Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsHeirlooms for every slot
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 7th 2009 at 3:00PM
I've been pushing forward on my Paladin lately, and so I've entered the wacky world of Heirlooms. I have already picked up the leather Heirloom shoulders (thinking that even though the Pally wears plate, if I ever want to level a Druid or Rogue, I'll have them), and I'm well on my way to grabbing the new Heirloom chestpiece as well -- 20% bonus XP, combined with a healthy amount of rested XP, should make the leveling curve as easy as it gets (RaF is nice too, I guess, but I'd rather not pay for a second account). So I'm in Heirlooms up to my neck (at least until they give us helms), and I was intrigued by this question over on the Rawrcast forums: do you think Blizzard will eventually provide Heirloom items for every slot?20% is already a significant bonus to killing and questing XP, and rested technically provides a 50% bonus. But with ten Heirlooms in 10 slots (we'll leave out weapons, since those don't have the 10% XP bonus, as well as shirts and tabards, and rings and trinkets for now), you're looking at a 100% XP bonus even without Rest. The current average 80 probably spent about 14 days leveling up, so with an extra 100% bonus, you're looking at seven days /played, or very close to the current record. At that point, Blizzard might as well let us grant levels to each other.
Then there's the other point brought up: dressed up in Heirlooms, who cares about your gear? I'd argue that's not as big a deal -- when I'm leveling, all I need from my gear is enough DPS to get the job done, so I don't worry about min/maxing or going for the pretty stuff. But yes, it seems unlikely that Blizzard would ever outfit us in full Heirloom gear, especially with the XP bonus. Even if another couple of expansions take us up to level 100, just making the leveling faster doesn't seem like the best way to do it.
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Instances, Leveling
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
Bullseyed Aug 7th 2009 3:25PM
7 Days played is no where near the record from 1 to 80. If it is, then I'm the world record holder because my paladin went 1-80 in patch 3.1 in 5 days 15 hours.
The BoA gear is largely a price control on low level items. Why spend 500g on that epic weapon your toon will use for 5 levels when you can get a BoA for 65 badges? This way, rare items on the AH will keep prices low enough for first time players, instead of as toys for people leveling rich alts.
Naix Aug 7th 2009 3:26PM
I am all for Blizzard giving the option, after you hit 80, to create any toon at level 80 with a full set of greens. You could run a few instances learn your class, get carried threw a naxx run to gear out, and be in uldar in 3 weeks with your friends 12th on dps.
Its all about having fun with your friends. It's not very fun killing bats and delivering boxes for 6 weeks while everyone else is raiding.
Make this happen!
dgcollins274 Aug 7th 2009 5:10PM
I guess it's just a difference of opinion. Have you ever rolled a pre-made on a test realm of a class you don't have maxed? It just feels wrong...
I guess i feel that starting a toon at max level (or near to it) is taking away from the game, but Heirlooms add to it, and make the leveling process fun again, not just a grindy means to an end that you could do in your sleep.
It gently speeds it up (as appose to RaF) and gives you short term carrots ("new" gear EVERY level)
Naix Aug 7th 2009 5:19PM
yes i have and it feels the way it should be. If your have a max level char you understand....
1. What gear to look for and what talents to take
2. What each type of class does. Your either DPS, Tank, or Healer. Figuring out a rotation is easy as running some instances and reading a website or two.
3. What to look for and how to better your char.
It does not take rocket science, and quest grinding, to figure you char out.
dgcollins274 Aug 7th 2009 5:59PM
I'm not saying it's too hard to start a toon at max level, i'm just saying there's less of an attachment/achievement factor; it feels disposable.
Sephirox Aug 7th 2009 3:27PM
14 days to get to 80? Get an addon like Carbonite or QuestHelper and some quests knowledge and you will get there in half than that time already, i think i got my mage to 80 in 6 days or so.
Meh, i should stop levelling so many alts, but i can't >.
Bullseyed Aug 7th 2009 3:36PM
Agreed. Anyone taking more than 7 days to level needs to l2p at this point. With refer a friend, probably 4 days.
Bob Dewane Aug 7th 2009 3:32PM
I think before they give us heirlooms for every slot, they'll let us start toons off at higher levels much like the DKs. Just my humble opinion.
Bullseyed Aug 7th 2009 3:50PM
That requires a code change that is probably too difficult for any of the B team to pull off. They'll keep adding items to the game because that is ridiculously simple and they even steal the graphic from existing gear. Absolutely no effort, just data entry.
Additionally, their obsession with 'preserving old content' will guarantee we aren't allowed to skip content while leveling.
Jon Do Aug 7th 2009 4:01PM
The code for granting levels is already in place for recruit-a-friend, so I'd guess there'd be very little coding and implementation work. Just an interface option to grant yourself levels. No problem, even for a "B-team".
dgcollins274 Aug 7th 2009 3:37PM
Hey, I'm the OP on the Rawrcast forums. When i was thinking about Heirlooms in every slot i wasn't thinking they would all have 10% xp bonus. I think it'd be fair to give the Head/Legs the bonus, but the rest to ease leveling gear wise.
And about the "Irrelevant quest rewards" i brought that up too. I look at is as a give/take. Yea, you no longer value the rewards (unless you DE) but that just frees you take take a less traveled road.
Lets face it, those of us who have leveled multiple classes end up doing almost the same quests ever time. We find the best (quickest/best rewards) questing areas where we know where to go for every quest, and just stick to that path for every toon.
I suggest you click the link in the article and head over to the Rawrcast Forums, there's more written and even a poll
Krick Aug 7th 2009 3:36PM
Has Blizzard confirmed that the XP bonus will stop working when the next expansion hits and raises the level cap?
...
Krick
http://www.tankadin.com
Bullseyed Aug 7th 2009 3:38PM
Interesting point. It seems like this expansion is only going to last a year, or a year and a half max. Which means next patch level cap increase people will be looking at BoA gear to level their mains potentially...
I think right now the items only scale 0 to 80 though. That would be really dumb if you had to get new ones at level 90, or different ones for 80 to 90.
dgcollins274 Aug 7th 2009 3:59PM
They will just pull a "Carrot on a Stick" (from the quest in ZF) on us. They'll add text "no bonus past level 80" i would guess.
Rich Aug 7th 2009 3:36PM
Heirlooms are nice, but make them account wide so I can level up on a new server to catch up with some people there.
dgcollins274 Aug 7th 2009 5:26PM
The only way they could do that is add an option for you to log onto their website the Xfer the item. It would require a person to actually physically move the code, just like Xfering a toon.
You can't simply mail cross realm because names are realm specific.
The only other way i could think is by doing it like a TCG item. And when you spend the badges you get a code, then choose which realm/toon to redeem the code on. But then it would still be stuck on that realm.
Steve_S Aug 7th 2009 3:40PM
Isn't it easy enough already? Either put the time in to level another character or don't. Perhaps all the peopel equating WoW to easy mode are right. After 4.5yrs its begining to lose its shine.
qoa Aug 7th 2009 3:42PM
My guess is this crap won't even work next expansion.
Ray Aug 7th 2009 3:46PM
Hey, I levelled my original main mage from 1-70 in 21 day /played... didn't have questhelper then and didn't actually know about addons before I began raiding and get told off the first raid for not having Omen... For a n00b leveling is hell if no-one is helping you to find out the ins and out of the game... Heck I only found out about places on the webby like thottbott after I had hit lv60 and entered Outlands... It was pure hell to level with the vanilla game and try to decipher the quests and find the darn objectives! Especially since at that time the gather objectives didn't glimmer like they do nowadays... =(
Gridneo Aug 7th 2009 3:48PM
I think Blizzard could save a lot of headaches for players if they just made some current game items Bind-to-Account. One good example are some of the farmable mounts. How manys instances are setup and reset for Baron runs? Do you not think that contributes to the 'too many instances' errors? Mounts like Midnight could be one of those items. Right now I still use my Big Blizzard Bear--although I have a plethora of other stuff, including the rare ones (ZA Bear, Midnight, etc)--and I don't even touch the other ones. Sure a random mount macro could be fun, but nothing beats a Druid sitting on her Big Blizzard Bear, sporting Sulfuras.
I mean from a RP standpoint (which I am far far from), it makes sense that you should be able to stable your mounts, and have them available to your other characters.
Feel free to pass this information on to Blizzard. =Þ