WoW: Mid-level grind suggestions

The World of Warcraft Wikipedia (aka WoWWiki), defines the word “grind” as “To kill monsters purely for experience, not as part of a quest, or when searching for an item (sometimes considered farming).” MMORPG players outside of WoW dread the word “grind”, as it connotes hours upon hours of staring at an LCD monitor while sucking down overly caffeinated beverages, in an effort to crank up their character’s experience level and financial status.

While WoW offers up quests in place of typical MMO grind sessions, never let it be said that the game doesn’t get boring. It does, especially at those middle levels when the excitement of starting a new character has simmered down, and hitting the level 55+ range is still but a month away. Now, in case you’ve been stricken with the “mid-level blues,” WoW Insider’s Elizabeth Wachowski came up with some interesting means of staving off the gloom:

1. Use a job-specific levelling guide. Properly written game guides should give you a run-through of the right quests to take per level, which translates into much less time spent training, and bigger chances of landing much-needed equipment and loot.
2. Learn a new profession. Much like how some guys in real life (IRL) cope with boredom by taking up a new hobby, one recommended in-game activity is letting your character learn new professions. Elizabeth recommends learning  skills that mix well with your job class/race, such as Jewelcrafting for Draeneis, or lockpicking for Rogues.
3. Join a guild, make new friends, or – better yet – role-play your character. WoW has a rich storyline that’s just waiting to be exploited, and giving your character a background story that intertwines with the game universe just makes your experience all the more fun and exciting.
4. Find a levelling buddy. This makes for easier (and faster) quests. Throw in the fact you’ll always have somebody to talk to while training, and it should keep your midnight oil burning as you trek your way to the minimum Outlands level requirements.

We’re sure the guys here juggling more than one WoW character will appreciate these tips. Just make sure to leave some time for keeping your real life together, and you’re all set.

The World of Warcraft Wikipedia (aka WoWWiki), defines the word “grind” as “To kill monsters purely for experience, not as part of a quest, or when searching for an item (sometimes considered farming).” MMORPG players outside of WoW dread the word “grind”, as it connotes hours upon hours of staring at an LCD monitor while sucking down overly caffeinated beverages, in an effort to crank up their character’s experience level and financial status.

While WoW offers up quests in place of typical MMO grind sessions, never let it be said that the game doesn’t get boring. It does, especially at those middle levels when the excitement of starting a new character has simmered down, and hitting the level 55+ range is still but a month away. Now, in case you’ve been stricken with the “mid-level blues,” WoW Insider’s Elizabeth Wachowski came up with some interesting means of staving off the gloom:

1. Use a job-specific levelling guide. Properly written game guides should give you a run-through of the right quests to take per level, which translates into much less time spent training, and bigger chances of landing much-needed equipment and loot.
2. Learn a new profession. Much like how some guys in real life (IRL) cope with boredom by taking up a new hobby, one recommended in-game activity is letting your character learn new professions. Elizabeth recommends learning  skills that mix well with your job class/race, such as Jewelcrafting for Draeneis, or lockpicking for Rogues.
3. Join a guild, make new friends, or – better yet – role-play your character. WoW has a rich storyline that’s just waiting to be exploited, and giving your character a background story that intertwines with the game universe just makes your experience all the more fun and exciting.
4. Find a levelling buddy. This makes for easier (and faster) quests. Throw in the fact you’ll always have somebody to talk to while training, and it should keep your midnight oil burning as you trek your way to the minimum Outlands level requirements.

We’re sure the guys here juggling more than one WoW character will appreciate these tips. Just make sure to leave some time for keeping your real life together, and you’re all set.