I have to agree with the original poster's point, to a certain degree.
I only started playing WoW halfway through WotLK. By the time I reached 80, I was continously kicked out of raids (though not so much heroics) for being undergeared, and for being BM specced. The worst part was, I didn't even know what GS meant -- I thought it was my dps rating -- and nobody would tell me when I asked. They'd just call me a noob, laugh, and kick me. I eventually had to Google the term -- this is not how a "friendly" gaming community should act, IMO.
So, I went on the badge-grinding treadmill, hindered because at first I thought Frost and the next-lower level badges were completely interchangable, so I traded in some of my Frost emblems for more of the others, getting Tier 9 gear when I should have been getting Tier 10. Again, as a new player who had no idea about the tier system, and nobody was willing to tell me, how was I to know any different? I finally had good enough gear to do ICC in non-heroic, about a month before Cataclysm. Since I work and am attending university, I don't have all the time in the world to grind, so it takes me a while. Imagine my shock when the gear I had spent so much time and effort grinding for, had been bitched at for, was worse than Cata quest greens and random drops. I mean, the pvp honoured rep gear I had got from BC lasted me at least a couple levels into WotLK content -- I was expecting the same thing in Cata.
The very last thing I wanted to do after that disappointment was to get back on the badge-grinding treadmill. As of right now, my gear isn't even good enough to do Cata heroics -- and I don't care. I'll get up there eventually -- I'm in no rush to devote my gaming life to gear that's going to be out of date come the next content patch. Besides, the Hunter Tier 11 Murloc gear is ugly as sin. If I'm going to grind for something, it's going to be for things that don't expire, like mounts and small pets, and finding new combat pets to add to my stables. I'll continue to do regular dungeons until I gear up through random drops and Twilight Highlands quest rewards. If I go on any raids, it will be for older content that I missed out on before, where gear isn't a concern. Funny enough, more people on my server want to do older content now. Maybe they're in the same boat as me.
That said, I am enjoying the new dungeon content on regular. I like the Vortex Pinnacle dungeon especially, and I appreciate that I'm actually given opportunities to learn how to use CC -- I hardly touched my traps throughout all of Wrath; it's kind of cool to feel needed with my ice trap in Cata. I feel like I'm actually a valuable member of the group, as opposed to in WotLK, when I felt like a Hunter was the least-wanted dsp class in group situations. I'm also really enjoying other improvements Cata has brought to the game, especially the new stables (25 pets ftw!), but also the storylines in the new zones and the revamped older zones, making me feel like I'm actually making a difference in Azeroth (even if I'm not, technically). I like the effects of steamlining the talent trees, but I think the Hunter ones can be improved even more, especially Beast Mastery. I'd like them to make taming exotics the BM level 10 ability (no QQ-ing over it being overpowered -- Demo warlocks and Ice Mages get their specc-defining pets off the bat), and giving us a kind of pet zerg rush for our end tree ability. Right now, there's really no point for new hunters to be BM until level 70. Also, it kind of sucks that talents aren't as customizational as they used to be. My bf used to have a half Holy, half Disipline Priest, and he can't do that anymore. This lack of customization has turned my co-worker off WoW entirely. He's taken up a new MMORPG, called Rift instead, and if Rift proves to have a decent Hunter-type class ... well, I just might have to give it a try myself.
So yes, while the OP is crying, I can see where he's coming from. Then again, nobody says he *has* to get back on the gear-grinding treadmill right away if he doesn't want to. Why not just enjoy the game for what it is --
a game? If you think the dungeons are too hard on heroic, don't do them on heroic. If you're not geared enough to do PuG raids, join a decent, friendly guild who won't cry about your gear level, and raid with them, or just take your time gearing up until you can do them. There's plenty of other things to enjoy about this game. No, it's not a job, nor should it be, but fun is what you make of it.
I wonder if Ghostcrawler gave him a pony after this?
Some of the content back then and even in TBC was close to impossible. Sunwell Pleateu is still a rather challenging raid for us at 80 and 85 now, let alone back then. Yet still people did it, still played, and still felt accomplished.
, nor was I implying it. I'm sorry if my wording may have allowed any such assumptions.
