I have often been amazed at what a dedicated WOW player …. no let’s be honest what I will do …. to gain a 10 point achievement. A little over a year ago, my intrepid hunter almost gave up on her mad attempt to get through Corin’s Crossing, after dying for the fourth or fifth time with hardly any forward movement to show. In her mid-40s, Eastern Plaguelands was a major challenge to her determination to complete Trick and Treats of Eastern Kingdoms. She had already braved the Timbermaw tunnel for the equivalent achievement for Kalimdor but this was taking it to another level again.
When, in mid-2008, Blizzard announced that they were introducing achievements, many players speculated about what rewards, upgrades or advantages these would bring. After all, we werealready primed to grind or farm for higher levels, for gear upgrades and enhancements or for much coveted gold. For the most part achievements have brought ephemeral, less tangible rewards – a flash of light, a distinctive sound and visible announcement of achievement to player, guild and nearby players; a probable “gratz “ (shorthand for congratulations) from fellow guildies and a warm feeling of accomplishment. (more…)
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.