It always amazes me how many of us continue to play this game despite not enjoying the basic mechanics of it. I'm sure we've all gone through phases of it (I know I have).

I took a break from WoW for 10 months. I'd been a three time a week raider prior to quitting and all my love for the game had been sucked out of me. I was no longer immersed in or rewarded by the setting and was just engaged in the mindless pursuit of bigger numbers on my character pane. But what was I going to use those bigger numbers for? I was just going to use them to make them bigger still.

I know that progress is an integral part of the MMO dynamic but if progress becomes the be-all and end-all of the game then it's a pretty hollow experience (at least in my experience).

When I returned to WoW after my break, I was much more casual. With no pressure on me to pump up my main, I was able to take the time to try new things. I levelled on a new faction, a new server, a PVP server, I started multi-boxing. The game is much more rewarding now. I've recaptured the original sense of wonder I had about the game.