posthumangamer

[posthumangamer]

A brief respite from my series on the informants and the guilds aiding my research reveals the aftermath of some PvP action.  The entrance to the Tier 2 raid instance, Blackwing Lair (located in Blackrock Mountain), was a small orb.  All raids, both Horde and Alliance, were essentially funneled down a long hallway to access this orb.  On a PvP server like Shattered Hand, the piles of skeletons rose quite high outside this raid instance.

#WoW #World of Warcraft #culture #technology #posthuman gamer #Joshua S. Schendel #Blizzard Entertainment #Anthropology #gaming #gamers

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 18: The Fall of <Indomitable>

Screenshot #1, above, captures the Sapphiron boss fight and stars many of my informants (their names are circled).  Sapphiron, the second hardest raid boss in the original Tier 3 Naxxramas, was a fight requiring careful raid coordination and personal responsibility.  During the fight, players needed to avoid the circling crowd of frost rain falling from the sky (Screenshot #2) and carefully hide behind ice cubes in order to avoid the explosion of the massive ice bombs the dragon periodically dropped.  The struggle guilds went through reflected the devotion of the raiders to their craft and also keyed the intensity of the server-wide races as they advanced through these raid dungeons.  <Indomitable>, the "Shattered Hand" guild featured above, had worked on Sapphiron over the course of weeks, certainly long enough to learn and nearly master its features. 

They were racing against <WarEnsemble> to be the first guild to clear the raid dungeon.  One night, when <Indomitable> was very close to beating the boss, <WE> "ventbombed" the raid channel.  <Indom> had the boss at 7% life when suddenly their vent channel was hit by minutes of very loud music, sounds, screaming, and other distracting noises.  The result of the ventbomb was a wipe and, due to the actions of Jug (outlined in a previous post) <Indom> never made it back to that stage again.  The ventbomb can be viewed as "the straw that broke the camel's back," revealing tensions within the guild that broke free.  The ensuing days featured bad blood, poor raid attendance, and finally Jug's accessing of Moki's game account to disband the guild.

#WoW #World of Warcraft #culture #technology #gaming #Blizzard Entertainment #post-human gamer #Joshua S. Schendel #anthropology

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 17: Jeffrey

Jeffrey (Gnome Fire Mage) lives in California.  We met at the conclusion of Vanilla WoW when I joined the <Indomitable> guild during the Ahn'Qiraj 40 raiding tier (Tier 2.5).  Jeffrey was an officer in <Indomitable>, running the guild bank among other responsibilities.  He played briefly in The Burning Crusade and raided more extensively during the Wrath and Cataclysm expansions with Ahroo's PuG.  Though out of the game since Cataclysm's conclusion, he remained one of the most talented PvE DPSers I encountered in WoW with the ability to put out very high levels of damage in boss fights.  In the screenshot (above) he prepares to fight Sapphiron, an undead Frost Wyrm and the second to last boss of the Naxxramas (Tier 3) instance.  The red-haired gnome standing in the foreground is Sodapop, another mage from <Indomitable>.

#WoW #world of warcraft #culture #technology #anthropology #post-human gamer #Joshua S. Schendel #blizzard entertainment

[posthumangamer]

Happy New Year!

#wow #world of warcraft #culture #technology #anthropology #Joshua S. Schendel #post-human gamer #blizzard entertainment #gaming

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 16: <Tarquinas Legion>

Several of my informants, including Acec, Ahroo (seen above, playing his Priest Ahrue, during the final boss of the Tier 2 "Blackwing Lair" raid dungeon), and Cygany, or fellow raiders like Abuekeg and Ryuko, came from the guild <Tarquinas Legion.>  <TL>  was a very interesting community of MMO players.  They were a Day One guild which formed on Shattered Hand.  Their members came over from the "Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided" Tarquinas server to play WoW.  <TL> raided through the majority of Vanilla WoW, until its eventual break-up, when its members moved on to <Indomitable>, <Rampant Fronting>, and <WarEnsemble.>

#world of warcraft #wow #culture #technology #Joshua S. Schendel #post-human gamer #gaming #video games #blizzard entertainment

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 15: <Royalty>

After <Indomitable> disbanded at the conclusion of Vanilla WoW period, the result of declining raid attendance, the actions of Jug (who logged into the GM's account and hit /gdisband), and other factors, many of its senior members reformed under the guild tag <Royalty>.  Like <Indomitable>, its Guild Master was Moki (the Druid with a red X over his head in the above screenshot).  <Royalty> raided the entire "Burning Crusade" expansion, remaining in 3rd to 4th place in terms of progression behind <Skill Overload> and <Pare Bellum> and the Horde guild <Relentless>.  Toward the expansion's end, they achieved an Alliance server first M'uru and an Aliance server second Kil'Jaeden.  Many of my informants are featured above, including Ahroo, Acec, G, M, Chromedome, Anthropos, and others.  Here they gather around the corpse of Magtheridan, the hardest encounter of the Tier 4 raid bosses.

#World of Warcraft #WoW #anthropology #culture #technology #Joshua S. Schendel #posthuman gamer #ethnography

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 14: The Rise of <Indomitable>

<Indomitable> or <Indom> split from the Shattered Hand guild <Skyfang> during the Vanilla WoW period.  Its Guild Master was Moki.  They, along with the Alliance guilds <Drama>, <Death and Taxes>, and the Horde guild <Relentless> represented some of the most advanced, fastest progressing raiding guilds.  They were consistently one of the top three guilds, achieving most memorably a server first "4 Horsemen" kill and a Top 50 world rating.  My informants Ahroo (featured above), Acec, Jeffrey, and Princess/Star all raided with me in <Indomitable.>  Here they gather around the corpse of the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj (Tier 2.5) end boss, C'thun.  <Indomitable> disbanded at the conclusion of the Vanilla WoW period.

#world of warcraft #WoW #ethnography #digital anthropology #technology #culture #Joshua S. Schendel #Post-human Gamer

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 13: Zoombroom

Zoombroom, a Draenei Retribution Paladin, lives in Indiana.  We met pre-WoW in 1998, while participating in the DC Comics Batman Message Boards as "theangrybatman" and "Junk Yard Dawg."  Due to this shared history, I affectionately refer to Zoombroom as Angry, often using these names interchangeably.  Like Arathene, Angry has played all manner of characters, classes, and roles.  He is an "altoholic," meaning he finds great pleasure playing his alts (Angushide, Pumpkinbread, Taterbread) as well as advancing his main character.  He raids with <Gnome Alone>.

#WoW #World of Warcraft #anthropology #digital anthropology #post-human gamer #Joshua S. Schendel #ethnograhy #technology

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 12: Xoot

Previously known as "Cemetery" (Human Frost Mage), Xoot (Gnome Frost Mage) lives in Michigan.  He is in his early thirties, and works in IT.  Xoot was one of the first players I met and conversed with during my raid experience with the guild <Stoic> in "The Molten Core"/"Onyxia" raiding tier (Tier 1).  I raided with Xoot in some form through every tier of WoW's expansions.  He was a loyal guildmember, moving through guilds only after a group imploded.  Xoot was an avid PvPer, and a good friend of Chromedome.  In the vast majority of his raids or PvP matches, Xoot could be found in some shifted form or the other, usually having drunk a dose of Noggenfogger Elixir and transformed himself into a skeleton (see top screenshot, above).  Of his external WoW interests, DotA easily remains highest on that list.

#world of warcraft #wow #anthropology #culture #technology #gaming #video games #blizzard entertainment #Joshua S. Schendel #post-human gamer #ethnography

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 11: Titoness

Titoness, a Human Warlock, lives in Michigan.  In the screenshot, above, the raid stands in the Dead Scar of Sunwell Plateau between the Brutallus and Felmyst encounters.  We met early in The Burning Crusade expansion through our mutual friend Chromedome and raided together off and on through Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm.  Tito is a talented player known for his continual ribbing of other players.  He enjoys dabbling in many aspects of the game and bounces between various alts - including a Hunter class and a Warrior class - and other classes depending on his mood. 

#world of warcraft #wow #anthropolology #culture #technology #ethnography #gaming #video games #Blizzard Entertainment #Joshua S. Schendel #post-human gamer

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 10: Zoey

Zoey, a Human Holy Paladin, lives in Quebec.  She is seen, above, after defeating Ragnaros in The Firelands.  We met while raiding the Blackwing Descent/Bastion of Twilight/Throne of the Four Winds raiding tier of the Cataclysm expansion (Tier 11) with Ahroo's PuG.  Zoey was an exceptional PvE healer, and a player with a variety of interests in WoW, including PvP, development of trade skills, and especially the social aspects of the game.  Zoey was a competitive player, choosing to play on multiple servers, both Horde and Alliance, in search of positioning herself with the best hardcore raiding guilds in the game.  Like Donnar, she teamed really well with my Druid, allowing the raiding group a great deal of success.

#World of Warcraft #wow #culture #technology #gaming #ethnography #anthropology #Joshua S. Schendel #Blizzard Entertainment #post-human #post-human gamer

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 9: Vvetter

Vvetter, a Night Elf Feral/Restoration Druid, lives in Massachusetts.  He is pictured above floating in Tempest Keep, handling the "Gravity Lapse" stage of the Kael'thas encounter (top screenshot) and dealing with Kil'jaeden's "Darkness of a Thousand Souls" ability (bottom screenshot).  We met while raiding the Karazhan/Serpantshrine Caverns/Tempest Keep tier dungeons (Tier 5) from The Burning Crusade expansion.  The amount of time he devotes to WoW has varied over the years, depending on real life events, including his relationship status (single vs. dating), college (exams vs. no exams), and job status (job vs. no job).  Whether playing casually or hardcore, he embraces the social side of the game, always checking in with his friends and guildmates, and regularly posting on Facebook.  Currently, Vvetter spends time leveling a Horde character on the Kil'jaeden server.

#world of warcraft #wow #culture #technology #anthropology #digital anthropology #ethnography #gaming #video games #gamers #hardcore gamers #post-human #post-human gamer #Joshua S. Schendel #Blizzard Entertainment

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 8: Star

Star, a Gnome Rogue, formally named Princess, lives in the Northeastern United States.  In these screenshots, he interacts with (1) Ahroo's raid group (Level 85 in The Firelands raid) and (2) Rumps (Level 60 in Silithis).  We met while raiding the AQ40 tier dungeon (Tier 2.5) during Vanilla WoW, and continued raiding together through every subsequent expansion.  Star focuses on many aspects of WoW, investing in activities directly contributing to power increases in his character's armory (armor and weapons).  Currently, Star raids with Ahroo's PuG, but his collection of tiered armor and weapons include representations from every tiered set, including the rare and discontinued Tier 3 set and several legendary weapons.  Star and Arathene currently oversee the guild <Gnome Alone.>

#World of Warcraft #wow #culture #technology #video games #gaming #hardcore gamers #post-human #post-human gamer #blizzard entertainment #Joshua S. Schendel #ethnography #anthropology #digital anthropology

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 7: Rumps

Rumps, a Gnome Warrior, lives in Vancouver, Canada.  In the pictures, above, (1) he and Cemetery/Xoot PvP and (2) pose after defeating Ragnaros for the first time (I'm surprised I recognized his naked gnome character in the second picture).  We met while raiding the Karazhan/Serpantshrine Caverns/Tempest Keep tier dungeons (Tier 5) from The Burning Crusade expansion, but I had encountered him frequently during Vanilla WoW, where he raided with <RotA>.  He played with <Royalty> during The Burning Crusade and joined Ahroo's PuG during Wrath of the Lich King.  Rumps enjoys PvE raiding and PvP (arenas and battlegrounds).  His time spent playing WoW fluctuates, influenced by his commitments to his family, trips to Hong Kong, studying for exams, and working.  He is passionate about achievements, in-game accomplishments, and completing every aspect of the game.

#world of warcraft #wow #culture #technology #anthropology #digital anthropology #ethnography #gaming #video games #hardcore gamers #post-human #post-human gamer #blizzard-entertainment

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 6: Skipovo

Skipovo, a Gnome Mage, was one of Talius' friends and lives in Tennessee.  We met during Vanilla WoW as he was leveling.  He raided with <Delta Flux> during Vanilla WoW and <Royalty> during The Burning Crusade up until Serpantshrine Cavern.  His family and job commitments remained his top priority, requiring him to play WoW and raid the endgame bosses in spurts.  Most recently he raided with Ahroo's PuG during the Dragon Soul raid instance.

#world of warcraft #wow #culture #technology #gaming #video games #ethnography #post-human #post-human gamer #blizzard entertainment #Joshua S. Schendel

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 5: Arathene

Arathene, a Gnome Shadow Priest (previously a Night Elf Shadow Priest), lives in Tennessee.  We met while raiding the Blackwing Lair dungeon (Tier 2) during Vanilla WoW.  Arathene is a sly wit with remarkable patience for some of the antics of his fellow raiders and PvPers.  He has participated in all aspects of the game since Day 1, playing both Horde and Alliance alts of all classes.  He and his (virtual) friend Star formed and run the guild <Gnome Alone>, which participates in formal organized raiding and organized PvPing, and was one of the most advanced Alliance guilds on the server at the conclusion of the Cataclysm expansion.  Arathene remains one of the most skilled PvE and PvP players I encountered in the game, a talent disguised by his quiet nature.

#world of warcraft #wow #culture #technology #anthropology #digitial anthropology #ethnography #gaming #video games #hardcore gamers #post-human #post-human gamer #Blizzard Entertainment

[posthumangamer]

The Post-human Gamer #18: Informant Profiles

Part 4: Anthropos

Anthropos is a Night Elf Restoration Druid (seen above in treeform on the Mother Sharazz encounter in Black Temple) and is the character I play.  I designed Anthropos as a healer, meaning he uses his nature-based powers to restore the lost health of his allies.  I chose a healer specification because I felt it provided better access to grouping.  While playing Anthropos, I played all current raid tiers, acquiring all complete sets of raid armor from Tier 1 - Tier 12.  I also PvPed with my friends and informants through PvP Battlegrounds, Arenas, and Rated Battlegrounds.  Of all my in-game experiences, I especially enjoyed  playing as a part of Ahroo's PuG.  Ahroo's PuG operated from 2009 - the present and featured a core group of dedicated raiders who trusted and respected each other.

#world of warcraft #wow #culture #technology #anthropology #digital anthropology #ethnography #video games #video gaming #gamers #post-human #post-human gamers #raiders #Blizzard Entertainment