Zygor's Pandaria Leveling Guides and Carbonite

[kreelor]

The 50% off sale got me thinking, especially after I found out today that the Carbonite addon does not have -any- map to display for the Timeless Isle area. Neither does Blizzard's own map display the little yellow numbered bullets on its map when I click on "Track this quest." The map is blank. However, when I first began doing quests using Blizzard's map, some of the quests were marked, but then it stopped presenting them completely.

So, here's the question:
If I purchase/install (only) the Zygor Pandaria Leveling Guide(s), will doing that somehow enable me to see quests on Blizzards map, and will the Guide work on the Timeless Isle just like it does in other zones? I have to ask because I've never seen how that upgrade works especially in conjunction with Blizzard's default map.

It may be that the Carbonite addon will never get updated to Blizzard's latest changes for various new zones. The Carbonite addon author offers no such info about what's in-work or proposed. Therefore, I need to know if the Blizzard map is going to be the only way to navigate visually. Without Carbonite, I'm going to be absolutely lost in this game! I've relied upon it for years and hate the thought of not being able to play without it. But, I still need advice on how other folks manage without it.

[cabby]

We do not do anything that would change the ability to see the Blizzard quest dots on the Blizzard map. All we do to the Blizzard map is to add a waypoint icon for the arrow to point you in the direction to go. I do not know why you can't see quest blobs on the Blizzard map, I can only guess that it's either something Carbonite related or Blizzard related.

As to the guides for Timeless Isle, those are part of the Dailies & Events guide package so upgrading your Leveling guides to MoP would not provide that particular guide for you. If you did purchase the Dailies & Events package and load up the Timeless Isle Dailies guide it would work just like our Leveling guides.

While I will admit that I love the use of the Carbonite maps, that's really the only thing that keeps it loaded on my computer. I can manage with or without it at this point as I've been working myself away from Carbonite with other addons and/or the default Blizzard maps. If you turn it off and force yourself to not use Carbonite for a week you'll see that it's not too hard to get used to doing without it.

[kreelor]

Thanks, Cabby. I'm surprised that the Zygor Pandaria upgrade doesn't include "Leveling" steps since there are far more actual quests than the few dailies on Timeless Isle. Seems strange, unless it's Zygor's way to get more money from people by making them buy both the Pandaria upgrade and the Dailies & Events guide packages. BTW, does the Pandaria upgrade include leveling steps for areas other than the Timeless Isle, or not?

I'll do what said. I'll disable Carbonite from loading and try to get more comfortable using the nearly worthless Blizzard map. Maybe the quest blobs will show up on future quests I accept? It's worth a shot, since I have no other choice.

[kreelor]

Just now found out that Carbonite has been updated to include Timeless Isle map (and a few other things). So, I'll continue using it for a while.

[cabby]

The Timeless Isles is part of the Dailies & Events package because you'll want to be running the dailies a lot to get the gear upgrades for your toon. Any quests on the Isle that are needed to unlock the dailies are included in the guide.

The Leveling & Loremaster MoP upgrade just has the guides for Leveling in the main Pandaria zones (Jade Forest, Four Winds, Krasarang, Kun-Lai, Townlong, Dread Waste) and do not include anything for the Isles. All of the Isles (Timeless, Thunder, etc.) are part of the Dailies & Events package because the majority of what you would be doing on them are daily quests. The Dailies & Events package also includes all of the daily quests that are integrated into raising up the different MoP reputations.

[kreelor]

If you turn it off and force yourself to not use Carbonite for a week you'll see that it's not too hard to get used to doing without it.

I know you wrote this 2 days ago, and I know your intentions were good, but I read it again and it reminded me of something important to me (about Carbonite maps, and why I love them.).

Try CTRL/LEFT-CLICKing to set a waypoint which includes the 'rubber-banding' line toward a waypoint UPON the Blizzard map. You can't do it. Without it, you have to constantly re-open the Blizzard map and figure out where you are (IF it shows your player icon on its map!) and where you are heading to.

For instance, you want to travel to a cave somewhere, but you must maneuver your travel path by first traveling through a very narrow passage (which is not even seen on Blizzard's map!) between two mountains to get there. Forget flying; imagine you are on horseback, or walking/running on foot. It's all guess work and trial-and-error with Blizzard maps. With Carbonite, you can even zoom in to see where those passages or cave entrances are! You can't zoom with Blizzard's maps or see any significant details at all. I find it nearly impossible with Blizzard, but very easy and very intuitive with Carbonite maps. It's my choice between the two.

I'm happy that you encouraged me to try to get used to Blizzards (pitiful) mapping system. However, Cabby, I'm even happier that Rythal fixed Carbonite so that it is mostly useful again.

Problems with it? Yes. But, in time, I'm hoping he will fix them. Up-to-date information from him about what he's done and what he's working on, or is planning to do, is nearly non-existent. Utter silence about development status on the forum. Yet, I'm still hoping for the best. So far, he's saved one of the very best and essential addons ever created for WoW, IMO. And, he doesn't get paid; the addon is free. Another donation to him from me is still forthcoming. It's long overdue.

Three essential addons for anyone to enhance their playing of WoW are:
-- The basic Zygor Leveling Guide (itself)
-- The Auctioneer addon
-- Carbonite addon.

Other addons may be useful, but those 3 are minimum requirements. My opinion. Blizzard Entertainment overlooked/ignored each of them, which they should have included into the game itself.

Thank you, Cabby, for trying to encourage me. I appreciate it very much!

I rambled quite a bit and may have gotten slightly off-topic. Sorry about that, but I'm just expressing my view points related to WoW, etc. I'm just giddy with happiness that I can still use Carbonite! LOL. I'm also glad, so far, that I upgraded my Zygor products. Still trying to figure certain things out, which aren't in the guide steps, but in time, I will.

[cabby]

One thing I noticed, you said about using the Ctrl + click on the Blizzard map to set a waypoint and that it wasn't working. This will not work, what you need to do is Shift + click on the Blizzard map to set a waypoint.

[kreelor]

Thanks. I haven't tried that. After years of using Carbonite maps, I've grown accustomed to how it works. I'll try Blizzard maps the way you said. heh heh. But, more than likely, with everything else considered, I'll probably opt to stay with Carbonite for all the other advantages it offers over Blizzard's mapping. Every day, I learn something new, and you've always helped me to do that! Thanks.

[cabby]

I can't blame you for not wanting to let go of the Carbonite maps. The maps are the single best feature of that addon and they are beautiful as well. Don't know how many times I've tried to zoom in with my mouse wheel or drag to pan the Blizzard map.

[kreelor]

I'm an old fart, but if you were like me you'd exclaim "WTF?"

Oh, well.

[mzanker]

Agree with Zygor and Auctioneer as essentials, but in 3 years of playing WoW I've never used Carbonite. After 3 years, though, you get used to "interpreting" the standard Blizzard maps

Edit: It's actually Auctionator that I use, not Auctioneer - I found the latter to be a sledgehammer approach for my use of the AH.

[Cartman]

When you see the Carbonite type map you know why people want to use it.
I would use it too if it was only a map replacement. But as I don't need most of the other features of Carbonite I don't use it at all (addons with many features tend to cause many problems and need too much configuration...).

[myrroddin]

You could try the latest alpha builds of Carbonite, which are much more modular. You can disable more features via the AddOns window on your character select screen than you ever could before. I don't use Carbonite, and can't tell you any specifics. For all I know (yeah, big help I am) you could get just the map and nothing else.

If you use the Curse Client, RIGHT click Carbonite and change the Preferred release type to alpha. Here are the manual download links.

• http://wow.curseforge.com/addons/carbonite/
• http://www.wowinterface.com/download...TAVERSION.html

[cabby]

I know when Raythal first took over Carbonite he said his plan was to break it down into modules and the main addon would just be the map and if you wanted other things like the quest log and quest watcher that would be a different module that you could install. Maybe the alpha version is him finally getting to that point in his plans.

[kreelor]

One thing I noticed, you said about using the Ctrl + click on the Blizzard map to set a waypoint and that it wasn't working. This will not work, what you need to do is Shift + click on the Blizzard map to set a waypoint.

I said I'd get back to you after I experimented with setting the waypoint on the Blizzard map. Well, I tried it, but it does nothing more than put a round circle (bubble) where I clicked. Shift-clicked worked.

However, the bubble just sits on the unzoomable screen. There is no real-time, flexing rubber-band path to follow to get to that bubble. And, even worse... what good does it do to put that waypoint bubble on the map when you have to close that enormous screen-filling Blizzard map to play the game? You can't see the waypoint bubble unless you throw that map up again, maybe several more times depending on far you have to travel and how many twists and turns you have to make getting there.

Carbonite has two maps, a large one and a smaller one. I play with the smaller one on my screen near top-left under my char's picture. Takes hardly any screen space. I can see my waypoint while I'm traveling and killing along the way. Occassionally, I open the larger one to get a beautful view of the entire area.
Simple enough, but highly efficient.

Personally, I don't know how you or anybody else can do it. (Big grin on my face!).
To settle on using Blizzard's maps while the Carbonite mapping system is freely available, doesn't make any logical sense to me at all. HA HA