So, I think I'm going to have to follow suit with @GamersClassified on this one.

World of Warcraft has been at the heart of my love for gaming since it first came out (I was 13 at the time). My dad bought it, and I tried it on his account - he ended up having to buy me one 2 days later because I got so hooked haha.

We'd play together almost every single night - when he remarried, my Stepmom, as well as my step-siblings, all got into it too. There were 5 of us, sitting next to each other at separate desks, WoWing out pretty much every night that I was over there.

Vanilla WoW was incredibly well crafted for its time. From the landscapes to the architectural designs, the UI, the play/fighting style, and my favorite part - the PvP. I most remember waking up before school, popping into an Alterac Valley, getting an hour in, and then having to leave - I'd get home from school, pop back in, and the same damn round of Valley would be happening. It was so awesome!

Having rivals on your server (way before server sharding/battlegroups) was something that made it even more memorable. You'd specifically remember someone's name, and if they were on the opposing faction, would ALWAYS go after them first if you happened to run into them (which was pretty often, typically). This is when big names would start to pop up in the game and make WoW history.

I even spent loads of time when I was at school, using Thotbott (pre-WoWhead Wiki) to look up all the amazing gear that I could one day find. Reading all the comments, all the drop rates, memorizing shit that had no bearing on real life, but yet to this day STILL remember (i.e. the hidden quest on the broken bridge between Wetlands and Arathi Highlands, anyone?)

WoW has made such an impact on my life, and thinking back to when I first started makes me incredibly nostalgic every single time. This game has actually had an impact on my life, so much so that I'm now actually focusing on streaming and building up an audience to potentially make something of this.

Crazy how our parents always told us that "you'll never get anywhere in life by just playing video games all day" - yet we now live in the day and age where it's actually quite possible to earn a living by geeking out to games (albeit, it does require having a personality and knowing how, or at least learning how to market yourself and "build your brand/persona").

Thanks for all the great memories so far, WoW. You've definitely impacted my life forever - and while I may have spent WAY too much time playing when I was younger, I still don't regret it.

/endrant

#GamersUnited