Taking advantage of World of Warcrafts current 10 day trial, I took the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about with this Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG).  Personal experience has seen me in old favourites such as Ultima Online, Asherons Call 2, Star Wars Galaxies, Eve Online and Dark Age of Camelot.  I’ve also graced the gaming greens of RY Online, Guild Wars and Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO).  Always worried that any playing World of Warcraft would lead to a disturbing addiction, I’ve steered clear of the game as much as possible.  At the end of the day I have a girlfriend and a life to think about!

 

The media coverage of World of Warcraft and anything relating to it have seen it become the most successful game of its type ever.  With a feature episode of South Park, advertising with the likes of Mr T and Verne Troyer (Best known as Mini-Me), hundreds of youtube video’s, a dedicated following of more than 10 million players and an unprecedented level of accessibility for casual players, World of Warcraft brought the public something that a wider range of gaming customers could get to grips with.

 

World of Warcraft offers up a selection of races and classes, some I’ve seen before and others I haven’t.  The character creation screens are easy to use and simple to configure.  There’s nothing out of the ordinary here, you can change faces colours, sex, skin tone as well as hair colours and styles.  The large, colourful characters of World of Warcraft are evident from the outset and fill the screen with their illuminating features.  They look slightly cartoonish but very much fit the billing for a fantasy game.

 

 

 

After trying out a few characters to get a feel I settled on what’s known as a Tauren Druid.  Druids are shapeshifting hybrid types that have the ability to deal damage, heal and buff.  Their characters become more diverse as the character gains experience and increases in level, with new abilities and skills gained every few levels. 

 

As time and levelling continues, the game begins to open up into a beautiful settings, with different areas designed with the inhabitants in mind.  The Tauren home areas are designed with a spiritual native-indian quality, from the design of the buildings and city areas as well as the patterns and colours used to decorate everything.

 

At the same time, I couldn’t help but think that the areas were fairly empty considering the server was a recommended server for me to use before I joined the game.  When you do start to explore, however, especially around the main cities, the games diverse character and class range comes into play and a throng of mixed races come into view.

 

 

 

The combat system is nothing new.  To kill an enemy, and gain experience, you can left click on an enemy so they are selected and possibly used a ranged spell or attack at which point, if the enemy is a melee type, it will close to you and attack.  Other enemies with a ranged attack may attack you from range with bows, spells or even guns.  The enemies drop loot, which sometimes include clothes and armor, spells, elixirs, weapons, crafting ingredients and currency (copper, silver and gold).

 

There are quests dotted around the place for you to complete, which is the usual stuff, talk to someone, go and kill what they ask you to kill, return to them and receive rewards, etc.  The stories are fairly good and can get you into your character a little more, allowing yourself some purpose as you spend 30 minutes running from one end of a town to another destination.

 

Socially, the game has some let downs, especially in the lower levels.  I found it very difficult to use the games ‘Looking for group’ tags to find anyone to join up with amnd start taking down some of the games larger monsters, which can be plenty of fun. 

 

 

 

Overall, playing the game is a pleasant experience and definately worth taking advantage of it’s 10 day trial - http://teaser.wow-europe.com/ - but personally, I couldn’t help wonder just how this game is so popular.  10 million players out of the market shares available 16 million players is an astounding achievement for Blizzard, and good luck to them.

 

Something niggles at me though, have all of these players tried any trials for other MMORPG’s?  Are they aware that there are others out there and ones that may be more relevant to their playing style, combat and character choices?  Or did they see Mr T on telly, or the episode of South Park and just jump on the bandwagon?

 

Whatever the reason for the success of World of Warcraft, there’s no denying that I’m sorry to see my 10 day trial come to an end.  However, I won’t be buying a subscription.  Not when LOTRO is about and doing a slightly better and more enjoyable job of it…

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Sorry it’s been a while but Web Design and Call of Duty 4 as well as a new Nintendo Wii, the old favourite the X-Box 360 as well as a full social calender have kept me from the keyboards for a while.  Will be back with plenty of exciting, fresh, regurgitated and unoriginal blog segments soon enough.

In the meantime, keep smiling…

 

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A few days ago, 21 men arranged to meet in Billericay to celebrate the ’stag do’ of a friend. After some difficulties with venues we managed to settle on ‘Skirmish’ in Billericay. Personally, I’d never done it before and had been well excited all week. The stag had been a fellow colleague at work so a few of the lads were talking about it all week, counting the sleeps like excited kids. Even the occasional pretend paintball would get shot across the office at one another.

Finally, last Saturday, the day was finally upon us. Everyone made their way down for the day, starting at 9am and expected to finish at 4pm. At £37 each man had his way for the full days play, all the required equipment and overalls and 600 paintballs. Additional paintballs worked out at £6 for a hundred and less if you bought in bulk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, the last of our group arrived and we made our way into the complex.  As you walk in, the ‘marshalls’ condense you down into single file and write a number on your hand.  The number later turns out to be the number of the gun in the racks that will be yours for the day.  After being numbered, you make your way to an open counter where you are provided with your camo overalls, a battle pack (a velcro fastening thick belt that fastens round your waist and holds four tubes of paintballs), a protective camo balaclava and a goggle face mask.  These are all taken into what’s known as the ’safe zone’ which is made up of a meeting area in the middle and surrounded by picnic tables with shelters over them.  There’s a burger van in the corner selling bacon rolls, hotdogs, burgers, drinks and sweets.  The safe zone leads into the gun rack area which continues onto the game zones.

 

Once you’re given enough time to get ready, a marshall jumps on a picnic table and runs through what to expect, health and safety, what to do when shot, etc, etc.  This is entertainingly delivered and doesn’t bore you to death.

Your paintballs for the day are already stored in an allocated locker for your group.  The cannisters within your battlepack are supposed to hold a hundred paintballs each.  Our group loaded up with 2 each to start with for our first games.  With 21 of us we were able to become our own team, the reds, going up against another large group, the greens.  After waiting for the other teams to go through and collect their guns red and green teams were called up and we went to collect the paintball guns/markers.  Hundreds were numbered in the rack and were surprisingly heavy once you took hold of one.  You got used to the weight as we walked to the first area.  The Alamo.

Before most games a short brief is given to provide the objective of the game and The Alamo is no exception.  A flag is hung on a line in the middle of the inside of the alamo.  The attacking team are charged with retrieving the flag and taking it back to their base.  The defenders line the bottom and 1st floor windows and doors to fire upon the attackers to stop them from getting the flag.  I started on the bottom floor with some other foolhardy defenders.  If we were coming into contact with anyone we were getting shot at close range, and don’t I know it.  I was covering a window early in the game when a green come in the back door, snuck up behind me and shot me a few times in the side.  The pain was sharp and unexpected and the bruise four days later is now about 6 centimetres wide.  I was the third person out and had a fair wait till the game finished.  I’d also taken a shot straight in the eye (thank the lord for the goggles) but headshots don’t count.

In each game, you swap round and we became the attackers.  Approaching the building was intense as shots from all heights and sides came at you.  One of our faster, fitter players went steaming into the middle of the Alamo, shot four greens and stormed out screaming with the flag.  When shots are flying all around, the screams and shouts of men wearing full army camo and a goggle-eyed face mask, the fear can sometimes take hold and adrenaline can pump.  The thrill is incredible in these moments and intesifies your enjoyment of the games.

 

The next game was in ‘Chemical Valley’.  The teams start at each end of the forestry behind wooden barricades.  In the middle of the two teams are dozens of white barrels.  Among them are five fuel cannisters which need to be collected and returned behind the barricades.  Players fron other teams can go for barrels which have been retrieved to behind the opposition barricades but these are usually well defended.  We were given the advice of throwing the cannisters over our heads for the friendlies behind to collect and run back to base.  When the game kicked off, I headed forward and hid behind a tree.  A few of my comrades lined the tree’s around me as us and the greens exchanged shots.  As the numbers started to dwindle I moved forward behind the drums.  I tried to make myself as small as possible once I got to the drums as shots were spalttering all around me.  The dead zone (where players went once hit) was around 20 feet to my left.  Everytime poked round or over the drums a barrage of shots would fly towards me.  I was bogged down and with the 20 odd people in the dead zone I knew support was lacking.  I also had the problem of extremely fogged goggles and couldn’t make out anything more than 2 feet ahead of me when a cannister came flying over the top to my left from the drums.  I thought I would take my chance and run it home.  I broke cover and ran as fast as I could to the cannister, shots flying all around me.  As I neared I couldn’t see my footing as I hit a dip and took a tumble which proved quite hilarious for the dozens of players now occupying the dead zone.  I cheered too and jumped up to carry on as I grabbed the canister and ran it back to base.  I was too tired to move after this and ended the game still out of breath on the floor!

 

The next game was a bridge game in which each team started on either side.  The bridge was lined with barrels with one main one in the middle.  The objective was to tip the barrel over and roll it, while in continual contact, to the other side and enemy territory then stand it up.  The team with the barrel on their side at the end lost the game.  Before this game started I managed to over-hear a marshall advise players complaining of goggle fog to roll up some tissue and run it along your nose.  This parted the contact made by the goggles to your face and allowed air to circulate on the goggles and stop the misting.  Being able to see perfectly in the next game improved my performance somewhat.

As the game started I moved from cover to cover settling behind a mound of dirt.  A work colleague was next me me as we shot at enemies mounting bridge ahead of us.  We were a little far away but couldn’t get closer on account of the paint and smoke grenades being launched at us from the other side.  The enemy got to the middle of the bridge and began to roll the barrel to our side.  Me and my colleague peppered the green with paint to stop the advance juyst before the game ran out of time.

The thrills, the spills the dirt and the little bit of rain all contributed to one of the best days of all time.  The stags evening got messy as the drinks flowed but that’s another story.  If you’re looking for a wicked day out, a stag idea or to kill some time and burn some money, paintball is excellent fun for men and women.  And if you can, try and do it at Skirmish Paintball in Billericay, Essex.  Check out their site at www.billericaypaintball.co.uk

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