World of Warcraft

I love this game almost as much as I love Diablo II (that's a lot).

After almost two and a half years of admitedly casual play I have a 70, a 56, a 48 and a bunch of low to mid-level characters. I'm kind of on a break from it for now and getting ready to start in Warhammer but I don't see myself ever quiting it for good until WOW 2 comes out. It's just so well designed that I think having multiple high level characters in WOW should be obligatory for any one tryinmg to make an MMO. So of course I'll be there for Lich King.

A CHUD guild would be the best thing ever but sadly I have to play on European servers.

My main character is on Bronzbeard (PvE) Alliance.

Got a dwarf paladin up to level 30 when the game first came out, and then just sort of lost interest. The idea of doing nothing but perfecting five-hour dungeon crawls for the possibility of my guild letting me have the uber-gear that might drop didn't really appeal to me. I got back in when Burning Crusade came out and enjoyed the new classes up until the point where they got to the old game world and I got handed the exact same quests I'd done before. A few months ago, with Lich King coming, I tried it again, and from out of the blue got banned with no explanation (to be fair, I had forgotten to change my email address on my account, so the notification probably got sent to a dead address), and all calls to their account center either got me busy signals or "Your call cannot be completed as dialed". That was enough for me.

I have been thinking about playing for over a year now, but working as much as I do I doubt I have the time. That along with the fact I am sure it is super addictive scares me as I am positive I would spend every waking moment playing.

Is there a primer out there for a newbie to read so one could see which version is worth playing?

Still playing since the initial launch, 70 dwarf warrior on Cenarius. I quit for a couple of months last year due to disinterest and work-related stuff, but it's not the time sink and addiction for me as it seems to be for others.

I mostly PvP a lot these days, killing time until Wrath comes out and help my kid out with his toon.

If you think about it the game now has nothing but the faintest resemblance to the one that came out. That's the reason that every other game trying to catch WOW falls short. It is the definition of a moving target.

I have been playing since launch as well recently took a break this spring and summer but just started playing again getting ready for Lich King.
Realm Kel' Thuzad Alliance.

Been taking a long break because of law school, but will probably kick back up once Lich King comes out.

I have a 70 Undead Warrior on Gul'dan.

70 Human Mage on Jaedenar (or something like that). I'd be down to play with some of you guys. I've been wanting to start a new character before WotLK gets released and get bored when I quest alone.

Been playing since launch, and I am goddamn HARDCORE. Fuck you Doc for making an official thread.

Terenas PVE Alliance is my main server. I have various horde toons spread around under the 40s, and toons on a couple PVP servers from launch I never touched.

70 NE Druid, 70 NE Hunter, 70 Dwarf Warrior, 70 Human Mage, 70 Human Rogue, 60 Human Warlock, 40 Human Paladin, and I will be making my main a DK come WOTLK.

I have been in beta for a bit, so if you have questions ask or PM me. Hell if you're casual and have questions ask away. I am a sad, depressing, kill-yourself-you-sad-fuck tome of knowledge for this game, from class mechanics to lore.

EDIT: As far as guild, come WOTLK I would be interested in making a horde side DK, as I have never spent much time on horde side. Though, I recently joined the number one progression guild on my server with the intent of being one of their main DK tanks, so I do not know how much time I will have for alts.

I tried but could not get into the game, I was more of a Everquest person myself, but life and grad school got in the way so I've had to stop playing. My wife plays WOW off and on, so I can't give her too much shit for it.

I've played since about 5 months after launch. Luckily I got my girlfriend hooked shortly after and it's a way for us to spend time together. It basically means I get away with playing video games all the time, can't complain about that. Though I could not imagine playing it if I were single or in school.

I've got a 70 Orc Shaman, 70 Blood Elf Mage, 68 Orc Rogue, on Azjol-Nerub and am currently abusing the hell out of their recruit a friend deal and power leveled a priest to 60 and have 46 paladin. It's taken me less than 3 weeks to get them that high. If anyone is considering starting up I'd recommend signing up with a friend (or fellow Chewer) it'll help you catch up for the expansion and takes the grind out of the 1-60 game.

I'm in a great guild called The Stoppable Force that's tailored for people with jobs, actual lives, and significant others. Very laid back adults only and no pressure to raid or do anything you don't want to do.

Any hype for Wrath of the Lich King is justified. I got invited to the Beta and am loving the hell out of it. The zone design is top notch and it looks great without mucking up the graphics engine. The quests tend be close together and move you to the next town after they're complete so there is a lot less running all over the zone. It trumps Burning Crusade and Death Knights are a blast.

...Tonight?

it is Friday...

...It is.

They might fall short in terms of subscribers, but in terms of quality? Definitely not. Lord of the Rings Online is vastly superior to WoW, and from what I've seen so far, Warhammer Online is well on its way too.

I played LOTRO and Warhammer in Beta. Neither came close to the quality of WoW. I checked back in with LOTRO a few times to see how polished it became, and if it could keep my attention. WoW is head and shoulders ahead of everyone else. Not saying the other games may not innovated, but Blizzard will improve on any innovations out there. Hell, just look at the phasing of zones.

I fall squarely into the "casual hardcore" category which is really a bullshit made up term. At any rate, I have a glaive holding rogue on Doomhammer (alliance) as my only 70. I'm horrible at levelling alts and have been known to get them to 30 or 40 and delete them for no real reason. At this point I really only raid and it's really only for the social aspect of raiding, but 3-4 days a week I'll play for 3 hours or so.

I'll be the voice of dissent on the beta as I'm less than impressed by it so far. The Death Knight starting area and quests is the exception there as those are brilliant, but everything else very much feels like more of the same.

I did quit WoW for a few months when TBC came out, so I was well behind my friends when I finally came back and started levelling. I'm still torn on whether to buy the xpac or play Warhammer instead, and I don't have enough gaming hours to really do both.

A glaive? "Casual hardcore" indeed.

I can't vouch for LOTRO, but, I tried the Warhammer beta and absolutely loathed the game. It's extremely ugly and lacks any sort of personality. On top of that I found the mechanics dull and the overhyped RvR was boring. Maybe it gets better as you level up, but I just could not get into it. I promptly canceled my pre order.

Fine line. I haven't played more than 15 hours in a week in months and months. Most of my friends who call themselves casual top 20 regularly. I think it's a bullshit term myself, but when people find out I have a glaive they're usually under an automatic assumption that I play 30 hours a week and sacrifice real life for the game. Honestly, we probably have 20 rogues on my server with glaives at this point.

LoRO is not vastly superior to WoW. LoRO is a damn good game in the genre, but you can not touch the main quest line without grouping. I had the hardest time getting groups for the quests, so I just sort out leveled them. When i did get groups, those quests did not equal the fun of dungeon grouping in WoW. LoRO had this blandness to the classes, which is because they tried to maintain some loyalty to the books (which is a shame, they should have used them as a jumping off point). I basically put those games in the equal category. I guess if you think the lore of LoRO is great that would earn it big points, but it does not interest more than any other game. Most of the dungeons in WoW are not five hours, they are around one hour (plus some change depending how good your group is).

EQ2 is another game that is as good as WoW. At launch is was not, but they have fixed and polished the game until it is one of the best.

Warhammer seems damn good so far, only just begun so it remains to see how it shakes out.

WoW biggest problem is trying to play as a pure class. You are screwed as a holy priest. Trust me. Great fun when grouping, but horrible soloing or PvPing. It takes you three times (and that is no exaggeration, actually might be higher) as a DPS class to kill mobs. So grinding mobs for quests or items takes a long time. Plus you have a nuke, a DOT, and instant cast attack. It is super dull doing damage. You are gang raped in PVP. If I am not grouping to do a dungeon, then I have no fun. So once I reached the point where I am all purpled out, its continue raiding or quit. I never played more than a couped nights a week (a few hours each day), so when the guild I am in starts getting more into raiding I end up quitting.

I do not see where Blizzard has been more innovative, unless you are talking about taking the standard model and streamlining the hell out of it. They are great at making things straight forward and fun, and they have added a few things to the genre. But they have not invented any new paradigm to the genre. They are way behind in guild tools (EQ2 has had what they have for years and has more), no player housing (other games have had those features for years), and crafting is point and click (I am no fan of complicated crafting, but there is nothing to it at all in WoW). Great game, but not a giant leader in the genre their subscription numbers show them as.

So, I think I'm going to start playing again. Doc, if you want to choose a server and faction I'm all for starting some new characters.

I'm giving Warhammer a try for a while. So far it's great. Fun and tons of stuff to do. I think it will keep my attention until Lich King comes out. After that it's hard to tell.

Too bad, stelios. Any other European/UK chewers interested in starting a guild?

I'll join any North American Chewers we might have?

I think the subscription numbers pretty much prove they are the giant leader in the genre. They might not make every innovation, but they do streamline it and make it better. They listen to the community, and improve the game based on what the players want, without breaking the game and completely bending over. The fact that they've crafted an MMO that can be played 5 hours a week or 50 hours a week, and still feel accomplished is testament to the fact that they Blizzard is a collection of some of the best game designers on the face of the planet.

Granted, things can be better. Guild tools can be improved. Blizzard has already recognized that, and implemented their own guild calendar to help that along. I don't know what more you could want from crafting. A QTE mini-game or something? Pass. I lose enough mats just leveling up leatherworking to 375. 15 drums for 1 point? Ugh. Pure healing specs definitely got the short end of the stick for a very long time, but again, Blizzard recognizes the shortcomings and are changing the game for the better. They already implemented the dmg to healing items, and with the new spell power mechanic healers will be even better off. And they still have the dual spec promise which they haven't lifted the veil on yet.

I'm not saying that Blizzard does everything right, but they definitely identify what needs to be fixed, and fix it. They create quests like we've never seen before (turning a kill 10 X mobs into a dragon jumping action extravaganza proves that any quest can be exciting), and have made the game infinitely accessible to anyone. Writing them off as "not the giant leader" is just schadenfreude.

Now that Star Trek online looks interesting..

I'd be interested in a fresh start Horde side, PVE, after WOTLK drops. If anyone wants to try out alliance, I can offer my bank alt guild, The Dream Team, on Terenas, as a meeting spot.

I'm open to both. I have a 70 Human mage and a horde server with 700g from someone who gave me their gold before they quit, but I never really played on it except for a 46 something.

PvE? Alliance?

*shakes head*

Is there absolutely no way to play this with people from across the Atlantic?

Warcraft happens.

I just don't understand either of those decisions. The only reasons I play at all are that I get a free subscription and I get to gank people.

I am now genuinely curious what race/class you play.

I'm going to venture an Orc Hunter guess.

Actually, that might be too much upkeep on pets.

Undead Lock/Rogue.

undead warrior
Blood elf hunter
Orc Mage

But I don't play much, and when I do it's the warrior.

A 70 Night Elf hunter with a cat named Daisy.

I also have an undead warrior. He is called Beni after Kevin J. O'Connor in The Mummy. Yeah, that's right.

So, I guess we'll start a list. If you want to join the CHUD "guild" (I just read that out loud, and I've decided I'm a giant nerd) then put what faction you'd prefer and if you want to start new, or start in a realm where we have built in help - gold, pre-existing guild, 70s etc., or completely indifferent and will play where ever.

I fall into the indifferent category, with a small lean towards start new.

GMT +1, Alliance or Horde doesn't matter, would prefer new chars.

Est.