You see, on the one hand I'm happy for Honors, I really am. I know that he wants to do the raiding content and he's probably the biggest raider in Heroes - or was, at least. He also seems to have a mission to prove to himself and the ignorant masses that a well played prot. paladin can tank anything. Good for him! Sort of. Maybe, if or when he gets to the end of Mount Hyjal, he'll be standing over the corpse of Kael'Thalas or whoever and think to himself, "I did it!" Maybe at that moment, his need will be satisfied. Of course, by then or right after that, Blizzard will release Wrath of the Lich King and there will be yet more raid content to prove himself in. At what point will he satisfy himself that he can tank any content as a prot. pally?
As for the ignorant masses, I'm sorry to say it, but he's not going to be able to educate very many. There are those who just plain don't know. Their opinions may be easy to change but Honors won't be grouping with them - at least not all of them and not for raiding. There are those who staunchly believe only prot. warriors can tank any true raiding content. Maybe they need to see with their own eyes that this is possible. But how? Honors isn't joining a guild that is out to prove this. In fact, if what he told us is true, that this guild specifically wanted a tankadin, then he's joining a guild of believers. So, the only person he's going to prove anything to is himself.
Anyway, those are the 2 reasons I've been given for his leaving (at least what he told us on vent): he's joining a raiding guild and that they actually wanted a tankadin (something that's very rare). I understand each of these reasons individually and I understand them as a package. And as I said, I'm happy for him that he got such an offer. However, I was still surprised even (or especially) given this reasoning. Why? Because of his last blog entry (at the time). I will quote the most relevant part:
I want to do every instance in the game, I really do, but I have to realize that I am never going to see Black Temple, or Mount Hyjal. I'll be lucky to see SSC before the next expansion. Could I leave Heroes and apply to a 25 man guild and start working my way through the end game. Perhaps. But I was looking over some of those guilds. Even assuming I could find one crazy enough to try a Paladin tank, it seems as if Raiding on that level is going to require a dedication of time and energy that I just can't give. That level of dedication belongs to my wife and my daughter now. I was actually mad at her at first for inviting friends over on Saturday night. I had a raid scheduled on Saturday night, how could she? I guess that's when it kind of started to dawn on me that maybe I've gotten a little over my head with Raiding.I guess somewhere in between posting that and applying to other guilds, Honors must have decided he could dedicate the time and energy to raiding. If that is the case, then more power to him. I guess, selfishly, I wish he could have updated his blog to let those of us who read it know.
And my disappointment? Well, to me, a guild is more than a means to acquire gear or to experience content that you cannot do solo. A guild that you've spent any amount of time in, made friends with and that you've adventured with and grown with becomes like a virtual family of sorts. And unless that guild then takes a drastic downfall with drama and immaturity, that guild becomes more important than the other parts of the game. Well, maybe I can understand it if those friends and guildees you've made were satisfied with doing nothing once hitting 70, maybe all alting and their goals ultimately differed from yours then you may lose interest in that guild and want something different. However, I didn't think Heroes was such a guild. I mean besides the slight bit of drama we had, normally Heroes is very fun, friendly and social. And while we may not be advancing as fast as other guilds, we are attempting to make our way through Kara. In fact, we let Honors lead that cause.
So, to log in one night and find out that our friendships, our accomplishments, and our experiences together are ultimately not more important than these other goals of Honors' - I guess that's my source of disappointment. I thought we were more important than those goals. That's not something I could do. I wouldn't give up the friends I've made in Heroes for some WoW goal I may have... but I play this game more for the social aspect than anything and although I thought Honors did too, maybe that's the difference - maybe he doesn't play this game for the same reasons as I do and I've got to accept that.
Don't get me wrong. Honor's is a great guy and I do wish him the all the best in his new guild. I don't hold a grudge or anything. I'm just expressing my surprise and disappointment at the turn of events. Afterall, that's what this blog is for.
4 comments:
Well said. I read that last post by Honors too and I'm a little confused by the turn of events here.
I think a lot of us are on the same page right now in the guild... when this kind of thing happens, you are forced to evaluate things definitively.
-Lou
Good post Origami and btw, nice new shiny graphic too. Honors is a great guy and I like him a lot. I did tell him that the only thing I think he's maybe missing is that, in Heroes, he'd kinda been given the "keys to the kingdom" as it were, with getting free reign to make raiding what he wanted in the guild. That type of freedom is something he may not have anywhere else. Regardless, I wish him the best and I hope he's happier and I hope this change doesn't mess things up in our guild. We're a tough little group though - I think we'll scrap it out :)
Origami, you always seem to know. I don't know how you know, but you know. And as G.I. Joe always said, "Knowing is half the battle!"
Seems about right, Origami. Him leaving after his post about being casual is pretty confusing and added to the shock. I need to get my tank gear enchanted. . . I wish I could split my druid into 3 toons, and play them all at the same time.
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