It hasn't happened yet, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't close. That's right, for over a decade I have been WoW sober, but there is something about it that just keeps tugging at me. It's not my intent to make light of addiction, I have some friends that have struggled through real addiction and I know how horrible it can be.
Every now and then though, I get this "jones" that has me wishing I was still playing WoW. I honestly didn't even realize they had a new expansion coming out until I opened my Blizzard Launcher to get the screen shot for this post.
Newly married and looking to be the best version of myself that I could be, I gave up playing WoW right around the time that Pandara came out.
I had been playing WoW long before that. I remember I was subscribing to a Maxim magazine at the time and they had an add where you could get a free month or three of play. I figured why not check it out.
It was a bit before Burning Crusade came out, but long enough after the initial launch that I was still playing catch-up. Eventually, I found my footing and had several toons in the game. I remember grinding for hours to get enough spell cloth(?) to make my first purple robe for my mage.
This was long before I was married and my wife became a "WoW Widow". I was never a hard core player like some people out there. It was only occasionally that I stayed up all night playing the game. I can actually remember the handful of late nights I had playing the game.
One was spent getting attuned to Onyxia and killing her.
I also remember one long night getting attuned to the Molten Core and running that raid. I actually didn't do much raiding in my day. I was pretty much a lone gun until more of the expansions came out. Particularly Wrath of the Litch King which many felt was much to easy. I think that is why I liked it so much. It was so easy I excelled at it and I could actually hold my own in dungeons and raids.
It was shortly after I got married that my wife's brother (who I had been playing with for a while) decided to call it quits. It didn't happen very often, but there were times that I would let my responsibilities around the house slide because I was busy playing WoW and it wasn't long before decided to call it quits as well. Money was tighter back then and having that monthly subscription was just another nail in the coffin of my WoW "career".
By the time I was done playing my favorite character was a night elf druid and I had him fully geared in purple PvP equipment. He was a beast and absolutely a blast to play.
I think it is pretty clear by the way I talk about it how much I enjoyed playing and how much I miss it.
I tried to spin up my own rogue classic server a couple of times, but I could never quite get it to work. As much as I loved (most) of the expansions, there was really something special about the game in it's purest form. Before the blight, before Naxxramas, before the cataclysm.
Back when there wasn't quick leveling and you spent more time hoofing it up and down Stranglethrone Vale (STV) than you actually did fighting mobs. Back when hitting level 40 and getting that 60% increase mount felt like you were travelling at lighting speed...
I even loved the introduction of flying mounts and the awe and wonder of exploring new lands and coming across new mobs. Anyone remember their first run-in with a Fel Reaver in Burning Crusade? I do!
I'd say there is 95% chance that I won't renew my subscription and start playing again. I just feel like I am too far behind at this point. It looks like I have missed out on about 4 almost 5 major expansions at this point. Sure, now that they fully support "classic", I could maybe jump over there, but I feel like I would have to start all over (which might not be a bad thing).
I was hoping that Diablo Immortal would give me the "fix" I needed for some nostalgic gaming, but I just haven't been able to get into it. There is still something about the world of Azeroth that tugs at me. It was kind of like a second home to me for a while there and as such, I do miss it.
I'd like to think I have a bit more self control these days and I wouldn't fall into the same behaviors of my past, but I can't guarantee that. Thus, I will likely stay on the WoW wagon a bit longer.
How about you? Did you used to play and then quit? Do you miss it? Did you never quit and you are still playing after all these years? Do you ever struggle with that play/life balance? Between my real life and blockchain, I am not sure I would have time for WoW even if I wanted to!
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Imagine if that had been properly decentralised and you could sell all your assets on!
No kidding! It would have been nuts. Though they kind of tried that with the real world auction house in Diablo III and it was a huge mess!
Don't give up on this idea, you'll see what's going to happen on the next bullrun, in a few years there will be almost no more games without these options.
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You are probably right!
My partner and I are playing WoW Classic at the moment, and we will be playing the new expansion when it comes out too. 🙂
I'm not a raider or anything, I just like doing my own little thing which is mostly roaming around, exploring, gathering things, then making a bunch of gold on the auction house. 😄 Might do a few mythic dungeons. My partner and friends raid, but it's just not my thing.
Nothing wrong with playing WoW. Plenty of adults do. It might be a bit squiffy if you're foregoing household chores and jobs and things, but enjoyed in moderation. 🙂 Myself, my partner and our friends group are all in our 30's and 40's, with kids, most of us have jobs (I don't; stay at home mum), and yeah... it's all good.
That is pretty awesome. It definitely helps when you have someone you can enjoy it with. I know I played more when I was able to be online with my brother in law. It sounds like you have a great balance. I'd like to think I could do that, but past experience tells me no :)
It's good that you know your limits. 🙂
I had an addictive experience with a different game... back in 2005 or so, I was depressed and there was one silly little game that took all of my attention away from everything. Puzzle Pirates. It's a silly little game! But I would play it non-stop, every day, I would forego sleep because I wanted to play it and most of the people I knew playing it were on the other side of the world so 2-3am my time was the best time to play. It was very unhealthy. I learnt over time though that it wasn't the game I was addicted to, it was the people. They were my only social outlet and the game was the only means of being with them.
Thankfully I've never succumbed to that kind of experience again, and whenever I play anything now I'm painfully aware of any possible triggers that might lead to such a thing. It helps that my gaming circle now is my real life circle, and my partner is by my side. 🙂 I do play a lot of games, and my blog is basically my gaming blog at the moment 😅, but all in moderation.
I've been playing might and magic 6 lately. I bought a retro version of it on GOG. I'd have to guess that if anything I am now addicted to hive and crypto currency. it has become a hobby that takes up a good deal of my free time. I am glad you were able to fix your situation and find a much healthier place to be now.
I can fully relate and know all those terms you mention. Last time I looked they reduced the level cap to 60 again using some scaling technique. What a bummer, I wanted to grind.. and now couldn't. My LVL85 will remain there, with a great name, 'Seductress' .. spelt correctly and if names ever get as valuable as domain names, I will be rich!
They also added suffixes such as '1' and shit to my alts so they could free up those cool names. Bunch of twats. You can only retain your main name.
I was never a 'elitedude254'.
Oh really? So you have been back in looking at your toons? I didn't feel like downloading and installing the game again. The temptation might be a bit too much! I think the highest I ever got was level 70, but I could be wrong. It's been so long...
It was more than a year ago, in the end I had a crack at Everquest again as it's free and holds more nostalgia. Saying that, I was very addicted to WOW for several years.
It sounds you enjoyed the game :) The not-so-good effect of playing a game you enjoy is when you get so engrossed on it and you forget life exists outside of it, lol!
Yeah, it can be pretty immersive... Just one more quest, just one more rep level for some faction...
That's right. One almost doesn't want to let go even when it's time to eat, lol!
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I've heard of many guys quitting WoW when they get married! lol
I was never into it myself but did like to spend a few hours with the playstation. Now my time is taken up by Hive.
I had a PS2 for a while, but I got rid of that a long time ago. I was never very good a console games. I tended to do better at PC games.
I've been back and forward many times between mouse games and the controller on consoles. I know what you mean when you find whats comfortable for you.
I enjoyed Everquest before WOW. I ended up giving up gaming when I didn't have internet that was unlimited anymore.
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I never got into Everquest. I knew about it, but there was just something about WoW that intrigued me.
A lot of people are actually hopping off WoW now because of the stuff Blizzard has been pulling lately. A lot of people are completely taken back that a new expansion is coming out so soon after Shadowlands, and SL left a bad taste for some people.
Shows how out of the loop I am! Like I said, I quit shortly after Pandaria, so I don't know too much about any of these. I think if I were to start again I would just stick to the Classic servers.
oohh my friend, I feel very identified with what you mention. I am currently fighting like an ex-drug addict not to return to wow, I have several months with an incessant desire to return to play.
I quit the game due to a financial shortfall and had to pause the subscription for some time. But the time I was playing it I slept little while attending a large number of raids.
I really enjoyed Classic before Naxxramas, but with the release of TBC I didn't enjoy it so much, my guild disintegrated and emigrated because they didn't agree on which server to play, each one took a different server and I was left with my faithful companion of always.
There is a 95% chance that I will also return to WOW, even, I already have the game active and downloaded waiting for the subscription.
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I haven't gone that far yet. I don't see myself playing it again in the near future I am not ruling out returning one day though and the draw will always be there.
Hello @bozz. WoW...you make it sound like a serious addiction! Just kidding. I understand from a parent's point of view about the gaming world. But what I don't understand is the over attraction for adult men.
So happy you fell off the wagon. I'm sure more "honey-do's" have been crossed off the list.
Thanks for sharing. It sounded a bit painful to the point I was feeling a bit sad for your state of affairs you were in for a while. I think seeing others quit meant there was help for you.
Have a good rest of your week.
Read from LN
Thanks, I appreciate it. Trust me, I wasn't as bad as some people get, but I did have a few times that I didn't get things done that should have been. Although that still happens even without me playing, so maybe it is just a guy thing!
OK. It it can get worse than your case, then you may be cured for life. As far as things not getting done, there will always be a list no matter what else you're doing!
Take care.
Very True!
Come on @bozz ! Join me in classic😁😁 I have a break right now but I will get back online when the best expansion ever made returns: The Wrath of the Lich King!!!
Cheers!
I don't think that would go over too well. I don't know when I would find the time between home, work, and the blockchain.
I can relate to everything you said. I played all the way to Pandaria but I got tired of grinding hard only to see a new expansion come out and all my gear become worthless.
I don't like playing just to pass the time, either I can be one of the best (top 20%) or I prefer to not play it at all.
I was more of a casual player, so it was not too bad for me. I knew I was never going to be at the top, so I just enjoyed grinding away and collecting mats and stuff.
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