Now if you thought that the multiplayer online games I mentioned were complex then welcome to the most complex online galaxy and the largest MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game – can you say that fast) of all, World of Warcraft affectionately referred to as WoW. Created by Blizzard, a developer with previous hit titles like Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and the Diablo series, it became an instant success when released in 2004. With over 12 million subscribers it currently has the largest subscription base of any game and even holds the Guiness World Record for it.
As a heads-up, the rumors that Blizzard is working on a new MMO have been confirmed (working title “Titan”) and a lot of players are going to be excited when more details are available although it’s likely to be a year or two before the game comes out.
At its base World of Warcraft is a vast onlineworld where players create characters, combat monsters, complete quests and interact with NPC’s (non-player characters) and other players. Although the goal is to level up your character to gain new abilities WoW has a very social component that makes the game so popular. Players can complete quests and defeat opponents together, trade items, chat and banter and even fight each other to gain recognition. And here lies the rub. These interactions can vary very widely depending on the players involved. WoW is officially rated T for Teen but as with any game that offers an online component the rating only applies to the content created by the developer ie the graphics, in-game character dialogue etc. It can not rate the kind of interaction provided by real life players through chat and other features. The game comes with parental controls to filter out some of the more offensive or explicit language but as you’ll see shortly these filters are far from perfect due to the very creative language used by some of the players. There are some additional useful filters though like limiting the length of the sessions (some gamers can be pretty obsessive and play all night/day long).
If you sit in on a chat session with your kid chances are you won’t have a clue what he or she is talking about unless you are familiar with MMORPG’s. Let me give you an example from a WoW message board as to how technical some of the lingo can get.
Question posted on message board:
I currently have the 4 piece ilvl 232 set for my resto druid - Malfurion's Conquest gear. My legs were from the Lasherweave set from VOA. The other day I got the Lashweave gloves from VOA. So now I have a question, do i replace my Malfurion's ilvl 232 gloves with the ilvl 251 Lasherweave gloves?
I lose the T9 set bonus of crits on rejuv, but gain the improved wild growth from the Lasherweave set. Other than the set bonus, the stats are much better on the Lasherweave gloves, so I'm leaning towards taking those. But the crit on rejuv is pretty nice.
Answer:
1) How much of your healing does the 4pT9 bonus make up? If it's less then 5% or so you can probably make that up in the stat increase and the bonus to WG (that's assuming you're using it on or near CD each time it's up as a good tree should).
2) How close are you to the haste cap? Trading out the crit for haste on the new gloves is a nice big chunk which should move you closer if you aren't there already.
Checking at your armory it looks you've already decided to go with the 2pT9/10 bonuses. Probably a good move overall. Haste is still a bit low but that will come with upgrades from frost gear.I would suggest going for the the Vestments of Spruce and Fir as your next upgrade if you're looking for more haste. It will be the biggest haste boost out of any other pieces you can buy along with the increase in other stats. The crafted boots are also an excellent upgrade if you have the resources as are the ones that drop from Deathwhisper 10m.
Confused? Don’t worry, not all the chat is that technical but it shows you that some of the players are very savvy. WoW players use a lot of acronyms and abbreviations influenced by texting. Here’s an example of a more generic in-game player exchange. I added some explanations in brackets and left the typos:
Bimle [ Longberry] says: Straight from the lush forests of Elwynn, get your fresh fruit right here. (Players can trade and sell items. This is a large part of the WoW economy)
[Trade] [Shadowpains]: u don’t
[Trade] [Shadowpains]: that’s fkin classic (don’t know if this instance would be caught by the filters)
[Trade] [Catastrophe]: hit/camp and that will do it (player giving advice to another player. Most players will be friendly when newbies need help.)
[Trade] [Shadowpains]: -_-* (emoticon usually depicting boredom or some kind of flat expression but used in a variety of ways)
Not only players can use some rather crude humor at times. GM’s (Game Masters) who are available for chat when a player is stuck or has a question but also patrol the lands to detect players who cheat or harass others are known for their racier jokes. Here’s an excerpt from a chat between a GM and a player. Warning: If you are offended by crude humor please skip this paragraph.
BLIZZ [Nympheren] whispers (BLIZZ referring to the developer’s name Blizzard and identifying the GM): question: How do Tauren (a bull-like race) hide in the forests?
To BLIZZ [Nympheren]: Not a clue
BLIZZ [Nympheren] whispers: they paint their balls red and hide in apple trees. Question: How did the gnome die?
To BLIZZ [Nympheren]: Hmm…Not sure
BLIZZ [Nympheren] whispers: A:Picking Apples ;P (silly face sticking tongue out)
To BLIZZ [Nympheren]: LOL
Some chats have strong sexual undertones. Again, please skip the next paragraph if you find this kind of language offensive. I am posting it here so you have an idea as to the kind of banter children could encounter.
[Squall]: I slowly remove your t9 chestpiece. (t9 refers to Tier 9 armor which has unique set bonuses for each class – don’t worry if you don’t understand but it means that this is a high level player talking) I breathe softly upon your Buccaneer Shirt, eagerly awaiting whats underneath.
[Squall]: then ..all of a sudden, you morph into a BEAR
[Squall]: I frantically work at the buttons of my [Fleshwerk Leggins], eager to take advantage of the lusciously soft ursan derrier presented to me.
[Squall]: My pantaloons removed, I step into stealth, so you can only feel my body warmth as I work my way around
[Squall]: for a rear AMBUSH
[Squall]: I CRIT(meaning the player did a critical attack that deals additional damage).
[Squall]: I hear you roar loudly, I put that +5% crit to use as I ravage you relentlessly from behind.
[Squall]: I stop and apply poison to my “dagger”
and on it goes… This chat took place on the [lookingforplayers] channel so an open channel accessible to anyone.
Now to end on a humorous note. Not all players are as smart as the example given from the message board.
[Wushi]: don’t have internet? xD (emoticon that represents a big smile with eyes closed)
[Lindenbratt]: mom banned it couse I watched porn once
[Wushi]: haha
[Bjarkov]: WTF?! xD xD
[Lindenbratt]: so now I cant go on internet explorer
[Lindenbratt]: :(
[Wushi]: lol
[Bjarkov] whispers: this dude is screwed…
Some inadvertent humor:
[Tylmarande]: Looking for a female gnome, you must be 18+ (refers to the character level, not the age)
[Tylmarande]: And come to think of it, that sounded nasty. It’s for an achievement.
And another classic one:
[Trade] [Ballons]: WHERE ARE VENDOR FOR HEIRLOOM??
[Trade] [Zhiva]: In the ALLCAPS city!
[Ballons] whispers: WHERE is allcaps city??
The examples listed show that filters that catch key words can not always catch the kind of more creative exchanges going on. So be aware of it if your child plays WoW. Due to its huge popularity WoW has also attracted its share of predators. I have not specifically heard of sexual predators although I would like in any online interaction warn your child not to give out any personal information and would be very cautious if they “befriend” a player outside the game. There are two settings for players to be added to a friends list. One is for in-game friends only. This list does not share any kind of personal data about the players. Players can chat and “party” together (meaning they can fight together in a party/group where experience and loot are shared) but only know each other by their character’s name and whatever else they are willing to share through chat. There is another friend setting though which allows players to connect outside the game through what is referred to as Real ID. Players who share their “real ID” can chat in any Blizzard game (not just WoW) but it means that their real name and updates are shared across each other’s friends list. Make sure your children only select this option with players they know in real life. As in any “world” you will also find scammers who will try cheat players through options like the in-game mail system. They do this by sending an in-game mail with some kind of item attached (players can exchange items that way) but put a cash on delivery tag on the item meaning that the player will get charged for it if she retrieves it. Blizzard is working hard on ending these kind of scams but alas, crooks can be creative so as in a real-world scenario teach your children to be cautious opening mails from strangers and especially from giving any kind of personal information.
Other scams I've seen include requests for account information sent by email stating that your account might have been hacked. As in any e-mails tell your kids not to follow any links but log in directly through the official WoW website if they need to check or update their accounts.
This said WoW is overall a safe and enjoyable experience. If you are interested in checking it out for yourself you can download a free 10 day trial at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/trial/If you do, you can find me on Darrowmere (the server name). My name is Mytra and I am a Hunter. Please stop by and say hi!
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