Should I play WOW ?

[Kitteh]

Dont do it man! It'll fuck you up.

 

[Kukakkau]

Lord Of The Rings Online went Free To Play a few months ago. If you want to crack into MMO's, might as well try that one. It's kind of similar, but you won't have to buy it anew every month. ... Or at all, come to think of it.

I'd also recommend this - I've been playing it recently and the community is really good and helpful to new players and there is actually a story to follow, instead of just "hey, you made an orc.. go hit stuff cause I said so". Granted that part is still there but you have story too

But while it is free you do have to pay/grind points to buy extra content - but once bought it is permanent

 

[Lazzi]

Wow is a great game to play over the summer. Think of it as an off school treat, when summer end so should your playing of wow.

Mess with a few classes untill atleast level 8 see if you like them. If you do then congrats, play through that class untill the summer ends. If any thing at least get the the BC expansion.

 

[Marowit]

By the time I finish this post, the page will probably be covered in responses, but I'll take a shot at answering your questions anyway:
These are my questions :

What's it like playing WOW ?
To be honest, the experience varies greatly depending on what you're interested in. You can quest, kill other players, gather things, explore the world or just chat with your guildies. Personally, I always enjoyed that last one, assuming you can get past the odd prick of a player.

Is it hard to get into ?
No, it's really easy. Even before Cataclysm, the game managed to ease you into the process, and although it might take a while to figure out things like threat and good spell combinations, it was still easy. With Cataclysm out now, it's actually a lot of fun as well. The quests are more interesting, mechanics are explained better, and, as always, there are loads of other people in the starting areas getting to know the game as well.

Is it as addicting as they say ?
Yes To clarify, it's not so much a compulsion to keep doing, like I'd imagine crack might be, but you simply lose track of the time while you play. Still, I'd imagine that that could be overcome easily enough if you were determined (and maybe look at the clock occasionally).

How expensive is WOW ? Do you need all expansions ? Does the world change ?
The answer to this question is, thankfully, no. You need to install all the patches right up to the present, and that can take a few hours, once that's done, you can just hop in. If you want to keep leveling once you hit level 60, you'll need to get the first expansion, and at 70 the second, and so on and so forth. Since the release of Cataclysm, the entire pre-expansion world was redone in a much more interesting way. To be honest, the 1-60 free expansionless bits are now better than the first expansion itself, simply because of all the mechanics and interesting features that have been retroactively introduced.
As for how much it costs; 15 dollars a month is the cap, if you buy month by month, but you can get it down to somewhere around 9-10 dollars if you purchase year by year. However, I'd recommend getting a 60 day game card for $30, as it's the easiest way to sample the full game, and see if you like it.

What should I expect ?
Quite literally anything. This is the internet, so anything goes. Chuck Norris jokes and pop culture references are all the rage, so expect to see lots of people going on about those in the major cities. You might also get the occasional prick of a player, but the community itself is by and large a nice one. As for the game itself, expect lots of quests, and some grinding, though that's been balanced significantly since the expansion. Also, there are going to be a few lore references you're not going to get, and there's going to be a lot of content that'll seem remarkably empty, because everyone's now moved on to higher level stuff.

Any suggestions ? Tips & tricks for getting started ?
Gonna merge those two. Start off on a pve or normal server in your region, because the pvp (Player vs. Player) servers can be frustrating for newbies. Yahtzee would have you go horde, but the truth is that both factions are pretty evenly balanced, and pretty much equal amounts of fun. As for what class you're going to roll, there are a couple of important distinctions: Tanks, Healers and DPS. It's a tank's job to soak up damage while the DPS classes do the killing, and the healers keep everyone alive. It's not that important at lower levels, but you might want to keep it in mind when you choose a class.

Anyway, for my recommendation: By all means give it a go, but start with the free ten day trial, and if you like that then play a bit more. Some of the better features are disabled for trial characters - such as guilds - so keep that in mind when you play.

/Edit: Just found an example of one of the new, more interesting quests: http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/general/peacebloom-vs-ghouls It's basically Plant's Vs. Zombies, but in WoW.

This is a pretty accurate response.

An addendum to the, 'is it addicting' question:

The game can feel compelling to play since it's persistent. Most games have a definite ending to your main character, and then you muck around on MP or something else before shelving it. WoW, being an MMO, never ends so there's, especially for a new player, a ton of stuff to do.

So, if you have any sort of self-control, no the game isn't addicting - you won't go through withdrawal when you stop playing. If you're the type of person who gets absorbed in whatever they do, to the extreme, you'll probably be posting here calling the game addictive.

Also, if you have any friends who are interested in playing have them join with you since the game is orders-of-magnitude more fun when you play with friends.

Final Tip - Pick Undead - their quest lines to lvl 20-30 are incredible, and really get you up to speed in what's going on in the world.

 

[TitanAtlas]

What's it like playing WOW ?
Well its interesting at first, but it will cost you a while till you pick a race/ profession/ character name that really makes you enjoy the game... when you do its fun enough...

Is it hard to get into ?
nope, just register and pay the fee...

Is it as addicting as they say ?
personnaly..... no... depends of what kind of time you have. If you have things to do, its a nice thing to pass the time. if you dont have anything to do... well... you will waste loads of your free time into it.

What should I expect ?
Shitload of repetitive quests, and walking.... a lot.... oh and at a certain level, its really boring and annoying to lvl up.

Any suggestions ?
If WoW is not your thing or you dont possess money for it, there are sites that have lists of games that might suit your style or taste. Ill pm the site, cuz i cant share that sort of information in the forum.

Tips & tricks for getting started ?
Pick a female character, give her a sexy name, and flirt with random people.... youll get money from everywhere... its like being a whore, but witouth physical action. xD

 

[tharglet]

What's it like playing WOW ? Most things don't take much time, so it's relatively fast to do most stuff. "Achieving" things is pretty quick, esp compared to other MMOs and old WoW.
Is it hard to get into ? Nope, not at all. You can get away with making mistakes. There will be a fair bit to learn, but most things are introduced bit by bit.
Is it as addicting as they say ? Depends on you It can be.
How expensive is WOW ? Do you need all expansions ? Does the world change ? Monthly rates are on the site. You will eventually want all the expansions, but you can start off with the battlechest and go from there. The world does change, and they release content at a decent rate.
What should I expect ? Um, question too open-ended to answer.
Tips & tricks for getting started ? If you don't like the idea of having your char killed randomly, roll PvE. I suggest start playing with friends or find a newbie-friendly guild. Will help you avoid many mistakes

 

[TerranReaper]

The Alliance vs Horde is basically the two factions in-game. You choose where you want to be. Take my word for it, take Horde, it's generally a lot more friendly.

You're joking right? I can't tell you how often I've been stalked by a lvl 20 whatever member of the horde dropping duel flags by me while his lvl 60 buddy stands in the bushes a few feet back, or being griefed by high levels killing quest givers in all the lowbie zones. When I played a horde character however; the alliance was polite enough not to pull shit like that to the horde areas. There was however the occasional person who would follow me around doing a chicken dance expression.

There are nice people on both sides. There are jackasses on both sides. Unfortunately, due to the horde being so amazingly vocal over the horde being better it causes a typical response that new players are prone to choosing horde to avoid being on the 'sucky alliance'


Anyways, I never actually got beyond lvl 40 before getting horridly bored. I'm an MMO Strategist, and in WoW, you just can't customize. There is exactly 1 best item for each equipment slot for each level. There is exactly 1 combination of traits best for each role your class can play. You have exactly the same skills as every other person the same class as you. If you vary even a little from what has already been accepted as 'right' you will be treated as an idiot.

What really feeds my craving for an MMO experience is City of Heroes; you can freely customize your costume; you don't look like anybody else unless you choose an outfit that's kind of cliche` You can choose from several main archetypes, then around 8-10 main then secondary power sets, 15 powers in each of those; numerious enhancements to improve to customize even those powers, and a dozen or so power pool sets that any archetype can use.

Each to their own. When I started, I was an Alliance player and it was terrible to say the least. Not only were the players disorganized in PvP and just plain terrible, they were also huge trash-talkers that couldn't even back up what they were saying. I remember beating a paladin who challenged me and this was when paladins were crazy. When I switched to Horde on the same server, there were less trash-talkers, their PvP pubbies were a lot more organized and they weren't so quick to trash-talk when anyone failed.

 

[razing32]

Don't do it - it'll claim your soul (and your social life)

Presuming I had one to begin with ...

If you don't like the idea of having your char killed randomly, roll PvE. I suggest start playing with friends or find a newbie-friendly guild. Will help you avoid many mistakes

So there's PvE and PvP ?
How does it work ? -sorry , I'm still gathering data.

Each to their own. When I started, I was an Alliance player and it was terrible to say the least. Not only were the players disorganized in PvP and just plain terrible, they were also huge trash-talkers that couldn't even back up what they were saying. I remember beating a paladin who challenged me and this was when paladins were crazy. When I switched to Horde on the same server, there were less trash-talkers, their PvP pubbies were a lot more organized and they weren't so quick to trash-talk when anyone failed.

I may flip a coin to choose faction - it's getting to confusing and results may vary based on server.I'm in Eastern Europe to clarify - know any good servers there ?

 

[razing32]

Don't do it - it'll claim your soul (and your social life)

Assuming I had one to begin with ...

Warden is a problem, only if you run bot programs.
It's no big deal.

I don't intend to cheat - if I wanted to do that I could have played a pirated copy on a pirated server.I want to play fair an have the full experience.I'm just worried about how intrusive the protection program is.I read somewhere that it takes screen caps and records window titles - there was a program Governor that kept an eye on it or something.

If you don't like the idea of having your char killed randomly, roll PvE. I suggest start playing with friends or find a newbie-friendly guild. Will help you avoid many mistakes

What's PvE like ? I'm guessing PvP is player vs player and alliance fights horde.

Each to their own. When I started, I was an Alliance player and it was terrible to say the least. Not only were the players disorganized in PvP and just plain terrible, they were also huge trash-talkers that couldn't even back up what they were saying. I remember beating a paladin who challenged me and this was when paladins were crazy. When I switched to Horde on the same server, there were less trash-talkers, their PvP pubbies were a lot more organized and they weren't so quick to trash-talk when anyone failed.

I may just flip a coin to decide my starting faction.I'm in Eastern Europe so if you know any good servers there please do tell.

 

[Bobic]

No! Play Lord of the rings online. It's free!

http://www.lotro.com/

 

[Savagezion]

I am gonna throw Guild Wars 1 out there as something you should also look at. It has a more solid foundation like the singleplayer RPGs you mentioned. Then add on an online community. And you can get all the games/"expansions" at walmart or online for 40 bucks and it has no monthly fees.

 

[Belated]

What's it like playing WOW? It's a fun experience, but also grind-tastic. If you have patience, the benefits get really awesome when you reach higher levels, such as flying mounts.
Is it hard to get into? Not really. Quite easy to get into. However, if you quest with other people, don't expect to be given a chance to read the quest stories.
Is it as addicting as they say? Not really. Your biggest concern in this area would be joining a guild that expects you to be around all the time. You may also get hooked if you try to level up lots of characters at once. Other than that though, you don't have much reason to worry.
How expensive is WOW? About $10 for basic game, $15 a month.
Do you need all expansions? Not really, but it's way more fun that way. You can unlock some really cool races and Death Knight class that way.
Does the world change? Yes. Important boss characters only stay around temporarily until Blizzard decides to advance the story line. The Lich King isn't around anymore, and thanks to Cataclysm there's been some major change to the landscape as well.
What should I expect? Two factions full of prats who hate each other. There's plenty of nice people on each side, but there's plenty of angry whiners too. The Horde thinks they're nicer, the Alliance thinks they're better. Personally I preferred the Horde because I liked Horde races more. But disregard what people say about one side or the other side being preferential. It also depends on which server you play on.
Any suggestions? Find a guild, don't make a guild unless you're a level 80, because it takes a lot of money and dedication. Also, Engineering is a very fun skill to dabble in. Pick it with Mining. Enchanting is also a good skill if you want to contribute.
Tips & tricks for getting started? Skinning used to be a good way to make gold. 20 pieces of light leather could sell for a lot in the auction house. At least it did while I played. I made 100 gold as a newbie that way. (Doesn't sound like a lot, but in this game 1 gold is 100 silver is 10000 bronze.) Jewelcrafting and Mining are also profitable. You can also make money by getting paid to join guilds temporarily, because people will need initial members in order to start a guild.

 

[TerranReaper]

So there's PvE and PvP ?
How does it work ? -sorry , I'm still gathering data.

The difference from what I know is the certain areas in the game that are contested or enemy territory that you will have to walk into at some point.

In a PvP server, the second you walk into those areas, you are "PvP flagged" which means ANY opposite faction player can attack you on sight if they choose to do so. In Contested Territory, any Alliance player can attack a Horde player and vice versa. If you're in an opposing factions territory, you cannot attack any player that is not PvP-flagged unless they attack you first, which flags them. This causes for some imbalances since ANY level of character can attack you, whether they are weaker or higher or the same. Be warned that in those areas, there is no such thing as a "fair fight", people will corpse-camp or gank you if they want to. It is also a bit more stressful to quest and level up in those areas because of the added risk from the opposite faction, and after level 30, majority of your questing, dungeons and leveling will be in that area. These servers typically encourage group play, which I am in favour of.

PvE servers are considered the "normal" servers, a lot casual in my opinion, not necessarily a bad thing. Contested territory does not trigger the "PvP flag", which means for the most part, your later leveling and questing can go completely uninterrupted by opposing faction players. Although there are certain towns and places that are exclusive to one faction and approaching those as the opposite faction will give you the PvP flag, although there are places that are considered neutral. Also, going to the opposite faction's territory will mark you for PvP regardless of realm. Typically, PvE realms are more oriented towards solo play, you can practically play all the way to 85 without talking to a single human being with little difficulty. Although PvE servers are somewhat criticized for having these solo players that end up not knowing what they should do in raids or in PvP because they didn't learn the mechanics of their class or the mechanics behind instances.

Besides that, raids/instances are PvE and Battlegrounds are PvP, which are in every server regardless of PvP or PvE.

 

[Wilko316]

If I'm honest with you go for it, MMORPG's (especially one as massive as WoW) are amazing.
I know of some free games that are like WoW though, don't worry they're legal XD.
Runes of Magic and LOTRO are two examples, but if you want more just check out http://www.mmohut.com
If you think I'm being a douche offering free alternatives then fair play, I'm just looking out for your budget. Seriously, if you wanna play WoW then go for it and have fun.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

There's a lot better games that are free.

Join it if you like the X-Factor of MMOs. The Nicotine of online gaming.

 

[Belated]

The best benefit about WoW vs. other MMOs is player base. I put a lot of money into Guild Wars and thought I was being smart choosing a fun game that didn't have a monthly subscription fee. But in the end it turned out to be a bad investment because the player base got smaller over time. Forming a party these days is quite time-consuming and many of the missions are way too difficult to do with just Hero NPCs. If you join an MMO, be sure it's one with a large player base like WoW. I would recommend Runescape if you want one that's free and has a large player base, but Runescape is way better when you play the paid members version.

So overall, the monthly subscription fee is testament to WoW's superiority. And the more unheard of an MMO is going to be, the fewer people you'll see playing it. However, free ones will always have at least some players because there will always be people looking to get the MMO experience without having to pay for it. But of all MMOs, WoW still has the most people.

 

[MartianWarMachine]

These are my questions :
What's it like playing WOW ?
Is it hard to get into ?
Is it as addicting as they say ?
How expensive is WOW ? Do you need all expansions ? Does the world change ?
What should I expect ?
Any suggestions ?
Tips & tricks for getting started ?

Any answer or suggestion would be appreciated.

1) It's fun, but more so if you have people you know that you can play it with.

2) The new expansion made it a lot easier at lower levels,

3) Yes. Prepare to surrender all your free time, and your soul, to Blizzard Entertainment.

4)It's about £9 if you subscribe for one month at a time, £7.50 if you subscribe for six months at a time, and there's a third option in the middle somewhere. No, you don't need all the expansions, but they make the game a lot better. And yes, the world can change, as shown by Cataclysm (The newest expansion).

5) Expect to be ganked to death on PvP realms, and shouted to death by the enemies of the Grammar Police on the others.

6) Don't go on a PvP realm, don't run around PvP-flagged (People can kill you then), don't attack anything with a skull where it's level should be.

And here are a few anagrams to help you:

LFG = Looking for Group
LFR = Looking For Raid
LFM = Looking for More
WTS = Want to Sell
WTT = Want to Trade
WTB = Want to Buy
...I'm surprised that I cannot think of any more.

Well, I hope this helps you, if you do decide to play.

 

[razing32]

@MartianWarMachine

What's PvE ? compared to PvP ?

 

[razing32]

Also - isn't WoW approaching endgame ?
There are 3 expansions so far , is it approaching its inevitable end ?

 

[Verlander]

Hey,
I've been contemplating getting WOW and playing. Most of my friends are into small Facebook games now so I'm pretty much a lone wanderer.I decided to come to the Escapist forums and get an informed opinion and so here I am.

These are my questions :
What's it like playing WOW ?
Is it hard to get into ?
Is it as addicting as they say ?
How expensive is WOW ? Do you need all expansions ? Does the world change ?
What should I expect ?
Any suggestions ?
Tips & tricks for getting started ?

Any answer or suggestion would be appreciated.

1)Wow, especially with the latest expansion, is easy and fun to play, addictive in the good sense (not like drugs), and can be difficult to master. It works around any playing style and level, which is one is the factors concerning its longevity

2)No, opening quests explain pretty much whats going on. If a quest confuses you, or you don't know how to get a mount etc, google is your friend. With millions playing the game, someone will have asked any question you need to know the answer to before. The community is friendly as well

3)It is addicting, but I have a life without it. I don't need to play it daily or whatever, and nor do I. There is some pressure from the subscription fee to get my monies worth, but that's just me being a tightass. If you're the sort of person who can't come off of a game when asked or needed, or are willing to skip meals because you are in an online game on CoD, then you are addicted whatever the game is. Some people give it a bad name, and the media pounces on it, but there was the woman who let her kids starve on Farmville for chrissake. If you have an addictive personality to that extent, the game itself is irrelevant

4)You do need all of the expansions. I'm pretty sure you can play without, but it's not worth it. Blizzard do a box set of original game plus expansions for relatively cheap, and if not they are cheap anyway. The subscription works out far less than a new game a month, and I've never found a game I've played for this long and consistently. Remember I'm not addicted, but when I have some spare time, instead of watching television, I may play this instead

5)A fantasy game that has a simple interface, but a rich variety of worlds, and now, a rich variety of different, fun quests. There is repetition, but as a player you are rewarded for commitment. Each different character is interesting and different to play, and you can start as many characters as you like. Each has their own starting world, backstory, and special abilities

6) Now is the best time to start, a lot of the old "grind" quests have been replaced by more fun ones, and levelling isn't reliant on them either. It was one of the main gamer complaints against it, and by the look of this thread, still is, but they simply don't exist anymore. A lot of people who don't like the game, won't have played the current incarnation, which has far improved a lot of the old faults. Some changes aren't as good, but none of them are bad.

7)Check out the battle.net website for details first, they also sometimes offer downloadable versions of the game direct for cheaper than shops do. Also WoW has been around for years and so there's a lot of patching, which may not happen with a direct download. They also have a free trial, where you can keep your characters until you buy the game (if you want). Try out some different characters, take them all to level 10 in order to get a feel for the game and interface, and move on from there. Stuck on a quest? Type the quest title into google, and you'll have your answer. Dunno where something is in a major city? Ask the guards, they know where everything is.

Also - isn't WoW approaching endgame ?
There are 3 expansions so far , is it approaching its inevitable end ?

Nah this last expansion has reopened the game to a lot of previous and new players. It's got a few year in it still. The latest expansion only just came out!