Speaking of WoW's siren call...
I was once an avid WoW player. One of the first (or nearly so) group to hit Molten Core on our server... also one of the first to have my ass handed to me in that zone, needless to say. I had a level 60 healer on a second account just so I could guarantee a group.
Then, my son was born. Toodles, free time! Toodles, WoW!
Forward a couple years. My weekly gaming group is having a problem motivating ourselves to get over to someone's house on a weekly basis. Distance, increased family demands, winter finally finding us... all valid, hard-to-argue-with reasons. So I've been contemplating setting up a hopefully supplementary gaming night where we play something online, thus forcing no one to have to travel to my house. You see where this is headed, right?
The timing was perhaps unfortunate, as Burning Crusades was looming, but I had the thought that if you could somehow limit your playing to once a week, never plan on raiding anything, WoW would be a near-perfect game.
But perhaps, somewhat like a heroin addict, I can never shake my cravings. Anyone play under these or similarly oppressive restrictions? Or have any ideas about how I can cleverly wean myself back into WoW? Other suggestions as to what to play, perhaps?
I play more than once a week, but sometimes I only get to play on the weekends. I generally play to late to make it to raids, or of I do get to go, it's because someone has left.
And WoW is pretty damn good that way. If you and your buddies can all stick to only playing the characters that you play together on Game Night, it should be about as close to a good old fashioned D&D session as you can get in a MMOG. Questing and levelling will be slow, but you'll have more time to see the sights without worrying about the grind. If you have exactly 5, you'll always have a full group for the instances.
And everyone who just bought TBC should have a Invite-a-Friend Trial Key in their box. You can probably scavenge enough keys to avoid buying any boxes for the first 2 weeks to see if the group likes it.
"And my son, too, thinks everything is a launchpad, every bug a meal, and every sunny day a reason to take all your clothes off and roll around in the grass." - rabbit
The keys would be fantastic. Thanks for the info ducki!
My TBC had 2 invite-a-friend key cards in it. Wounder, when I get home I'll PM you those keys .
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Set up the parental controls and swap them with your wife (sounds cheesy but it works). That way even if you want to "just log in to quickly check the AH for 5 min but end up spending 4 hours" it will be a pain to get around it.
Plus, it makes the days you can play all that more special. I dunno, for something that's as freaking easily accessible as WoW, it's no wonder people hop on it whenever they get some free time.
XBL/PSN/STEAM/WAR/SPORE/RAPTR
I havent touched my 360 since the Burning Crusade launched. I know there is a lot of good gaming waiting for me on it still, unfinished. Thank heaven's my 360 isnt signed up for the 360 voice website... im sure it would be making me feel real guilty.
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I played the original beta a bit, and once it hit retail I leveled one character to 20 and another to about 38 before quitting due to burnout. I've missed the game at times, and so I decided to jump back in with Burning Crusade.
With a busy job, wife, and kid, I haven't got much time to play, though I did burn through the new Blood Elf areas. I figure I'll be chipping away at the game, a few hours at a time, for the foreseeable future. With WoW I have to impose restrictions on my own play time. I doubt I'll be spending more than 5-10 hours a week.
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I appreciate it Hemidal, but if there's any chance you'd give those to someone else, hang on to them. I have some friends who still play who I can round up some tickets from likely and I think at least two of our group are addic... err, players already. Thanks again though!
That's an interesting idea. Actually, if you switched them with your groupmates, you'd effect a very similar restriction. Hmm... neat! As for your second part, I wholeheartedly agree... which is why I had to walk away from something I enjoyed immensely.
Anyone can easily pump out 5 trial keys, just by going through the "Recruit-A-Friend" Link on the community site. You don't even have to send them to the person... just send them to yourself, and when you go back into the page that displays the keys you've sent, you'll see them all. I sent 5 keys to you through PM, Wounder. Just to note though, these are normal WoW trial keys... I'm not sure even the trial keys in the BC boxes are BC trials though.
As for playing WoW in extreme moderation, it's quite possible, and still fun. I log in about 2 days a week, if nothing comes up, for a few hours on those nights. It's enough to run an instance, or get a few quests out of the way each night.
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My brothers and I are separated by miles and multiple obligatoins but we attempt to play WOW every Thursday night. We move slow, don't do much raiding but do enjoy the occasionaly instance. I took a 3 month leave from the game but we are starting again fresh on Baelgun Horde. We level slow but level together. Live the dream.
-Jayavarman
Blackhand, Alliance, Beowoof 60th level human fighter
Baelgun, Horde, Ningauble, 12th level Bloodelf Mage
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayavarman_VII