OMG Red, you have SO totally hit the nail on the head!!!!
*Raises hand*My name is Jon, and I'm a recovering powergamer....
Yep, I powergame, or at least in the past. I 2-boxed in DaoC (Shammy/Skald Combo) in RvR and you couldn't tell it was one guy. I grind hard and I min/max to the point of driving my guildmates nuts. I used to be able to play 10+ a day, everyday and playing 15+ hours wasn't a big deal 5-10 years ago.
Now, it's a different story.
I have alot on my plate. I have my day job, and am a professional musician as well. And every once in a while I actually go outside and do something with friends and family. I have 2 nieces that mean the world to me. So, if i get 3-4 hours in a day to game, I'm real lucky. Thing is, I still want to be able to see everything and do everything even though I only have about 25-30% of the time I used to have. That, and I REALLY don't think I can grind content again. The last couple games I really tired that got nasty at the end I just couldn't do it (CoH, lvl 41 only *cry*). I did maxed SWG in like 3 weeks, before the overhaul but that was cake. I'm burned out on mindless grinding and sitting in a raid while my butt goes numb hoping that this being the 35th time I've done this raid in the last 2 months:
1. Something will drop I can use
2. I'll actually win the roll this time.
:blink:
Raiding isn't bad (and actually can be fun) if it's not all about the loot. Dragon and TG raids were ok in DaoC, once I decided I didn't give a rat's arse about that freakin' spear dropping (for my gimp @$$ hunter, and then having some n00b win the roll. What ever happend to being the 2nd lvl 50 on teh server?!?!?). But they didn't take 10+ hours either. And I need to work, practice and sleep sometimes. I'm old, and Uncle Jon needs his nappy-time! Still the fact that the EQ clones dominate MMO's is getting really old, and it seems like I've been EQ for 10 years, even though I quit years ago.
I just think there is so much more that could be done in MMO's, but instead of getting more dynamic and deverse, it's gotten less and less deverse since UO, EQ and AC.
And you're right Red, I DON'T want to grind like a madman, never really did. But I felt like I HAD to to compete and have fun with the cool stuff in the game. I remember playing EQ. The first server I played on was Rallos Zek (open PvP). Gah, I had no clue, it was the default server and had a low pop, so why not, right? Man, I was ganked to hell, most by me DE breatheren. Kin-killer was the call of the day. I made up my mind then that I was not going to be such a easy target, by playing nice and taking my time. Went to a PvE server and ground my Necro to the ground and Planes Raids. Hated the politics
Went to DAoC and leveled my Hunter to 50 like a madman, only to see him get nerfed into nothing due to the fact that Scouts and Rangers (not hunters, our bows sucked) were murder in PvP. 2-boxed my skald and shammy to 50 and ran in one of the nastiets gank groups ever on Bedevere.
Ok, this is long enough!
Most fun I ever had though was playing with my guildmates and friends, moving at a slower pace, and not feel like I was "missing out" on something by doing that. I'd play that game for years and years if HJ can bring it to me.
Edit: I just HAD to post your at my guild's website Redfang. I'm still laughing about them because they are so on the mark. Nothing could be closer to the truth.
That and well, I figured I'll try and start the "Get Morneblade into the HJ beta and show that you dont really have to powergame and still do the cool stuff by proving it to a powergamer" petition.