Thursday, January 6, 2011

Things are always changing (and O hai thar)

One of the things that I've long recognized about this game is that it is not a static game. With real people and lives involved, things are always changing. I've talked about this before with Jess and guildies, perhaps even blogged about it, but I've been thinking about it a lot more lately.

While questing at the start of Cataclysm, when K got early green staff upgrades, I couldn't replace the staff from Saurfang for a long time. Why? Well, when I look at that staff, I see how hard it was for us to get Saurfang when we were starting on him. I remember about how long it took for the staff to drop. Then when it did finally drop, how all of the other healers and casters did not roll and passed it to me. The staff represents so much more than just a square icon in my weapon slot. It represents what this game means to me, and probably a large part of why I came back.

I think back to those raids with fond memories. I recognized at the time that things were always changing, but of course its natural not to realize how much until time has passed. Things have changed a lot for our guild. We've lost 6-7 folks who raided with us in ICC (some regulars, some not so regulars) because they have left the game. We've also lost 1 dress wearing pally boy healer who was deployed overseas at the end of last year. It's kind of sad for me to think back to some of those ICC raids and the vent conversations and realize that those raids will never be again.

So yes, the "O hai thar" part, I did come back for Cataclysm. Rades actually ran into me and Jess questing together in Hyjal the first night, though I didn't even notice the hordie gasping and waving at me. Rades sent me an email later saying that it was him. I was probably too occupied "questing with Jess" which for me meant fishing and herbing nearby while Jess got his hands dirty and killed mobs. It was a good system.

I leveled K slower than most folks, taking about two weeks. Probably because I got a little obsessed with the money making and ended up making 40,000g in the first two weeks of Cata. A sickness I tell you, a sickness! K is currently gearing up and running heroics and getting used to being oom most the time. Which is yes, making her crabby. Which is probably why her hunter guildie Kalthan named his newest pet, the rare crab pet "Keredria". Because the pet is super crabby and was hard to tame. Har... har... har...

On my farewell post back in October, I noted that one of the reasons I took my break was so that "if I do come back for Cataclysm I can play it with a better sense of balance, a balance within a fuller and richer life". Have I done that? Am I doing that? I think so. I made a couple changes in my life back in October that I've continued. Though it is kind of hard to know if the game is being properly balanced given that everyone goes a little overboard with the excitement of a new release. And that I was on vacation and home in Chapel Hill for 12 days. So seeing whether it is really being balanced adequately has yet to be seen. But I think its been a good thing for me to keep in mind, especially now that I'm back in Chicago on a more regular schedule.

The other question at hand is whether I am back to blogging here. You know, I'm not exactly sure. There have been a lot of times in the past month of playing where I've missed having an outlet to share thoughts and funnies, but there have been other times that I've been glad that I haven't felt the pressure to put up 2-3 posts a week. I think it has yet to be seen if I am back blogging here. Maybe I'll just post when I feel like it even if that means only once a week.

So I mentioned earlier in this post that we've lost a huge number of guildies for a 10 man guild. So yes, we are currently recruiting. Our plans this expansion is to cut back raiding to two nights a week, between Thursday and Sunday from 9-12 EST. A tank or a healer would be awesome, but dps is welcome as well. I think adults who have their own lives and priorities, but also want to raid once or twice a week would make the best fit. Those who have never raided but want to try are welcome as well.

Jess has the full recruitment post up on his blog. We figured that we'd try recruiting on our blogs, since you guys have more of a flavor of who we are and what we've done, then relying solely on the blind and often crazy nature of the WoW forums.

The Left Claw is never going to push for server firsts amongst the 10 man guilds on Drenden. But if the last expansion is any indication, we are going to see all of the content as it comes out, while doing it within an environment of friends. My hope is to get another Saurfang's staff whose little square icon will bring similar memories and mean as much to me as that staff did.

10 comments:

  1. Hooray you're back (blogging)! I didn't know if you were wanting to be playing quietly and under the radar, so I refrained from excitedly telling others how I saw you ingame, haha.

    Obviously I'm cemented in my own Drenden guild on the other side, but best of luck to the Left Claw on finding some great recruits! If you ever run into my DK (Morgion) gimme a wave. :)

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  2. Welcome back I didnt think you would be able to stay away!
    Mana in heroics has got better now our tanks are rocking better gear. 1st Raid boss was a bit of shock though.

    Zetter

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  3. ::pouncehug Ker:: Missed you, Lady! And I'm glad the break did what you were hoping it would. :)

    Yeah, I sitll have a few special pieces from ICC as well, the heroic-mode staff being off Saurfang being one of them, so I know how you feel. ;)

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  4. I'm glad I kept you in my blogreader or I'd still be missing you.

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  5. You can't have your gold back - I spent it all while you were away! And your mini-tree was in such dispair that he sought shelter under my branches. But he's kinda needy though (apparently you spoiled him...all he wants to do is sleep and dance, wtf K, WTF!), so, uh, do you think that you could come pick him at your earliest convenience please?


    =)

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  6. @Rades: Haha yeah. If you were on Rades I probably would have recognized you more than your DK.

    @zetter: Thanks! Yeah I am trying to prepare myself for the shock that the first raids are going to be.

    @Tam: Tam my dear! /wave! I need to get caught up on all my blog reading. Any good blogsophere drama lately?

    @Kayeri: Aw yay pouncehug! The best kind!

    @Klepsacovic: What in the hell... have you gotten soft while I've been away? What kinda sweet unexpected comment is that from you?!?!

    @Beru: Aw yeah, I need to get that mini tree back in shape. Well now we have a Mr. Withers to perhaps help us?

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  7. Welcome back :) I have several weapons and gear stowed in my bank that hold similar meaning for me... and sometimes I pull out Boo, the prairie dog, and smile to myself of those "good old days" when he was druid class leader of a 40-man raiding guild.

    I figure the game and our interactions with others in it are as much a part of life as any other hobby. As long as other needs are met and you're happy, that's what matters, ne? It's just finding that balance between conflicting priorities that can get stressful at times. Sometimes we have to cut out something so we can give better attention to other priorities... but there's nothing wrong with re-shifting things later to pick it back up again!

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  8. /drops his pack and kicks dust from his boots.

    I had hoped to see this up and running again, dear Plant-Girl. You have NO idea how seeing posts again makes me happy.

    As for precious gear, I felt the same way about Lockjaw. Yeah yeah, the first green hammer I came across was better by all standards... But Lockjaw was special. We had such issues with that bastard Rotface.

    And remember, it was yours and Jess' blogs that brought me to you. Who knows who or what you'll get next, eh?

    Well, time to go. Be safe, and soon enough I will put on the plate armor again and help out.

    Nico

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  9. /waves to Kae and Nico!

    Nico good to hear from you!!! This will be a good way for you to keep up with us and us with you!

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