The lack of a post yesterday was due to WoW. No, I was not playing WoW, I was reading about WoW. I started looking at the list of EverQuest-speak that I’ve collected over the years, and then started looking at a number of pages on Massively Multiplayer Online Game terminology, and before I knew it, it was time to go to work and I hadn’t written anything.
If you’ve never played one of these games before, chances are you’ll find it quite bewildering when you log in and see a continuous stream of almost incomprehensible text scrolling down your screen. In WoW:
WTS [Striker’s Mark] 300g pst
Enchanting +4 chest 1g or free with mats pst
WTB port to Darnassus 1g pst!!!!!1
LF2M UBRS healer and tank plz, whisper Pwrkillr
L60 holy priest LFG Scholo, UBRS
WTB dark iron pst
LF1M Gnomer nukeage
Bigphat is a noob ninja dont group with him
L19 rogue twink LF guild pst
What do you expect from a pug?
WTB port to Darnassus 1g pst!!!!!1
WTS [Libram of Hope] pst with offer
56 lock LFG ST
I find it fascinating how players find the fastest ways to communicate, and how particular conventions or forms of in-game language develop over time.
I could have written last night when I got home from work, but I er um.. started playing WoW instead. This time I am playing on a roleplaying server instead of a PvP server. This means that M and I are on different servers, which is a pity, but I really hate getting ganked on PvP servers. I wonder if I can maintain the role of the detached observer and see how I relearn what I need to do in game. After all, MMOs offer lots of learning opportunities! Right?
Published on 28 August 2006
in gaming and WoW.
Lately I have been fighting the urge… to start playing WoW again.
M’s gone back to it, and I’ve been idly watching his adventures with his character from time to time. (What does it say about me that I enjoy watching WoW more than watching tv?)
Reasons I am resisting:
- The main reason I’m trying not to succumb is the fact that WoW is such a time sink. It’s not like playing a game of Solitaire on your PC - it’s a major time and energy investment, and goodness knows I have enough demands on my time and energy at the moment.
- The other main reason is the fact that M and all our friends and family who are currently playing, are playing on a PVP server (Jubei’Thos). PVP = Player Versus Player. The WoW world is divided into two opposing sides, Alliance and Horde. On a PVP server this means that players on opposing sides can attack each other whenever their paths cross. I get annoyed by ganking (e.g. when my significantly weaker level 20-something character gets repeatedly ambushed by a level 60 character who has nothing better to do). I’ve written about this before, and I’m trying to remind myself that this sort of behaviour always irks me. Of course, the other option is to go and join Morgan on the non-PVP server he plays on
But then we get back to reason #1. And I’ll wish I could join everyone in Perth… sigh…
- M is a good player. He’s playing a priest - this class is the main healer class in WoW, and he’s always getting complimented on how well he plays his role. He also knows a lot of tricks to combat and getting away. And he loves exploring and does it well (me, I blunder along and am generally an accident waiting to happen). All in all he’s always interesting to watch, and makes the game look deceptively easy.
I think I should stick to world domination and play the odd hour of Civ 4 whenever I feel the urge for some serious gaming. I owe quite a few people emails - I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to get back to you!
