How to Avoid Getting Scammed by Unofficial MMO Leveling and Strategy Guides
Over the years, I have played many MMO's starting way back with the classic original MMO Ultima Online. Since then I have fallen in love with the genre, as you probably have as well if you are reading this article.
I have always strived to become a great player, even though my real life schedule has not allowed me to put in as much time as some people into my latest games.
If you have been on the "MMO Scene" for any amount of time, you may have seen a new trend out there for unofficial MMO gaming guides, starting in World of Warcraft. WOW has held the monopoly of these guide writers, until lately when I have seen a few people branching out into other games.
I can say I have found a few of these guides extremely useful as a gamer. They allow me to find out details about a game I would otherwise never have known. Often in MMO's I would struggle to get to the maximum level in games, but I would see other people blazing past me in levels and I had no idea how they did it.
That set me off buying pretty much every guide I could get my hands on. I wanted to know the secrets of leveling fast like some people seemed to be able to do. I discovered one important thing. There are huge differences between "good" guides that actually help you level, and "bad" guides.
Some things I have seen:
- Strategy guides that are basically posts from the game's official forums, or information from an official guide repackaged into a so-called leveling guide.
- Guides that are outright copies of other peoples work. In one gold-making guide I purchased, the author took a guide from one game and replaced the name of the game with another game and sold it as a gold making guide for that game!
- Outright lies. Guides promising detail, when they are only lists of quests with no detail.
- So, I thought I would write this article and teach others what to look for in a real MMO leveling guide.
- Number one on my list: Do the author(s) offer a free sample of their work? Almost 90% of guides I've found that those authors who post nothing about their guide are generally scam guides. There's a reason they won't show even one page of their writing, they know you wouldn't buy it!
- Do they offer a money back guarantee? All of the quality guides I've purchased have a money back guarantee. You should feel safe when buying a guide.
- Do the authors offer any type of support? Sometimes I get confused about a detail; it's nice to know I can feel comfortable emailing the authors, without being ignored. A couple guides I've purchased sell mass quantities of low-quality guides and never reply to emails.
- What are the credentials of the author? If the guide is unofficial, then the authors should have some serious MMO experience behind them.
In conclusion, an unofficial MMO gaming guide should be able to do at least one thing well. Guides that claim to have everything generally have NOTHING useful. This is just from my personal experience having purchased many guides over the years.
One of the best sites I have found for gaming guides is Ashling's World MMO Gaming and Leveling Guides. They provide guides for Age of Conan, Wrath of the Lich King and Warhammer Online. The authors really KNOW their gaming, and put a ton of detail into their guides. I have personally found their guides extremely helpful when gaming. Also, you won't have any problems if you ever need help! When I asked a question, they responded quickly. I hope this has helped you!
Sam Davis is a long time player of MMO's and a lover of MMO gaming guides. He champions the good sites, and is an ardent fan of Ashling's World http://www.ashlingsworld.com
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