Patch 2.3 = WoW On Easy Mode?

Posted on October 12, 2007 at 2:07 PM
Related Categories: World of Warcraft

The good people at Blizzard just released the patch notes for the upcoming 2.3 patch, and there are quite a few changes to the core gameplay of WoW. This isn't quite the same overhaul as the patch right before The Burning Crusade, but the changes are numerous and significant. Looking at the changes, I have to wonder though, is Blizzard making WoW significantly easier for those leveling from 1-60?

Some evidence:

Experience: The amount of experience needed to gain a level has been decreased between levels 20 and 60. In addition, the amount of experience granted by quests has been increased between levels 30 and 60.

Mana regen on a number of talents has gone up to 10/20/30% from 5/10/15% (that's a major jump for us casters).

All old world dungeons have had their loot revisited. Players will now find that all loot dropped inside instances will be of Superior quality. (More greens = gearing up faster or more cash)

The level ranges of pre-Burning Crusade dungeons have been adjusted to a narrower range.

Level 1-60 dungeon quests have had their experience and faction rewards increased.

Many elite creatures and quests in the level 1-60 experience have been changed to accommodate solo play.

As an altoholic myself, I can see the value of making it easier to level from 1-60. Unless you play on afternoon weekend hours, it can be quite difficult to find groups for any pre-TBC dungeons (except for the Deadmines, but there it's more often a 70 running through a low-level guildie alt). That makes it extremely difficult to get the good gear that is provided in dungeons, and to benefit from the experience and cash a dungeon instance provides.

But look at the total number of changes (just some of which are listed above), and suddenly it becomes much easier to go from 1-60. About 1/3 easier by XP alone, and more than that now that elites have been nerfed across the board and the drops they give have been improved to include things like +damage, +healing, or +crit, which were quite rare on items with a level below 55 before.

And, really, these changes are just on 20-60, so the "easy levels" of 1-20 aren't affected. It's quite easy to tear through 1-20, and it's in the early 20's that leveling tends to slow down a good deal. The cost to level increases and fewer people play in that 20-60 range.

An experienced WoW player should now be able to tear through 20-60, whether or not they do dungeon instances. If they do quests, they'll move even faster. The patch makes the whole process easier, even if this is your first character in the game. I'm not complaining — really! (My mage and warrior and shaman and pally and Horde alts all have a chance now of reaching 40, or 60, or even 70!) I'm just saying that I'm surprised at how far Blizz went with these changes. Everyone wants to join the big party at endgame, and now they'll be able to oh-so-much faster.

Maybe I should just hush and go farm for my bear mount instead.

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