Did you manage to get all those mini quests out of the way to accomplish the completion of that class critical quest? Why yes indeed, all on my own! Great! Because the last step of this quest requires that you take on a mob that is Elite and requires a full raid or grind out 20-30 Skirmishes for the needed item…Think I’ll take a break now (sighs).

Oh, by the way, from here on in it’s pretty much the same. Of course you can delay that lack of interest by becoming a group/raid player until you realize it’s just a different sort of “grind” that you can’t fool yourself into.

Perhaps it’s just me, but games tend to teach you that doing “X” will pretty much give you “Y” almost every time. So long as you can still do “X” to get “Y” your secure in knowing that you did not waste time (in your mind). Sadly, it’s the tedium that keeps us from questioning our accomplishments. Change that and some adapt (Raiders grind instances, solo players raid) while others leave.

Though don’t get me wrong, I’m still finding plenty of moments that I do enjoy, I do get satisfaction and I do miss it when I don’t play…hmmm, but is that last more a case of feeling I ought to be playing because if I don’t my character progression will fall behind everyone else. Is that what I’m really missing and what makes me log on sometimes? Do I want to, do I need to, do I like to..fair questions for us to ask ourselves.

But I do have this nagging feeling I *should*…

I’m presently at this phase where games are losing their appeal. Call it growing up. Or I’ve recognized, and outgrown, their tenterhooks designed to keep one playing even beyond when you’re having fun. Or I’ve realized that these pixels and data we so love are, like so much in this world, all transitory.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love playing games. It’s what’s defined me this past 15 years.

And I do agree with Longasc, games should go beyond appealing to our primitive, conditioned responses. To do only that would, IMO, cheapen us as gamers and reduce us to Pavlovian buttonmashers.