Beyond the fierce bulk of the allosauros-like King Dred and his smaller dino companions I could see the glittering column of moonlight. My pulse quickened. This was it …. in a few short seconds my main would pay her respects to this last elder. Even as Elder and hunter bowed as one dwarf to another Elders of the Dungeons, To Honor One’s Elders and What a Long, Strange Trip it Has Been flashed up on the screen. As has often been the case for me on reaching meta-achievements, it was the early hours of the morning server time, none of my friends or guildies were online, and the other members of the PUG were already rushing up the steep stairs to the next group of trash mobs.
It didn’t really matter that no one else celebrated the moment. It felt great to finally have completed a meta-achievement that I had started working on some 16 months earlier, criss-crossing Azeroth trick or treating. When, a short time later our pug had swept through Drak’Tharon Keep and bested The Prophet Tharon’ja, my hunter main hearthed to Dalaran and made a bee line to the mail box. Soon she was flying in exhilarating circles around the floating city of Dalaran on her latest mount. The Violet Proto-drake is a great color with a fluorescent violet mouth though perhaps a bit chunky (not as elegant and slim lined as my previous favourite, the bronze drake). Best of all he is very fast (310%). All in all, the proto-drake is one sweet ride and a fitting reward for several months of effort.
And indeed, it has been a long, often strange road full of fun and frustration, the culmination of many hours of game play. The meta-achievement requires completing the majority of the achievements from most of WOW’s seasonal events: All Hallow’s End, Winterveil, Lunar Festival, Love is in the Air, Noble Garden, Mid-Summer Fire Festival, Children’s Week, Brewfest (Pilgrim’s Bounty is not included). Usually at least one of the achievements for each seasonal event can only be completed by higher level characters (often only at level 80 and usually 70+). The achievements also span across the various types of game play, including tasks that require questing, grinding, drops, instances, raids, pvp and professions (such as cooking). As the festivals span the year, a minimum of 10-12 months is required to complete the meta-achievement though, due to the level requirements of some of the achievements, it often takes longer. (more…)
