How bad is 1-60 without RAF these days?

[Perrigrin]

I am currently working on getting the Grins to 80 - But I know there are plenty of other 5 box teams I want to try.

Now, my current work situation means that RAF:ing would get expensive, since my play-time is so inconsistent, I might get 6 teams to 60, or 0 - And I can't predict which way it will be. And I don't want to increase my WoW spend even more by having to move 10+ characters and then RAF again etc.

So my question is: Assuming 70% questing and 30% instancing (not all my teams would be instance viable I think) - How much /played would you guesstimate to get to 60? It's been to long since I did it - and the Grins were boosted 35-70 so can't compare to that.

I could boost I suppose, but I rather not.

[Akeldema]

Well i just leveld another rogue to 60(Solo) in 3 days 12 hours played, and that was solid questing, every quest in each zone sort of thing.
so probaly under 5 days played for you.

[algol]

Slow. Also you trip over death knights all the bloody time.

[beyond-tec]

tooo..... slooooooooooooooooow... :-)

once you played with RAF you don't want to play without it.

I'd prefer creating new accounts, level up to 60 and use the paid transfer back
to you main-accounts rather than playing without RAF.

It's just BAM! Doing 5 Quests and lvlup - yay!

[Perrigrin]

Well for RAF to be worth it I want to get 2-3 teams to 60, and since my 4 slave accounts only have 1 character each - not counting a few 55-58 DKs and some level 1 mules - I can get away with 4 character transfers to get RAF.

My main concern is that I'm not sure when I can use the time the best to get them up :P The 3ish days for a rogue was without RAF? so about 5-6 boxing, with RAF it's what to 60?

[Boylston]

If your play time is "inconsistent", that might mean that you can slowly level a guy up using rest XP. Rest XP is great if you're not in a hurry, real-time-wise.

[Hor]

If you boost in instances with raf, you can get a group of 4 up to 60 in about a weekend. Then you've got gifted levels to play with. Another evenning of levelling toons to 31.99 then you can gift those 4 to 60.99. If you don't have problems transfering a guy, you can easilly level a group, gift the 5th and transfer him to your main "boosting" account.

[Perrigrin]

Sorry to waking this one up again ;)

But, is boosting in instances significantly faster than questing?

Reason I'm asking is that I do want 5 man teams leveled, but if boosting 4 and then granting / moving the 5th up is alot faster - That would be potentially better - Just need to do the maths what's cheaper, upgrading accounts or moving toons over ;) (my 4 'slave' accounts atm only have 1 toon each as I said - So might be cheaper to upgrade...)

[darkxer]

Sorry to waking this one up again ;)

But, is boosting in instances significantly faster than questing?

Reason I'm asking is that I do want 5 man teams leveled, but if boosting 4 and then granting / moving the 5th up is alot faster - That would be potentially better - Just need to do the maths what's cheaper, upgrading accounts or moving toons over ;) (my 4 'slave' accounts atm only have 1 toon each as I said - So might be cheaper to upgrade...)Boosting is going away in 3.04, So if you have not started with the boosting method, DOn't get used to it now...
Use the RAF all same level method.

[Perrigrin]

ahh thanks - good advice there ;)

I wont be doing this until I hit 80 - so won't be able to boost RAF I guess.

I suppose that it's a given that 5x RAF questing / instancing will be much faster than boosting 4 toons with no RAF?

Also, to get 5x RAF when I have 5 accounts today, I need to get minimum 3 new accounts - Is that correct?

[unseen]

I started my group about 3 weeks before the RAF change went in, so I leveled them all old-school. It is much faster than it was back in the day, but it still feels like an eternity.

I did almost every instance at least once, but I didn't grind them and I had zero help from a 70 or higher level character, I did everything just with my team. Also, I wasted a bunch of time since I was still getting used to multiboxing.

Quests are great XP now, so if done properly I believe you can actually level quicker doing quests unless you have a level 80 chain-pulling instances for your guys.

[Smahs]

Recruit-a-Friend is critical to have these days. If you DON'T get it I would say 20 days or so to 60. With it your looking 3-5 days.

[Bigfish]

Boosting is going away in 3.04, So if you have not started with the boosting method, DOn't get used to it now...
Use the RAF all same level method.

What's changing in 3.04?

[Redbeard]

Dont they say its going away every patch?

[Perrigrin]

thanks for the input so far guys (by all means, keep them comming) - I think I'll go for a non-bosted 5 box RAF leveling once I'm tired of the 'grins' at 80 ... just need to figure out the most optimal way of doing that then ;)

[Shiena]

It's not too bad, I have leveled without RAF to 58 and leveled professions, too. Took me ~ 6 days played. If you do not fish as much as I do, it can be done in half the time. I have spent at least 3 days for fishing :D If you use TourGuide ('http://www.tekkub.net/addons/TourGuide'), you can level even faster. It's pretty well done, and if you follow the guide, you will level much quicker.

[sqeaky4100]

Follow Joana's Guide, and it will be pretty quick.

The guide does use some collection quests, but the routes are optimized so you'll never really be wasting time.

[ghonosyph and the moocrew]

isn't joana's guide alliance tho? what if we play horde?! >.<

[ElJeppy]

isn't joana's guide alliance tho? what if we play horde?! >.<No Joanas is Horde it is the Kopp one that is Alliance (also pretty good)... Actually the best one I found was free at www.wow-pro.com

[jettzypher]

Slow. Also you trip over death knights all the bloody timehow so? DKs start at 55, they come out of their phase and into the regular world at 58. so any person with half a brain will tkae thier happy ass to outland and start questing. so lvling to, even 55-ish, you shouldnt have to worry about DKs much...