I couldn't have imagined a month ago that I would feel poor with 200 gold in the bank, but alas, I do. Chris and I have a joint 'bank' account with his auction toon and that's the balance: 200 gold and a few silver coins. His playing a level 43 mage and I have dwindled down to one main and two alts, level 43, 38 and 32 respectively. 200 gold between four characters just doesn't seem like enough money to play comfortably.
I know that Chris' enchanting and tailoring is currently a huge money pit, but that's okay. I have done the math and both tailoring and enchanting will be making us money in the future. The near future, I daresay optimistically.
I do doubt whether my crafting professions are making any money. On weekend when five or six blue items sell for around 100 gold, I feel optimistic. On weekday mornings when I spend gold coin after coin to pick up cheap materials I can feel the money seeping away with a deathly finality. I fear I may never get it all back.
It's a game afterall and I am surprised to find myself hoping that more children will choose to play this particular game. It simulates world economy and personal finances pretty well from where I stand. There's room for a variety of different entrepreneurial pursuits and it's a difficult decision to choose any particular route. When I have a few additional bits and pieces left from gathering professions, I sell them on the auction house and feel as if they do not make enough money for the effort I put in. Conversely, when I buy these off the auction house it feels like day light robbery.
As for crafting professions, making 1 gold off an item seems small and insignificant, but when purchasing item after item, 1 gold per item soon becomes 10 gold. It somehow never sink in that selling 10 items will also add up to 10 gold. Not that 10 gold is a significant amount of money, of course.
I am learning quick. Making money is all about specializing and multi-tasking. Buy what you need only at bargain prices. Farm what you can farm quickly and efficiently. When crafting, first craft for yourself, then for skill-up and lastly for profit. "If you can keep your head when all about you are loosing theirs..." I wouldn't want to think of either this universe or the Warcraft universe as such a hostile world where Kipling's staunch self-reliant individualism is required.
Soloing as much as I do does make it feel at times as if I'm pulling myself up by the bootstraps when playing. But I don't mind. I'd rather be lost in my own imagination - that is after all my main goal for playing - than continuously reminded by other players that I am not a very good team player.
And so I spend my gaming days trawling the auction house for cheap items, selling any excess I have at market value and crafting and then selling rarer items in the hopes that one day, in the World of Warcraft, I'll be rich and able to buy the best gear to facilitate the best gaming experience. In the meantime, I plan to not dwell too much on any possible future and just enjoy playing, both the actual playing and the axiliary components of play.
Monday, 31 March 2008
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Fishing For Druids
Fishing, like most professions, only really make money later on. Fishing pays in weird and wonderful ways, such as when you catch a valuable item or nice pattern on the line or through cooking bonuses. Being well fed is never a bad thing. It's the mid- to upper level fish that begin to make a little money, like the raw sunscale salmon on my server. These puppies, sorry fish, sell for gold.
Druids learn their only teleportation spell at level 10: Teleport to Moonglade. Not only is this a nice bonus for training (simply teleport to Moonglade and then hearthstone back to wherever you were), it also come in handy for fishing at mid-level. Moonglade is a very safe level 40 - 50 area with plenty of fish that sell well on the AH. Teleport to Moonglade, fish and hearthstone back.
Your fishing level has to be at 205 to be able to fish in Moonglade and at level 300 to achieve a 100% catch rate. This is not as high as it may seem. If you pick up the aquadynamic fish attractor, which provide a +100 fishing and combine it with a nice fishing rods, which provide a +5, it's possible to fish in Moonglade as early as fishing level 100. If you truly dedicated, there are other items which will provide a bonus of +2 to +5, such as fishing hats, enchanted fishing gloves etc.
There's few things that annoy me more than 'your fish has gotten away' multiple times in a row when fishing. I don't want my fish to get away, I want to catch fish to sell and level up my fishing and both are difficult if I'm not catching much fish. I use the +105 fishing points I have to reach fishing level 300, at which point I have a 100% catch rate. (That is if I click quick enough and don't loose the fish because I was taking a bite of toast with breakfast.) My druid's fishing is now above 200 and with the added bonuses from my rod and lure, I am having fun fishing in Moonglade and then selling my catch of the day on the AH.
Druids learn their only teleportation spell at level 10: Teleport to Moonglade. Not only is this a nice bonus for training (simply teleport to Moonglade and then hearthstone back to wherever you were), it also come in handy for fishing at mid-level. Moonglade is a very safe level 40 - 50 area with plenty of fish that sell well on the AH. Teleport to Moonglade, fish and hearthstone back.
Your fishing level has to be at 205 to be able to fish in Moonglade and at level 300 to achieve a 100% catch rate. This is not as high as it may seem. If you pick up the aquadynamic fish attractor, which provide a +100 fishing and combine it with a nice fishing rods, which provide a +5, it's possible to fish in Moonglade as early as fishing level 100. If you truly dedicated, there are other items which will provide a bonus of +2 to +5, such as fishing hats, enchanted fishing gloves etc.
There's few things that annoy me more than 'your fish has gotten away' multiple times in a row when fishing. I don't want my fish to get away, I want to catch fish to sell and level up my fishing and both are difficult if I'm not catching much fish. I use the +105 fishing points I have to reach fishing level 300, at which point I have a 100% catch rate. (That is if I click quick enough and don't loose the fish because I was taking a bite of toast with breakfast.) My druid's fishing is now above 200 and with the added bonuses from my rod and lure, I am having fun fishing in Moonglade and then selling my catch of the day on the AH.
Farming Spots
I'm not really into group play - battlegrounds, dungeons, instances, raids, group quests etc. It's time consuming and requires longer sessions than what I can manage. An hour is still my limit for uninterrupted play and it's difficult to find anything group wise that would fit into an hour or less. Not that I mind all that much. I thoroughly enjoy soloing. I particularly have fun farming.
Throughout Azeroth there are spots made for farming. In south eastern Loch Modan, the spiders, bears and boars all yielded something useful and the respawn rate was under 5 minutes. There's also a nice little mining route for level 12 - 20 yielding plenty of copper, tin and silver. The north eastern coast of Tanaris is similar. At level 42, just about everything has a use for me. The 'hyena's' (starving something's in game language, but they look like hyena's to me) provide meat for level 250-ish cooking recipes, the scorpions (not sure what they're called in game) can also be skinned and supply scorpid scales used in leatherworking and the turtles (snapjaw something's) also yield leather as well as turtle scale when skinned and drop clams which contain zesty clam meat used in the artisan cooking quest. I spent my hour this morning farming and came away with:
Throughout Azeroth there are spots made for farming. In south eastern Loch Modan, the spiders, bears and boars all yielded something useful and the respawn rate was under 5 minutes. There's also a nice little mining route for level 12 - 20 yielding plenty of copper, tin and silver. The north eastern coast of Tanaris is similar. At level 42, just about everything has a use for me. The 'hyena's' (starving something's in game language, but they look like hyena's to me) provide meat for level 250-ish cooking recipes, the scorpions (not sure what they're called in game) can also be skinned and supply scorpid scales used in leatherworking and the turtles (snapjaw something's) also yield leather as well as turtle scale when skinned and drop clams which contain zesty clam meat used in the artisan cooking quest. I spent my hour this morning farming and came away with:
- 4 gold and change from selling looted junk
- Two fish cooking recipes bought for 2 gold each requiring cooking level 250
- 45 x heavy leather
- 40 x thick leather
- 2 x heavy hide
- 20 x turtle meat (used to cook 'soothing turtle bisque')
- 3 x tender wolf meat (also used in a favourite cooking recipe)
- 27 x turtle scale
- 1 x scorpid scale
- 20 x zesty clam meat
- And I managed to obtain 20 giant eggs for 2 gold in the Gadgetzan AH (Auction House), but that required an additional 10 minutes
Friday, 28 March 2008
Black Vitriol
I am ready to craft my philosopher's stone and looking on the auction house for black vitriol, I have been finding that most of it is sold in bulk. I simply do not understand this. As far as I am aware, black vitriol is only used as a reagent for one thing, and one thing only - making a philosopher's stone. Since each alchemist only ever crafts one, and each stone only require 1 black vitriol, why would anybody purchase more than one? So why sell it in bulk? I see this item in lots of 2's and 5's every day for the last fortnight and have come to the conclusion that (i) either the sellers are a little loopy and wrongfully expect it to sell or (ii) the buyers are silly and purchasing multiples when only one is required. I guess if you need one, but only two is available, you will invariably buy two in order to get one.
The irony is that I every morning I search for it, I somehow expect there to be only a list of singles to buy. How silly am I...
The irony is that I every morning I search for it, I somehow expect there to be only a list of singles to buy. How silly am I...
Making money from professions
General advice always seems to be to start with two gathering professions, i.e. mining, herbalism or skinning and then to switch about mid-level to two crafting professions. That strategy is not my strategy. I suspect I may change my mind later, but for the time being, I still prefer the combination of one gathering and one crafting profession so that materials can be mostly farmed by the same character that uses them. The only exception to this for me is tailoring and enchanting, since neither require a gathering profession to farm for the mats. I prefer the typical combinations still:
I have a list of current materials and recipes that are skilling me up. I check these daily on the auction house and purchase any materials that are below market value. I also farm my own. In combination, I always have enough time and money to enjoy playing the game.
The secret so far has been not to try and collect crafting recipes. Some are cheap, some are expensive and there's hardly ever any need to have them all. I try to level up crafting with two goals: (i) levelling up and (ii) making money. The levelling up is the easy part. Simply make items that require the fewest and cheapest ingredients that is easy to come by. The making money part is now becoming easier too. For starters, blue items make better money than green. Purple better money than blue. Some blue items, particularly lower level blue items, are relatively easy to make and fetch 10 - 15 gold on the Auction House. I can comfortable make 1-2 per day, resulting in about 100 gold profit a week, since I majoratively farm my own mats.
The biggest secret so far is however to actually resist the temptation to always craft. At some point, even the best sellers grey out in terms of levelling up, making the crafting goal of levelling up on them moot. Sometimes, particularly when it comes to the best selling items, the materials may actually be worth more than the finished item. The shining silver breastplate is a good example on my server. The item sells for 10 - 12 gold, but the mats will sell for 15 - 18 gold. In this scenario, I sell the ingredients rather than the item.
Again, an exception to the rule: enchanting. Enchanting does not make money in the early days, it simply devours it. Goals should be long-term. I am still hoping beyond hope that in the end, enchanting will make money when highly skilled up, enough money to make a bigger profit than if we were to sell all the stuff we've been breaking.
Professions are my favourite part of Warcraft. It's just so much fun making money.
- Skinning and Leatherworking
- Herbalism and Alchemy
- Mining and Blacksmithing
- Mining and Jewelcrafting
- Mining and Engineering
I have a list of current materials and recipes that are skilling me up. I check these daily on the auction house and purchase any materials that are below market value. I also farm my own. In combination, I always have enough time and money to enjoy playing the game.
The secret so far has been not to try and collect crafting recipes. Some are cheap, some are expensive and there's hardly ever any need to have them all. I try to level up crafting with two goals: (i) levelling up and (ii) making money. The levelling up is the easy part. Simply make items that require the fewest and cheapest ingredients that is easy to come by. The making money part is now becoming easier too. For starters, blue items make better money than green. Purple better money than blue. Some blue items, particularly lower level blue items, are relatively easy to make and fetch 10 - 15 gold on the Auction House. I can comfortable make 1-2 per day, resulting in about 100 gold profit a week, since I majoratively farm my own mats.
The biggest secret so far is however to actually resist the temptation to always craft. At some point, even the best sellers grey out in terms of levelling up, making the crafting goal of levelling up on them moot. Sometimes, particularly when it comes to the best selling items, the materials may actually be worth more than the finished item. The shining silver breastplate is a good example on my server. The item sells for 10 - 12 gold, but the mats will sell for 15 - 18 gold. In this scenario, I sell the ingredients rather than the item.
Again, an exception to the rule: enchanting. Enchanting does not make money in the early days, it simply devours it. Goals should be long-term. I am still hoping beyond hope that in the end, enchanting will make money when highly skilled up, enough money to make a bigger profit than if we were to sell all the stuff we've been breaking.
Professions are my favourite part of Warcraft. It's just so much fun making money.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Terminology
Each subject generally has it's own terminology and the better versed you are in any subject, the larger your subject specific vocabulary. As a newcomer to all of this, my Wow relevant vocabulary have expanded exponentially over the last few weeks. I would thoroughly recommend having a good look at the Glossary provided in the World Of Warcraft manual, it provides a good overview of all frequently used terms. Talking about the game and in game, there is definitely a Top 5 list of terms for me:
- PvE / PvP (Player versus Environment, Player versus Player)
- NPC / PC (Non Player Character, Player Character)
- Noob (It's always good to know when you're being insulted and what the meaning of the insult is, i.e. a noob is an insult used when something makes an amateur mistake that gets them or their group into trouble)
- GM (Game Master)
- AFK (Away from keybord)
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Staying in or going out
Familiarity is comfortable. An old pair of shoes. A favourite outfit. A long-term partner. A usual restaurant and order. A favourite bookshop and beverage. The things we do over and over creates a little cocoon around us. There's no need to stretch your mind, or legs for that matter, when all your needs are fulfilled by doing the usual things and frequenting the usual places. The pop psychology term 'comfort zone' immediately springs to mind.
The lyrics of a Fiona Apple song also springs to mind: "I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes... I still only travel by foot and by foot, it's a slow climb, But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so I can't stop changing all the time." Change can be good. Without change, there is no progress, no room for improvement, no opportunity to make something better of yourself. If you stay exactly the same life may be comfortable, but growing as a person is not something to miss out on.
I find that the need for security, predictability and familiarity rival a thirst for knowledge,and the spirit of discovery. I am reminded of Sam's response in The West Wing to the question - why should we go to Mars: " 'Cause it's next. 'Cause we came out of the cave and we looked over the hill and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the West and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next."
It seems a little ridiculous to talk philosophy on a seemingly trivial subject, but I don't think metaphysics only apply to life and death situations. I find it comforting to stay within familiar zones in warcraft as well. I find myself returning to the Hillsbrad Foothills and Arathi Highlands with character after character. I find myself reluctant to enter new and unfamiliar territories where the unknown awaits dangerously.
But when I do, I find that the sense of discovery is more pleasurable than the tedious repetition of the known. Discovering new things, new places, even in a virtual reality, simply inspires new thoughts and new ways of being. It's more fun to be challenged, even when you come up short and trust me, at some point or another, you will loose when taking a gamble on something unfamiliar. It's just more fun to expand the horizon. Ironically, it also makes the home coming to familiar territory even more pleasant. It's so much easier to look at familiar things with rose-coloured spectacles when you have had the opportunity to miss it.
The lyrics of a Fiona Apple song also springs to mind: "I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes... I still only travel by foot and by foot, it's a slow climb, But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so I can't stop changing all the time." Change can be good. Without change, there is no progress, no room for improvement, no opportunity to make something better of yourself. If you stay exactly the same life may be comfortable, but growing as a person is not something to miss out on.
I find that the need for security, predictability and familiarity rival a thirst for knowledge,and the spirit of discovery. I am reminded of Sam's response in The West Wing to the question - why should we go to Mars: " 'Cause it's next. 'Cause we came out of the cave and we looked over the hill and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the West and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next."
It seems a little ridiculous to talk philosophy on a seemingly trivial subject, but I don't think metaphysics only apply to life and death situations. I find it comforting to stay within familiar zones in warcraft as well. I find myself returning to the Hillsbrad Foothills and Arathi Highlands with character after character. I find myself reluctant to enter new and unfamiliar territories where the unknown awaits dangerously.
But when I do, I find that the sense of discovery is more pleasurable than the tedious repetition of the known. Discovering new things, new places, even in a virtual reality, simply inspires new thoughts and new ways of being. It's more fun to be challenged, even when you come up short and trust me, at some point or another, you will loose when taking a gamble on something unfamiliar. It's just more fun to expand the horizon. Ironically, it also makes the home coming to familiar territory even more pleasant. It's so much easier to look at familiar things with rose-coloured spectacles when you have had the opportunity to miss it.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Time and Place
It's the diversity and complexity of the Warcraft design that never seizes to amaze me. I begrudgingly run characters since all are still picking up new flight paths every week and whilst running I am reminded of a quote or possible misquote I came across whilst reading about the new expansion pack. It was something along the lines of not allowing Outland flying mounts on Northend so that players go slow and appreciate all the hard work that has gone into the design. I try to remember that when I am forced to run, such I did again from Menethil Harbour to Southshore today. The arathi highlands are one of my all time favourite areas, so I did not mind the time for contemplation and reflection whilst jogging across it.
It's eerily similar to real life in game. I can never get passed the similarities I cannot help but notice. I remember a regular 8-hour round trip home whilst at uni, a 45 minute one way commute to work for a few months and many hours spent driving from venue to venue as a course instructor. I disliked it as much as I dislike running a character. It's tedious, relentless, tiring and a perfect example of lost time. There's nothing to be done whilst driving. You drive. Listen to the radio. Think happy thought. Ponder improbabilities. Take stock of life. As much as I would like to view myself as a contemplative person, I find contemplation rather predictable. Certain things are fixed in life, others are changeable. We change what we can, accept what we can't and try to play the best game with the hand we were dealt. Life is as simple as that. And at the end, we die. And if death is the most serious outcome, as well as the only guaranteed outcome, how serious can we possibly take life? If there is no real end result, but simply the journey, why worry so much about the getting there?
I ran my paladin from menethil harbour to southshore, detouring to mine iron deposits. I mined more iron in that trip than I usually mine in a whole day. That is the most enjoyable part of Warcraft. There is always the opportunity to juggling quite a few balls simultaneously. And there is always the opportunity to take a road less traveled. Something for everybody, comes to mind. There always seem to be time and a place to engage in whichever activity strikes your fancy.
There's may various on the same theme. There's PvE, PvP, battlegrounds, dungeons, instance and arenas. There's a good selection of professions, classes, races, armor, weapons, trinkets, mounts and pets. There's leveling up, there's fishing, there's farming, grinding and questing. And then there's factions and reputation and discounts to be had. I love the complexity of it. And I don't mind running when it's through the Arathi highlands and I am reminded about how many people work so very hard to bring to life this alternate universe.
I am mellowing as time goes by. Familiarity has made the roads shorter and metal ores more abundant. What a difference a day makes.
It's eerily similar to real life in game. I can never get passed the similarities I cannot help but notice. I remember a regular 8-hour round trip home whilst at uni, a 45 minute one way commute to work for a few months and many hours spent driving from venue to venue as a course instructor. I disliked it as much as I dislike running a character. It's tedious, relentless, tiring and a perfect example of lost time. There's nothing to be done whilst driving. You drive. Listen to the radio. Think happy thought. Ponder improbabilities. Take stock of life. As much as I would like to view myself as a contemplative person, I find contemplation rather predictable. Certain things are fixed in life, others are changeable. We change what we can, accept what we can't and try to play the best game with the hand we were dealt. Life is as simple as that. And at the end, we die. And if death is the most serious outcome, as well as the only guaranteed outcome, how serious can we possibly take life? If there is no real end result, but simply the journey, why worry so much about the getting there?
I ran my paladin from menethil harbour to southshore, detouring to mine iron deposits. I mined more iron in that trip than I usually mine in a whole day. That is the most enjoyable part of Warcraft. There is always the opportunity to juggling quite a few balls simultaneously. And there is always the opportunity to take a road less traveled. Something for everybody, comes to mind. There always seem to be time and a place to engage in whichever activity strikes your fancy.
There's may various on the same theme. There's PvE, PvP, battlegrounds, dungeons, instance and arenas. There's a good selection of professions, classes, races, armor, weapons, trinkets, mounts and pets. There's leveling up, there's fishing, there's farming, grinding and questing. And then there's factions and reputation and discounts to be had. I love the complexity of it. And I don't mind running when it's through the Arathi highlands and I am reminded about how many people work so very hard to bring to life this alternate universe.
I am mellowing as time goes by. Familiarity has made the roads shorter and metal ores more abundant. What a difference a day makes.
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
[In]adequate gear
In five hours of play whilst 30 hours of real time has passed, my paladin has levelled from 22 to 26. It does leave me with a slight dilemma regarding gear. Should I be shopping for level appropriate gear and if so, when should I shop?
She has a blue weapon which was fantastic at level 16 when she received it, but now leaves much to be desired. I could make a green two-handed sword with 21.something DPS or I could engage in the endless quest chain which will reward a better blue 2H sword. She does have a looted blue slightly weird spec sword in the bank that requires level 31 - shall I go with the quest or with the homemade green one?
Her current armor leaves much to be desired. Here I hit a similar dilemma. I could make a blue chestplate requiring level 24, but by the time I have all the mats she'll be level 28. By the time she reaches level 31, I'll be able to make an even better blue chest piece, should I wait until then to upgrade? Or should I equip the 'required level 24' item now and hope it'll last until level 33-34 when I would be able to replace it?
The next dilemma is lack of ore. I hate mining. I hate hate hate hate hate mining. Unfortunately for me, I love crafting. I love making my own weapons and armor when I can. I love love love love love crafting. Although the skinning/leatherworking combo is my favourite, it seems like poor judgement to have all four of my alts stuck with those professions. I also have a feeling that I may enjoy it rather less if it becomes that repetitive. After all, how many leather hats can one make? I know that all characters does not need a craft, but I want 'em. I enjoy jewelcrafting and blacksmithing, I just don't enjoy mining for the mats. But that's my cross to bear and I accept that. However, there is never enough play time in the day to ore enough to even make the basic gear just for me. I currently have 10 iron bars in my bag, but I need about 32 to just make the gear I can already wear now. I also lack the additional 'bits', particularly the gems. Auction isn't great since I really prefer not spending gold on mats when I'm really saving up for 4 mounts at the moment...
Catch 22 - I need mats to make gear for myself so that I can easily and with pleasure farm the ingredients I need to level up my professions in order to be able to make my own gear. Without the mats, I don't have the gear and without the gear it's damn difficult to get the mats. (Mats btw is short for 'materials', took me a while to figure that one out)
As with all things in life, it's all about balance and compromise. Spend enough to have reasonable gear in order to be able to farm well enough to be able to make better gear. Where, oh where, is that mid-line though? The goal posts seem to shift with every 4 - 5 levels and I'm in a continuous state of being outdated.
As for loot, forget world drops. Decent drops seem to be few and far between and hardly ever appropriate. Looks like instances is the way to go, but I so wanted to solo up. I cringe at the thought of having to group up with people that I know are going to make life more difficult than it needs to be. Impromptu groups have failure and hassle written all over them.
Time to find a guild maybe? Maybe. I am just so reluctant to let go of my freedom and independence. I like soloing. I don't mind playing with Chris when his mage is available to do some major damage, but the thought of the responsibility that is other people is tiring. I do not play well with others. Particularly since I have great difficulty playing without decent breaks and the longest I can possibly manage in one go once in a blue moon would be around 90 - 120 minutes. And 30% of that would be break time. I can't think of anybody other than my darling husband who would put up with that. And then there's the small issue of potentially having to say: can we stop immediately? I have severe finger problems or the flashing lights of a migraine aura now...
It leaves me with the issue of inadequate gear and the head scratching required to work around it.
She has a blue weapon which was fantastic at level 16 when she received it, but now leaves much to be desired. I could make a green two-handed sword with 21.something DPS or I could engage in the endless quest chain which will reward a better blue 2H sword. She does have a looted blue slightly weird spec sword in the bank that requires level 31 - shall I go with the quest or with the homemade green one?
Her current armor leaves much to be desired. Here I hit a similar dilemma. I could make a blue chestplate requiring level 24, but by the time I have all the mats she'll be level 28. By the time she reaches level 31, I'll be able to make an even better blue chest piece, should I wait until then to upgrade? Or should I equip the 'required level 24' item now and hope it'll last until level 33-34 when I would be able to replace it?
The next dilemma is lack of ore. I hate mining. I hate hate hate hate hate mining. Unfortunately for me, I love crafting. I love making my own weapons and armor when I can. I love love love love love crafting. Although the skinning/leatherworking combo is my favourite, it seems like poor judgement to have all four of my alts stuck with those professions. I also have a feeling that I may enjoy it rather less if it becomes that repetitive. After all, how many leather hats can one make? I know that all characters does not need a craft, but I want 'em. I enjoy jewelcrafting and blacksmithing, I just don't enjoy mining for the mats. But that's my cross to bear and I accept that. However, there is never enough play time in the day to ore enough to even make the basic gear just for me. I currently have 10 iron bars in my bag, but I need about 32 to just make the gear I can already wear now. I also lack the additional 'bits', particularly the gems. Auction isn't great since I really prefer not spending gold on mats when I'm really saving up for 4 mounts at the moment...
Catch 22 - I need mats to make gear for myself so that I can easily and with pleasure farm the ingredients I need to level up my professions in order to be able to make my own gear. Without the mats, I don't have the gear and without the gear it's damn difficult to get the mats. (Mats btw is short for 'materials', took me a while to figure that one out)
As with all things in life, it's all about balance and compromise. Spend enough to have reasonable gear in order to be able to farm well enough to be able to make better gear. Where, oh where, is that mid-line though? The goal posts seem to shift with every 4 - 5 levels and I'm in a continuous state of being outdated.
As for loot, forget world drops. Decent drops seem to be few and far between and hardly ever appropriate. Looks like instances is the way to go, but I so wanted to solo up. I cringe at the thought of having to group up with people that I know are going to make life more difficult than it needs to be. Impromptu groups have failure and hassle written all over them.
Time to find a guild maybe? Maybe. I am just so reluctant to let go of my freedom and independence. I like soloing. I don't mind playing with Chris when his mage is available to do some major damage, but the thought of the responsibility that is other people is tiring. I do not play well with others. Particularly since I have great difficulty playing without decent breaks and the longest I can possibly manage in one go once in a blue moon would be around 90 - 120 minutes. And 30% of that would be break time. I can't think of anybody other than my darling husband who would put up with that. And then there's the small issue of potentially having to say: can we stop immediately? I have severe finger problems or the flashing lights of a migraine aura now...
It leaves me with the issue of inadequate gear and the head scratching required to work around it.
Monday, 17 March 2008
It's all about access
Due to internet connection issues, I have been off-line for the best part of 96 hours pre-empted by a dodgy connection for the last 7 - 10 days. Unreliable internet access is frustrating, the fact that reacquisition of net access requires you to have net access is infuriating and no net access inspires madness.
I dug out an old copy of Catcher in the Rye on Sunday afternoon and made myself comfortable in the sun on the couch. Reading a book has always been a good way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. One would think that co-ownership of a 2000+ book library would always provide something to read. Unfortunately, the general problem is not that there isn't a book in the house I haven't read. The problem is first that there isn't a book in the house that I haven't read that I am in the mood to read on a sunny afternoon. I simply do not feel like applying myself when the theme is lazing on a sunny afternoon. The second problem is of course that I want to be on-line.
I need to be on-line. Not that I spend that much time on-line on a normal day, but I have things to do that require a net connection. I started to read Catcher in the Rye, but I have read it and after a few pages just didn't feel like reading it again right now. I picked up my copy of 1632, but to truly enjoy the book I need a working knowledge of the 100 year war. So I found myself in our library looking for a book on the 100 year war. We didn't have one. I then relented and thought a little modern poetry might be just the thing. I opened up my anthology, but reading poetry without a net connection is not fun at all. There is no easy referencing, no background information, no on-line discussion forums - I am on my own. That makes poetry not that much fun to read. I tuned by guitar, but then remembered that I haven't gotten around to downloading a few pieces of sheet music to play. I sat down at the piano and was reminded that I haven't gotten any additional sheet music for it either.
I discard my hobbies and turn to work again. I'm currently writing a chapter on common misdiagnosis and I simply do not know the diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis of half a dozen conditions off the top of my head. I usually write the first draft without any referencing. However, I usually spend an hour surfing the internet on whatever given topic I am about to cover to bring myself up to speed with what's already written on the topic. I would prefer not reinventing the wheel, I would also prefer to give credit where credit is due if someone else has already expressed my point of view. I also like to have a sense of what different sites have to say on the topic. It's impossible to do so without a net connection.
To say nothing about the fact that I have not been able to play Warcraft for what feels like an eternity. It made me realize just how much it spirits me away from the difficulties and dreariness of life outside the internet. I play less than 20 hours a week. That said, the fact that I have played that hour or two today allows me to concentrate and focus more efficiently on the other things that require doing. Somehow, it's as much about having access whenever I want to have access, as it is about having a sense of security. When life gets a little dreary and frustrating, I can go kill things, skin things, make a hat and feel that much better.
I dug out an old copy of Catcher in the Rye on Sunday afternoon and made myself comfortable in the sun on the couch. Reading a book has always been a good way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. One would think that co-ownership of a 2000+ book library would always provide something to read. Unfortunately, the general problem is not that there isn't a book in the house I haven't read. The problem is first that there isn't a book in the house that I haven't read that I am in the mood to read on a sunny afternoon. I simply do not feel like applying myself when the theme is lazing on a sunny afternoon. The second problem is of course that I want to be on-line.
I need to be on-line. Not that I spend that much time on-line on a normal day, but I have things to do that require a net connection. I started to read Catcher in the Rye, but I have read it and after a few pages just didn't feel like reading it again right now. I picked up my copy of 1632, but to truly enjoy the book I need a working knowledge of the 100 year war. So I found myself in our library looking for a book on the 100 year war. We didn't have one. I then relented and thought a little modern poetry might be just the thing. I opened up my anthology, but reading poetry without a net connection is not fun at all. There is no easy referencing, no background information, no on-line discussion forums - I am on my own. That makes poetry not that much fun to read. I tuned by guitar, but then remembered that I haven't gotten around to downloading a few pieces of sheet music to play. I sat down at the piano and was reminded that I haven't gotten any additional sheet music for it either.
I discard my hobbies and turn to work again. I'm currently writing a chapter on common misdiagnosis and I simply do not know the diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis of half a dozen conditions off the top of my head. I usually write the first draft without any referencing. However, I usually spend an hour surfing the internet on whatever given topic I am about to cover to bring myself up to speed with what's already written on the topic. I would prefer not reinventing the wheel, I would also prefer to give credit where credit is due if someone else has already expressed my point of view. I also like to have a sense of what different sites have to say on the topic. It's impossible to do so without a net connection.
To say nothing about the fact that I have not been able to play Warcraft for what feels like an eternity. It made me realize just how much it spirits me away from the difficulties and dreariness of life outside the internet. I play less than 20 hours a week. That said, the fact that I have played that hour or two today allows me to concentrate and focus more efficiently on the other things that require doing. Somehow, it's as much about having access whenever I want to have access, as it is about having a sense of security. When life gets a little dreary and frustrating, I can go kill things, skin things, make a hat and feel that much better.
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Finding the Inn
When you're in a new town, it's often not that easy to know which building is the inn. Don't look for the inn, look for the post box in front of it. With the exception of banks in the capital cities, the mailbox is always located at the door of the inn.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Stranglekelp
It's knowing when to go where that makes life easier. I am discovering as I go along that there is generally an easy way of doing most things if you know the way. In particular, there is an easy place to collect stranglekelp and then there are harder places. As I level up, the harder places become easier, however, Menethil harbour is about the only place I can quickly collect a whole stack of stranglekelp in under 5 minutes.
The time factor is in the travelling. There's no point spending 10 or 20 minutes getting there when I can just as easily spend 15 - 30 minutes gathering it elsewhere. I am learning to think more and more outside the box. Today, I hit level 34 with my druid and it's time to fly from southshore to stormwind for my training. Instead of flying directly, I have a stop over in menethil harbour. Very little additional traveling time and very little hassle. With a stack of 12 stranglekelp two minutes after landing, I'm off again, onwards to Stormwind. Next time, I might stay a little longer and catch some more oily blackmouths and firefin snappers. There's always a school to be found around the harbour.
The time factor is in the travelling. There's no point spending 10 or 20 minutes getting there when I can just as easily spend 15 - 30 minutes gathering it elsewhere. I am learning to think more and more outside the box. Today, I hit level 34 with my druid and it's time to fly from southshore to stormwind for my training. Instead of flying directly, I have a stop over in menethil harbour. Very little additional traveling time and very little hassle. With a stack of 12 stranglekelp two minutes after landing, I'm off again, onwards to Stormwind. Next time, I might stay a little longer and catch some more oily blackmouths and firefin snappers. There's always a school to be found around the harbour.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Level 15 - 25 entry level for zones
Level 15 - 25/27
- Redridge Mountains, Eastern Kingdoms (Contested, Alliance favoured)
- Stonetalon Mountains, Kalimdor (Contested, Horder favoured)
- Duskwood, Eastern Kingdoms (Contested, Alliance Favoured)
- Wetlands, Eastern Kingdoms (Contested, Alliance Favoured)
- Hillsbrad, Eastern Kingdoms Foothills (Contested)
- Ashenvale Forest, Kalimdor (Contested)
- Thousand Needles (Contested, Horder favoured)
Regions and Start-up Zones
Level 1 - 10 Alliance,
- Dun Morogh, Eastern Kingdoms (Alliance, Dwarf/Gnome Starting) - Capital City: Ironforge
- Elwynn Forest, Eastern Kingdoms (Alliance, Human Starting) - Capital City: Stormwind
- Teldrassil, Kalimdor (Alliance, Night Elf Starting) - Capital City: Darnassus
- Azuremyst Isle, Kalimdor (Alliance, Draenei Starting) - Capital City: The Exodar
- Eversong Forest, Eastern Kingdoms (Horde, Blood Elf Starting) - Capital City: Silvermoon City
- Tirisfal Glades, Eastern Kingdoms (Horde, Undead Starting), Capital City: Undercity
- Durotar, Kalimdor (Horde, Troll/Orc Starting), Capital City: Orgrimmar
- Mulgore, Kalimdor (Horde, Tauren Starting), Capital City: Thunder Bluff
- Loch Modan, Eastern Kingdoms (Alliance, Dwarf/Gnome favoured)
- Westfall, Eastern Kingdoms (Alliance, Human favoured)
- Darkshore, Kalimdor (Alliance, Night Elf favoured)
- Bloodmyst Isle, Kalimdor (Alliance, Draenei favoured)
- Ghostlands, Eastern Kingdoms (Horde, Blood Elf favoured)
- Silverpine Forest, Eastern Kingdoms (Horde, Undead favoured)
- The Barrens, Kalimdor (Horde) - Level 10 - 25
Exploring Azeroth the first time round
Learning the geography of Azeroth reminds a little of being in primary school and memorizing the names of countries and their capitals from a world map. As in real life, certain places are easier to reach than others, some are safer whilst others are prettier. I dislike running in Azeroth as I'm sure everybody does. It's tedious and time-consuming with no benefit other than reaching your destination. I think the travelling component inherent to questing is particularly why I dislike quests. It always feels as if most of the time is spent running to the quest giver, then running to the quest location and then running back to the quest giver. My way of questing is to pick up quests where I pass them and if I happen to kill the monsters or reach the location per chance, I'll finish it up. I only hand in quests when I happen to pass the quest giver on other business in the future.
I feel the same way about exploring. It's just pointless and seemingly endless to run from one area to another. The best way of exploring for me is to simply wander from one area to the next, usually in search of something. Wandering is fun. No running involved. My wandering is guided by profession ingredients. I am always on the lookout for good fishing spots, easy to cook recipes, easy to gather ingredients for cooking recipes, humanoids who drop cloth, monsters for skinning, herbs for gathering and ores to mine.
I tend to solo and generally stick to areas with monsters and humanoids that are my level plus or minus one or two levels. It's a good principle, but often difficult to employ when you do not know the geography. Where do I find level 18 - 23 monsters? Or 34 - 38? It's usually a matter of finding sub-regions within regions and I'm learning how to explore rather than research.
First find the appropriate region and sub-zones are usually arranged according to the surrounding area. Where a level 20-30 area meets a level 10 - 20, the monsters in the border region is usually level 18 - 22. Similarly, where a level 20 - 30 area meets a level 30 - 40 area, the border region is usually made up of level 28 - 32's. The regions surrounding the villages and towns tend to be lower level spiralling upwards the further you move away from the town and similar with roads to some extent. Look at a map, find the borders, find the towns, find the roads and it's pretty easy to guess where which level of monster will be in subregions.
I dislike trawling through material as much as I dislike running from point A to B. With a little guess work, I really need not bother with either. I can simply wander from one sub-region to the next and gather what I need as I go along. The perfect life most definitely.
I feel the same way about exploring. It's just pointless and seemingly endless to run from one area to another. The best way of exploring for me is to simply wander from one area to the next, usually in search of something. Wandering is fun. No running involved. My wandering is guided by profession ingredients. I am always on the lookout for good fishing spots, easy to cook recipes, easy to gather ingredients for cooking recipes, humanoids who drop cloth, monsters for skinning, herbs for gathering and ores to mine.
I tend to solo and generally stick to areas with monsters and humanoids that are my level plus or minus one or two levels. It's a good principle, but often difficult to employ when you do not know the geography. Where do I find level 18 - 23 monsters? Or 34 - 38? It's usually a matter of finding sub-regions within regions and I'm learning how to explore rather than research.
First find the appropriate region and sub-zones are usually arranged according to the surrounding area. Where a level 20-30 area meets a level 10 - 20, the monsters in the border region is usually level 18 - 22. Similarly, where a level 20 - 30 area meets a level 30 - 40 area, the border region is usually made up of level 28 - 32's. The regions surrounding the villages and towns tend to be lower level spiralling upwards the further you move away from the town and similar with roads to some extent. Look at a map, find the borders, find the towns, find the roads and it's pretty easy to guess where which level of monster will be in subregions.
I dislike trawling through material as much as I dislike running from point A to B. With a little guess work, I really need not bother with either. I can simply wander from one sub-region to the next and gather what I need as I go along. The perfect life most definitely.
Monday, 10 March 2008
All in moderation
I often wonder if I am spending too much time engaged in activities that entertain rather than deliver, hobbies that cost money rather than a job that provides it and devoting myself to time consuming goals that serve no purpose other than to be something to achieve. I do believe in balance. Working all the time is just as bad as playing all the time. As much as obsessives enjoy obsessions, it's not good practice to obsess. Most things succumb to the law of diminishing returns and both work or play can quickly become a waste of time.
Efficiency, Chris says. Plan meticulously, I say. I'd like to think that I manage my time well, particularly since such a large chunk of it is spent being unwell. I have been drawing up time tables since I was 9 and was always criticized for not sticking to them religiously. It didn't bother me - neither the criticism or gap between the planned schedule and the evolving schedule. Life is inherently unpredictable and sticking to a schedule simply because there is a schedule seems like a very silly reason for sticking to the schedule. Getting the most done whilst having fun doing it seems like a more alluring reason for having a schedule and deviating as required to try and achieve just that.
I relish in the dichotomy that Warcraft is both an excellent teacher of how to use time and how to waste it. Killing an ordinary monster takes seconds, not minutes. The series of steps taken within those few precious seconds determines the outcome. Any good player spent an inordinate amount of time reviewing statistics and planning to the smallest detail. Where you place your keys may be paramount. Having to click with the mouse button on a health potion rather than to be able to press a key may determine whether you success or fail, live or die. The details count and loom overhead when you are working with seconds, rather than minutes or hours.
The converse is also true. Players spend hours and hours playing. Most play almost every day, if not every day. People play at home and away from home, in coffee shops and airport lounges. Each hour spent playing warcraft is an hour of not doing something else, possibly something more productive.
I often wonder if there is something more productive that I can do. I do have other hobbies. I do have social activities, domestic errants and job responsibilities that could always do with a little more time. However, the route of always engaging in activities that require a certain level of seriousness is not one I would want to return to. I play the piano and guitar, but playing musical instruments are similar to working. It's fun playing, particularly when you learn how to play a particularly difficult piece flawlessly. However, most people do not know that 90% of playing a musical instrument is practicing small bits repetitively. I still recall the sage advise of all my music teachers over 15 years of being a student - you only play a piece of music as it is meant to be heard once at the end of a practice session. Oftentimes, practice sessions were hours rather than minutes - hours of playing a few bars or a few notes over and over again. It's not exactly the stuff of relaxation.
Currently work is writing and writing is hard work. Writing for money is not as much fun as writing for fun. It's less writing than you'd think. Again, 90% of the time is spent planning, organizing, editing and re-writing small bits of text. It all about finding the right word or the right phrase to make the right sentence and the right paragraph. It's checking word length, sentence length, paragraph length and making sure nothing is either too long or too short. Writing is work, not exactly the stuff of relaxation.
I know many people who find household chores relaxing. Women particularly are known for cleaning when they're stressed. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those women. Cleaning is one of the most difficult tasks there is. Very little about it is intellectual, it's 90% physical labour and physical labour is not exactly my strong suit. Thanks to my particular genetic make-up, I have poor proprioception (i.e. being very very clumsy). I'm prone to drop, knock, crack and break things. Apart from that, using my hands in the wrong ways hurt. My fingers joints are particularly affected and small tasks are difficult to carry out without injury or causing severe pain. Practically speaking, this limits the amount of time I can spend pottering about.
Life is a difficult struggle. Everything is difficult from rinsing a coffee mug to reading a book. Warcraft at times is difficult to - there is awful lot of buttons to press - but it is easier than life. I am finding more and more that having a hobby where I can run, travel, learn, explore, craft, shop and spend time with other like minded people is not a luxury or an indulge. It's an outlet and a good one at that. The hours spent in-game is not a waste of time. In fact, it's an excellent use of time - as long as I keep doing the little bit of other things that I can do outside of it as well.
Efficiency, Chris says. Plan meticulously, I say. I'd like to think that I manage my time well, particularly since such a large chunk of it is spent being unwell. I have been drawing up time tables since I was 9 and was always criticized for not sticking to them religiously. It didn't bother me - neither the criticism or gap between the planned schedule and the evolving schedule. Life is inherently unpredictable and sticking to a schedule simply because there is a schedule seems like a very silly reason for sticking to the schedule. Getting the most done whilst having fun doing it seems like a more alluring reason for having a schedule and deviating as required to try and achieve just that.
I relish in the dichotomy that Warcraft is both an excellent teacher of how to use time and how to waste it. Killing an ordinary monster takes seconds, not minutes. The series of steps taken within those few precious seconds determines the outcome. Any good player spent an inordinate amount of time reviewing statistics and planning to the smallest detail. Where you place your keys may be paramount. Having to click with the mouse button on a health potion rather than to be able to press a key may determine whether you success or fail, live or die. The details count and loom overhead when you are working with seconds, rather than minutes or hours.
The converse is also true. Players spend hours and hours playing. Most play almost every day, if not every day. People play at home and away from home, in coffee shops and airport lounges. Each hour spent playing warcraft is an hour of not doing something else, possibly something more productive.
I often wonder if there is something more productive that I can do. I do have other hobbies. I do have social activities, domestic errants and job responsibilities that could always do with a little more time. However, the route of always engaging in activities that require a certain level of seriousness is not one I would want to return to. I play the piano and guitar, but playing musical instruments are similar to working. It's fun playing, particularly when you learn how to play a particularly difficult piece flawlessly. However, most people do not know that 90% of playing a musical instrument is practicing small bits repetitively. I still recall the sage advise of all my music teachers over 15 years of being a student - you only play a piece of music as it is meant to be heard once at the end of a practice session. Oftentimes, practice sessions were hours rather than minutes - hours of playing a few bars or a few notes over and over again. It's not exactly the stuff of relaxation.
Currently work is writing and writing is hard work. Writing for money is not as much fun as writing for fun. It's less writing than you'd think. Again, 90% of the time is spent planning, organizing, editing and re-writing small bits of text. It all about finding the right word or the right phrase to make the right sentence and the right paragraph. It's checking word length, sentence length, paragraph length and making sure nothing is either too long or too short. Writing is work, not exactly the stuff of relaxation.
I know many people who find household chores relaxing. Women particularly are known for cleaning when they're stressed. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those women. Cleaning is one of the most difficult tasks there is. Very little about it is intellectual, it's 90% physical labour and physical labour is not exactly my strong suit. Thanks to my particular genetic make-up, I have poor proprioception (i.e. being very very clumsy). I'm prone to drop, knock, crack and break things. Apart from that, using my hands in the wrong ways hurt. My fingers joints are particularly affected and small tasks are difficult to carry out without injury or causing severe pain. Practically speaking, this limits the amount of time I can spend pottering about.
Life is a difficult struggle. Everything is difficult from rinsing a coffee mug to reading a book. Warcraft at times is difficult to - there is awful lot of buttons to press - but it is easier than life. I am finding more and more that having a hobby where I can run, travel, learn, explore, craft, shop and spend time with other like minded people is not a luxury or an indulge. It's an outlet and a good one at that. The hours spent in-game is not a waste of time. In fact, it's an excellent use of time - as long as I keep doing the little bit of other things that I can do outside of it as well.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Level 35: Time to become an artisan
At level 35 your professions should be around 200 skill points if all is going well. I have just reached level 35 with my main character and are desperately digging around to try and locate all the trainers I need to see and can't afford. (I'm saving up for a mount, obviously). My logic is that my professions pay. Spending money on education has never been a bad thing and I think educated characters will make more gold than uneducated ones.
Training to become an artisan in the primary professions simply cost cold. It can be done at any of the usual trainers in the cities. However, training up in the secondary professions is not simply a matter of throwing money at NPC's. There's a little spending involved, but also plenty of legwork. The artisan trainers in fishing and first aid are both located in Dustwallow Marsh, whilst the cooking trainer is in Gadgetzan. Here's the skinny:
Fishing: The artisan fishing trainer, called Nat Pagle is located on an island on Dustwallow Marsh.
First Aid: The artisan first aid is achieved via a quest handed out by Doctor Gustaf VanHowzen in Theramore Isles, Dustwallow Marsh. It seems like a simple enough one to complete, so I'm not unduly concerned.
Cooking: The artisan cooking level is reached via a quest entitled 'Clamlette Surprise'. The 'go to' quest is on offer at the cooking trainer in Ironforge, Daryl Riknussun, who directs you to go see Dirge Quickcleave at the Gadgetzan inn. To complete the quest, you will need:
Training to become an artisan in the primary professions simply cost cold. It can be done at any of the usual trainers in the cities. However, training up in the secondary professions is not simply a matter of throwing money at NPC's. There's a little spending involved, but also plenty of legwork. The artisan trainers in fishing and first aid are both located in Dustwallow Marsh, whilst the cooking trainer is in Gadgetzan. Here's the skinny:
Fishing: The artisan fishing trainer, called Nat Pagle is located on an island on Dustwallow Marsh.
First Aid: The artisan first aid is achieved via a quest handed out by Doctor Gustaf VanHowzen in Theramore Isles, Dustwallow Marsh. It seems like a simple enough one to complete, so I'm not unduly concerned.
Cooking: The artisan cooking level is reached via a quest entitled 'Clamlette Surprise'. The 'go to' quest is on offer at the cooking trainer in Ironforge, Daryl Riknussun, who directs you to go see Dirge Quickcleave at the Gadgetzan inn. To complete the quest, you will need:
- 12 x Giant Eggs
- 20 x Alterac Swiss
- 10 x Zesty Clam Meat
Leveling Professions whilst leveling up
I'm one of those people who love the professions in World of Warcraft. I find them useful, helpful and fun to level up. I enjoy fishing on a pretty shore whilst sipping on a hot cup of tea. I think the cooked food buffs are cheap and easy to come by and hence enjoy cooking. I have found that bandages comes in useful even for healers - there is always a time when you're both out of mana and health and 7 second bandages is a better alternative to 24 second food. Or maybe I just have a gathering personality. I'm not a collector or 'horder' in real life, but I think I may have been if I could find the energy, time and money to do so. Needless to say, I'm quite happy collecting things in Warcraft instead. It doesn't take much time, energy or money.
Professions are important. The secondary professions provide easy ways to markedly increase both stamina and spirit and the primary professions are great ways for fitting out characters, providing additional buffs and making money. Making your own gear also saves money on things you would have to purchase if you couldn't make it. Sold yet on leveling up all your professions?
I dislike going back to level up anything. The game is for the most part set up to provide all the material you need to keep your professions up to date without doing much additional work. The cloth required for first aid and/or tailoring are drops from humanoids of a similar level. The leather obtained from skinning is the same as that required for leatherworking at the same level.
And so on. So far, I have found that if I keep all my professions up to the same level as I am, I hardly need to do any additional grinding or farming. What are the levels? That's the easy part:
Professions are important. The secondary professions provide easy ways to markedly increase both stamina and spirit and the primary professions are great ways for fitting out characters, providing additional buffs and making money. Making your own gear also saves money on things you would have to purchase if you couldn't make it. Sold yet on leveling up all your professions?
I dislike going back to level up anything. The game is for the most part set up to provide all the material you need to keep your professions up to date without doing much additional work. The cloth required for first aid and/or tailoring are drops from humanoids of a similar level. The leather obtained from skinning is the same as that required for leatherworking at the same level.
And so on. So far, I have found that if I keep all my professions up to the same level as I am, I hardly need to do any additional grinding or farming. What are the levels? That's the easy part:
- Level 5 - Skill level 1
- Level 10 - Skill level 50
- Level 15 - Skill level 88
- Level 20 - Skill level 125
- Level 25 - Skill level 150
- Level 30 - Skill level 175
- Level 35 - Skill level 200
- Level 40 - Skill level 225
- Level 45 - Skill level 250
- Level 50 - Skill level 275
- Level 55 - Skill level 300
- Level 60 - Skill level 325
- Level 65 - Skill level 350
- Level 70 - Skill level 375
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Hearthstone
The hearthstone is a fantastic way to travel and I make use of it every time I log on. Unfortunately, it can also be the source of great frustration and many hours of accumulating lost play. I forget to set my hearthstone to the inn of the area when I arrive. Tip of the day: Set your hearthstone to the inn of the area where you spend the majority of your time the second you arrive.
If it is set to the local inn, use it every time you head out. I play in 30 and 45 minute slots. Running out from the inn and back to the inn really eats into my play time. I can halve that time by using my hearthstone to get back to the inn instead of having to run it. Once you have a mount at higher levels, I suspect this will become less relevant since traveling time will be significantly reduced, but until you hit level 40 and receive your first mount, this is a good strategy. On reaching level 40, I plan to set my hearthstone to a capital city where I do my training. It sure would make that commute easier...
Once last tip for druids - thanks to the moonglade teleportation spell, you can return to Kalimdor and access a trainer at Moonglade by using the spell. If you set your hearthstone to a capital in the Eastern Kingdom, you create the convenience of never having to wait for a boat again.
If it is set to the local inn, use it every time you head out. I play in 30 and 45 minute slots. Running out from the inn and back to the inn really eats into my play time. I can halve that time by using my hearthstone to get back to the inn instead of having to run it. Once you have a mount at higher levels, I suspect this will become less relevant since traveling time will be significantly reduced, but until you hit level 40 and receive your first mount, this is a good strategy. On reaching level 40, I plan to set my hearthstone to a capital city where I do my training. It sure would make that commute easier...
Once last tip for druids - thanks to the moonglade teleportation spell, you can return to Kalimdor and access a trainer at Moonglade by using the spell. If you set your hearthstone to a capital in the Eastern Kingdom, you create the convenience of never having to wait for a boat again.
Level 7 - 10
Level 7 - 10 can be done within 30 - 45 minutes. The time-consuming acts at this point is learning your professions. There is usually a fishing, cooking and first-aid trainer in the first town you reach in the starting zone, i.e. Dolanaar, Kharanos, Goldshire, Azure Watch, The Ruins of Silvermoon, Brill etc. Oftentimes there are also a selection of primary profession trainers within the area as well as a class trainer. There are guards around that can be asked for directions to the various trainers in the area. No need to research anything, simply mouse over every guard you pass and if a the tool tip is a scroll, he can be asked for directions.
Hit the following points in town:
Be patient. At this level, a lot of running is required. Take your time, look around new areas, appreciate the amount of work that has gone into creating Warcraft - that is after all the main the reason why there is so much running early in the game. Alternatively, if you know the area well, it's easy enough to multi-task. In-game: Sort the contents of your bags whilst running, review your quest log, familiarize yourself with your spells and think about the keys you are using and changing those to suit your play style. If you have a laptop sitting next to you, check out the Wow sites and do a little research. Decide which primary professions suit you and your character, begin to look at your character's talent tree and just read up on the general background of the game.
If you are soloing, leave the group quests for last, abandon them altogether if you dislike venturing into dungeons or think about joining up with other players to complete. During the start up phase, it's easy to join up with others by simply standing at the entrance and asking politely when others arrive if they would like to group up. This early in the game, most players would be quite happy to have a little additional help and even if they decline, there's no harm in asking.
On reaching level 10, check that you have done the following:
Hit the following points in town:
- Pick up all available quests
- Set your hearth stone to the local inn
- Locate the fishing, cooking and first aid trainers and learn what you can
- Locate the primary profession trainers and learn what you can
- Locate your class trainer at level 8, if there is one, and learn all level 8 spells.
Be patient. At this level, a lot of running is required. Take your time, look around new areas, appreciate the amount of work that has gone into creating Warcraft - that is after all the main the reason why there is so much running early in the game. Alternatively, if you know the area well, it's easy enough to multi-task. In-game: Sort the contents of your bags whilst running, review your quest log, familiarize yourself with your spells and think about the keys you are using and changing those to suit your play style. If you have a laptop sitting next to you, check out the Wow sites and do a little research. Decide which primary professions suit you and your character, begin to look at your character's talent tree and just read up on the general background of the game.
If you are soloing, leave the group quests for last, abandon them altogether if you dislike venturing into dungeons or think about joining up with other players to complete. During the start up phase, it's easy to join up with others by simply standing at the entrance and asking politely when others arrive if they would like to group up. This early in the game, most players would be quite happy to have a little additional help and even if they decline, there's no harm in asking.
On reaching level 10, check that you have done the following:
- Researched the talent tree and decided where you will be spending all your points
- Spent your first talent point
- Learned all three secondary professions
- Learned your two primary professions or know that the trainers for the professions you want to learn are located in the capital city
Friday, 7 March 2008
Professions and Proficiencies
Professions have caps on them:
- Apprentice (1 - 75) require level 5
- Journeyman (75-150) require level 10
- Expert (150 - 225) require level 20
- Artisan (225 - 300) require level 35
- Master (300 - 375) require level 50
Thursday, 6 March 2008
My First Fourteen Slot Bag
Got my 14 slot bag today. Only had enough tickets for one - so far - and my darling husband decided that I needed it more than he did since I have a gathering profession. Bless him. It's amazing what a different those extra 4 slots make. I'm absolutely smitten, I am. My first very own 14 slot bag.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Foresight is better than hindsight
It's easy to spot patterns, trends, mistakes made or good opportunities when looking back. Everything is so much clearer and less chaotic in the rear view mirror. The universe of the past has been solidified into a single series of chronological events - that which has come to pass. Looking forwards, no such single universe exists. There is a view of an infinite number of universes still to split off as every decision made. Certain decisions will take you to very similar looking places. I doubt the universe in which you chose to have cereal for breakfast will look a whole lot different from the one where you decide to have toast for breakfast. Unless there's a million dollar prize in the cereal box or the bread has been contaminated in a rare fluke and you die in agony whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. You never know, looking forward. The innocuous decisions may turn out to be important and the important decisions may well turn out to be not so crucial after all.
I like to think that I have no problem making decisions. I do not make decisions by taking fluke events into account. Decisions are calculated risks and having a keen interest in mathematics means that I generally tend to know the odds. I cannot foresee every possibility and I try my best not to get bogged down by improbabilities. I also try not to simply blunder through life. I think about the consequences of my actions before I take any action. I am aware of any risks I take before I commit to a specific course. I am aware that there are always unforeseeable consequences, but I'm happy to wing those.
In playing warcraft I find that this type of thinking is encouraged. The game is fraught with decision making. With every possible bonus comes risk. Do I attack the mob that's camped around the piece of ore I want? Will the time it takes me be worth the reward? Will the risk be worth the reward? Is it possible to achieve, or will I simply waste my time whilst I die trying?
It is possible and I suspect a frequent occurrence that players blunder their way to the top when leveling. Particularly younger and inexperienced players. I am pretty sure that I often blunder from one level to the next, simply because it's easier and possible. It's also easier and possible to level up by only seeing the immediate future. I bet plenty of players simply play from one quest to the next. That too, is an option that's available for the taking.
I choose the road less travelled. Or what I see as the road less travelled. I prefer to apply a little foresight. I know where I will be spending all 61 of my talent points by the time I reach level 10. I know which professions go well together and try to keep my professions at the same level as my actual level or slightly ahead. I began thinking about finances my level 40 mount from level 1 and at level 30 started to think about affording my level 60 mount. I like to plan ahead. I love that the game allows me to plan ahead and generally rewards me for it. I love that it doesn't make the decisions for me and isn't lenient towards the mistakes I make. I have spent gold to unlearn talent points.
Azeroth is a great place to learn about foresight and hindsight. It teaches lessons about regret and responsibility. Looking back, there are always things I would have done differently, but I'm proud to say that I stick by every decision I have made with the knowledge available to me at the time. In Azeroth, you cannot have it all. You have to either carve out the road you want to walk from the options available to you, or you have to learn to put up with the road that is shaped by your short sightedness. If you do not choose your road, it will be chosen for you. If you choose, you get to play the odds and be in charge. If you neglect to set a course, you leave the fate of your character in the hands of chance. I'm a master of my fate, captain of my soul kind of person. Foresight is better than hindsight.
I like to think that I have no problem making decisions. I do not make decisions by taking fluke events into account. Decisions are calculated risks and having a keen interest in mathematics means that I generally tend to know the odds. I cannot foresee every possibility and I try my best not to get bogged down by improbabilities. I also try not to simply blunder through life. I think about the consequences of my actions before I take any action. I am aware of any risks I take before I commit to a specific course. I am aware that there are always unforeseeable consequences, but I'm happy to wing those.
In playing warcraft I find that this type of thinking is encouraged. The game is fraught with decision making. With every possible bonus comes risk. Do I attack the mob that's camped around the piece of ore I want? Will the time it takes me be worth the reward? Will the risk be worth the reward? Is it possible to achieve, or will I simply waste my time whilst I die trying?
It is possible and I suspect a frequent occurrence that players blunder their way to the top when leveling. Particularly younger and inexperienced players. I am pretty sure that I often blunder from one level to the next, simply because it's easier and possible. It's also easier and possible to level up by only seeing the immediate future. I bet plenty of players simply play from one quest to the next. That too, is an option that's available for the taking.
I choose the road less travelled. Or what I see as the road less travelled. I prefer to apply a little foresight. I know where I will be spending all 61 of my talent points by the time I reach level 10. I know which professions go well together and try to keep my professions at the same level as my actual level or slightly ahead. I began thinking about finances my level 40 mount from level 1 and at level 30 started to think about affording my level 60 mount. I like to plan ahead. I love that the game allows me to plan ahead and generally rewards me for it. I love that it doesn't make the decisions for me and isn't lenient towards the mistakes I make. I have spent gold to unlearn talent points.
Azeroth is a great place to learn about foresight and hindsight. It teaches lessons about regret and responsibility. Looking back, there are always things I would have done differently, but I'm proud to say that I stick by every decision I have made with the knowledge available to me at the time. In Azeroth, you cannot have it all. You have to either carve out the road you want to walk from the options available to you, or you have to learn to put up with the road that is shaped by your short sightedness. If you do not choose your road, it will be chosen for you. If you choose, you get to play the odds and be in charge. If you neglect to set a course, you leave the fate of your character in the hands of chance. I'm a master of my fate, captain of my soul kind of person. Foresight is better than hindsight.
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
The Darkmoon Faire is in Goldshire for the week
I enjoy the seasonal twists even though I don't have a high level character yet who can partake in the really entertaining quests. I have been looking forward to the Darkmoon Faire in particular. Partly because Chris and I both love the non-combat pets and the Faire sells two types of pet frogs and partly since I can retrieve a 14-slot bag if I can manage scraping together 50 tickets. At mid-level, a 14-slot bag is huge.
In order to receive 50 tickets, I have the following strategy:
Let the timer begin - a few more days and the Faire will be over - regardless of whether we have our 100 tickets or not...
In order to receive 50 tickets, I have the following strategy:
- 5 tickets from the guy wandering around Ironforge
- 1 ticket from handing in 10 coarse weightstone (I have a level 18 blacksmithing alt)
- 1 ticket from handing in the 3 embossed leather boots (I have a level 31 leatherworker)
- 4 tickets from handing in 5 torn bear pelts
- 4 tickets from handing in 3 toughened leather armor
- 16 tickets from handing in 3 barbaric harnesses twice
- 24 tickets from handing in 5 vibrant plumes twice
Let the timer begin - a few more days and the Faire will be over - regardless of whether we have our 100 tickets or not...
Monday, 3 March 2008
Why play?
I suffer from a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It's a heritable connective tissue disease that most prominently effect the skin and musculoskeletal system, or simply put - it tends to cause stretchy fragile skin and floppy joints. Apart from the obvious problems, i.e. the myriad issues that comes sensitive skin and recurrent joint dislocations - chronic pain and fatigue is a nagging companion.
I'm having one of those weeks, the bad ones I mean. I can't sleep, I can't work, I can't walk very well without falling over and all forms of movement as well as static positions hurt immensely. I can't sit still, lie still, stand still or pace. My cervical spine protests first by making disconcerting crunchy noises and then by pinching a nerve and sending shooting pains down my arms. What a fantastic way to waste away my time.
A few months ago, there was nothing much I could do apart from fidgeting and slowly going insane. Now at least, with the assistance of some trusty splints, there's one thing I can do a little bit. You guessed it - warcraft. And a little bit of writing, ah, blogging. And on days where I can't play, there's still Azeroth. I have a vivid imagination. It comes from a lifetime of chronic migraine headaches. My favourite one - fishing. I think about fishing in the lake just outside of Dolanaar with a gently drizzle soaking everything. The irony of imaging fishing in a computer game does not elude me. There's so many things I could imagine, but real life memories hurt. I always hurt. Always have done. Thinking about strolling or actually fishing creates waves of apprehension of the pain that will inevitably result. However, fishing as a character in a make-believe lake, no pain involved there. Needless to say, my fishing is skill is excellent.
I'm having one of those weeks, the bad ones I mean. I can't sleep, I can't work, I can't walk very well without falling over and all forms of movement as well as static positions hurt immensely. I can't sit still, lie still, stand still or pace. My cervical spine protests first by making disconcerting crunchy noises and then by pinching a nerve and sending shooting pains down my arms. What a fantastic way to waste away my time.
A few months ago, there was nothing much I could do apart from fidgeting and slowly going insane. Now at least, with the assistance of some trusty splints, there's one thing I can do a little bit. You guessed it - warcraft. And a little bit of writing, ah, blogging. And on days where I can't play, there's still Azeroth. I have a vivid imagination. It comes from a lifetime of chronic migraine headaches. My favourite one - fishing. I think about fishing in the lake just outside of Dolanaar with a gently drizzle soaking everything. The irony of imaging fishing in a computer game does not elude me. There's so many things I could imagine, but real life memories hurt. I always hurt. Always have done. Thinking about strolling or actually fishing creates waves of apprehension of the pain that will inevitably result. However, fishing as a character in a make-believe lake, no pain involved there. Needless to say, my fishing is skill is excellent.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Naughty or Nice?
Actions speak louder than words. I'm still coming to grips with the social aspects of Warcraft and find chatting whilst doing something else a little too much multi-tasking. I know women are suppose to be experts at accomplishing multiple things at once, but unfortunately for me, I don't fit that stereotype. I stick to one thing at a time. A little one track minded, some might say boring, but I enjoy giving my full, undivided attention to one thing at a time. I don't talk whilst I fight monsters, I just fight monsters.
Inevitably, I do run into other players. Most of the time, I stick the rules of surfing. Who gets the wave and all of that. You know, the basic social protocol that makes social interaction pleasant rather than confrontational. I'm mellow. I prefer backing off rather than trying to come to a mutual agreement. After all, monsters respawn, the world is plenty big and I'm happy to kill all monsters, not just a specific type. I am happy to abandon an busy area to find an isolated spot, in fact, I'm keen to do so.
Conversely, I'm also happy to help where I can. I dislike being taken advantage of, but refuse to play with the mindset of suspicion, so I help. I play nice. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I find being on the other end more disconcerting. Accepting help when offered is hard.
I logged in my Level 3 Gnome Mage which I have started with the eye on specializing in engineering (to make a mechanical squirrel, but that's another post). I need to level her up and the easiest way to do so is through quests. Imagine my surprise when I begin the quest and run into a level 37 hunter. First thought was to back off, but I decided that no, the cave is big enough for the both of us. Until I noticed him take out the bad guy in one fell shot with his mighty bow. I got a little nervous and accidentally handed him all my money. He was nice enough and handed it back. He was even nicer and offered to clear the cave for me so that I can pick up the quest item. I graciously accepted. It seemed wrong not to. He spent five minutes helping me finish the quest and even ran me back to where I needed to hand it in. And then he offered further assistance if I needed any. It was such a magnanimous gesture. I declined, it wouldn't be right to take up any more of his time. But I did spend the rest of the day feeling all magnanimous myself.
What comes around goes around. If you play nice, some players may not play nice back, but some will. And some will pass it on. Azeroth is exactly like the real world. There are nice people and mean ones, friendly and rude, childish and mature. Just like the real world, I try not to be drawn in by mean, immature or rude tricks. I prefer giving others the benefit of the doubt. I log on assuming that people will be nice and friendly and possess a little integrity. Aggression isn't my style - plan for the worst and hope for the best. It's a concept that applies well to social interaction.
Inevitably, I do run into other players. Most of the time, I stick the rules of surfing. Who gets the wave and all of that. You know, the basic social protocol that makes social interaction pleasant rather than confrontational. I'm mellow. I prefer backing off rather than trying to come to a mutual agreement. After all, monsters respawn, the world is plenty big and I'm happy to kill all monsters, not just a specific type. I am happy to abandon an busy area to find an isolated spot, in fact, I'm keen to do so.
Conversely, I'm also happy to help where I can. I dislike being taken advantage of, but refuse to play with the mindset of suspicion, so I help. I play nice. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I find being on the other end more disconcerting. Accepting help when offered is hard.
I logged in my Level 3 Gnome Mage which I have started with the eye on specializing in engineering (to make a mechanical squirrel, but that's another post). I need to level her up and the easiest way to do so is through quests. Imagine my surprise when I begin the quest and run into a level 37 hunter. First thought was to back off, but I decided that no, the cave is big enough for the both of us. Until I noticed him take out the bad guy in one fell shot with his mighty bow. I got a little nervous and accidentally handed him all my money. He was nice enough and handed it back. He was even nicer and offered to clear the cave for me so that I can pick up the quest item. I graciously accepted. It seemed wrong not to. He spent five minutes helping me finish the quest and even ran me back to where I needed to hand it in. And then he offered further assistance if I needed any. It was such a magnanimous gesture. I declined, it wouldn't be right to take up any more of his time. But I did spend the rest of the day feeling all magnanimous myself.
What comes around goes around. If you play nice, some players may not play nice back, but some will. And some will pass it on. Azeroth is exactly like the real world. There are nice people and mean ones, friendly and rude, childish and mature. Just like the real world, I try not to be drawn in by mean, immature or rude tricks. I prefer giving others the benefit of the doubt. I log on assuming that people will be nice and friendly and possess a little integrity. Aggression isn't my style - plan for the worst and hope for the best. It's a concept that applies well to social interaction.
