My thoughts

[Zepol]

Well guys im stuck between a rock and a hard place again.

I won't lie to you guys but the flame of World of Warcraft is dieing out again.....i feel its like trying to quit cigarrets.....i stop then start again. But this time the only thing keeping me from selling my account to seal the deal is you guys.

This is my current situation.
My inlaws moved back to Miami, leaving me, Illy and Anthony here in Texas on our own. We bearly have any friends in RL over here so it gets pretty lonely. And since Illy is now out of school and doing her internship I don't want to be selfish and go on and play on the warcrack for hours at a time, cause then she will be left alone with no one to talk to, watch tv, have a laugh or two.

And then my other situation is I love playing with your guys but for the passed two months I have been doing more soloing then I have ever had. I mean not for anything but I have been waiting for any group to ask me to join even when I say guys who wants to do anything...but I get nothing, and by nothing i mean not even a response, its like talking to the wall. I bring pots to be able to join a group but it's full. I come on early to join anything and either groups are full or people are doing other runs with diffrent guilds.

All in all i love playing with my online friends, cause your all i got, but lately I have felt that ......that.....some of you dont look at me as I look at you. I know im being dramatic but im speaking from the heart.

I am not sure still what I am going to do at this point. But I have a couple of days to think about it.

Love ya guys.
Al

[Alorah]

I sympathize with you wholeheartedly Allen. Not so much with the family issues, but everything else I've experienced. I think you should take a break to try and find some friends outside of the game. That seems to be an issue of primary importance. You'll always have friends online and they are indeed valuable, but having personal interaction with others has an entirely different value and can help to keep you grounded.

I don't think you should quit WoW, not yet anyway, because it does still give you a virtual interaction with your friends across the country/world. The forums are still here for you and I think always will be, but the difference in time for each interaction with a friend can be rather poignient.

I hope you find some buds in real life to hang out with soon, same for your wife of course.

Justin

[Padishar]

Hey Al,
Noticed that you have been on less and less and got wondering about ya.
Figured u just got busy like the rest of us do from time to time.

Glad u posted here.

No matter what you decide to do, it may be best to try and take a break and decide that.
Ur fam and building a life should always come first of course.
It is just a game and we will be here either way to still be your friends

[undrin]

Well I have to say I too noticed your not being on much latley. I have missed my silly warlock. But real life and relationships are way way more important. If you need a break please take one. Come back when you are ready. We will still be here either way for ya.

[ScarletRahl]

Hello Dc....You are missed but sometimes we all need a break away. You are missed but I aslo understand. We will be here when and if you come back. Love Liz

[Ozone]

since Illy is now out of school and doing her internship I don't want to be selfish and go on and play on the warcrack for hours at a time, cause then she will be left alone with no one to talk to, watch tv, have a laugh or two.
And then my other situation is I love playing with your guys

Heya Zep!
I only know you through passing and a few posts, but I've lost in the past a lover and a very close friend. She accepted that I was playing a lot and never mentioned until it was too late that she had needed my attention. She gave signals, but I never noticed as all that was in my mind was wondering what the guild was up to and trying to get my mount.

For F sake, I'm an adult, this was a game and I lost something tangable in my life due to my addiction. In the end, got my mount, lost someone I cared about.

Realisations I hit;

1) My life is real, my character's isn't. Epics and online chat wont give me a hug when needed, or listen to me if I have something deep to vent and need an opinion on.

2) The love of my family and friends and my ability to be there for them supercedes a game which I'll probably vaguely remember in a few years.

3) There are some close people around me that need me to be there for them. The times that I've tried to rush a convo so I can turn back to the computer insults them, it makes them think I don't care. At that time, for some F'd up reason, I did care more about a game than their need to speak to me. The 'yeah, yeah...', nervous twiddling and glances at the screen showed them how much I cared more about a virtual sword than something that was of deep meaning to their lives. It also confirmed how I could care more about a game than about them when they needed me.

4) Managing to get an epic staff I've been working towards for weeks will not advance my real life in any way, on the contrary, it will jeapordise my goals, my job, my family.

Things I did:

1) Quit the gaming for a while (about 6 months) and re-established a contact with reality. Its amazing how much, after stopping, you can talk to a person you care about (whos been talking to you for months) and very vaguely (if at all) remember details they spoke about, which to them were traumatic. Theres a lot more satisfaction in life to grab a glass of wine, hit the couch, chat, watch a film and, as opposed to typing 'lol', share a laugh and a convo till your crying and doubled over.

2) Set a schedule, (the game will always be there). If I get my staff this week or a month from now, who gives a F? IT'S A GAME. I can play - after I wash the dishes, one hour a night on study nights, Sat and Sun morning from 8-12, and anytime I've got no obligation and no-one around, BUT, as soon as anything comes up I shut down. I met a load of people this way and had a blast.
Example (recent):
Was asked to go to a BBQ, thought it would suck. I don't know anyone there and would rather sit home and advance my character, then thought WTF? I'm falling into pattern again. So, went to BBQ, met a few people and had a good time with some. From that, went out to dinner last Fri, gonna try to golf this Sat and got invite to another BBQ this Sun. SHITE! On the weekends during the day there's a thing called 'sun'.
Then again, had I not taken invite, I might be 1-2g iricher in game.

3) When the computer is off, my on-line personas are out of mind. They're a bit of fantasy (or some sort of obsessive sub-concious thing) that will be there again when I turn the computer back on. In the intermn I got people who are real and care about me, rely on me, and need me, I plan to be there for 'em.

Anyways...
Rant of a previous addict.
Still plays loads without the obsession.
O3

[Zepol]

Thanks Ozone,
You opened my eyes. And with this said I have sold my account today, it was hard, but its true I need to repriorities my life.
I love playing with you guys...i do, but my wife is also my best friend and I dont want to lose that, I also dont want to miss out on seeing my babyb boy growing up.

C ya guys
Ill defenitly be around.

[Lilleth]

Alan, we'll miss you. I understand your reasons for leaving

No one's REAL life should be pushed aside for a game. Give your beautiful wife and baby boy their hubby/daddy back, if you feel he's been lost.

I'm glad you're on my MSN Keep in touch, or I will come to Houston and kick your gnomie butt!! (You'll always be a crazy Gnome to me )

/hug
/dance
/poke
/purr

As a side note...you didn't /gquit, so we need to remove Zepol, Dragoncat, Barthemelu from the guild, but NOT Ithron, right (diff acct)? (I understand why you couldn't bring yourself to do that).

[RagingDeath]

Alan you will be missed dearly. Hope you continue to have a great family, cause that is what is most important. Please keep in touch here with us. Good journey bro.

[undrin]

You will be missed here also. Hope things go great with your family. I for one just took my wife and kids to the county fair. So I understand totally getting away. I used to play way way to much. Than I too took a break. So I will see you around one way or the other.

[Alorah]

I know this was hard for you, but I think you made the right decision. It's just a game after all, and you still have the forums to be with your "virtual friends" (no offense intended ). Even I'm still around here.

Best of luck reconnecting with reality. Drop a line if you want any help from cyberspace with anything!

Justin

[Monamy]

Al, you're getting even bigger in my eyes now more than ever!!

What Ozone said is all true, it 'is' in the end just an online game where people from all over the world play it. But real life always comes first, and I'm sure we all know it by heart, we just need a little push from the back from time to time to think right =3

Speaking of who, I myself noticed that as well; I'm playing WoW most of my time, but I have yet to make true friendships with many people I know... It strikes me in the heart, and it really burns now. I feel as if I was blind all this time by the game, and never gave the time for myself to live a decent life... So I'll start getting out more often with my friends and do some group activites with them (which I've never felt like doing), and I'm sure that things are bound to change.. It's never too late to change one's lifestyle, and maybe in the future I'll learn to value my RL friends more than an online game... I can't believe I'm typing this, I feel ashamed for not living my life and living inside a game!

I'm... talking too much again.. I fear that I got out of the subject so I'll just stop here ^^; And like everyone here said, we're all your buds, Al. And whatever choice you take, we are here to support you and hear you out... May your up-coming days be filled with happiness and happiness alone.

[Axavier]

Alan!!! See you in messenger bud. Always around somewhere. Just give a holler. Don't forget the Facebook. I keep mine updated so you can reach me there too. Ciao for now.

"J"