In which I puke on WoW
I'm feeling a little love-hate with WoW right now. Or maybe it's meh-not meh? I enjoyed the new content with the Pandaren starting area, but then I started to compare it with the Goblin one and realized that in terms of silly fun the pandas don't quite measure up for me. The storyline is pleasant enough, and the zone sure is pretty, but in the end it comes off rather bland.
I've also been examining what I find addictive about the game: what makes me sit there and keep playing far longer than I should. It's the little goals. Often they're just stupid little goals I set for myself. Like, I really wanted more than one hunter pet from the Pandaren starting zone (Tigers! and turtles! and cranes! Oh my!) But for some reason Blizzard didn't see fit to put a Stable Master NPC on the Wandering Isle, so you can't tame at will and just stable the extras. This presents some irritating facts:
1. Hunters can only have one pet on them until level 18, when they get their "call 2nd pet" ability.
2. The questline ends at about level 12, and you can never return to the Wandering Isle once you leave.
3. The next chance to tame a new pet like the ones on the Wandering Isle is not until after level 85.
However, Blizzard DID include a Profession Trainer NPC on the island. And both herbalism and mining grant experience. So I had the tools I needed to level to 18, if I was willing to submit to a time-consuming grind. Which I did. I leveled a new Pandaren hunter (in addition to the one I already had) to meet this stupid little goal, picking herbs and mined ore until I was 18 and could tame a pretty tiger. Then I had a new goal, which was auction off the stuff I had collected... which led to another little goal, and another.
And that's just one chain of stupid little goals - there are many others. I don't do end game stuff anymore, but there's plenty for an alt-addict like me to do. Leveling high enough to do dungeons, leveling high enough to get a mount, leveling high enough to get this or that ability; meeting various achievements; reaching cooking/fishing/crafting goals; grinding for gear for a set -- it goes on and on.
This is my life in WoW, and when I examine it, it's pretty annoying. I'm not addicted to it because I'm engaged in it, it's just the chains of goals. And I don't like that I'm sitting in front of the computer wasting time on it when it's not giving me back much at all.
Compare this with The Secret World, which I bought (for half price, which included a month's subscription). This game engages my brain a lot more, rather than just setting up little goals to knock down. At least, so far that's how it is for me. It's also, somehow, less addictive. I can play for awhile, and then log out and do something else. In fact I don't WANT to play for long stretches of time. I need breaks from it, and I take them. Yet at the same time, it's more interesting and satisfying.
For now, I've cancelled my WoW subscription. I still have about three weeks before it runs out, and then we'll see. Maybe I'll just renew once a year for Brewfest, since I do love the ludicrous fun of the holiday, especially the Dark Iron dwarves' attack on the Brewfest kegs. That fight is pure chaotic win, and even a level 1 can do it (every half hour, if they want!)
Another fun thing is that with the new expansion, hunters can tame Fen Striders. From the first time I saw one of these freaky walking jellyfish, I wanted to tame one. Finally I can. This one is the Black Stalker, the last boss in the Underbog, tamed with my elf hunter main. I haven't named him yet... any suggestions? All I can think of is Legs and that's boring for a glowing raver jellyfish. You should see his attack, he basically bitch-slaps everything with his front tentacles. It's hilarious.
Heh, sorry to go on and on like that. Kudos to you if you read all of it.
TL;DR - annoyed with addictive goal aspect of WoW; still love Brewfest; need a disco jellyfish name.
I've also been examining what I find addictive about the game: what makes me sit there and keep playing far longer than I should. It's the little goals. Often they're just stupid little goals I set for myself. Like, I really wanted more than one hunter pet from the Pandaren starting zone (Tigers! and turtles! and cranes! Oh my!) But for some reason Blizzard didn't see fit to put a Stable Master NPC on the Wandering Isle, so you can't tame at will and just stable the extras. This presents some irritating facts:
1. Hunters can only have one pet on them until level 18, when they get their "call 2nd pet" ability.
2. The questline ends at about level 12, and you can never return to the Wandering Isle once you leave.
3. The next chance to tame a new pet like the ones on the Wandering Isle is not until after level 85.
However, Blizzard DID include a Profession Trainer NPC on the island. And both herbalism and mining grant experience. So I had the tools I needed to level to 18, if I was willing to submit to a time-consuming grind. Which I did. I leveled a new Pandaren hunter (in addition to the one I already had) to meet this stupid little goal, picking herbs and mined ore until I was 18 and could tame a pretty tiger. Then I had a new goal, which was auction off the stuff I had collected... which led to another little goal, and another.
And that's just one chain of stupid little goals - there are many others. I don't do end game stuff anymore, but there's plenty for an alt-addict like me to do. Leveling high enough to do dungeons, leveling high enough to get a mount, leveling high enough to get this or that ability; meeting various achievements; reaching cooking/fishing/crafting goals; grinding for gear for a set -- it goes on and on.
This is my life in WoW, and when I examine it, it's pretty annoying. I'm not addicted to it because I'm engaged in it, it's just the chains of goals. And I don't like that I'm sitting in front of the computer wasting time on it when it's not giving me back much at all.
Compare this with The Secret World, which I bought (for half price, which included a month's subscription). This game engages my brain a lot more, rather than just setting up little goals to knock down. At least, so far that's how it is for me. It's also, somehow, less addictive. I can play for awhile, and then log out and do something else. In fact I don't WANT to play for long stretches of time. I need breaks from it, and I take them. Yet at the same time, it's more interesting and satisfying.
For now, I've cancelled my WoW subscription. I still have about three weeks before it runs out, and then we'll see. Maybe I'll just renew once a year for Brewfest, since I do love the ludicrous fun of the holiday, especially the Dark Iron dwarves' attack on the Brewfest kegs. That fight is pure chaotic win, and even a level 1 can do it (every half hour, if they want!)
Another fun thing is that with the new expansion, hunters can tame Fen Striders. From the first time I saw one of these freaky walking jellyfish, I wanted to tame one. Finally I can. This one is the Black Stalker, the last boss in the Underbog, tamed with my elf hunter main. I haven't named him yet... any suggestions? All I can think of is Legs and that's boring for a glowing raver jellyfish. You should see his attack, he basically bitch-slaps everything with his front tentacles. It's hilarious.
Heh, sorry to go on and on like that. Kudos to you if you read all of it.
TL;DR - annoyed with addictive goal aspect of WoW; still love Brewfest; need a disco jellyfish name.