World of Warcraft: The Good, Bad, and Ogrely

World of Warcraft is well known for its popularity, as well as its infamy, as a giant among massive multiplayer online games (currently leading all its pay-to-play peers with 7,400,000 subscribers). For eight years of my life - from sixth grade until my first year of college - WoW was my favored game to play, producing profound and lasting effects on who I am.

Recently, I started looking more critically at the way video games can be overwhelming for some, and offer opportunities for the exploitation of players. While I personally found my playtime easier to control as I matured and developed stable relationships... the game’s combination of immersion, challenge, and community has highly addictive potential for rivaling reality, which can be contrastingly blunt, dreary, and lonely. As for exploitation, I am not referring to cheating in gameplay but mercilessly using social interaction to take advantage of other humans… which does occur, though I fortunately never saw this at its worst.

With the health of human hearts and wills specifically in mind, I’d like to write my own review on World of Warcraft. Where so many other voices have demonized the game as a whole from very limited research, in effect drowning out discussion and losing the attention of the gamers impacted, I instead hope to honestly identify from my own experiences which parts of the game are good, bad, or potentially anywhere in-between.

Lastly, though the focus of this post is only one MMO of many, I believe it concerns themes relevant to all other games too… which should be insightful for gamers and their parents, as well as designers in the gaming industry.

The Good

Can we start out by talking about the good aspects? Good things are good. Good feedback is helpful for knowing what to keep prioritizing and pursuing. A video game can be secular, yet still carry goodness from the creativity passed on from its creator’s Creator.

Balance is Encouraged

"Bring your friends to Azeroth, but don't forget to go outside Azeroth with them as well."

Thanks for the tip, Blizzard.

I know, I know… the image above is only one sample of a much larger random selection, that a player may or may not read when their game loads to login or enter a new area. Well, two actually, if you count the other tip which reads, “Remember to take all things in moderation (even World of Warcraft!)”. They’re nice touches, though; an encouragement not all players will heed, but one which Blizzard (the developer behind World of Warcraft and other titles) did not need to include and did not directly benefit from, yet kept for their players anyway.

There’s more-- while many ex-WoW players and concerned parents will characterize Blizzard as a soulless corporation dedicated to keeping players glued to their screens, there are practical examples of their design motivating a healthy pacing for gameplay.

One is called rested experience. When you log out or leave your character at the non-combat zone of an inn (or both), your character gains a temporary bonus to the speed at which they earn experience points toward levels. This offsets the intense pressure to catch up with friends and content at the maximum level, and gives a reward for players as they take short breaks or limit their gaming to certain days of the week (the bonus can actually build up to 10 days of being offline). It can also serve as a helpful marker of time, since you are notified when you use up the rested bonus you had accumulated.

Of course, this mechanic doesn’t apply once you reach that maximum level. Still, endgame progress in WoW is limited in several ways… mainly to level the playing field between hardcore and casual gamers, but with the helpful effect of motivating moderation, too. Some quests can only be completed once per day, and the hardest bosses you face can only be defeated once a week. That isn’t to deny that there are many remaining avenues of gameplay for improving your character or merely entertaining yourself… but it is nonetheless fortunate that the main path toward progress is not entirely an unreachable carrot-on-a-stick, but contains attainable goals with defined parameters.

Lastly, Blizzard offers tools for regulating playing time through the account management page of WoW’s website. The expressed purpose for this feature is to give parents control over their child’s gaming, but it can also be applied upon oneself (even for adults) as a cautionary measure. These tools are very flexible, allowing you to set a playing schedule to keep WoW within specific days or times of the week, and/or with a maximum daily or weekly limit on hours spent gaming. If this, even with its customization, sounds like an extreme restriction... there is also the option to have a weekly report of your time in WoW delivered in an email. All of these tools have potential for curbing excessive playing, setting goals toward better time management, and developing accountability with a parent or spouse.

On the other hand, even the thought of the game can still prove addictive in a way which distracts from real life priorities. For those cases where a personality or situation gets a player dangerously hooked, I do think that a full break or else quitting from the game are the healthiest measures.

The Mind is Stimulated

As you can see here, the vocabulary ranges from medical terminology to theological concepts.

World of Warcraft is educational.

Does that sound so odd? I’m not saying it fits into the genre of being marketed as a learning game, where correct grammar and long division would allow you to dodge arrows. I simply mean that it is, in effect, capable of expanding the mind of the one who plays it.

I’ve learned a lot of new words and uses for words through playing WoW. Since it’s a relatively old game, vivid vocabulary (as opposed to voice acting or cinematic effect) plays an important role for giving its universe coherent structure and immersive detail. World of Warcraft’s writing team has done a wonderful job to this end.

When you take on a quest, there is a text description (usually from a non-player character speaking to you) which establishes their personality and the story… let’s say, for why they need you to thin the local boar population. Next, those boar will have a distinct name like “mangy boar” or “mottled boar”, to differentiate them from the lower level “juvenile boar” and “docile boar”. You will be exposed to diverse diction even more, as you hunt these creatures using uniquely named attacks-- which in their immediate context are only describing violence, but can carry alternative and figurative meanings universally useful for reading and writing. Even those words which are obscure and outdated will still serve the purpose of activating the parts of the brain involved in language. This can be quite valuable for players who lack a natural inclination for literature, and can therefore benefit from a taste of advanced English reinforced through a game, if that is their initial interest.

Next to English, the universe of WoW can also produce a hunger for history, with its rich backstory from three previous games, eclectic array of fantasy cultures, and the political conflicts between them in the game’s continuous story. Again, I am not saying memorization of Azerothian history will ever directly aid a player in academics. Knowing the date when the orcs founded their capital of Orgrimmar is one thing… but how about understanding that their enemies’ efforts to subdue and punish them for the past war led to a renewed conflict plus an extremist regime rising to power? The former is obviously fun fact; the latter is a theme we see in real world history, with the harsh penalties upon Germany after the first world war leading to Hitler’s popularity and aggression in the second.

Beyond these major lessons of language and history, math plays minor a role because the strengths of a character are measured in “stats”, or numerical values which can have multiple interacting effects on a player’s probabilities in combat. By determining whether faster attacks overall or a higher chance of critical strikes would be more favorable for the fighting style of your character, you are actually practicing knowledge of basic mathematics. Science is also subtly featured, mostly in a fantastically embellished light through quirky gizmos… but with certain authentic concepts of biology, geology, and physics guiding the quests, many of which involve protection of the environment.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly of all, World of Warcraft teaches its players to pursue long-term goals. Granted, it is an entertaining video game, so most of the game’s content will be rewarding and action-packed… yet it takes longer and longer to reach the next level on your journey from 1 to (originally 60 but now) 100, and still more goals await after that. For young players in particular, this achievement could convince them of their competence and practice their patience, which can then be applied to tackling other challenges.

World of Warcraft, while certainly not a primary teacher for all the wisdom to be found in experiencing life, can still serve the purpose of engaging players in English, history, math, science, and long-term commitment.

Community is Fostered

The screenshot above is a ghost town as it was designed in the game; it’s being filled up solely by players gathered for an in-game social event.

This would have to be my favorite part of World of Warcraft. Leveling a character was a familiar task to me; I had already reached the pinnacle of virtual power in single-player games. In WoW, however, my character’s growing capabilities meant something greater than my own fulfillment..

Let me be clear: reality is not World of Warcraft, virtual characters are not real people, and social interaction carries far more potential face-to-face than online…

...and yet, WoW is a cherished hobby to many, there are human hearts behind the characters, and even a simulated experience slaying monsters can develop genuine camaraderie.

Friendships within the game may lead to civil discussion of matters outside it, allowing for an excellent opportunity to learn from their perspective and share your own. Though, even when interactions remain focused on the realm of WoW, encouraging others in a way which actively demonstrates your values can be as simple as answering their question in a chat channel, or helping them to defeat a difficult monster. Reaching a higher level, then, means you can meet more of your fellow players and be a better help to them.

This meant a lot to me personally because when I was in high school, many of my peers viewed me as a nerd, and those friendships I did find lacked depth. In contrast, World of Warcraft contained a community centered around gaming, and I quickly bonded with those players I fought alongside.

In addition to counting my fellow adventurers as closer companions, they were far more diverse. In the guilds I joined, the majority of players were college-aged, with several middle-aged parents of teens as well. This rounded out and matured me in a way I would not have found at school, where my friends were more like carbon-copies of myself in a clique-based system.

Was this situation ideal? No, it was not. Could it have resulted in negative consequences? I’m certain it could have, and I’m grateful it generally didn’t. That said, I think it was better for my confidence and social development that I had these friendships. Perhaps it was even best that I tasted relationships through this imperfect medium-- I was fed enough to continually crave community, but never satisfied fully to keep me from recognizing true belonging in a church family.

World of Warcraft offers opportunities beyond idle entertainment and selfish achievement; you can play the game to understand and help other people.

The Bad

Allow me to be clear again: if you are concerned - for your child or for yourself - by a video game which contains “Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence”1, magic (more in on that in the “Ogrely” section), and the inevitable negative interactions from other players, then I recommend you take that reluctance seriously. I will not deny these things, only describe the degree of them.

Because you are the consumer or the guardian of a consumer, it is your call to make, and it would be wrong to decide against your conscience out of pressure. Please read my take on these aspects of the game (I don’t believe the blunt ESRB listing does it full justice), and consider it an informative look to work alongside your convictions (rather than a persuasive argument to overpower them).

Let’s begin with the very obvious parts of the game connected to its design and rating, and then we’ll examine the less straightforward player interactions.

Contentious Content

What do you mean we shouldn’t send her in first to fight the dragon? She’s wearing epic level armor… I’m sure she’ll be fine.

“Contentious” is not a very flattering word, but I really do mean it simply as controversial and likely to cause arguments. WoW’s gameplay seems shocking to many people looking into it from afar. We can condemn it there and then to be extra cautious, or we can discuss it further to be examples of consuming media with wisdom.

Violence: True to its name, World of Warcraft is a setting of conflict, and combat (with weapons or magic) is most often the means to completing quests. Still, these quests are uniquely written to the story, so that you are given a purpose for what you do. Helping non-player characters is the focus, rather than killing for reward or for its own sake. Many of your foes will be irrational monsters who are a threat to society and the cosmic good.

However, there are two exceptions. The first kind involves the animosity between the Alliance and Horde-- two major factions which a player character can belong to. The two sides switch between a cold war of small skirmishes to a total war where no one is safe, and only the most catastrophic threats are capable of making them set aside their differences (and never for long). These enemies then, though they are a threat to your chosen faction’s safety and freedom, are rational humanoids, and some of them caught in the crossfire will be civilians instead of soldiers. Fortunately, civilian characters (always adults) are represented as willing to fight and capable of going toe-to-toe with your character… even if armed with no more than a pitchfork. This by no means justifies civilian death, but it reflects the universal scope of this fictional world’s warfare, and is certainly a more thoughtful design than cutting down helpless and fleeing townsfolk who beg for mercy.

The second exception, unfortunately, is that exact thing: civilian enemies who run or cower from you more often than they resist, and are at a significant disadvantage to your own abilities. This only occurs in one specific instance-- when the player creates a character with the death knight class. Death knights begin the game with a unique storyline, in which they are undead slaves robbed of free will, forced to commit atrocity at their dark lord’s command. At the conclusion of these opening quests, the villainous master abandons his death knight champions. These emancipated undead knights swear their service to the good guys, mainly for a shot for vengeance… but with the possibility of something more. The quest, though carrying heavy themes for a mature audience, does not glorify or obscure evil; it displays darkness to tell a tale of redemption despite past brokenness.

Blood and Gore: We already talked about the situation of violence in World of Warcraft, now I ask that you consider it with the visual detail of violence in mind.

The most common case of the game’s blood will appear when striking an enemy with a physical attack, which produces a small splash of blood. This particle effect is not easily noticeable and vanishes very quickly, in contrast to other games with large blood splatters leaving traces on bodies, weapons, and environments. Certain abilities which inflict damage over time do feature a more prominent splash of blood, yet the visual effects for other abilities - mostly magical - usually take the spotlight. In some special cases there will be more blood or blood splatters as a static part of the environment, but it should be noted these are not typical.

As for gore - violent details beyond blood - this is only a regular occurrence with undead enemies in the world, who may feature protruding bones, torn flesh, and hanging entrails in WoW’s cartoonish yet grim art style. Again, certain exceptional cases will involve a character suffering a fate which changes them in the blink of an eye to an unrecognizable mess of bone and red… but what’s important to note is that the game does not allow for any animations where bodies fall apart, tear open, or explode (excluding the unliving opponents).

Crude Humor/Suggestive Themes/Mild Language: World of Warcraft characters occasionally speak with sexual innuendos, either through player control using the “/flirt” or “/joke” commands or in the dialogue of non-player characters. These comments can be veiled enough and quite comical, or less tasteful in their explicit allusions. Characters can also perform suggestive dance routines, and some of the clothing in the game is very revealing (there is a feature, transmogrification, which lets you change the cosmetic look of your armor… though it tends to be used for changing modest armor into plate bikinis more than the other way around).

The words ‘a**’, ‘bastard,’ and in two select instances ‘b**ch’ are heard in dialogue (once in a female worgen [werewolf] flirt command, and the second time in a quest used as an insult from one brutish non-player character to another).

The ESRB rating also made mention of WoW’s poop related quests. I’ll let you decide if that warrants mention among these other subjects.

Use of Alcohol: Players can purchase and drink alcohol, producing temporarily blurred vision, swaying movement, and even vomiting which stuns your character if they consume far too much. This is mainly an optional and cosmetic feature, though the seasonal quests tied to the world’s holiday of Brewfest gives these drinks a bigger role.

I would also like to address the few instances where there is a partial resemblance to drug use, though this was not included in the ESRB rating.

There is an herb in the game called “Bloodthistle,” and Blood Elf players who choose to consume it will have their spell damage slightly increased for a time… followed by a minor withdrawal effect for a longer duration after. Though its effect can only be compared to tobacco or maybe caffeine, the way characters in the world look down on this practice and call frequent users “thistleheads” bears more resemblance to the social stigma of marijuana use.

In certain quests, imbibing an elixir will allow the character to perceive elemental spirits. This is also reminiscent and likely inspired by indigenous shamanism in real life where hallucinogens are part of their religious practice. However, these mixtures in World of Warcraft are distinguished from real-world concoctions because they do not disorient the character or create a vision beyond their senses; they simply make spirits of nature visible which were previously hidden, revealing their properties to be magical rather than psychological.

To my readers who are parents: I understand that you are likely already hesitant from reading these features of the game (if you are the type who looks up reviews for video game content), and I still do not wish to persuade you out of your instincts. I only suggest that, with these parts of the game and the dangers of meeting players online in mind, you think not just for your young gamer’s maturity… but also for your willingness to guide your child through it. I’m not saying you should hover over their shoulder constantly, but you can make sure their computer is in a family room, instruct them to never share personal details with other players, and make a point to engage in thoughtful dialogue about the game. You don’t have to create an account to join them necessarily (though it would be cool!), since researching WoW still makes a huge difference. While the adult content and dangers of an online game are serious, they too can serve as a learning opportunity for children and teens developing socially and morally… if their parent is involved in that process. If you would like to take up this challenge, here is a page with several topical links which can be very helpful for gaming and non-gaming parents alike, for WoW or another MMORPGs.

Community is Festered

While the positive points of community are my favorite part of WoW, it is the severe drawbacks of the game’s online interactions that I hate the most.

Perhaps I am being too optimistic, but I do believe that most of WoW’s players are kind and dignified… yet it’s the insensitive and vulgar players who seem more vocal. For the designer’s part of this, Blizzard did establish strict rules for language misconduct and are known to suspend the accounts of violators who catch their attention. However, this kind of enforcement can only go so far when:

-players see reporting negative behaviour as nosy/pointless

(“Just add them to your ignore list and mind your own business…”)

-many people already anticipate WoW’s community to be toxic

(“It’s a game on the internet, what did you expect?”)

-the game is inherently competitive and hierarchy-based

(“Come back when you replace that noob sword and learn to play your class.”)

-players feel entitled to speaking freely and enjoying the game as they see fit

(“I act professional at work, but I game to relax so sheltered kiddies can just deal with it.”)

-anonymous, online interactions in such a large group have small consequences

(“They’ll never see me again or remember anyway. I’ll find a new group to play with.”)

You can still find friendly gamers in WoW, but they are more likely be withdrawn from the public sphere of the game in their own guild (a club of like minded players). If you choose to play, be prepared for what you’ll have to sift through and will be surrounded by, even if the diamonds of encouraging social interaction make it worth that effort.

Beyond this general negativity, it should be fully noted that predators can and have already used WoW and other online games to exploit players. Because the game involves virtual currency, coveted equipment, and dungeons which are only accessible with a skilled team, it is frighteningly easy for a manipulative person to “groom” or develop influence as a friend to children who are not informed. The perverse possibilities deepen when you consider the excitement many young men feel when interacting with a (supposed) female through the game. Some readers might find this almost comical, but I relate to it very soberly since I had little morality in high school and felt ignored by my female peers; meeting a girl who shared in what I was most passionate about was a rapturous dream that might have led to all sorts of misfortune or corruption.

Lastly, I can only conclude this section honestly if I share a specific sub-group of the community existing on servers flagged for role-play: a fun and creative sort of impromptu, collaborative writing and acting through player characters. Much of my time engaging in this style of gameplay was tasteful and clean, but that all depended on the players who guide their custom role-playing story independent of WoW’s content and rating.

Unfortunately, there is a smaller yet substantial portion of players participating in erotic role-play, seeking either the emotional thrill of fantasy relationships or sexual pleasure in those explicit interactions. The practice is frowned upon by WoW’s community when advertised and for the sole sake of lust, but the general consensus is that it’s acceptable if done privately and as one component of a role-playing narrative.

This screenshot is taken from Goldshire Inn, a location which is known for inappropriate and poor quality interaction on role-playing servers. Blizzard began to crack down anything publicly explicit, but there’s still a lot of characters in their underwear and manipulation of the game’s emotes which you won’t want to be around.

I can again express my gratitude that I escaped this snare, yet I regretfully admit I did not pass over it entirely unscathed either. But it could have been (much) worse. The lesson I would impart here is that you do not underestimate this temptation (I frowned upon it too at first, but had no moral foundation to protect against curiosity).

For all the potential - in some ways inevitable - consequences of online interaction, I urge you to come (or for parents, send your child) ready to face darkness and aware of how to wisely respond to it.

The Ogrely

Not to be confused with “the ugly,” this category is reserved for things which are potentially good or bad.

Sometimes ogres in Warcraft are friendly beings enlightened by their proximity to magical crystals… or they might just be lawless brutes who want to smash you.

You’ll notice that I put community both in the good section and in the bad list (fostered and festered, respectively), but that is because online interaction has both inherently good and bad effects. For these parts of the game, however, the positive or negative effects hinge upon the player.

Dialogue of Good and Evil

As I mentioned before, World of Warcraft player characters are divided into two factions: Alliance and Horde. While players passionate and prideful for their faction might tell you otherwise, neither side is wholly good or evil; each group is heroic and yet flawed. The Alliance especially, although comprised of humans and other noble races known as the “good guys” of fantasy, can be tragically arrogant and vengeful against their less sophisticated enemies. Meanwhile, the Horde is known for acting out of a more primitive aggression and using questionable means to carve out a place to call home… yet their scarred past and scrappy determination makes them, in an important sense, very human (even if their skin is green or they are sentient zombies).

That said, morality in World of Warcraft is still real and present (rather than relative and blurred). There are still evil characters and organizations which originate from the Horde or Alliance, and those foes must be fought against to defend the innocent and carry out justice. Still, the true and absolute villains in WoW’s universe are the demons - corrupted races from other worlds bent on the destruction of the universe - which the Horde and Alliance must fight against by cooperating with one another.

Arthas Menethil (big baddie on the top-right), now known as the Lich King, is one foe who both factions unite to fight against. He’s also a tragic example that the ends do not justify the means, for he began his path as a noble paladin trying to protect his people and avenge the innocent.

Sadly, I could see a player misunderstanding these concepts due to popular ideas in our society, which praise tolerance for the shortcomings of others while rejecting the need for war or judgment outside the most heinous crimes. If someone used WoW as a reinforcement of that position, I do not think it would be any particular fault of the game, so much as their initial worldview.

Fortunately, I’m convinced WoW has enough depth for players to see an important Truth-- we should still strive to preserve our traditions and defend our society, yet our real war against evil transcends political factions and seeks to infiltrate every human heart.

When we next arrive at the subject of magic, this dialogue becomes more tricky, but in my opinion even more worthwhile to talk about.

The Warcraft Universe adopts some of the superficial flavor from our world’s religions for its supernatural beings and abilities, without the doctrinal depth and mystical focus of those beliefs. Players can create characters who are shamans, druids, or monks (seemingly reminiscent of indigenous, ancient pagan, or buddhist beliefs) along with mages and warlocks (which in our world, we would call sorcerers). However, the nature magic of the former category is simplified to a more general theme of ‘seek balance with nature and in your spirit’, which carries none of the controversy of those tenets which are given more focus in said beliefs (I’m looking at you, reincarnation and karma). The same can be said for WoW’s wizardry, which contrasts the ritual and meditation of modern Wiccanism with a magic of the will more similar to a super power.

This is not to say magic is always tame in World of Warcraft… I’m only stating that it is (in the most important ways) detached from real life religion and occult practice. Spells in the game can actually become quite dark, especially where a sort of possession, curse, or raising of the dead is involved. Still, these powers are consistently portrayed as evil, and even those antiheroes who wield this tainted magic with a “fight fire with fire” mentality are shown in the story to be susceptible to temptation.

Imps and infernals and succubi, oh my! The ability of warlocks to summon demon minions is likely startling to many. It should be remembered that these creatures are not fallen angels as Judeo-Christian demons are, but are actually the corrupted physical inhabitants of other planets (making them more like aliens, though the bat wings and hooves are all there).

Perhaps to some, this portrayal of the arcane and divine could still prove confusing… affirming, even, to the existence of multiple deities and sources for spiritism. I do not recommend that those people play this game. That said, my impression is that a discerning player with a clear conscience would keep WoW’s pantheon distinct from reality, and take away from its universe that there are some powers which are always evil no matter how you use them.

Fantasy Identities

Please believe me: I do not consider WoW players to be any more insecure than the rest of the population, and I see no evil in an escape from reality such as through reading or watching a movie (when that escapism is moderated). Still, I have concern on this point because…

a) we all have insecurities as humans

b) characters in a role-playing game can be made to compensate for flaws in real life

c) it’s easy and more tempting to use this cover-up as your new identity for an online community

The skills and appearance of your character, along with the way you present yourself to others in game, are all within your power as a player. I think this matter would be minor - if not harmless entirely - for a gamer who might be small or overweight playing a warrior with impeccable physique. In examples like this, the character does substitute for a shortcoming of the player, but it is unlikely to overlap into his relationships or personal identity. Instead, imagine a young woman whose looks rarely catch the eye of the opposite sex… suddenly receiving an immense amount of attention and chivalrous treatment by players who know her by her cute and curvaceous avatar (trust me, it happens often). This is the type of case which concerns me, since it would be a very human temptation to wield that newfound control for the way others see you, with projecting a false personality to seem more confident and seductive being the following step.

My point is not that girls will struggle in WoW and guys will not (this is untrue; my examples were hypothetical and general). I am only saying that we should be on guard for any situations where power, beauty, or reputation can blur or blot out a person’s real sense of identity and worth.

On the positive flip side of this, my own experience with World of Warcraft characters was that they were reflections of who I am. As I gave them detailed stories and personalities through role-play interactions especially, my avatars became - in addition to entertaining actors in a plot - a chance for me to creatively contemplate my self.

Tresdon Ironstride. He’s my favorite, and I worked quite a while to get that matching armor.

My gnome warrior, Tresdon Ironstride, had an unwavering valor to fight against the most dreadful foes… yet any internal conflict among the loved ones he is loyal to caused him to emotionally shut down (I can be stoic through most trials, but an interpersonal issue with those I’m close to is the exception). Drelyn, my gnome priest, was once a warlock and now uses his former knowledge of the dark arts to better fight evil (mirroring my own rebellious and doubt-filled past, which I try to use to reach other rebels and skeptics). I nurtured my appreciation for nature through Zapthrix the eccentric, eco-engineering goblin hunter; rounded out my writing in the sphere of journalism by the role-play newspaper of my ambitious worgen-cursed rogue and Gilnean refugee, Tobbes Blackwell; and even fostered a respect for educators of the next generation (before it became the career path I’m pursuing) in my philosophy-minded, ancient night elf druid and teacher, Gnarlock Starsong.

These characters did not eclipse who I am; they illuminated me through prose and narrative. My strengths were cast in a noble and heroic light, which I could take with me after leaving the game. As for my weaknesses, they were not hidden, but rather exposed; the objective view of a storyteller allowed me to clearly see my flaws and consider how I might overcome them.

World of Warcraft, as an online game based on the progression and individuality of your characters, has potential in some circumstances to overshadow your identity… or it can be something more-- a subordinate pointer to the kind of awesome person you were created to be.

Closing Words

Even if there was a way for me to sum up my thoughts into a numerical rating, I would not do so because this system is too flat-- there are positive and negative dimensions of WoW which should both be considered together.

World of Warcraft has tools and encouragements for moderation, educational benefits, and the value of a community. The game also features risque content, though it is dulled by cartoonish subtlety and euphemism, and carries the substantial risks of a connective online world. When combined, I believe this all translates into an experience with vital lessons surrounding its dangers, thoughtful dialogue through its darkness, and insightful story in its immersion which can enrich the growth of a careful player… but I will leave you to be the final judge, for neither the art of video games nor the heart of individual players can be reduced into a formula.