Returning players

[berdrek]

i dont know if this is happening to just me. i havent really tryed to play the game since wotlk. I feel like i just got hit in the face with a bnuch of different shit and i have no idea whats going on, i just want to raid with a normal group of people. i dont even care if youre not super hardcore i just want to clear normal content. i can't seem to even find that though, every guild ive spoken that has some absurd gear requirement and the ones that dont, cant offer a stable schedule. i could PuG everything but if i wanted to play solo id go play a better solo RPG. /end rant.

Has this been happening to any other returning players? any suggestions? all my old friends quit the game so i really have nowhere to go, its depressing because i want to play the game, but the way it is now is making it really difficult for me to get back

[Deja Thoris]

What exactly is an absurd gear requirement?

And of course it takes time to get back up to speed again. Did you expect people just to yell "certainly undergeared person with no proven track record, of course you can join us!" Especially in the middle of an expansion. See it from their side. How can you prove you won't be a liability?

[Deleted]

As Deja Thoris says, you will not very likely play with the normal raids unless you proven that you are willing to pay some effort to it.. and in your case it would be spend a few weeks getting the top gear posssile from LFR for starters, and enchant with best in line, same goes for gems. From there you have a ok start to apply for a causual raiding guild.

Else you could apply for a super causual guild that perhaps just make some flex runs 1-2 times per week

[LeperHerring]

And of course it takes time to get back up to speed again.

That's the problem with the current end-game systems design. In the TBC model you could've happily done heroics, then joined a Kara guild and raided no matter when you joined the game. Now the only thing you can reasonably expect to do is the current raid tier in LFR. To me a real progression path from 5 mans to 5 man heroics to Kara and beyond is enjoyable, being thrown into a group with 25 randoms to do completely dumbed down content where you cannot fail is not only incredibly boring, but incredibly offensive. It's one of the reasons why I couldn't consider coming back to WoW at the moment, there just isn't any meaningful casual content.

[Deja Thoris]

there just isn't any meaningful casual content.

That's a subjective statement, theres more content than ever. Flex is easily accessible if you look for groups of likeminded people rather than those who are close to fully geared looking for zerg runs.

[Giscoicus]

The thing is Blizzard has gone back on why made te game good in te first place. Now it is no longer skill/effort based but time based. Everything outside normal+ is easy and just takes time.

[-Superman-]

Think of it like civilization. It was one way in the 1940s when you were cryogenic-ally frozen. Now, waking up in 2010s, you have to adapt. Evolution =/= crap.

[Deleted]

Now as in WotLK you need to spend around 1-2 weeks of gearing or as you call it "getting in track" and you can not do anything about. NOrmal modes are not that easy anymore and any sane guild will ofcourse have some minimum item level requerments.

The best tip i can give you is called Timeless Isle - this is your best bet if you want to get in track faster, BUT that is only you are willing to invest some time for it. Getting in track that is.
For example i leveld a fresh ret pally a week ago. At the moment it is 533 ilvl after one week grind of Timeless isle and i have 0 LFR loots (all tho i run it only once). Now my toon is totatly capable to do Flex witch offers a lot better gear than LFR wich also is a better steping stone for normals than LFR gear. Also Flex have a lot more of the normal mechanics witch will help you learn the fights and nowdays the normal guilds are more willing to take people with Flex expirience and gear
Also another good thing about TI is that while you grind you eventualy start killing harder and harder mobs, some of them have actualy abilities that can hurt you, there are ofcourse and the rares and overall it gives you the tool to keep in track with your class rotation too.

Overall no matter what people say TI is a very very good tool for cathing up to the current content, but dont expect someone to actualy invite a freshly dinged toon with quest items on and carry it throw the current tier AND give him gear. Nowdays this is impossbile, unless you are the GM gf

P.S. if you want somemore tips how to do it feel free to PM me
Ill gladly explain you or contact me ingame ( you will see my chars in my signature) ill gladly show you and explain you what you can do