This site makes extensive use of JavaScript.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser.
Live
PTR
10.2.7
PTR
10.2.6
Beta
Topic of the Week 4/28 - Time Management & Prioritization
Post Reply
Return to board index
Post by
Salali
Please remember to follow the
forum rules
. Additional guidelines can be found
here
.
Welcome once again to the "Topic of the Week!" I'll be your mediator again this week as we cover an issue at the forefront of all players: time management.
"April showers bring May flowers," so the saying goes. With all the hustle & bustle of life preparing to bounce back into action this spring, online gaming will have to compete with offline reality. Thinking of taking a vacation to visit relatives or perhaps getting your feet wet at the beach? What about spending a couple days off to catch up on those dailies & hang out with friends or guildmates in Azeroth? Either way, we'll all be doing
something
. Just what that is & how you make time for it is up for discussion this week.
Here's a few questions that may help you formulate a reply:
How important is WoW to you? Do you play with your heart, or is it "just a game"?
What things in real life will you be doing this spring & summer? Will you have time for WoW?
Do your real life friends play WoW? Do you play with them? How often do they play?
Would you be willing to re-arrange your schedule, planned or unplanned, in order to attend raid schedules or other guild functions? Do these online functions or "responsibilities" matter, even in the slightest?
This week's topic is more than just an informal survey -- it's a reflection of our priorities & time management skills. Just like last week, I'll be dropping in from time to time expressing my thoughts & plans as well. Will you be in them, my Azerothian friends?
-----
For a complete history of the TOTW series, click
here
.
Post by
112770
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
134368
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
95950
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
sYs73m
I'm lucky to have
several friends
whom
play WoW
.
WTB PST
Amazing, Yakra. You're lucky! :P
Post by
nismotune
I see WoW as an inexpensive alternative to other hobbies.
It used to run my life (read: raiding guild) pre-bc but i've become a pretty casual player now and focus alot of time playing alts. now i'm getting too many 70s and all of them are undergeared so i may need to focus a bit more on a single character again.
Working for a school district like i do gives me the entire month of July off so i'll be spending a week or so in santa cruz but the rest of the time will most likely be spent on the computer. maybe i'll take the laptop outside and get some sun while playing (wish it was waterproof lol)
I play almost exclusively with RL friends now and we've all quit our guilds and consolidated to one realm/guild. My GF plays which is good because she doesn't chew my ass as long as i boost her alts every once in a while. i log on at least 5 times a week for 3-4 hours each time, used to be 5hrs/night minimum but i like to spend time reading and such.
i don't schedule too much time around wow anymore as it has gone down on my list of priorities. i'll probably get back into raiding when WOTLK comes out just to be on the cutting edge... for a day or two lol
Post by
sYs73m
How important is WoW to you? Do you play with your heart, or is it "just a game"?
What things in real life will you be doing this spring & summer? Will you have time for WoW?
Do your real life friends play WoW? Do you play with them? How often do they play?
Would you be willing to re-arrange your schedule, planned or unplanned, in order to attend raid schedules or other guild functions? Do these online functions or "responsibilities" matter, even in the slightest?
WoW is very important to me, as sad (or not) as that may sound. It's a very important hobby to be. I've had a lot of fun with it, met a lot of cool people and have really enjoyed my time doing. The only thing I dislike, is that it has me on the computer all the time. I'd like to be in better shape.
I'll have plenty of time to play WoW this spring and summer, as I'll make it a point to have time. I do have some other activities planned, though. My area is a blast during the summer, so I'll be out having fun, hanging with friends, etc... I've also signed up for a kickball league in my local area. Should be fun!
Not many of my friends play. My ex-girlfriend plays here and there with me, and my two other friends play, but not at "my level". :(
I've been known to change my plans just to play WoW if I don't feel like doing what I had originally set. I don't skip out on friends and family, though. I'll almost always choose a real-life event over WoW, thing is they are few and far between.
Responsibilities do matter. I'll almost always take care of them first, although if I have the next day off, I'll push it off until then. :P
Post by
102953
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
88509
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Aris
I'm addicted, and i really wish i wasnt. I wish i could just play here and there when i got some downtime, but its like an obsession. Its all i can think about.
That said, i do my best to make time for my wife. I try to spend at least a few hours a day after work with her before i play, and i spend almost all of the weekends with her. I'll also generally ask her in advance if my current raiding schedual is OK with her or not before i commit to it.
I really wish my wife played wow, it would make things a lot easier. I have re-arranged some things though to pull her more into it. I put the computer in the living room, so when im playing and she's watching tv, i can still sorta be with her. I'll watch the shows with her, and talk to her about stuff while i play/raid. She asks more questions about it now than she used to, and even though i know she has no clue what im talking about, she seems interested none the less. That helps. Its really nice to just be able to talk to someone about your passion, even if they dont share in it with you.
Summer time, yea i'll probably try to get outdoors more, but i'm still going to make every schedualed guild event. I cant drop my 100% attendance record now. But if theirs an excess of my class, and they need a volunteer to sit, i'll be more inclined to offer. And when im not raiding, i do my best to get off the computer, and go outside with my wife to do something. Even if its just walk down the street and talk.
I'd also like to get my three years running Dungeons and Dragon's game back to running on a weekly basis, as I've got boatloads of plot saved up to unleash upon my unsuspecting players.
Any chance people can join via Online, or is this a F2F only event? I've been die'ing to find some people to play some pen and paper RPG's with. Doesnt necissarily have to be D&D. Every time ive tried though, our DM has sucked horribly. Nothing makes a pen and paper game suck more than crappy content via your DM. "this level 3 beast just stone formed your level 1 ranger. Aww, no one has the stone to flesh spell yet, i guess your character is just stuck like that for the next 2 MONTHS while your friends go off adventuring on your behalf to get an elixir to get you back to normal" Yea, i was that smuch who got turned to stone at level 1. Thanks DM.
Post by
sYs73m
I'd also like to get my three years running Dungeons and Dragon's game back to running on a weekly basis, as I've got boatloads of plot saved up to unleash upon my unsuspecting players.
Any chance people can join via Online, or is this a F2F only event? I've been die'ing to find some people to play some pen and paper RPG's with. Doesnt necissarily have to be D&D. Every time ive tried though, our DM has sucked horribly. Nothing makes a pen and paper game suck more than crappy content via your DM. "this level 3 beast just stone formed your level 1 ranger. Aww, no one has the stone to flesh spell yet, i guess your character is just stuck like that for the next 2 MONTHS while your friends go off adventuring on your behalf to get an elixir to get you back to normal" Yea, i was that smuch who got turned to stone at level 1. Thanks DM.
Second. Terrible GM's !@#$ing ruin D&D. Yakra, make this online! :P
Post by
131800
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Salali
A friend of mine recently had some guild issues come up that were a result of a player not attending his/her raid at the last moment -- deciding instead to go spend the night with some friends, at the movies. So, 24 people got stuck without that last string that evening.
The end result wasn't pretty -- my friend lost his level-headedness (by his own admission) & was reminded of who exactly pays the $15 per month to play the game.
One thing to consider is that scheduling and making plans (on a serious level, or not) involve
real people
. Do we sometimes forget, or simply dismiss, others online just because they are not "real"? We typically don't have to face them or suffer consequences directly relating to our day-to-day lives. Nevertheless, there are always consequences for our actions, be it online or in the real world.
So, another "food for thought" question:
Do your personal values & beliefs (integrity) influence your decisions online?
Remember, reply in response to the original topic first. If there is something else you would like to add, do so afterward, =)
Post by
DSitC
I take WoW as serious as any other group activity that involves real people.
Anyone telling me that "It's just a game" is, to me at least, showcasing a severe lack of social skills. Of course it's a game, put real people invest real time into it. Just dropping out of an assignment or signup will leave 4, 9 or 24 other people with a small headache. Not a nice thing to do.
I try to be responsible, and I don't sign up for anything if I'm not sure that I can make it.
To answer the specifice questions:
It's not just a game. It's a hobby, and group activity. I try not to neglect my duties over it, but I take it as seriously as any other activity that involves not only mine, but other people's time, too.
I guess I'll have to attend my own wedding this summer. ;-) Besides that, no big trips are planned. There will be time for WoW and for other activities. We have a RL-Meeting upcoming, a few weeks after the marriage.
Not all of them, but a lot do. We are running a guild together right now. Right now we are slacking a bit, but that's the way it runs, sometimes. We play, and raid, together a lot.
I arrange my schedule as I see fit. Sometimes I arrange it around WoW, sometime it's the other way round.
Post by
blademeld
How important is WoW to you? Do you play with your heart, or is it "just a game"?
WoW is a lifestyle choice. Most people spend 1-3 hours a day on it, you do not do that for "just a game"
What things in real life will you be doing this spring & summer? Will you have time for WoW?
I'll study some more, this year in university has been a real eye-opener for me. And yes, I will have time for WoW, if I don't on the weekdays, there are always the weekends.
Do your real life friends play WoW? Do you play with them? How often do they play?
Yes, I have RL friends who play WoW, but we did not start together and hence play separately a bit sad really.
Would you be willing to re-arrange your schedule, planned or unplanned, in order to attend raid schedules or other guild functions? Do these online functions or "responsibilities" matter, even in the slightest?
I rarely sign up for raids. I just get invited anyways so I have no obligation most of the time. If I don't raid until reset day, then I'll just PuG it <3
Post by
Simulator
One thing to consider is that scheduling and making plans (on a serious level, or not) involve
real people
. Do we sometimes forget, or simply dismiss, others online just because they are not "real"? We typically don't have to face them or suffer consequences directly relating to our day-to-day lives. Nevertheless, there are always consequences for our actions, be it online or in the real world.
So, another "food for thought" question:
Do your personal values & beliefs (integrity) influence your decisions online?
I'm going to grab this bull by the horns and run with it. Personally, I believe the group of players you surround yourself with has a huge influence on how you act online. I know in my guild, 6 or 7 of us are real life friends, and upwards of 7-8 more have been gaming with us for the past 4 years. This specific group really does go out of there way in terms of commitment to an online game. When a raid or event is scheduled, they will do whatever they can in the real world to try free up some time in their schedule to attend. When something is planned that is going to take up several hours of 10 or 25 people, I believe it is important that if I tell people I'm going to be there that I'm sure I can be there.
Some of the new players who have joined, of whom we have met/found through the game, do not share the same level of dedication. (Even a small event such as a TV show they didn't expect to come on could cause them to bail on previously set plans with the guild that night.)
As a guild we can't fault people for what they do in the real world, but we can decide whether or not our guild is the best choice for a player who would rather casually play without having to commit to anything. Raiding in this game is setup in a way that requires loads and loads of teamwork, and I'm not so sure if that level of teamwork can be achieved by people who don't try to give it their all.
This is a very good topic for discussion, I'm looking forward to hearing a few more replies.
Post by
107106
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Lohr
How important is WoW to you? Do you play with your heart, or is it "just a game"?
What things in real life will you be doing this spring & summer? Will you have time for WoW?
Do your real life friends play WoW? Do you play with them? How often do they play?
Would you be willing to re-arrange your schedule, planned or unplanned, in order to attend raid schedules or other guild functions? Do these online functions or "responsibilities" matter, even in the slightest?
WoW isn't that important. I use this game to play when I'm bored and have nothing to do. I'd rather go out with friends and have a good time. During work week I always make sure to hit the gym before I sit my ass down on the computer. I just can't see myself in the house forever. I will go crazy insane.
This summer there will be WoW time no doubt but there will be more beach time and small vacation time. I perfer to be social outside then be stuck at home pressing buttons
If I already made plans for that day (which is more then likely) there is no way I will try to fit in raiding time in there.
Post by
roger225
LOL i think wow is my more important to me than life then i realised it when my laptop broke and i realised that i can not play wow for a week or so i went crazy and couldnt sleep ....
ITS KINDA SAD i know lol :P but i mean what eva makes u happy no? xD
Post by
xaratherus
How important is WoW to you? Do you play with your heart, or is it "just a game"?
WoW is my primary hobby. I've recently found myself drifting into the realm of "playing WoW to the exclusion of other important things" (like visiting with friends) and so I've tried to cut back a bit on my game time. When I do play, I play with my heart - which is why it upsets me when I get into BGs and find people screaming to "just sit in the graveyard because Alliance never wins lol".
What things in real life will you be doing this spring & summer? Will you have time for WoW?
When you're young, you never realize how nice school actually is. Once you're working, unless you're incredibly lucky, you don't get a "spring break" or a "summer vacation". Bitter old man here. ;)
That being said, I would love to get a tabletop game going again sometime this summer if possible, as well as planning a few trips to Las Vegas or Mexico (since both are only 6 hours away from Phoenix).
Do your real life friends play WoW? Do you play with them? How often do they play?
I live with three roommates, and all of us play WoW. Three of us tend to play more than the fourth, who recently found a new significant other. We are the founding members and guild officers of our guild on Windrunner, and we typically play 2-3 hours together three nights a week, and several hours a day on weekends.
It's a far less expensive hobby than some, although I (and my cardiologist) both wish it were a little more active of a hobby.
Would you be willing to re-arrange your schedule, planned or unplanned, in order to attend raid schedules or other guild functions? Do these online functions or "responsibilities" matter, even in the slightest?
I don't know that I would be willing to rearrange a planned "real life" activity just to play WoW. At the same time, I consider my planned WoW functions with the same importance as planned "real life" functions. Only the game world is virtual; the other players are real. Just like in real life, the obligations you make are important.
At the same time, we have a guild rule that "real life always takes precedence" - so even if you are planning to lead that raid on Gruul's on Saturday, finding out that you forgot your parents' anniversary is a reason for missing the game. :P
Post Reply
You are not logged in. Please
log in
to post a reply or
register
if you don't already have an account.