Character Name(s):
myself - Scrumph, 29 SK
my wife - Pizzatime, 29 SHM
The buildup:
I met my wife over 10 years ago. At the time, I was playing Everquest - a secret I deftly kept from her for about a year until she noticed it on my computer and asked about it. Shortly thereafter a game known as World of Warcraft came out - which I started playing after FoH left Veeshan for good for the quest of better pixels.
My wife, being at a different college, started playing to 'spend time' with me on the weekdays. We played from 2004-2009 pretty regularly - often in a raid guild. We had fun, we laughed - we cried. We were on multiple servers, made friends (going to one of their weddings this September, actually) and had a generally good experience. I got a job that required 50-60 hours a week minimum, so my playtime stopped, we stopped playing, and we no longer gamed together.
We've had ups and downs in gaming over the past 4 years - but usually it's been a solo endeavor. Some of you might know me as Tomtee from Fippy Darkpaw server - I tend to gravitate towards my roots. Also played some IPY - but, alas, I've played no game with my wife since 2009.
Cue a couple months ago, I'm playing here and my wife sees me playing EQ and says, hey, why not, August - I want to play with you. And so my story begins.
The plot thickens:
I geared us out in the finest of pixels. Scrumph & Pizzatime are an unstoppable duo and core group members. We aren't leveling fast, but we ARE leveling, together, for the first time since the Lich King fell. I've tried to keep things interesting for her by switching our surroundings. So far:
Permafrost->Blackburrow->NRO->Oasis->Unrest->UGUK->EK->HHP->MM->SK(KFC)
Our next stop? HHK. We venture down to kill pickclaw goblins. We quickly dispatch of the lower level ones and I go to break the warrior room - it's tough. She just got her new healing spell and we make it through. Alls well -I know better than to try raiders. We continue pulling until...
The enemy appears:
DDoS happens. "August, why can't I cast spells?" "August, it says I can't do this right now" "August, I can't hit this mob!" What's happening? Some fuckwit has decided to play script-kiddy and DDoS the server. The pickclaws, they surround us. I'm KoS to the guards and have no hope but to run. My wife follows but it is as if we're in a dream - no NPCS react. The pickclaws are merciless in their pursuit. We make the zoneline - SAFE!? Crash. Come back, bodies are in the cellar, and my wife and I are miles away on another continent. Sad day.
I explain to her, honey, it's just a one-time deal! People are idiots. I do the CR for both of our characters, she is upset - why would anyone care enough to attack an EMU server?
We are back the next night. Killing pickclaw spiritists and cabalists, the occasional warrior if he spawns in the hall. It happens again. Luckily this time we're bound in HHK. Unluckily for me, it's the last straw for her.
"This game is already old and I can't deal with the server lagging all the time too, August - I'm done"
So we're not playing games together anymore. The short-lived, awesome time we had here is over due to some idiot. Pizzatime will fade to obscurity - the potentially awesome shaman with a matching name.
Her ring was on the counter this morning. Underneath was the divorce papers.
Thanks a lot, DDoS attack.
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