First post on this blog in QUITE some time. Here goes:
I met a cool person and it turned out that he ALSO has had a traumatic brain injury. He invited me to join his guild - I _WAS NOT_ looking for a guild to join. At the time, I was leveling my druid (Droodad: Atiesh-Horde) as a balance druid. After giving it some thought, I accepted his invite.
Keeping in mind that druids don't necessarily have the best rep as the best of anything, I have always enjoyed playing as a balance druid. They are, admittedly, under-powered in Classic - just as was the case in late Vanilla when I originally started playing WOW.
The guild is a small guild, trying to build ranks to tackle bigger content. They needed another tank and offered some assistance to me if I respecced to Feral to be another tank for the guild. Despite me lack of experience as a feral druid tank, the people were quite kind and supportive - AND... I was a less than thrilled with the slow leveling as a balance druid despite having gained Moonkin form. In the back of my mind - with their offer - I had been contemplating spec-ing to help get to 60 a bit faster. I decided I'd go ahead and respec and did so )at this point I've been thinking of respec-ing AGAIN to reapportion my talent points to a better mix. it's been several weeks..maybe months.. and I haven't mad a decision BUT I'm leaning toward doing it.
EVENTUALLY... I would l like to respec as a balance druid. WHEN I win a roll that as good for a balance druid (+Spell Damage) I hang onto it. In the time I've been with the guild I have helped several members (typically clothies) get BIS items from Dire Maul.
I cannot say I LIKE playing as a tank (especially as a Druid- I might know what your're SUPPOSED to do but that don't mean I do WHAT you're supposed to do WHEN you' re supposed to do it. Usually - not of my own volition - I don't).
MOST of the time I like finding my way among the massive variety of quests (non-dungeon) available. As most of you are aware, there are a LOT! There are a bunch that are dungeon quests onluy - those will MAY take while to get completed...others...meh.
Quests like the ones for the Cache of Mauri...My bear druid might be able to take that on. We'll see.
Since I've been with the guild they have been VERY encouraging despite my personal misgivings in my ability to perform effectively as a tank. They had been farming a boss in Dire Maul West for some priest trinkets when I came into the the picture and - despite some gearing issues - I was able to catch up and perform within reason for that specific farm. Since then we've started trying to take on other areas of Dire Maul and other instances with mixed success.
Part of the issue is my own gearing - I know I'm not there, but I'm also not someone that REALLY enjoys instances. Like my blog title says, I am a reluctant tank. I can do it - feel I'm much better as a warrior tank (only for having done that sooo much more).
At this point of THIS post I feel like I've lost the focus of what I started wrting about (like I knew...). My guild has been great, super supportive even when I feel like I'm fucking up; They seem to get that I'm not 'QUITE' there as a main tank but can occasionally fill the bill, and they've been great about helping me get gear to do a better job.
Overall I'm having a LOT more fun in Classic WOW than I've been having in BfA. Maybe it's because I can do stuff I wasn't able to do back in Vanilla WoW, but a lot feels like there's less pressure about WHAT to do. There are numerous things I CAN do, but none feel particularly mandatory and I can can slowly work to building rep in several factions as quickly as I want (and am able...)
Will it matter? Who knows? Does anything really matter in a world in which "norms" of 30-40 years ago are now pointless in face of unbridled greed and purchased (coerced?) loyalties of *cough* heads of state' and *cough* senior gov't officials.
I'm doing the best I can to be best person I can be (despite some occasional.. lapses) until my failing body gives up. Hopefully I'll disappoint as few people as possible while they're stuck with me.
