Cold Nostalgia

Bouncing off a topic Syp @ Bio Break wrote on today, I want to take a moment and dive into what I believe is one of the reasons people still play World of Warcraft, nostalgia.

Personally, I have played WoW off and on since its inception in 2004. Sometime after graduating college and getting married, I put down the game for what I thought was the last time. My friends and I went on to play other MMO’s (Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer, etc.) and always talked about the glory days in Azeroth. Our nostalgia was not just rooted in WoW but in the Warcraft RTS series as well. Hours upon hours spent playing online in high school only helped cement memories in time.

Last year I did the unthinkable though when my friends and I dove back into the lands of Azeroth. What had started out as a series of conversations about the good old days, soon manifested itself into us playing again. The past, the memories of days gone by, had pulled us back into the behemoths claws. This all didn’t last long though, as I soon grew bored in zones I had slogged through before.

Going back to Syp’s post, what will pull gamers back to World of Warcraft for the great Cataclysm? Will it be new specs? New character classes? Hardly. I believe cold hard nostalgia will be the drawing factor. Here is the thing though, nostalgia only lasts for so long. Soon reality sets in and people see things for what they are now, and not what they used to be.

The great cataclysm awaits…yawn.

Lord of the Rings Online: Screenshot of the Night

The reluctant Hobby Master.

Went to visit the Hobby Master in Bree this evening. He would stare right at me and yet say nothing.  So, I offered him a few of my mother’s choice pies — so delicious! –. Nothing. He just stood there, looking at me. Humans, at times, are odd. – Aubrik

Hit level 14 tonight!

And so the Pocket Legends begin…

Over at Massively.com, they have a great write up on Pocket Legends, an MMMG (Mobile Massively Multiplayer Game) for the iDevice.

Pocket Legends is a Mobile Massively Multiplayer Game available for the iPod, iPhone and iPad devices. It is a 3d online role-playing game where you can join thousands of players from around the world. Play with your friends and make new friends online. Cooperate to undertake wild adventures in endless dungeon campaigns!

The initial game client is free (link opens iTunes). Additional dungeon campaigns, gear, and gold are available for a price.

Impressions so far:

I installed Pocket Legends over lunch on my 1st generation iPod Touch. (Yes, despite what the iTunes store has listed, Pocket Legends seems to work fine on a 1st generation iTouch.) The game client updated itself quickly, and I was soon able to create my first character (an archer). Due to time constraints, I was only able to play for a few minutes. My overall impression is that the game plays like Diablo…or a more recent Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game on the DS. Further thoughts to come!

Whore

Recently, I started reading through the book of Jeremiah. Today I was reading through chapter 3 and was struck by a theme that has been carried over from chapter 2, that of the nation of Israel acting like a whore.

20-22“A long time ago you broke out of the harness.
You shook off all restraints.
You said, ‘I will not serve!’
and off you went,
Visiting every sex-and-religion shrine on the way,
like a common whore.
You were a select vine when I planted you
from completely reliable stock.
And look how you’ve turned out—
a tangle of rancid growth, a poor excuse for a vine.

(Jeremiah 2:20-22a, The Message)

Notice that Israel was whoring themselves out to both physical and spiritual things (“Visiting every sex-and-religion shrine on the way”). This has got me thinking, what things am I prostituting myself to daily? Is it something physical like a hobby? Is it a thought or an idea that is not Biblical (thus not of God)?

Perhaps this is a shock to you, especially if you came to this site looking for video game related material. Trust me, the content is here. One of the other purposes of this site is to stir conversation. So let’s stir the pot!

  • Are you, someone who has been made clean by acceptance in Christ’s death on the cross, whoring yourself out to physical things and thoughts that are not of God? If so, there is no time like the present to make things right.
  • Are you someone who does not know Christ but still feels like you are whoring yourself out to something? Perhaps its time to evaluate what your intaking on a daily basis.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be known as a whore to that which is evil and not of God.

Bryan

*Please note that the word “whore” is used due to the overarching marriage analogy found in the passages.

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