With the new addon Shadowlands, World of Warcraft aims to make it more enjoyable for twinks again. This emerged from an interview with the developers. Changes in the leveling system and new features are intended to benefit fans of second characters in World of Warcraft.
In a VentureBeat interview, Senior Game Producer Shani Edwards and Lead Game Designer Morgan Day discussed the upcoming addon WoW: Shadowlands.
Shadowlands is oriented in many areas to the old WoW Classic. However, some innovations ensure that leveling second characters (“twinks” or “alts”) becomes easier and more enjoyable.
With this, the developers are primarily responding to criticism that leveling and gearing twinks in Battle for Azeroth was tedious.
Easier twinking in Shadowlands
This makes twinking easier: Shadowlands lowers the level cap from currently 120 in Battle for Azeroth to 60 (or 50 for the time before the expansion).
As a result, players no longer have to struggle through over 100 levels to participate in the endgame.
Your first character still has to fight through a fixed sequence of the new areas. Twinks then have free choice and several advantages:
- You can choose covenants immediately
- The sequence of areas is freely selectable
- World quests are available right away
- Progress for “endgame content” will be unlocked while leveling
Thus, twinks become a kind of “New Game+”, where you have more choices and can enter the endgame more easily.
How long does twinking take now? Additionally, leveling is expected to be 60-70% faster. Along with the level, the required experience is also adjusted, so you will reach level 50 or 60 faster in the future.
From level 1-10, you will play through a starting area as usual or, as a new player, through “Exile’s Reach”. Afterwards, you can choose any expansion and can reach level 50 with that (new players must quest in Battle for Azeroth).
Once you reach level 50, you can venture into the Shadowlands and continue leveling there up to level 60.
“Party Sync” – For Group Play
This makes cooperation easier: Blizzard also has a solution for the problem of cooperation, as the leveling areas are fixed for at least the first characters.
According to the developers, the new “Party Sync” tool offers the solution. Higher-level players will be scaled down to the level of their friends and can easily play with them.
Cortyn finds Party Sync rather lame, but the developers see it as a good way to bring players together in Shadowlands.
What do you think of the changes Shadowlands brings for twinks?
