About 5 minutes ago, I finally uninstalled World of Warcraft.
10 minutes ago I said goodbye to my guild I stumbled on my last crazy adventure of ...
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I was a WOW player too, it's really hurt to take the decision that leave this lovely game, for me in sign of promise that I comeback only like a developer, i put this in mi arm
thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i...
Sweet tat!
My missus has been trying to get a Horde tattoo for years. She likes yours very much.
It is a very lovely game. I wish I could play it in moderation. It hurts each time I go thru the cycles over the years.
May your blade never dull!
I used to be a WoW player a while back, during high school, and quit shortly after Frozen Throne came out. For probably 2-3 years I was playing upwards of 10-20 hours a week, and just kinda fizzled out from it after a while. I slowly started filling my time with other hobbies and college prep, and at some point realized I just wasn't playing enough for it to be worth it.
But in the middle of my WoW lifespan (middle/end of Burning Crusade), it was a huge addiction for me, and you couldn't have gotten me to quit without physically restraining me. I certainly commend you for quitting cold-turkey, I definitely do not have that kind of self-restraint!
What really helped me break the addiction was to find another way to be just as expressive and socially-connected that could "wean" me away from it, which was making Fractal Art and getting connected to the artist community at DeviantArt. You can't just leave one habit without replacing it with another, so make sure to find a healthy replacement for the time previously consumed by WoW!
Thanks Casey (@OrchidSSG) for your awesome reply.
Eventually fizzled during Cata. My second kid was born and I definitely had no energy to keep playing, even at a casual pace.
BC was my apex. I, too, had severe issues trying to quit. Cold turkey didn't work for me. This part of my life hurt my career the most. I had a fallout with my missus. It was a very dark time in my life.
Replacing WoW is like replacing any other addiction. The 12-step program describes this as the 'void inside you'. And let me tell you, it's freaking real. I'm glad you found a way out via DeviantArt.
To be honest, I struggled a lot until I started to help other fellow developers by blogging and having an overall online presence. So, thank YOU for helping me find a healthy replacement.
Thanks for reading and good luck on your travels :)
It's a shame you couldn't find the correct work/life/game balance. It's difficult as an adult, especially with a career like ours. Good luck with your abstinence!
Have you tried something like Hearthstone? It's a bit more approachable, and easier to break off a match during some downtime, way less commitment than a full MMO.
Hi Ryosuke! Yep, balance is hard. It's harder when one gets overly obsessive about a specific area.
I know of people who do great with work/life/game balance. The problem I always have is when I get stubborn and super obsess with the game. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly triggers. (This isn't the first time I go thru this).
I have not tried Hearthstone. Maybe I should! It gives me a good excuse to get me my own iPad...err I mean I will use it to also read tech blogs lol
Thanks for reading and awesome suggestion!
I'm a World of Warcraft Player. I know exactly how you feel, because I'm an addictive person too and - even if @wwehis said that her brother became a Game Developer by his passion with the game - I spend so many time playing, that I should take this time to learn.
I've gotta say that your article/post opened my eyes and really showed me that the time has to be spend well. Otherwise I'll stuck in my career and never learn something new.
I'll still be playing WoW (Already payed for Battle for Azeroth) but spending less hours in front of Silithus or Orgrimmar.
at last, I have to say - #ForTheHorde and #ForAzeroth !
That's awesome to hear, Gabriel.
To be honest, WoW gave me a lot of great memories but I also use it as an escape mechanism. It's not different than using: alcohol, food, sex, and yes, work!]
What this article describes in 1 month, I did it from 2004-2008ish. It severely stunted my career.
It got so bad that this particular addiction (partially) sent me to a 12-step program.
Feel free to PM via DevConnect or DM via Twitter @josegonz321 🙂
Thanks for reading.
Yes, they are awesome in moderation (like anything else). I was wasting too much time without any goal and decided to step away.
The worst part was that I wasn't having fun.
Thanks for reading!
World of Warcraft has been such a journey over the years, evolving and expanding in ways we never imagined back in the early days. It’s amazing how WoW has managed to stay relevant and engaging for such a long time, drawing in players with new expansions, zones, and features while keeping the heart of the game intact.
One of the biggest challenges as WoW has grown is keeping up with the endgame content, especially in high-level PvE activities like Mythic dungeons and raids. For players who love the thrill of pushing boundaries but might not have the time or team to tackle Mythic content solo, WoW Mythic carries on US realms are a huge help. These services allow players to experience some of the most challenging content in the game, earn high-level loot, and reach goals that would otherwise take tons of time to achieve.
Hey man,
Just wanted to say that the links in your article don't work as they have '/edit' at the end.
Good catch!
Fixed. ++++ PR my blog post :)