Breakfast Topic: Do you have any characters that've slipped off your radar?
by Jake Evers 
Nov 24th 2011 at 8:00AM
Sometimes we lose track of things.
As I was working through my third Mass Effect 2 campaign the other day, I was reminded of my first play through Mass Effect 1 in which I had painstakingly developed the perfect version of Commander Shepard. I lost that first save game file, unfortunately, and had to play through ME1 again in order to set myself up for a character import into the sequel. Alas, for some reason, I have never been able to recreate perfectly the masterpiece that was my first Shepard.
I also have a character on WoW that I no longer play, the loss of which distresses me greatly. I created this character, a blood elf gunter, shortly after The Burning Crusade came out. I loved my hunter's name scheme, as he and all his pets had the word "Blood-" prefixed to their names. At that time, I had just begun to play with a group of RL friends who attended the same college I did. The five of us would all bring our laptops to one guy's room and play late into the night. We leveled quickly, each filling one of the roles necessary for running 5-man content. It was a blast, but unfortunately it ended when they graduated.
Eventually I began to play with new people who were committed to the opposite faction. They were already active on a different realm, so I switched and left my beloved hunter behind. I've missed him ever since. Sometimes I think about transferring him to my new realm, but all my characters are Alliance and I don't know anyone on the Horde side. And how could I change him into a night elf or some other race when he is perfect just the way he is?
Do you have any characters that have slipped away? Do you ever think about what could have been if they hadn't?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ravensblood Nov 24th 2011 8:07AM
I actually deleted a lvl 76 mage. I am currently leveling a new one for the heck of it. I usually find it hard to concentrate on one toon over the other and try to switch off the best I can. This is probably why I'm no raid ready and strictly casual.
Swifteye Nov 24th 2011 8:08AM
I have a level 43 Draenei Hunter on my old realm who has a crapton of fishing achievements (all the Dalaran coins, One That Didn't Get Away, Old Ironjaw, Giant Sewer Rat, etc... only reason I didn't make a serious bid for "Salty" is because the fishing contests don't gel with my work schedule).
I like how many achievements she has for such a relatively low level, and I'd love to try and get her that title... but I don't have $55 to faction-change and realm-change her (I am very solidly a Hordie and very firmly planted on my newer, current realm).
The saddest thing to me is that even if I *could* spare the $55 (it wouldn't be that hard, really), I just could never *justify* it, because I've realized for a while now that melee is my calling, and I could never actually be the slightest bit happy or entertained actually playing a Hunter.
C'est la vie.
Arrowsmith Nov 24th 2011 8:09AM
I do have two characters currently collecting dust, my Dwarf Shamanette and my Goblin Hunter. Admittedly I rolled the Goblin just to experience the starting areas, but I had plans to name all of her pets after things related to money. As an example, her crab is named "Pennypinch", and I had ideas for a raptor named "Pricegouge" and a bird named "Fourohonekay" (which is kinda obscure if you don't think of a 401[k] as a "nest egg"). If only school wasn;t in the way so damn much.
Revnah Nov 24th 2011 8:11AM
Just like you, I left a Hunter behind. And a Druid, a Mage, and a mid-level Paladin.
They were my first characters in WoW, on the Alliance side. Like you I can't get myself to switch faction with them. The thing is, I have Horde characters now and I love them. I originally started them to experience the other side of the game, but I quickly fell in love with the Horde and now I'm there pretty much exclusively.
Every now and then I log my Alliance characters and do a turn through Stormwind or Ironforge. I smile reminiscently and chat to friends I had then. It never holds my interest for long, but I just can't bring myself to delete those characters. They were my first WoW babies so they're here to stay, if only as fond reminders :-)
Shoikler Nov 24th 2011 8:25AM
I have so many alts, it's inevitable that most will be lying fallow at any given time. Right now, that even includes my 85s, since I'm concentrating on getting a few more toons into their ranks. Once that's done, I'm not sure if I'll be working on endgame or bringing up the next batch.
Tenorman Nov 24th 2011 8:34AM
If I could ever find the time and the cash, I have an Alliance paladin that's rotting on an old forgotten server. I hate that he hardly sees no action because, frankly, Alliance is bad for one, and because he was the first character I ever created during the late BC era. He has rep achievements, the faction mounts, everything that would qualify him as being my achievement character, but all of that means nothing if he's collecting dust. Hopefully Xmas comes around bearing gifts of great cash and he can find a new home in the with the rest of the Gamebreaker TV crew.
razion Nov 24th 2011 8:42AM
I've created so many alts, each of which I regret deleting. But most of all, I wish I had kept my real first characters. It's to the point where I'm not really sure what I started playing as (my gut is trying to tell me a gnome mage or a night elf druid, but I honestly couldn't say for certain). I often wondered what I would be like if I never tried anything else--if I had stuck with that little fire mage. What sort of people I would have met, if I would have gone on to raiding in Vanilla, or Burning Crusade, and what Wrath would have been like if I had. I wonder how I would feel about Cataclysm, and if I would be doing the same things I am now. I'm often curious if I would enjoy some aspects of the game more or less, and if maybe I would have been happier.
I think about these things often. Perhaps that's why I'm continually rolling new alts--trying to replace the old ones I deleted, in turn going back to the 'newer' ones I abandoned, creating a vicious cycle I can't really get out of. Or maybe I'm just thinking about it too hard and I'm just an indecisive wreck.
Blayze Nov 24th 2011 8:55AM
I have a Forsaken Warrior who was going to be a naked punching-only levelling challenge to be played whenever I ran out of stuff to do on my main.
Hasn't happened yet.
goldeneye Nov 24th 2011 9:01AM
I have a whole cadre of Horde alts on Nordrassil (EU) that haven't gotten a lot of love since my wife cancelled her sub (she was a Horde fan :).
My Tauren Warrior Klumpy sits at L35-ish, sad, alone, wondering why Tauren Druid Nugget disappeared... :(
Balgair Nov 24th 2011 9:05AM
I left a few characters behind when I switched faction too - I started out on Alliance, switching to Horde a few years ago. My first real "main" was a human rogue, who I have kept popping back to and levelling up over time (he's 80 right now), but he'd just feel wrong as a Horde race so I can't bring myself to transfer him.
My main alt back then (which was my main for a while in TBC due to my Kara raidgroup having plenty of rogues but not enough healing) was a beautiful Draenei priest who I still really miss - again, it'd feel wrong to factionchange her, although my main since TBC days has been an undead priest - I really loved my draenei though, and cool as the air guitar dance is, an old bag of bones isn't quite the same!
I always wish it was possible for more crossfaction interaction; if my alliance alts could group with Horde characters, be in my guild, etc, I'd still be playing them, since I actually like more of the Alliance races than the Horde ones, it's just I've invested so much into the Horde side that I don't want to switch side again. One side had to give and so my old Alliance characters are the little-played alts at present. Which reminds me it's really about time that human rogue of mine levelled up to 85...
Harvoc Nov 24th 2011 9:09AM
My first ever character was a Human Paladin, which i created when I was playing my first trial version. My second one was a Dwarf Hunter, who I made on my second trial account because I had hit 20 on my Paladin. After purchasing WoW, BC, and WotLK, I kept playing my hunter until I deleted him one day. You see, I had made him a Leatherworker but after hearing about Engineering, I restarted and that second Dwarf Hunter with the exact same name as the first is my main. My primary alt is a 72 Night Elf Druid who I had leveled recently but I switched back over to my main after I remembered that I had forgot to stockpile Justice Points on him for 4.3. My secondary alt is a 54 Human Priest who I had leveled from scratch after I hit 85 on my main and lost the drive to keep playing him. I haven't played him in months now. My tertiary alt is a 19 Worgen Rogue who I had made to try out the Worgen experience as well as take advantage of the 4.1 change to their stealth mechanic. I stopped leveling him about the same time as my priest. Hopefully, I'll get back to them later but I'm too busy right now trying to get into a raiding guild on my hunter.
Antares1981 Nov 24th 2011 9:23AM
Vynden - lvl 83 Blood Elf Warlock (Garrosh)
Gravyn - lvl 83 Troll Death Knight (Garrosh)
Wyndham - lvl 74 Worgen Warrior (Garrosh)
Prius - lvl 71 Draenei Hunter (Kirin Tor)
Primaltotem - lvl 60 Troll Druid (Garrosh)
Krevlorn - lvl 30 Orc Mage (Garrosh)
Yes. Yes, I do.
Ironcrust Nov 24th 2011 9:32AM
When I first started playing, back at EU release, I levelled an Alliance Rogue, Warrior and Paladin with friends. They ended up leaving the game during TB when all 3 of my toons were 70. Other friends joined, playing Horde on a new server and they asked me to join them. I ended up making a Horde rogue, warrior and paladin and getting them up to 70, too.
This was, of course back before faction transfers, before xp nerfs to old world and TBC, before heirlooms.
Those 3 original alliance toons are still siting at 70 and have been since TBC. I miss them, but since I have been horde ever since TBC, and levelled replacements; I saw no reason to ever play them again.
:(
ravyncat Nov 24th 2011 9:42AM
My mains are all Alliance, but I made a Blood Elf Paladin a few years ago to see the other side. She is not forgotten but she is less played than the others.
She was originally on my main server, but I transferred her to Zangermarsh--where I convinced my guild to make a Horde sister guild--when I needed more character slots. I never considered faction changing her because her entire personality is all about being a Belf. (And I already have a level 85 Draenei pally.)
She is slowly being leveled--I think she is level 62 now. Eventually I will get her to 85.
I also have a baby troll druid and a baby undead mage and warlock on that server. As well as a baby belf warrior, a goblin shaman...a DK.
Oh hell...
Yes, I have run out of character slots on two servers now.
I love my alts. XD
Noyou Nov 24th 2011 2:18PM
I have 2 servers full of toons now. Obviously, you can only play one at a time. To try and keep a rotation going I have designated certain toons for specific things- pet collecting/mount collecting, etc. Even doing that, yes, I have toons I just don't really play. My rogue has gathered a lot of dust as has my warrior- who only comes out to mine now. I am also working on my last 2 classes to 85, so they get some regular play, but with the holidays, trying to get them all done on the toons who need it becomes grindy. /sigh.
Moeru Nov 24th 2011 9:46AM
I miss my troll warrior. Trolls are amazing to me, and the melee/warrior animations really got to me. I enjoyed playing him, and rerolled him once on another server. But both Kuujo's are gone now sadly. No point in playing him without my friends.
luispintoaveiga Nov 24th 2011 10:04AM
"a blood elf gunter" - I see what you did there! (please tell me this wasn't a typo)
teejmorrison Nov 24th 2011 10:12AM
I have a goblin priest named Azzmo on Mug'thol Horde side that was a huge love of mine for a while. I got all the heirlooms I could for him, prepped perfectly his environment for leveling and probably went from 1-60 in a week's time.
What made this so special is very similar to Jake's story. I was in a guild with some folks that I regularly logged on to vent with and talked about whatever with. Very nice people who I got to know quite well.
My main at the time was a Mage - also in said guild - who was looking to start raising and despite all my efforts that just wouldn't be an option for this guild. So I told my guildies that I would be moving my main only for raiding purposes and leaving my alts cause I really loved hanging out with them.
This didn't fly with the guild leader who was, oddly enough, the person I was closest with.
All of my alts got kicked and I haven't touched Azzmo the Goblin Priest since.
C'est la vie
Borayar Nov 24th 2011 10:24AM
I have four that were "left behind" on Cenarius:
Yames, NE priest
Enule, NE Druid
Yomanee, Troll rogue
Yemanee, Troll rogue
Thomas Higgins Nov 24th 2011 10:38AM
My very first toon. A Hunter. Who has at one point or another been a Night Elf, a Blood Elf and is now an Alliance race. I got him to seventy, old skool stylee, then I started with my Paladin and Rogue mains.
Now all my toons will end up on the bench for as long as it takes until I can bear to resub again. Pity. One of them just finished the grind to Exalted with his guild.