Forum Post of the Day: Levels 1 - 58 need reviewing
by Elizabeth Harper 
Apr 19th 2007 at 10:05PM
In comparison to all the excitement to be found leveling from 60 to 70 in Outland -- numerous dungeons, zones, and quests available at every level range, with great quest rewards -- old Azeroth looks awfully pale. And to this end forum poster Colrum suggests that perhaps after the 2.1 patch adds the Black Temple, Blizzard could spend a bit of time polishing Azeroth. And commenters in the post have plenty of suggestions on where Blizzard can start. While there are plenty of places in old Azeroth that I find immensely tedious to level through, I still think that I'd rather look forward rather than backwards. But what do you think -- does Azeroth need some work to bring it up to par with all the new content in Outland?
[A full version of the artwork above can be found on Blizzard's site.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nicholas Hillsdale Apr 19th 2007 10:27PM
I'd definitely like them to add heroic modes to some of the older instances. One of my favorite instances in game is an early level one (Deadmines.)
But other than that I think they should focus on Outlands related material/the next expansion.
ajpally Apr 19th 2007 10:39PM
Fantastic idea. I have to say questing with my alts anywhere but outland make wow look like a deserted island. I am typically 1 of maybe 5 people in each zone when this number used to around 10-20 at least.
Rich Apr 19th 2007 10:56PM
Sounds like a good idea to me. There are always new people joining and we need to make the game still available to them. Concentrating just in the Outlands and new end game stuff is a sure way to keep new people away.
fbp Apr 19th 2007 11:03PM
I am a level 57 Night Elf Rogue. Currently enjoying the content, but I have to agree, some of the areas seem to be missing something. I kind of enjoyed leveling in STV, but after that it got kind of crazy on where to go, and even in STV it was kind of crazy.
I enjoy it, currently attempting doing BRD runs... And its kind of pointless as in 4 levels I can get better equipment then I can get in Azeroth.
RogueJedi86 Apr 19th 2007 11:11PM
But what do we entail? Stripping out all the old quests and questgivers? Adding in new ones? Just what could they do? How do you make The Barrens or Westfall or Dun Morogh more exciting? Westfall I'd say should be left alone. As has been said before, Westfall is perfect, in how all quests gradually lead in to the Defias and an attack on the Deadmines. But what would a review entail exactly?
seperioth Apr 19th 2007 11:37PM
I think we need new quests in all the areas. Even if its only a couple new ones. Its boring for people who are lvling alts (Ie: anyone who has a 70).
Or mabye throw a new instance in. But I would rather have some new quests.
brian Apr 19th 2007 11:52PM
1 word...
fuck yes
yes i know thats 2 words
Chris M Apr 20th 2007 12:01AM
I couldn't agree with this idea more. I can't see myself agreeing with any change to WOW more than this. The leveling from 1-58 is so painful and grueling that I frankly want to just flat out quit sometimes. Zone-hopping is a complete waste of time, and turned the game into a timesink. I turn in my level 40 quest that was Green/Yellow, and get a level 46 group quest that's far outside my abilities (and I'm a Warlock, overpower PEW PEW, etc.) So I go off to zone 'x' and turn in quest 'x' , and the next quest is level 47, and I have to grind mobs to get the experience I need to even be able to handle getting a GROUP for the quests.
Not to mention how grouping is so flawed. I distinctly recall attempting to group for SM Library a while back, it took 40 minutes to get a group together, a mix of a guildmate, and a few other randoms. By the time I collect the incompetents and get them all in the right area (geniuses came to SM, flagged PVP. Then better yet, the one that was intelligent enough to come unflagged- decided to toss a pyroblast on a ?? Ally 'because it'd be fun'. Naturally he got owned.) I realize that has nothing to do with leveling being flawed- but when getting a group is so difficult for instances, then furthermore I have to deal with incompetent party members, coupled with the terrible XP and quest rewards in most cases- I just want to give up on the grind and go play pac-man or something.
Chris
roguedubb Apr 20th 2007 12:14AM
Having played for four months and never been above level 40 (chronic re-roller, no I will not seek treatment), all on the Alliance side, means four starting zones and I'm still finding new quests and spawns.
Outland? I've got no idea what it's like, but Azeroth: I still dig it after having played throw the lowbie zones multiple times.
My only Azeroth qualm is: more fist weapons!
robot rock Apr 20th 2007 12:22AM
I'm playing a 45 Rogue (my first character) and I consider quitting regularly. One of the only things keeping me going is my guild mates keep telling me how great Outlands is. It'd be nice to have some better reasons to play the game pre 58.
Juliah Apr 20th 2007 7:21PM
Oh, please, yes. I'm one of those people with a character of every class on one side, and I just don't think I can bear to do Stranglethorn again. I've been everywhere under level 50 at least once. I'd really love some new areas and content, even if Blizzard had to create a special portal to get to it.
Urthona Apr 20th 2007 12:45AM
Well, odd that you mention Westfall, because I'd suggest that the Westfall Militia could use a Tranquilien-esque Quartermaster.
The Tranq QM is a great way to learn early on the importance of reputations and the gear that follows. Making the quests in Westfall respond to a rep meter that awards "Confiscated Defias Weaponry" would be very very cool. Completing quests for the town of Lakeshire and Darkshire would increase the rep there as well. Your SW rep may only be honored, but the to the people actually living in the human provinces, you'd be exalted :-)
It unfortunate that they removed Wildhammer Dwarves from the lists of reputations as well, because turning in various Forest Troll items (not just necklaces) could buy you runic inscriptions or head glyphs. Likewise the Revantusk would offer similar items for drops from the High Elf lodge. Green inscriptions and glyphs from the Hinterlands villages, blue ones from rarer drops in WPL.
The Magrams and Gelkis could sell odd Centaur items, make the division actually something worth considering. Meaning: Gelkis could sell Alchemy and Blacksmithing patterns, Magram would sell Enchants and Tailoring, thereby mimicing the Scryer/Aldor rift.
The wildlife in Barrens could drop items to accumulate and award the numerous hunting quests there. IE Ten zhevra leathers = 1 run speed pot. Five raptor eggs = attack power pot
.................
And those are just the faction-related ideas I have. Overall, I think the game could be improved by a review of quest rewards. Bloodmyst and Ghostlands have at least three different reward types for each quest. There are several questlines in the original that end up with a single quest reward; strange items cloth with +agility. It makes the trek to 58 one long and boring grind.
New patterns and recipes could be implemented. Where's my fire-breathing potion? Or my inland-lake raft? Cooking is a blast in outland, but it's a pain in the arse before that.
I'm still playing and having fun, but Azeroth is like gray Kansas to the technicolor Outland of Oz.
Olympus Apr 20th 2007 1:02AM
After rolling Dranei once i got the BC, I was amazed at how good the quests were on Bloodmyst Isle. You could easily get to 20 without ever, ever leaving. I
was amazed, and later, I rolled a dwarf twink, and found that I had done every quest in Dun Morogh by lvl 9.
If only Blizzard could possibly review only some of the zones with the same treatment as the new starting zones. I've heard of many people actually skipping the old zones because they're so bad, and going to the new ones instead. In fact, I may just do that with my twink.
Baluki Apr 20th 2007 1:07AM
If nothing else, they need to go back and remove every single cloth item with Strength and Agility on them. Especially the quest items.
Unless they plan on adding a monk-style class to the game some day.
Kim Apr 20th 2007 1:12AM
When I was levelling my blood elf I definitely enjoyed the new area and new quests in Ghostlands. But almost everyone else I know who is levelling a blood elf alt went straight to the areas they know already to do the quests they are totally familiar with. They just want to level as fast as they can.
As much as I'd like it personally, I think it wouldn't be time well spent. Anyone hard core will skip it anyway, and any newbies it's all new to anyway.
Diarx Apr 25th 2007 8:55AM
I'd prefer to see the XP gains for questing/mobs from levels 20-60 retuned so the time investment needed for 1-70 becomes much closer to what 1-60 was.
By doing this they could also retain the amount of time required to level in the newer burning crusade zones.
Kinless Apr 20th 2007 11:42AM
For so many, Level 70 is the only game they want. I like variety, have 3 in the Outlands myself, but I have ten more that aren't. But while I can have my variety in classes, at level 40 I have one, maybe two, places I can level up. For all of them.
I did 1-20 entirely in the new areas with both the Blood Elves and the Draenei. Now it's back to the Terren Mill or Ashenvale, as if the expansion never happened. Not for another 40 levels for them. And then it's into the Outlands, for the nth time at that point.
I seriously hope that the next expansion will bring a brand-new, full blown, 1-70 experience. A brand new continent would take care of that. Because it's not all about being 70. If we wanted to start the game at max level, we could play Guild Wars.
Blizzard should provide 2 new races, of course, raise our character limit on a server (or reduce the cost of transfers), and provide zones and quests we haven't seen before from the noob area to dinging 70.
Does it all have to be located on Northrend? No. Being the home of the Lich King it be better suited for 40-70 say. They could put 1-40 on a new Outlands "noob zones" area, and a new Maelstrom "noob zones" area. The Maghar and Arakkoa weren't all born level 65 were they, so we need the Outlands one. And then there's the entire center of our existing map, the Maelstrom, that can be used. Arakkoa for the Alliance and Naga for the Horde.
What they don't need to do is keep adding hardcore raiding dungeons, unless keeping folks from bailing for "hardcore" Vanguard is their intent. Are they really worried about the departure of 5% of their population? (What is the %age of hardcore end-game raiders vs. the entire population anyway?)
Problem with adding new hardcore end-game dungeons is they've literally erased the need to visit previous end-game places. Why am I going to worry about Maradaun or Dire Maul if Outlands is right around the corner? It's not like I need a key out of any of the old level 60 end-game to enter Outlands. That'd be a switch now, wouldn't it. And even if I wanted to see Molten Core. Who's going to raid it now? 40 man Pugs?
I really, really, really hope they don't simply keep 21-58 the exact same with the next expansion like they did with this one. That's a huge block of a players time that hasn't been touched in the least. This is where they'll lose the players. Boring them away. (That and dissing the Holy Priests.)
Mir Apr 20th 2007 2:32AM
And yet, there have been changes. Forest Song is now a secondary alliance quest hub in Ashenvale, it's even recieving its own flightpath! The Harborage in Swamp of Sorrows is now populated by TBC-style broken and features new quests and a vendor. New draenei questgivers have been added to Hinterlands, Southshore, WPL and other places. Ok, the changes are fairly minimal, but it was still enough to make my most recent 1-60 race much more enjoyable.
brodie pomper Apr 20th 2007 3:18AM
You folks don't dream big enough. That crazy flying mission in Outland? I never have had the chance to do it because I have a life, a kid, a GF, college, and generally hate the game past level 30. The reason for that hatred of the game past a certain point is the sheer monotony of it all. Stop making endless instances for the end-gamers and focus on making Azeroth interesting. And I'm not talking more KILL X DONKEYS AND GET THIS INFERIOR THUMBTACK (BoP), I'm talking some great alteration to the game, which would make the hateful grind more interesting.
There's a bunch of islands, make those interesting.
There are tons of neat ideas for races (naga plz?)
Different places to have combat (pirate battles with ogre juggernauts and elven speedboats, battlefields with hundreds of AI intermingled with the players)
Interesting looking gear (why must I spend months of my life to get spiffy gear)
A section of outland that is low level (impossible? maybe, but I was always wondering why even the mites living on the pigs in outland are level 58+, there's got to be some little lowbies running around somewhere)
New classes for chrissake . Seriously. The assasin and druid made the diablo II expansion great, not different races for the existing classes. Use those big brains that come up with endless instances to come up with a class, and watch the QQing ensue.
New scenery and doodads, like the Master's Glaive in Darkshore (I love those little touches, it makes the miserable gameplay neccesary to find them worthwhile) perhaps alterations to the landscape in already existing territories (winter in Telldrasil, the dam breaks at loch modan, flooding the wetlands) maybe have some political maneuvering change the social landscape, such as a new king in Stormwind or there's a coup in Undercity.
Add more fucking mobs so I don't have to kill differently colored pigs for 40 levels. They're really low polycounts, people, make more of them.
Add the ability to get neat powers/afflictions, like vampirism and lycanthropy (available at lowlevels) to give your character some personality.
Add more faces and hair types so I don't have to choose between the few things available.
The Barrens. I am never running through those things, killing pigs and raptors ever again. I hate alliance, but I hate the Barrens more, so no Horde characters for me. The Barrens should not be the only real option for horde. Those pirate islands look great for it. I hate watching the interesting places get snapped up by the end-gamers, divvy the world up evenly, or the game will start dying.
Make really complicated, proc-filled items that are easily obtainable by the lowbie crowd. They don't have to be overpowered or anything, just a random green with a NEAT, not UBER, proc, would add spice to the Microsoft Excel drabness that is low-level gear.
Revamp the graphics (optionally, like they were in the Shadows of Luclin expansion for Everquest) because it'd be nice to have an update (keeping the same low poly-count aesthetic that makes the game charming)
Switch a zone. Have the Horde overrun westfall, but the alliance gains Silverpine (these are terrible examples, I'm sure, but seriously, that sounds doable. just make new quests in the zones, change the towns, or have the same towns we're used to get taken over by the other faction, like the horde shabbying up a nice alliance town, or the alliance desperately tidying up an orc encampment)
Speed up levelling. The less time spent in Azeroth, the better. Just make it take less time to get to 58, then it slows down, or goes to the normal rate. We will keep playing Blizzard, one thing that makes the game infuriating is the creeping realization that you're watching a kettle boil, and you are being forced to watch, which makes it take forever.
Speed up transportation in the world. I used to use that auto-unstuck exploit to get around the world faster and avoid playing World of Joggingcraft, but now that they nerfed that, the world is so miserably large and the lack of mounts before level 40 renders the game unplayable. But that's just me, so don't go freaking out. I just REALLY hate wasting time in transit.
The holidays are a lovely touch. I would love to see the zones get seasons, but aside from that, the holidays are cool.
Raise drop rates. Seriously, just make the fucking pig testicles drop more often than 1% of the time, and I need 50 of them, or whatever. Why are you keeping me from the endgame? Afraid I'll blast through it too quick and start enjoying myself? It's asinine and should be in the next patch. Think about it, what's one of the things you dread most when making that new alt? It's probably killing thousands of pigs to get one toenail. Raise the drop rates from 1-58, the game won't collapse.
Take a dead instance and do something different with it. Gnomeregan? Who runs that anymore? Have the Super-AIDS gnomes finally lose and give the midgets their city back, and replace it with a fresh new instance! We've been saving the world for a long time, have some of those things actually mean something.
Give the dranei and blood elves more of an effect on the world. Have Dranei encampments, then villages, then towns, show up in random zones. New NPC's, new quests, pleasant surprise when you see it for the first time instead of the same old pigs needing their penises severed.
Add voice acting for NPC's, so I might actually care about the king's desperate need for severed pig penises. Maybe add a cinematic or two. For a really epic quest (even a lowbie one) have one of those trademark Blizzard Made-of-solid-win cinematics for one quest per side.
Because less people are doing lowbie instances (LFG Blackfathom Deeps...>silence
Armath Apr 22nd 2007 5:06PM
My main has only just hit 62, so I never had the chance to be at level 60 for an extended period of time, but there seems to be an awful lot of stuff in the 55-60+ range that, right now, seems seriously neglected. I think a re-vamp of the mobs in that area, and the experience they generate, could definitely improve things and bring people back to Azeroth proper.