Breakfast Topic: How much does gearing up influence your playstyle?
Everybody loves new shinies, right? While it's true that World of Warcraft is based on acquiring gear to carry you to new shores and more spectacular encounters, not everyone is a fan of the upgrade treadmill. Some folks would rather explore or roleplay or kick around in a zone they've never seen on one of many alts. Or maybe they are lootmongers, but only in the sense that they love to trot out a transmog set for every occasion.
My own feelings about gear have definitely evolved over the years. During classic WoW, the list-maker in me salivated over the relatively small selection of upgrades. I loved farming for a rare piece that granted some infinitesimally small (but infinitesimally satisfying) bump in my stats. But along about Wrath of the Lich King, I started losing track of what I was wearing. With so many choices and such comparatively high drop rates, upgrades began to seem all rather inevitable. My focus shifted from anxiously plotting my next move to a laid-back, almost nonchalant philosophy of covering the basics and then getting on with the game. Frankly, I'm quite certain I wouldn't be able to list every piece of gear I have currently equipped. Set it and forget it.
How much does acquiring gear factor into your current playstyle? Are you a progression raider eagerly chasing best in slots, squeezing out every last drop of power? Are you pushing hard to hit a particular ilevel to support a certain level of play? Must you have All The Hats? Are you a transmogaholic?
