The Way We Think About Numbers In WoW

In its second year, WoW released Patch 3.0.2 introducing the achievement system. Originally introduced were 749 individual unique achievements that covered all aspects of gameplay. Since then the number that number has increased to 1,307.

At the end of Wrath of the Lich King, Tank health maxed out around 40-60+ thousand for most. After the release of Cataclysm Tank health moved to staggering numbers around 100+ thousand.

Whats the issue then? The numbers will get bigger and no one cares! Maybe?

When I tell you five million four hundred thousand sixty four. You tend just think, um okay 5,400,064. It just too arbitrary. Are we talking grains of sand or are we talking dirty diapers. If its diapers thats a shit-load of dirty diapers (no pun intended).

In WoW were talking about hit points and mana, which are some of the most arbitrary things. This means you already don't care about it that much. Yeah, yeah hit points is my how much life I have before I die and mana is something I use to cast spells.

Half the time we the way we think of these numbers is by using comparison, ie. my number is bigger than your number kind of deal. The other half of the time is by using percents or fractions, ie. my health bar is half way empty. There are all these giant numbers and half the time we aren't even concerned with what the hell that number even is. It could be two hundred or two million for all we care. All we care about knowing is if we are at full life, half life or quarter life when something is wailing on us.

In conclusion really big numbers don't mean shit. We can't process that kind of information. Our monkey brains weren't designed for it. All I know is 10 nutterbutters is better 2 nutterbutters. And thats and equation thats never fails.