Source
r/wow•
bboland

Not sure how or where to ask but could I get some assistance?

I just started playing WoW again after about 2.5 years of inactivity. I have a lv. 57 Human Mage (the talent tree was reset, so I have no spec currently) on Doomhammer. (If it matters, I haven't entered Outlands yet.)

It may also be worth noting that I was a pretty casual, rookie player 2.5 years ago and am even worse now after the hiatus.

I was wondering if I should keep playing my mage and try to fit into the new content going on or if I should roll up a new character and go from there.

If I do continue with my mage, I was wondering if I should stick with the Fire spec I was running with before or if I should switch to a new one.

If this is in the wrong subreddit just let me know and I'll go ask elsewhere. But if anyone could give me a few pointers, that'd be awesome.

Posted Sep 22, 2011, 10:24 PM UTC

18
TheLastChemist•

you should really do whatever you find the most fun, but due to all the new content redone for 1~60, you may find rolling a new character to be the most interesting. If you play your mage, any spec is fine but Arcane is the easiest in most people's opinions.

3
mknyan•

Not to offend any avid mage players here, but mages are still pretty much the same: Easy and Fun to play.

They haven't really changed much aside from the talent system revamp and some new talents. I'd recommend you go through your skillbooks and talents to simply read and know what your class is capable of now.

Starting a new character wouldn't "teach" you anything more; only thing you'd experience are the newly designed starting zones and quest flow - it's a lot smoother now for lower levels.

For leveling, many mage players swear by frost because of the high burst and survivability it offers. Fire and Arcane is capable of pulling out more DPS, but it's negligible in lower levels since mobs don't live long enough for extended DPS.

3
ikidd•

I just leveled a mage as Arcane. It's about as easy as dpsing gets. I currently do about 20k dps on bosses and I hit 85 about 12 hours played ago (but I spent a bit of $$ on gear).

Read this guide for setup instructions, spec and rotation and basically just spam Arcane Blast until you run out of mana. Use Evocation to recharge and repeat. If you prefer to save mana and do less damage, stack 4 AB and then Arcane Missiles, repeat. Mana gem once in a while, mirror image if adds are coming after you, or for a bit of extra damage.

I usually heal and tank, so I just wanted a high dps toon that wasn't hard to operate and I could vegetate on, with no pressure. Arcane mage is exactly that.

PM me if you have some specific questions. I'm no expert, but it's not rocket science.

2
analog_jedi•

The Mage I'm leveling now is the first raw DPS toon I've created as well, and I am incredibly surprised at how easy it is compared to tanking

1
ikidd•

I watch tv shows on my other monitor while I raid...

2
analog_jedi•

I'm on Doomhammer, and currently leveling lvl65 a Frost/Arcane Mage on horde. Hit me up in a message if you're interested and I'll add you to friends and show you some pointers when we're both online.

2
donquixote235•

I would roll a new character, mainly to get used to the mechanics again. It's easier when you just have one or two skills at a time, but to have 20 or so skills to learn all at once can be daunting.

If you do stick with your mage, I would recommend going with a Frost spec, for a couple of reasons:

  • You get a tank (your water elemental) to keep the baddies away from you
  • You get several slowing spells to keep the baddies away from you

DPS isn't as high as Arcane, but for questing it's more about solo survivability; the Frost spec has that in spades.

2
thaglove10•

I often find that after a long break from a character it's easier to just start fresh for a few reasons:

  • It will be confusing just hopping in at level 57 with all the new spells you'll have to get used to all at once.
  • Your inventory, professions, quest log etc. will be a jumbled mess from whenever you logged in last, better just to start with a clean slate.
  • The game's very different from 2.5 years ago, you'll need the extra time to get yourself oriented to the new way of things.

I have a level 71 shaman that I abandoned a year or two ago. I logged onto him for like five minutes last month. I was so out of sync with where I was with him that I decided to just roll a fresh new shaman.

1