The Challenges of Azeroth
by Elizabeth Harper 
May 16th 2006 at 2:15PM
What was your greatest challenge when traversing Azeroth? Of course there are epic monsters to conquer and countless bloody PvP encounters, but character after character I find that the most challenging and time-consuming obstacle in the game involves acquiring a mount. Even though I consider myself a conservative spender, I've never reached level 40 with anything near the 100 gold needed to buy one, and the following hunt for gold in all its forms usually lasts for several levels of scrimping and saving. And after all that work, there's nothing quite like running furiously back to town and buying that mount. There doesn't seem to be a single quest or monster that occupies my time as much as the attempt to acquire that first mount does every time. Is anyone out there with me on this?Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
joey May 16th 2006 2:38PM
A the moment my biggest challenge is logging in, which would appear to be impossible. And yes, maintenace is over and the server is up.
I think we need a new front page news story that reads:
"How many years will it take for blizzard to make a login system that works?"
WyldKard May 16th 2006 2:38PM
I happen to disagree, at least in part. The first time I played a character to 40, I was nowhere close to having my mount-money, but the next alt I stuck with had his mount-money a couple levels after hitting 40.
On a different server, which had a much lower population, I played a character to 42 before being able to afford a mount. Since then, I've been well aware of profession choice highly affecting money flow. If your character isn't a crafter, he can easily make enough money selling mets at the AH to afford a mount by 40.
On a low population server, I played a character who was a skinner. By selling what I skinned (and not all of it, either), as well gray items I picked up, I had my mount by 42.
UncleVinny May 16th 2006 2:42PM
My first character (gnome mage) had about 100g when it was time to buy a mount, and because I had good rep with IF, I got it for 90g. I didn't spend much money in the AH, though, I just sold things. Auctioneer made it easy to get good prices for stuff I sold. My professions on that char are alchemy/herbalism, and I never made that much money on them, so that's not where the money came from. These days when I start characters on a new server where I have no cash I choose mining as a profession. A stack of copper ore sells for at least 50 silver, and that's a great way to make money.
The biggest challenges I've faced in WoW has been (a) not getting incredibly frustrated by gankers and (b) dealing with the occasional tedium of leveling and grinding. I've dealt with (a) by having at least one toon on a non-PvP server and with (b) by switching toons for a while when I get bored. The gold just hasn't been a problem for me...
Lori May 16th 2006 2:46PM
I can't login either. Now I know it isn't just me.
However, I no problem getting my lvl 40 mount. Just saw the warlock trainer in SW, went to Ratchet and got the spell. Poof, there is my horse. Hehe.
Jedrallin on Kul Tiras May 16th 2006 2:54PM
I'm glad to say I haven't had any problems when it comes to logging on (aside from logging out a character and then immediately trying to log back in.
My characters are on Kul Tiras and I love playing there - little lag and a good crowd for grouping/trading. Every Friday night we get together in Goldshire and get liquored up... not good for the bank.
On the mount side, I'm only Level 31 and I was somewhere (I think Methenil Harbor or Stormwind) and the mount was offered to me for 70g!
elizabeth May 16th 2006 2:59PM
The mount costs 80g. The training to ride the mount costs 20g. You get a 10% discount for being honored with your faction and an additional 10% discount for being PvP rank 3 or higher. Perhaps I am a victim of poor profession choices...
On the login side, I seem to be logged on. Nothing currently from Blizzard on additional login problems. I'll keep my eyes open...
Mike May 16th 2006 3:00PM
I started saving for my mount around lvl 35 or so.
I spent a couple 2 hour long farming sessions mining my way through 1K needles and I had enough gold for a mount. You just have to look ahead.
James May 16th 2006 3:25PM
My first character I started saving around level 25, and when I hit level 40, my guildies sent me 13G to top it off. I was a skinner, so I made some good gold from all my skins, especially since they seem so high priced on my server (Eitrigg).
Scott May 16th 2006 3:28PM
VAEL!
Gunn May 16th 2006 3:45PM
You want tough?
Try doing the .5 tier armor quests. Finding a group to get those done and the gold to do it. Wooo weeee. Pain in the butt if you ask me.
With my fully Lightforge paladin I've been working on getting soulforge since the last patch and still have only 4 pieces!
Dr. Woo May 16th 2006 3:46PM
LBRS five-man. Definitely a huge challenge for my first few tries.
Then we got "the group." Me (warrior), a mage, a shaman, a priest, and a rogue. Good Lord, I've never seen such a night-and-day experience. Not a single wipe, maybe one or two deaths the whole way to Wyrm.
Sure, some people here will tell me that LBRS is easy. And maybe it is. But I just had the WRONG groups.
Rya May 16th 2006 4:40PM
The 45 Minute Baron run has to be the biggest challege still facing me as an individual player. The biggest current challenge for the guild I'm in however, has to be the dragon Vaelastrasz the Corrupt in Blackwing Lair. Ouch! It burns us!
http://www.wowwiki.com/Vaelastrasz_the_Corrupt
kingmanor May 16th 2006 4:51PM
I've been playing the AH since about lv 20 or so when I installed Auctioneer. I buy stuff from the chinese farmers in the trade channel and just put them up for market value on AH. Its ridiculously easy and you should all smack yourselves if you don't do this. Easiest way to make gold. Also you need to run the instances where u get good loot to sell and to use, because you should never need to buy equipment of any kind at the AH. Stacks of Ore and Cloth(Linen,Wool,Silk...) sell for good gold on my server, and I have more than enough to sell even after the city cloth quests and first aid. I'm lvl 38 now and I have over 200G already.
Lori May 16th 2006 5:45PM
I will say the biggest challenge is finding a good group to quest and instance with during my play window. There has to be a better way to find groups than spaming the channel with LFG and LFM until you get a crappy group and waste most of the time during which you can play. Even my guild is hit and miss on this.
It sure would be nice if Blizz could come up with a scheduling system for instance grouping.
Brian Arnold May 16th 2006 5:51PM
My friend had like 300 gold at level 40. He said it was all from doing mining/skinning from the earliest possible moment and selling every bit of it on the AH.
His char is now level 50, with mount, sweet gear, and already like another 600 gold. He should easily have what he needs for the epic mount at 60. It's crazy.
Sycharis May 16th 2006 7:27PM
Ebonroc. I'm a good raider, I know what to do, but jee-bus. This is annoying if your tanks don't have good timing. It can take up to twenty five minutes to down this guy.
Also, I'm not a "HARDCORE OMG NO SOCIAL LIFE UNTIL I GET ALL EPIX", it's just like, "login after school, farm, do some homework, down some things in BWL, hang out with girlfriend, go to bed." It's easy if you get it down to a science.
Zzim May 16th 2006 11:49PM
The mount was not that hard, but it still is my favorite "achievment" in game. That last run to darnassus after you hit 40, then the victory lap around town is still awesome. Btw, Pvp grind to rank3, build the town faction, then hit SM almost exclusively from 36 - 40. Geared myself at 35 with 9g left in bank and did this the rest of the way and had 120g at 40.
Leshrac55 May 17th 2006 3:37AM
Actually I had about 150g when I hit 40 with my first char... I was an herbalist/alchemist... I didn't really go out of my way to spend time at the AH, but I did try to take full advantage of it when I did. Certain potions and herbs were worth quite a bit, and in many cases its easy to buyout your competitors and list your own prices.
elerrawyn May 17th 2006 11:46PM
Rolling a female human character and resisting ripping off the guys in Goldshire who offer gold for sex.
wolfee May 18th 2006 4:05PM
I found it incredibly easy to get the 90g for a mount at lvl 40. It was my very first character on my very first MMO and my very first RPG. I had about 120g at lvl 40 from skinning/leatherworking. I didn't even bother getting PVP rank 3 for another 10g discount.
I just created a banking alt who was always parked in Org. When I was out lvling and questing I would just mail every BOE drop or crafted item to him. He would put it on the AH and monitor sales. This allowed me to always make money even when out in the middle of nowhere questing. I would only lvl my leatherworking with what I skinned (saving money on mats) and tried to craft items that sold well on AH. I also had my alt be a tailer/enchanter, so any cloth I got while questing could be made into bags to be sold or armor to be disenchanted. Any leather items I crafted that didn't sell well on AH would be DE'd and the essences sold.
I've heard the auctioneer mod is a great way to make money, but I have never used it.