Heirloom Cold Weather Flying, OMG! Part 2

Zarhym on Just discovered: cold weather flying at 68! (Source)

Just to confirm, Tome of Cold Weather Flight is actually a new heirloom item planned to go into patch 3.2. At level 80 players can buy this heirloom item from the Cold Weather Flying Trainer in Dalaran for 1,000 gold and send it to an alt of the same realm, faction and account. The tome can be used to learn Cold Weather Flying at level 68, consuming the tome in the process.

Please note this feature is not yet in the newest version of the public test realm patch notes updated today. The item and its functionality are subject to change during the testing process.

I was at work today when I saw this, and misread it a little. I also unfortunately didn't have time to comment too much on it, so instead it just span around my head for the whole day, and I saved up all my thoughts until now.

My Initial Reaction

Reading this it really seems as if Blizzard is going to allow people to fly upon entering Northrend at level 68.

I can see how this is meant for alts mainly, but what is going to happen is that everybody and their mommy will be able to fly around Northrend, because getting a portal to Dalaran isn't the hardest thing to do, and getting a 1000G isn't either.

I felt cheated by Blizzard. I did all the hard work, and the slowpokes are getting it for nothing?! I was completely blar about it. Not only were they getting all the other mounts earlier, now they would also get this one early. Again more blar.

But as often happens, I let the news settle a little, and thought about it.

My experience is my own

I actually have to say that I'm pretty ok with this.

Wait! What?

Yeah, I'm pretty ok with this. You know why?

Because it doesn't change my first experience if other people are getting an easier job. It doesn't make the fact that I got to experience it differently any less good, less pretty, or less valuable.

I have my memories in this game, like everybody who has been playing for a while I assume. And I can look back and actually see how the game is changing, evolving over time. And for those people who are trying to catch up (my dad has started playing only 3 months or so, for example) they will never experience what I have experienced.

I played through the story of Onyxia. I saw the epic battle. Anybody who started playing after Lick King arrived has no idea.

I came into Northrend being level 70 in Black Temple gear, I can tell you that quests and dungeons are a completely different experience if you come in as a newbie without money or gear at all. And then you're even expected to go into Northrend at level 68. This is hard, I know, I just recently did it on my EU server. Those mobs kicked my ass.

And I know what a glorious sight the Wyrmrest Temple was when I came riding from Star's Rest for the first time. It was an awesome view. The light was amazing, and here I was one with my mount just staring at that gorgeous building.

A bit less glorious perhaps, but I also know how to get to Dalaran from Valiance Keep on mount. Which was quite the adventure at that point still because that pass in between Crystal Song Forest and Dragonblight, was not the best place to be for my priestie at the time.

So no matter how much they are giving in to others so they can catch up, my experience doesn't get diminished by this, not one bit.

A possible future

Looked at more analytically, this change is actually very interesting. Bind on Account, but it gets used up. So if this technique is possible, surely they can also make Bind on Account, with Bind on Equip, right?

I can see myself gear up my alts by raiding on my main. Since I'm a healer, and we seem to always be short on supply in healers I often raid on my main while I really just don't need the gear anymore. So wouldn't it be pretty darn cool if instead of always disenchanting we could just send it to our alts and it would bind to them?

Thinking a little further ahead it does make me think about all the different kinds of trouble this sort of stuff could give in a PUG. It actually makes me giggle a little if I imagine the kind of situations you could get with this.

I mean think about it. You would roll main char, main spec first. Then main char, offspec. Then main spec for alts, offspec for alts...and how on earth will the pug raid leader check this stuff. Wow, this opens up all sorts of avenues.

And enchanting, hmm, enchanters would have more difficulty getting their shards together. So maybe as compensation we could loot enchanting materials off mobs instead? That thought is sorta cool actually...

But hey, getting ahead of things. This is one of the changes coming in the next patch, and I can see why they did it. I can think of a couple of ways on how it may work out, but in the end..it really just doesn't affect me too much. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

"They're learning to fly younger, and younger"

Random Announcement
Been poking at the look and feel of my blog today, and some had noticed that all of a sudden it only showed 1 post on the main page instead of the usual 5. I must have pressed the wrong button or so, but it should be fixed now.

Also, am working on a complete haulover on the layout, but that will be announced (well, and shown) when it's done.