Struggeling, batteling, exploring, grinding, farming, leveling. Defend, defeat. Walking, riding, flying and teleporting to all kinds of locations. Doing solo missions or with allies in a party or even an raid. Making friends, losing friends. Improving armor, weapons, talents, skills and professions. Seeing the world change, expand, improve, meeting new races and classes. For 10 long years I have been around in Azeroth and I have enjoyed every single moment.

Blizzard has thanked the true gamers with a very nice 8" metal statue, I say: Thank you Blizzard. Not just for this statue, which I obviously payed for myself, but also for the wonderful gaming experience those past 10 years, I have spent thousands of hours with pleasure and will continue to do so for another 10 years. I am looking forward to the next statue... ;)

About a year ago I tried to get to a Battleground, last week I did a retry because it was late at night and I couldn't find people to join me on my quests. So I lined up for 'Warsong Gulch', 'Arathi Basin' and 'Alterac Valley' and within 5 minutes I got inside 'Arathi Basin'.

Ok, for you noobs who don't know what I'm talking about, let me explain what to do in this BG. In this area there are several objects, like a mine, stables, a lumber mill, a farm etc. Each object has a banner, obtain this banner and it will turn into the faction's color, in my case it'll turn blue. Then defend it and prevent the Horde to take over. Owning a object or 'base' will start a resource meter to run, the more bases the faster it runs, when it hits 2000, your faction wins, after which you'll have to leave the BG and get back in line.
With my current level 63, I most of the times am one of lowest levels running around, but hard as nails as I am, I'm most certainly not afraid to attack a 69 Tauren Warrior, stun him, a Hamstring to slow him down, do a Rend, an Overpower, a Demoralizing Shout and if I'm not healed by this time probably being dead meat. Heheh, rez on the graveyard, mount and get back a.s.a.p. to defend or regain the base. If I'm able to finish a Horde off, I can take his isignia, some money and I earn honor points. These can be used outside the BG to buy usefull items, trinkets, epic gear, weapons etc.

This PVP action is really exiting!

I like 'Arathi Basin' the most. 'Warsong Gulch' is a capture the flag BG, get across the field inside the enemies building take the flag and bring it over to your building, this I find pretty dull.

'Alterac Vally' is a very large BG, in this snow covered valley you'll find NPC's at bases that can assist you in keeping the Horde of your back, but this also means their bases are guarded by NPC's as well. It's a very tough BG for me because of my level, most people running around here are 70, so that one time I've been there I've spent more time at the graveyard then I've been fighting. Though I must say I've managed to single handedly kill a 70 Rogue!

When you die you can ressurect at the graveyard with full health, but you'll have to wait up to a maximum of 30 seconds. The other thing you can do is to, as you normally do, walk back to where you died and rez on the spot, this might save some time but you've got only 50% of your health. And this is exactly what hat Rogue decided to do!
Next thing he saw me passing on my mount, guessing me being only a 63 and all alone, not needing to have regain full health first and able to kill me with a few simple strokes.
Not! As surprised as I was myself I did frecking own him completely! I did a Running Attack, which stunned him, then I used a Hamstring to slow him down, not able to run away, did a Rend to give him a deep bleeding cut, an Overpower, a Mortal strike and a Execute to end his story.
So, either I'm a damn good warrior or he was a sh!tty Rogue, but hey who cares? I was smart enough though to run like hell after this because I must pissed him off really good for sure!

Another BG is 'Eye of the Storm', introduced with 'The Burning Crusade'-add on. Here the capture/defend and capture the flag are combined. There are two floating land masses connected by three bridges, each landmass has two towers which can be captured after which they need to be defended, next to that a flag will spawn from time to time on the middle bridge, capture it and take it to any tower your faction owns and place it into a socket. Done this now a few times, it's okay but not as fun as AB.

Also with TBC the Arena fights were introduced, this is where you can take upon one another in teams of 2x2, 3x3, or 5x5.

 

Yep, I'm pretty hooked on this PVP thing!

Yay! I've finally reached level 60 on January 6th! Of the about 201760 XP I had to gain, I've managed to farm about 30000 all by myself in Azshara by taking out level 57's.

Next step is to work on my gear, some of it is still a 'green item'! My armor is too low to be of any (good) use in raids and PVP-battles. I'm gonna pay my first visits this week to Stratholme, Dire Maul, Scholomance and the Sunken Temple. I know, I know, I'm way behind most of you, but I got a great excuse:
Work!

On January 16 I'll aspect the addon 'The Burning Crusade' to be released. Because I pre-ordered it in August 2006 I'm sure to be one of the first to go through the portal into 'Outland'. I've already downloaded the cinematic trailer which of course did look great!

One plus of getting a level 60 just now, is that I've only got to play for a short while without gaining any XP.

Next to WoW I've managed to get some work done on 'Splinter Cell - Pandora Tomorrow'. Though 'TR:AoD', 'NFS:MW', 'HL2', 'SW:LegoII' and 'IGI2', amongst others, have been put aside. I really can't play 'm all at the same time. Also, I'm still waiting for the prices to drop on f.i. 'Prey', 'Dark Messiah', 'Titan Quest' etc.

Soo little time! Maybe I should consider to retire early, winning the lottery is definitly my aim for this year!

Looking back on four days off, I've come to the conclusion not to not have done much online again. On Saturday I received 'Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance', I know, an oldy, but I felt like I had to play this one too since I did play the first one about six years ago and really liked it back then. After installing I had some graphical issues, only outlines were displayed, no details at all, my PC is just too advanced!

I tried to find some patches which could solve this problem, in the end the only way seemed to be to set the video options to a lower resolution and giving in on effects. At that time I didn't feel like playing the game anymore, for now. So I took a look at my shelf with all the games I haven't installed and therefore not played yet. My eye fell on 'IGI 2: Covert Strike', bought on March 3, 2005 (I always write down the date of purchase on the inside of the box).

After installing the two cd's I started the game, this one also had a problem, it didn't recognize cd one and kept asking for it, while installing went perfectly. Online I found a patch which should solve this problem, well it didn't. Finally I uninstalled the game, started up VirtualDisk, dumped both cd's to files and performed a new installation, started the game and... tada! That did work!

While playing the first level I got bored after an half hour (I couldn't find the right way in without being spotted), so I started up 'WoW'. Great! Some servers went down earlier this day, several were back up again though, meaning I got placed in a queue and had to wait a severe time to get in. No 'WoW' then. What next, hmmmm... 'Flat out', I've still got to do the 'Gold Championship' after which the game officially is finshed and can be moved to my Finished-Games-Shelves. (That reminds me to check on the prices for 'Flat out 2').

After one hour of driving, crashing and jumping it was dinner time and after that, time to spent on wife and daughter. Sunday we had visitors, Monday we had an appointment at the daycare center and afterwards groceries to do, Tuesday I only managed to update my add-on's for 'WoW' and play 'IGI2' for an half hour after which I was dragged to the shopping mall. My advise to all gamers: No wife, no children, preferably no job too if it wasn't for the morgage that needs to be paid, or the food, or the new games...

What I was afraid of has become true, my precious time I had left to game now has gone almost completely! Oh, really? That can only mean you're dead or you're a dad!

In my case I'm both, well it does feel like that. Those midnight feedings are killing me, at work it seems as if I am a zombie and when finally at home, after a two hour drive, I've got diaper duty or have to give a bottle to my daughter, instead of getting a bottle myself!

I am proud to still have been able to free up some time to sit in front of my computer. I've logged in at WoW a few times but wasn't able to do much, because I just don't have enough time for doing big quests.
Instead I've been playing "Half-Life: Source", "Flat Out" and "NFS Most Wanted". Fun games and easy to stop with when duty calls.

Last weekend I had planned to download and install DOSBOX. With this program you can install old DOS-games on high-end systems and re-live the old days. I'd liked to have played "Crusader: No Remorse", but once again: no time.

They say that a child gives a lot in return, well she'd better gonna make lots of money when she's grown up, 'cause I ain't seeing what else she could give me in return!

Next Friday I think I'm going to skip the night, just to get something done in Azeroth. I really have to live up to my addiction!

Got to go now, my princess has something in return for me:
A smelly diaper!!

In five months I've managed to get only two ('WoW') levels up, work is keeping me away from my favourite hobby: Gaming!
And there's a new threat, within two weeks I'll become a dad... There goes my precious free time!

1982: School from 8:30AM-3:30PM, doing homework at home till 5:30PM, dinner, and afterwards spending the evening behind my Commodore 64, programming and playing tons of games! At weekends visiting friends, sharing and playing games all day long! Man, those were the days...

Well, I did finish 'SW - Republic Commando', it took me four months playing it in little bits . Nice game though, did look great on my XPS600 (As do all my games nowadays). I'm definitely gonna checkout SW-RC2!

Also I'd finished 'Max Payne - TFoMP', this one took me only two days to complete, yes, a short game, but very good, great graphics, good audio/FX and a nice story with that.

'TR - Legend' is on my wish list, gonna buy it when the price has dropped significantly. Still have to finish 'TR - AoD' first, the damn gameplay really sucks! I really have to force myself to keep on playing, but I will finish it! (You're a hardcore gamer or you're not, right?).

This weekend I'll pay a visit to 'Azeroth', going to see my brother, has been a while. Also I'm gonna slay living things at Blackrock Mountain, need to get lots of work done there.

Have fun you all!

Nearly level 53 and since 48 I finally was able to buy my mount. I've been in the queue for the Arathi Battlegrounds several times, but appearantly it's soo crowded and busy that I haven't been able to get inside. No matter anyways, I'm too busy doing quests, several of 'm I've been carrying for almost four months now...

Another problem is that I just received "F.E.A.R."; I hope I don't have to explain this one to you! 

"Half-Life II" is lying here unpacked on the shelf too! It's a shame I only have a few hours per weekend left to enjoy myself with gaming. During the week I'm about 70 hours away from home working.

Sigh! Well I'm not gonna waste anymore time on this log now, it's precious game-time!

Still no horse at this time. I had to spend my gold on plate armor and better weaponery, found it more useful at that time. So I ended up with only 6 silver left and I do have to save up 70 gold for a mount!

I've reached level 46 and managed to gather 33 gold. You'll find me the next days in 'The Badlands' at the 'Uldaman' dungeon, here I can make some money and I still have to do that 'Find the gems' quest. I'd better also start crafting some weapons and armor for selling at the auction hall at 'Ironforge'.

What? You still haven't got the game? OMG!!

Why do I even bother...

On April 27 2005, our guild "The Limpy Looters" has been formed. Running around in pink tabards with a white heart we're not only conquering enemy territory but also beautiful women...
We could use more tough members to join because we'll gonna start our first Raid-Party soon! Kicking some Hordes @$$&$ !!! You really don't want to mis out on that!

Last weekend I reached level 40, now I am able to ride a horse, problem only is that I haven't got one! It's gonna be water and bread for me the next months so I can save up for my transport.

"Is that all you can talk about? That stupid game!?"; Yep! What would you like to talk about? Then again, who's journal is this anyways!!!

On February 19 2005 I received my box with the European version of "World of Warcraft". At that time I'd only read about it, but as a hardcore single player first person shooter gamer, I wasn't really interested in a dull point and click RPG. That was what I remembered from the first version of Warcraft. I played several missions, that is, at least three of 'm, got killed, couldn't stand losing, got tired of watching over my army wandering all over the place, finally uninstalled the game and placed the disc on the shelf with my collection, atleast I could say I owned and played the game. So it was very clear to me: This is not my type of game, I'm a tanker, with tactics though, but I like to play on my own and completely alone. Doom, Half-Life, Undying, Splinter Cell, Hitman, No one lives forever, RTC Wolfenstein, that's more my style.

Until that day a colleague told about his experience playing WOW, about a immense world with Elfs, Humans, Rogues, Mages, Trolls, Orcs, Undead and Taurens, about dancing, clapping, telling jokes, laughing, crying, flexing, being rude and other emotes, about chatting, grouping, looting, questing and exploring. Yep, he talked me into it. So I ordered my copy online, not knowing I bought one of the last games because they were almost sold out completely, and after four days on a Saturday (how convenient!) I was able to install the four discs, and a 60Mb download patch afterwards. When it was finally ready and I started the game I entered a new world as an inhabitant of Northshire in Elwynn Forest, being a human warrior level 1.

Today I am a level 36 warrior, guildmaster of 'The Limpy Looters' and honored by several races in the Doomhammer realm. When not at work I'm online, sometimes I skip nights to be able to complete a quest, to help out others, or just to explore on my own. Home has a different meaning now, Stormwind is home. No laundry or dishes need to be done there, cooking I could do, but that's a profession I don't care for, a health potion is more useful to me or silk bandages, no even better: a paladin joining me!
I'm very busy learning how to mine and the basics of blacksmithing, no not in school!

What do you mean you can't follow me? What planet are you from? Buy this game! Do something useful with your life!