It saddens me that not a single person in this thread has been able to look at the gameâs features, graphics, and atmosphere in a positive matter. Everyone has focused on either ( a ) the price, ( b ) the negative differences between WoW and D2, or ( c ) arguing with those who dare to have opposing viewpoints. Thatâs unfortunate, especially looking back at the optimism of the post that originated this thread.
MMORPGs are not for everyone. I, personally, came into computer games from a role-playing background. Spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a worthy game has never been out of the question for me â when you break down the hours of fun Iâve had playing, say, Call of Cthulhu with friends, divided by the dollars paid, then experiences such as D2 pale in comparison. Sure, I only paid $70 or so for D2+LoD, but Iâve had priceless interactions with friends in CoC that will stay with me forever. I personally canât say the same for D2. You have to consider not only the price vs. time issue, but also the *quality* of the experience itself.
MMORPGs are full of power gamers, just like any other game. But the mindset that is most fully rewarded by the MMORPG experience is quite unlike anything catered to by the other game genres. If you canât understand the pleasure of wandering out into the wilderness, sitting on a virtual mountaintop alone, and watching the sun rise; or, if the idea of losing yourself in an alternate social and cultural realm of wonder doesnât intrigue you; or if you donât understand the appeal of immersing yourself in an alternate persona, a true, emoting character, instead of just crunching Paladin block percentages, then these games are not for you. And if youâre fixated on either ( a ), ( b ), or ( c ) above, then this game was not made for you either. Walk on by, find something more to your liking. But why make a point of ruining the experience for those who find it enjoyable?
The primary satisfaction to be found in a quality MMORPG is this: It is an elaborate, living, and evolving construct, filled with real, thinking and feeling people, a world created to provide you with the most immersive and satisfyingly unreal experience possible. Are any of these games perfect? No. But they all become much better over time.
To be cynical for a moment: Subscribers gain better customer service than the players of other games. If you stop playing D2 on Battle.net, what does Blizzard lose? Absolutely nothing. You already bought the game. If you leave B-net, all youâre doing is freeing up bandwidth. But if youâre a paying monthly subscriber? If they lose you, they lose money. Even if you donât trust Blizzardâs passion for making quality games (which theyâve proven for years now), then you can still see that they have a vested interest in making their WoW players happy. The game experience will be rocky at first (MMORPG launches always are), but it will vastly improve with time, and you can always look forward to added content. The 1.10 waiting experience, for example, will have no parallel in WoW. Expect to be catered to. Expect to be listened to. If you adamantly donât have any faith in that, then WoW is only strengthened by your absence.
I must say that I am sincerely looking forward to meeting some of you in the virtual world of WoW. But to all of you who refuse to give it a chance, due to the vehemence of your preconceptions ⦠I must say that I am sincerely looking forward to *not* seeing you there, too.
MMORPGs are not for everyone. I, personally, came into computer games from a role-playing background. Spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a worthy game has never been out of the question for me â when you break down the hours of fun Iâve had playing, say, Call of Cthulhu with friends, divided by the dollars paid, then experiences such as D2 pale in comparison. Sure, I only paid $70 or so for D2+LoD, but Iâve had priceless interactions with friends in CoC that will stay with me forever. I personally canât say the same for D2. You have to consider not only the price vs. time issue, but also the *quality* of the experience itself.
MMORPGs are full of power gamers, just like any other game. But the mindset that is most fully rewarded by the MMORPG experience is quite unlike anything catered to by the other game genres. If you canât understand the pleasure of wandering out into the wilderness, sitting on a virtual mountaintop alone, and watching the sun rise; or, if the idea of losing yourself in an alternate social and cultural realm of wonder doesnât intrigue you; or if you donât understand the appeal of immersing yourself in an alternate persona, a true, emoting character, instead of just crunching Paladin block percentages, then these games are not for you. And if youâre fixated on either ( a ), ( b ), or ( c ) above, then this game was not made for you either. Walk on by, find something more to your liking. But why make a point of ruining the experience for those who find it enjoyable?
The primary satisfaction to be found in a quality MMORPG is this: It is an elaborate, living, and evolving construct, filled with real, thinking and feeling people, a world created to provide you with the most immersive and satisfyingly unreal experience possible. Are any of these games perfect? No. But they all become much better over time.
To be cynical for a moment: Subscribers gain better customer service than the players of other games. If you stop playing D2 on Battle.net, what does Blizzard lose? Absolutely nothing. You already bought the game. If you leave B-net, all youâre doing is freeing up bandwidth. But if youâre a paying monthly subscriber? If they lose you, they lose money. Even if you donât trust Blizzardâs passion for making quality games (which theyâve proven for years now), then you can still see that they have a vested interest in making their WoW players happy. The game experience will be rocky at first (MMORPG launches always are), but it will vastly improve with time, and you can always look forward to added content. The 1.10 waiting experience, for example, will have no parallel in WoW. Expect to be catered to. Expect to be listened to. If you adamantly donât have any faith in that, then WoW is only strengthened by your absence.
I must say that I am sincerely looking forward to meeting some of you in the virtual world of WoW. But to all of you who refuse to give it a chance, due to the vehemence of your preconceptions ⦠I must say that I am sincerely looking forward to *not* seeing you there, too.