WORLD OF WARCRAFT
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Blizzard set to upgrade Battle.net

By WILLIAM BARKER

Blizzard has always been a fiend when it comes to releasing information on emerging titles. Don't get me wrong, I love Blizzard games - just look at the reviews for the evidence. But the thing is, the company always seems to announce games literally year's before they're ready.

Call me a cry baby, but I want Worlds of Warcraft now.

It ain't gonna happen, but that's okay. My father taught me that patience is a virtue - he also once said that the police were run by dream-stealing aliens. Indeed...

Most of our readers will already be aware that Warcraft III hit another delay and is now scheduled for an early 2002 launch date and it will be the PC game World's of Warcraft (WoW) that appears after this. How long after, we can't know for certain, but rest assured, it's a long way off.

World of Warcraft will be a pay-per-play title. A monthly fee will apply to jump onto the game's servers, but at this stage it is unknown what the exact figure is.

The game is set in the realm of Azeroth, a place known for the huge wars fought between the humans and the orcs. WoW is set after the events that took place in the RTS games and both races are licking their wounds, getting by any way they can. Add to this another race, the bull-like Tauren, and you've got one very rich setting with which to create an interactive world around.

The world itself is going to be rather intricate, according to Blizzard. There will be a true day/night cycle, dynamic weather effects, such as rain, fog, mist and so forth plus forests, rolling hills, waterfalls, pine trees and other stunning conifers.

The building architecture lends the game a quasi-cartoon look, simply because Blizzard's artists have created them without the use of spirit level. In other words, they made a conscious decision to design the buildings outer walls at odd angles, as opposed to right-angled, true-to-life architecture.

The humanoid characters in the game are equally as impressive as the surrounding environs. Facial expressions change, stubby green orcish fingers wrap realistically around axe handles and even changing armour/garb results in a different polygonal form - not just a new skin or various texture maps.

Gameplay will be simple, assures Blizzard. A bold statement when every other massively multiplayer role-playing game to date has contained some degree of complexity. The interface is what will make all the difference, or so we're led to believe. From character creation to buying potions to smashing skulls - everythin will be relatively simple and the key point Blizzard was keen to get across was that even computer newbies will be able to pick up and play WoW.

Combat will play a huge role in WoW and has been sped up, or streamlined, compared to the likes of Asheron's Call and EverQuest. Players will be able to cast spells, many of which will be ported from the RTS Warcraft titles and combat, in general, will be much more intuitive. That said, it won't forgo any of the complexities or strategies that make the battles in these RPGs so cool.

Before you write in, asking when the game will go into beta-testing, it still hasn't been announced. The game has been in development for a year thus far and, if Blizzard's track record is anything to go by, expect the game to reach the beta stage in about 18 months.

World of Warcraft looks like the MMORPG to beat, though Star Wars: Galaxies is also promising to push the envelope. The visual style used in WoW is very lush and it seems to work better than the more rigid and less cartoony EverQuests of the world. This is one game to really get excited about.

When the game does finally surface, you can be sure there will be innovations, new features and an Azeroth like you've never seen before. We can't wait for this title to arrive, but remember - patience is a frickin' virtue...