Join the ranks of the unwashed?
November 29, 2006 8:36 PM Subscribe

Should I start playing World of Warcraft?

So, a new computer is on the horizon and with that comes an OS newer than 10.2, so I shall, at last, be able to run WoW. I've got many friends who play, and the social aspect of it seems like a lot of fun, and the game itself looks right up my alley. The problem is, I'd just be starting out at the end of December, and all my friends are either at 60, or are pushing it hard. With the expansion coming out, is there a risk of them leaving me in the dust, and thus remove any chance of my getting to play with them on a meaningful level anytime soon? Has the game sailed over it's shark yet? Should I care about that last one? Any advice WoWers could give on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Also, my sister takes care of all the "WoW is for losers" talk for the entire world, so don't worry about that.

posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice to sports, hobbies, & recreation (57 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite

No. It's a gigantic waste of the short, short life you have ahead of you.

Several years from now, no matter how you spend the next several years, there will be many, many things you wish you had accomplished between now and then. Playing WoW is an obvious way to make sure you don't accomplish things that you'll one day wish you had. It's a regret factory.
posted by JekPorkins at 8:42 PM on November 29, 2006 [5 favorites has favorites]

I started out playing when I had friends at lvl 60. Truth is, you'll likely never need to play with them, because by the time you get to a comparable level you'll have evolved your own circle of contacts anyway. The distance from lvl 1 to 60 is immensely long. But play. WoW is a fun, social activity. You can't really enjoy the full extent of the game without meeting and grouping with other people. The 'WoW is for losers' line usually comes from people who don't know what it's about. Do it!
posted by BorgLove at 8:43 PM on November 29, 2006

No, you don't have to worry about them leaving you behind. You can get to level 60 in 2-3 months, at which point you'll be ready for the expansion. Some might be willing to level up alts (alternate characters) with you. You'll be able to talk to them any time, can join their guild to hang out and get help with your quests, and will meet plenty of new people as well.

The game has definitely not jumped the shark. It's still incredibly popular and well-liked.

For context, I am a former hardcore player (guild leader, raided nightly for almost a year) who quit the game about six months ago. I didn't quit because it wasn't fun, but because it chewed up so much of my time. I'm sure you know it can be unbelievably addicting and can cause problems in your life if you're not careful. If you're okay with that, then heck yeah, get in there.
posted by Khalad at 8:47 PM on November 29, 2006

I'm in a guild with a good number of folks who have been playing since release as well as a handful of people who just started playing. We all get along fine and find plenty of time to play together.

Given that how much you'll enjoy the game is directly related to the people you play with, I'd suggest talking to your friends. Of course they'll say encouraging things about wanting to see you in-game, but see if they'll actually set aside time to actually play with you.

Are your friends in serious raiding guilds? If so, there's much less chance they'll be able to play with you. Endgame guilds currently working on Naxxramas -- currently the hardest part of the game -- are doing so at a cost to just about all their non-raid play time. That part of the game requires so many game-expensive components that people playing it spend several days a week just chasing around after cash or the ingredients they need to make hundreds of potions.

If, on the other hand, you're in with a group of folks who play the game just to have a good time and don't have rigid raid attendance schedules you'll probably get something out of the game.

It's possible to play from levels 1 through 60 without even dealing with another human being, but it's boring to do so. I don't suggest signing up unless your established group of friends is willing to help out or you're willing to get out there and meet new folks.
posted by majick at 8:47 PM on November 29, 2006

I play (husband and I have been playing since launch), and it's gaming crack, that's how much fun it can be. Like any other obsession, of course, it can negatively impact your life, but only if you let it.

The social aspect of playing with friends and doing quests together is definitely the key to the game, as far as I am concerned, and that really carries through to some of the later game stages - raiding and taking down tough bosses with 40 people from your guild and all that.

I personally don't think the game has jumped the shark quite yet, particularly with the expansion coming out. Actually, getting the game right before the expansion will probably ensure that you will have a friend to level with, as most of the current 60:s I play with will be working on new alts from one of the new races. Just make sure that you coordinate a bit so that you end up on the right faction side as your friends.

I would suggest that you try it out on one of the freebie trial accounts from one of your friends. See how you like it before committing.
posted by gemmy at 8:59 PM on November 29, 2006

I gave the two week trial a spin after avoiding World of Warcrack like the plague. I quite enjoyed the experience, even more so since I got a few friends to try at the same time. It is without a doubt a well rounded gaming experience that should be tried at least once if you're even half heartedly interested in games or the social context that comes out of playing in an masive-multiplayer whatchemacallit.

Having said that, it is a black hole that will suck up all of your free time and give you very little except newer armour and bigger swords in the long run. Stop after two weeks (you can easily make it to level 20 in that time frame), or maybe a month, 'cause it doesn't take long to figure out what the pattern in the game is. I played a few weeks more than the two week trial but on cracked servers (no way I'm going to dish out $20 a month on a game you already paid $60 for... i could buy tv and cable for that price) but quickly grew tired of the repetitive patterns of aquiring xp and coins and nicer armour and whatnot. I'm still glad I tried it though.
posted by furtive at 9:00 PM on November 29, 2006

It's easy to discount any activity as being a waste of time. Is WoW any more or less harmful than watching football, reading romance novels or throwing pottery? Any activity, when pursued at the expense of other experiences, can be harmful.

WoW offers some intersting possibilities for social interaction and strategic planning. It is a bit frustrating to play with friends whose characters are at a higher level, but they'll still be able to interact with you and will, on occaision, help you out of a tough spot. The problem is that the middle game can be a bit boring. 25 person raids offer some great social situations, but grinding Hippogriffs for hours on end is tedious in the extreme.

The good thing about the expansion is that your friends will almost certainly want to roll a new character with one or both of the additional races - with any luck you'll be able to join them from the beginning.
posted by aladfar at 9:05 PM on November 29, 2006

It's easy to discount any activity as being a waste of time. Is WoW any more or less harmful than watching football, reading romance novels or throwing pottery?

It's more of a waste of time than whatever you'll look back and wish you'd accomplished instead of it. For every person, there is personal a hierarchy of accomplishment, from least valuable to most valuable. I'm going to go ahead and guess that even the most hardened WoW player has things higher up the hierarchy than WoW. What MMORPGs do, if they're to be successful, is mess with your mind's ability to order that hierarchy in the short term.
posted by JekPorkins at 9:21 PM on November 29, 2006

I thought I would just add my experience with the game, and you can decide if it sounds like I've wasted my time.

When I started my roomate already had a level 60 character. He started over with me and we had a great time playing together. Somebody said you could hit 60 in 2-4 months. It took me just under a year. That's how infrequently I played, but I still had lots of fun. In that year, I've quit my job to start my own business, moved into a new neighborhood, and gone on a week long backpacking trip. I've also made some good "online friends" in WoW that I will most likely never meet, but enjoy their company in the game.

So I have no regrets about playing WoW. It's pretty awesome fun, and I haven't had any problems with it taking over my life. Life is all about taking things in balance, you know?
posted by keep_evolving at 9:37 PM on November 29, 2006

The game is damn fun, but JekPorkins gave the best answer right away. I loved playing it, but it was indeed a "regret factory".
posted by jdroth at 9:53 PM on November 29, 2006

Check out WOWdetox. Completely biased, but at least you'll know about the worse-case scenario.
posted by Cog at 10:15 PM on November 29, 2006

Eh, if your friends are playing, and you're all introverted gamers, it's a great way to keep in touch with them. My partner's a heavy player, and an introvert, and he's kept close contact with his college buddies who live in different cities. (I'm an occasional player - couple hours a week.) My partner's a lifetime gamer, and still managed to graduate school, front a rock band and travel the world.

With that said, however, since his band has been on hiatus and he's been working a day job, his free time is completely dedicated to WoW. He comes home from work and plays until bedtime unless he has other plans, which is rare since his RL friends play, too. If there wasn't WoW, would he have a new rock band by now? Maybe. Or maybe there'd be some other distraction, who knows. But he's at a point in his life where he's keeping the status quo. He's been playing harcore about 8 months, so I'm not too worried. If this was how the rest of his life played out, then there'd be a problem.

Point being: if you're at a point in your life where you want a break from reality, go for it. I'm a firm believer that you don't always need to be pushing towards a dream or a goal; periods of relaxation and steadiness are necessary, too, and WoW is great for that. It's fun and challenging and essentially a social network. You'll know when you've hit a danger point - I've felt it a few times myself when I've played too many hours, and am procrastinating on real-life issues.

On your other issues: if your friends are helping you out, and you have basic RPG knowledge, you should hit 60 in a few months. Like someone else said, it's actually to your advantage to level up during the expansion: a) much of the gear that's considered leet now will be downgraded by the Burning Crusade, so you won't have to worry about getting a bunch of useless stuff and b) your friends will leveling, too, and can share in the leveling spirit.

Good luck! The game's still good. No shark jumping. Like any addictive substance, keep it moderate and you'll be fine. It doesn't have to be a regret factory, though it certainly can be if taken to the extreme.
posted by Zosia Blue at 10:39 PM on November 29, 2006

Like any addictive substance, keep it moderate and you'll be fine.

Yes, just like heroin. Or crack. Keep the crack smoking moderate, and you'll be fine.

At the end of the day, if you would just be wasting your time anyway, one waste of time is probably as good as another. But note, please, that even those advocating playing WoW acknowledge that it is an "addictive substance."
posted by JekPorkins at 10:44 PM on November 29, 2006

his free time is completely dedicated to WoW. He comes home from work and plays until bedtime unless he has other plans, which is rare since his RL friends play, too.

I'd take than answer and run for the hills, unless you're 12.
posted by justgary at 10:54 PM on November 29, 2006

JekPorkins is confusing entertainment with accomplishment and I see aladfar as rebutted according to script. Kudos, aladfar. It doesn't sound like Doublewhiskey is looking to WoW to satisfy some sense of achievement missing from his real life; I suspect he's just wondering if it's fun.

That said, World of Warcraft is fun. At least I find it to be.

Having several level 60 friends is a great thing (provided they have deep, generous pockets.) They'll either start new characters and play with you or they won't. I doubt it will make or break your interest in the game; that responsibility lies squarely with WoW's ability to entertain you.

As others have said, the upcoming Burning Crusade expansion is adding a ton of new content to a game that is still pulling in new subscribers at an alarming rate. It's most likely successor, Warhammer Online, is a year away and there are significant doubts if it will be anywhere near as popular. WoW will continue to be the biggest MMO party for some time.

Go download the free trial and give it a spin.

Better yet, solicit your friends for one of their invites, but insist they buy you a drink for your share of the subscription fee you saved them.

On preview: Jek, why do you hate Azeroth? With that attitude you're just helping the Burning Legion win.
posted by Loser at 10:56 PM on November 29, 2006

Oh, I should also point out that there's a Metafilter guild. If your friends won't play with you, I'm sure they will.
posted by Loser at 11:00 PM on November 29, 2006

I second the comment about it being a regret factory. I spent far longer than I should have on WoW, and I regret every minute of it.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:08 PM on November 29, 2006

As a recovering WoW addict, I can tell you that you'll never really catch up with your friends. You'll be able to chat with them, though they'll probably be busy "raiding" (which needs a lot of focus) most of the time they're on. However, you've probably already noticed that they're completely unavailable via IM (and grumpy if you phone them) while they're running WoW.

Before you go any further than the free trial, make sure that the people you're intending to socialise with will in fact still be playing the game after the expansion comes out. My old guild has found the expectation of the expansion to be highly disruptive to normal activities. Since the "end game" (level 60 now, level 70 once the expansion arrives) revolves so much around groups of 20-40, if participation in group activities drops a little it can cause major social fallout.

Unfortunately, the game is on rails, so your options to do anything much other than killing stuff for experience or equipment are fairly limited.

Ultimately, I decided the game isn't worth the subscription price. If there was some "weekends only" cheap subscription option I might have stayed, but there isn't.
posted by krisjohn at 11:10 PM on November 29, 2006

I'd take than answer and run for the hills, unless you're 12.

Nah, has nothing to do with age. It's just what he likes to do right now, and it's cool with me. Like I said, if I sensed he was depressed or would be keeping this pattern forever, then running for the hills would be an attractive option. But we play together, and we're in a holding pattern waiting for some other life things to resolve themselves, so for two introverts who aren't much for the outdoors, it's a fun way to pass the time. YMMV.
posted by Zosia Blue at 11:18 PM on November 29, 2006

we're in a holding pattern waiting for some other life things to resolve themselves

Yeah, you'll regret that.
posted by JekPorkins at 11:21 PM on November 29, 2006

Doubt it. I'm finishing up school, so we're living on one income for the next six months (the "life resolving" refers to my graduation, eventual job, and more money for what we want to do). He likes his job, and his content to stay where he's at for bit. He's a songwriter; he still writes songs. I'm a writer; I write. We don't have much money and aren't huge social butterflies, so it's nice way to spend quality time together. Will I regret spending a couple months in my 20s screwing around playing video games, and having fun with my partner? I don't think so, really. We don't own a TV, so instead of spending weekdays cooling down from work/school by lounging in front of the TV, we play WoW. Sometimes we read books. Sometimes we get dinner with some friends. All in all, WoW's not damaging my life, you know?

And, er, I bet the poster won't, either.
posted by Zosia Blue at 11:27 PM on November 29, 2006

Regret it, that is.
posted by Zosia Blue at 11:27 PM on November 29, 2006

Also, "playing when he gets home from until bedtime" is a bit misleading - he gets home at 9, and goes to bed around 12-1.
posted by Zosia Blue at 11:36 PM on November 29, 2006

well i'm sure jekporkins only spends all his time working on a cure for cancer....
and couldn't he be ACOMPLISHING something of the utmost importance insted of wasting his life making posts to an online forum?

and to answer the original question, its a damn well put together MMORPG, and if it looks like fun to you, then you will have fun playing it. worst thing that happens is you try it and don't enjoy it. it only becomes some big part of your life if you want it to, for most people its just a game like any other game they enjoy playing.
posted by teishu at 11:53 PM on November 29, 2006

I'll regret wasting my time, too. As will you. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that, unless you're an idiot, you'll always wish that you had done more productive things in life and strive to do more now.
posted by JekPorkins at 11:56 PM on November 29, 2006

WoW addiction can have serious side effects on your relationships and social life. Several friends and acquaintances, including my housemate are hard addicts and have practically no "real" social interaction with others. Worst of all, like most addicts, they really don't think there is anything wrong with their behaviour.

*If* they are actually holding a job, they come home, nuke some box food in the microwave and sit in front of the screen until 12 midnight or 1am and can barely get up a few hours later to drag themselves to work. This is also to the detriment of their spouses/boy or girlfriends/SOs -- who are often know as WoW Widows or Widowers. Some of them have tried to join their spouses online, as that way they get to spend some time "together". However, worst of all are those who literally ignore their children as well... and yes, I know of some who lock themselves in a room so their kids/family can't even talk to them.

The ones that aren't working have become virtual recluses, often becoming the dreaded "basement-dweller". My housemate has been playing since shortly after the game came out. He hasn't looked for work in close to 2 years, he rarely showers or shaves and has gained something like 60 pounds from surviving on frozen pizza and Coke. He starts playing from the time he gets up (noon-ish), and plays until the wee hours of the morning (5-6am).

It's really sad to see this happen to so many folks. As some have stated above, IF you can manage it as a simple form of recreation, and have other activities in your life, fine. But do be aware that it can be highly addictive, as well as expensive -- and not just in a financial sense. The side-effects on your personal life can end up costing you way more than you might think if you are not careful and you can end up regretting the time you "wasted" that could have been used in a more productive manner.

As much as I enjoy computer games myself, I have tended to stick with games that I can set to have a finite end or time limit, because it can be waaaay too easy to get sucked into the "black hole" of online gaming addiction. I've seen it first-hand and it's kept me away from trying WoW or other MMORPGs for myself, because I sincerely don't want to end up like them. I'm *not* saying that everyone is like that, because many of them can be quite self-disciplined, but I've seen and hear so many similar sad stories from others whose friends and loved ones have turned into WoW addicts that I've come to realize that it is much more common than a lot of people think it is.

Just my 2¢ Cdn. worth... take it for what it's worth.
posted by Jade Dragon at 12:20 AM on November 30, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Leave it alone. The expansion is jacked up. Blizzard is constantly nerfing classes. For the $15 a month you spend for the privilege of dumping your life into Azeroth, you could have a decent new game every two months.

My brother's a 60. He still plays, but he's not having any fun at all. Every time he loads it up, he can't say for sure why he did it. I'm thinking I ought to get him hooked on cigarettes or something, just so he might have a more social wasteful habit.
posted by EatTheWeak at 12:27 AM on November 30, 2006

I've started, I rather wish I didnt.
posted by a. at 12:57 AM on November 30, 2006

I avoided it for the longest time, for fear that I might REALLY like it. My partner tried it, then I got into it, and I did, indeed, REALLY like it. I played obsessively for a while.

Some time later, after arguments involving me levelling faster than her, and other trivialities, I quit. I haven't played in months, and have instead tidied my house, learned to sew, brewed a lot of beer, made some furniture, lost 15kg and got a lot done in general.

I don't hate the game, I don't care if other people play it or talk about it, but I now see it as a huge time sink, which, in the long run, gave me nothing tangible in return. I doubt I will ever play it again.
posted by tomble at 3:31 AM on November 30, 2006

I played for four months and then needed to take a 2 week break for work, I enjoyed the time away so much that I decided to cancel my account.
posted by Mick at 4:12 AM on November 30, 2006

I'll second JekPorkins and others. I've played pen-and-paper (and computer) RPGs for years, and I know that I would love WoW, but I stay the hell away from it. Two reasons: It's as addictive as crack cocaine, and I know that I would waste a huge amount of time even if I didn't get addicted per se.
posted by Harald74 at 4:13 AM on November 30, 2006

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Warcraft, stinking hysterical 60s,
dragging themselves through the pixel streets at dawn looking for a level fix
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:37 AM on November 30, 2006 [3 favorites has favorites]

As a compromise, why not play the Elder Scrolls games, such as Morrowind or Oblivion?

The graphics are superior to WoW, from what I've heard. 'Course, on the flip side, you won't get the social aspect, the immense, open-ended world, the guilds, the struggle to the endgame . . .

But Morrowind and Oblivion are rich, intoxicating RPG worlds. Primarily grind-free worlds at that. And there's not an ounce of addictive energy in either -- fire up the game, play an hour or two, done.

Offline RPGs, IMO, are perfect for gamers with lives.
posted by Gordion Knott at 4:40 AM on November 30, 2006

Seconding Gordion. I played City of Heroes for some time and noticed that I'd rather solo than engage in giant raids with other people. The friends I had joined to play with were never around or near my level. So I started playing Oblivion on the 360 and loved it. I think I've beaten it twice so far, once as shining dogooder, once as murderous thug (thug is better).
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:33 AM on November 30, 2006

I worked for several years helping to build back-end architecture for MMOGs. During that time we saw some people who managed a healthy game-life balance, but we also saw a lot of wasted people. We tended to treat the games themselves like toxic waste: handle gently, don't get too close, don't inhale. Game testing was especially trying - you'd have to play the game well without getting too into the game. The secret was to develop a psychological hazmat suit. Interviews for the company were especially difficult - we tried to find people who had played games a lot, but who had demonstrated a resistance to dependency upon them.

Try to ask yourself why is it that you want to play on a "meaningful level" with this group? Is it that you feel they have abandoned you and you desire sociality, are you sure you will get it from mechanistic interactions mediated through this unending Skinner Box? Is there another group activity that you could engage in (role-playing, sports, movies, sex, etc) with some or all of them that could satisfy your needs? Is it possible that at least some of your desire to "play" comes from a misplaced sense of competition to establish or attain some kind of status within a community hierarchy? Are there other groups that appeal to you? Could you establish your own group activity and so immediately leapfrog your social status?

When you ask has the game jumped the shark yet, it seems to me that what you're really asking is whether your desired community has begun to tire of playing it? As time passes, a certain percentage of them will stop playing. This percentage will grow over time. Some will never stop unless and until outside forces (economic or social) intervene. The probability is that many of them will tire of it before you do, leaving them "out" and you "in" with the most devoted, dedicated players. These people will have their social relations most consistently constrained and mediated through WoW. Meanwhile, those who have left will be forming new social bonds and interactions. Is this a scenario that appeals to you?
posted by meehawl at 6:43 AM on November 30, 2006

I just started playing a couple months after avoiding it for years due to the addictive nature of the game. The game only disrupts my life when I let it and I've had some fun times smashing beasties (I like gaming but usually get bored of a game after a week or so). I didn't have much of a social life to begin with (I guess you could define me as mostly-introverted) and it was a nice alternative to TV and knitting, which is what I did with my time prior. I still go out with friends on occasion, I still see my bf (he's in another county :( ) and I still have TV nights so it hasn't totally consumed me. But I see how it could and I always strive to keep that in mind. The choice is yours. Try the 10-day free trial offered above but remember: it's just a game.
posted by LunaticFringe at 6:55 AM on November 30, 2006

I meant to say "a couple months ago after..."

Also, it can be better for your character to let it rest a few days a week as you will get more XP with a rested character and level up faster. Just resist the urge to start up alts to "fill the void" and you'll be fine.
posted by LunaticFringe at 6:59 AM on November 30, 2006

My fiance just quit WoW because it was sucking up too much of his time. And when I say sucking up too much of his time, I mean he would play from when he quit work (around 4:30-5 p.m.) until 7, when we usually have dinner, and then again from 7:30ish to 2-3 a.m. On weekends he would play even more. Luckily, he still wanted to interact with the "real world" and so would go out with me if I or friends asked him to, but he just spent so much time on the forums and with his guild, as well as just straight playing that sometimes it was a little difficult to get him to actually do something.

If you are the type of person who has an addictive personality, then I would recommend you tread lightly. This is probably the third time he has cancelled his account and quit. He used it as stress relief, and I think that was part of the problem - he would get even more stressed because he was tired (from staying up late to play) and wasn't concentrating very well at work (because he was tired, and spent a lot of time on the WoW forums), and it just fed itself, really. I had no problem with it being a leisure activity but it turned into an addiction fast.

If you are pretty confident that you can step away from time to time and not let it affect your life, then I'd say go for it - from what I hear it's a fun game. Just be careful.
posted by sutel at 7:02 AM on November 30, 2006

I started at the beginning of this year and still haven't hit 60 because I don't play that often. In fact, I've been away from the game for over a month now and I'm seriously considering leaving and canceling my account. I've enjoyed it a lot but see it for what it is, which is a huge time sink.
posted by gen at 7:04 AM on November 30, 2006

That's a tough question. It's about a year ago I started playing. With 1 60, 1 30, and 1 15 level characters, I've slowed down immensely and don't play much. None in 2 months!

It really comes down to how well you know yourself and if you can control yourself. Cocaine is a wonderful drug. WoW can be better.

For all the people out there who scream it's a waste of time...if you've played ANY video game you can state exactly the same. Answering questions on metafilter can be construed as such as well! It's all about how much enjoyment you'll get out of it. I started playing last October right after I bought a new gaming rig. It was a ton of fun and I got 2 of my friends to join as well as my older brother. We all joined the same guild and quested together. It IS a lot of fun, but end-game is kind of lame. When you get to 60 it's not about "getting to the next level" anymore. It's all about raids, whether they're simple 5-man to 20, to 40. I started enjoying WoW much less when all I had to do was upgrade my weapons. I've not been playing much devoting more time to my Wii and XBox 360 until the expansion comes out in January, The Burning Crusade.

It's a great game and I started playing simply because I didn't want to spend a ton on other games. This was a long lasting game that cost me $20 a month, instead of spending 3-4x that. If you can play and put it down and not get addicted and stay up all night, quit school or your job, forget to eat, and start to live your waking hours as WoW...then go for it.
posted by PetiePal at 7:43 AM on November 30, 2006

I just want to chime in as another gamer who tried a MMO and decided it wasn't what I wanted to spend my time doing.

In my case, it was City of Villains, which is really fairly similar to WoW in a lot of ways. I enjoyed the game at first but I really don't play games for the social aspect. That's what idling on IRC is for.

I disliked the idea of commiting to play at certain times, because that's when my super group was on. I also really disliked playing solo, because it was a lonely, lonely world that way. Over the few months I had an account, I discovered that I really didn't like any game that I couldn't pick up for 30 minutes or an hour and then stop. Sure, sometimes I might play games all night, but I didn't like feeling compelled to.

Ultimately, I get my online fix playing some shooters with friends, maybe the occasional RTS. I get my RPG fix from single player games, of which there are *many*. In the end, I'm just not an MMO player.

Also, I saw this game completely consume some college friends. They would play in class (we all had laptops) AND they would even play while the rest of the class was playing a shooter together over lunch. I mean, who can resist a 16 player deathmatch or capture the flag, when everyone is sitting in the same room and knows each other? Crack addicts, that's who.
posted by utsutsu at 8:03 AM on November 30, 2006

Its a game for Medivh's sake! Play when you want. Don't play when you don't want. It's better than TV but worse than riding your bike.

Anyone who says it's BAD (Hi Jek!) it confusing an object with an action methinks. It's a game. If you can't turn it off and love your family, seek counseling. but otherwise, geez. Do people get this crazed over Mario Cart and I'm not seeing it?
posted by Dantien at 8:59 AM on November 30, 2006

Here is another counterpoint to the horror stories. I played quite a bit of WoW for about 6 or 7 months and then...I stopped. Just like that. It was a ton of fun and then it wasn't. I think this is fairly common. As others have mentioned above, the end game content isn't that great. Or maybe it just weeds out casual gamers like myself. You'll spend a lot of time sitting in front of the Auction House or queueing up for the battleground once your 60 and you won't have the option of going to level, which was the real draw for me and what kept me playing late into the night. So yeah, WoW is a lot of fun and when it stops being fun, trust me, you'll know it. I really doubt you'll play with your level 60 friends much, if at all, unless they roll a new character, which others have covered above. But, you'll meet plenty of cool people.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 10:59 AM on November 30, 2006

Anyone who says it's BAD (Hi Jek!)

I didn't say it's bad.
posted by JekPorkins at 10:59 AM on November 30, 2006

You are right. My error. You compared it to the dangers of crack and I got lazy in responding to that. My apologies.
posted by Dantien at 11:58 AM on November 30, 2006

You compared it to the dangers of crack and I got lazy in responding to that. My apologies.

Actually, I was mocking the ridiculous statement that "Like any addictive substance, keep it moderate and you'll be fine." I assume that Zosia Blue doesn't truly believe that every addictive substance can safely be had in moderation. But I do believe that WoW is as addictive as crack. Not that crack's bad or anything. Down with the war on drugs and all that, right?
posted by JekPorkins at 12:09 PM on November 30, 2006

I think for many people referring to WoW as "addictive" is akin to them saying they're addicted to chocolate or watching Lost or hugging puppies; there's an element of jest where the real message is "all good things in moderation."

Jek, if you want to interpret Zosia Blue's comments to fit your own experiences, have at it. But remember there's a whole thriving, healthy population of casual gamers in Azeroth who find time to slaughter Murlocks and still live their real lives.
posted by Loser at 2:15 PM on November 30, 2006

Does playing WoW make people miss the point?

No matter how much "real life" you're living in addition to playing WoW, you're living less of it than you could if you weren't playing it. Given the short duration of life and the true value of time, especially when you're young, spending any significant amount of time working on achieving imaginary goals in a video game is a tragic waste.

I don't claim that you'll recognize that now. But you'll recognize it later. The fact that people who play WoW now don't think it's a waste of time only confirms that it f's with your priorities. "But it's fun!" you'll say. And I agree. But there are many things that are equally fun and aren't wastes of time.
posted by JekPorkins at 2:27 PM on November 30, 2006

Jek, I don't think I'm confused about your point, I just believe it's a complete non sequitur.
posted by Loser at 3:14 PM on November 30, 2006

I think for many people referring to WoW as "addictive" is akin to them saying they're addicted to chocolate or watching Lost or hugging puppies; there's an element of jest where the real message is "all good things in moderation."

That's not what I mean when I say WoW is addictive, for the record. I think it's addictive and dangerous the way crack is addictive and dangerous. Go ahead and laugh, as you have been taking the opportunity to do at JekPorkins - but keep our opinion in the back of your mind as a data point.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:00 PM on November 30, 2006

This is a fascinating discussion, and the vitriol expressed by some people about this game is just amazing to me.

I personally meant that it's addictive like watching a good TV show on DVD or reading an engrossing series of books is addictive, not like how crack is addictive (even though I used the term "gaming crack"). I have been more "addicted" to reading Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books and watching Arrested Development on DVD this past year than I have been to WoW.

But there are many things that are equally fun and aren't wastes of time.
What kind of things? Are we really comparing apples to apples here? It doesn't seem like we are.

Say I live a perfectly productive and happy life otherwise. If I wasn't playing WoW with some of my free time, I would be watching TV or a movie, reading a book, or engaging in some other form of non-productive behavior like doing crosswords during that time. That's like what most people do with their free time.

Are those pursuits also "a tragic waste"? If you don't consider them to be, how come WoW is? What about other games? Say I was playing CIV IV instead, for example?

I think that for many people there is a disconnect between traditional entertainment media (books, movies, TV) and new media (gaming). Playing the best game ever made is still considered to be "worse" somehow than watching the absolute worst movie ever made. I'm just wondering if that plays into some of the disparaging comments around here.
posted by gemmy at 8:40 PM on November 30, 2006

Playing the best game ever made is still considered to be "worse" somehow than watching the absolute worst movie ever made.

Not at all. If I spent 4 hours a night watching Hudson Hawk over and over again for a year, that would be just as big a waste of time as if I played WoW for the same amount of time. Of course, it would be cheaper, since Hudson Hawk doesn't have a monthly fee.

I'm not sure why you think that reading a book is non-productive. I guess it might depend on the book.

But there are many things that are equally fun and aren't wastes of time.
What kind of things? Are we really comparing apples to apples here? It doesn't seem like we are.

Learn to make money on the stock market. It applies many of the same skills as WoW, but you actually make real money or, at the very least, develop a skill that can lead to gainful employment. Play a sport -- individual or group. You'll have a physical experience similar to what WoW simulates (minus the killing, hopefully), but you'll actually get healthier by doing it. There are a million things as fun as WoW that are actually productive and beneficial to you. If, instead of playing WoW, you would just be doing something else that you'll regret wasting your time on later, then I'd urge you to reconsider the whole approach, not just WoW.

I'm not sure what would satisfy your "apples and apples" requirement -- what do you think the other apples would be?
posted by JekPorkins at 9:03 PM on November 30, 2006

Yea, see, we're not comparing apples to apples!

I don't consider my free time that I spend playing in a volleyball league, hiking, or learning something new and useful (which I do more of than my friends who don't play WoW, btw) as being the same type of leisure time as when I play WoW. This is what others have referred to above as part of their "real life". [To which you said "No matter how much "real life" you're living in addition to playing WoW, you're living less of it than you could if you weren't playing it."] This is the kind of "apple" you are talking about.

But do you really ONLY do productive things like what you mentioned with your free time, ALL the time? Seriously?

Like most people, I can't be productive like that all the time. I need some mindless fun every now and then, something that isn't sports or learning something new. People don't generally regret watching TV or reading too much unless they overdo it, right? Just like I don't regret playing WoW for some of my "mindless" free time. This is an orange, not an apple.

Going back to my question, though, I would draw you a bit more on this:

If I spent 4 hours a night watching Hudson Hawk over and over again for a year, that would be just as big a waste of time as if I played WoW for the same amount of time.
Ok. How about if you spent 2 hours every night of that year watching a lot of different movies or TV shows, of varying artistic merit? Would that be "as big a waste of time" as playing WoW for those same 2 hours a night? How about if it was a different game? How about a series of several different games?

I'm not sure why you think that reading a book is non-productive.
Sure it can be productive. I'm talking fiction here, though, which in my mind is on par with watching movies or TV, as you are passively fed a story, just like you would be on the screen.

In my example above, how about reading a fiction book for those 2 hours? Is that as much of a waste of time as WoW too? Would it make a difference if what I'm reading is a series of trashy romance novels?

Ok, so, one more thing:
Learn to make money on the stock market.
This seems a strange thing to offer as an alternative. I bet there are more people "addicted" to - and more lives ruined due to - inexperienced stock market gambling than there are similarly afflicted WoW players.
posted by gemmy at 10:49 PM on November 30, 2006

Several years from now, no matter how you spend the next several years, there will be many, many things you wish you had accomplished between now and then. Playing WoW is an obvious way to make sure you don't accomplish things that you'll one day wish you had. It's a regret factory.

Yeah, you probably should stop doing all things that are fun. Posting on Metafilter is an obvious way to make sure you don't accomplish things that you'll one day wish you had. It's a regret factory.

In all seriousness, to the original poster: the new World of Warcraft expansion launches in mid-January (it's called Burning Crusades). It will be the ideal time to join with your friends, as there will be many, many people starting new level 1 characters in order to play the new character race. If your friends are hardcore, they're probably doing so as well.
posted by Ubiq at 10:57 PM on November 30, 2006

ikkyu2, comparing World of Warcraft to crack cocaine in any literal sense just reeks of hyperbole. If you at least tried to frame it in the context of operant conditioning or gambling addiction, we might reach a common understanding. Otherwise, it just sounds like people off loading their personal shame over their life choices on to other people's good time.

The only thing I'm bristling at Jek's self-righteous tone; asserting that I'll eventually come to understand I've been wasting my time is just arrogant.

But Jek's comment is serendipitous. Tonight I came home, worked out, researched some potential mutual funds, played though some quests in Tirisfal Glades and stopped by Metafilter before going to curl up with my wife and watch some Star Trek on Tivo. Should I have learned to play guitar, Jek? Maybe knit a hat?
posted by Loser at 11:00 PM on November 30, 2006

This seems a strange thing to offer as an alternative. I bet there are more people "addicted" to - and more lives ruined due to - inexperienced stock market gambling than there are similarly afflicted WoW players.

Hence the importance of gaining experience through practice.

Yeah, you probably should stop doing all things that are fun. Posting on Metafilter is an obvious way to make sure you don't accomplish things that you'll one day wish you had. It's a regret factory.

So true. Except for the "stop doing things that are fun" part. Not all fun is a waste of time.

The only thing I'm bristling at Jek's self-righteous tone; asserting that I'll eventually come to understand I've been wasting my time is just arrogant.

Ok, you won't come to understand it. Fine.

Should I have learned to play guitar, Jek? Maybe knit a hat?

As I sit here in my stylin' knit hat rockin' my awesome guitar skills, I can definitively say yes, you should have. For I am perfect. I have never wasted time or regretted it later. Which makes me wonder how I know that people eventually regret wasting enormous amounts of time playing videogames. Obviously, it couldn't be from my own experience. No, clearly I'm not someone who piped in because they're experienced with precisely this kind of regret over time wasting. I must just be self-righteous.
posted by JekPorkins at 11:29 PM on November 30, 2006

« Older PHP Filter: I am going to star... | Is there a word or phrase that... Newer »

This thread is closed to new comments.

Join the ranks of the unwashed? November 29, 2006 8:36 PM Subscribe

Join the ranks of the unwashed?
November 29, 2006 8:36 PM Subscribe