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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Professions and Leveling
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Aug 20th 2008 at 8:00AM
The debate over whether Death Knights should get a free hand up on their primary professions continues to rage, but what actually interests me most are some of the arguments put forth by those opposed to Death Knights getting "free" tradeskills. Some of them are saying that it doesn't matter that Death Knights have to wait, because people should wait until max level to deal with professions anyway.
This is a completely alien concept to me. On any new character, the first thing I do upon hitting level 6 is run to the nearest profession trainers to learn my chosen professions. I like being able to doing something about those herbs and mineral nodes I see while I'm leveling. I can go do some tradeskilling if I start getting bored of leveling, and I can use the final product for my own leveling process, or sell the raw materials on the AH for a nice chunk of change.
I can't really fathom waiting for maximum level before I started a profession in earnest. Why go back to Elwynn forest to harvest bushels of Peacebloom at level 70 when you could have done it from level 1-11 while you were there?
So here's something that may be considered somewhat of a companion question to yesterday's profession question: Do you level your professions while you level up, or do you leave them until after you've leveled up?
Filed under: Herbalism, Fishing, Mining, Skinning, Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Cooking, Engineering, Leatherworking, Tailoring, Enchanting, First Aid, Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Jewelcrafting, Leveling, Making money, Inscription
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
Realmreaver Aug 20th 2008 8:52AM
No friggin way except for maybe skinning and first aid would I go out of my way to level anything til I am maxed level. If I started a char it's to level not do side jobs and goof off. I enjoy the leveling not wondering around aimlessly lookin for an herb.
onetrueping Aug 20th 2008 10:42AM
...wait. "Wander around aimlessly?" Haven't you heard of the "Track Herbs" ability that Herbalism grants, letting you know on your minimap that there's free money RIGHT THERE?
Lars Petersson Aug 20th 2008 8:58AM
I too take two gathering professions to begin with and later switch to something else depending on class...
matt Aug 20th 2008 8:58AM
The only professions I'll work on while I'm leveling are enchanting/tailoring. Those are the only ones you don't really have to go out of your way to gather mats for. Tailoring in particular is great because I can log my main and farm a crap load of lower level cloth for a while and skillup my tailoring with little effort.
If I want to go for any other profession, I'll usually wait til later in the game. I don't always wait til max level, but I usually don't bother with gathering professions before 50 or so. I feel it just takes too much time away from my leveling.
Mindreaver Aug 20th 2008 9:02AM
"How about "because it's fun"? Not everything we do in-game has to have a point, or be the "optimal" way to play. Some people enjoy making things."
Perhaps.
But perhaps instead of responding to me and putting words in my mouth, you read what I wrote, and read what this guy wrote.
He presented his PoV, that waiting until high level to do a profession is dumb. He did it with an appeal that "why come gather PB at 70..", all I am saying is that there is a damn good reason why that happens. And I didn't appreciate his suggested point, that for some reason waiting to level a profession would cause you to have to do something so obviously annoying/boring at 70. Which isn't the case.
Some people enjoy making things. Who said they couldn't/shouldn't? It is a game, and people do like to do things in different ways. Mostly, not the most optimal. But that wasn't really my point at all.
As far as my comment on the quality of the article. I have every right to say this guy doesn't quite hack it. He wrote two paragraphs, one presenting the issue, and then another professing his own PoV... which I found to be a foolish example. It would have been nice, if the writer had explored WHY people wait until 50+ to do crafting professions or maybe just leave out his own opinions, if he wasn't going to explore both points of view. But instead of that, he opened it to discussion. Well, welcome to it.
Slaign Aug 20th 2008 9:05AM
Leveling a gathering profession on the way up is a no brainer. Of course you should level it.
Leveling a real profession on the way up is a waste of time, no matter how you try to justify it. Having the items from the profession that are relevant to your level require keeping the profession at optimal levels. That requires a lot of mats. That requires a lot of time in the field or in the AH gathering those mats. Not to mention the combine time, running to the trainer, selling off all the extra crap, etc. Meanwhile you could be out there leveling. The benefit from the items does not in any way no matter what balance out the time wasted making them.
At 70, you can do dailies and powerlevel a profession in hours. It's less time spent over all, and you can do other productive stuff at the same time since you are level cap.
If you enjoy leveling a profession, fine, whatever. But don't go trying to claim its efficient or smart. You're doing it for kicks and your slowing yourself down for it, period. Someone may enjoy walking everywhere and pausing every few minutes for a screenshot. That doesn't make it smart. If you really enjoy crafting, you'll still enjoy it at 70.
The only real profession that makes any sense at all to level while on the way up is enchanting, because you can DE the stuff you find.
Bloodthorn Aug 20th 2008 9:08AM
with wrath just around the corner but still a bit away, I am in no hurry to reach max level, and raising mining/engineering has provided a nice pastime fun and the ore makes some nice gold for skills etc. this is my 5th char and on a new server.
The most time/money efficient thing is likely doing it at 70, but to me it adds some spice to the leveling up so I can make a break ingame when tired of leveling, instead of doing something else completely. As said above, it's fun, and that is a goal in itself^^
Tricia Aug 20th 2008 9:13AM
I level my professions as I level my character. In many cases I level the professions too much and end up plateau-ed at 225 while I work to hit level 35 so i can advance again. :-)
It's a nice way to spend time when you might not feel like doing some quests or battlegrounds.
Milktub Aug 20th 2008 9:16AM
I also get my professions ASAP. And it's always been a sensible pairing. My warrior got mining/blacksmithing, rogue has herb/alchemy, warlock has enchanting/tailoring, and druid has skinning/leatherworking.
Never have run into the gold flow problems that the promoters of the "Take two gathering professions" emphasize. Mostly that's because I don't attempt to stretch my profession past my characters level (such as buying mageweave to level tailoring when the mobs I'm killing drop silk), and my other character's professions can support the others (leather for smithing and tailoring comes from my skinner, and oils come from my alchemist).
Tygrion Aug 20th 2008 9:45AM
... Simon didn't 'put words in your mouth' ...he quoted you word for word.
If anything, YOU are putting words in the columnist's mouth. He didn't say that waiting until 70 to start a profession was dumb or annoying, you put those words in his mouth.
All he was saying is that he doesn't get why anyone would wait until 70 to start professions - note, he didn't say anything about changing professions at 70.
And in fact your comments "Of course you gather at low levels, bank the herbs/ore/leather, and only do the crafting professions later on. I don't know anybody who doesn't take two professions as early as possible." support what he said... you seem terribly confused.
Just accept that you put (completely incorrect) words in his mouth, made several personal attacks on him and were called on it.
Its a breakfast topic stating the problem, the poster's ideas, and asks our opinions - its not supposed to be an in depth report. So go have some breakfast as you are obviously a bit cranky today
Mareena Aug 20th 2008 9:45AM
I usually level up as I go. It's a lot easier that way. My husband has started waiting until he gets his first mount to make it a little easier, but you might as well at least work on gathering professions while leveling up.
jwnicolai Aug 20th 2008 4:02PM
Deathknight should get to choice 2 gathering proffessions to start @ 300, if they ever want to switch then they will start @ 0 just like everyone else. Crafting proffesions are not that hard to lvl to 300 fast for a lvl 55 Deathknight, just buy the mats on the AH.
I always lvl 2 gathering proffesions lvling my char, @ lvl 70 i take a crafting proffesion.
Blyle Aug 20th 2008 9:46AM
On my main server I can see the point of waiting till 70 to power level a crafting profession (although I have not done that except with a toon I lvled with only mining and herbing). That siad on a server that I joined with a rl friend where I have NO cash I have found that alot of the stuff I can make is great for my lvl. (BS/mine for a warrior) Much of the gear I am wearing at lvl 20 I crafted myself. I would love to buy a load of stuff from the AH but with lowbie items going for 2-3 gold and me only haveing a gold at most, it is just not feasiable.
Scribe Aug 20th 2008 9:53AM
On my first character, I did mining/JC, and mining was easy to level. JC requires so many different mats, that leveling that up was a major pain.
I do agree that gathering ones are easy to level as you quest, and enchanting is as well. I think my issue is I didn't necessarily pick relavent professions for my character (hunter), so I didn't use a lot of the stuff I could make, until I started getting socketed equipment in outlands. First aid, to me, is necessary as you go. I haven't decided what to do about fishing and cooking yet, since I have the skills on my main, but haven't leveled them up, but am leveling those as I go with my alt.
Crul Aug 20th 2008 10:05AM
I normally will lvl my gathering professions as I lvl. But other professions I normally perform the bulk of the lving once I hit the max lvl. I might do a little non-gathering profession lvling when I'm not max lvl yet but I normally stop once the mats required become too expensive or cumbersome to get.
p3ngu11 Aug 20th 2008 10:05AM
i generally skill up as much as i can while leveling. but with my first character, i dropped my crafting profession to pick up a second gathering (late start pre-bc and there weren't really any bop items from patterns, and everyone else had the patterns already). it worked out fir the best because i made lots of gold when JC was introduced :)
Jason Aug 20th 2008 10:14AM
I usually start off a character with a gathering profession and a crafting profession. The crafting profession may lag behind the other for a while. There are even times that I'll hit the level cap with my crafting profession and have to grind a few more levels before I start leveling professions again.
Mind you, professions are part of what i love about WoW.
dave Aug 20th 2008 10:34AM
for me, lvling proffessions is part of the fun of creating and lvling new toons. I recently started my first horde toon (troll shaman) and I'm enjoying lvling herb/alch at the same time (and trying to fish as well,cause I never fish). Is it the most efficient way to play? Of course not. Is it the way to play that I enjoy the most and will keep me interested in playing? Yup.
Calybos Aug 21st 2008 5:02PM
Exactly. Do what's fun! This stuff about "Don't let anything get in the way of maximum leveling speed" is fine, if that's what you care about... but that doesn't make it "smarter" or "better."
Besides, professions are a good way to earn some coin for your leveling character. (I know, I know... "send money from your main!" No, thanks; I consider that cheating. Every one of my characters is on his/her own.)
Runstadrey Aug 20th 2008 10:21AM
Mindreaver, you're the one putting words in others mouths, the article never used the word 'dumb'.
If you were in my guild, you'd have been gkick'd long ago, what a putz you are.