Returning to the game after over a year, quick questions...

[select20]

Hey folks, been gone since a month after Cata. Been playing Eve and SWTOR for since SWTOR released non-stop (don't flame me). I'm taking a break from both and coming back to WoW for a bit. I'm rolling brand new Monk, no heirlooms or anything. 1st question; I noticed my server 'Zuluhed' doesn't say 'Heavy' or Medium or low but says 'New Players' beside it now. It used to say heavy. Should I roll on a 'heavy' server to make sure there are peeps to play with?

2nd question is about Professions which is why I'm here. Being as I'm pretty sure I"m heading to a new server with nothing to start with, I know next to nothing about the monk class other than the basic stuff.

-Should I just gather to make money as I level and buy gear from the AH? Should I just be an Alch or LW with the appropriate gathering skill as I level?

Since I've been gone awhile, I really feel like I hardly know the game anymore since so much has change.

Thanks.

[xskarma]

Hey folks, been gone since a month after Cata. Been playing Eve and SWTOR for since SWTOR released non-stop (don't flame me). I'm taking a break from both and coming back to WoW for a bit. I'm rolling brand new Monk, no heirlooms or anything. 1st question; I noticed my server 'Zuluhed' doesn't say 'Heavy' or Medium or low but says 'New Players' beside it now. It used to say heavy. Should I roll on a 'heavy' server to make sure there are peeps to play with?

Well with Cross Realm ZOnes there won't be a shortage of players to play with in leveling zones at least, regardless of server you choose to play on. If you mean if the server is still populated enough so that trade and such happens, I have no idea. New PLayers means that Blizzard is trying to reinvigorate the server, so there'll be an influx of new players most likely, but they're unlikely to do something like this to a high population server. It's up to you to check if the server is to your tastes or not, or roll on a high population one if you want to make sure there's people.

2nd question is about Professions which is why I'm here. Being as I'm pretty sure I"m heading to a new server with nothing to start with, I know next to nothing about the monk class other than the basic stuff.

-Should I just gather to make money as I level and buy gear from the AH? Should I just be an Alch or LW with the appropriate gathering skill as I level?

Since I've been gone awhile, I really feel like I hardly know the game anymore since so much has change.

Thanks.

Well LW will have the advantage of being able to craft some gear while leveling, possibly, though that gear usually doesn't last long, though if you have in mind to play at max level and gear this Monk you'll have some nice 476 pieces you can craft with a bit of effort that will help speed your way to whatever your goal is. Then again, these pieces can usually be bought for a decent amount as well.

LW is the only profession I don't have at max level, and the last time I leveled it was in TBC, but from what I've heard from other Monks leveling LW is that it was a royal pain in the ass to get enough leather all the time.

If you are going to level on a new server some cash will be nice to have so a gathering profession is a definite plus. Personally I'd go for something like Herbing+ Inscription or Alchemy. With Inscription you'll get Glyphs you can try and sell, so there's no wasting of materials (or very little), it will just take time and frequent relisting to sell them. Most likely you'll sell a dozen or so from everything you get while leveling, but that's still more gold then you get by leveling other professions.

At max level the potential for Inscription isn't so hot anymore, though. The trinkets you can make with it aren't selling very fast anymore, and the prices of the trinkets have gone down pretty hard as well. Still, making cards and selling them will still yield a decent enough income, although the market for them is limited and slow.

Alchemy has little benefits while leveling, and pretty much 0 gold to be made. You'll get some trinkets that are nice, even while leveling, but most of what you do with Alchemy is wasted mats till you hit max level. Once you get to max level though you can use alchemy, and especially Transmutation spec, to have a steady income by transmuting Living Steel. There's always a market for that, and with transmuting your own mats to use from Ghost Iron bars there's enough potential for profit.

Besides that you'll always have your herb gathering to support you, and you'll get more herbs while leveling then you will use with either Alchemy or Inscription, so you'll make some gold with it for sure.


Last thing I can say is, don't buy gear from the AH at any point during leveling, the cata revamp of the 1-60 experience vastly improved the gear you get and the rate you get it at. Not to mention that the 1-60 experience is short now. TBS and NOrthrend are quicker now too, though you'll still spend more time there then in Azeroth. Cata itsself then gives you very nicely itemized gear while leveling, and is VERY quick. All in all you'll be in Pandaria in no time, and there the gear you can get is very nice too, so you'll again have little reason to buy your gear off the AH. Save that gold till you hit max level, casue that's when you'll actually enjoy that gear for more then half a day.

[select20]

Thanks much for the reply. Maybe I'll just level a Prof once I hit max level?Since it doesn't look like it helps with leveling at all.

[xskarma]

Thanks much for the reply. Maybe I'll just level a Prof once I hit max level?Since it doesn't look like it helps with leveling at all.

Well depending on profession you'll have to go back through all the content you've cleared again, and kill the mobs that are in your way and find nodes/skin them. Doing this while leveling is faster, even if it means the leveling process itsself takes a bit longer.

[Ebonheart]

Hey folks, been gone since a month after Cata. Been playing Eve and SWTOR for since SWTOR released non-stop (don't flame me). I'm taking a break from both and coming back to WoW for a bit. I'm rolling brand new Monk, no heirlooms or anything. 1st question; I noticed my server 'Zuluhed' doesn't say 'Heavy' or Medium or low but says 'New Players' beside it now. It used to say heavy. Should I roll on a 'heavy' server to make sure there are peeps to play with?

There was a time in my WoW life cycle where I preferred smaller realms with tighter communities. However, this was when I had a fixed game schedule. However, of late or since Cata my schedule is erratic at best. I can't commit to days or guild raids or any event way in hand. So I find the benefits of a Heavy or High Populated server to be better suited to my current needs. Its easier to find runs, events, etc when you need them. Also the AH is usually stocked with goods.

I often had a hard time with the AH on a small server. Also small server usually have periods of very low activity which usually is during the day and high activity which is usually late nights. So it totally depends on what you want, your goals, etc.

CRZ only makes the outside world seem more active. However, the economy which is a very important part by itself isn't shared. So is current tier raiding.

2nd question is about Professions which is why I'm here. Being as I'm pretty sure I"m heading to a new server with nothing to start with, I know next to nothing about the monk class other than the basic stuff.

-Should I just gather to make money as I level and buy gear from the AH? Should I just be an Alch or LW with the appropriate gathering skill as I level?

Since I've been gone awhile, I really feel like I hardly know the game anymore since so much has change.


Thanks.

I remember taking up LW and Skinning many years back on my Hunter and Skinning and Mining on my Death Knight; this was before the current changes when you could only have either herbing or mining. Skinning was a pain and I promised myself then and there that I would never ever level either of these 2 professions. LW requires an absurd number of leather to craft a single item. To top it off, its a pain actually farming that leather considering the amount of beasts you need to kill and skin. You actually have to do double the work compared to any of the other 2 gathering professions. No matter the benefits to your class, which was completely removed a few expansions back, it doesn't really make any difference what professions you take. I never find myself actually crafting anything I can use, cause its money lost for me personally.

As a new toon on a new realm, I would probably pick up Mining and Herbalism. The recent changes added in the game gives XP every time you mine or pick herbs. It goes a long way in levelling and it all adds to quite a bit.

Then maybe once you are level 90 you can decide on dropping 1 or even both and level two crafting professions from the mats you just gathered. Its easier this way and you don't have to invest any more to level a new profession.

But I would highly advice no one take LW and Skinning unless they really have way too much time on their hands.

[select20]

Thanks for the replys. I think I'll look at a medium realm. I hate a packed realm not no one likes a dead one either. Feels good to be back, so many memories...

[Sunnydruid]

Zuluhed was my main server back in Bc/WOTLK, used to be a really tight knit server.
Anyways, don't fret like the other guy said due to CRZ - although once you are 90 if you want to pvp or raid even semi seriously I would probablu xfer to another realm for better possible progression. Magtheridon is my main server now and we are a med-hi pop realm, the H:A ration is suprisingly equal and everyone is pretty cool on here.

As for professions, pure gathering proffs while you level. It's a general rule of thumb that if you are serious about making gold in WoW while levelilng you should pick up professions that require gathering, you can do it while you are questing/in que and lowbie mats net lots of gold in the end. Once you hit 80-85 I recommend using the gold earned or mats gathered to power level 2 gathering proffs (Alch/Ench, Tail/Ench, Bs/LW) for max profit, those are setups that I have used in the past and have earned be over 3mil gold in my WoW time so far.

There are certain markets that don't even require professions that I still use to this day to net good gold
-xmog
-twink gear(blues/purples)
-flipping battlepets
-flipping ore to bars

All profits vary per server but that is, from my personal experience, the best way to go about doing it.

[BillyG]

I tend to agree with what others say about gathering being your main gold maker as far as your professions go, but some factions on some realms have such a low pop that there is no viable economy. You can’t even buy or sell copper ore so realm selection is very important. I’d suggest once you pick a realm your interested in take your new toon to the AH and see what is selling as far as basic mats before you pick a profession or commit too much time to the new toon.

I also agree inscription is a good low level gold maker, but you need to do a lot of undercut checks and relistings and it is very time consuming if you want to sell glyphs. I quit actively working inscription a while back because it required a time commitment like a real job if you wanted to make serious gold at it.

Zuluhed was my main server back in Bc/WOTLK, used to be a really tight knit server.
Anyways, don't fret like the other guy said due to CRZ - although once you are 90 if you want to pvp or raid even semi seriously I would probablu xfer to another realm for better possible progression. Magtheridon is my main server now and we are a med-hi pop realm, the H:A ration is suprisingly equal and everyone is pretty cool on here.

As for professions, pure gathering proffs while you level. It's a general rule of thumb that if you are serious about making gold in WoW while levelilng you should pick up professions that require gathering, you can do it while you are questing/in que and lowbie mats net lots of gold in the end. Once you hit 80-85 I recommend using the gold earned or mats gathered to power level 2 gathering proffs (Alch/Ench, Tail/Ench, Bs/LW) for max profit, those are setups that I have used in the past and have earned be over 3mil gold in my WoW time so far.

There are certain markets that don't even require professions that I still use to this day to net good gold
-xmog
-twink gear(blues/purples)
-flipping battlepets
-flipping ore to bars

All profits vary per server but that is, from my personal experience, the best way to go about doing it.

[Aleksej89]

Honestly pick the ones that say LOCKED during peak play time, those are the biggest

Honestly no profession is a "game breaker", so even 2 gathering professions can go.
However most flexible ones (as far as their bonuses go) are Blacksmithing and Jewelcrafting since they revolve around gems who exist in many variations.

[xskarma]

I’d suggest once you pick a realm your interested in take your new toon to the AH and see what is selling as far as basic mats before you pick a profession or commit too much time to the new toon.

The danger in this is that you visit the AH at the wrong day/time and the prices are out of whack at that time that you make your choice based on a single erronous moment. If you're going to check the market use Undermine Journal and check in depth on several markets what the price of a given item did for a longer period. That way you'll know for sure what you are doing, and not going off 1 single moment.

[Ethador]

Honestly pick the ones that say LOCKED during peak play time, those are the biggest

Tbh, I`d rather choose a realm with Full at peak time, as I play on outland-eu and the queue time can be a bother, but yay for big servers anyway.

[BillyG]

Sure you have to use some common sense about it, but nothing beats watching herbs, ore, and skins in a live auction house for a week or so to get a feel for what is selling and what it is not. Train for herbalism/mining put some low level stuff up and see what sells how often you have to undercut to get a sale and so on. If you can’t sell copper ore/bars on the realm you probably don’t want to level there.

The danger in this is that you visit the AH at the wrong day/time and the prices are out of whack at that time that you make your choice based on a single erronous moment. If you're going to check the market use Undermine Journal and check in depth on several markets what the price of a given item did for a longer period. That way you'll know for sure what you are doing, and not going off 1 single moment.

[999tigger]

Check the horde alliance balance becayse even though the server is medium it could then be dead with one faction or the other.

I'd choose a full server tbh as there are so many dead ones, particularly horde.

The CRZ does not take effect in panderia.

Herb alchemy or herb mining is what i'd go for originally becayse gathering gives experience.