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	World of WarCraft
	Developer: Blizzard Publisher: Blizzard Genre: Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) Players: 1-N/A ETA: 3rd QTR 2004-ish Similar To: Dark Age of Camelot Published: 06 :15 : 04 Previewed By: Ryan Newman

Screenshots

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General Information
It is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) set in the Warcraft universe. Take that, Lords of EverQuest!

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Hands-On
Ah, World of Warcraft (WoW). I didn't think I could become so enamored with a title so quickly, but Blizzard seems to have found yet another way to make me become helplessly addicted to one of their games. Of course, WoW is still in its beta stage and several features have yet to be implemented, however, even with the current omissions, Blizzards entry into the online role-playing realm manages be more enjoyable than many of its retail contemporaries.

There is still some work to be done, for sure. In this latest build and version, there is an experience cap of level 38--the next update is suppose to bump the cap up to 45--and features, like the allocation of talent points to class- and character-specific talents, that have yet to be implemented. But the characters, classes, a huge part of the gameworld, and numerous items are already being put through the mill by beta testers around the clock.

Out of a Human, Orc, Dwarf, Night Elf, Tauren, Gnome, Troll, or Undead, I chose to be an Undead. After choosing my race, I then spruced him up by selecting from a handful of pre-determined options to alter his physical characteristics (hair, face, etc.). Of course, I had to make him look crazy, because I chose to become a warlock. Unlike the other classes (warrior, rogue, shaman, hunter, priest, or mage), there really is no other fitting look for that class other than the 'Insane Anorexic' look. I picked to be an Undead character mainly because I wanted to face my early worries about the game, that being that the art style seemed too abstract for an online title and, in particular, the Undead - who looked like rowdy kids rather than ravaged souls ready to kill. My time started off with a brief intro explaining that the Undead had broken away from the Lich King, and that they are now fighting for their independence - if there is a good place to start a story off at, it's a rebellion being fought by zombies. Then, as the camera emerged from the twisted corridors of a crypt, so did my new warlock. As a recently awoken member of the Undead army, it was now my job to fight off those trying to wipe us out. After a few minutes of checking things out, all my fears about the art not working well for the game vanished.

The starter town is an abandoned human village with overrun cemeteries and aged structures. In just about every direction there are animals of varying levels to kill for experience, along with the trainers and other non-playable characters who will give out missions. During the course of completing a mission, players will receive skill points during combat; these points can be used at trainers to learn various spells and feats. The areas that need to be traversed to complete the given tasks will have pockets of enemies that are within a few levels of each other. The towns are also laid out in such a way that they are close, but not too close. In-between the towns are also small areas, like haunted farms and abandoned mines, which all tend to be the focus of one quest or another. The lay of the land doesn't just give the game a good flow of progression, it also significantly cut down on travel time without leaving the player feeling like they were cheated out of the adventure.

Combat is handled in the same way as Dark Age of Camelot and EverQuest. Fighting simply involves clicking on an enemy to attack, then selecting the appropriate spell at the right time. So far I haven't seen anything like Final Fantasy XI's party combo system, but that could change.

For those who are really into the series, this game is like a digital heaven: icons and spell names from past titles are used, and just being able to walk in such an accurately portrayed world is thrilling. Going from the territory of the Undead to the planes of the Orcs was a small rush; the forests changing to canyons and barren fields. Interacting with the inhabitants of different territories was also a pretty unique experience. While in Orc territory, I got the see a player react to me the same way I reacted to an Orc the first time I saw one in my territory. The first time I saw one, I took my time to check out the character model and the ornamentation of that character, and now someone was doing the same to me. Since the Undead have knowledge in the Orc's tongue, we were free to communicate about our experiences. Only the cantinas in Star Wars Galaxies have given me that kind of experience; there was a genuine interest on their part on understanding what this foreigner had gone through to get to their homeland. It was more unique in the fact that the Wacraft universe is so rich, and players so involved in playing as their favorite race on Battle.Net, that everything in the game feels so exaggerated. I can remember back in 1994 constantly playing a pre-release demo of the original Warcraft, so, to me, seeing an Orc isn't just seeing an Orc, it's seeing a Warcraft Orc - which is something a little sacred in my world of gaming. And, so far, the game has delivered on all my lofty expectations.

Going down long roads and entering Orc outposts became common. Walking through the main roads and seeing players dance around two others dueling only added to the experience, however, was always entertaining. There was a strong sense of camaraderie in towns, especially in the isolated outposts. An interesting element to get players to bond was the campfire: being near a campfire gives player's increases a player's hit point and mana regeneration by lifting their spirits. There wasn't a time limit on how long someone had to sit, but that didn't stop adventurers from taking a break to socialize. Since players each get a quest item from defeated foes, there was no forced partying and players were more inclined to hop up from a fire with a new buddy to offer quick assistance. To me, though, the idea of players socializing by settling down to a campfire off a dangerous path to await daybreak is exactly what this genre is all about.

Not forcing players to join parties is a key element, I think, that will work heavily in World of Warcraft's favor. Myself, when I play online titles, I like to solo. I know the whole point of playing online is to meet other people, and I do that, but I prefer to do it as a character that adventures on their own, going into towns just to pick up supplies or join a party only when needed - a rogue, if you will. I enjoy being a part of a thriving virtual world, but interacting in it in only how I wish to. World of Warcraft, so far, has allowed me to do just that.

The developers also managed to downplay just how fascinating it is to go through this experience. Nothing really jumps out and screams for the player's attention - it's just there. Buildings and units fit their environment. If players catch a glimpse of something they recognize, then good for them. I turned a corner while in a port town and saw a mechanical goblin tree chopper from Reign of Chaos sitting in a corner, ready to be powered on. To those who may have never played the game, it just looks like a wacky goblin creation, but those who recognize it will get a little extra enjoyment. Playing on nostalgia and on the history of the series is most likely going on, and I'm just too much of a sucker to recognize.

Menu navigation and inventory management are also handled well. From a character screen, players can click on tabs to access skills and talents. By keeping the character screen up and opening an inventory bag, the player simply drags the items they wish to equip. While that process is standard, how inventory is managed is not. Instead of a weight limit, the game limits how much a person can carry by how many slots they have in their bags. There are four slots for bags, aside from the one the player starts with. Along the way, players can buy pouches with 4, 6, or 10 (only kind I've seen so far) slots to put stuff in. If a player wants to focus on crafting or looting, they can either shell out some serious cash or hope to score one off a fallen foe. Accessing spells and skills is simply done by accessing the character screen and spell book, then dragging the icons into a numerical slot on a bottom bar. To use either, just click the number and wait for the results. Skills will either cast a bonus, like the herbalist being able to spot herbs in their radar, while others, like a healer, will simply click 'create' when they have the necessary items to begin making the desired object.

Skills are relatively easy to get, but becoming good at them takes large numbers of skill points. These points are also used to increase the player's strength, stamina, weapon proficiency, and a number of other significant aspects. By using a skill, the player becomes increasingly better at it. However, if a player doesn't like what they used their points on, they can simply unlearn the skill. The amount of what the player can do is ever expanding and quite impressive: fishing, cooking, bat training, enchanting, alchemist, horse training, etc.

There is still some time to go before World of Warcraft is ready for retail. However, what I've played thus far is very impressive. The unfinished parts are obvious, but when I think of this just being a beta, it blows my mind how much of it comes across so polished. Check back for more as the game is updated.

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