Attitude Check: Serious Business

We are all subject to the natural human tendency to take ourselves too seriously. Leaders and those in roles of authority are more susceptible than the average guild member, but even among the thronging masses there is a clear attitude of inflated self-importance within the virtual world we share. The danger of this tendency is that it can subtly and silently strip the game of its true purpose and replace what ought to be a fun, relaxing escape from reality with a burdensome, grueling, stressful grind. It is this crafty substitution, brought about by the stressors of the game itself (reputation grinds, gearing concerns, class imbalances, etc) and its social aspects (rude players, broken engagements, guild drama, etc), that most often contributes to burnout.

The reality is that games are designed to be fun. They are not "serious business" and the loot, accomplishments and goals set within a game are of no more meaning in real life than the color of your coffee mug is to your success in raiding. The point at which a game ceases to be enjoyable is the same point at which the player needs to take a step back and reevaluate his motivations for playing.

Near the end of The Burning Crusade I was utterly burned out on World of Warcraft. I wasn’t an officer, I didn’t raid, I had one level 70 character and I played between 6 and 8 hours per week, sometimes less. It wasn’t that I was over-committing myself to the virtual world – it was that I took my involvement in that virtual world far too seriously. I allowed myself to become frazzled because I wanted to raid and my work schedule wouldn’t allow it. I rubbed the letters off my keys grinding honor through the Great Alterac Valley Strike of ’08 in order to keep my Arena gear in top shape for my 1800-rated team. I fretted over every rumor and nerf and set of patch notes that made its way onto the WoW news websites. I drove my wife crazy, pushed my friends away with constant whining and never had ONE MOMENT of in-game fun and relaxation for months!

Perhaps you’ve been in my place. Maybe you’ve been burned out over situations significantly more "real" and "serious" and exhausting. You might be the GM of a family guild that’s struggling to get enough people together to raid a couple times a week, or the raider leader who has to deal with all the unhappy people who didn’t get to raid this week, or the recruitment officer who can’t seem to get people to understand that their 12-year-old brother’s best friend just isn’t a good fit, or maybe you’re none of those… just a regular member trying to get by in this vast virtual world… wondering where you fit in with a community of people you view as more knowledgeable, skilled and geared than yourself.

Friend, there is hope for your affliction. It’s not a cure-all and it won’t bring you back from your burn-out. It’s a vaccine and each of us could use a regular shot of it. I like to call it "reality", but I’m going to list under three other "R" words.

1. Remember. Go back to the beginning. Remember the reasons you started playing this game in the first place. Remember your very first character and your very first adventure in Azeroth. How long has it been since you listened to the rich-voiced introductory cinematic that told the history of your character as it panned its way to your race’s starting area? Remember. But don’t just remember it – recapture it. Take stock of just how far you’ve come since you first picked up the game, remember what you loved about the game then and I would wager it’s still what you love about the game now. Focus on those things.



2. Relax. I know you’re busy, I know that raids have to be led and rosters have to be posted and people have to be disciplined and loot has to be handed out and…… so on and so forth. I’m not telling you to neglect that stuff, but make sure that you take some time for yourself. Relax… have fun! If you aren’t enjoying the game, you shouldn’t be playing it. Guild Leader, go fishing for an hour. Raider, make a level 1 on an RP server and see what the other side of Warcraft is like. Gladiator, turn off General & Trade chat for half an hour and hang out with your friends. Achievement Guru, run a lowbie through your favorite instance just because you can.



3. Recognize. The world (of Warcraft) does not rest upon your shoulders. The game isn’t going to collapse just because you take some time to enjoy yourself. The guild is still together, the raid bosses aren’t dying without you, and the Sons of Hodir will still be there next week even though you decided to set aside the old reputation grind for a few days. Recognize that this game is for you but it isn’t about you… so enjoy it… and stop taking yourself so seriously.

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Jon Blevins is an officer of In Vino Veritas.

He's a pastor, husband, gamer and abstract thinker.

He lives in Minnesota where the snow comes from.