As promised at Blizzcon 2017, today’s massive 7.3.5 update for World of Warcraft implements the level scaling introduced in the Legion expansion across the whole game. This allows players to tackle the game’s levelling zones in the order of their choosing, within limits.
Prior to today’s patch, there was a certain order to levelling a character in World of Warcraft. New characters began in a starting zone, where they quested from level 1 to 10 or so. From there they’d move on to a 10-20 zone. Then a 20-30. Somewhere between level 58 to 60 they’d move to the Burning Crusade expansion content, after which they’d die of boredom.
But no longer! With level scaling implemented, starting zone experience and equipment rewards now scale from level 1 through 20. Once players hit level 10, they can move on to Ghostlands, Loch Modan, Silverpine Forest, Azshara, Bloodmyst Isle, Darkshore, the Northern Barrens or the Ghostlands, each of which scale from 10 to 60. New zones open up every five levels from there until level 40, when all of the normal 1-60 zones are open for business.
At level 58, players can now choose between the Burning Crusade’s Outland (boo!) or Wrath of the Lich King’s Northrend (yay!), both scaling to level 80. From there it’s on to Pandaria, Deepholm or Cataclysm lands to 90, with Warlords of Draenor and Legion waiting to take players to 100 and 110 respectively. If that’s all a bit confusing, WowHead has an excellent table for keeping track of where you can level and when.
The update also introduces level scaling to dungeons, meaning players who mainly level using the dungeon finder will have a great many more options available to them across all levels, instead of having to grind through level-appropriate dungeons over and over again.
If you were looking to get into World of Warcraft (or return with a new character), now’s a great time to do it.
Check out all the changes coming in update 7.3.5, including new questlines and an enhanced S.E.L.F.I.E. camera, in the official patch notes.
Comments
20 responses to “World Of Warcraft Gets Level Scaling Today”
So kinda like Guild Wars 2 level scaling.
I can only think if they had introduced this mush sooner they would have kept a lot of players who quit along the way.
It is really nice in Guild Wars 2 as you can go back and do missed/skipped areas and not feel over powered.
Or have misunderstood this and it is only while levellign up? (which is still good as it opens up more possible content).
Being able to go back as lv 80 for example and ‘down level’ to do missed conent would be great. As long as you gte true level equipment. (eg lv 80 in this case). It is one thing that makes Guild Wars 2 so good.
it’s only for leveling so not the same as GW2
they are basically grouping zones by level. so I think vanilla is up to level 60 then 60 to 80 you have the option to go to either The Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Litch King zones, between 80 to 90 is Cata / Mist and then the last two expansions already does zone scaling (warlords to 100, legion to 110)
it’s still a very good idea (imo), I mean I doubt anyone was screaming incessantly for it but when they announced it I was basically like “huh this makes sense”
For me personally, I feel it’s a case of too little, too late.
They lost me last year (after 9 years of continued subs) and I won’t be returning. Private servers are where the game is at for me now.
Blizzard’s shrinking intelligence means they’re incapable of offering anything that would entice me back.
In a nutshell, they got greedy and it shows.
In my opinion Outland was a blast to level. Specially first zoning into Hellfire Peninsula and seeing the Fel Reaver with a skull on its portrait, so much nostalgia.
Agree! I have so many fond memories of this game, even though I played solo mostly. Almost makes me almost wish I was still playing. Almost.
Yeah I had a single mate that I played with but then met up with a random American dude and now still have a great friendship with that crazy American. I think the appeal was how different in lore and visuals that each area gave us. Just a really well done Expac in my opinion.
I hated leveling in BC. I think it was just a bit too grindy and you didn’t move through quick enough. However I leveled a toon when WoD came out and had the most nostalgia for the zones i hated back then (Zangar, Terrokar and Blades Edge).
What really matters though is endgame content and BC had them all beat.
That and I also feel that they nailed PVP in BC and to some extent WOTLK. But yeah end game was pretty dam good for BC.
Outlands the first time was great…leveling in there now though just feels like a boring grind. I recently leveled a Rogue through Outlands…finally hit Northrend and I’ve benched the Rogue since because Outlands just made me lose interest in going any further.
I fell you though I have leveled way too many toons in that game to care to count, but I feel as though that now there isn’t a rush to get to the next efficient leveling area one can sit back and enjoy the areas as they were meant to. But going through the same content is pretty mind numbing for sure.
Yeah, I s’pose if I cherry picked the zones I actually like then it’d be more fun. Probably Nagrand/Blades Edge and maybe some Netherstorm in Outlands. The way leveling was before you never ended up going to blades/netherstorm.
Will see how it goes, may end up getting my rogue to 110 after all.
Yeah that was my point, the old way you used to miss the actual best parts of Outland. Netherstorm had some great quest lines and just the atmosphere there was amazing in my opinion. PS Rogues are pretty great fun to play, that is actually my main 😛
Yeah, yeah, yeah, level scaling, easier legendaries, more accessibly flying, quality of life blahblahblah, FOUR MORE BAG SLOTS, MUTHAFUCKAS!
Siiiigh I guess it’s finally time to install that doohickey, huh?
Man i really want to hop in a level a new character. But i want to hold off till the BFA Preorders come out so i get the allied races. Im more than likely to burn myself levelling a new alt now.
have you already got exalted with the nightfallen, highmountain, army of the light and Argussian reach? while also completing the the associated quest lines? if your anser is YES then you will have no issue leveling an allied race once they go live.
If you answer is no, then you best get to work as it will take you about 3 weeks to the get the rep needed
I think you misread my comment 🙂
Im well aware how to unlock them. (1k away from Exalted with Argussian reach)
What was saying is i dont want to roll a new alt to experience the new levelling because i fear i will burn myself out on it before the allied races launch because i want to fully level a void elf and enjoy it 🙂
ahh no worries then
It’s a shame they they couldn’t do “true” level anywhere scaling, giving you the option of leveling wherever you want. I would love to be able to just level in the 1-60 areas to 100 and never bother with the expansions (especially panda and WoD).
Also, I wonder if they have made leveling via questing competitive with just dungeon spamming, as there was really no point going anywhere after you could queue for dungeons (until you hit 90).
They’ve revamped a lot of the xp curve per level stuff so wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve altered how much xp quests give either….the fastest way will likely be queue for dungeons while doing quests.
Although for the next few weeks at least I imagine the dungeon queues will be instant for everyone.
When I went back during Legion, heirloom gear made it fairly easy to level through the zones in the natural order. Outside the starter area, I just stuck with the main quests in each zone, and was quickly in a spot where I was one or two shotting green mobs.
I doubt the +exp bonus would outpace dungeon spamming, but it wasn’t hard to get to 60 on a couple of alts, which was about when I got bored of WoW again and moved on to the next shiny game.
Along the way I thought it was disappointing that all those zones were essentially wasted now. Its a problem many MMO’s have, and difficulty scaling is one area at least that reduces the issue. But if it makes questing “harder”, it slows down the exp/hour and makes it slower if the quest reward isn’t scaling as well.
Overall if its bringing people back to old content, I think the game is better for it.
“Burning Crusade’s Outland (boo!)” opinion discarded