Talking about World of Warcraft anywhere is like a sheep gleefully trotting into a den of wolves. However, it’s age and the release of Warlords of Draenor inspired some introspection. The Warcraft franchise has always held a special place in my heart. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness was the first RTS I’ve ever played. Josh, Jake and I sat down in front of Josh’s computer and fought over how our army should develop. Since then, every Warcraft game has been in my house at one point or another. Were there better RTS in the following years? Definitely. Both Starcraft (1998) and Age of Empires II (1999) are superior when comparing game mechanics, unit diversity and possible winning strategies. However, Warcraft’s appeal to me never solely manifested in the games specifically.
With Lord of the Rings and surrounding works, Tolkien created the modern fantasy genre and embodies what people now call “high fantasy.” His world is full of lore that goes back to the creation of Middle Earth. Tolkien’s lore is my favorite aspect of Lord of Rings. I believe Warcraft’s lore was conceived in a similar tradition. Few games have the depth of the Warcraft franchise. Elder Scroll games might be a fair contender. Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal expanded existing lore and Warcraft III brought a new level awesome. The RTS games were fun, providing entertainment for years, but the lore made the franchise exceptional.
My experience with World of Warcraft is strange. When it was published in 2004, my high school mind exploded with joyful vibrations. The lore nerd inside me went crazy. A Warcraft game where you played a single person who could explore, level up, get sweet gear and be apart of newer sagas. Prior to WoW, MMOs were an unexplored genre for me, Diablo II being the only exception. Vanilla gave me two years of awesome gaming experience. Guilds formed real communities of people. It blew away the perception that video games weren’t a social activity. I played on Kirin Tor and met this awesome guild called Ancient Guard. While I don’t keep in contact with those folks anymore, they made those years enjoyable. Thank you all so much AG. Raiding was super fun, despite five to nine hours of commitment per raid (yay for forty man raids!). Shoot people met and got married on WoW which still weirds me out. MMOs were forever changed as WoW became the new standard.
Burning Crusade came out in 2007 and the magic happened once more. The shattered remains of Draenor, now called Outland, could be explored. A combination of Warcraft III and Warcraft II feels flowed from me like dam waters flooding Isengard. Forty man raids were eliminated (thank God). Level 70 dungeons were really hard and challenging to tank. Blood elves and Draenei were introduced as playable races. BC raiding content remains a mystery to me since causal raiding didn’t exist yet. Dual spec was introduced. Kael’thas’ tale wrapped up and Kil’jaden was destroyed. These are pretty significant events in WoW lore that players could participate in. Out of the existing expansions, Burning Crusade is still the best.
My reaction to Wrath of the Lich King (2008) was less exuberant. There were reasons to be excited: A higher level cap. Death Knights were introduced and over-powered. This expansion ends Ner’Zhul’s awe-inspiring story. New pvp battle grounds are made and a random battle system was implemented. The zombie infestation world event that occurred before Wrath’s release was super awesome. Northrend and it’s many zone and dungeons were fun to explore. Yet, four years of WoW had taken it’s toll. College was looming over the horizon and my interest was waning. Leveling became a chore versus a pleasure activity. So I froze (no pun intended >.>) my account and walked away.
Life without WoW was awesome in its own right. My biggest complaint has always been the time commitment WoW requires. I can play Diablo III for an hour and feel accomplished. An hour on WoW is spent walking or flying. Playstation became my primary source for video games. I met more people, traveled and developed my passion for writing. NMSU taught me valuable lessons that might help me one day when I grow up. That’s why video games are cool because one doesn’t need them. Like all other pleasure activities, they can be dismissed and forgotten for any length of time. After three years of sobriety, like a diabetic walking into a Krispy Kreme, I was suckered in once more.
Cataclysm (2010) completely passed under my radar, despite Death Wing being my favorite character in Warcraft lore. According to articles I’ve read and friends, Blizzard hashed up the Aspect of Death. At First, dungeons were super hard and right before Mist’s release they were easy. While some excellent features, like raid finder and two new races, were implemented; apparently they didn’t stem the waves of awful. Another feature I enjoyed was the redesign of classic zones, probably the best Cataclysm had to offer. Mists of Pandaria’s release in 2012 actually angered me. Long sobriety caused a shift in my opinion of WoW. I thought Blizzard should move forward and develop a better MMO. However, a good friend suggested that I take up the mantle once more since Mists was a great expansion. To my surprise, he was right.
Pandaria wasn’t filled with lore that put nostalgia goggles over my eyes. While interesting, it didn’t engage me. Thankfully, Mists’ new features picked up the slack. Pokemon—I mean the pet battle system is a fun distraction. Upgrades brought an entirely new dynamic to gearing. The Timeless Isle further closed the gap in gearing between heroic dungeons and LFR. Scenarios provided an alternative to dungeons and allowed players to participate in certain world events. The Pandarian continent was worth exploring with its abundance of rare mobs. My cynicism was blown away by this expansion. Timing favored me as I returned only two months before Siege of Orgrimmar’s release. Both SoO and Throne of Thunder were excellent raids. Yet, a crappy guild and other circumstances caused to me leave once more as 2014 dawned.
Similar to my prior three years, I thought my WoW experience was over. Then I saw Nerdlords of Draenor on youtube and the magic came back. While in a separate time line, Warlords of Draenor awakens the Warcraft II feels again. However, they emulated J.J. Abrams’ reinvention of Star Trek. Alternate time lines or worlds allow writers to reappropriate existing lore. I am excited to see how characters’ roles are reversed or changed entirely. Garrisons are a gimmick, but it adds another layer to game play. WoW’s continued dominance in the MMO market speaks to its quality. Blizzard has tried and succeeded at keeping this old dog competitive with its younger rivals. Its too early tell whether Warlords will be another Cataclysm or continue the new standard Mists established. Either way, if you’re thinking about returning to WoW, there’s no better time than right now.
Thanks reading and now another humorous comic:
Thanks reading and now another humorous comic:
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