We’ve got two months before Cataclysm is upon us, but we’ve only got a matter of days/weeks until 4.0 comes and changes up all of the talent trees as we know them.
So my question is, how early is too early to start posting leveling guides for the new talent trees? I know we still have patch notes coming out and all, so there’s no telling when something might change, but at the same time…do I dare wait?
Rather than being an informative post, this one’s going to be an opinion gathering post.
Dear readers, do you want me to start working on the leveling guides now, or do you consider even the class changes to be too much of a spoiler for me to show you before they go live?
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Psynister's Notebook 
Naithin
October 8, 2010 at 4:51 PM
I think it’d be advisable to start now, and if you make them public to simply liberally plaster them with ‘In progress, subject to change, maybe ruined by rampaging murloc’ type notes throughout.
I think things are stable enough at this point that any edits you had to make would be relatively minor though. :)
Windsoar
October 8, 2010 at 4:54 PM
Once the talent trees go live, I’d be ready and willing to read some more about leveling with the changes. While there might be variations in spells/talents before Cataclysm actually hits, I think the 4.0 changes will cause a significant enough change to justify getting started.
I could be dead wrong, but I think the majority of people will be fiddling with their mains to make them viable for leveling when Cataclysm arrives rather than starting new characters at 4.0’s drop, so waiting until it is actually live to begin with the others shouldn’t inconvenience people too much.
Naithin
October 8, 2010 at 5:12 PM
That had always been my assumption too, Windsoar. I was surprised to find out though how many people use a new expansion to roll their new main and do the whole process though. I was only peripherally aware of it during BC, but in Wrath I saw it a *lot* (and not just DK’s either).
This time for Cata I’ve actually poked around a bit, and given the new races, new class combos, and new content all the way, quite a large number of people seem to be intending to do 1-85 before they do 80-85.
Personally I still find that patently rediculous. :P I got all my Cata main candidates to 80 (well, Shaman is still 75, don’t judge :P ) in advance so I’d be ready asap to get into stuff. I have a few planned 1-85 chars too, but they’d be for well after at least one char was well established at 85 and geared more or less as well as he could be!
Still, point is, starting now would – imo – not be a bad thing. Especially since you may see a lot of people jumping the gun and getting started as soon as 4.0.3 drops, where the new race/class combos go live (excepting worgen/goblin of course, which won’t be out til Cata proper).
Psynister
October 8, 2010 at 11:37 PM
I’m one of the ridiculous ones. ;)
I have no intention of pushing my 80s to 85 until well after I’ve leveled other toons. I might get to 85 sometime around next August or so…maybe.
Llani
October 8, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Hmmmmms…I was going to draft an outline of mine…and then plug in the info when the patch comes and they tweak things and finalize the changes. I will probably do Shaman first, then druid, then priest =)
My guides will mostly be in layman’s terms lol, half the guides out there already make me so confused…
anexxia
October 8, 2010 at 11:18 PM
I’d say start now, with the caveat of being prepared to revise over the next 2 months. I think it would be way too much to try to manage after Cata hits, at which point you’ll want to be playing not updating guides.
:)
I have some work to do in that vein as well…
Psynister
October 8, 2010 at 11:38 PM
My first guide is going to be about shadow priests, btw. ;)
Moonra
October 9, 2010 at 12:43 AM
Well I’m already working on my restoration druid healing guide for in cata itself (not 4.0) so I guess if you have the passion (and time) to adjust it as the patching flow then you can easily start writing them now
the main talents “should” be set in stone by now, so I don’t think there’s any reason not to start writing..
Patients is not one of my gifts… but I don’t know about you :)
We Fly Spitfires
October 9, 2010 at 6:26 AM
I say go for it. Everyone pretty much knows all of the spoilers for Cataclysm anyway :P
Cynwise
October 9, 2010 at 8:11 AM
I would start now but make sure you keep the patch information prominently displayed, either in the title or a last updated for patch blurb. I found this was helpful for topics I knew would change, like gear posts – traffic shifted from “PvP Gear in 3.2” to “PvP gear in 3.3.5,” for example – and it helps readers out a lot, too.
Also, there’s a real gap in leveling advice out there. Having some advice on how to go from 1-40 usually gets people where they need to be to push through the rest of the way – it’s those first 20 levels of awkward flailing, followed by another 20 levels of hopefully figuring things out, where you can make a difference.
Ali
October 9, 2010 at 8:46 AM
now. or ‘gogogogo!’ if you are so inclined.
Melfina the Blue
October 9, 2010 at 11:56 PM
I’d love to see them asap. Especially the DK ones, since my beloved blood leveling and never die while doing good dps spec is probably doomed. I’m gonna miss those little bloodworms.
Just put “warning, spoilers” and “warning, not finalized so if anything’s wrong blame the class balance murlocs” on them and I think you’ll be good.
Jake
October 13, 2010 at 1:44 PM
I think Monday would have been too early. A guide now that will be changed as the game changes is still useful. Old guides are now pretty much worthless.
Ali
October 14, 2010 at 11:51 AM
I am dying for some leveling guides since patch. /hint /wink
Psynister
October 14, 2010 at 12:53 PM
I’m working on it, I promise!
Ali
October 17, 2010 at 6:22 PM
yay! :D