As is the case with any person's life, my life hastaken many twists and turns. I've evolved (socially at least) from a teenagerwho loved to spend his free time in *~The Room With Padded Wallz~* to amilitary man, to a father of two who played WoW too much, to the same guy whodecided to leave his server in favor of one that would allow him to play much,much less and spend time with his family.
Along the way, I've met several very interesting,very good friends (and even some enemies. (There's people that don't like me?!WTF) I've moved from the military lifestyle to the civilian lifestyle. I'vechanged MMO's three times. I've been in a guild. I've led another one. I'veleft them both.
Like nearly everyone I know, I was active onMySpace. I was active on IMVU for a spell. I'm still active on World ofWarcraft. I spent time on Xbox Live, I even branched out into a few differentMUDs along the way.
I've lived in a handful of states and made goodfriends there along the way. Every person I was closely involved with in someway (apparent or not) shaping the personality I now have.
Sappy introduction (and lack of being able tofollow my own train of thought) aside, I have decided to take a few (hopefullymore) memories from the perspective of the OTHER person and compile them into acreative writing that will demonstrate my strengths (and severe weaknesses) asa writer. This has nothing to do with absolutely anything and I expect this "project"to take a very long time, as I'm aware that many of these stories may takemonths to receive or my request to even be read.
So I am asking you, members of several forms ofcontact and social media to please reply to this call. I would like you to tellme what you remember me for. Good, bad, indifferent...I don't care what thecontext. I want to know how you remember me. Fond memory, quirky thing I did,giant booger hanging from my nostril...anything. The more content I receive, theeasier it will be to write this.
This will be going out to a lot of people in emailand several different social networking sites, as well as forums for differentmediums I used to meet people that are still active. Thank you in advance!
Jimmi AKA:
Kelenya,Suhli, Coajik, Jinha, hypnotized_moon, sTiCkY_lOlLiPoP_kIsSeS, Jimmily,Freegrazer, Osnapp, buttonbuck1123, Seriously Casual, Thumper3300, Poor and Irish,. ( <---that's the alias), SomeDude, Lt. Moon, AHHbrainfreeze, Jimmie, Jimi, and Jimmy
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Insane Horde Posse Report
Last night Insane Horde Posse (IHP) raided Icecrown Citadel.
Through the first part of the chamber there were some choppy moments with unexpected trash pulls but the team managed to make it through the first few hallways just fine. I was very glad I could be of use disarming the traps because the opportunities for one to trigger during an inopportune time seemed very good.
One of the first things I noticed is that this two hour raid team was not into taking any time more than they needed. They have two hours to get as much as they can done...and they're going to.
We mowed right through the trash and into Lord Marrowgar's lair. The Marrowgar encounter went very well, in fact, he was down in one shot. I did notice a few pointers I could give the team on positioning that would ultimately make this fight much, much easier for them.
On to Lady Deathwhisper. The Deathwhisper encounter can easily lure you to sleep, in my humble opinion. The fight consists of waves of adds that must be defeated before you switch back to her to DPS down her shield before the next wave comes. Very rinse and repeat. The entire fight went very well and in phase 2, I found that my kick alone was on a timer sufficient enough to keep her FROSTBOLT on perma-interrupt.
The Gunship Battle is what it is....it's a rinse/repeat fight that is nearly impossible to lose as long as the tanks and healers understand the mechanics. The only hiccup during this fight is that our rogue (OSNAP...I was the only rogue!!) went to jump over to their ship to DPS the battlemage and misjudged his timing. Thankfully, when you fall you only lose time as it puts you right back on your own boat....:) I'm not even certain anyone else noticed.
Saurfang was one of the most rewarding encounters of the night. We gave him a few whacks with a strategy they were attempting before I had joined the team. Melee DPS on that fight is super easy...as we don't have to do anything more than NOT aggro the Blood Beasts....the ranged DPS -- not so much. They have to concern themselves with kiting and killing those beasts. After a few failed attempts I spoke up about the strategy and positioning that has worked for me in the past.
The next attempt was GOLDEN. Saurfang was defeated in epic, expert fashion whilst holding our pinkies in the air and ordering caviar.....(lol -- the point is that the strategy worked to such perfection in comparison that the group's leader has deemed the Lower Spire to be on FARM status.)
We moved on to the Upper Spire. I was able to once again win the appreciation of my raidmates by disarming the gas traps that line the walls of the first portion of this.
They decided that they wanted to give Festergut a try. The trash on the way to Festergut gave the team mini-convulsions because I think they were seeing much of it for the first time...but there were no wipes. After brief explanations of priorities and mob abilities, they seemed confident enough to keep pushing forward.
Bring on Precious! It's unfortunate that I describe this fight as if it was merely a speed bump...but it was. I told them what to do...they did it...the healing was good...the AoEing was good...Precious and her pretty pink bow found themselves lying on the floor ready to be skinned and trampled by Stinky. We did lose a few members of the raid because of the decimate/zombie spawn spam...but it was insignificant.
Stinky was a joke..and an even lower speed bump...as we went nearly full throttle right over the top of him.
On the way down the left hand side of the hallway, I found yet another trap to disarm, we killed one more Scientist and they got their first glimpse of Festergut.
The ventrilo rang with exclamations of how hideous he was, questions about how many eyes/mouths he had, and a very brief explanation of the fight. Once again the method being used was something I was unfamiliar with but seemed like it was worth a try before butting in with my two cents.
The first fight went surprisingly well, without Blood Lust we were able to take him below 50%.
The mechanic of the fight spawns two (on 10 man) spores over the heads of random raid members. Between those two members, the rest of the raid must make sure they are near one of the spores when it explodes to receive a debuff (that is actually a buff) called "Innoculated". Each stack of the debuff gives you a 25% reduction in damage when he exhales the gas from the room back into the room. The debuff stacks 3 times, giving you the potential (it's more of a necessity) to have 75% damage reduction from that ability. During the first attempt, I noticed some confusion and lost DPS time due to running to spores in random areas. Ultimately we wiped because he released the gas and the tanks had NO stacks of the debuff.
I quickly explained my former positioning and strategy and we re-engaged for a short lived attempt. There was apparently a bit of confusion that led to a very fast wipe. LOL.
Immediately following that, the raid leader announced that this would be our last attempt as we were pushing past the normally scheduled time.
Despite the confusion of parts of my explanation being nullified by the fact that spores tended to appear on some of the ranged DPS (vent calls easily were able to fix that.), the healing was superb and the tank swapping was perfect enough that we were able to drop Festergut with about a minute to spare on his enrage timer.
The excitement of my fellow raiders was apparent and extremely satisfying.
I definitely felt as though I was walking away having contributed as much of my knowledge, experience, and skill as I could to a really deserving and fantastically fun/nice group of people.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself in a raid with a much lighter, much less sinister mood than I'd become accustomed to with people who were REALLY willing to listen to suggestions and tactics rather than say they are willing and still do whatever the hell they want...
Next Tuesday I wont be with them as it's Heidi's first birthday, but I am really anxious to find out how they fare.
Monday, August 9, 2010
A Long, Pixilated Walk" -- by: Lanctharus
This need to be shared. :)Written SUPERBLY by Lanctharus
*******************************************************************************\
Hail, and well met, reader. Picture this, if your mind may allow it.
You’re a young man, just entering the workforce. You’ve done small jobs for a few people in your hometown- a few collected apples here, a few scorpions killed there. You’ve just branched out into the wider world, near the big city, and work is plentiful. Currently, you’re working on vanquishing a group of outspoken boars encroaching on your homeland.
From the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of a few people, off in the distance, walking toward you. As they come over the horizon, more and more follow. It’s an endless line, snaking from the edge of your field of vision to a few feet in front of you now, and they keep walking. They keep appearing in the distance.
The people you see passing you are as many and varied as the shapes of the desert pebbles under your sandals. All different races, sizes, shapes, colors, ages, some dressed in battle gear, some dressed in ceremonial garb. A few ride large, black bears- these seem to be protectors. Most walk in simple, understated clothing, much different from the thick armor you’re used to seeing people in. They all, however, wear red tabard cloth with gold leaves etched into it.
The line stretches from horizon to horizon, and you can no longer see the beginning of it. The end is nowhere in sight, either. You want to wonder aloud, but you find you can’t speak for amazement at the scene before you. An Elven woman in a dark blue dress steps out of the line. She rests a hand on your meaty shoulder, and gazes at you with glazed eyes. “We walk for our fallen,” she says, “for those who cannot walk themselves anymore.”
You’d noticed that some of the members of the procession were crying, and you nod to her, your tongue still captured by that elusive feline that rears its head on such occasions. “You’re welcome to join us, if you wish. Just please leave your weapon with one of the protectors, and be respectful.”
Quite a few people had that very experience on August second, just before midnight. The setting you just found yourself in is, of course, quite fantastical. This did not happen in the real, mundane world, and yet it did, at the same time. The line of bereaved souls, though, occurred in the massively popular online game, World of Warcraft.
Commonly known as WoW, World of Warcraft is, as most people know, a game. But it’s much more than that: it’s a powerful social medium. Players interact with people from around the globe in their daily online lives- getting a couple buddies together to go clean out a dungeon with somewhat powerful enemies, grouping up in teams of two, three or five to enter arena matches against other teams, or collaborating with twenty-four other skilled players to take on the hardest challenges in the game. Through this, networks are formed, and friendships are forged.
Within WoW, there is a system in which players can group together under one name, called a Guild. The guild is given a name, and players become members of that guild, and are granted access to all sorts of perks- a private text-chat channel in which you can talk to all of your guild members and nobody else, a storage vault for supplies for the guild, even the ability to design a logo to wear over your armor. I play WoW, and I am a member of a guild. That community is named Alea Iacta Est, latin for “The die has been cast”. On August second, that guild walked for close to an hour, to honor its fallen friends.
Back to our scenario: that fiendish feline finally frees your tongue, and you express a little shock at the idea of joining their march. “I’m not a member of the guild,” you say, “aren’t funerals private affairs?”
“It’s not a funeral. It’s a memorial service. C’mon, let’s find a good spot in the crowd.” She takes your hand and pulls you into the procession. Being used to sprinting everywhere (and it would be so much FASTER if you could ride one of those wolves the elders mount), you have to make a conscious effort to slow down and stroll with the rest of the group. As you both find your stride, she explains.
“On August second, 2007, our guild lost a dear friend. His name was Milliway, though some knew him as Bruce, as well. Sounds like a human name, doesn’t it?” Despite the occasion, she seems a little bubbly, and she certainly likes to chat. You nod respectfully, still feeling a little uncomfortable- you’ve never even heard of Milliway. “Anyway, we gathered at the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior that day, and we walked in his honor. He liked to stroll around and see stuff instead of just dashing by it on a mount, so we took his advice that day, and walked to see what he couldn’t see anymore.”
Touching story, of course, but you can’t help but wonder. “So, why are we walking now? Why so many, so many years later?”
Bruce Galloway was the first, but neither the last nor only member of Alea Iacta Est to pass on. After that first somber march from the Shrine to the Capital city, the day was pronounced the guild’s Memorial Day.
Most guilds in WoW are fairly small- some have ten members or less, others, close to a hundred. AIE is an exception to the rule. With the population of a small Midwestern town, AIE has seen its share of tragedy. Though Milliway started the tradition, the Guild Memorial Day honors all those who have passed away. Guild members, to be sure, and family members of the guild mates. Friends, lovers, coworkers, people who have never even heard of World of Warcraft are thought of on this day, as over a thousand pixilated avatars march across a hot desert to pay tribute to their fallen loved ones.
The journey started at the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior, a location added by WoW’s creators in memory of a developer who passed away during the game’s creation. On top of a hill , next to a mountain, in the Serengeti-inspired zone called The Barrens, a small stone altar sits, an Orc’s body laid peacefully upon it, the letters “MK” inscribed in the base. A ghostly angel floats in front of it, protecting the shrine. Anyone who moves their mouse over the angel will see that it is named Koiter- the surname of the developer who’s character rests there. The inscribed letters stand for Michael Koiter.
In front of Mr. Koiter’s memorial, the guild laid down their weapons (well, unequipped them,) and knelt. Many of them emoted crying, hugging each other, and mourning for the loss of the dead. The guild’s leader gave a short speech in the guild-only text channel. “Please never forget that your relationships are about people, not activities,” He said. “Your words are heard and your actions observed today by those who you may count on tomorrow. These relationships are real, and can be as beautiful as you make them”.
An incredible community it is indeed, as was immediately apparent from the size of the gathering, and as would grow more and more obvious as the event progressed. People from all over the world connected that night, held each other’s pixilated hands and offered their prayers. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, small children and old men, bankers, stockbrokers, teachers, students, minor celebrities and losers living in basements. One woman was online from the laptop in her hospital room, where she was between rounds of chemotherapy for a cancer relapse.
As the guild stood as one and began the long march toward the capital city of Orgrimmar, the guild’s text chat was alive with names and memories. People were writing messages saying, “I’m walking for my father, who died in a car accident last year.” or, “I’m walking for my friend John, who suffered an aneurism in march.” One member walked for his younger brother, a former player in the San Francisco 49’ers football team. Another walked for his son, who went to Iraq and never came back.
I walked with the guild that day, as a proud member. I walked to honor Bruce Galloway, who’s story came to me well before I was a member of the guild, and convinced me that I wanted to join. I walked to honor other fallen guildies that I did not know, had never met, and would not remember the names of. I walked for my father’s mother, a southern baptist hardass who died of old age three years ago. I walked for Snegurochka, a Russian WoW player in my former guild, who succumbed to Leukemia in early 2009. Had I but known, I would have walked for my employer’s mother, who died less than twelve hours after the event.
As you walk with the Elven woman in the dark blue dress and her thousands of comrades, you cannot help but hear laughter, and happy voices. Sure, some are crying, but many seem to be in good cheer. Your Elven companion is smiling, having just given a huge hug to an Orc woman you’ve both fallen in step with. You introduce yourself, to both women, and the newcomer to our little group greets you warmly. She digs into a small leather pouch at her side, pulls out a few salt-cured strips of bacon and offers one to you. I suggest you take it.
“I wish you could be in our voice chat,” says the elf, as she chews a small piece of the fatback. “The server’s full, though, which is a shame. It’s so much fun in there.” She points ahead, calling your attention to a member of the mysterious walking dead, a powerful looking being in a warlock’s robe and cowl. “That guy just extended an invitation to…” she cranes her neck. “Well, I can’t find her, but he’s invited another member to his wedding rehearsal dinner.”
If you were to hear what I heard in the voice chat server that evening, you would have heard that extended invitation. You would have heard jokes and laughter, the sound of true friends enjoying being together, some for the first time in months. You would have heard fond remembrances of Milliway- one member described the reason that they were walking: “He always said ‘you never mount up and run away after a battle. You walk away proudly, with your head held high.’”
You would have heard evidence that this community of walkers and gamers is more than just a collection of people who happen to play the same game. Stories of real-world meetings were told, offers to buy real-world drinks were made and accepted, plans of real-world get-togethers were hatched.
As the group neared its destination, spirits lifted even further. It was wondered how many people (in context, characters) could fit into the chambers of the city’s leader, which was where we were headed. The response- “I’m the fire marshall. PACK IT IN, DURNIT!” Laughter erupted, and continued until we all knelt in front of Thrall, leader of The Horde, the faction we claim loyalty to in the story of the game. A final prayer was offered silently by all in attendance, and then it was decided that we should go decimate the opposing faction’s cities in celebration- “in a half hour,” said the organizer of the raid. “If I don’t go have dinner first, my wife’ll kill me!”
While tears came to many eyes on the night of August second, 2010, this was not a sad event. The occasion was joyous and uplifting. New members of the community, like myself, were given a glance at how deep the roots of brother- and sisterhood can extend, even with a wall of technology between those surrogate siblings. Older members were able to get together with their friends and carry on the tradition. The elder statesmen of the group had the chance to honor the man they knew and loved, and played this fantastical game with. And while I never knew Bruce Galloway, and sadly never will, I have a feeling that he looked down from wherever he is (somewhere with the highest of high-speed internet, and the graphics are good), and smiled.
As for me, I looked back up at him, spoke the names of those I walked to honor, and thanked him for his life.
*******************************************************************************\
Hail, and well met, reader. Picture this, if your mind may allow it.
You’re a young man, just entering the workforce. You’ve done small jobs for a few people in your hometown- a few collected apples here, a few scorpions killed there. You’ve just branched out into the wider world, near the big city, and work is plentiful. Currently, you’re working on vanquishing a group of outspoken boars encroaching on your homeland.
From the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of a few people, off in the distance, walking toward you. As they come over the horizon, more and more follow. It’s an endless line, snaking from the edge of your field of vision to a few feet in front of you now, and they keep walking. They keep appearing in the distance.
The people you see passing you are as many and varied as the shapes of the desert pebbles under your sandals. All different races, sizes, shapes, colors, ages, some dressed in battle gear, some dressed in ceremonial garb. A few ride large, black bears- these seem to be protectors. Most walk in simple, understated clothing, much different from the thick armor you’re used to seeing people in. They all, however, wear red tabard cloth with gold leaves etched into it.
The line stretches from horizon to horizon, and you can no longer see the beginning of it. The end is nowhere in sight, either. You want to wonder aloud, but you find you can’t speak for amazement at the scene before you. An Elven woman in a dark blue dress steps out of the line. She rests a hand on your meaty shoulder, and gazes at you with glazed eyes. “We walk for our fallen,” she says, “for those who cannot walk themselves anymore.”
You’d noticed that some of the members of the procession were crying, and you nod to her, your tongue still captured by that elusive feline that rears its head on such occasions. “You’re welcome to join us, if you wish. Just please leave your weapon with one of the protectors, and be respectful.”
Quite a few people had that very experience on August second, just before midnight. The setting you just found yourself in is, of course, quite fantastical. This did not happen in the real, mundane world, and yet it did, at the same time. The line of bereaved souls, though, occurred in the massively popular online game, World of Warcraft.
Commonly known as WoW, World of Warcraft is, as most people know, a game. But it’s much more than that: it’s a powerful social medium. Players interact with people from around the globe in their daily online lives- getting a couple buddies together to go clean out a dungeon with somewhat powerful enemies, grouping up in teams of two, three or five to enter arena matches against other teams, or collaborating with twenty-four other skilled players to take on the hardest challenges in the game. Through this, networks are formed, and friendships are forged.
Within WoW, there is a system in which players can group together under one name, called a Guild. The guild is given a name, and players become members of that guild, and are granted access to all sorts of perks- a private text-chat channel in which you can talk to all of your guild members and nobody else, a storage vault for supplies for the guild, even the ability to design a logo to wear over your armor. I play WoW, and I am a member of a guild. That community is named Alea Iacta Est, latin for “The die has been cast”. On August second, that guild walked for close to an hour, to honor its fallen friends.
Back to our scenario: that fiendish feline finally frees your tongue, and you express a little shock at the idea of joining their march. “I’m not a member of the guild,” you say, “aren’t funerals private affairs?”
“It’s not a funeral. It’s a memorial service. C’mon, let’s find a good spot in the crowd.” She takes your hand and pulls you into the procession. Being used to sprinting everywhere (and it would be so much FASTER if you could ride one of those wolves the elders mount), you have to make a conscious effort to slow down and stroll with the rest of the group. As you both find your stride, she explains.
“On August second, 2007, our guild lost a dear friend. His name was Milliway, though some knew him as Bruce, as well. Sounds like a human name, doesn’t it?” Despite the occasion, she seems a little bubbly, and she certainly likes to chat. You nod respectfully, still feeling a little uncomfortable- you’ve never even heard of Milliway. “Anyway, we gathered at the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior that day, and we walked in his honor. He liked to stroll around and see stuff instead of just dashing by it on a mount, so we took his advice that day, and walked to see what he couldn’t see anymore.”
Touching story, of course, but you can’t help but wonder. “So, why are we walking now? Why so many, so many years later?”
Bruce Galloway was the first, but neither the last nor only member of Alea Iacta Est to pass on. After that first somber march from the Shrine to the Capital city, the day was pronounced the guild’s Memorial Day.
Most guilds in WoW are fairly small- some have ten members or less, others, close to a hundred. AIE is an exception to the rule. With the population of a small Midwestern town, AIE has seen its share of tragedy. Though Milliway started the tradition, the Guild Memorial Day honors all those who have passed away. Guild members, to be sure, and family members of the guild mates. Friends, lovers, coworkers, people who have never even heard of World of Warcraft are thought of on this day, as over a thousand pixilated avatars march across a hot desert to pay tribute to their fallen loved ones.
The journey started at the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior, a location added by WoW’s creators in memory of a developer who passed away during the game’s creation. On top of a hill , next to a mountain, in the Serengeti-inspired zone called The Barrens, a small stone altar sits, an Orc’s body laid peacefully upon it, the letters “MK” inscribed in the base. A ghostly angel floats in front of it, protecting the shrine. Anyone who moves their mouse over the angel will see that it is named Koiter- the surname of the developer who’s character rests there. The inscribed letters stand for Michael Koiter.
In front of Mr. Koiter’s memorial, the guild laid down their weapons (well, unequipped them,) and knelt. Many of them emoted crying, hugging each other, and mourning for the loss of the dead. The guild’s leader gave a short speech in the guild-only text channel. “Please never forget that your relationships are about people, not activities,” He said. “Your words are heard and your actions observed today by those who you may count on tomorrow. These relationships are real, and can be as beautiful as you make them”.
An incredible community it is indeed, as was immediately apparent from the size of the gathering, and as would grow more and more obvious as the event progressed. People from all over the world connected that night, held each other’s pixilated hands and offered their prayers. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, small children and old men, bankers, stockbrokers, teachers, students, minor celebrities and losers living in basements. One woman was online from the laptop in her hospital room, where she was between rounds of chemotherapy for a cancer relapse.
As the guild stood as one and began the long march toward the capital city of Orgrimmar, the guild’s text chat was alive with names and memories. People were writing messages saying, “I’m walking for my father, who died in a car accident last year.” or, “I’m walking for my friend John, who suffered an aneurism in march.” One member walked for his younger brother, a former player in the San Francisco 49’ers football team. Another walked for his son, who went to Iraq and never came back.
I walked with the guild that day, as a proud member. I walked to honor Bruce Galloway, who’s story came to me well before I was a member of the guild, and convinced me that I wanted to join. I walked to honor other fallen guildies that I did not know, had never met, and would not remember the names of. I walked for my father’s mother, a southern baptist hardass who died of old age three years ago. I walked for Snegurochka, a Russian WoW player in my former guild, who succumbed to Leukemia in early 2009. Had I but known, I would have walked for my employer’s mother, who died less than twelve hours after the event.
As you walk with the Elven woman in the dark blue dress and her thousands of comrades, you cannot help but hear laughter, and happy voices. Sure, some are crying, but many seem to be in good cheer. Your Elven companion is smiling, having just given a huge hug to an Orc woman you’ve both fallen in step with. You introduce yourself, to both women, and the newcomer to our little group greets you warmly. She digs into a small leather pouch at her side, pulls out a few salt-cured strips of bacon and offers one to you. I suggest you take it.
“I wish you could be in our voice chat,” says the elf, as she chews a small piece of the fatback. “The server’s full, though, which is a shame. It’s so much fun in there.” She points ahead, calling your attention to a member of the mysterious walking dead, a powerful looking being in a warlock’s robe and cowl. “That guy just extended an invitation to…” she cranes her neck. “Well, I can’t find her, but he’s invited another member to his wedding rehearsal dinner.”
If you were to hear what I heard in the voice chat server that evening, you would have heard that extended invitation. You would have heard jokes and laughter, the sound of true friends enjoying being together, some for the first time in months. You would have heard fond remembrances of Milliway- one member described the reason that they were walking: “He always said ‘you never mount up and run away after a battle. You walk away proudly, with your head held high.’”
You would have heard evidence that this community of walkers and gamers is more than just a collection of people who happen to play the same game. Stories of real-world meetings were told, offers to buy real-world drinks were made and accepted, plans of real-world get-togethers were hatched.
As the group neared its destination, spirits lifted even further. It was wondered how many people (in context, characters) could fit into the chambers of the city’s leader, which was where we were headed. The response- “I’m the fire marshall. PACK IT IN, DURNIT!” Laughter erupted, and continued until we all knelt in front of Thrall, leader of The Horde, the faction we claim loyalty to in the story of the game. A final prayer was offered silently by all in attendance, and then it was decided that we should go decimate the opposing faction’s cities in celebration- “in a half hour,” said the organizer of the raid. “If I don’t go have dinner first, my wife’ll kill me!”
While tears came to many eyes on the night of August second, 2010, this was not a sad event. The occasion was joyous and uplifting. New members of the community, like myself, were given a glance at how deep the roots of brother- and sisterhood can extend, even with a wall of technology between those surrogate siblings. Older members were able to get together with their friends and carry on the tradition. The elder statesmen of the group had the chance to honor the man they knew and loved, and played this fantastical game with. And while I never knew Bruce Galloway, and sadly never will, I have a feeling that he looked down from wherever he is (somewhere with the highest of high-speed internet, and the graphics are good), and smiled.
As for me, I looked back up at him, spoke the names of those I walked to honor, and thanked him for his life.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Goodbye Perseverance, Hello alea iacta est!
Earlier this week I paid the $25 to move Kelenya over from the Llane realm to the Earthen Ring realm to join the famed guild "alea iacta est".
During the change I was told that the name Kelenya was taken on that realm, so I was asked to rename her. Well, I figured it was high time to stop being the statistic of a dude playing a hot blood elf chick....and give her a character re-customization into a male. She was renamed "Suhli" and transformed into a male.
Very nice transition. With the two girls I already have in my life, I was finding that the love affair with the third was wearing thin anyways. :)
Joining alea iacta est has changed the face of World of Warcraft for me. It's gone from being in an intense situation where my absence caused consequences for other people and negative attitudes from self-proclaimed "good people" to arise to being in a more relaxed environment with a larger community that is OK with me playing the game at the pace I want to. (Which honestly is the essence behind a subscription...you should never feel forced to do anything beyond what you want to do...it's your money.)
Originally I intended to keep my other characters active on Llane, but quickly realized how annoying and unfriendly the people had become in comparison to AIE. Thus, I've elected to play Suhli, at my own comfortable pace, in the presence of other people who are aware that the internet is not SRSBZNS. (Whilst being able to allocate far more time to my family that I enjoy being around more and more.)
Suhli was recruited as an alternate into two raid teams.
"Insane Horde Posse" is a 10 man raiding team that appears to be taking a beginners dive into Icecrown Citadel. They look to have cleared the first wing. I'm excited that I can bring utility (being able to find traps) and experience (I'm 8/12 in ICC) to this team and look forward to continuing to enjoy raiding as a more "light-hearted" and fun event.
"That's What She Said" is a 25 man raiding team. I have a little less faith that I'll be selected out of the alternates for that one because they have several melee DPS...but should I be called on, I look forward to meeting 24 new people who also have the same idea about raiding as I do.
This was a great move...I have to say...coming home and eating dinner before being immediately involved in a raid multiple nights a week has been nothing short of WELCOMED.
More to come...
TWSS - Saturday 8 PM - 12 PM EST
IHP - Tuesday 9 PM - 11 PM
During the change I was told that the name Kelenya was taken on that realm, so I was asked to rename her. Well, I figured it was high time to stop being the statistic of a dude playing a hot blood elf chick....and give her a character re-customization into a male. She was renamed "Suhli" and transformed into a male.
Very nice transition. With the two girls I already have in my life, I was finding that the love affair with the third was wearing thin anyways. :)
Joining alea iacta est has changed the face of World of Warcraft for me. It's gone from being in an intense situation where my absence caused consequences for other people and negative attitudes from self-proclaimed "good people" to arise to being in a more relaxed environment with a larger community that is OK with me playing the game at the pace I want to. (Which honestly is the essence behind a subscription...you should never feel forced to do anything beyond what you want to do...it's your money.)
Originally I intended to keep my other characters active on Llane, but quickly realized how annoying and unfriendly the people had become in comparison to AIE. Thus, I've elected to play Suhli, at my own comfortable pace, in the presence of other people who are aware that the internet is not SRSBZNS. (Whilst being able to allocate far more time to my family that I enjoy being around more and more.)
Suhli was recruited as an alternate into two raid teams.
"Insane Horde Posse" is a 10 man raiding team that appears to be taking a beginners dive into Icecrown Citadel. They look to have cleared the first wing. I'm excited that I can bring utility (being able to find traps) and experience (I'm 8/12 in ICC) to this team and look forward to continuing to enjoy raiding as a more "light-hearted" and fun event.
"That's What She Said" is a 25 man raiding team. I have a little less faith that I'll be selected out of the alternates for that one because they have several melee DPS...but should I be called on, I look forward to meeting 24 new people who also have the same idea about raiding as I do.
This was a great move...I have to say...coming home and eating dinner before being immediately involved in a raid multiple nights a week has been nothing short of WELCOMED.
More to come...
TWSS - Saturday 8 PM - 12 PM EST
IHP - Tuesday 9 PM - 11 PM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)