World of Warcraft, why is it so popular?

[The Kangaroo]

I just finished my WOW 14 day free trial and I found myself wondering, why is it so damn popular, the fighting is boring and slow, the non stop grinding in unbearable, the character creation is a joke because after you hit level 10 everyone looks the exact same and while the story and the whole "Alliance vs Horde" thing is good in theory they are implemented in such a bad way that the story is told through long pages of text and the Alliance vs Horde ting is just mindless PvP.

In spite of those reasons, the game is more popular than food and I need to know...why?

Before you spam and troll please keep in mind that while I only played it for 14 days the trial period is supposed to sell the game to me and it failed spectacularly.

I understand that certain people like it just because of the fact that they do but I'm posting this thread to ask people who would like many of the same games that I would (L4D, Halo 3, Fallout 3, Mass Effect ect.).

 

[Arkhangelsk]

It's a matter of opinion, some people like the progression, while some just do it to get to the highest level and raid or whatever you do. Not everyone can like the same thing.

 

[Curtmiester]

Well I guess opinions are just stupid.
But really 14 days is not enough to get to any of the amazing juicey bits WoW has to offer.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Honestly? I have no clue.
Once I'm off I don't feel the need to be on, but while I'm on I can't seem to come off.
It's sorta like a hatred of leaving things unfinished, I guess?

 

[ZeroMachine]

Oh, for christ's sake, another one of these...

BECAUSE THEY FIND IT FUN.

 

[LogicNProportion]

I used to be a WoW addict. Can't answer your question, strangely.

I guess it's because out of the current shitty MMO's, WoW is the least shitty.

 

[The Kangaroo]

Oh, for christ's sake, another one of these...

BECAUSE THEY FIND IT FUN.

I know but why?

 

[Count_de_Monet]

It's popular because it gives people a sense of achievement and it does it without too many bumps in the road. You level up pretty steadily, get new equipment fairly easily, there are lots of people playing so it is pretty easy to fall into a group you enjoy, and when you are high level you get to take out bigger and badder nasties for cooler equipment.

I did my time in EQ with the spell book while meditating, hell levels, forced grouping to level up, and griefers/scammers/trainers galore so I can understand not getting into WoW but I do understand why people love it.

 

[Stormz]

The game is easy to get into for anyone, that's why it's popular. The average person doesn't want to do hours of tutorials to learn how to play. WoW is so easy to get into that anyone with half a brain can play it.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Oh, for christ's sake, another one of these...

BECAUSE THEY FIND IT FUN.

I know but why?

...

Why do you find *insert game here* fun?

@topic

The reason it's so popular is because people won't stop making threads about it.

 

[TheCameraman]

Because it's one of the easiest and most player-friendly MMOs out there.

 

[The Kangaroo]

It's popular because it gives people a sense of achievement and it does it without too many bumps in the road. You level up pretty steadily, get new equipment fairly easily, there are lots of people playing so it is pretty easy to fall into a group you enjoy, and when you are high level you get to take out bigger and badder nasties for cooler equipment.

I did my time in EQ with the spell book while meditating, hell levels, forced grouping to level up, and griefers/scammers/trainers galore so I can understand not getting into WoW but I do understand why people love it.

The game is easy to get into for anyone, that's why it's popular. The average person doesn't want to do hours of tutorials to learn how to play. WoW is so easy to get into that anyone with half a brain can play it.

Thank you.

Are you saying that it is in essence, a casual game, like Wii Fit or something?

 

[Destal]

The game is popular due to things you can't see in the 14 day trial. The grind to 60, 70, and now 80 is an entirely different game than once you hit the max level. The combat system can become does get better as you get higher up in level with more skills and such. The reason it is so popular is because it appeals to many different types of players. If you are a pvp junkie you can go arena for really good gear, if you like hanging out with friends and beating the game you go do PVE, if you're into an online chat program that allows you to upgrade your charactor for the two afformentioned items...that is there too. It gives a sense of "rewarding" to people who have nothing better to do with their free time. I think a lot of the alliance vs horde thing is a carry over from people who played WAR3. Probably the biggest reason it is so popular is that it is easy to pick up and play with relative success even if it is your first MMO. A brand new player can be one of the "epic" players within the space of a 2-3 months without even trying.

 

[IntoxicatedKnight]

Opinion is key to success.

 

[Vehementer Fox]

Halo 3 effect, more people play so it must be the best...right? Not

 

[Stormz]

It's popular because it gives people a sense of achievement and it does it without too many bumps in the road. You level up pretty steadily, get new equipment fairly easily, there are lots of people playing so it is pretty easy to fall into a group you enjoy, and when you are high level you get to take out bigger and badder nasties for cooler equipment.

I did my time in EQ with the spell book while meditating, hell levels, forced grouping to level up, and griefers/scammers/trainers galore so I can understand not getting into WoW but I do understand why people love it.

The game is easy to get into for anyone, that's why it's popular. The average person doesn't want to do hours of tutorials to learn how to play. WoW is so easy to get into that anyone with half a brain can play it.

Thank you.

Are you saying that it is in essence, a casual game, like Wii Fit or something?

Yes. A lot of non mmorpg players like WoW because it's more casual than most mmorpgs. But I'm just speaking from my experience.

 

[DigitalJedl]

...
Sigh
Opinions man, opinions. That, and WoW is pretty easy compared to the other MMOs out there.

 

[The Kangaroo]

The game is popular due to things you can't see in the 14 day trial. The grind to 60, 70, and now 80 is an entirely different game than once you hit the max level. The combat system can become does get better as you get higher up in level with more skills and such. The reason it is so popular is because it appeals to many different types of players. If you are a pvp junkie you can go arena for really good gear, if you like hanging out with friends and beating the game you go do PVE, if you're into an online chat program that allows you to upgrade your charactor for the two afformentioned items...that is there too. It gives a sense of "rewarding" to people who have nothing better to do with their free time. I think a lot of the alliance vs horde thing is a carry over from people who played WAR3. Probably the biggest reason it is so popular is that it is easy to pick up and play with relative success even if it is your first MMO. A brand new player can be one of the "epic" players within the space of a 2-3 months without even trying.

Very good points but the 14 day trial is supposed to sell the game to me. What they should have done is let you play at like level 75 in a dedicated server to get the real feel for the game.

 

[Count_de_Monet]

It's popular because it gives people a sense of achievement and it does it without too many bumps in the road. You level up pretty steadily, get new equipment fairly easily, there are lots of people playing so it is pretty easy to fall into a group you enjoy, and when you are high level you get to take out bigger and badder nasties for cooler equipment.

I did my time in EQ with the spell book while meditating, hell levels, forced grouping to level up, and griefers/scammers/trainers galore so I can understand not getting into WoW but I do understand why people love it.

The game is easy to get into for anyone, that's why it's popular. The average person doesn't want to do hours of tutorials to learn how to play. WoW is so easy to get into that anyone with half a brain can play it.

Thank you.

Are you saying that it is in essence, a casual game, like Wii Fit or something?

It really spans the range of hardcore and casual games because it can be played however you want. The genius behind WoW is that it doesn't force you into playing it in any particular way, you can group, you can solo, you can play different classes and play each of those in different ways. You get to choose a faction, a race, and enough customization that you can feel a little unique.

I didn't play for very long because I was burnt out on MMO's but I recognized how dangerous the game was to my continuing education so I put a stop to it after a couple months. The things that made me love Everquest turned people off entirely so when they changed the game to be more appealing to a wider range of people I lost interest. WoW is that idea advanced to the next level in that it appeals to all kinds of players.

I used to know people in EQ1 who would spend untold hours working on tradeskills. They would get the skill to max, make the best stuff and then sell it for crazy amounts of money and then not use it. It was impossible for me to hold onto money in that game, the second I got some I went bartering in North Freeport and turned 5 plat into an item worth 10 plat and then spent the next month poor but satisfied with what I had. I couldn't even comprehend why you would spend so much time amassing vast amounts of fake money and not blow it on stuff you want but for them the act of making things and using that effort to create wealth was the reward.

 

[Curtmiester]

The game is popular due to things you can't see in the 14 day trial. The grind to 60, 70, and now 80 is an entirely different game than once you hit the max level. The combat system can become does get better as you get higher up in level with more skills and such. The reason it is so popular is because it appeals to many different types of players. If you are a pvp junkie you can go arena for really good gear, if you like hanging out with friends and beating the game you go do PVE, if you're into an online chat program that allows you to upgrade your charactor for the two afformentioned items...that is there too. It gives a sense of "rewarding" to people who have nothing better to do with their free time. I think a lot of the alliance vs horde thing is a carry over from people who played WAR3. Probably the biggest reason it is so popular is that it is easy to pick up and play with relative success even if it is your first MMO. A brand new player can be one of the "epic" players within the space of a 2-3 months without even trying.

Very good points but the 14 day trial is supposed to sell the game to me. What they should have done is let you play at like level 75 in a dedicated server to get the real feel for the game.

But then you would be completely lost because you would have all these spells and gear that you don't know how to use. The trail is there to give you a feel of how to start playing and then let you decide if you want to keep going by buying the game. If it didn't work for you then it didn't. But I see your point in how you want to try playing with higher level stuff before you decide if play to that point is worth it.