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 news1-60 in 20 minutes
by Zach Yonzon 
Sep 1st 2008 at 9:00AM
Certainly, it can be done much quicker, as Brian didn't have to run into Stormwind's trade district or stop to show the talent points panel for the video. At this point, speed leveling records from 1-60 don't mean anything anymore, anyway. Of course, Brian had to level two characters to 60 on his recruited account to get a total of sixty level grants. With Level 80 fast approaching, I think it's really cool that new players or characters will have a way to rush towards the endgame. After all, there's still Levels 61 to 70 -- and later 71 to 80 -- to slog through. Let me see how many friends I can wrangle up now...
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Leveling
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 5)
alwaysconfused Sep 1st 2008 9:30AM
researched it lol
What in-game benefits do we get while the accounts we play are linked?
1. Characters on both accounts can summon each other once per hour.
2. While adventuring with your linked friend/family member, you will each gain triple experience.
3. For every two levels the new player earns, the new player can grant one free level-up to a lower-level character played by the veteran player.
Jay Sep 1st 2008 9:38AM
Strange, because according to the Blizzard FAQ, you must use your levels before the character hits level 60, so you'd have to use them all at level 59. So the highest level you can reach using the grant a level feature is 59.
"Can I save the "level-ups" I'm granted and use them at higher levels?
Yes. You can gift them to a character on the veteran account as you earn them or in one lump sum. However, you will need to claim all levels before the 90 day link period is up or before you hit level 60. Once that time expires or you hit level 60, the "level-ups" you had saved will disappear."
Wither Sep 1st 2008 9:59AM
You do not lose your "bank" of free levels when you hit 60. (I have already granted levels at level 60).
I don't think it is yet known whether you lose your free levels after the 90 day period is up either. Frankly I suspect not, however the other active benefits (3x XP, summoning) will certainly not be available.
Jay Sep 1st 2008 10:07AM
Really, thats somewhat of a relief then.
Ironhide Sep 1st 2008 9:44AM
It's pretty simple and yet not as easy as he makes it look.
First you need to recruit 2 accounts. $$$
then you level a 60 on each account - a week or more.
Then each 60 can grant 30 levels. (1 for every 2 they levelled).
I had a guildy grab a second account, thinking he will use his MAIN (ie his 70) to level the new account from 40-60 like that.. I am pretty sure it happens the other way, his NEW account can grant the levels.. and only up to the level he is.. so not gonna work.
Mythor Sep 1st 2008 10:40AM
Recruiting costs no money. Not sure what your $'s are there for.
And yes, the recruited account grants levels to the referring account. You won't be using an existing 60/70 to rush a recruited account up the ranks, other than the usual rushes through instances and whatnot.
badjoke Sep 8th 2008 2:46AM
@Mythor
"Recruiting costs no money. Not sure what your $'s are there for."
When you recruit someone, it just gives them a 10-day pass or whatever. Recruiting doesn't negate the ~$30 that the game will cost the recruitee.
MinotaBoomking Sep 1st 2008 9:41AM
I did that too (people are gonna hate me:P)
but it's the best lvling ever,
basically you lvl 2alts from 1-60 (1 on your own acc, 1 on 'friends' acc, To get 3x xp),
and at 60 you give lvls to another alt.
Do this twice and you have 5x 60!
Bylak Sep 1st 2008 9:55AM
Okay,
From what I can tell, Brian had already leveled two 60's on an account that he recruited with his main account. With those two new 60's, it gave his main account enough "free levels" to level one new toon to 60 (30 free levels for each 60 leveled on the recruited account).
So basically, he bought a new account, leveled two 60's on that account to get a free 60 on his main account. It's a lot of work for such little gain.
Samman Sep 1st 2008 4:09PM
As other people say, 1-60 with triple XP is like 1-30 no doubt. It goes by only so fast.
Ataris Sep 1st 2008 9:53AM
Why level 2 characters to 60?
If the recruit levelled 12 characters to level 10, wouldn't it be the same? (Or, in order to have them all in the same server, couldn't you just level 10 chars to level 12?).
Taylor Sep 1st 2008 10:05AM
No, the account that is granting the levels has to be higher than the one receiving the levels.
So a level 10 toon could only grant levels to another toon up to level 10
Kieran Sep 1st 2008 10:08AM
You can only grant levels up to the level you're at.
Ataris Sep 1st 2008 10:20AM
I missed that. Thanks :)
Anakinet Sep 1st 2008 10:03AM
So... can you just lvl a char to lvl 2 again and again and delete it every time to grant 1 lvl to another char each time?
I think lvl to 60 could be hard, but you can reach lvl 2 (or 3, in fact) in a couple of minutes and do this 60 times could cost you ¿a couple hours? Imba...
Maybe I'm wrong, on the other hand.
Lios Sep 1st 2008 10:16AM
Read the other replies, or the faq for that matter? You cannot grant levels to characters above your level. Blizzard isn't THAT stupid.
And yeah, works wonders. I got 3 level 60s (2 leveled, 1 lvl 30 alt to 60) in under 4 days played. Working on 3 new ones of which one will be transfered to another server. Then a set on a PvP server, just in case I ever want to play PvP and a set of Alliance (first since launch). Then I 'only' need to level 10+ chars from 60 to 70 to 80 ;-)
Guy4242 Sep 1st 2008 10:08AM
ugh...does no one read...../facepalm
Anakinet Sep 1st 2008 10:41AM
Sorry, i didn't accept the link to public comment until some minutes after, i didn't realized. So finally I asked something before replied.
Gimmlette Sep 1st 2008 10:09AM
This is a good way to get those curious about WOW into the game and able to see more content quicker...
BUT...
as a GL, if those new accounts go off on their own without the friend or family member to run with them, it means I'll have a bunch of people applying to my guild who don't know the first thing about playing their toon. The lower levels should be where you learn what the various icons do. We could get a bunch of people interested in their toon, but, I fear, we will get a bunch of people who expect 61-80 to be just like 1-60 and will cry when it doesn't go as expected. I also anticipate a lot of people whining that they can't get into a serious endgame raiding guild because they don't know how to play their character. I know it's a game and you can play it any way you like, but I'm bracing myself for some months of hair pulling when the tank who comes along on the raid has no idea how to use taunt.
Grendalsh Sep 1st 2008 5:23PM
Bingo! You win the exploding cigar.
This is a great way for VETERAN Players to level up another character AFTER having leveled their recruited friend. If they had actually already been playing, then they will have enough grasp of the game to deal with a brand new 60.. although if it's a new class to them (why would you power level a class you already had?), then they'll still be a newb at that class.
However, it still leaves the real issue of accelerated newbies - there are enough folks out there that leveled to 60+ old school and still had no idea how to play effectively. Now we'll have lvl 60+ chars with the effective experience of.. lvl 20s?
I'll be looking for an addon that shows /played when inspecting...