strategy for players without enuf time to raid

[chisholm]

i am seeking advice on the best strategy for a lvl 70 who never has more than 60 minutes at a time to play. what is your advice about how to spend my limited amount of time.

[det]

PvP in Battlegrounds and arena?

If you have done all quests...and you obviously can't raid or do Instances, it is either that or do daily quests.

Alternative: Level a new character.

[Herald of Doom]

Battlegrounds. Arena. Repgrind with aldor/scryer get you at least one very good item. Crafted BoE epics, or picking the appropriate crafting profession for your class. You can get a long way with those already :)

HoD

[NOYB]

There's really no quick way to advance your character @ 70. It's all a grind. Do everything HoD and Det recommended. To keep from burning out on one particular thing, mix it up.

[Twoflower]

i'd reccomend single player games.

Not that i want you to quit WoW, but endgame realy is a group thing. Of course you can grind and farm your way trough some of the early endgame, but whit what goal ? normaly i only enjoy grinding and farming if i have a goal.

Anything, PvP included ( arenas and organised Bg groups. of course you can PuG some BG's but i dont think that this will keep you happy for long ^^ ) requires groups. Groups require serious members, groups require some commitment. Since you cannot or dont want to invest this ( why, actualy ? your original post does not deliver too much information ) i dont think that many groups will welcome you happily.

Why not play single player games ? there are tons of them, and you can start and exit them any time you want.

[piscene]

Actually, you never really have to do a raid, or any group quests or instances, or battlegrounds for that matter. You can play WoW as a single player game and still experience a lot of it.

Obviously, most people will tell you that you are missing out on the best aspects of playing a MMORPG, but if you don't have time for any of that, you can still enjoy the game playing it single player.

[pergolesi]

Of course single player games are okay, but never found one as rich and varied as WoW. (Except maybe Marathon with its terrific level editor) I play as a single player alot, but I like to join up with ad hoc groups and special friends to do quests. Instances I find tedious, repetitive and time-consuming in relation to the xp gained. And the scenery isn't anywhere as interesting as in the regular WoW world. But, hey, that's me. To each his own. Seems to me there's a lot of ways to play WoW, part of the fun is figuring out new angles. If I don't have anybody to help with a hard quest I'll do prospecting, organize my bags, find an exploration quest or play the market. My only complaint is that too many quests *require* a group which is often hard to conjure up on a moment's notice.

[Twoflower]

Actually, you never really have to do a raid, or any group quests or instances, or battlegrounds for that matter. You can play WoW as a single player game and still experience a lot of it.

Obviously, most people will tell you that you are missing out on the best aspects of playing a MMORPG, but if you don't have time for any of that, you can still enjoy the game playing it single player.

but he said that he allready reached lvl 70.

he can still max out his professions, yes, but what for ? everything after that inlcudes groups.

i know that you can enjoy a huge part of the world alone. leveling, questing etc is IMO at least 80% of the game. but after you finished roaring trough that part, well, you reach the end of the single player friendly game.

[Mallstrop]

The PVP side of the game is a lot more casual friendly than the PVE side. All the instances take 2+ hours unless you zerg it with an experienced/geared group.

[xDarkDrifterx]

You can still have loads of fun and still get great gear.

My wife (70 Boomkin) spends most of her time in the game solo. She doesn't like the enclosed spaces of instances where one wrong move could mean doom for all (this is also her first mmorpg), and the epeen / machismo thing that most portray grates on her last nerve, so she only runs instances when she really has to to continue with a quest line etc. But that said, she grinds, and does dailies, and makes money, and has alts.

She plays less than me and has already saved 5k gold and purchased her epic flyer (took her 2 months of saving and selling everything - doing transmutes, etc and I'm still 4k away from mine [LW versus Alchemy ftl lol] though I haven't really saved s my alts / twink need flowage - oh and she's an accountant in RL lol) she's already exalted with scryer (I'm revered with aldor) she's already exalted with Ogrilla and the Skyguard (I'm halfway through revered) and again she plays less than me. She also finds time to do a few arenas and BGs from time to time. It just depends on how you spend that time you do have.

There's still ton's to do and once that's all done and you still have time . . .then you can reroll to the other faction and experience the game again from a different perspective.

And there's always pvp and gankage.

Now if you could stretch that 1 hour to 2 then instances open up as an option for you and you can get rep then go for heroic keys.

GL!

[clevins]

My first question is whether the hour limit is hard and fast ( can usually never play more than an hour but occasionally can) and whether it's permanent or something that's true now but might not be after your life lightens up a bit.

The other question is... what do you want to do at 70? There's really only:

Instances (non-raid)
Raiding
BGs
Arena.
Crafting
Quests
Farming
rep grinding

Some of those you might do if you see yourself having more time in a few months to raid/instance. Some don't make much sense unless you plan on raiding. And some you might do just for the heck of it. For example one friend of mine occupies some of his time getting all of the mounts which requires a lot of rep grinding. Me, I've spent less time on my 70 rogue main outside of farming and raiding and more time on my shadow priest alt who's at 36.

But the thing is... what do YOU enjoy?

[piscene]

Here's another idea. You could farm yourself out to your guildies to help them run lower level quests or instances. If you're offering your services, you would be able to set the time you would arrive and the time you would leave, and they would have to conform to your schedule. It might be an entertaining diversion.

[snowieken]

Hmm, if you think endgame is all about raiding and raiding alone, twoflower, then you know less of the game than I had counted you for. You can perfectly enjoy endgame content without having the time to raid and you certainly don't need to revert to another game, let alone a single player one. That advice was just patronizing, if I may add.

I am in a rather large raiding guild, but we have quite some level 70 players who don't raid. I am a casual player and on top of that a so-called "altoholic", so I'm not level 70 yet, but I know already that I won't be a raider. Might tag along every now and then, but I won't have any rolling rights or any big understandings of raiding strategy. So following your logic, I should quit right now because it's all useless anyway?

[Twoflower]

snow, i am at a point where i did everything i can do solo. I did the quests, i leveled professions and weapon skills, i did some pvp till i realised i dont like it, i have a alt on lvl 70, i have 10 or so fractions on exalted, i had fun soloing instances and hard elites etc etc.

only thing left is a) raiding and b) farming gold and consumables for raids. ( and of course playing my alts :P )

I just wanna point out that eventualy you WILL reach a point where there is not much left to do that does not require a group. Granted, it took me 2 years to get there. But sooner or later, you reach that point.

I wouldnt even level a char any more if i knew that i couldnt participate in endgame group play. That is my opinion and that is the advice i give.

I know that there are other players who play the game different. I for myself would ask myself what i ( for example ) create these epic tailoring items for if all i ever do is solo grindig mobs that i could also kill in greens or even naked.

[Zendarin]

snow, i am at a point where i did everything i can do solo. I did the quests, i leveled professions and weapon skills, i did some pvp till i realised i dont like it, i have a alt on lvl 70, i have 10 or so fractions on exalted, i had fun soloing instances and hard elites etc etc.

only thing left is a) raiding and b) farming gold and consumables for raids. ( and of course playing my alts :P )

I just wanna point out that eventualy you WILL reach a point where there is not much left to do that does not require a group. Granted, it took me 2 years to get there. But sooner or later, you reach that point.

I wouldnt even level a char any more if i knew that i couldnt participate in endgame group play. That is my opinion and that is the advice i give.

I know that there are other players who play the game different. I for myself would ask myself what i ( for example ) create these epic tailoring items for if all i ever do is solo grindig mobs that i could also kill in greens or even naked.

So basically you were answering with what applies to you and never mind what the OP's actual situation or position is? That just doesn't make much sense to me.

[Algamonn]

Groups require serious members, groups require some commitment. Since you cannot or dont want to invest this ( why, actualy ? your original post does not deliver too much information ) i dont think that many groups will welcome you happily.

Does he need a reason then?

I would say that a huge percentage (myself included) hardly ever get more than an hour to play at any stretch. I probably get the odd day every couple of weeks when I can run an instance all the way through. Rare though.

I wouldnt say thet not having six hours per day, seven days a week to play a game means that you have to give it up and play solo games.

I agree with the poster above who suggested farming his abilities out to instance boosts. Can be fun, and can be a teaching experience to newer players.

There are loads of things to get out of this game that doesnt involve a second family.

[Twoflower]

So basically you were answering with what applies to you and never mind what the OP's actual situation or position is? That just doesn't make much sense to me.

he asked for advice. i give the advice i can give. i dont know his position exactly, neither do you or anyone else. All i can offer is my view point and he can take it or leave it.

[snowieken]

he asked for advice. i give the advice i can give. i dont know his position exactly, neither do you or anyone else. All i can offer is my view point and he can take it or leave it.And my view point is that your advice to go play a single player game just because he hasn't got enough time to raid is lousy advice.

Take it or leave it. :azn:

[MacBlimp]

Limited time doesn't mean that you can't enjoy wow as a game. That's pretty much a myth or a misconception. Sure, you won't be able to take part in every aspect of the game, but it's still possible to have a good time. It's all about how you choose to approach the situation and which goals you have for your gaming experience.

I used to be a raider (pre-tbc), but my life has changed a lot since then (to the better), mostly due to work and family situation, and I currently have no or little control of when I can play and for how long. Does this affect what I can achieve in game? Yes, of course. Does it affect my enjoyment of the game? Not neccessarily.

Find out what it is you enjoy about the game, and see how it fits your available playing time. For me, the answer was simple: I enjoy building characters and watching the evolve and grow stronger to take on greater challenges. And I don't need several hours a day to be able to that. I know I'll never be able to take on the greatest challenges in the game with my current playing time, but that's fine with me. I make a new alt instead, see the game from a different perspective, and have a good time doing so. Some days I might have time for an instance run or maybe even two, and that's (usually) great as well. Makes it a bit more special, and more enjoyable.

I also realised I really don't enjoy the level 70 grinds too much (rep, dailies, etc) so instead of being frustrated I chose to play the game my way in stead. That results in me pretty much playing WoW as a single player game these days, but I'm still able to enjoy it (all though all those "computer controlled people" running around killing your mobs and stealing your chests/nodes can be annoying at times :rolleyes:), and it still lets me unwind after a hard day at work or similar. Play it your way. Enjoy it your way.

[Twoflower]

And my view point is that your advice to go play a single player game just because he hasn't got enough time to raid is lousy advice.

Take it or leave it. :azn:

thanks, i think i ll leave it :P

enugh of this allready, we are taking over this thread :)

MacBlimp is right, play the game the way you enjoy it.

For me, the enjoyable part of the game is in groups, watching the group mechanics, how the people behave, all the little dramas, the laughs etc. I wouldnt play the game any more if it werent for that.

Obviously, some people here see this different ^^

btw, anyone else thinking that this thread evolved pretty much into me and snow bickering ? The OP does not realy post here any more, does he ?

[snowieken]

I'm not bickering, I'm discussing, there's a difference. :grin:

But glad you agree that people enjoy the game in different ways, which was basically my point as well. Therefore I though it wasn't really necessary for the OP to go and play a single player game just because he doesn't have time to raid.

[moopy]

A friend of mine is in a similar situation, has a young child and works pretty long hours- so regular epic raiding is right out. Plans have been made- possibly sometimes the odd Karazhan when it can be squeezed in, otherwise, heroic 5 mans and the like. All very deliberate, choosing a guild who are happy to have a "social" member who isn't stupid but who can't commit to hardcore 25 man dungeoncrawls. When you have to suddenly go AFK without warning because someone small and loud has woken up, you need to be free of too much encumbrance.

That said, it's no impediment to enjoying the game, and indeed being a hotshot player. She's looking forward to the new heroic rewards, which will nicely compliment her spellstrike gear, and has already started planning out what to go for in 2.3. A 5-man group will be a lot more understanding than a 25-man raid (simply because they take so much organising, no matter how nice the individual members may be).

I suspect that if you know the game well, you can find fun things to do other than raid, without feeling like a poor relation- even if you enjoy grouping with people who are lunatic raiders from time to time. For a lot of people the journey is more the point than the destination- having fun, enjoying the game in good company, while still unleashing high-level thermonuclear heck when needed.

[Mesmer]

I would be classified as a time constrained casual player. I've never had a problem enjoying the game. I mainly play solo as I hate pugging and my guild although fantastic is mainly US so aren't normally on when I am. I only ever do instances with guildies and even then very rarely, like once every other week. Outdoor group quests ( upto 3mans) I may pug just to get them out of the quest log. I have great fun levelling alts as they give me a completely different view on the game mechanics. There is heaps to do apart from raiding.

[rottentomato]

-start a twink...if PvP isnt your thing...
-make a twink in lvl 19 gear, and see how long you can level him before his gear can finally get replaced with something better.
-make a lvl 10 rogue in mostly grey items, and give him crazy enchants like +15 agil on each weapon
-see how much gold you can make in a week, and donate 90% of it to your guild
-do dailies
-spend a few days searching for areas youve never been or see things youve never seen...the highlander off the coast of ratchet comes to mind
-run through the opposing factions major city and see how far into you can get
-rep grind bloodsail bucs until you are exalted
-rep grind back to booty bay after that
-run lowbie guildmates as far as you can through instances
-level skinning to max, then drop it, pick up mining, level it to max, drop it, level herbs to max
-get EVERY mount...pvp included
-get every attunement for the heck of it
-solo BRD because you can
-powerlevel any profession
-see how big of a pull you can get in an instance before you die
-search for rare recipes and grind them out
-try to get the staff of jordan out of scarlet monestary



pretty much anything you can dream to do, do it! i know i wont be raiding much when i hit 70, but im looking forward to getting my rep to exalted with every major faction so i can get their mounts...plus i look forward to dailies, and going to areas to just grind whatever i want out...like DM east, or west

[Twoflower]

-make a twink in lvl 19 gear, and see how long you can level him before his gear can finally get replaced with something better.
-make a lvl 10 rogue in mostly grey items, and give him crazy enchants like +15 agil on each weapon
-rep grind bloodsail bucs until you are exalted
-rep grind back to booty bay after that
-level skinning to max, then drop it, pick up mining, level it to max, drop it, level herbs to max
-get EVERY mount...pvp included
-powerlevel any profession
-search for rare recipes and grind them out
-try to get the staff of jordan out of scarlet monestary


again just pointing out MY view on this :) But all these things look to me like either grinding way too much ( no, i dont enjoy grinding, and i dont think alot people actualy do ) or just wasting gold in heaps.

SOloing BRD just cause you can, on the other hand, sounds like fun :) gotta try this. endboss could be hard, no ?

[piscene]

Grinding is actually what I do a lot of the time...due to time constraints, so I think those are all great suggestions. When you only have a little time to play, even going after some quests is too hard, so you just end up grinding for the time you have available.

All very good ideas, RT!

[rottentomato]

i dont find grinding to be that boring when i am trying to accomplish something, and if you are doing some good, like donating gold to your guild for THEIR raids, then i dont see much harm in it ;)

piscene are you still playing? send me a mail ingame...have a new guild more end game based. lot of the same old members

[Polaba]

I actually do enjoy grinding, when I set a goal. Say I'm grinding motes of fire, I say to myself "By the end of this hour, have at least 6 primal fires". It puts in a sense of accomplishment and purpose, rather then just mindlessly spamming frostbolt over and over.

[DrOsmius]

I'll echo that grinding can be fun if it has a goal. In my case, I try to see how good I can get at it. Finding the best pull patterns, or herbing-paths, best gear for grinding, etc. It is fun to see how quickly you can get it done.

[Polaba]

I'll echo that grinding can be fun if it has a goal. In my case, I try to see how good I can get at it. Finding the best pull patterns, or herbing-paths, best gear for grinding, etc. It is fun to see how quickly you can get it done.

Not to mention those once a year, heart attack inducing epic drops. (Pattern: Resolute Cape dropped yesterday *gasp*)