Well, this blog has covered my craziest taming days of WoW, and some of my deepest dedication to the game, so it's only fitting that it also cover the end of this era.
Kalli will be hanging up her bow before the Mists of Pandaren. For good.
I'd been playing less and less, then quit entirely for SWTOR, but I didn't realize the full scope of the truth until recently. I haven't even been playing TOR much. I went to be with a friend who I know from another game, and that's where we went. Again. This isn't WoW burnout; it's MMO burnout. I'm tired of pushing for endgame goals, and without them, WoW has no real meaning for me. Crafting for its own sake lacks appeal. Questing is just another grind that I'm not engaged in anymore. That's the real kicker for me, since there are still some really solid zones I haven't explored - in both games - but I just can't bring myself to do them. Alderaan killed me in TOR; couldn't wait to get out. Every zone in WoW feels like a grind, even the better ones.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm still looking forward to the MoP beta on some level and may poke my head back in for it. But it's not going to go beyond that. When my account runs out, that'll be it. I won't say that I'll never come back (speaking in absolutes is silly), only that I'll need to have a really good reason to....and I really don't forsee that happening, since I really do appear to be done with MMOs.
As for my pets...I take them with me in my heart, just like I'm taking Kalli. That's where they truly live, anyway. It's not about the pixels that are part of WoW; their essence will remain a part of me forever.
Like life itself, all things must end, and so will close this chapter of my life. But that's not for almost an entire year, so let's end the journey on a high note. Keep exploring and listen to your inner hunter. Remember that true connections transcend any one game and that is what you bring with you wherever your path takes you.
