World of Warcraft Stress Test, Day 2 Posted September 12, 2004 at 12:00 am

After further meddling in Azeroth, I feel like I can make some broader statements about World of Warcraft.

Most of the quests are of the “hunt and gather” or “go kill someone” type. The upshot is that the game gives you a good excuse to go exploring the vast countryside. The land is filled with beasts of varying frequency and difficulty. In my experience, a single player cannot take on more than one or two monsters near his level at a time with much success.

The professions are where I really see potential in WoW. Characters progress in ability along two distinct axes. First, there’s the standard RPG model of experience and leveling. Second, there’s a skills system governing weapon skills and professional skills that is based on usage, similar to the Elder Scrolls games. Leveling will make your characters stronger, but it won’t make them unique. Along the way, characters gain additional skill points that can be used to learn new weapon skills or professional skills. And this is where players get to experiment and take characters down their own paths. Best of all, if you make a mistake choosing a skill, you can unlearn it and try a different one.

After spending a couple days with WoW, I’m really looking forward to a final release or an open beta, whichever comes first.