Kinless' Chronicles

I've been thinking. Pondering today's End-Game in World of Warcraft.

Well, I was reflecting a little the other night too. Just taking a few screenshots of my awesomeness in WSG (Heh!) I browsed some of the older screenshots. I have screenshots going back over a year now. Like a photographic journey through life. (Well, the short lives of my characters.)

Not too long ago, there I was, Darkhoof, in Blackwing Lair, standing around Vael, etc;. All of us, me and my guildmates, decked out in incredible gear. We've got the sparkleys going, and big time. All of us in Tier 1 & 2. Sweet. There's a mug shot of us up on the bank in Orgrimmar. We're about to turn in a dragon head. Group photo op. Look at that gear! And if I were still stateside now I'd be raiding with them. They've just killed The Instructor in Naxx. Nice. If I were still raiding with them, if I hadn't moved, in these last 4 months I'd certainly have accumulate some Tier 2 pieces. Class Leader, on every raid, yeah. I'd be there.

But now I struggle for rep and honor for gear to help me in my new life. Shaman vs. Environment in the world, and Shaman vs. Players in the BG's. Tier 2 wasn't going to help much there.

It was a nice trip down memory lane. Seeing those old pictures. Darkhoof's whole progression from leather wearing noob goofing around outside the Sepulcher, his first raid on Menethil Harbor, through Sunken Temple and the dungeons, and into MC and BWL. Oh those were the days.

Not just Darkhoof, but other characters too. Msaker (aka Oddity). Darkhand. (I didn't take any screenshots with Kinless/Arcarius. The ctrl-print screen command was unknown to me for months. (This game was/is so easy who needs a manual to play?))

A favorite screenshot of mine is Greenclaw and Itarilde sitting on the subway station benches in Stormwind City. We're wearing the basic leather armors, carrying sticks. So young.

So, this morning, I'm contemplating life with Msaker. What are his current goals? Become a PvP god? Nah. I've got a wife and a job. I want an officer rank though. A couple of the PvP set pieces. If I made Legionnaire I'd be happy. (I don't need the PvP mount since I'll be able to get the Frostwolf mount. If I get 900g together!)

Do I want my Tier 0 set? Before this morning I'd say "Of course! Why not!? Are you nuts? Gear matters, man! Are you insane?" But then I was thinking, and reading around a lot, and this Tier 0 stuff, yeah, all nice blue stuff, aren't I going to be replacing them soon enough with greens from the Outlands? The level 64 greens will be better than the Tier 0 stuff. No?

Do I invest countless runs in four instances to accumulate the Tier 0 set if I can get better just from a running a few quests in the Outlands later?

Or do I just run them once to get the "Been there, done that, got the plans/recipes/etc." out of the way? Then 60 with the Frostwolf epics in hand, do I simply retire for a bit and work on some other characters again?

Has the imminent arrival of the Expansion had you reconsider your plans for the current end-game? I'm curious.

P.S. When I can I'll mix in some of the screenshots I'm talking about in the text above.