Monday marks the 4th month of my return to World of Warcraft. So much has changed since I last logged on! Most of my activities in-game are just figuring out what has changed, remembering how to play, and getting used to having an in-game WoW life again. Since my last serious game log-in back in 2013 (and occasional visits through spring 2014), I’ve been enjoying the sights and sounds of Azeroth on my main and various alts on a daily basis.
Why return? Why now?
So many reasons! I’d always found the world of WoW to be an immersive escape from the daily indignities and grinds of everyday living. While the global pandemic has inspired me to give WoW a serious try again, I don’t think I’ve ever really left it. I’ve hung on to much of what I had learned (computer skillz) and the identification with the MMORPG-WoW gaming system, which is easily portable to other RPG games. WoW had given me what I needed when I went through my own medical crisis and recovery back in 2008. WoW’s pull on me, therefore, is a deeper, more visceral, more profound sort of sentimentality and fondness.
Then, there’s Shadowlands. When I left, Sylvanas Windrunner was the tragic leader of the Undead racial contingent of the Horde. While I was away, she became the Horde’s Warchief and committed genocide by burned down Teldrassil, killing thousands. Now, she has destroyed the Helm of Domination. Wut???? Oh and Alleria Windrunner’s back. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot to catch up on.
Even as I log on, set goals for my characters, keep notes on their achievements, and research quests, beasts, and other WoW thingies, I try to maintain as loose a grip as possible. Unlike last time. For all the positive things that WoW has given me through the years, it’s still just a game. It is a part of my life, not its entirety.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Tip-Bring-your-friends-to-Azeroth-but-dont-forget-to-go-outside-Azeroth-with-them-as_fig3_232041301
Kiting Through Kalimdor 