Breakfast Topic: Stop and smell the flowers before they're gone!
by Michael Wales 
Mar 25th 2010 at 8:00AM
I just stepped through the Dark Portal, for the first time, a few days ago. Now, now, before the cries of "noob" get too deafening, let me share another secret with you: I started playing World of Warcraft on release day. I'll pause to admire the inquisitive looks...
On New Year's Eve this year, I reopened my account after a near 5-year hiatus. 5 years ago I partnered with the developer of the WoWCensus UI addon and launched wowcensus.com (which was later sold off). Between November 2004 and April 2005, I was so wrapped up in creating an excellent service outside of WoW that I completely lost touch with the game itself. After the sale of wowcensus.com, I couldn't enjoy the game for what it was -- a game, I was constantly looking for the next "big idea."
So, what brought me back and how is this time different? Cataclysm. I realized I had seen very little of Azeroth (never getting above level 20 on 4 different characters), and in a relatively short period of time that would all change -- I would never be able to experience this world as so many others had. For a game that has had such a significant impact on my life (it fueled my career change from System Administrator to Developer) that was unacceptable -- I had to experience Azeroth before Deathwing's rise altered it forever.
This time around, I've slowed down significantly – reading the quests, admiring the scenery – and have spent hours simply running from zone to zone to see what I've been missing out on. Cataclysm, and all the change it brings, can simply not be enjoyed to the same degree by those who have not taken the time to stop and smell the flowers. For such a colossal undertaking by Blizzard, I'm not going to marginalize it – when Cataclysm hits I'll be sitting in Mulgore (my favorite zone thus far) and embracing the change.
Have you recently returned to the game after a long break? Did real-life run interference and force you to take a break? Why did you come back and how has that "WoW-cation" changed your approach to the game this time around?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
blindlinus Mar 25th 2010 8:10AM
not recent, but about a year ago i sold my account to a close irl friend. when i say sold, i mean i traded it for an xbox 360 and 5 games. i got rid of the account because i realized i was spending every free waking moment on the game, much to the detriment of my responsibilities and relationship. i traded it for a 360 because i'm a gamer at heart and i knew i would need something to fill the void. but in the end, even after buying a ton of video games, i realized nothing could truly replace the variety and level of interaction with others that a solid MMO has. so i bought my account back. i still play a lot, but not to the extreme level i was at before. glad i did it, really. the break helped me stop being such a fiend for WoW.
Tricia Mar 25th 2010 8:10AM
I regularly take small WoW-cations. I was offline most of the time from October till January, only popping on to complete the meta acheivement for my What a Long Strange Trip.
I recently started my push for the Loremaster meta achievement, so I'm seeing everything Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms has to offer. I have made this a goal of mine to do before Cataclysm ever since I heard Cataclysm was coming, because a lot of this will be gone forever or changed so much It'll be like seeing a new game.
blindlinus Mar 25th 2010 8:11AM
loremaster = next on the list
mjrshake Mar 25th 2010 8:29AM
I recently completed Loremaster a few weeks ago. That was also my goal before Cataclysm came out.
There is a ton of small things and quests that I easily missed when I made my push to 60 before TBC came out. I'm glad now that I saw just about everything I could before it could potentially get destroyed.
Methuus Mar 25th 2010 9:47AM
I too recently completed loremaster (to see the old world before it changes, like many other people). And as soon as that achievement flashed on the screen I opened my quest log with the intention of abandoning all the quests in there since I didn't need them anymore.
But... what happens with Tirion and Taelen? and can I make a somewhat happy resolution to the tragedy of Darrowshire? and you know, I've never been in Scholomance. etc.
So even with the Loremaster title proudly over my head and the goofy tabbard on my chest, I'm still doing quests in the old world until they're all gone.
3Fingeredchef Mar 25th 2010 10:20AM
I too have completed the Loremaster of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.
My greatest motivator to complete this long haul was Cataclysm. I want to see all of the world before it gets altered.
There are some really annoying quests in Vanilla WoW, but there are also some awesome story lines there. I was quite partial to Tirion's quest chain and the quest where you defend Darrowshire. There were others I enjoyed, but those 2 stand out for me.
Babaloo Mar 25th 2010 12:17PM
Wow lol, I'm doing the exact same thing, I'll be starting my account up real soon again to finish off What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been, after I get my proto at Easter time, what do I do then? :O
ToxDrawace Mar 25th 2010 1:00PM
I literally just finished Loremaster yesterday. It took a along time, but I really enjoyed getting into every nook and cranny of WoW! I'm sort of sad knowing that a lot of the places I've seen are going to change drastically, but I hope that it sort of creates a continuation of a lot of the stories I've now played through by completing Loremaster.
On another note, I have been a casual player for a very long time. When my friend bought me my own account about a year after release (I had been playing on his for quite some time), I was hesitant to put a lot of time in it. I didn't like the idea of paying to play, so I would play about 2 months, and then stop for 6. Then I'd get a game card and do it again. This went on for a long time and every time there would be major changes. Suddenly there were AHs in every town and there were automatic layovers (those who don't know, you used to have to talk to each fp to make an extended flight.), then BC came out, and so on. Meanwhile I was still in my 20-30s. Finally, I decided to buckle down when wrath came out, and I hit 80. But level 40-80 was a blur. My long and drawn out point is, I never really got to look at the content closely and I'm glad I went and checked it all out before Cataclysm.
Cyanea Mar 25th 2010 2:02PM
WoW-cations is what I recommend to ALL of my friends. About once every other month, I'll take a week off from the game, usually only showing up on raid night. Then when I come back full-time again, my interest is fully charged.
Mirantha Mar 25th 2010 6:29PM
I've finished Loremaster on my main, have 2 other 80's sitting parked in Dalaran. I've gotten tired of the daily grind for the Badge du'jour, especially when a new flavor kept coming out. Fortuntely, that madness has stopped, but I've lost the urge to raid. So, I've parked my 80's, all Alliance toons, and rerolled completely fresh newbies - Horde this time, and on a different account and realm. I don't want the heirlooms, it's too easy earning the xp needed as it is and you still end up out-levelling the zone before you finish all the quests. I'm taking it slow, stopping to look around me and appreciate the landscape. I'm also working on Loremaster on my new main. I figure this will give me the best chance to see everything and get a real feel for Horde as I've never played the faction before. And, you know what? I'm having a blast! The new realm I'm on has great people, there is none of the elitism going on, the people there want to play the game for what it is no matter what the level. I look forward to getting home at the end of the work day to just play and relax now. And isn't that what it's all about anyway?
Bananacup Mar 26th 2010 7:31AM
I'm actually taking a WoW-vacation now. I was ridiculously burned out on this game, every single damned second I spent on it felt like a chore, and I couldn't even bare to login if my friends weren't online and talking because I didn't feel like the gameplay alone was holding up for me.
I mean, I did my dailies which are basically a second job, then did my random heroic which have grown very, very old since the start of WotLK, then i'd do any solo content I had off cooldown (i'm a mount collector) which also felt like a chore/job, then i'd look for raid groups which usually ended up in me being frustrated and very pissed off because i'm a PuG player now (I used to be a guild player but.. now I just couldn't get myself into it again, too much responsibility for a freaking video game). Part of that is that i'm a tank now, and there just doesn't seem to be any acceptance for new tanks this late in the expansion (or at least on my server? dunno).
3.3.3 wasn't really any help for me, and it's a shame because I was hoping it'd regain my interest. A few attempts using the random battleground feature made me remember why I stopped doing PvP in the first place, and most of the other changes are so small they're barely noticeable.
Time off is CRUCIAL in world of warcraft, it becomes very grindy, repetitive and well.. depressing to keep playing on while you're not enjoying it. My friends tried to keep me playing but.. they can't just magically make the game fun for me. I'll surely be back again within a month or two, but for now I need time off. Nothing can make the game fun now, and for some reason some people can't understand that (mainly the ones that are still finding the things i find boring fun). Heroics and dailies and questing and achievements are fun for a little while, but this game just doesn't hold up when you play it alot for a long time.
Sorry for the rant, figured I needed to let that out somewhere.
Purplepenquin Mar 25th 2010 8:12AM
Actually, yes...I am returning from a year-long break. I just got my Wintersaber mount and am chasing the Loremaster Achievements because I'm guessing things will be different. While looking around during these quests I keep thinking/wondering "How much of this will still be here later?"
Luci Mar 25th 2010 9:25AM
I totally understand that. We don't really know what will be taken and what will remain. I'm currently working on getting my Wintersaber mount and trying for the Zulian Tiger. I would hate to think something happened to either of my chances to get these beauties and that they were forever lost.
I've considered trying to do Loremaster. I will definitely do Explorer and probably Loremaster as well.
I just feel like there is so much to do and possibly so little time to do it as Cataclysm draws more near.
Shay Mar 25th 2010 2:38PM
I've taken the same approach with the Explorer achievement...getting around to all the little nooks and crannies I haven't seen. But I'm also taking a ton of screenshots as I go, to try to capture in pictures my main on his steed in zones that may never look the same once Cataclysm hits.
kerwinna Mar 25th 2010 8:12AM
I couldn't agree with you anymore. I have only one 80 and have gone back and am leveling several alts. I want to get Loremaster with at least one before Cataclysm hits. Not sure who its going to be yet though. :D
xxxsnowflamexxx Mar 25th 2010 8:12AM
I feel bad for you! Mulgore is on of my favorites as well; I love westerns, and it feels like I'm in one when I'm there.
Hopefully you'll see the best Azeroth has to offer.
On a side note, the zones I'll miss the most will be the Western Plaguelands. I loved that place, and now its getting all unplagueified. :(
Dreamstorm Mar 25th 2010 8:21AM
My first char was a Tauren. From the first time I logged into the game I was in love with Mulgore. Scholazar Basin was a good competetor but Mulgore has been my favourite zone for almost 3 years now.
Mulgore 4 life!
:_)
xxxsnowflamexxx Mar 25th 2010 8:26AM
Yeah. Mulgore just has this natural beauty that isn't in most zones. I think Nagrand does a great job as well.
Ozzard Mar 25th 2010 9:06AM
"Moo. Are you happy now?"
... yeah, I'm happy enough. I just started another cow in my favourite zone :-).
Aggrajag Mar 25th 2010 9:21AM
I honestly cannot see why anyone would like Mulgore; it's empty and almost as barren as The Barrens.
I hate the damned place with all it's endless pre-mount running across empty fields.