After our company finally closed its doors, I did a lot of gaming. There wasn’t going to be a lot of job activity over the holidays, and I supposed I was immersing myself in online worlds to escape some of the worry and stress. I played me a LOT of Warcraft, and some Warhammer. I even played some free EVE, but found myself very lost.
Recently, however, I’ve been very reluctant and meh about logging on to anything. After I’d been a major bitch in our guild forums in the I’m-going-social post, I’ve refused to read any of the responses and I haven’t logged into Wow. I still enjoy Warhammer once I’ve logged in, but I only do so every few days. I re-installed LotRO yesterday, and downloaded all of the patches, but still haven’t resubscribed…I’m not sure if I should, considering that it is basically just another grind in the same fantasy environments. Plus I would have to unsubscribe from one game, and that would probably be Wow.
I think I’m suffering from MMO burnout, or gaming burnout (since Fable II, Bioshock and Fallout are all sitting downstairs, either unfinished or unplayed). I’d like to play – I could really use that first-love period when you log on as soon as you can and play for hours, totally immersed in the world. I could use the escape, and the thought that I’ve burned out makes me sad.
Part of the problem is that aside from gaming, I’m basically just stressing over work, finances, and the looming spectre of the recession. I’ve had plans for new projects (since we all think that we could write that novel, code that brilliant new idea, etc., if we just had the free time), but have been too stressed to actually work on any of them.
Give me my escape back – I need it.
But MMO games are cheap and good entertainment, so they are very welcome when You have free time but not much money to enjoy it. Its probably better to play than to agonize over job, money etc.
However LOTRO isn’t addictive enough to keep burnout gamer. I know something about it. Its more of a mmo metadone, as Tobold wrote once.
But if You somewhat will find it compelling, heck, I am renewing my account to give Mines of Moria a try. I need means to livechat with my best source of information about american language and cultural perks:-)
The first time I tried LOTRO, I was never as immersed as I have been in Wow – although it was pretty. You know, they’re doing a week free for ex-subscribers, starting in the beginning of February. :D So I think that’s a sure bet…for a week at least, to decide.