World of Warcraft: Why is it hated by so many gamers?

[Dangernick42]

(I'm gonna describe the game for anyone that has lived in a cave for the last 6years)World of Warcraft is an MMORPG that has many playable races and classes, including Orc, Human, Undead, and Night Elf etc. It takes a good amount of play time to get to a good level, and there are lots of different armours and weaponary, as well as a good level of character specialisation and customisation. There is a lot of group-based activities, such as dungeons and raids, involving from 2-5 players (dungeons) to as many as 1000 players (raids). The Player Vs Player facilities have various maps and objectives to ensure an all round enjoyable experience.
OK. Advert over. The game is hated by many gamers who have obviously NEVER PLAYED THE GAME! They say it turns you into a depressed nerd who never leaves the computer. Well yes, some players are like that, but there are just as many players like that on other MMORPGs and many standard console games, such as the 100% completists on Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fable II etc. If you HAVE completed every quest on Oblivion, just check the amount of time on your game save, and I can assure you, it will be less time than it would take an average player to get to the last level of World of Warcraft.
Then again, if you LIKE there to always be more quests and jobs to do, there is. Once you hit level 80, the game is far from over, in fact, a new game really begins. You have all of the best skills and abilities yes, but you can nearly always get better armour, by taking part in huge raids on dungeon teams, and by doing some PvP for the rewards.
And then there is the profession system. You learn two professions as your skills, allowing you to create or upgrade certain things depending on the proffesion. Most proffesions are in pairs, such as Mining and Blacksmithing, or Skinning and Leatherworking, where the first proffesion compliments the second by allowing you to mine or create the materials for free.
So you have all the armours and skills, you have fully levelled your proffessions and the three other default proffesions. What's next? There's always more PvP, and you can go achievement hunting if you're that way inclined (the new achievement system features a points system, much like that on the XBOX 360). And anyway, I'm sure Blizzard will realease another expansion in the next few years. In fact, the latest expansion allowas you to create a certain type of character that is already about halfway through the levels, if you have already got there on another character. So once you have sorted your old character to the top, play this other there as well, or start completely afresh. The game changes completely depending on your class and which Talent Tree (Skill set) you specialise in, so it really never gets old. I think it's worth the subscription fee.

 

[Beefjerky]

Because it doesn't really reward skill so much as it rewards repetition and time-commitment.

QFT

Also, it's actually a really bad game once you think about it.

 

[Dmatix]

Well, I dislike it because because of it, we may never see Warcraft 4.
and I really don't like paying monthly for a game I already bought.

 

[RhinoTuna]

It's a massive timesink and there's really no skill in it rather than familiarity (at least with PvP). I dunno, people hate it because most WoW nerds are all the same.

 

[VaioStreams]

it's not just wow. This goes for just about any MMO. and it's not so much the game as it is the people that play it. same goes for people who just play to much halo

 

[jaammiie]

Well, I used to think like that, but then I played the game and I was a bit addicted, but then I stop playing (mostly to save money) and now I realise that it is boring. Whenever I go near a MMORPG, I feel bored. Back to normal console games now.

 

[Zethos64]

You know I see this kind of topic all over other gaming forums. Will people stop trying to defend their game constantly. If you like a game play it. If someone else doesnt who cares let them have their opinion on the game.

I played WoW for a long time, I got sick of it cause after awhile the quests all seem the same and instances require too much specialized gear. I also couldnt stand alot of the player community who mostly acted like idiots and I played on the Horde too. I dont really like WoW anymore but thats because its getting dated in my opinion.

 

[Simriel]

Pay to play. It is objected too. And your overly long post is not gonna sway anyone. I played the trial, and did not find it engaging enough to pay a tv license worth of cash each year to play it. Your argument is not gonna cause a sudden revelation and love of the game. Also almost every WoW player i know will neglect social interaction in favor of playing the game. Now i have about 60 hours of play on Fallout 3 and god knows how many on Oblivion but i have never neglected my friends because 'i have a raid on'.

 

[Xelt]

First of all, raids are now, 25 man, never have they had 1000 people.

Most people don't like due to the grind.

 

[noodles loves you]

ya know what, i'm gonna say the reason a lot of people don't like WoW is because it's their opinion, usually informed, and from experience right on the money.

Sure, some people enjoy WoW, in fact a large amount of gamers. But it's just a mediocre rpg with an online community.... something that could be replicated by say, playing the witcher in a net cafe with millions of others.... playing the witcher. and they'd be no more wrong in their choice of venture than WoW players, they'd just be replicating the basic experience.

if that's not a good enough explanation interchange with fable 2 or elder scrolls

 

[yourbeliefs]

I had a WoW subscription for a while, but I gave up after I got bored with constant grinding in trying to get my level up to be able to participate in the higher quests. I even tried creating a whole new character and class to spice things up, and while that lasted for a little while, in the end I ran into the same issue with them.

All that said, I don't think WoW is a BAD game or a game that's only for social rejects with no lives (although quite frankly I am shocked when I read about players who have FAMILIES and still find time to play it, as you need to invest at least an hour per game to get anywhere.) WoW is a hard sell for people who require quick gratification. Being an RPG fan I'm not stranger to "grinding," and in fact sometimes revel in it, knowing that I'm building up a character who will soon squash the jerk who was messing with me beforehand. Somehow in the MMORPG world that doesn't translate for me..

 

[fix-the-spade]

Boring
Repetitive
Expensive

Applies to all MMO's, but Warcraft gets it most because it's the biggest.
I also think that to pay monthly to play one game makes you either very bored or very gullible. There are thousands of games and hundreds of MMO's out there, exploit the free trials and get some variety in your life.

 

[vid20]

First things first.. you can't go compering a 100% completest in any console game to a casual WoW gamer. You have to compare them to the people who end game raid in WoW. Who has a longer played game time now?

You then go to raise the point that there is so much end game content after reaching 80; ok. So whats the point in reaching 80? Why not start at 80 so you can play the game form the start, and not have the first 40+ hours of game play in the game dedicated just getting to a playable point in the game?

Any way. My problem with WoW is I see it as a time hog. You have to put so much time into the game to get anywhere; and then when you reach that stage its no were near as fun or as exciting as you expect it to be as its just a build up to you reaching the next dungeon or instance; so that you can do the same thing over again. To do it over again. To do it over again. Then when you finally do get through it all, what do you get? An end to the story? a reward? no. Some shiny pieces of equipment in an online game that soon countless hundreds of thousands of other people will have.

The time that people dedicate into all MMO's, not just WoW; that's what I don't get about them. I mean can you honestly say that you enjoy every most of that grinding you put into WoW?

I guess it comes down to my preference in game archetypes; but grinding in an MMO definitely doesn't strike me as exciting.

Also, because of WoW's huge consumer base; any negative stereotype that can be applied to gamers of any game type, on any platform; can be applied one hundred times over to WoW. Its just playing the numbers.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

I love WoW. I no longer subscribe to it, however, I acknowledge the fact that I spent a ton of time playing that particular game-- more time than any other game has managed to steal from my youth. Those people who hate WoW have may have valid reasons for not playing it, however, objectively, the game has more subscribers than many countries have people. It's a tired argument, but I still maintain that Blizzard has done something very right with their WoW formula.

 

[Sir Pysco Sexy]

Its good when you're into it and enjoying it... but really you're only prolonging the painful extraction of this addiction from your soul... all for the better mind. Now you can... actually do stuff with your life, instead of spending literally MONTHS of your life sat... playing... ONE game.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I played WoW for a long time, I got sick of it cause after awhile the quests all seem the same and instances require too much specialized gear. I also couldnt stand alot of the player community who mostly acted like idiots and I played on the Horde too. I dont really like WoW anymore but thats because its getting dated in my opinion.

WotLK really improved WoW in the leveling department, the experience from 70 to 80 is fantastic really. After that, well pretty much the same old stuff. Yea the new instances are really cool, but after 1-2 times you've seen em. What WotLK really lacks is lasting appeal, I've done most of the stuff 3 months after WotLK launched, and I quit playing. I hold no grudge against it though, I had fun with the game almost 2 years, why would I hate that?

What I liked about the game btw, is the incredibly immersive world, it's designed with such detail and care, the characters are fantastic (I loved the Oracles tribe, those cute little gremlins) and they manage to create an atmosphere so good that I kept going. After a while though, I simply ran out of content. Saw all the instances, killed most bosses, went through the continent and completed most storylines. Then it's bye bye WoW, why grind the same content over and over again?

PS: What I read about the new Ulduar instance, it's going to be seriouslly cool, I'll probably never actually play it because I lack the time for raiding nowadays, but damn some of the idea's sure sound cool.

You then go to raise the point that there is so much end game content after reaching 80; ok. So whats the point in reaching 80? Why not start at 80 so you can play the game form the start, and not have the first 40+ hours of game play in the game dedicated just getting to a playable point in the game?

I hear that a lot of times, or the simpler version "what's the point?", my answer: there is no point. It's really a different point of view: I don't see leveling as a chore, as a hurdle I need to get over so I can start with the 'real game'. I find that nonsense, especially in WotLK most content sits in the road from 70 to 80. Why ignore áll that content so you can rush to 80 for...some heroic dungeons (you can see most dungeons before you ding 80 anyway, just non-heroic, but it's the same stuff) and a few raids to grind over and over again? WotLK shines in the leveling department, a damned shame to just look over that.

 

[Dangernick42]

First of all, raids are now, 25 man, never have they had 1000 people.

Most people don't like due to the grind.

Yeah most of the raids are, but what I meant was you could take as many players as you wanted, and I'm guessing that the LIMIT is 1000.


I play WoW regularly and have good social contact with other people. In fact, sometimes WoW with friends that I know in real life (like the guy that recommended it to me) is good fun. We all go round to each others houses and go through a dungeon or something.

Now i have about 60 hours of play on Fallout 3 and god knows how many on Oblivion but i have never neglected my friends because 'i have a raid on'.

Well, a lot of people I know at school, who do not play Warcraft, have regularly skipped school for a day or something to play Fable or Oblivion.
And the player community on Horde isn't bad (I've never played alliance myself), but if someones annoying you, you can use the ignore list to blank them.