Skill

Q u o t e:
What do you guys think the skill factor is to playing WOW?

Do you think there are exceptional players? Players that inspire people?

From dictionary.com-

Q u o t e:
skill - Skill
skill1   /skɪl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [skil] Show IPA
–noun 1. the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well: Carpentry was one of his many skills.
2. competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity: The dancers performed with skill.
3. a craft, trade, or job requiring manual dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience: the skill of cabinetmaking.

I think there are absolutely exceptional players out there who have a great understanding of the game, the mechanics, and employ that understanding along with practiced skills to do well within the game. I also believe that skill isn't something that is unatainable for others, since gaining it takes practice and repetition. There are varying degrees of need for skill within the game and varying degrees by which people have that skill.

I know this tends to be a bit controversial for some people given that World of Warcraft is easy to learn (intentionally so), but getting to that top tier, means honing what you've learned into skills that are needed to accomplish these upper end goals and to gain mastery.