If I had to pick a favorite part of World of Warcraft it wouldn’t be hunters. Nor would it be the social aspects of the game (though admittedly, that one is largely because most of my guildies are now effectively out-of-game-friends as well– we all hang out in AIM chats and stuff).
No, my favorite aspect of the game is character creation. And by that I don’t mean the whole choose your race/class/silly hairstyle part, although that is fun too.
I mean coming up with a story and personality for your character and stepping into their shoes for a few fleeting hours. That’s what I mean. That’s my favorite part of the game. That’s one of the things that first enthralled me when I started playing WoW. “Wait, you mean I can create my own video game hero/heroine?” Now don’t get me wrong, I love Mario and Link and Solid Snake and Locke Cole and Jim Raynor and Master Chief. I love them to bits, heck, don’t tell anyone, but I have a crush on Link that is like… thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big.
*cough* Sorry, sidetracked.
Anyways, yeah, there had been times before where I could sort of create a character, but not in the same way. Neverwinter Nights and KotoR were solid games but didn’t grab me on a “character” level. Pokémon didn’t let you create female characters (which I really wanted to do) until I’d already sort of drifted away from the series. Et cetera. Other games let you sort of make a character but thrust you into an already formed backstory anyway.
But with WoW, I discovered the game alongside my character. I learned things like how to play my class alongside my character. And for some reason, this was the first game where I not only experienced the story as I would personally, but thought about how my character would react to all the events unfolding around her, too. By the time I was max level, I cared for my character in a very deep and hard to explain way– she was sort of me, but sort of not me, and she was a good friend who I experienced this crazy world with. She has a real personality, one that is different than that of any of my other characters. In a way, she is real. She is something I created and can be proud of not just by topping a DPS meter or getting her all decked out in purples, but by being able to feel like I created a character in a story.
Mirshalak recently queried, “What are you addicted to?” What keeps you coming back to the game? Sure, my guildies do and my hunters do and my general enjoyment of the game does. But more than all that, for me, it’s the way Blizzard really succeeded in creating a world that just sucks you right in. It’s the way every time I do one of the opening quests that I’ve done a million times, it’s fresh and original because I’m seeing it through a completely different set of eyes. It is pure distilled roleplaying without actually going out and walking slowly around the Cathedral District and having some deep discussion about the state of Azerothian affairs. It’s something that I’ve yet to be able to experience anywhere else, with the exception of maybe Dungeons & Dragons, but for me this might even be more than that because it is so visual and hands-on and I’m a very visual and hands-on type of person.
That‘s what keeps me coming back. My friends are here– and this time, by friends, I mean characters.
Okay, gonna end this now that there is a big neon “GEEK” sign hanging over my head. =P My WoW account is now safely reactivated though I don’t anticipate too much activity for the next couple of weeks; I am moving into a new place and that will require most of my attention for a little while! Still, I’ll be here, yapping away, I’m sure.
P.S. Since I’ve already linked to one blog in this post, go read this. Trust me.
So, where can I buy a sign myself? 😛 I’m the same way with Xanthelei and his Ghostsaber, Alvar. I may get a bunch of other neat-o pets, but it will ALWAYS be “Xanthelei and Alvar”.
Ghost kitties are win. 😀 Now to get a picture of the two that I actually like for my neglected blog, lol.
Bah, no edit button…
Link is also win. Which is better though… Ocarina of Time, or Twilight Princess?
Me, I’m addicted to the magnetic dungeon in TP…
Link from Twilight Princess. The cool sword spin when he’s placing a sword on his back is awesome. But… He’s no Linken! 😛
Goodluck with your move Pike and hope its not too disruptive.
Eastmost peninsula is the secret.
Ocarina of Time always and forever.
OoT Rocks. Every Zelda game EVER rocks.
My favourite was Link’s Awakening though. The Ballad of the WInd Fish totally got me when I was little.
I play on a PvP server, but even then I enjoy giving my characters a story, and making them feel like more than just a tool for serious pwnage.
Tee hee, Link! <3
While I never originally started out my Toshi as a character with a background so to speak (I didn’t know how addicted I’d get, hah), he eventually kind of developed himself as it went on. By the time I was level 50ish I was drawing him a lot, and it sort of centered around “I want to kill Illidan and Arthas some day”. So I guess that’s how it kicked off. ^_^
Well, that’s one down, one more to go!
For me level 1-10 is just so damn cool! Ding ding ding ding ding…. 🙂
That’s pretty much one of my favorite things with WoW as well. All my characters have a concept, a story of some sort, behind them. I can’t just roll a rogue and play her without knowing who she is. They all have different personalities that affect which quests they’ll take, which areas of the game interest them, and (primarily on a PvP server) what their outlook is towards the other faction.
Hair, skin, eyes, beard or no beard, whatever…all easy.
Name…a name…take fracking forever.
I love the start zones. I have done all of them (even the Alliance ones!) so many times I could do them in my sleep. They’re super familiar, and there’s the added bonus of dinging every couple minutes to make it feel like you’re really accomplishing something.
I never thought about making backstories for my toons until I made my BE hunter Kaledain. Now I have a blog about him 😛 lol
Since I made him and started thinking up stories for him, I’ve started thinking about my other toons like that too. I think they all have their own personalities now, and it really has made the game more fun and interesting. 😀
I’m glad you liked that post of mine, Pike.
In terms of the Zelda games, I’ve only ever played one of them in any real depth; the Super Nintendo one, A Link to the Past. I loved the alternate world element of that.
What? No love for Windwaker? Come on guys, wake up and smell the seawater!
Legend of Celda for the win!
TBH Im a huge nintendo fanboy and have played, completed and have almost encylopeadic knowledge of Zelda games (except the phillips cdi ones but they dont count). Windwaker and Phantom hourglass are great, Kizzlybear. Link to the Past has the best ending sequence of any game so far even in its 16bit graphics.
I loved WW but my favorite is definitely OoT as well. I’ve beaten that thing so much but I still go back for more. I don’t think I even take hits on the Ganon fight anymore.
I have trouble coming up with names for my characters as well. I RP very little and I play on a PvE server but I try to give my characters names that make sense and I incorporate things that make sense to me if I were actually my toon. Like I feel really off using a cat as a pet as I don’t really picture a troll running into battle with a cat at his side. A spider, on the other hand, would totally fit in to me and I would give my left arm for Blizzard to drop the levels of the purple spiders in Naxx to 80 instead of 81. (Tameable, but not really)
Wind Waker kicked butt, don’t get me wrong! I loved that game to bits!
I replayed it fully about 3 times through, including the emperor’s new clothes thing.
It was kinda weird to play a zelda game with a blue tunic and orange pants though…
Hooray for someone else who understands roleplay as I do! I’ve always drifted into it just as you describe… not in some predefined scenario. I long for the rare occasions when I run into someone else who plays their characters that same way.
I love alts btw, but each has its own persona. I hate it when people want me to treat different characters the same based upon the person behind them instead of reacting to the characters themselves.
(When I was little I had a crush on Bowser. Shhh, don’t tell. Maybe that’s why my most favorite-est pet of all time was Ghammoo Ra?)
I love creating characters. If I my boyfriend wasn’t afraid of RP I would totally have rolled on an RP server. I love BEING Vix. Though, it’s hard to really be here when she’s GM. In character she’s a total shrew. (she’s a Blood Elf after all. kind of a complex there.) So she has to be nice sometimes for the sake of the guild. She’s also a bit, um, friendly? but only to males? (if you know what I mean) but she’s never faced any problems with that. She’s quite popular actually. o.O It’s fun to create a character that’s so different from who you are in RL. It’s a little escape.
I’m totally going to write a “what am I addicted to” on my blog now. It’s a great idea!