Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Intimidated newbie...
haibey
Member Posts: 14
So its been ten years since release...I bought WoW but never played. I'm unsure why. I have since played GW,GW2,SWTOR,Neverwinter,DDO...and am not pleased.
I want to try World of Warcraft, especially now that its free to try till level 15 , but still have my apprehensions. Can I still have fun starting out as a new player this "late" in the lifecycle?
How hardcore do I have to be, time wise, to enjoy pvp and immerse myself in the world?
This post may not make sense, but I hope for some constructive responses. Thank you!
Comments
It's free to play forever, you just can't level past level 20, and a few other restrictions, but you can et a feel for all the races (sans death knight) and all the classes. No pet battles in free version, but it won't stop you from training for it. So don't try to.
Leveling from 1 - 90 won't take you very long at all. They sped up the process greatly. If you purchase the Warlords of Dreanor expansion, you get one free character boost to 90 along with it. So in reality, catching up is a non-issue. The game is 1000% casual friendly. Everyone and I do mean everyone can complete all the content. Although you can find it cheaper during sales, WoW (which includes everything up to MoP) costs you $19.99 and the MoP expansion will cost you $19.99 (i've seen it as low as $5 on sale). WoD will cost you $49.99 and it's due to go live probably at the end of the year. If you're that desperate to hit 90 and don't want to buy WoD yet, it's $60 to get a boost to level 90.
Honestly the rate at which you level is so fast it would be silly to even use the free character boost that comes with WoD. MoP is essentially over although they will be doing some pre-expansion launch events and the WoW 10 year anniversary in November. WoD is only a few levels, so most everyone will be at max level usually within 2 weeks of release, the rest shortly thereafter. That should give you an idea how fast you will hit 90.
Do the free trial, get a sense of the game. Be prepared for all of TBC content to get a total rework in WoD and expect your character to look nothing like it does now come the next expansion. Totally redoing all the models.
WoW has some what of a long learning curve. A lot of people would would say it doesn't, and know people like that, and yet they know nothing about the game and have only played through like 30% of it's content. This is actually most of the player base. The game is as hardcore as you want to be. Blizzards releases content that includes stuff for all it's player base. You can choose what you want to do. You hear people say end game, and raiding a lot with WoW but there is so much more to it, and you can literally not do any current tier raiding and still have lots to do.
Just be forewarned, MMO's have been copying WoW for 10 years. The game just has made too much money for loser companies not to emulate thinking that they can steal some of WoW's player base, as I notice you said you played SWTOR
So some of the game might feel like you did it before. But these companies that emulate WoW never do it to the quality Blizzard does. There not perfect but there quality control is way higher then any other MMO.
I left GW2 after playing it for a year to go back to WoW cause GW2 is an online store with a game built around it and all it's content updates keep you playing for about 2 hours on the day there released. WoW isn't perfect but still better then it's competition and worth your time more.
If you bought the game but never actually played it, your activation code is likely still valid. Still think you should play the free trial first to see if you like the characters, et al basics.
Remember come WoD, WoW will go through yet another metamorphosis... a lot of the stats are changing, abilities, etc. Not only will the characters appear different, so will how they play. Pretty standard for WoW expansions, totally change up the talent trees yet again. So in essence, it's going to be different than even MoP is today.
Its really easy to get into WoW. Joining a fun guild is always recommend. They can help you along with any advice as well as free stuff sometimes, bags, etc. It takes time to find one you enjoy and click with, its always nice to have someone to talk to, which is always nice to have.
Once you reach 15 you can do dungeons which is always easy and a quick place to gear up. You use the dungeon finder to get grouped up with 4 other people, most people are friendly and just except you to follow and do your best.
I recommend trying to complete the majority of quests in an area to check out the quest lines they have, some are really interesting and worth reading and experiencing.
Its a very easy game to learn but takes time to master.
The next expansion comes out soon which essentially means that everyone that is max level starts off the same essentially. Nothing separates you from the next person really, of course better gear means faster leveling, it doesnt mean much when you will get better gear in about 3+ levels than the highest geared person from the current expansion.
WoW is a huge game with a lot of polish. If you stick to the casual territory, you don't have to worry about falling behind. There are many who say WoW is easy mode, but in honesty only those who don't play it or don't seek out challenge will agree with such. It has multiple levels of access, and it can be fairly hardcore and incredibly difficult if you want to tackle the hardest difficulties. Over the years it has grown more and more complex and complicated, but they are doing a good job in making it understandable to new players or those who don't want to keep on relearning a game with new expansions (even though in the past this has not been the case with class revamps).
That said, I'm not entirely satisfied with their attitude towards this game of late. Introducing in-game cash shops, purchasing level 90s, the exceedingly bias popularity contest with the bikes, and the focus of one faction over the other (as admitted during Cataclysm) left a sour taste for me in general. Now I'm seeing things I don't particularly like with the garrisons and how it's focused on one race in particular and can't be modified to feel like your character's home or a base their race would build. Though I am enjoying what I've played of the Beta of the new expansion, besides that.
Seems like class balance is starting to return as a whole from the PvPing I've been doing in WoD, but they still have a lot of balance passes to do. The classes are actually kind've fun to play now and play as you would expect their class and spec. to behave (at least as far as Fury Warriors go -- very fast and furious with no global wasted). Not a big fan of the healing at the moment for some reason; just seems too weak for some classes, even while understanding what they're trying to do with it.
Role Play servers are designated with RP. If you like PVP, try a RP-PVP server. Can't offer you advice on which one, not much into RP.
Any notion that there is any "hardcore" in a linear questing game is ridiculous.Then if you think the game can be hard at end game,you have already rolled past the entire game to play what 1% of a game?
End game is just something ALL devs do to keep players coming back until they can release a cheap xpac that raises levels 5 or so and adds 1-2 new end game game gear scores lol.if you fall for Blizzard's or any other devs end game nonsense,you have succeeded in making them rich delivering VERY cheap content and yes it costs little to make instance content.
My suggestion is that Wow has always been EQ2's little brother and still has no housing,play EQ2 it is better in almost every way.My preference was FFXI a MUCH better game design but when i wanted to dabble in linear questing rpg's i chose EQ2 hands down no doubt what so ever.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Is it fun? Key question.
I had a nostalgia trip back in 2012 - having last played when the game first came out in the US leaving after several months. Based on my experience I would say yes on balance. (And it was a total fresh start for me because this time around I was in the EU.)
Mixed in with the whack-a-mole and fetch/carry quests are various story driven arcs - some better than others, some with a dollop of Blizzard humour.
As others have said you can create multiple characters in the trial. And, looking at what Blizzard's "starter edition" includes (the free download) you can try all races. So 13 unique starting "zones" in 11 "areas". More than enough to get a feel for the game. You could spend several days doing the trial - a couple of days or more for each would be a month or more. (Peoples levelling speed varies but they are not that fast, especially for brand new, untweaked characters played by people unfamiliar with the game.)
And some of the level 20 end of story arc quests have a "mini-raid" like feel to them as well.
More than enough content for you to play yourself in and decide for yourself. I had fun - along with the nostalgia.
Moonglade is the most popular RP server, but I must warn you. Stay away from the Lion's Pride Inn in Goldshire...You get some quests there, just run in and out and try not to look around. There are a lot of wierdos in there.
Edit: Actually, just stay away from Goldshire completely. Roll with the Horde
lol I forgot about the RP scene in WoW. Been more competetive myself so I didnt spend time with it but yes the RP servers are what you are looking for, not all RP but some do. I remember my first time in an RP server back in Vanilla. I had some random lvl 50 come up to me and give me 10g, back in Vanilla 10g was a huge amount for a lvl 1 character. I was blown away that some guy greeted me and just gave me gold. If I had more friends on that server I probably would have stayed since it was fun Roleplaying. Not sure how well they are doing still though.
its fun to play through WOW, especially if you like to quest, it has some of the best quests, in humor and lore out there.
The dungeons are alot of fun especially if you have never done them. You will likely miss out on the Burning Crusade dungeons which is a bummer but still should have some fun
My advice, roll a character that can play multiple roles well, Monk, Pally, Druid, that way finding groups is easy, and you can play whichever role you find most fun
I played when it first came out and still go back to it from time to time. If you're into questing and following story lines, there are some very good/fun quests and you can have fun exploring and playing with other players. I always see new players in the starting zones so if you're into grouping it shouldn't be a problem.
The game is very flexible so enjoy.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
If you are a casual gamer, or one that likes to just do your own thing .. Go for it .. do not worry about raiding at all. Enjoy the trip and have fun doing it first and foremost. If all you want to do is raid and run with all the 90's you are not going to have fun in the game (unless you buy a 90 for 60.00)
Only you can truly decide if it is for you, and what it is you want to get out of it.
The best way is to join a beginner friendly guild. PUGing is always a at best somewhat frustrating and for a noob it is a really bad experience.
A good guild will help you learn the ropes and make things more fun as you play.
How much time you need to put in depends on the guild but I say at least an hour a day and somewhat more in the weekends.
And yes, you should still be able to have fun in Wow (or any other MMO that is a few years old) as long as you find the right people to play with.
Another option is to get a few friends to start as well so you have some other new players to play with.
"I played 15 levels of Wow and want to try to play it some more"? Yeah that sounds a lot like someone who is getting payed for it and not just a noob who made an account here in hopes to get some input.
Better take on that tinfoil hat as well, Blizzard might use mind control as another marketing trick.
And no, I am not an employee of Blizzard.
It is possible to have fun as a new player even if you came in late.. But you gotta give yourself a few weeks to get yourself accustomed to tons of abilities for each classes(although in pve, you'll only gonna use half of them).
You can be a casual and enjoy pvp(if you are sufficiently geared) just like the rest does primarily through random bgs and yolo rated bgs.. but if you want to take your `enjoyment` of pvp to the next level, consider doing arenas(I've never looked backs since I've tried it lol)
If you are jumping into pvp at low levels, expect yourself to get one or two shotted by twinks(low level pvp is high imbalanced) and if you jump into pvp at max level with green quest gears, expect yourself to be fodder till you had full 522.
I could really go on and on bout pvp but i'll spare you the details... GL and HF in whatever games your playing.. whether you choose or not to stay in azeroth!