I was thinking about buying WOW recently until I saw the price to use their servers: $15/mo, or $180/year! That's rediculous! Yes, they have server/bandwidth costs and need to charge for service, but given the large amount of people who pay to play, that number seems preposterous. When I buy a good game, I'll play it on and off for at least a year. Take San Andreas for example: Even after I beat it, I played it until the XBOX version came out, which I then bought and still play to this day. I sold the PS2 version for $40, so essentially I paid a total of $60 for a game I play on and off for a long period of time.

Given how WOW is probably a great game, too, I'd probably play it just as much as I play San Andreas. So, if it were an offline game, the most I'd expect to pay to play it is $60 TOTAL. The most I ever pay to play anything online is $5/month. So that's $60/year. That would be a total of $120 for the first year, and $60 for every year afterwards. Along with subcription costs, just to buy WOW it will cost you $50. So to me, Blizzard is overcharging an extra $95 initially (because the game comes with a month of 'free' play), and then an extra $120 for every year afterwards!

Sorry guys, but you won't see me on the WOW servers anytime soon.

I agree.. I'm cheap when it comes to playing games, in fact, $60 for a game is a way for me to for sure not buy it. I only buy games from the bargain bin my price point is $10-$20.

I also normally only play single player games. I don't play many online games, played Diablo II with the wife and another friend which is what made this game attractive. I don't like the price so much either, but in order to play with my best friend and wife all at the same time, nowhere on the planet can make that happen this cheaply. I think I play with a total of 6 IRL friends on the WoW.

Mind you too.. I'm paying DOUBLE since it's both me and the wife.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. But for the average gamer it's a steal. You can think of it many ways, seeing two movies a month = about 4 1/2 hours of entertainment, or one movie at a month + popcorn, candy, and soda is about equal to the subscription fee. So 2-4 hours of entertainment a month for $15 for movies, or lets say about 30 hours for $15? 30 hours is only an average of 1 hour a day. Many of the types who play WoW will easily play that or more. Another comparision is drinking, you can easily spend more than $15 for one night alone.

While some games last off and on for a long time, their prime is usually done in a month. For many of my gamer friends they normally get 1 or 2 (new) games a month, but lets say an average of 1. So that alone is between $49-$60 per month.

Granted, not everyone goes out drinking, sees movies, or buys a new game every month, but for those that do, replacing some of those activities with WoW is a huge savings.

Awhile back I read an article about what that money goes toward, and almost all of it is used for upkeep. Also keep in mind you get free patches, updates with new content, occational events, and support as well. Bandwith takes up at least half of the cost, and paying for the current staff another significant portion. Part of the monthly payment, plus the initial investment of $40-$60 for the game can also be seen toward paying off their initial development investments (which is way more for an MMORPG than a single player game).

Also, after awhile (a year or so) the game will go down to about half its original price, so around 20-30 bucks for a game that is still pretty good. With EQ after it was out for a couple years, you could buy the original game, plus about 4 expansions for 30 or 40 bucks. That is a massive amount of content considering the price.

Actually I like the Rams. I like em all except horses (boring) and kodos (too bulky/ugly).

Troll's raptors are the best though.

I like the NE cats.

I personally think the Undead epic mounts are the coolest, but that's just me.

damn im so close to a mount with my mage...I will have pics up soon!

WoW is great for the first 10 or so levels, basically the first 2 hours of the game.

To me, every penny I spend/have spent on World of Warcraft has been worth it. I get to play with several good friends, I get to do something that entertains me, and it is cheaper than a lot of things other people consider fun.

Value is different for everyone :)

Thank god for automatic billing. I bet I might have quit a while ago if I had to write individual checks for $15 every month ;)

It's not the amount of money that's keeping me from trying WoW, it's the idea of paying any money at all to Blizzard and Vivendi. Plus it is nice to actually do something at night other than sit at the computer which I'm doing most of the day anyway.

But when I played EverQuest years ago, I definitely felt the monthly fee was worth it. (Though there has been quite a lot of inflation since the $9.89 days) You're not really playing anything else anyway, and there is (or should be, anyway) free content and support that has to be paid for somehow. Of course as time went on, SOE seemed to be treating it more and more like a cash cow with worse customer service and more expansions that had less content and were more expensive each time around. It's yet to be seen how Blizzard will handle their own money printing business.

I feel the same way!

Every dollar is worth it, and I get my moneys worth ;)

Well finally got to lvl 40 and got my mount

before mount(with dumb hat on):
http://home.cogeco.ca/~tylerdonlon/other/wow_021.jpg

On mount:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~tylerdonlon/other/wow_022.jpg
I that pic me and guild buddy where messing around in Goldshire (he is a lvl 60 gnome warlock) funny stuff!

Ah to be 40 again.

Ya it was a long haul to get there!

I haven't add much to this big topic here, so i figured i'd drop a few pics. This is like my 5th character, but none of the ones i have are 60. For some reason i love it all the way up to forty, then i get a feeling of accomplishment. This is my Orc Dezba. They are in a type of "letter box" thing because they are my desk top wall papers and screen savers.

-------------------------------------------

Me in scarlet just the other night.
http://mikeb.saturnvalley.net/WoW/Dezba_001.jpg

Me and my crew in Razorfen Kraul
http://mikeb.saturnvalley.net/WoW/Dezba_002.jpg

This is A friend and I soloing the easy part of scarlet. i hoped on his shoulders and cheered away.
http://mikeb.saturnvalley.net/WoW/Dezba_003.jpg

I traveled long and far, to hunt the ever so elucive "Hogger".
http://mikeb.saturnvalley.net/WoW/Dezba_004.jpg

Since i paid a visit to hogger, i made my way to goldshire, where i was greeted with some rude gestures and bodily fluids. Ohh how i wish spitting flaged you. . . ohh how i wish.
http://mikeb.saturnvalley.net/WoW/Dezba_005.jpg

I made my way to the undercity, I love the way the abomination on the left is looking around like, "get aload of this looser".
http://mikeb.saturnvalley.net/WoW/Dezba_006.jpg

SM Deluxe

If your in a non PvP server to get flagged type /pvp:)

and why are you doing the same thing in every pic?

I'm sure he meant he wished the people who spit on him got flagged.

I found a hookah in LBRS. Needless to say, I had to take a hit before moving on to Mother Smolderweb.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...kinginLBRS.jpg

oh LOL!




-------------
more pics

http://home.cogeco.ca/~tylerdonlon/other/wow_023.jpg

http://home.cogeco.ca/~tylerdonlon/other/wow_024.jpg

I also play WoW... i have the following characters:

Server / Character / lvl / race / Class

<pre>
Kel`Thuzad - Silvertiger - 60 female - human - Warrior
Thunderlord - Silvertiger - 59 male - Undead - Priest
Stonemaul - Elchinas - 31 female - Night Elf - Priest
Kel`Thuzad - Silverdraik - 26 female - human - Warlock
Thunderlord - Silvertigger - 24 male - Tauren - Hunter
Darkspear - Entreri - 21 male - Night Elf - Rogue
Darkspear - Khelben - 20 male - Human - Mage
Daggerspine - Anakarie - 18 female - Dwarf - Paladin
Earthen Ring - Raziekel - 18 male - Human - Preist
Nathrezim - Queltelthali - 14 male - Night Elf - Hunter
Icecrown - Bealzebub - 13 Male - Tauren - Hunter
Daggerspine - Silvertiger - 3 male - Dwarf - Priest
</pre>

I am the guild leader on Thunderlord for <Dead Sexy> if you're interested in joining.

see you all in there.

Silver Tiger

Yeah, i play on a RP server, so i cant attack the people that taunt behind their Non-flaggyness. I cheer in everypicture i have. Dezba is a very happy person. It's either that or i just stand there.

Blizz said theyre finally going to introduce a RP PVP server! By popular demand (as like a month ago they said they would never have one...just like the said they'd never nerf wotf and we know how that turned out..)
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...=1#post3909959
My plan is to start an orc shaman when they release it, anyone else interested in starting over with me? Post here or PM me. This is of course assuming they release it any time soon, if its like 3 months from now (unlikely) then I might not be interested anymore, so we'll see. I'd imagine it'd be within a month though.

I've currently got a skin loading/lag/freeze problem.

In a nutshell, when I log into WoW, Orgrimmar loads, the music loads, npc's load, chat loads, and a few players load. However it stops there. The fires keep on burning, players run in place, and most characters are naked. I can run around but everything is frozen to what it was at when I logged in. I've restarted my computer, removed UI mods, and tried to call technical support but it's closed on the weekend.

Here's the odd part. Everything was working fine until my *entire* DME group bugged inside the instance. We all were hit with a loading screen, teleported outside the instance, and our group was broken up. We reformed the group but were still teleported to Org. We discussed this oddity and decided to return to DME. I bugged while clicking on the windrider and it wouldn't load the flight path screen. I forced the game quit, and ever sence this has happened.

I know for a fact that my computer is running fine, and especially my internet connection because my friend (who was in the party) is at my house on my same router and he is running just fine right now.

What could be causing this? Why would a group-wide instance bug trigger my compter to quit loading enviornment?

This has been going on for well over an hour with spaced out resets and such. If I leave wow up and try to let things load, I'll eventually get "Disconnected from Server."

Update: Remember how I said I can move around but nothing loads? I can move around, guiding by my shadow on the ground. I went into the bank from the flght tower and my friend said he saw me. I spun in a circle and he watched me do it. I couldn't see him because he wasn't loaded there when I logged on. This sounds client-side to me..

Thanks for any help guys.
-T

I think thats cool news, but this is just at the wrong time. I play on a RP server in Hopes of there being Role Playing going on. But the lack of RP content, no Character name enforcement, no moderation on the chat channels, takes away from the RP experince. They need to get these things in order before they release a new PVP-RP realm. I love to RP and would think it would be great to have a different type of RP server. But all i see it as is another PVP server. I feel right now there are on ly two types of servers, PvP and Normal, RP servers are a joke. Chat channels full of nonsence, like "hey i just palyed <Insert New Game Here> it Frickin' sweet yo!" then that followed by acctual replys. People talking in /s just chatting about nonsence. If it was truly a RP realm, then i wouldnt hear all this stuff about the Real World. I can go on and on about how the RP realms are not even good to RP in. Blizzard needs to adress the RPing issuse, instead of giveing PvPers and PvEers more and more content.

What the hell is a RP realm?

Roleplaying.... where you actually speak in character etc.

I agree that the populations as a whole arnt all that roleplayish. My main reason for liking them is more because they attract a much more mature crowd. Plus it will be fun to have a fresh start. It also depends a lot on the guild you join and the people you hang out with, it can be a decent RP experience. I've got a dwarf priest on a RP server thats in a gnome/dwarf only guild, its small (like 3-5 active people on at a time, in other words maybe 10-15 total) but they all roleplay almost all the time, I rarely see them go OOC. So if I /leave general, and play with friends that RP it basically is.

Not that its a sure thing, but I know of a lot of people that were split on wanting to pvp or rp, and ended up choosing pvp, so many of them may come there. In other words it just might be taken more seriously so we'll see.

Sounds really wierd -Ever-, what about other modern (because of graphic reqs) games? How do they run? And is everyone that was in your group experiencing it? Maybe try messing with graphic settings on the off chance that they got messed up (like maybe turned up past what your comp can handle, or anti aliasing, or refresh rate messed up, etc).

This is my lvl 60 build im shooting for on bonechewer. Granted im only 22 but so far its working excellent

Rogue 21/8/22
By Deathlin
02-26-2005
Average rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars [4 votes]
Character type:Level 60 Rogue
Description:Please Rate :)
Template:
Assassination Talents (21 points)
Improved Eviscerate - 3/3 points
Increases the damage done by your Eviscerate ability by 15%.
Remorseless Attacks - 5/5 points
After killing an opponent that yields experience, gives you a 40% increased critical strike chance on your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, or Ghostly Strike.
Murder - 2/2 points
Increases your chance to hit while using your Sap, Ambush, Garrote, or Cheap Shot abilities by 5%.
Malice - 5/5 points
Increases your critical strike chance by 5%.
Lethality - 5/5 points
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Sinister Strike, Gouge, Backstab, Ambush, Ghostly Strike, or Hemorrhage ability by 30%.
Cold Blood - 1/1 points
When activated, increases the critical strike chance of your next Sinister Strike, Backstab, Ambush, or Eviscerate by 100%.
Combat Talents (8 points)
Improved Sinister Strike - 2/2 points
Reduces the Energy cost of your Sinister Strike ability by 5 Energy.
Improved Gouge - 3/3 points
Increases the effect duration of your Gouge ability by 1.5 seconds.
Improved Backstab - 3/3 points
Increases the critical strike chance of your Backstab ability by 30%.
Subtlety Talents (22 points)
Camouflage - 5/5 points
Increases your speed while stealthed by 15%.
Master of Deception - 5/5 points
Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while in Stealth mode. More effective than Master of Deception (Rank 4)
Opportunity - 5/5 points
Increases the damage dealt when striking from behind with your Backstab, Garrote, or Ambush abilities by 20%.
Improved Ambush - 3/3 points
Increases the critical strike chance of your Ambush ability by 40%.
Improved Sap - 3/3 points
Adds a 90% chance to return to stealth mode after using your Sap ability.
Preparation - 1/1 points
When activated, this ability immediately finishes the cooldown on your other Rogue abilities.

Unspent talent points: 0

Yep, thats the classic end game rogue dagger build. Just be aware that a combat build is more effective for leveling faster/pve. But do whats fun.

Since your build isnt the same old "Sinister Strike Spam" build, I like it.

I broke my execute record a couple of days ago:

<IMG SRC=http://www.appstate.edu/~bt52438/newexecute.jpg>

-Lasereth

Did that say 15,948 wow thats pretty nasty.

The test realm patch notes (found here: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patch...atchnotes.html) indicate that warlocks are going to be able to redo their talent builds for free in the next patch.

Needless to say, as a 49 warlock who desperately needs to redo her build, I'm completely stoked.

I also want to know why they keep adding flight paths for Horde when Alliance has far fewer flight paths and some really idiotic connections. Uggh.

Damn I wish they would do that for priests, my lvl 37 needs s rebuild...thats why I don't play him anymore!

Damn guys it only takes 1g, 5g, 10g, 15g, etc. to respec. My warrior is 60 and he's still only at like 10 or 15g respec cost. :)

-Lasereth

You boys may not be so interested in this, but I thought I'd apprise you anyhow:

Advise any friends you have playing on Destromath not to group with a guy named Proto. The guy essentially accused me of being a "ninja looter" after he "dibsed" the Lich robes in Razorfen Downs prior to my (and my guildie's) presence in the group and after I said I would roll if they dropped.

I do not tolerate assholish behavior in fellow players. Needless to say, a mage who bosses the group through the entire instance and then accuses them of not doing anything is not a very cool guy.

Just thought I'd let you know (and get it off my chest). :)

patch is out .. i recomend the darkmoon fair .. but i dont know which faction side it hits first. there are "cool" items to be had by playing the games at the fair. so if you lack items due to a beginner and your broke or cant afford auction house prices try there.

btw... took about 3 hrs but my lvl 1 troll warrior went from durator to the bank of IF heh well he made lvl 2 cuz of exploration exp sigh but still
and yeah i died so many times its not funny but i made it.


and i challenge any and everyone to try and get cross faction pacts started to kill the farmers.. bonechewer and lothar has several now..

but wait isnt lothar pve.. why yes your right but here's how you do it

takes some warlocks. as the farmers attack a mob you fear it.. for some reason this dosent put you in combat where they come after you when the fear breaks.. as they are fear'd and run around they pull others to the original tapper i.e. the farmer. farmer screams wtfbbq and dies and your still safe hehe.

but only do this if your out and they mussel up to ya. on bonechewer and lothar this translates to your goofing around and they /duel you constantly or train mobs to you. if you have aoe stuff this can be a pain.. or if they are rogues they get a ton of stuff near ya then vanish leaving you with the agro cuz your usually nukein a monsters best friend.

ok you lost me...how do I respec?