Of course, this week’s WoW playing was interrupted by Thanksgiving–where I had. no. internet. access. And then by the baking extravaganza (made almost $150, btw). Sometimes life intervenes in game playing, as it should, really. But sometimes, the game lags a bit. When that happens, when the game loses its luster, some people end up giving up, figuring that if they’re not interested anymore, they should just quit. Often this happens when you hit max level and have maxed out your gear and you think, well, there’s nothing left to do. Which might be true. But Blizzard keeps coming out with new things, sometimes in patches and sometimes in larger expansions. We are, in fact, waiting for one of each of these shiny new things which promise new dungeons, new races and more.

I don’t play so much for the stuff except inasmuch as the stuff gives me the opportunity to play more often with people I enjoy spending time with. So, when the game starts to feel old, I don’t want to quit because I’d miss that time. There are some options:

• Take a break. Thanksgiving was a natural break. But any time the game is not enjoyable, it might be a good time to step away. Play another kind of game–trivial pursuit or bejeweled maybe. Or read a book. Or watch tv.
• Start another character, something really different from what you’re currently playing. I’m finding that playing a different kind of character gives me a new perspective on the game and on the people in it.

Obviously, if you go back to playing and it *still* feels dull, then maybe it is time to quit. Maybe you’ve outgrown the game or gaming altogether. It’s not the end of the world. People do quit on a regular basis. Gaming has been a part of my entertainment menu since I was 12, so I doubt I would ever give up on it altogether. But I’ve been through my fair share of different games, some of which I still play once in a while–the Sims, Civilization, various web-based puzzle games. While I feel like I’m in a bit of a holding pattern with WoW, waiting for some new content, it’s still fun enough to play regularly.