Despite my lack of fondness for the whole Fall of Theramore, I’d still like to take Saintvache and see it Horde side.
It can’t be any worse.
I’m hoping to do a post on “how I would have done it.” If you’re going to criticize, it’s always nice to present an alternative.
Speaking of Saintvache, he’s got a date with Arthas Saturday night. 8pm EST time. Kingslayers indeed.
I’m also looking forward to Sunday’s LBR on Alliance side.
Farming a BoE green that has a 0.5% chance of dropping sucks.
I had to explain to someone once that killing 200 of said mob will not guarantee the drop. S/he didn’t understand the idea of individual random results vs. cumulative.
I’ve got two more Posthumous chapters almost ready for publishing.
Once again, I surprise myself with where things go.
Now I just need to work on the in-game version of Liam.
He’s 30, after 5 levels of farming the same rare in Wetlands.
Man, do I have a plethora of hatchlings to sell.
Speaking of which, anyone trying to auction cut gems at this point is just throwing away gold.
Unless someone asks for it, don’t bother.
I just remembered Tome reserved a name on my Server for her Panda.
That’s assuming at this point she chooses Pandaria over Tyria.
And speaking of which, I forgot to tell my Mac friends that Guild Wars 2 is now available to them.
I owe Matty for that one.
All Mogolympics prizes have finally been awarded.
Now I just have to work on the site some more. Thank goodness for Draynee’s help because I’ve done very little myself.
This is the last weekend of WoW Cataclysm.
Even those of us not buying the expansion will feel the effects from Mists.
People are just frothing for pet-battles.
I should’ve gathered more pets to sell.
If you’re buying pets, and you’re on multiple servers…do the smart thing and compare prices. The realm with the most money doesn’t mean you need to spend the most.
Same for mounts.
Learned this week the Choppers are considered two different mounts and can’t be shared cross-faction. Understandable, but disappointing.
I’ll be getting a Jewelcrafting Panther before I get another chopper.
I determined this week Formula: Enchant Chest – Greater Stats has finished paying for itself. It was 19k I didn’t really miss.
I was hoping to be back over 200k on my one server by now. Damn recipes.
I wonder how far I’ll be able to level my Jewelcrafting when Mists goes live. If I don’t have to go to Pandaria to train, I’ll be “all over that.”
The same could be said for all my Professions, really.
I’m glad the “Stay Classy” guild achievements stayed at 85 (including the Monk). Just Pandas need to make it to 90.
After Liouxpold hits 85, I have no idea who will be next.
I wish VoA wasn’t server restricted. When we have Wintergrasp, no one is interested.
Just remove the Wintergrasp requirement already.
Speaking of annoying…if cross-realm zones weren’t bad enough, I had the “Confection Sugar” quest in Stormwind today.
That Cooking daily takes an hour at the best of times. Having three times the people running around the city doesn’t help in the slightest.
At least the powers that be were smart enough to remove the fishing tournaments until that gets sorted out in the cross-dimension nonsense.
Something I’ve been thinking about lately is repgrind. No, not that Repgrind. Grinding out reputation, specifically as it pertains to professions. For those of us who have several alts on a server, with different professions, that means we likely have to grind a certain reputation several times over -just to get the recipes on each toon. We need to improve our standing with them before they hand out the goods. Well, makes sense to me. But if my Hunter is Exalted with Honor Hold, why should it matter what he wants to buy from the Quartermaster?
My Hunter has a fine standing with a faction and while I can’t be absolute, there’s a good chance he gets along well with my Priest, my Shaman, my Rogue…you get the idea. At the very least, he gets along with the ones of the same faction or the same guild. You can probably see where I’m going with this already. What if patterns were BoA, but in the same style as Heirlooms originally were? In the beginning, Heirloom gear could only be sent to characters on the same account, on the same server, and of the same faction. To me, this system could just as easily work for Quartermaster items (though today I’m focusing just on the Profession benefits).
With achievements account-wide in less than 10 days, there’s zero reason to get Exalted with “that one toon” any longer -save for sentimental reasons. You can obtain it with any particular one for the achievement. Once you’ve done so, there’s less reason to do it again…especially with Head Enchants disappearing in Mists. Devil’s Advocate suggests well, if you really want the Quartermaster items, you should be willing to do the work to get them. That’s true. But we’re entering an expansion with more emphasis on casual playing and situations where people don’t have large periods of time. This is one of those things that could be done quite easily, without impacting the rest of the game.
Sure, my reasons are partly selfish. I won’t deny that. But I also can’t really argue against what makes it a good idea. Mounts are now accoun twide, and pets are as well (let’s not notpick which ones right now, as it impacts this discussion very little). Some Quartermasters have an item or two that’s BoA as it is. This is a complete change that simply makes sense.
Been a little while since we reached into the old mailbag to see what’s what. So, shall we?
With Mists of Pandaria coming I’m not sure who my main is anymore. I love my Holy Priest and raid healing…but my Forsaken Warlock is a lot of fun now too! What to do?
It depends on your approach with Mists. Keep in mind, the raids require doing them in order to unlock the next and the first won’t be right away (if I understand correctly). So getting your healer to 90 might not be as vital as you think. Plus, if your Priest isn’t dual-spec’d into something that can hand out damage, it’s going to be tedious outside of dungeon healing. If you want to explore the new land more than the new dungeons, I’d say the Warlock…and that’s coming from a guy who’s highest ‘Lock is 14.
With the Yak expected to be 120,000 gold I need to make some money fast, as it has become “my precious.” Suggestions please!
This is where gathering professions are going to excel. The first week people will be shooting for World First and server first. Engineers, Alchemist, Scribes, and Blacksmiths who don’t have the proper gathering professions will be snatching the mats up left and right. Jewelcrafters will be looking for Ore as well so they can max and work on new cuts. As such, don’t even level when Mists launches. Just go straight to farming and park a toon near an Auction House and mail the mats to them. Also, Scribes can expect to rake in the gold in the early stages with all the new changes to Glyphs that are coming. Druids alone have more fun Glyphs than you can count to.
I’m more of a solo player, but in an effort to improve on my gear I’ve tried to do a few random dungeons. Needless to say, the experience was miserable. You seem to have mixed results when you talk about dungeon groups, is there ANY way to make things more enjoyable?
Well, I’d ignore the idiots for starters. One of the biggest positive moves I find is when I’m in a dungeon with a class/spec for the first time, I tell the group that right out of the gate. Particularly as a tank or healer, and it’s rare that I have problems. Having said that, the best groups you can possibly run with (and hey, I’m biased) are the Laid Back Raidsthat I organize one night a weekend, and Laid Back Dungeonsthat Shoryl puts together Wednesday nights. It’s too casual for us to worry, and everyone is always more than happy to help.
I plan to roll a Troll Monk when the new expansion launches, as they’ve already got the Capoeira dance going. I’m completely blank on a name though…help?
You mean besides Vudufu? As cheesy as that one is, it popped into my head right away and I actually like it. Put emphasis on the middle syllabel and it really could be a Troll name. Even worse pun names could be Kigya and Bootadahead. Those really bad ones aside, it depends what you’re looking for. Obviously I wouldn’t recommend either on an RP server or if you’re playing a character rather than just a toon. Spearfist is nickname-y and fits the Trolls, as might Frenzyfist. Honestly, I like Vudufu. Kick me 20g if you use it.
Posthumous started out really good but did you have to make him gay?
Alistair, is this you? Last time I checked the calendar it was 2012, not 1912. I didn’t “make” the character anything. He loved someone. It shouldn’t matter whether it was a man or a woman, the point was that he felt he found his soulmate. I’m not about to explain the role of the Alistair character because I think part of it would be lost in this discussion. If you choose to keep reading, so be it. If the main character’s possible sexuality discerns you that much then I’m sorry for you. I really am.
Quite the mixed bag this go around. Positive or negative, I always appreciate you taking the time to write me. If you’ve got a question, hit me up at arcanewordsmith@gmail.com.
So, last month, we had a discussion over a couple of days regarding what professions to take when rolling a new toon on a new server. I argued Enchanting and Skinning, while most people suggested the other gathering professions, Herbalism and Mining. You know what I’ve learned since then? You’re almost better off not even bothering.
Leave `em blank or take your time.
I know it was touched on back then, but the fact is the levelling system in this game is so out of whack now that it is literally a waste of time to work on professions on a toon you plan to level relatively quick. Even without any bonus XP from your guild or heirlooms, the levels come fast. Add in those other things and, well, my goodness. You literally have to stop levelling in order to work on points in your professions.
Now, we’re talking primary professions here of course. I still recommend cooking as soon as possible as most of the dailies (particularly Ironforge and Thunder Bluff) are easy as pie and have solid xp. By the time you seek cooking benefits, you’ll be high enough. But we’re getting off course at the moment.
If your plan is to get a toon to 85, just do it. Don’t even bother with professions. I can’t believe I’m actually saying that, but it’s true. Yes, you’ll pay through the nose for materials when the time comes that you actually decide to pick up a couple of crafts (then again, who says you absolutely have to?), but if you can maximize your resources, it won’t be too bad.
Now, if you’re planning to take your sweet time then just go with whatever professions you enjoy or want the character to have. You’re in no rush, so you can “nickel and dime” your profession(s) as you go. Plus, once you’re high enough you can get some bonus points from the Darkmoon Faire in order to avoid those “tough to level” spots in your profession points.
Yes, I’m stubborn, and I stuck to my guns when we talked before. What else would you expect from such an opinionated fella with a fascination for Dwarves and Tauren? That said, there comes some humble pie at times, and I have no problem eating a slice now and then when it’s aroma wafts my way.
**note** I apologize for the lateness of posting this…my blog was infected by parasitic nanotechnology for the better part of the morning. Well, that or WordPress was just not working properly…**
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So yesterday I suggested on a new server I would roll Enchanting and Skinning and very few people agreed with me. Rest assured that’s quite alright, but allow me to elaborate a bit first. I’ve happily recommended the big two gathering professions in the past. Herbalism and Mining are exactly what I would take if my focus was on levelling or making as much money as possible. Yesterday, however, I was approaching my thought process from the idea of kind of a “jack of all trades” approach. It was what brought the most balance to everything instead of focusing just on one thing in particular (sounds like a certain author I know…). The suggestion of a Death Knight is a good one as well, but I know many people who either don’t like the class or are sick of rolling one. What I disagree with, is the suggestion that the gathering professions are easier to level and create more profit than others, namely Enchanting.
Before I get to that, I want to touch on Skinning. The reason I suggested it was because I had planned on a dps class for the character and the boost from Skinning is a handy bonus for the role. Also, most servers are low on skinners. Reason being? Everyone else takes mining and herbalism. Is it harder to “farm” leather? Absolutely. But at no point did I say anything about farming it. I’ve found with my two skinners, questing in places like Stranglethorn Vale, Winterspring, and Sholozar Basin while I level is more than ample for most of my skinning needs as I’m killing mobs anyway. If you get to a point (with any profession actually) where you’re a bit stuck then just be sure to hit up the Darkmoon Faire for the 5 point boost (there’s a glove Enchant as well that could net you another +5). Sorry, got a little carried away defending Skinning, but I do honestly believe it’s not as “groan” worthy as the general stereotype makes it out to be.
As I was saying, my other argument is regarding the perception on money making and why the gathering profs are better. Don’t get me wrong, I will not dispute that herbs and minerals sell. In fact, I push mining more than herbalism because miners can also smelt and often there are bars worth more than their ore equivalent. But Enchanting seems to have a misconception, one that I think is due to approach.
Getting to 85 and then dropping something for Enchanting is to me, a waste of time. I can say honestly I spend less time dedicated to my Enchanting points as I go along versus trying it at end game. As someone pointed out, the mats are scarce and expensive because Enchanters get them and use them. One of the key reasons? People wait until 85 to level and thus have more money and will spend it on the materials, thus driving up the cost. So why would you want to spend more money at 85? I certainly wouldn’t, and thus in that scenario as a less seasoned auctioneer would go out and farm the mats myself.
You would’ve done that as your character levelled though. BoP gear, some of which isn’t worth a lick to a vendor, would’ve gotten you the mats you needed. So I really don’t see how farming for herbs and minerals to 85 and then farming for Enchant mats is all that efficient.
I will pause to fully agree that most times making scrolls is a gold loss. There are very few that sell well enough as you go along, and that’s why I don’t bother. Am I basically throwing mats away by Enchanting my own stuff over and over? Yes. But I make enough money off of the profession that I come out miles ahead. Since it was suggested Enchanting usually operates at a loss early on, people are probably shaking their head at me.
It’s true, the Essences and Dusts are quite often ridiculously expensive on the Auction House. Doesn’t matter the server. Doesn’t matter the faction. You know what often isn’t? Gear. All it takes is a little addon (and there are several with said feature) that tells you what an item is worth Disenchanted, and knowing on your own which ones have the higher odds of reaching that value (Notched Cobalt War Axes were a prime example of this in Wrath). I’m amazed at how many greens between levels 3 and 25 I pull off the Auction House for dirt cheap (by that I mean less than 70 silver) and then sell the Strange Dust back on the Auction House at their market value (which is about 700% return on that investment I made buying the gear). It’s one of those things where it just pays to watch the AH and do it when it works. But as you are able to DE higher and higher level weapons and gear you’ll easily make more than enough money to cover your materials to level, including the ever expensive rods if you don’t know a blacksmith, and still have plenty leftover for mounts and other shiny stuff.
I could discuss the other professions as well, but these are the ones that were the main part of yesterday’s talk and I wanted to elaborate on things and counter some of the main points against what I chose. The thing to remember is each person’s approach is going to be different and part of that is going to be what they plan to do. If you want to make gold, you might take a gathering profession and it’s beneficiary in the crafting department, or maybe you figure you’ll just focus on making the money at max level and take Enchanting/Jewelcrafting (I’ve done that ONCE as a combo and probably never again).
What I was trying to do in my suggestion yesterday was put together the most generalized option that gave you the most benefit across the board. Money. Relative Class Ease. Time Saver. As someone else said, if you don’t like a Mage and would rather play something such as a Hunter for ease of class, then there’s nothing wrong with that. If you hate Skinning and would rather have Tailoring, then that’s fine too. The thing is, as long as you learn how to maximize your professions to benefit you most, then any of them will work.
As of late I’ve been giving a great deal of thought to how to best maximize opportunity when you create a new character on a new server. This is based entirely on no heirlooms and no plans to transfer a character either.
The first thing I always do on a new server is select Enchanting as one of my Professions. There is easy money to be made and for the most part if you can level it as you go it isn’t very difficult to maintain. Also, you now have an option for that BoE gear that lacks useful stats and isn’t worth keeping for any type of transmogrification value.
I’ve taken Tailoring as my other profession on occasion because let’s face it, bags are awesome. But that’s something I realize a secondary character can have. Instead, I suggest a gathering profession. In sheer coincidence two of my top three toons are Enchanting and Herbalism. Picking herbs as you go along is as easy as mining would be. Sure mining gives you the bonus of also being able to smelt bars should they be worth more than the ore on said server. But, at this stage of the game, I would bypass both in favour of Skinning.
The funny thing is, I never create Skinners. I have one out of over twenty toons but I would change that now. First off, the boost from the profession is great for dps -even casters. Also, using myself as an example I’ve highlighted the real reason it’s a good idea now. No one is skinning. Leather prices are pretty high from start to finish, so here’s a chance to capitalize on it.
So we have Skinning and Enchanting as our Professions, but that is putting the cart before the horse. We need a race and class. Honestly, your race is entirely your own decision. However, off the top of my head the only race that won’t work is a Tauren and you’ll see why in a moment.
The first class I considered was a Rogue. Being on a server with a few Horde toons and not having a Rogue when on my Alliance server I have an 85 one is killing me with every lockbox I get. There is money to be made there and in that same train of thought there are plenty of locked chests out in Azeroth. However, after I thought this through I realized for the average person Rogues are actually difficult to play. Also, while the lockpicking is handy, there’s a better choice here.
As you’re leveling, you’re probably either PvPing, dungeoning, or questing. Okay, truth be told you have to be doing one of the three. If questing is your choice method, then you’re traveling a great deal. Sure, the mount tiers are available earlier than ever, but there’s still a better way. In fact, even with flying mounts and top speed there is another method folks seek out: Mage ports.
Indeed, a Mage is the best choice for your first toon on a new server. Travel is a no brainer. When you start learning to Teleport to the various cities (and subsequently Portals as well), you can set your hearth in a completely different location (such as the town near your current quest area) and you reduce travel speed and quest time and level faster. And Mage Portals bring in a pretty penny.
In a dungeon, playing a Mage is not terribly difficult -especially at low level. We’re not talking end game here, since this is a new character. So as long as you learn the basics you’ll be fine. We’ll not even comment on PvP. There are far too many players that see my Frost Mage and vow to kill him on the spot. A lot. Once in a while they succeed, too.
So a Mage with Skinning and Enchanting is the combination I would recommend if you’re creating a new character on a new server (and now you can see why I said Tauren wouldn’t work for the race). Not only is it a good class for leveling, time wise, but this combination allows you a relatively easy means of generating gold as you level. Add in Cooking, as you should for every low level character these days for the daily quest xp, and you’ll be laughing.
Normally the first toon I roll on a new server is one who takes up Enchanting…or at the very least, I make sure to get one quick. Too much gear is relatively worthless in the early crafting stages, unless you disenchant it. Then, depending on server economy, you might get a return. That’s not always the case though. So, what to do with 10 pairs of Embossed Leather Gloves?
I can’t even begin to tell you how I came up with the idea, but I’m glad I did. For the sake of the discussion, I’m using my rather low Dwarf Hunter on Steamwheedle Cartel as an example. His Leatherworking is a pittance, as I often just snag stuff off the auction house to use because he doesn’t leave Ironforge very often to kill and skin. So when I amass enough Light Leather to craft a couple of things, I tend to get to work.
When I’m either done, or out of bag space, I look at the gear I’ve crafted and who it applies to. Obviously there’s a chance the Agility boost on the previously mentioned gloves could help a low level Shaman or Druid , but it’s much more likely on a Hunter or Rogue. So I do a /who for the class. If I see someone low level (or level appropriate anyway), I simply mail them the item with a little note explaining I crafted it for points and thought they might be able to use it as they level.
You know what? It’s actually a really nice feeling. It’s such a nonchalant act, and let’s be honest when was the last time you got mail from a complete stranger in-game? Sometimes I get replies, sometimes I don’t. One thing, though, I never get the item back. That’s important to me. I don’t know what the person on the other end of the mailed item does with it, but they do something and that’s all that matters. Give it a try at some point and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
Been a little while since we reached into the old mailbag to see what’s what. So, shall we?
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