#10Years10Questions: Part 3

#10Years10Questions is brought to you buy @AlternativeChat. Answer these questions yourself at her blog. Oh, and if interested, here's Parts 1 & 2. 

7. How long have you /played and has that been continuous?
I've logged about two year's played time across all of my characters, and yes, that has been continuous. The amount of time I play each week tends to ebb and flow with life, but I've had a consistent, recurring subscription since 2006, and I can't remember going a full week without logging on. 

I know, that might seem excessive, but it's been a source of enjoyment since I first picked up the game and I don't regret the time I've spent. Not at all. Even when I add up all of the money I've spent on the franchise (subscriptions, server transfers, faction changes, expansions, shop items, and Blizzcon trips), it's an amount I can justify, especially when considering what I feel I've gotten out of the whole experience. 

8. Admit it: do you read quest text or not?
I do, though this wasn't always the case. In Vanilla and the Burning Crusade, I didn't have a good sense of the overarching story, partially because I wasn't paying close attention, and partially because I was oblivious to the deep history of the franchise and how it related to the events of WoW and its first expansion. 

Wrath of the Lich King finally pulled me into the story and I began to read all of the text quest, and have made that my habit the first time I level through new content. I have not yet gone back to finish the Cataclysm quests they added to Vanilla content, though I intend to someday. 

I'm absolutely stoked for Warlords, and as wacky as the time-travel stuff can get, I think it has the potential to be one of the best stories players have seen.  

9. Are there any regrets from your time in game?
Part of me wishes I would've gotten into the social aspect of the game a little earlier than I had, especially when it comes to Vanilla and BC, but overall no regrets that nag at me. WoW in its infancy was a one-time thing, now long gone. Though I was an active subscriber at the time, I didn't have a grasp on everything that was going on. I wasn't aware of how special it could be, and how special it would eventually become.

I've made some bad decisions with unforeseen consequences that may have affected some of the people I played with, but I'd like to think I've learned from those and apply that knowledge moving forward, in game and in life. It's amazing how guild management can parallel management in the real world.

Oh! Also, I abandoned a quest in the Hand of A'dal line during the Wrath of the Lich King expansion to make room for other quests before I knew what I was doing. Then they removed the ability to earn that title from the game. I totally regret that. 

10. What effect has Warcraft had on your life outside gaming?
It's definitely broadened my perspective on life, believe it or not, mainly through the people I've met in-game and throughout the community. Truly, they are more diverse than my own close circle of friends. So there's that.

In college, it helped me prioritize and learn to manage my time.

Then there's the challenges in managing and communicating effectively with a group who have allied together, while the motivations and desires of those within may vary wildly. There's always so much to learn and apply elsewhere.

I've learned a lot about group dynamics; about how five seemingly innocuous words can be interpreted on a spectrum; how something not important to me can be the most important to thing to someone else and how no one has to be wrong in the matter. It's helped me hone my communication and critical thinking skills. 

Leading raids taught me to first know my stuff before getting into the thick of things, to be alert and aware in a rapidly-changing environment. To make snap-judgement decisions in a stressful situation based on all the information you're able to glean over the course of a second or two.

Most importantly I have met life-long friends through this game, friends who won't disappear like their characters will the day servers go dark.

#10Years10Questions: Part 1

#10Years10Questions is an effort started by the lovely @AlternativeChat. She's asking you to talk about your Warcraft history, whether currently subscribed or a one-time player. Head over to her blog and share your history!

Why did you start playing Warcraft?
It was sort of an odd series of events that lead me into Azeroth. It was May or June of 2005, and I was about to start my final year of college. A then-bandmate of mine picked up World of Warcraft and suggested I try it out. I'd seen and heard enough about the game to accept his offer to test-drive it. I do remember bits and pieces from that 45-minute-long play session, including the character that I chose, but I'll get into that in the next question.

Shortly after trying out the game, I found myself in a local game shop with my step-brother. He was looking for something new to play, and a couple of recently released MMOs were garnering positive reviews. He turned to me with a game box in each hand and asked, "Guild Wars, or World of Warcraft?"

"Definitely Warcraft," I said. There was some back and forth about having to pay a subscription, since Guild Wars didn't require one of its players. "It'll be better," I said, "because you're paying extra for it every month."  I think there was a "just trust me" in there, too (I had no idea what I was doing). In the end, he trusted me. 

One of the first characters I played for any length of time, circa November 2005. I lost access to the shared account this rogue was on shortly after this was snapped. As you can also see, this is before I discovered addons. Look at those bags!

By the end of that summer, the long-term relationship I was in had dissolved. And no, I know what you're thinking: the breakup had nothing to do with World of Warcraft. In fact, I hadn't played since the first time I'd tried it at my friend's house earlier that summer. I ended up moving to a nearby city to share a flat with my step-brother and two others. To my surprise, they were all playing Warcraft. 

By fall, I was sharing an account with the two other roommates, a couple who had an account together. It was my senior year of college, meaning I had quite a bit of free time while the owners of the account both worked day jobs. Thus, the game was mine during the daytime hours. However, they were planning to move into a place of their own by the end of the year, meaning my days of account-sharing were numbered.

It was time to take things into my own hands. In January of 2006, I went back to that local game shop and purchased my own copy of World of Warcraft. I've had an active subscription ever since.

What was the first ever character you rolled?
The first character I rolled would technically be the one that I used to check out the game for the first time at my friend's house in 2005. In retrospect, I cannot fathom what pushed me to make the choice that I did. Probably naivety, for the most part: simply not knowing about what the choices meant. It was clear that there were two sides in this game, but other than one faction looking distinctly uglier and meaner than the other, I had no clue what all when into the history of their interactions. 

For whatever reason, I settled on a dwarf. For class, I went with hunter; again, I cannot remember why I went this route. If I had to guess, I chose hunter because of the promise of getting a pet. 

I remember being enamored with just how large the world seemed when I finally got inside and started the opening quests. Keep in mind this large world was confined to the dwarven starting area---I had absolutely no idea how large the world really was. I also had absolutely no idea how large the world would become. 

Strangely, to this day the hunter class is the only class I cannot get into no matter how I try. My most-famous hunter was level 76. Whether he's famous for being my highest-level hunter or because he's the highest-level character I've ever deleted...you decide.

Meet Carlyja circa February 2006. This is the first character I rolled on my own account, started in January of 2006. I've learned how to hide the user interface by this time. I still play this character today.

Which factors determined your faction choice in game?
As a rule I tend to shy away from characters that seem too human when I play fantasy-adventure games. After all, I get to be a human every day! I also have a tendency to side with the underdogs, especially if there's a good vs. bad dichotomy taking place. It has nothing to do with being a bad person (I hope) or thinking myself a badass; rather, it's refreshing to not have to follow the "good guys" around everywhere. 

When it came to Warcraft, I went into it with no lore background. From the character creation screen it was clear to me there were two factions, but beyond that the factions had no meaning behind them. As I mentioned above, I rolled a dwarf that first time, and once I was sharing accounts, I spent my time between a human warlock and an orc rogue (the latter pictured above). 

Then, once I had my own account, I chose to make my human warlock undead by re-rolling a Forsaken warlock. The choice to create a Horde character stuck with me, and I soon learned there could be benefits to having multiple characters of the same faction on the same realm. While I absolutely loved everything about Stormwind City during Vanilla, it wasn't enough to hold my allegiance. Horde it was, and would be, forever. 

Still, I'm not a die-hard "For the" faction type of guy anymore. I used to be, but after really delving into Warcraft lore over the years, I see the situation in Azeroth as being very nuanced. I respect both factions and know there's good story no matter which side you're on. But with so many years and characters invested in the Horde, seeing me on an Alliance toon will continue to be a rare sight. 

Part Two later this week! In the mean time, head over to Alternative Chat's blog and answer these questions for yourself if you haven't already.