Monthly Archives: February 2008

How I roll..

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Having a few hunter blogs, and wow news sites on my Netvibes homepage i see that there’s mix of players out there at the minute, with a fair few that are currently playing an alt, since the 2.3 levelling speed increase. It’s interesting, as I’ve recently come back to wow, but not because of the patch, but because i have some time to play it again.

Whilst I’ve definitely noticed the levelling speed increase, my method to levelling has always been different to everyone else’s. All other players will keep themselves in the highest zones, doing the highest quests they can. Whilst there’s definitely an XP bonus to doing this, it’s negligible, and causes more downtime between killing mobs. Additionally it also makes taking on adds and patrols harder, and more challenging.

Personally i start out at level 1 grinding for a few levels, and then always staying a couple of levels ahead of the curve. Currently Shao is at level 28, having just finished the Stormwind Stockades, with the worst group ever, and finishing the subsequent quests in solo. Including taking both level 31 mobs (whilst at level 27) at the end of one of the quests lines. I’m now starting dusk wood without any issues. I find i can take on practically everything, in multiples, have little or no down time, and earn around 90-95% of the XP from each kill.

Which do you think is the better way to level?

WoW Predictions #1 – expansion packs

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murlocrace.jpgMy first prediction for the future of WoW is this. Blizzard will release 2 more expansions after Wrath of the Lich King, raising the level cap 10 for each expansion, making the final level cap 100.

Additionally There will be an average of 18months between each add-on, giving the game an estimated expected lifespan until 2013. This will allow blizzard to have overlap between World of Warcraft, and it’s upcoming MMO(s) of 2-3 years.

  1. Burning Crusade – Outland – 2 new races – lvl70
  2. Wrath of the Lich King – Northrend – 1 new class – lvl80
  3. ?? – Undermine / Kazan – ?? – lvl90
  4. ?? – Maelstrom – ?? – lvl100

expect races such as the goblin (horde), Murloc (alliance), and recently announced Tuskarr (horde) races to become playable at some point over the latter two add-ons, with a potential for a race to swap sides from horde to alliance.

Note, this post is all speculation.

I miss my mount

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I have to say, having a couple of other high level (40+) hunter alts i am really missing my mount on new Shao. Being mount-less is really humbling when you have to, quite literally, walk everywhere. And believe you me, these leather boots weren’t made for walking.

Handy, yet glaringly obvious tip #248, pickup flight paths whenever you can – my girlfriend’s new warrior alt should have taken heed. Instead of deeprun tramming, then walking from StormWind City to Loch Modan, without picking up the loch flight path. Needless to say, lesson learnt.

Roll-on level 20, and aspect of the cheetah.

Can cook, will cook

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Gremlock Pilsnor

In much the same way the BBC show, Can’t cook, Wont cook, pitted idle, and lazy members of the public, in a programme that showed just how bad people are at cooking, Warcraft features a secondary profession that most people fail to learn.

Myself included.

Having heard cooking finally get’s "good" at later levels after a recent patch (i forget which one as i wasn’t actively playing when it went live), i decided to take the plunge, and take up cooking. This kind gentleman here, Gremlock Pilsnor set me out on my first few steps, teaching the basics, like Spice Bread, and Coyote Steaks. To be honest, anyone who constantly carries around a huge chunk of cartoon-grade meat is definitely going to be able to tell you good stuff about food.

Surprisingly though, my first tip on cooking isn’t really game related, other than to say, don’t cook in-game if you’re hungry in real life; the cooking busy sound sure brings on the pangs of hunger even more. Bacon sandwich you say? Count me in!

The journey begins

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imageThorgas Grimson is a wise old hunter. Upon starting out on the path to hunter-based-enlightenment, he has the following eternal words for you.

One thing you should always remember is that you’ve gotta respect the world you’re livin’ in.

A mantra that serves several races on both factions in world of warcraft. Yet i find myself a hunter that kills, and takes what he can from the world around him. Animals, and enemies’ lives alike. Flora and forna in the form herbs, and the hides of fallen beasts in the form of skinning.

Thorgas taught young shao well. he’s 9 levels down, 61 to go. Next up, a pet.

Why role hunter, again?

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Listening to the Instance – a World of Warcraft related podcast today, there was a handy listener submitted question about faction, and class balance on what ever particular realm you happen to be playing on. The listener wanted to know which was the underdog class for their realm – or rather, which was the least used.

The Instance’s response, was to look at Warcraft Census – a site I’d personally not come across before.

Here’s what Stormrage; the European realm my new hunter is on, looks like currently.

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As you can see, hunter out-ranks all other classes in terms, which, i guess i don’t find all that surprising, but i figured it wouldn’t be top. Perhaps every-class-in-one, the druid, or rogue. More interesting is that healing classes are the lowest rank, even though there are many proponents for those classes being excellent big DPS hitters. Shadow priests, for example.

So what is it that makes hunters the most enjoyable classes out there?

Well, that’s what this blog is all about. To discover what makes it consistently enjoyable, and playable from beginning to end.

first post

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As a long time, if infrequent player, it was nice to come back to WoW. With a number of alts littered across a number of European realms it was hard deciding what character to play. I’d not played since before the release of the burning crusade, and such was pretty much out of touch with anything past level 60. Do i pick Shao, my PvP realmed lvl60 gnome warlock? or Shao, my PvE realmed lvl59 orc hunter. Or Shooter, my PvE realmed lvl 42 dward hunter.

I started afresh, this time opting for a pet-less class, the priest. I was going to be helping a friend of a friend play the game, so opted for Night Elf. I since learned this wasn’t the best option, but it gave me the opportunity to show the ropes to a true newbie, which was nice. At the same time I longed for the ‘good old days’ when several workmates would play often, questing and doing instance runs together, and then laughing and joking about or exploits the following day at work. As sad as that sounds i know i’m not alone in liking the communal aspect of the game. Alas, none of my friends played any more. But that wouldn’t stop me trying to persuade them back? right?

two days later and my girlfriend broke. She re-rolled a gnome warlock. Having previously played a lvl41 gnome mage(PvE)

two weeks later, and one of my good friends broke. He recently re-rolled another dward paladin – his third. The others being lvl38 (PvE), and lvl57(PvP).

As you can see, we’re not hardcore players, more casual players that make up a vast majority of those that play world of Warcraft the world over.

My priest is now lvl 27, but this isn’t a priest blog, it’s a hunter blog. You guessed it, i re-rolled another dwarf hunter. Another Shao. This blog will be about his adventures, as well orcShao, and dwarf shooter.