Back From Vacation…and Achievments
Well I’ve returned from the sunny beaches of Emerald Isle, North Carolina, and I’m happy to be back. I returned to see the latest development in Wrath of the Lich King, the achievements system, and figured I’d throw my hat in the ring. If you’re curious you can read the nitty gritty right here.
At first I wasn’t even sure if this should be added as an additional feature. After all, titles are currently in game that signify player achievements through raiding, the old pvp system, or even reputation with Shattered Sun Offensive. Obviously, they are taking achievements to the next level though, adding in hundreds of achievements you’ll be able to unlock through a wide variety of means:
“World of Warcraft’s achievements system will launch with more than 500 individual achievements covering every aspect of gameplay, including world exploration, PvE, PvP, professions, and character development; from the purely whimsical to the truly epic, there will be something for everyone. Some achievements come with in-game rewards such as tabards, vanity pets, and titles. All of these rewards are purely cosmetic and just for fun, but you’ll certainly stand out when you proudly display them.”
I think its an interesting way to add variation and uniqueness to player characters without actually making them more powerful. Many lament that Warcraft doesn’t provide an alternate advancement system, much like Everquest did in its day, but don’t take into account the consequences that would bring about. Unlike Everquest, player versus player combat is an integral part of the game, and allowing people to “level” skills past the cap would mean that players who play the most would have even more of an edge over the average player than they already do with better gear. Achievements may not be the most groundbreaking thing Blizzard’s ever done, but I’m happy to see it and I hope there are some vanity pets to go along with it.
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