I finally went back to playing World of Warcraft (WoW)! (yes, I played WoW and yes, I was very good and YES, I’m not ashamed to say it!)My character this time around is named Cardnyl (a twist on Cardinal) and her race is Draenei and her class is Shaman.
Huh?
Yeah, complicated doesn’t even being to explain this game. That’s probably why I like it so much – It’s challenging and unique. There are so many options to choose from that each of the million characters in the game are almost as different as the characters in real life.
The Basics.
I thought about writing out an explanation of the basics but anything you want to know about he game you can check out here. WoW does a fantastic job of explaining the game, the differences in the characters and rules of engagement. But, as you’ll probably be hearing a lot about my character, I thought it might make sense to introduce her.
Faction: Alliance
There are two competing factions: Horde and Alliance. To simplify you could say it’s good vs. evil but nothing in this game is simple. Each side has its own heroes, its own territory, its own objective, strengths and weaknesses. Yes, they fight each other, but that is only a secondary part of the game. Most of the time is spent completing quests against computer character but alongside other, real people players.
I chose Alliance the second time around because I like the races offered and was familiar with their territory.
Race: Draenei
The Draenei race looks like part man, part horse (see picture inset). The back story is that their spacecraft crashed into this world, killing most of their people. They are “Dedicated to preserving life and upholding the tenets of the Holy Light.”
I wanted a powerful and noble character. I got one.
Class: Shaman
Part of the reason I chose to be Draenei was to be a Shaman. You see, each class is available to select races and even factions (For example, the race Blood Elf ONLY exists on the Horde faction and the only Alliance race that can be Shaman is Draenei).
What I like best about the Shaman is it’s versatility. You see, each character can learn different skills and depending on the race and class, some skills are better than others. For example, if you wanted to be good at offense (otherwise known as ‘tanking’) you would choose a race and class that is more proficient in those skills. There are other skills such as witchcraft and healing (to name just two of many).
Well, the Shaman is the “Jack of all trades, master of none” and I do believe that is where my own strengths lie. I have read that it is an extremely challenging character to play because of the diversity – you have to know a lot of things well, instead of focusing on just one path. This also makes it very rewarding because of your strength and knowledge in all things.
Her skills and talents don’t stop there but it’s as you play the game the you figure out how you want your character to develop. I’ll be getting into those details as I come across them.
