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+--- Thread: Familiarity - How Long Does It Take? (/thread-8100.html)
Familiarity - How Long Does It Take? - Cryptic - 08-12-2004
Hi all,
In the past couple of months, I've noticed a huge increase in beta tester knowledge about the game - not just tactics, classes, MMORPG strategy, etc., but primarily in the geography of WoW.
I have been absorbing as much information as I can. My question is this: When the game goes live, will I be hopelessly lost? I have maps, play descriptions, and so on and so forth, but no play experience, and I can't mentally position landmarks or buildings or even dungeons to save my life.
How long does it take to get a feel for this game? I would define the tiers of world understanding roughly as:
I - You can find your way to the next quest site. Without the automap or help, you're lost.
II - You can get between major cities without getting lost. You have a mental picture of their geographic locations, but very little detail about anything else.
III - When someone mentions an area name, you know roughly where to look. Giving directions is still a challenge.
IV - You've visited just about every accessible place your level allows. People who don't know the way begin to seem irksome.
V - You know where almost every named site is, what monsters are there, what drops there, and what to expect in individual rooms.
VI - Unnamed landmarks are identifiable. Screenshots become coordinate markers. You know of places and secrets that most other players don't. 10% of Orgrimmar actually makes sense.
In my experience, it takes me about this long in most games:
I: after 5-15 minutes of play
II: 3-5 hours
III: 15-20 hours
IV: 30-50 hours
V: 80-100 hours
VI: Highly variable (osmosis issue!)
So what's the curve like so far, and do you have any tips for speeding it up?
Are there any interactive / clickable world maps leading to screenshot links? Who has the best maps so far?
Thanks!
B)