But WoW is a close second in the most-fun category. The pace of WoW is far slower than a shooter like Tribes. But that's because they're different genres of gameplay.

That said, there's a great deal of fun to be had in this massively multiplayer online game. As the example of Odis and Mormo showed earlier, it's even more fun when you've got friends to play with. This is a game that's a kick to play with friends. Even sicko friends like mine!

When I took their pictures in game, it was very much like a real-world photo shoot, admittedly with a slightly deranged twist. First, I asked them to model. Being the hams they were, they instantly accepted. But in a very interesting analog to the real world, I posed them where I wanted, asked them to move back, left, or right, and basically conducted the same coaching you would with any partially clothed model.

Since my first week or so, I've really come to understand the level of detail and the breathtaking care that went into the design of this game. If there were Oscars for game design, this would get them all.

As I mentioned last week, there's a fully-operational email system in the game, as shown in Figure E. You can send money, objects, and messages among players.

FIGURE E

Yep, there's cheese in this game. Click picture for a larger image.

In addition to email between players, there's a vibrant in-game economy. There's an Auction House that's surprisingly close in feel to eBay. Do you want a Level 49 Mace that can clobber your enemies? Just look for it on the Auction House. Did you just collect ten pieces of heavy leather? Sell them at the Auction House, shown in Figure F.

FIGURE F

The Auction House is an actual building, but here's the interface screen. Click picture for a larger image.

Each region in the game is the size of a small town. I and my friends have been playing this game for more than half a year, every few days getting to explore a different area, and we've yet to see the entire map. Some areas are ablaze with color, like the Hillsbrad Foothills area shown in Figure G.

FIGURE G

That's me and my big hammer, flying into Tarren Mill. Click picture for a larger image.

Other regions are cold and forbidding, like the Alterac Mountains region shown in Figure H.

FIGURE H

It's cold down there. Click picture for a larger image.

There are bustling cities like Thunder Bluff, shown in Figure I.

FIGURE I

Thunder Bluff was the first large city I discovered. Click picture for a larger image.

There are caves, waterfalls, and even underwater regions. Not only does WoW have enormous on-land maps, but they've also mapped out with considerable detail the coastline surrounding the map areas. One of the things I found to be truly amazing was the richly detailed underwater reef in Figure J, which I discovered in one particularly challenging quest.

FIGURE J

Watch out, it's dangerous this far down! Click picture for a larger image.

Throughout the game, there are many different themes. For example, Undercity's the creepy main town of the Horde on one of the islands. As you enter, you'll see the very cool skulls in Figure K.

FIGURE K

You haven't lived until you've flown through grinning skulls. Click picture for a larger image.

As you can see from my screenshots, the graphics are involved and have an interesting, cartoonish texture that somehow seems to work very well. Over and over, I've continued to find detail touches that really showed the dedication of developers.