While driving home from work tonight, singing along to what was playing on the radio (yes, I’m that guy), I started to think about my not raiding. More specifically, why I’m not raiding.
There are many reasons really. At first it was simple burn out. I wasn’t in a hardcore guild or anything, but I was raiding something like 16 hours a week. Wow, that actually seems like a lot when I write it down. Anyway, I was getting sick of all my WoW time being spent raiding. I would get home from work, eat dinner, log in and be raiding 15 minutes later. No time for dailies, minimal time to make sure I’m stocked on shards, flasks, and buff foods. Then once the raid was called for the night, I’d go to bed. Essentially it had turned into a second job, and I was annoyed with that.
Since then I’ve found guilds that were looking for warlocks that had raid times that worked out better for me, but I still didn’t go back to raiding. The burnout had faded, but I still didn’t want to raid. Not until recently have I started feeling the bite of the raiding bug again.
I stopped raiding a month or two after ToC was released, and I think that it might be the reason I didn’t go back. Partly because I hate that raid. I have cleared it on 25 man, but found it really boring. A lot of people might not get this, but I love having trash on the way to bosses. Sure, my DPS is crap on trash, but it gives a nice break where you can unwind between boss fights. In ToC you don’t really have that chance.
The other main reason I think ToC killed my desire to raid for a while, was that it didn’t seem to fit with my picture of Ollyn. One of my favorite parts of raiding, and call me a dork for this if you will, since I am, is that I picture Ollyn helping the people of Azeroth by going into Naxx and killing KT, or into Ulduar to take down an old god.
But with ToC, what would I be doing? Proving my worth to Tirion Fordring? Why should I? Haven’t I already proven my skill with the past threats to Azeroth that I’ve overcome? How does defeating the faction champions of the Horde prepare me to take down Arthas? What does killing some snowbolds have to do with destroying the Scourge?
And thus, I realized that somewhere inside me, I had set up a minimal amount of RP for Ollyn. Now I like to hold to my delusions that I’m a fairly competent writer, but I could not RP. When I’m writing a story, it take me forever to think up dialog that doesn’t sound terrible. I could come up with a back story for Ollyn without too much trouble I think, but having to interact with others in character? Forget it!
But with the release of Icecrown, once again I can see him rushing in to help take down the current threat to the world. So I think maybe its time for me to get back into raiding. So why, dear readers, do you raid?
Look out Arthas, I’m coming for you…
Swift Retribution 
I’ve done similar amounts of “minimal RP” for Anea along the way, so I can definitely relate.
I’m glad that you have a purpose for him now and happy that raiding can be enjoyable for you again!
I haven’t truly raided in quite a while… I’m thinking about getting back into it, but I’ve just been doing heroics for the time being. However, I think at this point I would raid for the social aspect alone, since I haven’t been in the timeline for raids past Naxx.
I always loved the social part of raiding. The last guild I raided with, our 10 man team was a really tight-knit group, and that made it all the more fun.
I’m kind of afraid I won’t be able to find another group of people that I click with that well.
I can definitely relate to the RP thing. ToC was… bleh. Aside from being completely boring OOC, my character found it to be a colossal waste of time… and he’s a paladin!
I, too, have suffered raid burnout. I’m sure it won’t be long before I need another break, as I am currently devoting… let’s see: One on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, three on Friday, four on Saturday, four on Sunday… what, thirteen hours a week to raiding? Not nearly as much as some people, but it definitely doesn’t leave much ‘me’ time in the evenings.
Why do it, then? I like the sense of social accomplishment. I played team sports when I was younger, and it’s really the same thing. Plus now that we’re in ICC, it makes for some really interesting RP!
Yeah, 13 hours is still a long time. Its like having a part time job that you’re paying to do. But as long as its fun (which ToC wasn’t for me anyway, I know some of my friends liked it), I say keep going.
I’ve only been into ICC once for some rep grinding. I’d like to go back, but I’m afraid that I’ve lost my edge and will be bad and get booted. So I’m still trying to work up the courage to get back into raiding.