I've been considering joining WoW for quite a few months.
My biggest fear is that if I do join, I'll get sucked into it, and become a total social retard.(Not that my social life is "da bomb", atm)

I have a terrible habit of playing games for hours on end (eventually it led to me selling all my gaming systems, except my PSP, which I gave to my sister)

I have been out of the gaming world for about a year now, but I'm thinking of getting back in..with Wow.

So, from a WoW (or former Wow) player's opinion, should I join?

If you play a game for hours and can get easily caught in a game that presents itself well, then you'll die of thirst the first time you finished a play session.

I quit the game cause the content got repetitive and boring and the community likes to stomp on you. But if you can live past that might as well download the trial.

However, I am strongly against that game. Warhammer Online is the new one I'm playing and it's full of stuff for casuals and obsessive-compulsive collectors. I'd rather see you playing that than have your death on my mind.

It all depends on you. I have many friends who can't put the game down, but i on the other hand did not find it very appealing.

If you already have the tendency to be addicted to gaming then I suggest you air on the side of caution because as far as time consuming games go WOW is the worst.

I used to play it. It never really sucked me in all that much though. I only played for a few hours at a time and had a lot of fun with it.

Eventually it got kind of old though, so I quit.

I say at least give the free trial a shot. Nothing to lose.

Since you mention you have trouble putting games down, I think this is a bad idea. It's like saying "I had a lot of trouble with booze, pot, and cigarettes. Should I try heroin?"

I played it non-stop 'til I got to about level 30 with a few characters, then I get bored. I've tried to get back into it, but everyone I see is level 70, and I don't feel like getting a character to 70.

That's another thing I'm worried about. Those diehard WoW players are high leveled, making a might be newbie like me, total "looser" in the game.

And the only way to become powerful is to play play play, and level level level up.

Jobz:
I used to play it. It never really sucked me in all that much though. I only played for a few hours at a time and had a lot of fun with it.

Eventually it got kind of old though, so I quit.

I say at least give the free trial a shot. Nothing to lose.

What he said. Honestly, you'll either love the game to death for a bit, then get tired of it, or you'll hate it immediately......Or you'll love it from the start and you'll continue loving it...... And all sorts of stuff in between.

I think you shouldn't get it.
I played WoW for three years and some pretty weird things happened. For one thing, constant instant-reward scenarios degraded my short term memory (yesterday I lost my bike keys because - as i remember now - i put them on a bench while i was putting my jacket on then forgot about them)

You seem like the kind of person who would really put a lot into the game, but the fact that you already realize that your tenancy to play for a long time (and that that is a bad thing) is healthy, and you should use that knowledge to your advantage.

WoW, anyway, has degraded, and it is no longer the awesome game it was when it originally came out. The new environments are less intricate, less atmospheric, the new weapons are all the same, it is much to easy to get the great gear (and as a consequence everyone has it; that may sound good to you - it did to me - but i didn't like it) I played WoW before TBC came out for 5 hours every day (that's an average number, on the weekends it was pretty much 24 hours a day) and it was so good that i felt good about it.

for the record, I was one of the 'hardcore' WoWers mentioned here: I had three level 70s, all of them full time raiders in the biggest guild on the server, and i was leveling up a mage who was at 60, so yeah, i know this game.

I stopped playing WoW - my memory is coming back and i've regained my abbs after a good month of daily 15km bike rides - and now i'm getting back on track in life.

Anyway, that just my opinion. Not trying to tell you what kind of person i think you are, just saying that WoW -used- to be worth it, but really isn't anymore. If you'd want hints on a good replacement game, i really suggest you invest in - if you haven't already got it - the Morrowind GOTY edition, which comes with it's two expansions. It may be old, but you can update the graphics and it is -amazingly- fun, a really worth while game to play, and the best part is it lacks the addiction/obligation factor of an MMORPG. This, of course, is assuming u haven't already played it. Iono.

Yeah oblivion is great too, but it's not quite as long/deep/well made as morrowind and it's expansions (imho)

As a former WoW player, I'd have to advise you to not do it. It is very addicting at first but if you're like me you'll hit a wall where the grind and general repetitiveness will lose something and you'll end up quitting. If you're also like me, life will pick up after you quit but then you'll go back for some reason quite a while on to try it again only to find that some friends have moved on and some new stuff has happened, but it's generally the same. You'll play for a while and then quit again. In the end, it's not worth the $15 a month and all the life you'll miss.

dont do it.

Stringytank:
If you're also like me, life will pick up after you quit but then you'll go back for some reason quite a while on to try it again only to find that some friends have moved on and some new stuff has happened, but it's generally the same.

Yeah, or that stuff has changed - I took a few months off and when i came back they had introduced season gear, and all of a sudden I was getting no mad respect for my t5. And later when i got t6, still no mad respect. Waste of freaking time, one day i just stopped playing. I told raid calendar i was coming to three raids that week but didn't even see the point in telling them i wouldn't come.

I know the emphasis on MMO's is the multiplayer aspect of the game, but I wish it was possible to finish the game by yourself.

You just need to know when to stop. I can tell myself that I've done enough for the day and stop. You just need to retain some control.

not worth the money

Try the free trial. Try it when lich king comes out actually lol.

RobotoWorks:
And the only way to become powerful is to play play play, and level level level up.

If this is how you approach the game (or any MMO) then I'd suggest you don't play. There will always be someone who can stay online an hour more than you. Slippery slope, etc.

If, however, you're interesting in engaing the communal spirit, then there's no 'risk' - after all, there's no harm in an addiction to socialising.

For me, it all went downhill with the expansions, have you considered Warhammer Online?
I have played it for the last weeks, and all I can say is that it's a great experience.

It surpasses WoW easily, but that is just me, a lot of people are just rusted into the old and familiar.

No WoW is a waste of time and money if your gonna pay money per month get Warhammer online

If there's one game you don't play, make it WoW!

haruvister:

RobotoWorks:
And the only way to become powerful is to play play play, and level level level up.

If this is how you approach the game (or any MMO) then I'd suggest you don't play. There will always be someone who can stay online an hour more than you. Slippery slope, etc.

If, however, you're interesting in engaing the communal spirit, then there's no 'risk' - after all, there's no harm in an addiction to socialising.

Is WoW socialising? I didn't think so. It's more of a bleak simulation of verbal exchanges, coupled with almost crippling boredom.

Try the Free Trial, usually they only let you play for 14 hours or 30 days.

Sometimes I miss it but my problem with it was the point of the game, the whole thing was aimed at getting some "uber-armour, l33t weapons and owning some noobs" which just seems so very immature and not what it should be about.

If you are looking at getting an MMO shop around a bit, personally I recommend Tabula Rasa, I'd play right now If I could afford it. :)

Oh yeah, the lack of advertisements on escapist made me forget that Warhammer Online exists. Try that one too!

Pyronox:
If you play a game for hours and can get easily caught in a game that presents itself well, then you'll die of thirst the first time you finished a play session.

I quit the game cause the content got repetitive and boring and the community likes to stomp on you. But if you can live past that might as well download the trial.

However, I am strongly against that game. Warhammer Online is the new one I'm playing and it's full of stuff for casuals and obsessive-compulsive collectors. I'd rather see you playing that than have your death on my mind.

Agreed.

OP:
WoW -should I join?

Not if you value your immortal soul.

As an ex-WoW player I can say I have a bizzare relationship with wow while hating it immensely it didn't stop me from rejoining (this time on a private server) with a friend and simultaniously both hating and loving it. I have quite an addictive personality and I keenly feel the attraction from shiny things (achievements namely). Since quiting WoW i view myself as sort of like a recovering alcoholic; I'm still addicted I just don't do it any more.

I reccomend playing a private server if you do decide to play WoW however, the boosted rates (go for a small boost between 2% and 6%) help a lot as does the lack of monthy fee but I'm unsure of the legality. If this is illegal please ignore this paragraph and pretend I didn't say anything at all here.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.73810 it could happen to you.

Resist at all costs.

RobotoWorks:
I've been considering joining WoW for quite a few months.
My biggest fear is that if I do join, I'll get sucked into it, and become a total social retard.(Not that my social life is "da bomb", atm)

I have a terrible habit of playing games for hours on end (eventually it led to me selling all my gaming systems, except my PSP, which I gave to my sister)

I have been out of the gaming world for about a year now, but I'm thinking of getting back in..with Wow.

So, from a WoW (or former Wow) player's opinion, should I join?

I had that worry, but as long as you play in proportion you can keep a good social life, and still play. But you can be my friend if u want.lol, come to Thunderhorn Alliance. Although if u gonna PVP be horde on Turlyon (spelling?) they are amazing.

curlycrouton:

haruvister:

RobotoWorks:
And the only way to become powerful is to play play play, and level level level up.

If this is how you approach the game (or any MMO) then I'd suggest you don't play. There will always be someone who can stay online an hour more than you. Slippery slope, etc.

If, however, you're interesting in engaing the communal spirit, then there's no 'risk' - after all, there's no harm in an addiction to socialising.

Is WoW socialising? I didn't think so. It's more of a bleak simulation of verbal exchanges, coupled with almost crippling boredom.

I agree with the crippling boredom part - such is the nature of The Grind(TM). But the social aspect is whatever the people make of it, that's what I'm thinking.

If you're going to play an MMO, pick up Warhammer Online.

This isn't really the place to ask a question like that. Most people hat WoW and the players of such, so they'll probably burn you just for asking. A more sensitive place might be an actualy World of Warcraft forum.

If you want to lose you social life then yes, go on a head and join.

If you can, try to join a new server. That way you'll be able to level up with everyone else. Don't listen to the people saying it sucks your life away, there's a guild out there for everyone.

It's a good game that gets repetitive. Basically anyone you meet has an "Im so superior to you cuz I can play it longer!" attitude. The graphics are a bit weak, questing gets time consuming and gear has more importance than skill so don't expect to be complimented on your abilities. You get your body camped by higher levels for no reason, on a PvP server, which wastes time and causes a lot of frustration for you. Blizzard says to play this game in moderation but then again they're like a Meth dealer putting you on an IV of the stuff saying its bad for you when you are already out of your mind. Don't pick it up if you get tired of people being tough-guys on the internet and or wasting your life for pixelated clothes and swords.

It's fun, at first, then it becomes a grind-fest that is pointless. I compare it to being a mouse put in a maze and promised cheese at the end. When you finally make it to the cheese, they take the cheese away from you, rearrange the maze and put the cheese at the end of that maze.

Like I said, pointless.

My experience is through TBC, every boss up to 3/6 Sunwell and I quit because it fell to the law of diminising returns. Found myself doing a lot of work for very little fun.