Death to: Episode 1, World of Warcraft

The headline might sound a bit harsh, but there will come a time when World of Warcraft is shut down physically. I've been a WoW-player for nearly 6 years and today I can't understand (in general, the game still has its moments) why I became so "addicted" to this one game.

World of Warcraft is an MMORPG (duh!). You play with a billion other players (well that measurement is probably better for the money Blizz earn each month) but you get the drift. Some people love the multiplayer aspect of the game and some prefer to go on questing on their own, just minding their own busniness. World of Warcraft is beginning to show its age and its flaws. Believe me, it has serious flaws, at least from my perspective. Now, I can't just say "IT SUCKZ", "WORST GAME EVAH", "IT'S CRAP" without telling you why. Well I can, but that would be "fanboy-ish" of me. Let me start of with the graphics.

The graphics in World of Warcraft is seriously outdated (The new water is perhaps the only thing that is a little "newer"). The game was released in 2004 and Blizz probably started working on it in 1999 or 2000. Having outdated graphics has its advantages, the game can run on almost every computer out there (Maybe not grandpas computer from the 80's). The graphics are becoming more and more important in games today, not simply because it "looks better" but because it today plays a much more important role in making a game that truly captures the player and feels truly immersive. Good graphics doesnt mean actual great looking graphics sometimes, just look at Minecraft, but the role it plays is very important. Blizzard is working on their new MMO so expect to see a huge leap in graphics compared to WoW when it releases. Personally I’m tired of looking at fake trees and generic looking hills and caves.

The other aspect of World of Warcraft concerning graphics that I don’t like is the way they reuse their models so often. Sure they put another texture on, but its still the same model. How many times have you done quests that takes you into a building, cave and whatnot and known exactly where to go? You know that because they re-use the same things over and over again. And here comes the next part of World of Warcraft that I do not like (anymore).

The gameplay in World of Warcraft is horrible by my standards. Today its a shallow, quick fix that is as unrewarding as it can be. Surely some would argue that PvP-is the best and it is in some ways. But what does that give you? Well if you like a new piece of gear that makes you hit a tiny bit harder or a rank that means nothing then sure. Do remember that this is my personal opinion and I don’t presume that everyone feels the same. World of Warcraft doesn’t have the guts to let the classes be truly unique and have truly unique and valuable skills. The system has been dumb down to a bland soup. The classes have very similar skills, a lot of them share roles (How fun wouldn’t it be if you had a class that actually mattered? Of course you need tanks, healers and dps); 4 classes can tank, 4 classes can heal and ALL classes can dps. I mean, common... There is so much potential in making truly unique roles and unique classes. But that would probably not be as accessible for everyone.

After playing the new expansion “Cataclysm” as a Goblin, I want to salute Blizzard for bringing in the clowns of the world of Warcraft. Goblins are, by far, the funniest race I have ever played as and they, as a race, feel truly unique.

What I don’t like is that there are no new classes. And the classes that exist are not distinctive (Sure, we do have DPS, Tank and Healer), nor does it matter what race/class combination you choose. You will always be able to do everything, and get all achievements.

I wish that the choice of class and race would have a significant impact on some parts of the game-play and its events. I have always wondered why the different races get “racial” abilities that are insignificant in comparison to other skills. The racial abilities could do so much more and actually mean something other than being just another skill.

For example, when playing as goblin you get an ability which enables you blast yourself forward much like the mages “blink” ability. This ability could be used for so much more. Why not have dungeons (instances) where it actually matters what races you have in the team? The goblin ability could come to use in an event where the player needs to time it to jumping through or over some gap in the floor to do something on the other side so that the rest of the group can pass and go that way. If you don’t have a goblin in your group, you can’t take that path. Or a hunter for example, that must send his or her pet through a hole in the wall and guide it to some button on the other side to open a tunnel or whatever? Or the DK’s death-grip could be used for pulling a distant lever, grabbing a rock on the other side or something like that.

I would love that. I would love those moments where my class/race actually contributes to the path that my group can take. As it is now, almost every instance feels the same. You just fight your way from point A, being the start of the instance, to point B being the end or exit. Nothing special in between. Just some bosses and enemies that are always the same, every time you do these instances.

I would also love if professions would also work this way. An engineer could repair some machinery to open up one path, while a miner (several miners could be required) can clear a path for the group. So much could be done with all of this. I hope that I will someday see these kinds of things in World of Warcraft. It would greatly enhance my gaming experience. As an RPG World of Warcraft seriously lacks some role-playing.