Chapter 643: Screw Those Orcs! (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Hillsbrad Foothills

More than two days had passed since World of Warcraft launched.

Most players had basically reached around level 28.

There were even some grinding maniacs who had reached around level 35, though these players were still very few.

The main reason was that for most ordinary players, they didn't really care much about their in-game level.

More accurately, World of Warcraft contained things far more appealing than simply leveling up.

World of Warcraft was like a gate to a new world, with too many things to pique their curiosity. Leveling up was just one small goal among them.

They'd enjoy the scenery, explore the vast Azeroth, and then accidentally wander into high-level areas, only to be sent back to their graves by red-named elite monsters.

They'd casually explore various towns, accept quests, and then fight monsters.

If one truly wanted to focus on leveling, World of Warcraft actually had well-planned routes for both monster grinding and questing. This had been tested countless times by the testing team during internal development.

It couldn't be called flawless, but in terms of data and guidance, it was arguably the best it could be.

But once truly in the game, for most players, this world clearly offered too much to do.

It was like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where players controlled Link to rescue Zelda. Yet, after hundreds of hours, they'd forgotten what Zelda even looked like.

And World of Warcraft, despite being an MMORPG, with its massive map and rich gameplay, gave players the illusion of playing a multiplayer open-world game.

Whether Alliance or Horde, there were always surprises to be found.

For example, Horde players experiencing the freefall of the Undercity elevator.

Beyond that, there were also some players with obsessive tendencies. They'd resolve to collect the best possible gear set at their current level.

So, they'd relentlessly grind dungeons like Wailing Caverns and Deadmines, striving to complete their gear set. Only then would they realize that, before long, this equipment would become obsolete.

Furthermore, Chen Xu had also adjusted the leveling model in the game. Grinding dungeons was a relatively good way to gain experience, but questing wasn't too bad either. This prevented players from relying solely on monster grinding for leveling.

If one could clear dungeons quickly, it was indeed the fastest way to level. However, for most players, this was unrealistic. Encountering teams that lacked coordination could even lead to a wipe, so the leveling speed was often slow.

But even so, players were tireless in their enjoyment.

After these past few days of World of Warcraft experience, many players exclaimed that it was indeed a game worth waiting for so long. It was grand, mysterious, and boasted a rich ecosystem.

There wasn't a strictly defined main storyline, but within this impossibly vast world, players could clearly feel that they were a part of Azeroth.

Moreover, unlike single-player games, online games had a unique advantage: an even stronger sense of progression feedback. After all, in single-player games, a save file was just a save file.

In online games, the character made you feel like it was your personal property, adding a layer of immersion on a psychological level.

However, amidst this immersion, experience, and rising levels, a crucial element of World of Warcraft's content was also revealed to the players.

…………

In the Hillsbrad Foothills, Song Ren and Zhang Yi had also logged on together. Their progress wasn't fast, but not too slow either, and they had all reached level 30.

They had even created a small guild, as social interaction was a rather important part of an MMORPG. Of course, while it was called a guild, it was actually just a casual hangout spot. Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and their five companions were among the highest-leveled members, with the rest mostly in the 25-28 range.

Next, they planned to clear the quests in Southshore and then try the Scarlet Monastery dungeon. From online information, the top-tier players had already started tackling Scarlet Monastery.

However, they hadn't fully cleared it yet, because Scarlet Monastery wasn't like the previous Deadmines or Stormwind Stockade. It was a large area divided into several phases.

The real reason Song Ren was envious was that this dungeon dropped a warrior gear set. The first time they ran Deadmines, Mr. VanCleef's three transformations and the final BOSS Edwin VanCleef with his three black-clad henchmen had left them with painful memories of early progression.

Another crucial point was that the gear dropped was too low-leveled.

But Scarlet Monastery was different; the Scarlet Crusader Set it dropped was a mail armor set, practically tailor-made for his warrior class! With a powerful weapon, he could switch from tank to berserker in no time!

The only regrettable thing was that his loot rights had been mercilessly revoked.

“Sigh,” Song Ren sighed repeatedly while questing.

Just then, the guild chat channel suddenly exploded with messages.

“Any bros available to help? I got killed by five Horde players while questing, and those guys are corpse camping me!”

“What?! Where? What level?”

“The Yeti Cave north of Southshore, better bring more people, they're a five-man team, all level 28.”

One of their own was being corpse-camped by the Horde?

Song Ren stared at the message box,愣ed for a moment, then it clicked. These past two days, he'd been focused on grinding dungeons, killing monsters, and leveling up. Although he'd encountered some Horde players along the way, despite being red-named, there hadn't been any conflict between them. It had made him almost forget that the Horde and Alliance were sworn enemies in World of Warcraft.

And a guild member had been taken down by the Horde?

Song Ren remembered the player who sent the distress signal. The player had joined the guild through Old Zhang’s introduction, a Dwarf Hunter who had been 'poisoned' by the promotional CG, and after joining the guild, tirelessly kept casting 'Beast Lore' on transformed Druids.

“Everyone level 20 or higher, gather at Menethil Harbor first, then come to Hillsbrad Foothills. Warlocks who are far away, open a portal and summon people. Let's go screw those Orcs!” Song Ren saw the indignant messages from other guild members and issued a rallying cry himself.

Compared to his previous life, Chen Xu had made some trade-offs in PvP balance, ensuring that level suppression wasn't as severe.

No sooner had Song Ren finished rallying the troops than Zhang Yi and his companions logged on. Hearing Song Ren's words, they looked surprised: “Old Song, are we going to cause trouble?”

“Not trouble, we're going to rescue someone.” Song Ren explained, simultaneously posting the relevant coordinates in the guild channel.

Most people hadn't experienced PvP yet; some players hadn't even seen what Horde players looked like in the game. Combined with this being a rescue mission for a guild member, many enthusiastically rushed to gather. Some even brought their friends who weren't in Song Ren's guild.

They gathered about twenty people.

Once assembled, everyone immediately rushed towards the location where the little Hunter had been corpse-camped.

More than twenty players, ranging from level 30 down to level 20, with two-thirds of them from Song Ren's guild, this unique combination immediately attracted the attention of many players.

“Holy crap, bros, what are you guys doing?”

“Yeah, are you going to a dungeon? But you have too many people, right?”

“Guild team-building?”

Some Alliance players questing nearby asked curiously.

“No, our guild member was killed and corpse-camped by the Horde in the Yeti Cave. We're going to rescue him now,” someone from the group replied.

As soon as this was said, it immediately got some of the nearby players excited.

“Fighting the Horde? That sounds fun! Can you take me with you, bro?”

“Count me in, count me in! I was ambushed and killed by a Horde player while leveling in the wilderness before!”

“Screw those Orcs!”

Hearing that they were going after the Horde, many Alliance players in the vicinity immediately got fired up. Many players who were questing nearby had encountered the Horde before and even been killed, though not corpse-camped.

Although there wasn't much death penalty if they didn't choose a weakened resurrection, the key was that it felt awful!

So, seeing this scene, players who had previously clashed with Horde players also followed along. A large crowd could vent their anger, and they had a legitimate reason, which was perfect.

Besides, they could also level up around the Yeti Cave.

Song Ren had no objections to these players joining the team mid-way. After all, they had their own legs, and it was a good thing; they were all from the same faction.

All that remained was one thing: Screw those Orcs!

(End of Chapter) <>