As I've recently found out, once again, because of more works hours; WoW is the best MMO to play casually. I can raid anytime(player base even big enough for guild raiding any time of day), group anytime, do pvp anytime, quests, alts, transmogs, pet battles, achievements, and soon to be strongholds. It's just so strong at what it is. I tried with Wildstar but it was just too exhausting to play while exhausted. WoW is relaxing.
There is NO one reason why World of Warcraft holds the #1 slot for so long.. It was the perfect storm situation, and Blizzard is enjoying the rewards of it.. I doubt that Blizzard could repeat the same feat with a new game.. The conditions aren't right.. IMO
The elephant and the blind men who try to identify it is from India. It cannot be Jewish there are no elephants there . I remember my grandmother telling me that one when I was small. She told it in the original text and its definitely not Jewish.
You don't know how right you truly are. That is 100% the reason why WoW is still number one, however it goes over everyone's head. Especially on a roleplay-ish website like this, I doubt anyone in this entire thread will agree with you besides me. Most people here aren't actually playing WoW and consider it a poison to the mmorpg genre, which it is to be honest, as an "mmorpg", it's horrible in terms of progression and freedom, it's a linear quest grinder with no sense of wonder or exploration, but what do people say while leveling up? "I can't wait to get into pvp", or raiding, etc. The competition is the driving mindset that gives this game any value. Many games have made wow clones and slapped a few classes together with fancy sounding spells that have no real flow, so in PvP things really just don't work, it's basically two people spamming dps spells at each other until the other's health bar goes down. This is NOT WoW, and anyone who's played arena or dueled for more than 30 minutes and have taken the time to read the synergy and counters of the spells and classes, will no doubt agree with me.
Most players, even though they're not the best at PvP, all have a drive to become the best or to invest time in a game where competition is valuable, (there's a reason MOBA is the most popular genre in the world, the combat is a worse, less interactive version of WoW but that's what the masses hold as "competitive" for the time being) albeit WoW's PvP has been dumbed down very much over the years, but still, compared to anything else that's out there it's still the most responsive, complex, mobile combat system there is. I find it comical that people call Tera "action combat" and WoW "stand still tab targeting", I can't blame them for hating on wow. In Tera, you can't avoid animation locks even by running around, or talking to an NPC, the game engine is terrible and so is the combat, it's clunky, slow paced and animation locked, but because it has no "tab target" it's considered innovative, if anything it's a huge step back in the genre, to me that's years behind WoW.
Look at WoW's camera control, fluidity, movement, responsiveness, bug free game play and combat, in fact, it's probably the most responsive game I've played in my life, yes, overall game, not even just mmorpg's. People don't realise what makes it feel so "right".
I wish developers would start understanding this is the entire foundation of WoW's success and STOP trying to make WoW clones, because the actual themepark design of it is painfully boring, if WoW had a clunky camera with stand still combat and spells that are only made to sound cool. I GUARANTEE you, it would be nothing like it is today, and has been.
Maybe one day someone will figure this out. Oh well. The people who disagree with this haven't played WoW at a competitive level and have somehow found enjoyment out of it being an "mmorpg", it confuses me how that's possible, I don't even know who thought themeparks would be a good idea, in what world have they ever been entertaining? There's a reason people are virtually BEGGING for something new. It was outdated and boring to begin with.
Perhaps WoW should of been more of a lobby based PvP game with instanced raids and bosses, instead of an entire shallow world you have to quest grind in zoned off by mountains and linear progression, yuck.
This is the answer to a successful mmorpg, the spirit of competition, themepark OR sandbox(even better). Actually designing a proper flow of spells that people can have a drive to compete with, I practically just typed gold for any game developer, it's a shame I'm a minority that won't be heard, along with the few people who have enough self awareness to know what makes a game good.
Your color scheme guarantees many will not read that.
that and he agreed with the op.
Yeah I read some of it. . first it is opinion stated as fact. . then the colours to grab attention which is very hard on the eyes. . the the all CAPS WORDS! The the UNDERLINED ALL CAPS WORDS!!!!. If your argument is good you don't need that. It looks like a bad informercial.
You don't know how right you truly are. That is 100% the reason why WoW is still number one, however it goes over everyone's head. Especially on a roleplay-ish website like this, I doubt anyone in this entire thread will agree with you besides me. Most people here aren't actually playing WoW and consider it a poison to the mmorpg genre, which it is to be honest, as an "mmorpg", it's horrible in terms of progression and freedom, it's a linear quest grinder with no sense of wonder or exploration, but what do people say while leveling up? "I can't wait to get into pvp", or raiding, etc. The competition is the driving mindset that gives this game any value. Many games have made wow clones and slapped a few classes together with fancy sounding spells that have no real flow, so in PvP things really just don't work, it's basically two people spamming dps spells at each other until the other's health bar goes down. This is NOT WoW, and anyone who's played arena or dueled for more than 30 minutes and have taken the time to read the synergy and counters of the spells and classes, will no doubt agree with me.
Most players, even though they're not the best at PvP, all have a drive to become the best or to invest time in a game where competition is valuable, (there's a reason MOBA is the most popular genre in the world, the combat is a worse, less interactive version of WoW but that's what the masses hold as "competitive" for the time being) albeit WoW's PvP has been dumbed down very much over the years, but still, compared to anything else that's out there it's still the most responsive, complex, mobile combat system there is. I find it comical that people call Tera "action combat" and WoW "stand still tab targeting", I can't blame them for hating on wow. In Tera, you can't avoid animation locks even by running around, or talking to an NPC, the game engine is terrible and so is the combat, it's clunky, slow paced and animation locked, but because it has no "tab target" it's considered innovative, if anything it's a huge step back in the genre, to me that's years behind WoW.
Look at WoW's camera control, fluidity, movement, responsiveness, bug free game play and combat, in fact, it's probably the most responsive game I've played in my life, yes, overall game, not even just mmorpg's. People don't realise what makes it feel so "right".
I wish developers would start understanding this is the entire foundation of WoW's success and STOP trying to make WoW clones, because the actual themepark design of it is painfully boring, if WoW had a clunky camera with stand still combat and spells that are only made to sound cool. I GUARANTEE you, it would be nothing like it is today, and has been.
Maybe one day someone will figure this out. Oh well. The people who disagree with this haven't played WoW at a competitive level and have somehow found enjoyment out of it being an "mmorpg", it confuses me how that's possible, I don't even know who thought themeparks would be a good idea, in what world have they ever been entertaining? There's a reason people are virtually BEGGING for something new. It was outdated and boring to begin with.
Perhaps WoW should of been more of a lobby based PvP game with instanced raids and bosses, instead of an entire shallow world you have to quest grind in zoned off by mountains and linear progression, yuck.
This is the answer to a successful mmorpg, the spirit of competition, themepark OR sandbox(even better). Actually designing a proper flow of spells that people can have a drive to compete with, I practically just typed gold for any game developer, it's a shame I'm a minority that won't be heard, along with the few people who have enough self awareness to know what makes a game good.
You're right. I could play any boring asian grinder or FFAPvP MMO if the responsiveness and fluidity of WoW was there. Combined with a good balance of questing, dungeoning and PvP in vanilla WoW while leveling and not making it too linear or too fast, was the key to success.
Ofc the timing for its release was also perfect, but you could think 10 years later there was even one game that works as well as WoW, but there isn't. As a matter of fact, i played MoP trial few months ago and realised even WoW has taken minor back steps in this area.
I'm s straight person and don't want to be unclear with all these problem. I was about to write another Jewish parable that will bring light to all these discussion but something happened to my browser and a good parable dissapeared when it was almost done. *Things happen*. And I will say my part. I have only played Wow for the trial. It was not for me. Really; it was well-designed, smooth working, the stories behind some quests were even different and brilliant; I thought there was intelligence behind the game, but simply, it didn't cater to me, so I left. With my reasons. A good game in full shape, working on all its potential and with some witty ideas that as a gamer I could appreciate, but knowing that it was not for my gameplay-style.
By that time, all my friends have moved into WoW, and I had no one real life friend to play with, in MMORPG's. Even my friends who never have played mmo's before were playing WoW.
Well, I took note that the world was turning the opposite direction I was moving to. But I found other games that fitted better to me and nothing happened, but, men, WoW in some months was really Huge. Not only that. It was the Thing, the Fashion and the Shock you cannot miss. You understand me.
So that, when I met with my friends to have some booze and talk s*it about this and that, we were just having cool moments after a hard work day. But the Thing was there. Aftter some questions about life and gals they started a whimsical moment when they were specially happy and relaxed, and I saw illussion and I felt somewhat happy: it was the hour to start talking on WoW. Oh, my fellowmen. I was there standing or sitting and listening to them, and all the stories that they ñpured without limitations were a matter of joy, or jokes or both, but it was a my friends' thing. so even though I was tore appart because I didn't like playing WoW I've been always an outstanding listener, so that, even when I was not touching WoW I was learning a lot of things about the game. Well, I don't know if some ma'am is reading this - if you are a sensible soul you should stop reading at this point, warned you are, now, I follow -. You guys know pretty well how this friends gatherings work. They are almost the best moment of the week, when you can sit with your friends and talk about everything. And you know that these situations tend to be an important, unreplaceable part of our life. Well, with being so, and not wanted being to be a badass, I was listening about WoW every Friday night. The point was that when they bloated themselves for something I considered really stupid I told them my opinion, that in person is always very clear and loud expressed. And they told me: Erid, you are a MetalFreak wearing such inverted silver cross that is little but in this pub with this light look so stupid... and we don't say, and never will that you are stupid because of this piece of crap you wear as a necklace, true?- and I said: True. And then the thing started again and I was missing some very specialized points but was able to understand the most they said about it. It was plain and simple. Good game - not for me playing it but for others whom I appreciate as good and intelligent guys - and good ambient. All around.
Two years or so after that day, and I have put the jewish parable there without realising, I asked them: Hey, guys, today I'm a little bit tired but tell me, how is WoW going on? and they smiled and told me that some of them left the game and others join different games and that the core of their guild was still in WoW. And then a devilish question came to my normally devilish mind and told this: but there are lot of new games which kick WoW ass in the middle, why don't you try anything new? Even this strange people, the koreans, are able to design games in this terrible times... so, why don't give up and change? And then they told me: You come here every Friday and listen to us talking about WoW and now about another games, but we still think WoW is better. -Better I have a drink-: I said, and went for one, when i turned to the table they pointed a glass and explained to me something I will NEVER forget. And when I say Never, it means exactly this.
Listen, little monster in black: That is truely certain that you hit us if we start discussing about MMORPG's in general. Your evil mind inside a good guy beat us in this field, but admit that you don't play WoW but enjoy our stories about it so much as we do. I said: Yes. It's one of the week top moments for me. For us too -they said. And then some light came to my mind. Well, it was TRUE and without realising it this game have been part of my life even not playing it! Not playing it at all!
And that night, when we were going home and farewell, I said to them: you guildies will never leave WoW, right? and they told me: You know the answer. We then jumped to other topics and laughed for a while. After that, I went home and slept like a child.
This has happened to me and I've been aware of being respectful to the detail as other actual people have been involved in my story.
So that is the reason WoW is still #1 even if I like or dislike it. That's all, and thank you.
And I used space bar reasonably, but sorry for the wall of text.
This is probably the weirdest piece of writing I've read in years
Fully confused
I am the Arch-fiend, the Despoiler of Worlds, and by my hands shall the false Emperor fall.
I don't play WoW anymore but anyone saying that WoW isn't a quality game is just ridiculous. Pound for pound WoW is the most quality game in the genre. Note: I said quality not the "best", as you can't realistically quantify the best. Every aspect of WoW is completely refined, the game is well tuned, and there is more than enough to do to keep you busy.
The only real area where WoW "fails", is that it's a victim of it's own success. The game is 10 years old and looks like it's 10 years old. Sure they have made graphic improvements by tweaking the shading, increasing textures and shadows but the engine is still over 10 years old. The only other real complaint I would have is that Blizzard releases content too quickly in every x-pack since WoTLK so you are left with 12 + months on a single tier, which drives people away.
P.S. - to all the themepark haters... WoW is proof that gamers prefer themeparks over "open ended" games. The numbers do not lie. After 10 years WoW still holds almost 7 million paying subs. I played WoW for 8 + years, I am currently playing GW2 and I think the GW2 is a way better RPG than WoW (in terms of story, graphics, combat etc) but overall people need a reason to log on once they max level... I think GW2 could take a hint from WoW in this area, a carrot on a stick isn't a bad thing in games.
I don't play WoW anymore but anyone saying that WoW isn't a quality game is just ridiculous. Pound for pound WoW is the most quality game in the genre. Note: I said quality not the "best", as you can't realistically quantify the best. Every aspect of WoW is completely refined, the game is well tuned, and there is more than enough to do to keep you busy.
The only real area where WoW "fails", is that it's a victim of it's own success. The game is 10 years old and looks like it's 10 years old. Sure they have made graphic improvements by tweaking the shading, increasing textures and shadows but the engine is still over 10 years old. The only other real complaint I would have is that Blizzard releases content too quickly in every x-pack since WoTLK so you are left with 12 + months on a single tier, which drives people away.
Sorry, if you don't like the game design, it's hard to call it the most pound for pound quality game on the market. It's still just an opinion, there's no provable statistic to say one way or the other. I think WOW is a quality game, however, that's not a fact. Because quality in this sense is subjective.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Sorry, if you don't like the game design, it's hard to call it the most pound for pound quality game on the market. It's still just an opinion, there's no provable statistic to say one way or the other. I think WOW is a quality game, however, that's not a fact. Because quality in this sense is subjective.
This person is correct. I played WoW for a month before I had much experience with modern MMOs and found it decently fun but not great or worth subscribing to. But After playing LOTRO and some other games I tried to go back to WoW in their trial and I just couldn't get into it at all anymore. Artstyle just looked too ugly and cartoonish. Gameworld was way too silly. I realize that's all subjective but so are people saying WoW is some kind of a great quality game. A lot of people love WoW but some people legitimately don't.
I don't play WoW anymore but anyone saying that WoW isn't a quality game is just ridiculous. Pound for pound WoW is the most quality game in the genre. Note: I said quality not the "best", as you can't realistically quantify the best. Every aspect of WoW is completely refined, the game is well tuned, and there is more than enough to do to keep you busy.
The only real area where WoW "fails", is that it's a victim of it's own success. The game is 10 years old and looks like it's 10 years old. Sure they have made graphic improvements by tweaking the shading, increasing textures and shadows but the engine is still over 10 years old. The only other real complaint I would have is that Blizzard releases content too quickly in every x-pack since WoTLK so you are left with 12 + months on a single tier, which drives people away.
Sorry, if you don't like the game design, it's hard to call it the most pound for pound quality game on the market. It's still just an opinion, there's no provable statistic to say one way or the other. I think WOW is a quality game, however, that's not a fact. Because quality in this sense is subjective.
Technical quality of WoW has always been top notch, no question of that. Content-wise, i'm not so sure.
And saying that people prefer themeparks over 'open ended' games.. i have to disagree. I hear over and over again how people say 'The last tier raid on vanilla was only experienced by less than 10% of playerbase'. This means 90% of players never saw the end of the game. Sounds like an open ended game to me. Still WoW broke all records and became a giant in sub numbers.
Look at the situation now. Every single player reach the final raid and gets BiS gear within a month by playing casually. Sub numbers have dropped since the old days, and they drop every time at the end of expansion cycle because of boredom and lack of content (players reach the end of game). Some of them stay and play the same content on another toon or hunt for achievements, which is like a bonus when you've already done everything else.
WoW was at its best when it had a feeling of open-endedness because of exp curve and inconveniency. Only the few reached the end of the game, most of us had always something to do and look forward to.
Originally posted by Gretelda The Real reason is timing imo.
Yeah, I agree with this statement. At launch it brought something new and it made itself accessible to everyone. It gain momentum which added to the success. It's the only MMO that held my interest for more than 3 months, in fact I played WoW from 3 months after it launched solidly for the next 2 years and then on and off for a further 2 years. The rest I only lasted 3-4 months. Often less.
I kind of agree. Competition to be the best. It is a huge driving force in WoW. And players seeking that will always come back because it is the grandest stage in the genre.
Also agree wrt WoW combat. It is simply the best ever in any MMORPG. GW2 is up there but lacks the depth and strategy.
Comments
Nail and head springs to mind. and the fact it could run on any old piece of junk.
<shakes head>
Confirming WoW as #1 is as important as confirming McDonald's just sold it;s 1 trillionth hamburger, uhm, shall I say mystery meat.
It doesn't matter to me. The we are # 1 motif is sort of "bandwagon/pep rally on Friday". How important is this?
I don't care really...
Alyn
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
John Lennon
Actually that video stupid, nothing interesting or unique..
The elephant and the blind men who try to identify it is from India. It cannot be Jewish there are no elephants there . I remember my grandmother telling me that one when I was small. She told it in the original text and its definitely not Jewish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant
As for WoW if Arena is the appeal well any other arena game should be popular too.
Yeah I read some of it. . first it is opinion stated as fact. . then the colours to grab attention which is very hard on the eyes. . the the all CAPS WORDS! The the UNDERLINED ALL CAPS WORDS!!!!. If your argument is good you don't need that. It looks like a bad informercial.
Wa min God! Se æx on min heafod is!
WoW is the number 1 MMO, but American Idol was the #1 TV show for a long time, Two and half Men was the #1 comedy.
Quality is not necessary for popularity in many cases.
Oh this is so very, very true.
/bows respectfully to Torgrim
Alyn
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
John Lennon
I never found WoW to be number one.
I remember when everybody went to EQ2 from EQ... 1-2 weeks later they all came back because hand held quest grinding is boring.
WoW is number 1 compared to the clones that followed, but no where near anything that came before it.
this was an amazing posting, but this part especially made me lol
Lolwut!
)
You're right. I could play any boring asian grinder or FFAPvP MMO if the responsiveness and fluidity of WoW was there. Combined with a good balance of questing, dungeoning and PvP in vanilla WoW while leveling and not making it too linear or too fast, was the key to success.
Ofc the timing for its release was also perfect, but you could think 10 years later there was even one game that works as well as WoW, but there isn't. As a matter of fact, i played MoP trial few months ago and realised even WoW has taken minor back steps in this area.
This is probably the weirdest piece of writing I've read in years
Fully confused
I am the Arch-fiend, the Despoiler of Worlds, and by my hands shall the false Emperor fall.
That was great. LOL
As for the thread itself, WOW is #1 because it's the MMO with the most Mainstream appeal, nothing less nothing more.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I don't play WoW anymore but anyone saying that WoW isn't a quality game is just ridiculous. Pound for pound WoW is the most quality game in the genre. Note: I said quality not the "best", as you can't realistically quantify the best. Every aspect of WoW is completely refined, the game is well tuned, and there is more than enough to do to keep you busy.
The only real area where WoW "fails", is that it's a victim of it's own success. The game is 10 years old and looks like it's 10 years old. Sure they have made graphic improvements by tweaking the shading, increasing textures and shadows but the engine is still over 10 years old. The only other real complaint I would have is that Blizzard releases content too quickly in every x-pack since WoTLK so you are left with 12 + months on a single tier, which drives people away.
P.S. - to all the themepark haters... WoW is proof that gamers prefer themeparks over "open ended" games. The numbers do not lie. After 10 years WoW still holds almost 7 million paying subs. I played WoW for 8 + years, I am currently playing GW2 and I think the GW2 is a way better RPG than WoW (in terms of story, graphics, combat etc) but overall people need a reason to log on once they max level... I think GW2 could take a hint from WoW in this area, a carrot on a stick isn't a bad thing in games.
Sorry, if you don't like the game design, it's hard to call it the most pound for pound quality game on the market. It's still just an opinion, there's no provable statistic to say one way or the other. I think WOW is a quality game, however, that's not a fact. Because quality in this sense is subjective.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
This person is correct. I played WoW for a month before I had much experience with modern MMOs and found it decently fun but not great or worth subscribing to. But After playing LOTRO and some other games I tried to go back to WoW in their trial and I just couldn't get into it at all anymore. Artstyle just looked too ugly and cartoonish. Gameworld was way too silly. I realize that's all subjective but so are people saying WoW is some kind of a great quality game. A lot of people love WoW but some people legitimately don't.
Technical quality of WoW has always been top notch, no question of that. Content-wise, i'm not so sure.
And saying that people prefer themeparks over 'open ended' games.. i have to disagree. I hear over and over again how people say 'The last tier raid on vanilla was only experienced by less than 10% of playerbase'. This means 90% of players never saw the end of the game. Sounds like an open ended game to me. Still WoW broke all records and became a giant in sub numbers.
Look at the situation now. Every single player reach the final raid and gets BiS gear within a month by playing casually. Sub numbers have dropped since the old days, and they drop every time at the end of expansion cycle because of boredom and lack of content (players reach the end of game). Some of them stay and play the same content on another toon or hunt for achievements, which is like a bonus when you've already done everything else.
WoW was at its best when it had a feeling of open-endedness because of exp curve and inconveniency. Only the few reached the end of the game, most of us had always something to do and look forward to.
Yeah, I agree with this statement. At launch it brought something new and it made itself accessible to everyone. It gain momentum which added to the success. It's the only MMO that held my interest for more than 3 months, in fact I played WoW from 3 months after it launched solidly for the next 2 years and then on and off for a further 2 years. The rest I only lasted 3-4 months. Often less.
Timing is everything.
I kind of agree. Competition to be the best. It is a huge driving force in WoW. And players seeking that will always come back because it is the grandest stage in the genre.
Also agree wrt WoW combat. It is simply the best ever in any MMORPG. GW2 is up there but lacks the depth and strategy.