This would normally be where I start off introducing myself and saying how this is my first blog post...skipping that. You don't need to know my name nor where I'm from. What you should know is that I have played WoW for 3 years...the information I relay or discuss is 90% first-hand, the rest is research or discussions with friends.
I came to a realization today...the World (of Warcraft) is no longer the same game it was not even a year ago. Back when I first played the game, it wasn't about reaching 60, it was about enjoying the ride there. There were a few people who skipped and the such, but for those who took their time, it would take months to reach 60, sometimes a year. It took me approximately 4 months on my first character, my Discipline priest (back then it wasn't PvP-esque).
During the time I leveled him I had tons of moments, a lot of experiences that I still can recall even today, despite first hitting 60 in June of '06. The path to 60 was amazing. After 60, it was okay, but it wasn't the same. With BC out people had fun leveling again, it was like being level 20 again, trying to get through the Barrens quests with a bunch of friends.
But now the game is different. Everyone is rushing to 70, buying powerleveling services, gold, honor, arena points. There are so few lowbies, and most of them are either new players with very little knowledge of how the game works, or alts of experienced players who refuse to group, getting runs from guildies or buying them. It's a hard time for lowbies who need to know the game, but lack the ability to group with people and learn through experience.
Even before the PvP side of the game took over, there were level 70s who didn't know how to Freeze Trap, or played a Warlock with full Whale/+heal gear, or trying to tank as Fury and popping Death Wish on bosses. But now it's just horrible. Very few people do PvE instances, and even fewer search outside their own guilds for players, because it's not easy to find "good enough" players.
The game is no longer friendly. The game no longer binds people together. Even within guilds arguments come and go like daily rituals, and events such as guild bank robberies are common play, more so in larger servers.
What happened to the game?
Over the next week I will be calling upon all of my wisdom and memory to help answer this question. Everything from PvP to the "Uber Nub".
