Ever dream of being Po from Kung Fu Panda?
Well you might get your chance if you decided to play the newest installment of the World of Warcraft expansion. World of Warcraft is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG for short). That means it’s a video game that you play in conjunction with thousands of other people around the world.
Warcraft itself has been a storyline and video game series around for well over a decade now. World of Warcraft expanded the storyline into a shared, online experience back in 2004. Since it first started, it has been extended to further stories and adventures 4 times. This latest installment visits a mystical land known as Pandaria.
On this land, a new race of humanoid pandas are found. They neither good nor bad and can exhibit either quality. In addition, a new class known as Monks were introduced to the game. As a monk, you have kung fu like abilities, doing crane stances and whirling kicks. You can be the tough guy and tank or be the helpful one and heal your friends.
Video games are definitely not the best way to depict any fighting style. But when it comes to adventure games, this one does a decent job in showing off both the grace and beauty many classical Martial Arts styles. As you travel this mythical land, you’re transported back to a world that eerily resembles a scene out of some ancient Shaolin temple. Even the music playing in the background pull you into the surroundings.
In terms of game-play, if you’ve never done an MMORPG before, this may be a good one to become introduced with. World of Warcraft has gone through many changes over the years. In the past, the emphasis was on getting to the end-content where you had to be the best to accomplish great feats in the game. The more you accomplished, the better standing you had in the game and the more content you got to see. This was great for those that were known as “hard-code” gamers; but it prohibited many from participating in the game.
Over the years, World of Warcraft has seen a shift in player base. Unlike many of its competitors, it managed from an early stage to capture the attention of even the casual gamer, the people out there who may just want to play when and as they have time. While this shift has turned away many of the hard-core players, it has sustained this game’s profits and allowed it to continue to be the MMORPG to beat.
This latest installment has simplified much of the mechanics of playing and introduced many options for people to participate in smaller event. They added events that people can participate in with as little as 3 other people. They introduced a "mini-competition" that plays much like the old Pokeman where you take little pets out and have them do battle. They expanded crafting to give those that simply want to create the ability to have farms and get experience just from their crafting abilities. They even added in many rewards for those that just like to go around and read the various stories hidden within the game.
And for those of us who wonder what it would be like to be Po, you have the opportunity to become a panda monk. Who can beat that?
So, are you one of the panda monks out there? How are you liking the game so far? Drop by my Facebook page and let me know. I’d love to chat.
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