World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

[Cyric]

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/

 

This arrives in November/ December this year, practically at our door steps already. The sheer size of this mmo still staggers me it's even got a bigger population than Guildwars and Eve. (w00t)

 

Anyhoo, I used to be a WoW junkie so I went cold turkey and haven't touched it in a while now. 40 man instance raiding day n nite 24hrs of the day, 7 days of the week ... etc, etc is no way to spend ones time.

 

Now this expansion might be the thing which brings me back to WoW. (w00t)

 

I'm hearing nothing but good things about the Burning Crusade expansion, the closed beta is currently running and the class I currently play, the mage is getting a water elemental summon. In WoW politics this is pretty revolutionary, there are a host of other changes but as I'm not in the closed beta I'll keep watching out for new stuff on offer from this expansion.

[Oerwinde]

I just want to play a Blood Elf Paladin. I like Paladins, but I much prefer Horde, so that will be a big bonus. I just need to find some people to play with. I cancelled my account because the only people I knew who played all had level 60 characters and didn't want to bother hanging out with my level 12 orc warlock.

Edited October 18, 2006 by Oerwinde

[Calax]

I'm on Azgalor (pvp) as alliance... and my server with horde that I never visit is Bronzebeard.

 

The shaman/pally swap should put alot of whining out in the cold. (Paladins are overpowered said the shamans... and the paladins said the reverse.)

[angshuman]

So, is it true that the Sword Of A Thousand Truths is gonna be in there? (w00t)

[Pope]

WoW is the devil.

[mkreku]

Blizzard recently tried to lure me back into playing WoW, by calling me on the phone. It was a young girl who called and she wanted to know why I cancelled my account.. and because I answered all her questions she promised to send me a free Blizzard game. A week later Warcraft 3 arrived in my mail.

 

Odd, huh?

[Hurlshort]

Blizzard recently tried to lure me back into playing WoW, by calling me on the phone. It was a young girl who called and she wanted to know why I cancelled my account.. and because I answered all her questions she promised to send me a free Blizzard game. A week later Warcraft 3 arrived in my mail.

 

Odd, huh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What? Geez, I should cancel my account!

[metadigital]

You should, but you know you won't.

[Darth Drabek]

Blizzard recently tried to lure me back into playing WoW, by calling me on the phone. It was a young girl who called and she wanted to know why I cancelled my account.. and because I answered all her questions she promised to send me a free Blizzard game. A week later Warcraft 3 arrived in my mail.

 

Odd, huh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I've had one of those trial CDs for a few months now (given to me by a WOW-junkie with two (!!) level 60 characters). I haven't installed it because I hate the idea of paying a monthly fee to game.

 

Also, the manner in which he gave me the demo disc was quite disturbing. Like a dope pusher telling me "The first one's free, buddy..."

 

However, if I can score a free WCIII for leaving after my trial period is up... ah, but they probably are more concerned with keeping the paying accounts.

[Gfted1]

...the class I currently play, the mage is getting a water elemental summon.

 

 

*drool*

 

Oh yeah, come to papa.

[kumquatq3]

This may be the most important thing ever to happen to the World......of Warcraft

[Gfted1]

^*Casts Polymorph: Pig*

 

HAHA, how you like them apples!

[mkreku]

However, if I can score a free WCIII for leaving after my trial period is up... ah, but they probably are more concerned with keeping the paying accounts.

Actually.. I didn't pay for it. I was given a 6 months free review copy of the game, with optional 3 month increases if I wanted it. I played for 5 of those first 6 months, before I decided that World of Warcraft was a fruitless time sink. I never asked for more free months.

 

I do have a level 60 paladin though. I wonder if it's sellable?

[Hurlshort]

You did play for 5 months though. Honestly, if most games could keep my attention for that long, I'd spend a lot less on games every year. And exactly what game ISN'T a fruitless time sink?

[LadyCrimson]

I'm so conflicted on this one.

[Calax]

yup the sword thousand truths will be in the expansion

I miss the WCII polymorph.

[Gfted1]

Whats the specs for the "Sword of 1000 Truths"?

[Setzer]

Whats the specs for the "Sword of 1000 Truths"?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Gfted1]

Wow.

 

No good for me (mage) but Im sure they will have some outrageous staffs too.

[angshuman]

What, no instant mana burn? :'(

[Musopticon?]

Sorry, Azeroth gets raped again, not going to invest in this.

[Lord Tingeling]

I've had one of those trial CDs for a few months now (given to me by a WOW-junkie with two (!!) level 60 characters). I haven't installed it because I hate the idea of paying a monthly fee to game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How is two level 60 characters somehow strange or abnormal enough to warrant two exclamation marks? If you play it fairly regurarly over a long period of time two level 60 characters isn't impossible- it isn't even out of the ordinary. Especially if you twink the second one or know how to level properly.

 

Looking back, I had one gnome mage, two human warlocks and one orc warrior, all at 60. Not including other alts. Granted, I had one very uneventful summer last year.

 

 

I'll probably get this, but I'm not going to play it very seriously until summer comes around again and I'm free from the trials and travials of law school. Until then, it'll be all NWN2 as far as I'm concerned.

Edited October 19, 2006 by Lord Tingeling

[alanschu]

So, is it true that the Sword Of A Thousand Truths is gonna be in there? (w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

As long as it's not in the hands of a n00b.

 

EDIT: I agree, the lack of mana burn sucks.

Edited October 19, 2006 by alanschu

[metadigital]

A timely cautionary tale:

How Warcraft Really Does Wreck Lives

An anonymous reader writes

"There's a great blog post about how World of Warcraft can ruin lives, it's written by a person that was for a long time a member of the largest council on what is now one of the oldest guilds in the world." This is a story that is very familiar to a lot of folks. I know people who are actively wrecking their lives and risking their jobs by playing too much of a video game.

 

...

It took a huge personal toll on me. To illustrate the impact it had, let's look at me one year later. When I started playing, I was working towards getting into the best shape of my life (and making good progress, too). Now a year later, I'm about 30 pounds heavier that I was back then, and it is not muscle. I had a lot of hobbies including DJing (which I was pretty accomplished at) and music as well as writing and martial arts. I haven't touched a record or my guitar for over a year and I think if I tried any Kung Fu my gut would throw my back out. Finally, and most significantly, I had a very satisfying social life before. My friends and I would go out and there were things to do every night of the week. Now a year later, I realize my true friends are the greatest people in the world because the fact I came out of my room, turned the lights on, and watched a movie with them still means something. They still are having a great time teasing me at my expense, however, which shows they still love me and they haven't changed.

 

These changes are miniscule, however, compared to what has happened in quite a few other people's lives. Some background... Blizzard created a game that you simply can not win. Not only that, the only way to "get better" is to play more and more. In order to progress, you have to farm your little heart out in one way or another: either weeks at a time PvPing to make your rank or weeks at a time getting materials for and "conquering" raid instances, or dungeons where you get "epic loot" (pixilated things that increase your abilities, therefore making you "better"). And what do you do after these mighty dungeons fall before you and your friend's wrath? Go back the next week (not sooner, Blizzard made sure you can only raid the best instances once a week) and do it again (imagine if Alexander the Great had to push across the Middle East every damn week).

 

What does this mean? Well, to our average "serious" player this equates to anywhere between 12 hours (for the casual and usually "useless" player) to honestly 10 hours a day, seven days a week for those "hardcore" gamers. During my stint, I was playing about 30 hours a week (and still finding it hard to keep up with my farming) and logging on during my work day in order to keep up with all the guild happenings and to do my scheduling and tracking for the raids. A lot of time went into the development of new policies which took our friendly and family-oriented guild further and further away from its roots but closer to the end goal. Honestly, what that end goal is I'm not totally sure - there is truly no end to the game and every time you feel like you're satisfied with your progress, another aspect of the game is revealed and, well, you just aren't as cool as you can be again.

 

There are three problems that arise from WoW: the time it requires to do anything "important" is astounding, it gives people a false sense of accomplishment, and when you're a leader, and get wrapped up in it, no matter how much you care or want people to care, you're doing the wrong thing.

...

The thing that kicked me in the ass more than anything else was I really cared if my guildies were getting what they wanted out of the experience. I truly thought my efforts would make them happy. I wanted to make a difference to them. The greedy and socially phobic high school kid I thought I could help through the game, all of the couples (both married and not) who were falling apart because of the game I thought I could rescue, the girl who was deeply wounded by a guy who left her for the game but was herself addicted I thought I could save, not to mention a host of others, I thought my efforts were helping. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: I was providing them with an escape from their problems and nurturing the very thing that was holding them back. Oh yeah, it hit me like a ton of bricks after I had changed so much and lost enough of myself that the most wonderful girl I ever met broke up with me.

 

I remember clearly after fumbling around life for a few weeks that I dragged myself into the bathroom to get ready for work. I was tired because I was up until close to 2 AM raiding. Every week I read though email or I would run into one of my "real" friends and I'd hear "Andy, what's up, I haven't seen you in a while." I looked in the mirror and in a cinemaesque turn of events and a biblical moment of clarity, told myself "I haven't seen me in a while either."

 

That did it. I wanted to do the things I wanted to do again and be with the people who appreciated me even if I abandoned them for a year and sucked to high heaven as a friend. The prodigal son returned and my friends were happy. The best advice I got was from the girl who dumped me for being a jackass (and after I decided to really quit and be "myself again" became one of, if not my best friend in the entire world), who said "your real friends like you even when you screw up." It's true.

 

Funny side note was the reaction I got from the guild that I spent a year pouring my heart and soul into. I made my post in the guild forums saying I was leaving (half of it RPing - something that doesn't happen after you start raiding) and that it was time for me to move on. Three days later I didn't exist any more. The machine kept on moving without this gear. A few people asked me over email (and when I logged on to clean out the old bank) when I was coming back (I'm not going to). There are a few others I keep in contact with and am planning on going to visit sooner or later so I can hang out in person and they can finally meet me. But in the end being forgotten about so soon after still left a bittersweet taste. But one that was a lot easier to swallow than the one I chugged down every day for the better part of a year.

...

[Darth Drabek]

Beautiful. Thanks, meta, for providing this lovely condemnation of MMORPGs from an insider's POV.

 

I love playing videogames, but I want to play them at my convenience; I don't want to wait around for hours for a raid to start. One of my best friends left my bachelor's party early because he had to go home to play. I appreciate that he came at all, but he clearly had WOW on his mind while he was there.

 

Oh, and Tingeling - I thought his two Lvl. 60 characters was out-of-the-ordinary. Sorry, I didn't realize it was more commonplace.