Family Update

So a little over a month ago I made a post about getting my Dad into WoW. When I made that post he had gotten his Warrior up to level 18. My helper Pally was languishing at 13.

I see him online some evenings and most weekends. I usually whisper to say hi and see how it's going, but he still doesn't really keep an eye on his chat frame, so I almost never get a response.

In that time he's managed to get his Warrior up to 35. (My helper Pally is still languishing at 13.) Every time we see each other he has a few more questions about the game, though most of them are interface related. How to do (or not do) something specific.

I've been considering asking if he's interested in joining the guild. It would give him a (relatively) safe place to ask questions and stuff in-game to an audience I largely trust. I may bring that up when I see him on Sunday.

He's been amazingly resourceful in his out-of-game research. For instance, I never broached the topic of addons with him. While many of them are very helpful, it's also usually a good idea to have a decent grip on the game before adding that level of complication. So it surprised me one day when he mentioned he'd found out about them and had even installed EveryQuest. He also managed to find a helper site (I didn't ask which one, but probably WoWHead or Thottbot) because he mentioned seeing a lot of stuff about coordinates but didn't know how to find them in-game.

There have been some typical noob moments that have been amusing for me, both as a veteran and a former noob that once made many of the same mistakes. Such as when he explained how he tried to solo Stockades (because it was a green quest) and was getting hammered. Or how he wandered into the wrong parts of the Wetlands and found himself getting pretty badly beat up. Not knowing that you could respec. Equipping a leather helm with Int.

Then we got into the conversation with my mother about how there is no "beating" this game. It just goes on and on. She asked if Blizzard gives me anything for my continued subscription. I said no, but they gave me a horse for getting Dad to play. She seemed bewildered. I didn't know why. Then Dad explained that I didn't mean a real horse. I tried my very hardest not to laugh. Or smile (too big).

If I know my Dad (and I think I do), he's going to get that Warrior to 80. Maybe quest out Northrend. And then quit. Or, providing that doesn't happen before Cataclysm comes out, he'll probably quit at that point. I have a hard time imagining that he'll pony up to buy another retail copy of the game just to keep playing. The subscription model almost kept him away.

I need to spend some time catching my Paladin up. It would be nice to actually spend some time playing with him again before the quitting thing happens.