The Dilemma

Intro

Last night I engaged in a fruitful and interesting conversation with 2 of my fellow raiders, Dr. Truf and Indiana Jones Freggos. The topics were scattered, but one that I felt was worthy of a blog on this snowy day in NJ was about the time when one quits WOW.

Quitting Time?

I started playing this game when I was 28 years old and am now 38 years old. A decade and nearly 25% of my life has had me immersed in this game. When am I too old to continue playing? 40? 45? 50? There in lies the dilemma as I am having more fun now than ever and cannot see when I want to quit in the foreseeable future. When I do quit, what will I do to fill that time? To fill that socialization as it isn't just a game, but a social exercise that is no different than people chatting/communication on Facebook or some other social media or even a book club. I have been a gamer ever since my godparents bought me an Atari 2600 when I was 6 years old or so. I still remember Megamania, Kaboom, Berserk, and Warlords. I still have my WORKING Atari and the cartridges as a memory of where it all began. Similarly to quitting WOW, I cannot ever imagine throwing the Atari and the games away. The xpac titled WOD brings in so many appealing options and changes that I am really excited for it and think Blizzard did an excellent job in making “normal” raiding less committal and to allow communities of people and friends back into game. This may be the first xpac I am looking forward to, but am not ready for it yet. I am still enjoying MoP as the raiding in it was awesome.

My Dilemma

Some people reading this probably know my current personal situation, but I won't get into that here. At least not yet or until things are final. What I will say is, a non-gamer, perhaps even non-MMO player, never truly understand this game. Introducing the concept to people who are foreign to the MMO model look at me with a look of juvenile assumptions that this 6'4” grown man engages in this childish activity so heavily. Barring the perfect scenario where you date/marry someone who is a gamer and even better, a MMO player, even BETTER, a GOOD MMO player, the rest of us are relegated to trying to explain that it isn't just a game while eyes roll and an understanding of our “obsession” are never understood. Will anyone that isn't a gamer ever understand?

Sharing

Perhaps for me, maybe I wouldn't even want a gamer partner. Perhaps this is my alone time, my time with my own thoughts and my own “hobby”. I am not so sure, but I see this as an escape for many people, including me, it certainly is a way for me to shut off my brain from real life and to engage fully in Azeroth and WOW and with people in game that I have met over the last decade. When I am playing, thoughts of bills, children, wives, kid bday parties, weather, work, sex, life goals, exercise, car repairs, house repairs, chores, laundry, dishes, etc. do not play into my mind . I am, in most cases, focused at the task at hand in game, unless I am in LFR, then I just AFK and dream that it's over already. The irony is, “the one girl that got away”, who was also my first real girlfriend that wasn't blown up, played video games and we had a great relationship for the 2 years we dated many many moons ago. She had a SNES and we used to play Mario Cart and some Donkey Kong game similar in style to Super Mario Brothers. We did enjoy playing together and had fun.

Wine/Spirits/Beer

I know when I start talking beer to some of my raiders in raid (e.g. Maisee and Feelings and Freggos lately) some people tune out, but having a few beers and raiding and discussing the beers is a lot of fun to me. Now that I have discovered it irks/bores some people, it makes me even more fun. ;) I do have an obsession with all things liquor, but not in a drink to get drunk sort of way (except Friday Flex runs), it is more in the way of exploration and the history lessons and culture. I love the history of liquor through antiquity to present times. The allure of wine, its many regions, the variety and 1000s of grape varietals, the assortment of tastes and food pairings, wine is awesome. Craft beer is my obsession lately, but that is because of the beer renaissance that has finally exploded on the East Coast and the availability and brewing of so many tasty and worthwhile beers. Having a few beers each night is fun to me especially while raiding or playing WOW. I used to be a wine/spirit columnist for 6 years for a local NJ magazine and miss that, maybe if I quit wow ever, I can try and get back into that and fill the void. I can already tell by my hits on my beer reviews, this guild and blog is not the right audience for my beer reviews. ;)

Conclusion

I think I have gone full circle here, but the reality is, I don't know what I want, I guess we all choose what is important to us. Right now, WOW is a part of my life as crazy as that may seem to some, but entirely normal to others. I know some folks (like Reluu) have no issue admitting to co-workers/family members that she is a gamer, I envy her courage, my WOW playing is a dirty little secret with only a select few that know I even play. I am sure with nearly 8 million subs, it wouldn't shock many people, but I fear the stigma that would be placed on me if I openly admitted it. So, am I quitting soon? No, will I quit after WOD? The real answer is, maybe, I will for the first time have that internal struggle...er...discussion with myself about if it is time to hang it up for good. I am not sure what I accomplished here, but I have a hankering to dust off my Atari and drink some beer right now.