Interesting point, I guess really your looking at two factors: the developer's writing capabiity and its need to make money.

Undoubtedly, the writing capability of some developers is very limited, especially to a few limited subjects, such as Tolkein-esque fantasy; however they're certainly very good at making money.

Video games have gone from being a fledgling industry, to one that makes more money than Hollywood in a relatively short space of time, largely off the back of a limited number of tried and tested story formulae.

Research into the folklore of other cultures would make the process of game developing like writing a novel and sadly, the industry probably wouldn't want to risk high production rates, or add costs to pre-production until they are guaranteed a good return - and this would require us, the consumers, to stop buying games with hackneyed story lines.

Companies such as Blizzard have seen the benefits of taking time on game production, perhaps if a developer were to take the plunge and go for pre-production values then we would see an overall increase in game topics.

Wasn't there a series for the Amiga called Valhalla (Valhalla: Before the War...)?

Hmm, seems a bit excessive, then again I've never been able to get that hardcore-addicted. Moving from house to house so much I tend to get WoW in little 3 month stints with a months rest in between whilst I try and set up new connections. I'm in one of those periods now- hence why I'm writing this and not playing. I think just taking some time off every now and again is a perfectly healthy way to go about playing, people just need to excersize a little self-control and retain perspective. Rash actions only prove that you have no self control and you are only going to make yourself feel worse by denying yourself something you genuinley enjoy.

Via this logic I also have a one-a-day smoking habit.

Lol, personally I have just resurfaced from a WoW fast that lasted 10 months! It's a horrible thing knowing that you won't be able to play your character that you spent so many hours building up, but so is the addiction of the game. You're probably better off without it. WoW is like like a drug, it makes you forget that you're bored, drawing you in and wasting a massive part of your life and your finances (the £8.99 recently pushed me over into minus numbers, thus costing me a further £40. Ouch.).

All the time you sit there you are actually achieving nothing in the real world. I found when I stopped playing it that I had a new drive to go out and get things done and enjoy things that I wouldn't have otherwise bothered to leave my dark bedroom for.

Now summer's here and my computer currently has no internet I feel very little reason to re-connect- the sun gives me lots of vitamin D and it makes my skin nice and full and girls walk up to me in the street and compliment me on my wonderful complexion whilst gently running a finger down my jawline.

That last bit about the girls in the street is a lie- although I know they are thinking it. The point is to enjoy a Warcraft holiday because it makes you realise just how much you've missed out on. Maybe you can convince yourself, once winter returns, that it is still summer outside, but you've chosen to take a break from that as well to get back to work with your character.

This is unlikely to work.