Breakfast Topic: Chronic rerolling
by David Nelson 
Jan 8th 2007 at 8:00AM
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My friend Jack (name changed to protect the innocent) is a chronic reroller of the worst variety. New server comes out? He is there! He quickly levels until about 35 or so, then another batch of servers hit, and off he goes. He really enjoys the uninflated AH prices, the lack of high levels making him feel inferior when he strolls through Ironforge and the general chaos of the early days of a server. He even admits to enjoying the lame level 25 guild drama. I mean, he pays fifteen dollars a month, and he should be able to play any way he wants. But on the other hand, chronic rerollers can leave some servers barren after the initial rush. If you check out any of the various WoW census sites, such as Warcraft Realms, you will see some servers barely chugging along. Do chronic rerollers contribute to that?
So what do you guys think? Does Blizzard encourage chronic rerolling with constant new server releases? Wouldn't it be easier to slap the recommended tag on low population realms and get those servers some new blood? Or does it not matter, and they should cater to guys like Jack just like they try to cater to other player types?
Filed under: Realm News, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DÖT Jan 8th 2007 8:18AM
I am surprised Jack hasn't figured out that playing the same content (1-35) over and over and over is insanely boring...40+ is when it gets interesting. Plus, how good will Jack ever be at WoW if he only plays the content he knows?
I think blizzard should limit the number of realms you can have characters on that way it forces to stay on certain realms or delete their characters.
Garab Jan 8th 2007 8:47AM
THis will probably be the first time I start a new char on a new server, only time I have ever changed server was when the whole Guild tranfered from Burning legion(EU) to Magtheridon(EU)
IF (and thats a big if) I start a BE (not a paladin mind you, thinking about priest/mage) it will be on a new server, just to be able to do things from scratch again, instead of beeing boosted all the way to lvl 60 by lvl 60-70 guildmates.
And no, I dont think that blizzard are encouraging rerolling per say, but they are sure making it easier, and more fun/challenging, if there are no major lvl 60 transfers to that new server
Thomas Jan 8th 2007 6:53PM
Won't matter much come Jan 16. You'll see so many new and returning people then that Blizz will offer free server transfers to these unused servers. They'll fill up fast.
Gogon Jan 8th 2007 8:51AM
I'm a chronic re-roller myself. I've been playing for over a year and a half and only have one 60. I don't have the problem of rolling on every server on the game though. I'm on about three, but only one with multiple characters 40+.
I guess I'd be more of an altoholic. My rationale was that I wanted to get a feel for every class before I dedicated myself to leveling any to 60. I've played every class past twenty with the exception of rogues and shammies. I plan to roll a Draeneii Shammie when BC comes out but I played a rogue until level 10 and couldn't stand it.
I don't think that players like Jack cause any problems for new servers nor do I think that Blizzard is causing chronic re-rolling by creating new servers. I do wonder why new servers are released when there are so many low population servers, but the problems seem to be unrelated to me. If they weren't introducing new servers, he'd just be rolling on the old low population servers and leaving them as quickly as he leaves the new ones.
andy Jan 9th 2007 4:25AM
@1, why would jack care about how good he is and how boring he may find the content? if thats what floats his boat all the power to him.
Im on Laughing Skull eu, its a very low pop server and its where i have recently lvl'd my first char to 60 (warlock). I find the low population a pain in the @rse. I have serious difficulty find a PuG for UBRS/Strat/Scholo and have NEVER managed to get a PuG for Dire Maul, aside from the fact that AH items are hit and miss too. Shadow bolt rank x was on the AH a month ago, and i didnt buy it, i havent seen it since :(
I rolled an alt on a diff server for a few days last week (high pop) and i saw at least 2 PuG's for DM advertized in IF and even a World raid organised for the UC. that just NEVER happens on LS.
I personally feel a little lonely on my current server, but am reluctant to move to a new one with high pop and queues, I also have alot of friends on LS.
Anyway, each to their own. Im picking up my D1 set for aestetics and just counting down the time to TBC to start the grind again.
Imogen Jan 9th 2007 4:01AM
@4 umm isnt Shadow Bolt X trainable from the trainer since the patch?
I think that blizzard should hibernate characters that havent been used for 6 months just to try and show the 'real' server population.
Unkle Jan 8th 2007 2:48PM
While I do have an alt of every class, its not just becuase I have a need to keep playing low end content. Its really just to advance my knowledge, and how to play my main character.
I play this game casually, and for the pvp. I need to know what tricks the different classes have up their sleeves, so thats why I have an alt of every class up to at least level 10.
Salisbury Jan 8th 2007 5:24PM
I'm a chronic re-roller myself. Although, I've been on the same server since shortly after the game came out of beta (I started on a PvE server, got bored and went PvP), I have only one level 60 ... I've deleted a 53 warrior, 57 shaman (only one I wished I hadn't), 44 hunter, and an absurd amount of 20-39's. My friends think I'm insane, but most of the time I'm just bored.
I'm trying to now force myself to one of each class, but trying to do things more fun. I play horde, and while it may make sense to roll an undead rogue, I chose an Orc and he's up to 42 and I'm still having fun. The last undead rogue I had was deleted in his mid-20's.
So, perhaps I'll do better now ... then again ... I just deleted a 38 druid (wanted to have two viable builds available as I like playing druid).
Devynista Jan 8th 2007 1:10PM
My older brother has been a constant re-roller since the days of EQLive. He always decides to start-over on a new server, make his own guild, get to level 30-40, and then RL comes along and he has to stop playing for a month or two, and he does it again.
Wartoad Jan 8th 2007 1:18PM
Personally I enjoy lvl 1-15 the most. You actually get to see real progress, advancement, skill gains, completed quest chains - all on a daily basis! Your racial story line is also it's strongest at those levels. I have 2x lvl 60's, but I keep going back to lvl1 to re-roll for real fun.
olhado Jan 8th 2007 8:11PM
I'm a chronic reroller, but I reroll on the same server over and over again. I'm also a pretty slow leveler (I guess, just because I don't play ten hours a day), so right now, six months since I started, my highest is a 34 and I'm playing a 23 right now. Oh well, I still have fun while playing and can have fun with my friends (even if I can't raid or BG with them).
Krunchysock Jan 10th 2007 8:54AM
I tend to Reroll due to RL Friends Playing on All diffrent servers gets anoying but eventually i find one thats a better suited home. and stick with it till RL comes or the guild needs another class
VinceP Jan 8th 2007 10:46PM
The game changes radically for the casual player in the mid 30's. The game starts off with a chain of quests in the starter zone, when completed give sufficient levels to leave that zone and prepared for the next higher zone. This repeats for several zones & levels until the mid 30's are reached.
For the Alliance Humans, you can easily go from Abbey->Goldshire->Westfall->Redridge->Darkshire, completing the chain of quests in those zones, solo, with no problem, and have the levels required for the subsequent zones.
After that, the quests are very spread out, requiring a lot of travel, and the ones there do not give enough experience to reach the next quest areas. So the only options at this point are to GRIND, or start running INSTANCES. For the casual player, these are not appealing options. If they want to continue playing the game, the only other option is starting a new character. And since the race to 60 leaves them quickly behind on a server, a new server, with a fresh playing field looks better.
I'm a casual player that has played on & off for 2 years, and my highest level is 39. I cannot grind, it's just too boring. Nor do I have the time to run instances.