Day 14, What Upsets Me

This is Day 14 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

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Day 14 is about “this upsets you.”

I get upset about the general asshatery that goes on in WoW. It is amazing how many complete and utter jerks a person can run into.

You have the “L2P” type. I ran into this on my very first Deadmines experience. I was new to the game and playing a low level hunter. I really was clueless. I didn’t even know that we could take our pets off of growl! The group wiped on a trash pull and the tank cursed me for a huntard and dropped group.

I had no idea what happened. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t go into another instance for months. About 8 months later BC came out, and a new online friend asked me on a Ramps run. He basically lead me thru by the hand. I had been playing the game for about a year, and wouldn’t instance because of that first bad experience.

The next asshatery I ran into was the all to real forum troll. You know these guys. The go on the realm forums only to cause trouble. There was a thread devoted to helping people make their characters better. I had leveled to 60 with very little knowledge of game mechanics. I had some horrid hybrid spec, which was the epitome of newb. After asking for help, the first response was, “So, where did you buy your character at?”

I was mortified, angry, and embarrassed. I almost never went back. But, I did and I noticed a few positive posts. They not only critiqued my build, but sent me to BRK and Elitist Jerks so that I could take initiative in my play style development.

I really dislike people that pit RPers, PvPers, and Raiders against each other. I find elitists in every camp. They all make me sick to my stomach. I’m a firm believer that we all pay our $15 to play, therefor we should be able to enjoy the part of the game that we love the most.

In conclusion, I think I dislike the inherent disrespect that can be the tendency of an anonymous online environment.

Luckily, not only can it bring out the worst in people, but it can also allow for the opportunity of us showing our personal best. It gives us a chance to be honorable, respectful, and generally nice people in our play.

Zwingli

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Nature of Evil, Why PUGs Suck

I had a wonderful experience earlier today. I took my baby paladin through Shadowfang Keep on a PUG (Pick Up Group). I had been through it a couple of times as dps. I’ve even done the heroic mode on my main. But – the one time I tanked it, I was a horrible failure.

This time though was different. The group was so good, that they made me look like a pro! I told them I was new, and it was nothing but positive feedback and no complaining!

I KNOW!

RIGHT?!

If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t believe it either.

The sad part is that we’re surprised by a PUG going well because so often they go so horribly wrong. We expect people to be turds. We expect people to be selfish. We expect the worse.

I think PUGs suck because of the nature of evil.

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You’ve not left yet? Thanks for hanging around.

I believe that the nature of evil is very natural. I think that the seeds of it are found within every person. I think it begins with selfishness. It gets into our self-centeredness, sense of self-preservation, to some extent of self-worship. If I think it is all about me, about my pleasure, about what I want, then I end up using you. Selfishness, combined with humanities natural tendency towards excess (feast or famine instinct) leads to all sorts of abuses. And I’m afraid that some people even make the excuse that since something is “natural,” then perhaps it is allowable. They end up legitimizing all sorts of abuses. They make us into nothing but animals; and to some extent they are right.

However, I also believe that there is something that separates us from other animals.

There is something that separates us from the little male doggy that senses the little female doggy in heat. That little male doggy will go crazy trying to get to the female doggy.

We are different.

We can choose to say “no” to our “baser instincts.” We can choose to say “no” to that which is “natural,” but also destructive. We can say “yes” to things that aren’t natural, but actually better.

I can say “yes” to my wife, to proper fidelity. I can say “yes” to my children, to spend the time with them that the desperately need. I can say “yes” to that stranger, who has fallen upon hard times. I can say “yes” to self-sacrifice, for it leads to a better world.

I can choose to respond to craptastic PUG experiences with respect, humility, and kindness. I don’t know what is going on with the person on the other side of the pixilation. But, I have control of the person on this side.

I choose that which is not natural, but very well may be better.

What about you?

Zwingli

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Day 13, the Players/Bloggers that I Admire

This is Day 13 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

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Day 13 is about the people (players/bloggers) that I admire.

The two bloggers that I admired most are no longer WoW bloggers.

I already mentioned the retired BRK and Aspect of the Hare in a previous post. They’ve gone on to bigger and better things. Combine them with another (vocational) blog (that is defunked), and they inspired me to venture into the blogosphere. I can’t say enough about them. They were all so honest, so transparent, so unapologetic in their candor. They were a true delight.

Now I’m enjoying Big Bear Butt Blogger, Need More Rage, Dwarven Battle Medic, Spellbound, Sunnier Bear, and the list goes on.

If I had to pick my favorite of all of them, it would be Need More Rage. His wit and brevity is astounding. The ideas that he pulls out of his hat are magnificent. He can take a single picture, a few words, and leave you literally rolling on the floor.

I’ve played since 2006. I can’t remember the names of everyone that I’ve enjoyed the game with. However, there is one player that sticks out. Her character name is/was Bjorke. She started on Blackwater Raider’s server, and then transferred her whole guild to Moon Guard. She is the epitome of a hard core role player. She truly made the game what she wanted it to be. Her play was only limited by her own imagination, thus the game seemed to always be fresh when I was with her.

There were others, for sure. Sterilized and the players of <Feral Claw> from back in the day. Eluil was a druid that showed me what it meant to raid. There were more, so many more. Yet, my memory fails me.

As of current players, it has to be the GM of <Phoenix Rising>, Sentinel’s server. Her character’s name is Alawren. She cares for every member of the guild, as if we were her real life brothers and sisters. Heck, I’m sure she thinks of some of us as her children (not me). Her dedication to her guild-mates is humbling. I’m honored just to be considered one of her guild members.

For everyone that has ever entered my digital life, I want to say “Thank You.”

Thank you for being a part. Thank you for making me a better player. Thank you for giving me one of your most precious commodities: your time.

To the ones in the past, I miss you. To the ones in my future, I look forward to meeting you. To the ones in my present, you honor me more than you know.

Zwingli

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Day 12, A Usual Day In Your Life/Online Time

This is Day 12 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

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Day 12 is supposed to be about my usual day in my life/online time.

You’ll be surprised to know that I do other things online than just WoW.  Yes, I’m surprised too.

I spend quite a bit of time online. I get numerous work related emails. Half of my work related research is done using online tools. And of course, I blog a little bit.

I wake up, usually to feed the cat. I try to go back to sleep, but an evil feline presence keeps meowing and pawing at the shut door to our room. Thus, I awaken between 5am-6am on an average day. I make some coffee, and do a quick survey of the kitchen to see if there is something to either load or unload in the dishwasher. The Mrs. loves it when I’ve done it already.

Next thing I’ll do is log on for a few minutes. I’m working on my second Wintersaber Mount, and they have made it ridiculously easy. It is now a daily quest, very short and easy to complete.  By this time, the wife is up and out of the shower; and it is my turn to get all sudsy.

Fast track past the awakening children, getting them ready to go, and I’m at work! I usually am preparing for at least two to three public events per week. This takes study, as well as other preparation time. About half of this time is spent online. I have some go-to websites, like some local and national newspapers. I have a vocational bulletin board that I check.  I follow the news feeds on yahoo for topics that seem to be far reaching.

I gather data, and then I pull it all together in a written format.

I’m a list guy.

There are about three other aspects to my work, two of which have me leaving the office at some point during the day.

After work, I get home. Help the Mrs. with the kiddos. Get the kids fed, play with them, bath them, then put them down for the evening. After that, I hand out with my wife on the couch for about an hour, until she falls asleep. Then I log into WoW, work on some more dailies, as well as any alts I’m trying to level.

And, that is my average day in a nutshell!

Zwingli

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Day 11, Bad Habits and Flaws

This is Day 11 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

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Day 11 is supposed to be about my bad habits and flaws.

Man, there are so many! We can count the ways, and still be counting into next year. I’ll have to give you the shortened version of my imperfections.

• The worse thing is my addiction to sugar. I always have something sweet in my mouth. This has resulted in continued thousands of dollars worth of dental work being done. We are well over the $10k mark, and it will continue to grow. You can’t abuse your teeth and get away from it. I’ve learned this the hard way.
• I’m a GREAT procrastinator. I’m lazy. I put things off until the last minute resulting in crap.
• I have a bleeding heart. My default is set to “err on the side of love,” which means I can be taken advantage of easily.
• Oh, and I have a big-old-nasty-cowlick on my forehead. It is like Baine Bloodhoof himself came down and said; “Let the Mark of the Tauren rest upon thine brow!” My hair is a perpetual mess.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s episode of, “Holy crap that guy is messed up!”

Zwingli

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Day 10, Blog/Website Favorites

This is Day 10 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

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Day 10 is supposed to be about my Blog/Website Favorites.

Well, I’m sure that you already know some of these sites. I mentioned them when Saga allowed me to offer up a guest post on her blog.  But, for your reading torture, *ahem*, I mean pleasure…Here we go!  In no particular order.

• I enjoy Big Bear Butt Blogger, & Sunnier Bear for all things Feral. Though BBB is so much more than a WoW Bear Blog.
• I enjoy Falling Leaves and Wings for all things Healing/Raid.
• I enjoy Dwarven Battle Medic (and his Dear Dwarfling) for all things Dwarven, Paladin, and just plain good writing.
• I enjoy Spellbound for all things Warlocky.
• I enjoy Cynwise’s Battlefield Manual for all things PvPish.
• And of course, one that I’ve followed the longest out of this group is, Need More Rage, by Ratshag. He is just to funny, and a dang good writer.

I guess that is enough for now. I’ve many more that I enjoy, many that aren’t WoW related.

Thanks for stopping by!

Zwingli

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Day 09, My First Blog Post

This is Day 09 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

Day 09 is supposed to be about my first blog post.

Let me see if I can dredge that up: So, You Want A Frostsaber Mount?

Here it is for your leisure reading…

Zwingli

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I am Zwingli Whisperwind, though most know me only as “Zwingli.” I am my father’s legacy, and mother’s pride. I come to you most joyfully, for I have completed a personal quest. Some might say I’m foolish. Other may say that I’m more than just a little persistent. I like to think that I finish what I start, and that I keep my promises; especially those I make to myself. Welcome to my home and I hope you enjoy my stories.

Here I am with the newest member of my family, my Frostsaber Mount: “Tundra”

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Day 08, What You Don’t Know About Me

This is Day 08 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

Day 08 is 10 things we don’t know about you.

So, 10 things, eh?  Let me see.

1. I wear glasses.
2. I have a minor area in music from college.
3. I hold a masters degree.
4. I single handedly lowered my wife’s gpa (4.0 to 3.8) when we started dating in school.
5. I enjoy dogs and cats.
6. I once lived in a log house.
7. I once lived on a bay, right on the water.
8. I took three years of piano, and still can’t play one.
9. I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing when we bought a house.
10. My wife and children are the center of my life.

There you go, 1o things about me!  I’m not sure what you did or didn’t know, but here it is.

Zwingli

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The Cost is Community

Remembering those Left Behind

Falling Leaves and Wings  is one of the WoW blogs that I follow on my eReader.  I especially like her transparency in dealing with the hard issues as a raid leader. Her candidness is a welcome relief in my RL world of  happy masks.

She has recently posted a gut wrenching (to me) post. You can find it here:  At What Cost?

In it she shares both her satisfaction and frustration at attaining a “Server First” with their kill of Sinestra. They were the first ones to get all three boss kills on their server.

Congratulations!

This isn’t just a post on the satisfaction, it is a post about the cost of it. The emotional cost, the mental anxiety that came along with the achievement. The post ends speaking about changes in the guild that naturally seem to come.  To me, it is about relationships gone by.

This is where my point is, if I actually have one.

It is about relationships. 

(From this point on, I’m not speaking about Beruthiel’s guild. Instead, I’m talking about my general opinion of WoW related group goals and the potential cost. Her post is simply the inspiration. She has kicked some major digital and interpersonal butt, and needs no one’s critique. )

Yes, we can do something. We can set a game related goal that requires a group to fulfill it. Guilds are made for this! Progression is such a goal, PvP has some aspect of this (Arena and Pre-made BGs). I’ve even been a part of an RP/PvP guild that had stated goals which could only be met through group participation.

When the point becomes the goal, we have the very real possibility of sacrificing persons for the goal.

I believe that the real strength of WoW (and any other MMO) is found in the community. I don’t just desire to attain a group based title, to complete a particular raid event, I want to do them with a particular group of people.

The people, the group, the friends bring the greatest sense of satisfaction at the end. How later on, maybe even years later, we can look back and talk about the time when we took down so-and-so. It becomes bitter sweet when we look back and find that we are alone in our memories, for no one else around us shared in the experience.

I’m not sure about you, but our guild has taken a hit with this release. Some have gone on to LotR, some to Rift, and some are just taking a break of an unknown length of time. But, the people we’ve accomplished things with aren’t online for us to goof off with. This is the bitter moment of being an MMO player. For good or ill, the player base changes. In the end, this is a game, and therefore has a different place of priority in the life of each player.

So, what do we do?

I suggest that we each love those around us (even in the virtual realm of WoW) with great immediacy. Perhaps “love” is to strong a word. Instead, maybe you can appreciate those around you with intentional immediacy. Talk with them. /emote a “high five” to them just because. Give words of encouragement, random acts of kindness, or maybe just a /pat.  Bypass the asshats, not giving them another thought, and /hug your nearest guildie. For too soon, they may be gone.

Zwingli

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Day 07, 20 Days of WoW Blogging

This is Day 07 of our WoW Blogging Experience, per our esteemed Warlock colleague ~ Spellbound.

Day 07 – The reason behind your blog’s name?

I wish I had some clever answer to this but I don’t. I’m afraid my lack of imagination is particularly evident in my choice of titles. But, here is the short of it.

Ready?

Here it is:

Zwingli is the accidental name of my main character in World of Warcraft.

Ok. I’ll give you. A minute to let that sink in.
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The initial idea was to start chronicling Z’s adventures. I was taking a play out of the Do’Urden playbook by having it in a journal form. You know, how every chapter starts out with a journal entry of some sort? Well, this was going to be the daily journal of Zwingli.

I think the first name I came up with was Ulrich Zwingli, based upon the religious reformer of the same name. But, I went with Zwingli Whisperwind, because I thought it sounded more Nelfy.

From an RP stand point, Z was named after a human that saved his father’s life. But in real life, I wanted a hunter named Calvin with a pet named Hobbes. >.>

The name was taken.

Thus, the accidental name of my character and the consequential name of my blog.

By my hand,

Zwingli

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