Check out:
Anime and Manga Reviews
Video Game Reviews!
World of Warcraft...
follows the Warcraft real time strategy games with a slight twist. The classes used and the class abilities have been divvied up and made into nine playable classes. Don't worry, the classic Orcs versus Humans is still there with the alliance against the horde...this feature allows PVP (player versus player) in a few different forms.
WoW (shortening it now :3) includes over 27 ways to play among nine classes and two sides. Shaman, however, are exclusive to the horde as Paladins are exclusive to the alliance. The horde consist of Orcs, Undead, Trolls and Tauren...all of which are classic races from the rts games. The alliance consists of Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves and Gnomes, the classic fantasy races. Each race has its own perks, for instance trolls are better at axes than most races and undead can hold their breath longer under the water than other races.
Jumping into classes, there are roles that each class can be. Tanks take a lot of damage and protect others, Damagers (or DPS for Damage Per Second) hit for high amounts of damage on enemies and healers heal and buff up their allies. High damaging only classes include: warlock, mage, hunter and rogue. Other classes that can damage (but can also do something else) include warriors, shaman, paladin, priest and druid. The classes that are capable of healing are shaman, paladin, priest and druid. Classes capable of tanking are druid, warrior and paladin (there are some exceptions but for the sake of simplicity I'll keep it simple). Each class has three different talent trees which allows your character to develop in different areas. For example, a paladin can tank, heal and damage while a mage can learn fire, frost or arcane spells more indepth. Each class is different in its play style, though all can be fun depending on your preferences.
Tauren and night elves can only be druids. Humans and dwarves can be the only paladins. Orcs, tauren and trolls are the only shaman.
Each class has a specific set of weapons they can be made to use and each race has a set of classes they can be. Weapons include one-handed swords, two-handed swords, one-handed axes, two-handed axes, one-handed maces, two-handed maces, staves, wands, bows, cross bows, guns, daggers, throwing knives, pole arms and fist weapons. Weapons are more or less your preference aside from race and class...though some races can't use some weapons even despite your class.
WoW allows professions to aid you in money making and your adventure. The professions are: mining, skinning, enchanting, herbalism, leather working, blacksmithing and alchemy. Some require tools like skinning requires a skinning knife while herbalism doesn't.
Hopping onto mounts. Each race gets their own mount to ride around to make questing faster. Humans get steeds, dwarves get rams, gnomes get mechana striders, night elves get tigers, orcs get wolves, trolls get raptors, tauren get kodos and undead get skeleton horses. Warlocks and paladins get their own class specific mounts too.
Quest types...there are collection quests, killing quests, messanger quests and escort quests. There are quests that are a combination of the above. For instance you could be told to go kill some cows and collect their horns...a combinaqtion of killing and collection. Not much thinking involved with questing if you don't read.
PVP is a fun aspect to this game. You can face your opposing faction which allows for some cool reward and titles such as "scout (your character's name)".
Leveling is done by killing creatures (that are green, red, orange or yellow to you...grey yield no experience), completing quests and exploring new areas to gain experience. At level ten talent points are gained and you can better your character that way.
Dungeons are harder than normal areas. You will most definitely need some friends or a PUG (pick up group). Usually one tank, one healer and three damagers are used in dungeons. Dungeons are filled with enemies that are elite, thus harder to beat by yourself (a gold dragon around their portrait marks an elite creature). Dungeon quests have better rewards than regular quests and dungeons drop relatively good loot for you if you are the level of the dungeon.
I had only played the original for a short while and after many different patch updates, but it was enjoyable, though I can't say addictive for I don't have an addictive personality. I'd recomend WoW to anybody who likes RPG's. Just give me your email address and you can have a free recomended trial, :)
~[
wicked fae mage]
The Burning Crusade
The Burning Crusade was WoW's first expansion. It featured ten more levels, up to 70 from 60, an easier time leveling and two new races. The horde gained blood elves while the alliance gained dranei. This allowed the barrier between shaman and paladin to desist.
The new playable area is a whole new world, literally. The ten levels come with new dungeons, newer gear and more end game content. A major shift in popularity for races went from undead to blood elves.
This expansion earned a lot of scorn from those who had played the original game for a long period of time. I however liked the new changes including flying mounts in Outland and the Heroic setting to dungeons (this means harder enemies and better loot and isn't available until level 70).
Definitely a fan of new territory :)
~[
wicked fae mage]
Wrath of the Lich King
Following the first successful expansion, Blizzard released Wrath of the Lich King, allowing Northrend, a previous off limits area to be explored (aside from a slight zeppelin course which isn't seen anyhow). There was also a new class released, (which was in the Warcraft games so suck it cynics!) the Death Knight. the Death Knight has a unique system to it featuring runes and runic power, cool downs, high hits and no ranged capabilities (save death grip).
Death Knights became the new tanks until people started kicking them just for being a Death Knight.
The new areas to explore and quest allows more high up dungeons and the level cap raised to 80. Some dungeons can't be entered until level 80, and the heroics are much more fun and thrilling than regular mode, featuring a few new bosses and much better loot.
I enjoyed this expansion and level cap for sure.
Duels of the Planeswalkers
takes the card game and makes it digital, thus allowing us lazy folk to relax. The computer taps your mana for you! Yes! The Laze! Well, there are a few decks to choose from. After earning my "Hands of the Flame" deck, that's what I used for the remainder of the campaign mode. Fire, fire and more fire...
The duels were all challenging, though there was a tough one that fucked me. The platinum angel (as I've deemed it) was on the field and I had no cards to destroy it, and I was wiped out, even though my opponent's life points were in the negative.
The challenge mode requires a lot of thinking. Even the most experienced duelists would need a moment to scratch their heads before snapping to a conclusion.
I rate this game addictive!
~[
wicked fae mage]
Stumble!