Gamers can be the best people, and this really heartwarming story just proves it. You can go to Iraq, be caught in a roadside explosion and lose both your eyes – but someone out there will be willing to help you play WoW.
Ben Shaw was serving under the British Army in Iraq when he became victim of a roadside explosion. As a result of terrible shrapnel wounds, Shaw had to have both his eyes surgically removed. Shaw wasn’t about to lie down and take that, though. Blindness? No big deal – Shaw kept on keeping on and didn’t let it interfere with his life, nor did her let it get in the way of his WoW time.
With a little help from his online friends, Shaw is still able to play (and kick ass at) WoW. A guildmate who plays at a Death Knight named Davidian (Owen from Scotland in the real world,) acts as Shaw’s ‘guide dog,’ helping him out by warning him of threats, the timing of his attacks, and just generally acting as a set of eyes for his buddy.
“My role to Ben is that I play as his in-game eyes, using the follow function put into a macro he can tab through the group and target and follow me. … Every encounter, Ben is using a series of macros (e.g., target of target) to play his way through the game.” Davidian explained, speaking to Joystiq. “Everything from boss fights to a simple repair goes through me. An example of this is the drakes in Dragon Soul that take you out to Warlord Zon’ozz and Yor’sahj. I have to first target them for Ben to interact with my target to take the flight out before I can.”
“Probably one of the most helpful things in the game for me is the addon GTFO, which helps me that little bit extra when there is loads of things going on. That just gives me that clear signal of “OK, I am dying … That means Ben is as well — gotta move.” Other than that, clear voice communication is probably the best thing to go by. Our Mumble channel is always flying with commands to help Ben, from a simple “Run in, Ben!” from a knockback to a “BLOODLUST, BEN!!!!”
“…As of [this week], our guild — Ben included — has just downed Deathwing, so on to heroics next week. Can't wait.”
I uh… excuse me, I’m not crying. I’ve been… cutting onions. For a lasagna.
[Joystiq]
