Now I played this game way back, and I mean really far back to early stages when there were a total of about 5-6 spells. The game, since then, has progressed immensely.

However, for the four or five years since then, it has started to slow down in production. TWC(as it is often abbreviated) is an ever updating Harry Potter game in which you pick a house at the famous school of "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". The staff remains friendly and well picked, the community friendly and helpful, and a history to match a soap opera.

Gameplay: 4

Like almost any game on BYOND, the main purpose of the game seems to level as high as possible. The main methods of training are Book Reading, which at times can bore the player beyond belief. Another method would be monster killing, which also rewards money in the game, but not enough to satisfy by giving experience. It is suggested that more enjoyable forms of leveling are put in.

However, a wide variety of spells has built up in the game over time. They range in different classes, literally. You can learn different spells in different classes which are held by the GMs (or professors as the community calls them). These spells serve 4 purposes it seems.

Offence: Dueling is one of the games main sports and has created competition among the players(the drive behind the leveling). Although dueling does seem to be whoever can spam spells the fastest in a 3x9 dueling arena, it can entertain the simplest of minds.

Defense: A lot of spells are put in to prevent Offensive spells. These include effects such as blinding or freezing the opponent, or healing yourself. Quite useful to protect yourself from spammers or abusers.

Pranks: Most of these are transfiguring spells, turning the target into an animal or perhaps hanging the person from their feet. This is a "joke" and doesn't really have any purpose other than to make people laugh. Easily abused however.

...Useful: These spells help you get around the game, such as taking you to the main hotspots on the map, or locating another player.

Another secondary goal is to get all 100 odd spells in the game.

Other than this, there are a few quests in the game, small, but there. Outside of training and classes, clans are the only other thing to entertain the user as well as events held by the Professors every once in a while.

Through Clans (Aurors(Good) or Death Eaters(Evil)) there is a division between the players, which normally creates events of pitting them against each other and devious planning.


Presentation:5
The game has used the same graphics from the original rip it started from. They fit in areas, but they are nothing special and could be revamped. At one point, there were sounds, for entering doors(they were a sort of Sci-Fi Door "CONFIRM AUTHORIZATION" for password doors) that did not fit the game, but they were removed. As it stands, the game does not use sound anymore.

The mapping is..large, everything is overdone. Somethings do not match what could relate to the book, in the fact that Diagon Alley is a walk away from Hogwarts, and Hogwarts is a mere 4 floors.

There is player customization in the form of "Wigs" and "Bling" in which costs a LARGE amount of money. It is assumed these are prizes from the events. Other than these items, everyone has the same icon, with different colours to differentiate from different houses.

Originality:5 1/2

This game started from a rip..

It is a Harry Potter Fan game.

HOWEVER: Close to half of the spells and quests are original and enjoyable. The layout is completely of their own, and so the previous factors are somewhat forgotten.


Overall: 6

I liked the game at one point, I really did. But sooner or later, you realize its faults, and realize not much is being done about it. Like I said before, the game has made a lot of progress from what it once was, training on little puppies in a field, Giant Scorpians and what not, but it took a LONG time just to reach where it is today. This leaves the question: How long till it reaches completion or a level of lasting satisfaction of the player?