Breakfast Topic: What outside things do you associate with WoW?
by Mike Simone 
Nov 21st 2011 at 8:00AM
When I started playing WoW five years ago, my wife only consented because I could play in our room on my laptop so we could still be "together" in the evenings after work. As a result, there's almost always TV or radio playing when I'm in Azeroth, and I've found over the years that my brain has irrevocably associated certain in-game areas with whatever was blaring in the background at the time.
So to this day, whenever I hit the Grizzly Hills for any reason, I'm stuck with a certain Sirius radio show in my head. Icecrown Citadel is the domain of Bill Maher (and Professor Putricide). The inside of Nespirah is an episode of Boardwalk Empire and the Lord Rhyolith fight is The Car Show (I see Adam Carolla's face on Rhyo's body). Sometimes the associations make a little sense -- Survivor somehow became embedded with Stranglethorn Vale -- and other times, they're completely nonsensical, as with the disturbing Uldum/Real Housewives of New Jersey connection.
What's really odd about these connections is that it's not just visiting someplace in Azeroth that triggers a mental picture or sound of the associated show, but it goes the other way too. Any time I watch Nucky Thompson now, I'll always picture us inside a giant clam shell.
Do you have any weird sense memories associated with WoW?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
green_jerm Nov 21st 2011 8:03AM
When I was a senior, Wow's first year, whenever a teacher handed me homework I heard the quest sound in my head. Addict much?
jamie9966 Nov 21st 2011 8:03AM
I listen to certain albums over and over when I first discover them, so certain zones (and even certain expansions) are forever linked with an album or a song, for me.
Hob Nov 21st 2011 9:56AM
^ This
I often listen with the normal sound on (love the in-game music, for the most part), but almost all combat sounds bother my dog (who usually sleeps behind my chair while I'm playing WoW). So, farming / flying around is okay for normal sound, anything else, gotta be an album.
A lot of my WoW experience is associated with Goldfrapp and Fleet Foxes.
Chris Gonzalez Nov 21st 2011 10:12AM
Very much this. Whenever I listen to Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not", I'm immediately thrown back into memories of farming Storm Peaks for ages listening to that album.
Swifteye Nov 21st 2011 10:25AM
I'm in absolutely the same boat, this mostly happens to me with songs. I have a vast, VAST catalogue of full songs in my head (I'll not settle for having the chorus repeating in my head over and over; any song I like, I've memorized the WHOLE thing).
I'll actively memorize a song by listening to it over and over for like two hours. So any time I'm doing something in WoW at the time, that song gets irrevocably associated with that song.
There's a certain Richard Marx song that I can't listen to without mentally being back in that yeti cave in Winterspring farming Rugged Leather. A Josh Groban song that always takes me back to questing in the steam pool area of Borean Tundra. A Bryan Adams song that puts me in mind of Wintergrasp, just mentally mapping the area between battles to make sure I had all my objectives straight.
At least it's not quite as pathetic/boring as that one song that always makes me remember shopping for clothes online... right?
Swifteye Nov 21st 2011 10:26AM
*that song gets associated with that THING... lack of edit button makes me want to cry. *hates looking stupid* ^_^;;
Adremelek Nov 22nd 2011 6:55PM
I have one song in particular that does this; whenever I hear "dashboard" by modest mouse I just see a baby troll rogue running around the barrens. This was from 2006 when the song always played on the radio in my room.
Revnah Nov 21st 2011 8:06AM
My budgies. I have an indoor aviary with four very cute and very lively budgies right next to my computer. I talk to them during dungeon runs and tell them about the douche who just needed on spirit leather as a feral druid, and they give a running commentary in the shape of chirps.
The thing is, budgies tend to be quiet(er) when the surroundings are quiet. I play my WoW sound through my stereo's speakers, mainly because I hate headphones. The budgies quickly got used to the battle sounds and seem to have decided that those sounds are their personal audience. In raids, it gets even better - people are TALKING through the speakers (I use a clip-on mic and a push-to-talk button), which can only mean one thing: ATTENTION!
All the world's a budgie fanclub :-D I don't think I could even play in a quiet room these days, hehe.
bknab Nov 21st 2011 2:02PM
Sarokos is that YOU?!
Revnah Nov 21st 2011 5:36PM
Lol, nope, it's Revnah, from Tivoli on Dragonblight (EU) :-)
Tovin Nov 21st 2011 8:11AM
Hmmmm. I think you may be on to something regarding Bill Maher and Putricide. That would explain a great many things...
MattKrotzer Nov 21st 2011 8:10AM
"A certain Sirius radio show?"
You can say Howard's name, man... we won't mind. ;)
spectres Nov 21st 2011 8:22AM
I was farming in Sholazar Basin while in the next room my brother and a friend of his watched Good Fellas. I have never seen Good Fellas, but I listened intently. After the movie was over I felt like I had missed out on something. After that I realized I could not farm without feeling like I was missing out on something. that quickly lead to me not being able to play WoW without feeling like I was missing out one something.
How about that for a Breakfast topic? Ever regret skipping something for WoW?
Shinae Nov 21st 2011 10:52AM
I tell you what, it's kinda difficult to watch a subtitled movie while actively farming.
I realized quickly that farming could wait while watching "Män som hatar kvinnor."
vanillablackrose Nov 21st 2011 8:25AM
I associate Felwood with Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog for the same reason because I was watching it while grinding Timbermaw Rep. To this day I get the songs stuck in my head every time I have to go through there.
deymorin Nov 21st 2011 8:26AM
I don't usually listen to anything while I play anymore. Long before WoW though, I played MajorMud and anytime I hear a song from Live's first album I remember long hours of that album on repeat as I killed orcs and cultists and checked magic ally for a glowing broadsword. :P
Cheb Nov 21st 2011 8:28AM
Yo Gabba Gabba and Cho'gall. New friends put a smile on my face... especially when they make me go crazy and vomit on people.
Tsukuri Nov 21st 2011 8:30AM
Everytime I'm in certain parts of Northrend (not sure where exactly) I think of Biffy Chlryo. I leveled through WotLK content in uni after discovering that I liked said band and played their music continuously.
Lupos Nov 21st 2011 8:34AM
My first time playing through (soon after BC dropped) I listened to Styx for most of my leveling. Renegade in Tanaris. Grand Illusion was in Feralas and I think Too Much Time was in Felwood. It's been a while but I could probably remember all my associations if I listened to Styx Greatest Hits again
Amallia Nov 21st 2011 8:43AM
Excellent choice of music.