Balancing WoW with Real Life

Controlling that Warcraft Addiction

May 7, 2009 Stuart Cooke

World of Warcraft is, without a doubt, one of the most fun games to play. But there's a danger of playing too much. Here's how to avoid that risk.

World of Warcraft has millions of subscribers around the world. It's a hugely fun and engrossing game, taking the player from one side of Azeroth to the other, slaying monsters, building characters and encountering epic battles.

Some may argue it's almost too fun as there is a potential threat of addiction. When finding oneself spending a little too much time within WoW, it's best to take steps to ensure that the game doesn't take control of all one's free time.

With that in mind, here are some tips on how to control addiction and balance warcraft with real life. This way, time spent in Azeroth can be truly enjoyed without allowing other aspects of life to go unattended.

Take Breaks

If playing for a while, take some short breaks away from the game. They can be 5, 10 or 15 minutes long. This accomplishes a few things:

  • Enables a feeling of productivity when away from the game - make some food, do some dishes or something else.
  • Refreshes eyeballs and rests wrists.
  • Makes the gamer look forward to playing again, increasing enjoyment.
  • Gives a moment to remember important times or dates.

A huge amount of time away from warcraft isn't essentially neccessary. It should just be enough for a player to reconnect with real life, almost like he or she is "checking-in."

Vary Gameplay

There are a great many ways to enjoy World of Warcraft. Be sure to enjoy them all! By focusing solely on one type of gameplay, a gamer may experience frustration and impatience. This is, of course, not as much fun as truly enjoying the game. Here are some things to do to make Warcraft more fun and less like a job.

  • Roll an alternate character, one that hasn't been tried before.
  • Destroy some old content solo.
  • Play the auction house and use your trade skills.
  • Try a new guild, make some new friends!
  • Make an effort toward gaining some achievements.

Play Other Games

By even spending a small amount of time playing different games, one will appreciate the quality of world of warcraft even more. Drastically different games, such as twitch-style first person shooters, or strategy games can be a great way to take some focus away from progression in WoW. Have you tried the following games?

  • Team Fortress 2
  • World of Goo
  • Braid
  • Dawn of War
  • Civilization
  • Fallout 3

There are a number of titles that won't steal too much time from your favorite game, but will help to provide an alternative. This will enable the player to enjoy themselves when they are playing Warcraft a lot more!

Remember it's about fun!

All gamers play games to have fun. However, sometimes, the desire to achieve and enjoy overrides our ability to appreciate what they are spending out time doing. By taking a small amount of time to ensure continued entertainment, games become a lot more fun and a lot more rewarding. Have fun!

The copyright of the article Balancing WoW with Real Life in Video & Online Games is owned by Stuart Cooke. Permission to republish Balancing WoW with Real Life in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.