The highest evolution of druid

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Nostalgia

A few bloggers are getting all nostalgic recently, such as the egotistical priest. Vonya posted a nice piece on "the pivotal" event that shaped your WoW play/life style and I felt like I wanted to yap on a little bit here about my pivotal moments in terms of what lead me to where I am today.

Day 1 was the decision to go buy this crack derived game! I did not think that I would be playing after a couple of months , let alone playing for years! I have a very low attention span for pc/console games and 2 games have only ever gripped me.. Command and Conquer Red Alert and the Total War series for the PC. My only MMO experience before WoW was Runescape. At the time the concept of MMO blew my mind, what with all these real people out there interacting in a completely new phase of social interaction. I knew parts of Runescape was what I wanted but also that it wasn't right for me long term. Hence I did my research and ended up purchasing WoW.

I remember clearly the day I purchased it and the excitement of reading the little game manual while I waited for it to load. Then came the first and last time I had to consider what class I wanted to play.( The decision to play alliance and the Bronzebeard server were made for me, as a wonderful lady I had met in a previous blogging life played on BB and was going to take me under her wing. The only problem was, we found out the next day, EU customers couldn't access USA servers and I had purchased the EU version in ignorance! Doh.) It simply had to be a druid! Everything about them screamed versatility, variety and well, fun. From those early beginnings in the druid noob zone, to outlands to Northrend, my druid has been my only real toon, no alliance alt has made it past 29. The druid is me, no other class has "felt" right....even down to not ever changing how he looks, with haircuts etc.

The second pivotal moment for the emerging Boomdaddy was brought about by meeting the Boomgrandaddy. Salmonella to be precise. He was one of the only balance druids at that time on our server and was also a guidmate. He was THE only Boomkin that you saw in Stormwind, he was the guy everyone asked to dance because he was relatively unique. Sal was also a guildie and helped me through the different druid quests, taught me to be less of a noob, taught me where to fish Deviates (when it really was a secret on Alliance side) to make loads of cash in order to buy my first mount. He didn't boost me through stuff, he simply talked me through it, taught self reliance...he really was a true druid mentor and I think I would have given up years ago if he hadn't showed me the ropes. The pivotal day was when we both got trees for the first time and danced the night away in SW surrounded by shrubbery. That day the Moonkin contract was signed in blood, there was no was any other class could be so full of win!

Guild politics and Outlands cocktail, was really what led to the last defining moment. The casual social guild that I had belonged to split, for several reasons, but looking back I think there was an underlying frustration at not "raiding". Raiding was completely alien to me. Yes , I had run all of the instances in Outlands but the emerging Kara was simply a pipe dream, something those hardcore guys in basements did whilst high on Red Bull and pro plus. A few of us stayed solo after the split but we shared a group calender and started to schedule runs into the new fangled heroics. Tor the rogue, his brother Demon the lock, Sal, myself, Letro the Pally (whose moustache alone can tank 3 mobs-true story), Ysanne the priest hit the heroics most nights , sometimes 2 per night. We formed a great team, which looking back now feels like the first real exposure to mini raiding that I had. Bosses were tough, tactics were talked, we used in game voice chat. I read about recount and Omen, worked out threat and gear and suddenly started to absorb some of the plethora of resources out there for us all to use and learn from.

The team split up though, when the others up and joined this weird social/raiding guild. I was sceptical and stayed away for a few months but one day went on a pug with a few of them by chance into the Slave Pens. That was the first time I met the Moonkin , now known as the Boommummy. A few days later I made an application (my God, imagine having to apply to a guild!!!) which probably to the horror now of my GM, was accepted. It was great to be back with old friends and seemed like a really new chapter had started in my WoW "career". Then it happened. Kara.

I had been in a couple of times in a pug wipefest on Attumen, so was not completely green but OMG what a different world, the first real world of raiding. Suddenly I found what I had always wanted out of this game, raiding. Hard fights where you were completely reliant on 9 other people to be at their best, to get you all through. Really learning how to squeeze every last drop of win out of your toon. Learning strategies, rotations, threat and mana management....simply awesome. A dedicated , social raiding guild. Casual in chat but in no way sloppy in raid. The thirst for raiding, That's what Kara gave me. That was my pivotal moment.

What was yours?

5 comments:

  1. Great Post DV. I too loved my first raid to Kara, which I know, was riding on the back of the hardwork others had put in to learn tactics. The whole raid was so exciting and so intense. I have to pay my dues to the druid tank at the time and the raid leader, Carpediem. He was so clear and calm in his explainations of tactics, I still adore him for the time and effort he put into us noobs.
    I am now addicted to raiding. It makes the whole WoW game for me.Tell me I can't raid and I'm a unhappy bunny. The teamwork, the strategies, the banter on TS , I lurve it.

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  2. After raiding seriously at lvl 60 for a while, I went to the sister horde guild and had a chilled time. The guys were so laid back it was great - no pressure. While there I got friendly with a guy who was always willing to help me out with content I had never seen as an alliance char. After becoming the best of friends, we are now moving in together.

    So raid burn out was the best thing that ever happened to me :)

    I enjoy raiding now, but will never go back to the time where I was raiding seriously 4/5 times a week with 39 others people on content that seems now to be far harder than the stuff now. I will always do my best, read up on stuff and try to never stuff up, but I am not going to let it take over my life or get stressed over it. The madhouse inmates is great for that.

    I also love taking the piss out of people who get upset over missing out on kit etc (not looking at anyone in particular mr boomdadddy hehe).

    I love this game for the people I have met while playing it. They make it special or frustrating but at least /ignore is there whoooohhooooo.

    So meeting up with certain people who help me, make me laugh, help me through rough times in real life and sometimes wave pom poms to cheer me on mean more to me than the raiding.

    Nearly wetting my self in Naxx while watching a certain boomkin do a dance because they had survived the dancing bit for the first time (after a silly number of attempts), only to die as they had forgotton to go back on the platform as they were celebrating so much, has to be one of the highlights tho.

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  3. nooo...that was our little secret Illustria! I was so chuffed to live through the first dance, I completely forgot myself!

    But yes, the people behind the toon are the important facet that links the game to reality. Behind every toon is maybe a lovely person (mages ..the jury is still out). I wish you and the lovely Beard all the best.../salute

    Im jealous of you, for seeing 40 man content, when i was still proably bumbling my balance arse around tanaris or ungoro.40 man/woman/mage must truly have been epic, and the chance to see that again would really get the Boomdaddy's feathers fluttering.Me and Meth would be a moist bag of wibbleness, I think.

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  4. LOL - I'm glad the secret's out! I had a hard evening learning that dance with Illustria and Schrondinger +co... but it paid off. Wondered what took you so long, Boomdaddy!

    Pah, 40 person raids are old news - we can wee on them with a team of 4 now :) Erm... that reminds me... I still need Molten Core for the achievement... who's up for it?

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  5. Very nice post. One of my fondest early memories has to be Zul Farrack on my mage. This was the first real instance i did that was not cake walked... and boy were we crap in those days.

    Everybody at the right level and me been a complete noob wandering why i was pulling aggro. It was fun and involved real tactics and crowd control.

    We then move onto Karazan and falling in love with my druid tank, coached by Carpediem and learning to play from a different prospective.

    Been part of a team to reach a common goal is what i find to be the best thing about the game.

    Joey - A.K.A Lunatrick

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