Relegated to a Simplistic Role (WoW

mp3man4

Recently I posted this in my blog and got a great deal of response so I wanted to post it here and hear what people had to say! If this is the wrong place to post it I appologize. Flame ON!

I began playing World of Warcraft about 2 months ago. I created a Night-Elf Shadow Specced Priest and have been having a great time. The world is so rich and offers so many options. I remember the anxiety of choosing my professions for the very first time. Should I choose MiningEngineering? What about HerbalismAlchemy? I also remember the decision to choose Shadow as my talent tree. It was a pretty intense (and might I say unpopular?) decision. Then there is my Guild. I was introduced into a guild named "Omani." Headed and populated by wonderful people, Omani made WoW worth playing. They offered help unasked for and were always available for an answer to a question or an opinion. Plus, they are a lot of fun and (most importantly) know how to have a good time. Blizzard has done a very good job on this game. They provide amazing service and keep things moving along (new content etc . . .)at a very amazing rate. Honestly, I do really miss the graphics from other games I have played. I miss seeing the trees moving in the wind and clothing rustling against the body. I miss being floored by the first viewing of an in-game majestic waterfall. That said, there are those within the game who love the graphics and that is O.K. I don't.
The one thing that will eventually persuade me to leave WoW is one of its main selling points. It is for kids. The game has some strategy (especially on high level raids like BWL or MC), but all of the strategy is simple. Players in general really don't care about strategy--Its all about role. If everybody does the thing that they do every time the group will succeed in the end. You try to get your character to lvl 60 as fast as possible because that is the secret to your power. Once a player becomes familiar with their character their personal skills never really get much better. That being said their are differences in player functionality. I have seen some lousy priests. This is not because they have a misunderstanding of strategy or tactics. This is just because they have an incorrect view of their "role". They have a role to play and they always fulfill it. Game play never really changes for the most part. Players do the same thing game in and game out. This wouldn't be a problem if that role wasn't so simplistic. I want a role that challenges me as a player as well as as a character. I don't want a game to be too difficult but I want something more from a game then a "role" that I am relegated to and try all I can will never escape from. I may be a great healer some day but is that all I want? There are a million great healers out there. I can't help but hope to be something more.

DamonVile

If you break that up some so it doesn't look like a big white wall of text more people will probably read it.

I did read it and agree that wow is very simple to learn and play. That's probably the number 1 reason it's such a huge hit, and why so many MMO vets hate it so much.

carebear

Sounds like you want a game that doesn't have a class system. First one that pops into mind is Ryzom.