First of all, I want to thank each and every person that has ever watched my livestream, retweeted one of my rambles, read or visited this blog, or watched one of my videos. It means a lot that there are people out there that are willing to support people like me. The little guy in content creation. Someone that doesnt do this as a job, but rather because he enjoys it. It really is awesome, seeing as I only know most of you from the internet, and have never met in real life. Hell, the people online support me more then some of my family does, which I find sort of funny. But thats beside the point.
Support is something that needs to happen when you are part of a community that we are a part of. We arent people that do this for a living, and while some of us would love to make a living off of it, we dont want to lose our love for what we do (thats why my blog posts are so infrequent. I dont want to force posts out, they would come out bad.) I do admit, I would love to Stream and make youtube videos for a living, it would be my dream job, but that isnt my goal. If it happens, then let it happen, but its not what im shooting for. But I digress, and need to get back on topic.
Throughout my short six months of being part of the WoW twitter community, Ive met all sorts of people. Gold makers, bloggers, pet collectors, hardcore raiders, PvPers, and many many more. But what seems to keep most of these people together, is the fact that we support each other in what we do. And its nice, since support is something that doesnt seem to happen much these days.
Wowprofitz, (or Ray) is someone I am happy to call my friend. He's an awesome guy, does awesome streams, and has an awesome website. But what I think is my favorite part of it, is his streamer and blogger directory. Its nice to see someone so willing to go out of his way to support people like me that arent as well known of noticed as the rest of us. if you have a chance, go a check him out at wowprofitz.com. its an awesome place.
Ian, from A Paladin's Tale, is another example of an awesome supportive person in the community. He made the #wowp5 better known, to help get the message out about some of the smaller and newer podcasts. Its something I try to do as often as I can, since its the least I could do.
All in all, the support that I show, going to the smaller streams, retweeting everything I can, making videos with friends, and these posts. I only do it because of the support I have been shown myself each and everyday I log onto my computer. And even though I sit here, at work in the light booth, I am glad to knock this post out. Because I really do believe that all of you, the community that I have become a part of, need the recognition that you deserve. So I say to all of you, Thank you! Thank you for everything you have done, from all of us little guys.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Upcoming Projects and getting Overwhelmed
For anyone that follows anything that I do, you might of noticed that I havent been producing the amount of Content I would like to produce. I havent really released any new videos, and I havent done a blog post in a week or so. I have been streaming, but really only raids and not just fun little Q&A streams. And I have been doing the podcast, but thats because its on a set schedule and with other friends of mine. But the things that I have to rely on myself to do, they just arent getting done.
I have a bunch of things started, but nothing finished, and thats just because Im getting overwhelmed. I dont really know why, but Its true, I am. Ive tried to set a schedule, but that doesnt seem to really work for me. So what Ive decide to do is to just stop stressing and work on things until they get done. I know I'll get them done, but I have to stop focusing on the when, and focus on creating quality content. I dont want to become someone that produces a lot of crap. I rather release a small amount of good stuff.
That being said, I have a lot of new projects that I will be starting on, some will include friends of mine, others wont. But Im going to be sticking with Quality not Quanity motton, and work on making these new projects the best they can be, not as many episodes they can be. Im also going to be changing somethings around, switching some emails, and getting some new graphics from the Awesome Vero.
Other than all of that, I just want to say thank you to my Friends and to everyone that supports me in this hobby of mine. I like to entertain people, so it makes me feel good that so many people are supporting me as I do this. From my Family, to my Friends, to my guildies, and of course my awesome Boyfriend.
I have a bunch of things started, but nothing finished, and thats just because Im getting overwhelmed. I dont really know why, but Its true, I am. Ive tried to set a schedule, but that doesnt seem to really work for me. So what Ive decide to do is to just stop stressing and work on things until they get done. I know I'll get them done, but I have to stop focusing on the when, and focus on creating quality content. I dont want to become someone that produces a lot of crap. I rather release a small amount of good stuff.
That being said, I have a lot of new projects that I will be starting on, some will include friends of mine, others wont. But Im going to be sticking with Quality not Quanity motton, and work on making these new projects the best they can be, not as many episodes they can be. Im also going to be changing somethings around, switching some emails, and getting some new graphics from the Awesome Vero.
Other than all of that, I just want to say thank you to my Friends and to everyone that supports me in this hobby of mine. I like to entertain people, so it makes me feel good that so many people are supporting me as I do this. From my Family, to my Friends, to my guildies, and of course my awesome Boyfriend.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Opinions and the Troubles they cause.
Admit it, we live in a world where very rarely, someone is respected entirely for their opinions. And if you are, that I say CONGRATZ!! More often then not, someone will get upset or hurt or pissed or any other number of things when you tell them just how they feel. And, in my opinion (see what I did there, hehe) I dont think thats right. Its one of my biggest pet peeves when people yell at someone and tell them their personal opinion is wrong, just because they dont agree with it. I know how this feels First hand.
Im very opinionated, and Im happy to admit that. I was raised to think for myself and to not anyone influence me on how I think or jeopardize my views. But there is always someone that tells me Im wrong, or tries to make me feel stupid for believing something that I do. It never fails, and hardly ever works. Im very stubborn and thick headed, just ask my boyfriend, and very VERY rarely do people ever manage to insult me over something that I believe. It all honesty, it just makes me laugh and shrug my shoulders, but still it gets very tiresome when Im seemingly always attacked for my views.
For example, the SB-5 that was defeated in Texas just a couple days ago. I posted on my twitter, which is linked to my facebook, that I was happy that it was beaten, and that I #standwithwendy. My opinion on this type of bill is simple: I dont believe anyone has the right to tell women what they can and cannot do with their body, especially not old white MEN. Very rarely do these men know what they are talking about, and just because they dont agree with something doesnt mean they should be able to control it. The men Im talking about are the Republicans in the Texas Government.
Now, a lot of people are upset that this bill didnt get passed and they do believe that a woman's reproductive right should be placed in the hands of the government (I dont know why, and for a party that wants LESS government involvement, they sure try to have the government control a whole lot). I respect their opinions and I will defended their right to have them, whether or not I agree with them at all. And I dont, as I stated before. But It never fails that someone got their panties in a twist and got mad at me for what I said and how I felt.
I have republican friends. Some are far right, some arent as far right as others. Some say they are Republican but are more like me and tend to me more neutral when it comes to politics. But one of these "Friends" Texted me last night and told me he couldnt be friends with me anymore because I was Pro-Choice and I wasnt thinking of the unborn babies. And my reply? It was as followed
Im very opinionated, and Im happy to admit that. I was raised to think for myself and to not anyone influence me on how I think or jeopardize my views. But there is always someone that tells me Im wrong, or tries to make me feel stupid for believing something that I do. It never fails, and hardly ever works. Im very stubborn and thick headed, just ask my boyfriend, and very VERY rarely do people ever manage to insult me over something that I believe. It all honesty, it just makes me laugh and shrug my shoulders, but still it gets very tiresome when Im seemingly always attacked for my views.
For example, the SB-5 that was defeated in Texas just a couple days ago. I posted on my twitter, which is linked to my facebook, that I was happy that it was beaten, and that I #standwithwendy. My opinion on this type of bill is simple: I dont believe anyone has the right to tell women what they can and cannot do with their body, especially not old white MEN. Very rarely do these men know what they are talking about, and just because they dont agree with something doesnt mean they should be able to control it. The men Im talking about are the Republicans in the Texas Government.
Now, a lot of people are upset that this bill didnt get passed and they do believe that a woman's reproductive right should be placed in the hands of the government (I dont know why, and for a party that wants LESS government involvement, they sure try to have the government control a whole lot). I respect their opinions and I will defended their right to have them, whether or not I agree with them at all. And I dont, as I stated before. But It never fails that someone got their panties in a twist and got mad at me for what I said and how I felt.
I have republican friends. Some are far right, some arent as far right as others. Some say they are Republican but are more like me and tend to me more neutral when it comes to politics. But one of these "Friends" Texted me last night and told me he couldnt be friends with me anymore because I was Pro-Choice and I wasnt thinking of the unborn babies. And my reply? It was as followed
"Do what you want, but a unborn fetus isnt a citizen of the country. The Pregnant mother is"
Oh the backlash I got from that. He then proceeded to call me a number of names, including baby-killer (I guess he thinks Im an abortion doctor myself, even though my degree is in Special Effects) and other names that I will not recite here on this blog for fear of the age of the person that is reading this. In truth, I laughed and replied with a "lol, QQ more, your anger sustains me"When he was done, and he had removed me from Facebook, I rolled my eyes and went back to watching tv and trying to get some sleep. But thats not the point.
The point is, someone was trying to tell me I was wrong for what I believed in. FOR MY OPINION! An Opinion that didnt affected him in any way, shape, or form, other than to wake him up from a world that doesnt completely agree and follow him and others like him blindly. But you know what, I dont blame him. Some people do follow their party blindly and dont think for themselves, but thats a post for another time. For now, I just want to leave off with this one word; Respect.
Respect one another, and the opinions of others. Whether you agree with them or not, they are allowed to have them, and you shouldnt get upset if they dont agree with you.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Games and Real Life; The Art of Balance
Talking to my mom the other day, and she feels what a lot of parents of gamers feel, That I play video games to much. What my mom doesnt realize is that my "Game" Time is normally taken up by me recording, editing, rendering, and uploading videos. I dont truely play as much as she thinks, but thats ok. She can get on me as much as she wants, it wont really change anything. I know my perfect balance, and I still work when Im needed, so I dont skip work just to play a game. Well, not all the time, on when new expansions drop for WoW I tend to take the day off to just game as long as I can, but a lot of people do that.....right?
Balance is something that all gamers need to learn, and as quickly as possible. And By gamer, I mean a person that wants to put time into a game or games to actually complete the content they provide. To all those people out there that just play, and dont ever truely complete the content of the game, you are also gamers yes, but for the purpose of this post Im not including. This is because you tend to not have the time to really devote to a game, and dont have to balance your life around it. No offense meant. But anyway, back to balance.
Like I was saying, Balance is something that all gamers need to learn, and as quickly as possible. Its very easy to lose yourself in a game, and forget about the responsibilities of real life. Things like Homework, Meetings, Phone calls, Errands, important appointments, etc. Ive been there, and Ive forgotten a lot of things that im not proud of forgetting. Ive even forgotten my anniversary with my Boyfriend because I was gaming to much that day, and trust me that sucked. But at first, Balance can be hard for some, because games can suck you into a world that is beautiful (or terrifying, if you like Horror games). But Balance is needed, as with everything else.
The First thing I started doing when I noticed I was having issues with Balance was writing myself notes. It helped remind me of what I had that day, other than what I had inside a game. I would stick them on my computer so that I would be forced to see them the next day. Its helped me a ton when it comes to making appointments, or those important family phone calls that everyone just loves to make.
The second thing Ive done comes from some more technology that almost every one has. Im, of course, talking about a cell phone. Most cells come with a calendar app, which one can set to ring when one has to leave for something they have to do that day. With the alarm app, I can set a time for me to get off as still have time to get ready for whatever Im doing. Its been a lifesaver when I have to be to a place at a certain time in order to make something that I promised I would do. Things like Family Dinners, Birthdays, and the like. Things that would upset someone if I didnt make after I said I would.
Finally, I keep a day planner with all my appointments, including raid times in WoW, and I look at it every morning when I wake up, and every evening before I go to bed. It helps keep me in check and keep the things I have to do fresh in my head. And even though I still forget things that Im supposed to do, it helps keep it to a minimum and makes sure that I do everything that I meant to (for the most part)
These are my three steps to maintain balance between games and Real Life, and I would love to here what other people do. Comment here and let me know. Also, if you didnt know already, I make youtube videos which you can find here at My Channel. And if anyone has any questions for me, whether on my views about things or just for random facts about me, dont be afraid to ask. It would be fun to answer some of them.
Balance is something that all gamers need to learn, and as quickly as possible. And By gamer, I mean a person that wants to put time into a game or games to actually complete the content they provide. To all those people out there that just play, and dont ever truely complete the content of the game, you are also gamers yes, but for the purpose of this post Im not including. This is because you tend to not have the time to really devote to a game, and dont have to balance your life around it. No offense meant. But anyway, back to balance.
Like I was saying, Balance is something that all gamers need to learn, and as quickly as possible. Its very easy to lose yourself in a game, and forget about the responsibilities of real life. Things like Homework, Meetings, Phone calls, Errands, important appointments, etc. Ive been there, and Ive forgotten a lot of things that im not proud of forgetting. Ive even forgotten my anniversary with my Boyfriend because I was gaming to much that day, and trust me that sucked. But at first, Balance can be hard for some, because games can suck you into a world that is beautiful (or terrifying, if you like Horror games). But Balance is needed, as with everything else.
The First thing I started doing when I noticed I was having issues with Balance was writing myself notes. It helped remind me of what I had that day, other than what I had inside a game. I would stick them on my computer so that I would be forced to see them the next day. Its helped me a ton when it comes to making appointments, or those important family phone calls that everyone just loves to make.
The second thing Ive done comes from some more technology that almost every one has. Im, of course, talking about a cell phone. Most cells come with a calendar app, which one can set to ring when one has to leave for something they have to do that day. With the alarm app, I can set a time for me to get off as still have time to get ready for whatever Im doing. Its been a lifesaver when I have to be to a place at a certain time in order to make something that I promised I would do. Things like Family Dinners, Birthdays, and the like. Things that would upset someone if I didnt make after I said I would.
Finally, I keep a day planner with all my appointments, including raid times in WoW, and I look at it every morning when I wake up, and every evening before I go to bed. It helps keep me in check and keep the things I have to do fresh in my head. And even though I still forget things that Im supposed to do, it helps keep it to a minimum and makes sure that I do everything that I meant to (for the most part)
These are my three steps to maintain balance between games and Real Life, and I would love to here what other people do. Comment here and let me know. Also, if you didnt know already, I make youtube videos which you can find here at My Channel. And if anyone has any questions for me, whether on my views about things or just for random facts about me, dont be afraid to ask. It would be fun to answer some of them.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Falling off the Grid.
I recently ran into some Trouble in my Real life, and it ground my gaming life to a halt. So, Yes, I fell off the grid for a long while, and while Im sorry that I did, it was Necessary. But Im back now, for a while at least. This post is going to be short, a longer one about what Im thinking about will be sometime next week, but I had to get something off my chest.
I wrote a post, my second one I believe on this blog, that talked about Online Friends. The friends that were the most worried about me, and the happiest to see me come back, were the friends that I met and spend time with online. They welcomed me back, and from the emails, Twitter DMs, and Facebook messages, they were extremely worried about me since I fell off the grid without saying anything.
So, to Profitz, Goblinraset, Mist, Morenn, Milk, Vero, Erogroth, Tiriel, Fistlobster, Suplift, Leblue, and anyone else that I didint mention, thank you. Thank you for showing me that even though we have never met in person, that you still care enough to worry about me. I am very lucky to call you my friends.
I wrote a post, my second one I believe on this blog, that talked about Online Friends. The friends that were the most worried about me, and the happiest to see me come back, were the friends that I met and spend time with online. They welcomed me back, and from the emails, Twitter DMs, and Facebook messages, they were extremely worried about me since I fell off the grid without saying anything.
So, to Profitz, Goblinraset, Mist, Morenn, Milk, Vero, Erogroth, Tiriel, Fistlobster, Suplift, Leblue, and anyone else that I didint mention, thank you. Thank you for showing me that even though we have never met in person, that you still care enough to worry about me. I am very lucky to call you my friends.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Bonds across Borders; Internet Friendships
I know Ive most likely said it before, but Im going to say it again. I have awesome Friends. The Downside, most of my friends are over the internet. Not all of them mind you, just most. And to me, that isnt a bad thing. I have more in common with the people Ive met over the internet or on a game than I have with those that I know in real life. It isnt something that surprises me, to be honest I would of guessed this if I didnt have the whole "Internet friends are not real friends" saying drummed into my head by people.
I know thats false now. I know that internet friends can BE real friends and that you can truely harbor relationships with people that you have met over the internet. Hell, I even met my Boyfriend over the internet and we've been together for three years and we're still going strong. So to the people who told me that internet friends arent real friends I have only this to say. You're wrong, you're very very wrong.
Friendships take two things to bloom, and to flourish. You need the time to put into it, and you need a common ground to get started on. For me, it was gaming. I met so many people while playing video games its funny really. So many people that most of my friends are from these worlds, and thats where the Time aspect comes from. I was able to devote time to these people, and although we met on a video game, we soon found out we had a lot more in common that just that game. We liked the same type of books and movies. Watched the same TV shows. We became friends, true close friends.
And it didnt stop there, I made many friends over the internet. I started a podcast with some, Stream with others, sit in chat rooms for hours on end with the remaining. These are the people that my family and some of my real life friends told me I couldnt connect with are that I shouldnt put the time into. These "Fake" friends are the ones that have given me the most support when it comes to making my youtube content, my blog, that help me stream and put up with me on a day to day basis. These "Fake" friends have supported me in all my endeavors, and I couldnt replace them in anyway, shape or form. These "fake" friends are the weirdest, funniest, coolest people I could ask for, and thats what I like about them.
It isnt even the fact that I have more in common with the friends I met online, but also the fact that Im friends with people from around the world. Ive made friends with people that I would never of known otherwise if I still have the mindset of "internet friends are not real friends." Ive made friends with people from most states in the US, as well as other countries. Hell, Ive made friends with people from the Future (aka, in timezones ahead of mine)
I know that many people will disagree with me. Hell, my parents still disagree with me. But Im sorry to those people, but I still have to disagree with them. You can make friendships anywhere, no matter what other people tell you. Dont let others opinions stop you from connecting with people that you have stuff in common with. It isnt their life, its yours, and you should live it how you want to live it.
Moral of the Story; Someone else's mindset doesnt have to relate to you. And the Friends you meet online, are just as real as the ones you meet in Real life.
I know thats false now. I know that internet friends can BE real friends and that you can truely harbor relationships with people that you have met over the internet. Hell, I even met my Boyfriend over the internet and we've been together for three years and we're still going strong. So to the people who told me that internet friends arent real friends I have only this to say. You're wrong, you're very very wrong.
Friendships take two things to bloom, and to flourish. You need the time to put into it, and you need a common ground to get started on. For me, it was gaming. I met so many people while playing video games its funny really. So many people that most of my friends are from these worlds, and thats where the Time aspect comes from. I was able to devote time to these people, and although we met on a video game, we soon found out we had a lot more in common that just that game. We liked the same type of books and movies. Watched the same TV shows. We became friends, true close friends.
And it didnt stop there, I made many friends over the internet. I started a podcast with some, Stream with others, sit in chat rooms for hours on end with the remaining. These are the people that my family and some of my real life friends told me I couldnt connect with are that I shouldnt put the time into. These "Fake" friends are the ones that have given me the most support when it comes to making my youtube content, my blog, that help me stream and put up with me on a day to day basis. These "Fake" friends have supported me in all my endeavors, and I couldnt replace them in anyway, shape or form. These "fake" friends are the weirdest, funniest, coolest people I could ask for, and thats what I like about them.
It isnt even the fact that I have more in common with the friends I met online, but also the fact that Im friends with people from around the world. Ive made friends with people that I would never of known otherwise if I still have the mindset of "internet friends are not real friends." Ive made friends with people from most states in the US, as well as other countries. Hell, Ive made friends with people from the Future (aka, in timezones ahead of mine)
I know that many people will disagree with me. Hell, my parents still disagree with me. But Im sorry to those people, but I still have to disagree with them. You can make friendships anywhere, no matter what other people tell you. Dont let others opinions stop you from connecting with people that you have stuff in common with. It isnt their life, its yours, and you should live it how you want to live it.
Moral of the Story; Someone else's mindset doesnt have to relate to you. And the Friends you meet online, are just as real as the ones you meet in Real life.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Putting things off and Boredom; The Power of the Net
For the people that didnt know, I live on the internet. I dont know if I should be proud to say that, or not, but its true. And that isnt to say that I dont enjoy it. I really do. I love logging on in the morning and catching up on twitter and facebook. Then getting down to the grind, getting any videos I need edited done. But, as well as being my place of residence, the internet is also my weakness,
I have always pushed things off, even when I was in school. Projects, studying, everything.This isnt to say that Im stupid, I just get bored very easily. And I mean, very, very easily. And it always happens. Its one of the main reason why I love doing things with other people, they keep me entertained so I can actually get the things that I need to get done, done. And thats the name of the game, Completing things.
But then, I moved out and got a job that doesnt require me to go to work everyday. And I built my computer, made it so it was nice and fast (even though Ive had a few issues with it, but thats another story). I sat down and set some goals for myself. I wanted to start a blog, this blog in fact, two years ago. I wanted to start producing content for youtube everyday. I wanted to do so much, and I pushed it off. I started playing video games more and more, and I loved it because it kept me focused.
Doing anything on the Internet is very hard for me. Distraction, combined with my ability to get bored very easily, takes hold. Projects that would normally take a day or two take me weeks because of it. For example, the content I release on youtube takes me a few weeks to finish. From finally getting down to recording it, to editing, to uploading, I just get distracted or bored and do somethig else. Hell, even creating this blog took me about a week and a lot of pushing from friends of mine on Twitter. And thats what it took for me to make it, but at least I did get it done.
Personally, I dont know if many people have the same issue. I dont mean that people are never getting distracted, just I dont think its as bad as me. Or everyone is as bad as me. I tend to have anywhere from 4-6 tabs open on my internet, my other monitor is a chat room and twitter, and my laptap playing a stream while I "work" so, I really dont get much work done.
But Im trying to change that. I guess that whole "First step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one" is true here. I admit I have a HUGE issue with Putting things off, but Im going to find a way to fix it. Im either going to get a day planner, or a whiteboard in which I can put up ToDo lists for me to see, so I can keep myself sane. Hell, even a notebook that I can divide the page into 5 days for me to get stuff done on would work at the moment.
Moral of the Story; Keep yourself on target, or things might get worse they you think.
I have always pushed things off, even when I was in school. Projects, studying, everything.This isnt to say that Im stupid, I just get bored very easily. And I mean, very, very easily. And it always happens. Its one of the main reason why I love doing things with other people, they keep me entertained so I can actually get the things that I need to get done, done. And thats the name of the game, Completing things.
But then, I moved out and got a job that doesnt require me to go to work everyday. And I built my computer, made it so it was nice and fast (even though Ive had a few issues with it, but thats another story). I sat down and set some goals for myself. I wanted to start a blog, this blog in fact, two years ago. I wanted to start producing content for youtube everyday. I wanted to do so much, and I pushed it off. I started playing video games more and more, and I loved it because it kept me focused.
Doing anything on the Internet is very hard for me. Distraction, combined with my ability to get bored very easily, takes hold. Projects that would normally take a day or two take me weeks because of it. For example, the content I release on youtube takes me a few weeks to finish. From finally getting down to recording it, to editing, to uploading, I just get distracted or bored and do somethig else. Hell, even creating this blog took me about a week and a lot of pushing from friends of mine on Twitter. And thats what it took for me to make it, but at least I did get it done.
Personally, I dont know if many people have the same issue. I dont mean that people are never getting distracted, just I dont think its as bad as me. Or everyone is as bad as me. I tend to have anywhere from 4-6 tabs open on my internet, my other monitor is a chat room and twitter, and my laptap playing a stream while I "work" so, I really dont get much work done.
But Im trying to change that. I guess that whole "First step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one" is true here. I admit I have a HUGE issue with Putting things off, but Im going to find a way to fix it. Im either going to get a day planner, or a whiteboard in which I can put up ToDo lists for me to see, so I can keep myself sane. Hell, even a notebook that I can divide the page into 5 days for me to get stuff done on would work at the moment.
Moral of the Story; Keep yourself on target, or things might get worse they you think.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Community in and around WoW.
I read a post a few weeks ago written by my friend Ray (Wowprofitz, found here) and he talked a lot about community. I enjoyed the post, agreed with him, and went on my way back into the games I loved and enjoyed. Back onto the internet where I spend most of my time. But the post didnt really resonate with me at the time. Dont get me wrong, I did enjoy it and I do enjoy his style of writing, but the meaning of the post didnt really strike me until a few days ago.
I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember, since I was very young. I played Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega and grew up in the playstation 1 era, until I became the PC gamer I am today. But up until I started playing multiplayer games, I was always alone and didnt need to interact with other people. But I did start playing multiplayer, as most people do, and for the first few years it was ok. See, I had started playing the Huge game, World of Warcraft, and when it first started out, it was all about other people. Forming Dungeon groups, being in a guild, selling the things you made to others, the game just forced the formation of a community upon you. And I liked that. I no longer had to play a video game alone, I could interact with other people, I could PLAY with other people. It was a change for me, back all those years ago. It was fun, it was different, it became what I loved to do.
But it changed, as most games often do. Blizzard tried to make the game a little easier for people to get to end game, implementing a Dungeon finder to make doing dungeon content easier. Gone were the days of standing around trying to find a group to do content with, gone were the days of making friends, filling your friends list with people whom you enjoyed spending time with. It just seemed that the community I had come to know and love was starting to break down slowly. Still, I was lucky, I had found a group of friends and we still did everything together, but some of my other friends began having a tough time with the content that I was still getting to enjoy with people. And I did know why.
Going into these random groups with people that you would most likely never see again just shut off the need to be nice and communicate with each other. The mindset of the player became "me,me,me,screw the other guy". It seemed that most people began to want instant gratification and nothing more. They wanted the mount, the pet, the gear, the achievement, but no longer wanted to put the time into helping others. I felt like I became the odd man out, joining a select few that still wanted to help my fellow player. Not that its a bad thing, far from it, but it felt weird becoming one of the few (I feel like there's a movie reference here, but I cant think of it. Oh well)
My feelings for the game never changed, I still loved logging into it. I still loved playing in a world filled with Magic and Dragons, where I could be a mage that built bombs, or a hunter that mixed potions, or a Shaman that skinned the hides off of animals. I loved trying to make as much gold as I could off the auction house, I still loved the game as a whole. What I began to resent was the player. Not my friends, or the people I had come to think of as extended family. No, I began to resent the people who wanted nothing more than to help themselves, the ones who wanted to race through a dungeons for gear, never saying a word, and then leave to do it all again.
As the years went by, it became worse and I became madder. The guild I had loved fell apart, and they began to leave the realm. I started new characters on another realm, but the feelings I had for other people stayed. I felt alone. So I began contemplating leaving the game and finding somewhere else to hang my hat. Yes, I was ready to hang my WoW hat up after years of enjoying it, years of fun. But thats when two things happened.
The first was I met Brent, my Boyfriend, who started off as one of my best and closest friends. We met in a guild, talked for a while, and then began to do everything together. Quests, dungeons, achievement runs. Everything! He brought back the sense that I wasnt alone in my gaming anymore. I had a friend, and then, after a few months, I had a boyfriend that I was able to share my gaming with. I found my love for World of Warcraft all over again, and I was glad I did.
The second thing that happened didnt happen until a Little later, but I met some awesome people through the WoW forums, and they became friends as well. We shared some laughs, and soon I had a lot of them on real ID, and soon I was never doing anything alone again.
But there are still some moments where I really hate how the community in WoW has turned out to be. I did a Looking for Raid the other night, and where my Boyfriend asked very nicely for combat to be allowed to drop so he could go repair, people raised a fuss. They began to cuss him out, calling him all sorts of names just because they didnt want to wait the extra ten seconds it would take for combat to drop off and him to port out to repair his gear. I sat back, shaking my head and sighing, but not saying anything at his request, remembering a time where if someone needed to leave to repair, people would wait and even summon him back, but no one wants to anymore. People just want instant gratification. Thats it, and it annoys me.
Most of the time, I feel ignored by people. Like Im seen as just another faceless clog in the machine for them to get their gear. And if I dont do things how they want me too, or as fast as they want to go, I get cussed out and called names. And Still, that sense of community is only found with certain people that I have come to know and enjoy. Who have become my friends.
The Moral of this story; Dont forget your roots, or that other people might need your help. Community is still the name of the game when it comes down to it.
I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember, since I was very young. I played Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega and grew up in the playstation 1 era, until I became the PC gamer I am today. But up until I started playing multiplayer games, I was always alone and didnt need to interact with other people. But I did start playing multiplayer, as most people do, and for the first few years it was ok. See, I had started playing the Huge game, World of Warcraft, and when it first started out, it was all about other people. Forming Dungeon groups, being in a guild, selling the things you made to others, the game just forced the formation of a community upon you. And I liked that. I no longer had to play a video game alone, I could interact with other people, I could PLAY with other people. It was a change for me, back all those years ago. It was fun, it was different, it became what I loved to do.
But it changed, as most games often do. Blizzard tried to make the game a little easier for people to get to end game, implementing a Dungeon finder to make doing dungeon content easier. Gone were the days of standing around trying to find a group to do content with, gone were the days of making friends, filling your friends list with people whom you enjoyed spending time with. It just seemed that the community I had come to know and love was starting to break down slowly. Still, I was lucky, I had found a group of friends and we still did everything together, but some of my other friends began having a tough time with the content that I was still getting to enjoy with people. And I did know why.
Going into these random groups with people that you would most likely never see again just shut off the need to be nice and communicate with each other. The mindset of the player became "me,me,me,screw the other guy". It seemed that most people began to want instant gratification and nothing more. They wanted the mount, the pet, the gear, the achievement, but no longer wanted to put the time into helping others. I felt like I became the odd man out, joining a select few that still wanted to help my fellow player. Not that its a bad thing, far from it, but it felt weird becoming one of the few (I feel like there's a movie reference here, but I cant think of it. Oh well)
My feelings for the game never changed, I still loved logging into it. I still loved playing in a world filled with Magic and Dragons, where I could be a mage that built bombs, or a hunter that mixed potions, or a Shaman that skinned the hides off of animals. I loved trying to make as much gold as I could off the auction house, I still loved the game as a whole. What I began to resent was the player. Not my friends, or the people I had come to think of as extended family. No, I began to resent the people who wanted nothing more than to help themselves, the ones who wanted to race through a dungeons for gear, never saying a word, and then leave to do it all again.
As the years went by, it became worse and I became madder. The guild I had loved fell apart, and they began to leave the realm. I started new characters on another realm, but the feelings I had for other people stayed. I felt alone. So I began contemplating leaving the game and finding somewhere else to hang my hat. Yes, I was ready to hang my WoW hat up after years of enjoying it, years of fun. But thats when two things happened.
The first was I met Brent, my Boyfriend, who started off as one of my best and closest friends. We met in a guild, talked for a while, and then began to do everything together. Quests, dungeons, achievement runs. Everything! He brought back the sense that I wasnt alone in my gaming anymore. I had a friend, and then, after a few months, I had a boyfriend that I was able to share my gaming with. I found my love for World of Warcraft all over again, and I was glad I did.
The second thing that happened didnt happen until a Little later, but I met some awesome people through the WoW forums, and they became friends as well. We shared some laughs, and soon I had a lot of them on real ID, and soon I was never doing anything alone again.
But there are still some moments where I really hate how the community in WoW has turned out to be. I did a Looking for Raid the other night, and where my Boyfriend asked very nicely for combat to be allowed to drop so he could go repair, people raised a fuss. They began to cuss him out, calling him all sorts of names just because they didnt want to wait the extra ten seconds it would take for combat to drop off and him to port out to repair his gear. I sat back, shaking my head and sighing, but not saying anything at his request, remembering a time where if someone needed to leave to repair, people would wait and even summon him back, but no one wants to anymore. People just want instant gratification. Thats it, and it annoys me.
Most of the time, I feel ignored by people. Like Im seen as just another faceless clog in the machine for them to get their gear. And if I dont do things how they want me too, or as fast as they want to go, I get cussed out and called names. And Still, that sense of community is only found with certain people that I have come to know and enjoy. Who have become my friends.
The Moral of this story; Dont forget your roots, or that other people might need your help. Community is still the name of the game when it comes down to it.
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