Couples Who Slay Together – Marathal & Mymystic

Welcome to our Community Project of 2017 (you can see our last one in 2014 here)!

We propose to do a series of – fun and lightearted – interviews which help us learn a bit more about our awesome community, and hopefully unravel some juicy details about our readers. 

If you would like to get involved, contact us.

A big hello to you both! Introductions first?!

Hi! I’m Marathal and my wife (Mymystic) and I are original gamers from the Atari/Pong era. We have both played games for over 40 years and hope to be playing for another 40… so you kids can GIT OFF OUR LAWN.

I bought WoW for her for a Christmas gift in 2007, after we had seen the South Park “Make Love Not Warcraft” episode. We did not believe a video game could be like that! It sat on a desk for about a year, and on Jan 17th 2009, she installed it. When the first choice came up – choose about realm – we saw one listed as New Players… we figured that’s where you had to start abouts and you’d work your way through the realms as you got better.

She picked Brean Tundra, without knowing it had only been open a day, and perhaps because of this her experience was really good. There were some bad spots (her account being hacked and a creepy GM), but after joining a guild, becoming an officer it was good overall. I joined 8 months later and we eventually changed from Alliance to Horde. It truly has been A Long Strange Trip. 

 Could you share a pic of you together – either IRL or in game, we don’t mind! 

A photo of us. It’s the picture of us from our wedding 20 years ago, but one I really love.

How long have you been together and where did you meet?

We’ve been together since April 1995, over 22 years, as to how we met? Well we actually met on America Online (AOL). We talked quite a bit before we actually met for a drink, and the rest is history. 

Show us a picture of your setup – do you have a cute couple thing going on, all cosy?

We finished an area of the basement for a workout / computer room. The router is right behind the curtain and we are located about a mile from the closest major hub connection. This means we have super fast connection speed, which is a far cry from when we first started playing World of Warcraft in 2009.

So, do you tend to play the same games together or prefer to keep gaming life separate?

When it comes to WoW, we play together. I have played a lot of collectable card and miniature games, she has played a great deal of online games.

With the current political situation it’s only right we ask your affiliation: HORDE OR ALLIANCE?

For the past, oh about 4 years, we have fought for the Horde. When we started, or I should clarify, when my wife started playing,  she played for about 8 months before I gave it a go. We were both Alliance, because we had heard all the kids play Horde and the adults played Alliance. We switched after smell bad experiences Alliance side and joined all guild that I now run, with her as my co-GM.

Spill the beans: what’s the most fun activity you like to do together? GAMING ACTIVITY… naughty! 😉

We make a great team. When it comes to leveling at the start of any expansion, we make our way through fairly quickly. I’m adept at looking up quest info, she keeps my squishy butt alive. Once at cap, our interests vary: she enjoys levelling alts,  raiding and pet battling. I tend to just focus on just one character and wander around looking for hidden things.

As a couple, do you find sharing your gaming hobby helps your relationship?

It is something we enjoy doing together. So both work hard all week, take care of elderly parents and do our best to maintain our home.  Playing WoW is kind of escape, even when everyday tries its best to work its way into our virtual world. 

*ahem* who rides who on the two seater mount?

I do all the driving and flying about, except when there are herbs involved. Then I get yelled at because there are weeds I’m missing. 

Who is the raid leader in your relationship?! 

I don’t know that either of us are. We kind of just do things together. She keeps me from removing 90% of the guild roster though when pepole are misbehaving.

What’s been the biggest, how can I say this… marital dispute… whilst gaming together?

I would have to say my declining interest in organised raiding. When interest caught up to her initially, I was all in. Learned my class, worked really hard at it, but over the years, it has become more and more complex and with running a guild,  people tend to want to talk about things during a raid. It just became too stressful for me.

One of you has to kill 100 kobolds and one has to collect the 100 shiny beads they drop… who does which task and why?

When it came to farming mobs, my priest was well suited for the task – I had great AOE, and with the occasional heal from her, we always cleared quickly.  With recent changes, however, she tends to do as much or more than I do. So going forward, we are equal.

Where do you see your future in gaming?

This is a tough one since we are both from the Atari 2600 generation. Getting into Warcraft during Wrath was eye opening, and we never knew a game could be this big. The future is an unknown, I just gope it’s not fully eSports related.

Ok, the million pound question. You’re farming a rare mount. Neither of you has it. It drops. Who gets it?!!

She does, of course. I seem to get them from the oddest things when she is in raid or pet battling. 

Ooh I need to know more?!

Usually I get given all the pets she has already captured, or I hang around and kill stuff whilst she is busy 🙂

Marathal’s twitter is here and Blog is here. Thanks so much for talking with us today!