Starting Areas

[Magicon]

So they are removing the Original Individual Starting areas from the game, to add 1 new starting area?:/ Or am I missing something. If they do that, a huge Rpg-element from the game will be removed.

[Marston]

As far as I understood, we get a new level 1-10 area. After that, we can choose to travel to any past expansion - be it TBC, WotLK, Cata or even BFA - and level there (or anywhere else) from 10-50. So I assume you can just quest there starting at level 10.

[Dracullus]

Why? I understand that old starting areas will be 1-10 and rest 10-50. Maybe new DKs will get something, but I think they'll just start on higher level like Allied Races.

[Marston]

Why? I understand that old starting areas will be 1-10 and rest 10-50. Maybe new DKs will get something, but I think they'll just start on higher level like Allied Races.

Nope, there will actually be a new level 1-10 area and then we go to anywhere we want. DKs and DHs may be an exception, but who knows.

https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/shadowlands/#leveling

[Khaza-R]

The only issue I see is Worgen, Goblins and Pandaren because those areas will be completely lost if you are forced to start in the new zone

[Dracullus]

Nope, there will actually be a new level 1-10 area and then we go to anywhere we want. DKs and DHs may be an exception, but who knows.

https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/shadowlands/#leveling

Interesting. I hope there is a way to go to Kezan/Lost Isles/Wandering Isle in this case.

[Magicon]

As far as I understood, we get a new level 1-10 area. After that, we can choose to travel to any past expansion - be it TBC, WotLK, Cata or even BFA - and level there (or anywhere else) from 10-50. So I assume you can just quest there starting at level 10.

Wouldn't that be weird, starting a undead, do the new 1-10 area and then start out as dead in a grave in Tirisfal Glades?

[Syce]

well hopefully they expand on this today on the panels or the QnA. im kind of curious my self.

[DechCJC]

So... Can we level in EK/Kalimdor? They were very specific when they said 'pick an expansion'. Do we automatically ding 50 after completing a certain amount of 'story' in an expansion? Do we need to do 1 1/2 expansions? Can we change at any time?

Very curious.

[Gasblossom]

Last time I was in a starting area it was a joke. Everyone was riding around in their heirloom mounts. So whatever they do it can't be worse than it is now.

[Syce]

So... Can we level in EK/Kalimdor? They were very specific when they said 'pick an expansion'. Do we automatically ding 50 after completing a certain amount of 'story' in an expansion? Do we need to do 1 1/2 expansions? Can we change at any time?

Very curious.

after you finish the 1-10 zone, then you can choose whatever area you wish to goto is what i got from it. so for example. say you level a human(as a example) you get to level 10. then instead of just travelling to goldshire and continuing that way, you can choose outlands or pandaria or draenor or even legion zones to level up the rest of the way in. its going to be much quicker they said so i could see 1 expansion area would probably get you to level 50.

[Lolites]

Nope, there will actually be a new level 1-10 area and then we go to anywhere we want. DKs and DHs may be an exception, but who knows.

https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/shadowlands/#leveling

to be fair, it doesnt say it will be new or shared among races, so we have to wait and see i guess...

[Marston]

Wouldn't that be weird, starting a undead, do the new 1-10 area and then start out as dead in a grave in Tirisfal Glades?

Well, the second part basically says "You can go to the current expansion or with Chromies help to any of the previous ones". So, time travel, bronze flight shenanigans - nope, seems okay.

[Klingers]

So they are removing the Original Individual Starting areas from the game, to add 1 new starting area?:/ Or am I missing something. If they do that, a huge Rpg-element from the game will be removed.

What makes me a little sad will be losing the starting experiences I subjectively consider good: Worgen, Pandaren, Goblin, Trolls at least as far as the Echo Isles and Cata Undead.

The Cata-era stuff was really hit-and-miss; Some of them were fairly generic rehashes of fairly generic original zones (Humans, Dwarves, Orcs etc) with fairly blah worldbuilding and not much actual story, but others were genuine experiences. I always enjoyed both sides of the Cata-era Gilnean invasion story across Tirisfal, Silverpine and Gilneas itself for instance. I also always enjoyed the journey across the Turtle when starting a Pandaren.

If I'm being totally honest here and while I don't think it really holds its age as well as the newer ones, but I'll miss the Draenei starting zones too. I always enjoyed that story of crashing and fixing the land.

I can't think of any logistical way to make it work but I hope they find some way of preserving those experiences.

[Syce]

So there is a thing that says that the starting area will include some type of mini dungeon.

https://twitter.com/towelthetank/sta...852993/photo/1

[Cæli]

they're not removing anything. you can level where you want but you have a new 1-10 zone apparently

[Z3ROR]

We don't get a new starting area, but we get a new starting experience. That's slightly different. It makes sense they are changing this too with the level squish.

I think they are decreasing the xp you get for quests in vanilla zones and make more quests optional. While they increasing the xp needed to level up. This so you can progress more quickly through the storyline of each zone, before you continue to the storyline of one of the expansions.

[Kathranis]

Explained in the deep dive.

New player experience: 1-10 in a new starting zone called Exile's Reach, 10-50 in Battle for Azeroth, 50-60 in Shadowlands.

Optional alt experience: 1-10 in starting zone for your race, 10-50 in expansion of your choice, 50-60 in Shadowlands.

Hero experience: 1-10 in hero starting experience, 10-50 in expansion of your choice, 50-60 in Shadowlands

Allied race experience: 10-50 in expansion of your choice, 50-60 in Shadowlands

[MoanaLisa]

No one said they were removing the original starting areas. Others have explained it as far as we understand it.

[Cæli]

The only issue I see is Worgen, Goblins and Pandaren because those areas will be completely lost if you are forced to start in the new zone

you forgot DK & DH starting zones. but yeah, it's been addressed, you have the choice.