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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsChoose My Adventure: The birth of Turpen, Gnome Warlock
by Alex Ziebart 
May 22nd 2009 at 2:00AM
The polls are closed and the votes have been tallied. The audience has decided that for this little experiment, I am going to play a Gnome Warlock while I track my misadventures on my profile. As mentioned in the original post, most of the decisions regarding this character's growth will be made by you, our readers. I'll give weekly updates on my progress via the blog here, but so much more will be happening over on my profile. I've already started a photo album which will contain screenshots of my little 'lock as he goes from level 1 to level 80.
I've already rolled the character and I've named him Turpen, in homage to a certain Englishman on the WoW.com team. I've decided to play a male, because... well, I usually play female characters as you can see on my character list. Let's be different this time around! However, dear readers, there is still more for you to decide. There are three polls behind the cut below. Professions and my talent tree.
Update: Turpen has hit level 10, so polls will close at midnight tonight! The next status update will come early next week. For now, let's talk talents over on my blog!
| Blacksmithing | |
|---|---|
| Alchemy | |
| Engineering | |
| Jewelcrafting | |
| Leatherworking | |
| Inscription | |
| Tailoring | |
| Enchanting |
| Mining | |
|---|---|
| Herbalism | |
| Skinning |
| Demonology | |
|---|---|
| Destruction | |
| Affliction |
There were some questions as to why I did the polls the way I did in the original post, putting both class and race up at the same time, with race taking precedence over class. There were a couple reasons for it. One, if class took precedence, I think there was potential there to severely limit the potential outcomes. I didn't want a situation where Druid won, and then Tauren and Night Elf were the only race options. That's pretty lame! I also could have done two posts with individual polls. That would have worked, but it also would have made this thing take multiple days before I even rolled a character. That's not fun for any of us. It would be a waiting game for me, and I'm confident all of you would have gotten bored. So Gnome Warlock it is. Don't worry though! If this thing takes off, we may continue doing it. Perhaps I can sucker a team member into playing a Tauren Shaman once I've hit 80!
Head on over to my WoW.com profile for further discussion! I'm currently looking for Warlock mod recommendations over there!
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 6)
Xavs May 22nd 2009 4:59PM
Affliction is the only Viable Tree for leveling. Don't listen to those sadistic bastards that want you to go Demo or Destro.
George May 22nd 2009 7:25AM
Gnome engineer. Stereotyping! Ok, my gnome warlock is an engineer, but still. I do hope for herbalism though, the idea of a soul-sucking maniac picking flowers is too fun. Also, you can go through 3 mana bars before you need to drink: pew-pew, tap your health, pew-pew, heal-self, re-tap, pew-pew.
Nick May 22nd 2009 8:05AM
WHY gnomes?
Nick May 22nd 2009 8:06AM
Gnome warlocks should be called Chuckys
Angus May 22nd 2009 8:08AM
I'm going to have to agree with people on this.
You rigged it.
You picked race over class and only ONE class has an issue where your options are limited.
Heck, if you had gone with class first you would have taken the most popular race/class combo of a Tauren shaman. The Gnome Lock was behind that.
Class is a much more important aspect than race. Yes, you could only have Night Elf or Tauren for race for 1 class, but you know what, that was a good thing. Being forced to play the race is something everyone else has to deal with for Druids. You effectively eliminated Druid from the competition by making race more important.
Until you play a tauren shaman, you aren't actually listening to what the readers wanted.
Itanius May 22nd 2009 8:44AM
Hey, it's his gig. The point of this entire ordeal isn't for him to play the worst possible race/class/profession/talent spec in the game. The point is to test out the new WoW.com profile features by tracking the progress of one of Alex's characters.
Arguing/complaining for the sake of arguing/complaining isn't very productive.
Angus May 22nd 2009 9:35AM
No, but opening it up to a vote and then having rules set so that the most important aspect is ignored and the most likely scenario is a generic character negates the point.
We get to choose what he becomes? Not really.
So we get to watch a gnome warlock level up. Yippee freaking do.
I've had one. Everybody has. Heck, I thought it was tradition to have a female gnome warlock with pink pigtails in every battleground for a while. Something about that cute little gnome cursing you to a pain filled death seems almost too good to pass up.
My point is an experiment that is titled "choose my adventure" should not start with us not actually getting to choose because he set the rules so that the most important part of a character was not the most important part. Race is flavor. Class is actual gameplay.
He eliminated the class being more important, so what's the point?
soatari May 22nd 2009 9:44AM
@Itanius:
What do you mean "worst possible race/class/profession/talent spec in the game". Tauren shaman (or any shaman) is a perfect viable class. I rather enjoyed leveling both my shaman to 80 (one Troll one Draenei), and they are quite nice at max.
soatari May 22nd 2009 9:46AM
Also, I agree with Angus on this. He should have picked CLASS over RACE for the final verdict, which would have been SHAMAN.
Laynne May 22nd 2009 9:40AM
This is a really neat idea. I'm looking forward to this - I'm currently leveling a warlock alt, and all the tips and hints i can get, the better :)
soatari May 22nd 2009 9:47AM
Also, I agree with Angus on this. He should have picked CLASS over RACE for the final verdict, which would have been SHAMAN.
Mr42 May 22nd 2009 10:13AM
no skinning/blacksmithing? really? these people have absolutely no sense of schadenfreude :)
Naix May 22nd 2009 10:22AM
Oh man did you pick a crappy class to play. Maybe it was voted for you to play to report how bad it is once you hit 80.
-Dots are slow DPS in a "bursty" DPS world. That can easily be removed/ice blocked out of/healed through
-Your little minions can't hold agro that well but the dps ones put out a little extra damage.
-Your fears get broken easily but don't ever ever use it. The mob you just feared is going to run into 3 packs of mobs to bring them back to you.
- If you play on a pvp server prepare to be free HK and have no escapes. Fear is a joke on pvp servers
- Finally when you hit 80 I hope you like being in 10th in dps cause thats where you will stay. Your only real roll is to make summoning stones and health stones.
As a warlock who played 3 years and every spec I can only give you this advise. Re-roll a paladin.
Fairlane May 22nd 2009 10:38AM
I was going to create a mirror character (same class, talents, etc) and race you to 80. Granted, I'd have to wait for you to catch up at each level but I would use the time to pile on the achievements. At level 79, it would become a foot race for XP.
As it is, the NHL playoffs are currently gobbling up most of my free cycles. Oh, and I don't want to get divorced.
Perhaps one (or several) of the teeming millions will take this idea and run with it..
Yeng May 22nd 2009 10:45AM
Aww, we didn't get to pick gender and haircut. If you were going to go gnome warlock, you should have at least let us make you female with pink pigtails.
deadlylupine May 22nd 2009 10:59AM
I agree with class over race...but I suppose it is too late now...or is it?
Someone else should make a tauren shaman opposite the gnome warlock on the same server. Each will be done in the 'choose my adventure' manner, and we can see the difference of horde/alliance, class, the experience in general etc. And in the end at 80, the two will meet and have an epic battle. They can bring their friends too and have a world-pvp fest. Muahaha. I find that much more interesting. Okay, the epic battle can be left out, but I would find it more interesting if we had two going at once to compare and contrast.
Doma May 22nd 2009 11:10AM
how could it be too late? he just made the thing :(
ohhh noooo all that phat white-quality gear!
Doma May 22nd 2009 11:09AM
I'm disappointed, I wanted to see the bigshot come down to our level and grind through a shaman, not faceroll on a lock.
and tauren shaman won more votes! what's the deal? you afraiiid?
Leather May 22nd 2009 11:18AM
Hey -
I think the posts have gotten off track here a bit. I just wanted to say that I think this whole blog is a GREAT idea! This is fun and is actually making me think to roll a gnome 'lock myself and travel in your footsteps, following the same rules. Never played a gnome so why not!?
Doma May 22nd 2009 11:22AM
shenanigans.
races that can be shamans= 4 (draeni, orc, troll, tauren)
classes that can be gnomes= 4 (mage, lock, warr, rogue, excluding DK)
where's this "restriction" coming into play? I feel restricted.