Promptapalooza – What’s something you’ve lost along the way that you would love to have back?

Hey, it’s my turn today! Thanks to Krikket for doing this yesterday and Belghast for putting all this together. Today’s prompt is, as seen in the title: What’s something you’ve lost along the way that you would love to have back?

I spent quite a while considering what I might write about this. There are certainly many things in my life that I’d rather wish had not happened. Yet, in a strange Butterfly Effect kind of way, they all lead here and I do not regret where I have ended up all that much.

There is one elusive experience I would certainly like to get back though, and that’s the way MMOs felt in 1999. In particular, that vanilla EverQuest feeling, when I saw people offering SoW in chat and wondered how you get a pig and why you would want one. It’s an interesting combination of adventure, wanderlust, and learning that create a high that I’ve been chasing for the better part of two decades. In reality, it is neither specific to that time or that game, but the feeling of playing, experiencing, and learning a world for the first time.

I do feel that this is largely a product of the “honeymoon” phase of playing a game. As the unknown gives way to familiarity that feeling fades. I’ve often felt that nostalgia is an attempt to recapture that, which perhaps it can for a time, but is itself even more fleeting.

It’s not the only thing of value to be had either. As long as I am entertained, then it is time well spent. I have found enjoyment in the process of organizing information and tasks, as well as goal setting and attainment even in games with which I’m familiar.

Still, it is literally impossible to play EverQuest for the first time again, especially as it was in 1999. I wasn’t just learning a game, I was learning a genre that was relatively young. It is now more mature, and arguably improved in most ways, but lacks the sense of wonder that I had then.

Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, excelsior and all that.

I shall now pass the Promtapalooza torch to Jen from Book of Jen, where we’re going to learn about ourselves and each other. I must say, I like this format. It’s like a form of blogging relay race.

Y’all take care, and remember to check out Jen’s post tomorrow.

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