Why do we WoW before WotLK
by Michael Gray 
Jul 4th 2008 at 9:00AM
The Part Time Druid posted a bit of an existential question -- "Why do we WoW?" It was followed up over on the Altoholic. And while their musings on the motivations for gaming are notable, I'm happy they avoided questions around that horrible WoW-addiction issue. I'm not much of the navel-gazing type, so I wasn't concerned about why I play WoW, in and of itself. (Presumably, I get something out of it, so fair enough.)But, with pre-expansion blues (and excitement) crashing down on our heads -- why are we playing right now? Our gear's about to go obsolete (and we're about to put on our green-quality clown-suits), our level cap's about to go up 10 levels, and the whole world as we know it is going to be radically different! Oh, yeah, and those guys are going to be around, stealing our tanking spots and doing Elune knows what else! (Anyone else notice they're the first class to have two words as part of their name?)
For me? Nothing special about the pre-expansion time period. I play the same reason I always do. I play with my girlfriend, I play with my friends. I play in the Arena. In a year, what I've done now might not matter to what I'm doing then. But what I'm doing now matters now -- and for now, I'm having fun.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kesh Jul 4th 2008 9:08AM
While I'm still gearing my main (A resto Druid) I'm using most of the time to level some alts so I can face the expansion with a choice of characters, but I'm eagerly looking forward to my DK.
Calaana Jul 4th 2008 9:07AM
I enjoy myself. Why do I need any other reason?
Wulf Jul 4th 2008 11:16AM
Thread won. Congratulations sir! :)
Chris Jul 4th 2008 9:12AM
Simple - I' m new enough to the game to be still levelling my first toon to 70!
Matthew Jul 4th 2008 10:40AM
Because I want to get my Tauren Warrior to 70.
I want to be a true tank heading into expansion - not one of those fake freebie hunter manned Death Knights that you'll be seeing everywhere.
Eternalpayn Jul 4th 2008 11:48AM
Same here Chris, but I'm 68 now... I really could stop that character because I'm ready for Northrend. However, I'm having a blast! Plus, Kara experience would be great pre-expansion, seeing as all of the raids will have 10 man options.
Jessierockeron Jul 4th 2008 9:13AM
/props
Ishmiel Jul 4th 2008 9:18AM
It is still fun and exciting to kill bosses you haven't killed.
Draenors Jul 4th 2008 9:26AM
There will always be some point where previous things become useless. The real life gear you're wearing right now, you're not going to wear it forever. Some day you will buy new clothes. The different with WotLK is that Blizzard decide when it will come out. But that might be a reason to still play. We can't even know for sure if it it will be released in 2009.
Platnex2 Jul 4th 2008 9:27AM
Pretty much gold grinding for me.
Island dailys every day on 2 chars approx 220G per day
Heroic mech and heroic Sp every day = 7 badges (sometimes 9) so 300G every 2 days
Kara run 22 badges so works out about 450G per run
5 primal airs via mote gathering per day = 200G atm per day
and random ores, greens etc worth about 50G a day.
so all in all on an average week pulling in about 2500G, should have a nice nest egg for Wrath for Engi, tailoring and enchanting
NeilMcCauley Jul 4th 2008 11:11AM
Because playing a game with friends is always cool.
kunukia Jul 4th 2008 9:35AM
Because this is my only MMO, my friends and family play, and I can't afford another. But mostly, because I enjoy farming and dailies and alts and putzing, so even when most of the family is off playing Age of Conan, I have fun. When WotLK drops, they will all be back in WoW.
Menalaous Jul 4th 2008 9:40AM
Self diagnosed alt-a-holic.
Guapa Jul 4th 2008 1:39PM
When you start to wonder why you play the game, you should probably stop.
Anyway, what's the fuss about all this "omg, expansion is coming so anything I do is worthless" stuff?
Remember, this is a game. Every part of it is basically worthless, no matter what time of the WoW lifecycle we're at. We play it because humans seem to enjoy wasting their time with unneccessary, senseless stuff.
CyberThoth Jul 5th 2008 10:27AM
I stopped playing my main level 70 warlock. Although I got a bunch of different alts I finally started to enjoy my mage, and just playing with him every day. I stopped even doing dailies with my main. So I level a new toon and I'm enjoying just taking it easy with him.
Lios Jul 4th 2008 9:53AM
I play because I like it. I'm still trying to get our guild into Gruul. Even though it will all be obsolete soon, it's still fun! I'm also leveling new characters, as Kesh is, to have a choice what to level in WotLK.
I've never played for gear or to be imba and /flex in Orgrimmar for the casual masses, so I don't have a problem with my gear becoming obsolete and thus no 'pre-expansion blues'.
skajake Jul 4th 2008 12:27PM
Gruul became obsolete the day they added T5 heroic-farmable badge loot.
Dightkuz Jul 4th 2008 9:54AM
I'm leveling up alts to 70, and getting my profs to max.
Dranaerys Jul 4th 2008 10:00AM
Our guild only recently started BT, and after downing the first 3 easy bosses we are working on the rest, so theres still plenty of fun to be had raiding, even if all that fantastic loot will be worthless in a few months. I raid for the challenge of defeating tough encounters as a like-minded team, its jsut a rush seeing all your work pay off when you finally down a tough boss, and that rush, that enjoyment, is worth the time I invest playing WOW.
Also on my non-raiding times I've been enjoying levelling a mage, which Ill eventually level till the cap so I can have an alt in wotlk to supply my main with mats (herb, mining) for my main professions, JC and the upcoming inscription prof.
Sof or me, I guess I WoW mostly for the fun of raiding, and partly in preparation for WotLK, which thankfully is fun as well. :)
Dar Dar Jul 4th 2008 11:44AM
I guess this would be a question in response to your question.... how obsolete will S4 be in the new expansion, i believe it will be very viable until at least mid to late 70's. I used to raid allot but now I'm focussed on getting S4 because i believe it will be the best gear to level to 80 with.