Reflecting on the world of Warlords of Draenor, power struggles and ambition shape every decision.
Reflecting on the world of Warlords of Draenor, power struggles and ambition shape every decision.
I used to enjoy World of Warcraft but stopped playing because I focused on achieving goals in real life, like getting into a reputable university. This summer I’ll be working away from home for three months, which makes me wonder if revisiting WoW is worthwhile. With all the previous expansions available, would it be worth purchasing Warlords of Draenor? I didn’t play much after its release and missed the chance to try it out. Any personal experience?
I enjoyed the PVE aspects a lot. The initial hero mode was solid, but I quit at around 7 out of 10 for the Mythic BRF due to RSI. Still had some great experiences, overall it was quite fun.
Besides the initial challenge, there were many players above you, making it tough to find info about casting area-of-effect spells while riding on the largest creature. It became a game until you learned from online resources. It's quite enjoyable.
Vanilla represented the freshest and most exciting updates I enjoyed. BC offered a comparable experience, while WOTLK seemed to embody the pinnacle of gaming achievements. Since Cata arrived, Blizzard has repeatedly made significant missteps in attempting to appease everyone, often alienating players along the way. The game's success originally stemmed from being a casual alternative to more intense MMORPGs, but lately it appears focused on maintaining only a narrow segment of hardcore enthusiasts. WoD feels lacking, and its launch with incomplete features was disappointing. Each subsequent patch has tried to address base expansion elements that were initially planned, yet the removal of flight mechanics and the absence of level 100 progression felt underwhelming. Reaching level 100 seemed like a hollow effort, navigating tedious terrain and missing flight routes made me abandon the game. Garrisons proved disastrous, eroding many professions, and the disappearance of a new city left much feeling lost. My friends who remain active stick to raids, spending around $15 monthly on MSN with swords and outfits, while others simply stay inside their garrisons.
yes im whit you on this one too much missing content. Garrisons were nice but after 1 months it gets boring and stupid when you can get the best raid gear whit it quite easily. getting to lvl 100 was not epic or feeled like an accomplishment as it was too fast in my opinion got to lvl 100 in like 20 hours or so but that was whit the help of my lan group where we were awake for 48 hours just to play wod. Blizzard did piss poor job whit the patching and made me seriously mad to the point where i quit my 4 year long sub last time i unsubbed from wow was when cataclysm came and i was pissed off of how much they catered to casuals and made raiding literally pain in the ass whit 10-13 year olds trying to come and raid because it was easy to get gear. Ppl saying its the old wow are complete bs blizzard can never recreate the old wow feeling ever as they would literally get killed by the kids that want the easiest raiding ever Im looking at you LFR >.<
I really enjoyed it. I returned in January and my habit resumed where I left off after H Garrosh pre 6.0. I don’t compare it to TBC at all. I really disliked TBC because it seemed so bad. I did appreciate the attunements though, since they helped filter out scrubs from raiders. I’ve been playing since 2005 and can say it’s amazing.
I've played casually at times and also taken on progression raids for a while over the past decade. I must admit, those with a tough attitude toward non-raiders are really harmful to the WoW scene. Progression raiders have always been a small group, getting smaller each year as toxic players push newcomers away. Attunements? You probably never had to deal with forcing new players through outdated levels to fit current content—it was a real hassle that led many guilds to compete against each other. I truly think WoW reached its sweet spot with the balance it had, keeping most people satisfied. You could play 25H solo on your main with a guild and a smaller team for fun on alts, or even earn some income guiding people through GDKP runs. LFR didn’t exist because there was a strong pug community and plenty of welcoming guilds for beginners, which helped nurture new talent. Where does fresh talent come from? I mostly take the blame for how Cata unfolded—it wiped out many entry-level raiding groups and crushed the pug scene. LFR felt like someone deliberately hurting people then patching up the damage later. The worst part is that even though I’ve stopped playing, I still care about the game and hope it improves, but I don’t think Blizzard is making progress. The development team seems isolated from the community, which makes things harder to fix.
You're suggesting that living in World of Warcraft isn't possible. That's what you said right at the start!
If you're not a leet raider, it definitely slows down progress and consumes more time. Many times, joining guilds remains challenging even though the content seems simpler to clear. I think if the original player is a skilled gamer, they might enjoy WOW again if they maintain self-control, discipline, and skill—but with their desire for a better life, I advise against it. WOW is incredibly addictive. Also, many players repeatedly make you feel guilty if you're not fully dedicated to raiding consistently when the guild is involved. Some of these individuals should be more committed.