Mmmm... Collector''s Edition...

<droooools>

I''m going to end up buying this I just know it...

Yet another clarification.

On the PvP servers, we will be enforcing that you can only make characters on the Horde or the Alliance.

On normal servers, you can freely make characters on either side.

-Eno

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=309032#Post3...

Seems like alot of the stuff said during that event is turning out not to be true.

I actually think thats great i mean since it''s a PVE server anyway what does it matter if you can make a toon on each side? At least then you can try out the other side without having to switch servers.

Already did that but your not thinking of alot of things =) You can''t explore the other sides cities you can''t do their quests. Not to mention their abilities etc.

Flux you do realize that is only for the PvE server right? They wont be allowing toons on both sides on the PvP servers so i ask again what does it matter?

I talked with some co-workers who are in the closed Beta and been there since Alpha.

According to him at higher levels the best way to get xp is to hunt in instanced dugeons and not quests. So although I am still concerned people will burn through the quests way faster than Blizzard can make them (especially with the easy leveling) it seems at higher levels to level you will want to hunt dungeons any way.

In the end though I think the speed of leveling will be a problem and not a bonus. In every game so far that leveling has been easy you end up with people at the max and getting tired of the same stuff rather fast. Perhaps WoW will over come this but is one of my concerns.

Compeling PvP will help people who are interested in that aspect of the game have other things to do but these games tend to in general attract a small PvP crowd. I am wondering though if Battle Net players will change that with this game too.

Should be interesting to see how this all works out.

Would you consider DAoC to have a small crowd?

Yes and no GG.

DAoC is certainly a successful game no doubt.

On the other hand as total numbers go in the market it seems PvE games do better than PvP games. I like to see WoW break that mold and have a 500K subscription game with meaningful PvP (Lineage excluded). Just have to see if they can do it and with talk of a November release that seems like a big bill to hav meaningful balanced PvP and PvE also.

DAoC was built arround RvR where WoW does not seem to have that. I know they may add it but the majority of WoW certainly seems based arround PvE and not PvP.

I am not speclating on long term because as you said these games never resemble what they looked like at launch.

I am talking about release and near term. I think developers always under estimate how fast people get the the end game. So you look at what currently seems to be in the game, compared to how fast people burn through content, and I wonder if they are going to be able to get a meaningful, balanced, PvP/RvR game done before there are people at the top starting to complain.

I think you are right WoW will certainly do fine and not flop. Blizzard has too many fans and the game is a solid PvE game at this point. I also think if WoW draws in a lot of the Diablo Battle Net group if could have a solid base of PvP fans.

As I said before I really hope they pull it off as a compeling PvP game to me adds a lot of longevity. I am just wary when it is added later because of all the ''balancing'' and the like that has generally followed.

As a side I think if I was Mythic I would think WoW may be a decent threat to DAoC as they do have as you said a player base interested in both PvP and PvE.

--edit--

Oh I also agree we will have to wait and see if they can pull it all off. Since this is Blizzard, even if not the Blizzard of old, I will give them the benifit of the doubt.

Rob Pardo on PvP:

http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/548/548588p1.html

Ok, Battlegrounds are what really interest me for PvP. I hope that this is the ""simple"" version they are planning to implement for release. This is cool and all, but I''d like to see more. i.e. the ability on a point/resource/timed basis to hire/build NPC units (other than siege weapons) to use to attack the other town, ala WCIII. There are so many possibilities here. I''m interested to see how this pans out and how fun it will be. It''s just too bad they can''t get the full battlegrounds system in for release.

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[edit]
hmm.. I just realized that there is no mention of instanced battlegrounds They had discussed this earlier. So, no getting teams together to play some RTSMMORGP.

Um, what?!?

Lineage with over 3 million subscribers?

Didn''t think there were THAT many people in Asia playing that game.

That''s crazy.

Yes I want a MMORPG to be ""grind"" as many call it and I have always had that sort of approach.

RPG to me is not about getting to some mystical max level then having the game start. That to me is a flawed idea. I play these games to watch my character grow and explore. I try not to focus on the expereince bar and just go out and have fun. Sure there are times I want to get the next level to get a cool spell or something but I am not in a rush to get to the top.

As for the PvP we all played a ton of these games and the jaded gamer in me is wary of a game that claims to have PvP as a cornerstone, is rumored to be releasing this year, and is just now introducing the battlegrounds. Toss in the fact talents are not all done and all the balancing (at group level) that will be required.

As I said this is Blizzard so I will give them the benifit of the doubt that they can pull this off but if SOE was feeding us this same line would you all be so quick to dismiss my concern?

I am guessing you would not and it is also the same reason why I am willing to give Blizzard the benifit of doubt in the first place, track record (although Blizzard has 0 MMORPG expereince it is Blizzard and they seem to produce quality products).

I excluded Lineage from my original post above when stating numbers because it was a huge success in Asia as we know but did not appeal to the European and North America market much at all.

...the hell?

ZZZZZZZZap. Insta gone!