WoW: Exploring Azeroth I

We are starting a new series. Exploring World of Warcraft. In this series, our writer M. Growcott will share his views while he explores the World of Warcraft. In this first part, he tells his experience as he slowly steps into Azeroth. Continue reading to explore.

Exploring Azeroth – Part I

For the last 5 or 6 years, I’ve managed to completely avoid World of Warcraft. Not because I saw it as a bad game, but because I couldn’t bring myself to become one of those people. I remember knowing people who played the game not long after launch. They were straight out of a pamphlet on the evils of gaming. The height of their lives - and I mean that in the most respectful way possible - was that they had played a lot of Warcraft, and this wasn’t a problem for them.

They didn’t have jobs, they weren’t in full time education and they certainly weren’t interested in either. So long as they could afford to pay their subscription fee, they were happy.

And that was really my first glimpse at the World of Warcraft, a bunch of overweight complainers who thought the world was against them because they had to pay for things like food and drink.

I can’t stress how wrong I was, not only because in the last few weeks I’ve started playing the game myself.

My decision to join World of Warcraft wasn’t an easy one. I’m a full time games journalist and I can’t afford to let a single game dominate too much of my time, everybody has seen that episode of South Park and it’s a scary thought.

But, after much convincing from my very good friend Joe Ryan - Warcraft expert and mild obsessive – I finally bit the bullet and bought the Battle Chest. Containing the base game, The Burning Crusades and two Bradygames guides, it’s hard not to buy into the set – it’s an incredibly price almost everywhere now.

So I loaded up and logged in, making my first slow steps into Azeroth. What a world it is, lush colours, interesting character design, instant access to killing enemies and far more besides. Before I had any access to that though, I needed to create a character, a process which I took to heart.

When creating a character in any game, I feel it is important to replicate yourself as much as possible. If you can’t manage to do that physically, you must at least try to create a character that represents your personality.

Anybody who knows me knows that, naturally, my first choice was to play as an Orc, for the same reasons as I identify with the title character in the movie Shrek. In the end I settled to play the Human. Paraphrasing Troy McClure, it was the part I was born to play, baby.

Elwynn Forest is a beautiful starting place, it brags beautiful scenery and architecture and interesting people. But there’s something very special about Elwynn Forest, it is the very worst guarded place in history, virtual or otherwise. Walking through the area is several very important looking soldiers on horseback, all with the inability to see the constant battle going on around them. Despite what seems like hundreds of soldiers exploring the area, none of them seem any use against the attacking Horde.
Orcs wander around the place unchecked, wild animals attack anybody who dares click upon them and spies stand in open space with telescopes completely unworried at detection.

If this isn’t causing a scandal, I’m not sure what could.

Joe tells me that much has changed since the Catalyst expansion was released. My anger subsides (“Just what do we pay our subscription fee for? These soldiers are useless!”) when I realize that everything keeps spawning back.

How can any AI army cope with an enemy of constantly spawning creatures? Nothing highlighted this more than our attack on enemy Orc commander, Kurtok the Slayer. Kurtok is a handsome brute, he didn’t work hard enough at college and ending up failing his exams, managing to rise through the ranks of the Blackrock army using only brown-nosing and his ability to wink more provocatively than any other Orc in the world.

None of this is actually mentioned in-game; you’re told where Kurtok is and you’re told that you have to kill him and then you’re left to your own devices. I died twice trying to fight him on my own and it is was only with the help of Joe that I managed to finally down him and continue on with the story.

But first, I thought to myself, a spot of celebration. I finally discovered how to dance, a skill I’d wanted to learn since seeing it done several seconds before. My dream finally came true and I was dancing like John Travolta had busted his way into the set of The Hobbit. Moments later, I was hit over the head by Kurtok who, despite my Elwynn saving battle, came back with a grudge.

Other than the constant monster attacks and the rapidly returning Kurtok, Elwynn is a safe and idyllic place to start out your World of Warcraft career. The best thing is that everybody you come across is in exactly the same position as you are; level 1-5, lost, confused, a little embarrassed that they’ve caved in after all these years. These are people who are quite honestly happy to help and are happy to be helped.

The most obvious thing, however, is how this place has been designed to be a foreshadowing of things to come. Orks attack, almost every NPC you come across is deep in battle, occasionally asking for help. The World of Warcraft is in dire need of assistance and that assistance might just come from me (and my good friend Joe Ryan).

It’s a nice setup and I’m look forward to moving on.

I resisted for a long time when it came to World of Warcraft. As what I’d like to think is a fairly open-minded gamer, it’s awful how I managed to completely write-off not only an entire game but an entire genre for so long because of a few bad eggs. Admittedly those bad eggs are now incredibly high levels and I find myself fairly jealous of them as they proudly strut across Azeroth with their high level equipment and their inability to grow as an actual person.

Now that I’m playing, I see what the fuss is about. I’ve not seen much, but I like what I see. Hitting things is a little repetitive, but I suppose every game needs to have a certain degree of hitting things.
I’m hoping that in chronicling my journey through Azeroth that I convince some other, equally closed minded potential adventurers to give World of Warcraft the slightest chance. Perhaps you’ll see what I and millions of others have seen, a world ready to be explored to the max.

to be continued...

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