Short and Sweet

The Atalla brothers and I have kicked off new World of Warcraft characters so that we can play together as a regular group. Our main characters have all ended up at different levels so it's not much fun doing quests together. Someone is always way out of their depth or bored (and not getting any XP). We're playing these new guys exclusively as a group and it's more fun multiplied by ten.

Butchar, Knotbeard and Jakkal warming their bones in Dun Morogh.

Despite much booing and hissing from our Horde guild, we've created these characters as Alliance Dwarves. I believe one of the Atallas was spat on for this choice. We get to see a bit more of the game world and don't have to repeat all the same quests again. We work great as a group. I reckon I could write a thesis on group dynamics, but it all boils down to playing nicely together. It's like a democracy without the bureaucracy. It works very well.

This is definitely the co-operative multiplayer that I've been seeking (Baldur's Gate, Ultima Online, Neverwinter Nights, Diablo) for some time. I guess an online role-playing game has been designed to cope with groups playing together. World of Warcraft handles it very well. There's room for innovation, but it's a really good base. Playing in a fixed group makes the leveling a secondary goal because everyone is moving along at the same pace. It removes the pain of grinding through levels to keep up which is the main gripe of most any MMORPG.

My only concern so far is the advancement in professions (such as blacksmithing or herbalism) as these require individuals to divert from the group. I'm not sure whether we'll pursue them separately or while playing with the group. It could become a chore for the group to wait for frequent mining expeditions but it might also mean level disparity if we go it alone. Maybe we'll just ignore it altogether.

Wow. That last paragraph sounded like a self help book. I think it's time to go to bed.