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Almost 2 years ago…I tried World of Warcraft. It was pretty cool and I played it for several months.
Now they have a new version…and a 10 day free trial.
I joined up and got my old characters out (Nastajia human paladin, Ashenheart elven druid, and Paddington…he’s a dwarf)
It’s no different that I can tell. And I’m still bored just running around with no one else to hang out with.
I’ve tried guilds in the past…but they’re just no use and no fun.
Has anyone else played it or is still playing it? What’re your thoughts?
I have 5 days left…so i’m trying to find a reason to keep playing.
Discussion (80) ¬
I’ve never been a fan of MMORPGs, personally. If I really like a game, I tend to play it through to the end as fast as I can – and you can see the problem there, straight away, right? 😀
An awful lot of people get hooked on MMORPGs, and I’m not going to be one of them 🙂
***
Still loving the underwater sequences, BTW. Had to laugh when Alex said Paddington looks like a whale – I’d thought the exact same thing 🙂
I’ll get hooked temporarily, then lose interest after a few days. I could ony stand an MMORPG if it was free ’cause I’ll play on and off… I love them, though. If you find something like that that is free (or has a trial longer than ten days for college kids with little spare time), I’ll join and play.
Don’t look for reasons to play. Just don’t play it. I played obsessively for a year and it nearly ruined my relationship. MMORPGs are fun and all but it’s best not to get sucked into that sort of thing when you have other hobbies (ie comic) and people that need your attention 🙂
Therefore, all games I play from now on shall have endings. Er, except maybe Spore XD
I can pretty much relate to Sarah’s comments… cept my Girlfriend got hooked too, and it started hurting our grades (college is too expensive to mess around like that). After about a year, we called it quits and realized just how much we’d been missing.
It’s a form of entertainment, but one that you feel obligated to play (once you start making tons of friends on there). It can be detramental to things in [real] life that you never thought would be damaged (e.g., friendships that may have been tenuously held together before, due to little communication, or lack of desire to ‘go out’ and be in the ‘real world’… to enjoy it). Not to mention that I USE to way about 150, of pure, grade A [butt kicking] muscle… I was in perfect condition from martial arts and training… after about a year of constant ‘lack-of-upkeep’, I now hardly see any resemblance of my previous form 🙁 .
I’ve not only seen it hurt me and my girlfriend, but I’ve also seen it hurt [real life] friends that ended up not going to college or missing high profile job interviews due to lack of sleep (and the subsequent over sleeping the interview).
You may not have an addictive personality, and that’s cool, but neither do I. I’ve quite a multitude of habit forming things before… and nothing had been as bad as the MMO-withdrawl… I’d sit down at the computer and instead of writing or drawing or doing homework, I’d instictly already start logging in.
Long story short: please don’t start… your fans would miss you 😛
Also… if at all possible… make that ‘congratulations, you’ve won a free xbox 360’ ad dissappear >.>. And lovely page, today 🙂
Can’t wait for Spore…umm yea MMO’s..they can become your 2nd job…and if you’re very addicted they can be your main job…except you don’t get paid.
I suggest you try Lord of the Rings Online [I played beta and I hated it but some people like it], EVE-Online [good game but not for everyone], Vanguard [good, and requires a good system]…I’m personally looking forward to a game called Darkfall it’s going to revolutionize MMO’s.
Then theres games like Pirates of the Burning Sea [will come out in a couple months], and theres Warhammer Online which looks really cool.
Anyways theres a couple of good games that are better than World of Warcraft and might hold your interest longer. I don’ know about LotRO but EVE-Online has a 15 day trial. Good luck…also check out a game caled Ryzome…its pertty good and interesting, and you can play an unlimited amount of time but you’re limited on levels/skills [cuz its a skill system] and ure limited to staying on the noobie island.
The key to enjoying an MMO is to have someone you play with. My girlfriend and I play together and it is loads of fun. If we don’t want to get dressed up and go out and are feeling lazy we hop on wow and Quest, go on dungeons and just goof around. It’s a great way to blow time. It can get boring when you have no one to play with though, so if thats not an option just nix the whole idea as it would be a waste of time and money
Would you believe that I found this comic because of WoW? Word of mouth is a powerful thing! 😉
Anyway…There’s a lot of negativity about MMOs here, and they’re not without merit. They’re addictive, and they can get in the way of a lot. However, from what I’ve seen you’re immensely dedicated to this comic and I doubt something like WoW would get in the way of that. Whereas people stay on WoW because they have people that are important to them there…your important people are all right here, right?
As for enjoyment…well…not to sound like an enormous geek, but have you ever tried role-playing? I’ve played the game for over three years now and thoroughly exhausted the content (my druid’s put down her fair share of elemental lords and dragon princes), but with role-play you’re a part of something that has the potential to keep on developing and changing. It’s a love for my character, who she is and the ongoing story surrounding her that keeps me coming back to WoW — not the “phat lewtz” or the PvP or anything else. It makes the game last much longer, and best of all it doesn’t require a massive time commitment. 😉
I know some people will look at those 3 years and gasp in horror and say, “You’ve wasted all that time!”, but it’s how you manage your time that counts. I graduated high school just fine, my grades in college are perfectly stable, and I’m lined up for a job in a gaming company when I’m finished. I offer this because roleplaying helped me develop my creative side and gave me inspiration as a writer and an artist, and made the game a FAR more enjoyable experiance than simply killing 12 wolves for a stack of healing potions and 200xp.
Oy. My 2 cents turned into 2 dollars. Sorry about that.
I’m on City of Heroes (much more fun, IMO) for 2 years now.
And in a small supergroup (guild) of people with common interests.
But, real-life is a priority. Always.
I’m still playing WoW.
The expansion added the 2 new races and a whole load of new content for the 61-70 level range, but the bulk of the game (original 8 races and 60 levels) has hardly changed at all.
Drop me an email if you feel inclined to see if we can hook up. All my main characters are on Dalaran, and I am in the UK so my play time will be pretty weird, but I’m game for seeing if we can find some activity you find fun.
(Of course I realise I am setting myself up for a big fall here if you become an addict and stop making Dreamland so I’ll be keeping an eye on you!)
It really helps to have a group of people to hang out with and run around with, especially in WoW where group content plays such an important role. Without that it really feels pointless, and I think that’s what you’re experiencing right now. My real-life friends and I (including the one who introduced me to this comic) play Alliance side on Maelstrom, and we’re very laid back and just like to have a good time. You’re welcome to check us out if you like.
That said, MMORPGs aren’t for everyone. This post sounds like you’re trying to figure out why it doesn’t appeal to you when so many people play it, and the answer is that it doesn’t matter- if you’re not into it, you’re not into it.
I play WoW with my fiancee (and Presmer ^_^) and while it does take up some time, we find it a cheaper way to spend time together than spending 40 bucks on a movie and dinner.
Also, most of our friends play WoW and it’s a great way to keep in touch with them. We still hang out with them in real time, but they live far and during the week, hanging out somewhere is not an option. It’s great to be able to log in and quest with them or just chat.
The best thing to do is find a group of people you enjoy hanging out with. Not necessarily in WoW, but any MMO. The socializing is what makes a game more fun.
Well I mainly play because I have a lot of friends playing, and I’m part of an amazing guild with a lot of fun people… I guess it’s just ‘escaping to another world’, I don’t know… I love the game though…
I would suggest you find someone to play with though, I was insanely bored leveling up on my own, but with two people it goes much faster, and it’s way more fun 🙂
Yeah, I had the same kind of experience as Sarah, Bryan and the others over the past year. In the last 3 weeks I’ve uninstalled it and no longer have the discs to reinstall it if I ever got the ‘urge’. The game is very addictive but very linear at the same time and the new things that they brought in with the expansion just weren’t worth the money I spent on it. My personal advice would be to just dump the thing and get a few good books, a Wii or a 360, addictive as well but easier to turn off or put down when you say… have to go to college in the rain… very easy to not go otherwise 😛
Dont bother, WoW is a huge timesink like all other mmos. Its popularity also has turned into a hugely sanitized game with hardly any end game content. And to get to some of the best parts “Raid” content requires really a level of competitive play that is no longer fun. Any accomplishement you create someone has done it greater or has copied, A literal world of copycat hero’s into the millions. I think friends and the whole social thing is a poor excuse to play as well mainly because it doesn’t matter how great your friends are if the game sucks. Oh there is some glory to be had but the way the game is set up any action you take will not have any affect on the world whatsoever, in the end you’ll find yourself charging into SW or org looking for some fun. I played this game way too much , explored every possible avenue for fun, waited months for things that should have there on opening day. In the end its not worth your time when you could be creating something great versus playing something substandard.
I like MMOs sometimes. I just don’t like spending $40.00-50.00 and it’s only good for a month unless I pay $15.00 continually forever just to play it. I took up Guild Wars instead. Fun game and pay once. I put it down for about 6 months and logged right back in a couple weeks ago.
Only MMO I paid money to play was Puzzle Pirates and it was worth the $25.00 for 4 months (partially because the game itself is free. You only pay to get a lot of the extra stuff.)
I still play WoW, but fortunately (or unfortunately…) I raid, so it’s a little more intense. It’s really difficult to start playing without any friends, so if you know people who play, it’s a little easier to start on the same server with them.
But to be honest, if you aren’t having fun now, there’s no reason to keep playing. It’s a time and a money sink and you’re honestly better off without it.
If you want, go ahead and try the new race, you can play a paladin if you want, since that’s what you’re used to. Maybe you’ll like the draenei better?
The social aspect of MMOGs’ is the key, one that several people miss. I know several people who are virtual loners – they log in, do a few quests by themselves, maybe duel with some other people, and that’s about it. They could be members of large guilds, but don’t use the guild for more then a fancy chat room.
My friends and I fell into the same trap the first time we played WoW, shortly after it was released. We created our own guild, but played by ourselves and just used guild chat as a means to keep in touch. We started playing WoW again about a month before Burning Crusade was released, with a different approach to how we play. We get together during the weekends and occationally on weekday evenings after work, and do a few quests or attempt to complete an instance. And doing this is a lot more enjoyable then playing the game by myself.
The same’s true for guilds; just being a member of a guild isn’t enough, you need to actively participate in the guild – help other players obtain items they need for quests, group with them to complete group quests, go on instances with them. This way you can make new friends.
But it’s also important to keep all things in consideration; if you don’t feel that you’re getting $15 a month worth of entertainment out of a subscription-based MMO, cancel your subscription and stop playing.
On a side note, at the lower levels you won’t find much new with the expansion. Aside from the two new races and 1-10 and 10-20 level range zones for each of them, most of the new content from the expansion is in the 60-70 level range.
-Aurilia, Blood Elf Priest, Gilneas server
The problem with wow is that it has no sense of comunity.
The reason i have quit playing is basicly the same as you.
I’v tried a few guilds, leveled to 60. But it just gets boring.
Also trying the 10 day trail. And it’s fun to see the new races and all. But the game is still the same, so no real reason to continue after the 10 days are over.
I’v also played a game with player owned houses, no level restrictions. (not naming the game to prevent agruements)
And even though it didnt look as good as wow, it kept my interest for way longer then wow did.
I eventualy got borred with that too though 🙂
I’m fairly transient when it comes to MMO’s, always looking for a better game. But what ever game I play, I play it with my brother and 2 RL friends. We join guids here and there, but we are always on the same game. That’s what keeps me playing. MMO’s are no fun without good friends to play with imo.
Ammet – 64 BE Paladin – Drak’Thul
Thorfin – 61 Orc Hunter – Drak’Thul
I think it’s best when you have either someone to play along with or a guild that is more interested in helping each other out to complete quests and such as opposed to individual interests. Example, I play with a bunch of other people and we all are enforcers for Penny Arcade. To me it wouldn’t be worth it without the people I have to keep me company (and share my stupid mistakes with). 🙂
You should create a Blood Elf character or Draenie Character to enjoy the new features. Unless you have some lvl 60’s that you can go all the way to the new places. You should also try your hand on the new characters with jewel crafting.
My suggestion… if you want someone to play with… Go on The Underbog server for alli and my characters are there (Hetlevahn) it is pvp. Or go to Sargearas for horde and I’ll play with you on there. (Dastot, LittleShawn). That also is a PvP. Or if you want just a normal experience without fighting the opposite group go on a normal server like Llane. I have horde chracters (Dastot, LittleShawn) I like how I’m able to name my characters the same thing as long as they are in different servers.
I don’t play WoW. I’ve been a player since I was 6 or 7, when I ran off to the amusement arcade without my parents knowing of it, I’ve had my own computer since I was 13 or so, I’ve played tabletop RPGs and simulations etc, and a lot more. (I think that gives me 30 years of gaming experience, lol! Anyone who can issue a PhD or other diploma for me? 🙂 )
When I was in Uni, I played a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon/Dimension), which is similar to MMORPG but text-based. It did take a lot of time, yes, but the worst part for me was when I bored out of it (since the creators kept raising and raising the bar to clearing all levels), was the abstinence when quitting!!! I never thought there could be anything like that for a simple COMPUTER GAME! But I’ll tell you, it was anguish and quite tough sometimes. Fortunately, I had character to just shrug that off and let it [ebb out] (sry forgot the Eng. word/expression I’m looking for).
It can be compared to what you feel as an athlete/sportsman if you get injured and can’t train for a while. That’s also a very frustrating and sometimes depressing feeling.
Nowadays, I think more than twice before I begin playing any new game, because I know that IF I like it, I’m gonna play it A LOT. So I’m very selective with new games.
So, in short – don’t find a reason, Scott – keep writing new TDC adventures instead! 🙂 Find yourself another game that is easier to “play for fun” and just shut down for weeks or months (or forever) without any frustration as a result.
Besties,
/Bezman
Comment on today’s comic: I don’t think being underwater is NEARLY as weird as having a tail instead of legs, but maybe that’s just me (I know that’s what Alex meant – it’s just odd that he mentions underwater instead of the tail).
My husband and I mainly play Everquest 2 (good game, you might check out their trial too), but lately we’ve been playing a little WoW for a change in pace. We’re on Gnomeregan (PVE) at the moment and still lowbies. Look for Kethaera.
The thing I like about MMOs are that, even for the two of us, a month’s subscription is cheaper than most forms of entertainment, and we get far more value out of it for the cost. We don’t have cable TV or watch movies much. Also, we have a new baby, so it’s a way to get out and socialize without having to drag a potentially fussy baby out of the house. It definitely helps having someone to play with, though.
Big NO to WoW! I played it but stopped before the expansion, which apparently was not all that great anyway. Try the EverQuest 2 trial (you could play a faerie with little wings 😀 ) or EVE Online (make *sure* you do the tutorial). Either of those games have a way better community than WoW and both are casual-friendly.
And Kethaera, yes, MMOs are fantastic entertainment – my guy and I both play and it is far cheaper than going out to the movies!
Bah.
Lord of the Rings Online. 4 years in development. Best. Quest. System. Ever. Play as heroes, or play as a monster (orcs, Uruks, etc.) in total PvP battles. There is no substitute!
‘Nuff said.
Question, Scott…which server? And there’s already a Dreamland WoW party?
Alex> 30Paladin LFG!
I play WOW and GW. I and my family use them as substitutes for TV. I’ve met people from all around the world playing both. You can overdo it, like most things. I also have other activities. Having someone else to “buddy” with does help, but a lot can be done “solo” in the games if you just want to explore. If it is Not fun for you, then don’t obligate yourself.
I found I just had to comment today. Usually I’m far too busy to do more than read the day’s comic and main blog. 🙂 But this was a topic I’ve often struggled with myself.
The demographics in the comments here are very interesting. Ranging from college w/ significant other, to those with kids, on up to people like me with 30+ years experience playing these things.
For me, I have a wife, three kids and a part-time home business, plus I tend to be somewhat obsessive/compulsive when it comes to any type of game. I have to learn every nuance, every trick, every strategy to win the game. Because of that, these MMORPG’s are not a good fit for me. (YMMV)
But I’ve learned over the years that time is precious and you should do what you enjoy. Don’t waste your only unretrievable commodity, your time, on something you obviously are not really into doing.
Anyway, enough of the soap-box. My kids and I enjoy your comic. So whatever else you do… Keep on publishing. 😉
What Lorin said, don’t try to force yourself to like it, you’ll just hate it more.
That said, what server? 😀
i play on and off. i tend to get really addicted to RPG’s so there are times when i have to just back off to get some work done.
but… if you’re ever kicking around on the Khaz Modan server look up Yuna. she’d be happy to play with you. 🙂
The only online game I play is Call of Duty 3.
I’ve been trying to stay away from it, since I have so much work to do, but man, I do love that game.
I can’t imagine how people have the time to invest in something like WOW.
WOW!
🙂
Thanks all for the great comments and feedback.
Here’s a quick response to general interests…
1) I do not have a particularly addictive personality. So I can come and go as I please.
I DO like to finish what I started though. So I like to see things end.
2) I played City of Heroes as well. I really liked it. Same situation though. Without friends playing with you…it’s boring running around by yourself.
3) I will NOT….EVER let a game or anything like that disrupt Dreamland. So don’t worry about that. But thanks for your concern.
4) Nastajia Level 43 Human Paladin on Hyjal
Paddington Level 17 Warrior Dwarf on Lightbringer
Ashenheart level 23 Elf Druid on Dark Iron
5) I have also been playing the game Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth. That’s pretty fun. Like Star Craft and original Warcraft.
6) I work all day on Dreamland and my animated projects and then at night…once the kids are at bed…I play for a couple hours and such.
I find that having a game is SOOOO much better than just watching tv or browsing the web. It’s at least thought provoking and interactive.
Finding the RIGHT game though…it’s like trying to find a good novel I think. It’s sometimes hit and miss.
I look forward to maybe meeting you all online somehow in some game. I think that would be fun to have a Dreamland Guild one day.
🙂
So glad you’re enjoying the underwater pages too. These were SO fun to do.
I better get back to finishing book 2. It looks like I’ll be going to San Diego COmic COn. ANd I want to get the book printed in time for that.
Yay!
I almost lost my girlfriend over WoW. I was coming home from work, playing for 10 hours, sleeping 2 or 3 and giong back to work. It was pretty bad. I couldn’t live without it. Even at work i’d spend all night looking on the net at stuff about WoW. Same thing happened when EQ first came out. I almost failed high school, and lost a girlfriend over it..
I just quit WoW myself almost a week ago I played it for 2 years, since it came out really. It was fun playing along side my friends and fiance. but we all got bored and my friends and fiance lefted before me. I finally left cause it sucked me dry of funds and raiding even got boring to me. If your running around bored like I did don’t play the game.
There are other games to lose your soul to >.>
TOTALLY not worth it. No game is worth paying a monthly fee.
Seriously.
Try Guild Wars – similar, but you only have to buy the game once.
Well im on a Roleplayer server and what keep me going there is the guild and some friend here and there.
The new exspanion (burning crusade) is more for the peopel wanting to makea draenei or bloodelf or wanan do jewel craftong or the playersa at lvl 60 really that can now get up to 70 in outland.. nothing more new really
thou the druids got fligth form in outland that pritty cool i made a new char druid just to get there…
If you want to stary find a rp server find some good peopel to chat too and try to enoy it^^
Im on steemwheedle cartel (europ) of you want you can try get contact im on the aliance side… Aylà h, Vipera, Miahellà and Genevive
WoW is a lot of fun, provided you can play with people you like. My husband and I play together, and as was mentioned previously, it’s a heckuva lot cheaper for 1 month of WoW than for 1 night at the movies…. and we don’t have to find a babysitter 😀
I *do* have a relatively addictive personality, and I played a whole lot more EverQuest than I ever should have, but with WoW it’s much easier to have a balance (imo). It’s easier to log in and get something accomplished in a shorter amount of time, you don’t have to dedicate 6 or 10 or even 24 hours to “raid” like some of EQ’s content.
I play alliance on Bloodhoof, my main is Calalene, but I have a multitude of alts of different levels that are available for playing with new folks 😀
If you like thought provoking games, play Uru Live:
http://www.mystonline.com/
The trial (free) mode lasts forever and allows you to access two or three worlds. Full mode allows you to access all worlds (currently there are 12, new areas and content are added weekly).
Besides, it’s part of the Gametap service, so you get hundreds of other games to play while waiting for content to be added (more games added every month, sometimes they’re even good ;-)). If you pay for one year you get to play almost 900 different games, including Uru Live and Sam and Max (that have new content/episodes added regularly) for the price you’d pay for two normal games in a store.
About the above comment – I mentioned paying for one year because you get a great discount. If you pay monthly, it’s more expensive than two normal games.
Ive been playing WoW for 3 years now. I dont pay with anybody in IRL but the guild I am in ive been with for 2.5 years and hang with them on ventrilo(which i own for the guild) at night on a daily basis for the most part. The game itself is fun, when you have people to play with or what not. Thats the whole part of a MMO. I have a 70 NE warrior, 62 gnome rogue, 61 dwarf priest, and a 51 tauren shaman. The alliance characters are on Bloodscalp, the horde character is on Dunemaul, which a couple of us from my guild on Bloodscalp rolled a couple horde about 7 months ago. All in all its a fun game as long as u have people to roll with.
Well, alot of what people have said about MMOs are true. Addictive, time consuming, and you feel obligated to play due to one thing or another. It’s okay to play them, if you can stop yourself when you need to get things done. Though, it helps alot if you’ve alot of free time onyour hands, like me. =) You just have to know when to stop.
I don’t usually comment…been reading for a while and since I play WoW a lot, thought I’d say something.
WoW = not fun alone. Really, it’s not. The only reason I still play is cos I have RL buddies to hang out with in it.
If you don’t have friends that play with you, the game is pointless, unless you spend the time to get to know people in game. I have made maybe one of two really good friends through the game in the years I’ve played it. That’s not a lot and yeah it took time.
For the most part, you are better off playing console games xD I play WoW as I wait for a good console RPG to come out — whenever that is… :[
If you want a good CRPG that is NOT an MMO, try to find Planescape: Torment, which is probably the best ever, or the Baldur’s Gate series, which are also pretty good 🙂
And they finish 😀
Well I’d have to agree with H wow alone is not fun even if it’s just so you have people to talk to and socialise with having a guild helps but real life friends are better I myself started off with just one friend in the game and now through the guild my mate and I joined I have 40 new friends I’ve not yet met it’s great.
Another thing is don’t play non stop talk about killing something with love if you play it too often it gets boring you start missing out on opportunities in life such as going out with mates I started like that playing non stop everyday and it got to me so I took a 4 month break because I had enough now I’ve been back for 8 months and I play casual very casual I have my lvl 70 my flying mount attunements to the good instances great gear just from playing one day a weekend like a sunday and here and there during the week when I have nothing better to do.
Then of course WoW might just not be for you the game might be popular but that doesn’t mean it appeals to everyone.
Each to their own. Really, people, lets remind ourselves that many games are good.. Weither if its WoW, Guild Wars, Ever Quest, etc. Its the preference we have and our effort that counts and makes the game enjoyable or a complete torture. I play both World of Warcraft and Guild Wars, UO, and some one person shooter game alternativly so I dont get bored playing one game infinitly. Many good games I know will ALWAYS have negative sides to it and sooner or later… We all will get tired of certain games. No matter how good it is. If you enjoyed it for awhile, well… Thats the whole point of it.
Just a peice of my thought. Dont shoot me. lol
I love the last panel. I’m amused by Paddington underwater with tail. Hopefully we’ll see more of him underwater later on. 🙂
Hey i’m new to the comic but I have a 56 Human Paladin and a 52 Gnome warlock. it’s all right playing alone but i like it better playing with my fiance we play on Elune.
Warcraft is a game you basically just play with friends; if you don’t have any friends (be they RL friends or online friends) who play, you’re going to get pretty bored so I wouldn’t bother unless you know some people who also want to try it. 🙂
I played WoW when it came out then quit, picked it back up with the expansion and quit again. I joined a guild but it just didn’t feel like my character was making an impact on the game world.
If you enjoy Battle for Middle-Earth and those types, have you tried Command and Conquers, Warhammer:Dawn of Wars or Age of Empires? Always found tactical games fun.
Heh – I’ll throw my 2cents in as well.
I love WoW. I’ve been playing solidly for 2+ years now. Personally, it has helped me through some rather tough times. It’s been far better to take my frustrations out on helps Murlocs than on my Family. And, while my boyfriend does not play, he does not lack for entertainment since he likes standing over my shoulder watching and inserting cheeky one-liners about the characters.
But I have to really watch my play time. It is very addicting. But I do make time for my life and my work. And when deadline hits – I make sure my parental controls are set so that I don’t get caught in that “I’ll just do one more thing” mode. ^.^
One of the things I love about WoW is that I can play with my friends instead of agents them. I’m not one for PvP. Getting into a guild with like-minded players and/or RL friends is a big plus to this game. While we don’t “raid” (my main guild is not large enough to support the raid content), we do try and dungeon run at least one a week. The teamwork and the comradery we’ve built up has been joyful and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
If you find yourself on Muradin or Eldre’Thalas, feel free to look me up.
Blanc – MinionsOfTheFickleMuse – Muradin (Alliance)
Kitzal – Invaders of the Pass – Eldre’Thalas (Horde)
My comic shop has four or five networked computers that groups can play together on, whether it’s WoW, City of Heroes or City of Villains (or anything else). While playing somewhere other than at home might not be an option, you could always meet people to play with there and make arrangements to play together at times that are more convenient to you.
“But sire, what if the Kraken comes back?”
“That’s why we have a human with elven plate and a five foot sword.”
I’ve played Wow for about a year, and I can honestly say that it can be boring at times, which means you either try something different, or stop playing until you feel like picking it up again. Personnally, if your looking for a lot of fun and variety, I’d choose a role-playing server. You should pick one and then mention it here and those of us who do play can join you for a bit of adventure =P
My husband got me into it last year shortly after we quit EverQuest2 (due to the amount of time one had to put into the game). I like WOW because I can solo it and it doesn’t take alot of time, which is great b/c I can quit or go afk when the baby wakes. Ususally I either just solo or group with my husband. But for me the reason I enjoy it is b/c I don’t have to group or join a guild, not much for it unless my hubby’s is with me so he can take the lead. My hubby likes to play WOW b/c of the ‘capture the flag’ arena challenge. Recently we both started toons on a PvP server, that has made it a little more interesting.
It’s interesting how many responses you got when you mentioned Warcraft. I played for about 10 months and got sick of the drama. The people that play that game (for the most part, not everyone), are the most immature people I’ve ever encountered. The game was designed to be easy… what I mean is that it’s geared more towards kids of the 10 to 20 age range. If you like MMORPGs, but can’t come up with good reasons to stay with Warcraft, pick another one. Everquest and Vanguard are pretty good. Vanguard is a bit buggy still as it just came out in January, but it’s a very pretty game and there are more things to do than just run around bored and aimless.
I just recently picked up Everquest 2 (it’s been out for more than 3 years), and I wondered why I ever bothered with WoW.
Thanks again all!
I do have another question.
What’s a ROLE PLAYING SERVER?
I thought there was only PVP and PVE?
I play wow as well, and I got started because of my fiance. At the time, he was living two hours away, and we couldnt see eachother more than once or twice a month. Both of us being gamers, we got copies of WOW so we could have something to do together since we couldnt go see each other all the time.
Wow can be a good thing, is one knows how to use it right. Playing it in moderation is the key. And, you never know who you are going to meet on there. I have made a few friends in WOW and discovered how some friends i have out of WOW truely are.
Don’t give up because you solo alot, I do too, which is extreamly tough when you play a priest. You dont have to share the loot if you solo lol. And you know what you yourself is capable off.
If you ever want someone to run with on Kul Tiras Server, Look up the Five Oaks Guild (on Horde side) . My priest, Arodwen, and my sister’s hunter are always willing to help others out. That goes for my Alliance Character too, Araceli. Look me up if ya need help
If all else fails try dungeons and dragons online. The social system is nice and everyone is always willing to help out. Then again the crowd there is more mature, because a lot of them are old pen and paper users, so they know whats needed to have a sucessful party. Once you join depending on what class you take you will get invites to join parties roughly 30 minutes into playing.
If you ask me, MMOs just aren’t as fun soloing as they are with friends. Starting up a character or two with someone you know and like makes a huge difference, especially if you’re learning together as you go. So, that’s my advice. If you can find someone to be a noob with you, you might get a lot more enjoyment out of the game because of the shared experience.
With regards to comments about the ‘drama’ in the game, it’s very, very easy to ignore. Just ignore the idiots. There are plenty of decent people playing beneath the loud layer of obnoxious idiots.
As for the question about server types… servers generally fall in to two categories: PVP and PVE. On the PVP servers, you’ll be able to attack (and be attacked by) enemy players when in contested territory while you’d usually be safe in those areas (unless you choose otherwise) on PVE servers. RP servers come in both varieties (RP is a type of PVE (Normal) server while RPPVP is, well, yeah…) Anyway, RP servers will enforce naming conventions (Wtfbubble and Yourmom wouldn’t be allowed, for instance) and encourage players to interact ‘In Character’ and roleplay with each other within the context of their environment.
Really, though, having someone (maybe even a few someones for when one isn’t available) to play with makes a huge difference for me.
Woohoo, Kraken!!! That’s so cool!!! Maybe it’ll puke up Jack while they’re there.
If you make a guy on Deathwing – Hord give me a shought /tell Mistix 🙂 or on Kal’hazod – Alliance I am also a casual player so I may not be on but if you catch me on we could quest together since its not fun unless yah have a pal to do stuff with 🙂
Horatio’s moustache has me staring, lol. Sorta like:
MOLEY MOLEY MOLEY MOOOLLLEEEE!!!! from Austin Powers.
Credentials :
I’ve played the game since release with a short 4 month break. I have several high level characters and 90% the game memorized. I also don’t like guilds.
Suggestions :
Either get 3-4 good friends who have the same or close play schedule as you or try another game. I have 4 friends that I play with a few nights a week and it’s great.
Closing Opinions :
Large guilds suck.
Small guilds are tons of fun.
I’ve played Warcraft on and off from beta, and I gotta say, you’re the only one who can tell if you’re going to enjoy the game. You obviously can stand the mechanics, if you’ve gotten a character above level 40, though.
As for finding people to play with, you just have to find a good guild or find people you like online. I’ve tried being in a bunch of different guilds and it took a lot of time till i found one i liked. However, the surefire way to find people or guilds you’ll like is to run instances. If you don’t like soloing, you can level entirely in instances. (Those are the dungeons that you go into with a group of five people) Go with Nastajia and run Zul’Farrak a couple times before you decide if you’re going to quit or not. You might meet some cool people that you run with! Plus, it’s just a fun time in there.
Remember, just ask in the general channel if anyone wants to group up for quests or dungeons. Just get out there and meet people. There are some idiots out there, but there are also really nice people. Just /friend every nice person you come across and contact them when you need, and soon you’ll never find yourself leveling alone again!
I played WoW on my flatmates game for him and got bored within a few days. I prefer NeverWinter Nights (1 and 2)….because you can play it single player, and therefore stop whenever you want…but also have the choice to go online (for free), join with a group of like minded people in a guild and play like that. They also do expansion packs with new stories in (the two for nwn1 were fantastic) and you can make your own and download other peoples. People rate them on the places you can download them from so you can tell which are good ones.
Having to pay to play online puts me off WoW a LOT.
My husband and I got it the day it first came out and we’ve been playing it since. I wouldn’t call us “hooked.” I’m holding up my straight As in Uni and he’s working and we still have time to be together outside of the game. Some people do get hooked, though, and that’s a shame. Life’s too short. But it is a lot of fun to play on weekends. Maybe we don’t get “our money’s worth,” but we enjoy the game and we can certainly afford it, so that’s really not a big deal. We’re willing to pay to play something we both enjoy doing together.
Guilds are a matter of opinion. Personally, I’ve never liked them much. I hate the feeling of obligation – that I have to be on at a certain time for a raid or something like that. So I’ve just made my own guild with a couple friends and we just chat while we do our own thing in the game. My husband, on the other hand, loves guilds. He has a lot of friends in his and they raid quite a bit. So for him, guilds are great. It just depends on your personality, I think.
As for you personally, if you don’t like the game – don’t play it. You don’t have to like everything that comes your way or that other people are playing en masse. Plenty of people like it and plenty of people don’t. Luckily, there are tons of games in the world and of just about every form so there’s bound to be something out there that you would enjoy.
I can personally recommend Guild Wars to all you people out there that like playing with other people but don’t feel it’s worth it to throw your entire life away for a game.
Guild Wars has an ending. You can still play on after that and it’s tons of fun. But there is a storyline that ends with you beating the main villain.
It has the most balanced and casual friendly PvP of any MMO. You can instantly create a lvl 20 character with maxed items and just have fun. You can’t use this character to do PvE but for messing around in PvP it’s great!
There’s no monthly fee. It’s one of those things you can just buy and play whenever you feel like it.
It’s quite easy to get maxed equipment. Thus no need to grind instances and reputation for hours. If you just play the normal storyline you’ll have more then enough resources to get maxed items. After that you can however still save up money and buy yourself ascended armors. These have exactly the same stats as normal armors but they look 10 times cooler :D.
Guild Wars is the MMO for having some casual fun. It’s like going to a bar. You just go there, have some fun and leave when you feel like it. Other MMOs usually are more like jobs, in order for them to have some meaning you have to log on everyday and play various hours a day.
I can seriously recommend it for everyone feeling that most MMOs suck up too much time and require too much dedication.
What makes mmos fun are the people. If you don’t have any friends, they’re just going to be an rpg that you can’t beat. A lot of people lose control with them and their “real life” suffers because of it. This is possible, as the games are structured like a narcotic. Over time it takes a larger and larger time investment to get the same result. There is a popular bias, that interpersonal relationships formed online are somehow “not real”. I met my wife in an MMO (we didn’t start dating until long after we’d both quit, but we met and became friends in the MMO). Two brides’ maids at our wedding were friends made in MMOs. When you quit an MMO and look back at it, you won’t miss the game play, you’ll miss the people you met. You’ll miss the social interaction.
I say just let it go and stop playing. I know that It can be fun but the price you pay withyour time is too much. I have seen that game suck me sister’s life away and thats all she does now. She used to be much more fun but now she just sits there playing. I’ve played it and it is enjoyable in short bursts with people you know however thats just a silly thing to do when you have to pay monthly. Also my roommate ONLY plays FFXI and hes such a big loser that NEVER goes out to party and his social skills are terrible. Seriously he is wasting his life. I think that game has broken his sense of fun.
Scott, as nobody else has answered yet, there are currently 4 types of realm in WoW.
“Normal” is PVE with (almost) no non-consensual PvP
“PvP” you are familiar with.
“RP” is basically “Normal” but they get a bit upset if you are out of character (except on the general channel it seems, although this may be restricted to the noob zones – only played to level 7!)
“RPPvP” is as “RP” but with non-consensual PvP thrown in just for good measure.
I hope this answers your question.
All the realms’ modes are listed in the list when you click “Change Realm” on the char selection screen.
The ‘RP’ thing is a bit misleading… I played on Shadow Council (an RP server), and while some people did the whole ‘in character thing’, I found that about 90% of the people there never actually roleplayed… BUT, instead, I found (due to being in a guild that was a part of a vast guild alliance system), quite a few of the players (I’d guess around 60% or so) were above the age of 25.
With that said: while I was playing the game, I found many more mature players on that particular server due to this age difference. Granted, there were many exceptions, but compared to the other servers I had played on previously, there was a lot less… ‘jerk-ish/elitist/disfunct’ behavior and attitudes.
I know it seems like I’m generalizing, but if you want, you can even goto ” http://www.facesofwow.com/gallery/ ” and see small fraction of the age gap on server. All I know is: it’s a much more favorable experience playing with people that can make coherent sentences instead of inane 1337-speak and reprehensible racial/obscene slurs.
That is, if you still intend to play 😛
I’ve played WoW since the beginning, I was a NE Druid on a normal server but soon I found out that it gets boring fast.
Then I got a Gnome on a RP server and that’s alot more fun!
Walking around in Stormwind,Drinking Ale with your friends,…
About guilds, well I’m in the ‘Gnomish Rescue Squad’ we can perfectly mix just questing and RP, and when it’s a small guild where you really know the other members it’s more fun to do things with the whole guild.
But WoW is very addicting, I’ve been gone for quite a while and I really missed my in Game friends.
Just to add onto what was said earlier about RP servers, and what they are about. On an RP server Horde and Alliance players cannot attack one another without the players voluntarily toggling themselves open to PvP actions.
Also there is an effort by some players to speak “in character” to one another while talking out loud. Whether that means forming a backstory and group like a tabletop dice game and questing together with the game as GM or just speaking in faux-fantasy parlance when interacting with another player varies. You will find more bowing and emoting on RP servers, with RP occuring in larger cities as character of friends play out their scenes.
I find the players in RP servers more mature and its a lot easier to quest with friends without being camped by a 14 year old who just wants to kill other players from the safety of his mother’s basement while laughing and slaughtering the English language.
And as for getting back into it, try the Blood Elf or Draenei. Their 1-20 zones are self contained and offer an immersive quest line with nice rewards and a story to boot.
I like how these have been averaging 10 to 20 comments each. Ask a question about WoW, and get 75 comments. You know your demographic, Scott.
* your reader’s demographic
Entropia Universe, formerly known as Project Entropia, is a free-to-download and free-to-play MMPORPG that seems to be entirely skill-based as far as leveling goes. Oh, and you can link a real world bank account to your in-game bank account and do fixed-rate conversions between the two — IN EITHER DIRECTION. That’s right, if you happen to have a truckload of in-game currency, you can convert it to real-world money.
MUDs are similar, usually free… I play Achaea, which is freemium. They make money by selling in-game artefacts, such as better weapons and objects with unique powers, but there’s plenty for people who never spend a dime
Look up skinner boxes some time. WOW (and a lot of other mmorpgs) use them way too much. It basically taps into any tiny part of you that might enjoy gambling (or at least be stimulated by it) and grabs you with that. Mostly you won’t enjoy skinner boxes, but you will find yourself unable to stop-classic addiction symptoms.