Breakfast Topic: How do you decide which is your main?
by Olivia Grace 
Jan 3rd 2012 at 8:00AM
When Cata hit, she was my first 85, and for a short while she was my only 85. I've PvPed on her as retribution (and as protection for a while, but the less said about that the better!). But since then, as I've become ever more PvP-focused, the amount of time I spend tanking has dwindled considerably. I still do it, and I still enjoy it, especially when it's really challenging, which it seems to me is sadly less and less the case for tanks right now. But the thing is, PvE is just not as exciting to me as PvP. So the character that's getting the most play is my shaman, by a pretty long way. My priest and my warlock are next in line -- and heck, even my hunter gets more playtime than my paladin these days!
And yet when someone asks me what my main is, I'll still say "paladin tank." Maybe it's because I spent such a long time getting to know her. I was too nervous to level by tanking when I first started, so the leveling process took forever. Maybe it's because I like to surprise people by saying I play a tank (see a previous Breakfast Topic for why I think they might be surprised). Maybe it's just because she was my first.
But I think the idea of a main could be something quite significant in WoW. It's how you identify yourself. It's your positioning and your role in the big machine, and it's who you feel you are online. Possibly.
So how about you? What is your main? How do you decide? Do you simply tell people that it's the character you play the most right now? Has your main changed, and if so, why? What's your WoW identity?
My name's Olivia, and I'm a paladin tank. Honest.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Tsuki Jan 3rd 2012 8:14AM
My main is and always will be my warrior. First character ever played, made, maxed, and enjoy everyday despite the nerfs. Though my alts have been getting slot more time from me (damn you hunter for being good in pvp XD), I tell people it's my warrior. And besides that, it's the one where all my achieves, pets, mounts, and other important stuff are so yeah....
My name is Antonio, and I'm a fury warrior. :P
robsmith77 Jan 3rd 2012 9:36AM
Your post matches my thoughts precisely.
My name is Robert, and I'm a fury warrior.
djdazz Jan 3rd 2012 10:12AM
Heck I hate "me too" posts but it's just so darn appropriate right now.
My name is Harry, and I am a Fury Warrior
Sinthar Jan 4th 2012 3:53AM
Well, this started to sound like some meeting of Warriors anonymous.....
Anyhow to break the chain
My names Sinthar, and Im a MAGE (you know the guys that hides behind the warriors n throws nasty spells at anyone giving my warrior mates any shit)
My main is - the toon i started, leveled and raid with. My alts are the other toons I have leveled, and yes I raid with them too - but far less.
How to I choose my main?
My main is where my heart is.
It remains my mage reguardless of whether he is weak or strong, or how OP my pally or DK are (or my rogue, priest, lock, or druid). Yes my main is a mage, but I think im coming down with altosis!
Maximize Jan 3rd 2012 11:44AM
The vast majority of my good stuff (achievements, mounts, pets, soulbound toys) are on my druid. I've been fortunate in that I've never gotten seriously fed up with this character because there is no chance I would change my main while all the character-bound things I've acquired over the years are stuck on him.
I may not be itching to make another character my main, but I sure as hell want to have the choice. Right now I don't.
Snark Jan 3rd 2012 11:44AM
My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
freebeatfly Jan 3rd 2012 12:19PM
I second this. The first time I played Wow I rolled my main and never looked back.
Hi I'm Val and I'm a rogue.
Kensdisguise Jan 3rd 2012 12:44PM
Well, my first toon was a Hunter. I decided that they are way too easy to play, so I rolled a Paladin Tank, a Priest Healer, and a Warlock. After each of them getting a few months as my "so-called" main, I have gone back to my Hunter and never looked back.
Hi, my name is Ken, and I am a Hunter.
Harvoc Jan 3rd 2012 1:22PM
I think you've confused one of your alt's classes for a hunter because they do not do well in PvP. According to World of Wargraphs (http://www.worldofwargraphs.com/stats-classesrepartition-0-0-0---0-0-0.html), hunters are the least represented in high- end rated PvP (2200+ rating), both overall and only using the best spec of each class. If we use overall, hunter's are the least represented class overall. If we use the best spec for each class (Frost for death knights, Feral for druids, Marksmanship for hunters, Frost for mages, Holy for paladins, Discipline for priests, Subtlety for rogues, Restoration for shamans, Affliction for warlocks, and Arms for warriors), Marksmanship is still last. It's so bad that Retribution paladins, the second best spec for paladins, is higher than them.
Tsuki Jan 3rd 2012 3:22PM
I didn't know that XD. But most of my alts arent at max lvl so, I'm still lvling them and my hunter only being 41 kinda doesn't apply to your link. But still nice link :P. But what I should have putted is I am enjoying playing the classes in bgs of that brackets. Also highfives to all who replied :D Internet cookie for you all!!!
VSUReaper Jan 3rd 2012 4:28PM
My main is the toon that in my mind is the one that is most like me. It also happens to be the 3rd toon that made it past 35.
I had a hunter, but I never really grasped the mechanics and it was a major learning experience.
My next was a priest - I didn't want to be a dps anymore, and I got up to merciless before I got tired of my priest - was frustrated with being so squishy and being so bland (dress + stick)
Finally rolled my warrior and never looked back. I love the 2h and shields and the sick looking armor!
bldavis59 Jan 3rd 2012 11:56PM
i agree with you
my main is and always will be the very first toon i created, and the reason i started playing WoW
a dwarf with a big @$$ shoulder cannon!
(dwarf hunter if you are a little slow or think i meant warrior)
i dont raid on him, but that is mostly due to hunters not having a tanking spec.....
i am refered to as my hunters name, he is the one i have all of my achievements on (including my only violet proto drake) and he gets the coveted top spot on my main server
if any of my MANY alts has a mount or pet i dont on my hunter....its cause i got lucky on that alt
i am, and always will be a dwarf hunter at heart, regardless if i am a bear/cat, a shining bastion of defense, a warrior mastering the art of combat with a 2hd weapon, a sneaky manwolfrogue, a holy ma...er dwarf, or a shaman trained on the Exodar to both rip your face off, or heal it back on....i am still a dwarf hunter
(and those are just the toons i play alot of!)
Shoikler Jan 3rd 2012 8:14AM
The short version: Someone told me to pick a main, and Shoikler was my highest-level toon at the time.
The slightly longer version: I started playing in BC, but altitis kept me from seeing Outland before Wrath dropped. I still did the midnight launch, and the guys in line ahead of me asked, "Why are you even here, then? You can't play anything in the expansion! Go home, pick a main, and get him leveled up now!" After I got my shiny new CE signed, I went home and, well, see the short version.
boil.san Jan 3rd 2012 8:18AM
How do I know which character/toon is my main…?!?
Simple, the only one I really have!
My (currently) Worgen Combat Rogue…!
I have tried other toons, even got as far as mid-30s with a human Pally, but nothing else seemed to just work for me like playing my Combat Rogue. Yeah, the rotation is about as simple as they come, but I have a good time playing it!
I will, however, be rolling a fresh Pandaran Windwalker Monk come Mists of Pandaria, and who knows how that might shake up the whole main/alt thing for me…
And I might even just race change my Rogue to a Pandaran as well…
Caz Jan 3rd 2012 11:13AM
I'm in the same boat. I have only one-max level character and that's my Discipline priest. My first and only. I've taken him pretty much everywhere over the past four years.
Shethornclaw Jan 3rd 2012 8:19AM
My main has and always will be my Balance Druid Shethornclaw. She was maybe my 4th toon ever and I rolled a druid because I saw a wow wiki pick of moonkin form and said: I want to be that. Been balance since Vanilla and even though I have 8 85's every time I try to switch to another character or try to switch to another spec I always come back to her and blowing stuff up. My enhancement Shaman is a close second.
I am Sheth a Balance Druid.
Revnah Jan 3rd 2012 8:20AM
Like the Facebook relationship-status says: It's complicated.
My "main" has changed over the 2 1/2 years that I've been playing, and there's no guarantee that it won't change again. First my main was my kitty druid, who was my first-ever character and the only one that I made first, timid attempts at raiding with (read: the first few ICC bosses in a veeery social, veeeeery casual guild).
Then I wanted to see the other half of the game, created two Horde characters, and fell in love with them - and thus I had them as "two mains", my warrior and my priest. When they hit 80 just before Catacylsm dropped, I decided I wanted to give serious raiding a try and joined a raiding guild. They needed a healer and so the priest, Revnah, became my "main", and is to this day - as in, the character I raid with, the character I know how to play best, and my best-geared character.
Told ya it's complicated! ;-)
Bricco Jan 6th 2012 7:39AM
Bricco is my main and that little dwarf is a holy Pally. Mainly in bg's right now while i try to get the heals figured out. I'm kind of an alt-o-holic. So many fun classes to play i guess. My favorite leveling toon is far and away my hunter-soooo much fun!
michaels.bryan Jan 3rd 2012 8:26AM
My "main" is the guy i started at 12:15am the night wow came out. My Paladin. But I have kept him my main recently for one reason. I currently have at lvl 85 a Hunter, Druid, Paladin, Warrior, warlock, shammy, and a Rogue. I have kept them all at max level for all the expansions. The problem started with achievements.
I know that many players don't care about them, but then again..many do. I love achievements. I try to get as many as possible. The big problem is it has killed me playing my alts for no other reason than I don't want to risk getting one of those rare achievements in pvp or in a instance on a guy that's not my "achievement guy".
Hopefully the next expansion with a account wide achievement system fixes this. I would love to be able to play my alts more, but I keep chasing those achievements on my main. I would love to be able to get an achievement based on that fact that I got the achievement, not that I got the achievement on this character and not that one. It should be based on the player...not the person they were playing.
Grollix Jan 3rd 2012 10:34AM
@michaels.bryan:
I feel the same way - my main is My Death Knight Tank and he became my main the moment I could make a DK (I started playing in Wrath).
Since that day I do EVERYTHING I can on him and I am almost complete on a PvE standpoint in terms of achievements. PvP is my last step and will be the one thing that keeps me from achieving 100% completion cause, lets face it - I'm not that great at PvP on my DK....but I do pretty damn good on my Arms/Fury Warrior!
So yeah....my alts sit awaiting to become useful the day account wide acheeves become the norm - then I can PvP with my Warrior and hope to hit that majestic, almost unobtainable 100% completion!