Where has all the fun gone?

[Euklid]

More and more frequently I've noticed a rather worrying tendency: playing for loot rather than for fun.

Often in HM pugs or even in T1/2/3 raid ppl send me tells asking what I'm doing here since I got everything that could possibly drop. When I reply "I'm here for the fun" they are very surprised (to say it mild), some even call me stupid.

I remember vividly the friday afternoon t1 sweeps (drunken raid) organized by a guild that, unfortunately, does not exist anymore. Most of the raid members where full T3/Khitai and still, they (we) all had fun doing it (mass pull anyone?). There are still some ppl in the game who organize fun things like that like numpty raids, unbalanced raids, 24-DT vistix kill and similar. But it appears ppl become less interested doing things like that for the fun of it.

Even some ppl in my fiend list, when asked to join a hm group, tend to ask "where you going?" and often they say "I don't need anything there but if you go <insert some hm> then I come".

So, where has all the fun gone?

Cheers Euklid

[Slith]

You are missing the point that the "fun" is subjective and deeply personal.

Some enjoy being "world first" to beat the certain boss, while others might not set foot in the dungeon before they know the strat because for them "fun" is smooth and rewarding dungeon run.

Many people take their fun in getting new loot, again some loot for power (to upgrade character) and some for vanity.

Hell, some even play for loot but not for themselves, but because they will be more useful to their guild's raids and they enjoy that aspect of the game.

What I am getting at is: there is no list of "fun things to enjoy" that is set in stone. Do what you like and accept that others might be looking for their fix elsewere, or even find same things pleasuable, but for different reason.

Live and let live.

[Prima]

My to-do list I follow each night is mostly "just for fun" stuff. My first priority every play session is to make sure I've had some fun, and for me that usually boils down to getting in at least one personal or solo achievement. It would probably ruin them to compare with other people's achievements, or to have to wait for others who wanted to do the same things, but just for illustration's sake, here are some things from my list (which is actually much more specific):

• doing speed runs of solo dungeons (including ones with no upgrades). I got Refuge, IIS, and DMH done in 47 min the other night, including side quests and travel; I'm sure others beat that all the time but it was my new record and it made the night.
• beating my previous parses in 6-mans or raids or training dummies
• switching factions for some obscure reward from the other faction
• farming up a different mount
• farming up XXX gold
• maxing out obscure AA (by running content that is high Mastery) and trying new specs/combos
• scripting up a fan movie or comic, writing guides, etc.

[cins]

So, where has all the fun gone?

Those people never had any. They're a lost cause.

[kinlock]

Doing the same "fun" over and over and over turns into not-so-fun, other than the occasional annual naked T1 raid.
I personally can only do the same thing so many times before I want to barf on it.

Even steak and lobster for dinner every single night will get old very fast. Wrap the steak in bacon and you bought yourself another week before that too gets old.

[Euklid]

You are missing the point that the "fun" is subjective and deeply personal.....

Yes, but wouldn't that imply some diversity? Why is then the vast majority interested primarily in loot?

Doing the same "fun" over and over and over turns into not-so-fun, other than the occasional annual naked T1 raid.
I personally can only do the same thing so many times before I want to barf on it.....

I agree completely here but apparently ppl do not get tired to do the same gear runs over and over again. So for fun it becomes boring soon but for loot it's a different matter?

Cheers Euklid

[theEntar]

Even steak and lobster for dinner every single night will get old very fast. Wrap the steak in bacon and you bought yourself another week before that too gets old.

"According to one written recipe, 20 roasted chickens are stuffed with 60 eggs. Then a sheep is stuffed with the chickens and rice, and then stuffed into a camel with more rice, various nuts and spices. The entire camel is then placed on a bed of rice and it’s time to eat. "

[Mellaus]

It's just a question of prospective and point of view.

When you start AoC as a brand new player, you discover things, play without bothering about performance or theory crafting and such.

Then you start getting how things work, which leads you to start thinking about how optimizing your gameplay.

Then you get involved in higher raiding tiers, HMs and such.
This is at that time that the power escalation starts and that it starts defining your entire scope.

You pursue that quest of being more powerful.

Then, eventually, after playing extensively, developing several characters as much as possible, you start wondering what's the point.
Because, hey, your favorite character(s) cannot be improved anymore, they're just as developed as possible.

And now you start coming back to the roots of what was the reason for which you started playing AoC i the first place. Fun.

This is just the natural course of things.
Each player goes through it, each one at his own pace.
So for one guy starting the game and having just fun there is another one being obsessed with gear escalation at the same time.

Fun is not gone, it all depends with whom you play.

[woodcarver74]

I Guess we all have different sides we like the most of the game, i personaly have found that vareity in what i choose to do have given me the longest enjoyment of the game.

I still jump into a lott of t2 and t3 pugs on global or gett asked by friends to help out, i most of the time play my dt koraile, since it is and have always been my main interesst and the Carr most ppl know me on. I have to be a bit bored to do t1 and its kind of owerkill, and i feel the other tanks have less fun With a almost full t4 Carr along, but if i see a raid struggling hard to get ppl i somethimes offer to help.

I already have most kithai stuff, all the rings, only 2 accesories missing ( that i have no use of) A couple of armor parts missing, But i already have full black dragon,ll,tigers,t2,t3,wolfs and all rare parts from most Dungeons, a few random like the Shield from aok and the tali from dragonspine, but i have seen them dropp many times, and ususaly pass for someone that needs it, one day none will need it and il get it anyway, so good to save some enjoyment for a day to come right?

I still find enjoyment in all from crows nest,atzels,xiba irontower etc, i Guess the ones i do least because i have done them to mutch is the grasslands ones and kk runs ( even if i do join somethimes if i see a Group stuggling to fill)

I Guess my point is dont grind one thing to mutch, the gear will come With patience, I still have great fun joining a social pug on Friday With a couple of beers popping and some laughs. Or a social Group thast have fun and do it without to mutch gear stress, but to have fun together.
And giving someone a healping hand without getting anything, most of the time Ensures i get to know a few new friendly faces that is happy to have me along another day when im maybe bored.

I still do enjoy the game a lott, even if my playtime have been redusen a bit, but thats ok, i have already invested 240 days of gametime on koraile. And there is still a lott of old friends playing, even some of the ones i started out With back in 2008, something that makes me Return more often, its the community that makes me still be here, without it the game would get worn out a long time ago.

So still hanging in there,

Koraile