Forum post of the day: Simple pleasures
by Amanda Dean 
Aug 2nd 2008 at 4:35AM
I've long said that once the game becomes more like a job than a diversion, it may be time to reconsider your choice of hobbies. True, to get to the top it takes lot of work, knowledge, and time. But when it comes down to it, what is the game really about? Vagh of Kil'jaeden sent out a shout out to those who aren't the best of the best, but are still enjoying the game. He tipped his hat to:
- A person who is happily running around a main city with greens and blues
- A person who is so happy to kill a boss in a 5 man instance
- A person who gets a blue off of a non-heroic mode boss for a badly needed upgrade and floods the party channel with "Woot!" or "I'm so happy!!!"
- A person whose arena rating hovers in the 1400s but still enjoys the game
- A person who doesn't complain endlessly on the forums about imbalance
- A person who still plays wow not for the gear but for fun
- A person who doesn't get emo when they lose a match or wipe on a boss
- A person you'll see in battlegrounds again with mostly greens and a couple of blue's who has no premades
- and has slowly grinded some gear, possibly an S1 piece or even older
- A person who gets ridiculed for his/her gear before the start of BG's and meekly replies with a :(
- A person who still rides the white Poverty Pigeon 60% speed flying mount but loves it
Blizzard is working to ensure the WoW remains the king of MMORPGs for some time to come. There will be a time some day when our play time is behind us. Will we be left with happy memories and fulfillment, or many days of your life filled with frustration?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Forums, Forum Post of the Day
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Anaughtybear Aug 2nd 2008 4:44AM
People who are quiet in the Barrens.
Balli Aug 2nd 2008 5:04AM
I agree with the OP. People are often jaded and forget how big a deal doing instances and getting blues were when they levelled. A big part of my enjoyment in game is helping others have fun--whether raiding or helping out lowbies with quests and instances.
I often think that the many guides and theorycrafting is taking out a lot of the sense of wonder in the game. You might think back and think about how little you understood about how to gear effectively or how to use your abilities effectively, but in the end that isn't nearly as important as to just have fun in the game.
And #1... I realise that chat channels are something annoying, this isn't really the thread to complain about other players. Quite the opposite.
Zak Aug 2nd 2008 5:06AM
2nd that
Nasek Aug 2nd 2008 4:46AM
:(
Dranaerys Aug 2nd 2008 5:02AM
Cute post, reminded me of what playing WoW was like before I got into raiding. :) Back then getting a piece of my dungeon set was enough to put a smile on my face for days to come. Life was easier back hen. :p
Michael Aug 2nd 2008 5:03AM
People who freak out when you feign death in Goldshire.
IMO, elitists make the game no-fun, not "nubs".
Ametrine Aug 2nd 2008 5:42AM
First feign-death I ever saw was a PuG in RFK. I was main tank, and right before the last boss, the hunter FDs - apparently from hitting the wrong keybind and not noticing right away - and I nearly shit myself, thinking we really were in trouble, if we were getting oneshotted by invisible mobs...
Verses Aug 2nd 2008 7:25AM
Haha, like the first time I logged my shadow priest in the town in Loch Modan, I had a swarm of level 10-15 going: Cool ! How do you do that ? I'M SO LEVELING A PRIEST !
Leronias Aug 2nd 2008 5:04AM
Omg, i have done all of these listed. :O
(expect for the arena thing. I hate pvp. :P)
Jhestor Aug 2nd 2008 5:18AM
What a great post!
I am one of the crazy hardcore players that enjoys theorycrafting, has multiple geared 70s, and farms more than is probably reasonable.
Still, one of my absolute *favorite* things to do in the game is to help someone accomplish something new to them in the game, like completing a 5 man instance for the first time, like Shadow Labs.
Or, as a step further; I really enjoy taking casual players through Kara as a very weak 9th player. Sure, it takes longer to whisper them explanations knowing full well they aren't 100% onboard, but when they replace a green with a shiny purple and feel like they've really accomplished something amazing on their character that they felt was way beyond their reach?
That's the most fun you can have in this game, period.
Jhestor Aug 2nd 2008 5:18AM
As an additional note, to recount something that happened a few months ago that was very easy for me, but meant a lot to someone else..., I encourage you to try this sometime.
On my 70 warlock, I ran 2 lower characters from my old guild through Scholomance. I noticed that the other warlock had on very mismatched green items that made me cringe. Spirit items, healing items, and the like.
We've all seen that ;)
After the Scholo run (which was a blast!) I told him to meet me in Ironforge, because we were going AH shopping. I only ended up spending 200g (which to me wasn't too bad, considering how much gold is out there in dailies and farming) but overhauled his entire gear set in spell damage items appropriate for a 60ish warlock.
I also took the time to explain the stats I was boosting for him, and why they were important to look after.
The guy was SO grateful, I will never forget how excited he was to get that AH blue dagger, and watch his spell power triple from what it had been.
Sorry to babble on in 2 long posts, I just felt like this topic was very important to me because I enjoy the game from a hardcore point of view but often find myself deriving the MOST pleasure from the simple things, as the title mentions :)
Nuronv Aug 2nd 2008 5:48AM
No need to appologise, I think you've summed up the something which this game lacks a lot of, The Human element and courtesy.
An MMO at the end of the day is a game you play with thousands of people, if they are all arseholes what is the point of playing.
Vivisectress Aug 2nd 2008 6:21AM
Thank you, it's people like you who improve the quality of players. Someone else might have taken screenies and laughed at this 'n00b' who didn't even know about their class stats lawl. They will never learn that way.
I remember years ago, when people were explaining to me how rogues worked. Armour is not the most important stat. Look at agi, etc etc. My first kara, another nice rogue explaining what to do, with simple things like remember to attack the mobs from behind, always keep SnD up and garrote, don't evisc, as well as the boss fights. You don't learn these things while solo questing. I then went away and learnt how to raid as my rogue, so thanks to all the patient people out there willing to help us!
Taytayflan Aug 2nd 2008 5:15AM
Every time I down a raid boss, I don't care who, even Attumen, I grin.
No, I don't raid much, and am working on purples, kind of.
Muse Aug 2nd 2008 5:39AM
Person who gets off the boat at Wetlands and goes, 'whoa' because it is raining for the first time.
OIK2 Aug 2nd 2008 5:52AM
The first 8 all apply to me. I am new to the game(a few months now), and find it new and exciting every day.
The last 3 do not apply to me because I don't even have anything NEAR S1 gear, Luckily no one has ever picked on my equipment(got a few compliments though), and haven't even made it to Outland yet, so the only flying I get to do is on a Rental.
It is those that degrade those new to the game that make the game worse. I was called a noob, and told to lrn2play a few times, but not enough did I hear what it takes to progress from being a noob(though I figured it out...stop acting like a noob), and nobody wanted to teach me how to play, but I figured it out by trial and error...and lots of BGs at 29.
Now I fill my time doing quests, helping others with theirs, getting in on instance runs whenever I can find a good group, and crafting. I have found like minded people and interact with them and tune out the "Anal" chat in the general channel as much as possible.
Somehow I did lrn2play my game.
Vivisectress Aug 2nd 2008 6:15AM
While I laughing about the poverty pigeon and being excited over blue drops, it was my turn to shut up at "A person whose arena rating hovers in the 1400s but still enjoys the game" and the other PvP ones.
I was so so excited when I got my very first (and only, so far) s3 piece. I find arena fun (when I get the chance to do it) and battlegrounds, and I don't take it seriously at all. But if someone walks into my kara/heroics pugs in greens...... GGRRRR how dare they!! Die on a spout from Lurker.... grrr, L2P :P
Mistletoe Aug 2nd 2008 1:19PM
What a great post.
I play every day for the most part, but I guess I am still a nub, really. I play with no addons, I almost never raid and my time limitations are so sporadic I can rarely commit to an instance, BUT I still enjoy this game.
And everyone is correct when they say it is the "leets" that bring down everyones enjoyment level. I have been sneered at for gear (or rather lack of it) and been booted from an instance or two when some party leader who didn't know how to play his class complained about the way I played mine and I have been through the death of three guilds, but again I love this game.
So I grind honor in the bgs and enjoy my "welfare epics" because it's not fair for me to be in an arena team with my schedule. And I say to all those who still enjoy the game for the game's sake "W00T !! to you."
Jaikara Aug 2nd 2008 7:01AM
I couldn't agree with this more. WoW is such a rich world, you can burn endless amounts of time pursuing all manner of diversions. I for one will rejoice and yell from the rooftops when I ding 70 and buy my 'Poverty Pigeon'. Mostly greens and blues... do I care? Not one bit. I'm loving the experience and that's good enough for me. If I one day decide to step it up, to raiding or arena, then fine, but for now, I'm good thanks.
jeffo Aug 2nd 2008 8:16AM
I got invited to a group by a guy in Shatt -- he asked in rather broken English if I had a flying mount. I said yes, and asked what he wanted. He said 'We could fly together'. I realized he had just gotten his flying mount and wanted to share it with someone. I joined his group and spent a few minutes flying over Shattrath with him.
It was a nice reminder to keep the game fun.