Breakfast Topic: To be the best
by Kristal Murphy 
Jul 24th 2010 at 8:00AM
As a competitive person, I do not want to be mediocre at anything I do. I want to be so good at my job that I earn a bonus at annual review time. I want to be early instead of late. I want to be the great mom who comes to all the parent-teacher conferences and always turns in signed permission slips before they're due. Heck, I even want to be in the front of the pack in traffic on the interstate.
I have worked hard to achieve all of this perfection -- and failed miserably. One thing that I've learned through my adult life is that any time you think you're the best at something, 10 other people will come along who show you up. I do the best I can, and I have to will myself to be satisfied with that. If I tried to be the overachiever, then I'd probably stress myself into a heart attack.
It's the same way with World of Warcraft. I want to have maxed-out professions with all the rare recipes. I want to have the highest GearScore, top the DPS chart and hold hate perfectly with no runaways if I'm tanking. I want to get all the achievements, have the coolest vanity pets and ride in on that rare mount no one else has. Yeah, that's what I wish for. But, I am never, ever going to get there.
My mediocrity is not from lack of trying. It's from lack of play time (I'm a mom of three kids with a full-time job) and a lack of speed (not the kind I can drink a potion for -- the kind that makes me react and click the right button in my rotation quickly enough).
I have only one of my five toons leveled up to 80. Her GearScore is decent enough for ICC, but not outstanding. I am in the low-to-medium range of the DPS chart when we run a raid. My tankadin has been stuck in the 70s for two months now because I have tank anxiety. A friend in my guild once said to me that all pally tanks are good tanks. Wrong! I'm passable for my level, but I am not great. My addon threat meter tells me that when I'm not at the top of the chart, and my eyes tell me that when one from the mob keeps breaking away in a dungeon to whack on my healer.
I read, I quest and I update my talent trees and rotation with every current patch. I do everything within my power to be the best. But I have to settle for being second-best in game, as I do in real life -- and that's a hard pill for me to swallow. After all, WoW is a game, and the object of the game is to win ... not to be mediocre.
How does your drive to "win" and be "the best" affect your time in World of Warcraft?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Bob Jul 24th 2010 8:07AM
Very well written piece.
Rob Jul 24th 2010 8:11AM
I try to make sure everyone is having fun, and we are going at a decent progression, when I raid or do instances. That's about it. I know my class pretty well, but i'm not an expert. I don't have to be. I can put that effort into improving my professional and personal life rather than track down minutea of my class (unless I am bored of course). But, yes, very well written article.
Darque Jul 24th 2010 8:14AM
You're right...it's a game. And the object of the game is to have fun. It would be nice to be the best (I have multiple 80s, and I have put in plenty of time trying to get to the top of the game)...but eventually it becomes a huge grind and it's not fun. So I go back and level an alt, play with friends and have fun.
To me, it's more important to enjoy what you're doing than to necessarily be the very best at it. Because if you enjoy what you're doing, the rest comes along with it.
MusedMoose Jul 24th 2010 8:24AM
I'm with you. For me, the moment a game stops being fun is the moment I stop playing. I haven't been playing WoW as much lately, because there's not as much to do, and I don't want to stop enjoying my time in-game before Cataclysm comes out.
And while I understand the drive to be the best, I think the problem with trying to achieve that in WoW is that it's so fleeting. Gear constantly changes and gets upgraded, new strategies make battles easier, and so on.
...I'm no longer sure where I'm going with this, but you get the idea. *grin* I really should remember my personal rule to not post this early in the morning.
Adoisin Jul 25th 2010 11:00AM
Agreed, having fun is what it is all about.
On the other hand, if not being at the top of the dps chart is really bothering you that badly, roll a healer. Keep everyone alive, don't wipe, and you are generally considered a success lol.
Supernerd Jul 24th 2010 8:26AM
I wanna be the very best..
Tasty Jul 24th 2010 8:31AM
at the speed of light!
werewolf8604 Jul 24th 2010 8:39AM
Like no one ever was....
Delerowen Jul 24th 2010 8:43AM
Fail at you.
To continue what supernerd was doing:
Like No one ever was
To catch them is my real test...
Bushie Jul 24th 2010 9:27AM
To train them is my cause
Rai Jul 24th 2010 9:43AM
I will travel across the land...
Zuljo Jul 24th 2010 10:07AM
Searching far and wide..
CaryEverett Jul 24th 2010 10:10AM
Searching far and wide
thegatherer Jul 24th 2010 10:25AM
Each Pokemon, to understand,
Joefredzob Jul 24th 2010 10:34AM
The power that's inside...
Jinx Jul 24th 2010 11:01AM
Steal from Mom,
She won't mind at all!
RoseClown Jul 24th 2010 12:24PM
Pokemon! Gotta Catch 'em aaaalll!
iammurlocftw Jul 24th 2010 12:40PM
Pika Pika!
Jamie Jul 24th 2010 12:48PM
It would have been a shame had this breakfast topic gone by without the readers trying (and in some cases failing) to recite the original Pokémon theme tune.
Good job, folks!
Xtoadlipzx Jul 24th 2010 8:29AM
My "drive" to win is simple . . . Boredom. Living away from my friends and family I fill my spare time playing wow. 7 80's every profession maxed seen hidden places and done some not nice things to the alliance. Keeping my Mind off the people i miss and love is my "drive"
needless to say i miss them alot =P