Cataclysm Beta: Mining and herbalism give experience
by Gregg Reece 
Sep 13th 2010 at 9:00PM
Blizzard added another way to earn some experience with the latest patch for Cataclysm. You now earn experience when both gathering from mining and herbalism nodes. This is being reported about 4,000 experience for herb nodes in Wintergrasp at level 80. However, these do suffer from the same experience reduction that lower level quests are hit with. As an example, a level 83 player mining a copper node earns 5 experience but earns a couple of thousand from a titanium node.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
MrJackSauce Sep 13th 2010 9:05PM
So much win right there. Words can not express.
Thundrcrackr Sep 14th 2010 9:41AM
Have fun with the increased competition for nodes. And prices will drop even farther now for gathered materials.
I could care less about the negligible XP as i level primarily through questing but its nice to be able to gather materials that i will eventually need along the way. With this change i'll probably never see a node again because farm-levelers will be camping them all. =(
Or maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see i guess. =P
Zaros Sep 14th 2010 6:46PM
Or..... they decrease the spawn time so that people can pick them and/or add a maximum amount of XP that can be collected in one day. Blizzard is good at fixing their own screw-ups.
leo909864 Sep 13th 2010 9:07PM
This is a very interesting idea. Personally i like it! Being a large gatherer and not a huge quester this could cut a few hours on my 85 leveling grind.
Docseuzz Sep 14th 2010 8:09AM
I can see the farmers leaving their computers at a spawn node, zoomed in, and auto right clicking every 10 seconds. May not gain a lot of XP, but considering it's with zero effort, and very automated. Flashes of 'Make love, not Warcraft...'
Sleutel Sep 14th 2010 8:46AM
Personally, I'm thinking about how great it will be for leveling farmers--I just wish they'd implement it sooner! I just transferred my main to a new server a little over a month ago, and I'm leveling a DK with Herbalism and Mining* to collect mats for my main's Alch/JC as well as provide an extra source of income. 65 so far, which means I can finally harvest Northrend nodes, but it will be even better once I get him to 68 so he can fly. The fact that the AV queue is a lot faster than the RDF helps a lot, but if I could also be leveling myself through harvesting nodes between matches... :rubs hands together while cackling maniacally:
*Yes, both of them at once. Anyone who wants to do the same should check out the amazing addon Tracking Plus: http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/tracking-plus.aspx
Drunken_wookie Sep 14th 2010 4:06PM
An addon no longer required in Cata, as you can now track multiple things!!
Doberbane Sep 13th 2010 9:09PM
Both of these professions + heirlooms = instant leveling!
Ok, not quite, but it will help things go even faster.
David Sep 13th 2010 9:15PM
heirlooms won't work for 80-85, you will have to buy new ones at 85.
Batium Sep 13th 2010 9:37PM
With hierlooms not working past lvl80, how exactly do they not work?
i.e. can you not equip them once your lvl81?
or do the stats just stay the same as lvl80 but you keep gaining 10% exp
or do the stats stay the same as lvl 80 and you don't get the exp bonus past lvl 80?
Spiraea Sep 13th 2010 10:08PM
From my understanding, the stats will cap at what they are at level 80 and not get any higher and you won't get the 10% exp bonus after 80. By all means, you should be able to equip them after 80.. but the gear won't stand up in Cataclysm's new itemization
damagex26 Sep 13th 2010 10:57PM
I'm not sure this exp falls under the heirloom umbrella. Exploration exp doesn't for instance. Would be worth someone in the beta mining with and without a BOA at the same level.
Artificial Sep 14th 2010 4:19AM
Heirlooms affect experience from killing enemies and experience from quests. They do not affect any other experience gains currently, and I don't see any reason to expect this would change in Cata.
Narshe Sep 13th 2010 9:10PM
Not that I'll be rushing my way through Cataclysm, but this is a cool change.
leprakahn Sep 13th 2010 9:11PM
Well, prices on the AH for mats is going to drop bigtime come Cataclysm. Everyone will be gathering while leveling up to get the bonus exp that there should be a metric crap-ton of everything on the AH to help those of us that keep to creation professions supplied for tinse amount copper.
Metatron Sep 13th 2010 10:49PM
I don't think all that many people will drop their regular professions to pick up herbalism and mining just in order to get a boost in XP whilst leveling. Unless they planned on keeping both, they'd just loose all the time they "saved" leveling their regular professions back up to max.
Noyou Sep 13th 2010 11:54PM
Not likely as many people will need to level Blacksmithing, Jewel crafting and Engineering. I hope you are right though as I will be leveling all of those on many toons. My DK Miner/SKinner loves the idea of XP for gathering :) Then again after looking at changes to the Blood and Unholy trees he has a good shot at being 3rd on my depth chart :)
Veloxe Sep 14th 2010 1:05AM
Plus there are only so many people that a zone/world can handle that are going gathering crazy can sustain, ask anyone who took part in the saronite mining rush in Sholazar.
Artificial Sep 14th 2010 4:22AM
In the game currently, you get experience while leveling up skinning. If people aren't currently rushing to pick skinning as a profession now, there's no reason to think they'll be rushing to pick up mining and herbalism in Cata.
TheChao Sep 13th 2010 9:15PM
Actually, this makes a lot of sense. If you're a gatherer, you're probably taking valuable time out of your questing and grinding to go search out nodes, or at least take detours to get to one. This way, your valuable time isnt wasted.