Breakfast Topic: Is it the perfect time to start playing WoW again?
by Mathew McCurley 
Mar 9th 2012 at 8:00AM
Will doesn't have much time to play MMOs. He used to play a little bit of WoW, but it was way back in the day when things were still so new. That got me thinking -- my own WoW experience has become much more of a casual endeavor, which has shown me the light in many regards. This is a game you can play for 30 to 60 minutes a night if you so desire. The new Cataclysm questing is top notch for any MMO. A free level 80 character means you can show your friend cool content right out the gate (old world raids, fun zones, etc.) and not worry about the whole "Well, I'll never get to your level to play with you" problem.
I'll be sending my friend a Scroll of Resurrection invite because I believe that this time between now and Mists of Pandaria, during the relative calm before the storm when raiding has slowed and people get a little bit lazy, is the perfect time to help a friend get into the game. There is actually time to go and help a friend.
Do you think this is actually a perfect time to play WoW, when things are quiet and settled?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
wollsmoth Mar 9th 2012 8:15AM
I hadn't thought of it that way! Time to go convince my boyfriend to dust off his warlock...
Jason Mar 9th 2012 8:16AM
Yes.
Noyou Mar 9th 2012 1:06PM
I would say, Yes if you have an inactive account that you can use the SoR with. Otherwise I'd wait for the pre-Mists patch. Why? It would be less confusing than coming back now, only to have so much change again in a few months. Just going by the talents and buffs in mists, it seems like a lot is changing.
Gendou Mar 9th 2012 8:17AM
Is it the perfect time to start playing WOW? Maybe.
Is it the perfect time to start playing WOW *again*? I'm not so sure about that.
Durinthal Mar 9th 2012 8:20AM
I considered getting a scroll from someone, but then I stopped to remember how it actually felt to play the game. I wasn't really having fun then; why would it be any different now or any time in the future?
jfofla Mar 9th 2012 10:05AM
You can't stand the idea of playing WOW yet you hang around WOW Fansites like a creepy ex.
Durinthal Mar 9th 2012 10:27AM
I usually only jump over here when I see an interesting title at the bottom section of Joystiq or Massively. I heard about the new scroll benefits so this seemed like a relevant post.
I'm one of those odd people that keep up on games that I don't play anymore (this and EVE) - or have never played at all, in some cases (Darkfall).
Smashbolt Mar 9th 2012 11:03AM
It all depends on how long ago you stopped having fun and why.
If it was because of the people you played with at the time, then the SoR lets you start anew without the massive time sink of rerolling on a new server or the cost of a transfer.
If it was because of gameplay/mechanics changes, and you didn't just stop playing recently, then the SoR lets you see if the new changes to the game interest you again.
Bynde Mar 9th 2012 11:19AM
I see.
Just visiting sites of games you used to play makes one 'creepy'?
That's really stupid.
Architect Mar 9th 2012 8:29AM
You no longer have to fight the headwind of incoming patches de-valuing your gear and resetting your valor points.
If you want to reach the peak of the gear ladder in all slots, now is the time. If you want to experience the complete Deathwing story, from the first skirmish in Hyjal to his final defeat in the raid-finder, this is the perfect time.
Mycroft Mar 9th 2012 8:30AM
Even though people can treat most of it as a solo endeavor, at its heart WoW is really a social game. I'm stuck in the pre-expansion doldrums myself. (Through the 'parental controls' feature, I get emailed a weekly detailed list of my play time; it usually clocks at 50-60 hours spent logged in, but last week was only 20.)
If I could get a friend into the game, and see it fresh through their eyes, and have fun doing instances and quests (some, anyway; phasing would cut a lot of them out for me) together would make it more fun.
I guess it can be like a TV show you used to like watching, but got bored with it, then a friend invites you over to watch it together and you suddenly have a much better time.
beefsupreme Mar 9th 2012 8:35AM
someone send me a scroll, ungorocrater@yahoo.com
Jeff Billimek Mar 9th 2012 8:43AM
Sent!
Pyromelter Mar 9th 2012 8:39AM
I've sampled a bunch of mmos lately. If someone asked me for a recommendation, I'd say wow, unless they were a real star wars lover.
The thing about wow is that it is just absolutely spit-shined polished. So many normal every day things in wow are streamlined that most people don't notice... simple things like mining and herbing, and a very simple smelting system, and the ability to search your bags.
Not to mention addons, which increase gameplay quality of life immensely, even just a simple bag addon like bagnon or omnicc.
And while I personally found the deathwing storyline flat, there are so many awesome nuggets of story to experience right now.
For those burnt out on the endgame gear treadmill wwho have been around for much of cata, now might not be the best time. But with all i mentioned above, + raid finder, and some sweet scroll of rez perks llike free cata xpac upgrade, now's as good a time as any.
Aldarion Mar 9th 2012 8:43AM
Now that Mass Effect 3 has come out, even here on the other side(s) of the pond?
Definitely not.
sharlatan Mar 9th 2012 8:49AM
cata questing is top notch? really? Because the general consensus seams to be that it was awful, linear, and scripted, hindered by over done phasing and too much was "mandatory" such as 3/4 of deepholm to get to the rep faction opened...
Recommend wow if you want, but pleas do it for real reasons. As for casual...not really. LFR was a great idea, and works well with some small issues you can easily ignore, but its 40mins of content once a week, thats not casual, casual is content you can dip into now and them, say play an hour a day on. LFR is just a one shot experience once a week.
Go play RIFT for a casual MMO, whether you like the game or not, the play model is much more user oriented than wow is, or is ever likely to be.
(yes, I mentioned RIFT.....flame on...)
Luotian Mar 9th 2012 8:58AM
At the risk of feeding the troll...the general loud consensus might be that. Most of the people I've talked to generally enjoyed the questing in Cataclysm.
I also fail to see how 40 minutes once a week is anything but casual. Even I can find 40 minutes once a week (sometimes even for all three of my RF ready 85s). If anything, not feeling like you have to play it all week makes it even more casual friendly.
Smashbolt Mar 9th 2012 9:43AM
Aside from solo/duo dungeons, what's Rift got for the casual player that WoW doesn't? I haven't played Rift in months, and I never got past level 25 when I did, so I'm asking out of genuine curiosity.
jfofla Mar 9th 2012 10:13AM
I loved Cata questing. Loved the linear nature because it told a story. Everybody is GaGa about SWTOR questing, guess what? Linear!
You cannot have good story telling in a nonlinear fashion.
I love phasing too, and cutscenes.
All in all Cata was my favorite WOW expansion, and I have played nonstop since Day One of Vanilla.
Bynde Mar 9th 2012 11:22AM
I love it when people declare what the 'general consensus' is, when they really have no freaking clue if that's true or not.
Usually with these types of people "general consensus" means "my roommates and I ".