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jbr · Feb 5, 2005, 04:30 PM

Can a casual gamer enjoy WoW? I enjoy gaming but have always avoided on line or deeply immersive games due to the time necessary one must devote to them. I like playing in short bursts of time when I'm able to play, I don't have the time or inclination to devote extensive amounts of time to a game. That being said, WoW certainly appears intriguing and enjoyable but my perception is that one can't play it casually.

Thoughts?

jbr

juanvaldes · Feb 5, 2005, 10:12 PM

You can easily play in short bursts but once you start to get to a higher level unless you want to come back in a group of enemies you will need to find the few hours (max so far level 23 here) to finish a quest and return to safety. Let me also add, only some quests take this much solid time, and go faster in groups of course. Most quests are 'go get x of item y', and can be done piece-meal.

You will not get super powerful unless you devote ridiculers amounts of time to the game but it's still lots of fun at the lower levels.

Lastly you need to think about how much time you CAN find to play the game and if 'only' that much game-play is worth your monthly fee.

Arkham_c · Feb 6, 2005, 10:21 PM

Originally posted by jbr:
Can a casual gamer enjoy WoW? I enjoy gaming but have always avoided on line or deeply immersive games due to the time necessary one must devote to them. I like playing in short bursts of time when I'm able to play, I don't have the time or inclination to devote extensive amounts of time to a game. That being said, WoW certainly appears intriguing and enjoyable but my perception is that one can't play it casually.

WoW is the most casual-friendly of all the MMORPG games.

You absolutely can be a casual gamer and enjoy the game. You won;t level the fastest, and you won't get the very best gear, but you can get decent gear, have fun, do quests, level, and enjoy yourself. If you pick the right class (rogue, hunter, shaman), you can solo to level 60 and never have to get a group to do stuff if that is your inclination.

The main thing you miss out on by not playing for 3-4 hour stretches is game events called Instances. These are large, complex quest series that takes you and a small group of others to fight really hard enemies, and these quests yield the best "loot" in the game.

This loot is not necessary -- it's just the reward for the more hardcore players.

greenamp · Feb 6, 2005, 10:47 PM

You can play casually on a PVE server, since there is really no major disadvantage to being lower level than the average player of the opposing faction. However, being in the bottom level tier on a pvp server can be quite a headache, since 95% of your questing will be in contested zones.

Just make a toon on a pve server and have fun

jbr · Feb 8, 2005, 08:31 AM

Thanks for all the information. Excuse my ignorance, but what are the monthly fees? And what's a PVE and PVP server? I'm not concerned about not leveling up very high if I can enjoy the game in short bursts, but cost will certainly be a factor. I rarely sit down to play for more than an hour at a time, often less than that, and my playing "days" are often sporadic. Are there any other ways to play beyond paying by the month?

jbr

Turias · Feb 8, 2005, 08:45 AM

PvE = Player vs Environment
PvP = Player vs Player

Basically, in a PvE server, horde characters and alliance characters can not attack each other unless it is consensual. In PvP servers, once you hit level 20 and leave friendly territory, you can be attacked at any time by any member of the opposite faction. I personally find this quite fun, but if you only have an hour to play, it can be quite frusterating to be killed when you are trying to complete some quests.

As for your billing questions, check here.

jpg71 · Feb 8, 2005, 10:37 AM

I feel that City of Heroes is the most casual-friendly MMORPG out there. Well, Puzzle Pirates if you really want to count that as a MMORPG, as they claim to be.

In any case, WoW is definitely more casual-friendly than the EverQuest series. My wife and I both have accounts on WoW and we jump in after the kids have gone to bed and we have a blast. What people have said in this thread is generally true - you may not have the uber loot or partake in 3-hour long raids but Blizzard did a fine job in architecting the game. You'll enjoy it no matter how you play, how much time you play, or who you play with (if you play with anyone at all, for that matter).

If you plan on playing solo, go with a well-rounded class like the Hunter. You get a pet that can tank for you, you have powerful ranged attacks through your bow/gun, and you get plenty of utility spells that round out the package nicely.

At the end of the day, you can solo any class to 60, and every class can be a benefit to a group, and you'll always find plenty of things to do. Play the game, have fun, enjoy it. I know a lot of folks who didn't think they'd like the game or the genre, but got hooked immediately. You can't go wrong.

starman · Feb 8, 2005, 11:14 AM

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
WoW is the most casual-friendly of all the MMORPG games.

Basis for this statement?

Mike

onryou · Feb 10, 2005, 06:10 AM

Originally posted by jbr:
Can a casual gamer enjoy WoW? I enjoy gaming but have always avoided on line or deeply immersive games due to the time necessary one must devote to them. I like playing in short bursts of time when I'm able to play, I don't have the time or inclination to devote extensive amounts of time to a game. That being said, WoW certainly appears intriguing and enjoyable but my perception is that one can't play it casually.

Thoughts?

jbr

Hey jbr,
I play wow everynight from 1 hour to 2 hours. That's enough time to log in do a some or all of 1 quest, maybe 2 if you're really fast. But unlike eq you don't have to play for 8 hours to accomplish a single goal.
I've logged in for 30 mins just to get my game fix, or kill another player. (because I play on a PVP server) It is a great game because the way the PVE was designed.

Hope that helps,
onryou

jbr · Feb 18, 2005, 10:27 AM

Thanks for all the input. Sounds like it would be fun to try playing this game and could be done in the time I have available (I'd progress slowly but that's OK). I just need to decide if the costs are acceptable.

Skip Breakfast · Feb 23, 2005, 05:30 PM

sometimes I just fish in the game.

webb3201 · Feb 24, 2005, 11:54 AM

WOW does a good job of rewarding rest time...you gain 200% XP on monster kills based on taking time to rest. The game is similar to Diablo on the way you handle missions (quests). Give it a shot as you can easily be successful alone in the early levels.

webb3201 · Feb 24, 2005, 11:55 AM

WOW does a good job of rewarding rest time...you gain 200% XP on monster kills based on taking time to rest. The game is similar to Diablo on the way you handle missions (quests). Give it a shot as you can easily be successful alone in the early levels.

I recommend playing hunter as you get a pet that can serve as a partner for your kills.