Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Light at the end of the tunnel . . .

Twink asked me last week what it looked like when someone was done with a MMOG . . .

Well, I'm done.

70 levels . . . geared . . knowledgeable . . . etc . . . still . . . done.

Why?

Well, there is just nothing to hold me in the game. I've done everything worth doing and . . . well, after 70 levels there are mostly just folks who want me to do for them. Ain't no one doing me any favors. Ain't no one wanting my company just for the sake of fellowship.

WOW is designed as a communal game, but what do you do when you have no community? Now, I have friends, no doubt. Love Twink and Hall and Clive and Aka and others . . . Trubs and Assa . . . , but, that is not a community. I find WOW lately to be very painfully lonely and I can do that in real life. WOW actually makes me feel lonely.

Folks can take offense or whatever. The simple fact is I don't feel it anymore. For me to leave is a huge thing as most of my closest friends are there . . . but . . . not me anymore. I'll keep the account active. My friends know how to find me. I'll still come when called, but . . . only when called.

The odd thing is how bitter I feel about it . . . like I failed. Somehow, I got to the highest level without the community connections required to continue. It's a very odd odd thing for me, yet . . . an honest one.

I wish all of you the best of luck and virtual lives.

6 comments:

  1. We had community for a good stretch, then it committed suicide. I used to look forward to hopping on and chatting with Feli or Owlie or Nemy or Kaen or Cerwyn or Cyrinic or Sylvander or ...

    I have snapshots from almost every month we played. THey contain names of people I miss: Bany, Brudie, Keiana, Sproink, Renton...

    Most them still play, and as I have them in my friends list, I see them when they're on. I've spoken with many even recently. In fact, barely a week ago Keiana and I were in IF hawking enchants at the same bridge between AH and the bank.

    I was listening to World of Warcast this morning since they were going to be talking about guild management. I realized that there are many kinds of guilds that I have not experienced and that many guild do manage to sustain a sense of community. We never really had the big numbers to compensate for personalities.

    Kuu, my lil level 43 shaman, has made several friends as she goes up the levels. Mitrik (an Aussie in the Thunder from Downunder guild) is a 45 palie, and Sarlenc is a 43 mage. We look for each other and party well together. The "friends" list is long for Hall and Saami, and they enjoy chatting with and playing with the toons on the list.

    I don't think community is about closest friends. That is, by definition, a much smaller group. For me the community includes people I have a relationship with of any sort. Heck, I consider Ruleviolator a member of my community. I don't "know" him but I know his routines and I engage with him on the trade channel. I miss him when I don't see him there for a while. (He's the trade channel guy that sells stuff with a side of bacon, if you don't know, you'll never know).

    Another difference between me and you and Twink (and y eah, I put Twink in this category I think) is that you guys ran through the content as quickly as possible to reach the goal. I stopped to smell the ogres more than you did, I think. Or maybe I just put in fewer hours... At any rate, I'm not yet burnt out. I know CLivenar is a bit burnt and he has been clocking big play times so maybe that's it. Too much candy and now you hate it.

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  2. Maybe . . .

    I just feel so Peggy Lee . . .

    "Is that all there is?"

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  3. I think that World of Warcraft is an interesting senario for people of different opinions. Hall' talks about suspending my account because I never play. I never play because, socially, something is holding me back. I have a long friends list, with people punching cards and clocking on and off constantly. Trillbur, Sylvandar, Smokydeath, Blunerwolf, Nemi, Tman, Sproink, Trubs, Twink, Via, Hall, Clive, Sage, and on occasion, Owl. I never feel obligated to speak to them. After our little village was butchered, I drifted away from them. I miss it. I see Sylvandar's name light up, and think, 'Oh, well, he's on.' I never whisper him just to say hi. He had simply either grown apart or grown to represent something unpleasant about WoW that I see. I truly feel bitter, every time that I log on, about Phantasmagoria. It was my leaving with Hall' and Clive that offcially terminated the guild's short life. Now, I do not have any contacts worth...well...contacting...anymore. Hall' and Clive perhaps. Twink if I think he'll reply. Via if he's ever on. But the 'O' key has become rusty. I cannot solo quest...it is difficult. I cannot group quest...it is difficult (try playing witht he same two PARENTS all the time). I cannot level an alt...I receive no help, but scorn. It is almost tedious to log on. sorry for drawling, but that is my...humble?...opinion.

    -Cranking up the Electrionics,
    Akmalla/Flinty

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  4. Another great post.

    Yeah, I feel it too. I think there is a life cycle regardless of the level you achieve.

    I think at this point we either abandon the adventure and seek another or find a way to schedule time to party.

    I plan to address that at our away game this weekend.

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