The Achievement of my gametime

It has been quite a few days since I posted something in this blog. I am up to my neck with work and all my spare time goes to my GF and Wow.

Nonetheless, most of my current time spend in wow involves doing some achievements. I missed a large time-window of the game when I was serving in the army for a year and now I am trying to see those places once again. MC and BWL, which I raided much less than my guildies and never got the chance for some well-sought gear due to low attendance. Revisit old quests or indeed some pinnacle events (Eranicus for example). Raid those Horde leaders while listening to the new AC/DC album with the appropriate teen-age naivety...

A few days are left till Wotlk launches and I must admit this has been a quite fun period, much more than the pre-tbc pvp months. But the greatest achievement was something else...

While in my old server I never thought I would get the chance to see the content I have now, visit the places I have or get the gear I was lucky to obtain. Unfortunately, the old server was never a good PvE realm (much much worse than Silvermoon EU by miles) and dragged all half-descent players with it. Couple that with a generally `casual' approach... Stuck in TK and SSC. The only thing that kept me was my friends, met in game and now very dear friends in RL. A couple of weddings, lots of going out for coffee or drinks, one child-birth, one christening, lots of videos, lots of phone calls. Meeting such fine people through an online game is somewhat marvelous.

When I chose to leave the server back, little I knew what was to follow. I took quite some time from my GM duties to try to find a guild and server that would suit my play style in terms of time, frequency, efficiency and level. I easily identified Escape as the guild that possessed all those traits I was looking for. I was fortunate enough to join them while they were 4/9 in BT and 4/5 in MH. Oh, I am telling ya, it was stressful and full of mistakes. But I held on to me hammah', try to do my best.

At some point, probably because I talked so enthusiastically for all the things I had seen to my mates over coffee, one by one they followed...Applied, accepted, did their best.

And now most, but a very few, of those players I appreciated most are with me. Coupled with some like-minded players I found here, the guild has a very healthy approach to PvE, with some PvP urges lurking about. Archimonde one-shoted in a raid that seemed flaky, with new people, RoS, BB, Shahraz, Council... Illidan followed. Even Kalec and Brut...

A few months ago my guildmates were tired, I was dressed in tier5 and some pvp gear, I had not seen Kael's face and was beggin' for some light. We all had thought of quiting. Nowadays, I am among old and new friends, revisiting forgotten places, decked in the gear I always wanted, staring at the horizon from the brand new SW harbor...

Yes, the greatest achievement was our Escape from misery...

On a less romantic note...

My GF is also levelling a rogue, currently at 45. She was caught up in the whole achievement buzz and she is shouting exciting every time she gets one completed. Surprisingly, she has more PVP achievements than PVE. She is turning to be quite the butcher :p. I think I will remove all the knives from the kitchen one of those days...