Patch 5.4 patch notes
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The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: Oh, the lengths that we go
by Zach Yonzon 
Dec 23rd 2009 at 8:00AM
I'd probably be surprised if I wasn't guilty of having done similar things using a less conspicuous machine. By less conspicuous, I mean a Macbook Pro mounted on a laptop cooling pad and flanked by a Belkin N52te, a Razer hard mat and mouse, while wearing a headset. That wouldn't stand out too much in Starbucks, would it? I do order an iced venti 1-pump classic nonfat 8-scoop matcha green tea latte and a maple oat scone to camouflage my set-up somewhat.
Let's face it. Many of us love this game so much we sometimes go to great lengths just to play it. Logging in from a friend's house, an Internet café, or even bringing around our entire computer set-up around in a van, Vork-style, just looking for a place to log on. I've got an HSPDA USB modem in my laptop bag, you know, just in case.
What were the extremes you've gone through in order to play the game? When you needed to log on just at the exact time, maybe to catch that expiring auction you've been watching, or to finish those Achievements just before the holiday goes away. Because of the Gizmodo story, my imagination right now is limited to nabbing free Wi-Fi, although I'm sure some of you have more outrageous stories to tell... cutting meetings short, excusing yourself in the middle of lunch, or even *cough* calling in sick. What lengths have you gone to just to play WoW?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Humor
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 6)
Alja Dec 23rd 2009 12:25PM
When my husband and I went on vacation across the country to visit his family we made sure to bring our laptops so we could play wow. I also installed WoW on my parents computer just so I could play it on their computer when we go and visit them...yeah, no addiction here :/
Himcules Dec 23rd 2009 12:38PM
Ordering a long range LAN hub off Newegg and gifting it to the Iraqi Army unit living 500 yards from my compound and setting up a password for them and me so I could play while I was on deployment, 900 - 1400+ pings notwithstanding.
techlology Dec 27th 2009 11:43AM
lol here in australia, 700-1000 ping is nothing unusual for us :) never had below 500 ping
Drayy Dec 23rd 2009 4:01PM
I worked at Starbucks all through college and I must say that it is very impressive that you "called" your drink correctly. As crazy and complex as that sounded, that was by the book.
Sparcrypt Dec 23rd 2009 7:30PM
Is there a REASON they call all their stuff retarded names by the way? ;)
I get it's not your fault but can't people just ask for a damn coffee? :P
TheExplorer Dec 23rd 2009 12:43PM
I was at my grandparents house last year for my birthday. They asked me to help dust...but, my guild was having a roleplaying event, and I really wanted to join...being new to the guild and all, I thought it would be a great way to get a little more known, and fit in more with the guild (sadly the guild leader disappeared, and guild kind of fell apart, thats another story though)
So, luckily my parents have internet (though its so slow, you could make coffee and take a shower before one internet page would load)...to get on to WoW.com took 10 minutes...well anyway, they left to do shopping for a couple hours...and though I was supposed to be dusting, I figured I would take the time (being my birthday and all) to join the RP event for half an hour. Which I did...and ended up having a great time. Well, it ended up being a lot more than half an hour...time flew by. So, what do I do about the dust? I took a huge fan they had (I'm about 6 feet tall, and its about as tall as me), and turned it on in each room...it didn't work out so well (I didn't use my brain for that one), and they were pretty mad at the mess I created...
But I had a great time in WoW :P
ElrithCC Dec 23rd 2009 12:52PM
I started playing on a 56k modem back in December 2004. I live in a semi rural dead end where it was the only option beyond satellite.
I missed out on raiding for a year because my 26k connection wouldn't let me raid beyond the occasional 30 second lag delayed Onyxia group.
So I began raiding in December of 2005 by driving 18 miles into the city to play at a friend's house with broadband. This worked for a few months, but it was very inconvenient.
I finally ended up paying nearly 2000 dollars to have Cox Cable run a line down to my property. YAY FOR CABLE INTERNET !!!!!!!! The summer of 2007 ended my 56k shackles.
devon_casey Dec 23rd 2009 1:28PM
I called out of work and didn't tell my GF that I wasn't working just so I could catch a Trial of the Grand Crusader 10 Man. Too bad I logged on to find that I got booted from the guild for missing negligible raids in comparison a previous Friday and didn't inform anyone (through text messages) about my clicked "raid decline" via the calendar. WTF is this, karma? pfft :P
HoboJoe Junkpan Dec 23rd 2009 1:34PM
Best place I've ever snuck in some WoW? Well, back in BC, my guild had scheduled our first trip in to Hyjal for a weekend where I was going to be at my mothers farm (way out in the middle of the middle of no-where. Plus, no internet.)
However, she is the little towns librarian, so I brought my laptop and played at the (closed) library til the wee hours of the morning. I just had to drive her car there so that the snoopy small townies wouldn't get too suspicious. My guildies still sometimes laugh about my playing while alone in the Adult Non-Fiction area. ;)
zedwards Dec 23rd 2009 1:50PM
These are all really great (and somewhat telling) comments!
I used to raid on a low bandwidth connection and if someone was skyping or something like that, I would DC during some big pull. So I ended up borrowing someones car (by giving them 10 €) and use the internet cafe (7€ for 4 hours) just to try to get Sarth 3D down.
But really...how dedicated (or addicted) are we? ;)
shawndra Dec 23rd 2009 1:50PM
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/McDonalds-to-Offer-Free-WiFi-Starbucks-Look-Out-627475/
Yeah, so now instead of putting out 7.50 or so at Starbucks, we will soon be able to get a bottomless drink and a Big Mac when we play :)
WoWie Zowie Dec 23rd 2009 2:18PM
hehe i'm at an airport on my laptop right now
Ser Dec 23rd 2009 2:26PM
When I first started out I didn't have a computer that would run WoW, so every weekend my friend and I would head up to his office and play there. Since the office was deserted over the weekend, we'd order pizza, camp out on the floor, and I'd play on his boss's pimped out alienware computer.
AppleZilla Dec 23rd 2009 2:27PM
I'm in a Panera right at this moment, surfing the net with my 17-inch MacBook Pro. My neck aches a bit from looking down at the screen.
Panera Bread iMac Man knows his ergonomics.
Vinna Dec 23rd 2009 2:39PM
now, I wouldn't take my imac to a cafe/coffee shop, they are pretty portable. I can carry it all together at once, just plug in mouse, keyboard and into the wall and GTG.
I move mine around all the time. Nice day? I take it out to the deck. whatever room I feel like being in, I can move the whole show in like 2 minutes. Sometimes when I feel quilty for sitting on my butt playing wow I move it to standing height so I can walk in place while I play (who needs to hook wow up to a treadmil, walking in place works just as well.. lol)
Other upside to the imac and wow... ingame video capture built into the client.. in rocks
Artificial Dec 23rd 2009 2:39PM
"what happens if it gets busy at lunch/dinner?"
Then they ask him to please move along. But no reason to do so unless it becomes an issue.
Is "being a douchebag" the new excuse for being hard of thinking?
Eyhk Dec 23rd 2009 3:16PM
Google has a promotion going on over the holidays since Thanksgiving, free wifi at airports. They were also asking for pics of people using their wifi for some kind of draw prize. The two hour wait between flights was enough time to finish my dailies! I did forget to take a picture, but seriously, what is more important, a picture of me trying to play WoW while balancing a camera in one hand or me playing WoW?
FifthDream Dec 23rd 2009 3:22PM
@Alchemistmerlin
It's fortunate that you're in a position to feel that $15 dollars a month is not a lot of money. I hope *you* also realize that it is fortunate. No, in the long run, it's not a lot of money. But there are plenty of adults, with "real jobs" as you put it, struggling to pay medical bills, feed kids, get a little something to celebrate the holidays, etc., etc., and finding that extra bit of cash to have something to pass the time with can be a little tough sometimes. I'm sure you realize this, though, and maybe your grumpy, condescending reply was due to your having a bad day,or missing your morning coffee,or something. I'm sorry for that. But age, social standing, or the quality of ones job does not negate other circumstances that can indeed make one feel "15 dollars a month is a lot of money".
Thanks for listening, and have a nice holiday season.
FifthDream Dec 23rd 2009 3:23PM
Reply fail, yet again.
/sigh
Kriegle Dec 23rd 2009 3:28PM
I know I'm way late to the party on this one, but as a former Panera employee I have to laugh. These jackasses are not rare. Many people come in, sometimes on a daily basis, and literally pull three or four tables together, spread out their entire laptop, speakers, folders, papers, and other work minutia before ordering a coffee and sitting there for four to six hours.
So, the fact that this dude is sitting in a small booth as well as playing a game I love is small comfort to me. But many tables pulled together to make a private workspace? Douche chills.