Now The Game Really Starts (So They Say)
stargrace 
I indulged in my gaming yesterday, having completed everything that required my attention here at home. The weather has been absolutely miserable (42c or 108f) and I’ve been under the weather this week so I decided why not. I spent almost the entire day questing in Icecrown. This area has a LOT of quests. In order to get the quest achievement for it you’re required to complete at least 140 quests within the zone. Yesterday I managed to get 120 of those done – and I also dinged level 80. That’s right, I went from 77 to 80 in that one area there were so many quests.
I racked up so many achievements I lost count. First came the level 80 one (woot), then I did a few randoms. Utgarde Pinnacle (fun instance), The Oculus (instance I dislike the most where you spend most of it flying around on dragons and getting lost), and The Culling of Stratholme (another fun one where you’re a human for most of it). I also racked up my first 100 Stone Keeper’s shards and indulged in a few extra mounts to get the achievement for owning 10 of them. ‘
I was incredibly excited to have hit level 80 and be able to join my friends in their reindeer games. My gear isn’t quite up to par (snickers) for the harder things, but my gs (gear score) is slightly over 3k, so it’s not horrible either. I only mention this because the game itself decides whether or not you have the gear to enter some instances. Leveling up my warlock and doing dungeons has taught me one very neat thing – gs does NOT equal skill. In most instances I retain the 1st or 2nd spot on the parse, being well below where others are gear wise (this depends on encounters, on single target I typically fall to the 3rd spot). Last night a dps spec’d paladin with a gs of almost 6k was in our dungeon for Stratholme, and I managed to keep very close to his dps, if not beating him once or twice. No, parse is not everything. No, gear score is not everything – but these are small indications to me personally on how well I know my character, and how well I play the class.
Mages give me a run for my money, or used to at least. I’ve not really had any issues with them since I hit 80 but I haven’t done any heroics so I’m not sure if that will change. I do have an odd talent built, but it really seems to work for me and as long as it does, I’ll keep using it.
Apparently this is when the real game begins. There are lots of little things I want to work on (silly things, like achievements, fishing, cooking) and I’m looking forward to them all. Most of all, I’m glad that the massive quest grind I did in order to get from 71-80 is completed. I’m pretty sure I OD’d on questing yesterday and I need a little break from it.
Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!