20 Questions with Kagrra of The Druid Team

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20 Questions is a regular feature where Brigwyn of The Hunting Lodge and WoW.com interviews the people behind the different World of Warcraft players, blogs and podcasts.

I realized it had been way too long since we did our last 20 Questions interview. So when Kagrra  or The Druid Team agreed to do this weeks round of questions it seemed to open the floodgates. So stay tuned on that front.

In the meantime, join me as I sit down and put Kaggra under the 20 Questions spotlight.

Things are great! Thanks for allowing me to be part of your 20Q segment.

Can you give the readers an idea of your history with WoW?  For example, How long you’ve been playing? Do you RP? How about PvP?

Well, I started playing in November of 2005. I originally started playing at the request of Tigorasou. He created my account and bought the game for me so you have him to thank for my existance in WoW.

I only started playing Kagrra the Druid around August of 2008, though. Prior to that, I was a Hunter and a Mage (as well as everything else at some point).

Interesting stuff! Let’s get to the questions.

1.  We can all see that Druids have a rich lore in the game.  And that appeals to many, but what drew you to them, and even now maintains your passion with the class?

I think the versatility and ability to play any role I wanted without starting over was what attracted me to Druid.

I originally played pure DPS classes and it bothered me when I was skipped over because there was someone else just like me but with better gear. As a Druid I could pick what I wanted to be without having to worry about whether I would fit in with their one needed role.

2.  It seems to me that the Druids are probably some of the most prolific bloggers out there.  Also, they seem to be everywhere in game.  Is this a reality or just a mind trick caused by all your different forms?

I’ve noticed that there really are more Druid and Hunter blogs than anything else.

Well… that I know of, at least. The Twisted Nether Wiki suggests as much. However, census data seems to show that Druid makes up about 10% of the character base. I’d say we just notice them more because they radiate awesomeness and win.

3.  Speaking about druids and your different forms and roles you get to play. What’s your favorite form?  Why is that?

My favourite form is obviously Tree of Life! I love playing a healer and how could you not love a form with so much expression?

Bears and Kitties don’t make so many faces and I’m not even sure Moonkin can make faces. Plus trees are the best thing ever.

4.  Also, speaking of Druid forms, what about all those crazy new bear and cat forms?  What’s your thoughts?

I actually like the new forms. I know people enjoy poking fun at some of them such as the Night Elf Cat forms but I really think they’re an improvement either way.

It’s a nice step toward being able to customize your forms. Now all we need is accessories or form armour!

5.  What about Hybrid vs. Pure class play?  Do you think we are becomming too homgenized or is it okay that hybrid classes are just as good?

I’m part of the group that believe that all classes that can perform in a certain role should be able to perform as well as others in the same role. I’ve been accused of picking the “jack-of-all-trades” and as such shouldn’t be allowed to do as much healing or DPS or tank as well as pure classes… but that doesn’t make much sense. You can’t perform all roles at the same time so it’s not really a jack-of-all-trades in that sense. I have to pick what I want to be good at during any given encounter.

6.  Since Hunters are a pure DPS class, we often times feel the pressure to spec whatever is considered the best DPS spec at the moment.  What about you and druids in general? Ever find yourself having to sacrifice playing your preference just to get grouped?

In the case of Feral and Balance I think you still have to build your spec a certain way but there’s a little more wiggle room than with Hunters.

I’ve found that Restoration’s deep talents are actually made so that you can pick what suits your healing style and assignment. I think Druids generally have more freedom with their specs, though.

7.  I kid about Hunters needing to be able to tame Druids all the time, but
there really does seem to be some true animosity between the classes.  Why do you think that is?

I think a lot of Hunters are afraid that Druids are going to make them obsolete if they can put out as much DPS. I don’t think that’s actually the case but there’s still that fear of becoming ‘useless’. Why take a Hunter when you can take a Druid who could DPS and heal on the side! That’s forgetting that you can really only do one of those things per fight. Plus, any given Druid will have their comfortable role. Just because I play a Druid doesn’t mean I can tank or DPS (really… I suck).

8.  Alright, so thinking a little deeper on Kagrra the person.  You’re pretty upfront on your sexuality.  And many people focus on life as a female gamer, but how is life for an openly gay one? So, my real question I guess is have you noticed any difference in how you’re treated as a player?  Or are you not as open when you play?

When I play, I don’t go screaming that I’m gay… but if someone asks, I won’t lie about it.

Tigorasou and I usually are playing together so when we talk about each other we end up saying ‘boyfriend’ rather than ‘friend’ and I often get labeled as a female (since gay people don’t exist IRL).

I have been treated differently because of it but I don’t mix myself in with the sort of crowds who would treat me too poorly. There are some situations where I have to be discreet in order to enjoy playing and not be harrassed over it, though.

9.  I don’t mean for this to sound insensitive, but we’ve seen guys pick girl toons for the asthetics, girl players pick male toons to not be harassed, what about the gay player?  Do you think  sexuality has any impact on one’s character/class choice?  How?

I think it’s more up to the individual than their sexuality. Like, I don’t expect that all straight men will play males and all straight women will play females.

I, personally, always play male characters and Link, my very heterosexual brother, usually plays female characters.

I think it’s also that some people play as themselves while others play in a sort of third-person mindset. Guys that play female characters might say “this is her story” while I normally say “this is my story”.

Plus, most gay men aren’t very feminine… the ones who are usually end up being the only people you see on TV. It’s the gay stereotype and stereotypes aren’t usually too accurate.

10.  What about the game in general?  Do you ever wish there was a gay character in the game?  We all know that Priests and Mages wear dresses, but that’s not really the same.

I don’t particularly wish there were a gay character. I don’t normally look at sexuality as part of what makes a character who they are.

I see sexuality as sort of an afterthought in terms of attributes. If they want to add a gay character…I’d hope they’d do it in good taste and not just some horribly flamboyant drag queen.

11.  Well, enough heavy stuff.  Let’s get back on the game.  What’s right with Druids right now?  If Blizzard is focusing on Druid forms, What’s left to fix? What do you feel are 3 things Blizzard needs to focus on? And fix in the next major patch?  Why is that?

What’s left? Hmm. I think Blizzard really needs to focus on what they want Druids to be in the future. It seem that they can’t make up their minds on whether they want Druids to be as good as pure classes or if they want Druids to be moderate in all categories.

Once they find their direction, they need to listen to the players. You can see on the official forums that Druids are feeling frustrated since it seems Blizzard is ignoring their pleas for changes.

To get specific, they need to properly rework Balance so it’s not a wad of bandaid fixes. They also need to finish redesigning the rest of the Druid forms.

Also, I think they really do need to allow Druids to perform as well as other classes. If I spec Restoration, I want to heal as well as any Priest, Shaman or Paladin and not be made less healy just because I have other forms. If they take care of these things, they will be able to calm down the players who seem to be constantly upset with Blizzard at the moment.

12.  Now let’s flip it.   But if you could name 3 things your glad they fixed, what would they be?

I’m glad they finally redesigned Bear and Cat forms. That was something we had been promised a billion years (approximately) ago.

I also love that many of the commonly used Druid spells have been incorporated into forms so I don’t have to shift out of tree in order to decurse anymore like you used to.

Lastly, I’m so very happy there’s no more snare on Tree form. My roots are free and wiggly and never would have slowed me down!

13.  Of course I have to ask you, What was your favorite quest chain?  You know, that one chain that just blew you away?

I think I have to say Wrathgate just because of how awesome it was. If I have to decide based on comedic value, I think the one where you get poisoned in LBRS and get milked later on is the best ever.

14.  Let’s talk a bit about Achievements.  They seem to be pretty much accepted now.  So what ingame Achievement are your really dying to get?

I really want more titles. I know it’s not too hard to get some of them but I can’t bring myself to sit and play for large chunks of time so certain ones are a little more difficult for me.

I really want to be Chef Kagrra but I never seem to put in that extra time to get it done.

16.  What about your accoplishments?  Anything in particular stand out and make you stand tall and proud?

When I first strated playing, I wanted to explore.

Tigorasou told me that I wouldn’t be able to see the whole world until later on. That was unacceptable.

I decided to go on a journey and I actually uncovered all of the maps for every zone (Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms) with my level 20ish Hunter. This was, of course, before achievements or even Burning Crusade. I was particularly proud of myself for only having died twice during the entire adventure.

17.   Let’s explore some skeletons in your closet.  What was you worst “OMG! I can’t believe that moment?”  What did you learn from that?

Since you know me pretty well, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that nothing makes me say that. There are, however, things that I’ve done that make Tigorasou say “OMG! I can’t believe you just did that!”

Like there’s the time I activated ‘fun mode’ in SM:Cath. This consists of me pulling the entire instance while yelling “GO GO GO!!”

We died and I loved the entire experience. The others didn’t seem to enjoy it as much.

18.  Many people might not even know that you’re a talented artist as well. How did you get into digital art?

I’ve been drawing since I was very little and started using a digital medium about 10 years ago.

MS Paint was the best thing ever back then. I graduated to programs like Photoshop and PaintToolSAI later on.

I don’t personally think I’m that great of an artist but I enjoy myself while drawing so it’s nice to hear that others are able to enjoy my art.

19. And who would you say are some of the artists you look up to?

While not exactly world-renowned, I someday hope to be as skilled as artists such as Fabercastel.

He makes amazing paintings using a Nintendo DS that I really wish I were able to make as well. Maybe someday!

20.  So this is a Hunter blog after all.  Ever played a Hunter?  What was it you liked and/or disliked?

My first character was a Hunter. I liked the thought of having a companion with me on my journey through Azeroth.

That’s really what originally drew me to the class. I didn’t want to be in the center of battle but rather supporting a comrade that I could depend on.

Plus, pets are awesome! I didn’t particularly like having to buy arrows all the time and always stock up on food for my pet (this was back in the day, after all) but those were only minor inconveniences along the way.

There we have it! Thanks a bunch for being willing to be so open and share your gaming experience with us.

The pleasure was all mine! Thanks for having me.

Now it’s your turn.  Anything you would like say?  Ask?

When you’re finally given the ability to tame Druids, are you going to just put me in the stable or keep me out all the time and feed me and pet me and make me purr so good?

Um.. er.. I thinlk we’ll just end it there folks.

We have some really great guests lined up for our next few 20 Questions. We have Syrana from Sideshow and Syrana, Mary Varn of NPC Comic.com, and the ever wacky and always fun guys from the This is Outcasted podcast.