Games' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Players, Pawns, and Power-Ups

32. WoWing Your Friends

245 32 WoWing Your Friends With over ten million subscribers, World of Warcraft is the most popular MMORPG in the world, and for many reasons , so it’s certainly worth a try if you need a gaming fix and can’t seem to find what you’re looking for elsewhere. If you’re just starting out, here are some survival tips to help you not be overwhelmed by what you see and encounter in WoW. 1. STRIKE A BALANCE World of Warcraft has remained the top dog in MMORPGs for many reasons, most notably the enjoyable gameplay. However , there’s a dark side to the fun factor. There have been several stories of child neglect or even death while parents were busy with their MMORPG of choice (though the possibility remains that they were just bad parents). The game can easily consume massive amounts of your time, resulting in neglect of yourself and those around you. MMORPG addiction has become so widespread that it is showing up in the professional publications of child psychologists. Websites even exist to help players “detox” themselves from WoW. While the game is indeed a fun and enjoyable experience on so many levels, the important thing to remember is that it is still just a game. You may be an unstoppable warrior or all-powerful wizard that roams the realms of Azeroth, laying 246 Games’ Most Wanted™ waste to all in your path, but in the end, you still need to go to work and pay the bills. As with any fun activity, the key is balance. Taking time after work to destress by laying waste to some bad guys does feel good, but so does playing a game of cards with your significant other, or some catch outside with your children or work friends. Having a good balance of real life and virtual life will make you a better person in both. 2. DON’T GET OVERWHELMED In a world as large as Azeroth, there is a lot to see, experience , and learn. Trying to take it in all at once would overwhelm even the most experienced of gamers. Take your time. Start slow and learn bit by bit. The game already comes equipped with numerous built-in tips and hints, showing you how best to use what you have. With almost anything these days, there are numerous online sources and videos with tutorials on almost every aspect of the game, with practically all of them free. Of course, plenty of strategy guides are available to help you find your way through the world. Within the game itself, guilds (made up of multiple players ) can also help take the edge off the learning curve, offering advice and directions while a new player gets their feet wet. The same could also be said for many random WoW players. If you are flying solo, don’t be afraid to ask a question about how to do some in-game action you cannot quite figure out. One of the more interesting aspects of WoW worth learning to take advantage of are macros, scripts, and add-ons. Each of these elements allows the player to automate some actions a character takes or to customize the user interface . This practice is allowed and encouraged by Blizzard, as it helps to improve the appeal for more of the core WoW WoWing Your Friends 247 audience. While none of these three are absolutely necessary , they can even help the casual WoW player improve the experience. Numerous online sites and groups can also be found to help with this process. 3. ALTERNATING OPPONENTS When you play games, do you enjoy pitting yourself against the game and the challenges it presents? Perhaps you are the kind of gamer who only finds real challenge when your opponent is just like you—a human. This is where World of Warcraft can be fun, or frustrating. On player versus environment (PvE) servers, you are playing the game, going on quests, battling computer-controlled monsters, and defeating bosses. On the player versus player (PvP) servers, you are going up against other WoW players. This can be truly enjoyable, as the foe you face is likely going to be well equipped and unleash tactics the computer AI (Artificial Intelligence) never considers. That factor can also lead to the frustrating side of the equation, because no matter how good you are and how well-equipped your character...