Home

About

Forums

Chat

Blog

Widow's Corner

Resources

Media

Shop

Contact Us

I think this might it, the reason people like the games. That and the challenge they put themselves up.

It started a year ago..
A friend of mine who I talk to every morning was always shy about something. Something she went home everyday and did for a long while and was too embarrassed to speak about. In retrospect I guess it was my fault for being so curious... (I wanted to know what the game was)

After a few weeks of nagging her about what game she played at home I finally found what it was and I proceeded to join her. This was my first online game where I actually talked to people; there were REAL people I could talk to and communicate with in a game. I was stunned; I could play with people who actually developed and levelled with me.
(Interest in this new dynamic way of playing)So I started levelling... ( )

The particular game has a weird objective you get to the highest level and then you have to restart back at the lowest level (and you have to do this again) and each time you get stronger and have more power.

My high enthusiasm for gaming meant I got to the highest level really fast and I was feeling really impressed with myself for succeeding. (this is where the designers of the game layed the dump on me)

However there was a catch; there were people better than me, stronger, ready to kick butt because they had spent many months making strong armour. Often they would condescend on me for being new to the game. (I had to beat them!)

Months passed.. the same cycle repeated and it felt like moments in-game became hours in real life; I didn't know I could type-talk to some for 5 hours in a row! Sometimes me and my friend would be online till hours in the morning talking about the news. The game overtook our train conversations entirely... (motivation was playing a game with someone over the internet because it was cooler than just meeting in RL)

She finally got over that game and moved onto other ones and I strayed about 2 months more. The day finally came when I realised: 'What the hell is this gonna give me?' and I imagined myself in about 10 years time still living with my parents.

Since quitting I have had repeated images in my mind about skills and abilities and about making my character look awesome. It comes to me in blinks sometimes but more rarely now. I'm certainly out the trap and trying my best to stray away from cheese.

I have briefly played another online game since quitting but it has bored me; I'm finally starting to see that they're all the same in one way or another.

Quiting: The only way to quit and stay quitted is to delete your character equipment because it removes everything that still keeps you in the game. Despite what it might be worth (about $300 in my case), it will be worth much more to get rid of it. Playing a different online game might help you understand that they're all the same OR it might send you into relapse, so I'd recommend avoiding that. I use Linux now which has very few online games which can distract me.

I think it's brutal to hear that the game evolves people in such negative ways. I know some people in my game who did unspeakable things as a consequences of something going wrong in-game. Afraid I know little of my own experiences in the matter. This is my story guys... now clean from my original game for a few weeks.