Getting to Know Your Guildmates: Waldhaar by Bakey

How long have you been playing WoW?

Since October of 2014.

How did you start playing WoW?

I had been playing Guild Wars 2 with Bakey and others, but many lost interest in the game. Playing a MMORPG by yourself isn’t much fun. Bakey had gone back to WoW and recommended I come give it a shot, which I did and don’t regret.

What’s your favorite class/race/spec?

With the caveat that I’ve only really played 1 class in any semblance of completion, Paladin in my favorite class. Whenever I’ve played RPGs, I’ve always preferred melee characters and in your face combat. Further, I am a very loyal person to those with whom I am close and when mixed with a Christian background, a class like Paladin, with many references to ‘Holy’ skills and talents, was a perfect fit for me.

Favorite race is human. Call me a species-ist, but I just don’t like non-human or very human-like races. While I don’t RP, I do tend to feel ‘in-character’ when playing and that’s hard when it’s not human (’cause you know… I’m human, or so I’ve been told).

Favorite spec… this is a hard one. Having never played a trinity MMO before WoW, I was very interested in trying the role of a tank. As such, Protection edges out Retribution because I like to be the one responsible for holding the enemy and keeping my allies from harm. Don’t get me wrong… the deeps are certainly fun!

Why Darkwind?

At first, Darkwind was, admittedly, a guild of convenience; Bakey was already a member and not really knowing too many other people playing, it was the easy option. Having been in Darkwind for just over a year now, the reason I stay in Darkwind is because of my guild mates. Specifically, many are in the same stage of life as I am (i.e., have jobs, kids, etc) so when I have abandon the raid to take care of a crying baby… nobody is going to give me grief. We are casual enough that no one takes things too seriously when things go wrong, but we seem good enough to progress through raid content.

If Blizzard were to shut down all servers tomorrow, what game are you playing?

This is another tough one. I don’t get a lot of game time (so many children!!!) so I generally am not playing a lot of games simultaneously. I’d probably give Guild Wars 2 another shot. That or do more Ingress.

What’s one awesome memory you have from WoW?

While progressing through Blackrock Foundry, I had been asked to start tanking in the late raid group. I was still getting my feet under me with regards to tanking. For whatever reason, I was really struggling with the timing of Inferno Slice on Gruul. With the struggle came way too many wipes. One in particular I think was our third attempt and last pull of the evening… and I had already died once, was res’ed and then died again. I was feeling very defeated, but I remember Saev basically keeping his cool, and started asking for folks with taunts to taunt on command, take the inferno slice and therefore die. After each person died he said something to the effect of “Thank you for your sacrifice, it has been duly noted” and did so in a very whimsical way (at least that’s how it seemed). I think we still ended up wiping, but his whimsical attitude and comments had me cracking up. Everyone’s patience with me really helped me keep going and eventually get the timing down and move on with BRF.

What’s your favorite thing to do in game?

I enjoy tanking for folks, especially when they need help with anything; it could be an alt getting into LFR, running dungeons, etc. All roles are important, but I know how frustrating it can be with a bad tank so I love to make things smooth for folks.

What random event would you like to see Darkwind do?

Darkwind has done it, but maybe do it more often, and that is hide-and-seek. When I first played, I found it a bit odd, but in the end, really enjoyed it and it forced me to see some areas of WoW I wouldn’t normally see.

What do you do for a job? What would you rather be doing for a job?

Summed up: Systems engineering and software testing.

It’s your last meal, what do you have?

Fried chicken, corn bread, homemade fries, my grandmother’s biscuits and for dessert, my mom’s clothes pin cookies.

You can have one superpower for 24 hours. Which one would you have and what would you do with it?

Either teleportation or (super speed) flying. Teleportation, just see some of the wondrous sights of the world in rapid succession. Flying, just fly around the world and see the world from a different perspective.

If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?

Where do I even begin? I love cooking, but there are options depending on the taste preferences of the crowd:

– Homemade chicken nuggets/strips, onion straws, homemade french fries / sweet potato fries, maybe even some corn bread
– Spaghetti with a homemade meat sauce and butter soaked garlic bread
– Sauteed garlic chicken over chicken broth rice…

And if someone demands… throw in some random vegetables with any of those.

Describe the coolest place you have ever visited.

The UN buildings straddled across the border in the DMZ between North and South Korea. Technically, I stood in North Korea for several minutes. Odd to think that these two countries are in a technical state of war, and I stood on the border between the two.

Where’s Waldo?

– Do not try and find Waldo. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth.
– What truth?
– There is no Waldo.
– There is no Waldo?
– Then you’ll see, that it is not Waldo that you find, it is only yourself.

What fictional robot would you most like to have as a personal friend?

Data. Coolest. Android. Ever.

*SPOLER ALERT*

I will admit it… I cried when he died at the end of Star Trek: Nemesis.

What fictional career would you most enjoy?

It isn’t truly fictional, but certainly not a common job any more… and that is blacksmith, and specifically a weapons blacksmith.

If that’s not fictional enough… my second choice would be Jedi.