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World of Warcraft, back in the day story
delete5230
Member EpicPosts: 7,081
My little experience with my first mmo :
I would guess it was around Spring of 2005,not sure. I found a game called World of Warcraft on my own. No one at work or my friends played video games. In reading that you can play online with others intrigued me. I went to a local EB Games store and the sales person tried talking me out of it,telling me that my computer was too old and it cost way too much to upgrade. Of coarse he tried talking me into some kind of console and I did not buy into it. I was fixed on World of Warcraft. A few days of research I upped my graphics and ram to the minimum and got my WoW.
Logging in was great,my Elf Rogue was standing there in his under garments and I think he was holding a stick or it my have been a small dagger, but it looked like a stick. Since the first thing on my screen was a guy standing their ready to give me a quest I took it. I killed a few wolfs and did a few more quest and was sent to my trainer to get more abilities. THIS WAS A GREAT, as simple as it was,just a few new abilities changed my play style. Every few levels did it again,and I was extremely hooked.
Playing World of Warcraft at this time in my life was perfect timing. I had just broken up with my girlfriend for the last time ( it had to be done. No going back this time ) I needed to be immersed into some kind of alternate life and the Elf starting zone was it, with its sad love music and beautiful romancing theme. I would sit their in the dark ignoring the phone messages playing my game with a tear in my eye,praying for no knocks at my door.
Anyway where was I.........Making it to the next hub made Vanilla WoW even better. I think the area was called Dolaanr ( 4-10 area ) We must of had thirty players here playing together, flirting and having fun. It seemed at the time that no one would leave this area for days and we knew each other well. Great friends were made here. Ones that would be friends for months.
Eventually I got to level 10 and nothing left to do. Figuring everything out myself I had no clue and had to ask in chat. Soon I was on a boat headed to someplace called Darkshore. This adventure was one of the best times in my little closed off video game life. Landing and seeing all new faces was a welcome change,again with the flirting,dueling and questing. I loved Darkshore !
Eventually I made it to around level 22. After being amazed with all the capitol cities like Stormwind and Ironforge I found my way to Southshore because I had a Rogue quest there anyway. So one day I was solo playing,minding my own business,I got an on screen invite to go to Shadowfang Keep. Whats that I asked ? It's a Dungeon, just come,was the reply !...OK. Next thing I know I'm in a group of five and trying to catch up to a group running off to a far far away land. Anyway, not having a clue we entered the portal and things got wayyyyyy hard !.......Being a Rogue and being the best player in the game ( in my own mind ) I attacked full bore and got everyone killed. We made it back and I did it again. I'm sure you could imagine how bad I got yelled at. It was soooo bad that i'm cringing right now thinking about it 
This is where the story gets good. The healer was a girl, she had pity for me as all others were going nuts. She asked me if I was Russian. I like what ? then I realized that I joined a guild called the Russian Mafia add to the fact that my spelling was bad helped her in thinking that. So running with that I said YES .....So now the group cut me a break and showed me how to play with a real group. I learned about agro,tanks go first,wait for mania and healing,everything I needed to know. We worked well together and they gave me the great dagger at the end. Everyone added me to their friends list and we did more dungeons as time went on.
As time went on I got much better. Even to the point that I learned how to find groups using the Social panel> who and asking others to play using private messages. I was the king of finding groups fast. I did every dungeon the game had to offer and my friends list was wayyyy bigger than my Guild list.................NOW THIS IS AN MMO,immersing,hard and friendly. I'm not sure what you call it today. Maybe a fast leveling lobby game to get to the end fast using the dungeon finder to play with strangers that will call you names and kick half the group before your done, kind of game. I'm playing Vanilla WoW right now,and cant find anything better, because I like the adventure and immersion and the feel of a " World ". After all thats why they call it World of Warcraft !
And It's not nastalga talking here. Blizzard went in the wrong direction to catch the five year olds and level players fast to sell expantions with hiding behind the saying, that people are asking for easy.
Comments
did you really need that huge block of text just to get to that point?
You forgot to mention spending hours getting raid groups together after days of preperation, then all the time to travel there just for the group to fall apart because the Tank had to leave after a phone call fro his wife to go pick her up and then all the time spent trying to get another and everyone starting to leave after half an hour hanging about!?!
There is nothing stopping you doing it the way you used to do it, you don't have to use the options that Blizzard have put in to the game, but then again some additions just made sense.
It must be Thursday, i never could get the hang of Thursdays.
They went in the wrong direction for their customers?
For their financial sheet?
What's rather interesting is the way the bar has shifted. When WoW came out, it was regarded as the easy mode MMO.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Yes it was. It was considered the game for "casual" players that didn't have skills or the time to be successful at EQ.
Now those that started with WoW think that Vanilla WoW was harder and more challenging than itis now. I can't say one way or the other because I hate it and don't play it, but my point is that it is kind of ironic that some players regard vanilla WoW in the same way those of us that played for years before it regard our first game. We always have a special place for our first fun MMO experience.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
Wow, to me the post was all about the "huge block of text" - I didn't even need the point in the end!
The point is that huge block of text. It even says "back in the day story" in the title!
Anyway, entertaining read. I always like hearing about other people's experiences and frame of mind playing games (especially the ones I've also played).
Myself, though WOW was not nearly my first MMO, I've had a very good time playing it during Vanilla, and actually had a better community experience than most other (previous) games for the first year or so. The PVP battlegrounds hurt it a bit in my opinion, but it was a joyful, immersive ride, even during the 40-man raiding (some edge-of-your-seat as well as some hilarious moments there).
I'd agree it became much more of a lobby game around WOTLK, but I think that's what it took to stay alive and kicking. Even before Cata, "the community" had become pretty much your guild.
That's what I was thinking.
I enjoyed the read. It reminded me a lot of my own experiences.
Early WoW was great and I have very fond memories of the early years.