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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What do you think of the travel changes?
by Lesley Smith 
Jun 17th 2009 at 8:00AM
So, constant readers, I'm curious to know if you think this is a good or a bad thing? Will it encourage you to finally get that alt of yours past level 22? Have you just entered Azeroth, perhaps, do you think this will make it easier to move through the old world on your quest to 80? Tell us in the box below.
Filed under: Patches, Blizzard, Breakfast Topics, Mounts
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Pexxle -=Silver Hand (RP)=- Jun 17th 2009 8:37AM
(edit)
Need coffee, run on sentence for the win.
Docp Jun 17th 2009 9:03AM
You do know they're lowering the costs right, i.e. the level 20 riding skill will be 5gold including mount and training which isn't a lot, so this is a new player bonus as well as an alt bonus.
Will Jun 17th 2009 8:44AM
let us fly in azeroth! lol... mount changes are good, only worried about how much the 1.5 second mount time will affect world pvp since it will be easier to get away if you manage to get out of combat somehow or see someone approaching you.
http://www.wowconfidential.com
Eternauta Jun 17th 2009 9:47AM
"World PvP" It's just an euphemism for "ganking lowies".
josecuervo Jun 17th 2009 10:23AM
QQ, eter...
Josin Jun 17th 2009 8:44AM
So long as the epic flying stays at 5000 gold, I'm quite happy with the changes.
Mep Jun 17th 2009 8:52AM
Kinda bums me out because my lowest character is 63, and I have one of every class... so, I guess flying earlier is nice, but I woulda liked not having to run through Barrens for 8 hours.
Boz Jun 17th 2009 8:56AM
As a result of the changes I have stopped playing on my alts and I'm putting off purchasing Artisan flying until I can get the reputation discount to save gold.
I like............gold.
Fast Jun 17th 2009 9:00AM
More casual wow plx
Ragedcakes Jun 17th 2009 9:06AM
As most of the comments I just read seem to be in favor of the mount changes, i'm not so sure I like them. I liked mounts at 40, I tolerated them at 30, now 20? How long is it until we'll be getting mounts as soon as you create your new character? I liked the idea that mounts were something you had to work for. My first character to 40 only just had enough gold for the standard mount. My first character to reach over 30 Post-level 30 Mount patch. Had enough gold, and a hell of a lot extra. The challenge in getting a mount is just going down.
Travel form needed to get changed since Patch 2.4.3, If that is the correct patch for the level 30 mounts ( I forget things and frankly I'm too lazy to look it up) So that's about time tbh. I like that change, also the changes to Standard Flight speed seem a nice upgrade.
I'm still unsure where I am in terms of these mounts atm, and I agree with the poster that stated that they should only be available at 20 for people that have a character at level 80. We shall all know in due time I guess.
Ragedcakes
morkuma Jun 17th 2009 9:09AM
might actually level me a druid now...
taurens were usually holding me back from doing that, but this should help
artifex Jun 18th 2009 1:16AM
I never thought I'd be a tauren, either, but I rolled a TD alt on Tuesday. It's fine.
James Jun 17th 2009 9:14AM
I think this falls in line with having a level 80 run you through all the instances to level. We are seeing a dramatic uprise in people who reach level 80 without knowing their class and want people to take THEIR time to teach them what they should have learned while leveling.
I can see the good side: people who DID take he time can level alts, new players can catch up with the older players, etc.
But I think on a whole that Blizzard is making the leveling process too easy. I've heard more peoplecrying than normal on the forums and in general/trade about how the Ulduar raids are SO hard and, coincidentaly, these people are the same who "power-leveled" their toons using the new system of RAF and cheaper/sooner mount trainings. If these people had leveled and done the instances as the class quests told them then they would see that Ulduar is really not that hard.
While I see both sides I believe Blizzard is making the game easier, possibly because by the time their new MMO comes out they want to wrap up wow and be done with it.
Holgar Jun 17th 2009 10:00AM
I have to disagree with you blasting through the old content is just fine. Loads of people will level healing and tank classes as dps soloers anyway then hit 80 and have no CLUE how to tank and/or heal.
Lots of people hit 60 in classic and 70 pre XP nerf in burning crusade and had no clue how to play their class in a group (Or anywhere else).
If you were to DOUBLE the amount of XP required to get through the old world and outland and FORCE PEOPLE TO GROUP you MIGHT have more players hitting 80 with some knowledge of how it all works but plenty of them would still be happily ignorant.
That would cause a load of new (And old) players to quit.
Milo Jun 17th 2009 10:26AM
@Holgar
I don't see how doing 1-60 worth of solo quests helps you learn to play in groups. It's very difficult to get a 5-man group to run a non-Northrend dungeon now, and you can stare at the talent tree all day and still don't know what spells are most mana efficient for healing or the rotation for tanking.
impurezero Jun 17th 2009 11:26AM
Please, please explain how getting from one quest objective to another in a faster manner could possibly make a person worse at playing their class.
If anything, knowing that they don't have a 15 minute walk between each quest objective will encourage players to participate in even MORE objectives they may not have done before. In fact, by limiting pointless travel time, you can give people even more fighting time each night, because they can get to said fights faster.
Bottom line: Faster mounts does not in any way reduce the amount of instances/fights that any player will encounter on their way to level 80, and may even encourage more fights or harder fights. (e.g. "Not having to walk all the way to SFK? Sure, I'll run that instance, too!" or "I suppose I'll check out this higher level zone now, knowing I don't have a 10 minute walk just to find out if I can even handle the higher level mobs")
You're just one of those compainers who doesn't understand one big, huge difference in old-school wow and new school wow: There is too damn much to do now. I wish to hell I had been around for the start of wow. I would love to have been there before TBC. I would have been raiding AQ40 with the best of them and dying for a new expansion. Does it make sense to give me the exact same length of grinding from 1-60 now? Hell no! Otherwise, I'll be hitting outland while you guys are out in The Emerald Dream or Maelstrom.
Basically, I can understand when people complain about Ulduar nerfs, etc. I could see how you would feel that cheapens the end game. Even lowering the difficulty of classic mobs, or increasing xp gains, I can see your point. But hastening simple travel or rep grinds (i.e. Wintersaber Trainers) only does one important thing. It lets people like me, who unfortunately discovered the game late, still participate in and enjoy all the old world content without spending an unjustafiable amount of time doing so.
So, to sum up: Nortrend nerfs..feel free to complain about. Before that, though. Just let us new players catch up without all the extra grinds and timesinks that used to have a purpose (keeping level 60s busy), but no longer do.
[end rant]
Mopo Jun 17th 2009 7:42PM
There will always be players that have no idea how to play their class. It has nothing to do with walking the barrens for 10 hours. Traveling from point A to point B slower will not teach someone how to cc better or heal better etc. I stopped playing a few months ago, but might log back in to level some classes that I got tired of running around with.
Flubas Jun 17th 2009 9:19AM
I'm firmly in the camp that believes using faster travel as a reward for level grind is outdated and needs to die. Champions Online gives you your fast travel power as soon as you finish the tutorial.
I've been levelling a new Paladin and despite it feeling like a win machine on legs all that running around was just utterly painful. God only knows what a geniune new player makes of the whole thing.
It's a concept that only exists to slow players down which as Blizzard is finding out tends to fall apart once you start releasing expansions. I'm glad they're fixing it. What I'd like to see is the basic mount given for free once you leave your class tutorial area. By all means make faster mounts available later for a price but don't punish people for outdated design mistakes.
I can understand why it was designed as it was. With a subscription based game you need to keep people playing and paying. However that's a balancing act. I started playing at launch and only lasted to level 37 before the grind got too much for me. Since I came back I found the changes Blizzard have made over the years (And especially since Lich King) show a very increased awareness of what those design choices mean. Any new MMO starting with restricted fast travel just hasn't been paying attention. Put stuff in the game to keep people playing. Don't just keep them playing longer by slowing them down.
Arcaria Jun 17th 2009 9:23AM
I think that MOST of the changes are good. I don't like the flying mount at 60 change though because it will trivialize many of the early BC quests. Everything else only speeds gameplay though without changing it.
Mullinator Jun 17th 2009 9:25AM
Love the changes. However, it will not change the fact that levelling in the old world is insanely boring. Whether you are new to WoW, or levelling an alt, I think most people will agree that old world zones are boring, and feel pointless when compared to what you find in Northrend. A lot of the old zones need to be revamped in much the same way Dustwallow was.