Right now my priest is in a good spot, I can heal, or I can dps.  Usually I end up doing both though.  I hit 31 today and it’s a nice thing to be able to fill two roles.

I’m nearly at level 29 and still life is pretty good.  Talk in all channels everywhere, people being nice, rolling for chests, pulling mobs off you, I heal people about to die when attacking something as well, buff randoms, etc.  People throw a group if it’s a special mob without even asking, stuff like that.

But man, so many quality of life things that don’t effect things too much are missing.  There is, as far as I know, 1 mailbox in the trade district, instead of all over.  If you die, you have to run back well over 1,000 yards to get back.  I thought the longest run-back ever was when dying in Halaa when you didn’t owe it but nope.  Then I played CLASSIC.  You can die on one coast of a zone and have to run back from the opposite end.  I died in the Stockades and had to run back from GOLDSHIRE.

And flight points are scarce, like 1 a zone.  There is no flight point in Elwynn Forest for Goldshire, or the logging camp.  There is no flight point in Duskwood at Ravenhill either, or at Moonbrook in Westfall.  And mounts aren’t until 40 so have fun running EVERYWHERE.

Oh my gosh and the quests.  So many quests have you run back and forth an entire zone, repeatedly (Duskwood in particular) or go between entire towns, similar to the Lineage 2 class change quests.  Only these are just REGULAR quests.  It’s wild.  It’s old school but it just totally wastes time.

Though I do get a kick out of searching for cooking fires because I don’t want to carry flint and tinder. I sometimes kill mobs around their own camping fire just to use it.

Well, so far the feel of classic is pretty good.  Running everywhere sucks but I did that with L2 so it’s not a big deal.  I got the flight points to Westfall, Redridge, Ironforge, and the Lock Modan area before level 11 at least.  I like it, the quests make you feel like a nobody who is making process.

Channels are vibrant everywhere right now, if you have a question, someone will answer.  I got some bags made cheaply by an actual player and moving right along.

However, I know I’m only 11 but groups have been weird.  Any quest that I move slowly on I ask if anyone wants to group.  So far, none.  I did get a short lived group with a warlock asking for group because I invited him but he was 4 levels higher and decided that he didn’t want to ‘carry’ me because he needed all the exp he could get.  So instead of possibly making a friend, nope exp is more important.  That felt A LOT like Lineage 2.  DPS classes didn’t want to group healers because it halved their exp and could ‘just as well use potions’.  Nevermind that potions were inadequate for pvp or raids, nope, wouldn’t bother help leveling your healer who literally couldn’t solo.

Fortunately in WoW classic, I can solo even if it’s a little slow but I sure hope to be more popular when the dungeons are available to my level. If it’s nothing but “mine mine mine” from everyone I will likely quit.

There has been a huge demand for classic or vanillas WoW from back in 2004 for a while now, and Blizzard is finally coming out with it.  I played it a bit yesterday and I must say I am understanding the appeal. But, there are also MANY, many quality of life items that no longer exist.

But not talking about that, I am specifically interested in the problem of ‘power creep’ that I feel is effecting Battle for Azeroth. We were having a nice conversation in Elwynn Forest on Classic and someone mentioned it felt good to feel like a mercenary again rather than a god.  This made me think of the power creep not only with players but with the bosses.

For instance even though I started in Wrath, I’ve been reading/watching a lot of the lore going back quite a ways.  I’m not a pro at it but I know a bit.  I will also say I do not know the exact progression of bosses from opening day until BC either.

From what I understand in classic you’re just a nobody helping out here and there to start with.  Beat these murlocs, heal this guard, carry this wine somewhere. Your biggest problems are a gang leader (VanCleef), Hogger,  and eventually, the black dragon Onyxia.  At some point you even go as high as an Elemental Lord, Ragnaros.  In the grand scheme of things, Elemental Lords end of being pretty low as the creep goes on. You also get to fight the bugs in AQ though, I believe.  I’m not sure where they even rate though.

I’m not super clear on BC, although I quested through it I didn’t play when it was knew but as far as I know you were still just a general band of adventurers getting stuff done.  The final boss was Illidan which I still don’t really get why (I kinda hate Illidan) and/or Kil’Jaeden.  I mean Kil’Jaeden is kind of a big deal being a huge demon.

In Wrath it’s obviously the Lich King and by now you are such a big deal that the LK himself wants to kill you and raise you as his most powerful heroes. But, you went through A LOT to get there.  The Naxx stuff, ToC and the nerubians, the titans in Ulduar effected by the old gods, and the IceCrown Citadel.  (I started playing when Ulduar was a big deal but didn’t raid until ICC).

In Cata the big boss was Deathwing and along the way you fight not only Ragnaros again, but Alakir who is another elemental lord, you assist Therazane the earth lord(ess?) and Neptulon the water one. You fight those old god minon guys again, lots of them.  You’re kind of a big deal but still pretty scrappy taking down that huge dragon trying to end the world.

Mist of Pandaria … I don’t even want to talk about it.  Good expansion but you’re basically fighting an orc.

WoD is an alternate timeline and I didn’t raid so I don’t even remember who the last boss was.

Legion was when it starts to get weird, in my opinion.  It was a FANTASTIC expansion but omg you’re fighting doom lords all the way up to Gul’dan and SARGERAS.  Where do you even go after that? You’re equipping MULTIPLE legendary items like it’s nothing, to the point of having multiples in your bags.  MULTIPLES!!! When in prior expansions it took months to finish even 1 for maybe ONE person on  your entire team, and now EVERYONE has MULTIPLES in their BAGS!  You are god tier at this point and the bosses are beyond god tier.  Also, fuck Illidan, take a bath you hippie.

And now in BFA, what is there even to do? We’re such a big deal legendary items are kind of whatever and we’re all leveling the same necklace.  The old gods are rolling around but, so? How can anything but worse than Sargeras?

That’s not to mention the other gear problem.  Want a huge bag? Go buy it.  Good gear? Go buy it.  Level a profession? Go buy the mats. I am rather enjoying looting a small slot bag in classic like it’s the best thing in the world.  I got a small red and brown bag and it’s AMAZING.  I like equipping an updated GREY or WHITE item.  Oh wow I got a green item!  It’s actually pretty neat.