Seriously, what people really forget is that not every low level character is an alt. Some are completely new players to the game. Not everyone has been playing since beta and has at least 5 80's and are just now rolling a new class to try out for a while.

I just passed my one-year mark in the game right after Love is in the Air. That's one year that started with never having seen the game world before, never having followed any quest lines, never this, never that.

In one year, I have tried out several different servers, even two different types of servers. I've tried out almost every race in the game, both factions, quite a few professions, and most classes. I've spent more time in battlegrounds than I should have... before doing so gave XP. I've done quests that slowed me down when I could have leveled faster because I wanted to get the story. I've done as much as I could of every holiday event that I could simply because I had never gotten to do it before.

I have only managed to get one character to level 80, and I hated the class so much that I've changed to something else now. I do not have heirlooms, nor was I able to accumulate enough massive wealth to fund this new toon. I'm really starting from the beginning again, just with more knowledge of the game world and not such a desire to go talk to every idiot with an exclamation point floating over their head.

It can be very frustrating to run into the common mindset among the playerbase that you're either an alt with heirlooms and gold, or it's a wonder that you can get yourself past the login screen if you're neither an alt nor an 80.

My priest took off his heirloom equipment because the drops from dungeons were better.

I have several toons on various other servers solely for the experience of starting new without even the temptation to send aid. In fact I try to avoid aiding characters below 60 where I can (heirlooms are actually because my leveling partner got some too; now I dungeon to catch up the differences for not wearing them).

It is easier for me mostly because of game experience. I know what I'm doing, how things work, and that makes me better. It's not the heirloom equipment; they just fill in lulls in getting gear.

Still, the best piece of advice I can give any newb who feels we talk about having massive gold all the time is this: Get skinning plus another gathering profession. It doesn't matter what you eventually want for crafting profession. Want to Blacksmith? At level 5 get skinning and mining. Sell the leather, fill your bank then sell the excess ore. Do this at level 5. By 20 you will have enough gold, even by underselling the competition just to move it, to keep you going. You don't have to be fancy, you won't magically have millions but life is good. Even the worst economy I've ever seen allowed me to live comfortably, have plenty of drink (cooking is a good idea too), and keep going by doing this. Powerleveling professions at 80 is purely for those who already have the gold and the free time. That's not the way for the newb or even intermediate or casual player.

LOL i was actually going to point out how much a difference Heirlooms make and suggest they not be included in the lowbie "how to" guides, they really DO make that much of a difference. In fact, unfortunately what a new Warrior (first character new, not just new to the class) is going to usually be dealing with is being the ONLY one not fully decked out in heirlooms. And when the general strategy at 80 of "Just AoE it all down ASAP" gets brought to low levels, and you dont have the insanely OP gear to compete with it, usually it's the rogues, warlocks, mages, priests and retadins that end up tanking.

Heck, going through Ulduman, or Marudon my warlock in only 1 heirloom piece, ended up pulling from the tank, even when all i would do is drop CoA and Corruption then just wand it. And even then i wasn't even remotely worried, i'd just drain tank anything i peeled while they had their AoE fun.