WoW benefited from it's established story. Every race and class had their own background in lore, which made it more appealing.
Not only that, but the game launched with 9 classes, 8 races, 2 genders, and each gender, race, and class had unique animations (5 more races + 2 more classes in later expansions and an upcoming Demon Hunter).
There were 6 starter zones for 8 races (5 more for all expansions + DK zone).
50 total characters across 10 servers (not sure if it's bumped up since i think we can have 11 per server now).
It's a game built for alts. Now compare it to other MMOs, and you'll see why WoW is still popular, especially when those other MMOs limit you to 5 or less character slots.
All this combined makes the replayability for the game appealing still.
You're right. WoW is also the only MMO whose classes lose skills as the time passes, all the other MMOs I played so far new skills are given to classes each new expansion.
When you know a game inside and out it is hard to move on, because you feel very comfortable and know the game so well. Many mmorpgs have so many intricacies it literally can take years to figure them out. Probably for many WoW players who have played for years they just don't want to move onto other games. I have witnessed this from many diehard players from several games. They simply know a game so well and the tricks and just those little things that give them success. I think this is why WoW retains a high population. Granted I know that the population has declined over the years but that is too be expected with an aging game.
I haven't found a game that offers better endgame raiding than WoW, so I always end up going back to WoW to raid. Legion is looking to be awesome, and the first expansion that they've taken considerable risks on in a long time.
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
Yes, WoW has always been a fantastic MMO - I agree. That said, I stopped playing it on a serious level a few months after TBC was released. Since then, I've pretty much suffered from WoW-clone MMO fatigue.
I'm still waiting for a game that does something genuinely new, with sufficient production values and effort involved. Some developers have tried to accomplish this in a limited way, but no one has come close as of yet. Games like Age of Conan, Secret World, ESO, LOTRO, DDO are all very good games, but ultimately they failed to raise the bar and keep going with it.
Star Citizen is the only game on the horizon with the right potential to actually change anything, but it remains to be seen if they'll succeed with it - and, at best, it's still a few years away. Also, they're targeting a different audience - which would seem to be much smaller than what Blizzard usually go after.
For me, its mostly because WoW is so polished its hard for other games to compete. WoW was my first MMO, and I remember thinking every MMO would have the same level of polish ... boy was I wrong. When I first began playing F2P games I quit after a day, they just couldn't compete. I may be tired of WoW, but I'll inevitably come back because other games cant live up to the level of quality I'm used to.
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Not only that, but the game launched with 9 classes, 8 races, 2 genders, and each gender, race, and class had unique animations (5 more races + 2 more classes in later expansions and an upcoming Demon Hunter).
There were 6 starter zones for 8 races (5 more for all expansions + DK zone).
50 total characters across 10 servers (not sure if it's bumped up since i think we can have 11 per server now).
It's a game built for alts. Now compare it to other MMOs, and you'll see why WoW is still popular, especially when those other MMOs limit you to 5 or less character slots.
All this combined makes the replayability for the game appealing still.
I agree with your post though, we have seen clones, but nobody hits it home like WoW did in the past.
Looking forward to: Crowfall / Lost Ark / Black Desert Mobile
Since I assume WOW isn't really hurting for players, why create this? Just to invite people to argue/troll back?
"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
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
I'm still waiting for a game that does something genuinely new, with sufficient production values and effort involved. Some developers have tried to accomplish this in a limited way, but no one has come close as of yet. Games like Age of Conan, Secret World, ESO, LOTRO, DDO are all very good games, but ultimately they failed to raise the bar and keep going with it.
Star Citizen is the only game on the horizon with the right potential to actually change anything, but it remains to be seen if they'll succeed with it - and, at best, it's still a few years away. Also, they're targeting a different audience - which would seem to be much smaller than what Blizzard usually go after.