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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsUpgrading to greens? Not so much
by Mike Schramm 
Nov 18th 2008 at 6:00PM
I have to agree with Lowangel: where's the upgrades? We all knew that the gear dropping in Northrend wasn't quite going to be as huge a jump as it was when we headed off to Outland, but I was only dressed in late Karazhan gear, and at this point, close to 73, I've upgraded one thing. I thought I'd get a little upgrade -- time and time again, I've picked up soulbound quest items, only to have to vendor them off because they don't have the hit I worked to get or the extra Agility on top of the Stamina I've already got.As much as I appreciate keeping the epics on, it is a little disappointing that I may not actually get new gear for ten levels (indeed, many of the folks who cleared the PvE content already were dressed in their old gear as well). Dressing yourself in clown greens is embarassing, but having no upgrades at all is a problem in the opposite direction. Bornakk says to be patient and that we'll find upgrades soon enough (and I have, to his credit, already seen a few nice rep items that I'd want, even if I don't have the rep to buy them yet). There are upgrades out there.
But so far, I've only hit a few sidegrades and hardly any clearly better gear than what I had before. How about you?
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Quests, Expansions, Leveling, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 7)
Brien Nov 18th 2008 8:18PM
This is what people asked for, remember?
It was an utter travesty that your precious epics were replaced with outland greens. People cried and complained the entire expansion about it.
Now here is your precious no gear reset. Its boring. Its doing quests for hours where no rewards are an upgrade at all and you just vendor things. Its not even exciting to look at the quests with blue quest rewards anymore because we all know they're trash compared to what we're wearing.
Again, this is what people asked for. Maybe next time they'll learn their lesson that replacing your gear is actually FUN.
Sl0th Nov 18th 2008 8:10PM
At 73, I haven't seen any real upgrades for my main yet (T5/T6 mixed gear.) The closest I've seen are a pair of boots that would be a side grade. But my boots are pretty lousy to begin with, so that's unsurprising. I ought to be seeing some side grades for my bracers pretty soon as well. Ive looked ahead at loot and I see a few things I'm going to be spamming heroics and grinding rep for, but they're so far on the horizon that they're barely worth thinking about for the moment.
In the mean time, I'm kind of happy my old gear is lasting so long. Most of it came from night after night of raiding (A good portion of it prior to the great badge explosion.) I like that things I've been wearing for a long time and worked hard to get weren't replaced in the first zone by a green off a quest to kill six mobs two levels lower than me. Sure, I'll be happy to retire my purples (And by retire, I mean unceremoniously vendor most of it and put the T5/6 stuff in my bank to hang out with my old T4 gear.) But I'm glad that my raiding paid off a little bit on my way to 80.
Rob Nov 18th 2008 8:14PM
Like others said, do the dungeon quests, i got 3 nice blues that were kara/za upgrades. The greens are bad because of their lower number of stats, so you really need to look for blues as a serious upgrade for a 70 epic.
Plus this: ; YOU DONT NEED +HIT (that much). Remember the bosses are going to be at your level or one level above by and large. It's just not useful to get hit capped for a boss 3 levels above you, you are forgoing so much in terms of other stats. Get your +hit in Naxx and beyond.
Graham Nov 18th 2008 8:24PM
The solution to all of this: don't gear yourself up during Burning Crusade.
I was horribly undergeared going into Northrend and now I get to wear all of the quest greens (and I have gotten some dungeon blues too). And it doesn't look like a clown suit! It's actually really cool-looking. Yay...
Roscoe Nov 18th 2008 8:30PM
Dinged level 74 last night on my warrior, then looked at my armory profile and realized I hadn't replaced a single item for my primary (dps) spec. Picked up some tank gear for my off spec, but since I'm not tanking atm, it's hard to get excited about that. It's kind of sad that I won't be seeing any real upgrades until 78 or so.
SaintStryfe Nov 18th 2008 8:42PM
Use the green drops to develop an off-spec armor set, or take the plate/ring/trinket drops and sell for gold.
DO NOT COMPLAIN.
bonfireag95 Nov 18th 2008 8:54PM
jesus... Blizz hears "All my epic 60 crap is for nothing now that i'm in BC lvl 71" to "Why am I not seeing upgrades in two levels of WotLK?" If i worked for Blizz, i would slit my wrists. Just play the freakin game, and it for what it is, not what it needs to be.
bonfireag95 Nov 18th 2008 8:57PM
edit last sentence.. Just play the freakin game, and ENJOY it for what it is, not what it needs to be.
Calana Nov 18th 2008 9:07PM
As a person that has never raided in BC due to time and family I am enjoying the rewards so far. Sure my 72 druid in mostly s2 gear hasnt really replaced much but my recently turned 70 pally is upgrading with every quest.
Bryan Nov 18th 2008 9:22PM
I have to agree; I upgraded stuff right away. The only people complaining are the basement dwellers that have all the bright shiny raiding gear. I have way too much to do in life to be able to play more than a few hours a month and have never stepped foot into Kara or an arena... ever. I personally am enjoying all the quests and new gear.
Saitomage Nov 18th 2008 9:20PM
i think for the most part my gear is solid and I've been hoping for upgrades so i got a few things to take care of the t4 hands and shoulders i was were for the set bonuses of non interrupt fireballs and frost bolts. The one thing i am noticing is that I'm losing crit and hit with every upgrade i see mostly hit I mean you would think blizz would be throwing + hit gear at us seeing as we have to hit mobs lvl's ahead of us again.
Osi Nov 18th 2008 10:11PM
After my experiences, and asking around, thanks BRK forums! It turns out that hunters that are decked out in regular outland quest greens, will not see any upgrade until lv75.
If all you do is quest, no instances, no raids .. aka, us casuals who have about 30 mins a day for wow.
Everything thats available for hunters right now are either downgrades, or downgrades with haste.
Remember, I am talking from a casual player point of view, not raiders, bgers, instance people.
Sylythn Nov 18th 2008 10:23PM
The complaints with TBC was that everyone's hard-won epics were being replaced by lousy greens the moment you stepped foot into outlands and killed 20 orcs. Now the complaints are everyone's easily-obtained epics aren't being replaced by early simple quests.
When taken in the context of a new character - like the death knights - leveling through 60 and through 70 - the gear from quests makes perfect sense. Of course those of us who had time to raid and pvp and purchase/craft epics are going to be ahead of the curve.
Amaxe Nov 18th 2008 11:31PM
Replaced my S2 boots with a quest Blue. My S2 ring was replaced by a blue as well. My trinkets were replaced by a blue and a green (Death Knight's Anguish) and my SSO necklace got replaced.
So far my S2 helmet, S2 main hand, badge off hand and my T4 set are still better than what they are dropping/offering, though my S2 weapon is getting closer to replacement value
Vorgaak Nov 18th 2008 11:45PM
I love the expansion...but I am hating the lack of new gear. The though that I will miss out of ten levels worth of gear - and replacing epics with epics is very disapointing. I hope the heroics are as much of a joke as the regular instance/quest gear.
My one consolation, my DK when he gets out there will get to have some of the northrend gear.
Jones6 Nov 18th 2008 11:47PM
I don't really care if my hard work is useless right away or later. Doesn't really matter to me.
But, as someone who enjoyed the variance of armor types in the game. I don't enjoy the new items at all(I now know where the vendors shipped all those [Rust Encrusted Patch of Zombie Pubes] I have been selling them throughout the years).
My bank is full old armor I got from quests. If items weren't useful I always liked to collect gear with all of my female chars. This new crap has like 3 different models used over and over again and definately doesn't bring the sexy. Keeping warm in Northrend FTL.
Badger Nov 19th 2008 12:20AM
To be blunt: Isn't the game about a whole lot more than the gear? From what I hear the storyline(s) in Northrend are pretty damn cool, and that, to me, is worth sacrificing a few shiny new Purplez.
Zarfay Nov 19th 2008 1:20AM
I'm a shaman who was resto in tbc but I wanted to go enhancement while leveling so I had to replace most of my spellpower epics with attack power greens and blues
Anaughtybear Nov 19th 2008 1:40AM
"...but I was ONLY dressed in late Karazhan gear..."
Good for you, but realize that MOST people have gear nowhere near that good. The majority of WoW players are not hardcore raiders, and they have made it pretty hard to acquire decent gear in the past, so Wrath gear is very welcome. I would personally wear Northrend greens that were worse than my Outland gear because BC looks horrible. There are lots of people sick to death of pink crystal weapons and Robin the Boy Wonder armor.
Darleth Nov 19th 2008 3:37AM
Find it rather disappointing that in Outland, my hard-worked for high-end epics were instantly replaced by a hoard of horrible-looking clown-worthy greens, and this time round, when they've designed some genuinely amazing-looking green quest rewards, my out-dated, lazily grinded welfare epics are still clinging on to me.
But I suppose, as people say, instances and patience will eventually see them replaced.