Where Have I Been?

Long time, no see, gold makers. As I sit here writing this post, I'm painfully aware that it's been almost 8 months since I last wrote anything on this blog. That in itself isn't so remarkable. I took a break from the game, and honestly, I wasn't even sure if I was coming back. What's less understandable, I would even say inexcusable, is that I never told anyone reading this blog that I was going.

I'm almost as sorry as my Paladin's transmog (and couldn't think of another picture to use)

There was nothing dramatic or earth-shattering about why I left. After playing almost uninterrupted since late Burning Crusade, I was just tired of the game. Nothing was necessarily wrong with it, but my life was changing. Hell, I was changing. When I left WoW, for once I meant it when I said "It's not you; it's me."

Things with my guild didn't help either, but it was nothing any of them did. We'd transferred from a dying server to one of the biggest PvE servers, hoping it'd be easier to recruit there. What we actually found was that, especially after falling behind due to our various issues in the previous tier, no one wanted to give us a chance. This meant it wasn't at all uncommon to end up pugging the last two or three slots in a 10-man group. Our other tank and I were solid, so at least we only needed DPS and occasionally a healer, but it still wasn't fun, and made progression difficult, to say the least.

At the same time I was getting tired of WoW, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was nearing launch. I'd played some beta, and was interested enough to pre-order for early access. I actually didn't stick with that game for long, but it distracted me enough that when I logged on one raid night and only half our group was online, my partner and I both finally said "screw it" and started our break.

If you're still reading at this point, you may be happy to know there's good news. I've come back to the game, albeit in a much more casual, limited capacity. There were quite a few factors: BlizzCon, a glut of unexpected free time around the holidays, the fact that I still follow a few gold makers, etc.

Still, I initially didn't know if I wanted to continue with the blog. I'm just getting back into things. I'm playing on a more casual basis. There are plenty of times I just don't have much to say.

Two things influenced my decision the most. Firstly, one of my favorite gold bloggers, Faid, returned from quitting the game. She's also taking a much more casual approach, not just to her playtime, but also to her blog. Frankly, I like her new attitude on blogging. It's something she does first and foremost for herself now, and if someone is helped or entertained by reading it, more power to them. I highly recommend you give her a look at ClockworkRiot.com. She's a very intelligent and entertaining person, and someone I admire very much.

Secondly, I've been listening to quite a few podcasts on the subject of gold making (and there are certainly many more than there were even a year ago). Things have changed enough since I left that I sometimes find myself floundering, and ideas are always helpful. Jim Younkin of Power Word Gold has a relatively new side venture called The GLDMKR Podcast. It's produced daily(ish), but each one is very easily digestible at about 5 minutes. I was getting caught up on that, and got to Episode 9. It was definitely different, with Jim launching right into a lengthy list of names for almost the entire episode. Near the end of it, I was surprised to catch my own name. Only at the end did he finally explain that this was a list of all the people who have started gold blogs in the last 3 years. Jim, if you end up reading this, I just want you to know that hearing that meant a lot to me.

In the end, I decided to shake the dust off the blog and continue it. What does it matter if my posting schedule is inconsistent, if I get busy sometimes, or don't have anything in particular to say? It's not about making someone else happy or living up to their expectations. It's about me, reflecting on my journey. If someone finds any information in it that helps them, that's great. If they don't, they don't. In the end, it's not about them.

This is my story.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

(Now I want that FFX HD remaster. Is it March 18 yet?)