End-game alternatives to instances?

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

DISCLAIMER: This thread is not at all knocking MC or any of the end-game instances. If you play in and enjoy MC, please continue doing so. Every member of Team Eternity is a valuable addition. I'm very impressed that Redeemed has accomplished so much in so short a time. If my schedule and life circumstances were different, I would be leveling as quickly as possible to join you all in MC before long.

That being said, my play style doesn't really allow for end-game instances. For starters, I plan on camping out in the battlegrounds starting at level 48, and I'm not sure if I'll ever leave. (Once I get bored with PvP, I might pick my Druid back up and work him up to 48 as well.) I'm married and my wife doesn't play WoW. I'm currently searching for a job; I'm not sure how my schedule will change when I start working again. I've been known to play for long periods (three or more hours at a time), but I start to feel physically ill if I play for any longer than that.

These are not problems with WoW, and I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with running MC. If WoW had been released a few years ago, I might have abandoned TeamFortress Classic and signed up to run end-game instances with a Tribe of Judah guild.

Nevertheless, I find myself thinking of "turning" 50 and finding little reason to level past 49. Most, if not all, of the reasonably good gear can only be found in instances. An epic mount costs several hundred gold. I've heard more than a few players complain about the pressure to make level 60. Drop rates are stupid for items that can be snagged with one or two kills; I can't imagine running an instance 10 times and never seeing the item I want never drop--again. (I tried that before with SM, and gave up after about 10 runs with not even a sighting of a blue piece of Scarlet Crusade mail armor.) These reasons are, at least right now, sufficient to quarantine me to the battlegrounds and stay 49 forever.

Again, this is me talking about my unique circumstances; this is not a slam against WoW or level 60s. I'm just explaining my play style and my context for playing.

So, I apologize and ramble to come to this question: Aside from PvP (where other players will be wearing gear that ridiculously outshines my own, since I have no interest in playing end-game instances long enough to get tier 0 armor) and end-game instances, what is there to do after level 49?

EDIT: I should mention that I already have all but two pieces of gear ready for level 48: the Masons Fraternity Ring and Sentinel's Medallion. I'll earn the Masons Fraternity Ring after I complete the Divino-matic Rod quest. I'll buy the Sentinel's Medallion once I reach Honored with the Silverwing Sentinels (a PvP faction). I've put a fair deal of thought into not leveling past 49.

 

[Exo-Slayer]

At level 60 their are a few ways to get gear outside of instances, but most of it is not quite comparable to the stuff inside instances. In Silithus there are a number of quests for gear that for the most part is soloable but just requires a lot of time. They are adding in similar quests in the Eastern Plaguelands basicly you do a much of missions for coins that you turn in for the item you want. You can also buy epic world drops with a bit of farming to get the gold. There are also a number of craftable items that are quite amazing, just takes the time to get the materials.

Beyond getting gear and pvping at 60 there honestly isn't a hole lot to do in WoW. Thats not completley true in that pretty much every month there is some kind of Holiday Event but those get a bit repetative. You can go back and test your power at challanges you create yourself, such as soloing an instance that use to take five people but in the end it also gets old.

To be honest most of the fun at the end game comes from doing instances and if you don't enjoy that this may not be the best suited game for you. You say you don't have enough time for instances but in reality outside of the 40 man instances they don't take all that much time. Something like Baron or Scholo can be completed with a decent group in under two hours, Baron in fact is quite doable in 45 minutes as the new quest shows. With 5 people in these instances and maybe 5-10 bosses to take down your looking at getting a few items per run that will probably be upgrades for you. I would suggest giving the instances at least a try, when you get in there and everyone is learning the stuff it is quite a bit of fun, especially with a group of friends and guildies.

 

[lanki]

As someone told me very long ago when I was a lvl 2 rogue, the game really beings at 60. The only alternative to instances I can think of to instances is farming and pvping. Both of these get boring after a while. You can start another class only to grind the same lvls and instances you did on a previous toon but you come to the same point. At 60 there is really nothing to do but farm, instance or pvp and hang out with people.

 

[Azzie]

You can try insane stunts like what I'm planning to do...
Kiting Thrall/Cairne/Rexxar and killing them, sniping/assassinating people in Horde capitals, or finding secret areas and treasures.

 

[Avesther]

hmmm....post level 50 idea...how about rolling a priest?

 

[Tek7 (Legacy)]

You can try insane stunts like what I'm planning to do...
Kiting Thrall/Cairne/Rexxar and killing them, sniping/assassinating people in Horde capitals, or finding secret areas and treasures.

Strange and bizarre stunts. Now that's the kind of stuff that interests me. World PvP FTW!

You say you don't have enough time for instances but in reality outside of the 40 man instances they don't take all that much time. Something like Baron or Scholo can be completed with a decent group in under two hours, Baron in fact is quite doable in 45 minutes as the new quest shows.

Hm. Perhaps I'll step out of the battlegrounds and run some of these shorter instances, when the time comes. Thanks for the info, Exo.

hmmm....post level 50 idea...how about rolling a priest?

I've got a level 12 Druid I plan to level up some day. A Druid can heal. That counts, right?

EDIT: Selection explaining why I personally prefer Hunter over Priest deleted.

My experiences, of course, make me appreciate the guild's primary healers all the more.

 

[Zazzy]

There's so much you can do on this game, you don't have to be limited to any one thing. I won't be able to run instances that much. So I'll be fishing, lvling up my professions and skills, doing pvp, you name it. For now, I'd like to get my lvl 60 mount for starters but I'm too poor.