You all understand I haven’t played much at all the last few weeks. I’ve been far too busy getting this blog and other ones going to play World of Warcraft. To be honest with you, once I got over the loss of routine and the guilt factor for ignoring my friends, I missed playing only a little. Could it be I’m getting over my addiction? I don’t think so. More likely it was time for one of my occasional vacations from World of Warcraft.

Which segues nicely into today’s topic. I want to chat some about the flip side of World of Warcraft addiction. To me, that would have to be World of Warcraft burn out. Yes, World of Warcraft burn out happens just as often as World of Warcraft addiction. Maybe even more so. It just isn’t making the sensational headlines.

Why do we beat ourselves up if its just a game? We burn out because we’re addicted and play too much. We go back and forth between addiction and burn out, addiction and burn out sometimes barely noticing the brief stopover at enjoyment in between the two.

As an alternative, why not relax and enjoy the game for what it is… a passtime! One of the beauties of this particular game is that its open ended. So do what you want in game, when you want. Right now I’m doing one of the very few “necessary” tasks which is checking the mail every thirty days so you don’t lose items in transit. That’s all you have to do: Check in once a month to make sure you aren’t losing mail. How easy is that?

Have some of your friends, guild mates, and other acquaintances gotten frustrated and burnt out? I’m sure we’ve all seen the indicators. Maybe being less helpful or talkative. Maybe running around without any real sense of purpose. Or maybe just the opposite… grinding or farming to distraction. I’ve even known folks that quit guilds not because of any solid problem but more because they simply wanted a change.

Perhaps one of the tricks to beating both World of Warcraft addiction and World of Warcraft burnout is exactly the same for both. Maybe we just need to slow down. You know, actually read the quests instead of just rushing through them. Paying attention to the story lines rather than running about like crazy to level in just as fast as you can. I know what I’m saying here is heresy for my leveling guide friends, but so be it!

I don’t know what it is for you, but whatever it is, take time away from task orientation and do something fun with friends. If that means fishing while chatting with guild mates, do that. If it means crafting, do that. If it means shopping for risque outfits or beautiful robes, do that!

If you do what you want, you derail the compulsion aspect of the game. Also, you will enjoy your time more and avoid the World of Warcraft burn out malady factor.