Casual MMO: Wizard 101

In my continued search for a second MMO to play, preferable very casual-friendly, I started playing Wizard 101 (W101).  Think Harry Potter meets MMO with a collectible card game battle mechanic.  For more depth opinions, visit West Karana.  I was contemplating a re-sub to EVE Online, which I still may do in 2009 but I wanted something to tinker with now.  Once I found out that I could play W101 for free up to a certain point, it encouraged me to give this game a try.

I love MMOs, I adore Harry Potter and I like card games.  Those things combined increased the odds that I’d like W101 on some level.  As it happens, I like it very much.  Just running around a game that is ALL ABOUT MAGIC is fun.  Magic is what attracts me to playing fantasy games.  Yet for all the ones I’ve played, magic is just one aspect of the game whereas in W101, it is the core of the game.  Coupled with very cute graphics and a very HP-feel to the early zones, it’s a pleasure just to roam around.  It lacks any real exploration but oh well.

So far the quests are enjoyable and can be completed quickly.  They’re the average MMO kill, fetch, find and “speak to…” variety.  I don’t know how many of the players I pass are actually children but everyone looks SO CUTE in their little outfits!  The game has micro-transactions for accessing subscriber zones, vanity outfits and vanity pets.  The pets were so yummy that I’ve already succumbed to spending real cash for a virtual item.  It’s Christmas in the Wizard City.  I just had to have one of the themed pets and wands.  I’m not a fan of micro-transactions that impact player progression but little things here and there are fun.  I swear that if my dorm room could be decorated and they had purchasable decorations for Christmas, they could have milked me for a few more bucks.

Similar to WAR’s Open Groups, you can freely join battles with other players.  The game will also join you to an existing battle if you pick a fight near another group of combatants.  You and your mob will be joined into that circle.  At least where I’ve been so far in Wizard City, there’s no need to talk while you’re in combat.  Just pay attention to the condition of the players around you, the spells they have selected to cast, use your common sense and you’re good to go.

It’s an interesting coincidence that I started playing W101 right at the time that I’ve been thinking a lot about the class mechanics in games, especially games with PVP content.  W101 implements something rather unique and is in between the strict class structure and no class option.  In W101, you choose a primary school of magic. Each has its advantages and disadvantages based on play style.  If you want to “tank” in this game then you’d consider picking the school where you have the most health or durability.  If you want to heal pick the school where healing is the focus.  Regardless of your primary school selection, you can customize your character and play, by spending training points in the other magic schools.  Most players suggest choosing only one other making it your secondary, some are doing a third but I don’t know of a restriction that prevents you from spending them in as many schools as you desire.  The only catch is that you get a finite number of points to spend and the better skills are lower down in the trees.  As a result, if you spend across too many schools you’ll amass a deck of lesser skills but hey, that’s your option.  AND you can't un-train.  You use a training point on a spell and it's yours for life.

With all this flexibility and a dislike for re-rolling, I had a hellofa time deciding on a Primary magic school, let alone a secondary.  I didn’t like my first set of choices at all.  They were contrary to how I approach combat.  The flow of the battles didn’t fit my style so I stopped and did a little more research.  I picked different combinations and decided to try each up until Golem Tower. 

Golem Tower is an instanced quest where you fight through a series of encounters until you reach the final boss at the top of the tower.  To reach the final boss you have to clear each of the floors in the same session.  You can't leave and come back to where you were.  As such, I found it a good way to test the style, flow and affinity of a Primary\Secondary school selection, and compare it against how you like to play.

The pairings I tried were Death\Storm, Myth\Death, Ice\Balance and Balance\Storm.  I didn’t enjoy the first two at all.  Myth\Death is analogous to a Warlock.  Warlock/Enchanter/Illusionist being my bread-n-butter style, I was surprised how little I liked that combination.  Ice\Balance felt as I expected and I was pretty sure after player her to Golem Tower, she was be my pick.  Just for good measure I wanted to try the monster DPS combo Tipa mentioned, Storm/Balance.  I decided to reverse the pairing for better survivability since I like to solo.  An hour in, I knew that Balance/Storm was the right combination for me.   I might add a few Ice or Fire spells toward the end for more reliable burst damage.

So far so good on W101 being an entertaining casual game.  I’m not sure how much I’ll like it if at the upper levels there are hour long card battles.  Requiring that length of time for an exchange would bump it out of casual gaming by my standards.  If I run into a hard stop because I have to group – as in plan groups in advance, that would also drop it off my list for casual gaming.

So far there are only two things I’ve found annoying.  First and worst is that there is no screen capture feature.    I have to use Print-Screen and immediately paste the image into a graphics program, which is annoying and hack.  The other is that for all my searching, I can’t find anything that maps your player levels to mob ranks.  I know they aren’t the same because I’ve seen R1 mobs that are yellow or red to me when I’m L4 and so on. 

Initially it didn’t matter but I’ve been given quests into three new areas and the mobs at the entrances of these zones are all red, some with Elite reds waiting there.  I can’t imagine that I’m meant to start a zone with that level of difficulty.  You can’t select a mob to see its health and I don’t see any other players in the zone to compare myself against.  If anyone knows the sequence for leveling through Colossus, Triton and Firecat Alley, PLEASE give me some pointers.  I know the game is new but I’m still surprised not finding any information on the suggested player level for the world content.  I found it for individual Worlds but not the zones within the world.

Today I’m going back into Golem tower and fight my way to the top floor to note the rank and health of the final boss to see if that sheds any light on the subject.  It’s seems odd that it’s this complicated to figure out.  I could just try and die, but I’m going for the “soloed to blah-blah without dying” distinction. *Smile*  My personal little mini game.

Comments

[Tipa]

The usual order of the streets I do is Triton - Cyclops - Firecat. Clearing those unlocks Krokotopia and the optional fourth street, Colossus Blvd.

The color of the mob indicates its difficulty compared to the average challenge in the area, not its level compared to you, unlike most other MMOs. As near as I can tell, monsters don't have levels.

[Shamutanti]

I've not even bothered looking at levels, elites, etc. etc. I tend to just run into something and try and kill it :>

From what i've gtahered at the start of the game (level 1 through to 15ish?) there's little in the way of difference between 'normal' mobs and elite mobs (same applies for level).

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

Oh hmm, with nothing to go on I went into Firecat and tip-toed around the corner and saw players there. I joined and did just fine. I accepted quests there and have soloed with no issues but I don't seem to have the same level of gear as the other players I saw. Maybe I should back up anyway for the rewards. Thanks!

[Capn John]

About lvl 12 or so you should go and see the old lady in the hub area between the Shopping District and Firecat Alley, Triton Ave. & Cyclops Lane. She's just after the first house to the right as you come out of the Shopping District.

She'll start you on a chain quest that rewards you with a new set of clothes with stats specifically for your Primary school. They all match, too, but of course you can always dye them if you don't like the color scheme ;)

[Tesh]

I thought you might like this. :)
Good to see you enjoying the game!