tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post5266372400380748742..comments2023-08-10T09:10:44.843-05:00Comments on The Art of Solo-ing WoW, life and other games: Dungeon advice for 61yr old WoW playerDarth Solohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-669907003152747212012-01-19T07:05:21.872-06:002012-01-19T07:05:21.872-06:00I just wanted to say thanks for this blog and than...I just wanted to say thanks for this blog and thank you to all people that have contributed to it! I stopped playing WoW for about 8 months just because of not having enough time to follow others that had more time to play than me, which means better gear, better rating than me ans so on. Today, when I get back home from my office I will unfreeze my account again :)<br />Thanks all!donenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-76520523529264246732011-11-14T15:03:06.169-06:002011-11-14T15:03:06.169-06:00@Anonymous I just wish my parents were more like y...@Anonymous I just wish my parents were more like you as regards to gaming. While older, you're not an old fart by any means, especially if you can get involved in a game like WoW.<br /><br />There comes a time though when you feel like moving on. You did what you had to and so did I. But don't worry, if you are the gamer I think you are, there are lots of amazing games coming out in 2011-2012 to keep you hooked for days on end.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-41716158189287393622011-10-26T04:24:00.755-05:002011-10-26T04:24:00.755-05:00Earlier this week, after 3 years of fanatical WOW ...Earlier this week, after 3 years of fanatical WOW absorption, I regretfully closed my account. At 62 my skill level is not that of a 20 year old, but it was adequate to do some casual ICC raiding prior to Cata. <br /><br />Bitten by the raiding bug, compelled to win the approval of guild mates, questing didn't have the attraction it did during my first year of play. Getting geared to raid in cata was my #1 focus. That meant building up valor pts and that meant doing lots and lots of dungeons. <br /><br />The response of other players to the Zul dungeons is what led me to conclude that for me WOW was no longer delivering enough fun for the buck. It got so almost every Zul run included a player who felt compelled to critique and ridicule another party member over their performance or gear. Too often I bit my tongue rather than risk being kicked, then felt guilty for not speaking up to defend the abused party member. <br /><br />One night I realized the stress-to-fun ratio had become lopsided and that the nastiness I was seeing in Zul would be magnified in cata raiding. Competition and challenge is fun; conflict, insults and sarcasm are not. Until witnessing it, and sometimes being the butt of it, I'd have been quick to advise others to ignore the jerks, but in my observation they're coming to dominate the game and I don't need to spend $15/mo to be tip toe around trying to avoid bullies.<br /><br />I know Blizzard can't pay attention to the game experience of old farts like me but the victims of the nastiness that typifies random WOW cata dungeons today are all ages. It's sad to see a once fun game become home to verbal thuggery.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-21945714262617717732011-07-12T19:48:54.443-05:002011-07-12T19:48:54.443-05:00Sure, if they start calling you names and/or are r...Sure, if they start calling you names and/or are rude, just leave.<br /><br />Re. the equipment issue, just tell the group that the item is an upgrade for you and explain why.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-5927492577303620162011-07-11T04:29:58.796-05:002011-07-11T04:29:58.796-05:00I don't want to get too far off the topic of a...I don't want to get too far off the topic of advice for a 61 y.o., because it is good advice. Tonight, I was in dungeons with my human fury warrior. I got a nice one-handed weapon, but had been using a two-handed sword. A boss dropped a shield that is 50 armor more than mine. I have been passing on most loot, so I chose need, so I can try using the one-handed and shield. I didn't look closely at the shield other than to see it had high armor. Well, it also had high intellect. I got the item and someone started calling me idiot for choosing need, and then another agreed. There must be some kind of unwritten rule that fury warriors can't use shields, or that they can't use shields with high intellect, even though the software is programmed to allow it, because they kicked me over it. I went to another dungeon and someone called a balance druid an idiot for tanking, and wanted to kick the druid off. The party was doing fine. I voted no. The name-caller put it to a vote again, and again I voted no, then I left the party. I think most people try to help out the party, so when they start calling people idiots over very petty reasons, that is not my idea of a fun game. The name-calling is very immature. I am not too far behind the 61 y.o., so the advice I want to add to your advice is that if there is someone in a party who likes to call others idiots, even if they are not calling you the names, do what I do and just leave.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-36071799444988041182011-07-10T15:00:41.085-05:002011-07-10T15:00:41.085-05:00I found that I could pretty much keep the tank up ...I found that I could pretty much keep the tank up with just the bubble, with an occasional heal if things went bad. Preemptively I would also use Renew on the tank which would keep on healing him as he got damaged. Discipline gets even more fun as you level up.<br /><br />With Holy I simply couldn't cope anymore from about level 70. I ran out of mana after every fight. But that was a long time ago, before Cata, and I'm sure Holy is easier to play these days.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-73076259304400969402011-07-10T14:22:42.609-05:002011-07-10T14:22:42.609-05:00Thanks for the reply. Discipline, so that is good....Thanks for the reply. Discipline, so that is good. I am to blame for trying to keep up with the impatient ones, but I won't any more, and it is their choice if they want to move without me or the group. Potions are so rare that I have to drink melon juice to mana up. I have been doing good the last few outings. What works for me is bubbling the tank and lots of heals, and bubbling myself when danger is too close. Everyone else gets a lower priority.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-54305732126000442752011-07-10T12:49:28.706-05:002011-07-10T12:49:28.706-05:00Well, as a healer you certainly have something to ...Well, as a healer you certainly have something to say about how the group runs. I just tell them bluntly (if I find that I don't have enough mana) that they will die if they don't let me recover my mana.<br /><br />What healing spec are you using? I never had mana problems once I switched from holy to discipline. I was like the Energizer bunny, go go go.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-91330092608993642892011-07-10T08:09:00.087-05:002011-07-10T08:09:00.087-05:00As a healer (lvl 20 night elf priestess), I was in...As a healer (lvl 20 night elf priestess), I was intimidated by people calling the healer an idiot at first. It made me not want to bother with dungeons, even if there is good loot. Then, I joined a couple of mature parties that were patient and actually fun. I found out the immature ones are in too much of a hurry to wait for the healer to mana up, so they were blaming me wrongly for their mistakes and impatience. Now, I will go back into dungeons and, of course, I am not an idiot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-85701576900500831082011-07-01T06:24:24.286-05:002011-07-01T06:24:24.286-05:00Thanks so much for your suggestions. I am trying t...Thanks so much for your suggestions. I am trying to find the time to at least try one. It would be a shame to experience this huge game and never even see what it would be like to run one dungeon. <br /><br />Have a wonderful weekend :-) And thanks so much for this blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-82955127346193330842011-06-29T19:13:04.164-05:002011-06-29T19:13:04.164-05:00Thank you for your kind words Anonymous.
It is tr...Thank you for your kind words Anonymous.<br /><br />It is true that you will miss out on a lot of the good parts (dungeons and raids) in WoW if you can't play in a group. It is also true that today it has become easier than ever to join a group (via the Dungeon Finder). However I'm also aware that not everybody has time to run a dungeon.<br /><br />My suggestion to you is that if you ever find a half hour or an hour to kill, try running a random dungeon.<br /><br />If not, you can always go back and solo older dungeons. You won't get the best equipment (or even any usable equipment) but at least you will experience that dungeon.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-54822305534471144282011-06-29T07:16:46.690-05:002011-06-29T07:16:46.690-05:00Hello there :-)
I am SO glad that I found this we...Hello there :-)<br /><br />I am SO glad that I found this website. I thought I was one of a very small minority of people who felt this way while in WOW. It's been so difficult for me as far as deciding what to do and where to go when needing good gear, or wanting to feel self importance while playing the game. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves, myself included. I guess when we play these games we want to feel that we are accomplishing something other than just exploring the territory, even if it's while playing alone. I LOVE soloing. I just don't have the time to invest into being dependable. I certainly don't want to enter into something that I can't complete, and have other people angry with me...when I simply would have chosen to do it on my own anyway. This is why I have endlessly asked in forums (hoping the execs of Blizzard would see) for WOW at least consider a few solo dungeons.<br /><br />I thought if I could get the title "Explorer" it would make me feel better about myself, but it did not. I was approached a few months ago by another player who was typing LOL continuously. Of course being a mature grown up, I ignored it, UNTIL he asked me why my gear was so low. And here I thought I had pretty decent gear considering the fact that I had to buy it and save a lot of gold to do so. But as it seems, it's of course not the best, doesn't have lots of slots and great details, and it's pretty low comparing it to most everyone else who made it to level 80 and since I had never once ran a dungeon with other players...<br /><br />Here's another thing I've noticed: Other players look up our stats in the armory to see what our accomplishments are. They can see whether or not we've done PVP or Dungeons. When I look up my own stats in the armory I have to laugh, although I honestly sit and frown. It's sad to look at. <br /><br />Blizzard needs to take everyone into consideration. There are a ton of us (I can see that now) who need solo dungeons what will allow us to obtain decent gear and stats. These games are supposed to be fun, but it's not fun when people can clearly see that we aren't accomplishing more than a tourist would do. <br /><br />Darth you are a compassionate person. I am so glad I found this page. I found it simply with a search tool. I have been searching for others who are having this same problem for a couple of years now. I am so glad I found this area :-) Thank you for posting this blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-59365008484441154402011-06-24T18:45:14.260-05:002011-06-24T18:45:14.260-05:00Hi Kris. People are mean sometimes, there's no...Hi Kris. People are mean sometimes, there's nothing we can do about it. People in random groups tend to be even meaner (sometimes) because everyone is a stranger so they don't care if they hurt another's feelings.<br /><br />Thankfully, running dungeons with a group is an option and if that doesn't work out for you, there are countless ways in which to enjoy yourself on your own.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-90654655365424347962011-06-24T02:24:52.198-05:002011-06-24T02:24:52.198-05:00I played for a few months and then was away for ab...I played for a few months and then was away for about a year after my partner died. I had got my main character to 37 and ran a few dungeons with her as a healer priest. <br /><br />Now I'm back. I deleted off all my characters and changed server to have a fresh start. I nowhave three alts at 22-26 who have run dungeons as DPS (hunter, warlock, shadow priest). <br /><br />I suppose in all I've maybe run dungeons 20-odd times and had maybe 3 good experiences. Both then and now I've had people swear at me and kick me when I won an item they wanted (which was an upgrade for me). <br /><br />Each time I died as DPS, I was left to try and find my way back in, usually died on the way and then was kicked. <br /><br />It's been impossible to do any quests inside, because everyone just storms through really fast so no time to collect things. <br /><br />Frankly, it got to the point that I started feeling physically sick. Then I realised it was stupid to force myself into this. It is a game, which should be enjoyed, after all. <br /><br />I think I will take your advice and concentrate on levelling up until I can do dungeons alone. At least I'll get something sellable from time to time and can do dungeon quests then!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04511707691481675163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-77730637444111475012011-06-23T21:37:55.107-05:002011-06-23T21:37:55.107-05:00Well I can certainly understand your position. If ...Well I can certainly understand your position. If you don't mind my asking, how many random dungeons have you run? I've had lots of terrible experiences but most often my runs have been good.<br /><br />I'm not saying you should keep running randoms. Just give them a try once in a while.<br /><br />The most important thing though is to have fun. WoW is gigantic. As a solo player you can spend countless hours exploring the world.<br /><br />My suggestion to you is to run low level dungeons on your own. It's a lot of fun and it can even be challenging for dungeons approaching your own level.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-17121013426353692692011-06-23T19:52:17.752-05:002011-06-23T19:52:17.752-05:00I am 57 and not very au fait with how to play thes...I am 57 and not very au fait with how to play these games. I tend to get lost in dungeons, miss keys I want to hit, don't understand all the high-tec stuff people use like macros etc or the obsession with statistics. I enjoy exploring the world in WoW and telling myself stories as I travel. I have tried a few dungeons with random groups to try and get better equipment. However, the experience has always been stressful and often unpleasant. I don't think I will bother any more. When no content remains for me to play on my own, I will leave WoW and start somewhere else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-86915401628875004632011-06-14T07:18:01.782-05:002011-06-14T07:18:01.782-05:00Oh boy, these stories make me so sad. I hope your ...Oh boy, these stories make me so sad. I hope your girl is okay now.<br /><br />Have you considered/tried other games?Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-53490460488312243322011-06-14T06:45:23.462-05:002011-06-14T06:45:23.462-05:00I was in a similar situation with a tiny daughter...I was in a similar situation with a tiny daughter who need a liver transplant. WoW was my escapism, took me away from all the pressures one faces whilst waiting for a transplant... I joined a casual guild who were fantastic and very understanding. Did a couple of 25 man raids and ran a couple of dungeons with them, but decided I liked to just potter around the world with various alts. I havent touched the game for over 6 months, I still occasionally get an urge to play; like tonite - which is why I'm catching up on blogs etc to see where the game is at atm - but I doubt I will play again in the near future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-60630293031089656552011-06-12T12:44:50.982-05:002011-06-12T12:44:50.982-05:00@Anon I'm really sorry to hear that about your...@Anon I'm really sorry to hear that about your son :(<br /><br />If you really want to run dungeons with a group (it's a shame not to experience this at least a few times) then what you really need is a casual guild or a guild for busy adults or something similar. There are guilds like that and they are very understanding.<br /><br />I find that usually people are understanding when something really bad in real life takes you away from the game. The problem with PUGs is that people are always in a hurry to rush through the dungeon and get it over with. Sometimes they just don't have patience for people who go AFK. That's why I think you should try running with a casual guild who likes to take things at a slower rate.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-19172110740448509442011-06-11T23:36:48.473-05:002011-06-11T23:36:48.473-05:00Excellent advice for a solo player with complicati...Excellent advice for a solo player with complications. I am another. Back in Vanilla got to raids and then came to a screeching halt as I acquired a severely disabled child who slept about 30 minutes at a time. Suddenly I could not commit to anything requiring more than 15 minutes, on a good day.<br /><br />But things work out. He can't talk but he loved flying to Ghostlands, and once I got enough alts to where he could fly them there from any where we were okay. When he got tired of flying I got to play and my guild sort of understood my AFK messages."If I am not answering it is because my son is flying" <br /><br />But then there were the new things, like unanticipated focal seizures. How do you explain to your PUG that your son has just fallen off his chair and he is jerking round and vomiting and I need to get him in recovery position so he doesn't aspirate, and sorry but taking out the Boss is not my priority right now? I usually just walk away from the computer and the next morning remember to turn it off. <br /><br />I have only been kicked once from a PUG, and that was because that night I was in a bitchy mood and deserved it. I have chose not to play for months so as to be on call for my son - 24/7/365. So I and he have not been on for months.<br /><br />Hoping to get back. Hoping to do dungeons again starting from scratch. I'm not 61 in years, but there are a lot of us like me out there soloing because that is our only option for many reasons. Thanks for treating us with respect.<br /><br />MinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-51066976765707383002011-06-11T12:48:58.273-05:002011-06-11T12:48:58.273-05:00That's a very good question. I've played a...That's a very good question. I've played a healer a lot so I can say that I have some experience on what to do in these cases.<br /><br />First of all, if the healer dies first, someone has screwed up. The healer's first priority is him/herself, then the tank, and only if these two priorities are taken care of do the DPS get some attention. So usually if the healer dies it's either his fault because he didn't heal himself when he should have, or someone else in the group didn't protect the healer (whether the tank let the healer get aggro or the DPS didn't pull aggro off the healer).<br /><br />If you die first and the group doesn't wipe, it all depends whether the remaining members can rez you. A paladin can certainly rez you. So can a druid or a shaman or any other healing class. You might have a warlock's soulstone on you, in which case you can rez yourself. Someone might have engineering jump cables.<br /><br />As a healer you need to know which classes are capable of rezzing other players. Also bear in mind that druids can combat-rez so even if you die during a fight, don't release until you are certain it's a complete wipe. The druid might still be able to bring you back into the battle.<br /><br />If there's still someone standing but they don't have any class abilities for rezzing, there might still be a chance that they have engineering cables or such that they can use.<br /><br />If you are still in doubt, as a last resort, just ask the group if it is ok to release.<br /><br />My personal rule is that if there's a total wipe, release is just about the only option (provided there is no soulstone on someone who can rez).<br /><br />Now, there's this little annoying situation where players expect the healer to release, run back to the instance and rez everyone else. It's called laziness :)Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-87277184450337212062011-06-11T10:59:43.350-05:002011-06-11T10:59:43.350-05:00I use dungon finder a lot but have a question abou...I use dungon finder a lot but have a question about when I die. I've never played a healer so I don't understand. Some get upset if I release after death before they rez me and some don't. What is the proper move, to release or not release if you die in a dungon group or I guess any group.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-85973616756667111392011-06-09T19:51:07.503-05:002011-06-09T19:51:07.503-05:00Thanks Anon!Thanks Anon!Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-70457671906827087892011-06-08T22:26:47.753-05:002011-06-08T22:26:47.753-05:00Great Blog! Glad to see there are other people out...Great Blog! Glad to see there are other people out there who enjoy playing wow their own way!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529183485378908367.post-75874284559808458392011-06-03T18:30:15.571-05:002011-06-03T18:30:15.571-05:00You know what? I keep hearing about Bioware for ye...You know what? I keep hearing about Bioware for years, I've even played some of their games, but somehow they have never managed to impress me the way WoW or Diablo did. I guess their games are just not my type.<br /><br />That's why I'm very skeptic about the new SW MMO.Darth Solohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110818057322485070noreply@blogger.com