World of Warcraft

I was introduced to massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) when my son plugged an Internet adapter into the back of his PS2. Soon, he was deeply involved in a game called Everquest, so I created a character of my own - and was hooked. I advanced to Everquest for PC, then waited like everyone else for Sony’s release of Everquest II. While my EQ paladin was killing gnolls in Blackburrow, I heard about a game called Worlds of Warcraft (WoW) and found out that many of the EQ players were just killing time before the next release. I’d never heard of Worlds of Warcraft (I’m 48 years old and wasn’t in the groove), but I doubted it could be as good as Everquest II.

I was wrong. When Everquest II was released, I played it for a few months before finally succumbing to a request from both my sons to try WoW. I resisted, resisted some more - and then my oldest son sent me the software. I installed the game - and I’ve never been back to Everquest since.

There are many fine MMOGs out there, but all of them are vying for second place. Because there’s no doubt about who’s at the top of the list; Blizzard’s Worlds of Warcraft is the mother of all MMOGs, and only a guy whose taste runs to plaid shirts with plaid slacks would dare to disagree.

I recently hit level 60 with a Horde character, and after a little celebration, started an Alliance paladin - my class of choice. WoW offers a variety of classes and a whole slew of professions to practice as well. With eight different races and five different classes - well, you do the math. After creating a character, a smooth-as-film intro sets the scene for adventure on a huge scale.

And huge is exactly the right word. The worlds (two continents) of Worlds of Warcraft are gigantic. Every square inch of this world is rendered in incredible graphic detail. I’ve stood in a quiet forest miles from civilization and watched leaves fall around me as butterflies flitted through the branches. The scale of the major cities is breath-taking and there’s no wonder why loyal WoW fans anxiously awaited the latest release.

What I like best about the game is the flow. From a Level One character, you’re guided subtly and seamlessly from adventure to adventure. When it’s time to move along to a more difficult zone, an NPC might send you on an errand to afford you a little experience - and a whole new world opens up to you. The quest acquisition process in the game couldn’t be more user-friendly and the format of the quest log (an important feature) is simple and easy to understand. The landscape is littered with special experiences - from the dungeon adventures to the PVP battlefields. Whether you like “playing the computer” or the challenge of one-on-one with a real player, WoW has it all in rich abundance.

Of course, Blizzard is also concerned about your physical and emotional well being. Players are rewarded for spending time offline with double experience when they return. I went on vacation for a week once and came back to play double XP for nearly 24 hours. Leveling up is also very enjoyable in this game. It happens fast at earlier levels, but even at 30 and beyond, a good player can log a level in a day or two of playing. And that’s very satisfying. An advantage over Everquest is that WoW has no experience debt. When you die, you either return to your body to rez or rejuvenate at the zone cemetery (that options reduces your armor and stats temporarily, but that’s it - no crippling XP debt). Repair your armor and you’re back in business in a hurry.

When I switched from Horde to Alliance, I discovered another plus - it’s like an entirely new game, with all new quests until you get to higher levels. And even then there are quest specific to Alliance or Horde, as well as quest specific to the various classes. In other words, it would take forever to play this game to death. Add a helpful overlay from cosmosui.org and bookmark wow.allakhazam.com and you’re ready to roll!

If you can only play one MMOG, skip the hype from all the others and go with Worlds of Warcraft. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.