I am baffled how the author managed to pick up in the article the 4 classes I levelled the quickest as the most difficult ones?!? I know writing doesn't leave a lot of time for actual playing, but at least do your homework and ask regulars about their experience before posting. The shere mention of locks here is ridiculous. That was the class that made the first lv80 when WotLK was out. It was the same levelling machine in Cata as well.
My main was a priest at launch, rolled with a friend and his brother on a PvP server with devious plans. Those plans were never realized because I fell so far behind them while leveling the priest. Post-dungeon finder that's not much of an issue as leveling tank/healer is fastest path.
Remember finding a group in chat and running by foot from Southshore to the Scarlet Monastery and farming those three dungeons for hours with the same group? Those were the days.
The perspective of the author sounds like someone who played from vanilla to TBC & unsubbed since mostly. Nothing wrong with that, the article just brought me back down memory lane.
I have a level cap of each class and raided/pvp'd with most of em over the 6 years I "played" WoW.
If you mean currently (pre panda mode)... then non are hard to level. W/ the revision of the skill trees over the last few years its made every class pretty easy to solo... provided you spec decent in your talent tree.
Paladins grab a 2h, go ret, and your 85 in no time. Slower way to level and more painful would be prot spec (no queing for dungeons though).
My opinion is for the slowest/hardest class to solo atm currently would be a pre-80 protection spec warrior (once again no queing for dungeons).
Grinding the mobs down with a 1h weapon takes a longer, warrior doesnt have any heals besides the pots n bandies you bring. No aura like a paladin that can heal on hit for so much damage n a small/large heal to boot (not very mana efficent)... o and the bubble.
So while still tedious to the vet to start at level 1 with yet another alt, leveling is a breeze these days.. period.
Haven't played WoW for years, but how fun leveling a class was, depended on how fun you made it tbh.
I leveled a mage twice, it was my main for years. If you went through the same routine for each mob, then it was boring as all hell: you just spammed the same casting rotation again and again and then spammed it some more before you conjured more food / water and sat down to drink / eat.
But then you could also pull a couple of groups at the same time and kite them all over the place, you could spec into improved blizzard and try AOE grinding, you could train that elite monster over half the zone, etc.
That was what made mage and some other classes, like hunter and even pally (aoe grinding with pally was awesome) fun for me.
The only class I couldn't stand to level was the warlock, mostly because they seemed to lack the option of performing all sorts of tricks, you couldn't really go far outside the rotation. Maybe that has changed now though.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
Originally posted by BillMurphy Do we really have to preface every COLUMN article with the notion that columns are editorially based and therefore opinion? To me, and still, this list is my most boring/annoying classes to level. You can have your own too, but neither of us will be "right".
It's not a matter of prefacing the fact that it's opinion, it's wording the thread properly to avoid confusion. Your title is "The worst class to level" which to many, including myself, indicates what class is more difficult to level than others. You seem to be arguing which is less fun, which isn't always related to difficulty (I enjoy it being more difficult, therefor it's more fun).
If it was labeled "The least fun classes to level" it would make more sense, imo. Of course it's opinion either way but at least you indicate that you're saying what you have the least fun with.
Don't even remember leveling most of my pallys, since they have so much survivability you don't ever stop. Boring? Maybe, but I can get one to 85 in 3 days played, so it's not awful to play.
Plus none of WoW's classes are really awful to level at all in the Catacylsm world.
Originally posted by BillMurphy Do we really have to preface every COLUMN article with the notion that columns are editorially based and therefore opinion? To me, and still, this list is my most boring/annoying classes to level. You can have your own too, but neither of us will be "right".
Bill, you know damn well what is wrong with your piece. It's not that it's opinion based, it's the fact that you are basing your opinions on information that is 6-7 years old. I would expect that you would have at least gone back and seen how things have changed BEFORE writing this. Research is key in all forms of journalism. That was my biggest beef with your column, you didn't even bother doing your homework (properly) first.
Did they ramp up the difficulty again or something? I hated people who whined about priests in '04. I slogged through leveling a bear from 1-60 in early '05.
Bill, normally love your columns, but I think you mailed this one from a beach somewhere.
Originally posted by BillMurphy Do we really have to preface every COLUMN article with the notion that columns are editorially based and therefore opinion? To me, and still, this list is my most boring/annoying classes to level. You can have your own too, but neither of us will be "right".
Want to hear my "opinion" on Indian Caste systems post British rule even though I also know very little about it?
How about I change the title? My opinion still stands though, I just don't like these classes. Guess that's what I should have titled it. "The 5 Classes Bill Doesn't Like". Sorry for the confusion folks.
Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.
I really think that leveling in WOW right now is so easy in any class that this article is probably not worth writing. For instance, a Paladin right now is so easy to level it's not even funny. Back in vanilla it wasn't. But right now, you can level a prot paladin even so easy it's a joke but yet it is listed as the least favorite. I guess "least favorite" are the key words though. A subjective opinion that doe not necessarily mean hardest to level.
Originally posted by BillMurphy How about I change the title? My opinion still stands though, I just don't like these classes. Guess that's what I should have titled it. "The 5 Classes Bill Doesn't Like". Sorry for the confusion folks.
Having read the column, I notice that this doesn't, in any way, change the fact that you're basing this on 6-7 year old information. You don't like the class? You don't even know the class, since all you can do is recall something entirely too outdated to ever even mention in this article.
That's the problem. That seems to be what you're not understanding.
Please understand.
This feels like talking to Kanye West in the South Park episode where he's the only one who doesn't get the fishdicks joke.
ive never been able to level a warlock. my first character to 60 was a hunter, and I actually used to be pretty good at managing my pet, kiting mobs, pet aggroing and dumbing aggro at the right times .. but once I rolled mage, I couldn't stand the idea of a pet. I actually gave up my mage because of that stupid water elemental. Why they had to turn my favorite class (frost mage) into a pet class is beyond me. So i've never been able to level a warlock. My hunter is like 65 and my mage is still 80. I loved my mage and fought the urge to dump it .. but the w/e was finally too much.
Shaman I havent been able to level either. Not really sure why.
Leveled priest paladin and druid as heal spec and warrior/dk as tank spec. Because it's hard(er) lol .. what can I say, games are too easy. They were all alts that I didnt want to level fast, so ..
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity. I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
Having played low level priests and paladins within the last few months, they are my least favorite classes to level. But pretty much everything is fairly faceroll these days.
Comments
Played WoW from launch off and on through WotLK.
80 priest - heal
80 warrior - tank
80 paladin - tank
80 druid - tank
80 warlock - 111211121112
80 death knight - tank (fail)
7x mage
7x rogue
7x hunter
My main was a priest at launch, rolled with a friend and his brother on a PvP server with devious plans. Those plans were never realized because I fell so far behind them while leveling the priest. Post-dungeon finder that's not much of an issue as leveling tank/healer is fastest path.
Remember finding a group in chat and running by foot from Southshore to the Scarlet Monastery and farming those three dungeons for hours with the same group? Those were the days.
The perspective of the author sounds like someone who played from vanilla to TBC & unsubbed since mostly. Nothing wrong with that, the article just brought me back down memory lane.
I have a level cap of each class and raided/pvp'd with most of em over the 6 years I "played" WoW.
If you mean currently (pre panda mode)... then non are hard to level. W/ the revision of the skill trees over the last few years its made every class pretty easy to solo... provided you spec decent in your talent tree.
Paladins grab a 2h, go ret, and your 85 in no time. Slower way to level and more painful would be prot spec (no queing for dungeons though).
My opinion is for the slowest/hardest class to solo atm currently would be a pre-80 protection spec warrior (once again no queing for dungeons).
Grinding the mobs down with a 1h weapon takes a longer, warrior doesnt have any heals besides the pots n bandies you bring. No aura like a paladin that can heal on hit for so much damage n a small/large heal to boot (not very mana efficent)... o and the bubble.
So while still tedious to the vet to start at level 1 with yet another alt, leveling is a breeze these days.. period.
Haven't played WoW for years, but how fun leveling a class was, depended on how fun you made it tbh.
I leveled a mage twice, it was my main for years. If you went through the same routine for each mob, then it was boring as all hell: you just spammed the same casting rotation again and again and then spammed it some more before you conjured more food / water and sat down to drink / eat.
But then you could also pull a couple of groups at the same time and kite them all over the place, you could spec into improved blizzard and try AOE grinding, you could train that elite monster over half the zone, etc.
That was what made mage and some other classes, like hunter and even pally (aoe grinding with pally was awesome) fun for me.
The only class I couldn't stand to level was the warlock, mostly because they seemed to lack the option of performing all sorts of tricks, you couldn't really go far outside the rotation. Maybe that has changed now though.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
It's not a matter of prefacing the fact that it's opinion, it's wording the thread properly to avoid confusion. Your title is "The worst class to level" which to many, including myself, indicates what class is more difficult to level than others. You seem to be arguing which is less fun, which isn't always related to difficulty (I enjoy it being more difficult, therefor it's more fun).
If it was labeled "The least fun classes to level" it would make more sense, imo. Of course it's opinion either way but at least you indicate that you're saying what you have the least fun with.
Don't even remember leveling most of my pallys, since they have so much survivability you don't ever stop. Boring? Maybe, but I can get one to 85 in 3 days played, so it's not awful to play.
Plus none of WoW's classes are really awful to level at all in the Catacylsm world.
Bill, you know damn well what is wrong with your piece. It's not that it's opinion based, it's the fact that you are basing your opinions on information that is 6-7 years old. I would expect that you would have at least gone back and seen how things have changed BEFORE writing this. Research is key in all forms of journalism. That was my biggest beef with your column, you didn't even bother doing your homework (properly) first.
Did they ramp up the difficulty again or something? I hated people who whined about priests in '04. I slogged through leveling a bear from 1-60 in early '05.
Bill, normally love your columns, but I think you mailed this one from a beach somewhere.
If you don't worry about it, it's not a problem.
Want to hear my "opinion" on Indian Caste systems post British rule even though I also know very little about it?
As traditionally a DPS'er and in reverse to the thread title:
5 best classes to level, in reverse order:
5) Druid - Solid DPS, sometimes healed so this class was suitable for that. Decent tank too, by all accounts.
4) Hunter - Fun with pets and guns.
3) Warlock - I tried with Destro spec, was a struggle then went Demo spec and steamed through with hand of Gul'dan and a Felguard.
2) Death Knight - Unholy spec, even questing to max level was fast.
1) Mage - Fire or Arcane Spec even faster than a DK by questing to max level, instances even faster so.
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Good ol' Reckoning Bomb.
Uhh... what?
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You did fine young bill. I will go start a troll thread about kung-fu panda and draw some of the heat off your article :P
I kid I kid I won't do that ever...
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I vote ~
#5) Druid
#4) Rogue
#3) Warrior
#2) Priest
#1) Shaman
( Note to self-Don't say anything bad about Drizzt.)
An acerbic sense of humor is NOT allowed here.
Having read the column, I notice that this doesn't, in any way, change the fact that you're basing this on 6-7 year old information. You don't like the class? You don't even know the class, since all you can do is recall something entirely too outdated to ever even mention in this article.
That's the problem. That seems to be what you're not understanding.
Please understand.
This feels like talking to Kanye West in the South Park episode where he's the only one who doesn't get the fishdicks joke.
Do you like fishdicks?
ive never been able to level a warlock. my first character to 60 was a hunter, and I actually used to be pretty good at managing my pet, kiting mobs, pet aggroing and dumbing aggro at the right times .. but once I rolled mage, I couldn't stand the idea of a pet. I actually gave up my mage because of that stupid water elemental. Why they had to turn my favorite class (frost mage) into a pet class is beyond me. So i've never been able to level a warlock. My hunter is like 65 and my mage is still 80. I loved my mage and fought the urge to dump it .. but the w/e was finally too much.
Shaman I havent been able to level either. Not really sure why.
Leveled priest paladin and druid as heal spec and warrior/dk as tank spec. Because it's hard(er) lol .. what can I say, games are too easy. They were all alts that I didnt want to level fast, so ..
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
Having played low level priests and paladins within the last few months, they are my least favorite classes to level. But pretty much everything is fairly faceroll these days.