Life starts at 90?

A long time ago Trimble on Twitter talked about how the levelling process really kicks off once you finally reach level 90. Shortly after, the Community Blog Topic from Wowhead discussed whether we found levelling to be too easy. It was only recently, after levelling our 6th (and Mr B’s 9th) level 90 that the thought struck home – what to do now we’re 90?

This is a difficult question for us both. I’m a completionist and like to finish the job – I usually don’t start another alt until my current one has a gear level that is around (5.4 MoP patch) 500ilvl. Most are between 500-510, my main and my favourite alt are 558 and 538… I like to be able to take them into flex/normals if I feel like it. I also like to make gold, usually by fishing and farming at Sunsong, which I do on my main. This is not conducive with playing lots of alts unfortunately, as I have a day job which takes up (obviously) a lot of my time.

However, Mr B tends to flit between all of his alts, doing a few dailies here and there, LFR when he’s in the mood, grinding mats etc. This means his alts aren’t as well geared, but he allocated time to play them all, which I definitely don’t… my style of play is more conducive to focusing on a couple at any one time. I haven’t played a healer now for 2 patches as I’ve been focusing on that damn legendary quest line for my main (finally finished) and alt (just the runestones left!).

Levelling Up

For a noob like me, levelling up is still a bit of an experience. On my last alt, I pushed the boat out slightly and went to the zones in Kalimdor instead and actually found it really hard. It took me much longer than usual to level, but I actually enjoyed it a lot more. I enjoy learning how to play my characters by levelling them up and experimenting with the abilities (like not using fear in a dungeon, duh!). I also enjoy seeing the starting zones of the different races… although the Nelf one is starting to wear a little now.

Mr B on the other hand finds it incredibly frustrating… slow, boring and monotonous. Levelling up has become a necessary evil to which the end result is being 90 and everything in between is a waste of time. However, he just keeps on going back. A level here on one alt, a level there on another…

Decisions, decisions

So, we’ve hit 90, now what?

I immediately go into manic gearing up (made much easier this expansion, I have a bank alt with all necessary Timeless Isle tokens for alts), then LFR and valour capping. In between this, I swap back into my main and do a bit more of that achievement I’ve been working on, or some pet battling. I sigh over the fact I’d love to play my Warlock, but I really need to run LFR for those quest items I need on my Monk… I promise myself I’ll log to my lock NEXT week, when I have more time. That, of course, doesn’t ever happen.

Mr B never has only one alt being levelled at a time, so off he goes and does a couple of HCs, an LFR and then jumps on an alt for some low level PvP or questing. His new 90 may not be geared enough to do ‘end game’ LFR, but he definitely plays more of the content than I have time to.

The End Game

For me, the levelling process definitely doesn’t end at 90, but I’m not sure if it really begins at that level either. I enjoy gaining achievements and getting rep on my main – an ongoing process, which definitely didn’t stop at 90 but it is something that has been going on since I rolled that first character. I feel very much under pressure to make sure that my alts are decently geared *just incase* and in this instance, perhaps for those toons, their journey has only really just begun.

For Mr B – who is levelling alts as we speak – the process and experience is entirely different. He’s had that time to explore over the years of playing and he enjoys discovering end content on different classes and factions. He involves himself in the lore and swaps about so he doesn’t get burnt out on one character. Once at end-game, he only really has one character that he ‘gears up’ for the little bits of raiding we do, but many of his alts sit mostly stagnant and gathering dust until one is brushed off for some PvP or a new mog. BUT, this doesn’t necessarily mean that that character’s journey is over, does it? Yes, it may sit there for a number of weeks, but it will eventually be dusted off and its adventure will continue.

Conclusion

I don’t really think there is a conclusion here. Levelling and the end game content is dependent on what we make it to be… a long grind, or a short adventure to be picked up later. That’s the beauty of WoW, the game is exactly what we make it to be. Our own story and adventure.

What do you think?