…or Hunter, rather. This past Monday, BigRedKitty announced on his site that he was stepping away from the game.
BRK is on my short list of a half-dozen or so WoW related sites I like to peek at daily. There are some great WoW blogs out there, but I just simply do not have the time to check all of them on a consistent basis. However, I always have time for BRK. Anyway, after checking to see if Pike had any new Hunter adventures or musings to share, I headed over to BigRedKitty.net as I try to do each day.
Today’s post struck me odd due to the title, but once I saw the amount of comments left I knew this was serious business. Was I surprised..? Not in the least bit. Was I shocked. Yes. It’s hard to imagine there not being any more BigRedKitty Amalgamated Productions.
I can’t help but liken this situation to the scene in Forrest Gump when he decides to go home.
I'm tired...I think I'll go home now...
His decision to leave the game has undoubtedly just created a huge void within the WoW blogosphere. I’d only begun reading his blog on a daily basis just last year, but I have to say it’s one of the more engaging ones out there. Even though I don’t always feel his sense of humor, his writing is genuine, entertaining and definitely informative.
One thing I’ve always appreciated about BRK is his willingness to offer up his knowledge and expertise to everyone. Whether it’s someone new to the class and just starting out, or the raid-tested and battle-hardened veteran, BRK treats everyone the same. Correct me if I’m wrong here, but in the months I’ve spent reading his posts and comments he’s always appeared to me to be non-judgmental and polite with others, no matter how insanely stupid or inane their questions or comments were.
That was joke by the way. I was being a little mister right there, as my wife would say.
I’m not applauding him for his helpful and gracious attitude towards others, as I believe that is the way it should be. We’re playing a freaking video game ffs. However, I do enjoy the fact that he created and provided a friendly community for Hunters where all were welcome, not just the uber-leet-massive-pwnage-face-melting types of players (by the way, I don’t speak fluent gamer so that description may not be an accurate translation). Being that I’m at the ripe old age of 37, I recognize a lot of that as a reflection of his maturity, but at any rate it’s always been refreshing to peruse his site for knowledge – as opposed to the WoW Hunter forums. That place is rife with A-holes.
To BRK:
I wish you well in your life outside of WoW. I don’t know you personally, but you have shared with me a great deal of valuable knowledge and insight concerning this class we love to play. For that I thank you.
You’ve also provided a benchmark for WoW blogging excellence which mere mortals such as I can never hope to achieve. Like many others, I am a bit mopey about your departure from the game. However, I am quite happy for Daniel Howell.
I’m not going to sit here and regurgitate the cliché RL > WoW. Every time I read that I want to smack the person silly who wrote it. OF COURSE REAL LIFE IS BETTER THAN WORLD OF WARCRAFT!!! The fact that people feel the need to state something so obvious boggles the mind. That is like saying daily exercise and a healthy diet > smoking crack.
However, that’s not to say that WoW isn’t pretty damn fun, because it is. I too have enjoyed it in the past a little too much for my wife’s taste. It’s easy to let that happen if you’re not paying attention.
The decision you made was the only one you could make, and I’m happy you were able to make it. Some husbands may not have been given that opportunity.
Now… go get reacquainted with your redheaded maelstrom of fury, spend some time with the kid, write that book, get it published, sell hundreds of thousands of copies of it, and get your new Z. Who knows… after all of that maybe you’ll get the go ahead to log on now and again. If that doesn’t work, just do what I did… get her to play too. 
At any rate… Here’s to life beyond BigRedKitty!
Best regards,
Craig aka Garwulf
P.S. If and when you do come back, wait a few weeks at least. A bit of effort went into writing this endearing tribute post. A sudden return could lessen its poignancy. 
again… ’twas a joke.
