Little did I know, as I leant over my brother’s shoulder a couple of years ago, that my curiosity would lead me to a deep immersion in the strange, virtual world of Azeroth (created by Blizzard’s World of Warcraft).
Over the years, my brother has introduced me to a number of fantasy games and had often shown off the wonders of his latest favourite. This one, more than all the others, drew me in with its rich colors, enticing landscapes, strange characters and different levels of discovery. I soon graduated from looking over his (and his wife and daughter’s) shoulder (and interrupting them with questions) to occasionally getting the chance to play a couple of toons of my own (a night elf hunter and druid). I loved it. The joy of exploring new landscapes, of gaining skills and levels, of solving puzzles left me thirsting for more. These first glimpses and occasional short forays into the elfin forests of Teldrassil were my first introduction to the fascinating, wonderful, ambiguous and sometimes frustrating, world of Azeroth. (more…)
