Breakfast Topic: Those little annoyances
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Jun 16th 2008 at 8:00AM
So like Alex, I figure I probably have a few more alts than your average player. I have 3 level 70s, 3 more characters above level 60, and a few more at various levels of play. I even started a new shaman just this past week, just because I decided I had a really cool character concept for a female Orc shaman.
Anyhow, I've been playing the shaman quite a bit, and I've actually not been twinking her at all, enjoying the challenge of starting a character from scratch and making sure I still have my mojo despite getting all fat and sassy from all that easy daily money from Sunwell Isle. WoW's done a pretty decent job of keeping the lower level game easy enough for characters, but there's a couple things I've noticed while playing that still feel like they need some work. If I could highlight one, it would be the complete lack of Shaman trainers in Lordaeron.
I've decided to level in Ghostlands, both because I love the story and quests there, and because it has much better quest rewards that you'll find in the early Barrens quests or Silverpine Forest, for the most part. However, every 2 levels, in order to train, I have to make my way back to Orgrimmar to learn my quests. Since I haven't been able to find a mage who will port me to Shattrath yet, that means I fly back to Silvermoon City, use the teleport to Undercity, wait for the Zeppelin, and ride it back to Ogrimmar. It can be pretty time consuming, and I have to wonder: Why couldn't they just stick a Shaman trainer in Silvermoon City right next to the Druid trainer? For that matter, why not put a trainer of every class in every city? Is it really worth it to punish an adventurer who decides to go level somewhere far away from their race's capital city by making them break off from their leveling to make a long pilgrimage home?
So here's my question to you this morning: What little annoyances have you found that can make the early levels tough, or even just make playing WoW tougher than it needs to be in general? What are some small simple things that could be changed to make your WoW life less annoying?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Leveling, Making money, Alts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Reinard Jun 16th 2008 8:11AM
Similar to what you said: at the higher levels, around the 50s really, when new spells and abilities begin to cost way too much gold. It's hard to save up enough money for an epic mount when you're blowing such large amounts of money every two levels for necessary skills. It obviously gets worse into the 60s up to 70, but quests reward much more gold by then ;)
I'm sure I've got more things to nitpick about, but that's all that comes to mind right now. I may be back later with more. :P
Lori Jun 16th 2008 1:31PM
I think the gold crunch is a by product of the express 20 to 60 leveling change. It means less time killing stuff for money and items and fewer quests completed per level. Only I notice it at all levels. And especially when leveling professions as well.
Nosime Jun 16th 2008 8:11AM
The biggest thing I've noticed is the damn hour long wait on auctions.
Another issues is my ability to log off when I need too XD
Jake H Jul 4th 2008 12:06AM
set hearthstone to shattrath
/win
ninjasuperspy Jun 16th 2008 8:19AM
No warrior trainer in Silvermoon either. I made a Tauren warrior the other day and wanted to level through Ghostlands (same reasons. I like the story and the rewards are nothing to sneeze at) then I level a little and boom no trainer. So I ditched that character and went back to my paladin.
schm0 Jun 16th 2008 8:26AM
What about idle character animations? In my opinion they should either be much less frequent or ten times as varied. It would be nice for any Tauren stopping long enough to repair their items isn't scratching their rear end every 7 seconds.
Sirg Jun 16th 2008 8:29AM
Roleplaying reasons. Belfs don't train as warriors, so if you are a warrior in Silvermoon, you are far from home. I see this as a good thing.
Apophis Jun 16th 2008 8:39AM
Tauren don't have any Caster (except druids maybe) but you still find Mage/Priest/Warlock Trainer in TB.
makishima Jun 16th 2008 10:32AM
@Apophis YES! I just started a shaman and did just as the author in order to level with a friend in Ghostlands. I'm 19 and I still don't think I trained my lvl 16 skills just cause its such as hassel (especially at the lower levels when your hitting 10 in just a few hours)
@Sirg So it must REALLY suck for that Druid trainer in Silvermoon huh? If they're going to limit it like that they need to do it all around.
Jim Jun 16th 2008 11:09AM
reply to a reply to a reply:
Every time I go in the front of SW I DO think it must suck for that Druid trainer. She's just hanging out, tending her little garden...Hello? Healing Touch (Rank 4)? Anyone?
Silverrealm Jun 16th 2008 12:26PM
"Roleplaying reasons. Belfs don't train as warriors, so if you are a warrior in Silvermoon, you are far from home. I see this as a good thing."
Not just RP reasons... but for lore reasons... at least undercity is on the same damn continent as Silvermoon! AND you have a translocator...
Nelf, had to take a boat from darnassus, to menethill then run to Ironforge, and take the tram to SW.
Thank god I am a druid I can use my moonglade teleport when I need to hop continents. Although getting to Tanaris is STILL a biotch.
Hurode Jun 16th 2008 4:19PM
The UC Warrior trainer is a quick teleport away.
Greg Jun 16th 2008 8:23AM
On the subject of twinking, why can't I enchant my own alts? My lvl70 whizz-bang super enchantress can give mega enchants to friends, guildies, complete strangers, almost anyone.. except for my own alts, huh? WTF?
Aggrajag Jun 16th 2008 9:28AM
This.
And this again.
And again.
Repeat for each alt I have :s
Unhappy Jun 16th 2008 10:02AM
Yes, yes, yes!!!
Todd Jun 16th 2008 11:37AM
Yeah this! I ended up getting a second account though so I could enchant all my alts. (well the wife plays with me now too so its not just for enchanting).
Lars Petersson Jun 16th 2008 4:30PM
You need two accounts... :)
Breck Jun 16th 2008 5:21PM
I've read they are changing Enchanting in the next patch so that you make "kits" that can be traded or sold in the AH. Not sure if this is accurate or if it applies to all enchants or just a select few, but it sounds promising nonetheless.
Greg Jun 17th 2008 4:04AM
I have 2 accounts, so yeah I can enchant my alts but I have to pay for it and that sucks! What other professions are this crippled? I hope this enchanting "kit" or whatever turns out to be true, I've heard rumours about it but I've also read some very non-commital comments from Blizzard so who knows?
Sirg Jun 16th 2008 8:26AM
The low level content is very well made imo, but most of the quest rewards and stuff you get are poor and some not even funny.
I think the lack of shaman trainers in UC and Silvermoon is because those cities and their people have nothing in common with shamanism and shamans. And it feels logical that from a RP perspective to feel far from home (as a shaman in Undercity), and this is a good thing. Making everything easily accesible is bad for RP.
What I don't like in the lower level content - the long runs. I think Blizzard should implement some town portal scrolls that would teleport people to inns and places. There should be a level requirement like you can use the scroll only in a certain level range or I don't know.. there should be a system of cutting this boring travelling to minimum. Some areas have the town in the corner of the map - i.e. Duskwood and the road to Darkshire is very long and boring.