When is a good time to stop raiding?
by Adam Holisky 
Jun 14th 2008 at 4:00PM
I've recently been pondering if, and when, I should retire from raiding. Playing with 24 other people to accomplish a common goal is a wonderful thing. The teamwork and exhilaration from downing a boss for the first time is something that's hard to put into words – it's fun, challenging, frustrating, and all around a great time.But when is it a good time to stop?
Everything eventually gets old and dies. Yes, one day our beloved WoW will no longer exist; even though that might be a couple decades from now (although I have my doubts WoW will ever truly go off-line, but that's another article). What I want to be sure happens is that I leave this activity I love so much on a high note – and not leave when it's become a pain and something that I'll look back disfavorably upon.
Right now my life allows me to raid. I have classes and WoW Insider work during the day, and at night I have time to raid for a few hours and hang out with the girlfriend and other folks as well. That strikes a good balance in life – allowing both things that I want to do by myself (WoW), and things that I want do with others (girlfriend, friends, etc...)
If that balance were to ever change where I'd have to sacrifice something at night – it surely will be my WoW time over time spent with my girlfriend. In that case, raiding will have to stop. But I'm not there yet (at least I think, 'she' might have a different opinion).
I have known some people to stop when the content progressed to a point where they were having to work more than they were used to. In other words, things got too hard for them. While my initial and rather selfish reaction is "wuss," upon looking closer at their logic, they do have a good reason. Raiding in Karazahn doesn't take as much work as raiding in the Black Temple or the Sunwell Plateau. If they don't want to put more work into raiding the higher end instances, then that's cool and is their choice. In fact, they've made the right choice for everyone because carrying a person through in high end raid content is no fun for anyone.
Another good time to stop is if the people that I'm raiding with stop. I've got a very good group of people right now that I raid with. They are all dedicated to advancing to the very end of the Sunwell, and several are making plans to power level their way through Wrath of the Lich King and hit the ground running. But at the same time, I know that a few of them are thinking of leaving for various reasons. This has given me pause, and made me evaluate my own commitment to stay if they decide to leave.
In the end a good time to stop raiding is when it feels right. For me, that time might be in a couple months from now or in another year. However the important thing for everyone to remember is to stop before it becomes a burden on your life – be it by sacrificing personal relationships or by doing something that's no longer fun.
What do you think is a good time to stop raiding? What has made your friends stop?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Acariquara Jun 14th 2008 4:11PM
4am seems like a good time to stop raiding.
/rimshot
svenhoek Jun 14th 2008 4:15PM
When it becomes more work than fun. I know sometimes it gets to the point you feel like you have a second job. Having to be on time, let people know ahead of time if you wont be there, do your job well, or get fired from the raid group.
Me, personally, it took about 2 years to start raiding. I took my time and did the things I wanted to do, I never forced myself to power level or rush through. I took my time and I enjoyed getting to where I am now.
rick gregory Jun 14th 2008 4:28PM
Precisely. You might raid out of obligation for a bit, but if you're doing it all of the time and it's not fun, but obligation then stop.
And stopping doesn't mean you can't start again. You can. One of the things tha Blizzard does 100% right is not delete your toons. You could stop now... and come back in 6 months.
I *do* think that if you play a role that is critical to the raid you owe it to them to warn them that you're ratcheting back or stopping so that they can gear up a replacement. Don't take all of, say, the MT gear and then stop or the Warglaives off Illidan and then quit.
HamOnRye Jun 14th 2008 4:35PM
I would have to second the comment that raiding kills the enjoyment of the game when it starts feeling like a job.
I am currently taking a break (well I have been on break for 4 months) after being the raid coordinator for guild I was in. Arranging raid time to fit with everyones schedule, establishing raid rules, preparing guild bank for consumables, making sure people are on time, arranging for replacements, and other associated activities really drained the enjoyment out of the game.
The other thing I have realized is no matter what they add for PvE content, it eventually becomes old. It eventually dawned on me that regardless of how technical a fight scaled up, its still scripted. I having looking more and more towards FPS as a living thinking opponent is infinitely more complex and engaging. Hopefull WoTLK will add significant more complexity to the PvP end.
Sirg Jun 14th 2008 4:49PM
At one point, raiding gets boring, if your guild is stuck doing the same content, because harder bosses would mean much more effort than most of the guildies are willing to give.
A good moment to stop raiding, even for some weeks, is when wow raids are deciding your real life schedule, and not the other way around. I think that raiding is one aspect of mmorpgs that should be left to passionate gamers alone, because many casual gamers are drawn to this way of playing wow, and find out that they have to give up alot of their time and change their RL alot in order to keep up with raiding.
Rob Jun 14th 2008 4:53PM
Stop when it's not fun. I plan to stop when we down Illidan. I don't care about Sunwell. I'll probably stop WoW alltogether at the point when we down Illidan, and wait until Wraith to come out.
John Jun 14th 2008 5:06PM
that's all really easy to say, but what about your raid (and friends?)
as someone that ran a raid for quite a while, if my raid member tells me that they don't plan to continue raiding, I'd start looking for replacements and let them retire as soon as I found replacements.
Jonathan Jun 14th 2008 5:04PM
I've decided to stop raiding, we're almost on Illidan and finished with Hyjal a while ago.
Being a Holy Paladin has it's limits when it comes to fun, I really got sick of buffing for ages and then not having fun healing.
When raiding becomes a chore, you should stop.
superfrank Jun 15th 2008 5:56PM
ye paladin buffing was such a chore at L60 when you only had 5 and 15m blessings
Stacy Jun 14th 2008 5:17PM
I'm gonna echo a few responses and say: Stop when it's not fun. If you find yourself stressed, worried, anxious, overly irritable, and even crying or freaking out prepping for a raid - I think it's time to quit. Or at least take a mental health break or *something*.
SimpleSurvival Jun 14th 2008 5:42PM
I think the best time to stop is when you post way too much filler content on a blog site in an attempt to meet your post quota...
Milktub Jun 14th 2008 6:08PM
I'm coming into a life change this fall that will likely mean the end of WoW content that suits my desires. For the past two years of playing, it's been work + family time and the remainder could go to WoW. So I've been able to gear up a tank enough to join my guild for Kara runs and heroics, and pug in a spot for Gruul/Mag.
But this fall I'll be going back to school to finish up the degree I left behind almost a decade ago. Unfortunately, that will be right around when Wrath hits, so I'll be soloing my way to 80 and ding top level right as all the hot new raids become old news.
My raiding days never really started, and now they'll never begin again.
Riplash Jun 14th 2008 6:57PM
Never stop raiding.
If raiding does ever feel more like work than a game then cut down on the amount of time you spend raiding, but don't finish all together.
It is easy to find time for the right balance of WoW/real life, and any girlfriend/boyfriend that really loves you should love you enough to let you play the game you love when you want.
It would be sad to see players completely stop playing just before WOTLK and all the great content that it will bring.
Lori Jun 15th 2008 12:29AM
Maybe it is a good time to stop raiding when:
You start referring to those that don't play as well as you as "scrubs".
You worry about power failures causing group mates to yell out in frustration.
You complain that someone's potty break is wasting your precious time.
You feel the need to quizz people prior to a raid and kick those that fail.
i.e. When you start taking raiding so seriously that you demand nothing less than perfection.
Tankadin Jun 15th 2008 11:44AM
i'm fine with raiding until the expansion. as a guild MT for progression kills i enjoy raiding now, but i know i won't have time to play as much in the expansion as a few of the other tanks and will probably fall behind or have to find weird hours to play to get my first set of 80 raid gear. that sounds like a ton of non-fun as i'd like to just enjoy leveling again, so i may become guildless for a while.
Brian Jun 15th 2008 2:33PM
Adam you have the balls to call someone a "wuss"? I mean you really need to take a look in the mirror bro...You work on a Orchestra website.....wow going placers huh....ALICE? lmao star trek ftl.......your a punk kid who ponders life outside raiding...wait till Real Life calls....little bitches like you will have quite a reality check...oh yea...your more than a wuss your a puss.....
mark c Jun 27th 2008 10:56AM
Best time to stop raiding: before you start.