Monday, January 18, 2010

Goodbye (at least for now)



I'm not sure how to really start this or end it, and this post has gone through revision after revision.


I talked to my officers over the weekend and let them know that I'd be taking a break from raiding, which is likely going to be a permanent one.



The main reason has nothing to do with my guild or drama or anything like that; Casually Serious has been about the best guild that I could imagine for what I've wanted out of Warcraft, and they're an incredible group of people. They have shown that smart raiding beats long raiding times, and that if you're skilled and do your homework you can have good success on progression with only a small amount of time.



No, it's personal life issues. Simply put, being a father of a newborn doesn't coincide well with raiding on a set schedule. Thinking on it it seems almost ludicrous to believe otherwise, but this was exacerbated more recently by other life events to a point that became...bad. And I told myself a long time ago that when WoW started interfering negatively with my normal life, it was time to stop.



It might be better in the future. I may be able to get back to raiding or playing. But honestly, a lot of the joy I had in playing I got from playing with my wife, and until that changes (which is not going to be very likely) I don't see me coming back as a raider.



Looking back, it's been a lot of fun and I'm very proud of what I've been able to accomplish with two great guilds. Being able to kill Kael, Illidan and Brutallus pre-nerf (and KJ after that), Maly, Sarth and all of Ulduar with Fire & Blood, and doing all the Ulduar hard modes (including Yogg0), all of ToGC on 25s - not a lot of people get to experience those things. I feel like I was a good contributor on those fights and did my part to down them. That's a great feeling and one of the most addictive parts of raiding for me - that you contributed to something greater than you.



Oddly enough, one of the hardest things for me to face is that this blog is going to stop. I also told myself that if I wasn't experiencing the content I didn't want to write about it; theorycrafting is good, but it only goes so far in place of real experience. I really did enjoy writing this, and again it was very rewarding to hear how many people got real, quantifiable help from my writing. One of the reasons I switched guilds (instead of outright quitting) was so I could continue writing about WoW. That's how important it was to me.



Thank you all for reading for the last two years. I've had some of the best readers I've ever seen on a blog, and it wouldn't have been so much fun without you.

118 comments:

Blexxer said...

Wanna thank for the greatest feral blog ever made. Have fun irl! :)

Anonymous said...

While I am very sorry to see you go "Family Comes First". Thanks for all the very insightful and well written posts. Hope everything works out for you. Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

Very sad to see you go, Kalon. Your blog has helped me in my feral tanking adventures more than anything else, so thank you for the great read and good luck in whatever you do, you will be missed!

Anonymous said...

This has been by far the best feral tanking blog i have ever read. Its a very sad day to see you step away, but hopefully only for short time. Good luck with your baby and RL.

Unknown said...

oh shi-

:(

Unknown said...

Best of luck! You will certainly be missed.

Nelson said...

Congrats on the decision! I've enjoyed all the new free time I've had since quitting playing Warcraft. It's amazing how much of a life commitment a regular raiding schedule is. Sorry to see ya go, though, I enjoyed keeping up with the game via your blog. --Flyv

Anonymous said...

Oh noo an end of an era :(

Anywais i toaly understand your point as i am going trough a very similar patch in my life.

Hope the kick ass feral druids wont become extinct tho :P

Bokonon said...

Kalon, I'm sad to see you go, but I endorse your decision. Your blog has been my absolute favorite for the year or so I've been (eagerly) reading it. You've helped me and other ferals I know, and I'm grateful for the time and effort you put into your blog. Good luck on parenting; the ultimate hard mode.

-bokonon
us-the underbog

Boats said...

Sad to see another excellent wow blog closing.

Thanks for sharing all the info. You'll be missed.

Good luck!

Howard said...

Kalon, While I'm personally bummed, I want to say thanks for all your hard work and info. I am anticipating my firstborn this summer so I'm sure I'm about to experience many of the same issues as you, so best of luck to you and your family.

Anonymous said...

thank for awesome blog, gl hf :-)

For the Pie said...

Kalon,

To you and your family, all the best. It was an honor to be in Fire and Blood with you and your wife.

/salute

Aka'Magosh druid.

Halkale

Anonymous said...

It seems many of us are going down this road at this point.

Best of luck with the little one and thank you for all the great information you have provided to the druid and tanking community in general.

Anonymous said...

very sad to see you go , have fun irl
your blog was rly fucking nice
i miss u

Anonymous said...

First time commenter but long time reader, just wanted to say thanks! You blog is (or was? not sure what tense to use now) the best place for feral info out there, and your style always made it easy to read.

So, thank you for all the blogging, all the insight, and all the fun. Best of luck IRL.

Anonymous said...

plz kalon plz, keep updating your blog! it's the best feral tanking/dps blog i have ever read,
ps:have fun irl, you will be so missed...
Best regards.

Tsonga , EU-Ysondre

Miscellany said...

Kalon, I totally understand your situation.

I have read your blog for the last year and have come to rely on your information. Your work has been stellar - you really will be missed.

Seems like the Feral bloggers are dropping out left and right lately.

Anonymous said...

To my favourite Feral blogger,
You've helped so many of us and put so much into a great informative blog, I just wanted to say...
'thank you'
Best of luck to you and your family.

Anonymous said...

Very, very sad to see you go. However the joys of fatherhood come first!!

My deepest thanks for all the poignant information you have given me.

I will miss you and this blog.

Acornbrain/Scilla

Anonymous said...

Go and get yourself some quality time with your child. Both of you deserve it.
Thank you very much for keeping up this informative, yet still quite individual and interesting blog for so long.
I bow before you as one of your fellow Bear brethren.

Only good wishes from Switzerland.

Anonymous said...

Kalon,

This was absolutely the best feral blog that I've ever seen for both dps and tanking druids. Your contributions will be missed and to be honest, I feel a little bit lost as to where to go for the latest feral DPS information.

All said though, congratulations on your new born and take care!

Anonymous said...

NOOOOOooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOOOooooOO!!

Sassafras said...

Thanks for the help and advice you've given. You'll be missed, but your reasons for stopping are the best you could have. Family should always come first.

:)

Strut said...

Kalon, I wanted to thank you for all your work! I too will have a tough time finding the information that was so accessible and conveniently located in your blog. Ultimately, it's your family that matters though, and not a video game... God bless!

Blufyre said...

Kalon

You have given a lot of us a huge amount so thank you, truly. Your blog has been excellently written, informative and thoroughly enjoyable and it's been number one in my google reader for some time now. I too have struggled to balance raiding with the wonderful roller-coaster of parenthood, so much respect to your decision. I wish you and your family well in all that you do going forward.

Blufyre

Andrew said...

Good luck with everything going forward, Kalon. I enjoyed the feral blog collaboration that existed back when myself, Flyv, and you were all going strong.

- Karthis.

lissanna said...

You will be missed. It's always sad to lose such a great resource. However, we're glad that you made the best decision for you and your family.

Ampzilla said...

This blog has been the single biggest help to me as a feral tank. The time and effort you put into your blog says a great deal about the type of person you are. Best of luck and simply, THANK YOU.

Anonymous said...

wow this is sad news, but good luck for whatever you gonna do

dfv said...

I've very much enjoyed your blog and the gear lists / analysis. Yet another great feral blogger bites the dust!

I'm sure you'll be back at some point. Rest up, attend to the family and I'm sure you'll enjoy some Cataclysm action down the track.

Anonymous said...

I never posted a comment before but just wanted to thank you for all your work, helped us ferals ALOT and wishing you a happy life with your familly :)
Goodbye and Good Luck

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your fantastic blog, and thanks for making a positive decision about your life and your family. Your insightful and attention to detail will stand you in good stead throughout your life. /salute

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all your helpful writing - best tanking blog ever.

Obara of Muradin

Anonymous said...

So sad, now where am i going to read all the theorycrafting?!

Unknown said...

I spent so pleasant time reading your blod!
It's a big loss for the feral community!
Hope everything's gonna be all right for you then!

Enjoy your family!

Unknown said...

Thank you for everything !

I'm going to miss you, you were one of the last blogs I read about WoW.

You and Karthis have taught me soooo much.

Windwalker said...

I never wrote here before, but now I have to thank you for your work here.
Greetings from Germany, best of luck for you and your family.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the help! You've been a tremendous asset and inspiration for my druid.

Hope real life treats you well!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all you've contributed to the feral community. I will miss you, but you have your priorities right. Enjoy the challenges of parenthood!

Spenta said...

It's bittersweet to see you quit man. You are doing the obvious right thing and I wish you all the best. Your blog has been an absolute favorite and I'm going to sorely miss reading your writings.

Again, thanks for everything you've done. I know I've learned quite a bit from reading this blog, and I know many others have as well.

Best of luck and enjoy RL!

Saroosh said...

Sorry to see you leave, but family does come first. Thank you so much for all the wonderful work you've done, this has always been my main source for all things Feral =) You will be greatly missed.

Best of luck with the little feral in training =D

Gestalt said...

You will be missed Kalon. Your posts have been an invaluable help. This blog was my primary source for reliable and well thought out information on feral theorycrafting. I have yet to see anything that resembles your depth and insight.

Any recommendation's on other decent sources for feral news?

Anonymous said...

Thanks alot for alot of good information and entartaining writing :) Wish u all the best

-Sheeclaw

Steven said...

Thank you for all the words of wisdom. Your blog greatly impacted my level of skill and knowledge playing a feral druid in WoW. It will be missed.

Enjoy the great life ahead of you.

Anonymous said...

Kalon,

Your blog was the greatest and you will be missed.

I was in a similar position and missed all of toc but have now found a smart guild that fits around my kids so im a happy bear again.

Best of luck dude.

Sharloc US-Nagrand

Unknown said...

Damn, sad my first pos in here is to say goodbye to you.
I´ve been reading and putting your words o use for more than a year now.
Anyway best of luck to you it has been a real pleasure,
cheers.

Murtagh - Solaris, dunemaul EU

Anonymous said...

I am genuinely depressed atm :( Sorry to see you go man. You have been my first point of call for all things druid. Your blog has been absolutely brilliant. Owe you alot, so thank you very much Kalon. Good luck with whatever you do next.

Unknown said...

I can definitely understand your situation.. I've just taken a break from raiding and having a 4week old lil boy doesn't show any signs of allowing me back into full time raiding..
I'd like to thank you for your blog, insight into ferals, gear lists, itemisation discusions and everything inbetween.. the druid community will miss you..
You're also one of the reasons I decided to create my own blog to give my 2cents on playing as a feral..

Good luck, have fun and thankyou

Josima of Nagrand

Alaron said...

Kal, I know exactly where you're coming from. My 17-month-old has disrupted quite a few raids; luckily, my guild's pretty understanding of that sort of thing. By all means, take some time, refresh yourself...and hopefully we'll see you back for Cata. Looks like it's up to Vallen, Jacemora, Coldbear, Darksend, and me to carry the feral torch for a bit. :)

Copey said...

Thank you so much Kalon for all the help you have given me and the druid community.

I hope all is well and all works out for you and your family.

slightlysatan said...

You'll be sorely missed.
However, I think you've made a wise decision - missing anything to do with your baby would be worse than missing out on a raid.
Enjoy your newborn :)
All the best,
Csara of Suramar

Anonymous said...

aw man, I'm gonna have to crunch the numbers myself now.

Thanks for everything, best of luck to you

Bulamis said...

Take care Kalon.
Enjoy th RL

Lilywhite said...

Sad to see you leaving the scene. There will be a great big, fur lined hole in the feral community for sure, though I would like to try to plant the idea that dropping raiding does not have to mean you absolutely have to drop this lovely blog. The raid can't wait, but the next blog post can.

I do feel that I understand your situation as I recently became a father myself which needless to say means less frequent raiding for both me and my wife. But there are in fact guilds for people like us too, who can maby raid 1-2 times/week on a somewhat irregular schedule. Could be worth a try.

Thanks for a great blog
/Lilywhite (feral all the way)

Anonymous said...

A big loss for all the ferals out there. Take care.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much, Kalon! And good luck!

Rob said...

I've been a long-time reader of your blog and want to thank you for all the insightful posts you've made over the past years, they helped a lot - especially things like Sarth+3.

Good luck to you and your family.

Nightpain said...

You will sadly be missed. Your writings were incite-full in all endeavors feral, and having the gear lists helped a bunch. Best of luck with all.

Anonymous said...

sad day for the feral bloggers
your writing has helped me alot, it changed me from the feral noob i was in tbc to the better player in wotlk

/salute
Gathros
Burning Steppes EU

Juggy said...

Lost another one.
Best of luck to you and your life.
Enjoy!

Chris's Climbing World said...

You were good to me. To us. Bringing us news and update of possibilities to different stats and bringing together a scattered group of ferals.

Have a great life.

Kerinda- Khaz'goroth

Anonymous said...

It seems the druid community has steadily been losing the greats, and that's exactly what you have been.

Thank you for all your work, facts and opinion in equal measure.

I wish you and your family well for the future and thank you again.

Anonymous said...

BB and thanks for all the memories 8)

ThRiNiDiR said...

No, no... :(

I got to learn so much from you and Karthis and now both of you are gone. Good luck mr.pro.

Frick said...

I was so sad to read this post this morning...though I wish you nothing but the best in the adventures of fatherhood.

Your gear lists, stat weightings and feral tanking advice are what really helped me bridge the gap between practice and tanking in TBC Kara.

So glad to have found you, so sad to see you go.

Best of luck.
Frick

DaveP said...

Just wanted to drop you a note to say a big thank you for all the excellent material you've posted on this blog, and also for the (often) heroic efforts you have gone to on the official forums, to explain rationality to some of the inmates of that particular mental asylum.

I also stopped playing wow 5 months ago due to life changes. Yes, I miss my bear SO MUCH!!! and I miss some of my good raiding friends... but it was a whole lifestyle, and when real life changed, my online life had to change too. Looking back with 5 months of space, I can tell you the world continued to turn, and I have taken up new pursuits: most noteably I have quit smoking, and gotten quite fit again. There's no way in the world I'd blame wow for my bad habits, but lets face it, ladies and gents, wow is really f****** addictive.

Anyway, I've kept an eye on your blog for old times sake, and have enjoyed your articles since I quit nonetheless. Good luck to you in any future gaming pursuits, and of course, with your family committments. There's a whole world of non-mmo gaming out there, some of which I have enjoyed tremendously since I quit wow.

Wow is quite a phenomenon, and I'm glad to have been a part of it, But I have nothing to show for my years of dedication, which makes me feel rather foolish, all in all.

(Ozotaga, Bronzebeard-US)

Mitch said...

Thanks for making the most well-informed feral blog I've ever read. It was fun getting the numbers from fire resist in for Sarth and I appreciate the time you've put in your posts.

Good luck with your family!

Dysheki - The Venture Co

Willowbear said...

I think the number of comments so far are a testament to your contribution. Thanks for all you've done. Good luck and good fortune to you and your family.

Shadrilin said...

I'm very sad to see you go, but it's good that you can step away from the game. I only recently stumbled across your blog, but I have loved the amount of digestible information that you have provided us.

It does suck that we have lost Toskk and Alamo, and it sucks to lose you too.

Anonymous said...

I've never comment on your blog before but this one is a must.

Thank you for having this great feral blog for me to read. It guides me all the way from zero to being an offtank in icc 25. :) It still saddens me tho that I just found this blog 5 months ago and now you're going. T_T

Good luck and take care!! Really enjoy reading your blog.

Chambord said...

Kalon, this post hit like a semi carrying a truck carrying small missiles (my favorite description of Ulduar bosses back in the day, among many memorable quotes you've written). Simply put, I wouldn't be half the bear I am today without having read your blog. Nor would the many bears I've advised in my guild and in game with knowledge I acquired here. Good luck, Godspeed and here's to hoping we read you again when the waters calm.

Meara - TBHG Doomhammer EU said...

Long time reader, first time poster :)

Your blog has been absolutely excellent. It helped my move from Resto-druid upto TBC then to feral druid in Wotlk. I totally understand how much kids do not fit all that easily into a raiding schedule being a mother of a 2 and 6 year old. The new puppy we just got doesnt help either !! Good luck with everything and when your ready I look forward to seeing you post again !!

Anonymous said...

My favorite Bear / Feral blog ever. Thank you for the great posts. Hope to see you back soon!

- Haliaetas

Gescom said...

Good luck with everything Kalon. =]

Lonán said...

Your blog has been the most helpful thing I've discovered since I started playing WoW. You will be missed (as will your gear lists)! Hopefully I can use what I've learned here to make good tanking decisions in the future, but I know many of us are keeping up hope that you'll come back someday.

Good luck! :)

Lonán - Khaz Modan - US

Anonymous said...

Kalon,

Thanks for the great blog. You have really helped my bear be the best it can be. You will be missed!

I have a 3 month old son so I fully understand your decision. I hope you find the life balance that works best for your family.

Best wishes!

Anonymous said...

Bah whats happening too all the great druid blogs and theorycrafting. Community losing alot of the greatest lately.

You have been one of my regular and best reads since along time. Thanks alot for it!

Muzo - Kazzak

runycat said...

Take care, dude. There comes a time, m i rite?

Best of luck with your (semi) new little one, and I hope you still have the opportunity to make time for games in the future.

Also, high fives.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing all you did, especially this past year when I've been checking your site for updates fairly regularly.

Good luck with life stuff :-)

Jagermeis said...

To one of the best Feral druid bloggers I've ever read, thanks for all your work. I very much appreciate your contributions to our community and will miss your posts.

/waits for the Kalon item to drop in the game.

Hana said...

Thanks a lot, Kalon. I didn't reply much, but I've loved your blog. Enjoy the time you spend with your newborn. Those memories will last longer than anything from WoW. :)

Anonymous said...

right on bro

Unknown said...

Thanks for all the feral work and wisdom you've bestowed upon us. You will be sorely missed. Best of luck to you as you move on!

Alasdair Cavaye said...

Seen you around a lot on EJ. The Feral community has lost a significant contributor. Thanks for everything, and good luck in the World of Parentcraft, and whatever else life brings you.

Kym said...

Really sad to see you go. I had to make the same decision not too long ago too. Just wanted to say a big thank you for your AntiTank posts. That was the basis of my raid gearing/spec with the utility to put out competitive DPS AND MT Hodir if need be (if the DK solo tank goes down).[No, this was before T0C gear]. That also allowed me a Resto spec with dualspecs. So, yea. Big thanks for opening up my druidic experience. I can haz tank/heals/dps. Good luck with the baby. I know from experience that bubs aggro is awesome :) /salute :)

Kym

Raymond said...

*cry*

Razor said...

No :(

Very sad to see you go, Kalon. You will be missed.

Kassi said...

I'm sorry to see you go, but what a great reason for it :)

Unknown said...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Now I will have to go read the actual forum threads instead of relying on an awesome aggregator/experimenter like you.

Ah well. You can raid with a child, but they generally need to know some of the game basics before they join you :)

Some unsolicited advice relevant to your new home raid.
Baby gas medicine. Get some. Get more then one bottle. Keep it available. If someone says colic they are most likely wrong and it's gas.
Baby Tylenol/Advil. Have it on hand.
Fevers. Babies have them, don't panic. Get a notepad. Write down time and temperature. People cannot remember accurately ups and downs and when/what the last few measurements were. It can help prevent panic.
Patience. Not with the kids (that's magical ya know) With people telling you horror stories to 'prepare' you. Stare at them until they stop and wander off.

Enjoy the change in your life. Have fun. Find your new balance. Hope to see you back to having fun, if not have fun in your future endeavors.

Muhan / Malfurion

Unknown said...

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Farewell Kalon - looking forward to seeing a "Felhoof's Sack of Awesome" in the next content patch due to the great contribution you've given to all Feral Druid's.

Like everyone else I'm sad to see you go but you're doing it for all the right reasons. Your posts were always insightful and great reads. Its only now that it's hit me just how much I've come to rely on your gear weightings!

So long mate! :-)

Unknown said...

hank you for all your hard work bear and tank related. You were a great resource and will be missed.

I wish you the best

Anonymous said...

Just came across your blog through wow.com, congratulations on parenthood! Will definitely be reading the old posts.

Anonymous said...

Thx for a great blog.
It have helped me alot.
Sad to see you stop writing.
Have a great RL.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to see you go, but congratulations on your baby. (So I'm sort of frowning but happy..?)

Thank you for all the informative and insightful posts you've made; I devoured them eagerly and like to think I'm a better kitty because of them.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your dedicated contributions to the feral druids out there.

Your blog is the only reason I've become a somewhat decent feral druid. I have like 8 articles of yours on my bookmark toolbar!

We will (im)patiently await your return.

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to let you know how thankful I am for all that you've done. I remember giving up on bear tanking when wrath came out. I used to run ZA runs all the time in my small guild in BC and switched over to solely feral DPSing. Sometime after naxx I was bit once again by the tanking bug and believed at first it was hopeless. Thought bear tanking was dead. Then I remember stbling onto your pre naxx gear for cats list and how you posted about tanking and gear for bears. Since then, i've been a silent reader and admirer of your blogs. Tossks was to feral dps what you were to bears. I looked up to both of you and still do. Thank you for everything and best of luck w/ your family!
-Eaeruleus, fellow feral durid 4LYFE

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your gear listings and concise explanations on rankings and such. You have been invaluable to ferals everywhere, you will be sorely missed!

Halandir said...

Thanks for all the good reads! Grats on the kid, and I think you're making the right decision, though it's a hard one! Hope you'll post updates here occasionally :) best of luck to ya.

- Hal

Dharmabhum said...

Thanks for everything! And best of luck IRL with teh new baby!

Unknown said...

You have written the best blog its ever been my pleasure to read! Good luck with the wee one brave Druid! May he level as quickly you did ;)

Thank you

Anonymous said...

As a mom of a 2 year old - yes, I understand exactly where you are coming from. I promise, you DO get your life back, and WoW or whatever else you want to do will be waiting for you when you come out of the newborn fog.

I know it's hard to contemplate now, but in a year or less, your little munchkin will go to BED at night and SLEEP all night long. Yes, that's right, a BEDTIME. Around like 8pm. And you'll be trapped at home with nothing to do except... maybe... play video games!

Mugio said...

Thanks for a great blog and I wish you the best of luck in life.

Moriarity said...

Very sad to see you go.
I would like to thank you for all your work. This blog was an enormous help to me when I was working out how to play my feral druid.
Good luck with wherever life takes you.

Ancasta said...

Kalon,
You will be missed. This one of the the great Feral blogs.

Your insights and analysis have been of great help to me when gearing up my bear. Thanks again.

Congratulations on the new baby and all the best!

Anonymous said...

ummmm.... ok. I don't deserve to be at the top of anything like this. Fluid Druid and Feral Aggro do. I just stand on the shoulders of giants. Like the EJ people, Astrylian. And you. Peace.

Anonymous said...

ummmm.... ok. I don't deserve to be at the top of anything like this. Fluid Druid and Feral Aggro do. I just stand on the shoulders of giants. Like the EJ people, Astrylian. And you. Peace.

Anonymous said...

ummmm.... ok. I don't deserve to be at the top of anything like this. Fluid Druid and Feral Aggro do. I just stand on the shoulders of giants. Like the EJ people, Astrylian. And you. Peace.

Anonymous said...

Hi!!

I really enjoyed your blog and too bad you say goodbye.

Thanks for everything !

Zvi
Israel.

Redhawk said...

Thank you for all the posts, the advice, and everything you have given to the feral bear community.

ODG said...

So Sad,
Amazing blog,
Huge loss for feral community :(

AJ said...

Take it easy man.

Unknown said...

/Sad

Your blog truly made a difference for me and taught me how to tank after healing for so long. Yours was hands-down the druid blog I enjoyed the most. Good luck in all that you do.

/Salute

Miidahli; reader who lurks said...

Thank you to your contributions to me being a better casual/raiding feral druid player. Happy questing- in real life. :] I will sorely miss your blog entries.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for everything. The best feral blog i ever read!
I wish you the best.

/salute

Mérle-Nozdormu-EU

don said...

Ah Khalon I've been away from wow for 3 months but your blog has always been at the top of my feral lists for gear checks, tips and amusing banter.

Very sad to see you go but good luck in the long term!

Remember RL > wow

all the best

don

Richard S. said...

Just wanted to say thanks for all of the great stories, theorycrafting and especially gear lists that you provided over the years. I will definitely miss reading your articles but good luck with the next step of your journey...