60 at last

In Azeroth's Eastern Kingdoms, on the borders of the Burning Steppes and the Searing Gorge, is Blackrock Mountain. Surrounded by dragonkin and orcs, its molten interior teeming with the fearsome Dark Iron Dwarves, it's a hostile, unforgiving place where even the strongest struggle to survive.

It was there, in the caverns beyond the giant metal chains and the roaring lava lake, that the priest Amelie finally reach the pinnacle of her powers. With four allies, she was bringing information to Marshal Windsor, an Alliance officer being held prisoner in the mountain's depths. Fighting their way to the Marshal's cell door, they had just joined battle with the last group of hounds and their dwarven handlers, when the familiar flare of yellow light enveloped the priest for the last time...

It was the moment I've been striving for for months. 300 hours and $180 after beginning my adventures in the World of Warcraft, my character has finally reached level 60 - the highest level to which it's currently possible to ascend.

To those just starting out in Azeroth, though, a warning. Time and money are not all you'll need to succeed. An understanding wife is pretty much essential too.

Comments

[ace on 09.01.06 at 21:07]

Okay Phil...heres what you do now:

Flog that character off on e-bay for like $10,000.

Spend a couple of it in Crissons on something nice for Mandy.

Then put the rest into some sort of school fees fund for the kid that's BOUND to show up sooner or later, especially after you've sold the character. So much time on your hands and all....

Its win a win situation and guarentees you game-time even when you have an ankle biter or two around.

"Damnit Mandy...I'm TRYING to put these kids through school!" ;-)

[Full Fullish on 09.01.06 at 22:21]

Ha! Congradulations! SO you gonna be doing some guild wars now? Now that Summer is gone, there's a lot less outdoor time, so my rainy days will be traversing the online lands again...

[blovator on 10.01.06 at 00:00]

Hm. I would definitely question the eco morality of this game. They say "there are too many whozzeewhatist in the hooey glen, please cull them."

Obviously all the natural predators are gone. Who killed them? Unimportant. off you go to hooey glen to bag some whozzeewhatist. But when you arrive - carnage. Your fellow sentient beings of what ever sort, have been through there like an atomic bomb. As for controlling the population? I suppose extermination is control. Nary a whozzeewhatist to be found. They may have been evil plant killers, eating too much chervil, but not now. The sainted elves have sorted that.

But no time to think. We're trying to have fun right? So off to some cave where an ugly race would just hang out and mince about but oh no. That can never be. They are the tainted race. So they also must die with much screaming and agony. With charming flute music in the background of course. Like most evil creatures, they were very ugly and wierd in thier habits. They are duely dispatched to obscurity all ugliness deserves.

But what's this? A sacred grove invaded by the ghosts of scantily clad women with huge breasts? Why an elf can't sit still till he's chopped them into little pieces. It's kind of cool too. When you kill them they sound like they are kind of enjoying it. When you stab them it's like they scream with pleasure like your're .... they're... you know .... um. Well they're dead so like its OK. Hey! It's not like I think sex is like killing. Hey! Shut up that is not why I play this game! Shut up! Uh! No! I'm blocking my ears. Hehnhnhnhnhn, Can't hear you hnhnhnhnhnh.

[Combat Banker on 10.01.06 at 07:45]

Well Done Limey!

Yes the current 'Widow-maker' (Hello Mrs. Banker!) I'm playing is Guild Wars, which I'm sure will be used as evidence of neglect in my divorce proceedings one day.

But at least my son will grow up knowing that Ascalon is safe once more!!!!

[There are others on 10.01.06 at 08:57]

Mandy,

My Condolences. I also married a man who sometimes suffers from chronic geek syndrome. If he wasnt so darn great I would puke.

[Full Fullish on 10.01.06 at 09:03]

Combat Banker, let me know when you are next on GW...The henchmen are proving useless nowadays....

[Combat Banker on 10.01.06 at 09:16]

Tried twice this week, but you ignored my IM. Was it something I said????

[loki on 10.01.06 at 11:25]

I've tried to get into GW, I really have, but after playing WOW (which is a truly amazing game), the quasi-MMORPG nature of GW just doesn't do it for me. Maybe I'll give it another go.

Congratualations on getting lvl 60, Phil. When the busy period at my ofices is over and I have some free time in the evenings I'll start plugging away at my lvl 30 Dwarf Paladin

[H Reardon on 10.01.06 at 12:52]

So what is a Level 60 character worth on ebay?

[fmwt on 10.01.06 at 13:05]

So I take it you're waiting for this?

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/

:)

Still at lvl 32 on the European servers, (as I currently live in the UK until June/July when I move to Bermuda)

Oh and Hi by the way

[Combat Banker on 10.01.06 at 13:30]

GW really turns into a whole other game once you get your butt out of Old Ascalon. The new skills you start to get, combined with nastier & nastier skills the computer learns, turns it into more complex game of teamwork & strategy. On a level far above WoW. That is the difference right there really: WoW is indeed more for Roleplaying.

I wish I had the time needed to dedicate to WoW (it's like a JOB!) but if I have an hour free at night, I enjoy getting together with some friends & putting a whup on some poor unsuspecting saps in GW instead.

[ace on 10.01.06 at 14:19]

"So what is a Level 60 character worth on ebay?"

I did a quick search...I overestimated by quite a bit. One here is going for about $600.

That's $2/hour for all that time!

http://search.ebay.com/world-of-warcraft-cd_W0QQfkrZ1QQfnuZ1

[Somers on 10.01.06 at 16:04]

$1.40 per hour - you forgot to include Phil's expenses. Well his out of pocket expenses anyway... ;)

[H Reardon on 11.01.06 at 11:14]

Don't they have sweat shops in China where guys are playing these games to later sell the characters? Phil, good to know if this IT thing doesn't end up working out for you, you've got a fall back career.

[Gandelff on 13.01.06 at 10:15]

Hey guys. It's nice to see some locals loving this game as much as I do. I've been away from Bermuda for several "choppy" years. Now that I'm back in the island (and not liking the changes that I see - at all), my only real enjoyment is playing this game.

I have a lvl 53 fire mage named "Gandelff" on the Khaz'Gorath (sp) server. Look me up when you are on.

I'm also the first "Officer" and highest lvl in my guilde - the SWG Refugees.

[loki on 31.05.06 at 23:19]

Has anybody picked up Guild Wars: Factions, yet? I just started to get back into Guild Wars again and was thinking of picking up the expansion.