Buff Yourself For Better Leveling Results
Posted on June 20th, 2009 by Lawbringer under Efficiency Tips, Exploits, Faster Leveling, General Tips, Grinding, Leveling, Low Level, Power Leveling, Powerleveling, World of Warcraft, WotLK
One of the problems with a blog is that it can be a little tough to put all the information we’ve archived right at your fingerips. As you can see in the instances by level post, Word Press even has issues with tables.
The biggest problem this raises is that over the last few years we’ve given out some really cool tips; but unless you’re looking for them specifically they get lost at the bottom of the pile.
This isn’t always a bad thing. Many of the topics we’ve covered have to do with issues and topics that simply no longer exist, while a whole pile of things need major updates. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do in the coming weeks and months.
In addition to our regularly scheduled content, we’re also going to rework and republish all the very best tips from the past so that even the newest reader of DYS can get a feel for how we’ve helped thousands of folks Dominate the game in even the smallest of ways. We hate to leave good information sitting in the archives closet when it might really help you out – especially if all we have to do is update a number or two.
This means you’ll be getting even more from DYS than ever before – and you won’t even have to work for it. We’ll stir through the vault (in no particular order)and bring back all those killer tips and tricks you might have missed.
Today we’re going to go WAY back, almost to the very beginning of DYS. Back before Lawbringer or any other guest writer or even the web site – all the way to the raw beginnings when it was just Gavin in a few folks’ email boxes every now and again.
The original tip was called “Alt Buff Exploit.” Sent out to charter DYS members in October 2006. That’s almost three years ago, but it’s still a nifty little tool you can use to get a little added advantage when leveling your alts.
Did you know you can buff your alts with your main character?
Say you’ve got a mid-level priest, or druid, or mage… something that can cast buffs (the “buffer”). And let’s say you’ve got a low level rogue or hunter alt that you want to give a little help to (the “buffee”)…
Run your buffer and your buffee to the exact same location. Then log into your buffee, and exit the game with alt-F4. This Windows command will terminate your World of Warcraft client without sending a “logging out” message to the server, so your buffee character will remain logged in for another 30 seconds or so.
Then, log in with your buffer character – behold, your alt is right there! Now buff away, and log out.
Log back into your alt (buffee), and you’ve got your buffs…
Is this an exploit? Will it get you banned? Highly doubtful. If anything, you may just get a warning. But I’ve been doing this for a *long* time now, and no one has ever had a problem with it…
Gavin Garrett
They still haven’t closed this loophole, and what’s more, computers have advanced to the point where almost any machine can handle running the login screen twice. So to make this one easy on yourself it helps to fire up two wow logins when you do this.
Minimize one, and then log in that alt on the other. Alt-F4 out of that screen and then use the other one that’s already loaded to log in your main. Hit that buff (or buffs) and you can log out the main without closing the second screen at all. Your alt is just a few seconds away - fully buffed and ready to rock.
Sure, you would have to refresh the buff from time to time, but we still do this all the time. If you have multiple accounts it’s even easier. You don’t actually have to dual box the toons together, just let your more powerful characters buff your alts from time to time if you ‘must’ level solo.
Ha! I remember this one, first one I ever read from Gavin.
wow, never knew that you could do that. thanks!
Is it really been this long since i read this post for the first time?
This sounds like an awesome idea but my computer is too slow lol. It takes me about a minute and a half to login :-/ but a solid sounding strategy nonetheless. Great job on that
Ah yes, this is the type of thing that hooked me on DYS forever. I remember finding Gavin’s site back then, back in the “Warcraft Exposed” days.
My favorite tip back then was farming SM for money/shards…i did that for 2 epic ground mounts, at 450g+ per hour, back when gold was hard to come by.
I even got my hunter a ravager, on the advice of gavin. I must say it worked out very well for me, i did decent in season 3 arena and was ok in pve.
Keep it up guys, this stuff is awesome!
HAHAHA i remember this. I remember trying it about 9 times, but never got it to work.
I realized later that addons can slow down your loading screen, so disable all your addons if you do try this.
Also a Sata Drive also helps with load times, along with a defragmented drive.
With the change to buffs and especially group buffs, you can only reasonably expect to get 30 minute buffs using this method. I’m not sure if having to alt f4 every 30 minutes (not to mention getting your buffing toon to wherever the buffee has wandered to in his adventures) would save much time or speed up the leveling process in any way.
Although they can be expensive, using things like elixirs and sharpening stones/wizard oils will save tons of time and speed up leveling much faster.
I guess if you really want to min/max your leveling this is the ultimate way to go about leveling with buffs tho.
Also note that Weapon Oils and Sharpening Stones do not currently work on anything above level 70. This also includes BoA weapons, sadly. Buff foods and Potions are probably the best way to go with this one.
Yes, but wizard oil does work…been using it on my shadowpriest and I just hit level 75. My advice, try anything, even if someone says it wont work. And if it doesn’t work, what have you lost? If it does, WOOT!
THATS right! it was called warcraft exposed!
man it’s been a while
Great tip, I vaguely remember reading it back in the day I think lol. I’ve done it a few times but if for some reason you don’t have a “buffing” alt or simply can’t log back in fast enough, you could always ask someone else nearby. I always remember getting whispers on my priest when I was in Ironforge and what not for Fort and SP from twinks about to slip into a bg. Some were rude and I didn’t bother but those who asked nicely I was more than happy to help, it’s not like it was a huge effort on my part lol. If you’re leveling and stop by a major city or town, just take a look around and if there’s anyone there who could buff you just ask nicely and see if they will before you head back out to give you that little edge.
That actually reminds me. For a period of 2 weeks, i was harassed by like 20 different people, demanding i buff them.
I was a hunter…
This doesnt work with the mac
On a mac. alt-cmd-Q
I remember this too. Found Gav from wowhobbs.blogspot.com back in the day.
I Still use this trick when I remember to… I also know (i dont do it) that you can join a BG, get buffed, then leave. it’s risky, as you are flaged PvP, but it’s a quick way to get a lot of buffs… so I hear.
i remember, good times, good times…
your most recent article is having some display issues
Wow that is from way back I think that is one of the first tips I got from Gavin. Way back before I cared a thing about raiding because I wa still trying to figure out the leveling , what caharacter used what armor, weapons and what not. I actually think my warrior had spell power armor back then lol.
An oldie, but a goodie, I still use it, but not all the time, a pain to keep the buffer close to the action so the buffie doesn’t have to spend so much time traveling.