Breakfast Topic: Does WoW ever make you feel old?
by Amanda Rivera 
Nov 15th 2007 at 8:00AM
Among the things she brings up are those times in long past when spells like Consecration and Evocation were talents. Or how about the Unending Breath that never actually ended, allowing the Undead to sit underwater untouchable by their opponents? She mentions also Mor'Ladim and his insane aggro radius; he would basically run straight at you once you set foot in Raven Hill. And the Sons of Arugal that would descend in a pack to pick your bones clean in Silverpine before you even knew they were there.
Because this game has changed so very much since launch, often times you can date yourself from the elements you remember before they were removed. Plains Running anyone?
Filed under: Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sezmra Nov 15th 2007 8:12AM
Sometimes, yes, it does. Though, not because mechanics have changed - just when I run into young players.
"Darn, now *I'm* the older person playing an MMORPG!"
René Nov 15th 2007 8:17AM
Old through the content changes? Not really. We're talking about roughly three years of WoW here, which isn't really much. The content changes won't make me feel old, but the younger players do sometimes. Even though I'm just 27, they tend to speak in a totally different language than me, let alone the fact that they obviously never learned to say "thank you" or "please". So in a way, the game can make you feel old - just because it joins players of totally different age groups.
dragonsix Nov 15th 2007 8:41AM
I remember when chuck norris was a martial arts guy (who tried to fight bruce lee and got his arm broken) named chuck norris...
-dragonsix - artscientific.com
Erika Nov 15th 2007 8:46AM
Ive only been playing for a year and a half and i am starting to feel kinda old. The thank you part is true. When i was leveling my rogue would would say thanks and i could ask them for help at any time. Now i try to get some help from somebody and i get told to f' off.
Theadrick Nov 15th 2007 9:47AM
When paladins had an aura that would gradually heal the entire party (ditto for mana)
When Crusader strike was a basic ability that a pally had before level 10
The old ogre models (pre-DM)
Captain Placeholder
When you could ghost run into not yet implemented zones. I fully explored Old Ironforge as well as Hyjal (not the CoT version, but the one next to Winterspring).
When there was no Thorium Point, and you had to do the key quest if you wanted easy access to Searing Gorge (the alternative being running through Burning Steppes)
The old (and imo still better looking) epic mounts
Being able to rez during boss fights and others in MC simply by not initiating combat.
Alot has changed... some for the better, some not so...
As for the levelling boost, I still feel it was an unneeded change. I am an ex-Everquest player, so to me the levelling in WoW has always seemed fast and easy. I am also somewhat saddened that the elite status was taken away from so many old Azeroth mobs. It just trivializes that content in my opinion.
Cailleach Nov 15th 2007 5:09PM
GODS I miss plains running! Best. Racial. Evar.
Dulcet Nov 15th 2007 10:32AM
Oh my god I remember the cellulite ogres! I kind of liked them better, they were so hideous it made me giggle.
I remember waaaaay back, might have been beta?wandering around into a cave in Dustwallow with 4 friends, and defeating some huge black dragon that dropped no loot and had a really basic attack pattern. Proto-Ony! Sadly, I haven't had the chance to fight her since then.
Kurdon Nov 15th 2007 10:43AM
No, old is vividly remembering day four of EQ's release, fighting crushbone orcs and thinking you're playing the single most amazing game in the history of history.
Old is playing Way of the Exploding Fist with your girlfriend on the Commodore 64 and thinking this is the single most amazing game in the history of history.
Old is playing Discs of Tron on the Intellivision and thinking this is the single most amazing game in the history of history.
Well... ok... truthfully, old is remembering when your older sister took you to see the very first Star Wars movie... in the theater. ;p
Gabby Nov 15th 2007 11:03AM
Remember when Dwarves could be Mages?
Bunkai Nov 15th 2007 12:26PM
White Raptor mounts FTW!
GRT Nov 15th 2007 1:05PM
Old is spending $6/hour to play MegaWars III on Compuserve over a 300 baud modem.
As for WoW, I remember when the Forsaken ruled the earth...they were the only race (F&F Alpha).
Kurdon Nov 15th 2007 1:36PM
That, too! =D
I remember running a CNET 12.0 BBS off of 300 baud, too...
/shudder
BUT, I digress. If it has nothing to do with WoW, it's probably not worth mentioning here. I guess my original point in bringing it up was that such trends always happen and are a part of the gamer cycle of life. In 7 years, WoW will be like EQ is now - still plenty of members, but far ecliped by newer games (eventually) or will be so heavily modified or revamped as to be almost unrecognizable except for core concepts and core content.
Kurdon Nov 15th 2007 1:37PM
That, too! =D
I remember running a CNET 12.0 BBS off of 300 baud, too...
/shudder
BUT, I digress. If it has nothing to do with WoW, it's probably not worth mentioning here. I guess my original point in bringing it up was that such trends always happen and are a part of the gamer cycle of life. In 7 years, WoW will be like EQ is now - still plenty of members, but far ecliped by newer games (eventually) or will be so heavily modified or revamped as to be almost unrecognizable except for core concepts and core content.
ThorinII Nov 15th 2007 1:37PM
I remember when, er, the, uh, gnomes were taller, hhhu, who am I?
Old is playing DoomII with a 5 man max multiplayer and getting excited when Duke3D came out and it bumped to a 10 man max multiplayer.
Kurdon Nov 15th 2007 1:37PM
Oh how I loathe double-posting inadvertently. Let me count the ways.
Paul Nov 15th 2007 3:06PM
a little off topic (as usual) but does anyone remember that old 2-D indiana jones knockoff for the apple mac that had you running through underground temples where water would fill rooms, and you would open up woven baskets to find snakes inside.
I just remember that the screen was black and green- it was really old school.
as for wow, i started about 18 months ago, after I think a lot of the major changes were made, so other than the experience requirements dropping in this last patch, and there being a FP at the rebel camp (lucky newbies - back in my day, i flew to westfall and swam the channel, braving crocolisks and pirahnna), i really don't remember anything big
Korialstrazs Nov 15th 2007 3:55PM
I remember when fishing got you loot :P I think the thing thats changed that has made me saddest is the blue-economy. Normal players used to actually buy and sell stuff for reasonable prices, I remember buying feet of the lynx for my first rogue character for 3g. I randomly got a PM on them the other day asking if I thought these [feet of the lynx] should go for 90g or 120g?
Lori Nov 15th 2007 4:01PM
Old is playing Adventure on an acoustically coupled thermal paper terminal on a Dec 11. You are in a maze of twisty passeges. You are at Witts End.
Kasuro Nov 16th 2007 1:24PM
Old is remembering dying in Timorous Deep and losing all of your gear and a half-bar of experience.
cdb2000 Nov 16th 2007 4:23PM
I think old is when you remember being pissed about the hunting change implemented in Oregon Trail.