Diary of a WoW Noob's Addiction

Noobab writes "There's an absolutely hilarious diary style article in CNET's Crave blog about Nick Hide's first experience playing World of Warcraft. It starts off pretty tame but soon enough the man has turned from unsuspecting casual gamer into a fully fledged 'Warcrack' addict." Your mileage may vary. From the article: "I can't say that I'm experiencing withdrawal symptoms after two weeks of fairly casual World of Warcraft play (a couple of hours a night, tops. Honest, doctor), but 'neglect of other activities' made me rather worried. Last night my girlfriend got hold of an extra ticket to Wicked, the new musical. 'I, er, I'm going out tomorrow night, I'd like to stay in and, er, get an early night,' was my pathetic effort at hiding my spiralling dependency on WoW."

Comments

Warcrack the New Evercrack?

[Bryansix]

I have never heard WOW called Warcrack but when I was in college Evercrack (Everquest) was all the rage. Many a freshman failed out because of it.

Re:Warcrack the New Evercrack?

[Xentor]

You bring up some valid points, but it's not ALL that bad. I've been playing WoW since release (Minus a 6-month hiatus when I got bored), and I've been in a lot of good groups and bad groups.

What you'll find is that every class in WoW is made to solo, specifically because there are a lot of people who just don't want to quest in groups. On the other hand, two complementary classes can perform MUCH better than any single one. A group of five, working together properly, is really a beautiful thing.

Unfortunately, there are, as you said, a LOT of players who just can't play well with others. This includes:

1) Newbies: Just coach them along, and they'll get the hang of it eventually. Insulting them won't help them play better, so try to be helpful instead of hostile.

2) Raider Alts: Most players who have a somewhat maxed-out character will create more characters to experience more of the game. SOME of these will be VERY over-confident and reckless, saying things like "It's not like this is MC or anything" (MC = Molten Core = One of the first endgame raids), forgetting that their character isn't exactly superman yet. Avoid these people.

3) Anyone who doesn't speak your language. No communication = No teamwork. Avoid these, too.

If you get a bad group, it can be either really annoying or EXTREMELY funny (Best part about having a guild, is having people to chat with to laugh about the idiots in your current party). Trust me, I've had some FUNNY ones... Most recent was a druid (Hybrid class) that refused to deal any damage because it wasn't her "style".

If you get a good group, it can really make up for all the bad times, because five people working in synch... well, good times.

Hopefully the changes in the next patch will cut down on the time it takes to FORM one of these groups, because on that point, I agree 100% with the parent. It takes way too long.

Disclaimer: Yes, I'm a lifeless computer geek, but after taking a six month break from WoW, I realized I wasn't doing anything interesting anyway, and I was just as bored. I know I'll get flamed for being an addict, anyway, but that's just slashdot.

Re:Cost

[Feanturi]

I played MUDs back in the day. They were free and had no pretty graphics at all. They were every bit as addictive as the ones we have now. Rife with students flunking out, or people jeopardizing their jobs to play. So no, I don't buy the idea that the cost makes you want to get your money's worth.

it's also par for the course

[circletimessquare]

you know you're addicted to something hard when the potential for sex becomes less attractive to you

and it happens all the time with warcrack

What an Idiot

[matt74441]

He really should have gone to the stupid musical. Everyone knows that girls will "reward" their boyfriends later for being a good sport and going, at least thats how it happened with me.

Re:Solution - Get a life.

[blahplusplus]

"LEAVE THE FUCKING BASEMENT!"

I know this was meant to be funny, but to be serious for a moment. Those who still live in the basement have more serious issues beyond WoW my friend, clinical depression and possible abuse being one of them.

The psychological rewards caused by natural selection can be ruined if a minimum of some of maslow's hierarchy of needs cannot be maintained. Because some serious exterinal or biological factors interfere with social and occupational functioning, causing unnatural stress and agitation on a persons nerves to the degree the wish to cease to exist to escape the cage constant stress and agitation they find themselves in. "Depression" does not in any way capture what a clinically depressed person physically feels. Anyone interested in understanding some of the evolutionary aspects of depression better can go here - http://biology.unm.edu/Biology/pwatson/public_html /dp1.htm

I've experienced clinical depression all my life, I shit you not, it's not a fun thing to know that for your entire life you do not experience life like everyone else, you do not enjoy things other people enjoy, and even the things you should enjoy... eating, sex, social life, company, take a back seat when you are clinically depressed.

The below is taken from Altruists.org :

Is Depression (i.e. and its consequences like addiction, etc) a Healthy reaction to a Sick Society?

"To demand that our children feel well in the world which we leave them is an insult to their dignity." Ivan Illich

The World Health Organisation defines depression as a 'disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration'. It declares that it is the leading cause of disability, worldwide, and by 2020 it will be the second most important disease worldwide.

WHO goes on to say that in most cases, drugs are an effective treatment. This reflects a materialistic worldview that focusses on symptoms, not root causes. A multinational drug company has claimed that "depression is caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals", but this fails to explain why it is more widespread than ever before, (9.5% of US adults suffer from a depressive disorder in any one year) and why it is still spreading. Depression is not just another disease. If it is not caused by pathogens, how can it spread?

Maslow's hierarchy of needs predicts that if securely fed and housed, people's well-being depends less on material goods, more on factors such as good relationships with and love of others. However, most people are in the thrall of an economic system that ignores this fact, punishes generosity but rewards unnatural selfishness. This results in cognitive dissonance, because people feel forced to do things of which they disapprove, leaving them feeling guilty, disempowered and depressed. This would seem to explain why depression is booming even amidst materially prospering populations. Although a human tragedy, this epidemic of depression is a boon for the economy, since consumer culture feeds off people's low self-esteem by encouraging self-indulgence and escapism, resulting in a vicious circle of increasing consumption and decreasing well-being.

We believe many depressive symptoms are a natural response of the mind to an unhealthy, unsustainable, diseased and generally distressed society. Many of those who dismiss it as being an 'illness' of the brain, are sadly mistaken, others cynically exploiting it for their own benefit. Among the chief causes are the priority given to the competitive money system which discourages healthy human relationships to the point where, starved of friendship, some people even question the validity of loving others. Altruism is a side-effect free, natural way to cope with depressive symptoms and to live a longer, healthier and happier life.

Re:Cost

[DaveV1.0]

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.