Online games

by RollerDave 15 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  RollerDave

  OK, here's a safer topic.

  What is WITH people who can live their entire life in an online game?

  I have an ex who submerged herself in World of Warcraft and insisted on talking about characters, places, events, and items from in-game as if they existed in the real world.

  She would start off telling me she was going someplace to do something, and in the end it would be 'wait a minute, this is all IN-GAME?!?'

  Then I'd be all exasperated that she'd wasted my time.

  She even tried to leave her husband and child for some guy from texas who 'fell in love' with her avvie on Star Wars Galaxies!

  What's worse, I know a girl who 'fell in love' with somebody she met on Runescape and at seventeen convinced her mother to drive down to Alabama from Minnesota to pick him up!

  Pure Genius, I tell ya.

  I've played some online games, Runescape, Starwars Galaxies, Flyff, There, Second Life, Maplestory, but I never confused them with real life.

  Thoughts?
• 

  Gopher

  I think this is one of many things that can become larger than life. Some people do it with soap operas. They get so involved in the story lines, and who is doing what to whom, that it becomes real to them. They buy the "ABC Soap Operas" magazine at the grocery-store checkout line.

  It's something scary how people get addicted to entertainment and confuse fantasy and reality. And these are people who look normal walking down the street in your town.
• 

  5go

  SCREW YOU AND YOUR GAMES !!!

  Anyway back to normality.

  People get into golf, cars, non-video games, and other hobbies more that what is healthy. It is probaly a personaly flaw or they have a simple addiction to it.
• 

  joannadandy

  Being a gamer myself I'm fairly certain she wasn't confusing online games/with real life when she related what she was doing in-game. Now if she expected you to refer to her as her character name - or introduced herself to people as a "Night Elf Hunter"...then yeah -- she may have had some problems. Meeting and falling in-love with someone from a game...yeah I'd say there are some issues with that...but then again, people have met from this message board and "Fallen in love" and gone all over the place to be together. Are they confusing this online social medium with "real-life"?

  I won't deny games are highly addicting, and some people do have problems with spending all of their free-time with it, but I have quite a few friends who also game and we do it together...I sort of equate it with getting together to play cards. None of us take it that seriously, and it's something we can enjoy together.
• 

  Confucious

  I'll give you the whole run down.

  I play World of Warcraft.

  We all fall under one of the following catagories...

  Real Life Losers: These are people that don't really function in real life. But they are so good at these games, that this is their calling. If you are good and you have good "gear" in the game? Like your character can beat up a lot of people. And in these games, when you get rare items and you are good - you are really a celebrity in this world.

  Escape People: In my real life, I function very well. I have healthy relationships. But I tell you, to be "someone else" for a while is priceless. This is me.

  Social Seekers: People that really like hanging out with these other people. It's a REAL LIFE social networking. It's not just the game. There are guilds that you belong. A lot of funny chat.

  True Gamers: These are the people that really enjoy playing the game. The game is really fun.

  Other than that... like items in the game are really hard to "earn." It's the same as in real life. You work hard, and you get buy cool stuff.

  In this game, there really is a sense of satisfaction when you work hard to get a piece.

  And in these games, you get an item. You turn off the game, you log back on and you still have your item.

  It's not like a game like monopoly where when you're done - your finished and you start over from zero.

  Yes... people take this too far sometimes, but at least now you have some insight!

  Confucious
• 

  BurnTheShips

  Lets hope they don't lock this one too.
• 

  RollerDave

  BTS, lol, if we play nice we should be ok.

  Confucious, I have met all the types you refer to.

  I tended to be a combo of the escape gamer and the true gamer. I'd just want to bury my head for a little while, and enjoyed plotting out the values of items, which monster drops which thing, and figuring out some nifty hok to get the most xp, and best stuff in as few steps as possible.

  I'd work out a good routine and then grind.

  But see, I am capable of carrying on a normal phone conversation with someone while playing, even if they hate the game and would rather not hear about it.

  I managed to maintain a life apart from the game.

  My ex, she was the real life loser, I'm thinking. I feel for her plight, but better gear in game isn't going to fix her broken life.

  Oh, 5go, you got a point, but of course golf and other stuff you do in real life in the physical presence of other human beings.

  My ex would do all of hers sitting in a chair she would stick to surrounded by filthy empty popcans, and shun any actual human contact.

  Sick.

  RD
• 

  5go

  Oh, 5go, you got a point, but of course golf and other stuff you do in real life in the physical presence of other human beings.

  Um mechanics Their are plenty of asocialites out their that do their hobby alone and in a state of filth.
• 

  Bobbi

  Back off dude or I'll get my lvl 70 human warrior and get all mortal strike on your *BEEP*!!
  
  OK ok I am a gamer, mostly for the social aspect. I play with my husband, real life best friend and her husband. Our guild is mostly married or equivilent couples with kids.
  
  Like everything else in life, moderation is needed.
  
  
  Bobbi
  Lvl 70 warrior
  Lvl 65 mage
  lvl 46 hunter
• 

  Namaste

  ~Namaste focuses her attention on RollerDave~

  ~Suddenly out of nowhere he feels the pain of her Pyroblast, Fire Blast, Fireball, and the final blow of Dragon's Breath~

  Heehee...kidding!

  I completely understand people that get lost in online games....HUGE escape from real life. I'm definitely an escapist player. It's the way I choose to destress from the day. Sure I could read, spend more time online, watch tv, scrapbook and I do those things but sometimes it's nice to be an active part of the fantasy which you can do while playing.

  I went through my own little period of playing too much but it wore off and I figured out a way to keep it in balance. Everyone once in awhile I have to get on my husband though and remind him that "raiding" does not trump family life!

  There are a lot of people that I don't think are honest about how much they play. When they start neglecting family and relationships then is the time to start giving them the heads up, but if they are just using up their own free time...hey it's their hobby and what can you do?

  Namaste

  70 Fire Mage on Eitrigg