Ok so I've finally completed the following: 1) Pre requisites to KA timeline including getting Twark armour and jewelry and getting the Greenmist HQ done. 2) KA timeline 2) Levelled crafting from 1 to 100 for cloak and epic 2.0 prerequisite. 3) Have completed Epic 2.0 and have enough sparklies to make grandmaster epic 2.0 spells 4) Done enough crafting dailies to finally get the spell book to drop to make the epic 2.0 spells 5) Have ground Nye'caelona faction to get some jewelry 6) Finally completed all 4 Ascension classes and then realised to equip Tome of the Ascended I'd need to drop a relic piece. 7) To rectify 6 I ground PG's until my eyes bled to get legs, gloves, ring all with IV orange rune. 8) Have tried to upgrade ascension spells but I won't be spending RL cash on it as that seems to go against the grain somewhat. Drop rate has been underwhelming to say the least so I will be running with apprentice spells there. 9) Tried to grind tithe but my goodness there are only so many timesinks an individual can endure. Thank goodness for the summer event. 10) Tried to undertake the Ethereal event but without doing steps 1-9 above this hasn't been hugely successful. Experts are tough for a small guild group of non raiders without the gear stated above. So here I am geared with about 26k potency and ready to roll. This expac has been an absolute battle in terms of obstacles and timesinks but I think I'm just about there. I'm now in a position to feel I can compete or at least not be embarrased of my toon against raiders and other fellow players. I know I won't be able to get enough Eth coins so wondering if it's worth pursuing (I have 60 at the moment). I will though as the guild I'm in would love to have Expert zones on farm. Seriously DBG, this expac has been has been HARD WORK, more work than fun. I have several alts that I haven't had the chance to play since last autumn. The thought that with new expac in a few months will mean all my hardwork will be irrelevant due to gear being superceded is heartbreaking. I might just hang out in KA for a bit longer as I am definitely not ready to start the process of a new expac anytime soon!
It sounds like you have a really well developed character that is in a great spot for the end of an expansion. I get the impression that you view this as the required starting point rather than an ending point, but for the overwhelming majority of the expac, people that were grouping and running the hardest zones didn't have most of the things listed. Even when experts first came out, a lot of us running them didn't have half that stuff. I would encourage you to run the ethereal event, even if you don't particularly like your class rune, because that is where most of the grouping is these days. You can always pick up the rune and hang onto in in case it gets improved. If your guild is too small to form a full group, it doesn't seem that bad to form a partial group and then fill it with pug players. We have met some pretty good pug people since the event started by filling out our group with them, and it has replenished my friends list a bit from all the people that got burnt out and quit over the last year. You will pick up a few people that have no business in an expert, but once you have pugged enough you will get to know who will help you to finish the zone and who won't.
Jab, so much respect for you and your guild going through the pains and bettering your toons for this expansion. Reminds me of where I started and how I wish that sooo many more people were like in this mindset. You asked for the right advice before and followed through with it. I don't think it really matters if all this is going to be irrelevant here soon or not, what matters is you and your guild stepped up and did the work for this expansion and got to a realistic goal...as to where others have just not even done it and complained just to end up quitting. The hard work and grinding does pay off, imo. It puts you in a place to say in the end you are glad to be where you are now (just as I am with all I did to get to where I am). Also, imo, it makes you more respectable that you did it rather than just whined about it and ragequit.
