On the lighter side I think that a casual player is one that has his/her chair reclined back, drink and snack on the table listening to music and maybe dancing while the character is drinking and eating…. but that is just me. (dripping of sarcasm)

Conquernfool

On de other hand I fully support anybody’s right to proclaim themselves to be casual, hardcore, non-aligned, semi-hardcore, semi-casual, dedicated, go-with-the-flow or just-do-me-own-thing. I’s a live and let live (unless someone’s paying me for to kill you) kind of orc.

I think that means I mostly agrees with you. maybe some details here and there not so much, but that’s to be expected. That said, /cheer you for taking the time to write about somethin’ that’s clearly been bothering you.

I have taken time off work just to play WoW and have skipped a parent teacher meet/greet in order to play WoW. And I definitely play more than 20 hours a week.

On the other hand, I’ll probably never raid or see the end game content because the cost is too high relationshipwise. I can get away with one night a week “I’m doing an instance with my online buddies”, but a 3-4 night a week commitment would probably break my marriage.

I really could care less about what other people see me as whether hardcore or casual. I play to have fun, and fun’s what I have!

I find myself on a constant cycle in WoW, or for any other thing/hobby that I am currently involved in. I have a way of starting off “casual” in my play style/committment then slowly progressing towards the “hardcore” mentality again.

For me it is casual when I am playing the game because I want to. I am having fun, be that with a brand spanking new level 1 alt, my level x9 twinks, My 70 questers, or when I raided. I have come to the realization that I have to keep myself in check, because for me becoming hardcore does in fact hurt my family. I neglect them, but this is my failing not just a label. I like to keep the game casual, I do play more that 20 hours a week, but I am not committed to others so if I need to log to see what my son found in the backyard.. I can.

I do not throw the labels around, as to be honest it is really none of my business how you or anyone else plays. I am here to have fun, and that is all the matters.

Anyhow, I was discussing to discuss, and I actually liked the post (hence the commenting), so don’t give up on deciding to write something different or debate-worthy!

Also, I like “dedicated.” I’ll use it the next time this issue shows up on my guild forums, which is the only place I *actually* get bothered by gaming philosophy drama.

This one served it’s purpose at the time. One of my hot buttons is people using labels to put other people down, and of course in WoW Casual and Hardcore are used with rabid intensity in the official forums.

They can go hang there for all I care, but when I turn to my favorite WoW reading resource to chill out and catch up, and I see Casual and Hardcore being thrown around to describe irresponsible asshat behavior, it puts me in full on rant mode… which frankly I’m sure no one here cares to read.

If I had it to do over again, I’d post about my guilds’ first shot at Gruuls this Saturday, like I originally intended.

It’s days like today that make me rethink my whole blogging thing, since I’m sure all this post did was waste folks’ time.

I hope your Hawaiian vacation is going well, and that you and Mrs Kestrel are having some quality time. Have fun and take care.

-Shurlitimpul

I do know that there are many people that object to being called ‘casual’, who prefer the term ‘dedicated’. They don’t raid to set schedules 5 times a week, but they put in 20 or more hours playing and know their stuff and just don’t see being called casual.

That’s fine. I’d probably call myself dedicated too based on time investment and raiding and playstyle.

But having to come up with a new term just highlights the BS around labels like casual and hardcore. The terms may have started out meaning ‘plays a little’ and ‘plays a lot’, but that’s not how they’re used now, and haven’t been in a long time.

I’d like to reclaim the terms myself, but I know that, honestly, it’s a lost cause. That doesn’t mean I can’t take a tilt at that windmill for the hell of it.