Inertia

If it's possible to roleplay mental illness I'd say Merlot is bipolar. A month or two back, with a string of Kara kills and a trip to Zul'Aman under his belt, all was rosy. Now things are slacking off, guild events have dried up and everyone seems to be focusing more on their alts.

It would be tricky to put a finger on a single cause of the malaise, but a couple spring to mind. Our guild has been slow to react to a general sense of impatience among the better-geared players with a lack of progression. If you mix and match your dps for Kara runs, you'll inevitably find yourself treading water. And any attempts at progress generally take place at the weekend, which is reserved for my partner.

So what happens? People grow bored and switch their focus — perhaps they respec because they find themselves grinding or turning to pvp. Or perhaps they role an alt because it's more rewarding than standing around in Shattrath trying to pug a tank for a heroic.

The upcoming expansion also looms over us and contributes to a growing restlessness with the end game. On the one hand, I think people are excited and impatient for new talents, spells and content. On the other hand, the prospect of levelling multiple characters to 80 is pretty daunting — particularly if some of them aren't even in Outland yet. I've still not got all my alts to 70, and I think this alt anxiety is driving a frenzy of alt levelling on my server.

So Merlot is in a funk. Badge grinding has dried up and I've nothing to focus on that doesn't involve killing Prince or Nightbane. It's all very depressing. I've even respecced my very casual shaman to resto for a challenge. Can you imagine it, a shadow priest on a healer? It's anathema. I need a way to get back into the game and pronto. What's the roleplaying equivalent of a mood enhancer?