[Hawk SE]

And I'm not quite sure why. I have a Blizzard account with only StarCraft II on it. I was in StarCraft II beta, then bought full game. I've tried two 10-day trials of WoW, but just didn't want to pay the monthy fee.

Today when I logged in, I had a free WoW base game activation. Is this for everyone or new or what is going on here?

The account:


The activation:



Well either way, I have the 30-days to play. I have the full-game as my upgrade path shows Burning Crusade.

[Keyser Soze]

ITS A TRAP...

[hyduK]

Hey man, I got this new shit in...it's real good...try some, first hits on me.

[NeoandGeo]

I agree on the trap notion.

[androvsky]

Well, it is an MMO with a monthly subscription. I'm mildly surprised they still charge people for the base game, honestly. :)

[SuperAwesome]

I got a free copy too.

[Spire]

I wouldn't be shocked if they started doing that. It's a smart move to get people hooked and I don't think Cataclysm set the world on fire like they had hoped. Giving away the base game is a great way to get new people invested.

[Vaporak]

I just checked my Battle.Net account and a free WoW copy showed up on mine to.

[Shalashaska161]

All part of their master plan.

[Zzoram]

omg I didn't need to hear this, now I might try the first free month and get hooked

[Grinchy]

What's the worst that could happen?

[AceBandage]

What's the worst that could happen?

Haha...
Mwhahahaha...
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Retro]

If you start now, factoring in the learning curve and not knowing where you're going... if you play for 5 hours every day, you might just be able to actually play 'for real' for a week or two before your trial ends.

0-85 is days of play time, doing boring fetching and slaughtering, jumping through questing hoops to make your stats go up in large chunks. Despite being an MMO, most people you meet will not talk to you and most will actually negatively impact you (stealing your quest mobs, resource nodes, etc). There will be people around in towns, but they are just there to talk spam and act like morons 90% of the time.

Since the glut of new Goblin/Worgen rerolls is over, you'll likely be alone (in an MMO!), unless you use the LFG too, in which case you might as well have 4 NPCs running through the dungeon with you since everyone is silent, in a hurry and greedy.

All of this is so, when you reach max level, you can jump through raiding hoops, on a schedule dictated by 9/19 other people, so you can get new gear to make your stats go up in tiny (but mandatory to progress) chunks. At least until the next content patch is launched in 3-6 months and resets everything.

But have fun, it's a great experience the first time, exploring a whole new world (literally). Just remember, it's not really worth sticking with once you've seen the majority of the game.

[perfectnight]

I got it too. I don't want this shit though... give me a D3 key instead.

e- Oh wait no I don't. Thought WoW was highlighted for some reason.

[hamchan]

This is like giving out free cocaine so you all get hooked. Pretty good plan, I like it!

[bangai-o]

is the first month free? Ill try that. Just the one month.

[Angelus Errare]

This is how it starts man

One min it's 30 days of play time, the next minute you're signing up for monthly. You stop hanging around friends, you start ordering food for delivery, you stop cleaning yourself.

Don't do it!

[Sophia]

What's the worst that could happen?

You're right, what's the worst that could happe-....

[Magnus]

I'm almost afraid to resub one day and check my played time on all characters combined.

I feel pretty certain it's gotta be over 200 days.

[Hawk SE]

Beginning of the End huh?

[Forkball]

Forget you made this topic and go study.

[Tunavi]

Which addiction is harder to kick? WoW or cigarettes?

[Finaika]

Which addiction is harder to kick? WoW or cigarettes?

Cigarettes.

[The Lamonster]

IT BEGINS

[Sophia]

Which addiction is harder to kick? WoW or cigarettes?

Cigarettes. They won't make you rage to human stupidity.

[Htown]

Does WoW have an in-game microtransaction store? I haven't played in years.

[-bakalhau-]

Try it out, a new game is a new game. Of course, try it if you know you can control yourself. I've been playing it for 1 and a half years now, in the last 2 weeks I've barely played at all (3 times a week for 2 hour sessions, 6 hours a week then), but sometimes I also play it more, sometimes I play it all day. But if the game is getting boring, I don't play or I do but 1 hour or so. Once I also took a 3 month break. I'll stop playing whenever I want to and it's not addictive to me nor do I feel the need to run daily dungeons because they give me currency I need to buy top tier gear. If I don't feel like running the daily dungeon I won't. Screw the gear.

If you're like me go ahead, if you're not... Eh... Play at your own risk.

[SatelliteOfLove]

If you start now, factoring in the learning curve and not knowing where you're going...if you play for 5 hours every day, you might just be able to actually play 'for real' for a week or two before your trial ends. 0-85 is days of play time, doing boring fetching and slaughtering, jumping through questing hoops to make your stats go up in large chunks. Despite being an MMO, most people you meet will not talk to you and most will actually negatively impact you (stealing your quest mobs, resource nodes, etc). There will be people around in towns, but they are just there to talk spam and act like morons 90% of the time. Since the glut of new Goblin/Worgen rerolls is over, you'll likely be alone (in an MMO!), unless you use the LFG too, in which case you might as well have 4 NPCs running through the dungeon with you since everyone is silent, in a hurry and greedy. All of this is so, when you reach max level, you can jump through raiding hoops, on a schedule dictated by 9/19 other people, so you can get new gear to make your stats go up in tiny (but mandatory to progress) chunks. At least until the next content patch is launched in 3-6 months and resets everything. But have fun, it's a great experience the first time, exploring a whole new world (literally). Just remember, it's not really worth sticking with once you've seen the majority of the game.

Anyways, they did a good job with the renewed zones, but yah...this isn't a social game much any more unless you go in with people you already know or really, really shop for a guild you gel with.

[Dark Octave]

I got a free copy, too.

I do not mess with the MMOs. I've seen their evil inflicted on my friends.

[dimb]

Does WoW have an in-game microtransaction store? I haven't played in years.

No. They have a website where you can buy pets and mounts however.

[The Lamonster]

Seriously though, it's a really fun game and if you get into it, you'll eventually get burned out on it. The addiction thing is blown way out of proportion.

But before you get burned out on it, you'll have an awesome time.

[Boney]

*you're already dead*

[Sophia]

Seriously though, it's a really fun game and if you get into it, you'll eventually get burned out on it. The addiction thing is blown way out of proportion. But before you get burned out on it, you'll have an awesome time.

Despite how long I've played, I've never been addicted to it. The reality is it just fills up my time, like any other activity does. It doesn't dictate my life.

[-bakalhau-]

Despite how long I've played, I've never been addicted to it. The reality is it just fills up my time, like any other activity does. It doesn't dictate my life.

True. My guild friends, however, are consumed by it. They raid and are present evey day of the week at night in the game ready to do it. However, in my case, if something comes up to do at night, like hanging out with a girl or going to the gym, I won't be present. I still have my life. Most of them only play WoW, literally. I still play a bunch of other games.

Each person will decide whether they'll play the game, or whether the game will play them.

[Izayoi]

Well, it is an MMO with a monthly subscription. I'm mildly surprised they still charge people for the base game, honestly. :)

Korea doesn't charge for the box. All you pay for is gametime. I wish the rest of the world would follow in their footsteps.

Last time I tried WoW I uninstalled after five minutes, though. I don't think I'd ever touch a whole month of it.

[Symphonic]

ITS A TRAP...

I lol'd hard.

[∀ Narayan]

EVE > World of WarCraft

[Zzoram]

EVE > World of WarCraft

It's really not, for anyone who is remotely casual. EVE is far more complicated to get started in.

[ToyMachine228]

They're probably getting desperate because they're starting to lose player base. Cataclysm hasn't been that great and a lot of the subscription base is starting to drift off.

[BlueWord]

Which addiction is harder to kick? WoW or cigarettes?

If anyone says WoW, they've never smoked.

But, yes, WoW is a tough one to kick. Unsubbing won't do it; I literally had to make myself delete it from my system. I'll probably be back for the next expansion, too.

[∀ Narayan]

It's really not, for anyone who is remotely casual. EVE is far more complicated to get started in.

True. EVE is very much for the hardcore. Definitely one of the reasons why it's the only MMO that has grabbed my interest.

[jambo]

I have 11 WoW trials on my account for some reason, never played it.

[Ken]

I got one too.

Does it force you to begin the 30 day trial in order to claim the copy?

[Mr_Appleby]

i dunno if it's that crackworthy as it supposedly used to be. i've been subbed about 2-3 months and haven't touched it in a good couple of weeks. don't even want to except for the nagging feeling that i should go clean out my mailbox.

like mentioned above it seems quite empty at the moment unless you have friends playing or get into a guild with people that actually play. then you've got to grind up to 85 before you can do anything anyway. i have no friends that play. i've got my main to 63 or so and since i got my flying mount i haven't felt much incentive to keep going yet. i'm sure i may get back into it.

i do enjoy running dungeons when you get good groups but yeh you get some idiots and as a new player you can feel rushed since most others have done the run before and just want to speed through it.

i played EvE for a couple of months years ago, before i ever tried WoW. it was fun but i think in the long run i'm just not a social enough creature to sustain an mmorpg addiction.

[Sophia]

True. My guild friends, however, are consumed by it. They raid and are present evey day of the week at night in the game ready to do it. However, in my case, if something comes up to do at night, like hanging out with a girl or going to the gym, I won't be present. I still have my life. Most of them only play WoW, literally. I still play a bunch of other games. Each person will decide whether they'll play the game, or whether the game will play them.

I put my raids around my life and I join raiding guilds accordingly. I do know some people who let it consume them, but I'm not one of them.

[Infinitemadness]

They're probably getting desperate because they're starting to lose player base. Cataclysm hasn't been that great and a lot of the subscription base is starting to drift off.

As a die hard wow fan, even I have to agree that Cata isn't so great. I do find it hilarious they're doing this though.

[rhfb]

No harm in trying. Game is so damn good now, even at the lower levels. I'll be resubbing my inactive WOTLK account sometime in June/July because I haven't been able to experience the new 80+ Cata stuff yet :( Did the 1-55ish stuff on a trial account though and loved almost every second.

[∀ Narayan]

i played EvE for a couple of months years ago, before i ever tried WoW. it was fun but i think in the long run i'm just not a social enough creature to sustain an mmorpg addiction.

Fortunately, EVE is extremely solo friendly. I haven't left my starter corp (CAS), which is very helpful. I'll join some folks on missions every now and then. 95% of the time I'm doing stuff on my own, though.

[Ploid 3.0]

4 years from now you're going to look at your life and wish you threw your pc out of the window at this very point.

[Houston3000]

Besides a couple of month long stints here and there I haven't really played WoW for a few years after burning myself out raiding in Burning Crusade, but I've been hearing rumblings of the games demise... or at least that the game's finally peaked and is now on the slow downward slope toward death since, apparently, Cataclysm end-game sucks ass.

Is this true? Is the game dying or is it as big as ever?

I know I've heard shit like this before, every time between expansions but this times different... I honestly don't know one person who plays it anymore and, at one point, almost everyone I knew played it (and I still pretty much know the same people). It just seems like the buzz is gone - I was actually surprised to even see a WoW thread pop up on GAF at all.