So a great many of my friends that I met last year at BlizzCon have called it quits. A great number of my friends that I only know because of WoW either through Twitter, The Lodge Forums or this blog have either quit or are in the process of quitting.
And honestly? I’d be remiss if it hasn’t started to get me wondering if it’s time to go off after that last great hunt.
It’s not just the recent rash of friends leaving that’s gotten me thinking this way. And it’s not the recent BM Raiding rant. Though both are factors, neither one is a cause.
Anyone that has known me for any length of time knows I’m infamous for getting a rash of ideas but never seem to have the time to pull it off. Not researching for the podcast or theorcrafting for hunters sure would free up a bunch of time.
And I have to be honest, a year ago I was really thinking of shutting the Lodge down. I was burnt out really was fed up with fighting the “Not all casual players are scrubs.” debate. Lot’s of other hunter blogs are out there with the same information.
(Heck there are some that’s come online since I started the Lodge and have well over 5x’s our readership.)
But I didn’t. I pressed on and kept playing and kept writing, maybe not regularly but in spurts at least.
Then came the WoW.com period. Yeah.. let’s just skip that. It’s really not something I enjoy talking about. I”m not proud of my writing there, but there was a ton of factors and there are a few people out there that understand, and for the others I’ll just point you to the post I did that explained it all. So let’s move on.
One good thing that has happened since September has been The Hunting Lodge Podcast. It’s a blast getting everyone on Ustream, dreaming up topics to talk about. But lately even that well is getting noticeably low.
Now don’t think this is a pity me post. It’s not. Really it’s more of a random, rambling trying to discover what I really want to do.
I still enjoy talking about WoW. And when I log in, I enjoy playing it. But something’s missing. I’m not entirely sure what it is.
Part of it I think is the game itself. Though I enjoy “the game” and people in my guild. I don’t get to see them enough lately to keep up any sense of comradere.
So that leaves me with finding randoms and people to quest with. Well, overall randoms have been great in downing bosses and getting gear. But there’s no banter, talking it’s either silence or QQ More.
Maybe Lassirra from The Hunter’s Mark said it best when she took a break from writing exclusively about Hunters when she basically said, “I’ve said it all. There really isn’t anything new.”
I think that’s really it. There isn’t anything new. I know, there’s all the new stuff with ICC, the raids and dungeons, that I haven’t seen. Lot’s of challenges and Achievements I could go back and get. (Never did get my Winter Saber after all.)
But as for writing about hunters. Well, until Cataclysm comes out what is there to say?
I was looking at the draft in my queue. It’s about the different game stats and how they affect your character. The goal of that post is to help players make their own decisions about choosing specs and gear.
But let’s face it. The grand majority of players out there just want someone to say spec this, equip that, gem it this way, enchant it that way. Now make sure you use xyz rotation.
Yeah.. that’s fun. Let’s all be clones where the biggest difference is I’m a Dwarf and you’re a Draenei.
So here’s what I ask you guys. When do you throw in the towel? If you’re a blogger/podcaster what is keeping you plugging along? And you readers out there. What is it you’re looking for?
(Yeah, I know I got all these fancy analytics that tell me what people search for on Google, but they’re the grab and go readers. I’m not talking to them. But you guys that actually read my random ramblings.)
Well there we have it. No real decision, yet. I’ve been honest on the show, twitter and here. I know Cataclsym will be my final determination if I keep playing or not. But writing and talking about it? No real decision yet. So I guess I’ll keep plugging along for now.
(Personal Note: Just to reiterate. This is NOT an “I QUIT!” post. Neither is it a QQ Post. It’s just me being open and honest with you guys. Reread my last sentence “So I guess I’ll keep plugging along for now.” See I’m not gone and not really going. Just thinking. )
Eddie “Brigwyn” Carrington is often known as being that crazy dwarf on Twitter.
He's also a blogger, podcaster (Hosts Brigwyn's Corner, Co-host of Everything Blah! and of course Redneck Geek and Cajun Gamer with his good friend Andy "Daewin" Dino. 
Honestly, I’m slowing down my posting a bit until we get more Cataclysm stuff to sink our teeth into. We’re just at a slow point in the content release for WoW, which can lead people to get bored. There is going to be a ton of great changes for hunters (and other classes) to mull over once they start releasing Cata info. Until then, it kinda feels like being in limbo, waiting for something to happen.
That might be it. Really this all hit hard when I found out that Blizzard was now officially targeting 3-4Q for Cataclysm and hasn’t even started the Friends and Family Alpha.
Then I logged in last night and my guild was pretty much empty. Seems a lot of players are burnt out and quit.
Add to that the lack of content and topics and yeah.. It gets you thinking. Maybe limbo is a great way to put it.
*Hugs* you always have a way of making it seem sunnier.
I’ll call it quits when I find something else that’s more enjoyable. I’ve been looking, but as of yet it’s still WoW for me.
Funny you say that. I’m so in the same boat. Is it bad I’m thinking of trying EQ, LOTR maybe even *GASP* Age of Conan or WarHammer (Are they still plugging along?
I like the Fantasy RP genre. I love SciFi but not so sure about EvE. I’ll have to make sure and check out the PolyGamerous podcast with CCP.
AoC and WarHammer are almost dead, yes. But if I may make a recommendation, every now and again, I’ll play Lotro. I’ll get used to it, and then when I’m ready to return to WoW, it will seem like a fresh experience.
Yeah, AoC and WarHammer are PvPcentric and not really my style. But I’ll admit, LoTR might be tempting.
Actually, with my other half getting so incredibly bored of WoW that he’s taking a break (and I wouldn’t blame him if he quit) I’m starting to remember why I grew so bored of this game in the past.
Without the people, where’s the fun?
That’s exactly the question. If no one is on, then it get’s boring fast.
I so remember the days where you /wave and join in on a group quest or PUG a 5-man. Then continue on as a group and do another because of the fun you all had.
But now, if you’re luck you might get a “Thx bye!” in the entire 5-man! And farming a quest together? Forget it! Unless it’s a required group quest no one cares it’s all solo play it seems.
And if I wanted solo, I’d just play a standalone RPG. (Oh, wait, I did get DAO this weekend.)
Indeed, did a 5 man the other day, I think I was in a bad mood and not one person in the group said a word the entire run, not a hi or bye.. was kinda sad :/
In TBC we used to run 5 mans regularly with a group of friends and no matter have many times we ran bloody SP it was still fun!
Really honestly right now, I’m wondering the same things you are. Except if I quit, I wouldn’t have much else to do.
Might as well give DAO a go, it’s much more fun single player than WoW, I miss it but the Xbox has been stolen by a Mass Effect addiction!
Instead of joining pugs, I try to organize 5-mans with my guild members. We’re big enough that there is almost always people on to play with.
I’ve thought about taking a timeout. My problem may lie in the way this expansion has gone forth. Or maybe it’s because I was able to start on things as soon as it (the expansion) started.I’m not a raider, mostly by choice, so I’m running out of content quickly.
Maybe progression is to easy. Maybe Blizzard has to many player types to satisfy.
I’m sure interest will go back up once the next expansion hits, but how long until then. Can the game hold on to its essential core players until that time? By core players, I mean people that make a difference in and out of game. The people that others follow.
Getting to run Heroic UK 38 times thus far is not helping me much.
Hmm. too easy? Maybe? But I’m not sure if “easy” is the issue really? Besides, try doing a 5-man w/o any add-ons, strats, etc.. and call it easy. lol It’s really not Blizz that’s made it easier, but bloggers, podcasters, uber guilds, forums, and add-developers.
We’ve all taken what Blizz has given us and distilled into E=MC^2.
But yes. If Blizzard doesn’t do something to change. More and more “core” players will continue searching for something else.
I don’t have the time nor am I willing to subscribe to more than 1 MMO personally.
/shrug. I dunno. I’m appreciating the discussion. Who knows maybe something will fall out of the air that reignites the passion and fun.
To be honest. I don’t read about bosses. My first PUG run through FoS I did not know to stand close to the boss during his hurricane thing. The group killed him so fast and the healer healed everyone through everything it was not an issue. I learned about it many runs later.
Before about 2 months ago, I did not use DBM. It’s made things a little easier, but I’m still doing my best to be situationally aware.
Much the same I’m not going to invest in another MMO. I would get another console first. Heck, a PS2 with the last NCAA Football would satisfy me.
Guess this is why I am doing PVP now. Dungeon runs are down to the heroic daily only.
*hugs* Silly dorf.
It sounds like a lot of it is that you’re lacking friends to play with. I know that the people are a lot of why I’m enjoying myself currently. Though at times it seems to reach the point of too much to do.
Maybe I’ll just have to come over and bug you. Hmm. <3
SOCKS!! Howya doing!
Sure come on over and bug me!!!
Yeah, maybe. I dunno. I hate to transfer again, but meh. I still have friends here and they’ve been super awesome to me carrying me along on raids and giving me uber loots. And honestly? Because of my schedule, it’s more that I’ve left them, than they’ve left me. :S
Ok you silly dwarf, don’t you stop writing. I love what you’ve got going, even if it sometimes is off topic. I think that’s some of the best reading out there though. Breaks up the monotony of the typical strat, spec, or “do it this way” post.
I do understand where you’re coming from though — it can get old. I suppose I’m fortunate in the fact I’m in a very active guild, there’s always people on, and if nothing else, there’s an opinionated Aussie to argue with. If it weren’t for them, I’m not sure where I’d be.
Personally I write for myself to shore up thoughts and ideas, and make sense of things. If other people find what I write useful, all the better. You know how you think something makes sense until you say it out loud? Yeah, writing does that for me.
What do I want as a reader? Keep writing. I read your blog because I enjoy what you’ve got to say. Just because I technically fit into the cookie cutter raider, doesn’t necessarily mean I think like one.
And I promise there’s a bigger difference between end game Hunters besides some being Draenei and some are Dwarves. The Dwarf Hunter in my guild fails at trapping.
Aww. thank you so much for this!
That really means a lot and the appreciation is awesome. But I don’t want people to think that I’m reaching out for validation. But it’s nice to hear nonetheless.
I think it was a combination of hearing that several friends are either wrapping it up or have already closed shop. Add to that being away from the guild for a couple of weeks and coming back to it being pretty much desolate.
All of this combined just got me thinking about what else to do.
So no worries Morynne! I’m not planning on walking out into the sunset anytime soon. But like many people do in real life, I guess I’m just pondering my virtual life’s “mortality.”
Thanks again! XD
Hahaha… don’t think I’m offering validation. I’m one of the first people you’ll hear argue with you! Everyone goes through the slumps of “nothing to write, what’s the point?”
Take a break, do something different. When something interesting happens, you’ll feel inspired to write/play again. I’m sure everyone will understand if you need to have “real life” for a little while. Personally I wish I had less “real life” right now >.<
Oy! I so can agree with you on the whole real life thing. lol
Maybe that’s it. We should just all call in for a WoW Vacation!! Think they’d understand?
I would hope so! I sure would.
“When do you throw in the towel? ”
2006 When it was still fun…
Eddie, all I can say is we all love the show because you guys have what so many other failed podcasts didn’t, good hosts chemistry and accurate news and advice. Not to mention you take the time to treat your fans like friends and respond to our tweets, emails and show questions. It would be a huge loss to our hunter community the day we stop hearing from Brigwyn and Daewin.
Um.. who are you? Do I know you? I’m not sure I recognize that name.. (Anyone know this guy?)
As you mentioned, there seems to be a lot of it going around.
I’m new to the game (started one month before Wrath), but I follow several of the community’s personalities and have friends who have been playing since launch. I think it is clear that what has kept WoW going for this long has been the community that most people can find inside the game, whether it is RL friends that they play with or their guildmates.
I’ve heard many express boredom with the game, and several have taken “breaks”. It seems that what gets a lot of them to come back is realizing that the grass is in fact not greener on the other side (see – Warhammer, Age of Conan, and Aion).
There is so much to do in WoW, if you are willing to look for it. Try new classes, races, faction, guild, professions. Become an AH God and reach the gold cap. Try PvP. Try RP.
None of the above will make a difference if you don’t have people you want to play with, though. You are more in-touch with some of the WoW personalities than most, maybe you can find a new home with some of them if your current realm is devoid of people you want to play with. Other than that, I would consider a break. Everybody needs a vacation sometimes. No need for a big “I quit” announcement. Just rest and re-charge your batteries and come back when it can be fun for you again. It is just a game after all.
Hey Smoki.
Nah, none of that really fits me. Now RP maybe? I’ll have to give that some consideration. But I’ll be honest, I’m not a WoW lore junkie and probably would end up insulting someone. By saying Brigwyn is really the long lost love child of Bonzebeard and Tyrande Whisperwind.
(waits for howls of hatred from rpers)
I know how you feel brig, ive left wow (and then came back) because it has seemed to lost the magic that it used to have. This is a problem many older players seem to be getting (older by game time not actual age). Also it doesnt help when people only log in to raid or do pugs (instead of having a good time with people in their guild).
hopefully switching guilds will help with the lack of banter (or at least im hoping that it will), and make you feel like you are in the good ol days again.
ive also considered rerolling onto a newer server (so not as many people are burned out yet), but the whole mentality of WotLK seems to differ from what BC and Vanilla were so im not sure if that would be a good fit for me.
This is probably one of the biggest issues I’m experiencing. It’s a core change in the play dynamics. I’m not going anywhere atm. But I can say that if someone said, “HEY! Try this!” I’m more open now than I ever was.
I think that once you start worrying about “what the readers want” you’re starting to slowly kill what’s so fun about blogging at an amateur level as we are. And tbh I’ve never got the idea about informative blogging about specs, rotations, strats, how to play your class, whatever. It’s things you can as well look up at a website or at places such as Tankspot and EJ. I normally just skip that kind of posts – even if they’re about my own class! Shocking, isn’t it?
Write about things that matter to YOU. Look at this post. You just posted it and got a ton of answers at once! Do you know why? Because you’ve put a shard of YOU into it. It’s got soul, life, a pulse, that “extra” that touches the readers. Stop worrying about what people want. Write about what’s in your mind and heart. It will be more fun and rewarding for you. And you’ll be surprised at how appreciated it will be.
All this said, I must agree that the community feels a bit “low” at the moment. I normally take a lot of inspirations from other blogs, but right now the interesting posts are pretty few and far between.
(WOW! One of the blogging stars! Now I’m truly embarrased *quietly shoves laundry under the couch*) Thx for stopping by Larisa!
True. I know these types of posts will elicit more response and dialogue and its awesome. But unlike many other blogs, this one was never intended to be about Brigwyn but hunters. (despite the domain name. lol). It was always intended to be informative and as such I knew it probably wouldn’t draw too many comments.
And like I said, to Morynne I’m not trying to seek validation, more inspiration and ideas on what to do next. So maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time to pass off the “Informative baton” to a new generation.
That’s worth thinking about.
Thx Larisa!
The terrible thing is that all theorycrafting at this point is splitting hairs. Most new players are resourceful and all that stuff is out there for them to grab. Its a race to 80 then thats it. People do use cookiecutter gear, gems, enchants and its sad. It all goes back to the society we live in. Instant gratification. If I can’t have it now, I don’t want it mentality. So many other games out there offer it, WOW makes you work at it, at least a little. It could also be that the gameplay hasn’t drastically changed since vanilla. Its been the same basic concept, with minor tweaks. So, I think until everything changes with Cataclysm we are going to continue to see players drop off.
On a side note, THL and the THL Podcast are a big part of my enjoyment of the game and I hope that you find the fire because I know there will be many disappointed folks when you finally decide to hang up your gun/bow/crossbow. Thanks for all you do!! Then again…..you did roll an Alli…..FOR THE HORDE!
Hey Orcpheus!
Well let me help with the fear of ending THL or THL Podcast anytime soon. That’s not going to happen. There might be some changes around here. I have to admit Larisa and some of the others have given me some really good food for thought.
But I’m not quitting and this isn’t a “I Quit” post. I tried to mitigate that by asking the questions and explaining it in the last couple of paragraphs. (hmm. Maybe next time I’ll make sure and highlight that a bit more. lol)
Now as for people leaving? Yeah. My timetable right now is Cataclsym. If it’s not better than now. And somehow manages to bring that spark back, that’ll be the expansion that will make me create the “Off to the last great hunt” post.
Thanks for stopping!! Happy Hunting!
Good to know you’ll be around. I did actually read the post, but I have a single track mind sometimes…Now, here’s a question. Is Cataclysm going to be the end of the line for WoW? Is Blizz looking at that as we’ve gotten as much milage out of this game as we can and its time to move on or do you think there will be more, creating an endless cycle of people going through what you’re going through right now?
Yeppers, still around. I was just afraid some might get the wrong idea. There’s been a few RAGING at the wind type posts and didn’t want people thinking I was QQing for that.
As for your questions:
I hear ya Brig. I’ve cancelled my WoW acct and have been playing other games. The only MMO I am playing at the moment is Lord of The Rings Online. It’s a fun game, I’m in a cool guild and the gameplay and atmosphere are alot different than WoW, I don’t even have any max level toons and the expirence of leveling is fun. Also I am a big LoTR lore nerd so it’s fun playing a game that goes really in depth into the Rings books.
Oh man! You canceled your WoW account!? I sense your brother’s influence on this one. HAHA!
Yeah, I’m a LoTR nerd also. And actually it’s one of the things that kept me from the game. I had a hard time finding my place in the Lore. :S
I’m seriously rethinking about looking at it though.
I will say this. No worries about me turning into a STO, Aion or god forbid Farmville blog. ROFLMAO!
Thx man! Always great to hear from ya!
Well, I just found out through your post that we are looking at Q3/Q4 for Cataclysm. That really puts a damper on things. I was honestly thinking we were looking at Q2 for the beta, so I guess it does make sense.
I am pretty sure that it will come out before the projected October Blizzcon though. I don’t think they want to host that before release.
Either way I have been keeping myself busy with leveling alts and farming gold. I suppose that will wear thin pretty soon as well. I can definatly relate to not having much left to write about.
How can I tell people what to expect when I have no clue myself? They are gutting our class and rebuilding it from scratch. I honestly don’t even know if I will comtinue to like hunters after the great Cataclysm rebuild, only time will tell.
Maybe if I manage to score a Beta key I can do a bit of writing about it….
We shall see.
I’ll be honest with you. IF (and that’s a big IF) they do it right, Cataclysm could be the answer to a lot of everyone’s prayers.
And this is just the beginning. I just hope they’ll be able to find the line between hardcore and wimpy easy. :S
Dude, I’m with you on this.
Yeah, I’ve been over at the Lodge and seen the posts. I really think this lull is a lot worse than the Vanilla to BC or even the BC to WoTLK one. :S not really sure why though.
Well, I am in a 25 man raiding guild with people I have been playing with since Vanilla. We all have fun when we raid. Yes, there are a core of us in the guild that have been here since day one. We have had people come and go but we all still have fun.
When will I throw in the towel and stop paying my 15.00 a month? Dont know. I have tried many other games and have not found one that make mew feel like I do when playing WoW. I log in every day, do my random on my 2 80′s , do some dailies while in queue and then head over to ICC for our nightly raid (we raid M-T). We have a lot of fun with it and try to get as far as we can in the 3 -4 hours we run.
I would hate to see THL or other sites go away. I was sad to see when BRK stopped, but he had legit reasons. If you have to , then you have to. I say this all the time. This is a game and you have to have priorities. If it stops being fun, or RL comes up to bite you , do what is needed. Take a break once n a while, we all do and it helps keep it fun.
I’m not stopping yet and will keep on plugging along. But I can’t promise if some super duper fantasy MMORPG came out that I wouldn’t be sorely tempted. lol
I think the time is coming, although I raid almost only 10 man, I am eagerly awaiting getting a new ranged weapon from ICC, but whatev. I have a son that will be here in April so I think around that time, if I do not quit, my time will be very limited. I think the big thing is, is it still fun? if not lets find something else to do otherwise we are just doing this because its here. Keep writing and i will keep reading
Well there you have it. I’ll keep on writing, you keep on reading and at some point we’ll figure out what’s in between. (Wait. that really didn’t sound right. lol)
Brig,
My advice is try to do something you haven’t done before. I’ve been playing since vanilla wow and there have been times where I have gotten bored. I did cut back my time alot pre-wrath while there was nothing to do but run dailys and acquire gold.
Some of the best things I have done is totally reroll on another server as another class. This does 2 things. It lets me learn another class and it lets me meet a whole new set of people. I have 3 servers I have played on in the past a mde many different friends. Each one had its life span, different people come and go but I’ve met a lot of cool people this way. I have also seen the WoW lore and storyline from both sides alliance and horde as well as learned how to tank on my druid, heal on my shaman and of course dps on my hunter, also have a shadow priest that I spent alot of time on as well.
If you need to take a break thats cool, but sometimes just a change of perspective and environment does the trick as well.
The only thing I haven’t done is purely play horde. I’ve roled a couple of lowbies, but have often found myself frustrated with getting lost in the Horde cities.
And as for playing another class? Oh man. I’ve tried. Even recently I tried a DK and just failed at enjoying it.
I’m a hunter/ranger (Physical Ranged DPS) type player always have, probably always will be.
But yeah, something new is needed that’s for sure.
Thanks for stopping by!
Yea, I’m primarily a ranged dps class player too. But in LoTRO I’m playing a primary healer class. It’s weird being a heal bot and playing “watch the green bar” game. Also, LoTRO dosen’t have all the addons and such that auto-play the game, so it’s a more active playstyle.
In my opinion, this is the beginning of the lull before the expansion. It happens – people stop playing for a few months while waiting for something new and exciting. Now that we have the final content of the game available, there’s nothing for people to really look forward to for several months.
All I can say is do what you enjoy. If you still enjoy blogging, keep doing it. Don’t feel obligated to blog about every single piece of news or every day, just write when the feeling comes. There will always be people here to read it
I used to write every day, but now I’m lucky to get more than 1 post a week. But I won’t let that stop me writing!
As for the game itself, I agree it can be good to try something new. When my guild began to die out, I decided to go with a few friends who were still playing (or just coming back to the game) and make a new guild. It totally re-ignited my passion for the game. Maybe something similar might help you?
I’ve speculated a lot about why people are moving on and the point I keep coming back to is that people have stopped enjoying what the game offers, a chance to play in a world of dragons and baddies and increasingly focused on progression. Progression is a good thing. Most everyone feels good after successfully meeting a challenge. The thing is WoW offers a lot more through it’s quest lines, lore and environment. I’m not talking about RP here either. I’m talking about enjoying and experiencing the game. Everybody seems to be in such a doggone hurry that they miss a lot of what Bliz has put there to enjoy.
Case in point, ICC first opens and some guildies and I are going to go hit the 5 mans for the first time. It was like the tank and raiders we munching Speed with a Red Bull chaser…it was literally a race to the finish. I wanted to hear what the Dark Lady was saying (at least for my first pass through) and enjoy the story. The funny part is those guys that were in a hurry? They are the ones who are bored now that they have hit a progression wall.
So Eddie, my suggestion is take some time to smell Talandra’s Roses…think about what you enjoy about WoW and see if it’s still there. Enjoy the journey within the game and resist the temptation to view after you make the jump to hyperspace.
Thanks for a most enjoyable blog.