Warcraft Level Brackets

In the last patch, WoW is enabling experience in Battlegrounds, and also allowing experience to be turned off. The second change in particular can have extraordinary repercussions. Leveling since WotLK has been very easy, and tons of content is being bypassed so people can get to 80 ASAP. But with experience turned off, all the old content can come back into play as people try to be the best level 60 or 70 (or whatever) they can, and see the extensive but until now irrelevant (gearwise) old content once more.

BLIZZARD needs to take this idea and run with it, and not just with Battlegrounds. Arena brackets, instances, tournaments, quests, item level and quality... If people are not leveling, they are gearing out up and exploring the content. So here's what I think the revamped level brackets should be:

1st. [01-10] One Talent.
Journeyman skill level
1 Battleground. New: Warsong Gulch
8 new Zones: Durotar, Tirisfal Glades, Mulgore, Eversong Woods, Elwynn Forest, Azuremyst Isle, Teldrassil, Dun Morogh
Instance: Ragefire Chasm
No sets?


2nd. [11-20] 3 talent tiers. Mounts!
Expert Skill level
2 Battlegrounds. New: Arathi Basin
9 new zones: Loch Modan, Westfall, Bloodmyst Isle, Darkshore, Ghostlands, Silverpine Forest, The Barrens (split in Cataclysm). Redridge Mountains, Stonetalon Mountains.
3 new instance: Wailing Caverns, The Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep,
Sets: Defias Leather (Deadmines), Embrace of the Viper (Wailing Caverns)


3rd. [21-35] 6 talent tiers.
Artisan Skill level
2 Battlegrounds.
6 new Zones: Ashenvale Forest, Duskwood, Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills. Thousand Needles, Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Alterac Mountains, Stranglethorn Vale
9 new instances: Blackfathom Deeps, Stormwind Stockade Razorfen Kraul, Gnomeregan, The Scarlet Monastery (4 wings: Graveyard, Library, Armory, Cathedral), Razorfen Downs
Sets: Chain of the Scarlet Crusade (Scarlet Monastery).


4th. [36-45] 8 talent tiers. Fast Mounts!
Master skill level
2 Battlegrounds.
7 new Zones: Dustwallow Marsh, Badlands, Swamp of Sorrows, Hinterlands, Feralas, Tanaris, Searing Gorge
5 new instances: Uldaman, Zul'Farrak, Maraudon, Sunken Temple of Atal'Hakkar, Blackrock Depths
Sets: The Gladiator (Blackrock Depths)


5th [46-50] 9 talent tiers
6 new Zones: Blasted Lands, Azshara (reduced in cataclysm), Felwood, Un'goro Crater, Burning Steppes, Western Plaguelands
6 new instances: Dire Maul (3 wings: East, West, North), Lower Blackrock Spire {10-man}, Scholomance, Upper Blackrock Spire {15?-man},
Sets: 4 Scholomance sets, Ironweave Battlesuit (Blackrock Spire), Dungeon Set 1 & 2


6th [51-55] 10 talent tiers.
3 Battlegrounds. New: Alterac Valley.
5 new zones: Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring, Moonglade, Silithus, Deadwind Pass
6 new instances: Stratholme, Zul'Gurub {20-man}, Molten Core {40-man}, Blackwing Lair {40-man}, Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj {20-man}, Temple of Ahn'Qiraj {40-man}
Sets: Tier 1 (Molten Core). Tier 2 (Blackwing Lair). Tier 3? The Postmaster (Stratholme), PvP-Rare set. Arathi Basin sets. Zandalar Tribe set (Zul'Gurub). Cenarion Circle set and Brood of Nozdormu set (Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj). Tons of Leatherworking sets.


7th [56-60] 11 talent tiers. Burning Crusade! Death Knights!
Grand Master skill level
3 Battlegrounds.
3 new zones: Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, Terokkar Forest
6 new instances: Hellfire Citadel (2 wings: Hellfire Ramparts, The Blood Furnace), Coilfang Reservoir (2 wings: Slave Pens, The Underbog), Auchindoun (2 wings: Mana-Tombs, Auchenai Crypts)


8th. [61-65] 12 Talent tiers. Flight.
4 Battlegrounds. New: Eye of the Storm
3 new zones: Nagrand, Blade's Edge Mountains, Caverns of Time
9 new instances: Caverns of Time (2 wings: Escape from Durnholde Keep, Opening the Dark Portal), Auchindoun (2 wings: Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth,), Coilfang Reservoir: The Steamvault, Hellfire Citadel (2 wings: Shattered Halls, Magtheridon's Lair {25-man}), Karazhan {10-man}, Gruul's Lair {25-man},
Sets: Tier 4 (Karazhan, Gruul's Lair and Magtheridon's Lair). PvP-Epic set. Zandalar crafted sets. BC Uncommon crafted sets?


9th. [66-70] 13 talent tiers! WotLK! Fast flying mounts!
4 Battlegrounds.
5 new zones: Netherstorm, Shadowmoon Valley, Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, Isle of Quel'Danas
12 new instances: Tempest Keep (4 wings: The Mechanar, The Botanica, The Arcatraz, The Eye {25-man}), Magisters' Terrace, Zul'Aman {10-man}, Coilfang Reservoir: Serpentshrine Cavern {25-man}, Caverns of Time: Battle for Mount Hyjal {25-man}, Black Temple {25-man}, Sunwell Plateau {25-man}. Utgarde Keep, The Nexus.
Sets: Tier 5 (Serpentshrine Cavern and The Eye). Tier 6 (Hyjal Summit, Black Temple and Sunwell Plateau). Dungeon Set 3. Gladiator aka S1 PvP armor. Rare crafted sets? Battlegear (PvP) set. Merciless Gladiator aka S2 PvP armor. Vengeful Gladiator aka S3 PvP armor. Brutal Gladiator aka S4 PvP armor. Epic crafted sets, Resistance sets.


10th. [71-75] 14 talent tiers! Legacy cold weather flying?
6 battlegrounds. New: Strand of the Ancients, Isle of Conquest
6 new zones: Dragonblight, Grizzly Hills, Zul'Drak, Sholazar Basin, Crystalsong Forest, Storm Peaks
13 new instances: Azjol-Nerub, Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom, Drak'Tharon Keep, The Violet Hold, Gundrak, The Oculus, Caverns of Time: Culling of Stratholme, Utgarde Pinnacle, Naxxramas {10/25-man}, Obsidian Sanctum {10/25-man}, Ulduar (3 wings: Halls of Stone, Halls of Lightning, Ulduar {10/25-man})
Sets: Tier 7 (Naxx, Obsidian Sanctum), Tier 8 (Ulduar)


11th. [76-80] 15 talent tiers. Cold weather flying. Cataclysm?
6 battlegrounds.
3 new zones: Hrothgar's Landing, Icecrown, Wintergrasp
12 new instances: Trial of the Champion, Icecrown Citidel (4 Wings: Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, Halls of Reflection, Icecrown Citadel {10/25-man}), The Eye of Eternity {10/25-man}, Vault of Archavon {10/25-man} (3 wings: Archavon, Emalon, Koralon), Onyxia's Lair {10/25-man}, Crusader's Coliseum (2 wings: Trial of the Crusader {10/25-man}, Trial of the Grand Crusader {10/25-man}).
Sets: Tier 9 (Crusaders' Coliseum), Tier 10 (Icecrown)



All of the brackets above should have their own exclusive battlegrounds, arenas, and instances. And if I were Blizzard, I would create Dedicated/Hardcore characters at levels 10, 20, 35, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 that started out with all of the abilities learned for that level but could not gain any experience. Or, more likely, I would create a new type of Server/Realm (like a RP or PVP server) and let anybody with a level 80 warlock (for example) create a hardcore warlock at any prescribed level up to 75. Very liberating, I would think.



Lurker