Read Online MMORPG: How a Computer Game Becomes Deadly Serious by Emile van Veen - Free Book Online

were all the things he had looted, and also the note. When he clicked on the note, it opened in a large window. It was written on some kind of parchment and detailed how important hunters were to the tribe. The sender was Lanka Farshot, who offered to train him in the ways of the hunter.
    “I have to go to the hunter trainer,” he said. “Where’s that?”
    “Where does it say it is?”
    “Here in Camp Narache.”
    Killermage sat on the ground, right in front of him. “I’m supposed to introduce you to WoW, but that doesn’t mean I have to tell you exactly what to do all the time. One of the challenges of this game is that you have to find out where you have to go. If the message says she’s in Camp Narache, you’ll just have to look around. Good luck!”
    Robert felt a bit rebuked by her. On the other hand, wasn’t it fun to find it out for himself? He left her behind and walked the short distance to the main building, which was in fact the largest tent. When he entered the large tent, he saw another Tauren with an exclamation mark. Rebecca explained to him that you could be on more than one quest at the same time. The Tauren was Grull’s father, Chief Hawkwing. Also in the tent, he found Lanka Farshot. After some introduction text, she offered to train him. For nine Copper she would teach him something called Track Beasts. He had no money at all. This time, Rebecca didn’t make fun of him.
    “Money is incredibly important in this game. Without Gold, you miss out on a lot of things. You can make your first money now by selling the other things you collected while killing those Plainstriders. Come!”
    He followed her out of the tent and she led him to Kawnee Softbreeze, a General Goods Vendor, according to her tag.
    “You can sell your stuff to her.”
    Robert sold everything in his bags for a total sum of fifty-six Copper. With the money, he returned to Lanka Farshot and was taught a skill called Track Beasts. Apparently, this skill allowed him to see the location of all animals around him on the mini map in the upper right corner. Handy indeed.
    “Now let’s spend the rest of your money,” Rebecca said. “Hunters must always have enough ammunition!” She motioned him back to the General Goods Vendor. “Fill your ammunition bag with Light Shot. She sells it.”
    He did as she told him. The cost was nine Copper for two hundred Light Shot. He now had more than a thousand bullets.
    Suddenly, with a thud, a new window opened on his screen, accompanied by the text Killermage wants to trade with you . He studied the new window for a moment and saw that she wanted to give him one hundred Gold.
    “Press ‘Trade’ now,” she said.
    After receiving the money, he asked how much it was worth.
    “There are one hundred Copper in one Silver, and there are one hundred Silver in one Gold. So I just gave you a present of one million Copper.”
    “Wow, that’s a lot. Do I need that much?”
    “No, not at all. There are many players who don’t have that much money until they reach level fifty. You’re now officially the richest newcomer on the whole Realm!”
    “Thanks.” He didn’t know what to say.
    Killermage clapped him on the shoulder. “No worries. I have to go now. Keep on playing. I’ll drop by your place at about eight o’clock tonight. Is that all right?”
    Before he could answer, she disappeared, as if she had dissolved into thin air right before his eyes.
     
     
     
     
     
     
    ~~~

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER VII
     
     
     
     
    By the time it was eight o’clock, Robert had reached level six. He had finished all the quests in and around Camp Narache, which included going into a hostile village at the far east of the area. A hard challenge, which taught him what happened when you died in World of Warcraft. Although dying wasn’t the right word. His character was transported to a graveyard. Well, actually it wasn’t the corpse but the spirit of his character that appeared at the