Oqm's Razor

Futility in Raiding

Wrath of the Lich King: we know it's coming. We know it's going to fall on us like a drunken Nessaj who didn't see us on the couch; and yet, we still raid. We still chase and gather things like nothing will ever change. We live our in-game lives like there will never be any number conceived by man higher than 70, except for this poor guy:

Now, never having achieved a level of raiding by the standards of Nihilum, I might be intruding on their motivations without the proper qualification. But, as I see it, I'm a thinking human being like they are, and I deserve to at least question what's going on here, if not to receive an answer.

We know (sort of) why we go after items when there are no imminent changes that would make them obsolete: they are the best (or at least better than someone else's), and they are visual representations of our awesomeness (I need to get those shoulder pads tonight, EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW AWESOME I AM). Clearly, the wishes of those who succeed are granted by the people inspecting them on the bank-tops, asking for gear-links like they were begging for food. We find comfort in downward comparison everywhere we go: come on, how many times have you passed a homeless person in a city asking for change and thought, "Ha, I have +3 more heat containment on my $300 leather jacket. Drafty noob." Of course, our motivations for real-life success aren't ALL centered on proving your relative success and experience by shitting on homeless people (..right?.....), because there is a degree of self-satisfaction in being able to do something well for one's own sake, or in having a piece of gear that improves your respective output. This is personal achievement, and its importance can't be denied.

But even with the weight of the conditions of personal achievement, one can't help but be confused at the efforts of everyone continuing to raid and collect: why would you still do it?

I can only think of a few reasons: 1. Because it's sort of fun; 2. For the memory of the accomplishments; and 3. It might not all be worthless in WoTLK.

As for the first, lots of things are fun. Isn't this a great chance to find out what they are? Like building wooden model airplanes and then telling your friends all about it?

As for the second, perhaps this is the best reason. No one in Nihilum would forget a Kil'Jaeden world first, but no one else would know what it was like - the intensity of everyone else's accomplishments could be easily replaced by anything else.

As for the third, well, the novelty of tanking Malygos in tier 6 might be good food for forums, but it probably won't be that sensible and probably won't happen a lot.

I don't think I'd buy the mere "just something to do for the meantime" explanation, either. If I knew I was going to get a Porsche 996, driven to me and parked in my lap in a few months, I wouldn't ride my daughter's tricycle to work and to the shops, justified as something done "in the meantime". No, I would sit on my couch and watch Space Jam 956 times until someone walked through my door and threw the keys at my face.

There might be some higher level of motivation at work for those people raiding the Sunwell Plateau and such (World Firsts are a VERY rare opportunity), but for those diligent, middle-class Honor Point farmers who's eyes have met the horizon of the future of the game, their motivations (should) have dropped to zero. To them, trying to get new gear or collecting any sort of upgraded items before the expansion came out would be like putting on fishing hats to defend themselves from a f*cking meteor. There is no greater definition of futility.

NAXX

See you all idling with lost hope in Shattrath, Oqm