Shimmering Flats - Level 34

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Location: Shimmering Flats, Thousand Needles
Level: 34
Latest Achievements: "Scarlet Monastery" + "Explore the Barrens"
Total Quests Completed: 240

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In my previous post, I made reference to the lack of quests in Freewind Post. I decided to continue south to see about tackling the one quest, several levels higher than the level I was currently working on, I had for the shimmering flats.

When I walked through, I found this race track, and several quests surrounding it to boot. Apparently the locals place bets and the quests you do in the area all tie to the protection or improvement of the track. Several deal with helping the gnomes make their race cars run faster.

For the most part, these quests are completed in the area. They seem to be layed out ok, Though they could layer better. For example, when asked to kill Turtles for their shells, you also end up killing a few of the dragons because they are in the area. Once you turn in the quest, you get a quest to kill the dragons. (In Blizzards defense, it is *possible* I missed the dragon quest the first round, it's sort of out of the way.)

You'll also be doing a lot of running for the gnomes. Running to the two major gnome strong holds that we have already visited - Rachet and Booty Bay. At this point, you should have your flight paths in order, so the travel was nothing more than a bit of a run... several times back and forth. I also found the quests reach into higher levels the further you have to run. One part of the quest, for example, was to find blue prints. After some running and speaking to NPCs, they sent me to an area I was not ready for. The end of that quest will have to wait until I reach a few levels higher.

For now though, my questing in Shimmering Flats is over and I will need to travel in the opposite direction to continue the story flow.

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Am I missing something? - Level 32

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Location: Freewind Post
Level: 32
Latest Achievements: "Explore Barrens" + "100 Fish"
Total Quests Completed: 214

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This post will take on two meanings. Am I missing something works as a subject for both, so now's a good time. First topic up for discussion, my lack of quests in log and second, lack of substance on this blog.

A few weeks ago, I made a post saying I could hardly keep up with the quests in my log. It's true. They would turn green before I could get to them, just by sheer speed of leveling. Starting at Thunder Bluff, in starting this blog, I believed my path would progress linear. I wanted to follow a story line, follow the lore and see how the story progressed.

And, in progressing to Crossroads, it seemed to do so. That is to say, until my quests sent me into Ashenvale, Thousand Needles and Stonetallon Mountians -- All at once. That is when my quest log filled to over flowing and my linear path branched into many story lines at once. So I completed quests for Sunrock Retreat, jumped back to SplinterTree Post, and flew down to Freewind Post ... Keeping the storylore straight in my head.

For a blog writer, who intended to write my way through the levels and lore, this is most frustrating. How to write about experiences that will be different for everyone who reads. And so, my writing began to slow and I started feeling less than joyous about writing each day. And I began to believe that readers, should there be any in the future, will decide to abandon my writing in favor of a more interesting and detailed account of daily life. In my defense, it's hard at best to write daily about quest lines completed when quests completed represent 3 different lines. How very disjointed.

Now, at level 32, It seems I have completed all of my quests in Ashenvale. I have been all over the map and cannot find a quest giver who will propel the story further to the north. Perhaps northern story lines are designed for Alliance Elves? Who knows, having never played one, not me. On the bright side, all of my quests now bring me south into Thousand Needles and I can continue my blog in a linear fashion. Or they would and I could, if my quest line did not jump from 29 to 35.

Am I missing something? No flow in the story line. We start learning about Darkcloud Mesa and then, poof, wait until level 35 and run down to shimmering flats to continue. Maybe I really am missing something, or maybe I will need to continue killing random mobs until my level 35/36 bell goes off. In either case, look for this blog to be a lot more linear now that my quests deliver me in the same direction.

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And Now We Run - Level 30

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Location: Freewind Post
Level: 31
Latest Achievements: "Giddy UP" + "Level 30"
Total Quests Completed: 206

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I have been waiting to reach level 30. Running everywhere, slowly, by foot, really stinks. Especially if you're like me and have quests spread over 4 zones spread from north to south. As a Hunter, you receive "aspect of the Cheetah" at level 30, as a Druid, I received Travel form.... Or, in other words, I get to become a cheetah. The Cheetah form speeds your travel to +40%. At Level 30 you can also pick up your first mount.

You should, in any class, receive a piece of mail that tells you where you can buy your mount. For a horde druid, a Tauren, you buy your first mount, all of your Tauren mounts, from the vendor in Bloodhoof Village. First you'll need to get the riding training, and an achievement for the choice to do so. Then talk to the vendor and pick your favorite color. I don't believe a mount can be returned, so choose carefully, because you'll be seeing a lot of this one. Especially check out the backside, cause that's what you'll see the most. :-P

At this point in the game, you can only buy a mount from your home city. You have received enough praise to raise your reputation to exalted. Once you have done enough quests for other races, orc's or undead for example, you will raise your reputation enough to buy a mount from them. For the time being though, Tauren get Kodos.

And now we run! So much faster. You buy a mount from the vendor, learn it from your bag and then can use it any time you wish by clicking it in your character/pets window. You can also drop the quick key into your bar for easy access.

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