Breakfast Topic: The You that you can't leave behind
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 5th 2009 at 8:00AM
I've played other characters, of course... I have three Shamans now, a DK, a Paladin, a Warlock I occasionally log onto and stare forlornly at, and of course several other warriors scattered around various servers, two of which even hit max level... but in one capacity or another, I have logged onto that Human Warrior for the past five years and run five mans, done quests, raided, crafted, even occasionally fished on him. I've done every single instance in the game on him at this point. I even did Naxx 40 on him.
He's been a tank, he's been DPS. He was even just a "Hey, guys, what's everyone up to?" toon for a few months when I tried my level best to switch to Horde. (I'm sorry, guys, but as much as I love Tauren I can't really like playing Horde when I keep running into quests that have me poisoning prisoners of war, or even my own people. I'm the kind of guy who ends up with butterflies and halo's over my head in Fable, even when I start out determined to ravage the land as a force of pure destruction.)
He's been in a few guilds (even though currently he's in the guild he raided MC with) and has ranged from pretty well geared to tanking Mechanar in greens trying to get a sword to drop to pretty well geared again.
Thing is, I find the Human model boring and only picked human when I rolled him because I had previously played a paladin and knew where all the human starting zone stuff was. If I had that decision to make over again, he might well be a Draenei. I've leveled Tauren and love how they look in plate. And with faction changes in the game, I could very well make him either of those. But I don't think I am.
Basically, I'm just too attached to him to even consider Faction or Race changes for him. I raided and instanced and tanked and DPS'd him the way he is now, and it just seems wrong to me somehow to change him. And while I love the idea of a Worgen (and will be leveling a few I'm sure) even if they offered me the chance to make him a Worgen tomorrow, I don't think I'd do it. I started him out a human, he'll stay a human, and I started out the game killing kobolds in a mine in Elwyn Forest with a vendor mace on him, so it seems unlikely I'll ever stop playing him even when I fall in love with a new class. I've trudged through every zone and faction in the game on his plate clad, weapon encrusted back. If and when I every truly give up this game, or they decide they're shutting it down, the last time I log off it will be on this character, and I want him to be the same old familiar face when I do.
How about you, gentle (and not so gentle) readers? Do you feel this level of familiarity with a character, or would you faction/race change as the wind takes you?
Filed under: Horde, Alliance, Warrior, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics, Expansions, Alts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
McCombs Sep 5th 2009 8:10AM
I feel the same way about my Druid. I'm sick of Night Elves, but since he was my first guy and my main for years he won't be changing to my much loved cow people (though they're my favorite race and my highest one is lvl 8).
Knob Sep 5th 2009 8:20AM
I'm the same way. Hell, forget about faction change, I can't even change the look of my Tauren in the barbershop without feeling like it isn't my character. Today for example I went ahead and changed the skin tone of my Tauren since that was an option that was added in 3.2....after about 10-15 minutes of trying to get used to it, I just had to go back and revert to my old skin tone. And that was with a Tauren hunter where with all gear equipped you only really see the mane on the back of the head. So yeah, I totally understand the hesitance in using the faction change.
Not that it matters to me yet though since it isn't live in the EU yet. :D
Mike Sep 5th 2009 8:48AM
Tauren are my favourite Horde race in style but least favourite in gameplay. They're so large and it feels like they're moving so slow that I get frustrated and log off. Tauren do look pretty awesome in plate, however, and I may just roll a Sunwalker when the Cataclysm hits.
Clopert Sep 5th 2009 9:31AM
I did the same thing with my Gnome, couldn't stand having a hair colour other than pink...
Zakarii Sep 5th 2009 10:36AM
It's like that with my Druid too. He was the first character I leveled on Horde and stuck with after a while. I just have too many good memories leveling with my like 3 other Druid buddies in our small guild, . No matter how into another class I can get, I always come back to my Druid at some point.
Jewbanks Sep 5th 2009 2:50PM
I feel the same thing about my gnome mage. He was actually my third character but my first to make it through what I think of us the 30-40 slump. (Still what I consider the hardest point to level through.) And I for some reason gave him the wrong white hair color and an old wrinkly face that I dont like, but I cant really bring myself to change him. I sat in the barber shop chair for 15 20 minutes trying to convince myself to change it. But in the end I didnt do anything. I still dont have that dumb achievement BTW.
Im really excited about gnome priests too. I know I'll level one, but I cant be sure it will get much more play time than my level 80 Paladin. Im so attached to my mage class and gnome that I cant imagine anything else.
Luckily I dont care for either of the new races, though I had been considering rolling a troll priest, I'd just miss my alliance friends. Besides it seems much easier to have an alt when you have an established group of friends/raiders that you can play with when youre doing easy content for your alt.
Cheesemonkey Sep 5th 2009 8:03PM
I would so switch my dwarf hunter to a tauren if I didn't have tons of friends and connections alliance-side.
And same, my highest tauren is a 55 death knight on a friends realm :v
Sehvekah Sep 5th 2009 8:15PM
My Nelf Rogue is and has been my main since I started playing. I'm not sure if I'm going to race-change him to Worgen or not through. It'd be weird, after over two years (by the time cataclysm is released), to see a wolf-man where my Nelf used to be, and I think I'd really miss shadowmeld and the stealth bonus.
That said, the Worgen racials do look good, and in the end it's the *class* that I love more than the character. Besides, with all the other upheavals happening throughout Azeroth, being able to switch to a race I probably would have started with if I could have is small potatoes.
In the end, I think it'll come down to running a Worgen alt through the starting zones/quests. Seeing and feeling the changes play out will likely be what settles it for me, one way or the other.
SCHarper Sep 5th 2009 8:12AM
I absolutely agree with you. Since the beginning of time I played a Dwarf Paladin, who got 'lost' when I didn't buy gold... honest.
So, for probably the past 3 years I've played nothing but Paladins, while dabbling in other classes, an 80 Paladin with really bad gear and hardly any dailies unlocked is my only end-game character.
However, I've fiunally seen the error of my ways! I'm leveling a Warrior now (Shoutout to the Sha'tar EU here!) and though he's only 33 at the moment, I'm hoping to finally have something I'll be able to kick the Lich King's ass with!
But your post makes sense to me. I just wish I'd starter earlier and known better, as is the way of life!
Hawk Sep 5th 2009 8:13AM
I am definately going to be switching races as soon as that service is available... and it has nothing to do with racials... I just feel that my toons have evolved and taken on a certain persona of their own and their current races may not match the overall view of them I have in my mind. Also my troll shaman will look soooo much better in his armor when he is an Orc! I hate looking at him and thinking that any moment those shoulders are just going to fall right off of him. Lol
hawk Sep 5th 2009 12:13PM
no badmouthing trolls in my name >:(
jk jk. in all seriousness and responding to the topic, when i choose a race i choose it BECAUSE it's that race. so no, i won't be changing. i don't regret any of my characters' designs.
Cap Sep 5th 2009 8:21AM
I'd never considered changing my human pally, until I heard about the Tauren Paladins in Cataclysm. Same reason: Humans are butt-ugly, tauren look awesome in plate.
I won't change Brennan though; just roll up a new toon, and try out the new tauren-focused holiness.
Probably.
dyre42 Sep 5th 2009 3:10PM
"tauren look awesome in plate."
Tauren are also the easiest to click on from a distance in a thick pvp melee because of their height.
Kevin Sep 5th 2009 8:15AM
I'm just glad I'm not the only person who finds the "poison people" questlines to be revolting on horde. It literally is the main reason why I don't play horde.
I wonder if we'll be allowed to make "race changes" and turn one of our "humans" into a worgen when cataclysm comes out. I've filled up my character slots with one of every class (except priest, that's on a diff server), and I need one more slot to play worgen :(
Candina@WH Sep 5th 2009 10:03AM
Race changes are coming. Probably the same price.
My BELF pally will be come a Sunwalker.
Ametrine Sep 5th 2009 10:06AM
So, from belfadin to beefadin?
Matt P Sep 5th 2009 10:49AM
My first character I played past level ten was an undead rogue. After I did the quest that poisoned the Scarlet Crusader, I refused to work with the RAS again. I /spat on any of their NPCs I saw. All this occurred -before- I started roleplaying.
To this day, it upsets me my UC rep is above Thunder Bluff. :P
Super Guest Man 9000 Sep 5th 2009 3:40PM
I recall a blue post saying something along the lines of the new races not being available for faction changes right off the back to prevent someone being the "First goblin/worgen to 85" cuz they changed from a 80 of the opposite side. I'll assume the same thing for race changes.
tim Sep 5th 2009 6:10PM
It's interesting how so many people - even ones who don't RP - see themselves so vividly in their character. I think I'm a bit opposite: I don't RP myself, but I still only do certain quests if it "feels" like my character would do it. My undead rogue - yeah he'll poison the dog and eat the dog's owner. My tauren druid stays away from those quests though.
All in all, there are more than enough quests in this game to keep everyone's sensibilities satisfied :)
Anaughtybear Sep 5th 2009 8:22AM
Poor hippies. You'll murder millions of mobs in their own villages, but can't stomach a few interrogations. I abhor torture in real life, but this is a fantasy game. If you think this makes people cruel, you probably think that Judas Priest albums make you commit suicide as well. It's basically the same U.S. mentality that makes us feel okay about killing off foreigners, because they are less civilized than we are. As long as it helps you feel superior to Horde players, that's fine with me. I'm happy to be one of the bad guys and on a PvP server.