WoW: Burned out already?

Before I go on, let me just say that I really do like WoW, and plan to play it for many, many months.

But the past few nights, I've had to take a break from the game. I find myself getting really burned out.

I think the problem is I'm trying to divest myself between at LEAST 2 characters at any one time, while the people I play with (my friends, you guys on Tuesday/Wednesday) seem to only play that character, or to just generally level quicker than me. Part of the problem is being a blacksmith (I need to make regular trips back to town) but part is simply the fact that I'm trying to concentrate on multiple characters. Right now, my Paladin is 19 (while my friends are 22,24,and like 30 bazillion... that guy doesn't really count) and my GWJ Hunter is 12.

That's a perfect example. Over the weekend I thought to myself "hey, I should play my hunter, so he's high enough for the next night" but whenever I would log in, I would say "no, I should play my paladin, so I can get closer to my friends and be able to play with them. So, I spent the weekend with my Paladin, but didn't seem to get him any closer to them.

So, I suppose I can frantically play more than they do, but the only real time I could play where they don't would be weekends, and I HATE playing more than a couple hours on Saturday, and maybe a longer period on Sunday. But I feel like I'm grinding, at this point, to get somewhere... even though I'm doing quests and crafting, I see my friends playing together doing some high up quest, and it sucks to not be able to join them. Sure, I can join them and buff them, but that's about the extent of my use at this point.

This is the problem I seem to run into all the time: the people I play with want to play WAY more than I do, until they inevitably get higher than me and I don't feel like playing anymore. I just can't spend EVERY WAKING HOUR playing a video game, but this is basically what my friends do: one of them even goes home on his lunch break to play a little... plus, they're leatherworkers or enchanters or tailors, so they just craft while resting. I'm really enjoying my tradeskill, and don't want to give it up... I suppose I'm just voicing some general frustrations with the MMORPG style - if the people you want to play with play more than you, eventually you're not going to be able to play with them.

So yeah, that's the gist of my current feelings on WoW. I'm sure it will settle down, and if I put in some solid hours, I can catch up, but I just hate feeling like I'm playing a catch-up game, and so it can be frustrating.

I''ve been a little worried that everyone here on GWJ is playing way more than I can lately (between the flu and business trips, I just haven''t been able to really sink my teeth in). But then I step back and realize that playing with GWJ and others will be a fluid thing..I''ll go through periods of soloing and playing with strangers, and I''ll go through periods of playing with GWJ and other friends.

As for burnout, not me. I feel like I''ve barely seen anything yet, since my characters are only around lvl 12 max.

I haven''t logged in in days. It''s not you, WoW, it''s me.

Mellow out; there are others beside you who are in this predicament, there is hope. I think you probably need to realize that the solution is not to expect to play with the friends who make the game into some type of nutso race to the top.

I also think this problem will be ameliorated a month or so into the game, when more people have multiple characters at different levels. Right now, most people are playing one main to try to get to level 60. I predict, like Diablo, that once people get that one main character there, they will start playing around more with other characters and have them in various stages of development, some of which will coincide with yours.

I know what you are talking about; I feel like I''ve been playing the game a ton, then when I click on the sort by level tab in the guild entry screen, I''m usually 2nd or 3rd from last. Of course, I still blame missing the entire Thanksgiving weekend.

My chars are at 18, 11, and 11, so I''m right with you. And my wife is going about the same pace, she''s at 12 on her one char. So there are those of us who are kind of holding back during the week. I''m still enjoying the ride though.

Yeah War, if you''re splitting time between two characters, you''re doing just that - splitting time. You will level half as fast. Which is ok if you''re having fun though! There will always be people out there with more time than you that will quickly outstrip you in levels, just try to find and play with people in your range that suit your play style. Or have like GWJ, the Alliance guild is so big there is always one or two (or four) people the same level doing the same quests to group up with, even if it''s not the same person every night.

If you''re playing to level or simply to ""keep up"" you''re not doing it right and yeah, you''re going to burn out. If your friends play so much more than you I''d consider asking them to make new characters that they only play when you''re online so you can play with them but at your own pace.

I''m settling out with WoW now and falling into a fairly reasonable pattern. Karla and I play maybe an hour or two a day (unless it''s Tuesday, then we play more) and other games are starting to draw me back in again. Bottom line is if you''re playing because you feel like you SHOULD be or you are constantly obsessing about hitting the next level cancel the damn account, it''s not worth it.

Yeah, it''s not that I''m not enjoying myself when I''m playing the game, I just feel like since I got behind, and since I play with the same guys every night (we just group together, regardless of if we''re actually TOGETHER, doing the same quests) I feel this need to strive to be where they are.

If I didn''t actually ENJOY the game, believe me, I''d quit. But damn, it''s so good. Which makes it that much more frustrating.

And besides, WoW is almost as fun solo as it is in groups. You can still take part in the guild chat and trading different things with guild-mates.

You have, however, highlighted a general issue with MMORPG''s. People play at different paces. As a result, you can''t always play with your friends character''s. That doesn''t mean, however, that you can''t play with your friends.

If your getting burned out on the game because you aren''t putting as much time into it as others, there seems to be some flaw in your logic.

Quick annecdote:

I have a close friend who I always like to play games with. When we both got Diablo 2 we started playing on Battle.NET. Very quickly it became a competition. I found myself grinding as fast as possible to keep up. We both had jobs and what not, so that meant he was spending all his free time also.
When we finally got to level 50ish we had a talk. We realized that we felt like we hadn''t really enjoyed the game as much as we should have because we burnt through it so fast. We made a pact from that day on that we would never allow each other to get that competitive again. Since then we have played many MMOs together, and when we do we always make a couple of characters that we play ONLY when we are together. It has worked out great.

Moral of the story: Being in competition with your friends, even if it is unofficial and unspoken, can make a great game less than great. Always make alts for grouping. Just my pointless $0.02.

R.I.P. Dimebag Darrell

Interesting thread.

I was getting a little wound up on Saturday while exploring Stormwind, so I STOPPED.....and spent an hour fishing in the Canals, listening to the Cathedral bells, the lapping of the water, and the clock striking the hours....that was just the break I needed....oh, and did I say I''m Skill 52 fishing now? <grin>

This is one reason I don''t care to play MMORPGs much.

I like being able to pick up a game I haven''t played in a while, and still be able to compete just on pure skill. I have not played ESPN NFL regularly in a long time, but I was rollin'' for Week 1 in the GWJ league.

I play UT 2004 every 3 weeks or so. It would suck if I had weaker weapons than everyone else just because I didn''t play all day every day in that stretch.

When it comes to multiplayer games, I dislike games that differentiate players by an artificial construct, instead of just playing skill. High ranking players in MMORPGs may be no more ""skilled"" than any other player, but they put in the constant grind. Whoopity-friggin-doo.

I think the main attraction of MMORPGs is in the social experience rather than the grind. I want to see someone re-think the individual level-up RPG formula. Like, instead of having characters with individual levels, have players form collectives, and the collective ""levels up"" - and each player in the collective benefits. That way, if you play rarely, you will be of the same ""level"" as the rest of your friends in the collective when you do hop online, and your infrequent contributions will still help push the collective forward. A large collective of casual players could manage to not far fall behind a small collective of 24/7 hardcore grinders.

Just a rough idea.

We have a friend who has the same mindset, but we keep in control by having him have characters he only plays when we''re online.
I''m having a rough time choosing what class to play, which is kind of upsetting our nice little playgroup.
(I have like 6 characters around 12-15)

I''ve had the same problem trying to keep up with Flux before. Fortunately, we always have alts we can play. I just have to accept the fact that once the baby comes there is almost no chance I can keep up.

Legion, it sounds to me like you are thinking of MMORPGs as a competition between players, especially when comparing it to ESPN NFL or UT. This is not how it is at all. You can pick it up whenever you want an play and not worry about what the other players are doing. What does it matter to you if they are high levels or have better gear? Doesn''t affect YOUR experience in the game, unless you think of it as a competition but that is a mental thing, not a game mechanic.

I don''t spend time worrying about keeping pace with anyone else in the game. Since most of my time is spent soloing, I take as much time as I want exploring or hunting meat for my pet with out the stress of feeling like I must level quickly. I''ve also had really good experiences grouping up with whoever happens to be in an area doing the same quest when I''ve needed help so I don''t feel like I need to wait for or keep pace with a set group of friends.

"LeapingGnome" wrote:

Legion, it sounds to me like you are thinking of MMORPGs as a competition between players, especially when comparing it to ESPN NFL or UT. This is not how it is at all. You can pick it up whenever you want an play and not worry about what the other players are doing. What does it matter to you if they are high levels or have better gear? Doesn''t affect YOUR experience in the game, unless you think of it as a competition but that is a mental thing, not a game mechanic.

You''re missing the point with the ESPN and UT comparisons. It''s less about competition and more about advancement through time-sinking.

When it comes to playing with particular people, it DOES matter what their levels/gear are. Isn''t most of this thread about keeping up with friends? Clearly, it matters.

These games are laid out to facilitate the time-sink. Casual play is almost worthless. I dropped City of Heroes because in order to take part in the group/social aspect (the main draw), I had to ""keep up with the Joneses"" in terms of level advancement, or any group I get in with would simply pass me by. There were a couple mechanisms for dragging a lower-level person along, but it''s definitely kind of a ""kid brother"" place to be.

Compare with UT - no matter how much a group plays, I can jump in and play with them without being ""levels"" behind. They probably sharpened their skills and can kill better, but there''s no internal mechanic impeding me. I don''t have to be of a certain level to play a given map.

I''d just like to see someone try an online RPG that replaces individual level progression with something else. Group progression would mean you''re never outpaced by your group. Warlock posted this thread about falling behind his buddies because he plays multiple characters. What if instead of individual levels, his characters were ""leveled"" based on the progress of the whole group? Instead of having his progress split between his two characters, his two characters could contribute progress to the same collective (or even different collectives, but be ""in sync"" with the progress of the rest of the group).

I don''t have a single character that''s over level 16...but man, I''ve had a blast exploring all the different starting areas, and lowbie quests, and different races.

And besides, even when most of the gwj gang are higher level, they''ll still come help you out with those quests that are impossible solo. (Elites come to mind.)

This is why my friends and I employ SESSION PLAY. We have a set of characters set aside for sessions that are scheduled in advance. This way, we all get to play together as a party. The rest of the time we play whatever other characters we want. We had so much intrest this time (as opposed ot D2X and NwN) that we had our first session with three groups out there pounding the quests in Loch Modan. Woot! We''re adding a second set for horde side soon, too.

Actually Legion sounds like to me MMORPG are just not for you. Keep in mind these games are about your character''s skills and progress not the players. Which is very unlike a game of UT which is all about the players skill and progress. Planetside has come the closest to what you are looking for though.

As for keeping up with friends Warlock you have to play at your own pace. If your friends play too much and are unwilling to have an alt they play with you do not worry about keeping up because it is just going to make the whole situation bad.

As they stand now, no, they''re not. But that doesn''t mean they couldn''t be.

Many other persistant online games exist, where ""progress"" is determined by the team''s progress, not the individual''s. Hardcore players contribute to the team''s progress constantly. Casual players contribute to the progress on a less regular basis. Both types get to experience advancement through the game, as the TEAM moves forward.

There''s no reason at all that this can''t be done in an RPG. I''m not saying every RPG under the sun should move to this model. Just saying it''s an idea to be explored.

/echoes Slambie....

Playing as a Priest, I really get a charge out of wandering around and, if I see a fight going on, I''ll cast ""Heal"" and ""Fortitude"" on the Player and run on or step away from the action. As well, if I''m on a road, I''ll randomly cast ""Fortitude"" on folks as they pass by....Gee, I don''t know...those just seem like the *right* things to do....

I pretty much do the same thing, cewargamer. Not as a priest, but as a hunter or warrior (whichever one I happen to be playing). If I see someone in obvious trouble I''ll step in and help. It''s so cool when someone says, ""Thanks.""

There are a few of us Teen level chracter roaming around, Snood (G/R) is workign on level 15 as we speak (and leather working, I''m at the ""hump"" stage, where it takes obscene amounts of light leather to make stuff, you can''t kill the stuff that makes the better hides, and your skill isn''t high enough to convert the light leather to medium leather yet. Not to mention I have to be killing level 16-17 mobs to get skinning advances)
That being said if you want to hook up with Snood give me the word and if I''m not in a group I''ll come to you (I''ve opened a few of the gyphon routes already)

That has always been my problem with people playing more then one character.

I spend all my time advancing one character (in EQ2).

I would get bored doing all the beginnins stuff and quests over again for multiple characters, plus those characters would always be lagging lvl wise due to splitting time up between them.

Helping people in WoW is so satisfying. You see someone who engaged in a fight who managed to damage a mob about 5 levels higher than them but they are losing bad. You step in and wipe it out and they get the exp, good stuff.

Everyone looking to start some characters that will only be played when together, join us on Sunday. I can relate to not being able to join in on certain nights, or quests because you''re not the correct level, but I think there''s enough GWJ''ers that if you miss the people above you there''s some people below you that will catch up - especially if you work on another char while they do. Especially on the Alliance side.

Blizzard seem''s somewhat aware about the ''casual player'' wanting not to fall behind. I think this was mentioned in another thread, but there this ''Rest State'' thing (pg. 52 in the manual) where you get up to 200% more for quest and kills if you have not been logged in for awhile. Done for those who can''t play all the time, but don''t want to get behind. Check it out.

I know there''s no way I could keep a character up with the GWJ crew for the reasons given earlier, as well as the fact that my life is so unpredictable I can''t guarantee to be online for the scheduled times.

Along with that, I have a friend who went in on the game with me, and we have ""mains"" who we planned to work on together to be able to adventure without either feeling like they were tacked-on. However, I am unable to put in as many late hours as he can, so I''m already lagging behind.

In fact, it''s not so much the feeling that I''m less powerful that bothers me. I''m an 80% explorer type based on the MMO player-type scale, so what bothers me is that so often we''re just going through areas that he''s already explored in his solo time, so there''s no real sense of exploration. I''m just seeing stuff he''s already seen, so there''s no ""oh cool!"" moments shared between us. With that, it makes me feel less interested in getting online with him, and feeling more like just soloing so I can feel that sense of excitement and take my time.

Though, I don''t want to abandon the guy since I''m the one who sold him on the game.

I just want to have that awesome feeling of dread and suspense when first going into the badlands or burning steppes together, or that tingle of excitement when first venturing into the swamp of sorrows or the plaguelands. It''s more fun to share the fun of exploring with someone, except when they''ve seen it all before.

I love showing people stuff, so I have no qualms about revisiting places. Guess it''s just how you are wired.

I was sort of lamenting having done a lot of the Crossroads stuff and not having as interesting a place to move on to last night. But then I looked at my quests and there was one to the Stonetalon Mountains. Self, I says, wtf are these mountains and why have I never been there? I spent the rest of the evening enthralled as the story unfolded around me, and I got more than half a level towards 20 out there, feeling like it was my first day again. That, my friends, is Why We Play.

I did get a chance to see a level 17 mage in action. He was picking out of an area I was in, and did not want to group. A few minutes later, I was running over to grab some Mageroyal (after he did not take it for a few minutes), and I saw him pull 3 level 15''s in. So I targetted him and got the heal ready. He exchanged a shot or two, then started to back out of the combat at 2/3 damage - right on time, thinks I. But the critters did not follow him - their feet were covered with ice! As I noticed that, the sky darkened over the captives, and ice balls fell from the sky, killing all three of them. At that point, a level 16 add showed up and assaulted the mage - he dispatched it handily, ending with about 1/3 health.

I dunno about you, but a shaman would have been dead with 4 attackers if he did not run. I was impressed. Mages can really dish it out.

Oh, and finally, Blues News yesterday had a pointer to a GameSpot article on video settings for WoW and their effect. I was able to bop my settings to 1280x1024 and max everything but terrain draw distance, which I set about 25% (as opposed to 50% at 1024x768). The terrain draw distance difference is negligible, but getting all the fancy pixel shading and texture draw distance and the like really made the game prettier. Nice article.

Link to said article?