WoW 2 [to the power of] Chemistry
Yeah that title was supposed to have a nifty little 2 in superscript next to the 'WoW' but apparently exponents are forbidden in LJ land.
So for the risk of being called a geek... I wanted to write this little article. I play WoW, as I am sure the people who matter are aware. I like to exercise my powers of observation frequently, and I truly find the crossovers and parallels in life fascinating.
In a passing discussion the other day I noted that I play a healer type character in the Massive Multi-player Online game called World of Warcraft. My boyfriend plays a tank (which means he runs in and pisses off the bad guys by shouting things at them and getting whacked, usually hard, in the face by some kind of blunt or pointy object).
To know more about the genre I am talking about you don't need to know anything but, you have three general character types. Two of which I mentioned, and the last one, is the pew pew type. They just hit the bad guy in glorious attacks... until he dies. Doesn't sound very exciting but that is generally how it goes. Us MMO players, talk about group make-up and composition. Sure you can break it down into small particles of analysis, how different types of healers, tanks or DPS (damage per second) characters do better together. However, I am most interested in group chemistry. In other words, how well the players behind these silly little animated toons, intermingle.
There have been many articles written about the allure to certain types of characters in MMO's. Why certain people choose certain types of characters. Now is the part where I delve a little deeper into the psyche of draw that brings a player to their character.
As I have already said, I am a healer, I keep everyone alive (or try to) until whatever is attacking us, or rather we are attacking... dies. My boyfriend is the tank, he takes all of the bad guys hate and strikes until we can kill said bad guy. This is a symbiotic relationship.
A Protection Warrior and a nature loving Restoration Druid, is the relationship I will approach. My character turns into a walking tree that gives life, and his character gives his life to protect his comrades. There in itself, is a lot of trust to be had. To the point we were discussing it the other day, and it is downright scary having to pick up some random player you don't know, to fill one of these two roles.
Sometimes it is depressing or aggravating to have a self-centered player behind the character you have in your group. Just the other day a tank was in a group of my friends and they weren't having a good time because of his attitude. Other times, I have been in a group where my boyfriend is not tanking and I am on edge because I just don't have chemistry with the tank that is in there, or he is failing for whatever the reason at a certain aspect of his job, that is causing meatballs to coming ambling my way, ready to snap my branches off.
If I have said it once I will say it again... My Tree, is allergic to dying. It is one of the most annoying things to me, because perhaps I have been so spoiled that my tank is good at what he does, or that my ability to heal us through tight spots is sometimes genius. Maybe I could have been more modest there, but I swear it is the honest truth.
Both my tank and I have the ability to pull hats out of our asses in various ways, to save our group. I'd like to say that it doesn't surprise me at all, considering how close emotionally and spiritually I feel we are. It's a priority to do every last thing we can to help each other. That sentence in itself is pretty deep. But I won't go into that level of psychology at this time.
{break}
We were discussing group make-up and how much trust and faith party members are willing to put into one another. The funny thing is... that the inspiration to write this articles happened about 6 weeks ago, and the subjects who were providing the comedic relief (ie: we were all laughing at them) have removed themselves or shut up for the time being.
I will post this portion for now because I will have to get back on my feet to actually finish the article, when I remember all the points I had in my head at the time.... sorry for the incompleteness :P
{break}
So after a very long break, it is September 10, 2009. I think I mustered the thoughts that started this tirade in the first place. Warrior Protector and Life Giving Tree, if you will.
I have been with Scott for over a year at this point, and I have to say the over view of our character choice in a fantastical game is appropriate. He is very perceptive of the ill fates that await fellow players, and I am perceptive that they are not indestructible and require a little bit of a leg-up to stay on their legs.
Scott and I both play classes that need to predict where the bad stuff happens next. If either of us fail at this job, everyone dies. There is a phenomenal amount of trust in that, and also in each other, that whatever comes our way the other will be able to do their job to help alleviate the hurt.
After watching an insane amount of YouTube vlogs today, one on a set of brothers who vlog every weekday to each other and another about a Stunt man who has some kitties... I realized something stunt kitty guy posted a vlog about planning for marriage for two years of engagement. Stunt Kitty guy, said if you can make it through two years of wedding planning you can make it through anything marriage throws at you.
I feel much the same way about this silly little MMO relationship between an Elf and a Human.
I think the way Scott and I are able to work in game is definitive of how we have approached everything thus far. And one common thing I find is our awareness of each other, challenges and people around us.
My role is to provide life to go on, and his is to take negative energy and divert it. Which I have to say we both fulfill those roles quite well.
Providing life-force to go on:
In my life, I am honest genuine and perceptive. I have an overall broad sight of things, people and times, and this contributes to my down to earth and realistic view of things in general. Pretty much anyone who has come to know me in the last few years, will know that I do not misrepresent, and the small little combatant cage I was stuck in for many years, has been dissolved by discovering 'the me'. Something I don't think you could be more genuine with.
I often breathe life into people I interact with, and provide a refreshing view that often wasn't possible before.
Diverting Energy:
Something he doesn't realize yet, and I'm probably the first to reveal it here, is that Scott is a 'diverter'. It is a great trait. It's some thing few people accomplish successfully, and he just doesn't realize he does it so well. If he meets a challenge he is optimistic that whatever it is he/we can accomplish something in the end. It doesn't necessarily matter how long it takes, but perserverance and a little bit of sustained hard work will yield fantastic results. In fact, so fantastic that anything you set your mind to, and put a 'can do' attitude to, will be achieved... eventually.
Scott diverts my stress of life and contemplation, and in turn I provide him what I think are refreshing realities and new perspectives.
Sometimes it doesn't work, but in MMO Raid terms, that is what we call a 'Wipe'.
However, in the end, we seem to come back, ready for another round, to progress, and in the end get that good money shot of us Pwning the Boss that is standing in our way.
I'm sure I missed some points in this, but I love you Hunny, and I am very grateful everyday for you finding me. Some credit to Steve and Kery for the finder's fee!
~J
So for the risk of being called a geek... I wanted to write this little article. I play WoW, as I am sure the people who matter are aware. I like to exercise my powers of observation frequently, and I truly find the crossovers and parallels in life fascinating.
In a passing discussion the other day I noted that I play a healer type character in the Massive Multi-player Online game called World of Warcraft. My boyfriend plays a tank (which means he runs in and pisses off the bad guys by shouting things at them and getting whacked, usually hard, in the face by some kind of blunt or pointy object).
To know more about the genre I am talking about you don't need to know anything but, you have three general character types. Two of which I mentioned, and the last one, is the pew pew type. They just hit the bad guy in glorious attacks... until he dies. Doesn't sound very exciting but that is generally how it goes. Us MMO players, talk about group make-up and composition. Sure you can break it down into small particles of analysis, how different types of healers, tanks or DPS (damage per second) characters do better together. However, I am most interested in group chemistry. In other words, how well the players behind these silly little animated toons, intermingle.
There have been many articles written about the allure to certain types of characters in MMO's. Why certain people choose certain types of characters. Now is the part where I delve a little deeper into the psyche of draw that brings a player to their character.
As I have already said, I am a healer, I keep everyone alive (or try to) until whatever is attacking us, or rather we are attacking... dies. My boyfriend is the tank, he takes all of the bad guys hate and strikes until we can kill said bad guy. This is a symbiotic relationship.
A Protection Warrior and a nature loving Restoration Druid, is the relationship I will approach. My character turns into a walking tree that gives life, and his character gives his life to protect his comrades. There in itself, is a lot of trust to be had. To the point we were discussing it the other day, and it is downright scary having to pick up some random player you don't know, to fill one of these two roles.
Sometimes it is depressing or aggravating to have a self-centered player behind the character you have in your group. Just the other day a tank was in a group of my friends and they weren't having a good time because of his attitude. Other times, I have been in a group where my boyfriend is not tanking and I am on edge because I just don't have chemistry with the tank that is in there, or he is failing for whatever the reason at a certain aspect of his job, that is causing meatballs to coming ambling my way, ready to snap my branches off.
If I have said it once I will say it again... My Tree, is allergic to dying. It is one of the most annoying things to me, because perhaps I have been so spoiled that my tank is good at what he does, or that my ability to heal us through tight spots is sometimes genius. Maybe I could have been more modest there, but I swear it is the honest truth.
Both my tank and I have the ability to pull hats out of our asses in various ways, to save our group. I'd like to say that it doesn't surprise me at all, considering how close emotionally and spiritually I feel we are. It's a priority to do every last thing we can to help each other. That sentence in itself is pretty deep. But I won't go into that level of psychology at this time.
{break}
We were discussing group make-up and how much trust and faith party members are willing to put into one another. The funny thing is... that the inspiration to write this articles happened about 6 weeks ago, and the subjects who were providing the comedic relief (ie: we were all laughing at them) have removed themselves or shut up for the time being.
I will post this portion for now because I will have to get back on my feet to actually finish the article, when I remember all the points I had in my head at the time.... sorry for the incompleteness :P
{break}
So after a very long break, it is September 10, 2009. I think I mustered the thoughts that started this tirade in the first place. Warrior Protector and Life Giving Tree, if you will.
I have been with Scott for over a year at this point, and I have to say the over view of our character choice in a fantastical game is appropriate. He is very perceptive of the ill fates that await fellow players, and I am perceptive that they are not indestructible and require a little bit of a leg-up to stay on their legs.
Scott and I both play classes that need to predict where the bad stuff happens next. If either of us fail at this job, everyone dies. There is a phenomenal amount of trust in that, and also in each other, that whatever comes our way the other will be able to do their job to help alleviate the hurt.
After watching an insane amount of YouTube vlogs today, one on a set of brothers who vlog every weekday to each other and another about a Stunt man who has some kitties... I realized something stunt kitty guy posted a vlog about planning for marriage for two years of engagement. Stunt Kitty guy, said if you can make it through two years of wedding planning you can make it through anything marriage throws at you.
I feel much the same way about this silly little MMO relationship between an Elf and a Human.
I think the way Scott and I are able to work in game is definitive of how we have approached everything thus far. And one common thing I find is our awareness of each other, challenges and people around us.
My role is to provide life to go on, and his is to take negative energy and divert it. Which I have to say we both fulfill those roles quite well.
Providing life-force to go on:
In my life, I am honest genuine and perceptive. I have an overall broad sight of things, people and times, and this contributes to my down to earth and realistic view of things in general. Pretty much anyone who has come to know me in the last few years, will know that I do not misrepresent, and the small little combatant cage I was stuck in for many years, has been dissolved by discovering 'the me'. Something I don't think you could be more genuine with.
I often breathe life into people I interact with, and provide a refreshing view that often wasn't possible before.
Diverting Energy:
Something he doesn't realize yet, and I'm probably the first to reveal it here, is that Scott is a 'diverter'. It is a great trait. It's some thing few people accomplish successfully, and he just doesn't realize he does it so well. If he meets a challenge he is optimistic that whatever it is he/we can accomplish something in the end. It doesn't necessarily matter how long it takes, but perserverance and a little bit of sustained hard work will yield fantastic results. In fact, so fantastic that anything you set your mind to, and put a 'can do' attitude to, will be achieved... eventually.
Scott diverts my stress of life and contemplation, and in turn I provide him what I think are refreshing realities and new perspectives.
Sometimes it doesn't work, but in MMO Raid terms, that is what we call a 'Wipe'.
However, in the end, we seem to come back, ready for another round, to progress, and in the end get that good money shot of us Pwning the Boss that is standing in our way.
I'm sure I missed some points in this, but I love you Hunny, and I am very grateful everyday for you finding me. Some credit to Steve and Kery for the finder's fee!
~J