Breakfast Topic: Five years
by Michael Sacco 
Nov 23rd 2009 at 8:00AM
Thankfully, Blizzard has made WoW a living, breathing document, a world that constantly changes and evolves to match its players, which is what makes it so accessible. Throughout dozens of patches, tiers upon tiers of raid bosses, waves of dailies, faction grinds and honor grinds, legendaries and greens, WoW has managed to keep growing and growing along with its subscriber count. And of course, you've been there, too. Maybe not for the whole five years like some of us, but everyone's experienced the game in their own way.
So what about you? How long have you been with the game? What's your favorite memory of "growing up" in WoW? Will you keep playing for another five years?
Happy anniversary, everybody. Here's to five more!
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Amrytale Nov 23rd 2009 8:07AM
2 years for me. I started playing during the semester break at law school to unwind. I went from being clueless (defense gear on a DPS warrior?) to being in one of the best 10-man guilds on my server in those two years, and I'm here to the end of the world (of Warcaft).
Knyle2 Nov 23rd 2009 9:31AM
Best Time: TM WARS
Worst Time: The Creation of resilience and badges of justice.
Kragragh Nov 23rd 2009 10:48AM
Hehe, great screen shot - and notice - THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS...I mean....THERE ARE FOUR TRINKET SLOTS!
Bikhai Nov 23rd 2009 3:27PM
I gotcha beat there. Started out on my warrior oh...about 3 years ago now. I'd never played any game on a computer outside of the 1994 Lode Runner game on my Mac, so WoW was a completely new beast to me, and I had no idea how to play. My roommate showed me how to auto attack, where my spellbook was, and all the other basics I needed to kill those tallstriders in Mulgore, and I was off and running.
I'd say my best memory from early on was when I had first leveled up and gotten into a group for Wailing Caverns. They asked me to tank. It was a disaster for 2 reasons. One, I had only just heard the word "tank" a few days before and had no idea how it was done. Two, all I knew at that point was "green gear is better than white gear," so I had a all manner of gear with int, spirit, etc. etc. on. One of the guys in the group saw this, and after the group broke up, he jumped on his main (a 40 warrior), bought me almost an entire set of gear off the AH, free of charge, and then ran my roommate and me through WC.
I'm still not the best warrior ever, but my gear choice has improved since then (actually tank with def. gear now). I just got Tribute to Insanity a few weeks ago, so I'm doing something right.
Michael Nov 23rd 2009 8:07AM
Wow.
Soni Nov 23rd 2009 8:08AM
WoW = WoW
Gamer am I Nov 23rd 2009 8:08AM
I've been playing for the past four years (and a few months), and I have loved every day of them. Even through all of the times when I needed to take a break to keep things fresh, WoW was there for me when I came back. It is a fantastic game, and if it lasts another five years, I will probably stay with it for all five of them.
My favorite memory has been watching the druid class grow from the laughing stock of the WoW community to arguably the best class in the game. I love my druid, and its nice to see us finally being where we should be.
PictoKong Nov 23rd 2009 2:57PM
I Still remember days when druids were healers, you couldn't tank without people lolling at you...
jealouspirate Nov 23rd 2009 8:09AM
I started playing in May of 2007. I had returned home from University for the summer to find that my younger brother had started playing. I created a trial to play with him, and here I am!
It took me almost those entire two years to 'hit my stride' with WoW. I played off and on, let my subscription lapse for months at a time, kept creating new characters once I got tired of old ones...
Then, about a month after Wrath launched, I rolled a Shaman. The class 'clicked' for me more than any other before, and now he's been my main ever since.
A year ago I never thought that I'd be at the level cap, but now I'm not only there but raiding as well.
All in all, it's been a good two and a half years for me. I've enjoyed exploring Azeroth as both Horde and Alliance.
jealouspirate Nov 23rd 2009 9:01AM
I forgot to tell a story from when I first started...
My first character was a Dwarf Hunter. I was running around Loch Modan at around level 15 when I found the dam. Amazed at the scale, I climbed it and looked out over the Wetlands.
I was enjoying the scenery, then- bam! I accidentally fell off the dam and plummeted into the Wetlands. The mobs were all a good 5 levels higher than me, and I have no idea how to get back (I had no idea what a hearthstone was:P).
I thought I had but one option- press on until I could find a town with a griffon back to Loch Modan. So on I went, dying constantly from mobs I had no hope of killing.
I just kept going straight ahead... totally missed Menethil Harbor, until I ended up in the Arathi Highlands.
I saw a sign that pointed to "Hammerfall". Great, I thought, Dwarves are all about hammers, right? Surely that must be a Dwarf town! Slowly, I made my way there... only to be dismayed when it was crawling with Orcs!
Finally... at the end of my long journey, with rez sickness and completely broken armor, I made it to Refugee Point- and boy, did I ever feel like refuge at the time!
GrumblyStuff Nov 23rd 2009 10:41AM
Ah, exploring.... I thought I was amazing to get on the ridge that separates the human starting area with the rest of Elwynn. Swimming from Westfall to Menethil around level... 20 I'd say. Oh, there's a train? Oh, and Darkshore to Azshara. I couldn't even land a mind vision on the mobs there. Luckily, I did know about hearthstones though.
I still love exploring areas. Imagine my joy when I discovered hunters' eagle eye ability :D
I'm gonna miss sneaking into all those areas when Cataclysm revamps the world.
mtsadowski Nov 23rd 2009 8:11AM
I've been in the game since Vanilla. My favorite memory was my first run from the Night Elf starting area and running all the way to Iron Forge.
I couldn't believe how big the game felt, and running up the mountain to IF was pretty epic for me. And then taking the train to SW was pretty cool, too. Once I saw Stormwind, I rerolled a paladin.
And then there was my first instance...
Firefoenix Nov 23rd 2009 8:12AM
I've been playing for a bit more than a year now and have absoloubtely loved the game. I remember logging into my gnome Mage and killing wolves, it was amazing!
I was exploring and came across the entrance from Dun Morogh to Loch Modan, the change in scenery scared me and I ran back :P
dlpoep Nov 23rd 2009 8:30AM
I started playing May 2007. I rolled a Human warrior because I didn't realize what I was doing and that sounded like the most "normal" character in the game. I think I did the same thing you did when I went from Ellwynn to Westfall...I was waiting to cross the bridge because I was scared! :P I also had defense gear on my dps warrior, dpsing with a shield and 1hander, not really using stances or talent points in any organized way. I try to think back now as to when things started to click. I look back at screen shots of my character I had taken years ago and I look at the gear and talents/abilities on my bars and it always seems wrong! lol Running around Kara in defense stance with a two hand mace??!! Anyways, it was probably towards the end of BC and beginning of Wrath where I started reading websites and watching videos and caring a little more about contributing to my guild. Since then, I now at least know how to play appropriately in order to help out a guild/raid/party. :)
Neirin Nov 23rd 2009 11:23AM
I remember when I first took my NE to IF I was scared about crossing the wetlands, because it was neutral. I had thought would mean I would constantly be attacked by high leveled horde.
Mr42 Nov 23rd 2009 8:16AM
Started around 2.2, stopped before 3.1. Don't know how much that is, but it seemed enough.
The favourite memories? Zul'Aman before the guild broke up
Mr42 Nov 23rd 2009 8:30AM
Oh, favourite memories of _growing up_? I read that as noob memories: starting a shaman, it took me less than initial 10 levels to figure out how annoying corpseruns are. Hence I leveled him resto until about 55 (yes, resto: LB, ES, LB, HW, LB, HW, LB, ES, drink, repeat). After I hit 70, i was still wielding 2 fast daggers to proc as many WFs as possible. Some elitist jerks and I made it to enhancement go-to tipline for guild and friends in 3 weeks.
I also remember soloing Wailing Caverns as 20-something... or so I thought at the time. Never made it to the portal, never knew there was one.
Glorfin Nov 23rd 2009 8:18AM
Only a year for me...best part was starting my first toon (actually first MMO char), NE druid, for those first 10-20 levels. Gorgeous starting area and huge new world to explore.
roninwookie Nov 23rd 2009 8:17AM
Been playing the game since launch and my favorite memory is when i finally got my warrior to lvl 60. Then a while after that, i got my epic mount...it was just so awesome!
Sengir Nov 23rd 2009 8:18AM
All five years, bought it the day it came out. Through Alliance, now Horde.
I still miss my little gnome lock to this day. :)
Favorite memory: going through the Dark Portal with my significant other at the same time.