Wednesday, October 7, 2009

How do you jump back in?

.

OMG HAI. Remember me? I’m Av! Good to see ya again.

Yeah, I've taken a huge long break from WoW.

What have I been doing in the meantime? Well, lots of real life stuff! In the past couple months, I have:

1. Moved in with my boyfriend
2. Started a new job
3. Started running again and caring about my health
4. Learned how to cook and bake
5. Totally and completely distanced myself from all things WoW.


My question is, how the hell do you jump back into it?

I have no idea what gear is good, what strats are best, what new changes have been made to the game play, I haven't tried Onyxia yet, I haven't even done 5 man Coliseum - I don't know how badges of triumph work, I didn't even know that the Brewfest was happening, and when it ends (has it already ended?), or what quests to do, my gear is pretty crappy compared to most of my raiding guildmates at this point, I haven't done any transmutes for the alchemy quests, my gold stash is in the hole, and I don't even know what my guildies are up to - there are even new resto druids that we've recruited that I haven't spent ANY time with.

And I call myself a WoW blogger and class leader?

Buh.

There's just so much that it almost seems easier to stay where I am and not try to get back into the swing of things.... but of course I don't want to do that! It just seems easier to log on tinker around with my hunter or shaman and not get back into raiding on Av. =/

Any advice?

.

20 remarks:

coil said...

Advice: trust your guildmates to catch you up in record time, because they miss you terribly. (:

Dan said...

Av -

Start off doing just the things you want to do. Heal something hard. Or, for hilarity, tree-pee-ess something (yes, that's dps-ing in resto spec).

The last thing I'd suggest doing is making giant lists of things you want to see/get/etc. and burning out like crazy trying to get them.

As to gear, I'll always take skill over gear. Raid for fun, and the gear will come.

As to raids, well, we're headed into hard modes soon probably even tonight. I know you like challenges ;).

Hang out in guild chat, party with people you haven't talked to in a while - it'll all come to you in a bit of time. Hell, most of us would be happy to give you the -since-you-left-in-brief 5-minute rundown.

4shley said...

We miss seeing you online, but do it because it's fun and you want to do it, and not any other reason. <3

Jong said...

ohai!

Keeva said...

Welcome back :)

Kcir said...

Welcome back!

Yup I agree with the above, take it easy!

Don't jump into the rat-race of gear upgrades.

I'd suggest trying some things that you've never done before. Maybe a new battleground that you haven't played, do some interesting quests that you passed by, go to the old world and explore some dungeons that you haven't seen, etc.

In short, have some fun !

Before you know it 3.3 will be here and everyone will be jumping on the gear upgrade treadmill again.

Littlebark said...

Oh hai!

I agree with everyone else. Dabble around, but jump back in too fast - you'll get a bit dazed.

All in all though, I missed seeing your posts. I check back every day ;)

Notabear said...

I wondered what in the hell happened to you.

Step 1)Run a bunch of fast heroics or easy mode raids to fill up on conquest badges to fill out whatever raid gear you were missing.

Step 2) Do the daily heroics and run ToC 10/25 to get your triumph badges and sport your full new tier set.

Step 3) Prepare to have all that hard work squandered in the next patch when the introduce the final? dungeon before Cataclysm and change all the badges to triumph and introduce a whole NEW set of badges.

Step 4) Continue posting as if nothing ever happened, because nothing really did.

Aerivore said...

Welcome back!

Aertimus said...

What WoW? :P

Glad to hear you have been having fun and are looking forward to playing WoW again!

sylly said...

welcome back, Av! Start with what makes you happy. =) And make sure you blog about it. /hug!

Mister K said...

Welcome back and enjoy the game how you want to enjoy it.

Nefernet said...

Welcome back ! :)

AJ said...

Coil, Dan, and 4shley all gave you tremendous advice from guildie standpoints. I fully agree with all of them and we DO miss you dearly.

I'd like to encourage you not to run away from your druid just because you're behind a month or two. You didn't miss as much as you think you did in the grand scheme of things. Not that you wouldn't enjoy playing your alts, but I think that knowing you, you'd feel like you copped out. You owe it to yourself to try and get back in the flow of things on your druid.

The caveat is that you really do need to enjoy it. So like 4shley said, "do it because it's fun and you want to do it, and not for any other reason."

<3 Pallymar

Averna said...

@Everyone: Thanks guys. You all are the best <3

Leafshine said...

So, let me get this right. Based on your list, you've:

1. Started living in sin
2. Sold out to the man
3. Been consumed by vanity
4. Been consumed by gluttony
5. Been consumed by sloth

Sounds like you're doing fine without our advice! ;-)

(Welcome back)

Kae said...

AVVVVV! *hug*

Top Priority for you when jumping back in: go leer at Applebough for a while. He's still there. Looking all green and leafy. With pretty cats and bears running to and fro. While we're still wilted... ahem, autumnal.

After that, don't fret about jumping into ToC regular mode raids. They are remarkably easy, and a good way to learn the fights before you try the heroic versions. It's kinda confusing having 10N, 10H, 25N, and 25H as well as the 5-man versions, but the fights themselves are pretty much the same, just scaling in difficulty by adding hp, damage, and new abilities or limitations.

Ony's the same old Ony, except some adds that cleave and fire-nova join the fray when she goes flying around, just to give the melee and tanks something to do aside whelps.

WB to the druid world :)

Fuyuko said...

I know EXACTLY how you feel.

I raided cold on a CC25 run after only a month of not raiding, and I felt completely lost.

It's one thing learning new encounters WITH 24 other people. It's another when they all know it and you're the fool who's dying to stupid stuff.

Not to mention my heals were abysmal. I guess the only way to get back into it is to jump feet first. >.<

Jaedia said...

Read other Druidy blogs to catch yourself up to speed. Jump into the TotC 5 man, practise healing again. If you're confused on anything after that, search blogs/MMO/anything else, read Druidy forums. Practise. Read tactics for new raid content you don't know and try it on 10 man. Stuff like that, is what I do at least :3

Pookies said...

"TreePS" made me LOL!

WB Av. I see you pop online now and then but it's always in the middle of a fight!!! :'(