Everquest Addiction: story by CBS, your thoughts (link to story included)

[rh71]

If EQ is as addictive as MUD (for those of you who have a clue), then I'm glad I'm staying away from EQ. MUD was the cause of many class failures during my college days only 5 short years ago.

 

[Alphathree33]

I'm sorry but after playing EQ for three years myself (finally quit about six months ago or so), I have to say that if I somehow got screwed over in EQ with one of my level 50+ characters at the height of my playing (when I was playing 30-40 hours per week)... well, I can see how something like that might happen.

Whenever you invest time into something (a lot of time) and then have the results of your effort rendered useless, it hurts.

Think about someone who loses money on the stock market or fails a year of school or something like that. The feeling is similar.

His mother was right -- it was EQ. But that doesn't mean Sony owes money to her. This is new legal ground, and there are no legal restrictions on how 'addictive' a game can be. Sony wasn't trying to kill people. They have some dedicated programmers who can make really good games.

 

[0roo0roo]

it must really be good somehow because the graphics were just sinfully bad. i felt embarassed for all pc gamers that they were showing such primitive graphics as something people actually get addicted to

 

[pulse8]

The guy had to have been emotionally unstable to begin with. What happened with the game probably just pushed him over the edge.

 

[glen]

Lots of folks are complaining about the graphics.
Since when have graphics had anything to do with how much fun a game is?

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: pulse8
The guy had to have been emotionally unstable to begin with. What happened with the game probably just pushed him over the edge.

Exactly.

I think this situation just highlighted and exacerbated his latent mental instability.

 

[fyleow]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
it must really be good somehow because the graphics were just sinfully bad. i felt embarassed for all pc gamers that they were showing such primitive graphics as something people actually get addicted to

The game is quite old by now, the graphics in the newer areas are much better. Even then it's limited by their engine that's why EQ 2 is coming out.

I used to play EQ a lot, especially in the summer I played about 16+ hours a day. Not because I was "addicted" but more bored. There wasn't much to do around and EQ provided "human interaction" (I had just moved too so I didn't know anyone to hang out with during the summer). I have quit now though because it was just too time consuming. People who kill themselves over a game have problems.

Ever stop to think that maybe EQ actually extended the life of that guy? He was plagued with emotional problems, maybe something in EQ really pushed him over the edge but perhaps it provided him a purpose in life. I seriously believe that if it wasn't EQ it would be something else that would have killed him.

EX: Level 60 Magician, Level 40 Druid, Level 40 Monk, Level 32 Rogue here.

Though most of the other characters except the Mage was twinked and power leveled....I think my total was about 120ish days played.

I doubt it was something that happened to his character that killed him. Unless it was something either emotional, like "love in EQ" or whatever or he got hacked. It is almost impossible to lose everything in the game. Hell look at Tigole from Legacy of Steel. He wanted to go out with a bang by dying in Sleeper's Tomb (One of the hardest zones at the time) and he still got his corpse back. All you need is a necromancer really.

 

[pac1085]

Originally posted by: fyleow

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
it must really be good somehow because the graphics were just sinfully bad. i felt embarassed for all pc gamers that they were showing such primitive graphics as something people actually get addicted to

The game is quite old by now, the graphics in the newer areas are much better. Even then it's limited by their engine that's why EQ 2 is coming out.

I used to play EQ a lot, especially in the summer I played about 16+ hours a day. Not because I was "addicted" but more bored. There wasn't much to do around and EQ provided "human interaction" (I had just moved too so I didn't know anyone to hang out with during the summer). I have quit now though because it was just too time consuming. People who kill themselves over a game have problems.

Ever stop to think that maybe EQ actually extended the life of that guy? He was plagued with emotional problems, maybe something in EQ really pushed him over the edge but perhaps it provided him a purpose in life. I seriously believe that if it wasn't EQ it would be something else that would have killed him.

EX: Level 60 Magician, Level 40 Druid, Level 40 Monk, Level 32 Rogue here.

Though most of the other characters except the Mage was twinked and power leveled....I think my total was about 120ish days played.

I doubt it was something that happened to his character that killed him. Unless it was something either emotional, like "love in EQ" or whatever or he got hacked. It is almost impossible to lose everything in the game. Hell look at Tigole from Legacy of Steel. He wanted to go out with a bang by dying in Sleeper's Tomb (One of the hardest zones at the time) and he still got his corpse back. All you need is a necromancer really.

I was addicted to it, for a year. I played about 16 hours a day every day including weekends. I think it started out with bordem and then turned in to an addiction. I agree with what you say. EQ very well could have extended his life, I know when I had problems and went to go play EQ it made me feel alot better. I really liked going back to the game because I had a feel of power over most of the other characters in the game (Level 60 Wizard, Epic, TOV, SOL Gear with ManaBurn and a ton of other AA skills)

If EQ is as addictive as MUD (for those of you who have a clue), then I'm glad I'm staying away from EQ. MUD was the cause of many class failures during my college days only 5 short years ago.

Oh man I really miss MUD's. I used to play Tele-Arena ALL DAY for like 2 years.

I have to say that if I somehow got screwed over in EQ with one of my level 50+ characters at the height of my playing (when I was playing 30-40 hours per week)... well, I can see how something like that might happen.
Whenever you invest time into something (a lot of time) and then have the results of your effort rendered useless, it hurts.

I agree with you there. It's just a game, but when something like that happened to me(I dropped 75,000 platinum on accident while trying to trade with somone) It made me feel like @#%& for a LONG time after it happened. That combined with other emotional problems = not good.

As far as the people complaining about graphics - its like saying you dont like lighting your cigarette with matches, only a lighter.

i purposely avoided buying everquest because i knew i'd become addicted.

I wish I did. I HATED the game for the first 10 levels or so, but my friends told me to stick with it and it will pay off -- it did, but not in a good way. What a mistake!

How the hell can anyone play something for that long? I just don't understand it... Dunno if I ever will.

Its not natural...it really messes up your day -- heres an example: Wake up - 4PM Play EQ on your own till 8PM. Go on a Guild Raid from 8PM - 3 AM. Go to sleep until 4PM. Thats what my guild's schedule was like.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: glen
Lots of folks are complaining about the graphics.
Since when have graphics had anything to do with how much fun a game is?

no, its just more embarrasing that non gamers watching will get a worse impression i suppose.

 

[illusion88]

Just a Question for Current EQ players
Do you see the game as expanding? Is it still growing? About 2 months ago i reinstalled it just to see what it was like, and all i saw were level 50+ chars with all the low levels twinked out with gear they shouldnt have.

To tell ya the truth thats what really turned me off from the game. How could i compete with people i knew when they could play for 8 hours a day when i struggle to get that in a week? They could play 2 different charecters and i could only do one. Ah, oh well. Spounging is better.

But yeah, so do you see the game as still growing? I know there is a new expansion pack comming out soon...

 

[Buzzman151]

That whole show just pissed me off to high hell. All full of BS for non-gamers to belive. Yes, it's true the game is addicting... but for the most part... aren't most things that cause someone pleasure addicting? Its just about how a person controls their urges. I was infuriated when they started talking about that kid that shot himself. The parents even said that he had emotional problems all his life.


Btw... they tried to say taht EQ was the best selling PC game ever.. isn't it Half-Life or The Sims???


GAH!! I must stop thinking about that whole report.... it makes me nothing but angry :/

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: illusion88
Just a Question for Current EQ players
Do you see the game as expanding? Is it still growing? About 2 months ago i reinstalled it just to see what it was like, and all i saw were level 50+ chars with all the low levels twinked out with gear they shouldnt have.

To tell ya the truth thats what really turned me off from the game. How could i compete with people i knew when they could play for 8 hours a day when i struggle to get that in a week? They could play 2 different charecters and i could only do one. Ah, oh well. Spounging is better.

But yeah, so do you see the game as still growing? I know there is a new expansion pack comming out soon...

Yeah...there was even a news story about people making unearned money hurting the whole economy, making it nearly impossible for new people to start playing.

They can never balance those persistant world games. I stopped playing UO for that reason. Too much cheating, trickery, and help from high level characters.

 

[Dragnov]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: illusion88
Just a Question for Current EQ players
Do you see the game as expanding? Is it still growing? About 2 months ago i reinstalled it just to see what it was like, and all i saw were level 50+ chars with all the low levels twinked out with gear they shouldnt have.

To tell ya the truth thats what really turned me off from the game. How could i compete with people i knew when they could play for 8 hours a day when i struggle to get that in a week? They could play 2 different charecters and i could only do one. Ah, oh well. Spounging is better.

But yeah, so do you see the game as still growing? I know there is a new expansion pack comming out soon...

Yeah...there was even a news story about people making unearned money hurting the whole economy, making it nearly impossible for new people to start playing.

They can never balance those persistant world games. I stopped playing UO for that reason. Too much cheating, trickery, and help from high level characters.

Just wait for Blizzard's World of Warcraft. They always seem to perfect each genre. They take the time and effort to look at past games and see what they can improve upon them and fix the problems of old.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Alphathree33
I'm sorry but after playing EQ for three years myself (finally quit about six months ago or so), I have to say that if I somehow got screwed over in EQ with one of my level 50+ characters at the height of my playing (when I was playing 30-40 hours per week)... well, I can see how something like that might happen.

Whenever you invest time into something (a lot of time) and then have the results of your effort rendered useless, it hurts.

Think about someone who loses money on the stock market or fails a year of school or something like that. The feeling is similar.

His mother was right -- it was EQ. But that doesn't mean Sony owes money to her. This is new legal ground, and there are no legal restrictions on how 'addictive' a game can be. Sony wasn't trying to kill people. They have some dedicated programmers who can make really good games.

I guess it is all perspective. I recall when I was at the height of my playing being on a Kedge raid on a Sunday afternoon. This was back when Kedge was still a tough raid and we had multiple wipe outs. Meanwhile my wife came in to tell me supper was ready and I told her I needed a couple minutes since there was a corpse recovery going on. As always happens in these situations a couple of minutes appeared to be rapidly turning into more than a couple minutes so it was a no brainer on my part to balance out the fact that my wife would be upset if I continued to sit in front of the PC versus coming to supper. I told my guild and the raid hosting guild that I was sorry but I had to go and if my corpse ended up being lost then that was what would have to be. Real life and my marriage were and are more important than a game toon and virtual belongings. At no point when playing any of these games have they ever become the sole focus of my life to the point that I could even fathom suicide over something happening to my game toon.