This Shall Form The First Part Of A Multi-Part Review
So, I should probably start out by stating the situation I'm in. I played WarCraft way back when. So it was inevitable therefore, that, having played all three RTS WarCraft games, and StarCraft, that I should be interested in WoW. However, strange fate should have it that I didn't sign up to WoW until some years after it's inception. So I'm going to give a blog of my WoW experience. I've decided to write a review of my new player experience from the point of view of someone who starts, like me, a couple of years too late.
Now, it should also be explained that I have come from EVE. For those of you who don't know, EVE is a niche MMO that prides itself on being different. I will not say better or worse overall, but different. As with all games, the royal we becomes bored eventually, and so after two years of EVE I came over to investigate the biggest player in the MMO market.
The Download
OK, so it's time to get a trial account of the most successful MMO in the business, and already I'm not impressed. The trial creation process is simple enough, but then I try to download the client.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am a proud member of the internet generation, I do not expect to have to visit my local shop to buy an online game. 3.16Gb download: that is completely fair. Roughly 3 times the size of the EVE client, I should expect it not to take an unreasonable amount of time to download on an 8Mbps connection. However, since Blizzard seem not to be able to field their own server for this, we must endure bit-torrent.
And so, 24 hours later, I am finally able to install the game. I do so, and start the client, ready to log into my trial account. This is the point at which I start screaming "Blizzard, you are just taking the p*** now." Having just taken 24 hours to download what I expected to be the latest game client, I start it up to find that I need another 650Mb of patches before I can even start playing. Not to mention the point that I could not start a subscription with a credit card, I had to still walk to the shop to buy a CD I did not need, just to get a registration key.
The Start-up
I
start up the game and create my first character. Then I see my desktop, with a nice "Error 132" message. Would I like to send the details to Blizzard Entertainment to help them solve this problem? I investigate WoW tech support forums. The only real advice I can find is that inserting the command line -opengl on launch extends the time you can play for before it crashes. Blizzard tech support official line is that it has to do with memory, and as such it is not their problem. Consumer research (news travels fast in the internet age) is that this is a bug in many games that affects most people with an NVidia graphics card, and is a design fault.
Nothing but negatives so far I know, but I persevere. I have heard many good things about this game, so I am determined to give it a decent chance. The command line edit has given me an erratic crash pattern, but crashes are still a certainty, whether after a few minutes or a few hours. I have by this point become sufficiently attached to the game by this point that they become an inconvenience rather than an absolute turn-off, however.
The First Few Levels
I came into being in a newbie area, where the game gives you a few starter quests to introduce you to the controls, the environment and the game world. All well and good so far. In fact I have nothing but compliment for the introduction to the World of WarCraft. The game doesn't exactly hold your hand, it doesn't treat you like you're five years old. On the other hand, you don't feel lost. The game gives you just enough instruction and story so that you know what you are supposed to do, and, just as importantly, the quest givers tell you a little background as to why they ask you to do this.
For these first few starter levels, I certainly feel the game has balance. I didn't feel that the enemies I was asked to face were too easy, nor were they too hard. The quest-givers passed me on to the next at the right time, giving me a new area to explore, with tougher NPCs, right at the time that I felt I could walk through my current area with no chance of losing. I found the quests increased in difficulty at exactly the right rate to keep them a challenge, but not impossible.
The Next Few Levels
Once you move out of your immediate starter area, and start exploring the region around you, this is when you start getting introduced to the idea of professions. Again, just at the right time. Once I had mastered the basic controls, I came across NPCs that could teach me various things, such as skinning an animal after I had killed it, or harvesting a natural resource. Close by, there was another NPC that could teach me how to use those resources.
Yet again, I have nothing but compliments for the timing here, and for the way in which it was introduced. I have to say that WoW does have a fairly long and comprehensive tutorial, though it doesn't present itself as such, Therefore, it does not insult the intelligence of most experienced gamers, while at the same time it is very accessible to the younger gaming generation.
Level 10 to 20
Now is the time when the game moves you on from the new starter areas, and now is the time, unfortunately, I have to start being a little less complimentary. I am thrown into an area where quests send me further afield than I have been before, which leads me into meeting creatures that are some levels above. I start to find even simple courier quests (eg. Delivering a message from the mayor of one town to the next), though it is coloured as yellow (equal to my level), almost impossible.
It is at this point that the difference between levels becomes apparent to me. A creature just four levels below me is a complete walkover. A creature just four levels above is nigh on impossible. But at this point I know the controls and can competently fight and defeat creatures at my level, while the game offers no real way of progressing without the dreaded grind. These levels have been about taking a quest, grinding easier parts of the region to level up, then moving to that part of the region and completing said quest.
I can see the point that the game is encouraging you to group with other players but, even with 9 million subscribers world wide, I have yet to find a group on my (new player/character recommended) realm in a shorter time than it takes to grind that next level. In short, I can go for hours at a time without so much as seeing someone else.
The Game Economy
Well, I don't think I can describe it any better than the worst I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. Basing your whole player economy around a less-than-easy to search auction house leaves both buyers and sellers at a complete loss as to what items are worth. NPC traders generally buy your items to them at sometimes 10% of the amount they sell the same item for, yet you can't sell it for any more sine auction usage is so low.
As for SoulBound items (Most quest rewards, decent creature loot, and decent crafted items), I am truly at a loss to understand the design idea behind it. Once an item has become SoulBound, it is only usable by the character it is bound to. So, if it is of no use to you, you can only sell it to an NPC who will give you maybe 10% of it's value. Since most quest rewards at this level bind as soon as you receive them, this means your level 20 quest (giving an option of two rewards, both of which bind and neither is usable by your character class) is often worth less than half of your average level 10 quest.
All in all, the reliance upon what can only be described as a poorly designed player auction system has even further degraded the multiplayer aspect of the game.
Conclusion So Far…
I've now reached the heady heights of level 20. Frankly, I'm getting slightly bored. As a single player game, the first 10 levels were good. The next ten were basically more of the same. I have got very competent at the idea that man meets beast. Man uses sword on beast. Man meets bigger beast. Man gets bigger sword to use on bigger beast. Throw in some magic (or special ability based on similar power source) and you get the idea. I find it getting slightly repetitive.
Professions bring a little relief, but I am now finding that my dwarfish blacksmith is having to make a whole lot of items that cannot be sold to anyone except an NPC vendor who gives me 20% of what it is worth, yet just has to grind through making these items to achieve a level at which he can make something that is worth something.
As for the multiplayer aspect, the amount of other players I generally see whilst playing the game, I begin to question even the 'multiplayer' description, let alone the 'massively'. The most players I have ever seen in one place so far has perhaps been 14 or 15, four of which were trying to sell me gold from one website or another.
The Round Up…World Of WarCraft Level 1-20 is:
A first person sequel to WarCraft III
Good single player fun for the first ten levels
Repetitive single player fun for the next ten levels
Graphically pleasing
World Of WarCraft Level 1-20 is not:
Varied
Bug-free
Massively Multiplayer
A good example for player-driven markets
Overall Scores (Level 1-20):GamePlay: _Intuitive and Addictive. Consistent and well-thought out storyline and fair scope for Role-Play. Severely limited scope for PvP. Lack of player-driven storylines and repetitive play harms progression._ 80%
Originality: _As with the entire WarCraft series, borrowed mostly from Warhammer™ (Games WorkShop) and J.R.R Tolkein, but as wise man say "Discovery is seeing what everybody has seen, and thinking what nobody has thought." A decent take on a mix of old ideas._ 55%
Graphics: _Looking a little dated for new players now, but still quite pretty. Maintains functionality while not being too demanding on system specs._ 60%
Sound: _Limited game sound. Atmosphere is very much the same with sound on or without. Hardly worth rating._ 30%
Technical: _A quick browse through the tech support forums indicates a significant number of people with the same problem as I have. Correlation with other games indicates a coding issue with NVidia graphics cards. Otherwise well implemented. Poor economic design lets the side down._ 70%
Value: _Well worth the newly reduced budget price of £9.99. Not sure as yet whether it will be worth paying a monthly subscription. Level 1-20 is easily completed in less than a month, so for the box price the first month is good value._ 90%
Overall: _A good sequel for WarCraft III, and even better for the price drop. Technical Issues and repetitive grinding don't do too much harm to addictiveness. Having some doubts about 'Massively Multiplayer' aspects._ 70%
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
There are usually tons of people on WoW so I can only assume you are on a new or quiet realm. Try picking a different realm and you'll find more people! x
torr 20.11.2007 11:42
Welcome to Ciao. I'm not a gamesplayer myself, but this reads like a first class review. Duncan
Product Description Product Description World of Warcraft is a massive multi-player, ... more
online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe. In it, thousands of players will be able to adventure together with a new, in-depth perspective on familiar lan...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
World of Warcraft is a massive multi-player, online role-playing game set in the Warcraft ... more
universe. In it, thousands of players will be able to adventure together with a new, in-depth perspective on familiar lands, former battlefields and heroes fro...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
World of Warcraft is a massive multi-player, online role-playing game set in the Warcraft ... more
universe. In it, thousands of players will be able to adventure together with a new, in-depth perspective on familiar lands, former battlefields and heroes fro...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Huge player base, fantastic graphics and atmosphere, tons to do Disadvantages: Plenty of 'idiots' in the community, not a unique game by any stretch
pevil 20.03.2009 (20.03.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of World of Warcraft (PC)
Advantages: Truly epic, huge game world, rich and vibrant community, tonnes to do, utterly astounding. Disadvantages: Subscription based (£8.99 per month).
Advantages: Beautiful music, stunning graphics and amazing gameplay Disadvantages: Potentially addictive, requires alot of downloading, can only play online
pnbrady 18.04.2007 (18.04.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of World of Warcraft (PC)
Advantages: Truly epic, huge game world, rich and vibrant community, tonnes to do, utterly astounding. Disadvantages: Subscription based (£8.99 per month).
Nov 20th, 2007
exceptional by (21%):
very helpful by (79%):
