Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A Review of Professions


So you started a new character, quested out a few levels, and now you're starting to look at some things you can do to make your cute little gnome even MORE awesome. While trotting around Ironforge, you pass by this chubby dwarf that wants to teach you Mining. What the blazes does that mean? What should you do?

Now, don't you worry your little pink pigtailed head. Just read a bit further, and I'll have some yummy information for you. After all, what brilliant gnome doesn't want to know more?

Professions

To quote our dear World of Warcraft official site:
In the World of Warcraft, there are two types of professions, primary and secondary. Every player may have as many Secondary Professions as he or she desires but will only be able to choose two Primary Professions. All professions also fall into three categories: gathering, production, and service.
For the purpose of this blog however, I will only be dividing the primary professions into two subgroups: Gathering and Crafting.

Secondary Skills

The secondary professions (Cooking, Fishing, and First Aid) can be learned by any character even at level 1. These are all very good skills to level as your character levels, since the materials available in an area tend to increase in skill level at about the same rate you'll level through the zone. For example, a druid leveling through Mulgore should get most of the meat she needs to level her cooking to 75 before she levels out of the zone.

First aid will be easily leveled from the cloth that drops from monsters, fishing points can be gained from any body of water, and cooking materials are available from monsters that you slay or from fish that you catch.

Primary Skills


While a character may have all 3 secondary skills, once it comes to the primary professions a decision must be made. For many leveling characters, one gathering skill and a crafting skill are popular choices. Common combinations for these include:
  • Skinning and Leatherworking
  • Herbalism and Alchemy
  • Herbalism and Inscription
  • Mining and Jewelcrafting
  • Mining and Blacksmithing
  • Mining and Engineering
Most primary professions are easiest to level as your character does, but gathering professions will take the most time to go back and skill up if you wait until 80 to begin. Before beginning to really level your character, you should consider which professions you'd like to have, and attempt to keep those caught up with your character.

Training Skills

Profession trainers are scattered across the World of Warcraft, but the easiest place to locate trainers will often be a capital city. The Azeroth capitals (Ironforge, Orgrimmar, etc) will train your character up to a skill of 300. To train the next bracket of skill (to 375) your character can travel to Outland. Some trainers are located in the starting cities in Hellfire Peninsula but all professions can be trained in the city of Shattrath. While some vendors and trainers in Shatt can be located around the town, in the library on the Scryer tier you'll find a set of bookshelves training each profession. The trainers on the Aldor tier are located in buildings just north and south of the elevator. However, you may find it easier to instead journey by boat or zeppelin to the beginning Northrend cities where you will be able to train not only Master but also Grand Master, reaching a maximum skill of 450. Make it easy on yourself: Use the Profession Trainer tracking option on your minimap.


Leveling Skills

With only one notable exception (which will be explained when I cover Skinning), profession skill points are gained in a set way.
  • Orange recipes and nodes will give a skill point.
  • Yellow are likely to give a point, but not guaranteed.
  • Green may give a point, but often will not.
  • Grey recipes will not grant skill points.

While all professions can help your character, for each class there are specific professions that will be best. In the next few weeks I'll be going over each profession individually, and including what classes may find it the most helpful. 

Professions were created to better your character. You, however, are given the choice on how and when to use them. Do you create amazing jewels to place into your gear? Do you mix together mysterious flowers and herbs to craft elixirs that can bring life... or death? Do you forge together ores to result in metal bars that you then sell to that night elf on the other end of the Auction House?

Whatever your end goal is, my hope is to teach you how to select, level, and use the professions that your character has in order to benefit you.

List Linky List!
Secondary
Primary 
Gathering
Crafting

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing Overview


***Incomplete post. Will be finished at a later date***

Engineering

Engineering Overview


***Incomplete post. Will be finished at a later date***

Jewelcrafting

Jewelcrafting Overview


***Incomplete post. Will be finished at a later date***

Tailoring

Tailoring Overview


***Incomplete post. Will be finished at a later date***

Enchanting

Enchanting Overview


***Incomplete post. Will be finished at a later date***

Leatherworking

Leatherworking Overview


***Incomplete post. Will be finished at a later date***