Fifteen years ago, I could spend an entire weekend in Azeroth without a second thought. Today, I need to negotiate computer time, remember to wash the windows, and occasionally acknowledge that I have a family.
It's early in the morning, the house is quiet, and instead of doing something useful, I'm sitting here thinking about Azeroth. World of Warcraft: Forever has been out for five days, I'm level 19, still wandering around Darkshore, and somehow I've managed to gain a kilogram in the process. My friends are already several levels ahead, my warrior is wearing equipment that probably should have been retired some time ago, and my left hand has developed a rather personal disagreement with certain keyboard combinations. And yet, despite all the difficulties of the past few days, all I can think about is when I can log in again.
Which made me wonder whether WoW Forever really is a game for casual players, or whether I've simply forgotten what it's like to have unlimited time.
I was 21 when I first discovered World of Warcraft. Before that, I'd recently discovered Oblivion and was playing it almost obsessively. I was fascinated by the freedom to explore, the landscapes, the characters, and the possibility of losing myself in another world for hours. Then there was a young man at work I had a crush on, who happened to introduce me to something that would become a rather significant part of my life.
I remember playing a little on his WoW account at work and being instantly hooked. I went home, installed the free trial, which I believe was ten days back then, and that was pretty much the end of my productivity for the foreseeable future. Once the trial was over, I wasted very little time buying the game, the expansion, and a subscription. Not that I could particularly afford it at the time, but apparently my priorities had already been established.
I was completely consumed by WoW, and I loved it. I even had my own guild, although I didn't initially understand just how competitive the raiding scene could be. Looking back, I think I had some of my best experiences before joining a proper raiding guild. I remember hearing about Method back then and wondering why people took everything quite so seriously. There were discussions about Horde being overpowered in PvP and PvE, endless arguments about classes, and the kind of enthusiasm that only a dedicated gaming community can produce.
It was genuinely amazing. I could stay up gaming for absurd amounts of time, occasionally forgetting that sleeping and eating were activities normal humans participated in. Forty-eight hours of gaming sounded like an adventure rather than a medical concern, and the release of a new expansion was a perfectly reasonable excuse to plan some holiday from work. I loved the world, the people, the excitement of discovering something new, and the friendships that came with it. I could probably write an entire book about how World of Warcraft influenced my life and the people I met because of it.
All these years later, the excitement is still there, although the circumstances have changed rather dramatically. I have a job that keeps me in front of a screen and keyboard all day, a five-year-old who doesn't particularly care about my leveling progress, and a house that unfortunately doesn't clean itself. This week, our little one has also been sick, which made finding time to play even more complicated. During the week, I was often too tired after work to do much of anything, and weekends offer the best opportunities, although gaming with a child in the house is rarely the uninterrupted experience you imagine it will be.
And then there's honey. We're still waiting to build his new gaming PC, which means we're currently sharing mine. When I'm not playing, he's leveling his character, and when he's finished, it's my turn. It's a slightly ridiculous arrangement for two people who would love to explore Azeroth together, but for now, we're making it work. The funny thing is that this is exactly why I wanted us to return to gaming together in the first place. Between work, parenting, and everyday responsibilities, finding something we can enjoy as a couple isn't always easy. Apparently, the first step towards spending more time gaming together is learning how to share a computer. Romance is alive and well.
Despite the limited time, I've genuinely enjoyed these first five days of Forever. I chose a Skyborne warrior, beginning our adventure on Zephras Isle, the new starting area, where we ended up spending considerably more time than I had anticipated. I took a day off work for the launch and was looking forward to spending a good part of it exploring the new world. By the time we reached level 10, I was beginning to wonder whether we'd ever leave the starting area, but eventually, at level 14, we finally made it to Azeroth.
One of the things I particularly appreciated was the introduction to some of Azeroth's important cities after leaving the starting zone. Discovering Dalaran and learning more about the Skyborne's connection to the Kirin Tor was a lovely way to introduce this new race to the wider world. The idea that these people had lived high above Azeroth and were now rediscovering just how vast the world had become felt rather appropriate. After all, in a way, I was doing something similar. I knew these places from years ago, but returning to them brought back memories I'd almost forgotten.
We eventually made our way to Darkshore, where I've now spent another five levels. In theory, that sounds like reasonable progress, especially considering how little time I've managed to play. In practice, watching my friends move further and further ahead makes it difficult not to feel that I'm falling behind. It's a feeling I dislike, particularly because I know that fifteen years ago I would probably have solved the problem by staying awake all night.
My friend, let's call him Cart, and I had hoped to get a dungeon done together, just for the fun of it. We've known each other since The Burning Crusade, and although we're from the same country, we grew up at opposite ends of it. Somehow, after all these years, we're still in touch and still finding reasons to play World of Warcraft together. But then came the reality of finding a group, travelling to the dungeon, and remembering just how long and punishing those old instances could be. After a full day of work, with perhaps an hour or two available to play, neither of us felt particularly enthusiastic about spending most of that time simply getting everybody together, so we didn't go.
It's one of those things I appreciate about the older style of WoW and simultaneously find frustrating. Having to communicate, form groups, and travel through the world made the adventure feel meaningful. You couldn't simply press a button and expect everything to happen for you. But when your free time is limited, the lack of instant grouping can turn a simple evening of entertainment into a logistical exercise. Even the journey to a dungeon needs planning, and if things go wrong inside, that precious hour you had available can disappear remarkably quickly.
At least playing a warrior gives me plenty of time to contemplate my decisions. I'd forgotten just how much patience the class requires at lower levels. Stances need switching, abilities need rage, and by the time I've worked out what I want to press, the enemy has usually made several decisions of its own. I knew warriors were like this, so I'm not entirely sure why I'm complaining. I suppose that's my default stance.
There have also been so many fishing quests that at one point I wondered whether my warrior had accidentally enrolled in a maritime training programme. Looking back, though, I rather appreciate them. They encouraged me to level fishing and cooking together, something I'd probably have neglected if I'd been rushing through the starting area. It was a clever way of introducing professions without making them feel like yet another task on an already crowded list. Unfortunately, fishing isn't especially helpful when a naga caster decides to rearrange your face.
Around level 14, I began struggling to find enough silver for training. There were abilities available, but not enough money to learn everything, so choices had to be made. By level 16, when I finally made the journey to the warrior trainer in Darnassus, I could feel the difference. For anyone playing an Alliance warrior around Darkshore, the trainer is on the Warrior's Terrace in Darnassus. From Auberdine, you can travel to Rut'theran Village and continue into the city. It's worth planning these visits rather than running back and forth every time you realise you've forgotten something, particularly when you've only got an hour to play.
I remember the old advice about keeping your Hearthstone set somewhere useful and making the most of its one-hour cooldown. Collect as many quests as possible, complete several objectives, and return when you're ready to hand them in. It worked rather well in The Burning Crusade days, provided you were organised enough to plan your route. Darkshore, however, seems determined to make me travel the entire coastline repeatedly. North, south, back north again, with the occasional detour to somewhere I've already been. By the time you've finished running from one end of the zone to the other, you've almost forgotten why you went there in the first place.
We've encountered quite a few quests that appear bugged, objectives that don't work properly when grouped, and areas where enemies respawn almost immediately after being killed. Except, naturally, when you're waiting for a particular wanted enemy. Then five minutes suddenly becomes an entirely reasonable amount of time to stand around wondering whether you've missed something. The tuning has also felt inconsistent in places, with some enemies being relatively easy to handle and others turning a straightforward quest into a rather unpleasant experience.
There are quests that are clearly more comfortable with a group, particularly when enemies ambush you or appear in numbers that make surviving alone rather difficult. It reminds me of Classic, when you either found someone to help or came back several levels later. Unfortunately, when you only have a short time to play, repeatedly dying and running back to your corpse can become a little exhausting. The spirit healer is always there, of course, but the penalties make it quite clear that convenience is a luxury you probably can't afford.
Thankfully, I've met some lovely people along the way. Strangers have buffed me, helped me finish difficult objectives, and occasionally saved my ass when I accidentally body-pulled more enemies than my warrior could handle. Those encounters are some of my favourite parts of the game because they remind me of the community I remember from years ago. Not everybody has been quite so generous, though. Honey encountered someone in the human starting areas who apparently preferred waiting for him to die rather than helping, just to get access to a mob or an ore vein. There are all kinds of people in Azeroth, much like everywhere else.
I also managed to visit Warsong Gulch, which brought back wonderful memories of capturing flags, defending our flag carrier, and trying to coordinate with a group of people who all had very different ideas about what they should be doing. I still enjoy battlegrounds, although playing at a lower level with outdated equipment and several abilities still unlearned wasn't particularly rewarding. I think I'll appreciate PvP more once I've gained a few levels and brought my warrior up to something resembling a reasonable fighting condition.
My gear is becoming a serious problem in general. At level 19, pulling two mobs can turn into a disaster, and even a single enemy one level above me can be surprisingly difficult to kill. My last hour-long gaming session was particularly brutal. I'd been looking forward to logging in all day, thinking about the quests I wanted to finish and hoping I might finally reach level 20. Instead, I spent most of the evening struggling, dying, running back, and accomplishing considerably less than I'd hoped. I logged off tired and annoyed, but somehow already looking forward to the next opportunity to play.
Despite the bugs, the slow leveling, the questionable tuning, and the endless running around, I'm having a wonderful time. The world itself is still something special, and Darkshore has reminded me of that more than once. I've seen it in the morning, in the evening, and late at night, and each time the atmosphere feels a little different. I've watched the fog settle over the landscape, listened to the sounds around me, and stood near the pier looking at the moonlight reflecting off the water. Sometimes I find myself doing absolutely nothing productive because I'm too busy enjoying the scenery.
Some people meditate. I game.
Although I should probably combine that particular form of meditation with a little more walking in the real world. My back and neck haven't been particularly pleased with the amount of time I've spent sitting, and my left hand seems to have decided that the last two fingers are no longer interested in participating in complicated keyboard combinations. The kilogram I've gained is another gentle reminder that gaming doesn't count as physical exercise, regardless of how stressful the combat becomes.
Something else I've noticed since returning to WoW is how much slower I feel compared to the way I used to play. I remember learning complicated boss fights, memorising abilities, keeping an eye on everything happening around me, and reacting almost instinctively. There was always something demanding my attention, and I loved being completely absorbed in what I was doing. These days, I sometimes wonder where that sharpness went. I haven't been gaming nearly as much, and when I return to something that requires quick reactions and constant attention, it sometimes feels as though I'm operating in slow motion. Perhaps I'm simply out of practice, or perhaps expecting my brain to perform miracles after spending an entire working day solving problems is a little ambitious.
I miss the energy, too. There was a time when five hours of sleep seemed perfectly reasonable, and I could work, take care of things, stay up gaming, and somehow find the enthusiasm to repeat the whole process the following day. Then, somewhere between having a child and getting older, my body apparently decided that this arrangement was no longer acceptable. Nobody consulted me about this change, naturally. Now I can spend an entire working day looking forward to playing, only to sit down in the evening and realise how tired I actually am.
The frustrating part isn't that I've lost interest in doing things. Quite the opposite. I want to do so many things that I sometimes don't know where to begin, but I simply don't have the energy to do all of them. Outside, winter is approaching, and the garden needs preparing for the colder weather. There are leaves to clear, windows to wash, and all those household tasks that have an irritating habit of waiting patiently until you finally have a free afternoon. Inside, there's ErdeGora, my business, which I genuinely want to grow. There are designs to finish, products to work on, ideas to explore, and listings on Vinted and eBay that have quietly been pushed aside.
The list never seems to get shorter, and every time I choose to spend a few hours gaming, I know all those things will still be waiting for me afterwards. That's where the guilt comes from. Not because I believe gaming is something I shouldn't be doing at my age. I've been playing games for most of my adult life, and I have no intention of stopping now. It's simply frustrating to have so many things I want to accomplish and not enough hours, or energy, to do them all.
This week, almost everything took a back seat to World of Warcraft. I was also sick myself, which gave me a perfectly reasonable excuse to take things easy. I say luckily with some hesitation, because being sick isn't exactly something to celebrate, but at least I had a reason not to push myself quite so hard. Even so, I couldn't help thinking about everything that needed doing and wondering how I was going to catch up.
Perhaps that's what I need to figure out over the coming weeks. Not whether I should be gaming, but how to make room for it without sacrificing all the other things that matter to me. I don't particularly want to return to staying awake for 48 hours, and I certainly don't want to survive on five hours of sleep anymore, mostly because I know how unpleasant the following day would be. But I do want some of that old excitement back. I want to feel focused again, enjoy learning something difficult, laugh with my friends, and spend an evening exploring Azeroth with honey once we finally have two working gaming PCs.
I also want to continue streaming our adventures on YouTube. It's been enjoyable sharing these first days of Forever, even when the gameplay has involved more running around, dying, or trying to escape a starting area than I'd originally planned. I don't expect every session to be exciting, and I'm certainly not going to pretend to be an expert racing towards the highest level. Sometimes it's simply a quiet evening of questing, exploring, and enjoying the atmosphere. Other times it's me trying to remember which button I was supposed to press while a perfectly ordinary mob is doing its best to kill me. Either way, it's part of the experience, and perhaps that's what I want ErdeGora Gaming to be about: enjoying games as they fit into real life, with all the interruptions, frustrations, and occasional moments of brilliance that come with it.
Thursday will mark the first full week of WoW Forever, and I'm still looking forward to it. I haven't reached level 20, I'm still wandering around Darkshore, and Ashenvale remains the next destination on my increasingly ambitious travel itinerary. I wish I'd accomplished more in these first five days, but when I think about what I actually remember, it's not the experience bar, the silver I couldn't afford to spend, or the levels my friends have gained without me. It's the feeling of discovering Azeroth again, the people who stopped to help, and the memories that came rushing back from a time when I was 21 and had no idea how much this game would become part of my life.
And, of course, that quiet moment on the pier in Darkshore, watching the moonlight on the water.
Perhaps the real question isn't whether WoW Forever is a game for casual players, but whether I can learn to be one without constantly worrying about keeping up with everybody or accomplishing everything in a single evening. Maybe the same applies to the rest of my life. The windows will still need washing, the garden will still need tending, and my to-do list will probably never be completely empty. I'll just have to figure out how to enjoy the things I love somewhere in between.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to my corporate job.
Or maybe just one more quest.
Remember to AFK.