<Automata> Mal'Ganis US Horde

[MiRai]

So I got my team started and to level 18 so far. I have mostly been configuring ISBoxer and my UI, while it is like riding a bicycle there are still some bumps and bruises from being away so long! I managed to run my first dungeon (Wailing Caverns) since the leveling patch and wow I had a blast! I was actually sheeping mobs on occasion when they added to my boss fights. While I never felt out of control it was certainly more engaging than the faceroll it was previously. I am hoping the rest of the dungeons are just as fun!

I can certainly agree that the dungeons are more engaging, most of the time, since the scaling change, but there will be times where mobs or bosses have a lack of mechanics and it just feels like they are damage sponges for no good reason. My issue with the scaling is that dungeons no longer reward an ample amount of experience for the time and effort required to run them, as I, and others, have stated in the 7.3.5 post-scaling leveling thread.

As for an ETA on my "return," I just sent off my bad CPU to Intel yesterday. They won't be receiving it until Thursday, at the earliest, and then it's likely 7-10 business days from there. So, in the worst case scenario, I may not have a replacement CPU until February 11th. -_- Knowing that, I am going to have to set up a basic profile on this secondary machine so that I can begin boosting some characters, because I'm losing out on my grandfathered RaF benefits, and I need to take advantage of them.

[Vociferate]

Hoping to hit 110 with my locks tonight, but feel free to add me in game.

I am running around Mal'Ganis!

Vociferate#6137

Damdawtz\Demdawtz\Dimdawtz\Dumdawtz\Dymdawtz

[Mordikai]

I have been trucking along, in fact I watched the Bellular video on 7.3.5 leveling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-3qnbKQzDM) and he made a lot of great (obvious) observations that I have taken to heart. I managed to run the entire Silverpine and Hillsbrad quest lines and shot from early 20s to low 50s just from that and running dungeons once for the quests. I only had a few issues with phasing but for the most part it went very smoothly. I forgot this was a PvP server and foolishly went to Stranglethorn thinking that would be a lot of quests group together. Thank goodness for mage ports, I was able to evac after a severe pounding. I am trying out Ashenvale now, the quests are not as dense as the previous area but still workable. As soon as my team hits 58 I am swapping my paladin tank for my DK and its a race to Outlands. Per the video I am planning to do Hellfire and Zangamarsh then head of to WotLK.

[MiRai]

I forgot this was a PvP server and foolishly went to Stranglethorn thinking that would be a lot of quests group together. Thank goodness for mage ports, I was able to evac after a severe pounding.

Yeah, a great questing zone is mostly ruined by it being a PvP server. There isn't anything wrong with outside world PvP, but it really loses its meaning when you're up against opponents that you have zero chance of fighting back against.

As soon as my team hits 58 I am swapping my paladin tank for my DK and its a race to Outlands. Per the video I am planning to do Hellfire and Zangamarsh then head of to WotLK.

Unfortunately, Hellfire is likely going to be a nightmare, as well, and both Honor Hold and Thrallmar are pretty much under constant attack. Any expansion zone where Blizzard funneled both factions into is going to create a bottleneck for leveling on a PvP server—this also includes Hyjal, and somewhat Jade Forest. When players were split between Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra in Wrath, it really helped alleviate that bottleneck.

Obviously, PvP was fun in those days when it happened and everyone was at a similar level doing the same thing, but now that you just want to move through those zones you constantly find yourself being one-shot and then camped by players that you couldn't possibly retaliate against.


I might as well throw in an update from me, as well...

Intel just received my CPU today and it will be another 1-3 days before they're able to "validate" that it's bad, and then send out my replacement, in which it will take another 2-3 days to receive it. So, either this Friday or next Monday, but whenever I do finally get it, it'll still be a few days while I finish piecing the system back together.

I still have 40-something days left on my 300% RaF, and rather than let it go to waste I've got a temp multiboxing setup on this second machine since I still need to level Warlocks, Druids, Hunters, and Death Knights. The way my RaF accounts are split up is a bit ridiculous, so while boosting is amazing, it's quite costly due to transfers and boosts to fill in any blanks, especially since I want some Nightborne Warlocks and High Mountain Druids. I'll obviously have to level the allied races up from the beginning with no level granting if I want that heritage armor, so I'm thinking that I can avoid the PvP portion of leveling by just making one character on a PvE server. Then I'll be able to more easily level my teams up, and, with level scaling, I don't think it'll take too long at all, but, most of all, I'll avoid those aforementioned PvP server bottlenecks.

[Sservis]

Unfortunately, Hellfire is likely going to be a nightmare, as well, and both Honor Hold and Thrallmar are pretty much under constant attack. Any expansion zone where Blizzard funneled both factions into is going to create a bottleneck for leveling on a PvP server—this also includes Hyjal, and somewhat Jade Forest. When players were split between Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra in Wrath, it really helped alleviate that bottleneck.

Obviously, PvP was fun in those days when it happened and everyone was at a similar level doing the same thing, but now that you just want to move through those zones you constantly find yourself being one-shot and then camped by players that you couldn't possibly retaliate against.

They really should do sharding by level. With appropriate scaling, this should at least mostly level the playing field. Put any group in a shard based on the highest level player. Anything at level would scale to be "reasonable, xp-off twinks aside" and anyone above the scaling cap wouldn't impinge on the lower levels.

[Mordikai]

So I managed to get my team up to 60, swapped the Paladin tank for my Death Knight and thought "Hellfire can't be as bad as MiRai makes it out to be..." In in the immortal words of Taliesin, "It was a shit show!" Wow, I could not even imagine it could get that bad. It was pretty funny listening to all of the whining but I did waste some leveling time on multiple corpse runs. I managed to get a few quests done (avoiding the collection ones) but what I did discover was Zangamarsh was completely devoid of players! The level was perfect to pick up quests and I was able to get to 63 unmolested. I hopped over to Nagrand but at 63 I am too low for the quests so I think tomorrow I will head over to Terrokar Forest.

[Vociferate]

So I managed to get my team up to 60, swapped the Paladin tank for my Death Knight and thought "Hellfire can't be as bad as MiRai makes it out to be..." In in the immortal words of Taliesin, "It was a shit show!" Wow, I could not even imagine it could get that bad. It was pretty funny listening to all of the whining but I did waste some leveling time on multiple corpse runs. I managed to get a few quests done (avoiding the collection ones) but what I did discover was Zangamarsh was completely devoid of players! The level was perfect to pick up quests and I was able to get to 63 unmolested. I hopped over to Nagrand but at 63 I am too low for the quests so I think tomorrow I will head over to Terrokar Forest.

Let me know if you hit any dramas with levelling. I am running around most days between Wed-Sat.

I am on Mal'Ganis to boot. Vociferate#6137

[MiRai]

Finally, I've returned to the wonderful world of multiboxing. There will be a few additional videos of me leveling through dungeons since 7.3.5, and I think they will help portray how everything feels/scales since the patch. I have grandfathered 300% RaF experience in these videos, so just keep that in mind.

[MiRai]

Here's me failing at Magister's Terrance, along with a run of Sethekk Halls at level 76.

[Svpernova09]

Glad you're posting your failures. Gives new people reassurance that everything isn't spam easy.