRK, and please thank your guildies, they were great sports.
Whew !
That was fun and a little creepy i ended up finishing about sixth,
My guild had a team going and we had our own raid setup so you can add another 12 to your numbers
I found all the Gnomeish laughter a bit much, they just would’nt shutup and i ended turning my volume down before i lost my mind
Good fun
thanks BRK
Vorn Nagrand (Oceanic)
PS i got a screenshot standing next to TJ
/cheer
Nice one BRK,
I was laughing my head off when the wife came to see what I was doing. I tried to explain that we had a couple of hundered naked gnomes and we were racing. I said it was hillarious.
She said “Some people have too much time on thier hands.”
Cheers
Kolan & Jag
Thanks again so much, BRK. That was so much fun. I even got my boyfriend, who doesn’t really even play but has a subscription to log on and run with me. You’ve actually got your mouse on him in the second screen shot. He’s GnakedNed! Hope you don’t get too much hate from your server for this and hope to do it again. Maybe a running of the bulls from Mulgore to Freewind Post?
-Reformed Hunter from Runetotem
Raksha & Prosciutto
TJ,
the offer still stands.
BRK,
that was most wow fun i’ve had in a long time
DO IT AGAIN!
Ahh the utter silliness of it all! Great fun was had.
Thanks BRK for a fun event and big thanks to your guildmates for helping out and putting up with all the crazies!
(Gnevermore lvl 2 warrior)
btw I believe the PeeWee Panzers ended up with over 270 guildmembers….
in a land of gnomes, a dwarf stands tall!
255 gnomes in the guild,just logged in the check.
but seriously,will you marry me TJ?
Well BRK it was greaty fun. you forgot to thank Hyria for all her Porting Goodness and patience with all the little buggers yelling for raid invites.
Partyinrear lvl 2 gnome rogue with a mullet and handle bar mustache
Kel = Hyria. and OMGYOUHAVENOIDEAHOWMUCHIWANNAGOTOSHATT COULDYOUPLZPORTMEKKTHKZBAI…. yeah…
It was scarier at the beginning tho “OK BRK’s group is full plz whisper Kel for raid invites” i have NEVER seen my screen fill up so fast with chat… omg…
I had a great time. I hope you can put something like this together again. Of course, it needs to be awhile before you do. Quarterly might work. A year is too long to wait. I can picture it now, how Hyria’s screen filled up with tells. All those dang persistent little gnomes wanting to go to Shatt.
I wanted to send you an ingame thank you letter, but I only had 3c when I got to Shatt (from selling my clothes). I actually asked someone up on the Aldor rise for 27c just for the heck of it. The response was like “You sir are most seriously ignored.” Oh well, I went back and killed a few of the low level mobs and got the letter sent. I hope your mailbox wasn’t too stuffed.
I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN BRK!
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c96/Kiri-Ryu/WOW%20stuff/SpaceTimeContinumhole.jpg
MENETHIL HARBOUR WILL JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE GIANT, GAPING, SWIRLING HOLE IN SPACE AND TIME NEAR THE FLIGHT PATH.
lol, sorry. Couldn’t resist
As everyone else has undoubtedly told you, thank you very much for organising this, I had a BLAST! I think I came…. well, not last, but not far from last. But if I had wanted to win I would have rolled a TURBOCHARGED GNOME instead of a gnome warrior. It was awesome to meet up with you and with a few other memebrs of AC…. Although I think after that Shatt port Dendren isn’t going to be too happy with you lol.
I have a ton of screenshots I want to post up, but I think I’ll wait until a topic is created about it in the forums.
See you for the next one
-Durana of Eitrigg (aka. Energizer the gnome)
Due to the silly countdown thingy on the website, I rocked up to the race a little early… sixteen hours early. Not one to let a slight timing issue get in my way, I set off with two other hopefuls: one who had come early to try and find a shortcut, and a fellow Aussie (calling himself Forthus) who had also come just a mite early.
We found the first shortcut near Gnomeregan fairly easily, but decided that since it required a death and we would have to corpse run back from Menethil, through Wetlands, through Dun Morogh, back to Gnomeregan and back over the hills to rez… that it wasn’t very helpful.
A while later, myself and the other Aussie worked out how to get up to the IF airport from just beyond the north passage. We ran that route about a dozen times, working out which falls could be survived, which couldn’t and where to aim for on those long straight stretches to minimise our run time. We practised hopping like deranged bunnies on crack until we could glitch up the landscape in a few seconds. We ran several runs to time exactly how long the run was before finally deciding that, yes, we were going to take the high road.
An hour and a half before the race starts, and we do two more test runs. On the second, I find a different way down to the farm above Wetlands that shaves one or two seconds off the run time. Causes some falling damage, but nothing I can’t easily survive. But, no time to try again! Time to get back to Coldridge! We logout, delete our characters and re-create them.
So, race time. We line up, wait for the hordes to quieten down, and /wave at BRK a bit. BRK gives the signal, and we’re off. Luckily for Forthus and myself, we weren’t the only ones planning on cutting Kharanos out of the run. This was lucky since the area behind Kharanos has many, many large bitey animals that were just slavering at the thought of a Gnomesnack Buffet. Word to the wise: let other people be “first” at the start, when “first” is synonymous with “bear fodder.”
After that went by uneventfully for myself and my friend, we started the corner-cutting. When we got back to the road, there were about a dozen stumpy-legged gnomes ahead of me. By the time we reached the northern passage, I was neck-and-neck with the leader. Barrelling down the tunnel, I decided on a bit of showmanship and bid the other gnome (whose name I sadly forget) and BRK adieu. As we exited into the sunlight, I veered off to the left, and starting hopping like mad to get up into the mountains.
A few seconds later, I was jumping around the trees, and watching my minimap. At the time, I could only see two other people trying to follow the same route. One was Forthus. The other was (I believe) a chap by the name of Gnomad. I wished him luck.
One nice thing about the high road is the almost total lack of mobs, and how big and featureless it is. Only a scant few trees, no rocks. I’d gone through and marked all my waypoints on my map beforehand, and so knew where to run to shave off those precious seconds. It was working, too: Gnomad and Forthus had disappeared off my minimap along the straight, and I was continuously increasing my lead. A quick glance at the battle map showed that the main body of the race was leagues behind, still heading north past all those gleefully waiting spiders and crocolisks. I couldn’t believe it. Not only was I in the lead, but I was getting farther ahead! I might actually win this!
Passing by the Ironforge Airport with a quick message into the raid chat channel, I began my descent to the farm. Now, this is easily the most dangerous spot in the entire run. If you die here, one of two things will happen: you will either pop in Kharanos and have to re-run the whole thing again, or pop in Menethil and have to run back past the entire race to rez.
I’d done it a dozen times without incident. I could do it with my eyes closed. But I got greedy. Who knows how close other people might be? Who knows if a few extra seconds could be the difference between coming first, and soul-crushing second?
I decided to take the “new” way down.
It’s easy enough: a short jump, and then a few drops. No problem. But I forgot the “jump” part. I slid off the edge. It’s OK: I’ll just fall on to that first ledge. But I didn’t; I kept sliding. Past the first ledge, past the second and third. I hadn’t even hit the ground when I knew that I’d already lost. I impacted the ground, my little gnomy groaned and died, and I found myself back in Kharanos.
“Forthus, I’m out.”
“I’m right behind the second guy.”
“Win this, d@mnit.”
Someone actually commented in chat that I was “dead in first.” Forthus did his best, managing to overtake and leave Gnomad behind, but was out-run at the last second by the eventual first and second placers when he got ambushed by a crocolisk.
As for me, by the time I’d gotten back to my body and finished the run (without dying to either the murlocs or the crocolisks in a hideous bit of irony: I almost always died to them once a run,) I was pretty much dead last.
None the less, it was great fun. I made a new friend, got to see BRK and Hobbes in person, and heard BRK asking everyone to please stop proposing to TJ.
Oh well, best start working on a route to Booty Bay for next year…
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!
Gnomad here (aka Cap’n John
. I’m no stranger to the IF Airport and having run both routes prior to the race I wasn’t sure either offered much of an advantage over the other, but I decided to take the High Road anyway. I almost fell to my death a couple of times but managed to stop just in time (anyone who puts up a video simply has to use the Lemmings theme song. There really is no better choice 
I survived the drop to the Farm and noticed Forthus heading a lot further west than I’d done on previous trips. A quick look at the map showed the Menethil Bay’s narrowest point was right where Forthus was heading…and the Bay is full of Crocs so cutting down the swimming time was a wise move. I was watching Forthus and saw him get hit as he took the plunch, and like him I “Entered Combat” almost as soon as I got my feet wet. Amazingly though, I never saw the Mob that wanted Gnome for lunch, and no, it’s not because I got one-shotted; I flat out never got hit at all.. I made it to dry land and entered Menethil Harbor w/o dying once (the entire race) and when I crossed the bridge and “discovered” the Wetlands I was still a lowly level 1 Gnome.
Fantastic race, and a lot of fun. My wife was laughing at all the naked gnomes, but she quickly grew tired of their cackling and I was forced to turn my speakers down
Gnomad: the place where Forthus crossed is this tiny little strip of water that is almost devoid of murlocs and crocolisks. There is a single crocolisk that patrols into the path, but you can avoid him if you’re very careful.
As for the reason Forthus died, and the reason you entered combat, we discovered on our two test runs just before the race that there was actually a crocolisk that had bugged and spawned underground. If you swam directly overhead, it would somehow be able to hit you, and one-shot you. We didn’t have time before the race to either page a GM, or attempt to work out exactly where the bugger was hiding.
And we figured that if we didn’t know where he was, neither should anyone else!
As for music, I’m sticking with Yakety Sax a.k.a. “The Benny Hill Theme”…
A note to BRK: when I logged into the server about 10 minutes before the race i did a /who and got a total of 326, that minus you and your guildies and the 10 or so people starting their new dwarf or gnome with the “WTF is this?” looks on their faces puts the total about 300-310 or so?
While I was nowhere near first, second or 40th place I did indeed finish, the whole event was entertaining. The pack I was traveling with managed to stay alive for the most part. A few casualties from the orcs at the North Gate Pass, a few from the ooze, and still a few from the crocolisks.
Before the race began I showed a framerate of 4.4 fps, which was enough to lag my cousin and her dial-up to death. She missed it. As did her boyfriend who had to leave for work. Next time we’re making preparations and will be spreading the word.
Thank you, your guildmates, the rest of your help, and all the runners who helped make all this an event to remember. Next time I’ll stick around for that port to Shatt. How about making this a semi-annual event?
I’d email a link to some pics, but I don’t have your email.
It was so weird … I logged in (as Buffly) about 15 mins before the race … and nobody was giving poor Hobbes any love! I gave him some pats and hugs and snuggles, because I know he wanted to eat me.
I took lots and lots of screenshots … my fave is the one where my gnome is clearly visible right between BRK and Hobbes.
Alas, I didn’t take the port in the end. Figured I’d save a bit of a rune of portals, seeing as I have serious doubts that I’ll ever touch Buffly again. Unless we race next year. Or again.
rofl …… simply amazing ….. this is what this game is about imo …..
Hey Durana,
I think I was running next to you for some time (Engergizer, pink pony tail, yes?). I was Samslowfoot, and yes I was bringing up the rear as well.
I switched to my map too late to realize I apparently missed a major shortcut near the start. Silly me for following BRK’s map and staying on the road! Having only leveled a Night Elf before this, I think the only time I’ve run though Dun Morogh was to get the flight point in IF.
Still, a blast of a time. And I only died twice! Easily one of my high points playing WoW. All thanks to BRK and Aetherial Circle!
Ezjidday and Marquez, of Hydraxis
Hello, I was one of the first gnomes to show my Love to this incredible Human TJ, I’m still in love with her, almost couldnt sleep after seeing my darling… ok, I’ll try to stop talking about her and talk about the race…
5 hours before the race I got with my first char and made it in 1 long hour, second try, Gshock made it in 26 min with only a 5 kill countdown.
I was expecting to be one of the best runner after other couple tries and expecting everyone to be croc-food except from me.
Then, when the race started I felt like I was running out of the Peace Cave from AV… =p but as soon as I got to the tunnel, I got the first disconnect. Shit! It can’t be! I’ll lose too much time! got inside the game again as fast as I could, and as soon as I get back. Disconnected from server. again! no, it can’t be! and that happened throughout the entire race, being my last disconnect when I ran inside Menethil to get in the portals to shatt.
I think my comp doesn’t accept so many TJ Lovers together…
Thanks BRK, for the opportunity to meet my dearest TJ.
Yours sincerely,
Zomgpinkhair
woah – I wasn’t first in the race (I wished) and I apologize that my post looked like that. I was just first in posting on this one. But I can’t take credit for something I did not do.