Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
Inside an old alt's vault
The latest patch 5.2 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsForum post of the day: Ride your pony
by Amanda Dean 
Jun 19th 2008 at 2:12AM
I had to look twice at the 2.4.3 patch notes before I could bring myself to believe that the developers are planning on reducing the level requirement for ponying up. It makes a lot of sense, as we ramp up toward Wrath of the Lich King, it will progressively longer to reach the endgame, especially for new characters and particularly new players. The change makes sense to me, and I'm looking forward to Desolace being a less crummy place to level alts. No, you won't get a refund on previously purchased mounts, but nobody got refunds when the cost of the level 60 riding skill decreased either.
The community seems to be having primarily positive reactions to the news that basic mounts will be purchasable by characters at level 30. Ithnnin of Scarlet Crusade (posting on a level 40) feels that this change is an added insult to the game. He feels that Blizzard has spent too much energy catering to a "small new audience." He feels that the changes to make leveling easier have a negative effect on the accomplishments of those who when through the process when it was more difficult.
This prompted a response from Zarhym "Allowing players to purchase and ride mounts at level 30 does not at all diminish your prior accomplishments in my eye sockets, Ithnin" This was followed by a post explaining that new players may get their mounts ten levels sooner, but they have ten and soon twenty more levels to go through before they reach the endgame. The majority of responses in this thread are supportive of the change.
As an altaholic, I'm excited about the change. I don't know how many times I've pressed the key I ordinarily reserve for my mount on lowbies and am disappointed when I have to keep on hoofing it. I'm interested in knowing what our readers think of the change: does lowering the level requirement for mounts diminish your accomplishments or rob some of the gaming experience for new players?
Filed under: Patches, Economy, Leveling, Buffs, Forum Post of the Day
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Kolo Jun 19th 2008 4:57AM
I level'd to 60 just before the XP changes, I dont cry to Blizz "can I have the 15% extra time it took me to level back plz!!!!".
Its the nature of the game.
I find it very tough leveling alts because of the mount issue (try doing anything as alliance in STV before the Rebel Camp fp...or Ashenvale before its 2nd FP). Now I know my bad memories of STV or walking to SM are a thing of the past. I might just dust off some of those long neglected alts I've always wanted to level.
zak Jun 19th 2008 6:00AM
Am just wondering when this patch is going to be active because I am almost at 40 on my main and have the money ready so I dont want to spend it then have the patch come out like a week later!
Muse Jun 19th 2008 6:02AM
30 is pretty much the perfect time for a mount. It's when the character has finished the naturally-chosen leveling zones and starts looking at other places to go. Ashenvale will continue to be big for Night Elves who came the Teldrassil to Darkshore to Ashenvale way, but the trip to Shimmering Flats gets less painful.
Codexx Jun 19th 2008 6:20AM
I hate to say it, but it spells the beginning of the end for WoW.
Yeah, I know, each patch has someone saying that. But I've seen what kills MMOs, and it's changes like these, the ones that affect original content to let players hop right into the new content is what ultimately piles up to weigh down on the game.
That out of the way, if Blizzard thinks we need help leveling our alts, which really, if it's a different class, we should play all the way so we get more experience playing as them(no, not that stuff on the bottom of the screen in a bar, the learning experience you go through while doing something), then there's better ways to get around it.
For Example, what if it registered if you had a level 70 that was either Alliance or Horde, and any alts of that faction would receive benefits to help them out. Maybe Mages get ports earlier, druids gain travel form earlier, and include mounts at 30 in there. First time players still earn it the same old way at 40. Maybe even tweak the XP for alts over new players. Add a few easy quests for good XP around various parts of the world. Little subtle differences.
The only issue with the above changes is it affects PvP in a bad way, giving twinks a huge advantage. Tweak it so the abilities can't be used in battlegrounds until the level first time players receive them.
The ultimate point is that the integrity of the old world is at stake. Yeah, it's just a game, but I think it's ruining the quality of the experience. Even something applauded by most can be a bad thing in the end.
stevens.ce Jun 19th 2008 12:45PM
I don't understand this logic - new players want to experience the new content that has drawn them to the game, and if they have to play for 15-30 days of gameplay to get to it (depending on their leveling speed), they won't stay. That's what will kill WoW. For existing players, this change shouldn't matter - either you've already bought the mount, in which case it doesn't affect you, or you haven't, in which case you're benefitted. If you want to be a martyr and wait until 40 to get it, do that. Once you pass level 60 and a whole new group of mounts, why would anyone care what you did at level 30? Faster leveling does not make for better players, but in itself shouldn't make for worse players either. I have a 27 I'm working on now that might benefit from this, but I have three 70, all with epic grounds and rare flyers, and I could care less for them. People who are bothered by this changing the "fabric of the WoW universe" should relax a bit.
Lucas J Jun 19th 2008 6:23AM
This is what I'm thinking ...
30 levels to Ground Mount
30 levels to Epic Ground (and Outlands)
10 levels to Flying/Epic Flying
What if Blizz did the change to gear us more towards the next 2 expansions (or 1), as they want us to get to level 100, trying to even out the mounts through the levels. Or maybe they did it just so we would use our ground mounts a little more. It seems like I bought my epic ground mount mere days after getting the regular.
I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't introduce a new type of mount at 80, 90 and 100. They did say there was going to be a new gold sink... but not as bad as epic flying.
Maybe at 80 we can purchase the ability to use the siege weapons we keep hearing about?
rzzr Jun 19th 2008 7:03AM
This is part of an ongoing process to make the earlier part of WOW quicker. Blizzard is a commercial company. Once WOTLK comes out any new player will have an awful long journey to the endgame. This could put off potential buyers of the game and without new players the game will slowly die.
Expect far more in the way of making the 1-60 grind faster and easier. It will happen so no point in QQing about it.
kunukia Jun 19th 2008 7:23AM
I say Woot! I have many alts on 5 servers. This is great news.
I can still remember with nostalgia the grind my first toon went through to get her first mount, daily herbing and AHing. She refused to turn 40 until she had the gold to train and get her kitty. But that is nostalgia, and I am all enthused about cheaper and earlier mounts.
Geo Lara Jun 19th 2008 7:30AM
I'm an altaholic and I support this change.
Let's face it. This is another way of bliz telling us that game we knew pre TBC is ancient history.
Their focus is new content and they have been telling us that for a while, lets get over it an move on.
Are you really gonna remember your lv 40 mount when you're farming 5000 gold for your epic flyer? I didn't.
kevinjammie Jun 19th 2008 7:44AM
Whats next? Flight for all at lvl 68?
tboy10394 Jun 19th 2008 7:57AM
So, are we gonna see lvl 60 flying mounts in the future? :P
Farfromout Jun 19th 2008 8:03AM
I dont see how its even a bad thing.
I have just leved a mage past 40, just got her mount and Im happy with this change. The next time I get a character to 30, which I have 2 at at the moment ( I might add they are pally and warlock ( free mounts!)), Its gonna be helluva lot easier getting around.
I for one dont understand how it effects anyone BUT those people at 30, and how it could effect people negativly.
Callandra Jun 19th 2008 8:05AM
It makes me insane people that think making leveling easiar is diminishing their accomplishments.
There is little accomplishment in leveling to 70. Its extremely easy, as indicated by all the awful players there are AT 70.
Give me a break.
evankimori Jun 24th 2008 2:59PM
Hear hear. I support this comment.
Seriously: they should put some sort of intelligence/class quiz at the last exp. bar before 70. You have to answer them all correctly or your exp bar resets to empty back at 69 and you have to go grind it all again until you..*ahem*...L2p.
Because holy crap: there's a million 70's now with the faster levelling system and among them are the ones that are .SO. TERRIBLE. that it makes me ashamed to even be on the same server as them.
Elmo Jun 19th 2008 8:13AM
to me running around for 10 more levels is not quite an accomplishment and the new price is more in line with the amount of gold at that level.
getting to 80 will take long enough and I think this will make the game more fun for the new player too, just look at the vast sizes of STV/Desolace or how far Scarlet Monastery is for Alliance Players. nothing more annoying than a Quest giver in the north telling you to kill stuff in the south and report back to him.
rosencratz Jun 19th 2008 8:14AM
Looks like a good change.
The only downside is personal ones in honest. Personally i've already leveled 3 70's that would've rather liked and even more painfully i have a Druid and a Shaman taht i've been levelling 1 at a time alternately and they both dinged and subsequently bought their mounts only a few days ago. Massive waste of cash sadly as i really could've waited. :(
I'll get over it though ofcourse and though i doubt i'll have reason to level another alt with the bevvy i have already i personally don't see anything wrong with buffing the levelling process.
Wesley Jun 19th 2008 10:23AM
I have a lvl 70 NE hunter. This news actually makes me want to play my 23 BE pally again!
frank Jun 19th 2008 8:48AM
The only thing I don't like about this change is the fact that I have 6 characters over level 40.
I'm appreciating this more vicariously.
lightning94 Jun 19th 2008 8:50AM
I have not read all three pages, but the comments seem to be around the same lines. The biggest thing this will do is allow for a little easier time with the "go see this guy then come back to me" quest in areas such as Desolace and Thousand Needles. As long as the quest for the carrot on a stick remains at 40 and the epic mount stays at 60 this will only act as a convienence for folks who are leveling alts or new to the game. Trust me, there is a reason that of my alts that are below 40 my druid is the one that I tend to play the most, walking in this game sucks. As long as the price is the same and the price/level requirements for the other levels of mounts stay the sam, this will turn out to be a good move.
SBKT Jun 19th 2008 8:49AM
Nobody thinks of how this will effect the battlegrounds?