Painbunny did a great job articulating the fact that you efforts and investments (time and gold) are rarely recovered in the process of leveling a profession especially pre-WoTLK.  The thought process was to allow items to be deconstructed in a way where some ability existed to level.   It’s sort of let’s take it apart and see how it works type option.  If I were to draw this picture in my head it would be the equivalent of a Blacksmith being able to disenchant an item for points.   Although I find it unlikely,  I find this a refreshing viewpoint that definitely warrant discussion.

Making an option to deconstruct an item certainly does make things a bit more interesting.   One option that might make this viable is to provide a XX% chance to recieve a skill point in the deconstruction process.   One thing that would happen is that people looking to level professions would in turn start buying those rarely used crafted items. 

For example,  let’s say your a tailor on your way to level 80, you’re out in the Plaguelands and the Pattern: Ghostweave Vest drops,  you decided to craft a few of these since you can still level with them,  normally you would just vendor these items or disenchant.  If the deconstruct option were to exist,  someone who was leveling tailoring between 250-275 could deconstruct the item to attempt to learn how it’s made.   In that event that person could earn leveling points or even perhaps even learn the recipe at no charge.

This would create a viable market for more products,  I would find it hard to believe that the prices would be absurd for the items,  after all market would be driven by two factors,  the potential value of the to obtain a profession level and the value of disenchanting such an item.  I don’t think it would be too difficult to come up with the math to balance the mechanic.  I do believe that they could also shut such mechanic off for latest content (Cannot be done with WotLK items).

Overall I think this may be a very plausible path for Blizzard to take,  as the level cap increases,  XP bonuses make shopping for gear less of a requirement.  I would be surprised to see Blizzard make a change like this when I try to think about the development hours involved but it would certainly make leveling such professions a bit more fun to say the least.

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WOW.com yesterday published an Addon of the week called Alt-a-holic.   As someone who’s got more than half a dozen toons 70 or better,  I have to say it’s handy.   Blizzard makes leveling alts uber fast now with the ability BoA items bonus,  enchaned XP’s below 70 and even Epic Flyers above 70.   Ultimately they feed the alt-a-holic subset of players by make it ever so easy to spend more time in game dedicated to doing other things (tips hat to Blizzard,  I’m sure someone is tracking average playtime).

Diversification can mean a couple different things,  after the break well talk about what it means to me and to you.

The real question is do you level Alt’s specifically for professions?   For me,  I’ve got a couple alts that I don’t play heavily but I do make it a point to get them atleast to the point where I can leverage the profession functionality.   For example,  I’ve got a level 76 mage that I rarely play but he’s been maxed out in Jewlcrafting since a couple months after the expansion so I can atleast cut the core gems I generally need.   Previously I had a rogue that was my pure farming toon,  I got the epic flyer and had him specifically designed to collect all my herbs and ore but recently switched my farming toon to be my DK,  he’s at 80 and dual spec’d with Unholy specifically for the speed bonus to improve farming time.

Although I enjoy playing multiple classes,  my main is a holy priest that I raid with,   I enjoy playing my tank and dps toons.  But one important thing I find in getting my toons to 80 and getting professions up is the fact that I’m diversified.  Not only am I able to leverage in-game changes to making gold,  more importantly I’m able to make gold based on my play preferences.   Personally I don’t really feel like standing at the Auction House for hours on end,  the reality is I only go on those kicks a few times a year,  the rest of the time when I’m wanting to make gold I’m also accounting for what I feel like doing or the toon I feel like playing.

I look at it this way,  everything has an opportunity cost and one thing I put a value on in the opportunity cost is the value of my time and overall enjoyment of the game as a whole, not just my in-game balance sheet and P&L.

So that beckons the question,  are you diversified?

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