There's so much to do in World of Warcraft, players often roll different characters just to keep their various affairs in order. It's common to have a "bank alt" for example, just for the extra bag space, and some guilds have a "Secretary" or "Event Coordinator" position to keep track of what happens, when, and which characters are involved.
Luckily, there was a new addition in the Wrath of the Lich King pre-patch that helps keep everything organized. The Calendar is a handy feature that sits quietly in the top right corner, and not enough World of Warcraft players know it's there nor do they understand how to even use it properly.
The WoW Calendar
Other than just serving as a handy reminder of what day it is, which is easy to lose track of when immersed in an MMO, the Calendar can be used to track special events, raid lockouts, and other essential information that can make anyone a better player. There are some things in the game that are time sensitive, and before the Calendar, only certain add-ons could be used to do the same job.
Patch 3.0.2, which came slightly in advance of the most popular expansion in Azerothien history, also introduced Inscription, Achievements, and the Barber Shop. It's not a surprise that the Calendar quietly fell under the radar in all the excitement.
Calendar Customization
Raid leaders and guild masters can now breathe a sigh of relief. Nobody has an excuse for not knowing the dates and times for guild events now. Right-clicking on any day in the Calendar creates an option to create a customized event.
This can be anything, from the annual guild meeting to the weekly 25-player raid, or even special events like parties or role-playing events. The creator of the event is automatically designated as the leader and has the power to describe the occasion, name it, and invite whoever they want.
Using the Filters
The option at the top right of the Calendar screen that says "Filters" has several options to show the important things that happen on certain dates. Raid Lockouts and Battlegrounds are often there by default but players can make other adjustments according to their gaming needs.
Before the calendar, another way to check on Raid Lockouts was through the Social section, which included a "Raid" tab that listed any instance the character had already run. This is still available and only lists dates and times but still works just fine.
Active Raid Lockouts
One way to lose some DKP and earn the hatred of the raid leader is to sign up for a raid that's already locked. Losing track of raid lockouts is an easy mistake to make, especially if a player is visiting a few with different alts.
When a player visits and raid or Heroic dungeon in WoW, that character is locked to that instance and have to wait a certain amount of time for it to "unlock" until they can tear it up again. By clicking on Active Raid Lockets the Calendar will show the lockout times for that character, so nobody has to sheepishly drop out of a raid group because of lockout issues ever again.
- Raid Resets shows the time and date of every raid in the game that has a lockout, whether or not the player can or has visited them. Examples include Zul'Aman, Molten Core, and Karazhan.
Weekly Holidays
In the Wrath of the Lich King, this is limited to two events, and both of them happen on the weekend. The Kalu'ak Fishing Derby is an event in Northrend that takes place on Saturday afternoons, and the Starnglethorn Fishing Extravaganza is a Sunday event.
Clicking on either event in the Calendar gives more details regarding where and when it takes place along with the names of the important NPCs involved.
The Darkmoon Faire
The Darkmoon Faire is so important that it needs its own personal filter on the Calendar. The monthly event is well-advertised throughout Azeroth, so the timing isn't as important as the location, which rotates between three different places.
Clicking on the event in the Calendar shows not only when the fair begins and ends, but also where to find it. This is useful information before a player finds themselves in the wilds of Elwynn Forest with nothing to show for it but a crowd of angry characters from the opposing faction.
Battleground Call To Arms
For those players that are chasing PvP achievements or battleground gear, it's nice to know which battleground is giving out bonus Marks of Honor before the reps appear in the major cities. This shows up on the Calendar when this option is checked.
The Calendar only shows which battlegrounds are featured, but this isn't related to the daily PvP quest that comes from a certain NPC.
Annual Events
Even with all the filters turned off, the Calendar will show the annual holidays that only happen once a year. If these last for more than one day, and there are plenty that do, the Calendar shows what day the ents begin and includes a separate entry for when it ends.
Players can still create their custom events during the annual holidays, and other events like raid lockouts and weekly events, but the holidays themselves can't remove them from the Calendar. Be advised that some days can get cluttered up, so don't forget to click on the day instead of just moving the mouse over it in case anything is missed.
|
Name of Holiday |
Dates |
|
New Year |
December 31st to January 1st |
|
Lunar Festival |
Varies, generally med-January to mid-February, depending on the moon phases that year. |
|
February 7th to 20th |
|
|
Noblegarden |
Varies, but depends on the dates for the real-life holiday that inspires it, Easter. |
|
Children's Week |
May 1st to 7th |
|
Midsummer Fire Festival |
June 21st to July 5th |
|
Pirates Day |
September 19th, the same as "Talk Like a Pirate Day" in real life. |
|
Brewfest |
September 20th to October 4th |
|
Harvest Festival |
September 27th to October 4th |
|
Peon Day |
Observed only on European servers on September 30th. |
|
Hallow's End |
October 18th to November 1st |
|
Dead Of The Dead |
November 1st and 2nd. |
|
Pilgrim's Bounty |
November 22nd to 28th. |
|
Feast of Winter Viel |
December 15 to January 2nd. |
World of Warcraft Classic is available now on PC.