Epixx For Lowbies

[xDarkDrifterx]

So I noticed before from various stories that they are going to be changing the loot in various lowbie instances. What I did not know is that they are not going to have just blues, but epic's as well.

From wowinsider:

Epic gear coming to Scarlet Monastery (and elsewhere)
Posted Oct 17th 2007 12:30PM by Mike Schramm
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Leveling, Making money

Here's a little change I missed in the midlevel updates notes: Epic gear will now drop for lowbies. Example number one is the Deadman's Hand, which will drop from Arcanist Doan in SM, and has a proc that "freezes" attackers for a full three seconds. Hawt! Eyonix, who's poking around the forums today after a long absence, confirms that the proc will scale with level, which means it'll be basically useless by 70.

But still-- Epic gear for lowbies! What is the world coming to? A quick search on Wowhead doesn't bring anything else new yet that I can see (lots of Epic turn-ins and the old World Drops that we already know about), but this can't be the only Epic they're adding to the lowbie dungeons-- I'm sure we'll see lots more pop up as more people test the PTR and the patch eventually goes live.

Yes, giving Epics to folks who haven't hit even 50 yet might seem a little strange-- just how epic can a piece of equipment be if a knockover like Arcanist Doan can hang on to it? But it's more than worth it, as even lowbies running instances should have a chance to know what it feels like to loot a boss-- and find some of those tasty Professor Plums.

Deadman's Hand
Binds when picked up
Unique
Finger
+10 Stamina
Requires Level 29
Equip: When struck in combat has a chance of freezing the attacker in place for 3 sec.

(Nerf the above link if need be, digger doesn't have it though, and I thought people may want to see. . .)

I feel the need for this bad boy on my rogue twinkie ^^, and on that note, it seems that Blizz further proves that they do approve of twinking - this has WSG flag runner all over it . . . +10 stam, 5% proc rate, and a level 29 level needed to use . . . mhmmm good lol

I would still love it if they threw in a blue or two from The Stocks . . .

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

might want to change the wowhead link to wowdigger (or the Armory?). Since wowhead is operated by a goldseller company.


Erm... guess the item isn't in either yet, because the item is coming in 2.3. My mistake.

[xDarkDrifterx]

might want to change the wowhead link to wowdigger (or the Armory?). Since wowhead is operated by a goldseller company.


Erm... guess the item isn't in either yet, because the item is coming in 2.3. My mistake.

Yeah, which is why I put that extra nerf it comment :wink:

Though I did hope it might stay so the community could see . . . maybe I'll get lucky and they'll add it from there to digger and then relink my link they just nerfed :grin:

[Valas Azuviir]

Technically, you could already have an epic prior to level 50. Wall of the Dead comes to mind, considering that's one item my level 49 warrior is currently lusting after. And there are a couple of other items, which also predate level 49 like Hammer of the Northern Wind (http://wowdigger.com/item/view/810/hammer-of-the-northern-wind) to name another item.

If, Leord or Maticus or Elly or Rush come across that thingy on the PTR, then I'm fairly certain that it'll get added to WoWdigger. Till, that time, cut and paste is the best way to reflect what you're trying to show.

[dgrampa]

Technically, you could already have an epic prior to level 50. Wall of the Dead comes to mind, considering that's one item my level 49 warrior is currently lusting after. And there are a couple of other items, which also predate level 49 like the Hammer of the Northern Wind to name another item.

If, Leord or Maticus or Elly or Rush come across that thingy on the PTR, then I'm fairly certain that it'll get added to WoWdigger. Till, that time, cut and paste is the best way to reflect what you're trying to show.

Fiery War Axe level 35 to use.

What I want to see are level 19 epics. Will probably never happen though. :cry:

[ChaosSaber]

Fiery War Axe level 35 to use.

What I want to see are level 19 epics. Will probably never happen though. :cry:
Oh sure it could happen...
BoP random world drops :p

[Polaba]

Also Bow of Searing Arrows (too lazy to figure out how to link it) which my 39 twink on Gorefiend has :cool:

[Shellar]

Staff of Jordan also comes to mind.

[rottentomato]

staff drops in SM if i remember...

[swaldman]

I very much doubt that the drop rate would make it practical to farm for - so not really a planned-for twink weapon. More of a *grin*-inducing weapon for people innocently running SM and getting lucky!

[det]

My shadowpriest had dual Underworld bands. They are lv 39 IIRC. Gloves of Holy Might is lv 41 or so...

Yeah..why not low level epics....maybe we high levels do see artifacts even. I mean..c'mon at least in vanilla WoW there was Thunderfury and that legendary Hammer . Also Atiesh.

Is there anything legendary in TBC? Not counting the weapons at Kael?

[swaldman]

Is there anything legendary in TBC? Not counting the weapons at Kael?

The Warglaives, I think.

What seems to have been lost sight of, ever since MC was released, was the original idea of "epics".

The "quality" of an item was originally described, I think, as the rarity. Greens are "uncommon" (ha). Blues are "rare". Epics are very very rare... and so forth.

This was the case up until... Gnomeregan perhaps, where every boss gives a blue. Epics however were still very rare in the 5-man game. Then MC was introduced. Guarenteed epics off every boss.

Suddenly the purple text, while remaining a mark of quality *for the item's level* isn't a measure of luck, but of achievement. At that point, everybody wants ZOMGEPIXX to show what they have "achieved". And it's continued from there.

Once this had happened, the first two ledgendary weapons started to appear - and they were luck-based. You had to have some ridiculously rare drops, or combinations of drops, to make them.

Largely, they still are. According to a site that I can't mention, the warglaives are still 4% drops off Illidian - that's a much higher change than the mats for Sulphuras or Thunderfury had, so maybe the concept of "guarenteed ledgendaries" is getting closer - but it's still a long way off.

Artifacts? Well, chances are that blizzard are fully aware of this trend of people wanting higher-"colour" gear. Eventually everybody will get ledgendaries; perhaps in lvl 80 dungeons they'll drop off all end bosses or something. Then they'll need something new and rare. Speculation... Artifacts may then enter the game.

[inkmva]

Sooner or later a "green" item is so uncommon it's the coolest thing to have ;).

I do like the idea of epics for lowbies though, it's a natural evolution of the game and it gives non-endgame players nice rewards. There are people with 2-3 level 30-40 toons in the game perfectly happy with that.

More power to them.

[Altaris]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned my loverly Kang the Decapitator... useable by level 44 iirc. And still nice to have even by 60.

[xDarkDrifterx]

But are there any more like this ring that are usable by toons under level 30?

[swaldman]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned my loverly Kang the Decapitator... useable by level 44 iirc. And still nice to have even by 60.

I kept my Flurry Axe (requires lvl 42) until my mid-late 50s.

[Beruen]

staff drops in SM if i remember...

Before someone else gets dragged into SM for that, it CAN drop there. It's a world drop, so it can drop anywhere that's in the right level range.

I point this out only because someone in my guild got it into her head that farming SM for that staff would be a reasonable activity.

[moopy]

Technically, you could already have an epic prior to level 50. Wall of the Dead comes to mind, considering that's one item my level 49 warrior is currently lusting after.

My hunter used Gloves of Holy Might for many levels, and my shammy was a fan of her Flurry Axe too (sod the WF timer, it still did more damage.. shocking :).

[Davinphk]

Its not even worth it to farm for epics at the lower levels. I want to farm Marudon(Or any other place with the right level) for Kang the Decapitator but its not going to be worth my time i dont think. I might as well farm the 250G its going to cost me in the AH for it, it will probably be quicker to get the gold!

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

I want to farm Marudon(Or any other place with the right level) for Kang the Decapitator

Doesn't have to be an instance. Just so you know.

That said, I'm squarely in the "too much effort for too little gain" category. If I happen to get an epic while I'm out leveling, great. If not, no big loss.

[Laringar]

I think the whole Epics For Lowbies (This just sounds like a guild name in the making to me) has to do with Blizz's seeming desire lately to get more people involved in the story. They've boosted the xp quests give you, encouraging people to do more quests, and lowered the xp you need to level, as well as giving better items to do the levelling with. Since most of the major story is done through max level content, this stuff helps get new people into the later content faster.

Also, it looks like with WotLK, they're going to be having you meet major lore characters more often, also getting people in the story. So I think that's part of the plan. It's harder to go back and add more story to the early stuff, so they just get you through it faster, to get to where they can add more story.


That's my theory, at least. I'm typing this from work, so my ideas may not be entirely focused at the moment.

[Polaba]

I'm typing this from work, so my ideas may not be entirely focused at the moment.

Ducking under the cubicle, FTW :grin:

I agree, this is a great idea. Who knows, in 2 years we may be on the verge of Heroic Deadmines...

[Wintrow]

I was always a fan of reward equaling work. Beating a level-appropriate epic boss should yield level-appropriate epic gear. Sure, 10 levels higher the boss isn't so epic anymore, but then neither will his gear be. 10 levels lower and the boss is a god. Untouchable.

I've always thought the quality on BoP-gear resembled achievement while on BoE-gear it resembled luck. Hence "guaranteed epixx" when beating a raid-boss, but Staff of Jordan is 1 in a billion.

Off course, I'd have the SM-epic drop Whitemane in SM Cath rather than from Doan in SM Lib. He IS a pushover at the level you usually confront him while the Mograine/Whitemane combo represents more of a challenge.

[moopy]

Its not even worth it to farm for epics at the lower levels. I want to farm Marudon(Or any other place with the right level) for Kang the Decapitator but its not going to be worth my time i dont think. I might as well farm the 250G its going to cost me in the AH for it, it will probably be quicker to get the gold!

No, since it's a world drop with a tiny drop chance. You can't efficiently farm for these. It is funny watching people try though, still frustrated while their friends have gained ten levels in the meantime.

[Algamonn]

I think its a good idea. Blizz need to re-ignite the interest in the old world instances. So many people are running mains on BC instances, that all us casual gamers get are thinly populated servers struggling to provide half decent low level players for instance runs.


Alga

[front243]

Wowinsider has pictures of some of the new pre-TBC dungeon drops today.

On a related note, Ripped Ogre Loincloth is getting a buff

15 armor after 2.3 :)

[moopy]

I think its a good idea. Blizz need to re-ignite the interest in the old world instances. So many people are running mains on BC instances, that all us casual gamers get are thinly populated servers struggling to provide half decent low level players for instance runs.


On a lot of servers, there are plenty of players for the low-level stuff, it's when you hit 6x that it starts to thin out. In any case, if people want more lowbie groups, they shoudl discourage the "boost" culture. Yeah, that's right, random lv 70 you don't know who just popped to IF auction house for some mats to enchant their newest tier 5 part really wants to run you through deadmines- give 'em a whisper, and don't forget that the more abbreviated and abrupt you make it, the more they will like it.

[Laringar]

Noooo! Not the Loincloth! It was the only pair of pants a naked char could wear, and still not have armor!

[irogue]

When my lvl 55 rogue was killing some ice yeti in winterspring, this shadowblade dropped. It was my first world drop epic after I played wow for about 9 months.

It is said that this is the best OH from lvl 48 to 60. Some friends suggested me to keep it because my lvl 70 shadow priest can farm 200 gold in 2 hours.

Well, I sold it for 200 gold because I would hate to see it sold to the vendor after 3 or 5 lvls. I thought it would be more useful for someone who is around lvl 48 with dispensable money.

In my opinion, it is good to have epics before 50. It rewards you the excitement and some fair amount of fortune. (Good Job! Blizzard! You make my world of warcrack more and more addicted.)

P.S. Now I have to decide what should I do with this Formula: Enchant Boots - Cat's Swiftness. Sell it for 1000 gold or use it? :ponder:

[dgrampa]

... Formula: Enchant Boots - Cat's Swiftness. Sell it for 1000 gold or use it? :ponder:

gief 2 m3 plx!!11