Raid Night
I’ve grown to really love raid night. Especially when it’s on a weekend. I get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I think about going home tonight and falling into our routine.
Jardal and I usually go out to dinner somewhere nearby, like Buffalo Wild Wings around 6-ish. If we’re feeling really lazy we’ll do take-out like Chinese or Gyros. We relax, talk about the week, and discuss WOW stuff. On our way home we often stop at the liquor store and stock up. If life were fair we would just do our alcohol shopping when we do our grocery shopping. Unfortunately, the State of Minnesota is evil and does not allow alcohol purchase on Sundays.
When we arrive home, we turn on the TV and point the Boxee app running on our Linux machine to Youtube. We watch Tankspot videos on any fights planned for the evening’s raid. Unless it’s that one guy Tankspot guy who fails at explaining fights concisely… then I don’t listen, and google the fight instead.
I crack open a hard cider, and Jardal opens a beer. We have a shark shaped bottle opener that we use to do this. It is awesome.
Rawr
I then log into WOW, and make sure I haven’t forgotten to enchant or gem any new gear. The familar green text fills my screen, full of sarcastic gnomes singing Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”… or something like that.
When the raid invites start going out at around 8:15, we relocate from the living room couch to the office. This is a challenge, as I hate getting up, and I hate most of all having to duck behind the couch and unplug my laptop. This could be solved by purchasing a second power adapter, but I’ve never gotten around to it. I am a professional slacker.
I load up vent, and head to the stone. I am incredibly annoyed at the ICC stone btw… putting a stone in a phased area seems like a large oversight on Blizzard’s part.
We head into the raid. I always lose at the fish-feast-laying-down-race. I have several stacks in my bag, but someone else usually gets it down first. I refresh my poisons, chug a flask, and remind Jardal to use the flask that I made for him (I know, already falling into the nagging wife role, and we’re not even married yet). I listen to the pallys fight over buffs. I know matter what the outcome of the night, I will have a blast.
My life is full of routines, but the one on raid night is one of my favorites. I think if given the choice, I would often choose our relaxing, stay-at-home raid night over going out and doing something. I know, I’m lame. But it’s not like I’m not being social. I’m just talking on vent with guildmates in the comfort of my own apartment. Sometimes even in my pajamas.
Does anyone else have a raid night routine?
Before I get into it – am I the only person who misses the days when only Ciderhelm was detailing the fights? Like you said, that one guy isn’t very concise, and as much as I like Aliena’s voice, I can’t hear her – I have to max out every volume setting to hear her explanations.
Anyway.
My raid night routines are pretty simple. First comes in-game prep:
1) Make sure I’m stocked up on consumables and whatnot.
2) Pick up gems, enchants, etc. for any new gear I expect to acquire via badges or rep.
Then I go AFK for the out-of-game part:
3) Pour myself a gin and tonic. Tanqueray Rangpur gin and Schweppes tonic water, if anyone needs to know.
4) Sip gin and tonic during raid.
5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 depending on how much facesmashing is going on.
Agreed, I much prefer Ciderhelm. Aliena explains things well but she is extremely hard to hear.
On an odd tangent, this reminds me of my distaste for the American narrators of Planet Earth or Life. The British guy just has a much more commanding and interesting voice.
Dinner with Shrinn and the boys. Everyone knows it raid night and I get the business all through dinner. Some of the funniest time of the week. Then its a bowl of ice a wee bit of single malt. and vent and the silliness that ensues . Generally about half way thru the oldest strolls over and sits and watches the end of the raid. Just the way he used when warcraft 1 was a cool game and dads lap was the place to sit.
Tonight is vodka martinis for me! (I ran out of Buffalo Trace :’-(
Jameson 12yr sp reserve tonight but usually it’s a bit glass or two of Port (usually a Warre’s or Graham’s).
Local ports and dessert wines. Working my way through Rosenblum Cellar’s Black Muscat, then on to Praeger’s.
I love the separation from my day to day. Raiding with this group is amazingly restful for something that requires so much focus.