Free to Play Games (F2P) and World of Warcraft (WoW)!
article by Wade Manns
Since the beginning of the Internet, there have existed free games: download them, play them, no big deal at all. Then came the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, which were quite the opposite: you paid a (usually hefty) fee up front, plus a monthly charge to keep your subscription. If you would’ve told me, back when I was first interested in games, that the two types would eventually be one and the same, I would have doubted you. I would have been wrong.
Free-to-play games have actually been around for years, with the likes of WolfTeam, Maple Story, and smaller web-based games existing through ads as well as through micro-purchases: using actual, real‑world money to purchase equipment and enhancements for your character. It has gotten to the point with most of these games, actually, that in order to make any kind of progress at all, you’ll need to shell out.
Fortunately, however, some standouts in the MMO genre have recently received more generous free-to-play makeovers; inclusion on the game-delivery platform Steam has also increased their exposure. One of these is probably the most famous (and in some circles, notorious) MMOs around: World of Warcraft by Activision Blizzard. While still using Blizzard’s own delivery system, Battle.net, it was widely advertised quite recently that a Starter Edition has been made available. While limiting several (not vital) areas as well as limiting characters’ leveling to 20 (fairly generous), much action, social interaction and adventuring can still be drawn from this sampling of what the game has to offer.
The game picks up a few years after the events of the Warcraft III real-time strategy (RTS) game: after the Alliance of humans, elves, dwarves and other races briefly joined forces with the Orcish Horde (also including trolls, ogres and other vicious beasts) and the Night Elf clans to battle the infernal Burning Legion of undead, demonic forces, the old rivalries and hatred re-emerged, and pretty soon everyone was at each others’ throats again.
Add to that former Prince Arthas, corrupted by the dread sword Frostmourne and on track to being the new Lich King and commanding massive undead armies, and the fantasy kingdom of Azeroth is still in grave danger.
Gameplay is perhaps the simplest, most streamlined of all MMOs, with just holding a mouse button down and aiming where you want to go (or using arrow keys) in a third-person behind-the-back camera scenario. Quests can be gotten from many people, and you may choose mounts (horses, other animals of burden) to carry you to them much quicker. It can be quite addicting, the many fetch-and-kill quests, as well as joining with your friends to do it all together.
In my brief time with WoW, as it’s commonly known, I’ve become quite familiar with it and believe that if I ever had the means, I would seriously consider upgrading to the full version and paying the monthly fee. I believe you will too, and give this awesome game five out of five!