Breakfast topic: Switching mains
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Jul 10th 2007 at 8:07AM
Ever since I got a computer sophisticated enough to play WoW and created my own account, my main has been my troll rogue. Sure, occasionally I'd experiment with an undead warlock or night elf hunter, but my heart and gear belonged to the rogue.
But recently, I've found myself just not satisfied with my rogue -- and just not getting raid spots with her. Maybe it's the fact that my weapons suck. Maybe it's my low hit rating. Maybe it's because we have a ton of rogues. Maybe it's because a lot of fights are melee-unfriendly. Maybe it's because I wrote an article mocking the guild's second-in-command. Actually, it's probably the last one.
Instead, I've been leveling my paladin. Now that I'm in Outlands, have finally found a pleasant profession (jewelcrafting), and am getting closer and closer to that magic number of 70, I'm considering asking the officers if I can make my paladin my main and raid on her. Not only would it be better for the guild (we only have a couple of paladins) and better for me (woo hoo, an actual raid slot), I'd like to experience the healing side of the game. I've been DPSing forever and am tired of it.
I'd say about half the players I know have a different main character now than the one they started with. Have you ever switched your main? What did you start out with, and what have you ended up with? Were you happy with the change?
Filed under: Virtual selves, Guilds, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Danascus Jul 10th 2007 8:19AM
The first character I've created was a human Warlock and I've stuck with the class since then. Sure I've tried playing rogues, hunters, mages, paladins just to name a few classes but I've always came back to my warlock.
I even rolled a new character on another realm and it was another warlock.
I like the class so much I've played it twice.
Narok Jul 10th 2007 8:28AM
I started out with an warrior, played with him forever and ever. Later on I switched servers and made another warrior, I didn't get him up to 70 though, but he did get up to 40. After that I switched server one more time and made another warrior he's level 70 too, but now I play with lvl 55 rogue which is my current main.
Sarah Jul 10th 2007 8:29AM
My first character was a human paladin. But then I finally got my boyfriend to sign up and my server was full so I re-rolled on his, a Draenei Paladin. Got it up to about the mid-levels, burned out, and then rolled a mage, she is now my main.
Darkman Jul 10th 2007 8:31AM
I started with a hunter and leveled to the max and spent ages trying to get all my dungeon gear, one day I decided to roll a priest and the new character totally took over. I soon realised that hunters sucked and that way more fun could be had with a priest.
Since then I've rolled a mage and a rogue and have even tried going back to my hunter(which still sucks).
I think it's important for players to level other classes - it lets you see how they work and you learn lots more about them.
Mord Jul 10th 2007 8:37AM
"Melee unfriendly fights"... You mean all of them? We only get 1-2 rogues in most fights these days, and I often wonder if that's just for loot soaking.
Blizzard has definitely made this the World of Castercraft.
Tridus Jul 10th 2007 8:37AM
I have four 70s, and another 65. All different classes.
My main was originally my Mage. That changed when I wanted to start raiding, I switched to my Priest because nobody wanted to take a Fire Mage to Molten Core, and for RP reasons I refused to respec Frost.
That was a very long time ago, and my Priest is my main now.
alanm26 Jul 10th 2007 9:24AM
My first character when I got the game 2 years ago was a warrior. I got him to about 40, played around with some alts to about level 15, then took a year long break from WoW. When I came back, I started fresh on a new realm with a new warrior, which made it to 70. About a month ago, I got bored and frustrated with tanking, and started experimenting with alts again. I now have a level 44 mage that I consider my new main. I only use my 70 to farm things I need for my mage now.
Michel Jul 10th 2007 8:39AM
I only played one character as my main since the start : a gnome mage
chris Jul 10th 2007 8:44AM
My main was a hunter for almost a year, the main reason I went with a hunter was becasue the guide said it was the easiest to solo with and I was new to the game. But in the background I had a paladin alt that I loved playing. My hunter got to level 70, but my paladin was not far behind - I made the decision to level her from 50 to 70. Along the way I decided that she would be my new main character. At 67 I changed her to holy spec and brought her to level 70. She got attuned to Kara before my hunter did, my hunter still isn't, and she was part fo a team that downed the Prince and Illhoof the other night.
I guess there are days I miss using my hunter, but I'm not at all unhappy with my main character being my paladin.
Phade Jul 10th 2007 8:45AM
I Started out with a hunter on a new server, I Ran him to 60 just do I could max out his Herbalism and alchemy. I then became aware of the fact that the guild I was in had a serious lack of healers, I rolled a druid and am now almost to 70 with that one.
Ther have been a few diversions along the way, the shaman that I may go back to, the warlock or maybe even the priest.
rafe.brox Jul 10th 2007 8:45AM
My first character was a NE Hunter (what? Don't look at me like that). It was my first to endgame, along with a human priest, but never got into any of the endgame content because real life ate the handful of friends I played with.
I had to roll a Horde toon (Troll priest), which now gets 98% of my playtime, because that's where everyone I know in the game is.
Alms Jul 10th 2007 8:53AM
I originally started on an orc hunter. After getting her to 60, I simply didn't enjoy raiding on her. My friends and I soon rerolled on another server where I started an undead lock. I -loved- her and kept playing her up until the xpac came out. During this time a friend had given me his priest and after taking a look at the classes my guild needed the most, I ended up trading in my warlock for the priest. Now, I'm a rockin 70 undead holy priest, and hating it.
Paw Jul 10th 2007 8:57AM
"I'm considering asking the officers if I can make my paladin my main and raid on her."
I will never understand the logic of that statement. I will never understand the need to have someone else grant me permission to play a game in the manner which I prefer to play. If you want to play your pally, you go right ahead and play your pally. It onbviously is making you happier, and if a game isn't fun why play it. (the reason I don't play sport sims...they aren't fun to me. I don't force myself to play so that I can hang with my friends who do.) If your guild gets upset because you're doing so, that is their problem. If they won't let you raid with them, leave. If they are a good bunch (like my sports sim playing friends) they will understand your desire and compensate accordingly to their roster so that you can join in on the raids, et-al.
I don't have any guild affiliation, obviously, and do not care for one unless it is completely open, which seem to be a rare breed. So I guess I don't have a "main", because to give a particular toon that title I would have to belong to a guild wherein that particular toon is in the main rotation. So what I have is "the toon I am playing predominantly now", which is much harder to write...so I guess I should just use main.(?)
Brad Malone Jul 10th 2007 9:19AM
My first main was a resto druid. Shockingly, it took me 28 days played to hit 60. I gave him up in the outlands because I hated not having a rez. A healer with a 30 min rez is no fun when we are giving clothies tons of spell damage for the first time. So often I would lose a mage to a one or two shot, and they would have to run back.
My new main is a fire mage. I like to be the one two shotted! I got to 70 in 13 days played. What a difference! My druid, much to the annoyance of my guild, sits languishing as a VERY high bank alt!
Erica Olson Jul 10th 2007 9:07AM
Along with getting permission as to what class you can play, do you also have to get permisson or take orders on how to spec all your toons?
I hope your guild is paying your subscription fee to justify them telling you what to do with your game time.
I started with a rogue at initial release and then switched to pally after hitting 60. Got her to 70 and a mage as well. Poor rogue is languishing in IF making me money at the AH. I play whatever toon I feel like or whichever has a goal to accomplish. Gets boring to do the same thing every day.
Diana Jul 11th 2007 8:18AM
My first was a Night Elf druid. I was new to the game and she only got to 27 and then I just was not having fun playing her.
I then made a hunter and she is my mine and is about to be 60. She will probably be my first toon that reaches 70. I think the thing I love about her is being able to shoot a bow, and having a pet to travel with.
My main alt (is that an oxymoron?) is my warlock. She is now 42 and maxed in enchanting and tailoring, so I now have to get her to 50, lol.
I have several a rogue and a mage that I played up to 20.
My priest, warrior and paladin are all close to 10 and I will probably roll a Shaman to try them as well. I wanted to play every class to see what fits me best. I did start another druid to replace the one I deleted to see if now that I know the game better it is more fun to play. I did not know much about gear and speccing when I first started playing.
Being able to create characters of different races and classes is what makes WOW so much fun for me. I expect my main will switch from my hunter once I reach my goal of 70, but until then I am having a blast.
Obmulap Jul 10th 2007 9:17AM
When I started I rolled an Orc Hunter to 60 (pre-BC), problem was the guild I was in at the time had an mass of hunters. What they claimed they needed was more healers. So after looking at Priests, Shaman & Druids; I decide I wanted to try a Shaman (that and I always kept reading about how "overpowered" Shamans were). She is now my main at 70, and apparently I'm told I play her very well. So well that I was made "Class Leader" for Resto Shamans....didn't even know it either. I'm currently rolling a ELE/ENH Shaman at 48, but don't think that will take the place of my 70. BTW the Hunter is in limbo at 66.
Twalname Jul 11th 2007 12:52AM
When I started on my new server, I rolled a dwarf paladin, and I
Sylythn Jul 10th 2007 9:20AM
We have more Caster DPS than you can shake a stick at - you'd need a whole tree really...so I'm contemplating my Paladin becoming my main once I get her up to outlands...only issue - I'm in love with ret...somehow I doubt I'll be getting any more raid slots than I am currently.
Mats Jul 10th 2007 9:24AM
Well, of course you need to talk to the guild officers if your in a raiding guild, and you want to change your main.
There will be a raid slot filled up, so they don't take in a new raider due to the change. Elizabeth will now be getting healing loot, instead of rogue loot, and I presume the raid does not want Elizabeth to give up on healing once she is fully geared up.
Raiding guilds is an agreement made between several people that they will all work toward a common goal under the leadership of a few people. If one person does a 180 on this agreement, officers have to take in new people to replace that person, gear him/her up and teach that person all the bosses they are working on and have worked on.