I’m also enjoying some “emergent gaming” where I try to create and RP a character following strange rules that Blizzard didn’t anticipate, like my character Victorie the Dragon Slayer who only kills dragonkin and no other creatures — very challenging, but very fun! And as I’m the only one doing it, I can take pride in it even though it’s something I can work at in small chunks.

I also tried creating a blog recently, but that turned into an entire web site, which I love doing. It’s all about RP, and has a kick-butt character sheet system, if I do say so myself. It’s not about numbers, but about characters. It’s at http://www.rpgeeks.com if you want a peek.

I’ve linked your blog to my site because many of your topics are evergreen and I am enjoying reading them. Good luck with the business idea and book — I’ve gone down both paths with success, and recommend them to anyone who has the guts to try it and the tenacity to stick with it.

Truly though, leaving WoW itself hasn’t been a bad thing. I am working on my own little business venture and someday I still hope to be a published author in my own right rather than playing in other people’s worlds. We’ll see how that goes.

My husband and I play together now and after taking a break, I found that it didn’t matter if I was running raids and being level 80 with my friends. My friends are still online to talk to and I still have fun with them, eventhough they’re off doing something else. They don’t pressure me to catch up, they know I’ll get there eventually. You will too. It’s only a job if you make it so….and if their friendship is dependant on your raiding with them, they’re not really friends.

One thing that gets me through this is the achievements. If you ever do go back to playing, why don’t you try doing some of the non-raid oriented achievements and accomplishing them with your friends? The 75 pet achievement is just as difficult for a geared 80 as it is for a lil level 74.

– Syreine (Moon Guard-H – US)