Should L70 players be able to start a L55 class of their choice?

by Dan O'Halloran Oct 19th 2008 at 12:30PM

Like many servers since Patch 3.0.2, mine went down for the count last night. I had planned to explore the Hallow's End content that just went live with my guildies, but spent the time instead commiserating with them via Instant Messenger while waiting for Blizzard to combat rez my realm. One suggestion brought up in the conversation was to play on another server for the evening. A guildmate of mine had a brother with a high level toon on another server, but because we could only roll new characters, that didn't help either.

That's when my guild brother (heya Taiglin!) made what I thought was a brilliant suggestion: since level 70 players will be able to roll a brand new level 55 Death Knight when Wrath launches, why not roll any class at level 55? I was going to explain to him why that wasn't a good idea, but honestly, I thought he had a point. I already know how to play a Druid (well, I'm relearning with the new talents from Patch 3.0.2 and my new found love of Balance specs), why can't I roll a level 55 Druid on a new server to have an alternative place to play? Or even just to join friends who rolled toons on other servers.

You may argue against players rolling a class they don't know how to play then bungling through pick up groups, but isn't that exactly what's going to happen with the flood of DKs about to hit every server? Blizzard is poised to open the door to this option with their new Hero class, why not every class?

Tags: alt-realms, realms-down, rolling-high-level-character, server-crashing

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Classes, Alts

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)

Foote Oct 19th 2008 12:35PM

definitely sounds like a good idea to me

Aigarius Oct 19th 2008 1:30PM

But not to Blizzard. Why would they allow you to skip half of the game? AND in addition to losing subscription time, this feature would require a ton of development time because of all those class specific quests that give you key abilities of your class.

In short - not gonna happen. Leveling is very, very fast already if you know what you are doing, and I would assume you do know what you are doing if you have a 70 of that class already.

Clbull Oct 19th 2008 1:39PM

@ Aigarius

1) This wouldn't apply to new players who don't have a level 55+ character.
2) There should be an option to do so, so that people can choose to do 1-55 again or not
3) I don't 100% see how this will reduce subscription time. For a start, theres a lot to do in the endgame, so the game doesn't end at the max level.
4) Surely someone can l2p their class in 25 levels (counting WotLK here)?
5) If you know what you're doing, it still takes about 4 - 5 days just to reach 60, and prob a few more to reach 70. Imagine what it'd be like getting 70 - 80.

I think its a good idea to be honest.

havitech Oct 19th 2008 1:56PM

The lost subscription time is not a valid argument. Whatever time people skipped leveling from 1-55 would be offset by the fact that they would be more inclined to start an alt at all, and level it from there.

Having said that, I'd rather see much more mid-level content. A mini-expansion of sorts, that adds ton of 1-55 content and polish including the application of phasing across the entire old world.

I had lots of fun leveling my first alt to 70, because I was able to do quests I skipped my first way through. My 3rd 70 was a little less fun, since there were fewer new (to me, anyways) quests to experience. Any other 70's I'll level will involve even more repetitive questing.

realmreaver Oct 19th 2008 2:48PM

A Blue allready stated on beta forums the entire point of the DK starting at 55 was to test that very theory out. Alot of people boo hooed that alot of people will be skipping out or somehow it's not 'fair'.

Against listed such as lack of experience in playing the class, the 'fun' of leveling through and some people rather start from scratch for whatever reason.

I do not see an issue with it being an 'option' that can be toggled on or off. The arguments against it seemed selfish for the most part as lack of experience is pretty silly.

Mattias Löfblad Oct 19th 2008 4:00PM

Aigarius, the point you're missing is that Blizzard ARE letting players skip half of the game. They ARE giving players key abilities for their class at advanced level. The point is, why not expand on the concept they are already implementing?

muffin_of_chaos Oct 19th 2008 4:02PM

This idea would make me a little annoyed only because I've already leveled 70s of each of the classes. Suddenly that would kind of have been a huge waste of time.

Ary Oct 22nd 2008 4:45PM

I wont make a warlock unelss its a free lvl 55. Why? cus I dont have to time and im bored at lvl 1 to 70. So its no downtime on subcription beacuse i wont play unless given the option. Go to forum and help make the lvl 55 dream cometrue to those of us who care less about DK.

Gunrock Oct 20th 2008 1:38AM

I say that thats one of the reasons that the DK is a hero class, and its made and built around this factor, and the other classes might not adjust so well to this formula, and as i said i think its one of the "Perks" of being a hero class

D.O.T. Oct 20th 2008 10:22AM

I rather people be forced to level from level 1 so that they can actually LEARN to play the class they want to have handed to them. I have 6 70s and the rest are over 60. I learned how to play EACH class by leveling them and going through the motions... it's too bad so many people think entitlement = right.

If they let you have any class at 55, then we're going to see an influx of players who don't know how to play their class and sucking badly at it.

xtyle Oct 20th 2008 12:10PM

**If they let you have any class at 55, then we're going to see an influx of players who don't know how to play their class and sucking badly at it.**

That's why we have friend/ignore lists. Of the thousands of folks on each server, you're you're bound to find a few people who you enjoy playing with. :) and ignore the ones you don't.

This isn't a bad idea, but as with any change of this caliber, not an easy one. I like the idea, but it would take a lot of design to do the 55-prepzones.

On the issue of old content being 'wasted'... well.. it already is to a point and blizzard is ok with that. (i recall reading a blue on it, but don't have a link) All the old instances had good runs. It's ok to let them go so that we can move forward. /nod

WOEZC Oct 19th 2008 12:37PM

Yes please, I think this all the time. I'd love to roll a priest, but I'm really not into doing the starting areas all over again.

Moloth Oct 19th 2008 12:38PM

"Should L70 players be able to start a L55 class of their choice?"

YES.

As an Alt-aholic, i spend far too much time slogging through quests just to get my characters to a useful level. i've played WoW since Beta and i am not exactly getting anything fun out of running the same Azeroth quests over and over.

Heck, i'd be happy with level 80 being the prereq to start characters at 55.

Wasuremono Oct 19th 2008 12:38PM

Yes. I would also like to start a priest but 55 levels of wanding when I already spent 55 levels autoattacking is just too much.

Wasuremono Oct 19th 2008 12:39PM

You may argue against players rolling a class they don't know how to play then bungling through pick up groups, but isn't that exactly what's going to happen with the flood of DKs about to hit every server?

To tell the truth the game is played a lot differently at 70 anyway. You really learn how to play your class then not when you are level 10.

AlexW573 Oct 19th 2008 12:38PM

I'd say there are many better ways for Blizzard to improve leveling. Starting characters at 55 feels sort of like a band aid for the system, not very Blizzard-ish.

Also, it alienates new people more. Imagine trying to get a group for the pre-55 instances if no one with a 70 had characters that low level?

Personally I'm hoping for Blizzard to revamp Azeroth (like they've said they want to some day), and maybe even let us fly there. It'd more or less solve the leveling problem, most likely make it a lot more fun to play in, and (as mentioned a second ago), we might even be able to fly :)

Nick S Oct 19th 2008 1:45PM

I've thought before that one great way to increase and improve leveling would be to attach entire-level quest rewards to end bosses in instances of the appropriate level, which you can only complete if everyone in the group is appropriate level to clear the dungeon. They could be like dailies - "Bring me the head of Baron Stratholme" with a reward equal to one level worth of XP.

It vastly speeds up leveling, encourages people to actually see some of the abandoned (but very cool!) old-world content, and best of all gets people together during the leveling process.