Trying to quit World of Warcraft? Try Catan.

With over half a million results in Google.ca just for “quit World of Warcraft”, WoW has a reputation for being possibly the most addictive fantasy game ever made – or at least, the most successful. And rightly deserved, as it features a beautifully-crafted world and was, in my experience, the first MMORPG with good hit detection.

That particular feature made it a more immersive experience compared to every MMORPG that came before it. I’m sure there were great qualities to these games, but the combat just didn't connect with me. Being a big fan of games like Tekken 3, I just couldn’t get into games where collision detection was way off.

World of Warcraft: beautiful world, and perhaps the first MMO with good hit detection.

WoW was extremely well put-together even beyond having your attacks actually connect on-screen, and had a powerful effect on some of my friends.

I still remember that time when one roommate’s girlfriend would go log into WoW on his PC as the first thing she did upon visiting - even before saying hi to any of us, including him! That's when I knew there was something wrong.

Over time, however, the hooks of Azeroth were simply not enough to overcome the laughter and chaos that accompanied nearly every match of Catan, a now legendary board game that appeared among us around the same time. While I definitely still respect the old classics, it was a revelation to play a board game that had the design maturity of video games with respect to balance, pacing, and strategy – while also being a more truly social experience than anything online.  This new way of engaging in role-playing-like scenarios with friends was truly a life-changer.

Settlers of Catan: the go-to game for getting people unhooked from World of Warcraft.

Not all of our roommates quit World of Warcraft. But some did, and we all played Settlers of Catan regularly, at some points even daily. It quickly acquired a bigger presence in our apartment than WoW, and left us with many more memories to boot. Come-from-behind victories always kept us on our toes thanks to multiple ways to earn Victory Points, leaving whoever lost itching to play again and settle the score.

Seeing the power of games like Catan to bring people together and keep players interested right to the end was a real inspiration for us. When co-designer David Gundrum and I first dreamed up Stratos, our goal was to make something accessible and social like Catan and other Euro games, but with a rich and beautiful RPG-like world and combat. Our inspirations there definitely stretch back much further. How many of you 90s gamers still love Shining Force or Final Fantasy Tactics, to name only two?

First-timers Zach and Natalya enjoying a round of Stratos at A-Game Cafe in Toronto, Ontario

This whole episode helped us to understand what we love most about different kinds of games. RPG and fantasy-themed games don't have to be quite so battle-centric, and but we felt inspired by the idea of a Euro style game being more dynamic with RPG elements. 

So, if you’re in love with Catan, or trying to wean someone off of WoW, I feel like we've made something you'll appreciate. 

Thanks for reading - I hope to hear from you, too, about games that have had a major impact on your life. 

Sincerely,
Jacob Chodoriwsky | Lead Designer, Stratos

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