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| Do you have a MMORPG addiction? |
| Yes |
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6% |
[ 1 ] |
| Almost, but I have handle on it |
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37% |
[ 6 ] |
| Not really, at least not as far as I can tell |
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18% |
[ 3 ] |
| No |
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37% |
[ 6 ] |
| Other (elaborate please) |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
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| Total Votes : 16 |
MoonDragon
High Emperor
Joined: 25 May 2002
Posts: 1254
Location: Waterloo, Canada |
My post in another thread made me think of this and I'd like to bring it up. First, let me give you some history so you see where I'm coming from.
Six or so years ago, back when I was in school, I discovered the joys of online gaming. It started with Red Alert, then moved on to FreeSpace2 and finally ended up with Counter-Strike. Throw in Diablo 2 in there as well. It was awesome entertainment. It fulfilled my life very much. It added to and enhanced my life fun factor. At one point, FS2 became a bit too demanding as I became significantly involved with one of the squads, which ultimately made me quit that game in order to feel free.
And then... I discovered Anarchy Online. It was my first MMORPG. It was a magical world, full of wonder and amazement. Buggy like hell, but fun beyond my wildest imagination. I met many people and carved a tangible niche for myself in the society of that world. It was very enticing world. An alternate reality that had enough appeal to replace the true reality. And so, slowly, I got sucked into it more and more. Until I had more stories to tell from the imaginary world than the real one. Until the real world was only a break from the imaginary. And so, one day, I walked away. It was tough. I dreamt of colourful pixels. Dreamt of my alternate lives. Missed my 'friends.' But it had to be done. Luckily for me, the technical problems with the game finally allowed me to become fed up and run. So, I ran to DAoC. Somewhat burnt and scarred from the emotional attachment to the world and people I left behind, I made sure I don't get overly involved in the new world (DAoC). Eventually it became a bore and I moved on. I've tried several other virtual worlds with various levels of involvement and attachment.
Somewhere along the way (about the time I was into AO), I finished school and had to move to a new town to start on my new job. This meant that my social circles shrank significantly. Unfortunately, my online social fix expanded to fill the gap. And would not let go. For the longest time it seemed as a valid escape. Or perhaps an alternative. But then it struck me not too long ago. I am seriously addicted. No matter how you sugar coat it, I had a problem. It was basically ruining my life as I got stuck in a vicious cycle of not having time to work on my social life due to games and playing games because I have no social life. Don't get me wrong, I still did have a social life, just not as diverse and fulfilling as I'd like it to be.
This all led to a mini revolt in my life where I walked away, again. But this time, with an explicit intent of shedding my reliance upon virtual worlds to give me my socializing fix. Funnily enough, two days after I quit my online games, I went out and talked to a girl I've been fancying for couple of years now, but never really did anything about. She's been keeping my mind off of online games for the last couple of months. I know I'm free of my addiction now, but I wonder for how long? How easy or hard will it be to fall into that same rut again? How easy or hard will it be to get out of it again?
I'm sorry for boring you all with my lame life story, but I'd like you all to introspect for a moment. How close to having a problem are you? Do you even realize you may have a problem?
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Tue Jul 08, 2003 5:36 pm |
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Ekim
Eagle's Shadow
Joined: 27 May 2002
Posts: 2365
Location: Montreal, Canada |
Nice testimonial MoonDragon, not boring at all! 
I don't consider myself to be addicted. I've never been a very social man to beging with. I'm married, and my wife hasn't complained yet. But think about it this way: I spend on average between 20 to 30 hours online a week. I spend about 3 to 5 watching television (usually only movies). Some people out there spend as much as 50 hours a week watching television. Are they addicted? Do they have a social life?  The time I spend online is time I might spend watching tv otherwise. I'll stick with online games 
_________________
=Proud Father of a new gamer GIRL!=
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Worshiper of the Written Word= |
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Tue Jul 08, 2003 9:46 pm |
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vaticide
Put food in here
Joined: 21 Feb 2002
Posts: 1122
Location: One step behind a toddler bent on destruction. |
I used to be addicted to MMORPGs, but now I'm not playing any because my wife despised my addiction so. She does, however watch TV probably 100 hours a week or more, being at home with the baby. I'm sure she would try and read or do something else if Sydney would let her. When I was playing EQ she would get mad at me and tell me to come and watch TV with her like a normal person, I would take issue with this and try to explain to her that TV just doesn't interest me, and she should come and play EQ with me. That never worked.
Perhaps if I have an addiction now, it is to MMORPG news, which I still read quite a bit of and try to keep on top of despite not playing any nor planning on playing any in the near future.
-vaticide |
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Tue Jul 08, 2003 10:28 pm |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
An interesting read, Moondragon. I'm certainly not addicted to MMORPG because my attempts to try them have left me dissatisfied. Still, I spend 30 hours or so a week between RPGDot etc and SP gaming and I certainly know more people online than in RL. As with Ekim though, I don't watch much TV (just a couple of select dramas) and fortunately Kayla either supports my gaming or actively joins me. So for me, gaming is often actually be spending time with my partner.
BTW, are you still playing ATITD? You were quite famous there as I recall from when I played in beta. |
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Wed Jul 09, 2003 10:22 am |
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MoonDragon
High Emperor
Joined: 25 May 2002
Posts: 1254
Location: Waterloo, Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by Dhruin
BTW, are you still playing ATITD? You were quite famous there as I recall from when I played in beta.
Unfortunately not. I was very busy IRL when the release started and I could never really get back into it a month later. I still have an account there, mostly because I want to support indy developers with good ideas, but I doubt I'll be able to get back into it.
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Wed Jul 09, 2003 3:34 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
Aww, you should come back! There are some truely awesome tests and technologies! In fact, I'm actually doing the Test of Bedouin right now. Heh, and people thought building an Obelisk was insane! Hah! 
Just need one more speed point!
I hardly watch any television anymore simply because it is not as engaging as gaming. I do play a lot, but I still go out. If someone asks me to go see a movie with them, it's bye bye online world, hello real world. I'm blessed with some truely grand guildmates in FoA who are the same way. I truely made the right decision when I joined them. 
They don't guilt trip me into playing, they're just happy when I come back. For instance, one of our casual players was gone for a couple of weeks and when he came back, he was welcomed with open arms.
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound=  |
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Sun Jul 13, 2003 5:27 pm |
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MoonDragon
High Emperor
Joined: 25 May 2002
Posts: 1254
Location: Waterloo, Canada |
In all honesty, I'm afraid of ATITD. And that's an endorsment for the game. I'm afraid that I'll get sucked into it again and I won't be able to pull away. Besides, one of main motivations for my playing of the game was to make a name for myself in the world (I know, I know, I suffer from delusions of grandeur  ). And that would be hard now, coming in half way through the game.
_________________
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Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:35 pm |
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NeverDark
Village Leader
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 91
Location: Virtual Reality aka Life |
Dude! I'm addicted to games right now. I'm also addicted to anything sci-fi and technological. I go to the gym on (almost) regular basis. Other people are addicted to TV (which I practically don't watch, except for evening news, thus I save on cable), or baseball or fixing their cars all day long, and I don't think that being addicted to games is less normal than being addicted to sports (I don't watch games, ever, except for BOXING! ). I'm also a computer science student, and dream of developing games some day, really!
Ok, after what I have said, imagine this - I got a girlfriend! Really! But there's more, she's from my major! She studies CS too. And - are you ready? - she's addicted to games too! Oh joy, I'm a one happy bastard! Aside from work, school, gym, movies, and occasional night out in some small cafe with a couple of close friends, we don't go out much. Most of our free time (  ), which we almost don't have due to studies, we play! We don't have many friends, only three to be exact, but we have a lot of common with them.
Heck yes! I'm addicted to playing with my gal, doing the assignments together (students' honesty, yeah right ), browsing Internet, exercising (he he), watching movies. Our social life doesn't go much beyond professional interaction with other people (when you're in college, you get to meet many people, but nothing personal)
You know, when I think about it, there's not as much to "social life" as many people make it sound. Grown adults don't have much social life, because they're busy working and taking care of their families' needs. Occasional night out at a bar, but that's all. If you're not someone who looks for trouble, or for a way to get high, or to pick up a chick, or someone's who's a professional dancer or something like that and spends most of his/her time at disco, and when you're not at work, you probably won't find much for yourself to do outside of your quite, warm place, where you spend a good portion of your time and enjoy it immensely.
So here's my advice, get your wife off TV and hooked on video games, and have fun together!
Last edited by NeverDark on Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:36 pm |
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Ekim
Eagle's Shadow
Joined: 27 May 2002
Posts: 2365
Location: Montreal, Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by NeverDark
Ok, after what I have said, imagine this - I got a girlfriend! Really! But there's more, she's from my major! She studies CS as well. And - are you ready? - she's addicted to games too!
Mary this girl!.... NOW!! 
Seriously though, I think that we have to be careful with the word "addiction here. What you describe doesn't really sound like addiction, and it's mostly like what I do myself (except that I'm not in school anymore ).
What Moondragon originally talked about though is that there is an addiction when you start neglecting something because of games (online games in this instance). He told us how his social life was cut down due to games. Of course, if you are like me and never had much of a social life to begin with, by choice or by the nature of your personality, games probably don't invade on it. It could take precedence over other things though. Like if I stop calling my mother every week to tell her that I'm still alive (yes, I do that because if I don't she'll come to my home and pull me by the ear ) because I'm too busy playing games all the time. It could also make me forget to tell my wife I love her... It could even make it seem like I forget she exists! If that happened then I guess I would have to admit that I'm addicted.
You find yourself in a blessed relationship where not only your girlfriend understands your love for games, but also shares that love! Notice that I said "love", not addiction. The day that your "love" for a particular game pulls the both of you apart, then maybe you would be addicted, regardless of the amount of time you don't spend watching tv because of games. Playing games instead of watching tv is just a substitution, but some people think that it means you're addicted, as if watching tv was better than playing games 
_________________
=Proud Father of a new gamer GIRL!=
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Worshiper of the Written Word= |
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Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:56 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by MoonDragon
In all honesty, I'm afraid of ATITD. And that's an endorsment for the game. I'm afraid that I'll get sucked into it again and I won't be able to pull away. Besides, one of main motivations for my playing of the game was to make a name for myself in the world (I know, I know, I suffer from delusions of grandeur ). And that would be hard now, coming in half way through the game.
Bah, just do what I do, wake up early in the morning and play before going to work. It's worked great at limiting my play time.
As for making a name for yourself, that's easy. Marry Amira again. She's our one and only Demi-Pharaoh. You'll be famous over-night. Hehe, I can just see the boards explode in a fireball over that one!
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound= |
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Fri Jul 18, 2003 2:15 am |
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MoonDragon
High Emperor
Joined: 25 May 2002
Posts: 1254
Location: Waterloo, Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by Val
She's our one and only Demi-Pharaoh.
OMDFG! You must be kidding me!!!
My "ex-wife", the Demi-Pharaoh. Wow. I sure pick them right. But, come to think of it, maybe I was cramping her style before. Hehe. I may drop by ATITDland one of these days, for the old times sake.
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Fri Jul 18, 2003 12:58 pm |
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Chekote
Where’s my Banana?!?!
Joined: 08 Mar 2002
Posts: 1540
Location: Dont know, looks kind of green |
Me and my wife used to be addicted to UO. I actually met her on that game.
I used to work evenings so I would come home about 10pm, play UO until 6am, go to sleep until about noon, get up and take a shower/eat etc, then go straight back to work.
I was addicted to it, but to me I dont see why thats a problem. Its not like I am addicted to playing an offline game with fictional characters. They are still real people. Why does it matter if you are interacting with them face to face or within a fantasy realm?
I dont really play MMORPG's anymore. Me and my wife were PK's on UO and ever since they changed it all we cant play how we want to play now. No other game offers the same kind of diversity as UO and the freedom to be truly evil. So until another game with that freedom comes along, I doubt I will ever be interested in another MMORPG.
Yes I did try AO and DAOC and Everquest, but after a few months of just killing monsters and leveling up it just gets REAL repetetive. Sure the social interaction is kind of there, but in 3D I just dont feel the same kind of connection to people as I did in UO. Talking in a text box just isnt the same as having the words literally come from the person who says it (Ala UO).
Although I did read something very exciting the other day. I cant remember what game it was, but apparently there is a game in development that has in-game voice chat that is actually positioned in 3D space. So if you have a surround sound set up you can actually hear the direction in which the voice is coming from.
That just gets my imagination going crazy. I can imagine being in a MMORPG and walking through some hills and hearing a huge racket in the distance as a battle erupts, and my friends yelling at me from behind to wait for them. (Oh the dreams of a geek)...
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IMHO my opinion is humble |
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Fri Jul 18, 2003 1:22 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by MoonDragon
quote:
Originally posted by Val
She's our one and only Demi-Pharaoh.
OMDFG! You must be kidding me!!!
My "ex-wife", the Demi-Pharaoh. Wow. I sure pick them right. But, come to think of it, maybe I was cramping her style before. Hehe. I may drop by ATITDland one of these days, for the old times sake.
I kid you not! There was quite the storm of controversy over it as well. Especially since Amira has yet to pass Mentorship. Then there was the whole thing over GMs not being allowed to run for DP and that caused It to quit. It was quite a circus. You should drop by the boards and just read up on how silly some people were acting. I found it rather amusing.
I actually ran for DP as well. I made it all the way to the round just previous to the final round. Apparently, I have a good rep in the game. Well, that and I've actually passed mentorship.
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound= |
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Sun Jul 20, 2003 5:32 pm |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
Nope, no problem here. You? |
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Tue Jul 22, 2003 12:05 am |
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Kiff
Protector of the Realm
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Posts: 257
Location: Indiana |
quote:
Originally posted by Chekote
That just gets my imagination going crazy. I can imagine being in a MMORPG and walking through some hills and hearing a huge racket in the distance as a battle erupts, and my friends yelling at me from behind to wait for them. (Oh the dreams of a geek)...
That would be cool...have you heard anymore about this. And, I fear we have the same dreams.
My wife lets me play as long as I don't let it get in the way of my duties as a father and husband. But I've stopped playing them as aggressivly as I didn't when I was single. |
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Fri Sep 26, 2003 7:17 pm |
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