Is it too soon to be talking about making a bucket list for Cataclsym? I don’t know, but I’ve been thinking about it, indirectly. And maybe it’s time.
By cancelling my recurring subscription, I’ve accelerated the end-of-expac mindset and have to start thinking about what do I really want to get done in game. I’ve placed a constraint upon myself – not a hard constraint, but a soft limit that challenges me to define what I want to do, see if I can do it by a specific date, and then evaluate if I’m still enjoying playing enough to justify purchasing another month. Or three. Or if I should take a break.
I like constraints. I wrote about embracing constraints at the end of Wrath, and while I’m not feeling the same pressure I did back then – I don’t think all the revamped zones I haven’t yet seen are going to disappear when Mists is released – by drawing a line in the sand it’s at least forcing me to ask what my goals are, what do I really want to do? There’s a difference between action and accomplishment, and MMOs blur that line. I enjoy logging in to my Druid and kind of mindlessly healing battlegrounds now, free of the grind, free of anything other than trying to better my performance and win a fight – but that doesn’t necessarily get me closer to goals and accomplishments. I still have attachments. I still have desires. I haven’t reached satori yet.
There’s more to this desire than just an expiring subscription, though. Killing Deathwing means that Cataclysm is over for me, at least from the story’s standpoint. Sure, I can kill him a few more times, but … why? I think the only reason I’d venture back in to Dragon Soul is if my guild is short a DPS, or if I have some friends who are running LFR. Hey, Cyn, want to go? Sure, why not? is about what it comes down to.
So all of this makes me think it’s time to put together a bucket list for this expac. Get some focus. Have a list of things I want to do before it ends, and do them.
Caveat: I don’t think this is going to be especially deep or anything like that; sometimes it’s just nice to write things down to organize your thoughts around them.
TL:DR: there are many bucket lists. This one is mine.
Everyone
- Since keybinds and UI got wiped out last week, go back and rebind everyone to a ESDF model. Switch over to ESDF from previous mouse movement + keyboard casting model.
- If you can’t be bothered to rebind a character’s keys, delete it.
- If you have more than one alt of any given class, consider deleting.
- If alt is on a server I haven’t visited in 6 months, delete it.
- General bag and bank cleanout.
- Redo addon profiles in ACP for each toon. This got fubared in the computer move too.
Cynwise
About the only thing I can think of is getting ‘wisey some gear for the looks. That’s it.
- The only gear that really appeals to me, visually, is the S11 Conquest gear. It looks great, and I’d like to have it for mogging later on. But I don’t have a lot of Arena options right now, so this goal might be shelved.
- Consider filling out the T13 look with lookalike VP gear, if I want to make tentacle jokes later on.
- (I can’t even be chuffed to go max out the Catalyst reputations. Is that bad? Maybe I should do that so I can get the BoA enchants for next expac, at least? Nah.)
Cynli
- Exalted with SSO for BiS alchemy trinket, resilience head enchant, and really cool tabard.
- Design mog outfit to go with Waypoint tabard.
- Design mog outfit to go with SSO tabard. Go buy the title, why not, you’ve earned it, right?
- Complete bear set, tank a few times to make sure keybinds are ok.
Ashwalker
- Level to 75 to max out professions, especially JC.
- (Consider dropping Engineering for something that makes money)
- (Consider leveling to 85 for possible main replacement in Mists)
- Design mog outfit to go with Gilneas tabard (already have other alliance tabard outfits).
Cynwulf
- Screenshots. LOL screenshots.
- That’s it. Dude is done.
Waylan
- Sell off contents of guild bank, everything must go. Consider selling guild bank (5 tabs, anyone want?)
- Level to 75 (currently 60) and max out professions. If you can’t get back into playing a rogue, consider deleting and leveling Enchanting on Ash/Cynix.
- I haven’t really enjoyed playing a rogue. I like this character concept and homage, but … I haven’t enjoyed roguery since level 30 or so. 😦
Cynedra
- Once keybinds are done on secondary spec, she’s done.Don’t have any desire to level her up at this point, not even to see Hordeside quests.
Cynix
- Not going to lie, healing LFD is kinda boring. If I can’t level Waylan up to 75 easily, then I’ll level Cynix up to 75 healing LFD (currently 42) and consider making her my new enchanter on Durotan.
- Otherwise, done. (Hey! I didn’t say delete her, I’m improving!)
Cynderblock
- Done. Already has all Cata BiS gear.
Other Alts < 20
- You probably need an AGM at this point to not get deleted, to be honest. That leaves a human mage and a blood elf pally, as well as my level 24 hunter twink.
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I didn’t think too hard about the list – this is very much the first or only things that came to mind as I went through my roster of characters. What I find interesting are two things:
- How professions-oriented it is. With the exception of some mog outfits, it’s all about getting professions to a level where they’re useful at endgame, not about getting the toons to endgame.
- It’s fairly grounded towards a return. Most of the goals presume that I’ll be coming back to the characters and actively playing them, hence a focus on cleanup.
I’ll have to think about this list some more, and probably prune it down some. There’s only so much time between now and mid-February, so I don’t even think the whole thing is possible. And there are no BHAGs like the Ambassador project to really sweep aside all other motivations and get me going.
So. We’ll see how I do.
Cynwise's Warcraft Manual 
Cyn, this is a great idea! I should probably do this myself. I’ve got so many characters I didn’t take to max level like I did in Wrath (when I had 12 80s). I’m sure I’ll slow down on Raz at some point and will be able to devote some energy to my collection of alts, but there’s a lot of cleanup I can do on bags and banks!
Okay, I had a good chuckle at Cynedra’s guild name. Don’t suppose her personality is the same as her namesake, is it?
@Miri: I think it’s great when you’re able to focus on a single character, like you’re doing with Raz, and make them as awesome as you can! There’s still a lot of time left before Mists, but I wanted to see what I was really trying for with my toons. I’m trying to correct my drift a bit here. :)@redbeard: It does, for good or for ill. She used to be my Horde banker, and that was her vanity guild bank. She’s now part of a real guild and a level 70 twink, but I still think fondly back to those days of the House of Borune. 🙂
Malkazar just commented on the post “On Making A Bucket List for Mists of Pandaria” on Cynwise’s Field Notes:Have you considered getting specific titles for you various alts a viable part of your bucket list? Not all of them, just the select few you feel are worth the effort. Personlly I’m wanting to get “Justicar” for my Nelf Warrior and “Crusader” for my belf paladin.@Malkazar: Sorry Posterous ate your comment. :(I thought briefly about a few titles, though I’ve been working on Justicar for almost three years and still have a ways to go. Furthermore, AB rep was nerfed in 4.2, making the grind even worse. I’ve removed it from my list of “worth it” titles. Cynli will get “of the Shattered Sun,” but that’s a consequence of getting her BiS trinket. The rest? Don’t feel a compelling reason to get them. Good question though!
“CynwulfScreenshots. LOL screenshots.”This makes me so incredibly happy.
I’m sort of in the same boat – it is a bit weird – I had always geared up my toons in the hopes that I might be able to see the end bosses – Deathwing is the first I’ve done when it was current (actually I did down lvl 80 KT before Ulduar was released I think – finally did LK on Friday – 6 manning it).Now with LFR I don’t have the same motivation – and I’ve been trying to work out what my goals are. My bear (and main) is basically in BiS gear that is available without doing normals – I’m just missing a couple of pieces from LFR (trinket + chest/shoulder token). My warrior has geared up and tanked all of LFR (but still needs more gear to be the best he can be). My paladin hasn’t tanked it yet – but I want to – but it is hard when you get instant queues as heals… I’ve completed LFR on my Dk and Hunter… do I keep running LFR, do I do something else. I can’t really decide.I have some vague aims – do more PvP on at least my druid and hunter.Gear up my DK to tank LFR.Level a rogue to see the other form of energy dps.Tame all the rare pets on my hunter.But in general I’m not at all focused on it – I did LFR 5 times last week, and 4 times the week before – I’m back at work now so I won’t be running it that many times – so I need to prioritise my time again… but at the same time I don’t need to and that is refreshing. I feel a bit directionless – but then again I’m still enjoying it so I’m happy to wait and see what happens.
Just fine.