Yes… I am planning on staying up until I hit 90. I am going for Realm First! Priest with a few of my other guildies going for their realm first classes as well. Being a Bostonian, this means Mists launches at 3:00 am local time for me– certainly a daunting task. I will, however, be sleeping a full 7 hours before launch, so I should be IRL “Well Rested”. How much XP will we need to burn through? As of a few days ago, the total XP you needed to go from 85 – 90 is: 97,500,000. (source)… yikes!
What is most important if you are staying up late (or as the case may be: early) to grind to 90 is to take care of yourself! Expansion launches are often a time when people toss caution to the wind, eat crappy food, guzzle down Red Bull, coffee, and stay awake until their eyes are red and sore from staring at your screen. I came across this blog post at The Healthy Gamer which outlines a lot of key things when pushing yourself for a long play-session at a MMO Launch. While the blog is mostly GuildWars 2 focused, the fundementals discussed there are really important.
I am a bit of a health nut myself, so I did want to share this with everyone. Now, by no means is eating healthy one day going to change your life forever… but its still a smart move, and clearly better alternative to chugging Red Bull and Pizza on launch day. Here are some key tips that I urge everyone to do in the long gaming sessions ahead of us for the MoP Release in just over a week!
1. Food – Try to NOT have too much sugary stuff. Nuts, cheese, sandwiches, anything high protein is best. “Slow” Carbohydrates are also beneficial as they do not cause your blood sugar to spike quite as much as simple sugars. If you are pushing for Realm First! you might want to go so far as prepping your snacks… those precious minutes it takes you to make a sandwich or scramble an egg could mean the difference between first and second. I regularly take a multivitamin, as it helps me insure I am getting all of what my body needs, that my diet might not be providing me. If you’re not taking one now, you should consider one.
2. Drink – stay hydrated. Guzzling caffeinated drinks (which are usually sugary) actually can hurt you in the long term. You’ll likely crash shortly after your surge of caffeinated energy. Also caffeine is a natural diuretic which could mean you’ll need more bio-breaks… but more importantly it can dehydrate you in excess. Drinking water, keeps you hydrated and less likely to become fatigued. (Wikipedia)
3. Get Moving! – If you want to work out before your big session (if your gym is open that late) it can help improve your mental acuity. If not, be sure to move around periodically. I’ll say it again, move around: During quest/NPC RP, flightpaths, any break you take… Do a couple of push ups, squats, crunches… literally, do them. It keeps your blood moving, and can help release endorphins. Moreover, I am familiar with this because I fly so much– Deep Vein Thrombosis can be a very real danger. (Mayo Clinic)
4. Be Like a Pandaren: Feng Shui – ORGANIZE YOUR DESK and clean your immediate surroundings…. clutter can actually make you less efficient and distracted.
5. Breathe – Open your windows: fresh (and cool air) can help you stay awake and alert.
6. Music- As you get later into the afternoon and start to get tired… non-rhythmic music is key. Stuff that has too predictable of a pattern can lull your brain off.
7. IRL Rested Bonus- Pre-Launch Napping: If you are going to take a nap before hand… if you can’t get at least 4 hours, only take a true “nap”: 20-30 minutes tops. Your brain doesnt fully enter Stage III, IV, or REM, and only really is in Stage I or II sleep. Any longer, you can enter Stage III, which is the beginnings of deep sleep… waking up mid sleep cycle can really cause more harm than good by messing with your circadian rhythm. For an average person it takes about 45-90 minutes to enter Sage III, this is why for an effective nap you should keep your nap down to a max of 45 minutes, or else you risk going into Stage III. Even 45 minutes is sometimes too much. (Wikipedia)
Have fun during the launch! But more importantly stay healthy! See you at 90!
Chicken, Oats, Protein, Cheese, Yogurt, Apples, Trail Mix, and Water. (and yes, my backup laptop in case my desktop dies)
