The Bruces Birthday Bash was a massive success. More than 40 people turned up in total for a the celebration of one whole year of Bruce.

Starting at Grom’gol, we posed for a photo then headed to Stormwind, pausing only to destroy The Rebel Camp, die in Darkshire and enjoy a spot of fishing in the waterfall below the Stormwind gates.

Our sheer numbers meant a handful reached the Deeprun Tram intact, with the remainder corpse running or being summoned from just outside the portal at the Stormwind and Ironforge sides. Once together, we were joined by some ally friends and a handful of enemies - causing Ironforge general chat to go bananas - and we started the auction of Bruceybank items, then lined up against the wall to applaud the Bruce Awards winners of 2007.

To polish off the night, we sent a Bruces raiding party to purge Auberdine of the Alliance scum, then to the shiny new Draenai city (where we were thoroughly purged by the guards) and then, vastly reduced in numbers, back to Auberdine to try and kite the flight master away. All in all, a brilliant night. Thanks to everyone who turned up.

Bruce Award winners 2007

PvP Legends: Davedodger, Death and Dudemeister

PvE Legend: Morani

Biggest Altoholics: Theta, Scarlagh and Merciless (or Grawl/Zephyrus, Alurein/Aim/Evianne and Scornn/Milady/Viscomte)

Funniest Bruce: Jerrick (formerly known as Bucky)

Stupidest Bruces: Drummerhero and Riqz

Guild Mascot: Brodos

Most Addicted: Scarlagh

Grinding Machine: Iscariah (who also won Ganker of the Year, Spammer of the Year and Biggest Carebear) with special TBC recognition for Wrists

Roll Hackers: Theta and Marfu

Most Wanted for Yiffing: Scarlagh and Aakarp

Gay of the Year: Variolavera

Pet of the Year: Dodo (care of Juzba)

The Darwin Award for Stupidest Death went to the Zul Gurub raiders, for countless wipes.

And we also namechecked our biggest friends and foes:

Favourite Ex Bruces: Ubiquitous, Maremiel, Droog and Elikai

Least Favourite Ex Bruces: Sculbraker, Xisu, Chowan, Mordak, Molten and Dicapitated

Favourite Non Bruces: Chakra, Strym and Degoba

Least Favourite Non Bruces: Nddwlc

Favourite Allies: Cheesus and Tinkerlina

Least Favourite Allies: Shion, Unstopable, Wooter and Zixx (although Zixx came to say hello for our birthday, so we’re starting to see him in a new light).

Here’s hoping you’re all here to enjoy the Bruces Second Big Birthday Bash in 2008.

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The Bruces are one year old this week! To celebrate one whole year of levelling, instancing, PvPing, ganking and generally wasting time with the most likeable collection of geeks in Europe, you are all invited* to The Bruces’ First Birthday Bash at 9pm server time this Saturday at… The Deeprun Tram, Stormwind.

There’ll be all manner of party related excitement to be had, including:

The First Annual Bruce Awards - including PvP Legend, PvE Legend, Ganker of the Year, Biggest Altoholic, Guild Mascot, Stupidest Bruce and the Darwin Award for Most Amusing Death. A prize will also be given for the worst dressed party goer - bring your RP gear!

Loot Loot Loot - we lost out banks once due to hackers, but we got them back! Now their contents, including ZG rep, AQ rep and other random items could be yours in the biggest (and only) ever Bruce Auction. Bring plenty of gold or a willingness to perform sexual favours.

Booze and Fireworks - to keep everyone entertained. Attendees will be expected to drink along at home. We’ll also be AoEing the shit out of the Deeprun rats.

And a Special Apperance by Bruceybingo - if we can work out how to get a level 2 into Stormwind.

THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD. PREPARATIONS WILL BEGIN AT GROM’GOL AT 8.30PM.

*When we said you’re invited, what we meant is that attendance is mandatory.

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Here’s my Burning Crusade review for a magazine. It’s not a games mag or anything, so they probably won’t understand. Mind you, most people who play games wouldn’t understand. I had a bit of an “I’m an alcoholic and I beat my wife” feeling while writing it, like being in confession.

Sit down. Turn your phone on and open up the contacts list. Call the first person on it, tell them you love them, say goodbye and hang up. Repeat with every name on the list. Now, head to the supermarket and buy £1,000 worth of tinned and microwaveable food and 20 jars of coffee. Head home, unpack, and over the next few days cancel your gym membership, switch all your bills to direct debit, hand in your notice at work, leave your partner and hand them the kids. You are about to become involved with the World of Warcraft, a decision which is not to be taken lightly. It will set about your life like a wolf in an abbatoir. In terms of addiction, it’s two leagues above crack.

World of Warcraft is an online role-playing game in which people create and name a fantasy character then take it from level 1 to 60 by killing monsters, getting stronger as they go. What makes it special is that eight million other people are doing the same thing, and you talk to them, play alongside them and frequently try to kill them. It cleverly combines the idle draw of an internet chatroom with the slow drizzle of reward which has been hooking people to games since games began. For those who have never played online, it feels like an epiphany. Before you know it, you’re heavily entrenched in a community you don’t want to leave. It’s life-affirming and life-destroying at the same time.

The Burning Crusade is the long awaited, much delayed expansion for this unfathomably involving game. It brings with it a vast new area to explore, new ways to modify your character, two new races to play, an overhaul to the combat reward system and the raising of the maximum level to 70. In doing so, it has injected a fresh lease of life into a game whose compulsive grip was showing signs of loosening. Kiss goodbye to 2007.

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Some Kill Loot Repeat slag started a thread on the best guild on AQ, doubtless hoping everyone would crawl up his Tier 3 arsehole. They did, too, but not as much as they crawled up ours!

Look here

Kill Loot Repeat transferred to our server as soon as the transfer window was opened. They spent the time on their previous server going at the PvE grind like a chimp with a hard-on, so they were instantly the best geared Horde guild on AQ. Which is a bit like going back to primary school when you’re 15.

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