October 2017

The Couple That Games Together

stargrace October 12, 2017 2Comments

My husband and I used to game together, but over the years he decided that he didn’t want to play MMOs because they used up an enormous amount of his free time, and he focused on his steam library (over 500 games) while I continued to play. We’ve played most MMOs together in one form or another, briefly. It made me sad when our duo was suddenly a solo but of course I supported his decision.

I started talking about WoW a few days ago with him, trying to decide what I wanted to do in game, what character I wanted to play, and he said out of no where that he missed playing MMOs with me and that when he gets back from depot in 3 months he would like it if we played WoW together.

I was stunned! He was incredibly excited about it and started talking about his old character and how he’d like to faction transfer from Alliance back to Horde. It was such a great discussion, one I have really missed. Even though actually playing together is some time off, we’re both looking forward to a few hours here and there in Azeroth together.

For most people this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but gaming is how we met each other. We don’t always share the same tastes, but thanks to him I’ve tried branching out and playing games I wouldn’t normally find interesting, and vice versa. I love that I have a partner who games, and I think it would be very difficult to be in a relationship with someone who didn’t share that passion of mine. Some things I know we don’t need to share, my husband is no knitter and doesn’t share my love of fiber, just like I am not a huge fan of some of his passions – but we support each other and we inspire and motivate each other. Having him express that he missed us gaming together and that he wanted to pick it up again when he comes home was like a big warm hug wrapping itself around me.

I’m so excited!

Decisions Decisions!

stargrace October 11, 2017 0Comment

At a year old, my kid still doesn’t sleep through the night very well if he’s left on his own. He wakes up frequently and cries. Dealing with a cranky kid is no fun, especially when you’re parenting solo, and so I’ve taken to hanging out in the room with him (his crib is in my room anyway) while he’s sleeping. That means for 2 hours a night (before I go to bed, basically) I have “free time” – but limited time because I don’t want to wake him up.

Thankfully I came up with a temporary solution that seems to work. I have a rocking chair, his change table (a wooden table basically with shelves) and my laptop set up. A lamp nearby with a light blocker so that the light shines for me but doesn’t interrupt him. I’ve tried many other things to get him to sleep better, less blankets, more blankets, white noise, a routine, the only thing I haven’t tried is letting him cry it out, and I’m not comfortable with that. Anyway. That’s not the point of this post. The point is that I finally have a little niche for me, so I can spend two hours a night feeling a little more like a human being, and a little less like a walking milk bag (remember, milk comes in bags here).

With that extra time (that’s not extra, but lets just dream here) I’ve picked up WoW, knitting, blog posts, some anime, and doing my Inktober entries. It is absolutely amazing how good I feel after a little bit of a baby break. I love my son with all of my heart, but you start to wonder whether or not you’re actually a person after spending 24/7 attached to them for so long. Once our family is settled again (three months down three to go) I like to imagine that we’ll move on to the next round of challenges but at least I won’t be solo parenting them all.

With my decision to return to WoW came the decision on what the heck I should do in game. I’ve returned and I have no clue what’s going on. I did pick up the new quest I was presented with but the zone it sent me to seems woefully overpowered for my character. I’m sitting at a lowly 871 ilevel, and mobs are just busting me into the ground. With glee.

I created that warrior I wanted to, a happy gnome named Petites. She’s sitting at level 3. Do I continue with the gnome? I have two level 110 characters, both on different servers. I have a handful of other level 100 characters that I’ve never gotten to 110, do I work on that? Perhaps some old achievements? Pet battles? Collecting mounts? Titles? Farm coin? Work on crafting?

You see the issue? Returning to the game is all fine and dandy, but feeling like I have no idea what’s going on (because I don’t, even though I’ve only been gone for three months) is annoying. So if you have a good resource for me to read on what I’ve missed and what’s going on with the story (and have it match up with what the heck my character is doing) I would greatly appreciate it!

Hmm. Just realized I also have a 100 druid I’ve always wanted to get to 110.. and a shaman.. and a pa– OK OK there’s never a lack of things for me to do in game, but I am so indecisive.  Someone help me out here.

As always, happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

It’s That time of Year

stargrace October 10, 2017 0Comment

It never fails. Right around the beginning of fall, nostalgia rears its ugly head. BlizzCon is just around the corner, hype is starting to build up from those of my friends who are attending, and those who are not attending. The virtual ticket goes on sale and everyone is talking about their awesome goodies and inside I’m thinking I really want to be a part of all of that too.

There’s nothing wrong with that. I think the hype and excitement is good. The only ‘wrong’ part is that of course I found myself debating whether or not I should also subscribe to World of Warcraft, whether or not I could justify the cost, if I could find the time to play.

Does any of that really matter if deep down inside I WANT to play? Not really because I’ll make any line of reasoning work. For example, I have 2 hours every night of freedom between when my kid goes to sleep and I go to sleep. Sometimes that’s even 3 hours depending on how tired I am. Two hours should be enough to get a few things done IF I were going to subscribe.

Then there’s that gnome warrior I’ve always wanted to make but (so far) have not. Low level tanking could be pretty fun and the levels might not be too painful. I could learn to play a class I’ve never played before and learn to let the comments from other people roll off my shoulders (hey, this is my fantasy, let me live it).

The hype, friends playing, a class I’d like to try (even though it’s one of the original classes – oh and have I mentioned I’ve never even created a demon hunter before?) and not currently being subscribed to a game all weighed on my soul as I stared at the ‘renew subscription’ button.

Of course I subscribed.

I want some of that happy feel good energy. My husband is still gone, my days are long, and I grasp for those moments, they are what keep me going. So if it costs $20 a month (approx, remember I’m Canadian) for a little bit of that joy, why not. I see so many people beating themselves up for enjoying the small things. If you’re a hard worker, have a roof over your head, food on the table, take care of yourself and your family, why shouldn’t you be allowed to have a few small pleasures? It’s really time we stop making ourselves feel guilty every time we want to buy a new game or spend a little time in front of the TV. Of course all this is based on us being logical and working on moderation, but seriously, it’s OK to get excited.

Bring on BlizzCon… (I still don’t own a virtual ticket, but this is a start)