World of Warcraft Community Magazine Issue 10 | Page 39
World of Warcraft Community Magazine // 39
professions. After that, it’s back
system. This is what amazes me --
an easy calling, but it’s definitely a
to the main in the Auction House,
that there are these systems within
way a select group of individuals
checking for undercuts, and
the game that are almost hidden
choose to express themselves;
occasionally venturing out for
in plain sight. I mentioned win-
some of them are lucky enough to
treasure hunting or recipe farming.
conditions earlier: for a player such
be able to sustain themselves off
Elvine laughs as he admits that
as myself, I look at WoW and see the
of it. Learning about gold-making,
he’s a bit of a completionist -- he
win-conditions, or wincons, that the
I saw a bit of poetic parallelism
likes to have every single old
designers set out for me: complete
between Elvine’s stream and his
recipe for all the professions,
these quests, go into these raids, win
in-game activities. Both involved
something he’s still working on.
glittering prizes by saving Azeroth.
a different approach to living life,
Goldmakers like Elvine, though, are
finding satisfaction in a routine of
This process, or something like it,
able to find their own game within
one’s own design. In a way, it makes
has been honed by around three
the world. Which, when you think
complete sense that Elvine streams
years of practice. All his techniques,
about it, is an awful lot like real life.
gold-making. On Earth or on
Azeroth, there are both determined
the knowledge of the economy,
everything, has been self-taught.
We all have our niches, and as
activities that have a significant
By going around the Internet and
Randall Munroe pointed out, there
meditative aspect to them. Both
reading database website -- just
is no bottom to human subcultures.
lifestyles are being successful based
like a raid junkie might study PvE
Within gaming, within MMORPG’s,
on your own definition of the term.
spreadsheets -- Elvine learned the
within World of Warcraft, there
subtle ins and outs of this secondary
are the Twitch streamers. It’s not
By Ian Kernohan
Featuring Guest Streamer - Elvine
The GameOn Magazine