Are "twinks" ruining the game, or a viable option?

Posted by Owen on 2 June 2009 @ 2:33 PM

twink Many high level characters have lower level characters called "twinks." These characters are usually levels, 19, 29, 39, and so on. They are made by usually level capped characters who get special items and gear enchants for them. They usually get gear using the heirloom system and many enchants that give them more agility and health. Twinks usually cost a lot more money than a lower level player has, and they take a lot of time to get all the gear.

They run instances over and over again to get that one piece of gear that they need. They also have to not level up so they can get into the bracket that they're the highest level in. Many twinks say that they need an option to let them stop getting experience so they can run instances more and get that piece of gear they need.

However, if they succeed in getting all the gear they need, they enter the battleground for the level that they're capped at (19,29,39, and so on) and rip not twinks and lower levels to shreds.

Remember when you were a low level player and you found the Battlegroup option and entered the queue for Warsong Gulch or Arathi Basin? Then the message came that told you that you could enter the battleground? You clicked enter ready to be able to fight the opposing faction! There's an enemy! And you went over and before you knew it you were clicking 'release corpse.'

That's what many players are complaining about. They say that twinks are too overpowered in the low level battlegrounds. While Blizzard has not really formally stated their position on the twink issue, they recently made some changes to enchants which was a clear attack on twinks. The most popular one, which enchanted your chest piece to give you 100 more health, was made to require a higher level than the popular twink battlegrounds level. (19, and 29 are the most popular.) They also made the enchants for the heirloom items that gave them more health and resilience require level 70.

A question for you readers; where do you stand on this issue? Do you think that Blizzard opposes twinking, or supports it? I can say that they oppose it because of the recent level requirements on the popular gear enchants. Do you think that this was needed? Overall, do you support twinking or despiste it?

Comments

I had a Twink, level 19 Orc hunter. My twink had all the best gear and guess what? I was not level caped when I made him, I used my 55 priest and mined. Yes I know a weird profession for a priest but very effective. I was the Guild Master of the best twink guild on the server (Twisted Twinks). But I quit playing for awhile and I just got back last month, when I logged on my twink I saw everything was useless. Let me give you a list.

Fishing boots – Now require level 35!
100+ hp enchant- Now requires higher level
Arena Trinket- Now requires higher level
I also lost allot more enchants but I can't remember.

If Blizzard wants to pull this crap on me then I deserve a free name change since my name had the word "twink" in it.

I think I came across an article a couple months back, maybe 6 months or so, stating from a Blue (Blizzard Employee) that twinking is something they're slowly trying to weave out. Like you mentioned a lot of the items now require a higher level than the twink can be (eg. req-50, twink-49) I think they'll let it sit how it is now, it's not too balanced if you have heirloom items leveling an alt, but I do understand it's frustrating as a first-time character. Completely ruins the BG experience for newer players.

I would have to say I am against twinks. Twinks are the reason it is near impossible for a leveling character with no high level of their own to use the auction house for gear at the -9 levels, or to do battlegrounds.

On my Druid, it was hell at 19 and 29 to buy ANYTHING for a reasonable price on the AH, and Battlegrounds weren't even worth doing.

First is my personal view of twinking: I've never understood the fun in it. It's certainly no fun for the non-twinks getting destroyed by the twinks, and I don't understand why beating people who stand no chance against you would be fun for the twinks either. To me, it's kind of like that Level 80 guy running through lowbie zones and destroying level 20s. There's no challenge in it. I just don't see the attraction.

That said, for people who are going to be twinks there are essentially two factors. The first is having the best gear for that level. This bothers me considerably less than the alternatives, because it is at least theoretically available equally to everybody. Obviously you can go help yourself out by having a high-level alt or a guildie help run you through things looking for those elusive drops, but there's also little stopping you from finding groups to do so on your own. The other issue with these items is they are basically balanced. Yes, they're best in slot for your level–but there will ALWAYS be a best in slot for your level. The key is that they have an item budget for your level, meaning they're at least in the right ballpark.

The second aspect is having the best enchants and augments and/or heirloom items. This very clearly requires that you have a high-level main or high-level friend throwing money at you. This is essentially unavailable to new players. It's hard to make level 80 friends at level 15 if you don't know them in advance. Moreover, they're entirely unbalanced for low-level brackets. Crusader, as an example, is a +100 STR bonus when it procs. That translates to 200 AP for Warriors, Paladins and Druids. For comparison purposes, my level 61 druid, in cat form, currently has just over 1000 attack power. And we all know how much that number jumps up in Burning Crusade versus a level 60 pre-BC would have. There's absolutely no way that even approaches balance when it's popped onto a level 19 twink Paladin's heirloom weapon.

What you see Blizzard attacking, more than anything else, is the latter aspect. They're nerfing twinks such that having a level 80 main doesn't instantly mean you're head-and-shoulders above even other twinks at your level. Keep in mind that Blizzard has said they want to allow you to level by doing battlegrounds. Obviously to do that, they're going to need to get twinking more under control.