How to Cope Without World of Warcraft

The first step to solving your warcraft withdrawals is to understand what aspect of the game it is you’re missing. For some people, they might miss the player interaction, for others it might be the questing, and for others still it might be the player vs player combat. Figuring out which aspect of the game you miss most is the first step towards finding a proper solution.

When you have identified what you miss about the game, you can start looking for cheaper and less time consuming alternatives. For example, let’s say that you thoroughly enjoyed the questing aspect of World of Warcraft. Since these are mission based, and don’t necessarily rely on team play, you could consider purchasing an offline role playing game. There are many lists available on the internet detailing the ‘best’ PC and console RPGs, many of which are available for cheaper prices now. Games like The Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age are great alternatives. So if you’re a fan of Warcraft’s story and quests, these games might be right up your alley.

Contrarily, you may really enjoy the community aspect of Warcraft, which is something you can’t get from an offline game. Here there are some other alternatives. There are a number of free massively multiplayer online games that have been popping up lately. A similar search for these can produce some games you never even knew existed. Also, there are certain games, available for purchase, that include free online components like Guild Wars. These games will establish that feeling of community without being as expensive.

If there is one thing I’ve learned about the Warcraft ‘itch’ it’s that nothing else can really satisfy it. I’ve tried many times to fill the void with other games and the results have always been varied. Sometimes other games work, sometimes they don’t. In this instance you have to move outside of the video game world for help. Find love in a new or old hobby that doesn’t involve a video game. Maybe you have a love of reading or photography that hasn’t been explored in some time. Maybe there is a television show that you would like to start watching again. Or maybe you just want to get outside and exercise. Whatever the hobby or pastime may be, it is something that will take your mind away from Warcraft and allow you to survive without it. When you combine this method with Step 2, you are more likely to achieve a better resistance to the Warcraft allure.

If you find, however, that your craving Warcraft related activities, then consider some of the areas that Warcraft has branched out to. There are many books about the backstory you could read, or you could try out Hearthstone, the free digital card game from Blizzard.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that any of this stuff is foolproof. Quitting the game is hard, and not just because it is addicting, but because the game is so enormous that your reasons for returning could be nostalgia, friends/family or just plain boredom. There won’t always be a solution to your cravings, and in many cases you will just have to soldier through them. But the best point of advice I can offer is to distract yourself. If you find that you’re sitting at your desk daydreaming about that epic flying mount or the next big instance, take a step back and start thinking about something else you’re interested it. Focus your attention on one of the steps I mentioned above, or one of your own invention. Re-directing your mind is the key to resisting the game. You may have people pressuring you to come back and play, but ultimately it is your choice

Note:

-Returning to Warcraft isn’t the end of the world. Just make sure you budget your money and your time so that the game doesn’t become a problem.