Van Cleef

[Bolty]

Which racial starting area has the earliest (in character level) instance for a character concentrating on quests?
[right][snapback]64090[/snapback][/right]

Van Cleef is the first instance for the Alliance.

Since Phase 1 of the beta, the Van Cleef instance has been made easier and easier and easier, by weakening the mobs inside, reducing their number, and finally (late in beta) removing the elite tag from all of the miners. A party of level 20 characters initially would expect a near 4 hour run to go through it. Nowadays it can be done in half that time.

Really, the "nerfs" of the instance were necessary - for a "first" instance that Alliance chars will hit, it was far too difficult. As a newbie, you'd stand no chance there. I recall in Phase 1 that only 5% of the players could lay the claim that they beat that instance...back then you could only play Alliance and I think the level cap was 25.

Not just the miners in the instance, but all the mobs OUTSIDE the instance were also elite. It was very difficult just to GET to the instance sometimes, because people would get into trouble and train huge gangs of enemies right into you, slaughtering your whole group. Back then, the train code wouldn't have the mobs ignore you - if they ever ran past you, they'd attack you on the way back. Ugly.

Anyhow, what I predicted many months ago came true - people playing the game on release will think, "what was the big deal? That wasn't so hard." :-)

-Bolty