Breakfast Topic: Less money, more problems
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 5th 2007 at 8:00AM
We heard yesterday that lower level characters didn't need daily quests, because they don't have money problems. But while I agree that daily quests aren't necessary before 70 (considering that, you know, you can do as many quests as you want while leveling), I'm not so sure I agree about the money problems part. Have you had enough money as a lower level character?I can't ever remember running out of money to train with (although with all of my alts, I usually send about a hundred gold back just to keep repairs and item purchases rolling), but I don't know that I've always had money for a mount at 40. I have a priest right now who's 45 and still running around, just because I've never actually focused on making money long enough to raise the cash. Then again, on my disenchanting rogue, I've always had tons of money to go around, and even sent some up the chain to my main.
Is there a problem with funds at low levels? Do you find you have too little cash from 20-60, just the right amount, or even too much? I think the money flows pretty freely throughout the game at this point-- there are enough ways to earn money at almost any level that if you put in extra time, you should have all you need. But how's the tuning if you don't put in the time? For a character just leveling up, does the game give out enough cash to do it all?
Filed under: Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics, Leveling, Making money
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Bentas Dec 5th 2007 8:05AM
It's called Mining/Skinning spec.
Mine everything. Skin everything. Sell everything on the AH.
Money problems solved.
LFD Dec 5th 2007 8:24AM
Yup, this is the way to do it. Take two gathering professions early on like mining/skinning or herb/skinning (although I think there might be more money in mining as of late) then if you feel like it, take a crafting profession in the later levels. But it's way easier (and less stressful) to just buy what you need instead of making it.
Unundead Dec 5th 2007 8:13AM
money problems? yes, when the game first came out and there was no wowhead and my knowledge of the game was zero.
I made the double fatal mistake of paladin enchanter, at ~20 I had to sell my 2 hander to afford one of the expert books as I spent about a billion years finding it and wasn't going back.
I had to go back to red ridge to punch little dragons to death to get some money for a vendor weapon... hard times.
nav Dec 5th 2007 8:15AM
People with major funding problems (to the extent that they can't afford training or something - mounts are a bit beyond that) are invariably those who go to the AH to buy armor. Enough drops or is there as a quest reward for you not to have to go buying overpriced blue (or even worse purple) BOEs.
Candina@WH Dec 5th 2007 9:17AM
RE: Go to AH to buy armour = money problems.
I disagree. My first toon had HUGE money problems. And I never bought ANYTHING on the AH. (part of the problem was I didn't find the AH until about level 20 -- it was ONLY in Org (or as I called it - LAGRIMAR) at the time).
When you don't have access to the AH (Tauren don't go to Org untill after level 18 or so, unless you know the AH is there - and I didn't) You can't make any money, period. Also, having no 'mains' or high level friends on the server meant NO BAG SPACE to carry around lots of grey junk to vender.
thirdly, when the server has few high level chars, even with the AH, it is hard to make money. In the beginning, I made more money on the AH selling Linen, Silverleaf and Peacebloom -- because that is where the server population was. Now? Linen makes some money, not a lot. And Silverleaf and Peacebloom are worthless.
A friend of mine has an alt that just broke 100g at level 26 because of Mining. That could not have happened two years ago.
I think that now, it is much easier -- More drops, fewer low level competitors for resources, more higher level demand, auctioneer ;-)... combine that with guild/friend/main help, more bags, etc and it is much easier than 'in the old days'.
That, and I understand the economy better. DON"T VENDER THAT GREEN, moron.
nav Dec 5th 2007 9:22AM
I wouldn't argue with Candina's past experiences - but I think, as they note, that economies on mature servers today make life substantially easier.
Anthony Dec 5th 2007 8:17AM
Not only the skinner/miner spec, but just selling food can sometimes make a little cash and of course blues. Oh and recipes. The AH is your friend. After I realised this I had NO problems what-so-ever with money.
hpavc Dec 5th 2007 8:16AM
I never ran out of money, I used to see a krol blade or soulkeeper and think gimme gimme. But get over it imo and keep leveling tomarrow that stuff is garbage.
Anthony Dec 5th 2007 8:19AM
Greens even, well blues but greens more likely. oc
Aurdon Dec 5th 2007 8:20AM
With the new leveling enhancements I can see this issue might be coming back...faster you ding, faster you need training/new equips.
Never really had an issue with it... and I think its a good thing since endgame seems to have so much money available (if you focus on making it....actually that statement is true for all levels)
tdf Dec 5th 2007 8:27AM
The only reason daily quests give cash at 70 is because you get the cash instead of XP for being at the level cap. If dailies were introduced for lower levels they'd award XP instead, so the player might as well do some normal quests.
As for making money at low levels, this is much easier now than it used to be. The materials for lower level crafting etc. go for a decent amount on the auction house because there is a lot less of it. I started a paladin the other day, picked up mining and sold a couple of stacks of copper bars on the AH, and he already has considerably more money an my original character did at that level.
Orestes Dec 5th 2007 8:29AM
Short of maybe the ground based epic, or doing something ill advised like power leveling production skills or buying tons of crap from the AH, I don't see where anyone should be having major gold issues before Outland.
Valyre Dec 5th 2007 8:33AM
I currently have a level 37 alt with 9g to her name. I've spent about 3g total working on her leatherworking. The rest has been buying spells when I level and arrows. Now, I will admit I haven't sold any of my leather yet, but I know I don't have 80g worth.
This was actually something I wrote about yesterday (standingintheback.blogspot.com). The bottom line is by the time you reach level 40, you've not killed about 1,025 mobs you would have in the original version. If each dropped one leather (and nothing else), that's about 69 gold you didn't earn.
There are assumptions, like that you did every quest, but being on my 4th character I'm leveling, there's definiately a big difference. I certainly had to work on making money to get that last 20g or so for the mount, but nothing like this. And the problem will only get worse as you work towards 60.
Valyre Dec 5th 2007 8:37AM
Yikes, 1,025 is the mobs you wouldn't kill from 30-40 levels. The total is 1,380 mobs you're missing (from levels 1-40).
Sorry for the typo.
Calminaion Dec 5th 2007 8:47AM
My first char was a warrior, I took mining and blacksmithing at level 10 ... bought gear from the AH at every level after I dinged 20, had 120g at level 40, 700g at level 60.
I am constantly amazed how people struggle with money. I ALWAYS bought gear from the AH (incl a total of about 10 blues by the time I hit 60) and I took one of the biggest money-sink professions right from the word go, and I STILL had all the money I needed at every relevant stage.
And yes, I had all my money for my epic flying mount 2 weeks after dinging 70 ... so it continued (exponentially) after I hit outlands.
Bottom line is ... No, I do not believe that Lower levels suffer from money problems ... I never did, and I didn't know the game.
itsthemechanec Dec 5th 2007 8:50AM
Stop your QQ'ing already.. money is sooooo easy to come by in this game. Not to mention that once you have one 70 getting a mount and a set of 18 slot bags for your alt is chump change.
Work for it people, this game is too easy already, the last thing it needs is to be made even easier.
Balgair Dec 5th 2007 8:52AM
I've not had troubles with money since my very first character when I was new and didn't really understand everything (and even then I did get my mount at 40, just had to spend a couple of nights farming to do so), but my most recent alt is having a lot of trouble, and I do think the faster levelling is a part of that.
I used to easily make enough gold to cover new skills during the time it took me to go up two levels, but I found sometimes I'd have levelled twice, bought my skills and had less money than I did two levels earlier. And no, I don't waste money on the AH, I do spend some on skilling up professions, but as I make items that will sell I make that money back relatively easily.
Right now this alt is 55 and only about halfway to epic mount training, not a great sign, given that the alt I previously levelled still had 600g left over after getting his epic mount at 60. Guess I need to rethink my earning in future, I really hadn't expected it to make so much difference!
Paw Dec 5th 2007 8:52AM
I can see speedier levelling being the cause for money woes at skill-buying time. And there isn't as much time to gather the cash for your first mount either. Likewise, many people are levelling alts with monetary contribution and support from higher level toons. On Smolderthorn, my 42 pally and 24 mage are much better equiped than my main was at the same level. I see the prices going up at the AH for the same and similar upgrade items as well, so unless you have that financial support, it can be a little more difficult to afford things. Case in point, I decided to try the Horde, but my main and "main" alts are on a PvP realm. Rolling on a new realm with no higher level toons or friends for support I am getting the sense of how much more expensive things have gotten. I know on my regular server I can better afford an extra gold or two for an upgrade for onje of my alts that I can't afford on the new server where I don't have support. But the economy is player-run at the AH...supply and demand. The gold-getting guides from the past are quickly becoming obsolete, so we have to figure more up-to-date methods of earning gold faster than we needed to do before.
Thing Dec 5th 2007 8:58AM
Did a response to the other thread really require a whole new article? I guess your opinion counts more so needs to be more visible than the discussion already being done.
Fine, as stated before, gaining money and being smart with purchases was a game mechanic and still is. Buying your mount at 40 is supposed to be a big deal. That is why we had multiple "how to make money" guides floating around. If you do all the quests you can, sell all the grays you pick up and try to keep your impulse buying to a minimum, you will have the 100g needed or right about that point at 40 even without having a collection skill.
Trust me, I have done it at least half a dozen times with different classes.
Drewbacca Dec 5th 2007 9:02AM
If you're smart and sell every green you ever get that you won't use at the auction house you'll never have any money problems. You'll have enough for your mount at 40 and at 60 easily. I leveled up and did this and I never even bothered to do instances, which would have provided even more greens. This is also assuming that you don't waste your money on buying things off of the auction house. Until you reach 70, there's not a real need to have the best gear you can get, so save your money and stay with the greens you get in quests and random drops. I know I'm telling you to sell on the auction house and never buy, but there's always going to be someone out there who's going to be buying stuff. Just don't let it be you.