It’s interesting, isn’t it? There are kids in my guild in middle school, some as old as I am, and I’m sure there’s folks even older. It fascinates me that a game this complex can appeal across so many demographics. I think the last games to have this kind of popularity were Tetris and Solitaire.
I think it’s because it’s so easy to pick up and play; you don’t have to be a master gamer to do well in WoW, and you don’t need an engineering degree to comprehend the interface. Plus, the moment you enter the world for the first time, it sucks you in – from the lore, to the art direction, the smoothness of the animations, and the flavorful and social and silly things in the game. Its appeal is really quite impressive. And despite the initial veneer of simplicity, there are levels upon levels of more complex gameplay that it eases you in to as you progress in levels. Almost four years of playing, and I still learn a thing or two here and there.
I’m 38 and a gasp girl.
That’s one of the things that always cracks me up - the way people change when they hear my voice for the first time on ventrillo and say “omg - you really ARE a girl!”
checks location Whew, you’re not me!
[stupid pointless rant]Whew…ok, i just finished ranting on guild chant, and this is no big deal, but I need to get it out of system.
Here I am questing the quest to bring back a cat from drinking magic water in the moonwell. All I need to do is get the cat back to the questgiver which is not very far. I don’t have a hard time beatin g the demon guys around the place.
Here comes an ally paladin. Fuck. But he’s one level under me. Problem…I’m engaged in a fight already when I see him. He runs up and starts attacking. I quickly recall my pet to attack him instead of the demon. I finish the demon off with an arrow before I have 2 foes in melee. But he’s got in a few good shots. I quaff a major healing potion and prepare to rotate my character so I can lay down a frost trap and fire from range to even the odd. I can win this! I’ve been beaten so many times in PvP this will be sweet.
No. Because my wife has a 6th sense that tells her to burst into the room and distract me at the one second I need to rotate my guy. And all she wants is to know if the fucking cat is in here! I screw up my mouse control and disengage in the wrong direction, putting me only a few feet back and against a wall. trapped. No time to run, pet too far back. I die.
DAMMIT!. This isn’t the first time. She does this all of the time as if she somehow knows I’m at a point where I need to concentrate. She never asks me where the xat is if I’m in orgrimmar or riding through the barrewns or something. She’s successfully done this when I play CoX too.
Yeah, maybe I just suck, but for the love of pete, she always seems to do this when I’m in a serious moment of gaming. I might have to give up mmorpgs, or she’ll make me kill her.
Now I have to start the whole quest over from the giver. I’m thinking of putting it off or just plain telling her don’t talk to me for an hour at all. Of course option 2 ain’t gonna fly. Maybe I should booby trap my door?
[/stupid pointless rant]
Your account has to be WotLK enabled for your characters to progress beyond 70. And WotLK has to be installed on the machine you’re playing on for you to play them or enter Northrend.
OMG, JR!!!:D:D:D:D:D
I am sitting here crying my eyes out laughing at your rant!!!
NOT laughing at you, I promise - just the situation you portrayed, because it so parallells my own a little.
To wit: I have started keeping my own cat out of the “War Room” because he likes to jump up in my lap when I’m fighting and that thows me off so BAD!!!
Buys JR his favorite beverage as I drink one of my own, and try not to spew as l look at my WoW buddy, who’s obviously STILL very indignant!
Oh God, I just farted from laughing!:eek:
Thanks, Buddy, from a Level 12 who has a lot of respect for all of you who know what you’re doing and obviously enjoy your time in Azeroth.
Jesus, that was funny!
Sorry!
Q
Just re-read your rant, and STILL cannot stop laughing!
SORRY!!!
I apologize!!!
But HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Wiping tears.
Ah, fuck! 
Q
My old roommate used to have a cat. He’d lounge around peacefully, most of the time. Somehow he could sense if I was in a serious moment of gaming, though, and would choose the most crucial moments to hop on the keyboard or swat the mouse from beneath my hand. This usually resulted in a hug fest full of “Awwww, you got me killed you lil devil!” which I’m sure only encourged the behavior further. Yeah, I spoiled him rotten.
I love my cat, too, and normally, if I’m not gaming he CAN sit on my lap, but not these days, and I can tell he’s pissed off about it, too! 
For JR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWgs6YQR9A
I STILL think this whole thread could be compiled into some very good info for us NOOBS!
Thanks
Q
Quasi, thanks for the drink.
I’m cool now. Its no big deal, as i’ve said before, its just a game. But you know how it gets in the heat of the moment…i was totally invested in getting this quest done, and when an aly showed up I was determined not to be the loser in a gank fight.
the part that made me upset is that I really, actually had a chance…a good one…of winning this fight for once. All I needed was the distance and it would have been sweet. I beat the quest and one of the freaking ally guys! They’d erect statues of me at the gates of Orgrimmar!
I’m trying to turn lemons into lemonade…this will make my nect pvp victory even sweeter.
Any chance of getting Ms JR into the game, dude?
You know it has saved many a marriage during football season when the missus gets to know the game…
Just sayin’…
And looking forward to hearing of your successes!
Q
Heh, next to my 53, your being 59 makes me feel better!
Glad I could help!
That’s what Quasi’s all about: helping folks feel better!
And I didn’t even have to give you any O2!
Awesome!
Q
My guild is full of fresh-out-of-highschool college kids. They’re constantly making pop culture references that I just don’t get. I’ll say “huh?” and they’ll explain it and say “Quit bein so old!” And I’m only 33 
Yup, I can relate.
I was playing my female warrior last night (SO has no interest) and got told “Noobs get out!” after rebuffing an advance from a kiddo.
Told him to “grow up” and shook my ass a little.
He left.
Q
That’s happened to my female paladin so many times. Especially now that, after several dungeon runs, she has the best plate chest and leg piece for her level, and they happen to both look like backless platemail bikini pieces (something Luis Royo might paint). I get random whispers like, “ur beautiful, wanna group?” and it kinda skeeves me out a little :o I think it’s time to go buy that guild tabard!
A shameless plug for our SDMB horde guild on Cairne: we have no idiots, no drama, come join us! Type “/who burning dog” to see who’s online and message us to join! New players and new toons welcome.
- “Bipp”
I’m playing Warhammer, these days. Enjoying it.
Every. Single. (active) Person. in my guild. Is within a year of my age. I have no idea how.
Our guild is a family guild, lots of couples and their children, teen’s teenagers and even a grandparent, some times one of the teenagers leaves for more L33T raiding/pvp guild and sometimes they come back for the cosiness our guild provides
We even have a guild rank for the youngest members so we remember we are talking to 8 to 10 years old, and mind our language.
We do hold parents responsible for the actions of the kids, we once had a incident were one of the kids of a officer looted out guild bank, but it all worked out in the end