Archive for November, 2010
Rolling an Alt in Cataclysm
Most players have rolled at least one or two alts in their day. In BC, players could choose Draenei or Night Elf, and in Wrath everyone rolled at least one Death Knight at level 55. But, never before have so many possible alts been on the horizon as in the upcoming expansion of Cataclysm. This time around, players can choose from Goblins and Worgens as well as 15 new race/class combos that were never before available.
To top it all off, the old world of Azeroth has been completely revamped so that most players will want to take a look at where things have gone and how the old world will now look. So, rolling an alt this time around is a much bigger decision. How will you make it?
The New Races – Worgens and Goblins join the ranks this time through and the beta word is that they are very fun to play. That means lots of fun new low level quests, new options for special abilities and just play coolness in your new characters. There will be a lot of people out there rerolling just to try them out, so expect some serious crowding.
New Combos – There are more than a dozen new race/class combos available in the expansion as well. Players can pick up long wanted combos like Dwarf Shaman or Troll Druid. Nothing major changes for these characters, but the simple fact that a never before available combo is there and that you can now play through the revamped Azeroth will change how the game feels on a fundamental level.
Where Do You Want to Explore – Everyone will want to explore somewhere different. The changes to Old Azeroth are extensive, the new starting zones are a lot of fun, and the end-game content is bigger and badder than ever. Which of these brand new areas do you want to try out and how will you prioritize the ever growing to do list that the expansion is thrusting upon you?
The key to rerolling is to know what you want to get out of the new content. If you’re setting foot in Azeroth for the first time in 3 years, what content do you want to see more than anything else? If you have rerolled dozens of times since Wrath, maybe you’d like to stay with the new races. And if you’re simply bored with all this buzz and want to hit Level 85, what 80 will you take there? It’s a lot to process, but above all else, make sure you’re ready with a plan, not only for which character you’ll roll but how much gold you’ll need to do it.
Expansion Gold Making in a Nutshell
Every two years, Blizzard drops a big update to their mega selling MMORPG World of Warcraft. And yet, most players miss a fantastic opportunity to make massive amounts of gold from that expansion release. You’ve probably heard that you can make a LOT of gold when a patch hits or when new content is updated on the server, so why don’t more people take advantage of an expansion as a fantastic way to fill their coffers for the next two years?
How Expansion Gold Making Works
The idea is simple. When an expansion comes along, the entire game economy is turned on its head. Players no longer have any idea what’s valuable or what things should sell for. It’s because the demand goes up so high and the supply is so low. It’s not just the items already in the game, however. Players will also be looking for lower level items this time around because of the influx of new alts in the form of Goblins, Worgens, and the new race/class combos.
What You’ll Need
So to take advantage of this surge of interest in low level items, you should start stockpiling certain items that will almost assuredly resurge in value after cataclysm launches. Because no one will be in Outland or Northrend and because most lower level players will be in too much of a hurry to farm their own stuff, you can sell items from those areas for HUGE markup and make a massive profit, but only if you stock up now.
The Risks and Rewards of Planning
If you plan now, you can make a lot of gold, but only if you know exactly what to stock up on. Some items will completely lose their value when cataclysm comes out and will never regain it. Others will be worthless for weeks until demand suddenly rebounds after everyone hits level 85. So, there is a risk for sure that you might stockpile the wrong items or sell them at the wrong time, but there is also a big chance for profit if you plan properly, well in advance.
If you’re serious about preparing for Cataclysm when it releases on December 7th, you need to have a plan. The number one most important thing you can do in that plan is have gold set aside through careful investments. Do that, and you’ll be ready to sell out at key moments and make a tremendous profit off of the inundation of new lowbie characters and professions that surge through your server. Have fun first and foremost, but don’t forget to make a tidy little profit.
New Features on the Horizon for Cataclysm
If you haven’t heard yet, Cataclysm – the third expansion for the mega-popular World of Warcraft – is hitting the store shelves on December 7th of this year and will sport all sorts of new features that will fundamentally change how you play the game. But, which new features will have the biggest impact and how can you best prepare for them when the game finally launches? Here is a rundown of what you should be watching for first and foremost.
New Class/Race Combos – Other than the overhaul of Azeroth, the biggest buzz point right now is the wave of new alts that will be inundating the game when it relaunches on December 7th. Players will be loading up as Dwarf Shamans, Troll Druids and Night Elf Mages (among a dozen other new combos). Additionally, we have Worgens and Goblins joining the ranks as new races.
Stat and Talent Changes – In the 4.0.1 patch, we’ll see the overhaul of our classes finally which will completely revamp the talent trees and set into motion another two years of tinkering and tweaking to get the balance just right. With all those changes come a reload on the enchants, gems, and gear we all use. How much will those things change once half our stats are removed from the game?
Revamped Professions – They aren’t changing as much as the rest of the game, but the professions will be getting a big overhaul as well. That means things like glyphs becoming learned, jewelcrafters getting new dailies and all sorts of new transmutes to complement the new items. Look for other new features as well like random stats on crafted gear.
Guild Leveling System – This is a big one as it will drive a lot of guild membership in the new version of the game. With a hard guild cap of 600, and a load of new bonuses available for guild members who are active, there will be lots of reasons to be in a good guild, which can cost you gold and time.
There are dozens more additions to the game – all of which will have a profound impact on how you play your characters going forward, but some changes will have a more immediate impact. How much gold will you have when you need to replace your glyphs, revamp your enchants, level up new alts, and get into a good guild where you can take advantage of all those new rewards? The big question here is preparation and if you’re not prepared, it will be hard to take full advantage of all the new fun stuff.