WickedDeus
2003-11-14, 06:18 PM
http://fohguild.org/
Let me take you to the movies. Can I take you to the show? Let me be yours ever truly. Can I make your garden grow?
2003-11-13 19:10:59 - Furor Planedefiler
The hulking Orc hovered above the bodies of the fallen. It would be a successful ambush, led by Warlord Aesma, Fury of Orgrimmar. Surely he would receive a feast in his honor, and perhaps someday, a monument to reflect upon his greatness; a symbol of power and fear for all of Orc-kind to see and honor.
As it turned out, one among the Humans that lay before Aesma and his clan was an outcast High Priest of Stormwind. The Warlord�s Shaman was quick to identify the figure as High Priest Shar Drakowen. Rumors had circulated amongst the Orcs that one among the Humans had been banished from Stormwind because of an immeasurable cruelty towards the muddled races - those non-Human and thus, impure. It was said that Drakowen and his followers wandered the hostile territories of Kalimdor, brutally exterminating all forms of life that had the misfortune of crossing their path. A glorious victory for the Horde, indeed.
Aesma began to rummage through the caravan, claiming first right to any treasures that may have been stowed within the wreckage. The Orc lord was stopped short, however, when he heard a faint whisper coming from the direction of the High Priest�s broken body. Aesma shook his head in disbelief. Could it be possible that the High Priest survived the surprise attack by the mighty Orc clan? It would be impossible, he thought. The High Priest had been asleep when they had attacked, caught completely off guard. Aesma would take no chances. He drew his war hammer and turned toward the body of Drakowen. As he approached the figure, he noticed that the Priest was attempting to speak � The Warlord�s men noticed slight apprehension in Aesma as he had approached the corpse and quickly took to arms. The mighty Warlord raised his fist and commanded the men to stand down. One mortally injured Human would not and could not pose a threat to the Fury of Orgrimmar. He could barely hear the words coming from the High Priest but identified them to be Orcish. Upon one knee, Aesma sank down to the bloodied and beaten body of Shar Drakowen. Still, he could not make out the words. He turned his head to face the High Priest� a mistake he would regret until the end of days.
Drakowen�s eye shot open, looking straight into the eyes of Aesma. �I claim dominion Orcling�. Today I drink in your agony�� Aesma felt his consciousness slipping, fading... He had lost control over his own body and could only watch in horror as to what would happen next. The powerful Warlord stood up and turned toward his horde. With a few mighty sweeps of his war hammer, twelve of his own were quickly dispatched. The remaining Orcs fled, running for their lives, hoping to escape the enraged Warlord�s vengeance. As the Warlord�s rage died down, he began to regain control of his body. His state of consciousness only lasted a minute, though, as he was quickly entranced by the High Priest, who was now standing proudly, a grin drawn wide upon his face. Drakowen slowly began to raise his fallen comrades, drawing intricate runes in the air over their bodies. One by one the men stood up, regaining consciousness� regaining� life. All hope was lost for the Orc. There would be no feast, no celebration in his honor - he would die here, disavowed by his own, at the hands of the Humans, whom only moments ago were corpses piled at his feet.
Drakowen had completed the final resurrections and was now walking towards Aesma. He circled the entranced Orc. Was he laughing? Aesma had never encountered such cold cruelty, something he once thought impossible considering his own upbringing. The High Priest began to speak. �I am not going to kill you Orcling. Your life will serve a far greater purpose than your death ever could. You will run back to Orgrimmar. You will tell your filthy brethren what transpired here today� For the rest of your days you will live as an outcast among your own kind� dishonored and despised� �
�Tell them I come for them, Orcling� I will drink in their agony and pain as I have in yours� the torment shall be divine��
____________
This is the first in a series of stories that I will be writing to introduce World of Warcraft character classes. I have chosen this format to give the readers a bit of a feel for the world. This short story represents the Warrior and Priest class of the World of Warcraft. It is worth mentioning that the underlying point of the story is to demonstrate one thing: Good and Evil don't make their homes within the player based on their race, but rather, what that player's mindset is in regards to the gameworld. Evil and good, after all, are relative...
The Priest
This is not the Everquest Cleric you know and loathe. "There will be no complete heal chains in the World of Warcraft." That was one of the first things said to me last Friday as Jeffrey Kaplan (Tigole) and Rob Pardo (Ariel for those of you that know your Legacy of Steel history) demonstrated the Priest class in action. And what a show it was...
The World of Warcraft Priest shuns plate armor and instead opts for cloth. What they lose in defense, however, they make up for with some new abilities that definitely differ from any traditional cleric roles found in many other MMORGs. Most notable is the ability of the World of Warcraft Priest to use mind control on their foes. The Priest can mesmerize/entrance enemies and can also use a spell/ability to dominate the will of others. A Priest, however, is not the Enchanter of the World of Warcraft. Their crowd control ability is strictly limited. The Priest can only mesmerize one opponent at a time. Additionally, when using their Dominate ability, the priest falls into a sort of stasis or trance, unable to move or cast any spells, but instead possessing their target. When Dominating, the priest gains whatever abilities their opponent may have within their arsenal and moves/functions within the body of the enemy. Of course these spells can be resisted and the duration on the Dominate ability is still being tuned.
Naturally, the Priest shines in groups but is also able to solo with some success. Aside from different types of heals, which would fall under Holy Magic, the Priest is also able to make use of Shadow Magic. These would be Damage over Time and possibly some Direct Damage spells. Additionally, the Priest has a self rune type spell that they can cast upon themselves that allows the Priest to channel their magic through melee attacks more efficiently. This is basically a form of insurance for the Priest, allowing them to make certain their spell is cast without delay. It should be noted that spell casting classes (Priests/Mages/etc...) will be able to channel through melee normally, but the use of Holy Word Shield is a spell intrinsic to the Priest. How channeling normally works in the World of Warcraft is as such: As you begin to cast a spell you bring up a casting time bar. If you are hit while casting the spell, it does not interrupt the spell but rather it delays the casting bar for each hit that is taken by the spellcaster. There are, of course, abilities that NPCs and players alike have that can interrupt a spell outright (bash, stuns, special strikes, counterspells, etc�).
These abilities, of which I've barely touched on, as well as the ability to resurrect players at later levels and myriad other abilities and spells, are sure to make the Priest a very popular class within the World of Warcraft.
Now my personal opinion of the Priest is simply this: They kick ass. As we were porting around the world (which I will discuss in some depth in a future update - and no, it most certainly will not be so easy for the players to move around the world, we cheated) the guys (Jeffrey and Rob) put the Priest through its paces. We visited a hostile Ogre outpost where the Priest Dominated an Ogre or two and showed off some fancy moves while in the body of the fatties. They showed off some of the spells I mentioned earlier, healing, nuking, dotting, and falling back on the Priest's staff, administering some good old fashioned beatings. I also got to see some of the Priest's sight abilities, akin to Everquest's Bind Sight line - excellent utility spells for scouting and detecting some of those ambush traps I will undoubtedly be setting up to kill you in... Rule #1, never foolishly run up to a pile of gold conspicuously lying on the ground. Now I don't know if I can actually put gold or lewtz on the ground in the PvP areas, but I'll be damned if I don't try. You've seen the rule now, we both know you're not going to listen to the rule, which will inevitably result in me wearing your ears around my neck, pinned to my 'Necklace of Greedy Fool's Ears.' Don't be that guy...
The Warrior
Where to even begin? As many of you know, this is the class I play and have played for the past 5 years in Everquest. Comparing the two Warrior classes, Everquest versus the World of Warcraft, is like comparing your skinny cousin with the bad acne to Superman. World of Warcraft has a definitive advantage over Everquest, in that the classes are not as watered down and diluted, allowing for much more power to be allotted to individual classes. Sure there is another Tank class (The Paladin and to a lesser degree the Shaman and Druids can do some light tanking, but I digress) but he does not totally usurp the Warrior class, and in Warcraft our friend the Warrior is pissed off and packing something I like to call 'the pain.'
Let me take you to the movies. Can I take you to the show? Let me be yours ever truly. Can I make your garden grow?
2003-11-13 19:10:59 - Furor Planedefiler
The hulking Orc hovered above the bodies of the fallen. It would be a successful ambush, led by Warlord Aesma, Fury of Orgrimmar. Surely he would receive a feast in his honor, and perhaps someday, a monument to reflect upon his greatness; a symbol of power and fear for all of Orc-kind to see and honor.
As it turned out, one among the Humans that lay before Aesma and his clan was an outcast High Priest of Stormwind. The Warlord�s Shaman was quick to identify the figure as High Priest Shar Drakowen. Rumors had circulated amongst the Orcs that one among the Humans had been banished from Stormwind because of an immeasurable cruelty towards the muddled races - those non-Human and thus, impure. It was said that Drakowen and his followers wandered the hostile territories of Kalimdor, brutally exterminating all forms of life that had the misfortune of crossing their path. A glorious victory for the Horde, indeed.
Aesma began to rummage through the caravan, claiming first right to any treasures that may have been stowed within the wreckage. The Orc lord was stopped short, however, when he heard a faint whisper coming from the direction of the High Priest�s broken body. Aesma shook his head in disbelief. Could it be possible that the High Priest survived the surprise attack by the mighty Orc clan? It would be impossible, he thought. The High Priest had been asleep when they had attacked, caught completely off guard. Aesma would take no chances. He drew his war hammer and turned toward the body of Drakowen. As he approached the figure, he noticed that the Priest was attempting to speak � The Warlord�s men noticed slight apprehension in Aesma as he had approached the corpse and quickly took to arms. The mighty Warlord raised his fist and commanded the men to stand down. One mortally injured Human would not and could not pose a threat to the Fury of Orgrimmar. He could barely hear the words coming from the High Priest but identified them to be Orcish. Upon one knee, Aesma sank down to the bloodied and beaten body of Shar Drakowen. Still, he could not make out the words. He turned his head to face the High Priest� a mistake he would regret until the end of days.
Drakowen�s eye shot open, looking straight into the eyes of Aesma. �I claim dominion Orcling�. Today I drink in your agony�� Aesma felt his consciousness slipping, fading... He had lost control over his own body and could only watch in horror as to what would happen next. The powerful Warlord stood up and turned toward his horde. With a few mighty sweeps of his war hammer, twelve of his own were quickly dispatched. The remaining Orcs fled, running for their lives, hoping to escape the enraged Warlord�s vengeance. As the Warlord�s rage died down, he began to regain control of his body. His state of consciousness only lasted a minute, though, as he was quickly entranced by the High Priest, who was now standing proudly, a grin drawn wide upon his face. Drakowen slowly began to raise his fallen comrades, drawing intricate runes in the air over their bodies. One by one the men stood up, regaining consciousness� regaining� life. All hope was lost for the Orc. There would be no feast, no celebration in his honor - he would die here, disavowed by his own, at the hands of the Humans, whom only moments ago were corpses piled at his feet.
Drakowen had completed the final resurrections and was now walking towards Aesma. He circled the entranced Orc. Was he laughing? Aesma had never encountered such cold cruelty, something he once thought impossible considering his own upbringing. The High Priest began to speak. �I am not going to kill you Orcling. Your life will serve a far greater purpose than your death ever could. You will run back to Orgrimmar. You will tell your filthy brethren what transpired here today� For the rest of your days you will live as an outcast among your own kind� dishonored and despised� �
�Tell them I come for them, Orcling� I will drink in their agony and pain as I have in yours� the torment shall be divine��
____________
This is the first in a series of stories that I will be writing to introduce World of Warcraft character classes. I have chosen this format to give the readers a bit of a feel for the world. This short story represents the Warrior and Priest class of the World of Warcraft. It is worth mentioning that the underlying point of the story is to demonstrate one thing: Good and Evil don't make their homes within the player based on their race, but rather, what that player's mindset is in regards to the gameworld. Evil and good, after all, are relative...
The Priest
This is not the Everquest Cleric you know and loathe. "There will be no complete heal chains in the World of Warcraft." That was one of the first things said to me last Friday as Jeffrey Kaplan (Tigole) and Rob Pardo (Ariel for those of you that know your Legacy of Steel history) demonstrated the Priest class in action. And what a show it was...
The World of Warcraft Priest shuns plate armor and instead opts for cloth. What they lose in defense, however, they make up for with some new abilities that definitely differ from any traditional cleric roles found in many other MMORGs. Most notable is the ability of the World of Warcraft Priest to use mind control on their foes. The Priest can mesmerize/entrance enemies and can also use a spell/ability to dominate the will of others. A Priest, however, is not the Enchanter of the World of Warcraft. Their crowd control ability is strictly limited. The Priest can only mesmerize one opponent at a time. Additionally, when using their Dominate ability, the priest falls into a sort of stasis or trance, unable to move or cast any spells, but instead possessing their target. When Dominating, the priest gains whatever abilities their opponent may have within their arsenal and moves/functions within the body of the enemy. Of course these spells can be resisted and the duration on the Dominate ability is still being tuned.
Naturally, the Priest shines in groups but is also able to solo with some success. Aside from different types of heals, which would fall under Holy Magic, the Priest is also able to make use of Shadow Magic. These would be Damage over Time and possibly some Direct Damage spells. Additionally, the Priest has a self rune type spell that they can cast upon themselves that allows the Priest to channel their magic through melee attacks more efficiently. This is basically a form of insurance for the Priest, allowing them to make certain their spell is cast without delay. It should be noted that spell casting classes (Priests/Mages/etc...) will be able to channel through melee normally, but the use of Holy Word Shield is a spell intrinsic to the Priest. How channeling normally works in the World of Warcraft is as such: As you begin to cast a spell you bring up a casting time bar. If you are hit while casting the spell, it does not interrupt the spell but rather it delays the casting bar for each hit that is taken by the spellcaster. There are, of course, abilities that NPCs and players alike have that can interrupt a spell outright (bash, stuns, special strikes, counterspells, etc�).
These abilities, of which I've barely touched on, as well as the ability to resurrect players at later levels and myriad other abilities and spells, are sure to make the Priest a very popular class within the World of Warcraft.
Now my personal opinion of the Priest is simply this: They kick ass. As we were porting around the world (which I will discuss in some depth in a future update - and no, it most certainly will not be so easy for the players to move around the world, we cheated) the guys (Jeffrey and Rob) put the Priest through its paces. We visited a hostile Ogre outpost where the Priest Dominated an Ogre or two and showed off some fancy moves while in the body of the fatties. They showed off some of the spells I mentioned earlier, healing, nuking, dotting, and falling back on the Priest's staff, administering some good old fashioned beatings. I also got to see some of the Priest's sight abilities, akin to Everquest's Bind Sight line - excellent utility spells for scouting and detecting some of those ambush traps I will undoubtedly be setting up to kill you in... Rule #1, never foolishly run up to a pile of gold conspicuously lying on the ground. Now I don't know if I can actually put gold or lewtz on the ground in the PvP areas, but I'll be damned if I don't try. You've seen the rule now, we both know you're not going to listen to the rule, which will inevitably result in me wearing your ears around my neck, pinned to my 'Necklace of Greedy Fool's Ears.' Don't be that guy...
The Warrior
Where to even begin? As many of you know, this is the class I play and have played for the past 5 years in Everquest. Comparing the two Warrior classes, Everquest versus the World of Warcraft, is like comparing your skinny cousin with the bad acne to Superman. World of Warcraft has a definitive advantage over Everquest, in that the classes are not as watered down and diluted, allowing for much more power to be allotted to individual classes. Sure there is another Tank class (The Paladin and to a lesser degree the Shaman and Druids can do some light tanking, but I digress) but he does not totally usurp the Warrior class, and in Warcraft our friend the Warrior is pissed off and packing something I like to call 'the pain.'