| The Draenei, introduced at patch 2.0 - The | | | | If you are planning to play Draenei, check out the |
| Burning Crusade, looked to make a difference | | | | viability of playing in your own area above level |
| from the off with the new profession of | | | | 10. Crossing over to Darkshore would get you to |
| Jewelcrafting and the +5 racial skill bonus. Rather | | | | level 20, and if you take skilling and/or leather |
| than look at the "lore" of the Draenei, I'm going to | | | | work as a profession then there is plenty of |
| look at them from the point of view of rolling a | | | | opportunity here to progress in these. However, |
| new character and looking to play them as | | | | soon enough, for either the company or the |
| effectively as possible. | | | | financial and raiding opportunities, you will find |
| A big advantage early in the game is the "Gift of | | | | yourself heading to either Stormwind or Ironforge. |
| the Naaru" - a free healing perk. With a three | | | | In doing so, you will of course be following |
| minute cool down, this can often be the | | | | everybody else. On the seven servers I play in, |
| difference between an untimely death and | | | | both Silvermoon and Azure Watch are often |
| survival. It is usable by any class, so it is possible | | | | totally deserted even at peak times. Shame. |
| for a Warrior to have a magic heal! Don't | | | | Blizzard reckoned that the Jewelcrafting skill - only |
| underestimate this skill. Levelling effectively means | | | | trainable in select places, would draw players back |
| not spending time getting back to mobs from the | | | | to these starting zones. |
| grave yard, and not spending gold on repairs | | | | I've got news for Blizzard. It's not happening. And |
| unless you really have to. | | | | if Goblin and Worgen are similarly introduced into |
| Heroic Presence is a useful skill as the game | | | | new "bolt on" areas - they can expect the same |
| progresses, giving a 1% bonus to hit for all | | | | response. |
| members in a party. So the bigger the party, the | | | | There has to be a reason to return to these |
| more the combined bonus and effect. | | | | major racial centres. I remember groaning every |
| The "traveller returned" theme though may need | | | | time I had to send my low level Draenei |
| a bit of exploring. The Naaru crash landing site, | | | | Jewelcrafter all the way back home to gain some |
| and the whole of Azuremist Isle looks pretty | | | | training. It is worth it as financially, Jewelcrafting is |
| abandoned. Not by design, but simply because it is | | | | perhaps second only to Enchanting at making you |
| a latecomer to the game. In a problem shared | | | | gold at the highest level. Note - at the highest |
| with the Blood Elves, the Draenei have an issue. | | | | level. At low level Jewelcrafting will lose you gold |
| Azure Watch. Like Silvermoon, it's a pretty empty | | | | like every other crafting profession. At level 80 |
| place. | | | | though, with people instancing then wanting to |
| This has some advantages early in the game of | | | | socket the items they find, then you will be in |
| course. There is very little waiting for mob | | | | constant business. |
| respawns, as you will frequently be the only | | | | A final note on Draenei - Patch 4.0 "Cataclysm" |
| player in the area. | | | | and the expansion will change this one profession |
| I won't go into the quests in detail here (check | | | | dramatically. The high level jewels currently tend |
| out my free guide for that), but make sure you | | | | to give bonuses to derived stats directly (such as |
| pick up the fishing skills as you leave the Ammen | | | | Defence). We are told that these stats are going |
| Vale. The Vale itself if very small, and I would | | | | to be removed from the game altogether. This |
| perhaps not set my Hearthstone to the Naaru | | | | may mean a simple re-speccing of the existing |
| itself, Wait to get to Azure Watch and set it | | | | gems - replacing the derived stats with the |
| there. | | | | primary ones. It might however mean a total |
| The Watch itself is an underground area, with all | | | | re-think of the whole jewelcrafting profession. The |
| the traders and trainers that you would expect. | | | | Draenei, with the +5 bonus to Jewelcrafting, (as |
| The flight point is outside, as is the mount trader | | | | well as being home to the trainers) will be the |
| who (at level 20) will sell you an Elekk mount. | | | | most affected by this. |