SETI and the player count problem
1 hour ago
Yeah. I like it hard. You heard me.
>.>
I make things difficult. And no, I'm not just talking about the fact that I may or may not be *slightly* neurotic and therefore complicate the life of any poor sucker within a 10 mile radius, but sincerely and truly, I seem to be on some lifelong goal to make every task I endeavor to perform 10 times more difficult than it needs to be.
And I'm proud of it.
When I was in college, I had a roommate for my last couple of years. My roommate's parents were professors at the university we attended, so she had the benefit of free tuition. She worked a job for money, yes, but her parents also gave her a generous (well, it seemed generous to me anyway) stipend every month to pay her rent, groceries, etc.
I, however, busted my butt in college. I grew up in Texas, but went to college in Ohio, and I paid a fortune in out of state fees my first two years***. And with the exception of my first year (it took me five years to finish up my Bachelor's), I paid for it all myself, mostly through loans and scholarships. I know a lot of people had their parents support them while they were in college - but I refused it. My parents would send me checks and I would rip them up and send them back. I didn't want anyone's help - I wanted to do it the hard way. Not because I had to, but because I had to prove that I could.
And I judged my roommate. I felt like I was superior to her, because she struggled to make ends meet, even though she didn't have to pay tuition, even though her parents gave her a monthly stipend. I judged everyone I came into contact with. I looked down on everyone who didn't work as hard as I did, and take the hard way, like I did. This meant that I was a pretty crappy friend and girlfriend to everyone during college.
It was wrong of me. I'll give myself the benefit of the doubt, and say that I was young, and proud, and coming into my own, and determined to follow a very specific path. Years later the path suddenly became much less clear, and I got a taste of my own medicine. So now, even though I'm still the kind of person that insists on doing things the hard way, I learned a very important lesson - stop judging others who are more rational than proud.
I leveled my priest holy, and it was hard. I also leveled solo through most of BC, and it was hard. I refused to run dungeons with anyone more than a level or two above me. I wouldn't accept gifts of great gear from people that would make it easier. I felt bad looking up things on wowhead, because it made things easier.
Do you get where I'm going here?
So is it really a shock that I hate the ICC buff? Or rather, that I would prefer to not use it? The main difference is that it doesn't just affect me, but nine other people. So I caved because I understood it was what others wanted. And I don't think less of them for wanting to do that, and I sure as hell don't think less of the other million WoW players that use it. Never confuse the expectations and desires I have for myself as something I think others should try to live up to.
I actually think the buff for ICC was a fantastic idea on Blizzard's part. It was a great way to add a granularity to the difficulty level of the major battle raid in WotLK. I fully support their choice and creativity in offering this buff up - and I love the fact that players have a choice whether or not to use it. I felt that it was implemented a bit soon, but aside from that, I think it is for the benefit of all players to have that option available.
I also refuse to use a dishwasher, and wash everything by hand, mmmk? I don't use a mop, I get down on my hands and knees and scrub the floor like a Cinderella wannabe. I have very good logical reasons for all these things I do that are far more difficult than the norm, but I'm not really a role model of rational behavior over here. Don't take one blogger's thoughts and opinions as canon.
*** For the Non-Statesiders among you, what this means is that my public university education (tuition and fees alone) cost about 30,000 US dollars a year. When you go to a public university that is in-state, it is much cheaper.
>.>
I make things difficult. And no, I'm not just talking about the fact that I may or may not be *slightly* neurotic and therefore complicate the life of any poor sucker within a 10 mile radius, but sincerely and truly, I seem to be on some lifelong goal to make every task I endeavor to perform 10 times more difficult than it needs to be.
And I'm proud of it.
When I was in college, I had a roommate for my last couple of years. My roommate's parents were professors at the university we attended, so she had the benefit of free tuition. She worked a job for money, yes, but her parents also gave her a generous (well, it seemed generous to me anyway) stipend every month to pay her rent, groceries, etc.
I, however, busted my butt in college. I grew up in Texas, but went to college in Ohio, and I paid a fortune in out of state fees my first two years***. And with the exception of my first year (it took me five years to finish up my Bachelor's), I paid for it all myself, mostly through loans and scholarships. I know a lot of people had their parents support them while they were in college - but I refused it. My parents would send me checks and I would rip them up and send them back. I didn't want anyone's help - I wanted to do it the hard way. Not because I had to, but because I had to prove that I could.
And I judged my roommate. I felt like I was superior to her, because she struggled to make ends meet, even though she didn't have to pay tuition, even though her parents gave her a monthly stipend. I judged everyone I came into contact with. I looked down on everyone who didn't work as hard as I did, and take the hard way, like I did. This meant that I was a pretty crappy friend and girlfriend to everyone during college.
It was wrong of me. I'll give myself the benefit of the doubt, and say that I was young, and proud, and coming into my own, and determined to follow a very specific path. Years later the path suddenly became much less clear, and I got a taste of my own medicine. So now, even though I'm still the kind of person that insists on doing things the hard way, I learned a very important lesson - stop judging others who are more rational than proud.
I leveled my priest holy, and it was hard. I also leveled solo through most of BC, and it was hard. I refused to run dungeons with anyone more than a level or two above me. I wouldn't accept gifts of great gear from people that would make it easier. I felt bad looking up things on wowhead, because it made things easier.
Do you get where I'm going here?
So is it really a shock that I hate the ICC buff? Or rather, that I would prefer to not use it? The main difference is that it doesn't just affect me, but nine other people. So I caved because I understood it was what others wanted. And I don't think less of them for wanting to do that, and I sure as hell don't think less of the other million WoW players that use it. Never confuse the expectations and desires I have for myself as something I think others should try to live up to.
I actually think the buff for ICC was a fantastic idea on Blizzard's part. It was a great way to add a granularity to the difficulty level of the major battle raid in WotLK. I fully support their choice and creativity in offering this buff up - and I love the fact that players have a choice whether or not to use it. I felt that it was implemented a bit soon, but aside from that, I think it is for the benefit of all players to have that option available.
I also refuse to use a dishwasher, and wash everything by hand, mmmk? I don't use a mop, I get down on my hands and knees and scrub the floor like a Cinderella wannabe. I have very good logical reasons for all these things I do that are far more difficult than the norm, but I'm not really a role model of rational behavior over here. Don't take one blogger's thoughts and opinions as canon.
*** For the Non-Statesiders among you, what this means is that my public university education (tuition and fees alone) cost about 30,000 US dollars a year. When you go to a public university that is in-state, it is much cheaper.
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Your title ruins all the fun.
This makes your feelings towards the buff so much more understandable, I totally get it now!
Also, I have a sink full of dishes just waiting for someone to give them some attention... just saying!
I had a guildie once who kind of reminds me of you. She refused gifts from people, she only wore thing she made herself if she could help it, she probably never looked up things on wowhead or thottbot. Why? Because to her it was about the journey and the effort it took to level to 60 (the level cap at the time). When she hit 60, she gave me all her gold and deleted the toon.
It sometimes caused her to butt heads with people and I confess, there were times I thought to myself 'Why is she making things so hard for herself?" but she played WoW her way and enjoyed it.
I can see your side of things regarding the ICC buff, but as you said, it's 9 other people that you have to contend with and plus, you can choose to take it off (take it off, take it off! >.>), which is nice. I'm not so conflicted. I admit, there's a part of me that thinks it's 'cheating' but most of me doesn't mind. My 10 man has been working hard to get down Sindragosa lately. We've gotten her to 24%. So now, with the buff, it just may be the thing that helps us to victory. Either way, I feel we've put in the time and effort so I won't feel guilty if we do end up downing her next time.
I blacked out after I read the first sentance...twice
When I came to, I understand being the guy who from criminal element, I was a bad boy, to getting my degree in computer science, I worked my ass off to get.
Here's the thing though, I think alot of ICC fights are not damage, or healing critical. I think you need to know the mechanics, and execute the strats is most important.
Let me put it another way, if someone said when you were struggling, "Here's 1000 dollars to help", Would you really turn it down?
I wouldn not
@Kleps
I'm pretty sure it was all of the fun.
@Shayzani
I should note that I do the dishes the hard way... WHEN I bother to do them. *cough*
@Endyme
Yup. And that's why, even though I absolutely hate it, we're using the buff. It totally ruins the whole thing for me, but it's not really about me anyway. If I could replace myself, I probably would, because it feels pointless. Had I know better what was going to happen, I probably would have put a raid together with that understanding right from the beginning - this is a raiding team that will not be using the buff. Then everyone who joined it would know that from the get go, and if they didnt want to use the buff, they wouldnt join that raid team.
@Rivs
... er, actually, yeah, I would turn it down. >.> I'm weird like that though... Like I said, more proud than rational!
We pick and choose our sources of "buff".
You and many others chafe at the 25% ICC buff. However, I'm guessing that you and the others wouldn't think about going into said raid without reading strat guides and watching strat videos for the boss fights in advance.
Don't you think that the strat guides and videos are giving more assistance than the 25% buff? I do.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you would rather do all of ICC with no advice at all. However, if you're like most then you are complaining about one source of aid while freely using a much bigger one. If you're sincere, then you might also complain about the use of strat videos.
@Dinaer
I don't personally like the use of strat guides or strat videos. Were it my choice, we would not use them.
And I'm not complaining about the existence of an ICC buff. In fact, I said I thought it was generally a good idea.
In games I tend to do it the hard way just because I've been playing games so long that it makes it more interesting. On my very first toon I quested to 80. I ran 3 Dungeons at level Scarlet Monastery, Mauradon, and Hellfire Ramparts. I soloed every elite I came across dying repeatedly until I found a strategy that worked. My gear was drops or items I made.
I like the ICC buff because it is optional. I'd prefer not to use it but considering that on some nights 30% of the people in my raid group are above the age of 55 its needed.