Anyone else an MMO addict?

knob · Post by **knob** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:46 pm

After spending 4 years playing EverQuest off and on (And finally off for good), I think I've become an MMO addict. I can't get myself to settle down and play the other games I buy. I read these threads about how great SMAC is and I look over at it and start to reach for it, then I tell myself, "Why would I play a single player game? That's so boring!"

For some reason, ever since EQ really hooked its talons into me, I've had a really, really hard time sticking with SP games (Even some MP games). Right now, I'm trying my hardest to convince myself to quit WoW. I do enjoy the game and have fun most of the time, but it really is mostly addiction that forces me to keep playing. "If I just hurry up and get to 60, I can really start having fun, especially once the battlegrounds come out."

And in an attempt to try to quit, I start to think of games I can use to replace my MMO time. Civ 3? Computer players?! Rome: Total War?

....and my mind starts to wander back to MMOs -- EQ2? If I could find a regular group to play with, sure....but..doh.. AO? It's free.....

Does anyone else ever feel like they have this problem? Or am I just a nutcase?

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:02 am

I don't see the problem. I mean if MMO weren't out, we'd still be sitting down playing games. It's just a different type than what they were several years ago.

knob · Post by **knob** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:04 am

It's just one of those things that takes a huge amount of time, you really never "win" and it costs actual money to keep playing.

The Mad Hatter · Post by **The Mad Hatter** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:13 am

Valael wrote:It's just one of those things that takes a huge amount of time, you really never "win" and it costs actual money to keep playing.

You save money by playing MMOGs, because it cuts down on the number of games you'd otherwise buy. I know that getting into WoW has saved me at least the price of 3 games, maybe more.

Dhruin · Post by **Dhruin** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 4:57 am

That all makes sense. What difference does it make which game you play as long as you enjoy it? And $15 for a month is a lot better than a new SP game every month - or even two. I'm the opposite: I got itchy feet in WoW after a month and that's about the best I've done.

dangerballs · Post by **dangerballs** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 5:31 am

The Mad Hatter wrote: You save money by playing MMOGs, because it cuts down on the number of games you'd otherwise buy. I know that getting into WoW has saved me at least the price of 3 games, maybe more.

That lasts until you get tired of the game and then start looking for a nice single-player game only to find that you all of the ones that came out during the 6-months you spent playing the MMORPG.

DireAussie · Post by **DireAussie** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:08 am

I'm addicted as long as I'm enjoying myself. I've been playing WoW constantly for the last 3 months and dont see myself stopping anytime soon. Stupidly I went out and bought Morrowind Bloodmoon and Vampire Bloodlines today because they were on special - as if I have time to play those!! I guess I'll get around to them when my WoW addiction wears off

I played the original EQ for about 5 months before quitting for good, mostly because my dialup connection got me killed all the time and their retarded "can only be bound in cities by casters" rule. AC, EQ2 and AO lasted less than a month, DAOC less than 3 days

I'm very particular.

BTW, you *save* money by playing MMORPG's. My 2 "on special" purchases still equate to 2 and a half months worth of WoW (given the high cost of computer games in Australia).

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:34 am

dangerballs wrote:
That lasts until you get tired of the game and then start looking for a nice single-player game only to find that you all of the ones that came out during the 6-months you spent playing the MMORPG.

Which are now all in the bargain bins at a fraction of their newly released price. It's win-win baby!

Yes, I'm addicted to MMORPG's. Borderline problematic actually. Maybe I need an intervention.

Cofcos · Post by **Cofcos** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:09 am

I have a big problem with this, myself. Since discovering MMOs, single-player games have been almost ruined for me.

I get in to a line of thought that starts with: "How can I justify 'wasting time' playing this (SP)game, when I could be getting somewhere in an MMO?". I also have a, perhaps bigger, problem sticking to one MMO. I have, almost literally, every MMO ever released excepting the hordes of Asian MMOs; though even some of those.

I bounce from one game to the next whenever I read things I like in a patch notes or expansion, or miss some feature of it while playing another game... I've taken to canceling my subscriptions the moment I resubscribe, so I don't forget to cancel after a month(beware a (very)few will cut acess the second you un-sub)...

Basicly, it's a mess that I've been thinking of fixing with Ebay... I calculate the value of my many characters across many games(plus their items) to be enough to pay for a both a new PC and a gaming laptop.

Hopefully after, I could only buy one or two-- As I think my real problem is simply having too many choices. At least having to buy the game again and totally restart would be a turn off.

DiscoJason · Post by **DiscoJason** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 11:01 am

I am an addict. I started playing MMOs back with Meridian 59 and have played pretty much all of the ones that came out since that time. The last one I played was EQ2 and a month ago, I finally decided that I need to stop. One problem that these games have over single player games is that you can never beat them. Therefore, you play them over and over again. Also, because there is a social aspect to them, I would find I didn't want to piss off my guild mates to stop playing to do real life stuff. Pretty sad, no?

I just found that I didn't feel I was accomplishing anything unless I could dedicate at least 2 hours to the game and I don't have that feeling in a single player game. If something comes up after I have been playing 15 minutes, I save and then exit the game. In an MMORPG, if I got in a group and quit after 15 minutes, I would feel like an ass, so I would just ignore real life and keep playing.

Now that I have stopped playing them, I honestly feel a huge weight lifted of my shoulders. I don't play nearly as much on my PC anymore and spend a lot more time with my kids and wife. Definitely one of the best decisions I have made. Oh, and no, I don't blame MMOs for this problem. I blame my inability to monitor myself when I play them.

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 11:18 am

I wonder, perhaps, if the phenomenon is indicative of the socialisation of video game entertainment. It is the nature of human beings to be social, and most forms of entertainment throughout thisory have comprised a large social element.

Cards, board games, pen and paper RPGs, sports, etc. - all gain immeasurably from the social element. And contrary to popular myth, gaming nerds are not inherently asocial people - mostly they just have difficulty finding others with common interests, or their games were not set up to be naturally social experiences.

Hmmm...

The Mad Hatter · Post by **The Mad Hatter** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:52 pm

Padre wrote:I wonder, perhaps, if the phenomenon is indicative of the socialisation of video game entertainment. It is the nature of human beings to be social, and most forms of entertainment throughout thisory have comprised a large social element.

Cards, board games, pen and paper RPGs, sports, etc. - all gain immeasurably from the social element. And contrary to popular myth, gaming nerds are not inherently asocial people - mostly they just have difficulty finding others with common interests, or their games were not set up to be naturally social experiences.

Hmmm...

I am an inherently antisocial person though, which is why MMOGs peaked for me when I could hunt and kill other players in UO. I love WoW but nothing can compare to those days. Ah, memories...

Kyosho · Post by **Kyosho** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:22 am

I played EQ from close to release (pre-kunark) until just after the second expansion was released (Scars of..Velious?). I quit because I couldn't seem to get a character past level 15 or so. I was more interested in exploring, selling/buying items, and socializing with my guild than leveling. And of course that put me at a huge disadvantage. I couldn't go on raids or even venture into some of the more dangerous zones without being invisible (even then that didn't always work). Luckily I had a level 16 Cleric at one point and found some higher level casters who'd take me to the more dangerous places with them, if only for the company and for me to heal them from time to time. Killing the same things, at the same place over and over and over just wasn't fun to me. And that's the best way to level in EQ. If I weren't addicted, I would never have played as long as I did.

I tried going back to EQ a couple times after that. But I just couldn't stand it. I tried DAOC a couple times as well. Didn't really like it so much. WoW seemed okay, I tried it at a friend's. Haven't played any others.

Even with all those annoyances, I would still play an MMO today if I had the time, money, and a broadband connection.

yossar · Post by **yossar** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:52 am

The Mad Hatter wrote:
Valael wrote:It's just one of those things that takes a huge amount of time, you really never "win" and it costs actual money to keep playing.
You save money by playing MMOGs, because it cuts down on the number of games you'd otherwise buy. I know that getting into WoW has saved me at least the price of 3 games, maybe more.

Not for me. I'm subscribed to City of Heroes, but am still picking up games at a regular pace. I guess if I were "addicted' I'd be ok, but merely "enjoying" MMORPGs is a problem.

tals · Post by **tals** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:27 am

The only MOG that has truly got me was Ultima Online which I played for 14 months - but MOGs if played to destruction can be relationship breaking games. Although people swear blind the level doesn't get them - I challenge anyone to not be able to tell me his current level in a MOG and that he is not looking forward to leveling.

I can quite happily play a MOG and still play other games - which is possibly why I don't get addicted to the games to the detriment of all others. That said am still debating a return to WOW - the battle grounds sound good, but time is pretty short at the moment so SMAC and Soldiers get that. With summer a pproaching its not really a great time to play a MOG - dark winter nights suit it more.

I don't buy the saving money philosophy - the bargain basement has a wealth of games at the moment. £7.99 Soldiers, £5.00 for SMAC and loads of others which could keep you occupied for months if not years

Additionally if I bore of a game I sell it on ebay sometimes even for a profit so they've paid me to play it

Call of Duty being a great example - paid £7.99 for it, sold it for £9.99. RTW another bought it for £17.99 (at the height of RTW) sold it £19.99

Tals

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:02 am

I've always got a subscription to one going, and I really like playing them, but I don't consider myself addicted. I stop for stretches of time fairly often, cancel and resubscribing as I feel like it.

I'm definitely never in the top echelon of those participating (highest level, best gear, etc.) but I have fun when I am playing them. I get more time and enjoyment out of even a mediocre MMO than I do out of most single player games I buy.

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:17 am

Haven't played an MMO for over a year, and have no intentions of it. I just found them time sinks and grindathons. The ones I thought were great, are too old to be enjoyable at this point. Besides, in MMO's you spend more time worrying about levels, or focusing on the level that it really becomes not much of a game of enjoyment. I think that is the painful addiction part of it and probably why I don't fall for it. I mean you know cigs are killing you everytime you smoke one, but you keep smoking. Crazy I tell you.

I've moved on, maybe something in the future will bring me back. Maybe someone will do Meridian59-2, or UO2 or Shadowbane 2006 or something. Until then, no thanks, you can keep em.

J.D. · Post by **J.D.** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:31 pm

The Mad Hatter wrote:
Valael wrote:It's just one of those things that takes a huge amount of time, you really never "win" and it costs actual money to keep playing.
You save money by playing MMOGs, because it cuts down on the number of games you'd otherwise buy. I know that getting into WoW has saved me at least the price of 3 games, maybe more.

Unless you're like me and only buy MAYBE 3 new games a year. Then playing a MMOG is really expensive. Everytime I think I might want to start playing a MMOG I remind myself that it'll be over 200 bucks a year when all the monthly charges are totalled up, and the urge goes away extremely quickly.