World of Warcraft, The Interwebs Crusade

Railith

This thread is not about how good or bad a game WoW is.

I would instead like to start a discussion about the effect WoW will have on the Internet community with the expansion. Warcraft gave us a lot of memes, and the new content could generate more. Can someone out of 8 million subscribers make another "O rly" or "Leeroy Jenkins"?

Apreche

I don't think more WoW expansions will create more amusing WoW memes. The memes of WoW have always come from the players and not from the content of the game itself. However, I do predict that a lot of WoW players, even those who have been play less lately, are going to start putting in extra hours. Maybe discussions around the web will increase in intelligence as the WoW players spend less time on blogs and forums. Expect any podcasters who play WoW to make fewer episodes.

Also, O RLY did not come from WoW.

Kilarney

Can somebody explain to me just what the expansion does? What is its appeal? Is it just more of the same or does it change the game in any meaningful way?

I've never played WOW, and never will - but I know somebody who does. It's got quite the grip on him.

Pilitus

It brings up the level cap in the game, meaning more room for people to pointlessly grind. It also adds two new races.

Kururu-kun

Alright first the expansion allows the level cap to be at 70, and you can be two new races. The Blood Elf and the Draenei. The Blood Elf are not exactly good while not exactly bad, while the Draenei are the Alliances Taurens. It also includes a level 60-70 dungeon thats a mountain. It aslo includes minor stuff that I don't know.

What is its appeal?

World of Warcraft is just an addictive game that just a lot of people play. I mean if you like MMO's you will love WoW.

Is it just more of the same or does it change the game in any meaningful way?

Yes by including the new 2 races and 1 new dungeon. But in a broad perspective, yes its more of the same stuff.

Apreche

Can somebody explain to me just what the expansion does? What is its appeal? Is it just more of the same or does it change the game in any meaningful way?

I've never played WOW, and never will - but I know somebody who does. It's got quite the grip on him.

I don't know the specifics of this particular expansion, but judging by MMO expansions of the past, I have a pretty good idea what it does. First, it probably adds some new races and classes to the game. So now people can make characters with different abilities and ones that look different. Maybe they added different colored elves or something. The other thing it does is it adds new areas to the game. There are more places to travel to, more quests to go on, new monsters to fight, new items to get, more plot to unfold, etc. In a game that has no ending, you can always sell people more levels.

Kiey

But the thing with WoW is that you aren't just paying for the expansion, but for all the updates that follow it that are tied to it. I mean look at how much stuff has been added for free between the time WoW was released and now.

But back on topic more, I don't think that the new expansion will really add too much to the internet. I mean the same people are going to continue to play the game. I mean if we see anything new from it it'll be just like in the past with game videos and whatnot that people recorded and then post.

Rooster

But back on topic more, I don't think that the new expansion will really add too much to the internet. I mean the same people are going to continue to play the game. I mean if we see anything new from it it'll be just like in the past with game videos and whatnot that people recorded and then post.

Right. Look at Everquest. That thing had something like 10 expansions and all they did was allow you to let your gnome hang out with furries. They didn't do much for teh internets as a whole, other than that one mini-expansion that let you play as a froglok. I say give 'em kobolds, if you're letting them play as monsters. But anyway, Everquest died with its sequel, and now WoW has taken its place.

I don't know the specifics of this particular expansion, but judging by MMO expansions of the past, I have a pretty good idea what it does. First, it probably adds some new races and classes to the game. So now people can make characters with different abilities and ones that look different. Maybe they added different colored elves or something. The other thing it does is it adds new areas to the game. There are more places to travel to, more quests to go on, new monsters to fight, new items to get, more plot to unfold, etc. In a game that has no ending, you can always sell people more levels.

And new fancy loading screens, Scott. You forgot the new fancy loading screens. That's the whole idea behind the formula of the MMO. It does not speak well of my generation that we buy such gimmicks so completely. My cousin plays WoW, or should I say lives it. I only saw him twice last year, and each time he had brought his computer along and was playing it for hours and hours. I usually think MMOs are cool, but I watched him run around a big forest and hop one the dragon from Spirited Away and fly across the world. What a waste. It didn't look fun at all, especially the way he plays. Apparently, he goes to school, comes home and starts playing. His addiction is one thing, but he could have at least picked something better to get hooked on. And the fact that he has to pay money for the privilege of running around the Dark Forest and cetera is sad. It's robbery, I tell you.

Sail

And the new prologue audio, Rooster. You forgot the new prologues.

Rooster

You're right. And the instruction manuals. You see? There IS value in these expansions after all.

ZakoSoldier

Sadly I will admit I am a WoW-player. First I will say that the expansion has ruined the past module of D&D I was supposed to play. I fear that it will kill this week's double-module (high school exams so we get out at around 11:30). I have been playing a lot of WoW. But all of us agree that WoW gets boring at a certain point. The only reason people keep playing is to get to the top so you can run the same dungeons over and over again. It is all a series of meaningless achievements from getting a mount to hitting level 70 to getting the best armor. In fact a waste of time. It leads friends to pressure other friends into playing. 3 of my group of friends started to play, that was about a 18 months ago. Now all but 2 play. I doubt anything entertaining will come out the expansion at least in the first few months.