I'm leveling too fast. My brand, new main character is already in her mid-50s and closing on BC content fast. One night's worth of questing while my husband was offline catapulted me two levels ahead and greened out our next planned instance. It took a week's worth of jostling to get our quest lines and zones back in sync with one another. And money for my mount at 40? Who are you kidding? Even with steady gathering from 1-40 with just that in mind, it took dedicated money-making days to bring in the cash I needed in time (err, relatively in time – I didn't mount up at level 40, that's for sure).
One of patch 2.3's handy-dandy, user-friendly changes was a boost in leveling speed for characters between levels 20 and 60. The XP required per level was reduced by 20 percent, and the amount of XP granted by quests between levels 30 and 60 was increased. Loot in leveling dungeons was improved. Oodles of outdoor elite mobs were changed to non-elites for solo-friendliness.
Fast forward a few months ... Do players like the results? We dropped in on the Ysondre server earlier this week to see what leveling players think about the current state of XP'ing in Azeroth. Read about their XP experience and share your own thoughts on how fast is too fast, after the break.
The view from level 18Our first chat was with an unguilded dwarven warrior named Hammerhock, a new player who seemed quite pleased with the view from level 18.
Gamers on the Street: What do you think about the XP curve as it stands today?
Hammerhock: I think it helps newer players who often fall prey to high level players who raid.
What about you? Are you an alt?
This is my main character. I made a few others but this is my favorite and the sole one I play now.
What do you think about the leveling pace? Do you think it's too easy to level, too hard to level, just right ...?
I think it is just right. It levels fast at the low levels, which is nice, but makes you work for the higher levels.
Cast of a thousand characters
While pleased that Hammerhock felt comfortable with what lie ahead, we thought it wise to seek out a player who'd tried on a few more characters for size. We found that in Sunee, a 57 night elf priest with <Unfair Advantage>, owner of characters at level 70, 53, 49, 46, 37 ... and on down.
Gamers on the Street: What do you think about the lighter XP curve?Sunee: I think it helps out people with mains that want to get higher faster. But for the new people, they might get to levels like 40 that need gold for mounts, etc. -- and because they have leveled so fast, they don't have the money.
What about content -- do you ever feel like you miss things from going so fast? It looks like you've managed to do some instancing.
Well, all of this gear is from before the xp curve (change). But on alts that I (have) leveled since, it took me two to three levels before I got a group for (some) instances. That might just be because at the moment, this is a low-pop server.
In light of that, do you think it makes it easier overall, being a faster xp curve, since there is a lower population here?
Yes, it does help, because you get to the higher levels faster. But if you did get to run the instance, you could have done at least three quests and got some nice gear, which could be faster. I like it because I can get to the levels I want faster.
Any down side?
But people that twink or new people ... Well, twinks dont want XP, so if they level faster, they might ding out of the bracket they are trying to stop in (10-19, 20-29, etc.). And new people, like I said before, they might not have enough for mount and skills because they level too fast and don't have time to grind/farm stuff to sell.
A seasoned twinkerWe rounded off our Alliance-side visit with a pally who obviously knew the ropes: Swayze, a level 21 human paladin with <BattleHammer>, whose main is a 70 rogue.
Gamers on the Street: So how long has Swayze been around?
Swayze: (My main character's) been 70 since last Jan./Feb., shortly after the expansion came out.
What's your view on the current XP curve?
I think it's at a good rate. Making it too fast makes the game boring, and people don't learn their class properly -- and on the other hand too slowly, people get bored and quit altogether.
What about cash? Have you had any trouble with cash flow keeping pace with XP?
Money-wise, I can't say. I just transfer money from my main if I need it.
So what's your overall take on the adjusted curve?
Well, I know the game inside and out -- too much, now -- so my goal is to get to 70 as quick as possible, which means all questing/grinding and little instances. Thumbs up! ... Now let's see them fix Vanish.
All in favorHorde-side, a level 15 blood elf paladin named Ghoulardi of <Cask of Amontillado> hadn't given the issue much thought – but after pondering the matter, he decided things were working out in favor of his characters (ranging from 15 to 60).
Gamers on the Street: How long have you been playing WoW?
Ghoulardi: I have another main 'toon. I've been playing WoW for three months or so.
Have you been affected by changes in the XP curve?
I'm not sure how the XP curve is defined. Seems pretty much the same to me. Except the change at 60.
What do you notice at 60?
A significant jump in XP points to reach the next level.
How does that affect your play? Does it keep you from wanting to play that character as much, or ... just different?
Alters my play. In the higher level 'toon, I don't feel like I can take the time to solo. I want help on quests.
What about making money? Hhave you found it hard to make the money you need for mounts and such before the appropriate levels hit?
Yep. I had to wait to level 49 for my mount. I am not even close to a upgraded mount at level 60.
Would you say the XP rate is too fast, then, in the early levels?
No. I think you need a fast xp rate to keep players interested -- can set and achieve goals quickly!
EZ modeJaidyn, a level 41 blood elf rogue in <Continuum> with alts ranging up to 67, also seemed comfortable with the new leveling pace. She was, however, the first player to echo my own feelings about the relative difficulty of the good old days.
Gamers on the Street: So did you play before they changed the lower level XP curve to make it go faster?
Jaidyn: Mmm-hmm, been here for about three years and have seen the results of an XP curve.
As this being my third year of playing, I love the idea. I enjoy not having to spend too much more time on leveling yet another 'toon, but I do miss the difficulty of the previous years. I felt like I accomplished more then.
Fresh meat
We wrapped up our conversation with a viewpoint from new player Zenga, a level 36 orc hunter in <legends of dark knights>.
Gamers on the Street: Is Zenga your only character?Zenga: Yes, as of now.
Have you played long, then?
Six days now.
Six days! You're moving right along! What do you think about the pace of leveling?
It slows down after 35.
Think you'll have the money for your mount by the time you hit 40?
Well, maybe the mount -- but not the training for it. Money is hard to make in the game, so many crafters to compete with!
Yeah, it goes fast, doesn't it? Do you think slower leveling would help?
I don't think so.
Have you had time to get all the quests and instances you want to do done before you outlevel them?
Yes. You just need to have a good group to work with.
Read more interviews with World of Warcraft players in 15 Minutes of Fame. Plus, Lisa Poisso logs on to the WoW servers every week to ask players what's on their mind in Gamers on the Street.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-24-2008 @ 4:21PM
Xeren said...
I forget that the average person on Wowinisder is much more informed than the average WoW player (as a result of reading wowinsider, and just being the type of person to seek out new information)- one of those guys didn't even know there was a change to the leveling pace! Not that that's a point of ridicule, it just surprises me sometimes.
As for me, after a some time to experience the change, I think the leveling speed is just perfect. Before the patch, after a while at level 44, for instance, you're just thinking, i GET it, Tanaris is sandy. But now, you can move so quickly through a zone that you weren't all that fond of before, that the zone doesn't really bother you anymore.
As a result, I like pretty much every zone now. You play a game to have fun, it should be fun all the time, and I think Wow has gotten that much closer to that ideal.
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1-24-2008 @ 6:30PM
Khanmora said...
The person that had that response had only been playing for 3 months so the current XP curve would have been all they had known.
1-24-2008 @ 6:34PM
Xeren said...
yeah, i guess it has been a few months since the patch. as i said though, i wasn't disparaging them for not knowing
1-24-2008 @ 4:22PM
Epiny said...
I had 4 alts at lvl 20 before 2.3. I just couldn't stomach the grind at that point. Now I have one at 42, and another in the late 20's.
If you play on a PvP server it's great because you shoot through Hillbrad and STV fast... and if you haven't tried lvl'n there on a PvP server consider yourself lucky.
2 Thumbs up!
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1-24-2008 @ 5:51PM
Verit said...
STV is still a huge gankfest though - and it doesn't seem to matter what side your on (although it seems the alliance goes to bed earlier).
1-24-2008 @ 4:23PM
mcclary said...
zomg! there are other people on Ysondre? I thought I was the only one.
(i am in great favor of the quicker leveling, btw)
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1-24-2008 @ 4:25PM
Bodlar said...
Gold was an issue before the leveling increase. Leveling faster will only help you make more money. If you are a good gatherer pre 40 then you should have more than enough money for your mount. Mining and skinning makes tons of money.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:26PM
Sideshow said...
Truthfully, the speed brought me back and has kept me back. I quit for a few months due to getting bored with some of my mid-level characters. This speed is perfect for me, though I am glad I experienced the full-affect of the previous XP rate with my main 70 Undead Rogue.
I think it's for the best, especially allowing everyone to try the other classes.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:47PM
ThorinII said...
Same here. I killed the account and hadn't played for three or four months. But, when 2.3 came out I brushed off the credit card and got hooked all over again.
1-24-2008 @ 4:30PM
Milktub said...
Guess I haven't given thought to leveling and money. I have a few toons in the "increased XP" bracket, but with all the time I've been spending on gearing up my warrior I haven't been playing my lowbie alts since 2.3.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:31PM
Todd said...
The gold requirements for lvl 40 are easy if you know where to go I have 2 toons getting to that point. With correct timing you can grind mobs easy, get exp for it and make a good profit, just gotta know were to go. Love the new changes, makes catching friends who are all 70's on a diffrent server more attainable of a goal. OH and can we get more decent mid level crossbows?
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1-24-2008 @ 4:40PM
Horixon said...
I know I've been playing for long enough to know how to get money fast, but I don't see how people are having problems getting money for their 40 mount. My alt priest just recently hit 40. After 2.3 was released I picked him back up and started leveling him again. He was at level 18. At level 40 I bought my mount and still had 100g left over. He doesn't even have any gathering skills. He just has tailoring. And no, my main toon didn't finance him. I'm confused.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:41PM
Lysande said...
I had leveled to 70 with my main before 2.3 and had found the grind from 45 - 60 pretty boring. It really put me off leveling my alts who were all in their mid 30's.
The change brought me back to play regularly and I am happily leveling my toons again.
My assumption with the xp curve changes was that it was in anticipation of the next expansion. With the level cap rising to 80 the prospect of leveling a new toon would be daunting and off putting to players. It made sense to smooth the way to 60.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:43PM
ThorinII said...
My BELF Shadow Priest is lvl 36. He has Herb/Alch and I already have over 72g. By the time I hit 40 I have no doubts my mount money will be waiting. Of course most of that comes from selling swiftness pots on AH. You gotta take the time to gather herbs along the way if you wanna have cash on hand.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:43PM
Aelfinn said...
I have several alts in the 20-60 category, and I love the new leveling speed when playing on one of them. But i do understand how new players will have a hard time making enough money to buy lvl 40 and 60 mounts because you fly through the levels so quickly. My first character, before the xp increase, had a hard time with money, but I also spent way to much gold at the AH.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:44PM
Slayblaze said...
I have several level 70's so I like the quicker levelling on the alts I'm working on now andI can always send myself gold when I need it from my main(s). Plus, I always take skinning and mining for alts now and that provides a steady stream of extra funds. The faster levelling does pose a problem when it comes to mining though because you quickly level up and move to zones with nodes you can't mine yet. You are then faced with the choice of either taking extra time in zones which are now low-level to you as you go around levelling the mining skill, or just skipping it and wait until you at least get an epic mount and *then* go back and level mining. I like getting my epic mount first, but either way you end up taking more time to get mining to 300 (300-375 is easy with all the nodes in outland).
The faster level gains are easier on herbalism because herbs are everywhere, but mining needs some tweaking to bring it back in balance with the increased xp rate. Supposedly that is being planned for a future patch or something though.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:46PM
chris.babin said...
I've played since Beta. I started a new warrior on a different server a few weeks ago. He's already 55 and I'm a pretty casual player these days. I agree with #1. Leveling in WoW is now like leveling in a classic console RPG. You are in an area just long enough to quest the area and then you're onto the next zone. You don't feel like your grinding that area into the ground. And on the money issue, I think the problem is professions. None of the standard classic professions (blacksmithing, leatherworking, tailoring) can keep up and our blatant money sinks. It takes more grinding work to level these up than it takes to just farm ore and skins, sell on the auction house, and buy new equipment at the auction house. Every new character I make now is a Miner/Skinner and my warrior had over 200G by the time I hit 40. At 55 I only have 350G but that is way closer to 900G then the first level 60 character I made way back when going the blacksmith route. And the monetary gains only increase exponentially the higher level you get.
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1-25-2008 @ 10:47AM
turkeyspit said...
I couldn't agree more. The Crafting Professions have turned into BoP-only professions. If it doesn't have a BoP item you want for your class/spec, there is no point in doing it. You can't sell your items for profit in the AH anymore unless the recipe was a rare drop, and even then, you have to farm like a fiend for those mats.
Gathering skills like Mining, Skinning and Herbalism are indeed the way to go. Make your money, buy your stuff from the AH/a friendly crafter.
The only exception to this btw is Engineering, because you can make those Mote extractors. That, coupled with Mining, gives you easy access to Motes/Primals in outland, whic has we all know are the real endgame currency.
1-24-2008 @ 4:47PM
Mordrod said...
When you think about it, the argument that one reaches level 40 too quickly because one doesn't have enough gold to buy the mount and riding skill is silly. You would have needed to devote some time to making money anyway, and I'd bet the time spent farming for money plus the reduced time spent levelling would still add up to less time spent than the old way. Plus, if you know some of the tricks to making money, you can probably have the money you need by level 40.
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1-24-2008 @ 4:53PM
Richard Curry said...
I just hit 60 2 days ago and I can tell now how different the leveling speed is, 25-60 flew by after the patch but now i'm slowly getting to 61
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