Overly Positive

These days, I’ve become a bit of a nomad when it comes to how I play MMOs. The reasons for this are a few, but they include possessing a position in which the community of MMOs takes away some of my playtime, the change in priorities for enjoyment, and the simple reality of life and getting older.

I used to attach myself to high-end guilds with a purpose and goal in mind to be as excellent as possible in the MMO of their choice.  Hours-long raids, shooting for the first kills, and excelling in PvP combat were my focused goals in playing these games.  Better yet was the reputation and aura that being in these guilds afforded, making playtime easier to deal with and doors opened that would normally not be.

Nowadays, with my changing priorities and increasingly casual playstyle, I don’t have those luxuries anymore. Being the best has given way to simpler things like enjoying myself during my limited playtime, and playing with friends who I know, love and trust. I find this to be a much more relaxing and valuable use of my time. As much as I miss the cameraderie of much larger guilds that play obsessively together for 70 hours a week or so, I appreciate games that can respect the time I put in and make me feel like I can play with whoever I want without having to give in to requirements or gear gateways.

The price I pay is that I’m a bit of a nomad. I’ve wandered from guild to guild, from server to server, from game to game. At times, I’ve felt a bit lonely as others who play more are much higher level than me or who are in guilds that are more hardcore than I am. But I’m ok with that for the most part. After all, I’ve made friends from those who are like-minded as I am, or who I have attached myself to for the short term, and if I can gain some people I can talk to from this kind of playstyle, then the MMO wanderer’s life isn’t so bad at all.