OK, so what does it mean for you when you're really into something, really good at it and nobody cares?
Most people need some attention and recognition. They need to know that what they're devoting their time to has at least some impact on other people. Heck, even stamp collectors gather at conventions and swap stamps, stories and get these "wow" moments from other people when they have this rare stamp. The same applies to gaming...
In Warcraft III, there is the battle.net ladder, but more importantly there are local, national and international tournaments and clanleagues at which each player can shine, stand out or be completely forgotten about. A wise man once said that people that are known to nobody might as well be dead. In the real world, you still have family and friends of course, so this ultimate course of events doesn't concern many. But in the gaming world, it still holds true to an extent. People keep on playing because they want to improve and ultimately through their skill get recognition from their peers. One of the overwhelming principles in the societies of today seems to be that fame is a goal that is very desirable. This pushes people along.
Everybody needs a bit of attention once in a while. Some people try to achieve this by flaming and getting whole communities on their back. They don't care whether they're liked or not, they just crave the attention that this flaming gets them. Others just try to get better at the game and be respected for their skill, their insights, their unusual strategies or other similar things. And another group of people try to help the community and get recognition from those people for the work they put into it and the resulting help that they gave.
Myself, I have realized that I'll never be a great Warcraft III player. I would probably have gone mad if I still believed in it. I play for fun, to try out strategies and to get off the beaten path. But I still long for some recognition. Why? I guess it's because I have devoted so much time to this game that I don't want to just stop and say "OK, I had a level 35 account, I won a few games against good players, now it's over". I used to play basketball when I was still in my teens and my national coach once took me to the sideline and told me that I'd never be a great basketball player and that I should go into coaching because I was much better at that than at playing and anyways was too small (1.85) for being successful. At the time I didn't listen to him, because I was still hungry for success and I wasn't afraid of anyone. But a few years afterwards, his words came to haunt me. People in my team were becoming better and better and signing on to other prestigious teams. In the meantime, I stopped playing because of University and lost the urge to play and to become better. They got recognition, while I just became an "also-ran".
In Warcraft, I'm not running up into the same mistake. I play for fun, out of interest and because I like to try stuff. But the wider loyalty goes to my team. The recognition the team gets also satisfies my need for it. So I chose the third route: Trying to help the community so that I can still contribute something even if it's not through personal excellence. I've put out a few Audio Commentaries, because I liked the once I heard and yet felt that I could contribute with a fresh perspective. This gives me some recognition, but yet it doesn't seem like it's enough. Am I just craving for more attention, or am I being ungrateful to the people who have stayed loyal to me? I honestly don't know, but I guess that it's just this "little bit more" that is missing. Plus, by putting out this blog into the world wild west, it seems to be further alond the second line of though.
Enough about the story of my involvement with Warcraft. Do people here want attention though flaming, gosu skills or involvement in the community? Or don't they care about any recognition at all?