WoW: How the Level Rush Killed the Desire to Play Retail

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Before getting to the heart of the matter of this little humorous post, a certain contextualization is necessary. Like many actors dangerously approaching their thirties, WoW was the first big video game slap of my life. I still remember coming home from college, dreaming (that’s the right word) almost embodied in my own person, of my future trips to Azeroth and the trips I’m about to undertake. Wow, that was also my first real online experience. I fully realized that the Internet is omnipotent and people can connect with each other in their imaginary worlds.

that’s all to say No other video game in the world makes me as nostalgic as WoW. The satisfaction of strengthening your character, teaching them new skills, and getting rid of increasingly terrifying monsters and situations is something I haven’t found anywhere else.

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mood ticket

This message is a sentimental message. This is obviously very subjective and only reflects my “frank” feelings on the matter.

World of Warcraft

do not open sesame

And then the years pass. I have to leave WoW for a while, even though the MMO continues to live on in my thoughts more distantly. And a few years later, a few months after the release of the MOP, I seem to have reinstalled the game. My first impression is excellent. The graphics have become luxurious and I enjoy immersing myself in the WoW universe.

But very quickly, another sensation begins to hurt me. The levels are linked at full speed and the evolution of my character does not give me as much pleasure as before. No need to open my quest log to read it, role-playing style, exciting quests await me, where to go and who to beat. Everything is specified mini mapIt has become a high-end portable GPS. Dungeons that were once the holy days where you left tired but happy have turned into material turbo boosters. No more saying hello or connecting with other adventurers. The party automatically creates, then you disband and teleport to the next dungeon. And repeat again and again. The light taste of a dungeon ending turned into a compelling fast food style meal. we chain. He escapes. no time to procrastinate.

World of Warcraft

And I haven’t told you yet Sesame. In addition to the latest expansion content, there are small “bonuses” that allow your characters to reach level 50 or 60. that’s why there Upgrade It completely dissolves into space-time. Unleash the fun of learning to discover your character and class step by step. Delivered turnkey, ready for new situations. So of course the sesame is optional and does not require us to start our Blizzard adventure at level 50. But they sealed the coffin. Upgrading takes time but is very exciting.

Remains of wonderful worlds

I reread the beginning of my post and I agree that it’s a bit of a grumpy old man who thinks it’s “better than before”. But let me explain why leveling up is the “hard road” for me. Besides the “satisfaction” of developing your favorite character from level to level, there is also a A challenge to honor Azeroth and its wonders.

As a teenager, when my father asked me “how long” was the world, I replied that it would literally take dozens of hours to troll even on a continent. And it was stuck. OK: A few years later, I learned that I was exaggerating a bit, because Kalimdor is actually only 20 kilometers from north to south.

World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft

But it’s all the same: kilometers of magnificent landscapes. From frozen tundra to arid deserts, through dark swamps and lush forests. World of Warcraft is also an incredibly deep fantasy world. They are all filled with NPCs, each with stories, anecdotes and secrets. And I will convey the poem about the architecture of the cities, the detailed decorations of the objects in the buildings, and of course the huge images of animals in each small area. World of Warcraft, as its name suggests, is a world, a real world. Carefully developed over nearly two decades by highly skilled developers. But when you teleport from dungeon to dungeon at lightning speed without wasting time on the mission, you forget about it because it’s “too long and not enough EXP”.

Titan transformed into a two-headed hydra

So what’s left of the WoW of my youth when each new expansion suddenly brings dozens of regions to explore? When each new continent empties and all previous continents become obsolete? When will it be possible to reach level 50 without leaving Orgrimmar with the same dungeon path?

With WoW Classic in 2019, Blizzard answers all these questions (and old nostalgia like me). A return to basics is certainly exciting, but can also be read as an admission of weakness. It’s all about creating a great gaming experience that will delight veterans, casual gamers, and newcomers alike.

Personally, I would like to be able to enjoy each expansion at my own pace, without having to go through the opus for which I don’t have time. The retail gaming experience has diminished a lot for me. And that’s a shame, because it seems to me that each expansion has its fair share of delightful details and luxuries that were buried so soon after the release of the new installment.

Source : Millenium

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