Breakfast Topic: A lot of catching up to do
by Zach Yonzon 
Oct 4th 2009 at 8:00AM
It's not just gear, either. Mostly, I took a break from the game also because our mega-awesome guild leader took a break to prepare for his wedding this October. He left the reins to a decent bloke, but someone who simply wasn't of the same caliber as a guild and raid leader. Fast forward a couple of months later, I log in and things are different. I mean, sure, Patch 3.2 dropped, and suddenly I'm wearing epics more suited for fresh Level 80s running PUG raids. But the guild itself was different... new faces (or names, anyway), and suddenly I'm the one getting the "who's this dude?" raised eyebrow. It's unsettling.
Oh yeah, good morning. Since I've got the coolest community of WoW players starting the day off with me, here's something to chew on -- how do you catch up? How do you jump-start your gear? Do you make friends with all these new guild faces? Jump ship (or server)? If you took a long break from the game, how would you come back? It's kind of like a fresh start, and even though Blizzard has made it easier for players to catch up, what would be the first thing you would do? Where would you start? My first instinct is to jump into a Battleground, but then again, that's my first instinct even if I didn't take a break. So you're playing again. Uh... now what?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sbloyd Oct 4th 2009 8:06AM
I recently came back after a 6mo break, and my once-shiny purples are worthless where my guildies are going... so, yeah. Battlegrounds and a lot of Wintergrasp, with liberal amounts of heroic jousting.
Nick S Oct 4th 2009 10:14AM
You can full-clear normal ToC-25 with Naxx-25 gear for everyone in the raid. One person wearing it is hardly a huge problem.
Eternauta Oct 4th 2009 10:37AM
This is exactly what happened to me.
I took a break from WoW the week Ulduar came out because of RL issues and came back when ToC's last boss was added to the game. My gear is pathethic (mostly Naxx-25 and H ToC-5 stuff) and, of course, I lost my raid spot. Now I only raid on the occasional guild alt-run and I'm worried that I might not kill Arthas before Cataclysm arrives. Which is sad since the main reason I raid is to be part of the ongoing lore and experience the story firsthand.
Fortunately, Frozen Halls in 3.3 will have a similar effect to that of ToC-5 in 3.2, like a soft gear reset for those of us who got left behind.
Maus Oct 4th 2009 8:09AM
I usually work hard on breaking into the community again, but take it casually and try not to stress myself out too much. If I'm in a decent and friendly raiding guild, I always put my mind at rest with the thought of having a smooth raid sooner or later - and lets face it, with the current difficulty of the Normal Mode ToC raid content, it really isn't difficult to get close to BiS everything.
Take it easy, make new friends, relax - and before you know it you'll probably be back with some old mates, some new ones, having a blast through the latest tier of content and donning shiny new ilvl 245 epics in no time.
teppe Oct 4th 2009 8:11AM
I started a fresh paladin, he's level 47 already... but the way is still LONG ^^
Ysonia Oct 4th 2009 8:19AM
Depending on who is left in the old guild, you might want to find something that is more at your speed, until you catch back up. You can always rejoin back up with your guild once the old guild leader is back at the helm, if such a time comes along. Or, if you're like me, you'll find that you just don't fit with that new mix of faces, and moving on was going to happen all along. There are people at all levels, even post-80. Just find an upwardly mobile casual raiding guild and do some heroics. You'll be in Ulduar and ToC before you know it.
CallMeIrd Oct 4th 2009 8:21AM
I just jump right back in, man. I took a long break from raiding and was stuck in Naxx 25 gear, so I just ran a whole bunch of heroics for TotC gear and badge gear, and went on the raids they'd let me on. Now my gear's looking a whole lot better! Except for the trinkets. But we don't speak of those.
Samantha Smith Oct 4th 2009 8:25AM
sometimes its easier to just start a new character, at least until your back "into it". Ive taken many breaks and that give me time to get reaquainted with the people in the guild, whos who, whats the funny joke. PUG TOC and VOA 10 mans, at least. Its pretty easy and most groups can easily carry you through.
Trent Oct 4th 2009 8:43AM
I've taken many breaks in my 3 years of playing, and coming back is always difficult. As understandable as real life concerns are, most guildies feel betrayed when someone takes a break from the game. The last break I took..from February to June this year, left me on the outs with most of my guild members, many of whom I consider my friends.
However, time heals all wounds. 3 and a half months later, and it is as if I never left the game. In fact, I'm more into it then I ever have been, even leading raids, which I had never done before the break. Gear will come, as it always does. It is the social aspect, however, that sometimes takes some getting used to. People can say what they will about virtual friendships, but the connections are very real. When those connections are broken, they often take a while to mend. Some I've never regained.
Of course, if one thing helps mend bridges, it's nostalgia. "Hey, remember when I ran your noob ass through Blackrock Depths again and again, until you got that loot piece you wanted?" "Remember how during Zul'aman raids we would all /kiss Mojo on our mounts and then ride into the first mobs all as frogs?" Trust me, nostalgia has a way of turning back the clock, and making people forget about long breaks. Before you know it, even the newer guild members feel a connection to you, and people realize that you're still a valuable commodity, even if you're a little out-of-practice.
noelkytty Oct 4th 2009 8:59AM
The last break I took from raiding was from August 2008 until January 2009. This was due to a new job with a different schedule. Sure, I took the time to level from 70 to 80, but I couldn't commit to raid times and my game time each week plummeted.
The first thing I did when I came back was spend some of the gold I had amassed at level 70 while waiting for the expansion to drop. By January, prices of BoE Rares and Epics were down, and very affordable. I also caught a lucky break as for some reason, jewelcrafting and enchanting materials were going for pretty cheap on my server at the time. I bought my way to profession cap. Then I did a bit of reading on elitistjerks to find out what had changed with my main class.
I enchanted and jeweled my gear appropriately and was lucky enough that my guild took me along to a Naxx25 one weekend. By that time, not -everyone- in the guild was fully geared, so I wasn't allowed to roll on gear tokens or weapons yet, but they were geared enough that most gear that dropped for my class was just given to me. It wasn't T7.5, but I was getting some really nice gear by default, because nobody else needed it. Within a month I was equipped in almost full Naxx25 gear [no Tier 7, trinkets, or weapons yet]. After proving myself to be a reliable raider again, they started letting me roll on the "nicer things" instead of hand-me-downs, and I would say within another month I had full T7.5, and a month after that I had almost all best-in-slot gear.
It looks like I have another new job with another raid-incompatible schedule, so I am going to have to take another break soon. I notified my guild and they have plenty of others for their core raiding slots, but I am going to miss it. :(
Theldaris Oct 4th 2009 9:02AM
As far as gear goes, jump in on raiding if everyone is geared to the nines, couple weeks and you should at least be sportin ulduar 25 hand me downs that no one else wants. Other then that if your guild has ofnight 10 mans, go to them, sure that gear isn't top ilvl, but a lot of it is fairly well itemized and it'll get you caught up enough that you're not laggin a ton behind on the meters.
RedGuard Oct 4th 2009 9:36AM
I don't. :(
mibluvr13 Oct 4th 2009 9:41AM
I'm in the same position, except I had just joined my guild when I stopped playing. Now, I'm in a guild blowing through Heroic ToC and I'm in pre-Ulduar best in slots.
I'd really like to start raiding again, but I'm completely intimidated. When I was playing before, I had just joined a guild for Ulduar, gotten to a point where I might start getting gear, and then watched the guild self-destruct due to drama I wasn't aware of, barely being above a recruit. So, I joined a new guild, but quickly lost interest in raiding. The point is that I wasted my time working my way up another guild, only to have to do it again as soon as I got somewhere.
This new guild doesn't do Ulduar anymore and pugs are not really an option on my server. (At least with Ulduar, they're still awful.) With my gear, my dps is really lacking and I'm way too scared that I'll be kicked the first raid back. (Having the spec I played for years be awful now isn't great either. I'm still not quite used to destro.)
I guess I'll keep paying $15 to not play. :
hailjh Oct 4th 2009 9:47AM
About to face this same issue. I deployed to Afghanistan the SUNDAY before Uldar hit. Won't be getting back until the end of the year. Either I hop back on my hunter main (was 2 items from BiS for Naxx25), go ret on my paladin (decent naxx holy gear) or faction change my 70 mage and level him. Or any number of my mid 20-30 alts :)
Either way, not expecting much until Cat releases.
NynjaMonkii Oct 4th 2009 12:03PM
I deployed to Iraq in June, I wont be back stateside until June 2010, and I hate logging onto my guilds website and seeing how far they progressed. Im happy for them and glad theyre sucessful, but I really want to be a part of it too and it sucks that I cant. Like you, I dont expect Ill have much of anything to do until Cataclysm arrives.
Chris M Oct 4th 2009 1:47PM
Nynja and hailjh, as an American citizen I thank you both for your selflessness and your service to our country. Lok'tar! :)
patrick Oct 4th 2009 9:51AM
After not playing for over a year, I returned with a totally geared level 70 in a level 80 world. I ditched my guild and now exclusively play 49 twinks..
With the announcement of the new expansion I don't think it's worth the trouble when I'm probably going to level a goblin to 85 next year.
Stout Oct 6th 2009 1:58PM
This is sort of the crux of a gear-centric game like WOW. I'm a GL of a small 10man content guild that prides itself on its members and the atmosphere we raid in. The answers to your questions depend on the type of guild you are in and the type of player you are.
We welcome our members back with open arms. I make every effort to get people rotated into the mix and gearing up just happens (we DE most of the drops at this point). That said, it is the player's responsibility to gear themselves to the point that they are an asset to the raid (this is stated in our policies in fact). This last point generally isn't an issue because if you aren't the type of player who seeks to constantly improve themselves you wouldn't make it through the probationary period. I'll take a terribly under-geared but highly skilled and dependable player over a stellar-geared poor player any day.
Furthermore, you must be understanding of the fact that it was you who took the break and realize that this means your spot in the raid is no longer "your spot".
In the end, if it is easy to consider leaving your guild then you are either a self-centered player or your guild sucks and that likely had more to do with your break from WOW then you suspect. Real life happens all the time and you make things work anyway and the truth is: short of something catastrophic, you "chose" to take a break because you wanted to, not because life dictated so (nothing wrong with this but at least be honest)...
Styvorama Oct 4th 2009 11:04AM
I just dinged 80 on my druid. I would say the best was to break in is pure honesty. Saying
something like 'I know my gear reflects differently, but I have been away for some time and know what I am doing.'
EG I ran a naxx 10 wearing some blues, but know what I am doing and was pretty even with the main healers they were using. They defiantly took a leap of faith taking someone with blues in, but i was upfront about the fact that I knew how to use what I had to help the raid.
This may also consist of a full respec, as some classes have changed drastically, and you can tell the people clinging to their old specs cause their DPS is not the same post patch.
Skonged Oct 5th 2009 10:21AM
Armor colors mean almost nothing. I have ran naxx 25 in blues and topped damage meters.