It’s about that time again when my loins literally ache to play World of Warcraft. It happened when Wrath of the Lich King came out. It happened when Cataclysm came out. It happened when Mists of Pandaria came out. And now, on the heels of Blizzcon 2013, it’s happening again.
I don’t know what it is about Blizzard but they sure know how to get a busy boy excited. With the recent announcement of Warlords of Draenor, I find myself once again visiting WoW Websites like it’s my job. Maybe it feels that way because many of these visits have happened at my job... (*disclaimer* if my boss is reading this, know I added that last part just for laughs). I’ve also been acting rather strange lately; Listening to The Instance: World of Warcraft Podcast, asking my WoW friends what they’re currently doing in-game, and obsessively searching for the best deal on my third Battle Chest. I just can’t stress enough the fact that something really does stir in me once a year to come back to Azeroth.
What’s weird is that this feeling is all too familiar. And I know how it ends; with me playing the game all winter break only to reach level 41 before deciding I don’t have enough time to be the very best there ever was and leaving it all behind. I know this. But no matter how hard I try to pretend like I’m not curious about how it’d feel to burst down the door on a new expansion, I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing out. I want to feel that. I want to be part of the hoopla that happens every year that gets the kids talking like they’re fantasy lore mathematicians.
So this post isn’t about how this year is going to be different. In fact, this post is going to be the opposite. This post is going to be me justifying why I and all of you should indeed take a walk down memory lane… for a wise man once said that if you’re going to fall down a deep dark hole that involves cheeto addictions and 5am raids, then it’s best to bring others with you. Join my ranks.
Here’s 5 reasons why we should party together in Azeroth.
1.
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| #SYNERGY |
The first and foremost reason you can catch me in Azeroth these days is because of Battle.net, and more specifically Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. I’m a complete sucker for card games and Hearthstone is the godsend I’ve been waiting for since The Pokémon Trading Card Game was released for Game Boy Color back in ‘98. I’ve been a competitive TCG player since the Pokémon TCG was originally released and it’s not a coincidence that I also love everything else Pokémon. Now that WoW has a free to play TCG, I’m sure I’m fulfilling Blizzards fortuitous prophecy by wanting to check out WoW. Hearthstone is the perfect gateway drug for me. If you haven’t played it for yourself, you’ll get your chance when it hits open beta in December or January. If TCG’s are not your spiked cup o’punch, then just you wait! Blizzard will be releasing it’s second gateway drug, Heroes of the Storm, a Blizzard All-Stars DoTA 2 of sorts, when it’s done. My knees buckle at the thought that maybe one day I could get a special card/skin in Hearthstone/Heroes of the Storm by downing a boss in WoW.
2. Community
This may be the biggest reason I keep returning to WoW. After watching and reading about Blizzcon 2013, it’s clear that Blizzard has one of the best gaming communities out there. Their fans are so passionate that they buy virtual tickets to the show... after the show is already over. And let’s not forget that WoW still has 7.5 million people who vouch for it every month with a $15 charge to their credit cards.
I also have two best friends that have played WoW since launch. Obviously it’d be great to spend more time with them playing games especially since we no longer live in the same city. The thing that I’ve always loved doing is hearing them talk about their adventures in Azeroth. I see the twinkle in their eyes as they brag about a loot drop they received or an epic quest they completed. I’d like to experience that with them.
3. Warlords of Draenor
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| Seriously?! Bad-Ass Rock 'n' Roll Orc Gods from Hell? Please count me in! |
Besides the simple fact that the announcement of a new expansion is exciting by itself, I’m really stoked to see what Garrisons look like in WoW. I’ve never played an MMO that had housing and Garrisons look to be quite the introduction.
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| No two Garrisons will look the same. Yup, someone built that! |
I’m also excited that if I am level 90 by the time the new expansion comes out, it’ll be almost like a reset button in progress as all players will be pushing to the new level cap, 100. Sometimes when you miss the hype train and come in all thrifty a year later, you feel left out because everyone has already read Harry Potter and there’s no one to talk to. But seriously, to hit the ground running right alongside my friends and not have to play catch up is very enticing! Not to mention that if this whole “Convince Me Back to Azeroth” -thing doesn’t work, Blizzard will be giving me a free level 90 boost (DING!) for simply purchasing the expansion. That sounds like a win-win for me.
4.
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| The art. Need I say more? The correct answer to that question is no. |
5. Player Versus Player
PVP is extremely important to me in an MMO. I love SWTOR but epic PVP just isn’t possible in that game due to the limits of the Hero Engine. And although WoW is running on a much older engine, it has always been able to support open-world PVP. In Warlords of Draenor they’re adding a new open-world PVP zone with no player cap. I can’t wait to see what Blizzard has in store for us.
Well I’m off to play my level 9 Pandaren Monk named Velshir. If you think of any other reasons I should commit my existence to the Horde, please drop me a comment below or hit me up @mutrap. Otherwise I’ll be back with some Pro-Tips in a couple days that’ll help you jump back in. Until then...
/cheers
Derrick Bettis
@derrick_be
