Bucket list preparation for Mists of Pandaria
We may not have a release date just yet, but Mists of Pandaria is progressing quite nicely on the beta servers. I have one level 90 character already, and I'm leveling another one through just to see the changes, note any bugs I happen to still see hanging around (of which there are very few so far!) and get another look at the story behind the expansion as it plays out. It's fun, it's keeping me very busy, and sometimes I tend to forget that there's another Azeroth that I really ought to be addressing: the live one, where all my junk is at.
I hate organizing things in game, which is really kind of odd because my life out here in the real world is pretty organized. I keep the house very clean and tidy. My library is organized in tidy sections by author, and my kitchen is immaculate. In fact, I get kind of annoyed when things aren't terribly organized or tidy at home. But in-game, I just can't seem to bring myself to addressing what is becoming an ever-increasing issue, and I'm really dragging my feet on getting ready for Mists.
Getting ready? Yes, you heard me right -- I've found that if I want a seamless experience when I pick up an expansion and start to play, preparing beforehand is key. Plus, it gives me something to do while I'm waiting for the expansion to come out.
A reason for being
The Godmother over at ALT:ernative has the right idea. She's begun compiling a list of stuff she wants to get done before the expansion begins. One thing on her list is something I'm working on, too -- those pesky Argent Tournament dailies.
I'm still missing two mounts from the tournament, and I'd like to have them all in place before Mists hits so that all of my characters have them. While I suppose I could wait until Mists hits and work without a daily quest limit, frankly, I'd rather just work on it now while I have the time. It doesn't take me very long at all to knock out the tournament dailies; it's just getting the urge to log on and do them.
... which is part of the reason having a list like the Godmother's is a really good thing. Logging in these days doesn't really offer a heck of a lot to do, but making a list of things you want to get done before Mists can put the focus on the stuff you really want to get done. And that, in turn, gives you a good reason to log in. When the expansion hits, you're going to be involved with leveling and gearing up and new dailies and quests; heading back to finish old stuff is kind of a drag. So why not knock it all out of the way now while we're waiting?
A place for everything
As for me, I know I'm going to have to do something about my bank and void storage situation. They're both crammed full. I'm sort of hoping that something will be put into place so that I don't have to get rid of any of the gear I've happily stowed away, gear from quests that I cannot repeat. But let's face it: The biggest thing to prepare for when a new expansion is on the way is making space for all the junk you pick up while you're leveling.
However, there are alternatives to simply chucking things out. If you're an engineer, make sure you've got a Jeeves built so you can repair and sell while you're out in the field. Or if you don't want to bother with Jeeves, get yourself a Tundra Traveler's Mammoth so you have a vendor on the go. Being able to sell stuff immediately is just as good as having a place to store it, for the most part.
Things I gotta do
There are also plenty of achievements I have yet to nab, and it's just going to get harder to grab them after the expansion launches. I never really bothered going for the various heroic dungeon achievements in Cataclysm, but they're on my list as something to do while I'm waiting. Grabbing all those mounts I still haven't collected is also there, as well as picking up any pets I may have missed out on. I'd like to have them all, because Pet Battles are bound to be far more interesting when I've got my choice of whatever I'd like to use.
Cleaning out old alts and deleting the ones I no longer want to play is also on that list. So is leveling the ones I know I'm going to want to take to Pandaria with me, eventually. It's a heck of a lot easier to get to 85 and level professions now than it will be when Mists launches. Right now, I can level an alt, gear up and get decked out in Raid Finder gear with little difficulty. When Mists hits, having that better gear at the outset means leveling will be just a little easier, too.
I've got several more things on the bucket list, but those are a few of the highlights. I know I'm not the only person who takes the time to get everything set up before an expansion launch, but I still find myself wondering what other people do. Do you have a bucket list of stuff to get done? If so, what's on your list? Maybe I'll find a few things I've overlooked that I ought to add to mine!
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
