WoW, Casually: It's great to be level 70 and casual
by Robin Torres 
Apr 11th 2008 at 9:00AM
Each week or so, Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player who has 2 hours or less to play at a time.
Let the raiders have fun with their world firsts, Blizzard also kept those of us with limited playtime in mind when designing the Sunwell activities. If you are level 70 and haven't gone over to the Isle of Quel'Danas, get thee to a Flightmaster in Ironforge or Silvermoon and get in on the fun.
You may think with all the hubbub about the new bosses like Brutallus that the new Sunwell zone is raider-only territory, but you would be wrong. The daily quests there are fun and easily doable solo. You earn a lot of money, a lot of rep with people who will give you cool stuff, and you help your server progress through the new content. There has never been a better time to be level 70 and casual.
Let the raiders have fun with their world firsts, Blizzard also kept those of us with limited playtime in mind when designing the Sunwell activities. If you are level 70 and haven't gone over to the Isle of Quel'Danas, get thee to a Flightmaster in Ironforge or Silvermoon and get in on the fun.
You may think with all the hubbub about the new bosses like Brutallus that the new Sunwell zone is raider-only territory, but you would be wrong. The daily quests there are fun and easily doable solo. You earn a lot of money, a lot of rep with people who will give you cool stuff, and you help your server progress through the new content. There has never been a better time to be level 70 and casual.
The quests are not only soloable, some are cooperative. For example, when you need to impale the Emissary of Hate's corpse, you don't have to be the one that killed it. Just walk up to the corpse and add your flag to the many already there. The quests do go more quickly with a buddy, however, so if you don't have a Spousal Unit to hang around with like I do, see if a guildie and/or friend is available. Also, when you're on the Isle, strangers are more than happy to hook up for quick questing, particularly for the bombing run.
Once you finish the quests that are actually on the island, you can still do more daily quests for the Shattered Sun Offensive all over Outland. Pick them up in various locations in Shattrath. If the cooking daily quest is the Nagrand one, it is very close to where you complete the Nagrand Shattered Sun Offensive Daily Quest so you can be extremely efficient in your questing. In fact, many of the quests overlap, so make sure to pick them all up to save you travel time.
The new Fishing daily quests are also fun and easy to do, if you have the appropriate fishing skill. The Baby Crocolisk quest requires only the most basic fishing skill and is a fun way to skill up in a safe environment. The rewards for completing the quests can be vendored for quite a bit of gold, so they are very much worth the small amount of time and effort they require.
Here are some quick links to tell you what you need to know:
- Guide to the Sunwell Daily Quests
- Everything you wanted to know about Patch 2.4 and Sunwell
- Fishing Daily Quests
- Cooking Daily Quests
The Call to Arms for this weekend is Alterac Valley, which means more honor for my favorite Battleground. I have noticed, however, that the queues are longer now that everybody is busy with the Sunwell goodness.
I'm off to bomb Pit Lords and slay Naga. Have fun!
WoW, Casually is a column for those of us who are playtime-challenged and proud Welfare Epic wearers. If you have questions or tips about how to get the most out of your limited playtime, please send them to Robin.Torres AT weblogsinc DOT com for a possible future column.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Events, PvP, WoW, Casually, Battlegrounds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Naix Apr 11th 2008 9:25AM
Yes it is a very good time to be 70 and casual. I have 3 70s and working on a 4th. I do about 10 dailies on each char (I do them with guild mates to move it along faster) We can run threw all 10 dailies in about 45 minutes and some change. After only 2 weeks I can almost buy my epic flying mount. Just doing dailies!
bob_gainey Apr 11th 2008 11:52AM
If you call yourself "casual" ... I must be a "pathetic" player then.
Badger Apr 11th 2008 12:47PM
I feel your pain, Bob.
Faromere Apr 11th 2008 9:31AM
I am a casual 70 about 2 days from exalted with the shattered sun. I was really looking foward to getting my healing alchemist stone trinket, then i realized I dont have the original alchemist's Stone recipe, you have to be revered with the shatar. I am honored about 10k away, and have done all the quests. I might have to get a little less casual and do a few dungeon runs to get revered with the shatar. I wish there were some daily non dungeon quests that gave Shatar rep!
sweetp Apr 11th 2008 9:47AM
You don't have to be reveared with Sha'tar to get it. Its a pre BC recipie. Its on the vendor so you don't have to go back I guess like the recipie for flask of chromatic resistance. If you don't have time to grind the rep, look up the recipie on wowhead or someplace and see where the old word place to get it is. ( Sorry its been so long I cant remember where it was)
Keysdawg Apr 11th 2008 9:45AM
Just a FYI, Anytime you turn in Marks of Sargares / Fel Armament (aldor) or the Sunfury Signets / Arcane Tome (scryer) you do get Sha'tar rep. Not a bunch, but it can make a big difference if you turn in a bunch to get exalted for your shoulder enchants.
Jamminvk Apr 11th 2008 10:14AM
sweetp, I believe you are thinking of the Philosopher's Stone. The recipe for this can be purchased in Gadgetzan. The Alchemist's Stone requires Revered with Sha'tar.
Jamminvk Apr 11th 2008 10:17AM
Keysdawg, turning in marks, signets, etc. will get your Sha'tar rep up to 1 point shy of honored. Rep gains with Sha'tar at this point must be done via quests and instances with mobs that give rep.
JPN Apr 11th 2008 9:33AM
The dailies are fun and awesome - it's nice that you don't have to do them ALL to get some gold, but if you have time, you CAN do them all and get a lot of gold. I shudder to think about how expensive WOTLK is going to be, with all this gold flowing so easily, though - I could save up a ton of gold before the expansion...
spamcatcher Apr 11th 2008 10:03AM
Yeah, it's scary to think what things are going to cost in the expansion. I've got my epic mount as well and have become a complete cheapskate...I've saved up another 4k gold and I keep hording more. There are going to be some ridiculous money sinks in the expansion I'd bet, and I'd like to be ready for them.
Gazoo Apr 11th 2008 10:05AM
Yes, the Mario kart version of WoW is great for casual players with attention spans 2 minutes long. The game is complete crap for everyone else.
There is nothing challenging left at all in WoW. The quests have been watered down to nothing, gear is handed out like candy, all for the sake of the lazy. Casuals arent casual, they are lazy.
I work, I have a social life, I raided 6 and 7 days a week. I actually made an effort. Yes, I went there... I said effort.
Dont have time to raid? Then you are in the wrong game. Dont have time to grind? Then you are in the wrong game.
Laziness has killed what was once an amazingly good game.
jake Apr 11th 2008 10:20AM
Do you not see the amazing irony in your post?
It appears YOU are in the wrong game, sir.
Groxmop Apr 11th 2008 10:30AM
Casuals aren't lazy. We just don't have as much time to play the game as you do. I have an incredibly busy job and two toddlers that demand my full attention from the time I get home until the time they fall asleep, which is usually around 10:30. That leaves me 2-3 hours of WoW time a night, during which I usually don't even like to commit to an instance due to the fact that my kids usually wake up at some point, demanding attention, and I wouldn't want to leave an instance group in the lurch.
I look forward to more dedicated playing time down the road as my kids get older, but for now, I make the most of the time I have. For you to say that this is the wrong game for me, I think you're wrong, obviosuly; I love it, and I enjoy playing it. And clearly the makers of the game have decided that you're wrong, because they are tailoring the game to make it increasingly fun for players like me, while still offering more substantive rewards for players like you who do lots of raiding (assuming you do.)
Sorry to read such a biased opinion as yours.
Circ Apr 11th 2008 10:42AM
Time for you to move on then. Bye.
Malyfactian Apr 11th 2008 10:45AM
Your post is epic fail.
Not everyone has the proper life circumstances to commit 4-05 consecutive hours to raiding. Fortunately, unlike preceding MMOs such as Everquest, there's more to do in WoW than just be a hardcore raider. Much more. Enough even to keep "dedicated" casual players like myself continually coming back for more.
Lazy, my ass. I am either commuting or at work 12 hours a day, five days a week. I have a new wife and am in the process of trying to get my house sold so that we can move and cut down my commute time. Most nights I have a maximum of 2-3 hours to devote to WoW, but I'm on it every single night completing daily quests, leveling a profession, questing an alt, etc. Would I like to do more? Of course. But laziness has nothing to do with it.
Ian Apr 11th 2008 10:46AM
Wow, Gazoo - talk about demonstrating your ignorance in one fell swoop... Not all of us have the ability to do raid 6 or 7 days a week; for example I have to leave for work at 6.30am and get back at 8pm - as a result I often only have time in WoW to do some dailies or the occasional quick instance during the week, and maybe something larger at the weekend.
Does that make me lazy? No - it means that I do have a life outside of WoW, for better or for worse.
Does it mean that I'm in the wrong game? No. I don't recall there being a system requirement on the box saying "Must raid for 6 to 7 days a week". You must remember that the majority of WoW players probably could be classed as casual; only a small percentage are the hardcore raiders running BT and Sunwell regularly. As such you should not be dictating who should be playing the game or not; you are the minority.
A shameful attitude.
kw Apr 11th 2008 11:11AM
@Gazoo:
I work 40 hours a week, I have a husband, a house that needs cleaned, a yard that needs mowed, and all the other fun stuff that comes from being a married landowner.
Yes, I have spare time in the evenings. Yes, if I wanted to, I could "make the effort" and be at raids 3,4, even up to 5-6 nights a week. But.. at that point, isn't raiding sort of like a second job, just one that you don't get any money for?
It isn't "being lazy." It's different priorities. I so happen to think that someone in your situation (a job and a social life) shouldn't be "wasting" their life raiding 6 nights a week, but I don't come on here and spout that kind of crap. In fact, if you took score, I'm betting that the casual crowd is overall much more polite and friendly than people like you, who seem to think you deserve a medal for spending all your free time playing a game.
I think "Casual WoW" is a great way to unwind, especially if you are like my husband and I and schedule one night a week to do a 5-man with our RL friends (who live across town, and with whom we regularly do non-WoW things). I love the new dailies (I usually do them in the mornings before work, it's a fun way to wake up), they got my protection warrior a new sword and I'm about 5 days away from exalted and a new shield. All in all I think this patch has been great for us "casuals" and I'm pleased to see that Blizzard seems intent on producing more content in the same vein =)
Theserene Apr 11th 2008 11:37AM
*yawn*, try harder troll.
Badger Apr 11th 2008 12:52PM
"Casuals arent casual, they are lazy."
Really? Try telling that to the Managers of all the responsible adult gamers who work 40+ hour weeks.
You should probably also think before you /whine ... Er, I meant /say. Sorry. Reflex.
Zali Apr 11th 2008 3:31PM
Gazoo,
What amazes me about your post isn't your vitriolic comments, but the continued presumption by you and others like you, that WOW has been ruined by (X). If hard core PVP aren't complaining that the game is ruined by hard core raiders, then hard core raiders are bitching about welfare epics and how the arena mentality has ruined raiding. And if the PVP'rs and Raiders aren't foaming at the mouth about each other, then they are spitting nails at casual players, who are probably annoyed by the hard core players. Of course, RP'rs hate everyone who doesn't RP for screwing up their psycological state of mind while playing, and everyone else thinks RP'rs are already screwed up psycologically and probably need help.
Everyone is looking through their own version of rose colored glasses and it's really very silly.
The most incredible thing about WoW, and the thing that keeps me signing in every day, is that it can wear so many "hats." If you want to PVP and be the gank king or queen of all time, then WoW has a couple things that you can do to get your fix and keep you busy. If you prefer the challenge of getting 25 people to work together on a singular goal, even though only 15% of you will get lucky enough to get a piece of loot, well WoW has a place for you too. If all you want to do is fish, then guess what? WoW has that one covered to.
The great thing about WoW is that there is spectacular variety. If you are bored of one thing, then are fifty other things to do. That is why there are 10,000,000 people playing. Just because there is content for someone with a different preference in play than you, doesn't take away from the content that is available for you and your play style. Raiders pissed about welfare epics seem to forget that those epics take months to acquire a full set, just like their Boss drops, and they seem to forget that they aren't really that useful for raiding anyway, and vice versa.
So what if the Sunwell quests drop a ton of greens. They're all lvl 67 and 68 greens, which means they're nothing but vendor/DE items.
Why don't you pick how you enjoy playing your game of WoW, and let others pick theirs. There is plenty or room in Azeroth for everyone to have a good time. Here is a phrase that you should say to yourself a few times until you memorize it. "It isn't all about me. It isn't all about me." Just keep saying that to yourself like a mantra, or until you get over yourself.
Full Disclosure: I raid Kara, ZA and Gruuls most weeks. Half my epics are from Raid, the other half are S3 Arena gear. My favorite thing to do though is questing and working on trade skills which is more of a casual play style, although I can't claim to be a casual player since I play about 30 - 40 hours per week. So, PVP & Raiding & Casual. Yes, you can do it all.