by Xethra » Thu Dec 03, 2015 9:11 pm
Skotia91,
I don't want my post to prevent you from playing on Nostalrius because it's a fantastic experience, however there's some things I do want to say just to give you some better insight about Vanilla and because you said could only play a couple of nights each week.
First and foremost, leveling. Leveling takes a while, simply put. A decent /played for level 60 is 7 days. That's 168 hours played right there from just leveling. Since you said you don't have much experience with Vanilla, I would suggest downloading Vanilla Guide to help you level if your goal is end-game raiding. This will help cut down the time it takes to level by a lot because it will tell you where to go to complete your quests so you don't have to read the quests each time and figure out where to go.
Second, now you're 60. Congrats! But... you now need to get gear. Finding a group (at least in my experience on horde) can take up to an hour at times when PUGing it. Instances themselves can vary from 1 to 3 hours in length, depending on wipes and how geared the other members of your group is. We'll call it an even 2.5 hours per instance with travel(yes you have to run to the instance) and finding a group(primarily in world chat or guild chat). I personally am at roughly 75 instances completed since hitting 60 and I still don't have pre-raid BIS gear (close but not all). This is the second investment in your character you have to get done to be a useful asset to raids.
Third, finding a raiding guild. This is where it can vary a bit based off your goals and the goals of the guild you choose to raid with. Some guilds are pretty by the book, you're going to come with consumables or you're not going to raid. Simple as that. However, other guilds are more lenient and are raiding more for just the thrill and fun rather than just trying to down the content as fast and possible. This piece is kind of something you will have to judge yourself based on your personal goals.
Last, the raids themselves. An average raid will last around 4 hours before people decide to call it quits. You may or may not have killed all the bosses in that time, that will just depend on your guild and their goals.
I do want to point out that you choosing the PVE server at this point in time with your current situation is probably the best time to do so. Only Molten Core and Onyxia are out, and it will be upwards of year before AQ is out, and 18 months before Naxxramas is out. You will easily have time to get leveled, geared, and in a guild before AQ and Naxx are released. Keep in mind though, these instances are not a pushover. Guilds that reach this content are going to want dedicated and competent assets in their raids to clear the content.
I hope this gives you some insight on Vanilla, and I really hope it doesn't deter you away from Nostalrius. It's a fantastic experience!
Best of luck,
Xethra
Xethra <Goon Squad> - Nostalrius PVE
Class Leader
Restoration Shaman
Xaeth <Odyssey> - Nostalrius PVE
Class Leader
Holy Paladin
http://twitch.tv/xethra89
