I’ve never been a big alt person. I have my banker alt, I have my 10-man guild alt, and the DK I played after being told by the 30th person that the starting zone was so great I had to see it. But in general I can’t stand playing alts.
But it’s not alts that bother me, it’s leveling. I despise leveling.
The truth is if I could have a level 80 alt, I would probably enjoy playing it. I’d run heroics, gear him up, take him to Naxx gearing runs. Exploring another class (like a healer or tank) would be interesting. Most of all I’d enjoy having access to other professions.
But I cannot stomach the leveling.
I think one of the strengths of WoW is that it offers so many different ways to play. If you don’t like the endgame, you can continue to level up different alts and play the leveling game. I know many people who love the leveling game and enjoy leveling their ninth alt. There’s the pvp game, there’s the achievement game. And there’s the raiding endgame.
I want to play the raiding endgame, but in order to do so I have to play the leveling game with every single toon for a massive amount of time before I’m allowed to play the game that I want.
The Frostheim Alt Solution
I think once you get a character to level 80 WoW should acknowledge that you’ve played the leveling game and allow you to get a pass on it if you don’t want to play it again.
What I’d love is if you could take any level 80 character and give it an “Alt Focus” where you can select an alt that your character will be training. As long as you have an Alt Focus selected, 10% or 20% of the XP your character would normally have received is channelled to the alt instead.
For flavor purposes, call it an Apprentice system. And maybe you want to make it only xp from kills, or maybe you want to make it an item like the heirloom items. You purchase a neck piece and while you’re wearing it a percentage of the xp transfers Maybe you have to buy a different one for each alt (the master wears one half, and the apprentice wears the other). The point is, I want to be able to level my alt by playing my main – by playing the game that I want to play, the endgame.
And I certainly think a good balance would be to make sure that your alt gains xp at a significantly slower rate than if you were just leveling. It’s not a faster way to level, just a different way.
A way that lets us all have alts and explore the different classes, but allows us each to play WoW the way that we want to play it.
I concur I cannot get the energy up to level another toon, I have one at lvl 51. But just cannot play them knowing what is ahead of me to get them to 80. The way they are doing things with the heirloom gear and riding, there should be a way to bring your alt along without doing all the same lvling again.
I agree as well, as i am leveling my third alt.. it is all getting very boring:(
That was a very thoughtful and ingenious way of getting around a problem so many of us cannot stand. As you put it, we want to play the portion of the game we are interested in, and would like to be able to concentrate on that.
I actually enjoy messing around with other classes. I want to see not only what is out there, but what the heck my teammates should actually be doing. It gives me a better appreciation for someone who is playing their class well.
Even with that, I really dislike grinding. I have played enough MMOs to feel like I have paid my grinding dues. I think it is time to give some of us an ability, definitely not overpowered, to get away from that. Give us something! Anything! Because honestly, I think the only grinding I am okay with at this point involves pepper.
Here’s my two cents; I think you learn a lot about how to play a class early on from the grinding. For example I have an alt (Now 76) who is a tank. Now, I contend that I learned a lot of valuable skills about tanking in low level instances like Shadowfang keep that aid me now in Northrend. Especially in PUGs where everyone attacked a different mob and it was up to me to keep everything under control…
I think if you gave me a level 80 character and said “away you go!” I’d be completely lost! Now you are talking about levelling by playing a different character, and I understand that you do not mean exclusively, but some would – and imagine how many people would end up in PUGs with brand new 80′s that they did not understand at all! I cite many of the DK’s we see out there…
I think Blizzard have it right with the Heirloom items…
But, we can agree to disagree this time! Now, give me that damn pet equipment you suggested ages ago…
we must have been cut from the same cloth as far as this goes, frost. i hate levelling. i mean, it makes me violent. i have to walk away from my computer for a few hours violent.
yet oddly, i enjoy farming and raising proffessions. im on my third recent mining, ive done herbalism twice (if youre wondering why more than once, i raised herbalism to farm mats to power level alchemy. when i got the mats, i dropped herb and picked up alch.) i dont mind that at all. but levelling, pssht.
i am working on a DK now to get him to like 74 so i can raise JC and mine in sholazar basin without fear of being reamed by the mobs. hes only 58. even with the heirlooms, id rather have teeth pulled out that grind, especially in outlands and northrend. takes so frickin long.
if i was gonna level a toon to seriously play in end game, i probably would level from beginning to learn the character. it took me a while to get a hold of death knights because you just sorta are dropped into the role.
but blech, levelling is for the birds. i enjoy it when doing new content but once ive done it, its did, and i aint wanna did it again.
I have to agree with MrJackdaw. leveling is a way of learning how that class works… maybe a few more Heirlooms and more content for lower levels so that we are not doing the samething over and over…. hey anyword yet on other sites for other classes that are like yours, which by the way is the absolute best site ever and I have been an avide daily reader ever since i found it 5 months ago
The other problem with alts is they divide your focus on what you are doing in the game. In BC, I had 5 70s I think. I was really disjointed in who I was actually playing at any given time and I found inevitably I had 5 characters that all were not really viable for being my main for 25 man raiding. For Wrath, I decided that I will only focus solely on one character and if I find I have extra time, I will work on another, but 2 is my max for this expansion.
Of course, if you play more, you can seem like you get a lot more out of your alts, but I found when I had to do 2 hours of maintenance just to keep all my characters ready for whatever I needed them to be ready for, it was just a huge time sync for an aspect of the game that was mostly tedious and boring. Right now, I am happy with the amount of play I am putting in. It’s enough to enjoy it without getting seriously burned out.
To MrJackdaw
I think you are totally right. I have been playing on some private servers where you get a lvl 80 right away. And that sucks. If its a class you never have played before you dont know what to do..
I love alts. I hate leveling. I also hate people who have no clue how to play their class… despite having to have levelled it (or paid for it), or had a friend PL them.
Lots of ways to get to 80 without using more than one brain cell or learning a class. So this won’t remove the idiots from the system, it’ll just allow normal semi-idiots to seem like idiots for a while.
I’d like a get-to-70 system (maybe boost heirloom percentages big time), and a way of somewhat speeding 70-80 at a slower rate.
Lots of things change as you level, roles and tools from 1-20 aren’t the same as 60 70 or 80 in many cases. Trick is how to get to almost 80 and then be able to learn the class before raiding
I agree with Axe. I do not think leveling necessarily teaches you to play your class: it certainly does teach you how to play the *game* however. But you only need to learn that once.
I would argue that the majority of players reach level 80 without knowing how to play their class, and certainly aren’t prepared for raiding with their class. Some do manage to learn while leveling; however, I don’t think it’s the process of leveling that teaches you to play your class.
Without doubt being given a fresh 80 you will need to learn how to play it. But you can learn using the actual abilities you will need in the end game, and your learning time can be spent gearing up for the endgame.
My first 80 alt is coming from a family member who stopped playing altogether. After some discussion, and an impending payment for transfer, I’m going to be the proud owner of a mage soon.
Arth’s Alt Solution: Outsource labor.
I am currently on my third alt and so far I have 2 alliance 80′s I could not stomach leveling another alliance toon so I went horde this time. And I agree with most of this comment. I personally don’t mind levelling, the problem I have is time. Between raiding daily for 3+ hours and making the gold to support the raiding I find it hard to find time to level my alt. the biggest thing keeping me going is the fact that at least the quests are a little different on the other side.
Ive got a idea! ding to lvl 10. stay in sw and level to 80 through BGs! its so much fun
Well, there are now two heirloom items that give 20% bonus exp, the shoulders and the chest. Though I don’t know if you want to sacrifice the emblems for them…
But yes, I agree. I think every class should at least be able to start off at 55 like the DKs.
I have to agree with most of you. Leveling takes too much time and you may or may not learn your class in that time. Maybe if they shortened the time it takes to level, or have a system like the DKs? This should be a major priority for Blizz if the rumors of a new xpac are true. No one wants to spend months of level a new char to whatever the new level cap maybe just to find out they are just beginning to know what the game is about. Frost has a great idea going on here. I wish Blizz would take it into consideration…
Haha… well we all have to deal with levelling. I have alts which I hate to level. Can’t stand it =P But I like a change so I made an effort through TBC during offtime of raids.
Spare time from SSC? Grind the little squishy bastard to 50. Oh whats that? BT has been cancelled again. Stupid summer raiding? Level 70 Inc lol.
Ended up with a lvl 70 priest by the end of TBC gearing him in Karazhan. Joined a social guild to mess around with. It’s alot more fun than logging on to stand around in Dalaran really. Been gearing him in Ulduar thes days.
It’s nice to have something to do. Even if its levelling for an hour. It all adds up. Skipping levelling detracts from stuff to do. I hate heroics. Even on alts. So bring on levelling even if I avoid it for 2 months lol.
@ Frost
Well as an expierence your correct. Levelling teachs you basics of what goes where. You learn which abilities are better. But it doesn’t teach you advanced skills. I mean I was in Karazhan before I learned how to chain trap (God I miss you Moroes). But learning what your basics of the class are, teaches you 50% of the advanced ideas. I had heard of kiting in UBRS before I was raiding. Buying an account/paying for acc to be levelled won’t help you out. But basic time with your class will.
I’d argue they do know how to play. If only its a scrappy idea. And thats all you need really when you start to instance at 80 for normal/heroics. the rest yiou learn from people telling you what to do. i learned to kite from a druid =P
I love the way this discussion is divided 50/50 so the solution seems obvious to me – they make the service available and those who want to use it do… but those who level the long way get some sort of bonus. No idea what… a useful trinket? But please god! not another mini-pet!
I’m finding the Heirloom items (10% exp gain, cold weather flying at 68) help out a lot (well at least it helps my boredom with leveling). Still having trouble bringing myself to play my level 35 mage, though…
Our guild is short of healers ( isn’t every guild ?) so i thought I would make a Druid ….I am at level 22 after about a month and a half and I doubt I’ll get to 80 ever…..same quests, discovering the same places ..ho..hum….I like the Druid. He’s fun to play….but I hate getting killed by mobs that mey pet’s thunderstomp would destroy. I have actually considered buying an 80 Druid ..I hate levelling so much. My warrior never made it to level 20
I actually think a hybrid solution might offer a good approach. If Blizz served more of the bind on account items along with the option to start a new toon at any level up to 50. I thought starting the DK at a higher level was a nice feature and while I prefer to start at 50 or so some players may actually enjoy grinding from a lowly level one on up.
For me the most valuable playing experience came from around level 50 through 80. In my estimation 1-50 is basically a useless grind. I understand the game and have a cursory knowledge of each class and expect playing for 30 levels could get me a thorough experience level to master them well.
I have really given up on my alts in part because of the leveling game and gear pursuit. Also I just REALLY enjoy the hunter. Yeah…we get the blame for an errant pet getting feared into the mob for a raid wipe, yeah we get crap for being the EASIEST toon to level…but having a stable with Loque, Gondria, and Aotona has a certain appeal that I find exceedingly fun.
@ Omogon
We were short of healers the other night in my main raiding guild. So i brought my priest from another guild to it. Alot more fun than usual especially after they had rebuffed XT 25 man. Proper raiding again <3 Was expecting an easy run, no such luck. Made a nice change.
I think I pose an interesting question to people that say “I love to play the leveling game” and that question is: “Would you level someone else’s character to level 80 and then handing it off to someone else, not getting a single taste of endgame?” It’s kinda like eating the crust and handing someone else the rest of the pizza because they don’t like the taste of it(from the view of the leveler here).But I guess eating the crust just once for the experience is enough for some people.
Alt’s mean different things to different people — I personally don’t mind too much the alt levelling gig – it’s something I can do for a change of pace.
I do think that valuable lessons are learnt about playing a class by levelling them, and it’s not that these lessons can’t be learnt later, it just “easier” during the levelling — which doesn’t stop people getting to max level without learning them either.
Personally, gifting a max level character to a player seem to cut both ways — I can see the massive bonus of not having to do things you don’t want to do.. but at the same time .. you could be missing things you don’t even know about.
Different classes complete key challenge quests in different ways — the fun in levelling my druid and paladin didn’t come from the fact I was doing the same quests, but I was doing the same quests in a different way. It’s crazy how many group quests a prot. pally can solo during the levelling process. It’s fun using the druid mix of forms to tackle quests that Myr couldn’t hope to solo.
I don;t begrudge the time I spent levelling the alts I have, because I also think that experiencing vastly different play styles have changed the perspectives I brought to Myr as well.
Personally – I don’t think I would choose to skip the whole levelling process, and and given the amount of assistance there is these days, it’s really not as onerous as it was, but I can still see why people would want to.
There is so much information on the forums about how to play classes. Some of its crap, but,
by trail and error you can figure out pretty quickly whats legit and how to play your class ok. The way you play your class also tends to vary significantly with gear, and that gearing up can take a much time as leveling. So, I agree with Frost here, there should be a way to just make a level 80 and not worry about all the questing.
Myr! If you like leveling alts, do you wanna level Apuka? She’s sitting at level 70. I wouldnt mind having another alternative to Neven on some of our 10 man runs.
I do agree that leveling doesn’t necessarily teach you how to play your class. However a certain amount of leveling is necessary. I don’t understand why once you have a character at level 80 you can’t simply get another at 60. Why is 1-60 so necessary? Do I really need to kill 15 bores in Durotar for the hundredth time with zero abilities to “learn” how to play my class?
Another point to make in the requiring people to level their class is, how many people level their paladin as ret for example, then immediately switch to holy or prot when they ding 80? Each tree is so vastly different, who really learns their class before 80 anyways? In addition to which, how many talents are fantastic for leveling, but horrible for endgame? No, all the learning comes much later at 80. I’d only suggest a few levels (Come on, 20 levels isn’t that bad), just to get the feel of the class and have a general understanding of the 50 spells in your spell book.
Have to admit though, Blizz really is trying to make it easier without giving it to you. With the heirlooms that exist as part of the 3.2 patch now, you can get up to 20% more experience when leveling an alt from quests and mobs, and that’s not even considering the ease of having a flight mount available at 60 and a flying mount in northrend at 68 with a tome.
You make a valid point about playing the levelling game, but I can see Blizzard’s position too. Leveling a sucks, and in some cases is pretty hard. If they make it too easy for everyone with an 80 to get one, it lowers the value of having a . Sorry people, but if you want cookies, you either have to go through the process of baking them, or you have to buy some premades at the store.
I hate leveling alts aswell. Since they made Dk’s i have been thinking how they should bring us some kind of system where for example once we have 1 char lvl’d too 80 from 0, we can make 1 auto lvl 80, then we can have a alt without the hasstle, and also as its 1-1 its not easy mode once u have one lvl 80, just to give insentives to have a 2nd main!
I, for one, enjoy leveling……at Outlands levels and up. Anything before that is too much of a pain to be truly enjoyable.