Friday March 19, 2010 8:08 AM AEST

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

  • Email a Friend
  • Print Page
 »
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
 
85
---
By Logan Booker
Mar 22, 2007 | 1 Comment
Tags: WoW | BC | Warcraft | game

What happens when a paladin, a druid and a shaman walk into an instance? Other than heal, of course.

Warcraft on Atomic:
Squeeze the game for all it's worth with our Ultimate World of Warcraft Mod Guide.
Watch the pandemonium of the midnight launch.
Read the details of the game we learned on our tour of Blizzard HQ.
Listen to our interview with the developers.



Three years ago, no one was playing World of Warcraft, except perhaps the developers themselves. Even so, the signs of its powerful draw where undoubtedly there. Today, if Blizzard is to be believed, eight million souls are right now beavering away at their mice and keyboards, entranced by the MMO orgy that’s transpiring on their screens. About a million and a half reside in Europe, another two and half in the US, and Australia and Asia making up the rest.

Some are fighting skeletons hoping that – despite the game’s maddening randomisation code – the particular one they’re fighting will drop the bone fragments they need for a rep turn-in. Considering that’s all skeletons are made of, it’s not an insane expectation.

Others are running a dungeon for the 102nd time, praying that the tiger boss at the end will finally drop his Staff of Hale Magefire, despite his lack of opposable thumbs, or even the need for such an item. Finally, the majority will be playing an alt character, climbing the level ladder to 60 for the God-only-knows time.

This all however will change with the release of The Burning Crusade (TBC), Blizzard’s first pay-for expansion to the original game. Now, they get to do it in the Outland instead.

TBC is a sizeable update to World of Warcraft, and if you’re still playing you’d be crazy (or you’ll go crazy, one of the two) if you don’t buy it. The most important change is the increase in the player level cap to 70, forcing level 60 players to dust off their questing caps and once again kill boars in multiples of five for experience and loot.

Speaking of loot, item budgets in the expansion have been extensively revamped. Within the first few days of questing in the Outland, most players will have gear on-par or exceeding that which was only available to raid fiends. Stamina in particular appears to have depreciated in value, and almost all Outland items have copious amounts of it. The reason behind this is obvious: To increase the length of fights in both PvE and PvP. So no more dying from ‘three-minute’ Mages.

Gear, which one could argue drives the game, is also now more encouraging of ‘off-specs’ for hybrid classes, which are usually pigeon-holed into healing – something that wasn’t aided by all the healing-oriented epic sets in the original game. Leather, mail and plate gear with stats that promote spell and attack damage are now plentiful, so feral Druids, retribution Paladins and elemental Shamans have much to look forward to. Sadly, due to the rarity of healers, the default raid roster will more than likely demand that hybrids be healers.



 
 »
Product Info
Specs:
Recommended: 1.5GHz CPU; 1GB RAM; 128MB DirectX 9 complaint video card; Internet connection; original game.
price check*
$30.80 Zboard World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Limited Edition Keyset
Blacktea Tech (VIC)
$34.00 Ideazon Zboard World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Limited Edition Keyse...
I-Tech (NSW)
$35.75 Zboard World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Keyset
KickStart Computers (SA)
$37.00 Zboard World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Keyset
SkyComp Technology (NSW)
$39.60 Zboard Keyset - World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Limited Edition (Req...
Centre Com (VIC)
$39.90 Zboard World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Keyset
Mwave Australia (NSW)
*Products and prices sourced from staticICE and are in no way associated with Atomic MPC Powered by
 
This article appeared in the March, 2007 issue of Atomic.

Want to check out the first Australian review of Final Fantasy XIII? We got in this month's Atomic!

Plus HD projectors, Napoleon: Total War, Intel's new six-core processor, PC upgrading guide, and a whole lot more.

ON SALE NOW!
1 Comment
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
wowpaladin09@yahoo.com
Jan 13, 2009 4:50 AM
This game is great! However, you need a lot of time to level and farm [url=http://wowgoldpig.com]wow gold[/url]

Graphics: 10/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
Login or register to submit a comment.
 
 
Atomic Magazine

Issue: 111 | April, 2010

Atomic is a magazine aimed squarely at computer enthusiasts, gamers, and serious PC upgraders.

Every month we bring you the latest reviews of new technology and PC components, in depth features on everything from overclocking to console hacking, and gaming previews and interviews.
 
Latest Comments
"I'll play devil's advocate for a moment. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't make it ..."
by CodeMaster | Mar 19, 2010 12:04 AM
 
"Yeah its kinda malty as I describe it.
I found a 500Ml one the other day :)
Mother ..."
by cheozuka | Mar 18, 2010 11:06 PM
 
"Wow. Graphics look great, gameplay looks great, what more could you want."
by Acintai | Mar 18, 2010 10:50 PM
 
"Wooo, this really shows how much those high frequency trading schemes make .. defendant makes ..."
by hazarama | Mar 18, 2010 9:37 PM
 
"Yeah, that is right this is an epic game that is so much fun to play with [url=http://personalmon..."
by JacquelynX | Mar 18, 2010 9:20 PM
 
1) Apple iPhone 8GB43 plans 22%
2) Nokia N9740 plans 11%
3) HTC Touch HD28 plans 11%
4) HTC Magic5 plans 56%
5) Sony Ericsson Aino6 plans 11%
1) Netspace36 plans 100%
2) Optus41 plans 15%
3) Vodafone7 plans 9%
4) Telstra BigPond30 plans 4%
5) Dodo34 plans 1%

Mobiles | Broadband | Credit Cards

Haymarket - Atomic MPC
Latest User Reviews
Logitech MX518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse
90%
Good shape, design and Ergonomics
 
Coolermaster HAF 922
100%
A case to make a statment and give your pc the Heavy Hardcore Grunt it needs.
 
Coolermaster Excalibur
50%
Atomic is under attack
 
XFX 9300 Motherboard
40%
HUGE letdown
 
CM Storm Sentinel gaming mouse
90%
Sexy and instant geek respect.