World of Warcraft

 

World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) positioned in the prize winning Warcraft universe and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Being Massively Multiplayer, World of Warcraft allows thousands of players to act together within the same world, effectively allowing them to develop a seperate "in world" personality, plus develop relationships with other in game characters be they warriors, mages or trolls etc and actually grow to be quite good friends online without ever meeting.

This was quite possibly the precursor to all of the social networking sites that have sprang up in the course ofthe past several years, excepting of course WoW is so much more. Before talking to much about gameplay, lets firstly introduce the Warcraft world and its landmasses and inhabitants. The game world firstly introduces two continents of Azeroth (Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms), with two separate gaming expansions adding the realms of Outlands plus the continent of Northrend adding to the gaming environment.

Azeroth has three acknowledged continents, named the Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor and Northrend, split by the Great Sea. Two main islands also exist in the Great Sea: Kezan, realm of the Goblins, and Zandalar, homeland of the Troll civilization. In the core of the Great Sea is a vast, everlasting vortex called the "Maelstrom" beneath which lies the marine city of Nazjatar, residence of the amphibious Naga. The Eastern Kingdoms are the central setting of the original two games and the principal half of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. The kingdom of Stormwind lies to the south of the Eastern Kingdoms, south of the dwarven kingdom of Khaz Modan and north of the jungle branded as Stranglethorn Vale. The principal city of Stormwind, Stormwind City, is located to the northwest of Elwynn Forest, a considerable green belt at the heart of the kingdom. The Dwarvern hub within Khaz Modan, named Ironforge, is situated in Dun Morogh.

The originally human realm of Lordaeron, which successfully led the Human Alliance in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness but soon after fell to the Scourge in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, is situated north from the southern kingdoms. Beneath the ancient metropolis of Lordaer to the right now lies The Undercity, capitol city of The Forsaken, a insurgent band of the undead Scourge. The area is at this time recognized as the Eastern and Western Plaguelands. Northeast of Lordaer is the elven state of Quel'Thalas and its principalcity, Silvermoon, both of which were occupied by the Scourge in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.

The continent of Kalimdor was added in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. While the Eastern Kingdoms can be documented as the equivalent of medieval Europe, with traditional realms with highly developed cities, Kalimdor can be compared to the Americas and at the point in time of their discovery by the Europeans, full with wild and unexplored lands. The geology of Kalimdor is akin to North America and Africa, with huge, ancient forests and mountainous terrain layering the North and expansive deserts and savannahs in the South. The Night Elven realm is situated in the northwest area of Kalimdor, additionally counting the island Teldrassil off the northwest coast, which houses the city of Darnassus.

To the south, beyond the Ashenvale Forest, is a stretch of ground identified as The Barrens, located between the grasslands of Mulgore to the west, and Durotar, the country settled by the Orcs, to the east. Mulgore is fatherland to the Tauren first city of Thunderbluff, a substantial city of tepees and lodges built on top of a conglomerate of prominent plateaus which are only easily reached by air travel and a immense sequence of lifts built down to the ground. In the north of Durotar is the fortress-city of Orgrimmar, headquartersof the Orcs.

The third landmass, Northrend, is the northern polar icecap of Azeroth and is the masterstronghold of the malicious Undead Scourge. Northrend is introduced in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its extension set Warcraft III: Frozen Throne, and is the chief location featured in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion pack to World of Warcraft.

Draenor, which featured in Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, is the original homeland of the Orcs and Ogres. Draenor was torn apart when the Orcish clans leader, Ner'Zhul opened many gateways to other worlds when trying to escape the invading Alliance Armies from Azeroth, causing it to crumble and phase into the mysterious parallel dimension called the Twisting Nether, Home of the Demons. The remnants of the world are now known as Outland, and feature in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and most prominently in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

Paul Fitzpatrick
Writer of all things Gaming, SEO, SEM, Strange and Magical.