Lo-Quality WoW

My druid is a “lunchtime” alt. She was created when a co-worker started playing WoW during lunch, so that I would have an appropriate level character to help her. Yes, I could slaughter things without blinking with my hunter, but I feel that having a similarly leveled characters makes it more fun for all. However, I sort of stopped playing during lunchtime and my druid fell to the wayside for a little bit, languishing at level 13 for months.

As I mentioned elsewhere, the main druid in our guild started out with a mage as his main. His druid had been his “lunchtime” alt when I was running up my warrior. And for the most part it frustrated him to no end. In fact, he recommended against my starting up a druid character at one point because the lower levels were so frustrating.

Why? Well, I realize now what has frustrated him, the shapeshifting quests. The quest for bear form was relatively mild, although you did have to travel around a bit. But back when my guildmate started, to get aquatic form, you had to complete a very long, irritating quest chain. Fortunately for me, since then it’s been changed so that you learn the spell at level 16 but can still do the quest chain.

What was so irritating about the quest chain? First thing you did was have to find an item in the lake in Moonglade in a certain amount of time. And back then, not only did he not have the aquatic form, meaning he had to worry about stuff like breath, but quest items didn’t sparkle like loot as it does now. And while there were small fissures with “bubbles” to allow you to catch your breath underwater, you still spent a long time swimming around, surfacing or finding fissures to catch your breath at.

Next you’re told to reunite the two halves of a pendant and to talk to people in Moonglade to find information on them. It, however, doesn’t tell you which two people to talk to! And when you do finally figure out which two people to talk to, you’re told to go to Westfall and to Darkshore to find the halves. Back then, the boats ran between Auberdine and Menthil Harbor and Theramore. (And from Ratchet to Booty Bay, but that was even less helpful.) Which meant to get to Westfall, you would have to travel at least through the wetlands which is a lvl 20-30 zone. And you do this quest at lvl 16? And again it involves you diving around, this time in mob infested waters, trying to find something. Wasn’t the easiest thing to do back then.

As for me, it wasn’t so bad since I don’t really have to do the quests, although I probably will. There isn’t as much pressure for it. But I can definitely see why he hated the lower levels of being a druid. I have the form and I can wait a few more levels where it’ll be more appropriate for me to be traveling through the Wetlands.

Now, as for playing the class itself? Well I started out just using magic the blast things but once I got bear form, my habit changed. Now it’s travel in bear form, fight mobs, and when I get really beat up, switch back and cast a few heals. Then it’s back to bear form again. No real need to slow down much, which is why I was able to level a few times. Even picked up the 50 Quests Completed.