Yes, another update. This one is on a different topic.
I have played hundreds of games. I've been playing computer games almost all of my life. But I tend to judge games before playing them, which results in me missing many great games I would have enjoyed.
WoW is a game I prejudged, and after playing it I want to say both what is better about it vs. Lineage, and what is worse.
+ WoW uses a preset enemy system. You are either Alliance, or Horde. While some may say this is bad, that if people on the same side may be jerks and deserve to be fought. But the major bonus with it is the servers don't end up like Dep. The concept of "your with us or against us" can't form, so players are never really forced to quit from constant attacks.
+ WoW has an Instance system. Instances are pre made dungeons that a party may enter where other players can't follow. For example, a separate FI for every group with a guaranteed Mino Boss. This is an amazing concept and it should be in every game. It cuts out the competition over bosses, prevents pointless fights, and overall provides a more fun experience.
+ WoW has a massive world. Two continents with sprawling zones leaves space for even thousands of players to have a generally unspoiled hunting area.
+ WoW has more server types. There are total pvp servers, much like dep, but also pve servers where you can't be attacked unless you are "flagged" (pink). Basically it is like Ken except you can fight if you want to, which makes playing a much more enjoyable experience allowing players to do what they feel like without ever making a life time decision.
+ WoW GM's have more power. They can restore items and solve problems with you right then and there. A player doesn't get the "email support" run around.
+ and - WoW uses a different PvP loss system. You don't drop items in WoW, you don't lose exp. This means you can pvp without the great risk Lineage has, but it also means the rewards and sense of accomplishment/revenge are less. This simply put, is hardcore vs casual.
+ and - WoW factions can't speak to each other. This is good in that you don't have to deal with the verbal attacks from enemies, but bad because the good people on the other faction are cut off too.
+ and - WoW has a extensive quest system with hundreds upon hundreds of quests for all classes. While this may help keep the game from getting boring, many of the quests are gather or hunt quests, that simply mask grinding from what it really is. Also the exp system compensates for the exp gained from quests by lowering the exp given from mops, which means people who enjoy grinding won't find it as effective.
- WoW items use a Soulbound system. This means that once you equip an item, or receive an item from a quest, it is locked to your character forever. You can take it off and store it in the bank, but you can't sell it to another player. This means that if you don't like the character you made or want to try something new, you can't sell your hard earned items for the price they are worth which means making a new character is harder.
- WoW's alliance/horde system requires you to be on the same side as your friends to play together effectively.
- WoW has overcrowding resulting in que's to join the servers.
- WoW has so many servers that if several go down, the amount of people trying to log back in crashes the log in server, shutting down game play for everyone for several hours.
- WoW has a decently low level cap. It can only take 4-5 days to reach level 60 (max level) in WoW. This lowers the sense of accomplishment you get in Lineage upon hitting high levels, and takes away the aspect in PvP that you can out level and get stronger then your enemies through hard work and not just luck.
Basically, WoW is easier. This means it can be much more fun, but also not as appealing to hardcore gamers. Personally, I prefer the challenge of Lineage over WoW, but with the constant wars and bickering, the stress over bosses and charms, and the horrible uselessness of NC... WoW becomes more appealing every day.
And thus ends my rant.
-Kevin | 
