I played WoW when it was in beta, and at release. Back then, I played a Mage to L51 before the incessant ganking on the PvP server became completely intolerable. About two months ago, I started playing again, this time on a “normal” server, and as an Undead Rogue. This time I reached L59 before reaching a stumbling point...
The problem lies in the fact that the “endgame” content of WoW is equipment driven. You stop needing xp to level up, and you start needing to get the best armor, weapons, etc. in order to improve. The only way to get this gear is to go into dungeons and loot it. In order to survive these dungeons, you have to be in a group. And therein lies the problem.
Despite the fact that WoW is an MMORPG, I've come to realize that I basically don't want to deal with other people. This is true in pretty much all games. In BF2, for example, I didn't want to be in a squad running around with a bunch of incompetents. I can do more on my own. Same thing in WoW. But, if you want to do endgame instances, it's not an option. You need a group.
Even if everyone playing WoW was a sharp, intelligent adult, with a great head for the game, this would still be a problem. See, a group is, at least, five people. And if you lose even one, you're pretty screwed. So, this basically makes you five times more vulnerable to crashes, network connectivity, previous engagements, etc. That, alone, is almost too much headache for me to tolerate. But it's not the worst of it...
What makes it totally intolerable, is that WoW is basically MySpace. Every MySpace account has the thing on the right side, full of insipid comments from the user's “friends.”
just sayin hi hun kisses
sup skeez???/ we still goin to th gym?
lol look at this pic calvin from calvin an hobs!
That's exactly what general chat looks like in any capital city.
/me loves Deathninjor!
lol sup Blakhart?
lol not much d00d u want UBRS?
lol yeh let me just vend lol
Put simply, the game becomes a MySpace social network. If you want to get groups with people who are at all good, you have to spend hours buffing people's knobs in general chat, making pals, etc. etc. I don't want to be friends with these people. At all.
So, my account is now cancelled. Maybe when the new expansion comes out, I'll start a new character. I certainly hope not...