« Champions Online Updated Impressions | Home | Twittering Like a Madman »
Sick, Sick, Sick
By Cameron Sorden | August 18, 2008
Reports keep rolling in about just how fast the leveling is with WoW’s new recruit-a-friend program. I’m seeing a lot of discussion on the official forums about it, Cuppy was telling me that she expects to have her character up to 60 in just a few nights of dungeon running, and someone suggested that I use it to power through the levels I just can’t stomach to get myself a high-level druid.
I’m not sure if power-leveling alts is really how Blizzard intended the program to be used, but that seems to be what most people are using it for. Honestly, I find the whole thing a little frustrating. If Death Knights of either faction are going to be available at level 55 with a snap of the fingers, if the recruit-a-friend program lets you power through the levels in a few days anyway, and if Blizzard isn’t planning on adding new low-to-mid-level content or revamping the older game, why can’t I just make any class at 55 and save myself the trouble?
Furthermore, why is the RaF program only available to new customers? Why can’t I link with a friend and get the same benefits? I’m probably responsible for more than ten people playing World of Warcraft (directly), I’ve purchased two accounts in my name and two in my fiancee’s over the years, and I can’t use any of that to reap the benefits of the RaF program. I’m punished for proactively getting my friends in? As much as the leveling irritates me, I’m not about to buy yet another account just so that I can level quickly, and none of my friends are either. Yeah, I know I can use a trial account to two-box. No, I don’t want to go through the hassle of two-boxing like that and use the system in a way that’s clearly not intended.
I’d love Blizz to throw long-time players a bone here and get some legitimate way to just pop up to 55, in any class, without having to jump through RaF hoops. Especially if this is the way the game is gonna be. If the content is the same old stuff, I’m not going to tough it out leveling while I watch people whiz by me using RaF and granted levels.
I wonder if it would do any good to vote with my wallet and leave a long-winded quitting explanation until Wrath comes out? Probably not.
Topics: Massively Multiplayer, Videogame Industry |

August 18th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I don’t think they actually read those. Mine certainly had no effect
August 25th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
[...] I’ve been thinking about doing just that (for all the reasons I talk about here). Originally I hadn’t wanted to do it since it seemed like an exploit (and a hassle), but today I read an interview where a Blizzard rep [...]