The joy of grinding
I couldn't agree more with Mystic Chicanery -- despite the fact that most players consider the "level grind" to be the most boring part of the game, a stodgy run towards the much more interesting endgame, I've found that I tend to invest myself more in my character while actually leveling up, strangely enough, and it seems to me that endgame is the much more boring part of the equation. While leveling, you get a constant meter (literally) of how much your character is progressing, but after 70, progression becomes much more nebulous, and you have to do a lot more poking around for things like enchants and gems.Of course, the main complaint with the level grind isn't doing it the first time, it's doing it again and again, and thankfully, as Mystic notes, will bring us ten brand new levels to roll through. But maybe I have a bad memory, because even when I do hit 70 with a character, going back to the beginning with a new class or a new faction is a new experience. And Wrathgoing through the same content a second time makes it faster and more interesting to me -- I already know where the hard quest targets are, and I can catch up on lore or secrets that I may have missed.
Each to their own, of course -- maybe you've already leveled all nine classes to 70 and couldn't imagine going back and running through Stranglethorn Vale or Hellfire Peninsula one more time. But I've found that I almost prefer the leveling "grind" -- it seems more core to me, improving the character constantly with an XP meter, than the current method at endgame of raiding your way through the instances for gear upgrades.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Expansions, Leveling, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nick S Jul 23rd 2008 4:36PM
my constant measure of success is be.imba.hu
kunukia Jul 23rd 2008 4:40PM
I love grinding, I love farming, I have done all the quests in Dun Morogh (my favorite starting zone) at LEAST 50 times; yes, I am an altoholic. I have deleted more toons than most folks will ever play. My highest delete was a level 45 hunter.
jestergoblin Jul 23rd 2008 4:51PM
Totally misread that as "alcoholic."
Though I agree, I think lvls 1-20 are the best designed in the game. The story is rich and ties together, but after that the games just goes "meh."
The first time I learned all about Defias was exciting. I wanted to know what happened. I was playing for the story...
After awhile the game turns to "Kill 5 of these, i don't care why."
Calybos Jul 23rd 2008 5:00PM
For me, leveling and questing ARE the game. Endgame stuff couldn't interest me less; when a character reaches max level, I retire him/her and switch to a different one.
kunukia Jul 23rd 2008 4:57PM
Well, I will grind all the way to 70 and soon 80 happily, I love kill 5 of these quests. But yah, the lower levels do have a storyline for a while, which is kinda nice.
ThorinII Jul 24th 2008 8:58AM
I'm an altoholic as well. My highest lvl toon is 66 right now and it looks like I'll be holding off getting him to 70 until they speed up the lvl process when Wrath hits. Of course, the only reason I'm taking him to 70 is so I can do the daily runs for gold.
Reric Jul 23rd 2008 4:57PM
I played through 3 60 horde characters and enjoyed the process. The alts were a nice way for me to get away from my guild for awhile. I'm surprised they never caught on as I always ended up having my alt join the guild once I hit 60. I'm now considering coming back into the game. Never leveled an alliance character, reading about the Leftovers is making me consider rolling a Shaman on alliance on the server, I love healing!
kunukia Jul 23rd 2008 4:59PM
Good times. I have raided with Leftovers, great system.
George McBain Jul 23rd 2008 5:01PM
I like to level and that is the thing that has kept me interested in the game for years now. I do a have a "raiding quality" level 70 (though I approach it casually now) and a level 60 in the same guild ... but I also have my own guild filled on the same server with a whole mix of classes that I will fool around for a level or so before going back to my "main" and my "main alt".
kunukia Jul 23rd 2008 5:05PM
Yep, I have one who raids and all my others are casual fun, mostly solo.
Saelorn Jul 23rd 2008 5:07PM
If I don't have a goal, then it's hard to find a reason to play the character. For levelling characters, the goal is obvious. For some at end-game, grinding a particular rep or hunting out particular recipes can be a goal.
My goal on my warlock was to get all purples. Mission accomplished, and I haven't logged back into him since.
My goal on my (male draenei) hunter is to get revered with consortium, since their gun is the one gun I know of that firing it doesn't cause the character to chop his own arm off. I am actively avoiding going into Kara or farming badges with him because I can't justify using an inferior weapon just because it looks better; that has become a goal all in itself.
Oneiroi Jul 23rd 2008 5:30PM
I never really know what to do once I get to 70.
Sometimes there's a recipe I want to make or a PVP reward I want. But after that the 70 sits on the shelf again for a while.
Ilnara Jul 23rd 2008 5:31PM
End game is overrated..
matt Jul 23rd 2008 6:33PM
I want to play with my friends. My friends prefer to play their 70s. 70s can't productively group with sub-70s. Hence, 1-69 is a grind. :)
I find sub-70 grouped play quite enjoyable. Finding a group, however, is much easier at 70.
Eternauta Jul 23rd 2008 6:58PM
Regretably, that's the reality of this game at the moment. "The game starts at 70" has never been more true.
=(
Manatank Jul 23rd 2008 7:30PM
I'm with you 100% on this. The grind is fine if you enjoy solo play, but if I didn't want to be grouping with other people I'd play a single player game. I really wish there was more fun multi-player things to do while leveling.
Mikeymike Jul 23rd 2008 6:34PM
I have 2 70s at the moment. For my first 70, a Rogue.. I didn't do anything really once I hit 70. On my Druid I did BGs to get most of my glads and vindicators, I also did some heroics and did Kara once or twice. But, ya I enjoy leveling with my friends the most really. And at the moment am leveling a pally and he will be holy, the new pally talents for holy seem sick for wrath.
Thander Jul 23rd 2008 6:52PM
I currently have one of every class at least level 60. While the quests were interesting at first, they got boring after the 3rd alt did them. Towards the end the only thing that motivated me was getting new skills. Fortunately, most of them were leveled after 2.3 allowing me to go 1-60 in only a month of casual play each.
Thankfully, I never have to do another Azeroth quest now. The deathknight quests will be all new and fresh. 60-70 in Outland is not so bad on alts. It takes a while but its only 10 levels. Every class has 3-5 new skills as they level and the dungeons have pretty good activity. You can also expect more guild help when they only have to fly 5 minutes to your location.
uncaringbear Jul 23rd 2008 6:55PM
Altaholism FTW!
Fletch Jul 23rd 2008 7:12PM
I have developed six level 70 chars now so I guess I don't mind the process of levelling too much. Some characters are easier than others of course. I particularly remember my paladin being bone-crunchingly boring to level, but perhaps that was more due to a slightly masochistic decision to level it up as a protection spec. I look forward to taking them all to level 80 when WotLK comes out.