It's only on mmorpg that people don't seem to know how to have fun playing games. I never have trouble finding people to do whatever is next when I re-roll on WoW. I get from your post that the top-level gear is a focus for you, and that may make my response useless to you, because it seems from playing with a wide range of folks that a relentless focus on gear is the number one joy-killer in WoW. The game has gotten easier early on, well mainly quicker, because you get a mount sooner, a flying mount as soon as you get to the Outlands, and the UI has been revamped to take a lot of the irritating and time-wasting aspects out. I hear people hear say that's a bad thing, but only on mmorpg.com. For me it means I feel free to try class and race combinations and talent trees that I hadn't gotten to yet, without feeling that "oh man here we go again" feeling.
Anyway, it's possible that Aion will be more your cup of tea, but as far as I can tell it's a lot like WoW only shinier and kinda sonically ridiculous. Any game that HAS gear and HAS PvP and HAS raids will generate a certain amount of issues around this stuff ("they made my gear I worked so hard for meaningless, my life now sucks"), but no one is forcing people to focus on that. Clearly the game is a loser for many self-described "hard-core" gamers. And clearly the game is a winner for the millions of people who continue to play, and continue to populate the starting areas. You decide ).
Its not too late.I started playing WotLK a few weeks ago and it's very fun.Of course, I was level 70 when I started but still.I see people LFG at all level ranges.I easily found groups for the 70-78 level instances in WotLK.I see lots of people in there 70's running around and questing.And once you hit 80, it will be very easy to get groups, as people are LFG constantly.Wintergrasp and battlegrounds are active too, and can help gear you for heroics.Level 1-70 has been sped up, so it won't take as long now to get to Northrend.Yes 1-70 will be mostly solo, but even then, you'll come across other people and group from time to time.Theres plenty of people running around the old capitol cities too, especially Ironforge, Stormwind and Orgrimmar, so the old world won't feel like a barren wasteland.
Another option would be to play Aion, and then switch to WoW when the 3rd expansion comes out.The expansion is re-doing the zones from level 1-60 and offering 2 new races as well as new class and race combinations.When that expansion(Cataclysm) arrives, leveling from 1-85 will be much more fun as there will be tons of people leveling a new character and the old zones will be better designed as well.
Originally posted by SeriphinX I love MMO's..played them for years now..I've played'm all..from UO all the way to modern mmo's....all except this one. I'm finally ready to give it an honest try. But I would imagine if I wanted to do everything..ie. Instances and dungeons in Azeroth before moving on to the other expansion packs: BC and WoTLK, that I would be stumped to find someone progressing and gearing this way, yeah? From what I've read, if you play now its pretty much -quest until 80- and THEN group and raid..which to me seems like it would make you very ill prepared for group/raid. So it is too late for newcomers to progress and gear up now? And when I mean gear up, I'm talking about all the COOL stuff lol..not all the boring looking 'greens'. I'm a fan of exaggerated armor design..but if its too late, I will wait for Aion.
Seriph, Don't listen to those that say WoW is a single player game until you hit 80 or that you'll have problems getting a group at the lower levels because, honestly, it's not true. I have played WoW for 4 years and on 4 different servers and the one constant through it all has been the " LFG " ( Looking For Group) Spams in the general and Local Defense chat channels of people looking for members for the low level instances such as Wailing Caverns, Razorfen Downs, RazorFen Kraul or Ragefire Chasm just to name a few.
WoW will be around for quite a while so it is never too late to start. Jump right in, find a friendly guild and enjoy !!
Originally posted by happytklz ("they made my gear I worked so hard for meaningless, my life now sucks")
see..I've never been that anal about it..I just want cool looking gear in an mmo..not asking for the world to stop turning while I raid or anything. (that's one of the reasons I can't wait for Diablo III-armor and weaps) It may be a shallow reason for playing , but its my reason. It's why I like these games. The first time they allowed you to die armors in Everquest, I went nuts with it.
I just like cool armor and weap designs. It's my reason for playing. Yeah, meeting people, grouping, and doing laundry together are all fun reasons too..but I'm in it for the gear. I'm guilty lol.
I'll definitely be trying Aion regardless..but WoW has always been an itch I wanted to scratch..mainly because I love the art style...just didn't know if it was too late. I'll give the trial a shot. See what happens.
Warcraft at the moment is all about the endgame .A couple of years ago Blizzard made leveling faster which really led everyone in a massive rush to get to maximum level so it really killed the group quests and instances in the mid game . You would be very lucky if you got to do something like the sunken temple these days even on a full server . After level 60 the leveling reverts back to the slower leveling of times past so things improve slightly but even then its still not good . My suggestion would be to try Aion and if your still interested in Warcraft when the cataclysm comes out because there will be plenty of people leveling alts then . Its more likly than not going to be around november 2010 but if its anything like burning crusade it could even be as late as spring of 2011 so that gives you over a year ( and maybe a year and a half) to experiance something else.
This is really the perfect time to start Aion because you can be there from day one and experiance a game where leveling is not just solo play . I ve been in the Aion beta and i also play Warcraft at present i m finding Aion to be a far more enjoyable game . It reminds me of my early days in WoW when everything was shiney and new and there was a lot more challenge and fun to be had in the mid levels .
I ll proberbly have a look at the Cataclysm when its out because it might breath new life into a stale old game . I do have some rather large doubts though i hope Blizzard pull it off because it would be great to see WoW return to the quality it had in the past .
I love MMO's..played them for years now..I've played'm all..from UO all the way to modern mmo's....all except this one. I'm finally ready to give it an honest try. But I would imagine if I wanted to do everything..ie. Instances and dungeons in Azeroth before moving on to the other expansion packs: BC and WoTLK, that I would be stumped to find someone progressing and gearing this way, yeah? From what I've read, if you play now its pretty much -quest until 80- and THEN group and raid..which to me seems like it would make you very ill prepared for group/raid. So it is too late for newcomers to progress and gear up now? And when I mean gear up, I'm talking about all the COOL stuff lol..not all the boring looking 'greens'. I'm a fan of exaggerated armor design..but if its too late, I will wait for Aion.
Hell fricken no! Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. I know plenty of people that have just started now and are having a blast.
One of the big things about WoW is how easy it is to level. Even as a new player it shouldn't take you more than 4-6 weeks to hit max level.
WoW is considered MMO-lite, but really there is nothing wrong with that. That just means its easy to get into.
I'm going to play Aion until near the time WoW: Cataclysm comes out, then I'll switch back to WoW. I'll probably reroll my Druid. Goodbye Epic Flying . I think there will be a lot of people who will reroll since they are adding 2 new races, and changing Vanilla WoW so it is different. It will bring back the "newness" of exploring the old world... kinda like what EQ2 did.
Originally posted by happytklz ("they made my gear I worked so hard for meaningless, my life now sucks")
see..I've never been that anal about it..I just want cool looking gear in an mmo..not asking for the world to stop turning while I raid or anything. (that's one of the reasons I can't wait for Diablo III-armor and weaps) It may be a shallow reason for playing , but its my reason. It's why I like these games. The first time they allowed you to die armors in Everquest, I went nuts with it.
I just like cool armor and weap designs. It's my reason for playing. Yeah, meeting people, grouping, and doing laundry together are all fun reasons too..but I'm in it for the gear. I'm guilty lol.
I'll definitely be trying Aion regardless..but WoW has always been an itch I wanted to scratch..mainly because I love the art style...just didn't know if it was too late. I'll give the trial a shot. See what happens.
Thanks
'Cool looking' is in the eye of the beholder. I really do not like how some of the gear on my level 80 looks even though it has amazing stats. At the same time my lower level character wearing a mismatch of quest, dungeon and crafted gear looks pretty neat. Heck, people are willing to pay a lot of junk items with no stats that look cool (eg. 'pimp hat', 'pimp cane').
Also remember that not all lower level instances were created equal. Some instances were not run very often even when 80% of the players were in the appropriate level range. The alliance never seemed to run Blackfathom Depths since it was badly located. Many players refuse to run Gnomeragan becasue they really dislike the instance. In vanilla WoW, many people run Sunken Temple to finish their level 50 class quest chain but really did not like the instance at all.
Then there are the player favourites that always get run because they are fun and/or have good gear. Scarlet Monastery is still run all the time. Deadmines is where Alliance tries out new characters in their first instance. Zul Farak is popular for its level range. Hellfire Ramparts gets a lot of use since it is the first instance in Outlands and offers very serious gear upgrades to players.
Starting in WoW now you probably will not get to 'do everything'. However, many players who played in the 'first wave' probably did not 'do evrything' their first time throught the game. I know that I did not discover Scarlet Monastery until my third character because my focus for that level range was on crafting and zones that did not lead into that instance.
HOT TIP: If you have a friend who already plays and wants to level an alt, get him/her to send you a friend invite to start a trial account. Then you go level together at triple the speed (you get 3x exp for kills and quests.) You'll have fun playing with someone and get to 80 extremely fast. If you want to keep playing, you can convert your account to a paying account any time. Nothing to lose, really.
EDIT: actually waiting for the expansion is another option, because with 2 new races and new race/class combinations many, many people will reroll new characters. The old lands will be teeming again.
With Cross server 5 man LFG system coming in 3.3 you will no longer have issues finding a group for even the least popular instance.
I personally created a new character just to go through azeroth one last time and experience it with this LFG system before all the revamped Azeroth changes come about.
Never too late to start playing WOW. Each expansion completely invalidates the gear that the players who've been playing longer than you and sets you on an even footing with them.
if you don't catch them before the expansion comes out, you will once it does.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Never too late to start playing WOW. Each expansion completely invalidates the gear that the players who've been playing longer than you and sets you on an even footing with them. if you don't catch them before the expansion comes out, you will once it does. Its the great thing about WOW. Its also the bad thing about WOW. Depends what you like of course.
Not ALL is gear in WOW these days.
You also have the prestigious titles and mounts, pets, personal flying dragons ..... that gives status and recognition of being a "hardcore" gamer.
And these prestigious symbols are there to brag throughout expansions (and most never reset).
Example: Deadly Gladiator titles (being the best out of 200.000 PvP players), Having Onxyia mount (in the new patch 3.2.2), other dragon flying mounts and PVE and PVP timeless awards and titles.
So for the hardcore (in every inch of the game) you can find these achievement rewards that give status and show it.
In patch 3.3 they add guild progression, Battleground titles etc....
The game just grows along with its veteran players in ALL aspect.
In WOW 2009, epic gear is just a means to an end goal YOU set out for yourself. It is NO longer a goal in itself.
True but most of what you mention are cosmetic items and titles . I still have fun in getting them but Kyleran is right in what he said . Gear is the most important aspect of Warcraft and i doubt you ll find many that would agree with you Zorn .the OP and anyone else would get most out of the game around the time of the expansion pack release simply because you get to level with other people . It you were to play now it would be very much like playing a single player rpg game untill you get to the endgame .
I wish things had been different in this game because its a pity all the things you work for gear wise become obsolete so quickly . Its led me to only want to play once every couple of years . To level a new character and see what the contents like then give up and play something else untill the next expansion pack. I m hoping Aion and the other new mmorpgs to be released in the coming years dont follow the same path .
Well given that they keep nerfing every aspect of the game with each expansion pack and with this new one, even remove stats and gameplay elements.
I think now is a better time than ever to enjoy the decline of online gaming
Currently playing - FF14ARR Previous games - SWG, World of Warcraft, ShadowBane, Warhammer, Age of Conan, Darkfall, Planetside Asheron's Call, Everquest, Everquest 2, Too many.
From what I've read, if you play now its pretty much -quest until 80- and THEN group and raid..which to me seems like it would make you very ill prepared for group/raid. I'm a fan of exaggerated armor design..but if its too late, I will wait for Aion.
There are tons of people who are ill prepared for group raid. That's been going on since BC, but most of the ill-prepared will never get as far as raiding. Also, most guilds have an outer court to get you into base raiding gear by doing heroics.
Its really quite fast to level an 80 anymore. The biggest issue will be gold. Hints: don't buy ANYTHING from AH, you really don't need it. Also, TO SAVE TIME: completely skip any profession other than gathering (skinning and herbalism are fastest) before 80. You'll have plenty of gold for mounts, and gear from quests, drops, and occasionally vendors. If you need crafted gear, enchants etc... you'll be rich enough to afford them (crafters except highest level are always broke and willing to sell cheap).
Aion and WoW are very different designs. WoW is more like 3 games in one... easy-casual for part-time pve questers, BGs and Arenas for PVPers, and Raids for elite hardcores. That's why nobody can agree on if it is an easy game or a hardcore one. The easy part keeps getting easier, hard keeps getting harder (so I hear, I don't have time to raid because of work).
Ken
www.ActionMMORPG.com One man, a small pile of money, and the screwball idea of a DIY Indie MMORPG? Yep, that's him. ~sigh~
Originally posted by googajoob7 True but most of what you mention are cosmetic items and titles . I still have fun in getting them but Kyleran is right in what he said . Gear is the most important aspect of Warcraft and i doubt you ll find many that would agree with you Zorn .the OP and anyone else would get most out of the game around the time of the expansion pack release simply because you get to level with other people . It you were to play now it would be very much like playing a single player rpg game untill you get to the endgame . I wish things had been different in this game because its a pity all the things you work for gear wise become obsolete so quickly . Its led me to only want to play once every couple of years . To level a new character and see what the contents like then give up and play something else untill the next expansion pack. I m hoping Aion and the other new mmorpgs to be released in the coming years dont follow the same path .
I believe that Blizzard is trying to 'untrain' the playerbase from that mode of thinking. The gear differentials are really quite small when compared to vanilla WoW. Months ago I got invited to a 25man Naxx raid. I really hsould not have been in that raid since I have not even done a 10man Naxx, did not know the fights at all and my DPS was weak. Still I did not screw up and got to roll on some gear. To my enourmous suprise the gear was not that much better than the heroic 5man gear I had already. A few stats were a bit higher but nothing like when I got my first Molten Core epic back in the game.
So while many players still prefer to believe that gear is the #1 priority in the game, the paradigm is shifting under their feet. If they are seeking status and validation from other players they will have to find a means other than gear. Inevitably those things will be titles, achievements and mounts. Whenever I am in the Tournament area I see people all around with the Crusader title and I do not see it that much in other areas. They are showing off that they completed the content. The players with the rare mounts are showing them off. If I want to know how experienced a player is I will check his/her achievement rather than gear.
From what I've read, if you play now its pretty much -quest until 80- and THEN group and raid..which to me seems like it would make you very ill prepared for group/raid. I'm a fan of exaggerated armor design..but if its too late, I will wait for Aion.
There are tons of people who are ill prepared for group raid. That's been going on since BC, but most of the ill-prepared will never get as far as raiding. Also, most guilds have an outer court to get you into base raiding gear by doing heroics.
Its really quite fast to level an 80 anymore. The biggest issue will be gold. Hints: don't buy ANYTHING from AH, you really don't need it. Also, TO SAVE TIME: completely skip any profession other than gathering (skinning and herbalism are fastest) before 80. You'll have plenty of gold for mounts, and gear from quests, drops, and occasionally vendors. If you need crafted gear, enchants etc... you'll be rich enough to afford them (crafters except highest level are always broke and willing to sell cheap).
Aion and WoW are very different designs. WoW is more like 3 games in one... easy-casual for part-time pve questers, BGs and Arenas for PVPers, and Raids for elite hardcores. That's why nobody can agree on if it is an easy game or a hardcore one. The easy part keeps getting easier, hard keeps getting harder (so I hear, I don't have time to raid because of work).
Ken
Yikes! What terrible advice. Basically you just told the poor guy to rush to max level, avoid crafts and basically be a one dimensional character. Rushing to endgame does one thing when you're a new player, It is almost 100% certain that you will suck at playing your class at 80.
Next your going to say skip grouping with others and dungeon running until you hit northrend because its a waste of time.
OP please don't listen to anything people like this say.
Edit: rushing to endgame as an Alt is fine since but as a new player it's the stupiest thing you can do. I have so many stories of really bad players in groups that just avoided Azeroth and outland content while leveling. these people are a complete waste of time.
I dont hate WOW but why would you want to? There are better games out there... and more exciting games on the horizon. I realize it still has the biggest player base which I guess could be reason. However I personally feel its also going to have the biggest departing player base in the next few years.
Also the player base that is there are already going to have their clicks they run with on a regular basis. WOW has one of the most unfriendly player bases when it comes to PUGs meaning its going to be harder than most other games to actually be able to find a group to play with if your unknown. Dont get me wrong you will be able to get groups but it will be more unfriendly than say in a game like Vanguard or Age of Conan.
I would recommend trying a different game than WOW.
I believe that Blizzard is trying to 'untrain' the playerbase from that mode of thinking. The gear differentials are really quite small when compared to vanilla WoW. Months ago I got invited to a 25man Naxx raid. I really hsould not have been in that raid since I have not even done a 10man Naxx, did not know the fights at all and my DPS was weak. Still I did not screw up and got to roll on some gear. To my enourmous suprise the gear was not that much better than the heroic 5man gear I had already. A few stats were a bit higher but nothing like when I got my first Molten Core epic back in the game. So while many players still prefer to believe that gear is the #1 priority in the game, the paradigm is shifting under their feet. If they are seeking status and validation from other players they will have to find a means other than gear. Inevitably those things will be titles, achievements and mounts. Whenever I am in the Tournament area I see people all around with the Crusader title and I do not see it that much in other areas. They are showing off that they completed the content. The players with the rare mounts are showing them off. If I want to know how experienced a player is I will check his/her achievement rather than gear.
Exactly. The above is also the reason why achievements and according status symbols will not only be important in WOW, but on BattleNet as well.
The status of your ingame positions will be viewable throughout BattleNet.
The WOW armory was only the beginning of this.
Those who still think WOW is only a game to gather epic gear are living 3 years ago (before the badge drops).
So a gear upgrade every 5 months with each boost cycle throughout Azeroth is a natrual evolution to get to the REAL status in game.
To me that's a Justicar title for all my high level characters or a Rival title and I am still out on that unique Battlemaster title.. I still can't get.
That's one of the reasons I play WOW, not for the gear alone.
just to clarify...Im not that guy..I don't want cool looking gear for validation..I want cool looking gear because I want cool looking gear. For ME! Because ME is who is paying monthly. I'm not discounting the other elements: achievements, crafting, mounts..I love that stuff actually. But Gear is what attracts me to the game. And as long as I can still get some..then I'm all in. I'm not gonna grab someone and say "accept me because of my gear!!!!!" I could care less what someone's idea of validation is.
All I want is plate armor that has nuclear bombs going off repeatedly above the nipples..That's not much to ask is it?
I dont hate WOW but why would you want to? There are better games out there... and more exciting games on the horizon. I realize it still has the biggest player base which I guess could be reason. However I personally feel its also going to have the biggest departing player base in the next few years. Also the player base that is there are already going to have their clicks they run with on a regular basis. WOW has one of the most unfriendly player bases when it comes to PUGs meaning its going to be harder than most other games to actually be able to find a group to play with if your unknown. Dont get me wrong you will be able to get groups but it will be more unfriendly than say in a game like Vanguard or Age of Conan. I would recommend trying a different game than WOW.
A better game than WoW? really? fully? Or are you talking about a mmo thats better than WoW in one feature and shitty in everything else?
WoW is accessible, lets hardcore players chill with casuals this game is for everyone. Please point me in the direction of a game that's better than WoW.
Again don't cop out and tell me what game has better crafting or quests or pvp lol. What game can stand up to WoW full features vs full features. go!
Comments
No everything keeps getting easier and faster so you will be lvl 80 in raid quality epics in no time at all.
Just wait for Aion, its so close to release and it has better graphics, different combat system and totally a new MMORPG.
Hope to see you in Aion
It's only on mmorpg that people don't seem to know how to have fun playing games. I never have trouble finding people to do whatever is next when I re-roll on WoW. I get from your post that the top-level gear is a focus for you, and that may make my response useless to you, because it seems from playing with a wide range of folks that a relentless focus on gear is the number one joy-killer in WoW. The game has gotten easier early on, well mainly quicker, because you get a mount sooner, a flying mount as soon as you get to the Outlands, and the UI has been revamped to take a lot of the irritating and time-wasting aspects out. I hear people hear say that's a bad thing, but only on mmorpg.com. For me it means I feel free to try class and race combinations and talent trees that I hadn't gotten to yet, without feeling that "oh man here we go again" feeling.
Anyway, it's possible that Aion will be more your cup of tea, but as far as I can tell it's a lot like WoW only shinier and kinda sonically ridiculous. Any game that HAS gear and HAS PvP and HAS raids will generate a certain amount of issues around this stuff ("they made my gear I worked so hard for meaningless, my life now sucks"), but no one is forcing people to focus on that. Clearly the game is a loser for many self-described "hard-core" gamers. And clearly the game is a winner for the millions of people who continue to play, and continue to populate the starting areas. You decide
).
Its not too late.I started playing WotLK a few weeks ago and it's very fun.Of course, I was level 70 when I started but still.I see people LFG at all level ranges.I easily found groups for the 70-78 level instances in WotLK.I see lots of people in there 70's running around and questing.And once you hit 80, it will be very easy to get groups, as people are LFG constantly.Wintergrasp and battlegrounds are active too, and can help gear you for heroics.Level 1-70 has been sped up, so it won't take as long now to get to Northrend.Yes 1-70 will be mostly solo, but even then, you'll come across other people and group from time to time.Theres plenty of people running around the old capitol cities too, especially Ironforge, Stormwind and Orgrimmar, so the old world won't feel like a barren wasteland.
Another option would be to play Aion, and then switch to WoW when the 3rd expansion comes out.The expansion is re-doing the zones from level 1-60 and offering 2 new races as well as new class and race combinations.When that expansion(Cataclysm) arrives, leveling from 1-85 will be much more fun as there will be tons of people leveling a new character and the old zones will be better designed as well.
Seriph,
Don't listen to those that say WoW is a single player game until you hit 80 or that you'll have problems getting a group at the lower levels because, honestly, it's not true. I have played WoW for 4 years and on 4 different servers and the one constant through it all has been the " LFG " ( Looking For Group) Spams in the general and Local Defense chat channels of people looking for members for the low level instances such as Wailing Caverns, Razorfen Downs, RazorFen Kraul or Ragefire Chasm just to name a few.
WoW will be around for quite a while so it is never too late to start. Jump right in, find a friendly guild and enjoy !!
see..I've never been that anal about it..I just want cool looking gear in an mmo..not asking for the world to stop turning while I raid or anything. (that's one of the reasons I can't wait for Diablo III-armor and weaps) It may be a shallow reason for playing , but its my reason. It's why I like these games. The first time they allowed you to die armors in Everquest, I went nuts with it.
I just like cool armor and weap designs. It's my reason for playing. Yeah, meeting people, grouping, and doing laundry together are all fun reasons too..but I'm in it for the gear. I'm guilty lol.
I'll definitely be trying Aion regardless..but WoW has always been an itch I wanted to scratch..mainly because I love the art style...just didn't know if it was too late. I'll give the trial a shot. See what happens.
Thanks
With the speed of leveling in wow now, it never to late you can be 80 pretty quickly.
as far as grouping before 80, there is some but mostly its not nessasary other than 5 mans and group quest.
Warcraft at the moment is all about the endgame .A couple of years ago Blizzard made leveling faster which really led everyone in a massive rush to get to maximum level so it really killed the group quests and instances in the mid game . You would be very lucky if you got to do something like the sunken temple these days even on a full server . After level 60 the leveling reverts back to the slower leveling of times past so things improve slightly but even then its still not good . My suggestion would be to try Aion and if your still interested in Warcraft when the cataclysm comes out because there will be plenty of people leveling alts then . Its more likly than not going to be around november 2010 but if its anything like burning crusade it could even be as late as spring of 2011 so that gives you over a year ( and maybe a year and a half) to experiance something else.
This is really the perfect time to start Aion because you can be there from day one and experiance a game where leveling is not just solo play . I ve been in the Aion beta and i also play Warcraft at present i m finding Aion to be a far more enjoyable game . It reminds me of my early days in WoW when everything was shiney and new and there was a lot more challenge and fun to be had in the mid levels .
I ll proberbly have a look at the Cataclysm when its out because it might breath new life into a stale old game . I do have some rather large doubts though i hope Blizzard pull it off because it would be great to see WoW return to the quality it had in the past .
Hell fricken no! Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. I know plenty of people that have just started now and are having a blast.
One of the big things about WoW is how easy it is to level. Even as a new player it shouldn't take you more than 4-6 weeks to hit max level.
WoW is considered MMO-lite, but really there is nothing wrong with that. That just means its easy to get into.
I'm going to play Aion until near the time WoW: Cataclysm comes out, then I'll switch back to WoW. I'll probably reroll my Druid. Goodbye Epic Flying
. I think there will be a lot of people who will reroll since they are adding 2 new races, and changing Vanilla WoW so it is different. It will bring back the "newness" of exploring the old world... kinda like what EQ2 did.
see..I've never been that anal about it..I just want cool looking gear in an mmo..not asking for the world to stop turning while I raid or anything. (that's one of the reasons I can't wait for Diablo III-armor and weaps) It may be a shallow reason for playing , but its my reason. It's why I like these games. The first time they allowed you to die armors in Everquest, I went nuts with it.
I just like cool armor and weap designs. It's my reason for playing. Yeah, meeting people, grouping, and doing laundry together are all fun reasons too..but I'm in it for the gear. I'm guilty lol.
I'll definitely be trying Aion regardless..but WoW has always been an itch I wanted to scratch..mainly because I love the art style...just didn't know if it was too late. I'll give the trial a shot. See what happens.
Thanks
'Cool looking' is in the eye of the beholder. I really do not like how some of the gear on my level 80 looks even though it has amazing stats. At the same time my lower level character wearing a mismatch of quest, dungeon and crafted gear looks pretty neat. Heck, people are willing to pay a lot of junk items with no stats that look cool (eg. 'pimp hat', 'pimp cane').
Also remember that not all lower level instances were created equal. Some instances were not run very often even when 80% of the players were in the appropriate level range. The alliance never seemed to run Blackfathom Depths since it was badly located. Many players refuse to run Gnomeragan becasue they really dislike the instance. In vanilla WoW, many people run Sunken Temple to finish their level 50 class quest chain but really did not like the instance at all.
Then there are the player favourites that always get run because they are fun and/or have good gear. Scarlet Monastery is still run all the time. Deadmines is where Alliance tries out new characters in their first instance. Zul Farak is popular for its level range. Hellfire Ramparts gets a lot of use since it is the first instance in Outlands and offers very serious gear upgrades to players.
Starting in WoW now you probably will not get to 'do everything'. However, many players who played in the 'first wave' probably did not 'do evrything' their first time throught the game. I know that I did not discover Scarlet Monastery until my third character because my focus for that level range was on crafting and zones that did not lead into that instance.
With Cross server 5 man LFG system coming in 3.3 you will no longer have issues finding a group for even the least popular instance.
I personally created a new character just to go through azeroth one last time and experience it with this LFG system before all the revamped Azeroth changes come about.
To the OP it's never too late to start the game.
Playing: WoW, EvE
Interested in: TOR, ER, GW2, WoD, Dust514
Never too late to start playing WOW. Each expansion completely invalidates the gear that the players who've been playing longer than you and sets you on an even footing with them.
if you don't catch them before the expansion comes out, you will once it does.
Its the great thing about WOW.
Its also the bad thing about WOW.
Depends what you like of course.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Not ALL is gear in WOW these days.
You also have the prestigious titles and mounts, pets, personal flying dragons ..... that gives status and recognition of being a "hardcore" gamer.
And these prestigious symbols are there to brag throughout expansions (and most never reset).
Example: Deadly Gladiator titles (being the best out of 200.000 PvP players), Having Onxyia mount (in the new patch 3.2.2), other dragon flying mounts and PVE and PVP timeless awards and titles.
So for the hardcore (in every inch of the game) you can find these achievement rewards that give status and show it.
In patch 3.3 they add guild progression, Battleground titles etc....
The game just grows along with its veteran players in ALL aspect.
In WOW 2009, epic gear is just a means to an end goal YOU set out for yourself. It is NO longer a goal in itself.
True but most of what you mention are cosmetic items and titles . I still have fun in getting them but Kyleran is right in what he said . Gear is the most important aspect of Warcraft and i doubt you ll find many that would agree with you Zorn .the OP and anyone else would get most out of the game around the time of the expansion pack release simply because you get to level with other people . It you were to play now it would be very much like playing a single player rpg game untill you get to the endgame .
I wish things had been different in this game because its a pity all the things you work for gear wise become obsolete so quickly . Its led me to only want to play once every couple of years . To level a new character and see what the contents like then give up and play something else untill the next expansion pack. I m hoping Aion and the other new mmorpgs to be released in the coming years dont follow the same path .
Well given that they keep nerfing every aspect of the game with each expansion pack and with this new one, even remove stats and gameplay elements.
I think now is a better time than ever to enjoy the decline of online gaming
Currently playing - FF14ARR
Previous games - SWG, World of Warcraft, ShadowBane, Warhammer, Age of Conan, Darkfall, Planetside Asheron's Call, Everquest, Everquest 2, Too many.
are they really removing stats ?
There are tons of people who are ill prepared for group raid. That's been going on since BC, but most of the ill-prepared will never get as far as raiding. Also, most guilds have an outer court to get you into base raiding gear by doing heroics.
Its really quite fast to level an 80 anymore. The biggest issue will be gold. Hints: don't buy ANYTHING from AH, you really don't need it. Also, TO SAVE TIME: completely skip any profession other than gathering (skinning and herbalism are fastest) before 80. You'll have plenty of gold for mounts, and gear from quests, drops, and occasionally vendors. If you need crafted gear, enchants etc... you'll be rich enough to afford them (crafters except highest level are always broke and willing to sell cheap).
Aion and WoW are very different designs. WoW is more like 3 games in one... easy-casual for part-time pve questers, BGs and Arenas for PVPers, and Raids for elite hardcores. That's why nobody can agree on if it is an easy game or a hardcore one. The easy part keeps getting easier, hard keeps getting harder (so I hear, I don't have time to raid because of work).
Ken
www.ActionMMORPG.com
One man, a small pile of money, and the screwball idea of a DIY Indie MMORPG? Yep, that's him. ~sigh~
I believe that Blizzard is trying to 'untrain' the playerbase from that mode of thinking. The gear differentials are really quite small when compared to vanilla WoW. Months ago I got invited to a 25man Naxx raid. I really hsould not have been in that raid since I have not even done a 10man Naxx, did not know the fights at all and my DPS was weak. Still I did not screw up and got to roll on some gear. To my enourmous suprise the gear was not that much better than the heroic 5man gear I had already. A few stats were a bit higher but nothing like when I got my first Molten Core epic back in the game.
So while many players still prefer to believe that gear is the #1 priority in the game, the paradigm is shifting under their feet. If they are seeking status and validation from other players they will have to find a means other than gear. Inevitably those things will be titles, achievements and mounts. Whenever I am in the Tournament area I see people all around with the Crusader title and I do not see it that much in other areas. They are showing off that they completed the content. The players with the rare mounts are showing them off. If I want to know how experienced a player is I will check his/her achievement rather than gear.
There are tons of people who are ill prepared for group raid. That's been going on since BC, but most of the ill-prepared will never get as far as raiding. Also, most guilds have an outer court to get you into base raiding gear by doing heroics.
Its really quite fast to level an 80 anymore. The biggest issue will be gold. Hints: don't buy ANYTHING from AH, you really don't need it. Also, TO SAVE TIME: completely skip any profession other than gathering (skinning and herbalism are fastest) before 80. You'll have plenty of gold for mounts, and gear from quests, drops, and occasionally vendors. If you need crafted gear, enchants etc... you'll be rich enough to afford them (crafters except highest level are always broke and willing to sell cheap).
Aion and WoW are very different designs. WoW is more like 3 games in one... easy-casual for part-time pve questers, BGs and Arenas for PVPers, and Raids for elite hardcores. That's why nobody can agree on if it is an easy game or a hardcore one. The easy part keeps getting easier, hard keeps getting harder (so I hear, I don't have time to raid because of work).
Ken
Yikes! What terrible advice. Basically you just told the poor guy to rush to max level, avoid crafts and basically be a one dimensional character. Rushing to endgame does one thing when you're a new player, It is almost 100% certain that you will suck at playing your class at 80.
Next your going to say skip grouping with others and dungeon running until you hit northrend because its a waste of time.
OP please don't listen to anything people like this say.
Edit: rushing to endgame as an Alt is fine since but as a new player it's the stupiest thing you can do. I have so many stories of really bad players in groups that just avoided Azeroth and outland content while leveling. these people are a complete waste of time.
Playing: WoW, EvE
Interested in: TOR, ER, GW2, WoD, Dust514
It's never too late to start.
Momo sucks, I have proof.
I dont hate WOW but why would you want to? There are better games out there... and more exciting games on the horizon. I realize it still has the biggest player base which I guess could be reason. However I personally feel its also going to have the biggest departing player base in the next few years.
Also the player base that is there are already going to have their clicks they run with on a regular basis. WOW has one of the most unfriendly player bases when it comes to PUGs meaning its going to be harder than most other games to actually be able to find a group to play with if your unknown. Dont get me wrong you will be able to get groups but it will be more unfriendly than say in a game like Vanguard or Age of Conan.
I would recommend trying a different game than WOW.
Exactly. The above is also the reason why achievements and according status symbols will not only be important in WOW, but on BattleNet as well.
The status of your ingame positions will be viewable throughout BattleNet.
The WOW armory was only the beginning of this.
Those who still think WOW is only a game to gather epic gear are living 3 years ago (before the badge drops).
So a gear upgrade every 5 months with each boost cycle throughout Azeroth is a natrual evolution to get to the REAL status in game.
To me that's a Justicar title for all my high level characters or a Rival title and I am still out on that unique Battlemaster title.. I still can't get.
That's one of the reasons I play WOW, not for the gear alone.
just to clarify...Im not that guy..I don't want cool looking gear for validation..I want cool looking gear because I want cool looking gear. For ME! Because ME is who is paying monthly. I'm not discounting the other elements: achievements, crafting, mounts..I love that stuff actually. But Gear is what attracts me to the game. And as long as I can still get some..then I'm all in. I'm not gonna grab someone and say "accept me because of my gear!!!!!" I could care less what someone's idea of validation is.
All I want is plate armor that has nuclear bombs going off repeatedly above the nipples..That's not much to ask is it?
TL;DR version:
No It is most assuredly not too late to start WoW.
They intend to keep making this game for a long time to come, They just announced anohter exp pack and it won't be the last one wihtout a doubt.
A better game than WoW? really? fully? Or are you talking about a mmo thats better than WoW in one feature and shitty in everything else?
WoW is accessible, lets hardcore players chill with casuals this game is for everyone. Please point me in the direction of a game that's better than WoW.
Again don't cop out and tell me what game has better crafting or quests or pvp lol. What game can stand up to WoW full features vs full features. go!
Playing: WoW, EvE
Interested in: TOR, ER, GW2, WoD, Dust514