Losing my seventh straight battle ground, I growl with frustration. Why am I doing this? Why am I flogging my guts out for some gear that will become irrelevant with the next expansion?
As I ponder these questions, I realize that something has been lost. The experience of World of Warcraft over the years has been reduced to a gear grind that never ends. Gone are the days when I would log in to the game with expectation and awe. No longer do I enter this world experiencing the wonder of discovery. That sense of amazement has long since vanished.
It would be easy for me to sit here and blame Blizzard for this. I could cite the many things that have compounded the loss of community within the game. However, I can’t change those things so I won’t dwell on them. Instead, I will post some tips on things you can do to re-capture some of the shinny.
Tips For Enhancing Your WoW Experience
Slow Down
Start taking in the details of the game instead of taking the details for granted.
I know you’ve spent countless hours and lots of gold to unlock your flying. However, by not walking or riding on the ground to get places, you start to loose a sense of scale. When was the last time you walked somewhere? I’m talking about using your walk/run toggle and just walking from Goldshire to Lakeshire in the Red Ridge mountains.
Sure, flying is a time-saver and it helps you do more in less time. But the point here is to give yourself time to start taking in the details of the game instead of taking those details for granted.
Drop The List
That’s right — just chuck your To-Do list right out the virtual window. When World of Warcraft becomes a list of things you just have to do every day, then it’s no longer a game but a job. By not having a list of things to accomplish in the game that’s a mile long, you can actually take time to walk places in the game as suggested in the previous tip.
Choose One Character
Take some time to single out one of your toons and actually create a character. Give your character a backstory and a history. You don’t have to share this with anyone else. However, when you play this one character, try to stay true to the character’s nature. When we think about characters in a book, we think about someone who has a story. They have a background and experiences which drive them to do the things they do.
Let your character’s backstory help you make decisions on where and what you’re doing in game.
Is this role playing? Yes it is, but only a little bit. You don’t have to interact with others in character if you don’t want. However, always let your character’s backstory help you make decisions on where and what you’re doing in game. This will help give you a sense of renewed purpose while playing the game.
Dump The Guild
New stories require new beginnings. And you can’t do that by sticking with the same group of people. Don’t get me wrong, I think that the last WoW expansion did a lot to hurt the guilds, and I’m all for supporting the guild system. However, your next guild should come out of meeting people with similar goals to your own. You should not join a guild merely for the guild perks — which if we’re honest, aren’t that great anymore.
Get Social With Strangers
That’s right, start using the /say command to talk with complete strangers in passing. Not only will this help you feel like your character has more life, it will also help others start re-engaging with the community in a positive way.
Get Your Imagination On
That’s right, start to pretend. If you start to look at World of Warcraft like a living, breathing book instead of just another game to play, you can begin to make your on-line story one of the most epic stories of all time. Your story can be filled with adventure and excitement, along with great setbacks and harrowing near-misses. The smallest task can become an epic adventure in itself.
Looking back at all of the above tips, for me, one idea stands out — be intentional about your gameplay. Regardless of any changes Blizzard may make to the game, you can always control how you approach each gaming session. You can play on auto-pilot, or you can create an epic encounter. The choice is ultimately yours.
