20 Questions with Anea of HolyDiscipline
Welcome back friends for another round of 20 Questions. This week we hook up with Anea from HolyDiscipline.com. You may not know her, but I think after this interview you will appreciate her insight into playing WoW, Raiding, as well as playing the Priest class.
Honestly, I could go on and on about Anea, but I think she says it best.
“The priest with epic shoulders and awesome tail control. – Anea”
What does that exactly mean? Not entirely sure, but have to admit it catches your attention and face it. If she can catch your attention with that line, you have to get to know her more. So join me as we get to know Anea a bit more.
Welcome Anea! I’m so glad you’re willing to be with us today. 
How’s everyone’s favorite Draenei Priestess today?
Just peachy! Thank you for asking
If you don’t mind, can you give us the 411 on who Anea is? And I don’t just mean what we can get from Armory. lol. But more along the lines of: How long have you played WoW? What got you started?
Well, I have had an account for over three years now. I had a small hiatus for a few months right before Burning Crusade was released, while I waited for my current laptop to be built, but I have actively played the rest of that time. Initially, I had no intention of playing the game. I never was a gamer, I had no interest in games and really had a low opinion of people that played, I am sad to say. So at the time, actually, I would rather have sporked my eyes out than try WoW, but boredom drove me to create a character on a friend’s account (just to “make someone pretty”) then I was told I had to play it and I was so very bored that I actually did. Then I saw how much fun the game was. But even now, World of Warcraft is my only game and I know that I won’t take up another one – computer, console or otherwise.
However, when I finally did get my own account, I went through a series of characters and classes, just trying things out since I really was a fish out of water. (Which I think was the root of my altitis) I won’t bore you with the massive list of characters and classes I’ve tried out, but my game really started to streamline and have a purpose when I left my PvP server (ugh!) and rolled Sin, my Blood Elf rogue, on a PvE realm with Lus, who also played a rogue. Sin was my very first 70.
Really? So you weren’t always a Priest?
Not always – I’ve had bad altitis for my entire WoW career. I did a good job of curbing it through Anea’s leveling, both to 70 and then on to 80, but now it’s getting the better of me again
That’s interesting and a great intro into our 20 Questions, Ready?
*braces herself* Ready!
1. Given that you had played diffent classes in the past, what is it about being a Priest that really resonated with you to the point of wanting to create HolyDiscipline?
I chose to create HolyDiscipline and have Anea be the root of where the posts were coming from because she was the largest part of my WoW-life. She was who I played – exclusively – at the time of HD’s creation and who I had put the most effort in, of all my characters. Anea is who I connect with most.
2. On your blog recently you posted a great article about losing that loving feeling for the game, only to rediscover it again playing with friends on another realm. One thing I was wondering, what happened? Did you just get bored with your class? Guild changes? Content? What happened to make you roll a new character on a different realm?
If I could pin it on one thing, it would be guild changes. We changed guilds a bit ago and never settled into our current one, so we feel a little distant from them. I like to feel a little connected to my fellow raiders and guild members and I’m lacking that, so I don’t log on as often, which leads to still being distanced… it’s a vicious cycle. I did log on a week ago and raid Naxx with them and felt so happy to be healing again, so no: not the class, just missing the chemistry. And because Anea was on a mini-hiatus of sorts, I was itching to play something and somewhere else – Cadistra’s invite came at the right time
3. There’s so many ways to play WoW, PvP, RP, straight PvE, Raid Focused, Arena Focused. How has your playstyle changed over the years?
My playstyle has always been casual and always PvE oriented. I did have a (very small) stint on a PvP server and Lus has dragged me into battlegrounds from time to time, but that never appealed to me. Even when I do raid, I’m not hard-core about it. It doesn’t bother me that I haven’t seen all the content and “beaten the game”. Would I like to see it and do it? Of course. Will I die a thousand deaths if I don’t? Nope. I like questing and seeing the world on my terms.
4. I know that on Twitter you’re one of the one’s that always bring an air of optimism and fun. Is this the player or is it your character?
Anea: Well thank you! I will say it’s the player more than the character. I think that Anea would be a tiny bit more serious than I am – healing is srs bsns. :)
5. Back to your playing. We all agree that it’s the player’s responsibility to maintain balance. However, some would say that WoW is too immersive and doesn’t promote true “casual play” but requires dedication. What do you think?
WoW only requires as much immersion as you want. It also depends on your priorities. WoW is playable on an incredibly casual basis. You are not required to see all the content, make tons of gold and get rep with all factions to exalted. You are able to just quest around and make your way to 80 as time permits. It seems like so many people see end-game raiding as a “requirement” to enjoy the game and it’s just not that way. It’s a choice. Do many people choose to make end-game their priority? Of course. But still a choice.
6. You claim to not be an “expert” when it comes to your class. But having a blog, as well as having played for years, what makes you feel this way?
I think that the level of expertise and knowledge that people look for on very class-oriented blogs is something that I lack. I’m not into theorycrafting, I don’t pore over gear, I don’t check patch notes and try to predict what things will mean for my class. I just take things as they come and play how I play. Having a blog in no way means that I am an expert – if it were a requirement for one, I could never have a blog! That’s why I blog my general thoughts about WoW and my experience in it – I don’t need to theorycraft for that.
7. Also, not too long ago you mentioned how you didn’t feel comfortable leaving comments on “big” blogs. But I never felt we got a good idea of why? Or what you consider too big for you? So let’s set the record straight.
Well. When I first started reading WoW blogs, I started with “smaller” blogs – newer blogs without a huge audience numbering in the multiple thousands. They were pretty low key, wrote what they want and so since I felt like they weren’t up on some sort of pedestal, they seemed approachable – as if they would care what I have to say. On bigger blogs, I feel like my comments will be lost in the multitudes they inevitably have by the time I read it, so by that point, I think, “Why bother? Someone’s already said what I have to say and said it better.” So, I don’t feel too bad closing the window, since missing one comment won’t hurt them too much. (Also, I don’t comment on theorycraft-heavy posts for obvious reasons.)
8. Can you name 3 Blogs that you feel get it right? That have found the right balance between Information and Entertainment?
Well, the first wowblog I ever read, World of Snarkcraft, I think has it right. Seri and Jov have solid posts regarding priesting and how to do it, plus they have entertainment value. (Snark – it’s built right in!)
Another blogger I feel got it right (and had it right from the start, too) is Dueg (Holy Dueg!). I have the distinction of being his first commenter and even from that first post, he had you hooked with his distinctive style and has since had posts that fall under both “Information” and “Entertainment”.
The third blogger I think of that has both in their arsenal is Vonya from The Egotistical Priest.
9. So about Blizzard and WoW, what’s 3 things that they’ve done well and shouldn’t change. And 3 things you feel they need to improve. It doesn’t have to be game specific, but as part of the whole experience.
One thing that I think they certainly should have done better is provide better hair/horn styles for Tauren. I never really gave it much thought until I played my shaman, but we are not given many choices to begin with at the creation screen, plus for the big Barbershop patch the Tauren only got horns? Now, I have to say that Draenei are a comparable race, since they are a hooved/horned race and we have many more options by default for both hair and horn, so why wouldn’t Tauren get an equivalent number? (Also? Boar tails only belong on gnomes.)
I also take issue with the bobbers for fishing that are supposed to be coming. I think that different bobbers are good for variety – I love variety! But they’re too cutesy, in my opinion. Plus, why is there a tugboat bobber? We do not have tugboats in the game at all. We shouldn’t have a bobber shaped like one. If it were shaped like any of the ships currently in the game, I would be ok with it, but there are no tugboats.
And of course achievements. The achievement system is both on my “done well” and “needs improvement” list. It’s a great idea to create new interest in the game where perhaps there wouldn’t be anymore – more goals and ways to spend your time in-game than just raiding or leveling or rep grinding. But at the same time, it’s just a new form of “grinding” to get the achievements done. It’s like a sickness, the way that we know they’re there, so we feel obligated to do them.
Now, let’s see – “well done” – I really like the Blood Elf leveling areas. Eversong is beautiful, both in landscape and architecture. But the Ghostlands – lonely and haunted though they may be – do a great job of providing good gear and a fun easy rep grind giving even better gear as rewards. I would be interested to see equivalent areas for each race – I would level through just for the experience of it.
The music. Burning Crusade had really great music, but I have to say that in Wrath the music was phenomenal. The music is prefect for the feel of each area and makes it something bigger than “just” an area – it’s an adventure. I wouldn’t quest around Northrend without my music on. It truly completes the experience.
Dalaran. I was wholly impressed when I walked into Dalaran for the first time. The marriage of Human and Blood Elf architecture looks so great and I love that if you view the city from in the air, there are minarets everywhere and it gives almost an exotic feel to the city. There is a great variety of shops and wares to be found and the Underbelly is a realistic “surprise” part to the city as well.
10. Let’s get back to healing. We’re always hearing how they want to fix Healing in game, will Dual Specs help this? Or do you expect Priests to use Shadow for Farming/Solo and the other for Healing?
“Fix” is really flexible and depends on who you ask it. I think that Dual Specs can certainly facilitate ease in healing, for priests, anyway. We would have the option to switch from Discipline to Holy as fights or raids might require. I think that many priests will choose to go the healing/Shadow route for some pewpew, but when Dual Specs come out, I’ll chose to go Disc/Holy so that I can throw Penance around. I would much rather be able to be even more flexible in my healing than kill stuff faster. That’s what I have Lus for. ;)
11. Halfway there. Glad you’re still with us. So, what’s up with the whole “putting down Discipline” thing? I’ll be honest, I don’t get what’s up with the Holy vs. Disc healing debate.
… honestly, I don’t get it either. To me, healing is healing and it’s just a different style for the same class. I like that Blizzard gave priests a different option if they choose to heal rather than making holy mandatory, but it’s certainly making waves.
12. Simple question, Beards, Ears, Horns, Tails, or Brains? Which really gets your Draenei heart beating?
*blushes* I … er… um… can I choose two? Combine a nice set of horns with a clever brain and that’ll get my heart racing. Add a big sword and I’m like putty.
13. But more seriously, how is life as a female gamer? Or is it made into a bigger deal than it is? Also, do things change when people find out you’re really a female gamer?
Not any different from yours, I’m sure. I think that The Female Gamer’s Plight can be blown pretty out of proportion with each telling. However, that does not diminish valid concerns from women about harassment in the game, because it does happen and it is not ok. But I haven’t experienced any of that for a long time, thankfully – mostly in lower levels when I was first starting to game. I don’t find that I’m treated differently when people find out that I’m a female – perhaps I’ve been lucky enough to be around people with a good head on their shoulders who treat me as an equal and appreciate me for my healing and not because of my sex. On that note though, I don’t advertise it, either. Perhaps my gender could be deduced from my mannerisms and speech, but unless someone comes out and happens to ask, I won’t say it. I don’t know why it would matter, so why bring it up?
14. What about relationships and gaming. How do you and Lus find that balance between life outside and inside game?
As I did note in a post of mine, making time for stuff outside of Warcraft has been something we struggle with, but has been better lately; I attribute it to us being in different stages of our WoW-immersion. I have gotten better at voicing when I want to do something that doesn’t involve Warcraft, so that’s helped a lot, haha. But at the same time, I’m really lucky to be able to play right next to my tank – I think it makes us a particularly in-sync tank/healer team.
15. I love asking this because I have a theory and so far I seem to be right. My thoughts are, all the female toons dancing on fountains and mailboxes are really Male players. So have you ever danced for gold?
Ugh. I have never danced for gold – although I could easily see a woman dancing on fountains and mailboxes for gold too. Greed and sloth can be found in both genders
But the sad thing about it though? It works. Why anyone would give gold for that is beyond me.
16. What about gold in game. I’ll admit its easier to get nowadays, but should Blizzard offer a way for players to “Officially” buy currency?
My opinion is that it shouldn’t be done – you should earn your gold. If you put in the time and effort, you should be rewarded and I haven’t swayed from that position.
However, a while ago I read someone’s opinion about it that raised a point I hadn’t thought about: she had a friend who was an executive at a large company and put in long hours each week that didn’t leave a lot of time for farming and earning tons of gold.
He put his time into his work. He worked hard for the money he earned. So she didn’t see why he couldn’t apply that to buying gold to compensate for his lack of time to earn gold on his character. If Blizzard implemented a way to “officially” buy gold, then sure, people like him could have tons of gold to show for their money – but not everyone has money laying around to spend on gold and that (probably sizable) player population would be at an extreme disadvantage.
17. You’re playing a priest with friends on a seperate realm. And have some lofty leveling goals. Does this mean a server transfer is happening for Anea, or is this just a side project until 3.1 Ulduar is released?
Nope – Anea’s home is on Exodar. She wouldn’t feel right on any other realm – not only because of the people, but because she was created on Exodar for a reason. It matched her race. (Draenei. Exodar. It matches.) As of now, playing the Horde priest is a side project – I can’t say for sure whether or not she could turn into a main. *ponders*
18. What about WoW in the real world. I find it interesting that it’s like the local massage parlor, everyone knows about it, but noone talks abou it. Why do you think that is? Or am I completely off base on this?
Hah! I haven’t ever heard it compared to massage parlors, but I see your point
Gaming has such a stigma that I can really understand why you don’t talk about it (much) – even I really don’t. Sadly, gaming isn’t seen as the hobby that it is, on par with flyfishing, knitting, reading, tinkering with your car or bicycle riding. It’s seen as a waste of time, because “you’re just sitting in front of the computer,” you have “nothing to show for your time” and “it’s just a game”. People are much more receptive to the idea of you sitting in front of the TV for hours on end than they are to knowing that you spend a few hours in Warcraft! It’s not appreciated as a hobby and as a social setting.
19. If someone wanted to roll a healer, what race/class/spec combination would you suggest? Don’t worry, we don’t allow biting here so really, what’s in your opinion is the most fun healing combination to play?
I think that if you want to heal, you’ll be spending an awful lot of time in the game with your character, so it better be something that you like! Roll what appeals to you – if you always wanted to play a Troll, well then have one!
If you want to have a little RP in your life and you could think of a great story for a Dwarf, go for it! I don’t think that there’s any reason to roll any race over another, because it depends most on you and your healing skills. I think that all healing classes have something to offer so again, pick one that appeals to you. I’m all about satisfaction and not just filling a space or a requirement. Leveling-wise… I can’t speak for druids, shaman or paladins, but I leveled shadow to 58 and it was a blast. Leveled to 80 as holy – it was all fun! If you choose to level specced for healing, be prepared for it, that’s all
20. Final question. See wasn’t that bad. lol What are some tips for us Hunters to keep in mind and do that would make your role easier and more fun?
Common courtesy rules apply. Be prepared; watch aggro; keep fighting even if things turn south – maybe your extra DPS will help us kill the guy before the tank dies, so don’t feign death and wait.
Well that’s it! We got through the 20 Questions. I like to make sure that we didn’t forget anything, so do you have any last words?
I think we covered quite a wide variety of things – surely nothing was forgotten.
Cool! Thanks again for being here, I hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me.
Thank you for having me! *waves as she runs offstage*
