recruit-a-friend
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Player gets 100 characters at level 100
No, this feat isn't impossible. A WoW-player named Watola has managed to level 100 characters up to level 100, which has a nice symmetry to it. Watola started work on this project towards the end of Mists, working with two accounts (each account is limited to 50 characters, so this is a must) to level two characters at once with Recruit-a-Friend bonuses. Always leveling with one tank meant getting into dungeons and clearing them, even solo, was easy XP. Getting to 85 in this way took Watola 5-8 hours, depending on the class -- likely taking advantage of rested XP (easy to gain when leveling so many alts) and heirloom bonuses. At 85, an alt would be paired with a max-level hunter to farm Pandaria elites, which, if they were tagged by the alt before being killed by the hunter, the alt would get full experience for. This would earn a level every 20 or 30 minutes with full rested, and Watola would cycle through rested alts to maximize XP gain. At 90, Watola took his army of alts to Timeless Isle, gearing them up to an average ilvl of 507 to be ready for questing in Warlords.
Get WoW on the cheap during Blizzard's Summer Sale
We're well into the cheerfully vacation-filled days of summer, which means it's the perfect time to stay indoors and play World of Warcraft... right? Well, if the Steam Summer Sale hasn't already attacked your wallet, Blizzard is getting in on the game with reduced-price copies of World of Warcraft and Mists of Pandaria. European gamers can pick up WoW for €7.50 of Mists for €10.00, while North American and Australian gamers can pick up WoW for $10.00 and Mists for $10.00. This isn't the best pricing we've seen -- Blizzard's sale over the past holiday season brought WoW down to a very budget-friendly price of €5/$4.99 -- but the €7.50/$10 pricetag still isn't a bad way to pick up a Recruit a Friend mount. And if you don't have any friends who don't already play, you can always just recruit yourself for the same bonuses. Whee, new mounts!
Breakfast Topic: Have you recruited friends into WoW?
One of the things that makes massively multiplayer games fun is who you play them with, so we sometimes find ourselves trying to cajole our closest friends into joining us in World of Warcraft. And with the rewards from the Recruit-a-Friend program, it's even more tempting to bring your friends into the game. I've lured plenty of friends to WoW's siren song over the years -- though mostly before the Recruit-a-Friend program existed. The trouble now is with so many people having played WoW, how do you find a total newbie to recruit to the game? And are people who have managed to avoid the game to date really going to enjoy it now? This difficulty, combined with RAF rewards, is why I have more than one WoW account, which, once inactivated, doesn't exactly help Blizzard's subscription numbers. But today, tell us -- have you recruited your friends (or yourself) into the game? How did it go?
How to recruit your friends into WoW for big bonuses
Update: This article has been updated to remove references to the now-defunct Scroll of Resurrection program and remove mentions of holiday sale pricing for World of Warcraft. If you're looking to bring your friends in to World of Warcraft, Blizzard is eager to lend you a hand with Recruit A Friend (for bringing in new players) and Scroll of Resurrection (for bringing back old players). Both programs offer bonuses for both you and whomever you're inviting to play with you -- you get cool mounts, and they get easier leveling options. So if you have a friend who might enjoy the game, taking advantage of one of these programs will help out both of you. And if you're looking to get into the game, it's worth your while to find a friend who can recruit you. But just what do these programs do and how can you -- and your friends -- take advantage of them? We'll lay out all the details below.
The Secret World offers Golden Weekend for the holiday
If you've got a lot of extra time to game this long holiday weekend, The Secret World has a special event that will keep you busy. Starting Thanksgiving Day and lasting through Monday, December 2nd, players will be able to rack up double Ability Points, collect a 30% bonus on all purchased Funcom Points, and earn a free month's membership for every recruited friend who buys the game. Additionally, players can once again enjoy the Gilded Rage event complete with the roaming giant golden golem loot pinata and the opportunity to grab the semi-exclusive golden tux at a 90% discount. [Source: Funcom newsletter]
Recruit-A-Friend has been temporarily disabled [UPDATED]
Update 3:55pm EDT: Blizzard seems to have fixed the problem. A realm stability issues has forced Blizzard to temporarily disable the Recruit-A-Friend service. It was just re-launched yesterday with several new rewards and a brand new in-game interface. Whatever hamster was in charge of turning this wheel seems to have come down with something, so don't be alarmed if you're unable to recruit anyone for the next little while. You can follow BlizzardCS on twitter for updates, and we'll update this post when we know more. We've temporarily disabled Recruit-A-Friend to address an issue that is affecting realm stability. No ETA just yet. Updates to follow. - BlizzardCS (@BlizzardCS) November 13, 2013
Blizzard updates World of Warcraft recruit-a-friend program
Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled a revamped recruit-a-friend system for World of Warcraft that enables you to choose your own recruit-a-friend reward from a list of exclusive mounts and pets, some previously unavailable in specific regions. The process for inviting friends has also been simplified; invitations can now be sent directly from the in-game social interface. If your friend accepts your invite and creates an account, you'll be officially linked in the RAF system. Linked players receive bonus experience when playing together and can instantly teleport to one another. Additionally, the recruited player can grant the veteran player extra levels. If the friend you recruit purchases WoW and pays for 30 days of game time, you get a month free. If the friend pays for two months of game time, you'll be granted your choice of one of the recruit-a-friend mounts or pets. All previous recruit-a-friend mounts are present, along with a brand-new emerald hippogryph. Check out the new RAF mount and a tutorial on how the system works after the break.
Patch 5.4.1: New Recruit-a-Friend system explained
Patch 5.4.1 brings the much-vaunted new Recruit-a-Friend system, and Blizzard has put together a great video guide to the new system. Much of the system is very similar, but it's all carried out in-game now, with emails being sent from inside the game rather than via battle.net. As the video clarifies, all your friend has to do is open an email and follow the simple instructions. Grantable levels, 300% XP boost, and the summoning of linked account friends in a party with you remains the same. And, as WoW Insider recently reported, the Recruit-a-Friend bonuses now extend to level 85. By far the biggest change is the rewards. Once your friend has purchased game time, you'll get a notice that you're eligible for rewards. The reward is chosen in-game from a browser accessed via the friends list, and you can pick from exclusive battle pets, the new Emerald Hippogryph mount, and every previous recruit-a-friend mount.
Mists of Pandaria on sale for $19.99 at Amazon, Gamestop
Could you use a second copy of Mists of Pandaria? Do you know a friend who can? Right now, the latest World of Warcraft expansion is on sale at both Amazon and Gamestop for $19.99 -- not a bad price at all for the newest iteration of the game. And if you pick up the latest version of World of Warcraft on the Blizzard Store, the $20 program now includes the Cataclysm expansion. That nets you all expansions for $40, which is a pretty good deal as far as holiday gifts for gamer friends go. Speaking of which, this is also a really opportune and inexpensive way to get yourself set up for the newly revamped Recruit-A-Friend program that should be starting at some point hopefully in the near future. Remember, the new system will be rewarding tokens that can be traded in for a variety of different rewards, so it might just be worth snapping up the game now while it's still on sale. You can head to either Amazon or Gamestop to pick up your copy.
Recruit-A-Friend updates on the way
Updates to the Recruit-A-Friend system are coming at some point in the future, and perhaps sooner than we'd expected. According to an announcement on the official blog, as of today the Recruit-A-Friend program has been temporarily shut down while Blizzard works on updating the program with new features and new rewards. At this point in time, there's no time frame for when the program will return other than somewhere in the future. Those players that are currently linked via the Recruit-A-Friend system can rest easy -- although the ability to sign up for the program is temporarily unavailable, players that are currently using the program will be unaffected, and any rewards that have not been claimed will still be available when Recruit-A-Friend goes live again. As an additional note, the official announcement suggested that players participating in the upcoming program will have more rewards available to them. The exact details on this tantalizing bit of information have yet to be released, but this is likely referencing the points made in the patch 5.4 Developer Round Table released last week. Along with multiple rewards, the new system will be accessible via in game interface, and reward a token instead of a mount. The token can then be redeemed for a variety of different rewards, and those reward might possibly include retired Recruit-A-Friend mounts as well, although that hasn't yet been confirmed. For now, we'll have to wait and see what the new system entails, and exactly when implementation will take place.
New Refer-A-Friend system revealed
In the WoWSource interview published today, Production Director J Allen Brack, Game Producer Tom Chilton and Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas talk about the new Refer-A-Friend system. They talk about the current system, how it works with the battle.net site, and how that's going to change. The key points of the new system are as follows: Completely in-game, no web involvement Reward is a token Token can be exchanged for new mounts, new pets, existing mounts, or existing pets It seems like you might be able to get the Zhevra or the X-53 Touring Rocket, as legacy items For me, this is a fantastic change. The current system is incredibly tricky to use, and if you don't do it just right, accounts aren't linked, and don't get the bonuses. What's more, there's little incentive to refer more friends if you have the current mount already. Sure there are grantable levels, and the 300% XP, but the new system's offering more mounts and pets is a great idea. I really like the token system, and the flexibility it offers!
Patch 5.4 Developer Round Table information roundup
Blizzard has just released a new developer roundtable video featuring Production Director J. Allen Brack, Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas, and Game Director Tom Chilton talking about Patch 5.4 and the future of World of Warcraft. The 28 minute video is worth a watch, but we have a full roundup of all the new and interesting information after the break. Patch 5.4 Overall, patch 5.4 was a very smooth launch for them. The servers even came online earlier than expected. In EU they had to temporarily nerf the Celestial bosses on the Timeless Isle because of the massive influx of players trying to get their legendary cloak. Boss health was nerfed by up to 80%, and some abilities were removed entirely to facilitate a steady rotation of players without negatively impacting server performance. The rush for the legendary cloak was more of an issue on EU servers because EU tends to have more hardcore raiders, and their time zones are more compressed leading to more people playing during prime times.
The Daily Grind: Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs?
Try as I might, I can't get many of my meatspace friends interested in MMOs. I've corrupted a couple, mind you, but most simply don't get it. Well, let me rephrase. They get what MMOs are, who doesn't, really, but they don't get the appeal. To be fair, there are days when I don't either, but I still enjoy the genre more often than not, and therefore I'm prone to try impromptu recruiting pitches to random family members, friends, and acquaintances. What about you, Massively readers? Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs? How successful have you been? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Call your buddies: Defiance launches recruit-a-friend
Are you tired of bombing around the post-apocalyptic wastelands of the Bay Area, shooting hellbugs in the face and popping wheelies on your four-wheeler, with none of your friends around to watch/high-five? Trion Worlds feels your pain. The studio has just announced a recruit-a-friend system for its video game/television experiment, Defiance. If you have a copy of the game on any platform and a valid Trion Worlds account, you can hop over to the Defiance Ark Hunter recruitment site and shoot your besties some email invitations. Also available: a recruitment link for social media. As is customary, bringing friends to Defiance comes with special rewards. Your first friend lands you a Tier I lock box, your first five get you a unique title, and your first ten give you two additional inventory slots. If one of those friends actually buys the game, you'll get a new outfit. Five purchases gets you a flame-emblazoned truck, and every purchase after that results in a Tier III lock box.
66% off the Battle Chest this week only!
The WoW Battle Chest is on special offer for this week only. The EU deal is, as you can see, the one we've posted, where the Battle Chest is discounted from €14.99 to €5, or £4 in the UK. It seems highly likely that an equivalent US promotion will follow shortly. EDIT: The US offer is up, and it's a massive 75% off! This means the Battle Chest costs a paltry $5 for this week only. You may be able to see from the header image that the Battle Chest has been updated to include Wrath of the Lich King, and all players who previously bought the battle chest now have access to Wrath content. Of course this makes it even easier to use the Recruit-a-Friend service to level up your characters, or your friends', to level 80 with the various RaF bonuses. If you choose to go about adding an account for you or a friend, I'd heartily recommend making sure you jump through the necessary hoops to link the accounts for the bonuses. It really is worth it, even just for the awesome shapeshift mount, the Obsidian Nightwing! You can hit the break to view Blizzard's introductory video, detailing the steps. And if video content isn't your style, check out the FAQ. Do follow the instructions carefully!
World of Warcraft 75% off this week only
Do you have a friend interested in World of Warcraft? Would you like a second account to fill with gleeful pandaren come Mists? Now's the time to get your hands on the game. Blizzard just announced that all WoW expansions are on sale this week only. The Battle Chest is $5, Wrath of the Lich King is $5, and to top it off, Cataclysm is only $10. That's $20 for the complete set, making this an excellent time to bring your friends in for the start of Mists of Pandaria -- or for you to stash a set of games for a secondary account. Keep in mind that recruiting yourself via Recruit-A-Friend will still net you that sweet Obsidian Nightwing mount! Prepare for Pandaria with epic savings! This week only, you can get the World of Warcraft Battle Chest for $5, Wrath of the Lich King for $5, and Cataclysm for $10 when you buy directly from Blizzard. That's 75% off the regular prices, making this a great time to set yourself up for the imminent launch of Mists of Pandaria... or to invite a friend to join you in Azeroth. Hurry, this offer ends August 27, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. source
Nab WoW and all expansions for $20 at GameStop and Best Buy
It's nowhere near Christmas, but GameStop and Best Buy are doing their best to make it feel that way. Both are running a huge sale on World of Warcraft this week. The World of Warcraft Battlechest, which includes both the original game and The Burning Crusade expansion, is only $4.99. If you want to add Wrath of the Lich King, that's $4.99 as well. And if you want to pick up Cataclysm, it's only $9.99 more -- which brings the grand total for all expansions to a cheap $20. Not only is this great for anyone looking to give the gift of WoW, it also comes in handy for those looking to get the Obsidian Nightwing through the Recruit-A-Friend program. You can either recruit your friends and get them the games, or you can grab the games and open up a second account for yourself. Either way, $20 is a steal. Check out either GameStop or Best Buy for online ordering, or check with your local store to see if they're carrying the games in stock.
Obsidian Nightwing now available as Recruit-A-Friend mount
A few days ago, we heard the announcement that we'd be getting a new Recruit-A-Friend mount, the Obsidian Nightwing, which gives you the ability to turn into a winged panther and carry a friend on your back. The new mount is now available and can be redeemed and used in game. Note that this means the X-53 Touring Rocket is now retired and unavailable, like the Zhevra before it. To get the ability to turn into a flying cat, you'll need to refer a friend to WoW via the Recruit-A-Friend program, and that friend must pay for two months of game time. And yes, you can simply create your own second account and buy two months of game time to get the mount if you're impatient or all your friends already play WoW. [Thanks for the tip, Chell!]
X-53 Recruit-a-Friend mount being retired soon
If you've ever wanted to get your hands on Recruit-A-Friend mount #2, the X-53 Touring Rocket two-seater, then you had better get moving. Blizzard has announced that the X-53 rocket will be retired soon to make way for the new Recruit-A-Friend mount and (presumably) program for the launch of Mists of Pandaria. One might even take this as a clue that a new Recruit-A-Friend is coming soon, which means expansion time could be right around the corner. As for what the new mount is going to be, we have no idea just yet. However, MMO-Champion and Wowhead have datamined achievements, items, mounts, and some other clues that have shown a Recruit-A-Friend 3 mount in the files but no associated mount yet. Hit the jump for the full announcement about the X-53 rocket and speculate about what the next RAF mount is going to be.
Scroll of Resurrection revamp active, includes free level 80 character
Earlier today, we reported on the numerous fansites dropping hints about the return of ... something, and now we know that something is the Scroll of Resurrection revamp. The Scroll comes packed with a few new perks: a free upgrade to Cataclysm, a free transfer to your friend's server, and a free faction change to join your friend's team. Oh, and you may boost one of your characters to level 80. Just like that. This is just one more way that Blizzard is aggressively attempting to reverse the subscriber bleed that only just recently came to a halt. Lowering the barrier to reentry for returning players will go a long way toward getting those people to check back in, especially if it means those players will get to see the other faction for the very first time. It could very well mean a brand new gaming experience for some of those returning players.
