World of Warcraft: What Would You Do? Need Advice. (Long Rant)

[Jiarn]

So I know this is probably going to come off as a lame complaint, but I'm on the verge of quitting. Only problem is, I don't want to quit. I love the game. I just can't find my niche anymore. I'm so frustrated I can't even get myself to log in. Why? I have no idea what character I want to play as a main. I'm not a guy who likes alts (which is going to seem really funny in a minute) and I like to focus on my one character (achievements, hard modes, mounts/pets etc) but I can't seem to settle.

History: I played an Enhancement Shaman back in Vanilla (Horde). I played pretty hardcore. Raided everything in Vanilla. I even pvped to Warlord status. I have alot of love for the class, even if the devs and gameplay doesn't. In BC I decided to go Alliance with my brother, and since there was no Faction Changes back then, I rerolled Draenei Enhancement Shaman. Which I played through all of BC. I was just as hardcore as I was on my Horde character. Raided all the way to Sunwell, PVPed to Justicar.

I was pretty upset with the changes that took place at the start of Burning Crusade, but I stuck it out. Then I read about the changes in Wrath and I just couldn't stomach it anymore (Caster weapons were better? Are you kidding me?) so I began a path of many different classes, to try and find a niche that would better suit me. I leveled a Rogue (Impossible to find a raid spot), a Hunter (boring beyond belief), Warlock (was so overpowered I was put off) and finally Death Knight. Note: I got all these classes to 80 and raided with them for a good while each.

I avoided playing a Death Knight because it seemed to me like a Warlock in plate, and Warlocks already bored me with their easy mode. Not to mention everyone and their Uncle was playing one, and I HATE playing something that everyonelse is (against the grain, not part of the crowd, etc). None the less I gave in. This was around the time Ulduar was going to be coming out and Naxx/Maly/Sarth was on farm. I had been enjoying the class at the time (2h Frost was entertaining) but DW Frost was changing the class and I didn't feel like being a "rogue/enhancement shaman" again. Our guilds Ret Paladin quit and we were looking to replace him. I decided to offer the chance to level one and raid with it.

So then I played a Ret Paladin till the end of Trial of the Crusader. Anyone who plays one will know why I stopped. From that point on, I stopped hardcore raiding all togther. Problem was, getting into 10-25man raid pugs for casual raiding was near impossible as a DPS. So it was time to look into being a tank.

I leveled a Warrior (great tank, terrible solo class), went Prot on my Pally (was decent, better than Warrior anyway), went Blood on my Death Knight (better mechanics of both, still not liking how many people play a DK though) and currently have a level 75 Druid that I haven't really had a chance to tank with yet.

Since then I've been playing my original Enhancement Shaman (Moved him over to Alliance) and really have been enjoying it again. It's like putting on an old coat that you loved. It may not be a nice coat, it may not get you into the nice clubs, but damn does it feel good to wear. He's got the most achievements, the most progress of any character I have. So what's the problem? The same one I had as a DPS DK. I can't get into pugs. My GS is high, I know my class better than most people, I know fights and play like a hardcore, even if I don't have the time to raid with a guild.

So I have no idea what to do now with Cataclysm coming around the corner. Do I stick it out with my Sham, even though I may be left with nothing to do half the time (once I reach end game again). Do I go back and work on my Tanks, getting them caught up in achievements and gear? (NO idea which of them to play. DK turns me off because of how many people play them. Warrior can't go and do solo content, Paladin is just a wonky class all together, and Druid isn't even 80 to have an opinion on)

What would you do? (if you're even still reading this rant.)

 

[Dei]

Stick with what you like and try to find a guild that meets your needs. With 10s and 25s sharing a lock out, there's no reason that you can't raid 25s on your main, then find an alt you like and do 10 mans with that one as well. Bouncing around classes as your main is a really fast way to burn out. I have (way too many) 80s, but I make sure that I stick it out with the character I like the most, and only ever "main swapped" once, which was also a complete server swap and going from Alliance to Horde at the start of BC (lolbelfs). If you were main swapping due to a love of the class, great! but doing it to meet the needs of other people is a good way to end up frustrated like you are now.

(I have also raided end game since the start of the game as well, so I do have perspective. )

 

[Jiarn]

Can't raid with guilds as I can't keep a steady schedule. There would be no question that I'd play my Enhancement Shaman if that were the case. Hence why I'm leaning toward the tanks.

 

[Dei]

You'd be surprised the different flavors of guilds that are out there. You might even be able to make your own and just have a flexible 10 man schedule. And since you can extend raid lockouts, you can even set up raids that clear content slowly. Anything is better than picking a class just to get into (bad) pugs easier, unless that is what you really like doing. But, at the same time, if you are dead set on PuGing it, just make your own groups then you don't need to worry about not being taken.

 

[ScytheRexx]

I feel your pain, but the only different is that I love playing multiple characters rather then just one. Really I think the best thing you can do is take a break, relax a bit, and then come back sometime after the "rush" of Cataclysm has died down a bit. Choose whatever class feels "fun" to you, don't try to choose one just because you feel you need to do it to progress. You will find a place on your "fun" class once you get established.

This would go a long way to improving your playing health, because feeling frustrated while playing is not the way to go, you will just burn yourself off the game completely.

 

[Jiarn]

Problem is, I hate missing Feats. I have them spread over so many different characters, I don't want to continue that.

 

[sixpackshaker]

About the only thing it sounds like you have not done is PvP the arenas. You have to find the class you will enjoy most.

 

[Jiarn]

Enjoy the most: Enhancement Shaman, Mage, Rogue.

Have the most opportunity to not sit in the main city for days on end: Blood Death Knight, Bear Druid, Prot Paladin

 

[sixpackshaker]

Find a large casual raiding or leveling guild. (BLASPHEMY, I know.) It helps to have a lot of people to choose from to run randoms and 10 mans. Then if you don't have enough to help you do those things, you at least have people to chat with until the dungeon pops.

 

[ScytheRexx]

Problem is, I hate missing Feats. I have them spread over so many different characters, I don't want to continue that.

Ghostcrawler has made it known he wants to make Achievements and Feats to become ACCOUNT wide sometime down the line rather then character-based, but that just on a technical level (and general level, since they may not want level 1 Kingslayers) they can't right now. While you may hate having your Feats spread around on many characters, it may not even matter in a year.

Ghostcrawler: Oh totally. It really sucks to get like, a really hard achievement and then feel like you're supposed to go do it again on your alt or something. That's just terrible, so...we want achievements to eventually all be account-level—you get the achievement, and maybe it would say which character you got it on—

 

[Jiarn]

Warlord.... on my other chars?

Yeah I'm not so sure that's going to go through.

Honestly though, if I could transplant my reps/achievements. My decision would be a little easier:

Blood Death Knight, Druid or Prot Paladin.

 

[sixpackshaker]

The achievements should be server-wide, and the titles should go to who earned it.

The hardest achievement I have is <Salty> I would like to not have to do that again on another toon. But I would not think it fair to have a new toon with the title. When you right click on some one and they only have 100 achievement points, you think that they are doing nothing other than randoms. While they may have a Kingslayer or the Insane on another spot on the account.

 

[ScytheRexx]

Warlord.... on my other chars? Yeah I'm not so sure that's going to go through.

Why not? Like I said before, they may not make it so titles or rewards carry over to the character, but it would still display all the achievements you gathered on that account.

Even so, I don't see why they wouldn't allow us to gain rewards on alts, because frankly all the rewards themselves are COSMETIC anyways. Is seeing a level 1 human with Champion of the Naaru really going to piss people off that much? All it tells you is that the player got Champion of the Naaru at some point on another character. I think they should just go the whole nine yards and make it so getting an achievement on one characters ticks it off for all of them.

Either way, in the end Ghostcrawler is interested in doing it. Whether it happens or not we will have to see in the future.

But I would not think it fair to have a new toon with the title.

I am actually curious why you have this opinion. I have seen people use it before but none have ever made a good reason why cosmetic achievements can't be given to alts.

 

[sixpackshaker]

It is echoing the earlier post about the Level 1 toon that walks around with the Kingslayer title. Yes, the main on the account did the deed, and the achievement points should be reflected to the alts. It is just the gut feeling that a toon that in no way can do the requirements for the title should get to wear it.

Or how rare the military ranks are, it is nice to be rare with <Knight> over my name. I just do not want to see thousand more toons with those titles that will dilute how special they are.

 

[ScytheRexx]

It is echoing the earlier post about the Level 1 toon that walks around with the Kingslayer title. Yes, the main on the account did the deed, and the achievement points should be reflected to the alts. It is just the gut feeling that a toon that in no way can do the requirements for the title should get to wear it.

But if we are to equate "status" to a title, then why not allow the person who earned that status to show it off? Yes, the alt in no way was able to do the deed, but the PLAYER was. He did the deed and earned that, regardless of the character. I think my issue is that I never equated titles to anything other then fun little banners to show off the goals I have reached (Kingslayer), or to add flavor to a character (Crusader), and I don't think changing characters to another alt should mean all those accomplishments get no visable gain. We already get heirlooms, which are much more useful in the long run then titles or mounts, which are just cosmetic bonuses. To me, it's like asking all shirts, including ones a bit harder to find, should all be soulbound.

Or how rare the military ranks are, it is nice to be rare with <Knight> over my name. I just do not want to see thousand more toons with those titles that will dilute how special they are.

This won't matter soon, since everyone will have those titles with the new Rated Battleground system bringing them all back. Actually, my system would allow people with the old Feat version to use the titles on alts at earlier levels, pointing them out as being special rather then another face in the crowd of newly christened High Warlords at 85.

 

[strawman]

You should consider turning it off for two months. I know you're really deep into it, and you probably can't imagine not playing it, but I suspect you're suffering from becoming too involved in it. Take a deep breath, go play some other games or participate in other activities, then in two months come back to it and see if it's really as problematic as you think it is now.

Alternately, go deeper and start multiboxing so you can get more out of each play session than you currently can.

But I think you're better off re-centering yourself outside WoW first, then coming back with a fresh take on it.

 

[Jiarn]

I used to be too involved, hence I stopped raiding and playing seriously.

I do get where you're coming from, but I'm already there. I'm simply weighing my options for Cata and would like to have ONE character to focus on from here on, so I can get the upcoming Feats. Even though the only one with any Feats to speak of is my Enh. Shaman....

-sigh-

 

[Chibibar]

I am an alt-a-holic my main is a pally, but sometimes I like to play other class just for fun. My personal rule is that, play what is fun for YOU. While your fun play, might not mix well with others (i.e. raid, or group activities) you can have alts to fill those roles, but play what is fun for you, not play for others (like being in a guild that requires you to play 3 raids per week or more) unless you find THAT fun (some do)

 

[Jiarn]

My fun contradicts itself.

I love my Enhancement Shaman, but I love to raid (when I can). Those two just don't go hand in hand unless I come back to WoW full time, and that's not going to happen.

The choice is looking like Death Knight I think....

 

[Piotyr]

I'm not sure why you can't raid as an Enhancement Shaman, unless the players you raid with are that ignorant to not understand the inherent value of the player over a perceived DPS increase, especially when Blizzard is particularly focused on keeping all DPS specs competitive across the board. Even the use of GS is a tool of the ignorant, and the pugs that use that as a limiting factor aren't the pugs that are going to be doing anything in Cataclysm, anyway.

 

[Jiarn]

The only raids I can make these days, are PUGs. I think that answers that question unfortunately.

I outdpsed everyone in every encounter with the exception of Festergut on my last pug ICC 10, yet I still don't get raid invites out of the blue. I have to pull them like teeth.

 

[Chibibar]

The only raids I can make these days, are PUGs. I think that answers that question unfortunately.

I outdpsed everyone in every encounter with the exception of Festergut on my last pug ICC 10, yet I still don't get raid invites out of the blue. I have to pull them like teeth.

this is what I get from raids.

People like to raid regularly with the people they know and depends. Since you cannot raid on set schedule (no fault of yours) others don't wanna raid with you (again this is what I observe) I am a decent tank before the prot pally changes. I have decent gear and can do pretty well, but people don't invite me as often cause of my sporadic playing time

 

[Jiarn]

Yeah but on my server, every other raid is looking for a tank. 1 out of 30 are looking for dps.

 

[FnordBear]

Honestly my advice is: "Walk away"

Disable the account for a few months. get out, do other things.

Then come back to it for a month. See if you enjoy it after a break. If you still feel the same way...give the account away to a friend or someone else for plays. This is exactly what I did when I was in your shoes. I found my life much happier without it than with it.

WoW in the end is just a game, however you would be surprised once you walk away how much a -game- has dictated things in your life (like when you sleep, eat, socialize, etc.) Rule the game. Don't let it rule you.

 

[Cajungal]

I quit and loved it. But I was never that hardcore. I'd go along with raids and stuff, but mostly I liked to play casually with friends and role play. So it was easier for me.

 

[Jiarn]

Very good advice all around, I definitely understand the reasoning behind the taking a break, I should have mentioned the 4 months I wasn't playing though. It was how I decided to come back and not play hardcore anymore, so it did help in that sense.

 

[Rubicon]

There are other ways to have fun in WoW. Do you enjoy PvP? You can pretty much PvP based entirely on your schedule. Even if you do Arenas, you find an Arena team who has similar play times as you. Which is a lot easier than coordinating an entire raid team. Unless you are a diehard PvE nut, raiding isn't the end all be all of WoW. The story is nice to see progress but raids are just, so cookie cutter in my opinion its too simple to pre-plan new raids almost instantly thanks to the PTR, then its just a matter of a chess game of bringing the right combo of classes and strats. At least with PvP theres the random factor of human skill vs human skill. If PvP isn't your cup of tea, try something different. Start new professions you never tried before, if there are any. Go for rare mounts or rare titles. Try your hand at some hard achievements or feats of strength.

Aka, theres other stuff to do besides raiding.

 

[SpecialKO]

If this got addressed before, apologies, I missed it.

Have you been raiding much since 4.0? I play a Frost DPS DK 90% of the time, and I never have much issue getting into PUG raids, and I'm even "undergeared" according to the GS-crutch-wearing "hardcore" crowd. I found that the new lockout system really helps being able to get in.

I found it also helps to make contacts with guilds who use PUGs to fill out their raids. If you get into a 25 or 10-man where 50%+ of the raid is one guild, you have a pretty decent chance of getting called back if you do well, especially if you send a thank-you note afterwards. Not only do they like to grab good people who raid with them, but the raid is usually a better experience, and with the new guild achievements, there's a much bigger incentive for guilds to run PUGs with a core group of guildies.

 

[Jiarn]

If I played a DPS, it would be with the Enh. Shaman. That's why it's hard to get the DPS spot. I would only play the DK if I was going with the tanking route.

I think at this point I'm just going to tough it out and stay Shaman. It's where the heart is, the raids will have to come when they come.

 

[SpecialKO]

If I played a DPS, it would be with the Enh. Shaman. That's why it's hard to get the DPS spot. I would only play the DK if I was going with the tanking route.

No, that's totally fine, but what do you mean by the bolded part? Melee DPS is melee DPS, as far as raids are concerned. The only reason why being an enh shammy would be a disadvantage would be if your server has a disproportionate number of enh shammies and raid leaders don't want to overload on a class for gear purposes.

I think at this point I'm just going to tough it out and stay Shaman.

That is what I would recommend.

 

[KCWM]

I was in a pretty cool, small raiding guild and stopped cold turkey back when the ICC buff was still at 15 or 20%. I don't miss it all that much...though commercials for cataclysm are testing my resolve.

 

[Shegokigo]

Still meandering around WoW, mostly aimlessly. I've done everything there is to do in WoW strewn about my level 80s.

Right now though, I'm going through the old revamped zones, clearing them of quests to see the new storylines. That's kept me pretty busy.

 

[Ravenpoe]

If you're like me, and haven't played every class to 80, then now is the perfect time to make a new char. All of the old world is just so goddamn fun now. Guild chat has been nothing but people on new toons going "omg, did you do x yet? It was awesome!"

 

[Piotyr]

The mere fact that there is a quest named "AHHHHHHHHHHH!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" puts the updated content on a new level.

 

[Jiarn]

Personally I was blown away with the STV questline

Spoiler

That you accidently ressurect Bloodlord, and he steals your raptor pet. You then find out that the raptor hatchling is actually the child of his original Oghan. You then proceed to mind control the hatchling from a village outside of ZG and run your hatchling through ZG to escape. Just to be stopped at the door by Jin'do and Bloodlord. Leaving an open storyline that you are to rescue the raptor at a later time.