You will surely have happened to pick up a beloved video game after a long period of pause or absence. The impact with the world and the story that we have loved, rarely remains unscathed by the passage of time and the situation does not improve when it comes to an online video game subject to changes in updates and expansions. But can you go back to playing a great title after a long period of rest? In the editorial office we tried and we started playing World of Warcraft again after about eight years and we will tell you how it went and how the game has changed to date.
World of Warcraft always has something special
There is no denying it, WoW is a great classic and even after 17 years it still has its charm. Sure, it’s not what it used to be, but there are still millions of registered players. Blizzard has done its best to keep extending the game and keep the interest of the users alive expansion after expansion, update after update.
Resume playing WoW
The first steps to resume playing are simple: just buy the latest update and spend a few months of playing time. All previous updates are included and also give us a nice boost (the ability to instantly get to a very high level) for a character. Our old characters, of course, are all still available.
When you log in after a long time, everything looks the same at first glance. The controls, the setting, the menus are as we remember them and this reassures us. But security doesn’t last too long. As we explore our abilities we realize, as expected, that many of them have changed to accommodate the ever-changing game. For regular players it is not a problem and they are ready for the news, but for those who return to Azeroth after years, a certain break with the past is undeniable.
Learn to play again
In reality, changing skills isn’t a real problem. In fact, the solution is as simple as it is weird: don’t use the level boost! By restarting a character from the first level, the skills are acquired gradually so as to be able to know and handle them properly and quickly return in possession of that confidence that we had many years ago.
Some might argue that bringing a character back to a high level can be a long and tedious operation. In addition, all those conquests made by the old characters are lost. The reality is quite different. Blizzard knows that new players (and those found) want to get straight to the point and for this reason, every time a new expansion is introduced, the game mechanics are slightly revised to allow you to get there without too many problems. In our case, access to the most recent content, those of Shadowland, did not take even a week starting from the first level.
Sure, the more purists among us might complain that the game has become too easy by giving up those grinding mechanics that are part of the nature of MMORPGs. But let’s not forget two things. First, if you like old-fashioned hard play you can opt for WoW Classic, the vanilla version of the game and you will be fascinated. Second, World of Warcraft today is, like it or not, the mix of all the updates and the latest expansion.
Aim high immediately
It is true that it is possible to get to Shadowland in a short time, but this requires a sacrifice. A sacrifice that for many of us is very difficult. Ignore everything that has happened since you stopped playing until the last expansion. In our case, starting with Warlords of Draenor, we had to pretend that Legion and Battle for Azeroth never existed.
This sacrifice must be made for two reasons. First, the old expansions don’t really give a gear advantage. Also, by exploring the history of two expansions it would have taken months to reach the events of Shadowland.
If you are dying to know what happened in the meantime, it is possible to go back to previous events at a later time. However, it may become difficult to juggle the timelines. But Blizzard’s game designers have found a solution for this too. You can contact Chromie Time, which you find in the two capitals: Stormwind e Ogrimmar. Chromie will allow you to select the timeline of one of the expansions, and from there you can enjoy the story without twists and spoilers.
The found guild
Perhaps what can really be a stumbling block is the fact that all of your playmates from 10 years ago may no longer be available. Having a guild is a nice convenience. However, we urge you not to despair. Blizzard, in recent years, seems to have understood that there are players who prefer the solo adventure. Therefore, the game mechanics have also been revised to facilitate those who do not want to be part of a guild. The penalty of not having one is no longer as strong as it used to be in The Burning Crusade days.
In our case, we have to admit, we were pretty lucky. Our old guild was still there and the leaders were always the same. So, a chat message was enough to be part of the group again. We wish you the same luck.
Resume playing World of Warcraft today – To wrap up
World of Warcraft is always a great experience to play. Of course, coming back after years has a somewhat abrupt impact at first, but we quickly discover that, in reality, there aren’t any serious problems.
Starting again to play is all in all simple and feasible, as long as you do not stubborn to try to recover everything that has happened in the meantime, better aim for the most recent content. The maniacs of completion, can enjoy history and cinematics even at a later time without getting lost in intricate temporal weaves
The only thing that can really be a problem is the lack of companions to raid with. But with a bit of luck, like we did, your guild may still be there, ready to welcome you.