Itchy Feet Again

I think I'm getting itchy feet with regards to my character race again.

While I absolutely love my paladin, and being a Draenei has exposed a lot of wonderful animations and smooth textures and all that - I just can't connect with her as a character. The Draenei have a weird, alien culture and I just cannot wrap my head around it. Immortality is one of those things that I enjoy writing about more than experiencing it through a character, and it's making it very hard for me to get into Innana's head.

Do I really need to get into a character's head in order to play him or her?

For me, the game is about immersion, and the more I can view the world through a character's eyes, the better the game gets. The more I can empathize, and engage with, and really roll into the emotions of the character, the better the experience is for me. And with Pandaria, we're getting a third expansion in a row with absolutely no Draenei lore at all.

I can't keep playing this alien being trying to engage with the conflicts and issues of an alien world based on the prophetic words of a prophet who might or might not be going senile, and who has helped the Blood Elves to bewildering ends while gaining nothing in return.

When I view the game from a Human perspective, there is a lot more stuff going on to engage me. The burning of Stormwind, the reemergence of Nefarian on our doorstep, the story of Anduin and Varian as they grow into their roles, and with the coming story of escalating tensions - I kind of want to feel the outrage and pride.

I want a reason to say, "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers." (I love me some Pulp Fiction.)

So - here I am, staring at Innana and wondering how long I can resist putting down $25 and turning her into a human. I won't be changing her name again, it just gets too confusing, and as a bonus, a human female model is far (far) better than the male model.

Would I ever switch back to Draenei? I don't think I would, I miss the level of engagement and immersion I had in the game as a human. I want it back.

Of course, I'll need to change my header image again.... damn it. Nothing's easy.