Exp - to twink or not to twink

[drewid]

Ok, There have been rumors and comments flying around my server about the death of the Twink. Supposedly with the next patch we will be gaining XP from honor kills in BGs, which means the twinks will lvl.

I have searched the net for this and read the patch notes and can not find anything to verify this.
Has anyonme else heard this and or read it? if so can you point me in the right direction for the info?

[Daedelus84]

Hmm news to me! I hope that is wrong though, it would take away a very significant element of WoW's pvp game. :P

[MrBCorp]

I've heard this before. It hasn't happened yet and I don't think it will. Considering the effort people go to to prepare a twink, I would think they wouldn't even try to do it.

[dgrampa]

This rumor pops up before every patch and is never true.

[Superspam]

Didn't this used to be the case, or was it only a repeatable quest to turn in marks for XP?

[Tort]

It will never happen. People have been asking/begging/praying for such a change for a long long time, but honestly, Blizzard has no intention of completely screwing over such a large portion of their player base. I know of many players who primarily play their twink, with their level 70 being more of a money-maker than a main toon.

I actually believe Blizzard encourages twinks, at least to a certain extent. Some newer items, like the Deadman's Hand ring out of SM, seems virtually designed for twinks.

Regarding exp, you can currently gain exp completing the daily battleground quests, but of course you don't have to do those as a twink. You can also gain small amounts of exp by killing or being near someone else who is killing any of the beasts located in AV, but there really aren't that many twinks that far into the game.

[Shellar]

Blue post:

"Battlegrounds wins/losses and honorable kills will not award experience after the next patch, nor upon the release of Wrath of the Lich King. It could always happen somewhere down the road as we work to improve PvP progression, but there are no plans for changing this in the immediate future." (http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=10697502130&pageNo=1&sid=1#7)

[Durpia]

This has been rumored around for almost as long as WoW has existed. Blizzard has mentioned that they will never ever incorporate exp into PvP. Well other then killing the guards in AV, but thats it.

[Cerberus]

Tom Chilton aka Kalgan, a lead designer and founder of Blizzard gave a talk on the future of PvP on this years Blizzcon. He said that they want to give us the ability to level in battlegrounds. When, how and even if they'll implement this is unsure, but we know it won't happen at the release of WotLK at least.

[Stormblack]

I watched the video of that panel and found his use of phrasing interesting. He very deliberately, it seemed to me, avoided suggesting you would earn exp inside battlegrounds as a natural consequence of taking part. They are now, as a response to WAR I imagine, looking at ways and means to allow you to gain exp via participation, but I don't think it's at all certain that 'forced exp' in BG's will be the solution they choose.

[dgrampa]

I watched the video of that panel and found his use of phrasing interesting. He very deliberately, it seemed to me, avoided suggesting you would earn exp inside battlegrounds as a natural consequence of taking part. They are now, as a response to WAR I imagine, looking at ways and means to allow you to gain exp via participation, but I don't think it's at all certain that 'forced exp' in BG's will be the solution they choose.


Exactly, though many anti-twinks are latching onto this as 'proof' that twinks are going to be removed. Funny, really.

People who dislike PvE have been asking for ways to level through PvP for a long time. Blizzard is looking at ways to make this possible for them. They are not looking for ways to remove twinking.

People that seriously think this is the end of twinking are victims of ignorance. If they just did a little research, they would see that Blizzard fully supports twinking, even though the most they will officially admit to is 'twinking is a valid playstyle.'

Some examples:

People were complaining about twinks long before BC came out. Every major patch brought the same rumor that 'Blizzard is adding xp to BGs.' 10-15 major patches later, it still hasn't happened, including 3.0.2.

People complained that enchants were OP. Blizzard announced that BC enchants would be item level 35+. Anti-twinks took this as a sign that Blizzard doesn't like twinking, even though 19 and 29 twinks can obtain and equip level 35 items. So in reality, Blizzard gave even more OP enchants to twinks, not to mention the most OP of all of them - Leg armor kits.

Then Blizzard added new items for twinks in another patch, including an epic ring for 29 twinks.

Then a Blizzard CM posted quite clearly that they will not be adding xp to BGs in any patch in the near future, and now anti-twinks response is that CMs don't know what is really happening, only devs do. Talk about distorting reality.

[Cerberus]

Really, just let it go Dgrampa. The response was that 9 days after a CM said they won't be adding XP in BGs at the release of WotLK, Tom chilton said they want to add the possibility to level in battlegrounds. That's all that has been said about that. They're not contradicting eachother and a lead designer clearly will have a better idea than a CM of what is going to happen. It's not a anti-twink argument, but it has been pointed out that a part of this has to do with Blizzard not wanting twinks, but have problems addressing it.

A nethercleft armor can't be applied by a character under 60. You can however make a level 60 do it for you and a BoE item. That does suggest they didn't mean twinks to use them. Most itemlevel 35 weapons and items actually have a requirement of 30 meaning they're just outside the 29 twink bracket.

Even if those points may suggest that Blizzard doesn't want twinks, they're not anti-twink arguments. Saying that obtaining enchants you wouldn't normally have access to and using the in lower brackets and that this ruins PvP for the majority of players in that bracket is.

[Stormblack]

As pretty much every event we've had (notably the design of the zombie plague) shows Blizzard is willing to be very callous about lower level gameplay in order to keep the 'bored 70' population paying their subscription.

A hell of a lot of those bored 70's find it enjoyable to hunt out gear and optimise twink bg characters.....

[lyer]

Exactly, though many anti-twinks are latching onto this as 'proof' that twinks are going to be removed. Funny, really.

People who dislike PvE have been asking for ways to level through PvP for a long time. Blizzard is looking at ways to make this possible for them. They are not looking for ways to remove twinking.

People that seriously think this is the end of twinking are victims of ignorance. If they just did a little research, they would see that Blizzard fully supports twinking, even though the most they will officially admit to is 'twinking is a valid playstyle.'

Some examples:

People were complaining about twinks long before BC came out. Every major patch brought the same rumor that 'Blizzard is adding xp to BGs.' 10-15 major patches later, it still hasn't happened, including 3.0.2.

People complained that enchants were OP. Blizzard announced that BC enchants would be item level 35+. Anti-twinks took this as a sign that Blizzard doesn't like twinking, even though 19 and 29 twinks can obtain and equip level 35 items. So in reality, Blizzard gave even more OP enchants to twinks, not to mention the most OP of all of them - Leg armor kits.

Then Blizzard added new items for twinks in another patch, including an epic ring for 29 twinks.

Then a Blizzard CM posted quite clearly that they will not be adding xp to BGs in any patch in the near future, and now anti-twinks response is that CMs don't know what is really happening, only devs do. Talk about distorting reality.

saw this recently it from a EU server I guess hasn't happened to me but makes me wonder??? http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4154/gmcomvogr3.jpg

[MrBCorp]

As pretty much every event we've had (notably the design of the zombie plague) shows Blizzard is willing to be very callous about lower level gameplay in order to keep the 'bored 70' population paying their subscription.

A hell of a lot of those bored 70's find it enjoyable to hunt out gear and optimise twink bg characters.....

Exactly. It also adds another element to the game. If there were no twinks bored 70's would have one less thing they could do.

saw this recently it from a EU server I guess hasn't happened to me but makes me wonder??? http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4154/gmcomvogr3.jpg

Wow that is the most reasonable "peeved" person I have seen playing WoW.

[Cerberus]

As pretty much every event we've had (notably the design of the zombie plague) shows Blizzard is willing to be very callous about lower level gameplay in order to keep the 'bored 70' population paying their subscription.

Have to say that's not my impression. The Zombie event annoyed a lot of people, but they did end up apologizing in the end and it didn't go on for ages (anyone could become a zombie even). Things like corpsecamping a questgiver or locking down questhubs are bannable offenses as well. They've also talked a lot about making room for everyone in PvP. Catering to the top end players (activity&resources) is pretty unique to twinking in my experience.

[wyren]

While it would be nice to see twinkage reduced. Blizzard has to worry about people who have ran multiple accounts just for the specific purpose of twinking and spent vast sums of in game gold and real world time complaining and quiting. The insane die hard core group form a skeleton on which a lot of WOW is built around. Blizzard is leery of killing the golden goose that is WOW. I hate twinkage and refuse to bg at low level heck I avoid PVP like the plague. But it does not look promising in the near future. I believe that XP will be an otion in battle grounds soon but not a requirement.

[Findariel]

/shrug

Well I always wondered why people object so much against twinks while the gear differences at lvl70/80 are huge as well.

I used to play lvl70 BGs and arena but it's just as much a gear thing as twinking is. At lvl 70 with blue/purple PvE gear you didn't stand any more chance against a S3/S4 player as you do as a lvl25 against a lvl29 twink.

The only difference is that at lvl29 you're done once you have made your twink while at max level every season and expansion makes you start all over again - meaning grinding for gear for months and months and for most people it's impossible to get that best gear at all because it really takes sooo much time.

My opinion is that WoW PvP in general is far too much a gear thing.
And that's true for all levels, not only lower brackets.

[soroshiv]

Twinks will never "go away" i think that if someone spends 500g+ to twink a toon they just want to have fun. I have only 1 twink, I am more focased to lvling. My guild master has like 4 twinks. He just thinks its just a type of fun you can have when you are on your 80 and waiting to get in to WG.

Which brings me to my second point, twinking after WOTLK is fun for 19s, and 29 with the improved PVP gear you can get with WG that is bound to account, i mean you can twink with it, I just belive its easier to level with.

Along with WOTLK can 3.1.1 which gives you the ability to get the dual talents, what im trying to get at is IF you want to level a toon to 49 just to twink then pay 1000 gold for dual talents, that would be kinda fun for you.

I understand i use the word "fun" alot on this matter but its a game people! sopose to be fun. :P

Now when Tort said:
"I actually believe Blizzard encourages twinks, at least to a certain extent. Some newer items, like the Deadman's Hand ring out of SM, seems virtually designed for twinks."

I agree but Blizzard probally was looking at twinks when they made dual talents because you don't see many 49, 59, or 69 twinks.

[waflob]

I don't think blizzard were thinking of twinks with dual spec. They did this for people at end game who raid and do arena (or other pvp) and were constantly swapping between 2 specs for the different play styles.

[soroshiv]

I don't think blizzard were thinking of twinks with dual spec. They did this for people at end game who raid and do arena (or other pvp) and were constantly swapping between 2 specs for the different play styles.

what I mean is, that they dont want a dual spec lvl 19 twink...so when they added dual spec they made the min. lvl to 40, due to the fact there are not very many 49, 59,69,79 twinks

[Toroa]

Except for all the DKs in the 69 bracket, ergh :P :grin: