Dear Matty: I'm Sexy and I Know It Edition

Dear Matty:
Not sure why I am writing you, really, but perhaps you can ease my mind. Many of us have been reflecting on where we've been in Azeroth, telling our 'coming of age' stories if you will, and sharing those has been enlightening. I have achieved so much in this game, from running guilds, to awards, to downing just about every boss in every raid on every mode imaginable. I thoroughly expect that when Mists comes out, I'll be actively involved and leading the way on my server, too. Players come to me from  all factions seeking my advice and guidance, and for this, I believe I have deserved the best gear and loot preferential treatment. But something is nagging me, and I can't put my finger on it--Matty, what do you think is making me unhappy?

Signed,
Deserving Diva


Dear Diva,
Well, I am going to make a big leap here, without a parachute, so stay with me. Ask yourself: have you been giving back, too? I have been reading and listening to many players reflect on their time in Azeroth, and have been heartened, happy, and felt included in their stories. And these are no hacks, either. Vidyala, Bear, Navi, Cyrme, Effy, and more than I can say share their stories with insight and charm. But what makes them so endearing is not all the guilds they've run or the monsters they've defeated, it's that they have done so with hefty doses of humor and humility. I am not talking about false modesty, either. They have a certain "je ne said quois" that leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling every time I read one of their posts. Obviously, I can't be on all their servers with them, I hang out in my little Whisperwind enclave with my tiny, but fiercely loyal, tribes. The best moments, the most satisfying, or the ones that have left me the most fulfilled, or those small ones where someone is not only not being a pendejo, but is bolstering and dare I say it? Cool. These cool kids make me feel included, and make me want to celebrate their successes with them, naturally.

I don't know why, but one thing that has surprised me is how many guilds rise or fall based on the romantic relationships that entangle and embroil its members in drama. And upon further reflection, I believe this is unavoidable. I was so naive. Of course it's the human relationships that determine every direction of game play--how could I not have seen this? From the folks who become great friends to the lowest, most vile of trolls, whether choosing to run more game time solo to the large, boisterous and joyous guilds, and every thing in between, just consider this: those who are most concerned with image versus substance get what they come for. The game, and it is a game, is only the construct, the framework, for how we treat one another.


That's all.

No. Wait. Not All. I was looking over some of my own past posts, and I can be kind of a jerk.

One of my favorite columns in WoW Insider:
http://wow.joystiq.com/category/drama-mamas/

Theme song: Hollaback Girl/Gwen Stefani