I want everyones answer to this

[Kailea]

My friend alwasy saya "its just a game" when we talk about something stupid in FF, like many things that have happened in these forums, and cheats and even the ToS it self. Now he would not ask this so I will, I want you all to tell him why you really cant use the term "just a game" with games like FFXI and other MMOs. and answer his question "how does it effect your life" when something in FFXI happens.

[Zempten]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

The environment is just a game, as in not real.

The emotions formed between other players is real, it's just the same as in the real world.

[Jei]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

^
^
couldn't have said better. we're connecting to real people. the reason why online games are so involving.

[Baldrik]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

^
^
couldn't have said better. we're connecting to real people. the reason why online games are so involving.

I'm the friend Kailea was talking about.

I understand your ideals on that matter, but I'm also understanding of the fact that if you're building real relations between real people, there are WAY cheaper methods of doing so. These include MySpace, Yahoo!, YouBeenX, etc. For a game, it should be a game, and I know a friend who has role played his way to making people think he's one person (his character) and not the real him. This is why it's called a Role Playing Game.

My actual question was how does this game effect your lives? Aside from your bank account what does it do to your job environment, or your schooling? Also, does it make your mother love you more?

I do say "it's just a game" because it is. If you want to meet people, go to the mall or a public forum in your area. Try MySpace if you would prefer meeting people online. The time and effort put into bettering a character cannot compare to the time and effort one could put into bettering oneself.

[Joester]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

It's jsut a game but it's also a communication medium as well. You can commincate with people across it and form relationships.

But things that happen in the game world shoudl be kept there in the game world... It's just a game and game drama shouldn't interfer with your real life.

[Jei]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

for me, it does a lot actually. I'm studying aboard, and FFXI is one of the few ways I keep in touch with my friends over sea. And it gives me and my gf to be able to do something together regardless of our distance. I even meet new friends living around my area
The game becomes my community, so it's not just a game anymore.

My LS loves to talk about food... when I'm back in my country we would go out and eat eat eat lots of things ^^ aside from that they even recommend people into their company, help with RL issues and much more.

while FFXI has taken something from me, it also has given me back far more than I can ever ask

[Baldrik]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

It's jsut a game but it's also a communication medium as well. You can commincate with people across it and form relationships.

But things that happen in the game world shoudl be kept there in the game world... It's just a game and game drama shouldn't interfer with your real life.

Totally agreed on the last point. However, people forget that it's a game and take it WAY too personal. Those are the ones who shouldn't be playing, IMO.

I do so too understand the studying abroad thing as well. But Kailea brought up to me the importance of this regarding the fact that her person's character is like a "part of [her]" now. This is where I think things get too out of hand. Is the disclaimer also to be regarded as another TOS? When people would rather play the game than be with their family, it kind of creates problems, wouldn't you think?

I understand that it's an escape, but also we learn in school that escapes aren't always a good thing. I remember in school I learned that it's best to face life and learn to be with those who care about you in the real world. Other escapes include drugs and alcohol. They are okay, but when you become dependant on them you detach yourself from the world around you. You end up doing drugs with people who do drugs, and no other reasons. Yeah, they have other interests, but who cares? Lets light up a blunt! It's these things that make me remember why WoW was better for me. I spend too much time and get so few rewards in FF.

Maybe it's a different level of gaming experience too. When I was a kid, I had an escape; the Legend of Zelda. People at school messing with me? I'll go home and play Zelda, and I was Link, and I was in another place. I am not a child anymore, and so I must detach myself from fantasy worlds, and false faces of real people.

EDIT: Regarding that pervious paragraph, it does not mean I cannot enjoy a fantasy world at all. My main preference would be D&D with a bunch of friends who like to hang and play a game (maybe have some alcohol to get things going) and just relax. But I do not let it become me. I have a firend who's D&D characher died, and it was tragic to him. Why? Because he spent too much time building and attaching himself to that char. However, in this case, the DM was afraid my friends char would be more powerful than his main char and put them up in an impossible situation so that my friends char would die.

That is going too far for sure, but I play games to relax. If you play games to relax, then thats fine. I think my question was intended for the people who feel it necessary to start arguments and drama because of a game.

[bikkebakke]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

It's just a game... it doesn't affect my RL at all.

[Intensity]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

I agree that there are people who take the things that happen in-game way too seriously. I LOVE this game. The gameplay, cool people I've met, the challenge. But I have a few friends that when something bad happens in-game (Specifically not getting the Assault Jerkin due to "Botters") she flips out IRL, starts ranting about quitting etc. It's my roommate so I've seen it happen. On the flip side, the same has happened to my Wife and I and we just blow it off. We're in this game for the fun and the community. We're not going to let a few drama queens ruin it for us.

[Kagerou]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

FFXI is just a game.
(a good game though)

[Jynx_lucky_j]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

People can get too attached to anything. Food, gambling, their car, just about anything, video games are just one thing amoung many. And all these things. And and of these things can have an adverse effect on your life if you let it. I even knew a guy who chose his car over his family when his wife gave him an ultimatim, he said that he car had been with him longer than they had >.>

I've also made a few real life freinds in this game that I would never have met otherwise. No seriously, I've actually gone out and physically met these people at their homes and hung out with them and a good time was had by all. You can say that people can petend to be someone thier not. But thats true of any online medium. Hell it even happens in real life, the interent just makes it easier to make more drastic changes to who you really are.

Sure I could use MySpace (blagh) or any number of other mediums to do the same thing. But I think its more fun to beable to play a very fun game at the same time. And as long as it doesn't harm your real life I don't see any problem with it. I don't cry when I delevel, I don't through a tantrum when people still my mobs (at least not any more thanif someone cut me off or something in real life >.>). Sure it sucks when these things happen, and its not fun, but oh well it happens. And I still spend time with my family in freinds as well so there is really no harm done. If I wasn't playing an online game I'd probally just be playing a differant game, or watching tv, or something else equally meaningless.

[Omniblast]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

The environment is just a game, as in not real.

The emotions formed between other players is real, it's just the same as in the real world.

Late post, but very well said.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

It's obvious no matter how you try to explain to Baldrik about your passion for the game, he's just not open to understanding. He's set in stone that people that are enjoying the game on a higher lvl than others are wrong.

I guess I could say the same about someone that identifies with their automobile. They clean it, work on it, name it, spend most of their free time with it, and go cruising in it. People would look at that as being over the top. I had an uncle who was a fly fisherman. That was his passion. He would be in his shop making lures, reading about it, practicing his casting, etc. for hours on end every day. He would go on vactions only where there was fishing available! That was his passion and we even buried him with his favorite pole, lures, and his fishing hat.

The point is that everyone has their own passion. ANY passion can be unhealthy but who gets to draw the line and say it is unhealthy? If your passion causes you financial problems, if your spouse/gf/partner leaves you over the time spent with your passion, if you neglect your health or other major issue because of your passion, well then yes this is unhealthy.

Identifying with your character is NOT unhealthy. If you add in one of the above, then yes but our online character is an extension of our persona. It's a piece of who we are and sometimes a piece of who we would like to be or wish we could be. It's a fantasy. A good fantasy life can help with stress in real life and also invigorate our imagination and make us more creative.

As far as endgame activities, of course there is going to be an effect on your real life. Especially so if you happen to play with real life friends and family. Stress in game carries over to real life. Frustration is frustration, it doesn't matter where it came from. How we deal with any stress is very individual. Some people will become stressed in game and not quit until they have conquered it. Some people will become stressed and leave the game to go and cool down in whatever fashion they need to. It's very similar to being on a bowling team. You get stressed if your losing and you have the option to walk away or to stick it out. After you leave, you might go out with a couple of the other members and vent your frustrations. Is that wrong to let the game carry over beyond the bowling alley? No, its just human. Just as we might need to vent at a particularly frustrating day in game, we all need to release or absorb what went on. We are not machines that can just flick a switch on and off and move on. Thank goodness.

Can people become addicted to MMO's, yes of course they can. Are the MAJORITY of people who play them addicted? No, they are passionate. To have a passion is not a bad thing and a far cry from using drugs or alcohol which are never a good thing. My husband plays FFXI or he could be plunking down $40 a night in a bar and abusing his body with alcohol.........gee which would I prefer? Does he carry over his frustration in game to real life? Yes he does BUT being a good friend to him I let him vent and I listen and I do NOT judge. Then he's over it and life moves on.

Everyone has a passion and people need to stop being so judgemental.

[Jarre]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

If you solod, talked to noone, didn't interact with anyone except NPC's and didn't trade on teh Ah or buy from bazars then its "just a game".

Because you interact with people all over the world, form friendships, be a community member i.e. a linkshell member, go on party quests, buy and sell using bazaa and the AH, this is what makes it notjust a game, its more involved . You can learn a surprising amount from this game that people don't always realise.

1. Econmics - we all complain about inflation in the AH, but think about it, this crap happens in RL, you learn how to make money, how to manage your money so you can get that item, if you need to farm to get the gill, you are working for it like you would do in RL, also helps your numeracy skills.
2. Social - You meet new people online, form online friendships, people keep in touch over the email, Linkshells organise events, partys to get certain items, help each other out on missions etc. You learn how to interact with people you never met and how each persons attitude is shown online you start learning from trial and error who to trust and who not to.
3. Tactics and common sense - you learn your place in a party how to act, where to be, what to cast etc. magic bursts, skill chains etc. these require timeing and you work as a team to get these, using different magics tactically to enfeeble the mobs you are fighting or to cure the party efficiently.

there are more but I think you get the jist of my reasoning.

[Kagerou]

Re: I want everyones answer to this

I'll have to disagree a bit here.
You are not going to "learn" any economics/social/tactics (especially common sense, you kinda need common sense if you want to go anywhere in the first place).

Economics doesn't apply because its very one-dimensional, with obvious flaws (not realistic). You can't really form social bonds because you almost never physically meet the player. Drama happens 90% of the time because the player you "trusted" ended up being someone completely opposite of what you thought he was. Common sense, well, you don't really learn those in FFXI (you learn those in RL).