Poll: This is why I don't like World of Warcraft:

[lettucethesallad]

I've played a bit with a friend of mine, got a subscription for a few months. What I hadn't anticipated was what a die-hard WoW fan my friend was. Every day around the same time I'd get a text: "Wanna play WoW?" Every. Damn. Day. And he never wanted to just dick around and enjoy the scenery, it was power leveling all the way. "Hey, those mushroom woods look funky." "No, there aren't any good quests there, we're not going." Then he started to invite me to raids and... my god, they're so drab and boring. And take so long!

WoW is fun in its own way I guess, but only for an hour or 2 once or twice a week. Any more and I'm seriously bored with the repetition.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

I like games that have a point, not just levelling up and gathering gear for the sake of it.

I never understood this argument. What game has a 'point' aside from leisure and entertainment? Do you mean you prefer games that have a finite amount of content, i.e. games that can be beaten?

I like the feeling that I'm achieving something in a game. In WOW (or any MMORPG for that matter), the game consists of levelling up and obtaining better gear, but for what? I's based solely around increasing your character's relative power, but when the only purpose of gaining power is to gain more power, there's no real incentive. It's just a hollow cycle. raiding might be fun, at first, but once you've run the same dungeon a dozen times it isn't.

That's what I never understood about WoW, either. Its all for its own sake. Usually this is the point where the end-game PvP comes into place and you raid so that you can stay competitive when fighting against other players who are also constantly evolving their gear. That's why I'm such an advocate of a meaningful, engaging, and well supported end-game PvP setup. World of Warcraft never really had this. There were arenas, which are pointless. There is Wintergrasp, which is horribly designed and again ultimately pointless.

In Dark Age of Camelot the point of raiding, gearing, and equipping your character was to be involved in a community effort to defeat a rival community. Everything in the game was building up to siege warfare, and the point was to win the Relics. You didn't siege the enemy and beat them down to get a better belt for yourself or a new piece of jewelry - you did it for a reward that the entire victorious community shared.

All the rewards in World of Warcraft, however, are personal and private rewards. Everything you do in the game is to make yourself stand out as a big badass, or to help your friend to stand out as a big badass. There's just nothing that encourages the community to work together for a common goal.

To me if you don't have meaningful community PvP, you don't have an end-game. It's all just Sisyphus' Boulder, keep pushing up that hill and chasing that carrot that you'll never reach.

 

[Vault101]

I would become addicted

 

[Draithx]

That's why I'm such an advocate of a meaningful, engaging, and well supported end-game PvP setup. World of Warcraft never really had this. There were arenas, which are pointless. There is Wintergrasp, which is horribly designed and again ultimately pointless.

All the rewards in World of Warcraft, however, are personal and private rewards. Everything you do in the game is to make yourself stand out as a big badass, or to help your friend to stand out as a big badass. There's just nothing that encourages the community to work together for a common goal.

To me if you don't have meaningful community PvP, you don't have an end-game. It's all just Sisyphus' Boulder, keep pushing up that hill and chasing that carrot that you'll never reach.

I guess you didn't experience arena's during TBC? Those were somewhat you described. If you had the latest season's shoulders or weapons during arena season 3 or 4 you were pretty famous if you didn't play on one of the few servers were all top players gathered. Sadly wotlk pretty much killed this due to fucking up so badly.

Now, I don't get why half the people in this thread seem to hate WoW for... being an MMO? Did you guys really not expect that you would have to grind in the most grindiest genre? WoW does pretty well, especially in Cataclysm, in mixing up the quests, but there is only so much you can do when creating more than 6000 quests before it gets repetitive.

Same with the community, it's been the same in every long-standing online game that I've played. New MMO's tend to not have this problem, because pretty much everyone is a noob at the start and there are some more exceptions, but let's be real here; it's not like WoW is some dark place where all jerks gather while the rest of the internet is filled with kind and helpful people. The majority of the people (on the internet) are dicks, WoW is no exception.

To those saying how it's too easy, I suppose you are R1 in arena and have killed HC LK during wotlk then? No? Guess it's not that easy than. WoW is catering to casuals and people who aren't experienced playing games. Challenges are still there in the form of raids and later HC versions of these raids, but WoW isn't this impenetrable game where if you are new you will get lost and killed multiple times anymore.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

I guess you didn't experience arena's during TBC? Those were somewhat you described. If you had the latest season's shoulders or weapons during arena season 3 or 4 you were pretty famous if you didn't play on one of the few servers were all top players gathered. Sadly wotlk pretty much killed this due to fucking up so badly.

Again, TBC Arenas were all about the individual. Nothing about WoW's PvP is about the community, its all about rewarding the individual so they can put on some fancy shoulders and prance around like a pretty little dress up doll. That's how its always been.

Now, I don't get why half the people in this thread seem to hate WoW for... being an MMO? Did you guys really not expect that you would have to grind in the most grindiest genre? WoW does pretty well, especially in Cataclysm, in mixing up the quests, but there is only so much you can do when creating more than 6000 quests before it gets repetitive.

Agree with you here, WoW's grind exists but it isn't the worst in the genre. It certainly isn't the easiest in the genre either, though. In any game, MMO or not, if you ever find yourself standing in one spot killing X of Y to collect Z, the designers have failed. WoW was especially bad with that poorly designed grind - especially when you go to kill something to collect their livers, and only about 1 in 7 kills drops a liver. That is grind by design, and its bad design. But again, WoW is by no means the biggest offender here (I'm looking at you Lineage 2)

Same with the community, it's been the same in every long-standing online game that I've played. New MMO's tend to not have this problem, because pretty much everyone is a noob at the start and there are some more exceptions, but let's be real here; it's not like WoW is some dark place where all jerks gather while the rest of the internet is filled with kind and helpful people. The majority of the people (on the internet) are dicks, WoW is no exception.

The entire community of the MMO genre changed drastically when WoW opened the foodgates. Previous to WoW, MMOs were a relatively niche market. We had our villains and our trolls, but by and large in the community of any given game or server there was a definite sense of mutual respect and solidarity. We were all there to enjoy this fun little hobby. World of Warcraft brought in a HUGE amount of younger players that did not exist in the market before. Hell, it brought in a huge number of people in general. The MMO community became too big to self moderate and regulate as it had before. Its much easier to be an asshole in a crowded room than it is at a small party. That's the community change that WoW brought to the MMO market. Inevitable, but it doesn't mean people have to like it.

To those saying how it's too easy, I suppose you are R1 in arena and have killed HC LK during wotlk then? No? Guess it's not that easy than. WoW is catering to casuals and people who aren't experienced playing games. Challenges are still there in the form of raids and later HC versions of these raids, but WoW isn't this impenetrable game where if you are new you will get lost and killed multiple times anymore.

All you need in order to accomplish the above is a large time commitment and to know the right people. Skill is never really involved. The only way you can really screw up a raid (and I mean any raid) is by not paying attention. The strategy is always the same, the tactics never change. There is a reason that the major determining factor that guilds and raid leaders use to decide who to recruit into their ranks is a player's GearScore. It's the only thing that really matters. That is not a 'challenge', that's just repetition.

 

[Nimcha]

That's what I never understood about WoW, either. Its all for its own sake. Usually this is the point where the end-game PvP comes into place and you raid so that you can stay competitive when fighting against other players who are also constantly evolving their gear. That's why I'm such an advocate of a meaningful, engaging, and well supported end-game PvP setup. World of Warcraft never really had this. There were arenas, which are pointless. There is Wintergrasp, which is horribly designed and again ultimately pointless.

Why does it have to be PvP? For me, the best part about WoW was finding a group of likeminded people to tackle the raiding challenges, and no game has ever come close to giving me the feeling of accomplishment I got whenever we finally killed a boss we've been practicing for weeks. I guess it's more about the journey than the end result. Also, we sort of had a friendly competition with another guild with more or less the same raid times as us, and it was always nice to beat them, and if they beat us it motivated us more to try harder on the next boss.

I guess what I'm saying is you have to set your own challenges.

 

[Sarah Frazier]

I remember when Alterac Valley was more than a race to the finish line in the other team's base. Killing generals along the way made the final fight easier, collecting items let you call out mobs that could slow down the other team or outright destroy them if they weren't working as a team. More than once, I saw one person strike out on their own to kill a mob or harass some place, only to get chased out when a group of enemies shows up. back in the day: TEAMWORK WAS VITAL.

Over several patches, roaming mobs were removed until it was strictly those generals, a couple of guards, and the NPCs who may as well go home since nobody was taking the time to gather blood, pelts, or body parts.

As for the monthly fee, I also agree that it's a weak excuse to immediately dismiss a game. It isn't that hard to budget $15 every month for a luxury item, and that's what video games fall into. Single player games usually cost more than one month of an MMO's fee, but takes less time to reach a point where you've done everything or get frustrated. Free to play MMOs have more to do, but aren't guaranteed to have the number of players to enjoy PvP/raiding, whatever until you reach the end. What are the chances you'll get bored and frustrated before then?

 

[Broken Dreamer]

I refuse to pay monthly for a game

 

[Lazy Kitty]

It's too expensive, as you have to buy the cd/dvd and then still pay per month.
If it were only paying for the cd it would be fine.

 

[Levi93]

monthly fees, time commitment, bad experiences with MMO's, the fact that i will be stereotyped when i tell people i play it. and the list goes on.....

 

[Grufflenark]

Monthly subscription is what I hate.

 

[katsumoto03]

Oh, and the monthly fees. That's a big killer for me.

 

[Draithx]

The entire community of the MMO genre changed drastically when WoW opened the foodgates. Previous to WoW, MMOs were a relatively niche market. We had our villains and our trolls, but by and large in the community of any given game or server there was a definite sense of mutual respect and solidarity. We were all there to enjoy this fun little hobby. World of Warcraft brought in a HUGE amount of younger players that did not exist in the market before. Hell, it brought in a huge number of people in general. The MMO community became too big to self moderate and regulate as it had before. Its much easier to be an asshole in a crowded room than it is at a small party. That's the community change that WoW brought to the MMO market. Inevitable, but it doesn't mean people have to like it.

Eh, do you have any actual proof that WoW is the cause for this? It's been like 6 years so my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I don't recall Vanilla WoW bringing in that many casual/younger gamers. From what I can remember, WoW didn't grow to be the big game everyone knows about until around TBC came around. By that time you already had the Xbox360 and PS3 introducing young gamers to the joys of annoying people online.

Not to mention WoW still isn't the only one with a community like this. Virtually EVERY online game like this has a community just as bad. Try playing League of Legends, atleast half of your random 5v5 matches will have someone calling another player a noob, retard etc.

All you need in order to accomplish the above is a large time commitment and to know the right people. Skill is never really involved. The only way you can really screw up a raid (and I mean any raid) is by not paying attention. The strategy is always the same, the tactics never change. There is a reason that the major determining factor that guilds and raid leaders use to decide who to recruit into their ranks is a player's GearScore. It's the only thing that really matters. That is not a 'challenge', that's just repetition.

I hope you are not seriously saying that a person's success in arena is just dependent on his time commitment, because if you do I don't see any further point in argueing.

For raids, you are still wrong. Most of the normal bosses and older raids can be pug'd yes and you don't need a lot of skill to beat them. There are however a couple of bosses that aren't so easy, though they were more common in TBC (and Vanilla I guess, but I don't know much about those raids). Bosses like Brutallus and M'uru (sp?) were notorious for destroying guilds due to their difficulty. Even in WOTLK, I think there is only 1 guild that managed to kill HC LK without the increasing buff you get in ICC and only long after it's release.

Also guilds recruiting on Gearscore? What is this, a trade-chat guild? Any good guild will have you write a proper application and judge you based on your experience, dedication and gear (whether it's properly enchanted, gemmed and if you are using the right stats etc) and not just solely on your Gearscore.

 

[Torrasque]

TL;DR.

I play WoW, but even I don't like it at times.

1. The monthly subscription is a pain, but so long as you have a job that pays more than clogs of dirt and potatoes, it is not a big deal. I spend more on my phone in a month than I do on WoW for 6.
2. The "balancing" is in constant flux, so one thing that is OP at one time, is hammered into the ground later, and vice versa.
3. Too many newfags. People that can do what took me several months to do, in several days. They also completely ignore all the stuff that came before them, and/or say how the game is so much better than it used to be.
4. Way too fucking easy. Somewhat related to 3, WoW has become way too easy to dps/tank/heal, and I find myself doing much better with one hand, texting, than other people who are using both and actually trying.
5. RNG. Fuck you RNG. Go back to the bottom ring of hell from whence you came! >=/

I still play it, partially out of habit, mostly because I enjoy talking to friends.
I used to be hooked, but after the 8 months I spent grinding away at the Lich King, my urge to play WoW was killed. If it weren't for Cataclysm, I wouldn't be playing now.

If you want to kill your urge to play WoW, join a shitty guild, raid for 3 months with the idea that "we'll get this down! Just keep trying!", and ragequit after you wipe for the 293859080698345th time because someone can't see a giant black circle under themselves...

 

[Savagezion]

Man, there is alot of reasons I don't like it and I can't really nail it down to one. I didn't care for any of your poll options except maybe the art style. I REALLY don't like it. I could spend a page just talking about that. Don't worry, I won't as I am trying to summarize all of it.

So my friend had me try it out around TBC
Along with graphics, I didn't particularly care for the combat, let alone the PvP. As well, I had pretty much grown tired of cliche fantasy settings. To give you an idea as a BioWare fanboy I have put off buying Dragon Age to this day because I fear being disappointed in the claimed cliche fantasy setting. So already I don't care for the setting, the combat mechanics, or the graphics. But my friend swore up and down that if I gave it a chance I would like it. Plus, he already made the statement that was the MMO he would be playing for a while. SO I definitely wanted to give this game a shot so I pushed through these qualms and found that I also didn't care for the quest system. Then I gave it time beyond that because at this point I was out of things left to examine. But I couldn't do it. The game just wasn't for me and I found it a bland depiction of MMOs in general.

I did like how orcs and alliance couldn't understand each other but that has been in other games as well and isn't enough to redeem a game by itself.

You hit a major point right here that I hold against WoW to this day:

I think this is mostly due to the fact that I played WoW when it first released, didn't like it for various reasons, and ever since then I've been frustrated to find that all the things I dislike about WoW have permeated the MMORPG market.

This is a major problem for us that don't like WoW. The reason is because a lot of WoW players can't look beyond their nostalgia goggles for WoW and recognize a new mechanic for what it is. First, if a mechanic is similar to WoW at all it is referred to as a WoW clone. If it is a new idea, even a good one people say WoW's system is better. (People like what they are already accustomed to and dislike change generally.) In this scenario I have came to the conclusion games are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Also, I hate the term WoW clone. As nothing about WoW is particularly original. The only thing I can credit them with is having the balls to actually use some new patch my friend told me about to entirely rewire the mechanics of the game. What I got from it was I guess the stat spirit used to suck, but now it is desired for mage classes. Reworking your design mid-game is ballsy, but come on, at this stage in the game I wouldn't say this was ballsy as WoW now has a sea of devoted people that will defend their patch choices no matter what they do.

Then we can bring up the community last but just as a brief mention as I don't think anything really needs to be said here. I can just sum it up with "WoW's community... 'nuff said."

Basically, I don't like the entity that WoW has become. If people want to play a bland version of an MMO I have no problem with them or with the game itself. But the idea that WoW is some grand standard MMOs should strive to become is what really chaps me I think. No one would like it if Final Fantasy was the grand standard that all RPGs should be held to. As a matter of fact alot of people here get irrate when so many JRPGs act like it is some standard. And as hard as this is to believe for me, no one would like it if Mass Effect was the standard that all RPGs. Because even if you like Mass Effect it would mean that no game should focus on inventory, turn based combat, you should have some mechanic in there to mine minerals or drive around on meaningless and uninspiring terrain, etc.

I don't like that so many people get mad if something takes something from WoW when more than likely WoW took it from another game, be it DAoC or EQ. I HATE the term WoW clone. Warcraft's entire universe was inspired by Warhammer. Warcraft 1 was a video game ripping off the miniatures game. WoW is a clone all the way around it's edges and in no way should be held up as some source of originality.

TL;DR:I hate the entity WoW has become.

 

[Random Fella]

Waaaay to expensive... I liked the game until I became 13 and decided I had better things to spend my money on. (This was a long time ago i'm not 13 NOW ;P)

 

[ReservoirAngel]

The thing that threw me with WoW (it happens in other MMOs too, but i noticed it most in WoW) was what I call the "MMOspeak". You know, that weird language where everyone but you seems totally capable of communicating almost entirely in abbreviations and acronyms that you don't understand.

Someone says what, to you, looks like a massive coded string of bullshit letters that you'd need the Enigma machine to crack, but then someone else responds with an equally complex stream of bullshit and lo, a temporary party is created just that easily.

This is why I failed at WoW. Someone would ask me about something and for the life of me I wouldn't know what they were on about. So I never got taken along for raids and stuff. I don't want to play this game and spend half my life code-breaking, I just wanna kill things with magic! Is that too much to ask?