Blogging and WoW friendships

Mmm what to blog about, what to blog about... perhaps this comic from Incidental Comics will help me with the empty blog post screen?

Being unassigned to a project. I haven't had any work to do for about the last three weeks. But interestingly enough, I find myself blogging best or more often while I'm working. When I don't have to work, I find myself playing WoW more than blogging about it. Maybe its that I need some time away from the game to be able to ponder or think through blog posts. I am actually going back on the road on a project this week so we'll see what the next couple of weeks look like around here on the blog.

So yes, with all my free time lately I've been playing a lot. Perhaps more than I should. It's always a back and forth with me whether I'm playing too much or not... but hmmm something to ponder?

In other news an old friend of our guild told me last week that he is taking an extended and perhaps permanent break from the game. For the couple of years I've known him, Venezia has always been a great player, but more importantly a genuinely nice and fun person to play with. I've always been a sucker for his Czech accent (ok, ok I am a sucker for any accent) and will very much miss his Czech accented "taunt, please". For a while now when he'd whisper me hello, I'd usually respond with "nerf warriors!" He says he's getting out before that happens.

It's weird when a friend you really only know from the game says goodbye. Many of my guildies and I have forged connections and relationships outside of the game, so that even when someone leaves the game, there are still the occasional emails and facebook posts. But when you've known someone only from within the game, it's kinda weird or creepy to say, "Hey email me or find me on facebook", when you haven't done that to this point, you know?

I am glad though that Venezia allowed me the opportunity to tell him how much I liked playing with him over the years and wish him luck with what he is doing next. It's always strange and mind boggling to me when someone you considered a friend or a guildie just completely goes MIA and quits the game without a word. It makes you wonder if the relationship meant as much to them as it did to you. Or maybe to them ingame relationships aren't really "real"?

I recognize that not everyone looks at the relationships you forge within game the same way. But being the way that I am (pretty heavy on the snark and attitude), I only give back what I get. As Jess astutely remarked, I am like a very generous retirement plan. If you show or give me 100%, I will give you back 200%. But if you show me 0%, I will give you back 0%. And the way you leave a relationship leaves a heavy mark on how I look back at the relationship as a whole. I wish I wasn't so harsh, but I am how I am.

Anyways, when your friendship was only within game, I guess that relationship just kinda ends within the game when someone leaves. It's natural of course, for relationships to have their place and their time, as people enter and leave your life all the time. It's not like you are still friends with every single person you have ever been friends with. I guess the best you can do is appreciate the friendship for what it was at that time.

So farewell Venezia, thanks for the great times!