Thoughts On The Upcoming WoW Expansion

Two years ago I was looking forward to the upcoming Wrath expansion with the expectation that things would pick up where they left off. I had been raiding quite successfully the previous spring and summer with Aetherial Circle, but that had come to an end as summer doldrums, pre-expansion doldrums, and general burn-out took a toll on the roster until the GM called a halt. But with the expansion, everything was going to go back to how it had been before. Right? Eh....

There were tensions that I had not been fully aware of. Tensions between people who wanted to go farther, faster, and people who were in it for the sense of being part of a team. There was a struggle for the soul of the guild in the early days of Wrath, and my side lost. At the time it seemed like a really huge deal, and I was hurt and frustrated. Then came the bizarre, twisted destruction of Sidhe Devils, which had been my place to go chill out. Again, I was hurt and frustrated.

Now, going into Cataclysm, my expectations are a lot lower, and I think that is a good thing. Part of that is a better understanding that guilds do break up and die. Part of it is the experience I had with The Left Claw, where I was able to gear up, join an existing raid, and be a contributing member even as we did the hardest fights in the game. Part of it is the dungeon finder tool, and the freedom it offers to join a group and reap the rewards whenever I feel like it. And part of it is having a real life family I can play with.

So, I go into Cataclysm with some vague plans. I will level to 85 and raid some. I will level some new alts. I will play with people I like. But I don't have any concerns about the lack of specificity. I don't needto be driven. I don't need to reach the point I can raid before day X, or risk losing it all. I am free to do a little of this, and a little of that. So, I am looking forward to this expansion too, but in a very, very different way.