Ug. I really hate to admit it, but I've got the MMO Blues again. Those who enjoy MMORPGs may recognize this feeling also as the "why bother" feeling. As Yahtzee said "you should never assume a good game will stay good." While I am by no means saying Age of Conan (my current MMO partner) has gotten lazy at the ripe level of 43, I am saying simply it seems we want different things in a relationship. Conan was really trying hard at the beginning: voice actor NPCs, in depth quest storylines, and the lure of always something bigger and better on the horizon: level 20 granted us passage off Tortage (aka noob island) and into the big, wide world. Level 40 brought the prospect of getting a horse, which brought hours of various camera angles of admiration. But just as I shot the killing arrow into the jugular of my foe, rewarded with the satisfying blood splatter across my screen as the mob fell to its knees, clutching it's throat, I hit level 43 and the ultimate question: What's my motivation?
Yes, just like an underskilled, overpaid actor I craved direction, but there was none! 
The entire second half of the game lacked those rewarding milestones that kept us going in the first place. There, the only thing in between me and level 80 was an endless grind, and unlike most other MMOs, mini rewards like new skills are few and far between. Voice acting ceased to exist after level 20, and quests melted into "go kill X number of mob_001." While Age of Conan proved to have one of the smoothest MMO releases I've experienced and actual, albeit underdeveloped, endgame that was released on time, it just stopped doing it for me after level 40.
And the thing is, I don't even know why I lost the desire to play. The game is beautiful, engaging, and works well to deviate from high fantasy and prancing elves. Maybe I've fallen out of love with MMORPGs as a genre, or maybe gritty realism doesn't do it for me like prancing elves do (wait, what?). Or maybe I recognize hat I don't have as much gaming time as I would like, and MMOs prevent me from playing console games.
Thoughts whirled as I considered returning to previous MMO lovers, 10 in all in the years gone by... everything from Ultima Online to Dark Age of Camelot to Guildwars. There was World of Warcraft, simple and fun, ready to accept me back and cooing gentle reassurances. Then there was Everquest, the abusive one who promised to change but would ultimately result in the same let downs and disappointments. Ah Everquest, my first. How I wish you could bottle your first MMO feelings. Maybe I'll just be chasing that the rest of my gaming career. The xbox is still sitting in the corner, wondering why we don't spend time together anymore.
For now though, I think a break is needed for Conan and I, as he is just not doing it for me anymore. 
Will I return? I don't know. Gaming shouldn't feel like a chore, and as of late I've found it hard to bring myself to log in and play. I've thought alot about WOW recently, starting anew and enjoying the game again. There is the whole appealing social aspect to WOW: everyone plays. Too often I find myself in conversation amoung WOW-ites and asked what I play, typically with the response bordering "oh, that new one no one knows about? The one that most can't play due to it's demanding system requirements, yeah?" It all feels too familiar, like Vanguard. Maybe I am just looking for MMO Nirvana, and perhaps that's simply too much to ask.
For those curious, I am in Warhammer closed Beta. Expect a first impressions once we are able to write about it
What are your MMO experiences? Do you find yourself returning to old habits?
