Gotnerf of Vashj is facing a not-entirely-uncommon dilemma.His fiancé is has shown no interest in playingWoW.He believes that once she spends some time seeing him enjoy the game she will want to join in. Gotnerf asked other guys how they got their wives to play.While some suggestions were entirely unhelpful, many seemed encouraging.
Leadfoot of Feathermoon suggested a direct approach "You know how you're always saying we should spend more time together?We can share this together, honey."That's more or less how it worked for me.Zelkari of Spirestone recommended something most ladies can't resist, "Show her druids and their flight form."Strumpet of Eldre'thalas had some very grounding advice from experience:
I'm probably the wrong person to be writing about this (I've never been one for romance or the woo-ing game, and this year is no exception), but the fact remains that love is in the air in Azeroth-- the game is full of people aiming to get Kwee Q. Peddlefeet (and getting lovely black dresses and romantic picnic baskets instead).
If you want a quick rundown of how to play through Blizzard's Valentine's Day quests, you can check out our Sex in the Undercity feature from last year, or hit up WoWWiki's great guide to the holiday. Today's the big day-- are you getting something nice for your sweetie, ingame or in RL? Call me a grump (and put me in the same column as J. Geils), but even I can see that love is in the air. Have a happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine's Day! Even in WoW, love is in the air. The heart of this unexplained in-game phenomenon is a popularity contest between the faction leaders. Players can vote for their choice by turning in a Horde or Alliance Gift Collection near their favorite leader. The winner of the contest gets the pleasure of havingKwee Q. Peddlefeet around for a week of hit point buffs for anyone audacious enough to /kiss him.
Many of us will be forgoing our Azeroth adventures in favor of spending time with the objects of our affections. Some couples will share special in-game moments with their significant others. May I suggest a Bouquet of Red Roses and some Delicious Chocolate Cake for your sweetheart? We would love to hear your stories of love and romance in WoW.
Valentine's Day is coming on February 14th, and I'm in the mood for love -- machinima love, that is! Over the next few days, I'll be showcasing Valentines and love-themed machinima. If you've created a video ode to that special NPC in your life, let us know!
The first video, released on Valentine's Day in 2007, actually comes from the World of Warcraft staff. It is a parody of those cheesy jewelry commercials on television. Ladies of WoW, what is your ideal gift? Men, what do you plan on getting your significant other?
It's that time of year again: Love is in the Air in the capital cities of Azeroth. From now until the 15th, that sweet and sinister holiday where you show your affection to your fellow citizens and your faction leaders is upon us. Be sure to visit your local Innkeeper for a supply of perfume, cologne, and Love Tokens, and see if you can finally capture Qwee Q. Peddlefeet this year, or at least get that dress you've always wanted.
Each week, Robin Torres contributes Azeroth Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with WoW.
Last week, we talked about some basic guidelines for having a successful WoW playdate with your significant other. This week I want to talk about some examples of couples playing WoW together.
From last week's comments, we have a few success stories and one not so happy ending. Diana received a tiny red dragon for Valentine's Day (I want one!). Scott and wife, fellow SWG refugees, have characters they level together. Erica and husband watch fireworks in Stormwind together and and play a bunch of duos (an excellent idea). And Jasperwind romances his betrothed in Azeroth and bought her a pretty dress there.
Rudathin coaxed his bride into playing and highly recommends dedicating characters for duoing. You can read about their exploits in their blog. (RP Alert) He also directs us to The Daedalus Project where there is actual hard data supporting WoW as a "place where existing RL ties are being strengthened."
Dan, I'm sorry to see that you did not have a positive experience playing with your girlfriend. You are better off without someone who has a wandering eye. Playing WoW together can enhance a relationship, but it won't change people from their true nature -- however much you may want it to.
This brings us to my very first piece of reader mail. (Yay!) After writing my first Azeroth Interrupted, I got a great story from Baroes and Reighlei.
Each week, Robin Torres contributes Azeroth Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with WoW.
First of all, I would like to apologize for my lack of column last week. I may be good at balancing real life with WoW, but I have yet to master balancing anything with illness. I'm feeling a lot better now and looking forward to a WoW date with my husband, after not having played for a week.
Are you snickering now? Do you think that virtual romantic outings are unforgivably geeky? Well, if you don't think playing a video game makes you a bit of a nerd, go argue it out with Gabe. Those of us who are comfortable in our geekiness will be here when you get back. Regardless of the dork factor, sharing any hobby is a great way to keep a relationship going, particularly when the hobby is as time consuming as WoW can be.
Today, we're talking about established couples, not couples that are just starting a relationship -- WoW dating is a different topic which I will discuss in a future column. I've already talked about getting a girlfriend/wife to play WoW, so this is for couples who already both play WoW. I'm also not saying that WoW dates should replace romantic dinners and other traditional togetherness activities. But having romantic "outings" in WoW are a fun, low-cost way to supplement the other things couples do to keep things interesting. Spend your quality time together any way you like, but it's best to take care of the fundamentals to get the most out of it:
Make an Appointment: Set aside a day and time beforehand and don't be late. You both will appreciate having something to look forward to and the convenience of being able to plan around the session. Do not "play it by ear". This will make the person who is ready first feel neglected waiting for the other person to become "available".
Each week, Robin Torres contributes Azeroth Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with WoW.
WoW players do have girlfriends (and boyfriends and spouses), contrary to the taunts heard in The Trade Channel and Barrens Chat. Many Players even play WoW with their Significant Others, but often, players have trouble getting their significant others to join them in their hobby/addiction. In general, the problem lies with the girlfriend or wife not being a gamer. Following are some tips for getting your lady to play WoW.
First of all, have you tried the sincere, straightforward approach? Just throwing out "Well, if you played WoW with me, you'd understand." here and there is not the same thing. Neither are hints or endless stories of how much fun you're having. Try saying something like "I would have more fun playing WoW if you joined me and I think it would be a great way for us to spend more time together. It would really mean a lot to me. Would you please give it a try?" If this doesn't work, it is time to analyze and tackle her objections. "It's just a stupid game." Take a deep breath -- don't let it hurt you. She probably isn't a gamer and sees computers as tools, not sources of fun. Easing her into games is a very good approach to counteract a lack of interest. Be patient, this could take several weeks. Start her off with a simple and addictive solitaire game like Bejeweled. Once she catches the bug, and this is a double edged sword, move her onto something more complicated that has a wide female fanbase, like Sims 2. This will introduce her to the fun of character creation and a minimum amount of roleplaying. Once she grows tired of this, she may be ready to try WoW, but if she still resists, introduce her to your favorite single player roleplaying game. It can be an old one. The quality of the graphics is not as important as the gameplay (which is arguably always the case), and your passion for the game as well as your interest in how she is progressing will be flattering and encouraging.
Is it a joke, or a guild leader's dream? This ad appeared on Chicago's Craiglist classifeds in the "women seeking men" section.
Someone out there is a 60 Troll Priest looking for a troll or orc "Warrior, Rogue, or Shaman to fight in honor for Thrall in the lands of Azeroth." Apparently her parents wouldn't approve of a cow or corpse. But she does claim to have a black war raptor, and has hobbies like disenchanting "useless garments."
So if "slaying of self-righteous paladins and squishy gnomes" is your thing, drop the anonymous email a note. She might just be making fun of you-- or it might be Epic (or even Legendary) love (that's a +12 spirit drop!).
Just in case Craigslist thinks it's a joke and deletes the ad, I've reprinted it in full after the jump.
I hear about a lot of drama, usually caused by excessive WoW playing -- and a huge amount of the drama involves couples. Whether you both play, or the gaming is one-sided, it seems rare that trouble doesn't occur in a relationship. Of course, it's not just WoW that can cause rifts like this, but the popularity of the game means that drama seems more widespread than with other titles.
If you're part of a WoW couple, how do you manage your time together and time online? How have you persuaded your non-gaming other half that staring mindlessly at a computer seven days a week is a healthy hobby?
Personally, my partner doesn't play games, and I feel very isolated from him when I play. Especially when I turn down dinner because I'm scheduled for a raid, and numbers are tight. As I only raid a couple of times a week, this isn't a big problem, but I can imagine the love lives of those in hardcore guilds may be less fortunate.
Gotnerf of Vashj is facing a not-entirely-uncommon dilemma. His fiancé is has shown no interest in playing WoW. He believes that once she spends some time seeing him enjoy the game she will want to join in. Gotnerf asked other guys how they got their wives to play. While some suggestions were entirely unhelpful, many seemed encouraging. 
First of all, I would like to apologize for my lack of column last week. I may be good at balancing real life with WoW, but I have yet to master balancing anything with illness. I'm feeling a lot better now and looking forward to a WoW date with my husband, after not having played for a week. 
WoW players do have girlfriends (and boyfriends and spouses), contrary to the taunts heard in The Trade Channel and Barrens Chat. Many Players even play WoW with their Significant Others, but often, players have trouble getting their significant others to join them in their hobby/addiction. In general, the problem lies with the girlfriend or wife not being a gamer. Following are some tips for getting your lady to play WoW.
Is it a joke, or a guild leader's dream? 
I hear about a lot of drama, usually caused by excessive WoW playing -- and a huge amount of the drama involves couples. Whether you both play, or the gaming is one-sided, it seems rare that trouble doesn't occur in a relationship. Of course, it's not just WoW that can cause rifts like this, but the popularity of the game means that drama seems more widespread than with other titles.
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