Yeah I just noticed the buying Tier 7 with badges this weekend and was like WHOAH!

Actually I was still pretty put out Friday/Saturday with it all. 20% of my guild is already 80 and I finished out the weekend at a rockin 72.

BUT!!!! I found a whole new enjoyment with the game on Sunday. My kids finally got into it! We'd tried playing together several times before and it always ended with either them being bored after 30 minutes or wanting to quit because I yelled at them (yes, I'm a bad father, I know). Yesterday was different though. We started off with some low level rep grind, then ran Stratholme for kicks (and MAYBE a mount ), they were still into it so we ran Mechanar (normal) and beat it, then we ran Utgarde and completed all but the last boss before Mom got home and went all postal because we were using her computer. All in all though a good 6 hours of play and they were still ready for more! We would, and don't laugh, group hug after downing a boss and all in all had an awesome time! After they logged I took over their 2 and did a couple of quests but was bored so I went and watched a movie with them instead. Just completely awesome.

So, as a single person and 5 accounts I've been kinda defeated by the climb, but as a family event I'm more stoked than ever and thrilled that we finally have something we can all enjoy together and it's not a sacrifice or excercise in patience for either.

[edit] On the play hard bit I mean you have to put in a crazy (perhaps just crazier) amount of time to progress, get stuff etc. Whereas in TBC the individual things were more challenging but more rewarding. I personally prefer something that's harder but doesn't take as long than just grinding for hundreds of hours. Really the game is that way regardless, this just seems to be more a shift towards time spent > skill exercised. Raids don't count though. The crazy schedules and 40 wipes before all 25 people stop doing the one thing that wipes the raid are just not for me. [/edit]