I rolled a Shaman, a Draenei Shaman.
I will be OK!
You see, as much as I love my Gnome, my Gnome Mage, my Gnome Fire Mage, I needed a break.
- A break from 3,2,1,1,1,3,1,1,2,1,3.
- A break from Living Bombs and Hot streaks.
- A break from polymorph (Ohhh, that break was called WoLK wasn’t it.)
- A break from raiding and dailies and rep grinds and emblems and….
While the best break might be a complete break, quitting WoW, there is an alternative, an alternative therapy.
Alternative Therapy
I have over the years had 3 mains (only one of which made it to level cap), the couple of alts I have had have only been bank alts, mules to cart my AH spoils.
- This time it’s different. This time I have broken the level 30 barrier and I am approaching 40 with a flaming arrow.
- This time I am shunning my DPS grinding spec when I am in instances, refusing to do anything but heal.
- This time I am unencumbered by memories of the “good ol’ days”, the nerfs, the QQ, the talent point refunds.
- This time I am play the character for what it is now, right now, without any real concerns about whether I am getting it right or wrong.
Sure I would be a deceitful Gnome if I didn’t admit that I have read some Shaman guides, found the best leveling specs and grabbed the gear to fill my missing slots from the AH… Appropriate gear.
Paper Shuffle
The thing is, when I log onto Gnomeaggedon it’s all work. My professional wizard’s hat is donned, my staff of blasting the living hell out of mobs is picked up, my consumables are checked and it’s down to business.
Like a job there is the usual “same day, different shit” “paper shuffle”. Get dailies, do dailies. Accept raid invite, accept summons, clear trash, kill boss, rinse and repeat.
My “workmates” are relying on me to turn up on time, fit for work. Doctor’s certificates are expected if you can make the run. Much consternation, shuffling and cursing occurs when we are down one or two bodies.
Pure, like New Zealand
When I log onto Squidly, the world is my oyster. Sure it’s the same old content, for the 4th time… But when that pull went wrong yesterday and I got 5 mobs instead of one, it was a joy to wipe the jungle with their blood. I cared little that the healy mobs were extending the lives of the warrior mobs, it was all pure fresh air… Kind of like the holiday ads for New Zealand suggest.
I come away for encounters like that, not jaded about having to replenish mana, not fussed that all that dropped was grays.
I come away revitalized!
- It make facing my Mage UI palatable again.
- It makes hotstreaks fun.
- It makes me want to sheep, pig, penguin and turtle mobs for that now remembered joy of playing the character for the sake of fun rather than work.
Of course I can’t wait till I can Hexx… I always wanted a frog polymorph…
Gnomer and Out!
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http://gnomeaggedon.net/2009/08/28/
alternative-therapies/
Gnome:
Ever since the announcement of Cataclysm, I have been itching to go back to old content. I have one alt that is truly an alt – a lvl 55 priest, but I am not an alt type person. Although, I can see the break from my traditional playstyle (Ret Paladin) would be good, I am sacked by the thought that I wont get to experience it on my main. So, I have taken on the trudge of getting loremaster on Fire – much to the disdain of my normal heroic groups. Sure, I do the dailies, and I still terribly need to do my sons of hodir rep (I hate grinds so much), but questing through the game again really feels…. like a breath of fresh air. It feels like WoW again, almost like WoW when I was a meager lvl 30something stuck in STV, not realizing how big the world really is.
It’s amazing how making that decision and walking away from the emblem runs can revitalize a player.
I think this expansion (or the announcement of it) may actually get people to revisit the old world and ENJOY it, where the achievements made it another long term slog project.
We need to take that time to smell the peacebloom, before the peacebloom disappears…
For truly alternative therapy, I vote you roll Horde side.
You know you want to.
2 cows down already…
I still drop in on my old mains occasionally, just to get a whiff of the streets of Org (the smell is nearly as overwhelming as the sights).
No it’s time to see the old world via the eyes of an alliance toon.
See my 2 Hordies had to quest and grind, because I was always the 6th player…
My alliance toon leveled via instances, because the group reduced in size and I was the 5th…
Which means I haven’t seen a lot of the early Alliance content (Duskwallow Marsh was just mentioned in my End is Nigh comment)
NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!!!!1one!
you are my 3′ tall giant of fire. you CAN’T devote time to another main!
then again, that’s the gin martini talking. you can do whatever you please. as long as you continue your blog, and post magey content once in awhile, i’ll be happy. i don’t know of any other mage bloggers out there specc’d fire that i can look to for guidance while making it enjoyable to read about and learn, you see. there’s at least ONE mage out here that needs you!
lol… Prelimar,
I’m not sure what Fire magely guidance I have dispensed lately… like in 6+ months, but I am touched that I am your Go-To-Gnome for all things Fire!
But this is still the Home of the Gnome… Maybe I need a new blog… Four sticks and a Head Full of Tentacles maybe… (Mmm I misspelt that, and it came out as testicles… topical no?)
That said there are heaps of Fire Mages out there… I realized yesterday, while doing a special one-off project which I will reveal on Monday or Tuesday, that I had 60+ Mage blogs listed in my blogroll…
Yet new Mage bloggers start because they can’t find any… we must be the worlds worst marketers!
over SIXTY mage blogs? do tell! i can only think of a handful, and none of them preach pure fire like you do. you must share the news, brutha! maybe we ARE terrible marketers… i would love to read more fire mage blogs (diverse opinions are always good).
and to the person who said that FIRE is the minivan of mage specs… uh, i think you meant ARCANE, haha. fire is one end of a spectrum, ice the opposite, and in the middle we have…. uh huh… arcane.
There are definitely times when being overpowered is fun! – but then I like leveling, running around seeing stuff – I like doing it style with heirlooms now, Its fun, and none of the serious business of raiding, but any alt I played on my mains server was always twinked out. My fire mage is 79.5 I don’t want her to 80 because then she is no longer a ‘fun’ thing, but more another toon I should at least decently gear up.
Mmmm coming to a Mage blog and saying you don’t want to level your Mage to 80 cause it wont be fun
Let me assure you… it’s still as much fun at 80 as it is past 30 (or 40) in real life…
Of course I am being silly… I would have to admit that I never leveled my priest past 9 because I was scared it would become serious
look my lock up as you get close to 45…lets do some dungeons together
Is 40 close enough?
Dinged this morning…
gnome, I know exactly how you feel
I’ve been playing my little alt druid (well, she’s not so little any more) and I’m having so much more fun. it’s awesome to get to discover something new about the game, notably something like FLIGHT FORM which is awesome. mages need something as cool as flight form.
best of luck on your “minibreak”
While I agree that Mages need something more awesome than just being generally awesome…
1/2 the fun of this game is walking a mile in another’s shoes… whether it’s another class, race or even faction.
One of those great things about playing toons on both factions is the difference in quests… sure minor sometimes, but different none-the-less.
Or running into mobs that were previously enemies, only to (sadly on some occasions) discover they are now allies. Hillsbrad foothills and those humans are one example.
First off all mages know Arcane is thee most fun spec. Fire is the minivan of specs.
Secondly I started a Space Goat Pally, I am rather enjoying it.
I picked alliance side, because it has been a few years since I played alliance, and I never been through the exador stuff. So I gotta try it at least one.
One last reason I want an alliance toon…Worgen.
MINIVAN!?!
More like ferai.. or at least Harley.
I am coming to like the squid as well..omething that I thought I would never do…
Thos I must admit that I thought the starting zone was just the usual grind, Must easier at 80
It’s awesome when the game can be fun again. Live it up!
Yep always another corner to turn…
I dare say that even those with the explorer titles didn’t take the time to read the quest text… they were there for the destination rather than the journey
I have a cute little dranaei shaman. She’s stupidly broken, too. But in the good way. My GODS it’s insane the things she can pull off. ^_^
You’re sick of Hot Steak? And you call yourself a Fire Mage? Pfft!
Mmm who me?
lol never…
I need some “poetic license” though.
Did you see Rip’s Living Bomb Mouseover Macro?