What Is The World Of World Of Warcraft?

World of Warcraft is a fantasy-based Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) produced by Blizzard Entertainment. A sequel to the previously-produced single-player roleplaying games Warcraft, Warcraft II, and Warcraft III games, World of Warcraft is set within the fictional world of Azeroth. World of Warcraft was initially released November 23, 2004. There are three expansions for the game: The Burning Crusade, The Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm, and another due out called Mists of Pandaria with a tentative release date of the end of 2012.

Although World of Warcraft is set in fictional Azeroth which actually consists of two distinct continents known as Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, each new expansion pack added specific areas to the game. With The Burning Crusade came The Outlands and with The Wrath of the Lich King came the frigid winds of Northrend. Cataclysm brought mass destruction to the lands of Azeroth, so the lands became scarred, and changed.

Gamers who played the original WoW, got a bonus, because having to play Cataclysm brings new quests to all areas of Azeroth, making it almost a completely new game for old timers if they start new characters, or can make getting achievements even more challenging.

There are nine different playable classes in World of Warcraft. A tenth and new class known as the Monk will be added with the new expansion, Mists of Pandaria. This many different classes in the game is a detail of the world of World of Warcraft that makes it very popular, and gives the game a very high ‘replay’ value, even though the actual game is constantly being added to with these expansions, making it an endless game almost.

There is endgame content, but you can continue to play by doing the various other things available to players, such as archaeology, or crafting etc. Sure, you could find everything there is to find for archaeology, but they add things constantly to the game, making even that a part of the timeless feel that the game has. Now let’s focus on the many classes the game has to offer and keep in mind that each class has its own advantages, and its own abilities:

1. Warriors are a tough class, and are versatile in their talents. They focus on physical combat. Players can either deal damage or dps (damage per second), or they can tank which is to protect others, and hold agro to shield other players.
2. Paladins serve as the fantasy world’s in-game force known as "the light," and can either heal other players (and are considered to be the best tank healers), do considerable damage as a dps or tank to protect.
3. Hunters team up with wild beasts to deal damage to their foes. They can keep and stable up to twenty different pets. They are a dps class but can also support groups with traps they set, or agro that they can take off tank.
4. Rogues focus on stealth and combination moves to deal damage to their enemies and are a dps class but are used for support to knock out an enemy by sneaking up from behind and putting an enemy out of commission for a short while as one example of support.
5. Priests can either deal shadow damage, have support magic and are considered very good healers. They have two types of healing trees, and can specialize in healing tanks or in healing large groups.
6. Shamans use the power of natural elements to deal damage to enemies, or heal friends. They also have many support type spells in their arsenal.
7. Mages utilize frost, fire, or arcane abilities to deal damage to enemies and support groups that they are in, but have no healing ability. Warlocks use curses and other spells to damage enemies. They are similar to the mage class, except they also conjure demons to assist them.
8. Druids shape shift into different animal forms to damage their opponents physically or with spells for damage, to heal friendly players, or to protect other players with spells that are either nature or arcane abilities. The shape shift forms that they can be are cat, moonkin, bear or the healing tree.
9. Death Knights are what is called a Hero class, and are extremely tough. They are a damage dealing class or a tanking class. They were introduced with The Wrath of the Lich King.

There are various activities to do in World of Warcraft. Players can battle other players (PvP), battle together against computer-controlled foes (PvE), or can engage in roleplaying (RP). There are realms specifically designated for each type of play style, although you can PvP in the PvE and RP realms if you so choose to do so.

World of Warcraft is a pay-to play MMORPG, but you can play a limited free version to level 20 so that you can get a good feel for the game. Players can either pay by credit card, or can prepaid game cards. Subscriptions are sold in increments or one month, three months, or six months, with the cost per month decreasing relative to the amount of months purchased. Prepaid game cards are only available for 60-day increments.

That about sums up what is the world of World of Warcraft, but nowhere did I talk about the extreme popularity it has with its 10.2 million subscribers (as of December 2011), and it shows no sign of that number decreasing. With fresh content being added almost on a yearly basis lately, and constant patches to add changes and fresh content, the game is ever changing, and is a constant source of many people's enjoyment.