WoW - were to start? [Archive] - Forums @ The Digital Fix

Tempest

27-01-2007, 12:18

Not really in to gaming, but thought I might give this a go.

Is there a particular one to start on as there looks to be loads of options. Also is it on line only or can you play solo ?

Are you talking about World of Warcraft?

I also was thinking of having a go on this (saw it cheap in a shop)
You have to pay a Tenner a month or something don't you (to stay in the game as it were) or have I got it wrong there?

As far as I know (and I've never played it) it's totally online and you just wonder around till you find other characters (real people) to chat to and decide to do things with.

But then again, I may be totally wrong :)

Tempest

27-01-2007, 12:20

I think everything we need to know is here actually.

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guide.html

Bloom

27-01-2007, 12:22

Or you could try Guild Wars and save yourself a tenner a month :thumbs:

alsemail

27-01-2007, 12:23

I don't mind paying my xbox live subscription as there are so many games and features etc. but I point blank refuse to pay a sub. just to play one game. Total rip-off. :|

Guild wars is an excellent game if you're in to this though as it's free.

D'oh- beaten to it.

Tempest

27-01-2007, 12:33

Ahhh, I was not far off:

After the initial free one-month subscription ends, players of World of Warcraft will be able to continue playing under one of three different subscription plans. The basic month-to-month subscription plan costs 12.99€ per month (£8.99 in the UK), while the three-month plan costs 11.99€ per month (£8.39 in the UK), and the six-month plan costs 10.99€ per month (£7.69 in the UK). World of Warcraft subscription fees can be paid with all major credit cards, many local cards, direct debit (such as ELV in Germany) and pre-paid game cards, the latter of which will be available in retail outlets where World of Warcraft is sold.

Ridcully

27-01-2007, 12:38

Shall give that a miss then. Just finished Baldurs Gate for the nth time. Have Icewind to move onto

JD20

27-01-2007, 12:44

I don't mind paying my xbox live subscription as there are so many games and features etc. but I point blank refuse to pay a sub. just to play one game. Total rip-off. :|
My thoughts exactly

[HB]RugRat

27-01-2007, 13:13

I don't mind paying my xbox live subscription as there are so many games and features etc. but I point blank refuse to pay a sub. just to play one game. Total rip-off. :|

Some would say that paying a sub for pretty shallow bolt-ons and access to features you've already paid for (and that PC owners typically get for free) is the rip off next to an immersive, evolving world ;)

Bear in mind that if you buy WoW you get your first month free (you can get it from HMV for a tenner at the mo).

Personally I got bored of it quite quickly but once you get a sense of the scale of the world you're in you understand why they charge to play it and why 8 million people are quite happy to pay. don't knock it till you've tried it! :)

Tempest

27-01-2007, 13:47

So is Guild Wars very poor in comparison to WOW then?

MetalGearAl

27-01-2007, 14:56

I think WoW is meant to be in a league of it's own, but Guild Wars is still meant to be fantastic, especially considering it doesn't charge to play.

Bezzant

27-01-2007, 14:57

but I point blank refuse to pay a sub. just to play one game. Total rip-off. :|

Guild wars is an excellent game if you're in to this though as it's free.

Guild Wars pales in comparison to your typical "proper" MMO. You pay for what you get, heh.

A rip of in what way exactly? With my WoW sub i pay in the region of about ~7.99/month. Been playing it on/off and have clocked up ~2400 hours playtime on my main character over about two years now.

Find me any other game, which provides better value for money with the same reasonably high level of quality :shrug:

It isn't "one game", it doesnt come to and end when you beat the final boss.

Tempest

27-01-2007, 15:04

I guess I'm not really sure what you do in WOW.

I mean, say you find a weapon (if you can do that)

If you are just in a bad mood (or drunk!) can you just pick off people for no reason and act like a git?
If you do this, will your name be spread around so people say, oh look it's "Mr X" again and beat the pulp out of your character?

I mean, do you have to be nice and polite etc etc as in real life, or can you just do as you please?

I know you are supposed to meet up have chats, decide to go on a campaign etc etc. But as in real life, people have different views on how something should be done, and in a game, you're a lot more lightly to say sod em and go your own way than you do in reality.

Bloom

27-01-2007, 15:10

Guild Wars pales in comparison to your typical "proper" MMO. You pay for what you get, heh.

A rip of in what way exactly? With my WoW sub i pay in the region of about ~7.99/month. Been playing it on/off and have clocked up ~2400 hours playtime on my main character over about two years now.

Find me any other game, which provides better value for money with the same reasonably high level of quality :shrug:

It isn't "one game", it doesnt come to and end when you beat the final boss.

Guild Wars isn't really meant to be a 'proper' MMO anyway. It was never designed as a rival to WoW, it's just the fanboys (on both sides) that have made it that.

swanny

27-01-2007, 15:11

You can solo WoW all they way to the top level. Or you can group up or join a Guild - its up to you.

As for attacking the ememy. Join a PvP server and you can attack on sight. Pick your battles though or you won't last long. :)

Bezzant

27-01-2007, 15:15

You can do as you please, with how you act. On a pvp server in pvp/contested zones you can be a jerk. Loads of people are. Obviously it isnt as easy as that as unless you get reasonably good, well geared etc.. you will prob get killed yourself.

You can be nice, polite and friendly- pretty much the preferred thing but you still get some jerks who are mouthy, 13 year old teens who used there mums CC so they can mouth off at people on the internet. Same as well, everywhere :lol: Obviously I imagine with some complaints the GM's will issues some warnings/bans if you cross the line.

I imagine most folks who play these types of games start out with friends as opposed going at it alone as its pretty daunting to start, at least the first time you have a shot at an MMO.

TimJBart

27-01-2007, 15:30

i always try and group up with people but within aabout 10 minutes they disband the group. I thought it was beneficial to share experience points?

Bezzant

27-01-2007, 15:56

Guild Wars isn't really meant to be a 'proper' MMO anyway. It was never designed as a rival to WoW, it's just the fanboys (on both sides) that have made it that.

Indeed it isn't. But still, before its release it was being shouted about everywhere as the amazing free massivly multipler online game. Which bothered me back (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5334110&postcount=4) then (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5709513&postcount=8) at release as much as it does now.

I don't think it was all down to fans either really. Pretty much all the coverage put emphasis on it being a free mmorpg. so pretty much directly compared it to others but this one is special because its free. it's free because it lacks any of the key things which make an mmorpg and mmorpg in my opinion. this is no different to medal of honor, sitting in a lobby waiting for your team to form them jumping into a objective based map, or the same on ghost recon..

Guild Wars isnt really a free alternative to WoW in that its a totally different experience. It has quests and pvp, thats about as close as they get :thumbs:

Bloom

27-01-2007, 16:14

Indeed it isn't. But still, before its release it was being shouted about everywhere as the amazing free massivly multipler online game. Which bothered me back (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5334110&postcount=4) then (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5709513&postcount=8) at release as much as it does now.

I don't think it was all down to fans either really. Pretty much all the coverage put emphasis on it being a free mmorpg. so pretty much directly compared it to others but this one is special because its free. it's free because it lacks any of the key things which make an mmorpg and mmorpg in my opinion. this is no different to medal of honor, sitting in a lobby waiting for your team to form them jumping into a objective based map, or the same on ghost recon..

Guild Wars isnt really a free alternative to WoW in that its a totally different experience. It has quests and pvp, thats about as close as they get :thumbs:

Well, thanks for repeating my point :thumbs:

I haven't played WoW so can't really comment on the content of that game, but Guild Wars has very little in common with Ghost Recon.

It is free and it is massive and many people play it online so I suppose it an MMO. What it isn't is an MMORPG

Bezzant

27-01-2007, 16:35

Well, thanks for repeating my point :thumbs:

I haven't played WoW so can't really comment on the content of that game, but Guild Wars has very little in common with Ghost Recon.

It is free and it is massive and many people play it online so I suppose it an MMO. What it isn't is an MMORPG

massively multiplayer online game to me would imply a huge number of players in a single game world. The game world. Guild Wars, last time I played had a lobby area (small towns and outposts). Everything else was fresh, desolate instances which reset and were identical everytime you re-entered it.

Going into a town to find a group is pretty much akin to sitting in a lobby screen of ghost recon waiting for people to join before the game starts. But instead you see the other players dancing about in their avatars rather than a list of names.

TimJBart

28-01-2007, 10:55

I've just bought WoW for a tenner at HMV so I'm going to have a bit of an experiment with it.

At that price, I wouldn't mind only playing it for a month and then perhaps not continuing. At £30 I thought it was a bit too expensive just to try it out.

How do I join a group to share experience points or do we all have to be at the same point in the game?

Scruffy the Janitor

28-01-2007, 12:47

Tim - just dive in. Don't worry about finding people - the realms (servers) are MASSIVELY populated. If you want to group you can send out a shout in one of the many chat channels or use the in-game tool to find peeps looking to do the same quests/instances/dungeons you want to.

There are usually so many people onlibe you never struggle to find peeps. In fact the opposite often happens, there are so many people doing what you want you will have to wait a few mins for a character/boss/baddie to respawn so you can take a turn killing it.

Just for an example. My guild has over 400 active characters in it. We are in no way the largest on our realm.

I just jumped in and learn't as i went, best way imho.

Steve Jackson

28-01-2007, 15:54

Going into a town to find a group is pretty much akin to sitting in a lobby screen of ghost recon waiting for people to join before the game starts. But instead you see the other players dancing about in their avatars rather than a list of names.I prefer to think of Guild Wars as being more like Phantasy Star Online rather than Ghost Recon, with the towns being like the PSO lobby with dozens of other players around that you can converse and trade with or whatever, until you set off with a team of five or so other players to your own instanced adventure.

I enjoyed WoW for several months when it launched but overall I prefer Guild Wars as I'm quite a casual player and I like being able to dip in and out as I want without worrying about getting value for money from a subscription. I like the fact the game has a finite story arc to work towards whilst still retaining an infinite play option via PvP battles. It's also nice not being faced with dozens of kill xx monster quests, having to wait around for a boss to respawn because another player has just killed it, or having to spend 60% of my playing time just travelling to my next destination.

I agree that Guild Wars isn't exactly a MMORPG, although it is a RPG and there are thousands of people to be found playing it, but it's great at what it does and doesn't "pale in comparison" to WoW because for me it serves a different purpose. If you want a single massive, highly populated and rich game world that, whilst enjoyable, takes a fair commitment in time and money to progress in then you can do no better than WoW, but a less demanding (and yes, sophisticated) yet equally enjoyable experience Guild Wars hits the spot for me. It isn't about one being better than the other as I don't see them being pitched directly as rivals. It's what suits the individual playing them.

RobDickinson

28-01-2007, 19:27

Wow & MMO's are more than just games, if you've not played one before it'll come as a suprise. There communities, often lifestyles...

For me (I no longer play WoW) MMO's are exceptional value for the monthly cost, if you play them much at all, I usualy dont buy another game when I play them, I played DAOC for near 2 years and WoW for over 1, a normal game lasts 8 hours, thats a days play on a MMO! :D

WoW is easy to get into, you can PvP or not , solo or not, group, join a guild etc.

I found going back to solo games so hard at first because theres no one to chat to, work with etc.

But a word of warning, make sure you keep one foot in the real world, these can drag you in way to much and before you know it you dont have any real world friends anymore...

Thaedius

28-01-2007, 19:36

But a word of warning, make sure you keep one foot in the real world, these can drag you in way to much and before you know it you dont have any real world friends anymore...

Real world :thinking:

Friends :thinking:

Thankfully I escaped from WoW.
I'm not even tempted by the expansion pack.

Well only slightly :help:

RobDickinson

28-01-2007, 19:48

I'd still be playing except in NZ UK servers were 1-2 second ping away and I didnt want to reroll! :D

Questor

28-01-2007, 20:00

I ended up starting again when we moved out here - and to be fair I've probably enjoyed it more now than I did back then - I only play maybe 2-3 nights a week for a few hours a night, but it's good to be able to just play when I want to and not really lose out - theres always someone around your level you can group with

TimJBart

28-01-2007, 20:21

Which class do you recommend I start with.

I want a good combo of magic and hand to hand. I wanna be able to spell monsters, then smack them with a weapon! :)

Randal_Graves

28-01-2007, 20:24

Which class do you recommend I start with.

I want a good combo of magic and hand to hand. I wanna be able to spell monsters, then smack them with a weapon! :)

Loladin

rbullivant

28-01-2007, 20:35

I played FFXI for about six months, decided i wanted my life back and gve it up. These games are very addictive so watch out!

R

RobDickinson

28-01-2007, 20:38

Which class do you recommend I start with.

I want a good combo of magic and hand to hand. I wanna be able to spell monsters, then smack them with a weapon! :)

All classes in WoW have some majic realy, not suer where the land lays anymore but witht hat desc stay away from the pure fighter or pure magic classes and you'll be ok.

I had a Priest, specced for damage, could solo fine & group fine, not as hard hitting as some but very very versatile.

TimJBart

28-01-2007, 22:14

stay away from the pure fighter or pure magic classes

...and these are?

When I had a trial I was a class which relied on Rage to do magic, but I would much prefer Mana.

Thaedius

28-01-2007, 23:40

...and these are?

When I had a trial I was a class which relied on Rage to do magic, but I would much prefer Mana.

This (http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/classes/index.html) page here lists the character classes for you. In fact the whole game guide on that site is fairly comprehensive.

badgerprincess

29-01-2007, 00:57

Which class do you recommend I start with.

I want a good combo of magic and hand to hand. I wanna be able to spell monsters, then smack them with a weapon! :)

Rogue - melee only, not much downtime as they use energy. Dont get invited to groups or healed :p
Priest - heal, get invited to groups loads, go shadow spec to melt things
Hunter - use pet to hold agro and you nuke, can autoshot/afk level.
Warrior - hit things with a big sword.
Mage - Make water and portals for all. AOE and dont get healed.
Paladins - Live forever, just aswell as thats how long it will take to kill something. Melee, spells, heals, revives however
Shamans - Spam one button (I think shammys might do the stuff you require)
Warlock - Sexy Demon pets
Druid - They think they can backstab like a rogue, heal like a priest, tank like a warrior.

Questor

29-01-2007, 07:49

Warrior - hit things with a big sword.
Mage - Make water and portals for all. AOE and dont get healed.
Paladins - Live forever, just aswell as thats how long it will take to kill something. Melee, spells, heals, revives however
Shamans - Spam one button (I think shammys might do the stuff you require)
Warlock - Sexy Demon pets

:notworthy :thumbs: I like it!!

[HB]RugRat

29-01-2007, 09:14

Paladins - Live forever, just aswell as thats how long it will take to kill something. Melee, spells, heals, revives however

QFT :)

yaffle

29-01-2007, 09:28

If you're new to WoW, I'd recommend hunter or warlock as a starting class. They're very easy to play solo, and are excellent in player vs player fights too.

target

29-01-2007, 10:49

I wouldn't go hunter, there are WAY too many hunters around and you'll find it hard to get group invites.

neilalford

29-01-2007, 12:29

Thankfully I escaped from WoW.
I'm not even tempted by the expansion pack.

Can't believe they had the nerve to charge for the expansion pack, the MMORPGs I've played previously have just included updates as part of the ongoing subscription fee.

soberion

29-01-2007, 12:42

To be fair, Wow has had a large amount of content added over time for free, whereas this expansion is a major addition to the game world.

target

29-01-2007, 12:42

They do give you plenty of free content updates but it is a bit gutting with the 10's of millions they make in subs each month they felt the need to take yet more money from us. Still from their point of view they'd be stupid not to. Pretty much everyone still playing the game was gonna buy weren't they? Easy money and making money is the aim of most companies!

MrHat001

29-01-2007, 13:01

I wouldn't go hunter, there are WAY too many hunters around and you'll find it hard to get group invites.
But hunters are always quite fun to solo with as well.

I'm always tempted to tip my toes back into WoW again but leveling up a new character would just depress me. It felt like bloody ages before I was able to buy that horse. ;)

wisey

29-01-2007, 14:01

The expansion is like a while new game, well worth the money it cost. I dont regret spending the money i do playing this game at all, saves me spending probably more on worthless other games for the various consoles that ive had, which just sit and gather dust after a few hours/days/weeks. Theres always something to do and with the expansion its all fresh again.

martinb

29-01-2007, 15:26

i gave up after reaching level 60. In the quest for better items i was having to play high end instances that went on for hours.It was great fun but the missus was going ballistic after 8 hour stints in molten core!

Rip Curl

29-01-2007, 15:31

RugRat']QFT :)

Shouldn't that be QFE.

TimJBart

29-01-2007, 19:12

Ok I'm gonna go for a Shaman as he's a jack of all trades. It'll give me a good grounding then I can always specialize at a later date with a different character if I get into WoW.

Apep

29-01-2007, 19:27

BTW, make a horde character is you're going to PvP any.... will take you a long time gaining any marks through alliance losses. ;)

[HB]RugRat

29-01-2007, 20:11

Shouldn't that be QFE.

QFT=Quoted for truth. Like "quoted for emphasis" but a bit more "street" :lol:

Deano

30-01-2007, 01:18

I don't mind paying my xbox live subscription as there are so many games and features etc. but I point blank refuse to pay a sub. just to play one game. Total rip-off. :|

Everything a Xbox live sub gives though is generally included for free in PC games. At £15 on budget you'll get as much playtime out of WoW in your first free month than you would any other game - after that it's up to you whether you want to pay for another month or decide you're done with it. People who like it keep playing as they know that for another 9 quid they'll get as much enjoyment of it for another month as they would buying a new game that month.

I've spent over 1000 hours playing WoW. And that's not all that unusual. There's no other game that even comes close to that, even the likes of Baldur's Gate and Final Fantasys and Oblivons top out at around 120 hours if you do *absolutely everything*. If all I'd had to pay for that 1000 hours was the £30 for the box when it came out, I'd feel like it was me ripping off the developers!

It is free and it is massive and many people play it online so I suppose it an MMO. What it isn't is an MMORPG

The problem with the phrase MMORPG is people never read it right. MMO means "Massively Multiplayer Online" then after that you have the type of game, generally an RPG. The key thing is it's "Massively Multiplayer Online" and not "Massive Multiplayer Online". The latter case would describe anything big, multi-player, and online. It's just a list of descriptive adjectives, and if they all apply you're good. 'Massively' is... well technically it's an adverb, but the key thing to remember is that 'Massively Multiplayer' is a single phrase - the 'Massively' part isn't applying to the game, it's applying to the multiplayer aspect. And in that context that phrase means something extremely specific - a certain type of game where large numbers of players participate in the same world.

RobDickinson

30-01-2007, 01:46

2 years of playing DAOC , no other game bought (apart from an expansion), over a year of playing WoW, no other game bought.

On a cost per hour of play MMO's are usualy way beyond any other game (apart from prehaps elder scroll games).

Charging for an expansion is fine, they dont grow on trees, and the risk of launching an MMO is HUGE.

Bloom

30-01-2007, 04:14

Everything a Xbox live sub gives though is generally included for free in PC games. At £15 on budget you'll get as much playtime out of WoW in your first free month than you would any other game - after that it's up to you whether you want to pay for another month or decide you're done with it. People who like it keep playing as they know that for another 9 quid they'll get as much enjoyment of it for another month as they would buying a new game that month.

I've spent over 1000 hours playing WoW. And that's not all that unusual. There's no other game that even comes close to that, even the likes of Baldur's Gate and Final Fantasys and Oblivons top out at around 120 hours if you do *absolutely everything*. If all I'd had to pay for that 1000 hours was the £30 for the box when it came out, I'd feel like it was me ripping off the developers!

The problem with the phrase MMORPG is people never read it right. MMO means "Massively Multiplayer Online" then after that you have the type of game, generally an RPG. The key thing is it's "Massively Multiplayer Online" and not "Massive Multiplayer Online". The latter case would describe anything big, multi-player, and online. It's just a list of descriptive adjectives, and if they all apply you're good. 'Massively' is... well technically it's an adverb, but the key thing to remember is that 'Massively Multiplayer' is a single phrase - the 'Massively' part isn't applying to the game, it's applying to the multiplayer aspect. And in that context that phrase means something extremely specific - a certain type of game where large numbers of players participate in the same world.

Errrm OK

:lol:

dlintheuk

11-02-2007, 13:06

I bought WOW from HMV for £10 a couple of weeks ago.

I have to say it is fantastic, have played it pretty much every night since getting it.

Tooks hours to install mind. Lots and lots of downloads to get it going.

Even if you just get it for the month online that comes with it it makes it a fantastic buy for £10. I will definately be getting a sub next month.

Scaper_S

11-02-2007, 18:23

Is it possible to play wow without having to download? According to the install estimation it will take 57 hours to download the free trial (I wanted to have a free go before spending out any money).

RobDickinson

11-02-2007, 19:03

Bloom

11-02-2007, 21:54

I downloaded the trial the other day, If i dissed WoW in this thread I take it all back. What a great game! Guild Wars hasn't even been started up since I got WoW (though I still think the two games cater to different audiences).

Love the Gryphon rides and every time I get to a new city its jaw dropping time.

Definitely getting a sub :thumbs:

Scaper_S

11-02-2007, 22:58

Scaper you should be able to pick up a free trial disk somewhere (shop or magazine), though a decent inetrnet connection is fairly essential. But even with a disk it'll have to update probably a fair chunk.

Downloads are Bittorrentish I think, should speed up eventualy.
Thanks. A friend just let me know that his took 34hrs to download and he has a much better connection and computer than mine. I have a broadband connection, but it's only as fast as the BT line will allow. I'm going to buy the game. Hopefully then any upgrades/additions will take less time to download.

RobDickinson

11-02-2007, 23:03

If your frend can burn the update onto a disk or something then you could use that.

Questor

12-02-2007, 00:44

yeah - the update files are all nicely labelled such as - 1.18 to 1.35 so you should know which ones you need - the most recent "big" update was pretty big, so it might need a couple of CDs :)

Bezzant

12-02-2007, 00:50

The blizzard downloader is dire. Some folks have no probs with it but others, myself included struggle to get a worthwhile download rate.

I generally use the patch mirror list on WoW Wiki (http://www.wowwiki.com/Patch_mirrors) if you test a couple out to see the initial download rate you can find some incredibly fast ones :thumbs:

Scaper_S

12-02-2007, 20:27

Space Coyote

13-02-2007, 08:57

I was given WOW as a Christmas present from my gf (little did she know how it would pan out.)
I never opened it as i wasn't sure that i fancied it - it's certainly not the type of game i thought i would enjoy. But then on New Years day i was bored and thought i would install it and see what it was like, and needless to say i haven't looked back.
The first week after starting i as on it an obscene amount of time since i was off on holiday. Since then i play when i can, but i have to say that it is an amazing game and really enjoyable.

At the same time as getting this, i was also given Gears of War, and it's still sitting in it's wrapper on the bookcase, and i've no desire to look at it any time soon becasue of WOW.