I believe EQ is an amalgam of gaming and real life. It sure has its advantages and its disadvantages. I believe we play our characters very much as we live our lives. I'm not referring to the surface stuff either--like smiling to everyone, etc. I'm referring to the deep intrinsic things the define who we really are. Do we make verbal agreements and keep them. Do we truly assist others beyond using buzz terms like "Bro" and "Sis" and "dude" etc. How ofter have we died in the game to save a group partner? How often has the Paladin used his Lay Hands on another? How often has the PKer killed and not boasted of his henious deed to the entire zone. Game? Real Life? [God, this is a psychologists dream field.]
Now, lets examine the other issue: is EQ interfering too much with our home lives? My wife of course feels it takes me away from her. Oh Well, she had me for several years! Not sure she made the most of it. My son plays on the same server. His wife hates it when he plays. Well, she sure has her good points, but.....she is demanding beyond belief and could not have a more devoted husband (hey, he's my son, however, he is also a great guy). Let this be a challenge to all spouses: Make real life interesting and your hubby (wife) will be drawn away from EQ. Oh yeah...and...support his game playing. Not supporting (ie, being a ***** or ******* about it) doesn't help your cause.
At any rate, the final chapters on on-line gaming such as EQ has yet to be written. How will it unfold? It could be worse: I could audition for the next Survivor TV series!!!!
Everquest: Just a Game, or a Way of Life?
As with all submitted editorials, the opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and may not reflect the opinions of the site or its owners.
Here is the article:
I first became interested in EverQuest from a friend. He strongly suggested that my non-gamer, business-minded boyfriend would love this game as a Christmas gift. While skeptical, I made the purchase and kept the receipt. A month later, I too was hooked, and the computers were moved together to allow for maximum playing capabilities. Both of us play together, but when one plays alone, the other computer is accessible for quick Internet reference.
It began as just a game -- a fun way to let off steam, to be together, and to be creative, yet strategical. We promised that the game would never take the place of our social life. Then it happened. Sundays were spent playing EQ all day long. Saturday night dinner and a movie became an adventure to Befallen for some "quality time". Although we sat right next to each other in real life, our characters flirted constantly and became very close. We took our relationship to another dimension.
And then it really started. Our real-life personal e-mails referred to EQ. Instead of needing a hug, I needed SOW. And how many times have I wished for breeze in real life, not to mention teleporting when life gets tough. I began making excuses to play –- this was a great way to see programming languages in motion; this will heighten my creativity levels; this is great for developing strategy skills. I became addicted in the worse way.
The Internet did nothing to cure my addiction. I built a web page for personal reference. I began checking various web pages for updates and skill building strategies. Work and social life was a nuisance until I could get home to play my character. Things that I use to love doing became a chore. Thank goodness medding took a time so I could at least eat and do laundry.
Of course, both my boyfriend and I swore that once summer came and the weather got nicer, we would play less and do more. Luckily for us, we have had a lot of rain, so our playing has not been interrupted with nice weather.
Then one day the cold reality hit us that this is only a game. We noticed that real life friends were taking the games to higher levels, playing night and day to level, and letting personal needs slide. While nothing is wrong with this, we began to wonder how we wanted EQ to fit into our life –- just as a game, or were we prepared to be sucked deeper into Norrath? Game issues were taken outside of Norrath, causing real life friendships to weaken. I was forced to draw the line with people -– is this their EQ character trait or a real life personality? And it hit me: is this really just a game, or is it life to some people?
I think that all gamers need to realize that gaming isn't real life. It is just a game. You don't measure this by how long you play or the intensity of playing. IMHO, you measure this by how much it affects your personal life. All "hobbies" are expected to take up a lot of time and you are even allowed to let them affect other aspects of your life. So, my challenge to all, is it a game, or a way of life? That's for your own personal judgement. As for me, I need to buy a laptop!
