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Timeconsuming drug!
stormfrog
Member Posts: 12
If you are thinking about starting to play World of Warcraft you might be interested in reading this. Its odd... all reviews say how great a game WoW is in every detail.
None of them say you are required to play 5-8 hours every day. And why would you need to do that. Well, Blizzard are smart... they want to make money. Making their customers addicts and their slaves is a very rewarding business. And the reason is because the reward system of the game was designed this way. Up until level 40 its all fun and games. But then the grind concept is gradually introduced into the game. At level 60 all you do is repeat one tedious task for hours and hours. Even at roleplaying servers there simply is NO ROOM for roleplaying. Not serious roleplay anyway, sure you can try to roleplay on your own... but the game is not designed for this. Neither the game mechanics or any gamemasters will support your roleplaying. In fact from a RP perspective WoW is very much like trying to play a pen and paper RPG without a GM leading the game. All of this is mostly becuase you have to grind, grind, grind and grind to keep evolving your character. At level 60 one could just as well stop playing the game and arrange internet chats with the nice friends you meet in the game instead.
Now, before the mad fans starts bashing this post. I know you are there, I know there are millions of you. I know WoW is great. I played WoW... I love it! (I still do!) In fact its maybe even one of the best games ever created. I know all this, but now - a year after I started playing - I realized what this game did to me and stopped playing. Am currently trying to pick up the pieces of my old life. The sadest part is that I might just as well start playing WoW again :P Blizzard are aware people get addicted to their game. In fact its not a side effect at all! Getting your players hooked up and addicted is the one and only true purpose of the mmorpg business. Mmorpg is one mean evil way to make money, imo it is just as bad as the oil and weapon industry.
If you dont have any friends, you dont have any responsibilities (living on royality money etc) and really feel your life is so pointless you wont accomplish anything else with it. Then just go ahead and start playing... or start doing crack. Since if you really want to FUBAR your life you could just as well start doing some heavy drug! Then atleast you know what you are up against, and its just about as unhealthy.
Comments
For those who don't understand what the guy just said...
TRANSLATION: play WOW if you want to escape reality
You should watch an episode of intervention on A&E, then say that WoW is anything like hard drugs. Your teeth don't fall out, you don't scratch your skin till it bleeds, and it does not kill you if you do it too much( well 1 case doesn't count hehe ). I agree that it is an addicting game and you are right they design it that way. If they didn't know one would pay their monthly fees( and that does not make it right). The game kind of consumes you. You enter the WoW consciousness if you will. It dominates you thoughts, and your energy. It kind of becomes a second and separate life.
I just reactivated my account and am now regretting doing so, since even now I have this gnawing feeling that I should be playing..........aahhh I am getting sucked into the black hole known as WoW!
Just my opinion on the matter
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Science has never proven that what we see in front of us is in fact real.
I started playing 2 weeks ago and I find the xp bar that spans the bottom of the screen ingenious. In most game the xp bar is usually squished into a little area and it's not always visiable. Usually I can't see any progress unless I get a lot of kills or xp at once and unless I open the character panel. With WoW, since the xp bar is so huge and visible, I can see progress with every kill. I think it pushes me to play for just a little more.
Also further dividing the xp bar into five percents is clever. I can quickly visualize how much I have left to level. It's less intimidating to see five empty bars rather than the usual 25 percent remaining or the xp remaining to the next level. Plus since the xp bar is visible and so big I know how easy it is to knock of a single bar or five perecent. I think I can knock of a few more bars in no time.
yes WoW will ruin the lives of weak minded people that dont know any better... but then again so will tv, gambling, console games, internet chat site, ect. thing is that while there are weak minded people there will be addictions to things like this.
ITS CALLED SELF CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY, learn and use it
im not over powered! look it took me 10 minutes to kill that guy
If you play WoW 5-8 hours a day you'll be bored with it in 6 months. WoW was designed to play 1-2 hours a day with good progress. The oldshool games had more of an addictive quality to them. They were designed to be timesinks and required mass amounts of your life to be wasted at your keyboard to make progress.
When you think about the cost of bandwidth you'll understand why WoW was designed to not be a timesink. You'll see the real logic behind Eve Online's skill system too. The idea is to get people to pay a monthly fee but require them to be online sucking up bandwidth as little as necessary. The less you use the product while paying the monthly fee the more money they make. Thats why WoW is a dumbed down mmorpg. This is why EVE allows you to progress skills without actually playing.
On the subject of gaming addiction. It happens. Sometimes life sucks and you just want to escape. Bad things happen no matter where your escape is if that escape makes you ignore real life responsibilities. If you pay your bills and show up for work why should anyone care what you do with your time.
Make a difference!
I agree, video game addiction can be controlled..my parents limit me 2 hours a day, 4 hours on weekends, school comes first
. Even after week long binge playing I still can get back into the zone of having a limited time on video games, actual addictions are hard to control, video game addictions are simple.
All good answers... cool. I agree with dolente20 that I exaggerate when I compare WoW to cocain. But thats just the way I feel... but sure, in reality a real drug is alot worse.
I played since us closed beta and until a month ago. And yes, the last two months was rather boring. So I guess you are right, if you stick to playing 2 hours a day at most you will probably get more entertainment out of the game in the long run... but then the monthly fee comes and mess you up and has you thinking "I am paying for this I must get as much value (time) from it as possible!". Which is all wrong, since ones value of the game would be better if one didnt play numerous hours each day.Also thanks for paravion for clearing up my OP. I think you got everything said with that
I am the type of player where I like to do everything and anything from time to time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor - pre-WW2 genocide.
I'm in the same boat. I have a 60 priest and 60 rogue on Gorefiend. After 13 months of play, its hit me. I started the game with about 8 friends; 3 have left, 2 log in 3 times a week, and theres 3 of us that play. But after PvPing with the best, PvP against the best, clearing MC in record times, being there for the kill for every boss in BWL, downing Thrall, and preparing for AQ, the grind has overcome me. Sure my gear could be a lot better and I'm no Grand Marshall, but I get the idea. I've seen every aspect the game has had to offer. My rogue has his nightslayer. My priest has some of his prophecy, trans, and his Bene. I can tell I'm losing interest because I haven't posted on these forums since I started in November. I look over the game list and see whats available and what soon to be released. Been looking at Rising Force Online; that looks really good.
All in all, it hits you. You become aware of your accomplishments. I haven't played in 2 weeks. I got an email from a company saying they want to publish one of my writings. I just got a raise. I'm moving in with my better half. My Jeep is actually working now. I've noticed this things that happened in the past two weeks and have come to the conclusion that WoW was a big part of my life. Until you make the realization that it is an addiction, you keep playing. But when that realization comes forth, you start to notice the things that really mean something. May seem a little aesthetical, but just how it seems to me.
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Two atoms walk out of a bar. The first exclaims, "Damn, I forgot my electrons." The other replies, "You sure?". The first explains, "Yea, I'm positive."
Lol, priorities people.
Any game can be addicting to the point it becomes unhealthy. Remember all the kiddies playing D&D into the wee hours of the night, and a few offing themselves because their character died? This is nothing new.
Gaming is more of a hobby for me, playing WoW maybe 10 hours per week. I have a few purple items and participate in a few raids. One of the reasons I choose this game over others is the lack of time commitment it requires. I've had no problems reaching most of the goals I've set for my characters in the time I ALOT for playing.
Ico
Oh, cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.
Blaming games for gaming addictions is the same as blaming alcohol for alcohol addictions.
If you're that weak-minded, you'd just be addicted to something else if you didn't have WoW. Grow a pair, get some perspective, and take your carebear attitude on life elsewhere.
The game becomes very different after 40. Yes before you could level and run instances under 1-2 hours, but after 40 when you start running Uldaman, Zul Farrak, Maruadon, then end game instances, its impossible to play under those hours. If you want to progress your character you will have to put in at least 3 hours each session.
Unless you are rich, you wont be able to have a decent character without running instances.
Or blaming guns for the murder rate in the country
The game, alcohol, drug, whatever does not create the addiction. The specific thing may indeed facilitate the addiction but the initial foray into that addiction is on the person themselves for whatever reason. And no, before anyone says anything, I do not compare WoW addiction to gun control or whatever. I was simply adding a point is all.
Or blaming guns for the murder rate in the country
The game, alcohol, drug, whatever does not create the addiction. The specific thing may indeed facilitate the addiction but the initial foray into that addiction is on the person themselves for whatever reason. And no, before anyone says anything, I do not compare WoW addiction to gun control or whatever. I was simply adding a point is all.
You are right, if there were no guns people would find another way to kill people. As the saying goes " Guns do not kill people, people kill people".
Sheer will power is what is needed to beat addiction. Nothing, I repeat nothing else will work. The person must realize they have the addiction then use their will power to change it
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Weak willed people might have a hard time with anything in life that brings them satisfaction and pleasure
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Science has never proven that what we see in front of us is in fact real.
LOL
Most MMORPG's are this way.
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