Yes, you've read it correct, mounts. And yes, I know that mounts don't make a character any stronger. They won't help you defeat Kil'jeaden. So, in that way, they're worthless, as long as you just have one that is fast enough. Not? Nope. Mounts are what gold is in real life. They are the last and only inflation proof investment in WoW. Diamonds aren't forever, mounts are.
New players in WoW have a completely different view on WoW than the long-time players. When you start with WoW it's all about the levels, not even gear as you probably don't know much about that. Greenies, blues, epics, don't say anything to you. That big purple bar is all that matters and other level up is the goal. Maybe one day you'll reach the maximum level, 60 or 70, could be 80 also, you aren't sure, but it's far far away anyway.
As you progress (= gain levels), a new dimension opens up to you. Levels aren't the only way to increase your power. Those items that you can equip are also damn good. Maybe even better than levels! So, a 2:nd goal in the game reveals itself to you: Gear. You might even have gotten an idea about which stats are good for you and that there are different kinds of gears. Exciting times, with each hour you play, your character gets stronger, new levels are gained, and better gear is found.
It probably won't take long before you start noticing that other people are riding on monsters, and it makes them move faster then you. How unfair. With some asking around, you will learn that it is the mounts that make people go faster and you can also get one! You only need level 40 and 90 gold, not a problem! You are level 46 already. However, you only have 24g and 43 silver, damn. So, you get the brilliant plan to keep on leveling, but stop wasting gold on items. Being able to move faster sure as hell beats hitting a monster a bit harder. Not much later you can buy your first mount, after you took the tough decision which color it shall be. Not knowing you took your first step in the ultimate character progression ladder, the first riding skill!
Now that you have your first mount. It's time to level up further. Level 70 is getting close and you can't wait to reach your maximum strength. Being able to go to Outlands at level 58 is a pleasant surprise, not just because you get experience faster there but you are also getting items of a quality that you've never seen before. Slowly, you are probably starting to realize that level 70 might be the highest level but your gear might actually still progress beyond level 70.
Your new focus is gear now. Levels will come anyway, but good gear pieces take some work to get. Instances seem to be a good source for that and they aren't bad for experience. The game changes from a mainly solo game to a group orientated one. Not a bad change. Doing things with other people isn't that bad, as long as the other people aren't completely clueless of course.
Almost without noticing, you've reached level 70 and as you expected, the game doesn't end there, not at all. Many new options open up. You can get gear from everywhere! Being level 70 rocks, so off you are! Not even five men anymore. It is ten men or even 25 men now! Besides that, you can do some PvP now. BGs and arena are not only fun to do, but they provide some damn good gear also. However, during this whole process a weird feeling of meaninglessness is starting to creep on to you. Every time that you get a new epic, you notice that although it makes you stronger, nobody seems really happy for you. Nobody compliments you on your good gear. Slowly you start to realize that any piece of gear you got has already been obtained by a million people before you. Getting it doesn't make you special at all, the opposite. You blur into the masses more and more.
Now that's not what you wanted, nor expected. You are an individual. You're special, not just one of the many. Well, if gear is nothing more then a tool, then that must be a tool to get reputation. Professions can't be it. You already discovered that. They're so easy and have no depth at all. This leaves reputation, so that has to be it. After some research you find out that you can get some nice items from reputation. There are a lot of factions to get exalted with, but after asking around you learn quite fast that half of the reputations have been abandoned by Blizzard. Getting those seems a bit useless and being exalted with the other half of reputations seems to be as common as beggars in Orgrimmar!
Now there you are, lvl 70, you got some damn fine gear, all purple. You got 2 maxed out professions (OK, you don't have every recipe in game, but that seems more of a lottery then something you can strive for). You are also exalted with most of the factions that still matter today. But still, all this work you did hasn't made you one bit special. The opposite, if you would have done nothing and be 70 with blues, no reputation and no profession, that would have made you different. Disappointed and unmotivated you ride around Azeroth, visiting spots that did made you feel special, doing WC as little orc, grinding for gold in Blasted Lands for your first mount, getting lost in Sunken Temple. Then you see some (ugly) troll riding in the distance, but he doesn't seem to have a mount ?!? As he gets closer you see that it's not invisible, it's some kind of ghost mount. Damn, it looks really cool and you've never seen anyone else with it. Wait, wait, you've never seen anyone else with it? Does that mean there still are things in WoW that really are special ? All of a sudden you can't wait for ZA to reset again. You can't wait for Karazhan to reset. You might even go visit Zul'Gurub and Stratholm, instances that were meaningless until now. Even seriously doing arenas, which seemed completely senseless until now, is something you look forward to.
The realization that there are still things that not everyone has makes you feel alive, at least there is still one thing left to strive for!
Column from week 11: Blizzard Devs: In need of some basic mathematic classes ? |
