Author's Note: Not looking for sympathy and not meaning to sound like a whiner; just really need to get this off my chest and if anyone has any constructive commentary, I welcome feedback. If you don't want to read about how I feel about Failing Epically at trying to breed Event Dragons and how I consequently burned myself out, then just don't read for both of our sakes, thank you.

So after trying like a maniac for a long time to breed either an Elf Dragon or a Fireworks Dragon or even a second Snowman Dragon since their initial release and consistently failing at both (yes, I double checked each time to make sure my mating pair had all the right colors) and after hatching myself a surprise Diamond Dragon in the process (that is supposedly MUCH MUCH MORE RARE) than either of the two Dragons I was trying to breed...

I promptly got burned out.

Seeing my Diamond baby was a mixture of -extreme- elation (I felt like I had a triple shot espresso!), and, owing to my extended frustration over my inability to breed Dragons whose length of availability I couldn't be sure of, -immense- frustration. Basically, the best and worst of both worlds.

I guess the frustration won over as it was the icing on the cake and after hatching my Diamond and giving it its showcase place in my newest cleared out area, I fed my other Dragons, played with them a bit, visited my neighbors a last time and sent gifts... and then closed out the app and then didn't return.

(In case my neighbors didn't read my Wall post and are members of this forum and happen to be reading this thread, now you know why I haven't been checking my game.)

I have since 'gotten over' that burn out... at least... I thought I did, but I guess I still haven't as though I tried to pick the game back up, I'm... just not that interested anymore.

YES, I bred myself a Diamond completely by accident and I should be jumping for joy (and I was and I AM happy I somehow managed to miraculously breed myself one entirely by sheer accident), but...

Honestly?

At that time, after so much frustration with trying to breed Dragons that everyone was certain there were hidden Timers on, all I really wanted was either an Elf or a Fireworks.

Honestly and truly, I will swear that that was what I wanted most at the time that I was breeding.

As my previous month old posts in the various threads state, I tried nearly every combination possible when the most probable combinations repeatedly failed me and I even paid Gold to speed things up since I was in the middle of a very hectic work schedule and could only do breeding at very specific times...

Given all that, to see a 44 hour fail time incited in me both joy and rage in equal but opposite burning intensities.

It was THE EPIC of Epic Fails and after so many other failures that I had had, it seemed like I was being told that my breeding attempts for those two Dragons would be doomed. Easier to breed a Diamond than to breed a simple 'Rare' New Year's Fireworks. Elf I could understand being more difficult owing to its Super Rare status, but not the Fireworks.

Which I guess brings me to the point of my rant.

Though I somehow managed to surprise!breed myself an Ultra Rare Diamond Dragon out of all possibilities, I still never managed to breed either the Elf or the Fireworks and without knowing the Timer and figuring they would go away soon, I was breeding like a crazed maniac.

Though they haven't gone away yet and though I am still trying, it is now half-hearted as my experience has shown me that it is easier to breed for an Ultra Rare Diamond than it is to breed for Dragons that aren't even on the same caliber of rarity.

To see 44 hours after a monthlong string of SO MANY failures on top of so many other failures from previous Event Dragon breeding attempts was a literal shock and unlike some people who might be screaming for joy and may even forget all about breeding for an Elf or Fireworks, I ended up being floored by how -badly- I had failed in my breeding.

I know that I ought to be really freaking grateful and happy that I bred myself such a surprise - especially when there were THAT many possibilities in my combination (and I honestly AM happy that I bred one), but I guess the disappointment - fueled by a long string of failures starting from Halloween (trying to breed Pumpkin) and carrying over into the New Year - keeps winning over.

That said, I love my Dragons, still, and I love this game, still, and I still think I have some of the most awesome neighbors ever as we all seem to gift and gift alike when it comes to gifting gold and paying visits.

But I burned out after the whole craziness and am apparently still burned out and... well... I would rather not be - especially since I have so many new possibilities to try and a new Diamond Dragon to be proud of.

I guess it's just a part of being human; the human side of me that is emotional is still disappointed and thinking about THE Epic Fail of Epic Fails and the human side of me that is rational knows that this is just a game and yadda yadda yadda and that I ought to simply be happy that I bred such a rare Dragon by accident and that I could simply ignore all the pop-ups advertising all the new Dragons available to breed and just go about my merry way doing whatever, etc.

But after what happened, seeing all those pop-ups just makes me want to groan and I am once again reminded that for me, it is apparently easier to breed a Diamond than a Rare or a Super Rare - especially if it is an Event Dragon and I can't help but wonder if for me, that really IS the Truth.

Everyone's RNGs are different and everyone is going to have a different breeding experience; that is part of the 'magic' in all of this.

And yet a part of me just can't stop gawking at what happened. An ULTRA RARE popping out before a simple Rare?!

I take full responsibility for the fact that I used a combination that allowed such a possibility (I was VERY desperate at that time as all other combinations - repeated and otherwise - failed), but out of ALL things it could choose to give me in my string of breeding using that combination, it gave me the Epic Fail/Epic Win?

I just couldn't believe it and I apparently ended up not taking the news too well in the end, hence burning out.

So... yeah.

I'm trying to get back into things...

And have managed to breed myself a Parakeet (by accident) in my first attempt to breed a Caesar (the emotional side that wants to try and keep up with all the Event Dragons won and made me try for the new Dragon). Super Rare vs Rare and Super Rare wins once again as I try not to bang my head on my desk.

Anyways, thanks for reading if you happened to read and if you happen to share any constructive thoughts, thank you for that, too.

If you happen to be my neighbor, please excuse my lack of visits and gifts; I will try my best to get back into the swing of things and will hopefully be back to my gifting and visiting soon.

If you are someone who visited me when I made my post about accidentally breeding my Diamond Dragon, I did not add you back unless you specifically requested it on my Wall. I know/knew a lot of you have long neighbor lists that can be difficult to keep up with and I didn't want to add anyone unless I was sure that they wanted to be added. If you wanted to neighbor me, please post on my Wall so I will know that you want me to add you back? If it seems like I was ignoring you, that wasn't my intent; I simply didn't know what your intent was - especially given how much discussion there had been about being unable to keep up with too many neighbors, etc.

To the game, THANK YOU for the surprise; I'm sorry that I'm too stressed from all the crazy breeding to be properly happy.