How long before level 80?
Otrebla asks a good question on the forums: how long, do you think, will it take before we see our first level 80 character? He wasn't around during the BC launch, but I was, and you could literally watch people level in the /who -- a few hours after launch, I saw some 64s pop up, and maybe 36 hours or so after the game's midnight release, I did a "/who level 70," and sure enough, there were a few names floating around in there.Of course, the level 80 titles have been removed, so there's not any real ingame need to rush to level 80, but people will of course do it anyway. Odds are that within the first day after release, we'll see a few level 80s floating around, and I'd imagine that all of the various realms will have at least one or two level 80s within the first few days. The fastest people will do it with the help of their guildies (or saved quest items), but there'll probably be a few people who will just go nuts and get it done all on their own.
I won't be one of them, and I'm sure there are plenty of players like me, who are more interested in seeing the content rather than reaching the next highest level as fast as possible (and that's exactly what Zarhym recommends as well). A few people will race to 80, no question, but the vast majority of people playing will likely be taking their sweet time.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Leveling, Wrath of the Lich King






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kyle Sep 11th 2008 6:08PM
As fast as possible is my goal. However real life will prevent me from the 1% to get to 80, but I am hopefully in the top 10% to get there on my server.
Phoulmouth Sep 11th 2008 9:34PM
I, like most players, have several lvl 70 characters.
I have my raid toon, my PvP toon, and my farming toon.
I will powerlevel as fast as possible on my raiding toon to start gearing up for raids and then I will level slowly on my other characters to see the content.
brucimus Sep 11th 2008 6:22PM
Oh Noes. How am I goin to find the time? Ganking DK's in Hellfire Peninsula and leveling to 80.
Azza Sep 11th 2008 6:26PM
I'd say it will take about 2 weeks if you play a couple of hours a day and take your time enjoying the quests/dungeons.
I remember watching blood elves with "/who" when BC launched as they raced to 70.
Bloodletter Sep 11th 2008 6:56PM
Lies. It takes a HELL of a lot more time than 2 weeks if you are only going to play a measly two hours a day. With two hours a day of play, 2 months is a far more realistic estimate.
There's actually no set time factor AS SUCH, however if you are a casual player, and max out at 5 hours of play a day, then I'd say that 70 - 80 should take about a month / month and a half with proper questing and generally no time wasting.
pudds Sep 11th 2008 10:11PM
@Bloodletter
Only if you *really* take your time. I've done my last 2 70s casually, running 3-5 hours a night after work, in around 8-10 days each. You'd have to be really inefficient to take a month or more.
5 hours a night for 30 days is 6 1/4 days; many 70s hit with that as total played time.
Hobbes Sep 11th 2008 11:23PM
@pudds:
Leveling is a lot faster now than at the release of TBC. All the quest information is out there, there are cheap enchants and gems, you can take advantage of rest XP by rotating toons, etc...
It took me about 3-4 weeks playing 6-8 hours per day in January 07.
offday Sep 11th 2008 6:31PM
I just reached 30 yesterday, so it'd be a mircale if I even reached 70 by the time WotLK even comes out.
Vazpucci Sep 11th 2008 8:21PM
It was CRAZY how many people were 70 only a few days after BC launched, there was lvl 70 Draenei's and crap. I, and still wil be, one who takes his sweet time. I have no need to rush through it. And like Outland, Northrend looks amazing! And it's HUGE! I am sure going to be doing some sight seeing and stuff before I get to 80. As well as lvling my alts (One of them being my DK.) So, yea...I will take my sweet time and enjoy it!
Confuseing Sep 11th 2008 7:30PM
I find it mildly disturbing that people manage to level so quickly. Assuming the game is released after my finals (please DECEMBER), I think it would take me about a month of casual questing and instancing. For me, a big part of the game is exploring and questing. (Not to mention I'm on a PVP realm so there's always corpse running...)
dave Sep 11th 2008 7:45PM
I would guess it will take me about a month, maybe a bit more. I've always found leveling to be fun, so I'm not worried if it takes me awhile.
Shadiix Sep 11th 2008 9:08PM
I am considered a "casual" player since a lot of my RL time takes up my chance to play WoW. Luckily for me I have this problem where I can survive on little to know sleep. I already plan to pull a few all nighters in the first week wrath comes out. I'm not planning to "rush" to 80, I want to experience the content... but at the same time I enjoyed the BC content too and I hit 70 in just under a week or so... so If I maximize my play time as best I can I hope to be 80 in 2 weeks or so.
Lemons Sep 11th 2008 11:10PM
I tried the slow and leisurely way when BC came and and it utterly screwed me. It felt like I was behind in everything! Even today I'm still playing catch up.
So when wotlk comes out I'm powerleveling to 80. Seriously my char isn't going to even see the inside of a dungeon until he hits 80. With predictions saying that the new arena season will be starting up 2 weeks after wotlk launches then I'll be 80 by that time.
I can always jump on my pally and level slowly if I want to anyway. maybe I'll spec ret now that it's awesome.
SgtBaker Sep 12th 2008 12:57AM
Well that's the way the game is designed - you have to follow the leveling curve of your guild/friends otherwise you will end up feeling like you're behind. It's a game for the Achiever-archetype :-)
I will personally take it very easy this time - rushing to level cap only to start rushing through the raid dungeons and end-game gearchecks and PvP gear grind.. *shiver* No thanks.
It seems Blizzard takes about 2 years between expansions - I stopped playing TBC roughly about a year ago because I ran out of stuff to do (and SSC was as far as I got, but the end-game is just the same type of game after Karazhan) - I want to "save" Northrend content as long as I can and hope Blizz will tighten their expansion cycle a bit.
GrayElf Sep 11th 2008 11:57PM
I'm not sure where those figures for "time to level" came from, but few seem to be anywhere near the right ballpark. I remember the announcements & discussion when the first player hit 70 (Guild-assisted, of course)...after 5 days. Not sure if that was elapsed time, or /played...but certainly not 36 hours.
I also remember congratulating someone a day or two into BC, on hitting 70 already - it was a GM.
There was also talk I vaguely recall, which I think referenced a Blizzard "yard-stick", of 1 month to get from 1-60, and a month to get from 60-70...although I didn't see what sort of time commitment that was related to. At a guess, 4-5 hrs a day.
For most people, I would suggest 4-6 weeks, if you play a fair bit. Adjust up or down if you play less often, or an insane amount...
GrayElf Sep 12th 2008 12:45AM
Ok, correction to above...
Aparently the world record was something like 28 hours. So maybe the 5-day figure I remember was the first to hit 70 without half a Guild or more killing things after one hit.
In any case - unless you're after records, and have a Guild that will play around the clock just to push you to 80 first, ignore those numbers as they are meaningless for "normal" players.
Best guesses: 1 week for unemployed insomniacs, 4-6 for most of us who play quite a bit.
Cow Sep 12th 2008 12:26AM
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP CALLING IT A TOON
mokerr Sep 12th 2008 3:16AM
I will most probably race my main toon (feral drood) to 80 to be able to raid asap. I might even take a few days off work.
My pally will be the one to actually do all the exploring of the environment and lore, taking in the sights and what not.
Once I have dinged 80 on both my current 70s I'll either start leveling my twink rogue or roll a DK.
Camaris Sep 12th 2008 5:16AM
I seem to remember the majority of my guild levelled to 70 in about 2 weeks, and that's playing regularly for a few hours each day. There's large group of people taking a few weeks longer, and of course a sizable group of people that do it much faster.
So, I'm guessing that it might take me another weeks. Hopefully more ;)
The most important is not to fall behind that first wave of people reaching 80. You don't have to powerlevel, but if you drop behind the majority of the realm, you're kinda screwed in the levelling dungeons and outdoor group quests.
FireStar Sep 12th 2008 9:27AM
Wow Mike...nice thinking. Saved up quest items. I'm gonna have to go through netherstorm, shadowmoon, and blades edge and see what i can dig up.
I'm not necessarily trying to go As fast as possible..but i really wanna get up there quickly so i can see what the raiding is like.