Monday, August 23, 2010

Farewell, Dear Second Job....

Like many loveable furballs before me, like Karthis, another retired feral druid, I too have discovered that World of Warcraft had become more of a second job than a pleasurable form of entertainment. Certainly it is fun and rewarding to group up with friends who are almost like family after hanging out almost every night with the same people for over 4 years now... but it is also frustrating and disappointing to come together to accomplish things, but discover that they can't be done due to a missing healer, or some other missing person or people who are necessary and basically irreplaceable for end game achievements and goals.
I'm just not one of those players who feels the need to have a dozen alts that are all level 80 and decently geared up. I just can't invest that much time into characters I don't feel really attached to. I pick just one... and that is my one accomplishment... I might play around some days on alts that are fun to play with, but they never get the love and attention my single main does.

But alas... I have many fond memories of all of my friends, and the nights that we spent working together.. the glee from watching good players pull off what would usually wipe a group, or giggling at noobs who think they can tank... and all of the friends who asked me for advise, or simply just liked hanging out... I'd sing an Ode of farewell to them... I was just too shy to sing to them for real... Eventually I felt shoved aside by my guild because I was a simple feral kitty, and my guildies did not appreciate the abilities of their ferals. I offered suggestions for some roles a feral can do to help on strategies, but whoever the guild gods may be.. would decide in favor of some other mechanic from some web page somewhere else. I was left out and lonely and that was when I just couldn't put any more of my time into raiding... and without raiding.. there really isn't anything else for me. I was one of the courteous WOW players.. putting other's needs and desires before my own, sitting out for people who wanted to see new things first... enjoying hearing their happiness when they experienced new and challenging things... knowing that I would be included in it later because I was a member... but... it hurt me in the end. I passed too much on some of the things I needed to let others gear up... and I sat too much to let others get into my spot in the raid... I was then forced to sit for raids... and was just no longer needed...
At one point, I was one of the main tanks... but I was doing pretty good damage as cat form when we only needed one or two tanks, well.. how about I just go pure dps? Kitties can really kick out some damage right? So I did, and retired from tanking... but... I basically retired from wow in the end... because kitties were doing so well, we have to get nerfed, and the raid only needs a single feral... The feral tank can offer the same buff as the kitties... the kitties aren't even really needed at all... unless they do more damage than the other dps... But they were fun to play.. and I had a lot of fun playing Tallyswift...

Farewell Tallyswift... your paws are no longer needed to claw the trash for people so some players can sit back and watch TV while waiting to get to a boss fight... Your thick hide is no longer needed to off tank on Thorim when our main tank can basically solo tank everything in Ulduar on hard mode now... Tally was never a moonkin... Tally levelled up as a healer and was left in the dust then too.... But feralie goodness was embraced and Tally was reborn as a bear...
and a bear Tally was... for the whole experience of being in the end game guild of Hat...

The stars are calling... The dog is whining... The sunsets are gleaming... just behind those curtains and blinds... The moon waxes, then wanes again... and Orion dances overhead all winter, while Hercules watches protectively from above all summer.... I didn't get a tan again... My skin is so sensitive now I'm not sure I can get a tan anymore... I let my hair grow out... I colored it back to the color I was born with... I withdraw back into my small world.. my home, my kids, my future....

I'm not sure how my blogsite got linked with Asian forums, but it makes me giggle to see comments in half english and half characters that I do not recognize. I hope I didn't offend anyone, I hope I didn't upset anyone. I'm a very giving little person and try to accept and help all those who cross my path... I'm still the child who wants to bring home the stray cats.. the child who stops to untangle the bird caught in the bushes... the lone dove who sings her quiet little song in the evenings even if no one is listening anymore...

But my origami talents are improving, and I have numerous fans who come to see what critters are occupying my display box in my quiet little lab at work...

We always have to come to a point where we must re-define our self image and who we want to be. Step away from the image that others have painted of us, when their pictures are no longer very pretty... just paint the picture yourself...

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Tally,

This is Shimo I'm sure you might remember me I just kind of stumbled on this blog tonight but yeah I must say you'll be missed, at least by me maybe i'll catch you online sometime or something, Gorefiend will be all the less nicer without you around :( Thanks for all the feral help, and that unsolicited almost help with One light in the darkness that one night hehe :D Have a good one it was a great experience to play alongside you :)

Signed
Shimo

Jorge said...

My favorite person in WOW just leave.
I am sad...
But but who will invite me to rares pugs. Or tank my heroics??? Or tank our mounts runs or do the seasoned events :´(
I will truly miss you

MX

Blake H. said...

Tallyswift! This is Imotheap... You know, the Shadowpriest who was a fellow member!? I got a little reminiscent about old times and decided to google a few names I rememberd. The google search brought up the post about when Grendu got his new helm, and I (in perfect imitation murlock) would laugh at the one he previously had all the time! Oh man those were some good times... Black temple was my absolute favorite of all my years playing WoW. Sunwell was fun, but there was just something about BT... anyway, send me an email and catch me up with what you've been up to!! I don't know if you still get notifications or anything about comments on this blog, but send me an email at blakehines AT gmail DOT com!