Does heirlooms ruin the leveling experience?

[Xaviaton]

Like most people who have characters at max level, I've got several heirloom items and I have leveled several characters by suiting up and powering through the levels. Leveling a new character is basically just a race to hit the level cap as fast as possible. After the world revamp in Cataclysm, most zones provide great quest chains but with heirlooms, you hit the max recommended level for the zone before these chains are finished and you move on. As an experiment I tried out leveling without heirlooms again, just to fit the levels in. I realized that not only can I enjoy the questing again, but actually upgrading my equipment while leveling makes the leveling enjoyable, and without overpowered gear I actually have to focus on what I'm doing.

I am basically wondering if anyone else has found heirlooms to suck the fun out of leveling? Do people generally dislike leveling so much that you prefer to get it over with as fast as possible? Do you think heirlooms could be changed somehow?

[Lochton]

If heirlooms ruin your leveling experience, don't use them. That is how simple it is. Some it 'ruins' it for, and others it makes it better.

[Packing an i5]

I dont know what to say other than leveling is ruined for me because I quickly realize most of the time I enjoy it more than the end game yet its not challenging and the world is mostly empty of other players. Most people just spam instances.

I usually quit around 60-70.

[Einsz]

Leveling is cancer, questing is cancer. If I had to level alt without them I would just quit the game. If I want another character that means I want to play it in end game content and not have to waste ~50+ hours (taken out of my ass I have actually no idea how long it would take to level without heirloom) before I can start enjoying game.

[endersblade]

If heirlooms ruin your leveling experience, don't use them. That is how simple it is. Some it 'ruins' it for, and others it makes it better.

While I certainly can't argue that statement, the problem is if you're the only one in a dungeon group that isn't using BoAs, there's a good chance you're either going to die or get kicked from the group.

If all you're doing is questing, then it won't be an issue. But doing dungeons, especially as a tank or healer without 'looms is no bueno.

[Saracens]

While I certainly can't argue that statement, the problem is if you're the only one in a dungeon group that isn't using BoAs, there's a good chance you're either going to die or get kicked from the group.

If all you're doing is questing, then it won't be an issue. But doing dungeons, especially as a tank or healer without 'looms is no bueno.

Don't do them than.

[Darkeon]

I don't think they ruin the experience - they are completely optional and there for people who wish to bypass the leveling experience, at the fastest speed possible.

The issue lies on why people would rather bypass it instead of enjoying it. Enjoying it being the keywords. Current leveling is not the most engaging content that it could be.

And "The game starts at level-cap"-mentality being one I'd gladly like to see vanish from Blizzard's Vision of what the game should be.
I do feel they are striking a good balance when it comes to expansions, as the leveling is moderately enjoyable, but some past stuff leaves a real bad taste in one's mouth. But, after Cataclysm, I'm not sure they are willing to risk it all again with mass-revamps.

[Alvito]

It depends on what you want out of your leveling experience. They certainly speed things up so you just blast past things without really seeing anything about a zone or dungeon along the way. Sadly that is still the case even without boa gear. I have made toons on other servers just to see faction zones I haven't seen or play a race/class I hadn't and when you couldn't send boa via the mail or use the tab you still zipped through areas without the extra xp bonus. Some of this is also due to understanding how leveling works. I am sure a new player to the game doesn't fly through zones the same way since they are still learning things along the way.

[Manabomb]

Only if you're using heirlooms to level for the first time.

If you're using them to level an alt, who the fuck cares? You've been to level cap, you've been down that road. It's not exactly that glamorous after you do it the first time.

Or a couple hundred times, between different games.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't think they ruin the experience - they are completely optional and there for people who wish to bypass the leveling experience, at the fastest speed possible.

The issue lies on why people would rather bypass it instead of enjoying it. Enjoying it being the keywords. Current leveling is not the most engaging content that it could be.

And "The game starts at level-cap"-mentality being one I'd gladly like to see vanish from Blizzard's Vision of what the game should be.
I do feel they are striking a good balance when it comes to expansions, as the leveling is moderately enjoyable, but some past stuff leaves a real bad taste in one's mouth. But, after Cataclysm, I'm not sure they are willing to risk it all again with mass-revamps.

I do agree with the notion that "the game starts at level cap" needs to die. Leveling definitely needs to be the more enjoyable part of the game and it needs to last a while. WoD's 10 levels were entirely too short lived for the semi-lack luster leveling experience they offered and especially for the disappointing "level cap" gameplay.

In Legion, I think we are seeing progress in the "right" direction. But again, we will have to wait and see just how well that's executed. Literally anything could change between now and September.

[Fabinas]

Depends if you prefer your levelling experience fast or normal. I prefer it fast...

[fooliuscaesar13]

I like the XP bonus, but I dislike how OP the items are and (to me), it kills the "item collection" aspect that I enjoy about leveling. Sure - it's baked into the heirlooms but (again - opinion) I feel they're almost *too powerful*. Were I to design the feature, I would make it an xp bonus that you activate via UI rather than items. /shrug

I usually start out not using them and then activate them along the way.

[Xaviaton]

I cannot argue with the 'it's optional - don't use them if you don't like them' sentiment (Which is why I stopped). My main concern is that the leveling experience itself has disappeared. If the questing and leveling was improved would you enjoy spending time with it? Or do you think you would rush for end-game no matter what?

[RickJamesLich]

Sometimes I think removing heirlooms is the answer and that they should just make the xp increase to players baseline. The game is a lot more interesting when you actually look forward to getting items, it's as simple as that, and heirlooms pretty much remove any thrill or interest in getting upgrades. This change in itself would not make the leveling process any more interesting, there'd be tons of improvements needed and they may never get it to the point it was at in the past, but it would definitely be an improvement.

[AeneasBK]

Don't do them than.

I think it's a pretty strong argument that if the choice is "Have heirlooms or you can't tank or heal dungeons" then heirloom have spoiled the levelling experience.

[Deleted]

I only think it might ruin the experience for other players in dungeons. new players just see how a for example hunter just solos ragefire and struggle to keep up or finding he way. but if they ruin it for yourself, just dont use them. for me they dont, i liked leveling very much, thats why i got 12 lvl 100 characters (druid twice) and I liked the feeling of overpowering dungeons with my gear. I also used the upgraded craft trinkets on lvl 91 and weapons to see just how much you can outgear leveling content. its fun for me to optimize.

Just now im enjoying timewalking dungeons with legendary head gem, tarecgosa staff, pandaria cloak, draenor ring and old trinkets which suit best for timewalking. so fun to do 15k boss dps on cata dungeons while others do 3-5k : D

[Santti]

To me, they kinda do. Which is why I don't use them. WoW is mostly about upgrading your gear, and heirlooms takes that important aspect away, even if the gear is low level stuff used for leveling and replaced soon afterwards.

[Manabomb]

I think it's a pretty strong argument that if the choice is "Have heirlooms or you can't tank or heal dungeons" then heirloom have spoiled the levelling experience.

Please, questing greens and some basic knowledge of class abilities allow you to tank and heal dungeons.

Shit, DPS specs can tank and heal dungeons in mostly blue gear. I spent my entire experience leveling from 36-46~ going into healer queue as ret paladin and just mashed FoL every few seconds. (New account, going to give it to a friend because they don't want to spend money on a boost)

It's definitely not a matter of heirlooms spoiling the leveling experience. It's a matter of players just not giving a fuck about leveling content, especially stuff that's 8 years old.

[The Flavour Cat]

Ruin? Levelling is hardly even an experience anymore since they nerfed levelling quests to not require any group help (Although WoD added 'some' group quests, like those bounties for Kil'uun, for example), and it's easy to complete level with quests that are only there to tell story, and dungeons that give more exp when WoD arrived.
I'll be interested to see more of these quests in Legion, especially if anyone's seen those world quests on wowhead.

[Trollfat]

If the heirloom experience bonuses were a stacking buff that you could toggle and didn't offer any player power, I think leveling would be a lot more engaging.

I DO think that Blizzard should put more resources into improving the leveling experience. The depth, the journey, the immersion is almost completely gone. One shotting mobs with gear you bought from one garrison mission is not fun. Ignoring professions completely until max level is not fun (I don't agree with catch up mechanics) . Having no meaningful reputations to keep track of is not fun. I could go on.

[Skayaq]

What levelling experience?