Hardcore, but sideways.

I don’t know why it bothers me. In the three weeks since release I’ve managed to reach Dalaran. On one character, Stormsoul. I really don’t see the point in reaching 80. There’s so much to see and do, what’s the rush? I’m not 80, but soooo many people are. Why should this bother me? I mean, it’s their characters. It’s not jealousy on my part.  They see what they want to see.  I see what I want to see.  Maybe the guild thinks I’m slacking?  By all indications it would look like I was.  Am I failing them because I’m not ready to undertake raiding for the next two years so soon after the release of the expansion?  They’ve replaced me anyway.  A new Elemental Shaman is already in the ranks.  Moving and shaking.  He was one of the first 80′s we had.

But if “Level 80″ were the only indication of playing, I guess I’m not.  But I am playing.  Just this evening I was working on an Alliance Warrior on another server.  Why?  So I can get him to level 55 so I can roll a Death Knight on that server.  Alliance DK this time.  Gnome.  Because I can.

And why did I get Stormsoul to the elevated level of 74 so far? Elemental Shaman is pretty much the least rewarded class/spec quest reward gear wise. I can’t tell you all the plate I’ve sold to the vendors as trash. I’m leveling a class/spec apparently designed to have no useful rewards offered. Me and the Boomkins, of course. Well, there’s a guild meeting coming up, and it’s going to be held in Dalaran this Wednesday. That meant I had to reach level 74 with him and quickly. As of last night, that’s done. The approach taken, when I devoted myself to it, was to simply knock out quest after quest, after quest after quest, until it got done. And doing so I wasn’t really paying much attention to the story or the lore or the visuals. It felt like a job. And for the folks who did it that first weekend… Grats? A big shout out to all the 80′s who’ve gotten to Exalted with 25 factions already.  Woot!  Now what will you do for the next two years? You’ve already gotten the 25 tabards, you’re riding a moving van mammoth, and are flying the albino drake. Bemoan the lack of content? Your 14 bucks, and I commend you on your focus.

Heck, I’m even falling behind the guild’s new Death Knights. A prominent one is level 78 now. I’m doing instances, instance rather, all of one with Stormsoul (can’t solo them, and I’m an independent sort), with the guild’s alts. Most the rest of the guild is doing the progression grind now, the new heroics and such. With two years ahead of them the end-game will be conquered for sure.

My Warrior, Msaker, is Protection. But I’ve had bad experiences tanking, so I’m Protection because I like it, and I’ll level with my wife’s non-raiding, non-instancing, Enhancement (of course) Shaman. But a Protection Warrior that’s not into tanking is about as useful to a guild as teats on a Murloc, so I’m no longer guilded with them. He and the wife’s Shaman, Droonda, are level 72 now. And he’ll see all the same quests as Stormsoul did, but at his tourist pace, and in good company.

Our Druids, Alliance, are all of level 70. Still. We’ve done a few quests here and there. But Droonda was getting the focus since she was the first to 60, the first to 70, and she’ll be the first to 80.

Her Death Knight and my Paladin, Alliance, have started the quests in Hellfire Peninsula. My Death Knight, Horde, has leveled Enchantment to 350, and Inscription to 145 or so. My Paladin’s leveled Inscription to 220. My Shaman and Druids are out gathering herbs for them. This dual inscription leveling might explain their failure to progress.

My 70 Hunter? He’s tamed the white ape from Ongoro, the white core hound from Azure Myst Isle, I’m frankly dreading to have to roll through all the same quests with him like everyone else. Can I level on Rhinos? My leatherworking would sure be helped.

And in Warhammer the wife and I have reached level 15 with one character each, not to name the usual gaggle of alts that go along with that. And tomorrow I’ll start a Knight of the Blazing Sun and a Black Guard.

I’m not 80 and hardcore in a focused way. I’m focused a tad more broadly, if you can even use the term “focus,” but I’m there, every night, enjoying it and probably deserving the title “hardcore” as well.  I’m just doing it sideways.

P.S. Can you tell they’ve blocked WordPress blogs at my workplace? 

 

The new WAR Tanks

Worlds of difference.

I didn’t play through the whole deal to exalted in the recent Heavy Metal event in Warhammer.  I stopped at cloaks for three characters.  (I’ve got WoW characters to level, dammit!)  But it seems like everyone else did. Imagine nine tanks and a healer in one scenario.  Yikes.  The Dark Elves appear to love their Blackguards.

But, you know what?  All Dark Elves pretty much look alike.  You can’t tell the Witch Elves from the rest because they’re naked.  Half the players play naked for the title.  So you’ve got the scenario where Disciples of Khaine, Witch Elves, and Black Guards are pretty much the “in your face” group.  And they all look alike.  Worse still that the guys look as feminine as the girls.  And they’re all in that Dark Elf pale gray emo look.  You almost have to look hard to spot a shield.

Kind of disappointing.  I was hoping for razor edged bad boys.  We get girly men. Wielding halbeards, so that’s cool at least.

Now on the Order side.  The Knights of the Blazing Sun.  Hans and Frans would be proud.  These are real men.  And most of them come equipped with their own glowing ball of light coming from inside them.  I kid you not.  Most had this orange glow effect, a couple had white effects, and a few had none.  These guys are on fire.  And the puffy shirts (“But I don’t want to be a pirate!”) look really kind of cool.

I think Order got a cool class folks will gravitate to, and Destruction just more of the same.

I look forward to playing both and seeing what’s what.