For the past several months I’ve felt really bad about neglecting Huntsman’s Lodge. Like so many other WoW players and bloggers, I’ve just found that it’s been increasingly difficult to fit WoW into the schedule. I still play from time to time, and get a lot of enjoyment from the game, but staying on top of things (e.g., news, changes, updates, etc…) has been impossible. A few years ago I used to visit sites like MMO-Champion, ArenaJunkies and WoWInsider multiple times per week, and some of them multiple times daily. I’m at the point now where I can’t even remember the last time I visited any of those sites. 4 or 5 months ago maybe..?
As some of you may remember, about a year and a half ago my life was shaken up quite a bit. I’m happy to say that things have been going quite well for me, but my life has changed a lot since I started this blog nearly 5 years ago – mostly for the better. 😉 As a result, WoW and WoW blogging was one of the things that sort of fell off my plate due to other responsibilities, pursuits, etc… I’d always thought I’d eventually get back on the horse, but week after week it became harder and harder to determine where to go with a new blog post. I felt like I was getting increasingly behind on things, so coming up with relevant and useful info was becoming too much of a chore. Plus, the minute creating a new blog started to appear like “work”, it made me resist it that much more.
So, I eventually went on hiatus, which is something I’ve always been pretty good at, only never for this long. 😉

That being said, I do miss the community that this place used to attract, and I imagine many of my former regulars have moved on from WoW, or at least have taken a much more casual approach to it. The game is in its twilight, but I know there are quite a few hunters out there who still enjoy logging on for some pew-pew, myself included.
So here we are…over the halfway point in 2013, and I’ve produced one measly post in the past 6 months, in which I promised more new content was to follow. Ha! Well, I’m relieved to say that I’m done making empty promises. From here on out, there will be no pressure and no commitment. LOL! While that statement may sound flaky, this attitude will likely make it much easier for me to want to update the site. 😉
Well, What Now?
I’ve spent a lot of time learning to play the hunter class effectively, but I’ve never strived to be an elite player. I’ve always had a hardcore casual, down to earth approach to playing the game. I show up to kick ass, but I don’t take things too seriously, nor do I spend too much time over analyzing and theorycrafting. As a WoW blogger, I’ve had to get into the nuts and bolts of class mechanics and discuss other over-the-top-nerdy stuff, but that’s not really my thing. I’m definitely not the kind of player who wants to sit around and discuss min/maxing. I’m much more interested in offering basic tips and advice that will help struggling players to have a lot more fun while playing their hunter. That’s all I want do. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.
Things is, though, once you host a blog that starts getting 5k-10k visitors per day, people start seeing you as an expert, which puts a lot of pressure on you to become one. F**K THAT, I say. I just want to have fun. That’s pretty much the mindset we all should have when it comes to playing WoW, right?! Take this game too seriously and you’ll burn out.
Back to basics
As I’d mentioned…I’m still playing fairly regularly and I’m still enjoying it. I may not have near the enthusiasm I once did, but that’s alright. The game is still fun, I still love playing my hunter and I still enjoy PvP. Oh, and I still likes me some rare pets. 🙂
Plus, I’m still pretty good at huntering. So, I started thinking…
Why don’t I just offer up some piece meal tips for players beginner to intermediate. A lot of it will be obvious and/or useless to many of you, but who cares, right? The game has been simplified and streamlined so much over the years, diminishing the need for independent resources on class specifics and other guides. WoW blogs are still relevant, but I feel today’s player has it much, much easier than back in the day when so much of what you needed to know could only be found on independent WoW blogs.
I feel that the stuff I concentrate on…PvP, UI and addons, Macros, and looking for Spirit Beasts…all of that is still useful to many players.
Now I’m not making any promises, but what I hope to do is continue the site as a basic resource for young hunterlings and for those of you who just want to enjoy some huntery fellowship. Not too much different than before, really, but even more casual.
In addition, I’d like to invite others to contribute as well. I’ve done this with great success in the past, but I’d like to formally extend another invitation – asking players to contribute any tips, guides, musings, etc… Huntsman’s Lodge was always intended to be a community type of site. I’d like to revive that concept.
Even in its dormant state, the site still receives over 2k visitors per day, so you can be assured that your articles will be seen and discussed. If you’re interested in contributing to the site, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!
Well, that is all for now. I’ll be back soon!
-Gar