Back and forth

Switched back over to the hunter again and working my way through Winterspring, after which I plan on heading over to Silithus to complete my trek to 60 with her.

When I first logged in I found her sitting in Southshore, which is where I park characters that will be questing in WPL since it's the closest inn. After thinking about it, I went up and did the first quest of clearing out skeletons and ghouls, but decided that since she was already at level 56 (close to 57) I'd just leter her get to 60 using Kalimdor zones. I figure between Winterspring and Silithus there should be plenty of XP.

On the way I also turned in some quests in Darnassus that I had been putting off, then made my way to Felwood and Moonglade to drop off some stray quests before heading to Winterspring. At this point I didn't have too much time for quests, but I did manage to kill Ursius (who isn't elite anymore) and finish off the Winterfall furbolg quests before I had to go to bed.

I think I stumbled across someone doing the Winterspring trainer quests. There was a level 70 priest that came into the fubolg village, massacred everything, and left, only to come back later and do the same thing. I only wish she had left me some stuff to kill, so I ended up spending most of my time there waiting for respawns.

I also had a run in with a Horde mage, and would have had no trouble with him, except that I was in the middle of killing the last furbolg I needed when he sheeped me from behind and proceeded to pyroblast me away. Can you use Bestial Wrath while you're sheeped? I think I could have taken him out since he just let my pet beat away on him, and the extra damage from BW would have done it.

He knew how to fight a hunter because he kept me close and just used all his instants on me. I did the corpse run back, and was all set to take him out before going to turn in the quest when the priest came back and melted his face. Oh well, I didn't feel like sticking around anymore because I was getting tired, so I went back to town and logged out.

I find it kinda funny when I think about how it would be different if I had decided to play on a PvE server. Actually, it really wouldn't be that much different, as far as my experience goes. Sure I wouldn't be constantly looking over my back, but for the most part I don't run into much of the opposing faction as it is.

Sure there are times when you get ganked and subsequently camped, but you learn how to avoid it as you go. You learn how to rez out of LoS and use trees and other obstacles as cover while you escape. The only players this doesn't work on is hunters because they will be tracking you, but other than that I don't have much trouble hiding from gankers.

You also learn how to find alternate methods of getting quests done. STV was notorious for ganking, but for all those Nesingwary quests that involve killing beasts, those beasts are usually found in multiple places. It's not a big deal to travel another 30 seconds to avoid the risk of being ganked. Sometimes you may have to move on to something else and come back later too, but even then you aren't wasting too much time.

Just the other day I was following two mages around. They were about my level, and usually when players see they have a 2 on 1 advantage they will attack. Well I was going the same direction as them, so I just stayed back and followed until they went past my destination, then finished my quest, and since they cleared the way I didn't have to fight anything either.

The only difference that I see as a negative coming from playing on a PvP server is that you may level slower because of the interruptions caused by world PvP. It's not really that significant most of the time, but it would make your overall leveling time slightly slower.

I don't see getting ganked as a negative, but learning experience. Usually whether you get ganked or not depends on whether you are paying attention or not. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but usually if you don't go picking a fight, you won't run into one either. I now have skills in PvP that many players won't get until they decide to try some BGs or Arena.

After leveling 3 characters past 60 and 2 more past 50 on a PvP server, I think I have become so used the world PvP that it isn't even an issue anymore, I just take it as part of the game, and I don't think I could play any other way now.

It's looking more and more like I will meet my goal of getting my hunter and shaman to 60 before the expansion with time to spare. If that happens I think it will be time to work on the Horde characters and see what they can do. I've never gotten a Horde character past 30, and I'm excited to see what the quests in the later zones are like when you're on the other side.