World of Warcraft also has some elements that add to the replay value. Several unique dungeons called “instances” require that you enter with a group, and only your group is allowed to enter them. They are basically unique dungeons that only allow your party to enter, and so you have to display your teamwork abilities to overcome the extra-hard monsters inside. Nobody is going to run by and save your butt in an instance! So be sure to come in prepared. On a larger-scale is the “raid” system, which is essentially the same idea, only in this case, a much larger group is formed to complete otherwise impossible tasks. These groups have been as large as 60 players at once, and usually are formed when the players from one faction (the Horde) attempt to invade the lands of the rival faction (the Alliance). In this case, experience is greatly diminished, but since you are allowed to fight in such a huge force, it’s very difficult to lose to something easily. There are also some raid-specific tasks that can be completed, such as defeating the all-powerful Onyxia Dragon. Onyxia, by the way, has yet to be defeated on any World of Warcraft server, so it just gives you an idea of some of the more difficult things that Blizzard has prepared for high-level players.
For the more hardcore gamer, World of Warcraft has endless things to do. There are jobs, professions, additional abilities and unique quests that you can pursue if you find yourself bored with the “grind” of fighting endless armies of monsters over and over. Just like in any MMORPG, there are countless breathtaking environs, huge and graphically stunning enemies, and hidden challenges to complete. Unlike a lot of other MMORPGs, the fun of WoW does not end when you reach a high level, and the game content does not dwindle. Blizzard is constantly adding content to keep the customers occupied. In addition, you have the option to participate on a “Player versus Player” server, in which players from opposing factions can attack each other and engage in combat. There is no reward for defeating someone of a rival faction, but playing on a PvP server adds to the realistic feel of the game, and it really gives you a feeling that you’re part of a greater picture, a war between two rival alliances that outright hate each other’s guts. This gives a greater worldview to a game that otherwise can be a lot of repetitive hacking-and-slashing of generic monsters.
Okay, I just spent a lot of time reviewing all the positives that make World of Warcraft a great game. Unfortunately, there are two problems with WoW that are simply unacceptable and detract in a huge way from the positive experience that the game otherwise is. And this is where the majority of complaints about WoW come from.
First, the Player-versus-Player system is a great idea. But Blizzard basically did not come through with a promise they made to their game players. Originally when PvP was announced for WoW, Blizzard said they would incorporate an “honor system” that would allow players to get rewarded for participating in and winning Player versus Player battles. It would also regulate these battles, giving a negative effect on players who basically attack players who are much lower level than them and have no chance of defending themselves or even getting away without dying. You would receive “ranking honor points” for every PvP battle you won, and so there would basically be an additional ranking aspect to WoW that would be totally separate from the standard premise of the game.
But when the retail version of the game hit shelves, Blizzard quickly announced they would not be implementing the “honor system” on World of Warcraft forums, and gave little reason other than they felt it did not work properly. The problem with this? Thousands of gamers had already signed up on PvP servers anticipating the addition of the honor system within the first few days of release, and now basically there was absolutely no point to the PvP system. No rankings, no rewards. But even worse...no penalties for a high-level player to run into an area full of new players and just endlessly kill them over and over! And unfortunately, this is a humongous problem with World of Warcraft at the moment. Apparently, thousands of higher-level players get a kick out of murdering defenseless lower-level players and basically ruining their day over and over. There are areas and zones in World of Warcraft that are constantly attacked by higher-level players or the opposite faction, and it is impossible for the lower-level players to complete their missions in the areas. It’s not THAT bad because, as I previously mentioned, there’s no penalty for dying. But imagine that you just had to go to the store, and every time you got there, you magically got teleported back to your house. And you had to do this over and over until you finally didn’t get teleported anymore. You have no way to control this and you have no way of telling when it will stop. See the point? It’s ridiculously frustrating, and by Blizzard implementing PvP and then quitting on the “honor system,” they opened up a whole can of worms they never thought about previously.
However, none of this can compare to the biggest problem in MMORPG history. What could possibly create rumors that Blizzard is actually pulling the remaining copies of WoW off of store shelves? What could have made Blizzard feel obligated to increase the length of players’ trial period to test the game by more than a week? What could have caused some of the largest controversy and complaints in the history of gaming?
The answer: Blizzard’s servers, quite frankly, suck.
According to Blizzard, far more copies of WoW sold in the first few weeks than had ever been anticipated. Apparently, all of the hype, the extended beta testing, the fact that beta testing accounts were selling of thousands of dollars - none of that was a tip-off to Blizzard that some people may actually buy their game!
