Thursday, August 8, 2013

Matty-cold.

Learned a new term yesterday from Navi and Neri: Man-Cold:

a man cold is found exclusively upon the Y chromosome. this particular strand of the common cold results in individuals acting like a little bitch and crying about a stuffy nose. treatments for this include: suck it up, we don't care, and we're not your mother.
Really struggled to title this post. Currently really struggling to keep it focused, because the potentiality for it coming unraveled is high.

Yesterday was one of the most unsatisfactory hop-scotch-days of play I've had in a long time, and it's all my fault. This week as I get back into a routine, going to hours-long 'trainings' (mostly sitting in fluorescent-lit rooms listening to concepts I already know repackaged, not getting a chance to talk to my colleagues about these concepts, and knowing that there is a crystal-blue rare Northwest summer out there taking the last train out of town, is getting tough to take. Time in Azeroth, I should kind of, sort of know what I am doing now, right? Nope. No one was "mean" to me. No one didn't say anything that wasn't glaringly obvious, and no one said anything that wasn't true: I am a terrible player.

Switching in-and-out of alts, and not taking the time to understand the classes, spells, procs, spending gold and time researching reforging, well, suffice it to say I was told my warlock is a hot mess, and I know nothing about my shadow priest spec. When I bid the player friend good night last night after a yucky Ulduar attempt, he asked if he had upset me. I told him no, but that every moment of 'play' yesterday ended in my failures being glaringly obvious to my companions. Even Mrs. Whitworth was embarrassed for me, and she has a glass jaw. Et tu, Mrs. Whitworth?!

And then it struck me last night as I was deflating, getting ready for bed:

This reforging shit is a crock of crap, and one of the biggest scams of Blizzard.

Remember when they took out talent tress, saying that players were being too cookie-cutter? Well, believe me, reforging is the new talent tree, but for a player like me who has zero understanding of theorycrafting, it's a disguised and less useful, significantly less useful mind you, talent tree. The gems? I don't mind those. Who doesn't want a little bling?

But how would it be, what would happen if...perhaps...you got the gear you needed in a timely fashion over the course of a patch/expansion, and had the materials you needed available or the ability to make them? What if I actually had the time and motivation to jockey back and forth between Icy Veins, Ask Mr Robot and Elitist Jerks? Cause bottom line that is what it is going to take. There are so many "shoulds" right now in my Azerothian life: my dps should be higher on my warlock, I should know how to do destruction, I should know my Shadow Priest spec, I should be amazing on my shaman, I should should should should (everything).

Bear has a beautiful post yesterday, about the joy and exuberance that comes in a moment of success. Been thinking a lot about this idea, what would be that grand moment of exaltation and joy in the game? Having the Headless Horseman mount is one, and the other day after not seeing Kaylyne for weeks, she got a goblin rocket from a Blingtron. Just like that. That would be nice, some epic mount surprise. (I like ponies, what can I say?) And though I'm not jealous, I've been sensing that my play time in Azeroth is feeling too much like Facebook. I look at pictures of others' Puerto Rican honeymoons, European vacations, and hell, even expensive restaurant food they're about to enjoy, and am feeling a sense of blech. Damn, I couldn't even post some thoughts on 1970s/80s funk music without getting a Siskel/Ebert-esque critique.

As I am sitting in these trainings, my own boss is the kind of woman who rarely (as in never) gives compliments. A colleague asked her if this was going to be part of the vernacular for our progress and growth, and I shit you not, she didn't seem to understand the question! No one wants smoke blown up their behinds, in a manner of speaking (although I'm not really sure how getting smoke up my rear would make me feel happy or proud?), but we all do want some kind of authentic experience, some moment when we did that, and can point to it.

Azeroth just may not be the place to seek that for me. For those who know how to move their character out of fire, (which apparently I do not--especially when the red circles spawn under the cover of red AOE, thank you very much stupid Kellda) and I am doing every thing I can to keep my character, my minion, and punch a boss and have to concede defeat, over and over again.

Okay --I know I can't blame any of the mechanics or processes of the game. It is within my grasp to take one or two characters, and instead of writing this blog, or sitting on the couch whining like a little bitch, I could spend hours reading class guides, watching videos, reforging with every new piece of gear, and not embarrassing myself or my player friends in heroic situations. Cause that is what it is going to take. But what is going to be that apotheosis moment for me? Don't mind me--I'm taking up knitting again.

Postscript: While Zep was going to the portal room, I was reading something, and warlock did this to her:
Charming.



Oh, and blogger ladies, why weren't we there?

http://thegraphicsfairy.com/coming-down-from-the-clouds-after-blogher13/


Theme song: Roller Coaster/Ohio Players

10 comments:

  1. Yeah, I have to be careful when reading blog posts about the WoW equivalent of Puerto Rican honeymoons and European vacations or I'll start feeling depressed. If I only play in the day with the kids playing hooky this is my lot in WoW life.

    Oh! I am jealous of her goblin rocket! That guy just gives me party grenades and I don't dance.

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  2. Reforging annoys me on a basic level. I just don't like something about it, but I can't elaborate on what that something is :(

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    Replies
    1. I know - what is it? Is it that I feel that in-game gear should be self-contained, pret-a-porter? That class stat priorities and strengths should be as obvious as a (*@*!$) pet battle? I realize that puts the creative/crafting into a class, a level of (false) control in a player's hands...something about it just doesn't seem right...maybe it's not the reforging itself, but that there is nothing in game that truly "trains" my class any more. This is huge. At level 3 we get a "hit this spell on the target dummy" and then not another word.

      This conversation isn't over yet, Blizzard.

      Delete
  3. In Dillan's Grove my love did die,
    and now in ground shall ever lie.
    None could ever replace her visage,
    until your face brought thoughts of kissage.

    HI!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Roo - this is lovely!! I adore your comments, sir

      Delete
  4. I just use the ReforgeLite addon. It gets all its preset values from the same place that MrRobot and co do, plus it calculates and reforges it all for you. I am WAY too lazy to drag all my bits of gear in individually and manually change it :P

    Seriously though, I completely understand what you're going through. I love all my toons, but I really feel I have to just pick one and focus on her because my GAWD am I sick of holding up the rest of Recount in Mogu'shan Vaults. But, but, I don't want to pick just one! But I don't want to be bad any more! Ack. I might just go play Peggle instead.

    I hope you feel better soon <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, I was looking at add-ons yesterday and that one caught my eye - I may give it a try. Too much in game is 'cleaning out the gutters' kinds of activities, and I have real life for that nonsense.


      Now I have to go look up Peggle. (Done - thank you Internet!)

      Just glad you understand.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous11.8.13

    Hmm, well, honestly... Chicago is only a few hours from me, but I am not sure if "normal" female bloggers and WoW female bloggers quite have the same interests. :) Or maybe it's just me, cuz all I saw in the pictures was a lot of toilet paper. ??

    But other than BlizzCon, which is way out of my stomping grounds :( I would be keen on anything that would get me meeting a blogger-girl or two. :)

    ~ Effy

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    Replies
    1. I noticed the toilet paper too, but didn't delve too deeply in its presence...lol!

      Anyway, I think we should put together a video project with white boards on why we "wow!"

      Delete

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