WoW - Ruining Relationships?

[TygressVirgo]

Does WoW and other games like it really ruin relationships? According to this lady, it is ruining her relationship with her fiance and their baby girl. I watched the clips of the show and was both amused and disturbed.

As a WoW player, I can understand the games ability to suck a person in for hours. If you have never played a video game that interacts with real people, in real time, I think it is a bit hard to understand. It also is not like a game such as LoZ or Mario Bros., where you can press pause and there is not chance to input your own personality into the character you are playing. It really does become a social network of friends and sometimes family.

Anyways, just want to hear some more input on the subject, and I thought this would be the best place for it.

Here are the links to the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ru5imBot6g&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ48K3XjnVA&mode=related&search=

And here are the comments left by viewers about the show (with comments about other guests):
http://telepicturesblog.warnerbros.com/tyrashow/2007/01/tough_love_with_dr_garry.html

[Disney's doug89]

My brother in law plays WoW pretty much all the time (When he isn't at work.) However this isn't bad because my sister is playing it right next to him.

[TygressVirgo]

My brother in law plays WoW pretty much all the time (When he isn't at work.) However this isn't bad because my sister is playing it right next to him.

:clap: :clap: :clap: Brava for your sister :innocent:

[Disney's doug89]

She plays it more then me man.

[Pierrot le Fou]

I used to (relatively) compulsively play MUDs which are along the same line. One day my character died and lost all his stuff, and I got extremely agitated and frustrated in real life, at which point I realized, "Holy shit that's fucked up," took a break, and never took a game THAT seriously again.

This is pretty much my attitude towards ANYTHING with the computer/internet. When I went without internet for a few days I'd go nutty. I realized that the damned thing ceased being fun, and was acting as a crutch. So when I came to Japan, I didn't get internet in my apartment to allow for more time for socialization, and now I'm not half as involved anymore.

If you can't go without something, it's a sign of dependency and likely a problem. Whenever I feel that way, be it with beer, women, television, or anything else, I stop for a few days at least to prove that I can do it, and if I feel that it's impacting my life too much, I stop for longer.

The sole exception, of course, being cigarettes. We all have to have our vice, you know. I figure the 15 minutes of my day spent solely smoking is a pretty reasonable vice, as these things go.

[TygressVirgo]

I used to (relatively) compulsively play MUDs which are along the same line. One day my character died and lost all his stuff, and I got extremely agitated and frustrated in real life, at which point I realized, "Holy shit that's fucked up," took a break, and never took a game THAT seriously again.

This is pretty much my attitude towards ANYTHING with the computer/internet. When I went without internet for a few days I'd go nutty. I realized that the damned thing ceased being fun, and was acting as a crutch. So when I came to Japan, I didn't get internet in my apartment to allow for more time for socialization, and now I'm not half as involved anymore.

If you can't go without something, it's a sign of dependency and likely a problem. Whenever I feel that way, be it with beer, women, television, or anything else, I stop for a few days at least to prove that I can do it, and if I feel that it's impacting my life too much, I stop for longer.

The sole exception, of course, being cigarettes. We all have to have our vice, you know. I figure the 15 minutes of my day spent solely smoking is a pretty reasonable vice, as these things go.

So very true PLF. I just thought that given the type of game and the stuff involved that spending hours on the game is normal for just about any serious player. I would of been more sympathetic with the lady had she been shown to attempt to get him off the game, and not just shoot him dirty looks. I admit some of the things he did sounded quite a bit messed up, but not usual. I did want to :frypan: the guy when he said he was scared to get close to his daughter because of SIDS.

and yes we all have our vices, mine is laziness :blank:

[Disney's doug89]

I play WoW about 15mins to 4 hours a day (1 hour average) so i don't think I have a problem

[Soli]

I am never going to let my little brother get this game. :box:

He plays games obsessivly already.

[Disney's doug89]

It isn't that bad.

[Soli]

^ For you it isn't that bad. But my brother gets worked up about video games and is very likely to be one of the people who play it 24/7.

[Overkongen]

I lost a friend to wow. He used to be my classmate, studying to be a teacher like myself. Then, wow came along, and he found himself unable to spend time preparing for school, or even exams. He failed our seven-week practice on his first week, even though to pass, all you have to do is show up and not beat and/or molest the children. He was okay with failing it, because that gave him six whole weeks where he didn't have to think about anything other than wow. He's often cancelled RL plans because he had to be at a certain raid at a certain time. I finally had enough when we were supposed to prepare for a group exam, and he didn't feel like doing any preparation. I had to go solo with a weeks notice. He's reached the point where he's not only working towards flushing his own life, but can't put any effort into helping other people either. He needs help, and I told him that several times, to which he agreed, and did nothing.

[Disney's doug89]

Thats pretty bad. My younger brother stopped going to school for 8 months to play WoW, this year we managed to get him back (Sent him to a private school so he could be with his best friend). I wonder how long he will last...

[Trinadad]

One of my best friends (who's now in china, incidently, farming gold XD) lost his gilfriend from playing too much WoW. It would be me, him, and 3 other friends just playing non stop and I guess that was too much for her. :P Cause we used to play all the time.

But according to another friend, wow was his anti drug. So instead of smoking up every night, he'd wow. But I don't know. :P

[4letterwords]

Actually this one hits me pretty hard. My sister got engaged, then got pregnant (about 2 years ago) and then she had a baby. For about 6 months her and her fiance were doing great. He would help around the house, cook, everything. He had a really steady job, too. Then he found WoW and now they're looking to get divorced. He quit his job to get a part time job, he spends all his time on the computer, and when my sister was out working (14 hour days) she came home to find that my nephew had drank a half bottle of isopropyl alcohol and had to be rushed to the emergency room because he was playing WoW and my 1 year old nephew was running around the house without anyone watching him.
He's on there all day.
My sister video recorded him for 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday and she's gonna use it to get sole custody of the kids. It's crazy.

[Daishikaze]

People get way too obsessed with these games. Its only a matter of time before we have people dropping dead because they can't be bothered to go to sleep or get food for themselves because they don't want to stop playing. Its already happening in Asia, the Western world can't be far behind

[Shishio]

Yes, videogames ruin relationships, drugs and guns kill, and certain words are just bad.

[Overkongen]

About the guy I know, well, when Burning Crusade arrived, he slept 4 hours in two whole days. I mean, during 48 hours, aren't you supposed to sleep about 14-16 hours? He eats, but I hear that instead of actually going to the kitchen, he has different foods standing ready, such as cola bottles, potato chips, biscuits, bags of sweets, and so on. There's nothing wrong with eating a bit unhealthily now and again, but seeing how this is all he eats, well, his sushi levels must be awfully low... And we know that can't be healthy.

[TommyA]

So here it is. Depends on the player and the girl. I have been playing MMORPGs since The Realm ( played UO, EQ, EQ2, Vanguard beta, WoW beta, Guild Wars, Anarchy Online, Dark Age of Camelot beta, EVE, Star Wars Galaxies, and some others I cant remember) and still play EQ2 to this day. Back in HS I was playing hardcore, as soon as I finished homework, but would play till 3 hours before I should be waking up. I still went to prom with my girlfriend, hung out with friends on the weekends if I had plans, and maintained a relationship.

College started and I had a new girlfriend so insecure with me being online with other people, she just hated the thought of me playing. 0.1% of the time did any game get in the way of our time together (once she IMed me while I was in game, and I had to minimize it and have her wait 45 seconds for my computer to catch up. She had a fit...). When I moved to Japan I was, kind of single (not technically single, details too confusing, yet unimportant to explain) and needed something to keep me busy when I wasn't out and about meeting new people (a bit slow when you first move to a new country where you don't know the language) so I renewed my EQ2 account. When I met my current gf, I didn't cancel the account and would play whenever she wasn't here. One day she was watching news and I lost interest due to language barriers, and went to load up the game and play. She glanced over, asked what I was doing and watched me for a bit and just went to watching TV and not being bothered with what I did. I played for about 3 hours while she watched TV. When I was done, she wanted me to lie next to her and watch another movie which we did.

Now that is an example of a player who has control of priorities, and an understanding girl. If these things don't exist, YES a relationship will fail. I had 3 friends in college, nearly drop out to EQ1 and they asked a new teacher to join them and he quit being a teacher after just 2 terms so he could play more with them.

[Mastiker]

My only experience with WoW is limited.

My oldest brother and I were trying to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons over the summer with his buddies. I didn't really know how to play, and I like making stories. My brother insisted that we were going to be, basically, making a big story so I was in. We went to his friend's apartment where we were to play with the three or four people that lived there.

We played maybe one time of the six times we went there.

His buddies spent the entire time playing WoW, and my brother and I spent the entire time throwing dice at each other.

I don't know if WoW ruins relationships, but it totally ruins D&D games. Why play D&D when you get the same thing from WoW, only with better graphics? XD

[Kwiz]

Actually this one hits me pretty hard. My sister got engaged, then got pregnant (about 2 years ago) and then she had a baby. For about 6 months her and her fiance were doing great. He would help around the house, cook, everything. He had a really steady job, too. Then he found WoW and now they're looking to get divorced. He quit his job to get a part time job, he spends all his time on the computer, and when my sister was out working (14 hour days) she came home to find that my nephew had drank a half bottle of isopropyl alcohol and had to be rushed to the emergency room because he was playing WoW and my 1 year old nephew was running around the house without anyone watching him.
He's on there all day.
My sister video recorded him for 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday and she's gonna use it to get sole custody of the kids. It's crazy.

What a nightmare. Stories like these make pretty obvious that addiction to the game is only the issue up to a point. When you choose any kind of game over all other forms of interaction, there's something more deeply wrong than the fact that $15 a month and an internet connection are available.

[Trump]

People blame it on the game but they at truly misled. WoW does not destroy relationships, people destroy relationships. If your fiance was more important than a video game, you'd turn off the game. I don't care if there are real people in the game or not, you'll spend time with whoever is more important.

Relationships are destroyed by other things too. Take work for example. There are people who work so much they lose their marraige, so how is that any different? It isn't really.

I like playing these games too, but I stop when I find something more important. I still go work out at the gym because I find that important. I still make myself good meals because I enjoy eating good food. I still watch the shows on TV I want to watch. I still keep the house relatively clean. And I still play the games too. The problem is in the person, not the game.

[Shishio]

...

This was the exact point I was trying to make with my sarcastic remark.

[Cherub Rock]

People blame it on the game but they at truly misled. WoW does not destroy relationships, people destroy relationships. If your fiance was more important than a video game, you'd turn off the game. I don't care if there are real people in the game or not, you'll spend time with whoever is more important.

Relationships are destroyed by other things too. Take work for example. There are people who work so much they lose their marraige, so how is that any different? It isn't really.

I like playing these games too, but I stop when I find something more important. I still go work out at the gym because I find that important. I still make myself good meals because I enjoy eating good food. I still watch the shows on TV I want to watch. I still keep the house relatively clean. And I still play the games too. The problem is in the person, not the game.

When it comes to an addiction it might not be that these things are more important to you. Some people seriously cannot pull themselves away from something they know is destroying their lives. It's not about priorities in my opinion. I think it is literally an addiction that some people cannot break without help.

That said, WoW has every right to make their games as addictive and time consuming as possible. If someone wants to spend every waking hour playing a game then less competition for me.

[Jiant Flying Panda]

I remember back in the day I would play Counter-Strike for at least 6 hours a day, but I never went one or even two long sessions. It would be broken down into the day in One hour or One and a half hour sessions.

Currently Gears of War owns my life..... Well, not so much actually. But I do put at least 3 hours into it (Broken apart of course)

Next up is Unreal Tournament 3. lol.

[Masa the Masta]

I try to avoid these things.

I have an addicting personality, so I know if I played something really fun, I'd spend too much time on it.

Besides, I spend a lot of time on the computer anyway, the last thing I need is another internet hobby. As it is I try to make other hobbies in person so I could avoid the computer sometimes (like hip hop, cars, talking to girls, etc).

Still, sometimes I can't help but be on the computer all day, chatting with friends and being on message boards. I guess it's just another form of socializing, but still.

[kilreli]

I used to play video games all the time. i never did a mmorpg(is that it?) cause i 1)never had a good computer until a year and a half ago 2)didnt get anything better than dialup until a few years ago 3)would never pay monthly fees for video games. but i did used to play games all the time. it became where i played just to play. even if i didnt like the game. then i went to japan for a year. after i came back, video games were nowhere near a priority. well, then i got bored and started playing again. i got hooked back on Dynasty Warriors 5 and Jade Empire. after some time i realized that i was falling back into it and wasting time, so then i quit, cause i had no desire to play the game anymore. I still do play xbox live when i go to my brother-in-law's house. but all the other video games i had at my house are now up in the attic.
:mario:

[Orclover]

Heheh your all mere mortals when it comes to MMO addiction. I "used" to be addicted to MMO's, and I mean pretty much all of em. It started MUD's back in the late 80' early 90's on BBS's, they were my main source of interacting with people and (suprisingly) meeting single young ladies. I think on MajorMud alone I would burn 20-30 hours a week. When I wasnt playing it I would have a script I programmed running to play it for me. Eventually UO came out and that became my new focus, which unfortunately I did not meet any women through but I still played even more of that than I did majormud, essentially removing myself from society except when I was at work doing security jobs or (eventually) tech support. Then I got into EQ beta, there were times when I was playing EQ (release) where I would put in 20-48 hours into the game JUST on the weekend, not even counting the work week. Now heres the sad part, I wasnt even the worst case I knew of personally. I got a bud, he would run 5 simultanious computers on a network all running the same game with different party members to run around games. Just so he wouldnt have to deal with "other people" slowing him down in the game.

Now I have been in more Betas than anybody I know, and its gotten to the point where I have beta invites showing up and I dont even remember applying (LOTR online a few months ago fer instance), and it was after AO beta that it really started to sink in what all these games were and how they were all exactly the same at thier fundementals. MMO's are slot machines. No i'm serrious. You pay your fee every month, you fiddle around for stretches of time and you occasionally get a lil reward. In a hillarious turn on reality the MMO reward is worth even less than if you had spent that $20 a month plunking quarters on the one armed bandit. But that shiny reward kept you sitting there waiting for it, for months. Once I realized this I was pretty much able to go in and out of online games at will without a second thought, but I felt bad dealing with other friends (and GF's, and wives) who's lives basically completely revolved around whatever game they were playing. Hell to this day a couple buddies of mine literally dont have anything else to talk about, they dont watch the news, they dont have kids (that they pay attention to), all that they know is whats in the game.

I got into WoW beta, I even played for a few months after release and powerleveld a couple chars in record time just out of bordom. But it was the same slot machine. DDO was the same, AO was, Rubies of Eventide, Lin I and II, and a dozen other games, heck even NWN2 beta felt like the old kill-reward reality escapism system. Its a formula, kinda like Cocain and Baking Powder is a formula. Ok now heres a weird thought, if MMO's are like a drug then how do people get bored of them so easily? Its not like a druggie ever got bored of heroine.

Just a note, my wife still plays any game she can get her hand on, and its a strain sometimes. Fer instance when me and the kids want to hang out or watch a movie. Me, I played LOTR online beta for a total of 4 hours, and I am thuroughly done with it, havent played any game at all in almost a month now. Maybe i'm just getting old.

/ramble off.

[Jetsetlemming]

Blaming WoW for this is like blaming food and TV for those 700 pound behemoths that get so fat sitting at home they can't move to go to the bathroom anymore, and when they die the firemen have to knock out a wall of their house to get them out and use a flatbed truck to cart them away.
That said, I can't stand MMORPGs, or most MMO type deals. I play games for the same reason I read books and watch movies: The experience. Playing a MMORPG is more like working to build some numbers that you can show off to your fellow employees, all while paying to work there and still getting shown up by the asian kids anyway.

[h2orowe]

Did Tyra not realize that you don't need the CDs to play? Lullz. Nub.

I play WoW nowadays (Cho'gall, kthx) and am not addicted :P I'm moreso addicted to the computer. I can play WoW for a max of like 5 hours without getting bored, then all of a sudden, I have to run out and do things or at least go on MSN cuz I can't just sit there if I'm not talking to anyone. Plus it's a long time for me to go without listening to musicccc (It strains the computer to run WMP and WoW with only 504 RAM.) Anyway, I got it the Saturday before last and I have a level 18 Troll Shaman, and a level 8 Undead Warrior :P If I was addicted they'd both be near 20 or some such. I still play in my band and such, and I still hang out with friends.

[TygressVirgo]

Did Tyra not realize that you don't need the CDs to play? Lullz. Nub.

I play WoW nowadays (Cho'gall, kthx) and am not addicted :P I'm moreso addicted to the computer. I can play WoW for a max of like 5 hours without getting bored, then all of a sudden, I have to run out and do things or at least go on MSN cuz I can't just sit there if I'm not talking to anyone. Plus it's a long time for me to go without listening to musicccc (It strains the computer to run WMP and WoW with only 504 RAM.) Anyway, I got it the Saturday before last and I have a level 18 Troll Shaman, and a level 8 Undead Warrior :P If I was addicted they'd both be near 20 or some such. I still play in my band and such, and I still hang out with friends.


I love troll shammies /hugs h2orowe!

I only got into the game because of my family plays the game. We have a 20 man guild of just family members and friends. I met my fiance on line, sounds crazy, but I couldn't have found a more perfect match <3 I also have 3 really great friends that I have met and will keep in touch with for a long time.

It really is about the type of person, rather than the game. You have to be able to get up and get away from the computer and realize that the real world is way more important than any computer person you've created.

To 4letterwords: I am sorry to hear about your sister's situation. That is truly one of the worse stories I've heard.

[h2orowe]

I love troll shammies /hugs h2orowe!

=D haha awesome 8) Trolls are the shiz in general, but if you're gonna be a Shaman, there's only one race to be. :watson:

Also! What server do you play on ? :D

Edit: Also, that's really cool that you met your fiance on there/have family that play it. A bunch of my friends IRL play so I got it to play with them, basically, and for the fact that I've been playing Warcraft since I was 8 or so.

[xtine]

It's pretty much about managing self-control and your own personal respect and care for the relationship. It doesn't necessarily have to be WoW, this stuff has happened since the beginning of time be it some other addicting thing. The other person in the relationship could be addicted to watching tv, going out drinking, reading books/comics, etc to such an obsessive degree that it negatively effects the relationship.

It just happens that with the advent of these total environment and social immersing MMOs and such, it becomes easier to fall into an obsessive drug that can ruin your life and relationships. It's happened with MUDs, EQ, Diablo, etc, and it's not a surprise at all with WoW being a big culprit nowadays since it's the most popular and wildly successful MMOs of all time.

There are thousands, tens of thousands, probably more no doubt, of probably healthy relationships with one or more partner participating in WoW and self-control. The person is able to exercise self-control and not let it take their life out of control, whether it be ruining a relationship, losing a job, failing out of school, etc.

Unless someone or something was literally forcing a person to become addicted to WoW (which is probably improbable and impossible), making it an excuse (blaming WoW when the actual culprit of a failing life/relationship is something else), the person is to blame for the ruining of the relationship, not the substance involved.

[Trump]

Lack of personal responsibility.

Also, "probably improbable" made me laugh =)

[Soli]

I'm very addicted to the computer... >_>

But the difference is, I do sort of educational things on it. Some things I could do off the computer, but it makes things easier, you know? Like the other day, I transposed a song to the clarinet by a new program I found. I could have written the notes out by hand, but the computer made it easier.

And I agree with the people who've said that it's the person's fault for getting addicted to WoW.

[ZylitoL]

Blaming WoW for this is like blaming food and TV for those 700 pound behemoths that get so fat sitting at home they can't move to go to the bathroom anymore, and when they die the firemen have to knock out a wall of their house to get them out and use a flatbed truck to cart them away.
That said, I can't stand MMORPGs, or most MMO type deals. I play games for the same reason I read books and watch movies: The experience. Playing a MMORPG is more like working to build some numbers that you can show off to your fellow employees, all while paying to work there and still getting shown up by the asian kids anyway.

Yesh.

Everything JSL said applies to me except when I used to play Diablo 2. I can count the number of PvP battles I lost on one hand.

But I digress. WoW can ruin relationships, only if you allow it to.

[Pierrot le Fou]

When something like Progress Quest (http://www.progressquest.com/) gets hardcore competitors on it, you know things have gone overboard.

MMORPGs are not an addiction in the sense that cigarettes or heroin are. They aren't physically addictive.

That isn't to say people don't abuse them, just that it isn't because of an inherent property of the game itself.

[Kenshin]

I have a friend like this currently. Both of us play Flyff (Fly For Fun, free-to-play korean MMORPG), the difference is, that I play there, and he basically lives there.

Most of our conversations lately go like this:
Him: Hey man, what's up?
Me: Nothing much, just studying/bored/playing for a while. You?

And then it begins...
Him: I'm extremely pissed off!! (Other variations of this include: "Man! [Random character class] rocks/sucks!" and then the conversation will revolve on why that particular class rocks/sucks for the rest of the convo.)
Me: Why's that?
Him: My sister/mom's a &@&%! (insert random profanity here. You name it.). I don't know when the f*ck she's going to get the hell out, but I wanna kick her out, I don't know...
Me: WTH? why? (I should know this by now...)
Him: Because the /&$@&%#&!! won't let me play, and I need to level right now... (Or: "The GMs -Game Masters-took the server down", "My connection is down!" *insert game-related cause here*)
Me: ...
Him: Did you see the new set/drop/weapon/armor that came out yesterday?

*carries on like this for 30 minutes. Rinse, and repeat*
(It won't matter if I change the topic, because it will revert back to Flyff.)
Him: Well, gotta go, I have a guild war/duel/power level coming up.
Me: ...Ok. Good luck. See ya (?) later.

I don't know, I get bored easily, and some random things in the game frustrate me (lag, server rollbacks, my character -a lvl. 67 Psykeeper- not leveling fast enough), to the point that I've lost interest and only play ocasionally, but he'll play 24/7 if he manages to.

To make matters worse, he got TeamSpeak and is now playing with a local guild which, in his own words, won't let him sleep because the conversation is too funny/interesting to leave, so he'll stay til ~5 a.m. playing, on a day where he has class at 9.

He has even said that he'd rather play than have a girlfriend because "women are annoying".

Solutions? Heh... trying to take his computer away -mind you, he's 22 years old- will only result in him going to a friend's house and playing there. Inviting him to do something else, will result in him returning earlier than expected because he would rather be playing (or even refusing to go out.) He has the game installer burnt to a CD so he can have it in case of "emergencies". His sisters have even thought of getting his account password and deleting his characters, but that would only make matters worse.

[Pierrot le Fou]

Write to the company with his e-mail address and password stating that his account password has been stolen by someone and he needs it reset and/or just changing his password.

[haterllnation]

It will ruin a relationship if you let it. Simple as that. I think a reason I never got into MMORPGs are because, with having to pay a monthly fee, I would feel obligated to play. I mean I don't want to waste money on something I am not going to be into. I don't have Netflix account because I don't rent movies a lot.

I just feel that if you pay a monthly fee, one would feel obligated to play it a lot to not seem like the money is being wasted. This is why I don't get involved in those types.

[Nuigurumi]

I'll admit it, I was addicted to Final Fantasy XI (first and last MMO I'll ever play). I found with my addiction, it was stuff that was going on in my real life that made me just want to escape and pour my enegry into my character. So, partly the addiction is that lack of personal responsibility, and part of it is looking at the individual person's life and seeing if they aren't trying to escape.

But I suppose that's like any other addiction.

[Plekto]

BTDT. Well, played a lot of games - mostly in the MUD/BBS days, but t comes and goes. OTHO, its never messed up my life. Game=fake. Life=real.

Of course, I only do three online activites anymore(other than the occasional bit of CS for nostalgia).

- playing Unreal Tournament with my friends on a private server. Great fun.
- playing Eve Online. I like this because its slow and a game where you can do nothing for days at a time and its still fine.
- playing he occasional game of online poker. The trick here is to use no money and join the free tournys to maybe get a few pennies. :)

But that's all minor. I spend more time playing ps2 music games and Katamari than online games lately(that and watching anime - both of which are easy for a GF to get interested in, btw).

[Duke Luke of Juke]

This thread reminded me of this kid Chris I know, who's more of a friend's friend than my actual friend, seeing as I never really got to know him before his brain was fried from excessive drug use, and he started spending days stranded in his room having imaginary sword fights with his knock-off samurai sword, and playing MMOs, all the while in constant dialogue with himself aloud.

I don't know too much about MMOs because I've never actually played them, to my knowledge. I frankly have only played two computer games, one was an Alice in Wonderland game and the other was Unreal Tournament. But both of those were only briefly. I have enough trouble getting my console games to play, really (stupid 360 disks being so sensitive).

But I do know this group of guys from my high school that were again, friends of a friend, and at every party they'd be sitting in the corner talking about Everquest, WoW, or whatever other game like that that they were playing at the time. I don't really feel there's anything wrong with that, it just sort of gives me the same cringe-enducing reaction that I get when this girl who sits in front of me in my early Brit Lit class goes off on 15-minute monologues, to a chorus of nodding heads in regards to the status of Naruto episodes, or another such anime she stayed up the night before watching, which she's sure the rest of us would love if we only gave it a chance.

Though really, an obsession with anything is not good for you. It signifies an obvious imbalance in the priorities in your life. Then again, if it weren't for obsessions a lot of the greatest art we have wouldn't exist, though I can't exactly see a corrollation between an obsession with creating art, and an obsession with playing a video game. One is productive and time-consuming, the other is unproductive and time-consuming. However, there are much worse things you could be doing with your time, like torturing babies, or knocking over people in wheel-chairs...

[Ceirnian]

One is productive and time-consuming, the other is unproductive and time-consuming.

I dunno, I find owning up noobs in pvp to be pretty productive.

As for the discussion, I use to play WoW quite abit but after a 3 month period of not playing I broke the addiction. Real life starting kicking in and taking up more of my time, so I just log on to play abit when I can. I find it to actually be more enjoyable now that I spend less time playing.

[Lisa M]

I'm going to blame WoW and all other MMORPGs for being single.

Yay blaming other stuff!

[TygressVirgo]

I dunno, I find owning up noobs in pvp to be pretty productive.

As for the discussion, I use to play WoW quite abit but after a 3 month period of not playing I broke the addiction. Real life starting kicking in and taking up more of my time, so I just log on to play abit when I can. I find it to actually be more enjoyable now that I spend less time playing.

Taking a break for a month, def. makes the game more enjoyable the next time you play.

[Angelyne]

Over ten years, I have played dozens of MUDs and MMOs. I have met addicts in every game, have witnessed in-game drama turn into real life drama, have witnessed relationships end in every game.

Speaking strictly from this experience, the individuals who are addicted or cause drama come into the online game with serious real life issues or mental problems. The game merely gives them an outlet to escape their problems. It's easier to mindlessly grind xp for hours and not think about anything than it is to go to therapy, or make real life friends, or address real life relationship problems. It's also more convenient and cheaper to waste time in an online game than it is to use other escapist activities like gambling or drinking.

And the relationships that I've seen end because of online gaming were already doomed from the start. The game was only a catalyst for underlying communication problems and lack of compatability.

[Injuryprone]

I went from being addicted to FFXI to WoW to CoV to back to WoW.
Now I reside on Nathrezim with my bitchin NE dps war.

I'll admit my addiction to FFXI was the reason I didn't get my license until senior year of high school, I wasn't interested in driving because then I couldn't play.

With WoW though I can actually stop because leveling and questing is so casual, but once hardcore raiding starts, all I will know is school, WoW, and 4 hours of sleep.

[Nights_into_dreams]

I have been a citizen of Vana'diel since June 2nd, 2004.

In that time, I have completed all the expansions, taken two jobs to 75, and I am currently an active member of the top HNMLS (endgame guild) on the server.

I am also in college.

Sometimes, I go to class with zero sleep, because of a Tiamat/king/whathaveyou pop that happens just as I am going to bed, and I stay up until I know I can't go to sleep without missing my class the next morning.

My Freshman and part of my Sophmore year in college, I had been known to spend an average of close to 24 hours straight playing the game on the weekends, before falling asleep only to play 12 more hours when I woke up.

I grew depressed, and my life revolved around the game.

Honestly...

It took the summer and working three jobs to snap me outta it, for the most part. I had to rebuild my friendships with several people that I care about, and work hard to meet new people because my social skills went to shit. In alot of ways, they still haven't improved much (despite my efforts to the contrary).

Except of when the latest expansion came out (I skipped class for a day and didn't sleep for two because of it), I have more or less forced myself to log out when I'm tired or when I'm not actively doing a raid. The only way I have found that I can keep myself from logging on every few minutes to see if XYZ HNM popped was to have several of my linkshell mates on IM, and for them to contact me if something appears.

Some of the people I met through Vana'diel I consider close friends. Hell, I even have an open invitation to go to South Carolina to hang out with my social linkshell anytime I wish (and which I am seriously thinking about taking them up on before the summer comes).

I'm an interesting case...

I am addicted as you wouldn't believe, but I restrain myself enough, and I don't want to stop playing totally. The drama that exists in game affects me sometimes, because it hurts people that I trust and I know.

Meh...

It's hard to explain.

[Jetsetlemming]

See, I'm so NOT addicted to videogames, I don't even know what a "raid" or "linkshell" is.
...I could quit them any time!
Next week is better for me, though.

[japanat]

OP9 is my only electronic addiction.

[Noata]

I played FFXI since March~ of 6th grade(9th now). This summer, after 3-4 times of quitting, I started to lose interest A LOT. I had 3 max levels, all nation missions done, two expansions beat, and doing the 3rd expansion's missions/things(assault for fellow FFXIs>>). Eventually I cancelled my account and stopped playing(in december lol.) During that time, my grades slipped big time, and are still bad now since I just procrastinate...Moving on

And then..come christmas time, I get WoW to play with some RL friends. Mostly everyone I know who plays WoW at my school(20~30 people) are on the same server, so it's nice. But the difference with WoW and FFXI is that I can't play WoW a lot. Since my PC sucks, and it's not for PS2(Which I played FFXI on), I'm forced to use a computer that's not mine in another room. This was ok..a little annoying..but I dealt with it.

UNTIL my need for MMORPGs finally got the best of me, and I got a new FFXI account and started on my RL friends server two days ago. orz

NEVER. GET. FFXI.
You will NEVER EVER EVVERRR quit.

[h2orowe]

I got FF11. I quit. :| I found it to be extremely boring.

[Noata]

It is boring lol, I find WoW more exciting :[ Oh how I wish for an awesome PC


My foot fell asleep and I'm having fun playing with it.

[Kwiz]

NEVER. GET. FFXI.
You will NEVER EVER EVVERRR quit.

I've at times considered looking into the MMORPG world, but I know myself too well. I'd rather give myself at least another few years to become firmly happier with inter-personal relationships than to dabble into something now which might be hazardous for me.

[Noata]

If you're going to get one, get WoW.>>

[h2orowe]

I already told him that :3 FF11 is mega boring. I got to level 8 and just died out of boredom. I know I was RIGHT where I was supposed to be or whatever to start doing groups, but I didn't really feel like grouping with most of the people on there >_>; They all seemed weird.

[Noata]

Lol, yeah you go to Valkrum Dunes at 10. It's full of noobs.
I brought 12~ jobs through there....I'm afraid of going back.

/missesWoW

[h2orowe]

I couldn't stand playing that game though =/ It was so boring leveling. At least in WoW you have a lot more varied things to level with. On that game it's THE SAME CREATURES, THE SAME AREA, ugh..

[Radiance]

Ruins relationships? >.> I just started a new relationship because of WoW. :D Do I beat the standard? :O

[Cherub Rock]

Did you impress her with your Greaves of +8 Bulge?

[Radiance]

Get it right, it was my codpiece of hugeness +9. :O Also, I was already making progress with her before she decided to pick up WoW. It just made it easier. >:D

[TygressVirgo]

Ruins relationships? >.> I just started a new relationship because of WoW. :D Do I beat the standard? :O


hehe, welcome to the club =)

[h2orowe]

I'm now level 19. Slowly but surely making progress. Hopefully I'll be 20 by Saturday night :D

[Noata]

Level a day keeps the doctor away

[Ceirnian]

This is suppose to be a discussion about the affects of MMORPGs, not about leveling :P Go back a thread in the entertainment section or something.

[h2orowe]

>_>; So close to level 22. I played WoW for 11 hours today. I think I might be getting addicted. It's either that or no one interesting was on MSN at the time.

[Snake eyeS]

Lvl 70 undead mage and a lvl 61 tauren druid. Guildmaster of a guild with 107 members in it. We cleared ZG/AQ20/Ony/MC/BWL and then TBC came. Its all good np.

I bet i just outnerded all of you. liek WTFBBQ zomg

[Injuryprone]

Lvl 70 undead mage and a lvl 61 tauren druid. Guildmaster of a guild with 107 members in it. We cleared ZG/AQ20/Ony/MC/BWL and then TBC came. Its all good np.

I bet i just outnerded all of you. liek WTFBBQ zomg

Thats not too hard, wheres the naxx, and aq40 at? lolz
70 NE warrior, 60 undead mage, 60 troll rogue, and various lowbie alts. I've been playing since ohhh 2 Christmas's ago.

Addiction woooooo

[Canis Lupis]

Maybe if she actually talked to him about his so-called "addiction", instead of dragging him on to national television and making a fool of herself, he might have stopped.
The worst part is, they actually thought they were doing some good by shredding the disks, but anyone who knows anything about the game all thought the same thing :"He doesn't need the disks to play."

[Nannou]

I got FF11. I quit. :| I found it to be extremely boring.

FFXI is the epitome of grind. And not only that... but the epitome of bitch-ass party finding as well.

The amount of time I wasted in that game just trying to FIND a balanced party... only to end up leveling for about 20 minutes before someone goes "oh i've got to have dinner... see ya".
Fortunately I had a Japanese friend who played, so she managed to pull in Japanese players from time to time.

After that.... I decided that I'll never play an MMO again. I've got better things to do with my life than pay to stare at an experience bar.

[Angelyne]

For those bored with FFXI and still playing, give Beastmaster a serious try. I always feel like I'm playing a completely different game whenever I level this job up.

[Injuryprone]

Even after the release pet ubernerf?

[Angelyne]

I leveled BST after the nerf, so I don't really know what I missed. :)

[spaik]

all i have to say is that releasing a max tp kraken on exp parties in qufim is the greatest thing ever....next to training CN from the knight crawlers so that it shuts it down for hours

[Aserwarth]

Well I can see where it could do that, but I think people who let it be too big a part of their life have something in their life they are trying to avoid. This is coming from a guy who played Runescape just for that reason. Well it could be one of many things. Maybe hell they just like the game.

~Aserwarth~

[Mastiker]

I have a case of WoW ruining a relationship! Sorta.

See, my buddy was having this long distance relationship with this girl, and she had a hard-on for WoW. It got to the point where she began obsessing over her guild leader and mentioning it to my buddy constantly. He's the type to get jealous. So... yeah. He ended up dumping her, citing WoW as one of the reasons. :clap:

[Nannou]

she had a hard-on for WoW.

I've pin-pointed the problem....

[Radiance]

all i have to say is that releasing a max tp kraken on exp parties in qufim is the greatest thing ever....next to training CN from the knight crawlers so that it shuts it down for hours

You're a jerk! :O (Also, I used to love doing that. >:D ) Silly lady, those arn't even his discs, he borrowed those from his friend. His copy is a digital download. :D

[Injuryprone]

I was a thf so in CN I'd avoid a wipe by fleeing to the zone. God bless <Hide> and sneak oils. :D

[Trinadad]

I started playing WoW again...

I'm not all obessed with it, but my friend's like, "It's not just a game." Which is true is some cases.

Lawl, so yes, WoW does ruin relationships, but it also creates some too - My friend's living with a girl he met over WoW for the last... 9 months.