-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Blizzard gave me World of Warcraft (base) for Free...
- Thread starter Hawk SE
- Start date
Shalashaska161
Member
Is there really that much backlash against Cataclysm? I admit I'm far from hardcore anymore, but I really liked the questing zones from 80-85 and I'm enjoying leveling my Worgen through the redone zones in the old world as well. Are the new raid's that big of a disappointment?
AbsoluteZero
Banned
If you haven't played the game, check it out.
Personally, I bought WoW when it hit $20 a few years back. After my 30-day trial was up I had pretty much seen all I wanted to of the game.
Personally, I bought WoW when it hit $20 a few years back. After my 30-day trial was up I had pretty much seen all I wanted to of the game.
PhoenixDark
Banned
I'd be very interested in seeing info on WoW's subscriptions over the last couple months. I still have mine but I barely play. Cata was fun for awhile - very nice zones and all, but once I got to 85 and did a good amount of heroics, I lost interest. I used to raid so much in WoTLK, but I've barely done any in Cata; now I only go to help a friend's group.
I remember when I used to get on at 3AM on tuesdays when everything reset, so I could see what the new weekly dungeon or raid was, and do it right quick for badges. I used to plan my entire schedule around raiding - like "gonna study until x, eat at y, turn my phone off then raid from 9pm-1am" etc. Now I simply don't care. I've been holding out, hoping the game will catch my attention again. But I find myself wasting tons of time online, or playing SC2 before realizing I forgot to even sign on.
I remember when I used to get on at 3AM on tuesdays when everything reset, so I could see what the new weekly dungeon or raid was, and do it right quick for badges. I used to plan my entire schedule around raiding - like "gonna study until x, eat at y, turn my phone off then raid from 9pm-1am" etc. Now I simply don't care. I've been holding out, hoping the game will catch my attention again. But I find myself wasting tons of time online, or playing SC2 before realizing I forgot to even sign on.
-bakalhau-
Member
Mr_Appleby said:
You should. Get to Northrend, the 68-80 continent. It's by far the best part of WoW. Everything clicks and blends together to form a cohesive, beautiful expansion that Cataclysm can't even touch. Music, scenery, dungeons, story, graphics, you name it. Take it as a single-player game, enjoy the questing, read everything, follow the small stories, and you'll be sure to enjoy it more than any other part so far. Of course, keeping using that auction house and running dungeons.
Edit: Cata is fine from a gameplay standpoint - raids are great and mechanincs are good. But it's not as good in everything else. Read above.
Not really backlash, but Blizzard is doing a really bad job at keeping people interested. From my personal experince, since Blizzard announced that patch 4.1 will not have new raid content, ALOT of people i know took a break from wow. They will probably be back for 4.2 though.Shalashaska161 said:
SUPARSTARX
Member
Don't do it.... it just creeps up on you.
I've had my account since day one. I just logged on to look at how much play time I've had since then.
659 days between all my characters, max level or not.
*hides*
I've had my account since day one. I just logged on to look at how much play time I've had since then.
659 days between all my characters, max level or not.
*hides*
-bakalhau-
Member
SUPARSTARX said:
1/3 of that flying between locations while you were alt-tabbed doing something else, or doing nothing in Org/IF/Stormwind, or waiting for the random dungeon finder to get a group while you were in the kitchen or watching TV
SUPARSTARX
Member
Sounds about right!-bakalhau- said:1/3 of that flying between locations while you were alt-tabbed doing something else, or doing nothing in Org/IF/Stormwind, or waiting for the random dungeon finder to get a group while you were in the kitchen or watching TV
25% spent dying to monsters/killing monsters in dungeons/raids
25% chatting/actively auctioning stuff
35% not doing a damn thing and afk
10% farming useless items
5% leveling
Houston3000 said:
Cataclysm end-game is about the only thing that doesn't suck ass. The raids are fantastic, and well balanced for the most part.
Sadly, the Heroics have been trivialized, the main quests from 80 to 85 are linear and time consuming, and the new secondary profession is boring because they removed Path of the Titans. I won't even get started on PvP.
I would definitely say the game's in a lull state right now. There are still tons of people on, but disinterest is all over the place. If 4.1/4.2 doesn't pick things up, you could say it's dying.
JWong said:
I do, that's just my Druid, who I was raiding on at the time of the post.
Shalashaska161
Member
I probably spent at least 30% of my time in WoW either jumping on the Orgrimmar bank or flying aimlessly around Shattrath. Good times.-bakalhau- said:1/3 of that flying between locations while you were alt-tabbed doing something else, or doing nothing in Org/IF/Stormwind, or waiting for the random dungeon finder to get a group while you were in the kitchen or watching TV
yellow submarine
Member
I've played through 3 expansions on and off and it's a fantastic game. The quality level shows in most places, and people seem to rage when they find the nooks and crannies that aren't up to the high bar that most of the game is. However, I cancelled a few months before Cata because I got bored. I tried the 10 day trial for the expansion, and I just wasn't hooked. It was more of the same, and nothing really drew me to it. So I don't play it anymore.
I will say that if you do decide to subscribe, make sure you have limits. It's pretty easy to be lost/hooked. Since you're getting your social interaction through the game, it is very easy to lose your RL social contacts while you substitute it with WoW. And then you become the caricature that everyone talks about.
I came very, very close to doing the same, but somehow I had my head on straight and dodged total RL annihilation. I came away with the scars of using lolspeak in RL for a few months (and I still refer to "real life" as RL, as well as having the concept of "real life" vs MMO life). So take that for what you will.
It's everyone's individual decision, just make sure you know your own personality and limits. As for me, WoW was my first MMO, and it will probably be my last. That kind of game style's just not a great fit for my addictive personality.
I will say that if you do decide to subscribe, make sure you have limits. It's pretty easy to be lost/hooked. Since you're getting your social interaction through the game, it is very easy to lose your RL social contacts while you substitute it with WoW. And then you become the caricature that everyone talks about.
I came very, very close to doing the same, but somehow I had my head on straight and dodged total RL annihilation. I came away with the scars of using lolspeak in RL for a few months (and I still refer to "real life" as RL, as well as having the concept of "real life" vs MMO life). So take that for what you will.
It's everyone's individual decision, just make sure you know your own personality and limits. As for me, WoW was my first MMO, and it will probably be my last. That kind of game style's just not a great fit for my addictive personality.
RoaringHawk
Member
Got this too!
Even though It's been a while since I las t played SCII.
Even though It's been a while since I las t played SCII.
I think people got bored faster in Cata than previous expansions mainly because going from the previous max lvl to the new max lvl is much faster than before because of 5 lvls instead of 10.
Not to mention you have fewer new zones for high lvls, they're all spread over the world and it has become very linear in quest progression.
And also because it is much easier and faster to reach raid gear than before thanks to the Dungeon Finder which didnt exist in early BC & Wrath.
You spend much less time in heroics than before and you have nothing to buy with your points from boss kills once you got all the PVE gear it gives. Most people already bought all the heirlooms they wanted and the few profession mats arent very worth it. Thankfully, you'll be able to trade it for honor next patch, so it might help PVE players in getting some PVP gear without getting destroyed in battlegrounds.
Raids arent easily "puggable" compared to Wrath, and i think a lot of people got used to that. And both 10 & 25 man versions share the same weekly lockout now, so they cant just say "lets do 25 man as a guild, and 10 man with a pug later this week".
It doesn't help that Blizzard is taking forever to release the next patch, which doesn't even have a raid instance.
Not to mention you have fewer new zones for high lvls, they're all spread over the world and it has become very linear in quest progression.
And also because it is much easier and faster to reach raid gear than before thanks to the Dungeon Finder which didnt exist in early BC & Wrath.
You spend much less time in heroics than before and you have nothing to buy with your points from boss kills once you got all the PVE gear it gives. Most people already bought all the heirlooms they wanted and the few profession mats arent very worth it. Thankfully, you'll be able to trade it for honor next patch, so it might help PVE players in getting some PVP gear without getting destroyed in battlegrounds.
Raids arent easily "puggable" compared to Wrath, and i think a lot of people got used to that. And both 10 & 25 man versions share the same weekly lockout now, so they cant just say "lets do 25 man as a guild, and 10 man with a pug later this week".
It doesn't help that Blizzard is taking forever to release the next patch, which doesn't even have a raid instance.
Just started playing this myself, although I had to pay for it.
Mostly to pass the time until The Old Republic. Not really overly concerned with reaching the end level, raids and gear. I'm kind of content to dick around with the professions, explore and occasionally shoot another player in the face with my giant cow's musket.
Mostly to pass the time until The Old Republic. Not really overly concerned with reaching the end level, raids and gear. I'm kind of content to dick around with the professions, explore and occasionally shoot another player in the face with my giant cow's musket.
Dr. Chaos said:Just started playing this myself, although I had to pay for it.
Mostly to pass the time until The Old Republic. Not really overly concerned with reaching the end level, raids and gear. I'm kind of content to dick around with the professions, explore and occasionally shoot another player in the face with my giant cow's musket.
Those are my thoughts. I just want to get into it just to get used to MMO's for when The Old Republic comes out.
Mr_Appleby
Member
-bakalhau- said:
yeah i'll get back to it. i actually quite enjoy the auction house aspect of it though obviously i'm not at a level yet which i can craft many significant items for sale. i do alright selling pet bomblings which has given me plenty enough gold for buying skills etc. though the plugins that automate undercutting make it a bit shitty. at least you can get some satisfaction in abusing it to drive their prices down well below the market average
i'm keeping my subscription so it will be there for me when i feel like it. lots of essays to write this year though so maybe i good thing i haven't got hooked yet.
Rygar 8 Bit
Jaguar 64-bit
they are bleeding subs now cata leveling zones were cool but the end game is killing it dosnt help that theres also 45-60 minute queue times for dungeons
PvP balance is worse than ever somehow, dungeon finder wait times and subsequent groups are worse than ever somehow, the leveling content feels less relevant than ever, and the raiding content is more stagnant than ever.Shalashaska161 said:
It's a disaster, but because Blizzard wouldn't ever release decline numbers we'll never really know how bad it is. WoW is definitely on the out.
Rygar 8 Bit
Jaguar 64-bit
they do have a store can buy 2 different mounts and some non combat pets
hamchan said:
This used to be my line of reasoning too; "Well, It's $60 every 6 months, but that's one console game and how many of those can you play for 6 months at a time?"
Eventually, however, you start to realize that the reason we buy other games is to have other gaming experiences, whereas World of Warcraft only gives you one experience which, at best, can only barely be considered a game (at worst could be called work you pay the luxury of doing).
It's also worth pointing out that although it's $60 for 6 months, with the way content is delivered you're often paying for time you don't use. Once you reach max level (When the 'real game' supposedly begins), you're pretty much going to run the same two or three raids repeatedly. The same raid. Every time. For 3-6 months between content patches. Assuming they have raid content in them (4.1 doesn't).
When there's a $3 billion cottage industry to provide players with a service so they don't have to play the game themselves, that should send up red flags.
I dropped my WoW account in favor of a Gamefly account. About the same price and I'm not stuck playing one game. It's also allowed me to go back and try the last 4 or 5 years worth of gems I completely ignored in favor of fantasy-themed synchronized dancing.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
I'm proud of myself that MMO doesn't addict me. Tried everything from WoW to DC uUniverse to Vindictus to Champions Online to LOTR. I lose interest after a few weeks.
Interfectum
Member
I dunno, WoW is not addicting as it used to be and I can't put my finger on why. The game is much more polished and slick but somewhere between Wrath and Cata it really lost something for me. The game seems too predictable now. Maybe it always was but I think Cata let me see "behind the curtain" and it's just not something I can get into anymore.
I'd say WoW's gone from crack to caffeine.
I'd say WoW's gone from crack to caffeine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_hVT6gomzA&t=2m13sPloid 3.0 said:
Sword Familiar
178% of NeoGAF posters don't understand statistics
All they want is your soul.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Fixed.Interfectum said:
shagg_187 said:
Yep. The only reason I played as long as I did was to have something my brothers (and later, Father) could do together despite all living apart from each other. We'd just run dungeons and have fun goofing off, and were it not for that I would have quit playing before the second expansion.
With other MMOs, boredom sets in for me when the leveling curve hits about 4 hours a level, but I tend to play longer just to see what kind of skills and abilities they've
The only MMO on the horizon that looks like I might actually stick with it is Guild Wars 2, and that's supposedly throwing a shitload of what makes an MMO out the window. We'll see, at the very least it's a single purchase instead of a sub.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Great. Now his marriage is totally fucked when his Facebook-addicted wife comes home and sees there is no monitor; and also that the massive yatch sales deal they were so furiously working on that couldve made them millionaires has gone down the drain cause he forgot to save the 300-page documents after he pulled the plug.Scrow said:
Great public announcement message here. Next time, close the pop-up :lol :lol
danmaku said:
Right, and despite the negativity I have towards the game, there were some fun moments here and there and I still feel it is something every gamer should try. A lot of what people clamor for (especially Zelda and Elder Scrolls fans) is touched on during the better parts of an MMO; a huge world to explore, friends to meet, adventures to have... it's just a shame that most of that stuff is buried under a truckload of carrots and driven by gameplay that amounts to War.
So yes, while I'm definitely not a fan of WoW, I think people should give it a try... as long as they go into knowing that MMOs are built to keep you playing for extended periods of time to generate profit, and said game will always be dangling carrots and pushing buttons to distract people from otherwise shallow gameplay.
That, and anyone who gets too deep into the MMO-mentality will have to spend months rehabilitating their regular gaming skills. Play WoW for a few years and then find out how well rushing at a boss to DPS him down goes when you don't have healbots and a tank.
Vigilant Walrus
Member
Tunavi said:
The amount of people who have an ACTUAL addiction to MMOs. Like a f**king real addiction, like gambling addiction... Is such a small amount, that there are probably more people who are addicted to french peoples pee!
WoW is not addictive. Not more than Civlization or Diablo. It's mainstream placebo. One sheep in the flock decides with himself that his family and job can suck it, so he can play, and then he decides to blame the game.
It's not anymore addicting than violent games are the cause of murder and rape everywhere. People want to blame everyone and everything but themselves.
And if it ain't WoW, it's the economy, their spouse, their jobs, the moderators or perhaps even... french pee.
WoW is a terrific game. It's so softcore now, that you can advance throughout the hundreds of hours of adventure by playing in small game sessions. Gone are the days of having to play MMOs 4-5 hours every day just to be average. You will be able to have fun and play it as a normal game, but here is the hundred million dollar question:
If you have so little game time, you might not be able to nurture the best things about MMOs.. the social interactions. It's not about it being facebook with elves, and even if you are a soloer who prefers to go at it alone, I still think most people want other people around them in some form. If you can't really have the friendships, it might not stick!?
SatelliteOfLove
Member
Shalashaska161 said:
Wrath spoiled people. Bad.
Thing is though, is that Blizzard acts as if the only that ace up their sleeve is the one from Wrath of speeding up an act or removing restrictions on a gameplay feature as a gift to the playerbase rather than as a clever gameplay refinement like it used to be. Therefore, people get to raid-ready faster than ever, and with Cata's raids being progression-based thru and thru (some say slower-released than before, I don't think so)...so yah.
Hawk xSx said:
Do you have a lot of friends who play World of Warcraft? Or more particularly, do you have friends who have recently left World of Warcraft?
My guess is they've done internal analysis and shown that when a member of a social group starts WoW, other members of the social group prolong their accounts by ~3-7 days on average. So if you have enough friends playing WoW, it is profit maximizing for them to give you a free copy, especially if you were never going to purchase vanilla WoW.
SneakyStephan
Banned
First shot is free indeed.
I've been getting an email every few weeks since cata release telling me that I could reactivate my account for a week or something of free playtime.
They can keep their lousy game.
I've been getting an email every few weeks since cata release telling me that I could reactivate my account for a week or something of free playtime.
They can keep their lousy game.