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For the Adults/Parents
JK-Kanosi
Member Posts: 1,357
I've been playing MMORPGs for over 5 yrs. All of which I've been a parent. My first game was DAoC. What I loved about that game was that I could group up with others and kill stuff, whether it was mobs for xp or people for realm points, it didn't matter. The point was that I was grouped. I've been known to be very long winded, so I will do my best to keep this one short and to the point. I've found out that I love playing MMORPG's, because you can develop your character over a span of years, instead of days or weeks in a single player RPG. I also love playing MMORPG's, because I love to group with others. I found my love for this when I played Halo with one of my Marine buddies back when I was in the Marine Corps. Ever since then, I had to play with other people, or the game wasn't worth playing. MMORPG's fulfilled that need until WoW came out and provided a haven for the soloists and even made it undesirable to be in a group, except for Instances and Raids. I'm not a fan of raiding by the way. You may be in a group, but you aren't bonding with others, you are just following directions on how to beat the thing. Anyhow, I was unable to find a MMO for me once Catacombs killed grouping for DAoC and the NGE killed it for SWG. I've tried just about every MMORPG out there and quickly realized that I was forever addicted to playing MMORPG's. Not addicted in the sense, that I neglect my real life duties, but addictive in the sense that I had to be subscribed to a MMO and all my free time went towards playing one...even when I found the game boring. This here is my issue and the point of the post.
What are you, the parents and adults with real responsibility doing to keep your MMORPG's you play interesting? How much do you typically play per day/week? What other things do you do in life that takes up the time you could be playing MMORPGs, other than work and taking care of your children? What games do you play, that are friendly for your play habits? What type of MMORPG appeals to you? Some like sandboxes; some story/quest driven; and others a combination of both. Are you a group gamer or a soloist? Do you participate in guilds and their events? How serious are those guilds? Very structured or very unstructured? If you are one of those that barely play and are in a guild that barely plays, how does that work out for you?
Throw in any other input you feel would make this more interesting. Maybe this thread could be a source of information or inspiration to other parents/adults that are looking for ways to balance their playtime with real life and what games they should be looking at.
I used to be the type of MMORPG gamer that would spend his life on the computer and I still do a lot, but I've changed. Whereas before I would play without giving other things in real life a though, now I wander if I am spending enough time with my family or not and if I really should commit to a game where it is more like a second life, which are the type of games I like (SWG Pre-NGE). I'm starting to wander if I should limit myself to a couple hours a day/night playing a game that is easy to get into and out, like CoH was when I played it. I thought that game was highly repetitive, but I played it like I did other MMORPGs. Maybe games like CoH and DDO are the games of the future for parents. Games where you can do a few missions or quests and log off. No crafting, no housing, no extras, just content that you can log into and complete with a group of friends you meet online or in real life and then log right back off when you are through.
Here I go being long winded again. It is so easy for me to write things out and I lose track of how long the post is getting. So lets hear what you all have to say.
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
Comments
Call me narrow minded but I've never seen it as a good idea to be aparent of young kids in particularand be a MMORPG player. Yes parents need to have a good time too, but quite a few timeswhen playing WoW and EQ2I see a parent seeming to treat their baby as an afterthought....like we are in a group, and one player shouts his baby girl needed to be bottled and is literally back in less then a minute.
I've had a few experiences like that. In WoW I remember one person actually admitted he missed the birth of his child so he wouldn't miss his raid schedule and he seemed to think it was okay. Sorry I guess its just my experiences, I am sure there are MMO parents who are great and know how to manage their time but it seems like a very bad mix imo.
i have only ever played eve-online, but have been playing it for a few years now. In our corporation we have a number of guys that are parents, they manage their time well enough it seems. as a corp we are very supportive of "rl comes first" and eve is a game not a job. Because the training of your character happens in real time there is no grind to skills progression, just an isk(in game money) grind it is somewhat suitable to that kind of gameplay.
i think it is what you make it, you could just as easily be down the pub every night avoiding your children.
I don't doubt your experiences. However, I do think MMO gaming and parenting mix. MMO gaming is a hobby that can be done from home, so parents are able to do something without having to find a place for the kids. It actually does only take about a min. or two to prop up a bottle on some pillows and etc. for your baby. Babies are actually easy to take care of, because they sleep a lot. At the same time, parenting and MMO's can be a bad mix if not controlled. Usually, MMO playing takes the place of a parents social life, not family time. Most night to night activities for families consist of watching a few sitcoms, dinner, and then sleep (maybe some reading before hand). When that becomes a routine, it is not harmful to replace sitcom watching with MMORPG playing. So you see, playing MMORPGs isn't hard to manage as a parent, it is actually harder to manage single life hobbies carried over to marriage; such as partying, fishing, and any other outdoor activity that requires you to spend more money on the hobby and to find a place for your kids if they aren't old enough to come along.
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
Casual guilds are hard to handle. I've tried it, but most of them amount to nothing much. Casual guilds tend to have casual logins and casual playing times as well. It means that very often, there aren't enough people online at the same time to actually do something together. The only thing that works is to have a fixed, weekly meeting time where everyone tries to get online. But very often, people don't want to commit to a fixed play evening or afternoon. I never really understood why, because if you have a few fixed hours a week, it's SO much easier to plan ahead, and you can make sure you have those few hours to yourself.
How I keep MMOs interesting? Hmm, I stuck to one game, and I got myself a good guild. Those are 1 in a million, and for me, a good guild gives me the opportunity to do what I want: grouping. To me, a 'good guild' is a guild that does have a fixed schedule of one evening a week, but where people aren't required to log in every week, and you still have enough on every week to get something going. The people are friendly and chatty and are group animals. That is, to me, the perfect guild. If I have extra time, I play solo games, either games that are intended to be played solo or MMOs that are nothing much more than solo games with an online chat box attached, due to noone actually grouping or no good guilds around that I know of. Unfortunately, my guild plays a game I don't particularly like, but to me: grouping > game mechanics and graphics.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Child Welfare Services should be logging all your IPs and preparing to raid your houses in order to liberate your malnourished children . Any Minute Now....
I'm a parent, as well as a new parent with my new baby boy. I simply don't play as much as I use to.
I tend to play for an hour or two here and there these days. Once in awhile I'll have a day where I play for long periods. I also found out that my two month old likes to sit in my lap and watch the colors on the screen.
I steer away from games with 10 hour raids and stuff. I use to be a hard core gamer, but now I tend to enjoy life more than being rooted to a computer. Instead of playing games first and foremost, now I play when I'm bored, or everyone is sleeping, etc. and so on.
You can have a life and play games, I just had to realize that I am a casual gamer now, and try to enjoy the little things in leveling up instead of grinding hard to the end game.
I still have fun, its just a little different than it use to be, and honestly I"m much happier that way.
D.
Video games are time wasted...well wasted.
If you have duties, responsabilities or simply rather waste your time another way, this is up to you.
My only regret is that I didn't play enough!
I am actually enjoying my time in MMOs, I just can't remains in a MMO where I doesn't enjoy it anymore...and of course, if the lack of enjoyment is due to a CHANGE into the later game, then I will complains, bitch, moans...and I will be rightfull to do so. Games have a responsability to be logical and to evolves logically. If you ask someone to level up for 50 levels, you cannot seriously enforce raiding or PvP and thinks this is acceptable, it isn't as you are screwing with the experience of your customers. HATE and LOVES are close emotions, if a game which give me FUN for sometimes turns into a HATE thingy, I give in and let's my inner demons speak freely, as this is entertainment and it should be FUN all the way to boredoom/the end, it should never, for any reason, become a hating thingy...if it does, then the devs are lames and deserve some trash-talking.
CoV is where I play, despite the fact I am an hardcore player, I rather have less but strong and well done basics, then have something horrible such as EQ's ending...which is only worth been trash at this moment, due to how it end and how all the weaklings just copy this mistake mindlessly, such as zombies. The DREAMING, the path to the Eldorado matters a LOT...and I don't want it to be raiding/PvP, no matter what.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
So if the kid is emotionnally unstable after been removed from his house, he cans always eat or play video games to relax...
Are you proposing it is a good idea to starve your kids ??!!! How dare Child Services keep the kids well fed !!!
I don't see anyone in this topic that mention or lead to believe a kid is starving or underfed.
There is a teaching lesson that should comes with eating, in order to have the kids grow properly, and healthily. And their mental health is a serious concern as well, if you take them out of their house, you have to make sure to actually improves their mental condition...and this take times, and efforts, that the Child Welfare Services are just not willing to put in.
There is also a thin line between well fed, and overfed. I am just pinpointing that they are not even doing the minimum. If you do something, you have to do it right. But asking peoples who are been PAID to be human and actually cares, that would be too much I guess. Parents are after all, doing it freely and even paying...while the services you mentions, they are been paid. Many cases are simply peoples who have to justify their salary, not caring for the kid and often abusing powers he shouldn't have gotten in the first place.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
He's just trolling...
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Couples who play together stay together . I just see the standard mmo syndrome in you people's cases. You play alot and eventually even though the game is no longer as fun as before you are either stuck in a routine or simply too attached to your pixels. I think as adults people should realise that when games become tedious or more work than fun it is time to play something else. Also many of you seem heavily addicted. The Op states that he plays mmos whenever he has free time,surely diversifying into something other than video games during your free time certainly wouldnt hurt.
Casual guilds are hard to handle. I've tried it, but most of them amount to nothing much. Casual guilds tend to have casual logins and casual playing times as well. It means that very often, there aren't enough people online at the same time to actually do something together. The only thing that works is to have a fixed, weekly meeting time where everyone tries to get online. But very often, people don't want to commit to a fixed play evening or afternoon. I never really understood why, because if you have a few fixed hours a week, it's SO much easier to plan ahead, and you can make sure you have those few hours to yourself.
How I keep MMOs interesting? Hmm, I stuck to one game, and I got myself a good guild. Those are 1 in a million, and for me, a good guild gives me the opportunity to do what I want: grouping. To me, a 'good guild' is a guild that does have a fixed schedule of one evening a week, but where people aren't required to log in every week, and you still have enough on every week to get something going. The people are friendly and chatty and are group animals. That is, to me, the perfect guild. If I have extra time, I play solo games, either games that are intended to be played solo or MMOs that are nothing much more than solo games with an online chat box attached, due to noone actually grouping or no good guilds around that I know of. Unfortunately, my guild plays a game I don't particularly like, but to me: grouping > game mechanics and graphics.
You bring up a very good point in this post, Rayana. That point was about setting a time to get together. I did that on DDO. We would meet up on Mondays @ 6pm or so and play for a couple hours. It was kind of like a pnp DnD group. I didn't last but a month in that group, because once a week wasn't enough to keep me interested. Plus, the entire group knew DDO like the back of their hands, so people weren't excited to be playing through these dungeons again. I agree with you that current MMORPGs are leaning to the side of console single player games than MMORPGs. However, I do think that if there was a benefit for grouping, like bonus xp, people who want to group would start grouping more. Even a game like WoW and LoTRO would be fun if you have a set group to play it with during the week. Sure, you can't play the game like an addict when you dedicate your time to one group, but it frees you up for other social activities.
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
I've read through this thread and have seen some off-topic discussion going. I have reported the contributors. Please keep the conversation on-topic. I assure you that my child is well fed and is actually spoiled to death. What happened to those kids that were neglected by their parents was something that is not common. I would wager that the majority of the parents playing MMORPGs at least make sure their parenting responsibilities are covered.
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
Couples who play together stay together . I just see the standard mmo syndrome in you people's cases. You play alot and eventually even though the game is no longer as fun as before you are either stuck in a routine or simply too attached to your pixels. I think as adults people should realise that when games become tedious or more work than fun it is time to play something else. Also many of you seem heavily addicted. The Op states that he plays mmos whenever he has free time,surely diversifying into something other than video games during your free time certainly wouldnt hurt.
So all of your trolling so far on my thread has a root from this? Let me assure you that I do other things than game. I do read, I do study to maintain a GPA higher than 3.5, and I do have other responsibilities that need addressed. Some people watch a lot of T.V., but I play video games instead. TV is just as much as waste of time as video games. How many people watch TV when there is nothing on? Does that mean you like TV less? Just because I may be bored with a game, does not mean I don't like the genre. Which is one of the points of this discussion. I think a person who approaches a MMORPG casually will not get bored nearly as soon as a person who plays the game hardcore.
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
Hmm, I have a different experience. If people only group for rewards, then they are doing just that: grouping for personal character benefit. People who like grouping group anyway, simply because they like grouping. I think the biggest hurdle in games for casual players is exactly the XP. A heavily level based game kills grouping for casual players, I think. It's because there are always some who play slightly more, or slightly less, so that in no time the level differences and advancement in the game make it harder and harder to group up with a fixed group.
I played LoTRO for a bit, but even though the kinship I was in was quite chatty and social, we barely teamed. LoTRO had, on top of the level system, also another hurdle: chained quests. In no time, noone was 'on the same page' anymore. In a few weeks time, I found myself mostly soloing and PuGing through the game, so I quit. Guildwars seems to be ideal for me: low level cap (so levels are barely ever a hinderance), and not that many time sinks. If you want to team up with some friends, you just open the map, and zoom to the place where you are going to team up. You can be 'on the road' within minutes. Personally, I don't mind redoing missions and elite missions one bit. The game is another solo game with a chat box though, but I found a good guild there.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
I am fortunate to be a stay at home dad of 2 yr old. I have a schedule more or less and stick to it explicitly with regards to the kiddo. She gets her lunch between noon and 12:30. Typically I play a couple hours before that. If lunchtime is approaching, I don't get into any lengthy quests and such; she plays in the same room and/or watches relatively healthy shows such as sesame street.
After lunch, during her nap, I tidy up, etc. When she wakes up we play together for a bit, preferably outside, but this being oregon...
After that I have a few hours before the wife gets home, where we hang out and such, she sits in my lap watching me play etc. One tends to develop the ability to multitask far more than any in office environment. It only takes a couple AFK minutes to change a diaper, give a snack, refill a cup. Some days I get more out a game, sometimes it's just more worthwhile to step away and have a blast with my child.
I get a few hours at night when everyone is asleep to do more hardcore stuff, but all in all I view myself as a hardcore player in terms of time put into a game, but casual in that I don't take anything too seriously and typically will tell the folks I am playing with that I could leave for a few mins at any given time. It helps to have a group or duo that understands this. in fact, I play ALOT with a friend that is in the same position, but he's juggling 3 kids lol.
It's very satisfying to know that I have a great time online doing what I love, yet can provide a great environment for a child.
As an aside, I've been playing WoW on and off since release. I haven't participated in a single raid and haven't done too many instances. I just don't see that possible, or even worth it, knowing the more important responsibilites I have. I still find the game fun as hell without participating in the more hardcore stuff. Bouncing around from game to game to keep things fresh. with a few exceptions, the great thing about mmogs is your chars will always be there, ready to go when you get the urge.
I'm a full time doctor with 2 kids, 13 and 8 years old, and I'm a gamer.
I typically play with my kids after dinner depending on chores and such, then when they go to bed I hang out with my wife, then when she goes to bed I can log in a few hours of more serious play time. I have played everything from 1999 and beyond and what I have found is that the end game of most MMO's just doesn't work with my lifestyle. I also live out in the country and have a horse and do alot of outdoor activities so that keeps me in a reasonable amount of shape as well.
Just like the original poster, I find that the computer mostly cuts into the time most people watch the awful TV shows that are out now. Also it definatly cuts into my sleep a bit but I make sure to keep tabs on that so I don't get too sleep deprived.
I'm currently playing DDO & COH.. mostly COH because I have a great group there thru the Old Timers Guild. This guild has definatly made gaming TONS more fun as it is mostly filled with like minded gamers who have the whole real life thing to deal with as well. Also, my 8 year old can play COH reasonably well with me 8)
I have been married 14 years and have been MMO gaming for nearly 9 of f those so it can work, just need balance like with all things.
PLAYTIME
Great comments/questions. I do not feel like an adult just yet, and I also do not have kids. However, as with you, I have played these types of games for many years. I have nearly reached a breaking-point of losing interest, though. I play, roughly speaking, 5 to 20 hours a week gaming.
WHAT I DO WHEN NOT GAMING
Besides playing these games, I golf, exercise (swim, jog, cardio, and some weight-lifting), study (this absorbs most of my time), work (mostly a consultant for my company, now), and go out with friends.
MY GAMES
The games that I play, as a total, in this order of time: EQ 2, SWG, Vanguard, EQ 1, Sim City 4: Rush Hour, F.E.A.R. Combat (free and quickly moving up in time), Warcraft III: Frozen Throne, Civilization IV. I also play several game for the XBOX 360. The amount of time I spend in these games varies so greatly from week to week.
SANDBOX SOLOIST
I prefer sandbox type of games, and I consider myself a solo player. However, I enjoy grouping in EQ 2 that I mostly group. I still consider myself more of a Solo player.
FORMER GUILD LEADER: EQ 1, WoW guilds.
I definitely participate in guild events, and I have founded, managed several (very) successful guilds in terms of accomplishments as a community in addition to meeting raiding objectives. My guilds were very serious and well structured; my guilds were a quasi-business and quasi-government model. Checks and balances with small-business avenues for any member to participate in varied leadership capacities. Leadership was not static, and everything was subject to change, modification, improvement, removal.
BURNT OUT ON GUILDS
Today, I cannot found or run a guild (not with school starting in a few weeks). Further, after my guild was forced to merge on the EQ 1 progression server due to forced-raiding, I have been reluctant to do it again. Although my WoW guild was very successful, by every measure, the amount of drama I managed on a (daily) basis makes me reluctant to ever found or manage a guild again. Let me say something, though: in my WoW guild, I had some excellent Officers. The population from which to recruit was different from the EQ 1 population I was accustomed to. I nevertheless adapted to this different (less mature, less skilled) population.
CONCLUSION
Well, you and me are on the same page. I want (need) a game in which I can log in for an hour or so and accomplish something meaningful and be able to log out. I cannot do the EQ 1 dungeon for 8 hours at a time thing nor do I want to. I need a more sophisticated game than WoW with many options and a greater sandbox feel with a superior end-game. I think I finally found that in EQ 2 and found a great social game in SWG. To be clear: I enjoy an occasional raid but have no patience for when it is forced or when I have to log-in at 8:00 p.m. EST at a specific place and dungeon. To be honest: as I did when I started my undergrad studies, I am seriously considering canceling my MMORPGs for a year or so to get a fresh start on things. Thank you for reading my comments!
That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. Who the hell props the bottle? Feeding time with your baby is supposed to be a bonding time. That is just sickening and pathetic that someone would do that.
I am not a parent, nor will I ever likely be (I had a vasectomy about two months back), but I completely understand where you are coming from.
First off.. since you were dumb enough to have kids *wink* (yes, thats sarcasm =P) I highly recommend that you severely cut back your play time and spend as much time with them as possible. Raising kids on TV and video games is not acceptable in my eyes.... concentrate on hands on activities with the kids. Depending on their age and sex you will have to customize, but go for outdoorsy stuff... sports (yuck), hiking, boating, fishing, building stuff or working on an antique car,go carts, etc. Make them do things that will develop their minds and motor functions.
As for gaming... I feel your pain. Todays MMO's dont force grouping, and I'm not the type to get into hardcore guilds and raiding any more. My solution is that I have a core group of about 8 real life and online friends that I game with. I have been playing with most of them a minimum of two years and we have traveled from game to game together. So far we have not found anything we all like except WoW, so thats where we are once again.. waiting for WAR to come out. I'm pretty sure our group will stay in WAR once its released at least until the next big thing comes along. Most of my friends are very content with WoW, I of course am not.... I want player housing, SWG crafting, etc... but I settle for WoW because the combat is fun, the world WAS fun to explore, and its where my friends are
.
To be honest I haven't yet found a game that is a suitable replacement for EQ1.... SWG was great fun for about one year, and WoW as well... but nothing keeps me entertained for years like EQ1 did. Every other game I've tried disappointed me in one way or another. I know WAR won't be "the one", but I expect it will be another WoW or SWG... keep me happy for a year or so till i get bored, then I'll keep playing it till something else comes along.
Since I won't be having kids I have a long MMO career ahead of me
PS- for the flamers: One of my static group members is my live-in girlfriend who is smokin' hot, I work full time, I spend time out on my boat, I am restoring an antique car and attend car shows, I hang out and have a few beers with friends, I read, and I swim at the base of waterfalls regularly..... so yes I have a life outside of MMO's... they just replace TV for me.
Dont assume that hardcore gamers have no life. I'm much more hardcore in the winter when im buried in snow and most of my hobbies are on hold till spring.
Grymm
MMO addict in recovery!
EQ,SWG preCU,L2,EQ2,GW,CoH/CoV,V:SOH,
Aion,AoC,TR,WAR,EVE,BP,RIFT,WoW and others... no more!
Don't let that give you false hope! I had two friends that both got snipped and lo and behold they had 1 more child. And yes, the kids were theirs.
Ill bite on this topic because I am a parent of 3 children, 29yrs old and love to play mmos.
Ive ran into the situation that the op ran into.
Bottomline imo, how much time are you spending on mmos on a weekly basis...add it up
Are you living a balanced life?
When you spend time with your wife and kids do they get your full attention or are you still thinking about playing your mmo of choice?
If your playing the mmo and at some point it stops being fun yet you keep playing....realize that Variety is the spice of life.
Yes my alliance too ahs sucha polacy comcerning real life concerns. In such game switht he level of persoanll involvment like most MMO'sits very important to have such a polacy in place to protect members from what i call WoW syndrome. As such in my corp if someone says they have to go due to R/L weahve no problem no questions asked. And because of this it makes for a real friendly corperation [Guild].
"Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god."
-- Jean Rostand
I'm an older gamer, with three boys ages 8, 6 and 2.5... Also been married for 10 years. I've been an MMO gamer for ages and when done right it doesnt have to detract from family. I prefer more open ended games, (playing Eve now) and am a member of TOG, The Older Gamers. Being in a multi game guild of older players is ideal for me. We realize that family comes first, and when we need to take a minute to change a diaper or make lunches it's understood.... no pressure to hurry. Best advice I can give is that when youre a gamer and become a parent, it's time to find other players like you to play with. Your not a kid anymore.
That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. Who the hell props the bottle? Feeding time with your baby is supposed to be a bonding time. That is just sickening and pathetic that someone would do that.
I don't know if you are a parent or not Dekron, but every person that I've know with babies has used this technique. Especially to help them go to sleep again. It's not used all of the time, but when you have things to get done, it sure as hell works. I haven't insulted you are bashed the way you do things and I find your tone very offensive. My child is healthy, smart, and happy. He loves to learn, I love to teach, and he never is wanting for anything. So please keep your tone down or I will report you for flame-baiting. Not everyone in the world shares your views on things. This is a hard lesson I have had to learn myself.
Thank you
MMORPG's w/ Max level characters: DAoC, SWG, & WoW
Currently Playing: WAR
Preferred Playstyle: Roleplay/adventurous, in a sandbox game.
As a parent, my playstyle has changed over time because of changing circumstances with kids and changes in attitude on my part. For the last couple of years, I'd have to characterize myself as a part-time, casual player. I play at night, when it is finally quiet, when I would otherwise be watching TV. If I play other times, I try to stick to activities where I don't need to pay a lot of attention to the computer and won't be inconveniencing other people if I get up and walk away for an extended AFK, which can mean being AFK for a few hours. I might log in during the day and harvest materials for crafting (or, more likely, in my case, for selling to crafters) or go to an out of the way spot where I can safely solo and not be in anyone's way.
I've reached a point where I don't feel like I need to log in every day or make a commitment to play a certain amount in order to enjoy the games. I am happy playing with friends and guildies when I can and only competing against myself in terms of achievements. I set challenges for myself, just to keep things interesting and to give me a sense of accomplishing something even when I am falling further and further behind the high end game. For instance, when the EQ expansion, The Serpent's Spine, was released, I returned to EQ with the intention of testing their claim that you could play all the way through the levels in that expansion alone by playing in those zones only. That was fun, even if I wandered off long before max level. I have long played without buying gear from other players, just for the challenge of it. I am sure that some people reading this are thinking, "Ur doin it wrong," but I am ok with that, as long as I am having fun.
This is a huge change from the days when I was very achievement-oriented and played for hours at a time. I am still achievement-oriented, but I have redefined my goals, and I think this has really been for the better for me. My real life has improved tons since I quit playing too much. I think I am a much better parent now to my younger kids (10, 8, and 2) than I was to my older kids (18, 16, and 15) then.
When my older kids were younger, we used to play EQ with them. They lost interest along the way, and the younger kids have never really gotten into it. They like console games. They have to ask to play, in order for me to keep a handle on it. I really try to keep the video games and even TV time balanced with other activities because I worry a lot about what kind of priorities they are developing. As I see it, games are great and games are fun, but video games come last after everything else, from homework to playing outside.
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This is where I draw the line: __________________.