Breakfast topic: The calm before the storm
by Amanda Dean 
Aug 6th 2008 at 8:00AM
The expansion draws ever nearer, and many folks are working away at the last important bits of Burning Crusade content. We're looking to see Wrath by the end of this year. I've been spending a lot of time leveling alts to get ready for Wrath of the Lich king. I've noticed that this has been surprisingly easy compared to my previous leveling experiences. In the last week or so I've leveled my Warrior from 40 to 56 with very little resistance. I've probably only been ganked a total of ten or so times.I'm beginning to think either most people have shifted their priorities from hunting lowbies to preparations for the level 70 to 80 grind. Or could it be that many of the folks who would ordinarily be giving me grief have been preoccupied playing in the beta test? It reminds me of the unofficial truce between factions immediately following the release of BC.
Has your gaming experience changed recently?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Breakfast Topics, Leveling, Alts, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Shanic Aug 6th 2008 8:15AM
In the last week or so, my gaming has changed dramatically.
First, the raid stopped happening. A former BT/Hyjal guild that easily one shot most of the bosses, we now have trouble clearing past Shade and wiped just yesterday on the boss Anetheron and Kaz'rogal trash. We're determined to get through vacation time, but I'm not sure when or if this will subside.
Second, I've been doing rep achievements like crazy, and so have some of my other friends. I got three of the five main city reps, and we're working towards those.
Finally, while although there are attendance problems with raiding, other, non-raiders are returning and enjoying the game again as they grind the epic flier gold or gain the honor/badge gear.
Mattyboysmith Aug 6th 2008 8:37AM
Since I plan on making a DK my main instead, I have stopped playing completely and am playing on the 360 until the expansion is released.
Mediator Aug 6th 2008 9:08AM
Same, soul calibur 4 came out a couple days (or maybe a week ago? lost track of time) and since there's nothing you can really do to prepare for a death knight besides pile up gold, when gold will likely become at least 5 times faster to acquire at the level cap, better to just chill out and have fun, and come back to WoW when its ready
Haderic Aug 6th 2008 11:08AM
haha I love Soul Calibur 4, Algol is the best!
Mattyboysmith Aug 6th 2008 11:20AM
On top of that, Warhammer Online just announced that they are releasing on Sept 18th, so looks like I will be trying that for a few months too, along with a good number of WoW players. Sucks when you take ages to develop things I guess.
Moketronics Aug 6th 2008 8:41AM
*cough* being someone whose main is on PvE and facing the absurd ridicule some PvPers subject PvE to, I have to ask, is this what people on PvP servers are always going on about as being so much better then PvP?
Is it really that fun to wander around ganking lowbies, let alone being a lowbie getting ganked? My PvP toon is about lvl 50 and I'm on a low pop server so the gankings have been fairly few and far between. I was pretty stoked to have some awesome battles with people of similar levels, but it seems that unless someone of similar level feels sure they can beat you they just run away.
There is a certain excitement about having to watch your back for allies as you wander around Tanaris of Unguro or whatever - but I'm just not seeing why this is somehow significantly better then a PvE server.
Blayed Aug 6th 2008 8:55AM
I fully agree. I have a level 70 on both a PVE and a PVP server, and I have to admit, I LOVED being able to quest without fear of gankage. (I actually quested SUCCESSFULLY in STV!!!). That being said, I love being able to attack horde on sight once I reach the level cap. PVP is great fun, but 95% of the time, when you're under level 70, all you want to do is quest and level, and not have to worry about that troll rogue named "Ewegotganked" who has nothing better to do that teabag your corpse after one-shotting you and /spitting on your body. I would love it if all high level zone were PVP enabled, but the rest of the zones were PVE only.
Mediator Aug 6th 2008 9:11AM
"being someone whose main is on PvE"
So you admit you're biased? Anyways...
PvP on the sunwell isle is crazy fun if you go out there with some friends and start some trouble, I hate to use the term because it sounds so silly, but on quel'danas there aren't any "Carebear Clouds" so you can get some pretty solid encounters with people there
Thorall Aug 6th 2008 9:37AM
The fun on a PVP server is that a small sneak attack on one person mid fight can lead to a full scale battle between the factions. With your guild mates joining in to the fight to help you. And before you know it you can have 100s of people at any one place fighting.
On a PVE server are just sitting around Shat checking each others gear out until the raid starts. I have played on both servers my main was a PVE warrior that I played on for over a year. Then a made a Rogue on a PVP server and have had the 10x more fun.
Frostman Aug 6th 2008 9:39AM
Having also levelled 2 70's on PvE and another on PvP, I prefer the PvP by far. I found that after racing to 70 all the while watching for alliance is an added challenge to a process that can (sometimes) get rather routine and mundane. It gets a lot more frequent once you get to Outland, but it never really stops. The dailies are ridiculous at times, but it goes both ways. Sometimes you get hunted by a group of misfits, the next moment, they are getting camped. Just another point of interest, in my opinion.
dpoyesac Aug 6th 2008 11:37AM
Every day on a PvP server is different. Some days you can grind/farm in peace, some you have to spend all your time fighting for every damn mob or ore node, some you respond to urgent "help! help! I'm being oppressed! (and camped!)" messages from friends... and some days you just want the relative peace and quiet of BGs and arena where the PvP is highly structured.
Some people like their WoW time to be totally unpredictable (that would be me!) and some don't. That's the secret of a PvP (or PvE) server's appeal.
vlad Aug 6th 2008 12:04PM
i always played pvp, just because when i started thats where my RL friends played.
once leveled i did try to play on a pve server and was just not into it. something about the people just did not feel right to me. i guess it was too much peace love and harmony.
pvp you really feel like your in a world with an enemy. you have to be alert, you have to make sure your always aware of your health when leveling. aware of escape routes and decent 1v1 skills develop. its really for a certain kind of person.
pve always just felt soft. nothing can surprise you, your always in control, your always safe. you dont have to be alert or on top of your game.
pvp waste lots of time but its more interactive imo. its (wow) life on the edge. and yes you take a lot of abuse but every time you get ganked you just suck it up, because you know that day will come when you hit 60,70,80 and you can pay it foward pwning noobs or just annoying people tring to farm like their faction did to you.
my2cents Aug 6th 2008 12:53PM
It's all just personal preference. Until recently, I had only played on a pvp server (one of the highest population, and grossly outnumbered by horde.) It was fun for a couple of years, but recently I just got sick of it. Now I'm playing on a PvE server and I LOVE IT! I realized that, to me (personal preference), the big faction wars were not fun enough to outweigh the frustration of constant ganking. (And yes on my server the ganking really was pretty constant, even in places you wouldn't necissarily expect like Desolace or Hinterlands) Guess I was always a carebear at heart ;)
Xecnamalain Aug 6th 2008 8:47AM
I, having just reached 70 on my Main, have stoped running heroics for gear and have focused on Rep Grinding and Gold farming in prep for the Expantion. I hope to be exalted with most factions and have a nice Red Nether Ray to pwn on Arthas with. ^_^
I hope to have at least 2K Gold when Wrath comes out. HOPE. lol
Arclich@Anvilmar
Blayed Aug 6th 2008 8:49AM
Khaz Modan (US) Isn't exactly calm. Most guilds seem to be raiding to their full potential (except for the 3-4 BT/Sunwell guilds which seem to have recently fallen apart.. I blame Murlocs).
Despite this being a PVE server, I've noticed a couple massive zone-wide PVP fests, as people decide to walk around flagged for PVP, just to see what happens. I'd imagine things will eventually turn out like they did on my old server (Smolderthorn - US) right before TBC came out -- Raiding will stop, EVERYONE will PVP like mad for gear for the 70-80 grind, prices on EVERYTHING will triple, and people will start PUGing instances that would normally never be PUGed. (For example, pre-TBC, there was a BWL, AQ40 and NAX PUG almost every night in the 2 weeks prior to release.)
Sunwell anyone?
Draenors Aug 6th 2008 8:56AM
People are starting leaving the guild I'm in because they want to join guilds that can help them progress faster, kill Illidan and experience Sunwell before Wrath hits the stores. Someone even rolled Horde on another server in hopes to do it. I guess I'm just a bit too damn loyal.
Itus Aug 6th 2008 9:08AM
I'm leveling my alt to 70, and it has been rather "easy," to say the least--on my server (Azjol-Nerub)...
However, this is my second guy to 70, and this time around I am actually taking the time to get rep, and (try) to do the instances, but it is of course tough to find groups for old world stuff, hopefully OL is a little more friendly.
matt Aug 6th 2008 9:15AM
I'm trying to level Warlock and Priest alts atm. As I've been leveling, I've noticed myself grouping with fewer veterans and more players who are playing their very first toon. I don't know if this is localized to my realm (Executus) or if more new players are showing up everywhere.
Also, I'm working on Herbalism on my lock since I plan on going inscription in Wrath.
Part of me is glad I'm not in the beta. I spend enough time playing as it is. I can't imagine what it would be like if I were trying to split my time between leveling alts and playing around with the beta.
Zarzuur Aug 6th 2008 9:15AM
I am levelling 6 alts at once, currently they are at lvl 52!
They will definitely be somewhere in Outland by the time Wrath hits, but whether they will get to 70 or just be around 65 or so, who knows?
Jasperwind Aug 6th 2008 9:22AM
Six alts at 52! I don't know about everybody else, but I find that impressive. Good luck with them. :D