Chapter 648: The One-of-a-Kind World of Warcraft (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

With the launch of World of Warcraft, players became immersed in the vivid world of Azeroth.

Most players' levels had basically reached the 35-tier. As for the first batch of players like Song Ren and his friends, their main levels had already reached over 40.

The Scarlet Cathedral had stumped them for a whole day, and they only managed to push through after grinding their levels to 40.

After a few days of playtime, most players had a good understanding of the game's mechanics. Various class guides, as well as dungeon guides, had also appeared.

The most popular class was the Mage, followed by the Warrior.

Although it felt quite arduous, influenced by Warcraft, the Warrior class still held a high status in players' hearts.

Additionally, melee combat felt very impactful when fighting monsters, which indirectly enhanced the appeal of melee classes.

A continuous stream of new players constantly poured into the vast world of Azeroth, joining either the Alliance or the Horde.

Many players were even directly captivated by World of Warcraft, resolving to purchase the latest Huanyu VR equipment.

On Nebula Games' official forum, hot posts about World of Warcraft were endless.

They all chronicled their experiences and observations in Azeroth over the past few days.

“Haha, I finally got a full set of Scarlet Crusader Set! Combined with the Whirlwind Axe I just got, I feel invincible!”

“But World of Warcraft has so many dungeons, and so many quests in each area.”

“Exactly, I wonder which way is faster for leveling.”

“I feel like grinding monsters, doing dungeons, or doing quests, the leveling speed is all similar. But I still prefer doing dungeons to farm gear.”

“+1, it feels like there are quests everywhere I go.”

“I still prefer gear.”

………………

Players discussed animatedly; different players, it can be said, each had their favorite way to play, able to feel the charm of World of Warcraft.

Players who liked PVP could enable the PVP flag in the wilderness, or enter the arena and battlegrounds to fight against players from the Horde or Alliance.

Players who enjoyed the story could explore the world, understanding Azeroth's tales through countless quests.

Of course, there were also gear-driven players, who found their greatest joy in repeatedly clearing dungeons and looting corpses.

Similarly, there were players who enjoyed free-form gathering professions: the Fishermen by the river, the Miners in the caves, and the Engineering and Blacksmithing professions, which only non-wealthy players could truly master.

Compared to other games, World of Warcraft possessed many appealing aspects in different areas.

Players had a multitude of choices; from level zero to max level, there might be one most efficient path.

But it was by no means the only path. Different maps and different methods could all lead players to max level.

It sounds simple, but few MMORPGs, and even most single-player games, have truly achieved this.

Most MMORPGs would have players reach a certain level, and the system would then prompt them that the next main quest could only be unlocked at a higher level.

The main questline in these games often wouldn't get players directly to that target level, usually falling short by one or two levels.

So, to reach that level, players would have to do side quests and engage in supplementary gameplay, such as running dungeons.

The biggest advantage of this design was its ease of control.

Because players had to strictly follow the game path prescribed by the designers.

When to do quests, when to run dungeons, when to grind monsters, and even when to upgrade gear and skills.

All of this was a meticulously planned script.

Players were like puppets on strings in the hands of quest designers and planners.

Why do it this way?

Because it allows for better control over the player's pace in the game, and ensures that players experience every setting the game offers.

But in reality, most of that content was unnecessary for players.

World of Warcraft, however, truly succeeded in creating a vast world.

Much like strong lore-driven open-world games such as The Witcher: Wild Hunt.

Various content was scattered throughout every corner of the game.

Players could discover it, but the game wouldn't force them to engage. Regardless of whether you completed quests, explored, or ran dungeons, the content was there in the game.

And this content wasn't just created for the sake of it; it was designed to complement the world of Azeroth, making the continent richer and more vibrant.

Allowing players to understand Azeroth—this was what made World of Warcraft truly unique.

For these very reasons, leveling up in the early days of World of Warcraft was quite challenging.

Especially after level 40, it took a considerably longer time.

During this period, some purple-tier gear became artifacts yearned for by countless players.

The Blazing Battle Axe, Ice Scale Armor, Headcleaver Kael'thas, Jordan's Staff, Kro's Blade... it could be said that if a player had one of these artifacts, they would definitely be the coolest kid walking around.

Of course, they would also be the fastest to die on the battlefield.

…………

“Oh, you guys are a bit slow! When can you afford mounts?”

In the wilderness, Wang Han rode her horse, cheerfully watching Song Ren, Zhang Yi, Joey, and Wang Yifan.

Even though it was just a basic horse, accumulating 100 Gold was not something an average player could easily achieve, unless they sold game time cards.

Especially for Song Ren, a Warrior who had learned Blacksmithing and Engineering, his life was even harder than most.

“Alright, alright, we know Sister Han has a mount! Too bad Sister Han is still just a mascot,” Joey chimed in.

“Low damage.”

“Bad healing.”

“And can't tank!”

Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and Wang Yifan also complained one after another.

Wang Han didn't care at all, looking at the pony under her butt with a happy expression.

Anyway, her horse didn't cost her anything, so being at the bottom was fine!

Watching Wang Han's mount, despite their complaints, Song Ren and the others were still very envious.

Song Ren and the others showed envious expressions.

It must be said, getting a horse early on.

Aside from selling game time cards to get gold, or being a Paladin, a class that could get a horse through quests.

Other players, unless they pooled their money.

Or focused solely on making money, it was very difficult to gather 100 Gold.

The main reason was that World of Warcraft's economic system was incredibly well-developed.

Unlike the previous life where script studios existed.

Huanyu VR and Nebula Games' technology effectively eliminated such situations. There were only manual gold farming studios or players specializing in gathering professions.

Compared to other games, World of Warcraft's gathering professions were incredibly important, influencing not only combat but also the server's economy.

In the game, players could choose secondary professions, and their skills could bring commercial gains.

Moreover, the improvement of these life skills and the items they produced greatly aided players' combat power.

For example, if a Warrior fought a Mage without items and potions, their win rate would be 2:8. With items and potions, the win rate could be narrowed to 3:7.

And players who learned gathering professions naturally needed materials to craft things.

So, the number of high-level gathering profession players would directly impact the price of materials and crafted items.

PVP, PVE, casual gathering professions and commerce, combined with its inherently vast worldview, allowed World of Warcraft to create an extremely vibrant world of Azeroth.

It could be said that all these elements combined made World of Warcraft a truly unique existence.

(End of Chapter) <>