Breakfast Topic: Do you struggle to keep up with the Wrynns?
by Anthony Angrisani 
Oct 29th 2010 at 8:00AM
While in the World of Warcraft, even the casual player can see that many things in real life carry over into Azeroth. Although a few of these traits are actually beneficial to gameplay, there are a few similarities that may or may not have a negative effect on the society and economy in game.
While getting your feet wet in the first few levels, the last thing on a person's mind are epic items, rare gems and being flashy. Once some players hit a certain level (this level is different for everyone), they start focusing less on their enjoyment while in the game and direct their attention to gearing up. Anyone who plays the game can tell you that at one point or another, he has sat in Dalaran, Stormwind or any other city, for that matter, and laid eyes on a player running in circles on their Spectral Tiger or wielding their legendary mace.
For me, I find that I get the most out of my gameplay by doing what I personally want and desire rather than trying to outdo someone else. I'd rather be happy with my white level sword hanging out in Goldshire than carrying a legendary sword and flaunting it in Dalaran while losing all sense of happiness.
Are you happy with your quest rewards and other easily obtainable items and prefer being a "Loner Dottie, a Rebel," or do you yearn to keep up with the Wrynns, going the extra step to obtain an item that will make others swoon?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Stan Oct 29th 2010 8:06AM
I'm all about seeing content. The only point to me gearing up is to help my guild as best as possible so we can move on. Once we downed Arthas, I was perfectly content.
Nina Katarina Oct 29th 2010 8:27AM
I agree with your statement, but I do admit that there's times that I look over at the mage who won the roll on the staff we got in the Lich King kill, and sigh mightily. I will be so glad when he replaces that thing with a quest green.
Rob Oct 29th 2010 8:57AM
100X this. I am all about content. I was just figuring things out, there are only a handful of raid/dungeon bosses I haven't defeated yet: Sunwell, Ruby Sanctum, and Yogg in Ulduar.
We just beat LK and now are going to do hard modes. I guess that's okay, but it's really the same shit. And the gear upgrades...at this point, it doesn't matter. Its about having fun. We did Kara with 5 people, only two of us were geared. It was pretty challenging, and fun. I proved once again I can't tank Hiegen to save the raid. Still, we got KT down. That's a good finish to an off-day raid.
Mortenebra Oct 29th 2010 10:29AM
It has always been about content for myself and the majority of my guild. When I first met the lot of them in TBC, I confused their desire for loot as selfishness (especially the tanks). Then I got more involved with the inner workings of the raid and understood that gearing up was just part of the process of progressing. I still go into raids not knowing what a boss may drop, mostly for the element of surprise and "AMG that's awesome!!! Can I roll on it please please please please?!?!" I need to focus on the boss before worrying about what *might* drop. We get a kick out of our screenshots around a defeated foe because that's the stuff that sticks around while gear will come and go. In the time between now and Cata, we're still hoping to finish up the hardmodes in Ulduar and get our Algalon kill (real life has been pwning us hard for months D:).
Nowadays, when we're prepping for raid, we like to dress up in our goofiest outfits-- a lot of the guys favor the tuxedos, pimp hats and diamond-tipped canes, while I prefer my Midsummer Fire Festival garb and Brewfest stein-- and /dance while waiting around the summoning stone. Do we care if the other people at the summoning stone think we're insane? Nah... we prefer it that way. :)
Negatron Oct 29th 2010 11:33AM
@Stan
Add me to this list since I agree! Some people got wrapped up into the Gear Score thing, its fine to gauge someone when organizing a PuG. Other than that i like to SEE stuff. Perks like rare drops, weapons, mounts etc. are nice but its all about content to me.
Kylenne Oct 29th 2010 2:24PM
This. I could honestly care less about gear, it's just a means to see the story tbh, unless it's something sentimental for me in terms of lore, like Illidan's Memento of Tyrande (which is still in my bank).
Fartmasterking Oct 29th 2010 7:47PM
Well, unlike YOU I was never content untill I downed Sunwell.
Do you KNOW how amazing sunwell looks when you have enough dps and skill to do it without any concern, but not by so much as you still have to pay a little attention to the mechanics of the fights? The screams when my guild took down Arthas were half as much as we had when KJ tried to stop himself from entering the ground.
Just because its not the hardest raid anymore doesn't mean its not worth the visit.
Tayacan Oct 29th 2010 8:07AM
I only start thinking about gear at lvl 80... Soon 85 ;)
Having good gear before max lvl is all very nice, but you know.. You'll get something better in a few lvls..
BigBadGooz Oct 29th 2010 10:19AM
Thats why I take pride in things I'll have across all levels such as
Big blizzard bear 2008 blizzcon
A shaman on a crimson deathcharger (shadowmourn quest reward)
Frostbathed skele dragon
Only a handful of people have what i have and I take pride in that.
Greeni Oct 29th 2010 8:12AM
Personally, I enjoy epic quests for vanity items, and then not show them off to people, because that would make me a [Cake].
Although, new gear is nice too, but there's not really any story or epic quests behind them. I would rather carry around Frostscythe of Lord Ahune instead of Furious Gladiator's Whatnot of Something just because I think it's so much cooler.
Even though I have stated the above, this is no excuse for being terribly undergeared (and by terribly, I mean last-expansion items) in dungeons.
*dodges incoming gear-nazi accusations*
Imnick Oct 29th 2010 8:17AM
I still don't understand why I used to see people in level 70 raid epics in heroic instances. Didn't they realise that quest greens were still upgrades, despite their inferior coloured name?
Obviously doesn't happen quite so often now as there's a month to go until Cataclysm, but it was strange while it lasted.
Xukundi Oct 29th 2010 8:49AM
Honestly, when I was leveling from 70 to 80 there were a lot of pieces from my 70 raiding/PVP set that were better itemized than the greens and blues I found. My gladiator swords (both had Mongoose) were superior to any weapons I found outside the first heroics I did, and my 70 offhand would have stuck around for a really long time if I hadn't made a point to purchase one on the AH.
That's not to say I went into heroics with pure Kara gear. What you're saying, Imnick, was true for half of what I had. In every other case the best I could find via questing was side-grades.
Keep in mind I started in March (I took a long break shortly after the launch of Wrath) so it's likely there are items I don't even know exist. Based on what I got, though, some 70s stay good well past 80. (Love my Romulo's Poison Vial.)
loreaddict Oct 29th 2010 10:30AM
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?sid=1&topicId=20136597138
Behold the solution.
Let's just hope Blizz makes this some day...
Matt P Oct 29th 2010 10:44AM
Relics could be an exception to this up until 4.0.1. With the absence of primary stat boosts, some people might prefer an older relic's effect to a newer one.
Aris Oct 29th 2010 11:26AM
@Imnick
I started healing heroics still wearing the Primal Mooncloth set with Whitemend. I think I had replaced the belt only and that was after I'd dinged 80. I also upgraded a few other things like a trinket and a ring, etc. But by and large, I was still mostly in 70 epics. The things that dropped or were rewarded were, at best, side grades so what was the point? It could be because of the path I took. I did both starting zones before continuing up through the subsequent zones and dinged 80 still having Icecrown, Storm Peaks, Sholazar, and half of Zul'Drak completely undiscovered.
I never did normals in Wrath. I had a few guildies beat me to level cap and they wanted me to heal their heroic runs so I did. I can't claim I didn't have to work real hard with the gear I was in but it was doable. I geared up pretty quick at that point, though. Guess my point is that, given my own experience, this really isn't very surprising to me.
Lipstick Oct 29th 2010 12:46PM
Wearing level 70 epics in a heroic sounds crazy -now- in the days when people just grind heroics for full tier 9 or I guess tier 10 now? But back when wrath first launched, I wore some of my level 70 epics into heroics and Naxx. The reason being that with northend rare gems, my level 70 gear was better itemized -- because at the time, almost all level 80 gear didn't have gem sockets.
It was just a different mindset back then.
Snuzzle Oct 29th 2010 2:41PM
I'm still using some Sunwell gear on my level 78 hunter... heck I was using Kara gear on my mage well into his heroic-grinding days at 80 simply because, as was said, when the sockets were filled with blue or epic Northrend gems they far surpassed any greens and most blues. Of course they were quickly replaced with the first blue that came along with a socket but still, those are few and far between when you're leveling.
Sarabande Oct 30th 2010 11:02AM
Actually, comparing some of the 70s epics with questing blues in NR, with the gem slots in the older gear (esp. after a JC friend replaced ALL of my outland gems with NR green gems) the old items were actually better. Weapons were different, but even with crafted gear (and remember, TBC crafted gear were pretty nice) and rep items, properly gemmed, many were good till upper 70s.
I didn't even raid in TBC. Even then, the gear I got there seemed to be made to last.
Jenny Oct 29th 2010 8:12AM
Yeah, I have laid eyes on other players' gear. In both Stormwind and Dalaran, even. On maybe ten occasions in five years.
I did get a max level toon and tried to play the gearing up game once, too.
But then I quit playing for over a year. It was boring.
I'm not happy with quest rewards so much as I don't look at my items unless I have to. There's a lo tof things to see in the world, and my toon is maybe the least interesting of them all.
Imnick Oct 29th 2010 8:15AM
Bit of a loaded question isn't it?
"I'd rather be happy with my white level sword hanging out in Goldshire than carrying a legendary sword and flaunting it in Dalaran while losing all sense of happiness." ...
Personally I am able to be extremely happy while also wielding a legendary sword!