How long have you been playing for?

[Geckomayhem]

I was wondering why, back in the day, we got a lot more patches. Vanilla WoW had 12 patches. However, the content of each was fairly minimal, and full patches now always have a reasonable - if not decent - amount of content update or addition. But it is still interesting that they started out by putting in so many full patches. It's a bit hard to compare the 12 vanilla patches with the four MoP ones - especially considering how many iterations the game has gone through since then. Your past self - no matter whether you came in at Cataclysm or at the dawn of the game's release - would find it hard to imagine the game as it currently stands.

That said, when did you start playing? I was thinking about these 12 patches and I couldn't remember which patch I came in at during vanilla. The game was released in the US, Australia and NZ in November 2004. I began playing in April 2005 (my brother's birthday, since he got the game then!). I even remember his friends' guild at the time: "Heros [sic] of the Lance", lol.

Anyway, found this great wiki article that timelines everything, including when Wowhead kicked in, when the Leroy Jenkins video went viral, "-50 DKP! More dots!", announcement of TBC (which totally floored me - I couldn't imagine levelling past 60!), and so on (and so on). I worked out that my brother and I had started playing just before patch 1.4 came out - which surprised me, because I always thought we had started playing in patch 1.4. I guess back then, we were all noobs.

It's nice to reminisce sometimes. What are your early memories of the game? This isn't a thread to judge people or to boast about how long you have been playing. Folks who jumped on the bandwagon as recently as Cataclysm have as much right to reminisce as those who leaped into the action when the Burning Crusade launched their attack, or who remember when Blackwing Lair was added to the game, or the opening of the gates of Ahn'Qiraj. We simply have more memories to draw upon.

[Bumbasta]

I started in june 2005. Now the permaban i got earlier today actually makes me realize how much time i spent playing this game. I basically grew up with it.

[Holifax]

Since Vanilla, not sure on the exact date or time.

[Draenox]

2 weeks before TBC launched - I spent the launch day leveling my draenei shaman, my god that isle was crowded like I had never seen before.

[SL1200]

I started wow on 12/14/2007 and have been subbed continuously since then on my main account.

[Travio]

I started playing just before the beta patch where the added Hunters.

It's been a long, long haul.

[teebo]

I started in june 2005. Now the permaban i got earlier today actually makes me realize how much time i spent playing this game. I basically grew up with it.

Now why would you go and do that? What ya do?

[Xarnius]

I've been playing wow since the summer of 2007.

I started playing just before the beta patch where the added Hunters.

It's been a long, long haul.

Your sig.. Amazing.

[Arbs]

November 2004, I have been around since Day 1, I plan to be around until the end.

To many years invested to stop now.

[Arachnophobia]

I believe I started early 2008, which was about halfway through the lifecycle of The Burning Crusade.

[Bareback]

A really, really long time...



Heh...

[Rivellana]

I started playing a few months before BC launched. I've been on and off since then but more on than off, and I always come back from my extended breaks.

[MrUrthor]

Vanilla 1.7.0

[ruuBEN]

May 2006

[MrLordDariusCrowley]

End of September start of October of 2007.

[Draahl]

April 2003, us closed beta phase 1. Yes its sad i know.

[Abstieg]

Started the beta patch hunters were added haha. Can't remember exactly when that was.

[Razecog]

1.11 or 1.12.

Don't really remember.

[akaTheDude]

April 2007

[Deleted]

June of 2004(Closed Beta, mages had just lost the original invis I think)