I tried WoW, got an empty feeling after playing it for about 5 minutes.
I guess nothing will ever replace Ultima Online for me. That's the only game where I was put on trial in 2000, impeached in 2001, and burnt at the stake later that same year by the Moonglow Town Council. Lots of fun, that.
And for anybody wondering why I was executed, here is a picture two seconds after the juror said "impeached":
I'm the guy in the blue jester suit, helping the orcs kill the judge. I have tons of articles about my crazy antics in UO, which was my KW before KW. Feel free to learn of Foul's seedy past--just PM me ahead of time, of course.
"I support the destruction of the Think-Tank." - Avatar, August 2008
I imagine the first 10 levels of WoW would feel a bit rudimentary to someone familiar with RPGs, as the game is designed for the absolute beginner (which is probably one reason why WoW has such a varied demographic, literally anyone can get into it). After an hour or two the depth of the game should start to present itself though.
My WoW experience really took off when I got to level 20. At that point I joined a guild, did my first dungeon and started developing my trade professions.
As far as the cost goes, I find playing WoW actually saves me money. I'm someone who previously bought a lot of games for various platforms. Now I buy far, far fewer as I find I just don't spend enough time playing anything other than WoW to justify the purchases. My previous gaming budget of £20-£40 per month is now reduced to my £8 WoW subscription fee and any 'must-have' titles that come along (and these will become much fewer as the PS2 is wound down).
Anyway, here's a picture of my undead warlock waiting for a zepplin while two players in Christmas gnome costumes dance together. I'm the one in the middle.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
Thought I'd write a little update on my WoW progress. At Christmas I left my old guild and joined a new one, called Arathi Five O. Although the name was a big part of why I joined, I got on well with the Guild Master from the off and within a few weeks I was made an officer. Since then the guild has made big strides, we now have over 225 players and are working our way through the end game dungeons (Zul'Gurub and Ahn'Qiraj, with the Molten Core on the horizon). We are now the sixth largest guild on the realm and easily the biggest 'casual' guild. We've now got our own website too, which is a bit overdue really: Arathi Five O
I've noticed at least one other SRD-themed character name, a Tauren called Bannor. There are a couple of Akharu's on other servers too, but apparently that is a popular vampire name and so might not be like me own mis-formatted version of ak-Haru. Here's a picture of me being 'watched' by Bloodlord Mandokir with a ghost on hand to resurrect my soon-to-be-broken body:
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
It's all about finding the right guild really, I doubt I'd have played for long after level 60. At the moment I'm finding it a big challenge helping the guild get through the end game instances, hopefully I'll be heading to the Molten Core before too long.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
We've recently increased our level limit to 50 in order to keep the whole guild at a similar level. I think we're focussing too much on end game content at the moment though, I want to encourage people to help others out like they used too.
I'm not greatly pleased with Blizzard's decision to reduce the maximum party sizes in Stratholme and Scholomance to five people. Now it's practically impossible for anyone below level 60 to get in to a group for those instances.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
I love the game though I can't afford it....... My friend let's me play off his account though....I currently belong to NO guilds as I am only a low level. I used to have a rouge (night elf) but deleted him to start a dwarf paladin (obsessed because of Everquest) and am on the Ursin Server (i think) If you play look up Hordesucks (1. no offence to any horde players...just a joke 2. the o in my name is a little strange looking theres a line over it...).. I have about 700 gold between me and my friend (we went on halves to buy it....)
all that glitters is not gold and all who wander are not lost
I find the Horde is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy for me: it's too quiet over there, so I prefer to play Alliance. I also find a bit more elitism when I'm on the Horde, though I'm really enjoying playing my orc hunter at the moment.
I'd have preferred Blizzard to separate faction and race, so the player is free to have whatever character they want and then choose their faction afterwards. All of the Horde/Alliance balance problems would disappear overnight, although the lore would have to be altered accordingly.
My guild are making giant strides at the moment. We're now on to the last two bosses in Zul'Gurub and last night we amazed ourselves by downing the first four bosses in Molten Core in only our third trip there. That netted the guild a cool 12 epic items, even if Geddon brings us down to Earth, the guild will get a lot stronger simply by repeating those four bosses.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
Continuing my WoW near-monologue, I give you the new Alliance race: Draenei
Apparently the ratty little beasties that have existed in the game up to now are in fact a corrputed version of this, altogether more noble-looking, race. Apparently the flee Draenor after being decimated by the Burning Legion and their transdimensional vessel crashes on Azeroth (I'm getting big Transformers vibes about that bit, and a space ship in a fantasy setting?).
They look pretty cool though; Tauren-sized fellas with blue skin, a long tail and hooves. I think I'm going to remake my human paladin (Vilesilencer, thanks for the great pally name SRD!) as a Draenei when the expansion comes out.
Also, in a comedical move by Blizzard, the Blood Elf dance has been lifted directly from Napoleon Dynamite! Check it out: Blood Elf dancing
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
I've owned this game for almost a year, and I've finally started playing it (my video card, despite being compatable, couldn't handle it and died... horribly. now I have a new laptop).
I've got a lvl 12 tauren shaman, Malvanakta, on Shattered Hand. My best friend runs a huge guild there, Red Hand, I believe, though I'll have to recheck. So far I've just been questing and leveling.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
Cool, I've got a shaman but I haven't really developed him yet. I know from (bitter) experience that they absolutely rule in battlegrounds: they can heal, wear mail armor, do respectable damage and when you finally kill one, they just get straight back up!
It's probably worth joining a guild that's recently formed when you're low level, so you can quest with them until you're high enough to join your friend's guild. If it's anything like my guild then there will be a pretty high minimum level for recruits, depends if he can swing it for you though. We do have a separate guild for our low level alt characters (called Arathi Four O ), but it's awfully quiet and so not a great place to level a main character.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
Speaking as a rogue, it's the orc shaman that puts the fear of God into me. That 25% chance to resist stuns makes it practically impossible for me to hold a stun lock on them.
The other two races have handy racial abilities too, but less frightening. Taurens get war stomp and have more hit points, and the troll's berzerker ability can be scary if they save it for the right time.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
Ah, the funeral ganking. I'm pretty ambivalent about it, to be honest. On the one hand, it's griefing at its very ugliest but on the other, the idea of an in-game funeral doesn't sit very well with me.
In spite of all that though, I find the video really funny. I love the way it's cut together with the funeral in Winterspring, then the whole guild bounding through Timbermaw Hold. And of course, the rogue nailing the dead person's character to open the hostilities; soooo harsh.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
I have tons of articles about my crazy antics in UO, which was my KW before KW. Feel free to learn of Foul's seedy past--just PM me ahead of time, of course. 
My friend let's me play off his account though....I currently belong to NO guilds as I am only a low level. I used to have a rouge (night elf) but deleted him to start a dwarf paladin (obsessed because of Everquest) and am on the Ursin Server (i think) If you play look up Hordesucks (1. no offence to any horde players...just a joke 2. the o in my name is a little strange looking theres a line over it...).. I have about 700 gold between me and my friend (we went on halves to buy it....)
), but it's awfully quiet and so not a great place to level a main character.