Final Thoughts

Well, this is going to be the last blog about WOW. My time is up. Song is over. Thought I'd something more to say.

Alright, Pink Floyd references aside, there are some things I've wanted to talk about. This seems perhaps awkward for a last post, but some of them refer generally to the greater purpose of the game, so I suppose that may actually be a good way to end things.

I recently saw this trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFTWDJ25zdc
It was the second time I had seen it. The first was when I was thirteen, before the game was even released. After having actually played the game and gotten some perspective on it, I have one comment. There is remarkably little boar killing in that video. That video only shows action-packed violence and battle, not the extremely mundane, albeit aesthetically pleasing world I encountered. The shocking absence of war in world of warcraft has not slipped by me, and I have been wondering what might have been a better game.

I read an article about games being used as art, and in it the author described a game which came out in the 80's which was a simulation of the cold war. You can play as either the U.S. or the soviet union, and the game is made up of either invading or supporting smaller countries. The author of this article said that that game was art because playing actually challenged the players world view and assumptions about war.

All of this got me thinking.

What if World of Warcraft was not a simulation of fantasy life, but a simulation of fantasy war? What if your character could register with a commanding officer and be assigned to a squad and be sent on missions overseas? What if the horde could actually invade and potentially take over Alliance cities? What if there were periods of living under a tyrannical regime until other Alliance cities came to your rescue? Imagine if you could abscond and work as a spy for the other side? Imagine if such a game painted a striking and at times poignant image of war and the common man's place in it.

Obviously blizzard would need to find ways to keep things balanced. They would have to make sure that one side couldn't just over run the other and devastate all the n00bs. Another criticism of this idea could be that there are many people who actually like the grind and don't want the game to just be about war and fighting. Well, there are ways to accommodate both sides, while still giving players incentive to put themselves on the line. There are many aspects of WOW which aim for realism. Your equipment wears out over time, rest makes you feel better, etc. However, I think if they are doing this, they should go all the way. I think it would be cool if your character could starve to death, or die of exposure? Its fun to make money by crafting items and selling them, but what if I would die if I didn't? Not only would this be an interesting economy simulator and add extra tension and stakes to an occasionally boring game, but if the army paid well and provided meals that would make players want to go to war. They would have to decide if the money and food was worth all the fighting, much like many U.S. have to do for college. The whole idea fascinates me, and sounds much more fun that the game I am currently playing.


Its actually been a lot of fun playing and blogging. Peace!