Back to normal hunting, gathered the quests for Zul'Farrak and went to get the Mallet from Perrigrins bank - Only to discover he apparently didn't do that quest.
So, off to Hinterlands to get it, also finishing a bunch of quests there - Experience is decent, but will take me a while to adjust to normal leveling.
Then back and cleared ZF two times to finish all the quests, fewer blue drops in there than I remembered, but at least got Gahz'rilla Scale Armor and Jumanza Grips. Plus some nice quest rewards from both ZF and Hinterlands.
With a 70 paladin leading the way the only trouble I have is the two times Perrigrin got turned into a frog - Which with 20 mob pulls killed the shaman quite quickly. The Shaman do over 50% of the damage over an instance run though, so they are helping quite a bit.
Also finished the two homing beacon quests for Hinterlands and Tarnasis.
Now gathering the quests to go do Maraudon.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Ding 44 and Zolo is Fixed
Bah, got to 44 x 4 last night before going to bed, and then I see on the boards this morning that todays patch will fix Zolo so that the skellies now give 1 xp ... o'well - It was fun while it lasted.
The three things that bugs me the most about this is:
Update: I pretty much decided that paladin + 4 shamans is the way to go to 70, for the same reason that I swapped one shaman out. There is no way that 5 shaman would be that much faster to make up for the time it will take to get the 10 levels Perri needs to catch up (if it's even faster).
The three things that bugs me the most about this is:
- I invested well over 50 g on green boosting gear/white that I now wont be needing.
- The decision to take 1 shaman out is now less good - Cause a paladin running instances 'normally' with 4 x 44 shaman won't be that much better than 5 x 44 shaman running the instance, safer yes - But not faster. Unfortunately the decision is pretty irreversible as Perri is lagging 10 levels and that will take a bit to catch up.
- I spent a good while writing the post yesterday describing a how-to for it, which is now useless.
Update: I pretty much decided that paladin + 4 shamans is the way to go to 70, for the same reason that I swapped one shaman out. There is no way that 5 shaman would be that much faster to make up for the time it will take to get the 10 levels Perri needs to catch up (if it's even faster).
Ding 41 and a 'Zolo Trick' Walkthrough
Ding 41 x 4 - The Zolo Trick makes it so fast at these levels - Sustaining well over 100k xp/h over 2 hours even with running to repair and going afk for 10 minutes.
The Zolo Trick involves the mini boss Zolo in the Sunken Temple - All the information here are from the dual-boxing forums.
NOTE: This 'trick' is nerfed as of 29/30th of July so this text is no longer valid - Just kept here for historical reasons.
A general tip is to make sure you are familiar with the Sunken Temple before you drag level 35s in there, as it is quite deadly to drag them around in there while you are looking for the way.
1) This work to get characters experience from level 35 to around 58 (although the last few levels will be quite slow, so most seem to stop around 52).
2) Get a 70 paladin on a separate account from the characters you intend to level. The trick works with numerous other classes, but a paladin is easiest and what I used and will be describing here.
Remember that account sharing is against the policy, so if you don't have a appropriate boosting character, you need to find a friend willing to do it for you or level one yourself.
3) Now, this trick is not at all depending on gear - Go to the auction house and stock up on green plate armor in the 65-70 range - This is to reduce repair costs.
Also, make sure you have a bunch of green / white shields as you will be going through them fast.
Not brining 4+ shields will severely increase how often you need to go repair. I bought myself 4 Crested Heater Shield in Stonard, costs around 4 g, lasts a good long while and are cheap to repair.
The only other gear that is suggested to bring is any kind of item that will help you self heal with no cast time - Such as Figurine of the Colossus. I use a Spyglass of the Hidden Fleet, and it does help some to. But the trick is doable without any such items.
4) The paladin needs to be protection spec, having the talents Spiritual Focus and Improved Concentration Aura (either get both, or don't bother with any, unless you want it for other reasons than the trick) helps, but is not mandatory.
5) Get your paladin + your team or the characters you are going to boost to the entrance of the Sunken Temple (this can be a bit of a challenge with level 35s, so be careful).
6) Zone in the paladin and track undead and check the troll miniboss spawn points that appear in a cricle around the zone - If you do not find Zolo in the "1 o'clock" or "11 o'clock" position, go out and reset until you do.
Clearing to any other position will take to long, only do this if you hit the instance / hour limit.
7) Clear the 2 groups (and the stair patrol if you want to be safe), and march your team to the hallway just outside Zolo - Take care that the lowbies are not positioned so that the stair patrol or Zolo will aggro them.
From this point, all the team being boosted will do is not time out due to AFK, they must not get aggro in any fashion.
7b) Optional. One of the limits to how quickly you gain xp and how long you can keep going for is how long Zolo is kept alive - The method I'll describe below involves resetting him and running back, which I find simpler - But if you plan to keep going for a really long session and have repair bots handy - It might be worth finding another troll mini boss: Mijan.
Clear from Zolo to Mijan and pull him over to Zolo before you attack Zolo (take care he don't get aggro on the team) - He will keep Zolo healed.
8) Engage Zolo. Put your back to the wall and wait for the skeletons to start spawning.
At this point you want to do damage to the skeletons (don't need to kill them, just a little damage - they will despawn and give xp), but as little damage as possible to Zolo (as when he dies, the fun is over).
As a paladin this means: No retribution aura, no holy shield, no shield spike - Just use Blessing of Sanctuary for the damage. I tend to drop a rank 1 Concentration sometimes to assure that all are damaged - This is not necessary, but will make a small difference as it will tag mobs that completely fail to hit you.
To keep yourself up, use Seal of Light and any healing trinkets etc you might have - If things get rough, you can either bubble and heal - Or if you got the Improved Concentration Aura and Spiritual Focus you can channel heals.
Having Reckoning in your build will help the Seal of Light healing - I find that in most fights I stay at max health with just the Seal of Light.
Do not melee Zolo, as this will reduce the length of the fight.
9) Once Zolo's hp is getting low (under 10% or so, I keep him targeted on my team to always be able to see his hp), ensure your health is high, and jump off the platform where you aggroed Zolo - Down to the dragons. Take care not to aggro them (you can probably easily kill them, but it takes time) - This is easily done.
Run back up (northern tunnel out), you will need to kill 1 group of mobs on the way.
If you pulled the healer to Zolo, you should never have to do this unless you need to heart to repair.
Do NOT kill Zolo until you are done for the session.
10) As your shields break, replace them (you will see a spike in the damage you take :P) - Once you are out of shields or your other gear breaks, use a repair bot or go repair. I run to Stonard, but will probably set my heart to there to make it a bit quicker.
Just leave the team in the instance, they are safe outside Zolos room.
This is a insanely fast way of getting experience through 35-50ish, but there are quite a few drawbacks, such as
A more detailed description of the trick can be found here. Despite the name of that site, the general opinion (and some have even asked GMs about it) is that the 'Zolo Trick' is not any form of exploit.
The Zolo Trick involves the mini boss Zolo in the Sunken Temple - All the information here are from the dual-boxing forums.
NOTE: This 'trick' is nerfed as of 29/30th of July so this text is no longer valid - Just kept here for historical reasons.
A general tip is to make sure you are familiar with the Sunken Temple before you drag level 35s in there, as it is quite deadly to drag them around in there while you are looking for the way.
1) This work to get characters experience from level 35 to around 58 (although the last few levels will be quite slow, so most seem to stop around 52).
2) Get a 70 paladin on a separate account from the characters you intend to level. The trick works with numerous other classes, but a paladin is easiest and what I used and will be describing here.
Remember that account sharing is against the policy, so if you don't have a appropriate boosting character, you need to find a friend willing to do it for you or level one yourself.
3) Now, this trick is not at all depending on gear - Go to the auction house and stock up on green plate armor in the 65-70 range - This is to reduce repair costs.
Also, make sure you have a bunch of green / white shields as you will be going through them fast.
Not brining 4+ shields will severely increase how often you need to go repair. I bought myself 4 Crested Heater Shield in Stonard, costs around 4 g, lasts a good long while and are cheap to repair.
The only other gear that is suggested to bring is any kind of item that will help you self heal with no cast time - Such as Figurine of the Colossus. I use a Spyglass of the Hidden Fleet, and it does help some to. But the trick is doable without any such items.
4) The paladin needs to be protection spec, having the talents Spiritual Focus and Improved Concentration Aura (either get both, or don't bother with any, unless you want it for other reasons than the trick) helps, but is not mandatory.
5) Get your paladin + your team or the characters you are going to boost to the entrance of the Sunken Temple (this can be a bit of a challenge with level 35s, so be careful).
6) Zone in the paladin and track undead and check the troll miniboss spawn points that appear in a cricle around the zone - If you do not find Zolo in the "1 o'clock" or "11 o'clock" position, go out and reset until you do.
Clearing to any other position will take to long, only do this if you hit the instance / hour limit.
7) Clear the 2 groups (and the stair patrol if you want to be safe), and march your team to the hallway just outside Zolo - Take care that the lowbies are not positioned so that the stair patrol or Zolo will aggro them.
From this point, all the team being boosted will do is not time out due to AFK, they must not get aggro in any fashion.
7b) Optional. One of the limits to how quickly you gain xp and how long you can keep going for is how long Zolo is kept alive - The method I'll describe below involves resetting him and running back, which I find simpler - But if you plan to keep going for a really long session and have repair bots handy - It might be worth finding another troll mini boss: Mijan.
Clear from Zolo to Mijan and pull him over to Zolo before you attack Zolo (take care he don't get aggro on the team) - He will keep Zolo healed.
8) Engage Zolo. Put your back to the wall and wait for the skeletons to start spawning.
At this point you want to do damage to the skeletons (don't need to kill them, just a little damage - they will despawn and give xp), but as little damage as possible to Zolo (as when he dies, the fun is over).
As a paladin this means: No retribution aura, no holy shield, no shield spike - Just use Blessing of Sanctuary for the damage. I tend to drop a rank 1 Concentration sometimes to assure that all are damaged - This is not necessary, but will make a small difference as it will tag mobs that completely fail to hit you.
To keep yourself up, use Seal of Light and any healing trinkets etc you might have - If things get rough, you can either bubble and heal - Or if you got the Improved Concentration Aura and Spiritual Focus you can channel heals.
Having Reckoning in your build will help the Seal of Light healing - I find that in most fights I stay at max health with just the Seal of Light.
Do not melee Zolo, as this will reduce the length of the fight.
9) Once Zolo's hp is getting low (under 10% or so, I keep him targeted on my team to always be able to see his hp), ensure your health is high, and jump off the platform where you aggroed Zolo - Down to the dragons. Take care not to aggro them (you can probably easily kill them, but it takes time) - This is easily done.
Run back up (northern tunnel out), you will need to kill 1 group of mobs on the way.
If you pulled the healer to Zolo, you should never have to do this unless you need to heart to repair.
Do NOT kill Zolo until you are done for the session.
10) As your shields break, replace them (you will see a spike in the damage you take :P) - Once you are out of shields or your other gear breaks, use a repair bot or go repair. I run to Stonard, but will probably set my heart to there to make it a bit quicker.
Just leave the team in the instance, they are safe outside Zolos room.
This is a insanely fast way of getting experience through 35-50ish, but there are quite a few drawbacks, such as
- It's boring
- It costs lots of cash in repairs, while generating absolutely no loot
- Melee classes will be severely under skilled for their level after a boost through here
- The characters being boosted will have gotten no gear upgrades
A more detailed description of the trick can be found here. Despite the name of that site, the general opinion (and some have even asked GMs about it) is that the 'Zolo Trick' is not any form of exploit.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Zolo!
Well, went to the Sunken Temple to try out the 'Zolo Trick' - Which basically involves tanking 100s of skeletons that the mini-named Zolo spawns.
Not been there much, so took me ages to find him - Once I did though, I peaked at 150k xp/h for the 'grins'. Ding 37!
The limiting factor here was really the repair state of Perrigrins gear. Once I properly positioned myself and used Seal of Light, I didn't suffer much from the lack of the Figurine of the Colossus (but I do want to get that one asap).
As I finished the session I killed Zolo, and he gave up a pair of Atal'ai Boots of the Eagle for us.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Ding 35 x 4!
Well, the first trip to SM got the 'new grins' to 35 - Decently fast xp, even though that I was learning the ropes on the pulls and had the shammies die a couple of times - It's a nice change, but I'm sure it will get more boring than the 5 shaman setup - Just need to keep my eyes on the target!
Changes!
Well, I've been debating for a few days to swap the shaman on my main account, Perri - With my paladin, Perrigrin - And resepec him to protection.
The upside of doing this will be much faster leveling, and after 60 or so, practice for tank style 5 boxing instances.
The downside is that this will completely negate any "achievement value" of clearing lower level instances with 5 properly leveled characters.
But, as the heading indicates I've now decided to go for the swap out and boost option - The reason for this being that if I want a shot at being 70 and have done a few 70 instances before the expansion comes out, I will need to do this given my play time.
Also, the paladin is clearly my main, so doing this will make it quicker for him to benefit from the boxing.
I do want a shaman leveled on my main account, so I will either be boosting him with my hunter on another account, or doing some transfers to get him to 70 asap.
But priority for the 'grins' now have changed from doing all possible instances as a 5 man team, to instead reaching 4 shaman + 1 paladin combo at 70 as quickly as possible.
I will revisit the 5 shaman 'proper' leveling combo when that goal is met (maybe even start it up soon to have something to do when tired of boosting).
I do have a level 7 shaman on Tarren Mill that I would like to get up - Will probably build a team around him.
I invested in a set of green armor for cheap repairs and a Felsteel Shield Spike and Petrified Lichen Guard for Perrigrin to help the boosting.
The upside of doing this will be much faster leveling, and after 60 or so, practice for tank style 5 boxing instances.
The downside is that this will completely negate any "achievement value" of clearing lower level instances with 5 properly leveled characters.
But, as the heading indicates I've now decided to go for the swap out and boost option - The reason for this being that if I want a shot at being 70 and have done a few 70 instances before the expansion comes out, I will need to do this given my play time.
Also, the paladin is clearly my main, so doing this will make it quicker for him to benefit from the boxing.
I do want a shaman leveled on my main account, so I will either be boosting him with my hunter on another account, or doing some transfers to get him to 70 asap.
But priority for the 'grins' now have changed from doing all possible instances as a 5 man team, to instead reaching 4 shaman + 1 paladin combo at 70 as quickly as possible.
I will revisit the 5 shaman 'proper' leveling combo when that goal is met (maybe even start it up soon to have something to do when tired of boosting).
I do have a level 7 shaman on Tarren Mill that I would like to get up - Will probably build a team around him.
I invested in a set of green armor for cheap repairs and a Felsteel Shield Spike and Petrified Lichen Guard for Perrigrin to help the boosting.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Ding 34!
Farmed SM Library a few times for Robe of Doan, Mantle of Doan, Hypnotic Blade and Illusionary Rod - Although I probably will stick with Death Speaker Robes for the robes and not sure I want to give up the shields to use the Rod.
Now, it seems like they severely reduced the respawn time in there, by the time I kill Doan - All of the first courtyard will be respawned. Leaving me with the option to either die and run back, heart and run back or clear to get out to reset - A bit annoying if you intend to do multiple runs in a row with a team of the level of the instance.
Clearing the Library at 33/34 seem to get me close to 20k xp / hour - Not to bad.
Now, it seems like they severely reduced the respawn time in there, by the time I kill Doan - All of the first courtyard will be respawned. Leaving me with the option to either die and run back, heart and run back or clear to get out to reset - A bit annoying if you intend to do multiple runs in a row with a team of the level of the instance.
Clearing the Library at 33/34 seem to get me close to 20k xp / hour - Not to bad.
Arcanist Doan Down!
SM Library wing completed!
Once I started tanking him instead of trying to aggro bounce him, it was a fairly straight forward fight.
Although at 33 the instance is no pushover, the houndmaster wiped me once - And I had to go 3 times before I got the strategy right for Arcanist Doan. Biggest issue for me is that his fire AE can pretty much one shot my highest hp shaman - So need a bit of luck and be ready with heals and potions when he does that.
He gave up Robe of Doan and Hypnotic Blade.
Doan 5 Shaman Strategy
Found this video at the dual-boxing.com forums.
Doan will go down next try, just didn't occur to me to try and tank him with no tank.
Note that Vimeo has decided (for some incomprehensible reason) to stop hosting game related videos, so the above link will only work until September.
Doan will go down next try, just didn't occur to me to try and tank him with no tank.
Note that Vimeo has decided (for some incomprehensible reason) to stop hosting game related videos, so the above link will only work until September.
The Grins are the bitches of Arcanist Doan
So, decided to try out SM Library wing.
Went in and the first pulls go really well - Clear carefully since the mobs are 1-2 levels higher than the 'grins'.
Clear to Houndmaster Loksey, and decide to try and rush him as I seemed to remember him being a archer - Ends up in a wipe at his feet due to bad coordination and no heals - Can't use Ankh so have to run back.
Second try I pull him and manage to get him down, 3 deaths though - So quite a hard fight at 32. He gave up a Dog Whistle.
Even with wipes this is still good experience.
Cleared to Arcanist Doan with one wipe on the monks before him, this time I could Ankh though.
Engaging Doan, and the silence and arcane explosions really mess me up, wipe - With no chance to Ankh.
Zoning back in to find the place respawned, but figured I would go through it again as I forgot to pick one of the quest books up. Much faster clear and the 'grins' ding 33 on the way.
So, this time I figured that I would move in manually and spread out to get Doan down - Only problem is that it seems that entering his room is instant aggro. So I end up with a unprepared pull and had to do my best to get him down - Got him to around 20% and then wiped, no Ankh and zoning in, the place is respawned again - Seems quite fast compared to what I remember.
So, calling it for now - Debating if I need to review my spread out macro to not be as vulnerable to his arcane explosion.
At least I got a bunch of quests completed.
Went in and the first pulls go really well - Clear carefully since the mobs are 1-2 levels higher than the 'grins'.
Clear to Houndmaster Loksey, and decide to try and rush him as I seemed to remember him being a archer - Ends up in a wipe at his feet due to bad coordination and no heals - Can't use Ankh so have to run back.
Second try I pull him and manage to get him down, 3 deaths though - So quite a hard fight at 32. He gave up a Dog Whistle.
Even with wipes this is still good experience.
Cleared to Arcanist Doan with one wipe on the monks before him, this time I could Ankh though.
Engaging Doan, and the silence and arcane explosions really mess me up, wipe - With no chance to Ankh.
Zoning back in to find the place respawned, but figured I would go through it again as I forgot to pick one of the quest books up. Much faster clear and the 'grins' ding 33 on the way.
So, this time I figured that I would move in manually and spread out to get Doan down - Only problem is that it seems that entering his room is instant aggro. So I end up with a unprepared pull and had to do my best to get him down - Got him to around 20% and then wiped, no Ankh and zoning in, the place is respawned again - Seems quite fast compared to what I remember.
So, calling it for now - Debating if I need to review my spread out macro to not be as vulnerable to his arcane explosion.
At least I got a bunch of quests completed.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Chain Lightning!
Sweet little spell - Had to try it out and cleared SM GY in record time, will have to move on to the Library tomorrow.
Stranglethorn Vale (North) Questing
So, headed over to Nesingwary's Expedition in northern STV and did the animal hunting quests there - at worst I was doing 16k xp/h, at best - after handing in the last quest I did - It was close to 21k xp/hour for the session.
Now, that session was started in the camp with the quests and all quests picked up, and with a bit of rested xp to use up. On the other hand, I choose far from optimal paths in my hunting as it was a long time since I hunted here, and there was some competition about so had probably 5 minutes of downtime waiting on and searching for mobs.
Now, I believe that if the 9-11k xp/h I got doing the blasted gathering quests in Shimmering Flats, this is probably the other end of the extreme -- All killing quests in a fairly small area.
The question now becomes how to find these areas and not outgrow them to fast, after this 21k xp/hour stint (that was probably about an hour long) - The quests here in STV are now red, the mobs I need to kill are 38, which at 32 (the 'grins' dinged 32 in the middle of the run) takes close to all mana to pull off - Hardly a good use of time.
I might just spend a few runs in SM to catch up a bit in level.
So, the experience analysis so far gives:
Now, that session was started in the camp with the quests and all quests picked up, and with a bit of rested xp to use up. On the other hand, I choose far from optimal paths in my hunting as it was a long time since I hunted here, and there was some competition about so had probably 5 minutes of downtime waiting on and searching for mobs.
Now, I believe that if the 9-11k xp/h I got doing the blasted gathering quests in Shimmering Flats, this is probably the other end of the extreme -- All killing quests in a fairly small area.
The question now becomes how to find these areas and not outgrow them to fast, after this 21k xp/hour stint (that was probably about an hour long) - The quests here in STV are now red, the mobs I need to kill are 38, which at 32 (the 'grins' dinged 32 in the middle of the run) takes close to all mana to pull off - Hardly a good use of time.
I might just spend a few runs in SM to catch up a bit in level.
So, the experience analysis so far gives:
- Best method is questing, using the right quests in the right areas.
- Steady and not to slow experience is doing instances that are about your level.
- Worst experience is questing in the wrong areas and with the wrong type of quests.
More XP Rate
Maybe it was an overstatement to call the previous post 'analysis', it's not that scientific ;)
Anyways, did a SM GY run at 31, and weighted in at 16-17k xp/hour - Should consider that maybe 10% of that time was rested, but on the other hand SM GY has a lot on non-elite mobs.
Update: Did a second SM GY run right after, with no rested and resetting the session just before - Close to 18k xp/h -- So Instance running I guess nets around 16-18 k/h.
Will compare this to some STV questing tonight.
Anyways, did a SM GY run at 31, and weighted in at 16-17k xp/hour - Should consider that maybe 10% of that time was rested, but on the other hand SM GY has a lot on non-elite mobs.
Update: Did a second SM GY run right after, with no rested and resetting the session just before - Close to 18k xp/h -- So Instance running I guess nets around 16-18 k/h.
Will compare this to some STV questing tonight.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
XP Rate Analysis
Well, I'm getting impatient with the leveling rate of the 'grins' - Can't decide what's preferable:
Maybe boosting with the paladin first and then going back and 4-box boost the remaining shaman.
The questing at 31 in The Shimmering Flats yielded around 9k-11k per hour, not that inspiring - Although it is only gathering quests, and there was some competition and I wasn't pushing it. Also worth considering is that it was extremely boring.
I will compare this to running SM GY and to questing in STV (or some other place with fewer gathering quests) later.
- Quests
- Instances
- Swap one shaman out for my paladin main and boost in instances
Maybe boosting with the paladin first and then going back and 4-box boost the remaining shaman.
The questing at 31 in The Shimmering Flats yielded around 9k-11k per hour, not that inspiring - Although it is only gathering quests, and there was some competition and I wasn't pushing it. Also worth considering is that it was extremely boring.
I will compare this to running SM GY and to questing in STV (or some other place with fewer gathering quests) later.
Gathering in the Shimmering Flats
Doing a big loop there at the moment, again questing is a bit of a pain - But decent experience - One lap has 4-5 completed quests - And the 'grins' are now 31 :)
Ding 30!
Farmed RFK a few times and got the 'grins' to 30 - Mounts!!
Have to say that RFK wasn't as good experience as I hoped, might do 2-3 levels worth of questing before I start SM Lib.
Also, good thing I rolled this team on a server where I have a few 70s, as there is no way I'm earning enough money on them to even support getting spells - Let alone mounts.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Scarlet Monastery Graveyard Cleared
Did a farming run of RFK, including the escort quest at the end that I had forgotten, got some loot - including Whisperwind Headdress. The swap to cloth / caster gear makes for quicker killing, but a lot more drinking -- Good thing I do have a pet mage for water and food summons.
And since dinging 28 allowed me to start the quest that I got from a previous RFK run, I went to Undercity and handed that one in (getting the RFD follow up). That dinged the 'grins' 29.
And since I was in the area, I went to the Scarlet Monastery and cleared the Graveyard - Wasn't to hard at 29, a bit slow and had one wipe due to being a bit careless.
Only got 2 nameds and no loot to speak off.
I think that I would be quicker off getting 30 in RFK and then come back and farm some more in SM GY - Of course, quickest would be to quest.
Update: Squeezed another SM GY run in before bed, and at least scored a Bloodmage Mantle - But still only 2 nameds in the instance, so a bit bad luck that way.
And since dinging 28 allowed me to start the quest that I got from a previous RFK run, I went to Undercity and handed that one in (getting the RFD follow up). That dinged the 'grins' 29.
And since I was in the area, I went to the Scarlet Monastery and cleared the Graveyard - Wasn't to hard at 29, a bit slow and had one wipe due to being a bit careless.
Only got 2 nameds and no loot to speak off.
I think that I would be quicker off getting 30 in RFK and then come back and farm some more in SM GY - Of course, quickest would be to quest.
Update: Squeezed another SM GY run in before bed, and at least scored a Bloodmage Mantle - But still only 2 nameds in the instance, so a bit bad luck that way.
Ding 28
Finished up a few more quests in Thousand Needles, and the 'grins' are now 28 - Time to go do a few instances again.
It was specially painful to collect the Highperch Wyvern Egg, not sure I can ever stomach that quest again :P
It was specially painful to collect the Highperch Wyvern Egg, not sure I can ever stomach that quest again :P
More Questing
Well, was going to finish up some more quests in Thousand Needles this morning and managed to get a bit annoyed.
The Alien Egg quest had me on a bit of a ghost chase, specially with the egg never spawning in the same spot twice - Can't really recommend that one for multi boxers.
The I decided to do Test of Faith as I was passing the quest giver and it will give a nice mace reward at the end - Only thing is that my first shaman decided to not jump of the planks, but rather just jump of the cliff....SPLAT.
I will probably just finish this quest round, and then go soothe myself with a run or two in Razorfen Kraul tonight.
The Alien Egg quest had me on a bit of a ghost chase, specially with the egg never spawning in the same spot twice - Can't really recommend that one for multi boxers.
The I decided to do Test of Faith as I was passing the quest giver and it will give a nice mace reward at the end - Only thing is that my first shaman decided to not jump of the planks, but rather just jump of the cliff....SPLAT.
I will probably just finish this quest round, and then go soothe myself with a run or two in Razorfen Kraul tonight.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thousand Needles Questing
Spent around an hour questing in Thousand Needles before bed - And it is quite fast experience, although since the quest killing is so fast and easy with 5 characters, it becomes a bit tedious with all the running around.
The 'grins' dinged 27 though.
The 'grins' dinged 27 though.
BFD Farming
Ground out a BFD run, all the 'grins' are now 26. The mana regeneration totem is quite nice, as well as the higher level making the instance a breeze (pretty much all green at this stage).
With the new policy of wearing caster gear, I got a few items with me: Ghamoo-ra's Bind, Glowing Thresher Cape and various other greens and blues - Including the quest reward from RFK: Marbled Buckler.
Going to get the flight path in Thousand Needles and maybe quest some before bed. The decide tomorrow on whether to go for a bit of questing, or farming RFK.
With the new policy of wearing caster gear, I got a few items with me: Ghamoo-ra's Bind, Glowing Thresher Cape and various other greens and blues - Including the quest reward from RFK: Marbled Buckler.
Going to get the flight path in Thousand Needles and maybe quest some before bed. The decide tomorrow on whether to go for a bit of questing, or farming RFK.
Well...
...Silvermoon (among most other servers) are down this morning, so no gaming for me - Had planned to get a quick BFD run in before the day starts ... o' well.
The plan (tm) right now is to run BFD one or two times, then recheck RFK and see if it's faster experience there at a higher level.
Also, based on some advice the 'grins' will be swapping in caster gear from now on to see what that does to the kill rate (keeping shields though to retain some survivability).
The plan (tm) right now is to run BFD one or two times, then recheck RFK and see if it's faster experience there at a higher level.
Also, based on some advice the 'grins' will be swapping in caster gear from now on to see what that does to the kill rate (keeping shields though to retain some survivability).
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thoughts
Well, over at dual-boxing.com, the general opinion seems to be:
I'm gonna look through the excellent Jame's guides to see what my option for questing would be, but otherwise I think I'll go for a run of BFD, and then grind Razorfen Kraul to 28 or so.
Nuking is by far the easiest way to keep consistent damage from all 5 shamans, meleeing and the main shaman immediately tops the others with 5-10% due to how hard it is to get them all positioned fighting.
Unfortunately, the gear I got at the moment is heavily melee oriented - Not sure if it might be worth picking up cloth gear for better caster stats - But I don't want to go back to constantly loosing 1 or 2 'grins' every pull.
A thought as why multi-boxing are so appealing to me: When I announced my normal "ding x5" in guild chat today - A guildie said "Grats you with to much time!".
Now, I'm sure he is referring to the fact that I've managed to be on quite a bit the last few days, and leveled the 'grins' fairly quickly - But, the truth is in fact the opposite.
Multi-boxing allows me to decide what to do and when to do it in the game, if I want to instance - I get to instance.
The drawback is of course that it is a bit more costly, and slightly less social - But just looking at the multi-boxing community it is clear that the 'in-control-of-your-play-time' argument is a huge one for multi-boxers - Most aren't the people who can game 24x7, but rather people who invest in making their game time as productive as possible.
*gets off the soap-box*
- Questing is faster experience
- At my level, either Razorfen Kraul or BFD is the instance of choice
I'm gonna look through the excellent Jame's guides to see what my option for questing would be, but otherwise I think I'll go for a run of BFD, and then grind Razorfen Kraul to 28 or so.
Nuking is by far the easiest way to keep consistent damage from all 5 shamans, meleeing and the main shaman immediately tops the others with 5-10% due to how hard it is to get them all positioned fighting.
Unfortunately, the gear I got at the moment is heavily melee oriented - Not sure if it might be worth picking up cloth gear for better caster stats - But I don't want to go back to constantly loosing 1 or 2 'grins' every pull.
A thought as why multi-boxing are so appealing to me: When I announced my normal "ding x5" in guild chat today - A guildie said "Grats you with to much time!".
Now, I'm sure he is referring to the fact that I've managed to be on quite a bit the last few days, and leveled the 'grins' fairly quickly - But, the truth is in fact the opposite.
Multi-boxing allows me to decide what to do and when to do it in the game, if I want to instance - I get to instance.
The drawback is of course that it is a bit more costly, and slightly less social - But just looking at the multi-boxing community it is clear that the 'in-control-of-your-play-time' argument is a huge one for multi-boxers - Most aren't the people who can game 24x7, but rather people who invest in making their game time as productive as possible.
*gets off the soap-box*
Razorfen Kraul Cleared!
So, went to RFK (in this case, Razorfen Kraul) - Quite challenging at 25, but still doable - Experience is getting quite slow now, so considering if questing a bit might be the way to go - It's either that or farm BFD (or try SM GY).
Got the quests finished for RFK, and some loot - Sadly all for 29-30, so will be a bit before the 'grins' can use it: Swinetusk Shank and Pronged Reaver. Also, the scroll from Charlga Razorflank that starts a quest - It's for level 28.
Got the quests finished for RFK, and some loot - Sadly all for 29-30, so will be a bit before the 'grins' can use it: Swinetusk Shank and Pronged Reaver. Also, the scroll from Charlga Razorflank that starts a quest - It's for level 28.
Bah!
Went to UC to pick up one of the Razorfen Kraul quests, and figured I would go to SFK to grind a bit while I waited for my heart to reset -- Well, I didn't think of the fact that the level 18 mobs in there would be gray by now :(
So, instance hearted out - Razorfen Kraul next instead.
So, instance hearted out - Razorfen Kraul next instead.
Blackfathom Deeps Cleared
With mobs 22-24, it was a bit slower clearing here than RFK / WC - But still quite easy for the 'grins' at 23-24.
Had 2 wipes, 1 due to a clumsy overpull and 1 due to me not remembering to light the candles before last boss 1 at a time instead of all 4 at once :P
Long run back and almost not beating respwans wasn't fun.
The 'grins' got some decent loot from there to: Naga Battle Gloves, Moss Cinch, Bite of Serra'kis and Arctic Buckler from the quest.
Not a bad place to farm either by the looks of it, SFK is quicker to clear, but in a few levels the higher mobs of BFD might prove worth the trip.
Currently debating if Razorfen Kraul is a good option already, or if the 'grins' need to farm/quest some levels first. Handing in the BFD quests got the whole team to 25.
Had 2 wipes, 1 due to a clumsy overpull and 1 due to me not remembering to light the candles before last boss 1 at a time instead of all 4 at once :P
Long run back and almost not beating respwans wasn't fun.
The 'grins' got some decent loot from there to: Naga Battle Gloves, Moss Cinch, Bite of Serra'kis and Arctic Buckler from the quest.
Not a bad place to farm either by the looks of it, SFK is quicker to clear, but in a few levels the higher mobs of BFD might prove worth the trip.
Currently debating if Razorfen Kraul is a good option already, or if the 'grins' need to farm/quest some levels first. Handing in the BFD quests got the whole team to 25.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Shadowfang Keep Cleared
SFK turned out to be quite easy, specially at 22/23 - I can imagine that 1 or 2 levels lower, the silencing mobs would have been quite a problem (healing stream totems was a huge help there).
Last boss also was quite nasty, would have been real hard at 20.
Lots of bosses in a fairly small instance, a good candidate for farming - But will drop by Blackfathom Deeps before farming it more - SFK seems to be a cloth instance to a large extent.
Got a few items for the 'grins' in there though: Fenrus' Hide, Girdle of the Blindwatcher and Barons' Scepter. Not to mention some green upgrades and Seal of Sylvanas from the quest.
BFD is up next, should be the right level, but it's a bit of a pain to travel to.
Last boss also was quite nasty, would have been real hard at 20.
Lots of bosses in a fairly small instance, a good candidate for farming - But will drop by Blackfathom Deeps before farming it more - SFK seems to be a cloth instance to a large extent.
Got a few items for the 'grins' in there though: Fenrus' Hide, Girdle of the Blindwatcher and Barons' Scepter. Not to mention some green upgrades and Seal of Sylvanas from the quest.
BFD is up next, should be the right level, but it's a bit of a pain to travel to.
Finished WC Escort
Since I already was in Barrens, I did a quick clear of WC - Including finishing the escort quest at the end (more running around, yay!).
At 22 (even without having been and purchased the spells), WC is extremely simple - Had 1 death on Verdant the Everliving as I didn't expect to drop so quick, but in return he gave up a Seedcloud Buckler for the 'grins'.
Lesser Healing Wave + Healing Stream Totem significantly improved the teams survivability. Time to go to SFK to test it out!
At 22 (even without having been and purchased the spells), WC is extremely simple - Had 1 death on Verdant the Everliving as I didn't expect to drop so quick, but in return he gave up a Seedcloud Buckler for the 'grins'.
Lesser Healing Wave + Healing Stream Totem significantly improved the teams survivability. Time to go to SFK to test it out!
Wolfpack!!
All but 1 of the 'grins' are now 22.
Spent a few hours (?!?) doing the Water Totem quest, a complete pain in the ass with running around - But the healing stream totems should make it well worth it!
The quest would have been completely unbearable if it wasn't for the fact that the 'grins' now has wolf form.
Got a guildie to make me 3x Deviate Scale Belt, that was all I had materials for so far from WC. But as I'm camped in Barrens at the moment, having just finished the totem quest - I might as well knock out another WC run before heading to SFK.
A side note - If you do plan to do multi-boxing, get the click2cast ace add-on, makes emergency healing so much easier.
Did a little bit of tradeskilling while I waited for the heartstones to refresh, realized that I probably will be better off having mining on a 'alt' account, instead of on my 'main' specially as I decided that the shaman on my 'main' account (Perri), will go for leatherworking so that he can make armors later on.
Friday, July 18, 2008
WC Cleared (almost)
So, went back again and plowed through the whole place, not a single wipe - But a lot easier at 20.
Only 1 upgrade (Glowing Lizardscale Cloak from Skum), but lots of shards.
Sadly I messed up the final escort quest as I hadn't cleared before accepting it, and the Tauren died - So I will have to come back and redo that at some point, but I think I need a fresh instance in between.
In conclusion, I still believe WC can be cleared at 18/19 with a 5 shaman team, but it's far from efficient experience wise.
The 'grins' will all be a good way into 21 after handing in the quests completed in WC, so time to gather the quests for Shadowfang Keep.
Only 1 upgrade (Glowing Lizardscale Cloak from Skum), but lots of shards.
Sadly I messed up the final escort quest as I hadn't cleared before accepting it, and the Tauren died - So I will have to come back and redo that at some point, but I think I need a fresh instance in between.
In conclusion, I still believe WC can be cleared at 18/19 with a 5 shaman team, but it's far from efficient experience wise.
The 'grins' will all be a good way into 21 after handing in the quests completed in WC, so time to gather the quests for Shadowfang Keep.
More WC
Well, decided I had a little bit of time to play this morning, was going to go for a full clear of WC - However - Due to failing to jump a few times and a few silly wipes due to careless pulling - I didn't have time to finish it. In fact, I only cleared up until Skum again.
All but 1 of the 'grins' made 20 though, as well as all of them having Serpent's Shoudlers and Worn Turtle Shell Shield, and I also got a Stinging Viper and another Tail Spike.
Will be back for a full clear later and finish the last gathering quest. I had expected WC to be a place to grind out quite some gear, but I find the size of the place a bit frustrating and will check out Shadowfang Keep ASAP.
All but 1 of the 'grins' made 20 though, as well as all of them having Serpent's Shoudlers and Worn Turtle Shell Shield, and I also got a Stinging Viper and another Tail Spike.
Will be back for a full clear later and finish the last gathering quest. I had expected WC to be a place to grind out quite some gear, but I find the size of the place a bit frustrating and will check out Shadowfang Keep ASAP.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Farming WC
Had a couple of hours before I needed to hit the airport, so spent that farming the first two bosses in WC.
Dinged me 19x5 and got me 3x Serpent's Shoulders + 3x Worn Turtle Shell Shield, leaving only 1 of each and then the 'grins' will be all decked out.
I am convinced I could have cleared all of WC at 18, but it would have been hard - The goal for Friday or Saturday is a full clear - Given how slow xp looks I expect that to happen while they are still 19.
Dinged me 19x5 and got me 3x Serpent's Shoulders + 3x Worn Turtle Shell Shield, leaving only 1 of each and then the 'grins' will be all decked out.
I am convinced I could have cleared all of WC at 18, but it would have been hard - The goal for Friday or Saturday is a full clear - Given how slow xp looks I expect that to happen while they are still 19.
Wailing Caverns First Go
Ok, as previously stated RFC got me to 18 before I decided the 'grins' were strong enough to try their hands at Wailing Caverns.
I had already during my pre-RFC leveling made sure I got the quests from Thunder Bluff, including the Leaders of the Fang one - So it was just a matter of flying to Ratchet and then running to the instance, picking up the last quests on the way.
Now, a few of the quests are collection quests, but I still picked them up as I expect to spend a bit of time here in WC (plenty of nice loot to be gotten).
Outside the instance I notice a couple of things:
The elites are around level 18, and are easy enough to clear - I just have to pay a bit more attention than I'm used to from finishing up RFC - Also, be very careful about the raptors that call for help - That can create some very big fights.
I have a few deaths due to this, but no wipes as I clear my way around to the first named: Lady Anacondra.
Thanks to some sloppy pulling, I end up getting her as an add to a cry for help, and having quite a messy fight which ends with 1 of the 'grins' left standing and the mobs dead - I resurrect and loot Serpent's Shoulders.
So far, it's quite challenging and quite slow clearing - I could probably have pulled this off at level 17, but experience is quite a bit better in RFC at that level (actually, at 18, if experience over time is the goal, RFC might still be a better choice - But the loot tables of WC are calling).
I drop down and kill Kresh, who now no longer just drops a white shield - But rather Worn Turtle Shell Shield. At 18, he is a very easy kill for the 'grins'.
I start clearing towards the next Fanglord, and as mentioned above it is quite challenging and I do manage to get a complete wipe due to some over pulling. I do also get lucky with a random blue drop - Gloves of the Fang.
Finally I'm standing before Lord Cobrahn. Remembering the mess I had with the first Fanglord, I'm quite cautious as I rush in and attach, dropping 5 nova totems to get rid of the snake adds - But he is a complete push-over - Dying real easy and giving up Leggings of the Fang.
Running back and clearing the other direction, I again get a bit sloppy and get a wipe - And clearing as slowly as the 'grins' are, I'm getting worried about respawns.
Finally I charge Lord Pythas, who proves a bit more challenging due to the number of adds in the area - But 2 'grins' left standing kill him and he drops Armor of the Fang.
I then clear to Skum, who turns out to be a decently easy fight - But he surprises me with running at low hit points and cause a bit of a mess. He drops his Tail Spike, which suits the 'grins' perfectly as they are missing a 1h weapon from the RFC farming.
However the running away somehow led to there now being a Druid of the Fang somewhere under the world, nuking my team down 1 by 1.
It's a wipe - And given how late it is, I decide to call it off.
So in summary, a ok decked level 18 shaman team can pull of doing WC - But if experience over time is the goal, RFC is probably worth staying at for a level or 2. I'll keep chasing the blues in WC though, nice with so much loot per run.
This post turned out a bit longer than expected, and I'm sure my level of ambition will go down as I progress ;)
I had already during my pre-RFC leveling made sure I got the quests from Thunder Bluff, including the Leaders of the Fang one - So it was just a matter of flying to Ratchet and then running to the instance, picking up the last quests on the way.
Now, a few of the quests are collection quests, but I still picked them up as I expect to spend a bit of time here in WC (plenty of nice loot to be gotten).
Outside the instance I notice a couple of things:
- I had forgotten the mobs are now non elite, so zero risk here.
- Deviate Hides dropped quite frequently.
- The drop rate of Perfect Deviate Scales seems quite increased.
The elites are around level 18, and are easy enough to clear - I just have to pay a bit more attention than I'm used to from finishing up RFC - Also, be very careful about the raptors that call for help - That can create some very big fights.
I have a few deaths due to this, but no wipes as I clear my way around to the first named: Lady Anacondra.
Thanks to some sloppy pulling, I end up getting her as an add to a cry for help, and having quite a messy fight which ends with 1 of the 'grins' left standing and the mobs dead - I resurrect and loot Serpent's Shoulders.
So far, it's quite challenging and quite slow clearing - I could probably have pulled this off at level 17, but experience is quite a bit better in RFC at that level (actually, at 18, if experience over time is the goal, RFC might still be a better choice - But the loot tables of WC are calling).
I drop down and kill Kresh, who now no longer just drops a white shield - But rather Worn Turtle Shell Shield. At 18, he is a very easy kill for the 'grins'.
I start clearing towards the next Fanglord, and as mentioned above it is quite challenging and I do manage to get a complete wipe due to some over pulling. I do also get lucky with a random blue drop - Gloves of the Fang.
Finally I'm standing before Lord Cobrahn. Remembering the mess I had with the first Fanglord, I'm quite cautious as I rush in and attach, dropping 5 nova totems to get rid of the snake adds - But he is a complete push-over - Dying real easy and giving up Leggings of the Fang.
Running back and clearing the other direction, I again get a bit sloppy and get a wipe - And clearing as slowly as the 'grins' are, I'm getting worried about respawns.
Finally I charge Lord Pythas, who proves a bit more challenging due to the number of adds in the area - But 2 'grins' left standing kill him and he drops Armor of the Fang.
I then clear to Skum, who turns out to be a decently easy fight - But he surprises me with running at low hit points and cause a bit of a mess. He drops his Tail Spike, which suits the 'grins' perfectly as they are missing a 1h weapon from the RFC farming.
However the running away somehow led to there now being a Druid of the Fang somewhere under the world, nuking my team down 1 by 1.
It's a wipe - And given how late it is, I decide to call it off.
So in summary, a ok decked level 18 shaman team can pull of doing WC - But if experience over time is the goal, RFC is probably worth staying at for a level or 2. I'll keep chasing the blues in WC though, nice with so much loot per run.
This post turned out a bit longer than expected, and I'm sure my level of ambition will go down as I progress ;)
The Plan(TM) and Some Technical Tips
Some words on the plan with the 'grins' and some tips on how to get started:
The Plan(tm)
The Plan(tm) with the multi-boxing team is simply to have fun and try something different, my main focus is PvE play, but will definitely try some PvP to.
The decision to go with 5 shaman was based on:
First of all, if you are interested in trying this out - Read up at the Dual-Boxing community - There is a wealth of information there and a very helpful community.
Secondly, if you intend to box more than 2/3 characters - Make sure you either have multiple computers or a decently powerful one (don't need a monster, a mid range computer that can run games like Crysis will run 5 instances of WoW if configured properly - Maybe not with low enough lag to let you do Arenas efficiently, but definitely to do instances).
Thirdly, make sure you are the owner of the WoW accounts you intend to use - Playing someone else's accounts breaks the ToS and can get you banned.
And lastly, as buying and subscribing to 4-5 accounts is quite a cost, I do recomend that you use the 10 day trial accounts to validate that you got the hardware and software to run what you want - And that you actually enjoy it ;)
This guide, tailored to running mages, is a good place to start your experiment once the above is settled.
For further information, again check the Dual-Boxing community, especially the Wiki.
The Plan(tm)
The Plan(tm) with the multi-boxing team is simply to have fun and try something different, my main focus is PvE play, but will definitely try some PvP to.
The decision to go with 5 shaman was based on:
- Running 5 characters of the same class is simpler than trying to manage a 'proper' group
- It's a proven combo for both PvE and PvP
- And, at 70 I can choose to swap one shaman out for my main, a Paladin, for some improved tanking capability
First of all, if you are interested in trying this out - Read up at the Dual-Boxing community - There is a wealth of information there and a very helpful community.
Secondly, if you intend to box more than 2/3 characters - Make sure you either have multiple computers or a decently powerful one (don't need a monster, a mid range computer that can run games like Crysis will run 5 instances of WoW if configured properly - Maybe not with low enough lag to let you do Arenas efficiently, but definitely to do instances).
Thirdly, make sure you are the owner of the WoW accounts you intend to use - Playing someone else's accounts breaks the ToS and can get you banned.
And lastly, as buying and subscribing to 4-5 accounts is quite a cost, I do recomend that you use the 10 day trial accounts to validate that you got the hardware and software to run what you want - And that you actually enjoy it ;)
This guide, tailored to running mages, is a good place to start your experiment once the above is settled.
For further information, again check the Dual-Boxing community, especially the Wiki.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Farming RFC
As previously posted, my first trip to RFC finished a few quests for the 'grins' which led to them all being 14 on my next trip there.
This is making a huge difference, as well as setting up some macros to better support meleeing adding quite a bit of DPS.
At 14 there are still a few difficult pulls around Taragaman the Hungerer, but they are all doable even if I now and then have to accept a few deaths.
Trip 2 to RFC (at 14) = Complete clear of the instance, including all bosses and with only one wipe (which was due to me messing up a bit with the key mashing).
So, sticking to my plan - From here on leveling will be in the shape of farming the instance. There are 2 blue drops that are relevant for the 'grins': The Subterranean Cape from Taragaman the Hungerer and Chanting Blade from Jergosh the Invoker.
So the goal was to grind out these drops for the entire team, and then proceed to Wailing Caverns.
The experience gain is pretty decent, and at level 17 things are getting quite green - Allowing me to shortcut and skip a few pulls here and there.
But, when the last 'grin' dinged 18, I still lacked 1 dagger (got 16 Small Glimmering Shard from disenchants though).
But, wanting a change of scenery I decided to call the RFC farm off - And head to Wailing Caverns, thinking that 18 should be high enough to at least give it a fair shot.
A side note here is that instance farming while 5 boxing is great fun - And decent enough experience (specially the first 1-2 runs through an instance when you can finish quests) - I'm quite looking forward to see how well it's gonna support the leveling of the 'grins' to 70.
A comment on gear is that using shields, even gray or white ones, majorly increase the survivability of the shaman - One of the 'grins' was at this point using a staff that was giving better stats over the 1h options - And she was always the one laying dead on the ground on the difficult pulls.
I'm a bit sad to say that having had a few random deaths in the team, they are no longer in sync when it comes to experience - Meaning I don't get to see the nice 5x dings anymore.
This is making a huge difference, as well as setting up some macros to better support meleeing adding quite a bit of DPS.
At 14 there are still a few difficult pulls around Taragaman the Hungerer, but they are all doable even if I now and then have to accept a few deaths.
Trip 2 to RFC (at 14) = Complete clear of the instance, including all bosses and with only one wipe (which was due to me messing up a bit with the key mashing).
So, sticking to my plan - From here on leveling will be in the shape of farming the instance. There are 2 blue drops that are relevant for the 'grins': The Subterranean Cape from Taragaman the Hungerer and Chanting Blade from Jergosh the Invoker.
So the goal was to grind out these drops for the entire team, and then proceed to Wailing Caverns.
The experience gain is pretty decent, and at level 17 things are getting quite green - Allowing me to shortcut and skip a few pulls here and there.
But, when the last 'grin' dinged 18, I still lacked 1 dagger (got 16 Small Glimmering Shard from disenchants though).
But, wanting a change of scenery I decided to call the RFC farm off - And head to Wailing Caverns, thinking that 18 should be high enough to at least give it a fair shot.
A side note here is that instance farming while 5 boxing is great fun - And decent enough experience (specially the first 1-2 runs through an instance when you can finish quests) - I'm quite looking forward to see how well it's gonna support the leveling of the 'grins' to 70.
A comment on gear is that using shields, even gray or white ones, majorly increase the survivability of the shaman - One of the 'grins' was at this point using a staff that was giving better stats over the 1h options - And she was always the one laying dead on the ground on the difficult pulls.
I'm a bit sad to say that having had a few random deaths in the team, they are no longer in sync when it comes to experience - Meaning I don't get to see the nice 5x dings anymore.
First Go at RFC
So, at 13 I decided to have a go at Ragefire Chasm in Ogrimmar. The only gear I had given the 'grins' were bags - So they were decked out in some quest greens and a mix of gray and white random drops (later I even discovered that some of them were wearing frayed cloth gear :P).
As it turns out, 13 was fine for most of it - The first difficulties I had was the big pulls including warlocks and pets just before Taragaman the Hungerer. There I had my first wipe, but it wasn't because the pull was to big, but due to the fact that I had been to impatient to clear the 2 wandering mobs and got 2 unlucky adds in an already big fight :P.
Then it was time to engage Taragaman the Hungerer, and here I underestimated the healing needed - so ended up with a wipe on the first try. Run back and try again, and this time he goes down (but with 1 death in the team).
At this point I had to take a break, and handing in the quests I finished dinged me 14 - But the adventures of the 'grins' here clearly demonstrates that a untwinked 5 shaman team can deal with RFC at 13 -- But expect quite a few deaths and wipes if you are not very careful and patient.
As it turns out, 13 was fine for most of it - The first difficulties I had was the big pulls including warlocks and pets just before Taragaman the Hungerer. There I had my first wipe, but it wasn't because the pull was to big, but due to the fact that I had been to impatient to clear the 2 wandering mobs and got 2 unlucky adds in an already big fight :P.
Then it was time to engage Taragaman the Hungerer, and here I underestimated the healing needed - so ended up with a wipe on the first try. Run back and try again, and this time he goes down (but with 1 death in the team).
At this point I had to take a break, and handing in the quests I finished dinged me 14 - But the adventures of the 'grins' here clearly demonstrates that a untwinked 5 shaman team can deal with RFC at 13 -- But expect quite a few deaths and wipes if you are not very careful and patient.
Early Levels
I'll try and get this blog to catch up to where I actually am at the moment, but not there just yet ;)
The 'grins' (5 level 1 shamans) spent a while setting up UI and macros etc, as well as Keyclone (my software of choice when it comes to broadcasting keys.
The first levels are SLOW as a multi-boxer with 5 characters in a group, collection quests are a pain and mobs are to easy to really give that good experience.
I also had my first shares of people following me and wondering what on earth was going on, as well as some people dumping reports my way for what they thought was breaking the terms of playing. However, as confirmed by Blizzard, this way of multi-boxing is completely legal - As long as you own all of the accounts being used. For more information on the legalities, check out the Dual-Boxing forums.
Anyways, I'm done with Durotar at 8 or so, and pick up pre-quests for RFC, and keep grinding out Barrens. The ambition is to level the 'grins' using mainly instances, and my research tells me RFC should be ok from 14 (so I'll try it at 13 ;)).
The 'grins' (5 level 1 shamans) spent a while setting up UI and macros etc, as well as Keyclone (my software of choice when it comes to broadcasting keys.
The first levels are SLOW as a multi-boxer with 5 characters in a group, collection quests are a pain and mobs are to easy to really give that good experience.
I also had my first shares of people following me and wondering what on earth was going on, as well as some people dumping reports my way for what they thought was breaking the terms of playing. However, as confirmed by Blizzard, this way of multi-boxing is completely legal - As long as you own all of the accounts being used. For more information on the legalities, check out the Dual-Boxing forums.
Anyways, I'm done with Durotar at 8 or so, and pick up pre-quests for RFC, and keep grinding out Barrens. The ambition is to level the 'grins' using mainly instances, and my research tells me RFC should be ok from 14 (so I'll try it at 13 ;)).
The Adventures have Started
So, after Age of Conan crushing my hopes of being the next MMO addiction, I went back to WoW and finally decided to break down and really make a effort to try the multi-boxing thing.
Having gotten a new computer that can handle 5 accounts I guess was the thing that pushed me to try it.
Anyone wanting to know more about the multi-boxing hobby should check out: http://www.dual-boxing.com/.
So, I spent a few hours setting up 4 trial accounts and started out with 5 shaman to just try it out - After some difficulties I had a decent setup and leveled to 12 or so - Which convinced me enough that it was time to seriously go for this.
So I went out and bought 3 more accounts to add to the 2 I already had and rolled the 'grins' on my main server (Silvermoon, EU).
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