The Daily Grind: What does WoW do better than any other MMO?

by Akela Talamasca Apr 24th 2008 at 8:00AM

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind

We try very hard not to be partisan here at Massively. In our efforts to bring you the latest news and features for the entirety of the world of MMO gaming, we can't afford to show favoritism for one title over another; we love all of our virtual children equally! Having said that, then, we'd say that the majority of our writers have spent a good deal of time in World of Warcraft. Some still play, others have moved on -- some have moved on and come back.

This blogger in particular has spent no longer than a month's running time in WoW before quitting, only to return for another month after some time has passed; repeat recidivism ad nauseam. After researching and playing numerous other MMOs, and still not finding that one "home" game, WoW is always there, solid and reliable. But what is it exactly that draws one back after an absence? Or causes one to keep a running account there even when not actively playing? What does WoW do better than any other MMO?

(And if at all possible, please, let's keep this from turning into a reason to bash other MMOs, okay?)

Tags: ad-nauseam, game-mechanics, recidivism, tdg, the-daily-grind, world-of-warcraft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ghen said on 8:05AM 4-24-2008

All other MMOs sukc !!!!11oneeleven!

I think its the quests and solid feel to the game. I've yet to see a game that has meaningful quests like the ghostlands that is still a top tier MMO in terms of gameplay and presentation.

pufonthis said on 8:18AM 4-24-2008

What does WoW do better than any other MMO:

Get subscribers.

armedbushido said on 8:34AM 4-24-2008

Mostly I think it is just because WoW was the first MMO for the majority of players. I am not a WoW fan; however, up until LOTRO came along it was the most soild. WoW should what you can do if you polish polish polish. With that said as far as games go I feel LOTRO is the better MMO. Really if you boil it down WoW is not an MMO but the next evolution of the action RPG.

/2 cents

Scopique said on 8:36AM 4-24-2008

My frist reaction was to say, "suck", since that's not bashing OTHER MMOs, but I will say that the ability to move players from the starting areas to other points in the world, almost as is by conveyer belt, is quite impressive. A lot of MMOs don't really have the structure that pushes players out of a zone, leaving them milling about and asking where to go for levels xx-yy.

I also like the world design of WoW. The environment is very well done, and adds to the atmosphere in a positive way.

pufonthis said on 8:46AM 4-24-2008

OK serious post now.

1) Content, content and more content. On top of that some more content. Sure some of the older MMOs have gobs of places to go as well, but none of them have the level of quality in the content, they just have the quantity.

2) Some of the best writers. The rich lore permeates everything in the wolrd. Great quests.

3) Details.. oh my, the details.

4) A working crafting system. A working economy. A working auction house.

5) A full end game. Hit 70 and you are just beginning.

6) And in my opinion some of the best dungeons ever. The first time I went to Blackrock Mountain I was speechless. We spent what must have been 5 hours exploring that place and we felt we hadn't seen nearly all of it. Even on the 30th trip there it still blew me away with it's design. To this day it stands as a pinnacle of level design in my eyes.

It's unfortunate that so many newer players won't be experiencing the old world dungeons like we used to, because in my opinion they are some of the best ever in any game. Scholomance, Stratholme, Dire Maul, Maraudon, even the lowly Deadmines and Scarlet Monastery. These are some of the best instances we will see in a long time. Yes, we were forced to play them waaay too much at that time in WoW and so their memory will probably be lessened to many players. But remember the first time you went to any of these places, or the first time you completed any of them? It was a great experience.

Coherent said on 7:09PM 4-24-2008

Pufonthis pretty much sums it up:

Content champions in both quantity and quality;

Writing and Lore, some of the best in the business;

Crafting and the economy - getting better all the time;

Full Endgame - I think this is the big one. Like he says, hit level 70 and you're just beginning.

Best Dungeons - this kind of goes under content, but you have to admit, some of their dungeons approach greatness and are certainly astounding to behold.

To this list I would add:

Interesting, challenging, and entertaining fights. WHO didn't laugh when they first saw Millhouse Manastorm step out of the Arcatraz cell? Or shiver when they first saw Ragnaros explode from the molten depths in his Lair? Or curse in frustration when they _don't_quite_ make it to the bookcases in the Karazhan library in time?

Thrush said on 8:59AM 4-24-2008

Mac client and low system requirements.

SurfPenguin said on 9:14AM 4-24-2008

In terms of gameplay and mechanincs WoW is the equivalent of a cheeseburger prepared by a gourmet chef: Nothing original, but the contents and preperation are first rate. What makes the difference is that while World of Warcraft is a gourmet burger, you can get it for the same price as all those greasy McBurgers that have been sittinbg under aheatlamp for six hours...

Slogo said on 9:50AM 4-24-2008

1) Polish.
2) Usability.
3) Constant direction.
4) Level and Character Design.

WoW provides a solid bug free experience to gamers that directs them purposefully from one area to the next constantly giving the players rewards and direction. The Characters and locales are memorable and provide a varied backdrop of graphics to keep the player constantly experiencing new things. On top of that the UI is very well designed and allows for new players to quickly get acclimated with the game world. The polish put into all the quests, locations, and characters to create an easy to use and memorable progression of quests that seem to tell a story (even if you don't read the quest text) do a great job at encouraging the player to continue on.

As the player advances the dungeon experience (and later raid) takes over and Blizzard's top notch dungeon design keeps things interesting once again and each dungeon provides at least one memorable encounter or moment for the player to enjoy. While they aren't always on the ball in dungeon gameplay (looking at you BRD and MC) generally they get it right to create a fine tuned experience.

Really it comes down to a highly motivated team willing to only send something out if it's a completely polished and enjoyable experience. While I don't enjoy WoW particularly much as an MMO (I like MMOs with more interesting class choices and a PvP focus) it provides a level of quality that is hard to deny.

Chanticrow said on 10:00AM 4-24-2008

During my WoW lifetime I tried LotRO, EVE, and CoH. I always return to WoW. There really is a finished feel to WoW that the other games just don't have.

The WoW interface...clicking on objects and buttons, dealing with the menus and boxes, character interaction, and moving around the world...is smooth and untroublesome. When playing the other MMOs I feel like I'm playing older, less polished games.

Playing Wow creates very little frustration from interface or content, and it's easier for new players to learn than the other games (as I've learned from teaching these games to my girlfriend). It's simply cleaner on the interface and interactions, and provides a better playing experience overall.

Slogo said on 10:08AM 4-24-2008

Part of that might be because you are :P Except in the case of LotRO. But it's still a valid point.

GRT said on 10:57AM 4-24-2008

Stripper night elf dances, of course!

OK seriously..

As others have said, polish. WoW was in F&F Alpha for a long time, then in beta for a long time, and when it finally launched it was in good shape and made a good impression, compared to other launches of the times. And since then Blizzard has continued to buff out any blemishes or rough points.

Second, pacing. As you level up, you tend to spend just enough time in each zone to fully explore it, without getting bored of it. There's always something new to see on the road from level 1 to cap.

Third, "public" quest events, like that quest (sorry, it's been a while since I played) when you march into Stormwind with an NPC and all the guards kneel down. Newer players see stuff like that and can't wait to get to participate. Or the various quests you do where a guard will shout out a message praising you. Little details like that are awfully fun.

Great seasonal events. I've been known to re-subscribe just to participate in a holiday event.

Back when I was playing, "open world" PvP was incredible fun, but I'm not sure if that's been more or less killed off or not. You didn't "earn" much from it, but no one cared because it was just *fun* to do. I guess now its all arenas and stuff.

Oh, and did I mention polish?

GRT said on 10:59AM 4-24-2008

Oh, 1 more I forgot... customizable UI. Using mods to make the game play the that way makes sense to YOU is an incredible benefit, IMO. It makes playing very 'comfortable.' If you struggle with some aspect of the UI, get a mod and change it, simple as that.

Hollywood Ron said on 12:17PM 4-24-2008

That would be Onyxia.

Colin Brennan said on 12:27PM 4-24-2008

Marshal Windsor's Questline, is what you're thinking of.

Bless than man's virtual soul.

Drisper said on 12:59PM 4-24-2008

I too have tried all the other games, and I always end up returning to WOW. I think it boils down to the simple rewards.

Do you remember the thrill you got when your first green item dropped? None of the other games seem to have created a similair level of excitement when it comes to drops. Rewards in other games are something my character can't use or wouldn't use, or is such a small upgrade that you and kind of "ho hum" about it.

Now days in WOW we are looking to see what purple will drop off the raid boss you just killed....the thrill is still there.

Rich said on 11:35AM 4-24-2008

What does WoW do better than other MMO's? Simple...

1) Its stupid to learn to play and level
2) It doesn't punish the players for failing (ie minor death penalty)
3) Low system requirements. It doesn't need the newest system out to play on.
4) The constant stick/carrot of quest/reward is subtle enough to string players along.
5) and most importantly, it created this air of comfort and familiarity that makes alot of the player base comfortable so when new games come out the games feel like cheap imitations of wow. This leads to people coming back.

WoW for me is like a bad relationship. As much as I want to leave and never come back, I keep coming back. Mostly cause nothing out there is good or sparks my interest.