No life?

[Noxdowne Draggout]

After a week away from the game, due to RL getting in the way, I can not believe how much I do not give a crap about this game at the moment.

The thought of more GoD trials when I haven't entered the Plane of Time yet just fills me with dread.

I am so sick of lfg, worrying about flags, worrying about aa's and all the other BS that I can't even bring myself to log on.

What ever happened to playing a video game and having fun?

I have been having a blast playing game cube with my daughter. I am 10 times more excited about playing mario double dash than I am about going on another run into PoF on a flag drag.

I am not quite sure what my point is here.

Maybe I am just sick or trying to beat a game that has no end.

Nox

[Zhamok]

If I maybe so bold, I think you just need to have a say on how you want to spend your time playing EQ. As it is now, the game requires you to do a lot of things to be able to get ahead of others or get what you want be it AA, Flags, equipment. GoD compounded this by introducing more zones where guilds have to explore and raid. Being in a guild requires commitment from the individual for the greater good of the guild. Although playing casually and solo also has its moments of great depression in not having the equipment, AAs, Flags, or content seen, of members of an uber guild. Once in an LDON dungeon, I can only smile as an enchanter solo a mob as fast as the 5 members of the group and still slow and mez all the attacking mobs. Instead of being depressed knowing all the things you still need to do, which is work, recognize what you have accomplished and feel a sense of pride and have fun.  :D

[Kashmiir Battlekat]

I think most folks who are in a raiding guild, in or near the Elementals feels a lot of pressure. I would say just focus on the content you wish to persue and dont worry about the others.

Now if your guild is pressuring you in to PoP Flags, GoD Flags, AA's, Leadership and other 'things' thay may be asking too much of there folks.

[Ghoat]

Sadly, if they DONT ask those things of the members, the guild stalls - 1/2 get thier stuff done, 1/2 don't then you get guild in-fighting.  Surviving a raiding guild means taking some breaks :)

[Lorathir]

I think there's something quite interesting happening here. I seem to be seeing more and more of these type's of posts, not just here but on other boards too. As mmorpg's get more popular and numerous, I daresay we'll see more people commenting on the pressure of being in a high end raiding guild.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating - when the fun goes out of EQ, time to make a change. Whether that means quitting altogether or just quitting raiding is really your choice.

But seriously, be pro-active about it. RL is stressful enough - EQ is leisure time.

[Lorathir]

I think there's something quite interesting happening here. I seem to be seeing more and more of these type's of posts, not just here but on other boards too. As mmorpg's get more popular and numerous, I daresay we'll see more people commenting on the pressure of being in a high end raiding guild.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating - when the fun goes out of EQ, time to make a change. Whether that means quitting altogether or just quitting raiding is really your choice.

But honestly, be pro-active about it. RL is stressful enough - EQ is leisure time.

[Lorathir]

Hmm, sorry dunno what happened with that last post. Edit button seems to have disappeared, the lil bugger.

[Pojodan]

I find it equally remarkable how much EQ has become more of a job than a hobby for so many folks.  It's one reason I've decided to never join a 'raiding' guild.  My current guild, Avatars of Coachside, currently raids twice a week into places like Hate or Chardok, mainly for getting people their epci weapons.  There's no preasure to go, though it's certainly encouraged.  There's quite a number of 65s, but most all are still Baron or Venerable.. I'm probably the most well equiped member of the guild, if not then one of the top five..  I spend much of my time with guild members either helping them progress or doing lazy grind sessions.
I'll never be 'uber' with them, but I like it that way.

Sure the only way to get the best stuff is by raiding.. but, personally, I don't think 2k more HP, 300 AC, and 20 more DPS is worth the aggrivation that raiding guilds seem to cause (And have caused for me in the past)

I know several people who love that sort of preasure and enjoy doing it.. to them I say 'kudos' and hope they continue that way.  But the folks that do it because they feel it's necessary to be either a) uber or b) popular, I say 'Please don't hurt yourself'.    This is a game, remember?

[Llorath]

Sadly, if they DONT ask those things of the members, the guild stalls - 1/2 get thier stuff done, 1/2 don't then you get guild in-fighting.  Surviving a raiding guild means taking some breaks :)

Requoting because that is the key right there....

My guild DOES go through stagnation periods, but we are not a raiding guild really. We ARE in the elemental planes, but flagging repeatedly is .... trying.  Being one of those who got their flag late, because of RL concerns.. reflagging sucks.

We dont have enforced raiding at all in my guild, but that still causes problems ( guild goes through spurts where we raid more than most raiding guilds.. like 6 days a week... then through times where we can go a couple weeks or more without raiding).  

Err.. where was i .. i am starting to ramble....

The key is, take breaks from the game.  If you are having more fun playing with your daughter on gamecube (yay !), DO IT :)

Eventually you will get the bug t play eq again... and if you dont , dont stress about it either.  You probably will ( very VERY few people actually quit and stay away from eq totally seems like ), but the break will do you a LOT of good and you will feel refreshed.

[bugman]

eq is the most time consuming addicting thing ive ever done, luckily im an anti social recluse so it works out well.  thats why i love it though, is so much more then a video game, its a sub culture, a challenge, truely a world of its own. all other video games ive ever played at some point about a month into them i realize im just pointlessly hitting buttons, but with eq, wether any of  you will agree or like it or not, what we do matters, if eq didnt matter to us we wouldnt be spending time getting happy, sad, mad, excited, stressed about the game, and we surely wouldnt spend time reading a message board about the game. i like eq because it mirrors alot of things irl, the stress, emotional roller coaster etc are all in tune with how humans act and react whereas the attempt at a controlled high of excitement and overwhelming fun of most games just leaves me jaded and bored. eq is hard and stressfull, just like life, and thats why i love it. of course just like in life when it gets too stressfull or overwhelming you gotta take a vacation or reasses what really matters to you and make changes.

[Hrann]

What ever happened to playing a video game and having fun?

Nothing happened to it, it's still there.  I never get stressed or feel pressure from playing EQ.  It' just a game that you can play or not play.  If I get bored, I camp out and go do something else.  I haven't played EQ since last Tuesday.  Did I take a break or quit?  No, of course not, I will probably never quit EQ.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I didn't feel like playing, Saturday I hung out with my wife and stuff, I went on a little trip upstate Sunday and Monday, and I probably won't play again until Thursday or so because I'm not in the mood today.

Then some weeks will come when I want to play every day.  I enjoy seeing my friends online and I enjoy adventuring - I probably wouldn't play if I felt pressure and stress.  It's just a video game that I have fun playing.

[mac173]

luckily im an anti social recluse so it works out well.

I'd make a club for us, but no one would come.

/shrug

[Hrann]

Besides, I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member. ;) - thanks Groucho hehe

[flush]

I like playing a game that challenges me. EQ still does (I'm elemental) and now the GoD expansion does too.

The side effect is that these challenges require lots of time. Which is fine by me, I'm not looking to spend a lot of money on other entertainment options at this point of my life.

Also realize that a challenging game will introduce other feelings such as anxiety, stress, joy, excitement in the process of learning/defeating the challenge.

And when the endeavor requires the combined cooperation of 50-60 people, it gets to a point where everyone has to be on the same page. If you don't like that, leave.

[Artan Stovokor]

...worrying about flags, worrying about aa's and all the other BS that I can't even bring myself to log on.

In my case I wold change the above to read the following:

...Excited about flags, excited about AA's and all the other fun things that make me want to log on.  :)