Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I haven't played since May, but resubscribed last night after a long poker session that left me too drained to get into anything. Downloaded the patch overnight, and fired it up today to take a look at it.

It looked kinda boring. Maybe I'm just getting tired of these kind of games.

Has the game changed much since May? I know they have the battlegrounds out, but don't know what that's about. Anything else interesting as far as gameplay changes go? Is the battlegrounds a success or a bust?

If I play it at all now, it will be just a little here and there. I'm wondering if the game has gotten fun enough to be worth even that much.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I gave up on it a while ago. CIV 4, which is supposed to have an excellent multi-player format, ships next Tuesday.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

The problem I have with the Civ games is that they can take weeks to play a single game, and you can find out on hour 48 of a game that you made a critical mistake back in hour 12 that you can't get out of. That's just cruel.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I think you just suck at Civ games, Blarg. No offense.

Swede

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I'm sure I do, but that doesn't mean they don't take a hell of a long time. It doesn't seem to mean that mistakes early don't turn into disasters later that you only discover after spending an ungodly amount of time developing the game.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I'm sure I do, but that doesn't mean they don't take a hell of a long time. It doesn't seem to mean that mistakes early don't turn into disasters later that you only discover after spending an ungodly amount of time developing the game.

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I don't understand the problem. Isn't the game supposed to be about playing a long game, looking back on your mistakes, and then learning from them?

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I played it for awhile up to about 30 then stopped. Just found the challenges very lackluster and the content spoonfed. Grouping aspects of the game at least at lower levels also left me cold. Felt alone in the game world when RL friends weren't on-line. Soloing's too easy I suppose. Class distinctions are bland and there is little interdependency. End result is boredom and feeling like I'm on a guided levelling treadmill versus playing a game. Far inferior to early EQ imo, which is where I started with mmorpg's. Obviously the graphics were nice though and they added some neat innovations to the genre.

My plan is to hopefully channel my gaming itch into longer poker sessions until Vanguard SOH comes out next spring/summer. Looks like the only thing on the horizon that is likely to be worth the kind of time investment these games ask of their players.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I'm sure I do, but that doesn't mean they don't take a hell of a long time. It doesn't seem to mean that mistakes early don't turn into disasters later that you only discover after spending an ungodly amount of time developing the game.

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I don't understand the problem. Isn't the game supposed to be about playing a long game, looking back on your mistakes, and then learning from them?

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When it takes as long as Civ does, it's more grueling than your average game you make a mistake in and start over. The tremendous amount of time investment makes mistakes extraordinarily punishing, sometimes even small ones. It doesn't feel anywhere near as bad to make a mistake in any other game I can think of.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

For all its faults, EQ spoiled me too. The level of organization and competence required to do even little things meant the lunatics weren't running the asylum. When I group in WoW it can be very frustrating, because the players are just so disorganized and impulsive. I'm always waiting for yet another dude to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and ruin the experience of the whole party.

I'm kind of hoping people have started being a spaz less now that I've been away from the game for half a year, but I doubt it.

Some noodling around soloing seems like it might work after my brain is fried from poker. But then again, there are probably much better games out there for that, too. A MMORPG session always seems to involve 20 minutes of travel each way.

I think I need a really good RTS. I saw some very critical posts on Age of Empires III, which is a real disappointment. I need some sort of strategy game I think.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I think I need a really good RTS. I saw some very critical posts on Age of Empires III, which is a real disappointment. I need some sort of strategy game I think.

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It's a little old, but I have really enjoyed Rise of Nations. Fun game in the AOE mold.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I heard it's pretty good. Does it have many weaknesses? Is there much of an online community for it?

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I heard it's pretty good. Does it have many weaknesses? Is there much of an online community for it?

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I can't speak for playing online, since I never have.

The only weakness that I can think of is that it can easily turn into a race for technology (but isn't the case for most RTSs?). Once you get Stealth Bombers, it's pretty much game over.

My typical game is to play against 7 cpu opponents on level Easy (2nd easiest) and race myself to beat them in the fastest time. Takes around 45 minutes, and is a nice diversion from a stressful day [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

Wow you can beat 7 at once? That sounds like a way of saying that the AI is really horrible?

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

On the second easiest setting, yes, it is. There are five settings, and it definitely gets tougher on the next level.

When I play games like that, it's cuz I want to kick some CPU ass, not cuz I want a challenge.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

Starcraft is the only RTS you'll need. None of that BGH crap too.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I got a new mask [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15.../trollmask.jpg

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

lol, that mask is ugly. I quit playing WOW a few months ago. It just got too boring and finding groups was a pain in the ass, not to mention going into MC or any instance for 3+ hours and leaving with nothing to show for it.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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lol, that mask is ugly. I quit playing WOW a few months ago. It just got too boring and finding groups was a pain in the ass, not to mention going into MC or any instance for 3+ hours and leaving with nothing to show for it.

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It's a much different game with a good guild but i'm very close to running out of things to do. It was pretty boring the last couple of months with MC on farm status (rag first try kills every time). I've completed my cenarion set, have a SoD, etc. We've started doing the newish instance after MC though (BWL) which has a lot of different style fights from the MC fights. I'm still slowly starting to play less and less though and i expect to quit sometime next month.

And yah, the mask is ugly. Not as bad as a gnome mask on a tauren though.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

If there was a picture there I can't see it. I have most image sites blocked so only see at most half the pics people put up. And I have avatars turned off.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I just went for a read at different video game sellers, and realized there was nothing coming out or around that looked like it would give me that kind of joy of discovery that I felt when I first got Warcraft 2 or Age of Empires 2, or HOMM 2, where almost every little thing seemed really fun or cool -- from great units to cool sound, to a great world where even an ogre mumbling while he chopped down a tree could be funny and cool.

I need a game that creates an interesting game world. Now I'm wondering if I should try Civ 4. At least it will be different from anything I've played in a long time. I played Civ 2, but not Civ 3. I wonder if Civ 4 will drag down my machine like Civ 2 did back in the day. That game was a real resource hog. But at least the Civ games by nature are something that can stimulate your mind.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

www.boardgamegeek.com

i can give you about 8000 suggestions, and just to give an example, civilization was a board game first. a lot of empire/economic pc games play out strikingly similar to board games. for example, railroad tycoon. tons of it could be contrasted with the game 'age of steam', which has just been modestly adapted to become 'railroad tycoon: the board game' by eagle games. age of steam drew heavily from the 18XX railroad games, which also predate the railroad tycoon video game.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

AOE III just came out also. I need a new computer before I can run either this or Civ IV.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I'm thinking of something to play on the puter though, Astro, when I'm bleary and at weird hours, not something you have to plan ahead and gather a group for. I don't know anybody who plays board games anyway. Thanks though.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I've got an ATI 9800 Pro 128 meg card and an Athlon XP 3000, and I'm thinking that's getting on the low end of things for top-end games. And from what I remember of Civ 2, it was rough on good computers at the time. I've seen repeated reviews mentioning AOE 3 slowing down, too.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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If there was a picture there I can't see it. I have most image sites blocked so only see at most half the pics people put up. And I have avatars turned off.

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It was a photobucket picture.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I don't know anybody who plays board games anyway

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so you take your existing friends and get them to start. i've done it with tons of people.

railroad tycoon might be interesting to you, i'd suggest downloading the demo.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I've got an ATI 9800 Pro 128 meg card and an Athlon XP 3000, and I'm thinking that's getting on the low end of things for top-end games. And from what I remember of Civ 2, it was rough on good computers at the time. I've seen repeated reviews mentioning AOE 3 slowing down, too.

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FWIW my friends/aoe clan mates are saying good things about age of empires III at this point. I haven't bought it yet personally and didn't like the demo but it's sounding pretty good. The gamerankings rating is pretty decent as well:

url

I don't know how quickly it will run on your system though. I assume probably ok until you break the ~100 unit mark.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

Anyone gonna try City of Villians? I thought about it. I haven't been addicted to an MMORPG in 4 or 5 years.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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Anyone gonna try City of Villians? I thought about it. I haven't been addicted to an MMORPG in 4 or 5 years.

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MMORPGs are the devil.

/former DAoC addict

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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Anyone gonna try City of Villians? I thought about it. I haven't been addicted to an MMORPG in 4 or 5 years.

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Too bad all these ones out now are like methadone. Haven't had much fun in a mmorpg since pre-Luclin EQ. Not that I've tried many. Lineage 2 very briefly and WoW for a bit longer. Both poor substitutes [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]. From the reviews and such that I read no others look worthwhile either. At least until Vanguard. Man I wish they hadn't destroyed the fun of EQ so thoroughly.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

Gave up on my WOW account. Mostly becuase I simply dont have the time to develop lasting in game friendships and I got no real life friends who play with any consistancy. Due to this I was forced into pickup group situations every time I played, but with a typical play session lasting less then 90 minutes, there simply arent any group things to do, especially with a level 60 unguilded rogue!

Did send a friend 1300 gold though before I cancelled, which he probably never got becuase he hardly ever logged in.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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Gave up on my WOW account. Mostly becuase I simply dont have the time to develop lasting in game friendships and I got no real life friends who play with any consistancy. Due to this I was forced into pickup group situations every time I played, but with a typical play session lasting less then 90 minutes, there simply arent any group things to do, especially with a level 60 unguilded rogue!

Did send a friend 1300 gold though before I cancelled, which he probably never got becuase he hardly ever logged in.

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Being an unguilded rogue is really shitty. Especially if you weren't on a PVP server. Overpopulation of rogues made level 60+ pretty sucky unless you were in a fairly mature guild. That's at least half of why i started my druid.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I think I need a really good RTS. I saw some very critical posts on Age of Empires III, which is a real disappointment. I need some sort of strategy game I think.

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It's a little old, but I have really enjoyed Rise of Nations. Fun game in the AOE mold.

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The game is quite good actually. The graphics and gameplay are absolutely amazing.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

Ever played DotA? It's kind of like WoW but it's 15min-1hr games where you build up a hero from lvl 1 then fight against others. It's a team game 5v5 and very fun. You have to have Warcraft 3 and the expansion pack (Frozen Throne). The site is here: www.dota-allstars.com

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I don't have Frozen Throne, but thanks for the suggestion.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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Anyone gonna try City of Villians? I thought about it. I haven't been addicted to an MMORPG in 4 or 5 years.

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MMORPGs are the devil.

/former DAoC addict

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I myself am a recovering UO-a-holic. I still miss pwning n00bs though.

No game will ever match UO's PvP system. This game http://www.darkfallonline.com/ looks like it could be close. I am definitely trying it.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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I think I need a really good RTS. I saw some very critical posts on Age of Empires III, which is a real disappointment. I need some sort of strategy game I think.

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It's a little old, but I have really enjoyed Rise of Nations. Fun game in the AOE mold.

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The game is quite good actually. The graphics and gameplay are absolutely amazing.

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I was reading some reviews on this after seeing the suggestion, and the ones I bumped into seemed kind of strange -- some said all the battles were the same, and others gave it huge raves. I didn't know what to think.

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

Apparently they have just added another race:

http://patchtimer.org/images/charscreen.jpg

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

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MMORPGs are the devil.

/former DAoC addict

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What server?

<---former rr8 mentalist on merlin

Re: Anybody still playing WOW?
 

I won't allow myself to play WOW. I'm the kind of guy they make those "don't let this game ruin your life" disclaimers for. I have been playing some Guild Wars recently though, anyone here play? Sorry if this is a semi hijack Blarg.