Twinking post patch 3.1
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 16th 2009 at 5:00PM
The twinks were a little doom-and-gloom before the patch, but it seems like the end of the world has come and gone, and they're still interested in twinking. As Drayner over at Twinkinfo predicted, all of the changes on the PTR went live: enchants have level requirements, as did profession buffs, and those aren't scaling either. At this point, it sounds like the only way to twink out your character (which means make it super powerful at a certain low level) is to fit them out in the best gear you can find for the level.If you can keep them at that level, that is -- apparently there's a bug in the game with queuing up for BGs where you are sometimes accidentally transported to a graveyard when you queue. And for some twinks sitting just on the brink of leveling, that extra few points of exploration XP could ruin everything. Be careful with that, though we're sure a hotfix is incoming soon.
But nevertheless, people apparently still twinking -- while there are good numbers of people ready to leave twinking (or even the game), the majority of answers on their poll over there say that people are still going to try ruling the lower level battlegrounds. Which is about what we expected before the patch: these people live to bend the rules as far as they'll go, and a few more probably won't stop them.
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Leveling, Buffs
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Juke Apr 16th 2009 5:12PM
"These people live to bend the rules as far as they'll go"
Generalization says wha?
to twink:
"to fit [your character] out in the best gear you can find for the level"
When did playing a twink amount to bending rules?
If you could point out the rule in question being bent I'd appreciate it...
>_>
Alkaios Apr 16th 2009 5:19PM
It's not against the rules, but it's equivalent to being atheist in a country that is officially Hindu...from people outside your group of atheists you'll find hatred and anger from a large majority of those people.
Irshalthra Apr 16th 2009 5:24PM
They only hate out of envy...
that was typed as a joke, but there is some truth. Some people would never put the time into it to make a good twink, so hate them because they can't compete.
Remember the idea with twinks is to compete with other twinks. Most twinks would be the first to want their own battlegrounds.
Braundo Apr 16th 2009 5:31PM
I would consider using level 70+ item enhancements/enchantments on a level 19 character to be "bending the rules" as that clearly wasn't intended, to the extent that Blizzard has put mechanics in place to prevent that.
Craig R Apr 16th 2009 6:13PM
on the subject of the high level enchants, blizzard has already specifically stated that they weren't happy with the resil stam enchant wending its way down to the twinks.
Furthermore, neither the profession bonus change nor the enchant level limit changes are twink nerfs. they are twink balances, showing once again that blizzard is fine with twinks, and that they intend to keep them under control. Any twink who decides to quit after this patch is more than likely one who made the trek to get a max level profession bonus and feels cheated.
Hate to break it to those people, but it gave you an advantage over old twinks that they could never ever get, and you shouldn't be surprised.
Omestes Apr 17th 2009 3:27PM
@Irshalthra
My main annoyance is that they drive up the costs of equipping my low level alts, often to absurd levels. Sometimes a lv19 green costs 5x the cost of a lv70 blue, which doesn't make much sense.
Huma Apr 16th 2009 5:14PM
WOOT Divine justice to those who get GY ported and lvl! Man I can only imagine their faces when it happens, it makes me so happy!
I am so glad Blizzard is starting to take anti-twink measures, and I can't wait till they go full blow with it. Twinks ruined BGs, plain and simple. Unless you are a twink, you stand no chance. No, not everyone enjoys stopping at a certain level, investing craploads of gold into the best gear possible, just to enjoy a BG.
Down with twinks I say!
Irshalthra Apr 16th 2009 5:25PM
You loled me.
tagashi Apr 16th 2009 5:43PM
I will start by saying that I don't twink, but don't have a problem with it. You however, sound like one of those nubs who tries to run battlegrounds at level 25. Everyone that has played for more than a month knows better. Besides, if you aren't 80, shouldn't you be out questing?
Now, I bet as you sit here reading this, you are thinking "who the hell is this guy to tell me how to play WoW?" If so, I hope the irony of that isn't lost on you.
Huma Apr 16th 2009 5:51PM
I don't use twinks for an excuse for "sucking" at BGs.
And if twinks are gone, than I will accept my FAIR defeats. But I HARDLY count being 2 shotted in under 0.000000001 secounds as FAIR.
By the way, since you've blindly come out with personal insults, hi twink. Why don't you level up to 80 noob? Oh right, you suck at Bgs in the 80's bracket and just cant stand not being able to 2 shot people that are a lower level than you! OOOOH NOOO!!!
/some-what true sarcasm
rayekk Apr 16th 2009 6:24PM
So VERY typical and predictable. I’ll bet more than one of your leveling alts got owned in a BG, and you’re still seeing it as unfair.
Many of us who twink do it as way to relax from raiding (how else do you thing we get those BoA’s?), and most of these changes we called for to balance out the overpowered, grandfathered advantages some twinks had that others could not get. We got more that we bargained for, but we’ll continue to destroy your leveling alts whenever we see them. I, like many twinks, have several 80’s and do spend some time in BG’s and WG. Your ignorance and closed-minded mentality are just like those who thought the world was flat. If you ask 10 twinks why they do it, you’ll likely get 10 different responses, but they’ll all have one thread in common: fun.
snowleopard233 Apr 16th 2009 6:20PM
@Tagashi. the philosophy that you shouldn't be able to enjoy pvp until endgame is just atrocious. Some of like to enjoy the game along the way instead of rushing to 80.
Twinks have made it so if you can't compete or enjoy a large part of the game until you are either level 80 or have a level 80 character that can fund you. That is extremely alienating to new players and just plain backwards. It's as if people weren't able to complete quests or do instances while leveling.
Leveling characters aren't always asking to be able to be on top of BG's or dominate, but we'd at least like to have the chance to compete and feel like we are partaking in the match. Twinks make this goal virtually impossible as they min/max the game beyond the reach of a leveling character that just wishes for the occasional alternative to pvp.
Good riddance to twinks!
souvlaki Apr 16th 2009 7:07PM
"Twinks have made it so if you can't compete or enjoy a large part of the game until you are either level 80 or have a level 80 character that can fund you."
Not true. My mains are alliance. My twink is horde. I made a Belf pally to try the quests in silvermoon... i made it to 20 with good money from herbalism and skinning, and then I runned some instances. It got me good blues and with my money i purchased enchants and other good equipment in AH. So having an equipped toon to run bgs can be done without having an 80.
The only time I used goblin AH was when i patched the BS pants with the BC epic, but this can not be done anymore.
Check Hoboken@Tyrande-EU ... probably not the best equipped twink but i'm very happy at how he performs (even in 3.1)
Rayekk Apr 16th 2009 5:15PM
Great feature- thanks for the positive exposure.
Alkaios Apr 16th 2009 5:15PM
To the people who leveled maxed their professions on their twinks, this patch made all their work go to waste...
Plus time spent on chants, farming gold to buy the best gear possible for your twink, this patch hit people hard stats wise, while taking away a lot of the time spent on their gear.
If they're trying to kill twinking slowly, Blizzard is doing a good job imo.
Irshalthra Apr 16th 2009 5:28PM
You fail to understand twinking. They did not waste their time. They had great fun building their characters to be the best at the time. They still have the best and will still build more.
We twink because it is there and fun to build. Nothing wasted here.
Worcester Apr 16th 2009 5:20PM
Oddly enough... last I checked, my level 1 dagger still had Fiery and it worked on my Banker.
Irshalthra Apr 16th 2009 5:31PM
Yea, the enchants that have been around forever seem to be there... Mine still has a libram, lifestealing and crusader. It appears to be the higher level that were borderline exploits.
Huma Apr 16th 2009 5:21PM
You forgot the part where they STAY at that level to pwn newbs to satisfy their epeen because they either A.) Suck at the 80's B.) Are too lazy to level to the 80's C.) All the of above.
>_>
tagashi Apr 16th 2009 5:46PM
You just don't get it at all....
/facepalm