A question of Worth

[Deleted]

Hello guys and gals!

I come here with a question. A question so overused, this thread will probably get deleted. But still, even though there are many topics like this, this is mine.

The question I have for the World of Warcraft Community is whether or not it is worth it to become a new member of it.

Oh.. introductions.. right. My name is Mervian / Robert, whichever you prefer and I'm a former FPS player. Since the latest Battlefield has let me down and CS:GO is but a dream, I am searching for another game to fill the gaping void that the FPS genre has made. I have tried several MMOs but nothing caught my eye.
World of Warcraft did, a long time ago. And ever since I've been following it, in the shadows, slowly pacing towards it.. but always too broke to actually purchase and play it. I've had a couple of friends that played it, and saw them get all wet when they saw patch notes/releases/mounts??/whatever else new came out. But I've seen the massive backlash that it has been receiving over the years. And that is why I am still hesitant with the purchase.

The question "Is it worth it?" has to parts in my case.

1. Is it worth it for a new player to start?

I mean.. it has been released in 2004. It has millions of players that are incredibly good and "talented" at the game. I might not find my place there. I'm pretty competitive both online and offline but I cannot match up with the people that have been actively playing the game for 5-6-7 years. I've been following TotalBiscuit during the time he played it and it seemed pretty difficult. Let's not even get started with Bajheera. I mean come on! What he does, from my perspective, is like retaking the bomb site in CS:GO with the knife only, while being the last one on the team, at 1 HP, full Terrorist team all with armor. Pretty bloody impossible, init?

I mean yeah, I can learn, but is it worth the investment? As in TIME investment.

Also, I apparently missed a lot of stuff. When Deathwing rose from the depths like a fiery behemoth, slashing everything with his mighty chin. (Even if I never played the game outside of trial periods, I still get some of the jokes) The introduction of furies in the game, the fluffy little lard balls that almost everyone seemed to hated.
And basically everything after Cataclysm has changed so all the old zones are lost. All the gear, the mounts, everything. And I'm the type of player that likes to have everything. Especially the unobtainable ones. The Forbidden Fruit, I must have it. Something we probably all got from our papa, Adam. Thanks for denying us immortality, jackass!

2. Is it worth in general?

I mean, I see/hear a lot of people both online and offline saying both sides. "Yeah bro, totally worth it! Just hop in and have a blast!" or "Yeah I'd rather jump off a bridge face first into an empty pool filled with flaming bats." (slight exaggeration).

I know it is a grind, a time eater and sometimes a life destroyer if not managed well, but some of the community seems nice and there is stuff to do in the game.




So yeah.. that's my thread. Hope it was not a drag to read, and am looking forward to reading the replies. (at least I think I am) If you're going to reply with the hope of getting a response ASAP, sorry, it's bedtime here. But I will respond first thing in the morning!

Have a good morning/afternoon/evening everybody!!


P.S. Is there a way to skip the level 90 boost? Like not use it and start from level 1?

[crakerjack]

Compared to what it used to be, I wouldn't play. The game is made for casuals aside from a few things. If you don't know anyone else and want to play seriously, then you're going to have to reach out and find people. You can't play hardcore if all you do is play by yourself. Anything that takes skill is usually organized and not full of randoms.
I wouldn't play, that's my suggestion though

[anaxie]

You are talking fps to mmo you couldn't be more different in a swap of games. If you want us to tell us what you would enjoy you have to explain what you are looking for being vague is pointless

[anaxie]

You lose nothing using the skip and there are parts of early levels entirely unavailable unless you boost if you desire to see quests . this way you can do the dungeons and raids to completion on tour own terms. To experience the story up till current raids you can pretty much do solo the lstest raid is going to be Hellfire and the only point of releveance for the absolute cutting edge of wow.

If you enjoy PvP since you said fps wow has a large number of quality battlegrounds to waste months in to get PvP gear which is actually quite good

- - - Updated - - -

Do complete the entirety of the story...... It would probably take you two years unless you no life it

[clevin]

We can't tell you if you will enjoy the game. You need to try it. You can level, I think, 20 on a trial account (https://us.battle.net/account/creation/wow/signup/). Do that first. Then, if you're intrigued, by the bundle that gets you everything from vanilla through MoP (https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/world-of-warcraft) which gets a free month of time. At that point you'll have invested $20 and some time. If you hate the experience during the starter edition you won't have lost anything aside from sometime. IF you go farther but ultimately stop, you've blown $20 and a bit more time.

[anaxie]

Hardly anything was removed in cats relevance gear cosmetic wise that you would miss. Mounts none all obtainable still. Zones changed for the better the old layout was archeic now most Zones have a story and general flow good vibes.

[Littleraven]

Oddly I just answered a similar question in another thread saying no. But upon further thought, maybe you should at least check it out. The game has changed dramatically since 2004 but overall I think it has gotten better. There are things I hate that have changed but as a whole the game is "better".

It may feel overwhelming at first but honestly if you start playing just take it slow and enjoy the game. Don't get in the mind set that you HAVE to rush to the end. The end is gonna be there. Some of the best stuff this game has to offer is in the 1-80 experience. Even MoP (as much as people may make you think otherwise) had some amazing stuff in it. I still stand by that being in league with BC and Wrath.

So honestly. Yeah. I would say overall it is worth it. There are definitely lows but there are just as many highs. WoD is a bit lackluster right now but there is still good to it. That is why I say if you started now to take your time and enjoy the ride.

[Daetur]

You can absolutely skip using the boost. Do be aware that if you do, the "timeline" of the leveling story is very wonky- levels 1-60 take place during the "Cataclysm" expansion storyline, levels 60-68 take place before Cataclysm, during Burning Crusade, 68-80 take place after Burning Crusade but before anything during the Cataclysm, during Wrath of the Lich King, and then for 80-85 you're back to the Cataclysm storyline, followed by Mists of Pandaria from 85-90, which is in chronological order. If you opt to use the boost, you'll just right to "current time" at level 90-100 for Warlords of Draenor.

This odd story structure can be really confusing for new players, and it's definitely a weakness of the game.

That all said, there's no reason not to try it! You can get a Trial account to mess around with before buying anything.

If you do decide to buy, I personally think that the Warlords leveling and story experience is the best they've ever done, and is enjoyable enough as a stand-alone experience that I wouldn't regret buying it and then just letting my subscription lapse if I ended up not liking it after a while. And as much as people ragged on it, the zones in Pandaria are beautiful, and the story was actually pretty interesting- a departure from the "might is right" glorification of war in other expansions, showing the consequences of violence and hate (though that hasn't lasted into Draenor).

If you like to "have everything," there are a lot of collection aspects to the game that you might find enjoyable, from mounts, to achievements, to pets, to toys.

You're going to get a lot of people with opinions on both sides of the fence. Ultimately, you're going to have to make the choice yourself.

[Deleted]

First off all to answer your question about the lvl 90 boost. Yes you can just skip that, and level all the way. I think that is also the best way for someone to start. You learn new things along the way. And it also gives you a bit more time to understand your class and the game itself.

Finding a guild (if you are intrested in that) can be hard sometimes in the start. Simply because it has to be a good fit. Is the guild active enough for you to enjoy or w/e. On that I would say try it out and ifyou dont like it try the next guild. I know you did not ask about this but just wanted to add this.

At first yes the game seems overwhelming. Or it was atleast for me. I had no clue about what to do or how to do it. But since you post on mmo champion I have a feeling you will be able to find out much quicker then I did when I just started. Heck i didn't even know there were guides.

All I am trying to say basicly is yes, go start. See if you enjoy it. And if not you can Always quit again. There is still alot of mounts to obtain. Some have been removed but thats just a small percentage.

Just try it out. With a starter account or with a real one. Yes you can catch up and if you find the right group of people to play with you will learn even quicker.
(very tired so might not make the most sense thihi)

I personally enjoy this game still. You might too

[Kanadei]

The Forbidden Fruit, I must have it. Something we probably all got from our papa, Adam. Thanks for denying us immortality, jackass!

Pretty sure that was Eve bro.

OT: I'd play WoW if I had friends playing it, or had a distinct plan with what I wanted to do with it (ie. I love pvping and I like wow pvp so I'll make a pvp character, I really want to try raiding so I'll get good at raiding and make a raiding character) but probably wouldn't start just because it was a popular mmo and see what happened.

If I wanted to play an mmo for the story, I'd probably play the old republic or eso instead.

[golemstorm]

I started playing a couple of months ago, and I'm having a blast! But then again, I am a grind veteran after growing up on old time rpgs, so maybe the grindy aspects of the game don't seem grindy to me. Honestly, the part that's keeping me engaged the most is the lore. Is it the most original story in the world? Or the most complete with zero plot-holes? No of course not! it draws from it's outside influences, but I've really enjoyed learning about the world while leveling my main from 90 to 100 and some alts from level 1, and It's a lot of fun. Especially since I'm getting into raiding in my friends guild, I am not only having fun raiding but I'm enjoying seeing the bosses and their character and how they relate to the story as a whole. Also, as a new player, I'm going back to old content to get mounts I find cool, and do other sorts of recreational activities besides just raiding. I hope to try out PvP Arena soon, as it seems to be fun.
------
All in all, as someone who is also new, I found the game to be very "worth", as there is so much to do and explore with 10 years of content behind it. No two days with it are alike for me, and I hope you can enjoy it as much as I am.

Wow I sound like an infomercial.

[melodramocracy]

It's a worthwhile game to play as a beginner. Stay away from spoiler sites like this, Wowhead, etc, and discover things on your own.... from level 1 to 100, there's quite a bit of content, even if most of it goes by far too quickly.

Whether it's worth sticking around for @ max level? That's another question.

[corebit]

OP if you come into this game alone then I suggest using the boost. The leveling 1-100 is a lot more fun if you have a friend that levels with you.

[Tech Priest Bojangles]

2. Is it worth in general?

Nah, not anymore.
If I were you, I wouldn't start to invest time in a game so intent on going to shit. Like boarding a sinking ship.

[kamil84]

If you are starting out I would pick FFXIV or GW2 over WoW. WoW has been on a cashcow phase for to long now and it is not where you want to be when you are starting up, this is not the game that released in 2004 or that was huge during it's first expansion. If the game released like this it would have never been popular, it lives out of it's name, "smooth gameplay" and because of low pc requirements. This game appears to be taken care worse on each expansion. It all started when Blizzard got "merged" with Activision which also happened to be when WoW got to popular.
When things get to popular it gets destroyed to favour the masses and that's what happens in World of Warcraft, sumon how greedy Activision is and yea..
It is not a bad game tho but its simpler than ever and treadmilly without any real value to the point people are mass leaving out of boredom. You will find it interesting at start and very boring in 2 - 3 months. Which almost all games do but something you are not looking in a monthly pay mmo.


TLDR, it is not bad, there are better options.

[Kanadei]

If you are starting out I would pick FFXIV or GW2 over WoW.

Nothing drove me back to WoW quicker than GW2. Played it for maybe ~2 weeks after its release and it was awful, just run around everybody gets every kill, all quests are the same, "exploration" gameplay carebear shit.

I was not engaged in the story, or the gameplay, and basically uninstalled and resubbed to WoW.

I hope there have been sweeping changes to the game since then but as I have never gone back I couldn't say one way or the other.

[Deleted]

Thank you all for your replies! Didn't really expect more than 2-3.

crakerjack What about Mythical raids? I hear those aren't really for run-of-the-mill player?

Daetur The story structure is kind of messed up.. But I highly doubt that the story is fluent throughout the expansions so I don't really believe that the twisting timeline is a big minus. Also, from what I've picked up, they are all on different continents, so you don't really interact with post-Cataclysm zone while in Wrath of the Lich King or Mists.

Helmine Of course I want a guild! I want mostly PvE since I've played my fair share of PvP games. Thanks.

Kanadei I really didn't like Eve. Don't know why. Maybe the complexity scared me. Or maybe it was way to grindy.

golemstorm Nice to see the opinion of a new player!! Thanks!

Again, thank you all for the replies.

Have a lovely day!

Edit: melodramocracy Too late.. I investigated the game before and followed if through the expansions. Lore wise, I'm a noob. But when it comes to items/PvE/PvP etc. I'm pretty much informed.

[MoanaLisa]

If you jump in for the first time I really think you should skip the boost and level from 1. However, if you take the boost to see the latest stuff create another character (you can have dozens of them) and level from 1.