My new addiction�

2005-10-17

Warning - the following is a utter festival of geek-speak about on-line RPG games. If you're disinterested in such things, stop here.

I've always liked role-playing games for the computer, but for the past couple of years I refused to buy any. They were all multiplayer on-line games, and you have to pay a monthly fee to play. I thought that was outrageous. Why can't I play by myself on my own little computer? I'm playing in a fantasy world and I want to be boss. I always want to be boss, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Finally, I took the plunge and bought one. A guy at the big-ole electronics store recommended one in particular, and I bought it.

I think I may have ruined my life. I know I've changed it.

I'm totally addicted. The wonderful spouse is playing. Several friends are playing. Then there are the other people in the fake world who really seem like friends.

Let me clarify that last statement a bit. As in most games, you can find or earn local currency. With this game, you can actually buy this currency with your real, hard-earned money on-line. I'm apparently not the only one totally addicted to the game.

You can also get together with a group temporarily to accomplish some task, you can join of guild of like-minded people and help each other out.

The guild I joined is sort of an adults-of-all-ages group. There's no age limit, but you have to play nice, not like a self-centered adolescent.

My guildmembers loaned me enough of the local currency to get something not totally necessary to the game, but a big addition when it comes to the fun level. It was like having people who have never met you give you money.

The whole experience reminds me a great deal of how I felt when I first found Diaryland.

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