WoW story
- Thread starter intel
- Start date
FleshRipper[pd]
Member!
Set in the mythical realm of Azeroth, World of WarCraft lets players choose from one of four different races: Humans, Orcs, Tauran and Dwarves, though more races are planned. The new race of Tauran were introduced in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Explains Roper, "World of Warcraft takes place four years following the aftermath of Warcraft III. A great air of tension has settled over the ravaged world of Azeroth as the warring races strive to rebuild their kingdoms. We have taken many of the ideas from Warcraft III and translated them to work in an MMORPG setting, such as making units into player races and classes. We have also worked very hard to create a strong continuity between the two games and the rest of the Warcraft mythos. There will be many familiar places that players can explore in an in-depth fashion, whether delving into the Dwarven city of Ironforge or braving the dark recesses of Duskwood."
Once players have created a character and literally designed him or her from the ground up, they must choose a class for their new cyber-ego. Several traditional RPG classes are present: Fighter, magic user, thief, and shaman, and Blizzard has declared that there will be more classes announced as time progresses. As is the case in all RPGs, choosing a class will enable certain abilities and limit others. Don’t expect a 20th level mage to start slaying dragons with a sword, and don’t think a 30th level fighter will be able to summon lightning to kill a troll. It’s classic RPG gameplay.
In addition to the game’s class system comes a skill system. Skills are general-use abilities, used to further customize a character. Several skills already announced are lock picking, fishing, herbalism, riding, and first aid. Don’t let the “fishing†skill throw you - you won’t have to feed your character to keep him or her alive.
Player Killing
One of the biggest thrills (or agonies, depending on which side of the blade you’re on) comes from tracking and fighting humans as opposed to CPU controlled drones. Player fighting (and player killing) in one form or another has plagued nearly every MMORPG since the creation of the genre. But Blizzard is going out of its way to ensure that only players who enjoy the risk of player killing will die at the hands of their brethren, so don’t think that you can lure a newbie out to the woods with, “Hey, there’s an enchanted dagger by that tree,†and then kill him and steal his equipment.
“Where do you want to go today?â€
To stop players from wandering around the massive world of Azeroth aimlessly, Blizzard has included a map in a corner of the screen so that everyone always know where they’re headed. Aside from giving information about the immediate area, every significant town, dungeon and keep will have its own name. Gone are the days of “Meet me by the two doors by the big rock.†Instead, players will be able to declare exactly where they intend to go, and have other players follow - or ambush, as the case may be. Parties in World of WarCraft can contain up to five players, but valiant souls who strike out on their own will still be able to meet substantial goals.
Questing
There isn’t much to change in the way of game questing, whether it be in an RPG or an MMORPG. The concept is still the same. Someone (you, or an NPC) needs something, and it’s up to you to get it. What makes World of WarCraft stand out is the motivation for these actions. Instead of merely being told to “recover the magical dagger,†there are complex motivations surrounding your actions. A monster is pillaging a village, or a shattered sword needs to be reforged, or a woman has been kidnapped. Though most of the questing takes place in a linear fashion, Blizzard has found room for development. "Quests, in particular, are coming along quite well, with a good portion of the game being driven by having something to do," says Roper. "It is a nice feeling to accomplish goals that move the story and your character forward, and we have found that gaining levels oftentimes feel like an added bonus as opposed to an end to which you must grind away. " Though there is often only one beast or one object that needs killing or finding, how the players choose to go about this is where the game becomes interesting. Will they embark on a solo journey? Persuade someone else to do it for them? Assemble a party and venture forth gallantly? Or perhaps just steal what’s required?
“Is that a wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?â€
Naturally, World of WarCraft wouldn’t be complete without a substantial magic system, and Blizzard is borrowing rather heavily from its past titles - not that anyone will mind. Classic spells such as Bloodlust, Frozen Armor, Fireball, and Freeze will all return, this time in glorious 3-D (check out the screenshots for a better understanding). In an effort to get away from the more elemental side of magic (fire, water, ice, etc), players can cast a spell called Grasping Roots, which causes vines to grow from the ground and ensnare an enemy.
Blizzard is also trying to keep from drowning their players in potions. Fans of Diablo know that the difference between life and death is often chugging more potions than beer at the Super Bowl. To avoid this, potions and other remedies will have “cooldownsâ€, where each potion consumed rapidly will have less of an effect than its previous one. To avoid this, players will have to find other ways to heal themselves.
“Them’s fighting words!â€
Combat, the hallmark of any RPG (let’s face it, players only explore to find new things to kill), is going to be handled with a simple click of the mouse. If a target is in range, a sword icon will appear over it. If the sword as a line through it, then it’s time for a projectile attack or a magic spell. Blizzard is trying hard to stay away from the clickfest that was Diablo, players can choose from different techniques such as Attack, Defend, and Slice and Dice. Once players are in combat mode, it’s up to the gamer to choose which techniques and spells are best applied when, instead of jamming on the left mouse button ad infinitum.
“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!â€
The most difficult part of any MMORPG to deal with (aside from everyone wanting to rule the world) is the concept of death. Several titles have tackled this in the past through various means, including loss of equipment, experience debt, or throw-your-computer-out-the-window frustration. It’s a nasty world online, and chances are likely that you and your loved ones are going to die. If death comes unexpectedly, players will find themselves back to health at one of the game’s many “bind stones,†a gathering of energies where the spiritual and the corporeal world overlap. Players will maintain all of their equipment, but will be assessed a penalty. Rather than have players spend hours simply trying to reach the shadow of their former selves, Blizzard wants them alive and back to full strength as soon as possible. How they have planned on actually achieving this, though, remains a closely guarded secret.
Time to get a new 3-D card
With all the talk of gameplay, it’s almost moot to point out that the game has simply stunning graphics. But no preview would be complete without an overview of the new visuals that will have players propping their eyeballs open with toothpicks.
Despite Blizzard having the ability to create a world that’s realistic enough to simulate Big Game Hunter, they’ve chosen a much more ethereal approach. The visuals in World of WarCraft are more sublime than those in other RPGs. Instead of merely mimicking the world outside the computer [Yes, there is one - Ed.], Blizzard has chosen to create a world akin to the word “fantasy.†The entire game has a sense of the phantasmagoric. Night is not pitch black, but rather a deep blue that lets players continue adventuring well past their bed time. Monsters don’t look as though they’re from Reign of Fire. While they remain exceptionally attractive, there’s still a “not quite perfect†feel to them, which is what Blizzard wants. Rather than create a world that’s been seen before, they want to create something new, something that’s unmistakably WarCraft. Though the game’s technical specs haven’t been announced yet, a 3D card is required. Both first- and third-person views are supported, and players can switch between them on the fly. "We are still discussing how permanent changes would affect game play and world continuity, but small-scale events, on the order of spell effects or moving through snowy terrain, are ways that players can already visibly affect the environment," adds Roper. Does this mean we can track prey through the snow by their footsteps or see where a great battle took place due to terrian scarring? Time will tell.
“Quiet! I think I hear something!â€
Apparently Blizzard doesn’t feel that this is worth going into significant detail on, but it’s likely that most of the grunts, clangs and screams that fans love from WarCraft III will be used in World of WarCraft.
“I want to be a beta tester!â€
You and the rest of the PC world. The Blizzard team is working round the clock refining the game before that's going to happen, but Roper was able to give us a heads-up: "We are working feverishly to get the game into the beta phase as soon as possible, but that means we need to have a level of content that is meaningful to test. We do not want to have people start testing and be done with available content in a few days, so we are being somewhat fluid with our milestones in this regard....Everyone in the company has the opportunity to play, and the development team is diligently sifting through hundreds of comments, making minor and drastic changes, all with the intent of getting the game to a very playable state before we sign up and unleash our (hopefully) rabid beta testers."
Once players have created a character and literally designed him or her from the ground up, they must choose a class for their new cyber-ego. Several traditional RPG classes are present: Fighter, magic user, thief, and shaman, and Blizzard has declared that there will be more classes announced as time progresses. As is the case in all RPGs, choosing a class will enable certain abilities and limit others. Don’t expect a 20th level mage to start slaying dragons with a sword, and don’t think a 30th level fighter will be able to summon lightning to kill a troll. It’s classic RPG gameplay.
In addition to the game’s class system comes a skill system. Skills are general-use abilities, used to further customize a character. Several skills already announced are lock picking, fishing, herbalism, riding, and first aid. Don’t let the “fishing†skill throw you - you won’t have to feed your character to keep him or her alive.
Player Killing
One of the biggest thrills (or agonies, depending on which side of the blade you’re on) comes from tracking and fighting humans as opposed to CPU controlled drones. Player fighting (and player killing) in one form or another has plagued nearly every MMORPG since the creation of the genre. But Blizzard is going out of its way to ensure that only players who enjoy the risk of player killing will die at the hands of their brethren, so don’t think that you can lure a newbie out to the woods with, “Hey, there’s an enchanted dagger by that tree,†and then kill him and steal his equipment.
“Where do you want to go today?â€
To stop players from wandering around the massive world of Azeroth aimlessly, Blizzard has included a map in a corner of the screen so that everyone always know where they’re headed. Aside from giving information about the immediate area, every significant town, dungeon and keep will have its own name. Gone are the days of “Meet me by the two doors by the big rock.†Instead, players will be able to declare exactly where they intend to go, and have other players follow - or ambush, as the case may be. Parties in World of WarCraft can contain up to five players, but valiant souls who strike out on their own will still be able to meet substantial goals.
Questing
There isn’t much to change in the way of game questing, whether it be in an RPG or an MMORPG. The concept is still the same. Someone (you, or an NPC) needs something, and it’s up to you to get it. What makes World of WarCraft stand out is the motivation for these actions. Instead of merely being told to “recover the magical dagger,†there are complex motivations surrounding your actions. A monster is pillaging a village, or a shattered sword needs to be reforged, or a woman has been kidnapped. Though most of the questing takes place in a linear fashion, Blizzard has found room for development. "Quests, in particular, are coming along quite well, with a good portion of the game being driven by having something to do," says Roper. "It is a nice feeling to accomplish goals that move the story and your character forward, and we have found that gaining levels oftentimes feel like an added bonus as opposed to an end to which you must grind away. " Though there is often only one beast or one object that needs killing or finding, how the players choose to go about this is where the game becomes interesting. Will they embark on a solo journey? Persuade someone else to do it for them? Assemble a party and venture forth gallantly? Or perhaps just steal what’s required?
“Is that a wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?â€
Naturally, World of WarCraft wouldn’t be complete without a substantial magic system, and Blizzard is borrowing rather heavily from its past titles - not that anyone will mind. Classic spells such as Bloodlust, Frozen Armor, Fireball, and Freeze will all return, this time in glorious 3-D (check out the screenshots for a better understanding). In an effort to get away from the more elemental side of magic (fire, water, ice, etc), players can cast a spell called Grasping Roots, which causes vines to grow from the ground and ensnare an enemy.
Blizzard is also trying to keep from drowning their players in potions. Fans of Diablo know that the difference between life and death is often chugging more potions than beer at the Super Bowl. To avoid this, potions and other remedies will have “cooldownsâ€, where each potion consumed rapidly will have less of an effect than its previous one. To avoid this, players will have to find other ways to heal themselves.
“Them’s fighting words!â€
Combat, the hallmark of any RPG (let’s face it, players only explore to find new things to kill), is going to be handled with a simple click of the mouse. If a target is in range, a sword icon will appear over it. If the sword as a line through it, then it’s time for a projectile attack or a magic spell. Blizzard is trying hard to stay away from the clickfest that was Diablo, players can choose from different techniques such as Attack, Defend, and Slice and Dice. Once players are in combat mode, it’s up to the gamer to choose which techniques and spells are best applied when, instead of jamming on the left mouse button ad infinitum.
“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!â€
The most difficult part of any MMORPG to deal with (aside from everyone wanting to rule the world) is the concept of death. Several titles have tackled this in the past through various means, including loss of equipment, experience debt, or throw-your-computer-out-the-window frustration. It’s a nasty world online, and chances are likely that you and your loved ones are going to die. If death comes unexpectedly, players will find themselves back to health at one of the game’s many “bind stones,†a gathering of energies where the spiritual and the corporeal world overlap. Players will maintain all of their equipment, but will be assessed a penalty. Rather than have players spend hours simply trying to reach the shadow of their former selves, Blizzard wants them alive and back to full strength as soon as possible. How they have planned on actually achieving this, though, remains a closely guarded secret.
Time to get a new 3-D card
With all the talk of gameplay, it’s almost moot to point out that the game has simply stunning graphics. But no preview would be complete without an overview of the new visuals that will have players propping their eyeballs open with toothpicks.
Despite Blizzard having the ability to create a world that’s realistic enough to simulate Big Game Hunter, they’ve chosen a much more ethereal approach. The visuals in World of WarCraft are more sublime than those in other RPGs. Instead of merely mimicking the world outside the computer [Yes, there is one - Ed.], Blizzard has chosen to create a world akin to the word “fantasy.†The entire game has a sense of the phantasmagoric. Night is not pitch black, but rather a deep blue that lets players continue adventuring well past their bed time. Monsters don’t look as though they’re from Reign of Fire. While they remain exceptionally attractive, there’s still a “not quite perfect†feel to them, which is what Blizzard wants. Rather than create a world that’s been seen before, they want to create something new, something that’s unmistakably WarCraft. Though the game’s technical specs haven’t been announced yet, a 3D card is required. Both first- and third-person views are supported, and players can switch between them on the fly. "We are still discussing how permanent changes would affect game play and world continuity, but small-scale events, on the order of spell effects or moving through snowy terrain, are ways that players can already visibly affect the environment," adds Roper. Does this mean we can track prey through the snow by their footsteps or see where a great battle took place due to terrian scarring? Time will tell.
“Quiet! I think I hear something!â€
Apparently Blizzard doesn’t feel that this is worth going into significant detail on, but it’s likely that most of the grunts, clangs and screams that fans love from WarCraft III will be used in World of WarCraft.
“I want to be a beta tester!â€
You and the rest of the PC world. The Blizzard team is working round the clock refining the game before that's going to happen, but Roper was able to give us a heads-up: "We are working feverishly to get the game into the beta phase as soon as possible, but that means we need to have a level of content that is meaningful to test. We do not want to have people start testing and be done with available content in a few days, so we are being somewhat fluid with our milestones in this regard....Everyone in the company has the opportunity to play, and the development team is diligently sifting through hundreds of comments, making minor and drastic changes, all with the intent of getting the game to a very playable state before we sign up and unleash our (hopefully) rabid beta testers."
FleshRipper[pd]
Member!
Your welcome
Swooper
Respected Member
Umm... was that from that gamespy preview or blizzard.com?
Bluealert
Member!
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2003
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- In a Castle....with Jaina
- Website
- Visit site
Damn.....these new generation games r good..............
I am lookin foward to W.O.W and C&C:Generals
I am lookin foward to W.O.W and C&C:Generals
DÆMON KNIGHT
Member!
omg......... could this be any longer? longest forum i have ever seen on here............
FleshRipper[pd]
Member!
No It cant be any longer, I had to cut out many parts of it..
LiviruS
Member!
cant you just give the link? www.?????-??????.???/?????????/???
LiviruS
Member!
thats not the story i think.... thats the gameidea or the gameplay!
Isnt the story like this?:
Four years have passed since the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and a great tension now smolders throughout the ravaged world of Azeroth. As the battle-worn races begin to rebuild their shattered kingdoms, new threats, both ancient and ominous, arise to plague the world once again.
I know its short but thats all i found on www.blizzard.com/wow
Isnt the story like this?:
Four years have passed since the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and a great tension now smolders throughout the ravaged world of Azeroth. As the battle-worn races begin to rebuild their shattered kingdoms, new threats, both ancient and ominous, arise to plague the world once again.
I know its short but thats all i found on www.blizzard.com/wow
(V)aster)V(ind
Member!
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2003
- Messages
- 564
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- permantly fused to the PS2
- Website
- www.idealplayers.com
in short, it is a HUGE version of runescape? with the pking(the wilderness) spot, fishing, and such...
www.runescape.com
www.runescape.com
NeverGoingBack
BattleForums Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2003
- Messages
- 2,276
- Reaction score
- 0
um i believe it will cover more than just the realm of azeroth and it has no story line really since it will be ongoing much like everquest there will be new stories and features as you play and the game progress's