Private servers have been all the rage for many years among those who don’t believe in “renting” a game they’ve already paid for or those who simply can’t afford to pay the monthly fee Blizzard asks for.
Blizzard is obviously strongly against private servers, and actively seeks to shut them down through intimidation and legal means. Yet it seems that for every private server that shuts down, another opens up shortly thereafter.
So with the game client available for free on the internet – supplied by Blizzard themselves – why should you pay for an account in order to access the official servers when their illegal – according to Blizzard – counterparts are free?
Well, first things first; if you haven’t actually bought a physical copy in-store then the “private servers are not illegal” argument is not going to get you very far. Blizzard spent time and money developing the game, and if you don’t have the decency to pay for something you use then harping on about technical illegalities is simply stupid.
Moral issues aside, however, have you ever heard the phrase “you get what you pay for?” That’s exactly the case with official World of Warcraft servers. Blizzard actively seeks to balance their realms and keep infrastructure up-to-scratch. The major problem with many private servers is that the owners simply don’t have the resources or time to deal with the whims of thousands of players. Worse, yet, is that any sort of balance is hard to achieve – at least fairly – as server merges and migration simply aren’t options for those running the show.
When balance isn’t present, PvP and the game’s economy takes a toll. If it weren’t for the “easy mode” (increased loot and experience gains many private server owners put into place), finding groups to play with, items on the auction house, or other players to play against could very well turn the play experience into a nightmare. The idea of leveling to 80 in no time at all will appeal to some, but what’s the point of an MMORPG if you don’t appreciate the hours and hours it took to develop the overall storyline and smaller quests?
Apart from realm balancing, there are numerous other perks that that come with official servers, such as holiday events, RAIDS that don’t crash the servers and the fact that Blizzard is there to deal with player abuse, bugs and other issues. For just over a hundred bucks a month you’re guaranteed the play experience Blizzard intended you to have. You have access to new content when it is released and you help fund the development of yet more content to come. If not for moral reasons, then should you be able to afford it – for your own good – pay your dues. You’ll get far more enjoyment out of the real deal than the dumbed-down version available for free.
Discuss WoW servers in the forums
Loading ...
