people leaving the gameFollow

its seems everyone is posting about how they are leaving the game these day its really sad =( but alot of people are saying ive got better things to do in life then play this game. now people may think im wierd because if any of the friends ive made on this game needed help in RL i would help them to the best of my abilities. these are real people and be it a fantasy world your experiences with them are real and unique. no one will ever experience the same thing as you and your friends on this game and every memory should be cherished. one day this game will be gone and everyone and their experiences together will be a thing of the past. i will never forget those memories that ive had with the few people that i have created some unforgettable memories with. now i know its inevitable but its still depresses me. one of the greatest people ive ever met in this game is talking about leaving. this person didnt have much time to explore the game or much freedom to do so. i hope to god this person stays but for the past week they havent been on. maybe they quit quietly without saying anything. ive met many people that have come and already gone and ill never forget them. but my experience with this person in the game... i cant even think of words to express how great and fun they were. every day when i logged on i would wait for them to send me a message... and i still do. and when i think of all the things weve done all our experiences it saddens me and even more so when i realize they arent here to share more with me. now that im done with my selfish rambling and how i wish things were they way they were a month ago... i end this post with one request:
dont treat this game as "just a game" it is an experience.


remember yesterday
walking hand in hand
love letters in the sand
i remember you
through all the sleepless nights
through every endless day
i wanna hear you say
i remember you.

Vimien thought I was a big loser b/c I played Everquest, anyway, I slowly introduced him into the world of Final Fantasty. Wasn't too hard since his brother was a bigger final fanstasy addict than I.

We both said we'd get FFX1, and we did. We'd level up in W.Ronfare and we occasionly hooked up with this other n00b named Spantz.

I was a BLM, Vimien was a WHM and Spantz was a WAR. A trio was set to level up and head to Valkurm. ^^

I remember Spantz dinging level 5, and he got provoke. I'm like man, "I get all the hate, and Vim let's me die, so he can see me get mad!" and I said to Spantz "use that provoke thing you got dude!" He's like "I am trying! I dunno how it works!"

I'd say we're all pretty good friends, and we are all 75 now and occasionally do still do stuff. It's great fun.

Although the experiences can be cherished and the friends in the game will be remembered, real life should always take priority.

I remember while going through high school and university I spent a lot of my time playing EQ, DAoC, FFXI, etc. These MMORPGs have quite a way of trapping someone because it offers a quick escape from reality. I remember at one point, my life was 8 hours school, 12 hours game, and 4 hours sleep. Somehow eating, grooming, and socializing were in there as well. Needless to say the in-game social experience was slowly beginning to take over.

I understand that many players are young still, although there's definitely a wide range of age groups that play this game. The younger players that still live at home can certainly find the time to play a lot because they aren't forced to pay for their own living expenses. For those of you who feel that this is more than a game, I definitely caution you and urge you to draw the line somewhere before a fantasy world becomes your life. People have even committed suicide over games like EQ.

The worlds developed in MMORPGs truly mimic real-life society. There are even economies and social groups. Unfortunately, none of the in-game experiences can go on a resume (unless you're applying to be a GM or game designer) and the 100+ real-life days that you spend logged into your character are days that you've used to build relationships with people that you probably won't ever get to meet. People behind the character tend to act differently in-game than they do out in the real world. Shyness and hesitation can disappear because there's no one in game that can judge how you look in person or how you react to their words. There's plenty of drama within game, and there's even social cliques and popularity to deal with. Remember that the longer you're in game, the less those close to you in real life get to see you (unless you all play together).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when a friend leaves the game, don't let it depress you. If they understand the importance of real life, then be happy for them because they've made a good decision about what's more important to them.

Chowdah - Bismarck