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The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: Have you ever taken time off from WoW?
by Josh Rose 
Apr 27th 2011 at 8:00AM
Sometimes people need a break from Azeroth. There are various reasons for it -- real-life issues, lack of new content, boredom, another game you have to try -- but despite the reasons, most of the time people come back. Something about the world or the people in it draws players back to see what is new since the last time they logged in. Sometimes it almost seems that WoW has a pull that is hard to escape, and you find yourself launching the game and putting in your account and password without even realizing you are doing it.
I have never taken a long break from WoW, and I have played since launch. I have taken a week or two off from time to time, but never any of these extended multiple month or year breaks from the game. Perhaps it is being a pretty serious raider that makes me log in nearly every day. Perhaps it is my penchant for being an achievement junkie or the fact I am an altaholic. But for some reason, I cannot seem to avoid the game for any major length of time. My latest break was right before Cataclysm launched, in which I caught up on some other great video games I missed -- but even then, I logged on to check mail and the AH and chat with some friends. And that is what I realized keeps me coming back: the people in my guild and on my friends list; it isn't the raids or the chance at shiny purples, even though I do enjoy that aspect.
So have you taken time off from WoW? How long was your break? What brought you back?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 5)
Darky Apr 27th 2011 10:43AM
Same, when I lost my memory I had a pretty long break, was stuck in hospital and just feeling disorientated, eventually my friends were talking about wow, and I logged in to my deathknight, who was level capped and felt completely overwhelmed, took my a month to really get into it.
Darky Apr 27th 2011 10:47AM
*me a month* I shall blame my crappy spelling on the comment system! YES that shall work!
Forceheals Apr 27th 2011 8:21AM
I think taking breaks from WoW is often a really... Really good idea. The game has goes through phases for the majority of players (With the truly hardcore being exempt). I'm sure everyone has experienced the WoW "crave", where you could think of nothing more desireable that to sit down and pull a crazy World of Warcraft bender. However, on the flip-side, i know i have at least felt like smashing my computer over and leaving the game due to just being freaking bored with the same material day after day. The utter difference a 1-2 or even 4 month break makes is incredible. The desire to play the game is entirely renewed, as if you were leveling for the first time again, and it is a truly enjoyable experience. If anyone is having boredom issues with the game, i strongly suggest having a short break, take some times to get some other stuff done IRL. Then sit down at your set date, and truly enjoy the game again!
razion Apr 27th 2011 8:22AM
Breaks? ... Uh, does Tuesday maintenance count?
No, but in all seriousness there was one occasion where I unsubscribed to try out DC Universe Online. The game was pretty highly recommended by Total Biscuit (creator of Blue Plz, a WoW Podcast I listen to regularly as well as a daily news update show called Azeroth Daily), and I can't say I didn't enjoy my time away from WoW (very actiony, if you'll excuse my butchering of the English language). However during my stay in DCUO, I realized I knew a ton more about the Warcraft Universe than I do about the DCUO universe. And while I was amassing information about the world quickly through the solo-able dungeon modes and quest lines while I leveled, I felt that all of that couldn't really come close to all the collected info I had on WoW's Lore. I also realized that I already had a stable set of friends in WoW that of course were irreplaceable.
So eventually I returned, but perhaps it was inevitable.
Noyou Apr 27th 2011 10:35AM
Yeah. The only break I have ever taken is maybe a day or two. I'm thinking that when ever I stop subscribing I will be done with WoW for good. You never know though. There's always something that can bring you back if you are still keeping up with things.
Bossy Apr 27th 2011 8:25AM
No never.
Subscribed on both accounts (my son and me) for 5 years now.
I can go on vacation, but still check the AH and armoury.
Never will leave my avatars.
There is a life BEFORE WOW and a game after WOW and no other game could get my attention for more than a few odd hours after WOW.
Those other games seem so hollow compared to Azeroth.
Even Warhammer miniatures and Magic CCG seem to have lost all long term appeal.
Theyas Apr 27th 2011 8:26AM
I took a break in mid-February after burning my brain out four nights a week raiding all of the Cataclysm normal raid content. My guild went 12/12, but the attitudes of some raid members when it came to excelling in heroic mode encounters was very elitist and off-putting. Lots of dramatic nerd rage.
I decided to leave, and it was to be a permanent change. In the time since I uninstalled, I got a lot of work done with my school work that I probably wouldn't have done otherwise.
I'm currently in the midst of a two-week spring break from classes, and I decided that I would be bored without a game to play, so I reinstalled WoW. I'm enjoying it again! I did miss it a lot at times.
Moral of the story: I didn't need to quit, I just needed to take a break to get my @#%$ together!
TL;DR - Nobody Ever Quits WoW
Samutz Apr 27th 2011 8:27AM
I'm taking time off right now. I don't plan on having it last as long as my other hiatuses.
-I started playing during Vanilla's 2nd year (Feb 2006 I think).
-Quit sometime during summer of '06 after a pretty bad guild break up.
-Came back just before TBC's release.
-Quit again about halfway through TBC when my guild broke up again.
-Came back a few months before Wrath's release.
-Quit again before 3.1 was even out because my guild vanished over the course of 2 days that I wasn't online. (Seriously, Sunday everything was fine. Wednesday everyone was gone.)
-Came back around the time 3.3 was released. Moved to It came from the Blog after a few months.
Every time I quit due to guild break ups, I did guild hop and raid with a few, trying to find one that I felt comfortable with, but I would end up getting discouraged by not having any friends in the new guilds and always starting with 0 DKP. Plus late and long raid times made me feel like I was putting in too much time in to the game.
My current hiatus isn't a full on quit like my previous quits. I haven't cancelled my account and I'm still in the guild. I just don't log in as often and feel burnt out on the game. When ever I log in, I can't think of anything I actually feel like doing and just log off and go play something else. But the last few days I have been logging in and doing a few things in short bursts like slowly working on Loremaster.
Matt Buckley Apr 27th 2011 8:31AM
I'm on my second break at the moment. I've got into the habit of taking summer off the game and going back to it in the autumn. Usually happens when I find I'm logging in and then finding myself instantly thinking "What shall I do?". Think I'll go back after a few major patches once there's some new life breathed into the game for me.
Tsukuri Apr 27th 2011 8:35AM
I took something like 3 months off WoW so that i could look for work when i ditched university. Well... I didn't drop WoW by choice, my dad took my computer and laptop away from me so that I could concentrate on searching for work. I've been at my job since 2010 and haven't taken a break from WoW since :P
JDHorror May 1st 2011 8:51AM
I'd say it was about a month before ICC content was released (I was doing beta stuff from memory) I quit for 3 reasons, Firstly it was creating a rift between myself and my (then) partner, Secondly I was a university student and didn't actually have money to blow on gaming and thirdly I was completely over all the content. I wasn't raiding or doing arena at this point so I really didn't have to worry about letting down guildies or teammates.
I only started playing again last week, After about a year and a half hiatus.
Greyhame Apr 27th 2011 8:47AM
Currently taking one. Not sure how long it will be. I was just bored of things I was doing in game. I was tired of everything at max level, and I hate the LFD queue and running things on my own there. PvP had lost it's interest. My 85s were geared out as much as I could really get them at the moment. I was leveling a rogue and enjoying it, but I hit the Outlands area and slowly lost all interest in leveling him any further. So I'll stop for now rather than get overly frustrated and just find other things to do, like finding a new job.
Idaelus Apr 27th 2011 9:03AM
I actually just got back into Azeroth. (Again)
I would normally take a month or two break near the end of every semester. Getting the grades I wanted was more important to me than WoW, so I would cancel my account until those were done. After I graduated, I was playing pretty regularly until I got my Big Person(TM) job, and discovered I suddenly had a 2 hour commute to work. I'm not as young as I once was, and the need to establish myself in the job trumped slapping toons in BG's until I got my sleep schedule established.
But now I know when bedtime needs to be so I can get to work on time (Most days :P) and have recommened my virtual addiciton. :D
Idaelus Apr 27th 2011 9:21AM
reccomened should read recommenced.
Insert quote about WTB edit button, yada yada yada.
Shade Apr 27th 2011 9:05AM
I took a break during 3.2 and came back as the plague wing of ICC opened up. In the interim, my guild dissolved. I've been an independent player since I returned to the game, though I've been affiliated with several guilds since.
I'm on a restricted play schedule now, because of guild achievements limiting the spots for PuGs and because of worrying about post-graduation life in under a month. I jokingly (well, not really a joke) told the guilds that have been trying to recruit me that if they could land me a real-life job I'm not overqualified for that pays decently, I would join their guild. Not that I expect it to work, but if it did...
crackjunior Apr 27th 2011 9:05AM
i'm taking some time off playing right now.. not really because i'm burned out (maybe a little bit), but more because of professional reasons.
when i get more time, i'm back at it :)
TheBearMonk Apr 27th 2011 9:13AM
I'm actually taking a break right now. With DCUO coming out I wanted to try it's new action MMO style. It's been pretty rewarding so far, but populations are low on PC servers. This, of course, results in a long wait times for groups.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the different landscape and feel that DCUO has offered so far though.
Greenjojo Apr 27th 2011 9:14AM
I personally haven't taken an extended break, nothing more than a week at any point. Although I do play less than I have in the past, mostly because it's spring/summer time ;) Also the raiding bug hasn't gotten me... yet ^_^
I've been gaming with the same group of people for about 7 years now, in addition to all the new friends I've made in Azeroth, and a few "RL" friends - so it's mostly my in game friends that keep me around. I admit it sometimes seems as if I pay $30/month(2 accounts) for a giant colorful chat program.
Greg Apr 27th 2011 9:54AM
I've taken two breaks from wow. The first was due to casual play boredom. I took 6 months off, then came back during the Trial of the Crusader to raid with a server first guild. That lasted about 5 months before we realized there was no new content (post ICC), and the schedule was brutal. We played more than 25 hours a week in raids honing our skills. Personal play was on top of that. It was like a part time job in addition to my full time job. Eventually I went back to casual play.
I'm also taking time off right now. I plan to return to the game in January- sometime before the next expansion comes out. Cataclysm brought too many changes with which I am very unhappy. The only way for me to send a clear message to Blizzard is to stop paying them. I miss the game, but I don't miss my dismay with the new content, Blizzard's conflicting philosophy of playerbase inclusion, and the retooling of my beloved mains. So this year, I'm keeping my $180 and taking my wife on a few dates.
I'll see you all in game come January! =)
Kenny Apr 27th 2011 9:40AM
I took a break in the start of wrath and came back after 3.2? (LFD patch); I took another smaller break recently where I just stopped playing for a couple of weeks, and now that I'm back I try to balance my playtime more with my other hobbies, and focus more on casual PVP since it's more flexible (no half hour q's and no real impact if I have to drop out of a bg to deal with RL)
The real problem I have is that other games feel a little pointless and I find it hard to invest the time to get into other games - wow is kinda the easy option - cheap, endlessly playable and fun. I've bought a few games this year and played them for a few days, got bored and left them gathering dust - each of them cost about 3 months of wow or more, so I'm now even more set against buying other games.