Is MOG's becomming obsessiv?

[TrollFunk]

It was mentioned when that one guy killed himself with the EQ screen on his computer, but our opinions on it were not entirely brought to light.

Summer has just started for me and right now I am at my appartment in CPH. A lot of my highschool friends have not gotten out of their homes so I have been killing a lot of time playing Diablo II. After having poured multiple hours into the game I am starting to feel like my time is being squandered. I also have realized that the game is not fun anymore, but I am still playing it because of an obligitory feeling that I have now. I guess I have developed a moral issue with playing video games to the extent that I have in the past.

My biggest issue with playing these games is that there is nothing to be gained from playing them. All of the skills we learn from them are only applicable in the game we are playing, whereas with playing guitar or a sport you get physical or mental aptitude.

I find that when I am spending a great deal of time in-game, I become antisocial as well. Everything I say is brief and I become very irratible.

I also develop a sort of dependance on playing games. While they are very fun at first, after a while I realize that I am not enjoying myself very much. Instead of having fun, I go through different levels of frustration, yet paradoxically I continue playing. The games are only fun for me when I am a noob. Whenever I get a new item or level in game, I do not get a feeling of happiness, but a feeling of satisfaction, like I have completed a chore.

After accomplishing so much in an MOG, a feeling of obligation sets in. If I have put so many hours of work into somthing, what is the point in abandoning it? The only way for me to feel like I am not giving up on somthing that has taken so much effort is to keep on playing. Games stop taking on the role of somthing to do when bored, and become somthing you feel you need to do. Instead of them taking up some of your free time, they take up all of it and can become a priority over important things.

[Hall]

Ive been playing MMOS for about maybe 4-5 years now. My most hardcore I would say would be Soloing in EQ Tallon Zek. I still managed to go to college and get good grades. However I did notice that my social life took a little bit of a down turn. When I realized that I stopped playing EQ completly, although I kept my account active for a whole year never logging in. Now unto daoc It has its ups and downs but when it takes a downturn I just honestly do something else. The only thing is that when i decide to take a break, I find that I wind up missing alot but I get over it.
In the end it comes down to this if you aint happy dont play nothing will change you will still be who you are in game as so and so and out game as your self.

[Zoidmeister]

mmorpg's are just as addictive as ciggy's ... hell I used to combine them and chain smoke on raids.

Normally it takes an RL jolt to cut yourself loose from playing so much. For me it was buying a house and committing to renovating it and paying it off ... one day

As Hallmeister mentioned no matter how you cut it you sacrifice either career or social time for a game. mmorpg's just require so much in-game time that they interfere with life (period).

I still love gaming however I've put house/work a higher priority the past 6+ months ... as it stands I haven't been in DAOC much the past 6 months and if I need a quick fix I log into BF 1942 for a couple of hours.

Hope to return to some Merlin frontiers RVR soon.

[Bobyearl]

I still get alot of RPs every week, have a healthy marriage(she does not even play), just got a promotion, social life is a wee bit less than it used to be, but my bank account is alot bigger. All it takes is a little motivation to not be able to sit in a CHAIR for hours and hours for days at a time. If you can do that it is not a game you are addicted. You are LAZY! If the shoe fits wear it.