Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsPatch 4.3: Leveling 71-80 will be shorter
by Alex Ziebart 
Aug 29th 2011 at 3:30PM
Zarhym
We'll be decreasing the experience needed for levels 71-80 in patch 4.3. That's all I have for now. ;)
Whether you love Northrend or hate it, it's becoming more and more common to hear that Northrend is where alts go to die, even from some of us on staff here at WoW Insider. Leveling from 1 to 70 moves so quickly nowadays that the enormous leap in experience required to go from 71 to 80 is rather jarring. 71-80 may not have been a slog when we all first worked through it in Wrath of the Lich King, but that leap in XP required can certainly make it feel that way nowadays, especially when all you want to do is try a new class at the level cap.
Reducng the XP required to get through Northrend and smoothing out that leveling process will be appreciated by many, we're sure.
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back! Filed under: News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 5)
Abbadon Aug 29th 2011 4:45PM
"Northrend is where alts go to die."
LOLOL... It most certainly is!
My hunter has made such slow progress - only finally reaching lv75 a couple days ago but having been in Northrend for several months now.
I was all ready to go to SB but apparently the starter quest doesn't come up till 76... /sigh
I just need to get to 76, and then I can at least head to SP and start the Hodir line. A few days of those dailies should speed me along to 78, and then I can start the long journey of working towards my squire and his riding pony.
Matthew Aug 29th 2011 4:55PM
Hurry up and wait!
I'm sorry, but I'm bored by end game content. Why are you making it easier for me to get there faster?
iceveiled Aug 29th 2011 5:04PM
I welcome this change. For people who leveling their first toon through WOTLK content, the pacing is fine. But I've done it like 6 times now and my newest alt, a mage, has been abaondoned at level 71 for like 3 months because I just can't bring myself to quest through BOREan tundra and Dragonblight again.
I'll wait for the patch before continuing with my mage.
Schadenfreude Aug 29th 2011 5:06PM
I still think they need to buff the EXP from the high level zones in each expansion (e.g. Silithus, Shadowmoon Valley) so that I have somewhere to level other than HFP and HF or their equivalents. I'm on alt #8 and I'm siiiiick of the intro zones.
Naryn Aug 29th 2011 5:18PM
Wow, I thought it was short enough already......I was already pushing through that content in 2 days if I wanted to without any real issue.
Though I understand why they're changing it, they're just making us skip more content, which means players will get to the level cap faster....then complain more that they don't have anything to do.
themightysven Aug 29th 2011 5:24PM
that screeching was the sound of my shaman's (65) leveling experience grinding to a pause.
guess I've got some other alts that can come up to BC....
Prelious Aug 29th 2011 5:31PM
Guild: Hey..where's that tank that were leveling?
Me: In ZulDrak
Guild: Wasn't he there last week?
Me: Yup
Guild: What's taking so long?
Me: Well...I was leveling when I suddenly started thinking about my old high school days..then I remembered my algebra class...then I remembered that I still had my old algebra text book...so I found it and started mentally going through all of those old math problems...then I remembered that I needed to run to the store to buy Q-tips...can never have too many Q-tips......then....
onq Aug 29th 2011 5:36PM
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rip Aug 29th 2011 6:13PM
what?
Jack Aug 29th 2011 6:57PM
DOES NOT COMPUTE.
margaritascat Aug 29th 2011 5:42PM
I am somewhat upset by this. I took my Human through Northrend when Wrath was current content; I had wanted to do the same for my Goblin Priest (current level 45) to experience the content from the Horde viewpoint but it sounds like she will just be flying through NR without any real immersion.
I do understand that Blizz wants to make end-game assessible for everyone but this sort of thing seems to make end-game the be-all and end-all for everyone. I think that if people want to reach end-game so fast, if they are the kind who don't want to feel part of the story, then Blizz should raise XP gained in Wrath dungeons rather than through quests. I know that you can turn off XP gains, which might be a way to lessen speed-leveling, but that could get rather expensive.
Also, I now have 4 level 85s and several lower level characters I am leveling. I think that many years ago, when WoW was new and even into BC, most people only had one, maybe two characters to level and gear (we didn't have achievements to work on), and now that a lot of people having a virtual alt army, it is that fact that makes people want to level so fast, to gear their alts.
Perhaps Blizz should allow fast leveling for toons if one character has reached level 85 so that a player new to Wrath can experience, and then go on to the Cata part of the game.
Romolus Aug 29th 2011 5:43PM
'Leveling 1-70 moves so quickly nowadays that the enormous leap in experience required to go from 71-80 is rather jarring. 71-80 may not have been a slog when we all first worked through it in Wrath of the Lich King, but that leap in XP required can certainly make it feel that way nowadays, especially when all you want to do is try a new class at the level cap.'
I don't know, my issues always are lvls 58-68, the quests in outland sucked, and waiting for those dungeons with okay tanks or heals or dps doesn't make those levels worth it. NR-85 is cake....
I think the toon graveyard is most likely Outland
dogin8tr Aug 29th 2011 6:15PM
Now if only they could reduce the XP to level through Outland, that would be a godsend.
Stephanie Aug 29th 2011 6:16PM
=/ I don't know how I feel about this.
On one side, reducing the amount of time it takes to get to the current expansion will ease the block to new players and there is little I like more than new players.
On the other side, leveling feels less like an accomplishment, and I don't like that. The faster leveling becomes the less feel I get for each class. I remember my RAF leveling experience. I was 60 before I knew what hit me, I didn't know 1/2 the spells I had, I'd earned hardly any gold and my professions were no higher than a gnome. I was so glad to be done with the multiple XP gains.
I did not realize that people were having such a hard time with Northrend. I never noticed a difference in XP gains once I got to Northrend.
Bluemain Aug 29th 2011 6:39PM
for my little side project, bluemains 50 It`l certainly make my life a little bit better, working on toon numbers 15 and 16 at the mo, so a Northrend xp boost or indeed cut, will help immesurably with the other 34. now if theyed do the same for outlands id be a very happy bunny indeed.
Popezaren Aug 29th 2011 6:40PM
I know Blizzard HATES the use of the term "Hero Class," but they DID use it once, right?
Ok, introduce a "hero type creation" that lets a player (who has leveled at least one character to 55 say) create a character in one of the established classes that starts at level 55. (lets say)
No real balancing would be needed. Just a perk for the alumni players that have leveled a character already. I would even welcome a small (yes small) fee for such a privilage!
That way, I could level another class to be ready for end game quicker while newbees can experience the game's lore at a pace that will allow them to learn to play their class more effectively!
Chivvy Aug 29th 2011 7:06PM
Woohoo! Though it was fun the first time 71-80 loses some of its charm the second time around. Glad they're making this change!
elfinfluff Aug 29th 2011 7:31PM
Any chance this will coincide with a rebalance of mats needed to level through Wrath-era proofs? 9 bolts of frostweave for one 74 green is ridiculous, doubly so when it's for content you'll blaze through in a lazy week.
Rhüarc Aug 29th 2011 7:32PM
Reducing the leveling time to go through Northrend would be a godsend ONLY if they fix the silly Dragonblight-Uldum bug. I've all but given up on leveling my shaman through Northrend because I can die at certain areas in Dragonblight and end up as a ghost in Uldum. Each time it happens, I end up either having to petition a GM or I have to eat the Rez sickness and hearth.
Skarlette Aug 29th 2011 11:22PM
So don't die! ;)
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)