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Almar's Guides is finally Mobile friendly!
Posted on May 22nd, 2020
I have been putting off completing a mobile layout for my website for literally years since I thought it was going to be way harder than it actually was. Thankfully, it wasn't. As of right now-- Almar's Guides.com now has a mobile responsive layout that works for phones, tablets and desktop.
If you find any bugs with this layout or encounter any problems on phones, mobile or desktop please post below in the disqus section to let me know.
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Google Ranking Changes
Posted on May 8th, 2020
So I noticed that many people are landing on the front page of my website and coming to my website directly now that Google has deranked me from the top of Google. You may be curious why this happened, as was I, it appears as though Google is giving higher rankings to people they deem "authoritative" sources. This is purely my theory/speculation but I have some anecdotal evidence to back it up.
Many of you may have already heard of this happening on Youtube for the last few months, it appears as though it has now moved to their search engine as well. This is purely my speculation but I believe this is what happened because Gamespot and IGN rank over me, as does Gamefaqs, despite how out dated the content is -- even in some instances where they only have blank pages for content. Example, if you google Persona 3 Social Link Guide, I am now at the top of the second page whereas IGN has a mostly blank page and gets ranked third. More evidence for those curious; Lufia 2 Game Genie Codes (Gamefaqs at the top over me).
This will most likely spell the doom for many smaller content creators/bloggers as almost everyone in the world uses Google. If Google decides to filter the information we can and cannot see in this way it won't matter if the content you create is good or not. All that matters is whether or not Google deems you authoritative or not. That's what will get you to the first page now.
I'd strongly recommend people to start using duckduckgo.com or even bing.com as well as google from here on out. Both of these are search engines which don't willy-nilly rank content from sources they deem authoritative.
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WoW Classic
Posted on April 4th, 2020
I hope everyone is well and staying indoors during the Coronapocalypse going on out there. During the last few weeks I have been busy compiling information for WoW Class Guides, such as Macros and Consumable Lists as well as useful Addons for each class. I'll be adding more information to these pages over the next few weeks as well. They aren't really creative guides so they're easy to update - they're just lists of information.
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The Witcher 3, Final Fantasy 15 and WoW Classic
Posted on February 9th, 2020
It's been awhile since my last update! I've been quite busy these last few months and finally have something to show for it. As the title of this update says, I have completed Witcher 3 and some Final Fantasy 15 guides. I'm only ready to release the Witcher ones to the world, I still need to edit the Final Fantasy 15 ones then I will update this page.
The Witcher 3 Side Quest Guides
The Witcher 3 Story Quest Guides
Final Fantasy 15 Side Quest Guides
Along with these guides, I will hopefully be updating/adding more WoW Classic Guides soon. I plan to do some raid oriented guides and later most likely some Boxing Guides.
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World of Warcraft Classic
Posted on October 6th, 2019
I caved and decided to play WoW Classic. I'm 5 boxing with a Warrior, Priest, Warlock, Warlock, Warlock team and currently I am level 58 almost 59. Once I reach level 60 and get more experience under my belt I will absolutely make boxing guides for WoW Classic which will be similar to my Everquest Boxing Guides.
To go along with my return to WoW Classic I have updated my WoW Classic Farming Guides. Over the next few months I will be rolling out massive updates on them - I have to reorganize every WoW guide on my website similar to what I did two years ago with the Everquest Guides. I'm going to be releasing some of the WoW Farming Guides first to people who are donating to me on Patreon, only like a few days ahead of time. Just to reward anyone who is donating and also playing WoW Classic.
Finally the last thing I want to draw people's attention to in this update is my Youtube Channel which is where I will be making videos of my 5 Boxing in World of Warcraft.
WoW Classic Phase 1 Auction House Tips
Almar's WoW Classic Farming Guides
WoW Classic 5 Boxing (My Setup & How I Play My Team)
Subscribe to me if you're currently playing WoW Classic and you'd like to keep up to date with any future Auction House/Farming tips or Boxing Guides. I'll be uploading more videos of Blackrock Depths and Lower Blackrock Spire today! Once I hit 60 (tomorrow) I will begin doing Stratholme and Scholomance and make videos of them too. More updates will come in the future about my boxing adventures in WoW Classic.
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Final Fantasy Update
Posted on August 16th, 2019
Within the last month or two I have been doing guides for Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 8. I'm done much of Final Fantasy 7, I only have to do guides for the final battle and both Ruby + Emerald Weapon to fully complete the game.
There's still a lot to do with Final Fantasy 8, I am done about half the game as far as a full walkthrough goes as well as many of the side quests. Currently I have only released the Side Quests that I have finished because I don't want to release an unfinished full walkthrough. I think I plan to do Final Fantasy 9 after this, or maybe an earlier Final Fantasy that isn't so time intensive to write guides for. These games take A LOT of time to do guides for, especially FF8 the card game is a nightmare.
Additionally I have started adding a few Youtube guides here and there too, mostly to supplement the written ones. I'd really like to do videos every now and then again for some of the more popular content but paying for and learning how to use edit software isn't something I have time for right now. I really should learn photoshop too so I can stop using MS Paint!
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Dragon Quest Update
Posted on July 22nd, 2019
In the past two months I have completed full walkthroughs for two of the Dragon Quest games, Dragon Quest IV and Dragon Quest IX. This brings the total of Dragon Quest games I have guides for up to 3, since I also have a Full Walkthrough for Dragon Quest 8 as well.
Over the next few months I plan to do guides for one of the Ps1 Final Fantasy games and I may do guides for Borderlands 3 when it comes out too. I'm undecided but I want to start writing guides for new games. I won't be playing World of Warcraft Classic so I will have plenty of free time on my hands.
Anyone reading this looking for an Everquest update, I am going to "finish" my How to Play A Warrior Guide within the next week. Enough people complained to me that the guide seems in demand enough to complete. I hope to add more info to the other class guides too since I know some parts are left out of many of them.
Dragon Quest IV Full Walkthrough
Dragon Quest IX Full Walkthrough
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IRL AFK for a week
Posted on May 18th, 2019
Just putting this notice here for anyone who donates in the next week and doesn't get an email from me for my EQ Farming Guide. I'm going to be on vacation from May 18th - 25th. I will be hiking the New Jersey portion of the Appalachian Trail.
If you'd still like a copy of the guide please consider donating to my Patreon account which will give you access even while I am out on the trail. As always, thank you a ton for any and all donations!
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Boxing Guide Updates, Anniversary Guides & How to Play Class Guides
Posted on March 27th, 2019
What a busy month! I have created a couple dozen new guides over the last month, most of them for Gnome Memorial Mountain and the EQ Anniversary Quests. You'll find links to all of these new guides below. The majority of them are finished but a few still need some minor edits.
EQ Anniversary Quest Walkthroughs
Orcwolf Mercy GMM Partisan
Clockwork Mercy GMM Partisan
Greatest Gnome Hunter GMM Partisan
The Darkness Howls GMM Mission
What's Cooking GMM Partisan
Furnace Fire GMM Partisan
At Its Core GMM Partisan
Ironing out the Legion GMM Mission (unfinished)
Unscheduled Repairs GMM Partisan
Judge By What's Inside GMM Partisan
Will finish the rest of GMM in a few days + finish editing these guides
In addition to all of these guides I have also started a few more major guides which I am currently working full time on. These are some of my most requested guides I get and they're going to be incorporated into my Boxing Guides in the future. They're guides about how to play each class!
I also have a guide that I am almost finished comparing Kissassist's DPS to the DPS you could do using the playstyle I talk about in my Boxing Guides. Within the next few days I will be posting another update on the front page of my website going into more detail about Kissassist's DPS and formally announcing the DPS Comparison guide.
Guide for Kissassist's DPS compared to Isboxer/controlling your characters
How to Play a Wizard Class Guide
How to Play a Warrior Class Guide
How to Play a Cleric Class Guide
How to Play a Mage Class Guide
How to Play an Enchanter Class Guide
Since there is so much drama on Redguides surrounding Kissassist's DPS I am dedicating an entire website update to just that. Thankfully making a guide demonstrating that KA does less DPS than you could do gave me the opportunity to write all of these class guides and incorporate them into my Boxing Guides.
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Almar's Guides Botox Facelift
Posted on February 1st, 2019
As I mentioned a few months ago, I have changed my Everquest Nav buttons to Retro ones. The Retro section of my website gets twice as many viewers as the Everquest one so the change I believe was necessary. All of the Everquest Guides can be accessed still, just as easily, by clicking on the Everquest button which is second on the nav bar. You may actually like the EQ page more considering the fact that you can use Ctrl + F to find whatever guide you want rather easily.
I have also added a lot more details to the Ring of Scale Guides. Instead of just linking to the 300 - 350 Tradeskill Guides, I am now linking to a dozen different guides on how to raise your tradeskills too. Don't you assume I am done working on my EQ guides! I have actually done quite a few updates recently, here are just a few of them:
Earring of the Solstice Quest
GoD Progression (Guides are done up to Kod'Taz but I haven't written the index page)
RoS Frontier Mountains Guide
RoS Gates of Kor-Sha Guide
Conflagrant Gearing Guide
Goblins and Fools EoK HA Guide
Infiltration of Kor-Sha HA Guide
Mysteries of Kor-Sha HA Guide
If you'd like to support my work and get access to my EQ Farming Guides consider donating to me on Patreon (last button on the new nav bar) or by sending me a paypal donation! Before I begin writing guides for Retro Games again, I will be doing many more EQ updates.
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Firiona Vie Giveaway
Posted on January 12th, 2018
Brief update, I am currently doing a giveaway on the Firiona Vie server, I have 13 collection sets to give away. For the Official announcement I made a post on the Everquest Forums. I'm also currently adding more to the EQ Farming Guides, here is a sneak peek of the Plane of War guide I am working on for the Endgame guides & Farming Guides!
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Everquest
Posted on December 18th, 2018
An update for my Everquesters. I plan to purchase all the copies of The Burning Lands that I need for writing guides this week. I'm purchasing them on accounts with level 105 characters though which means I will need some time to power level all those characters before I can add TBL guides. Expect another very large EQ update around Feb of 2019.
In the mean time, I will be adding more Ring of Scale Farming Locations to my Everquest Farming Guides. I'll also be revamping the level 110 section in my farming guides since there's a buttload of information for max level players now, which I believe should be separate from the 105 section.
Those of you who didn't read the previous update, the EQ Farming Guides are made for TLP players as well as players on live. They're separated by level and start at the Omens of War expansion pack. All it takes for access to the guide is you donating via Paypal or on Patreon. For a Paypal donation, you can find the donate button on the right hand side of my website above Recent Updates.
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Everquest Farming Guides!
Posted on November 28th, 2018
Not a large update, but an update none the less! I have added two new zones, Gorowyn and Sathir's Tomb to my Everquest Farming Guides and also updated the Howling Stones guide. My Everquest Farming Guides are currently behind a donation only paywall - you can donate as much as you want but technically just 1$ will get you full access to them. For more information follow the link provided.
There are guides for TLP players too in my Farming Guides section; it covers all expansions from Omens of War to Ring of Scale and eventually I will write guides for Burning Lands too! That is the perfect segue into the next thing I wanted to talk about, Burning Lands!
I'm fairly certain that during the month of December I am going to buy a dozen or so expansions and do Burning Lands while it is current expansion content. For the last few years I have lagged behind, a few people have even made fun of my website for only having guides for multiple expansions behind. I am going to make an effort to change this with this expansion.
I don't plan to put all Burning Lands guides behind my donation only paywall, but I will put some of it behind it. If you're concerned about me getting money hungry, it's very unlikely. Almar's Guides has been free ever since 2009/2010 and the only money I make off it is from an occasional donation & advertisements. I always feel very awkward asking for donations and money since I am just not that type of person; I like earning what's given to me not begging for it!
With that said, as always your donations are appreciated. Everyone who donates makes it possible for me to continue working on my website and writing guides.
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New Retro Guides
Posted on October 19th, 2018
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness Guides
Monster Rancher 3 Guides
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Full Walkthrough
Not a large update, just a few guides I have completed in the last month. Dragon Quest 8 still needs to be finished/edited but the other two are done. I plan to do another Everquest update by the end of the year and aside from that I will be working on my book and other website.
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Notice for Everquesters
Posted on October 13th, 2018
Also in the next few months I am going to be updating my World of Warcraft classic guides to get them ready for the WoW Classic servers. I do not know if I will be playing WoW classic though, I haven't decided yet. If I do, I plan to box it.
I'm also going to be redoing the nav bar on my website, Everquest players get used to using the Everquest button. Sometime in the next few months I am going to start removing the EQ expansions from the nav bar and placing retro consoles there. Basically the retro nav bar you see at the top right now will be the new nav bar on my site, with Everquest and WoW Classic getting their own buttons.
There's a chance I may switch to Wordpress in the future too but that'll be awhile. The previous update yesterday I talked about a new website to launch with my book, I'm going to experiment a lot with Wordpress when I set that up - if I like it enough I will transition Almar's Guides off Cold Fusion. Cold Fusion costs literally like 4x more than regular hosting (apparently because it's a 'legacy' platform), it's silly.