Games Online games: are they worth it?

[Bugz]

Sitting here at 11:45pm, after spending my evening raiding on WoW and sorting out disputes between players, I find myself asking : is it all worth it? has it been worth it?

What have I achieved? A couple of great people I talk to online, some laughs, some giggles.

What have I lost? Some of my youth, time better spent with family, friends etc., grades/opportunities.

My question to the OT forum is (as most of us are current games or ex-gamers) has it all been worth it? Would you change the time you spent on online games into something else if you could?

 

[Overdriven]

Would I go back in time and do it again? Yes.
Reasoning: My life was shit, got better because of the games/effects of the games in my IRL situation. (Now I no longer play MMOs and I like my life )

 

[CorNokZ]

No I would not.. Daoc has given me so many online friends and so many great memories that I wouldn't change it

I've enjoyed all the years I've played and I'm glad that I made so many great friends online

 

[cHodAX]

In all honesty yes I probably would go back and change it, I have made some great friends gaming online but when I look back at the things I missed out on it probably wasnt worth it.

 

[- English -]

wouldn't change it tbh. Gaming is a cheap hobby imo, saves me going out 3-4 times a week spending 20-30quid on stuff i cant afford while being a student. Maybe I shouldn't have spent the amount time that I did, but you never know what you missed until you miss it so I dont think i can complain.

 

[Septima]

Would prolly spend less time doing silly things alone in the game (crafting, farming etc). When it's becomes a single player game it's not worth of it.

 

[Dukat]

Yes and no.

I enjoy/enjoyed my online gaming time, I perhaps did too much of it when I was younger. Looking back now I wish I had done more sports/exercise, doing it now is a real struggle still because I'm just not used to it. That said, I could've been doing a hell of a lot worse - my online time helped to train my computing knowledge - without games I probably wouldnt have bothered to find out half of the tricks I know now just because I was making spreadsheets for DAoC information or photoshopping pictars to put on forums, or any number of other odd jobs, it definitely helped me to get through college and still helps me now to an extent.

The majority of my peers from college/highschool are now either drunkards, druggies or worse, some have several kids by different people, most of them are in jobs I personally would hate to do.

I am lucky because I am in a job that isnt so bad, with the prospects, determination and qualifications to get elsewhere if I so wanted. I am not addicted to drink nor other substances, and have not left a trail of uncared for children in my wake, I know I could've done alot better had I of not wasted so much time on the PC, however I also know it could've been a hell of a lot worse.

So basicly like I said, yes and no - hindsight is a wonderful thing, but being in the moment is different - you pays your money you takes your chances, I'm happy with where I am and where I am going, because I know alot of people are far worse off even though they spent thier time doing more "worthwhile" things than playing on the PC.

 

[Rulke]

Depends on the game I guess.

If you enjoy raiding 5-6 hours 4-5 nights a week only to have all your hard won items made obsolete by the next expansion then WoW is great.

But I'm not bitter!

 

[megadave]

Has WoW just released TOA then?


If I went back i'd probably still play online games just to a lesser extent to give me time to spend doing other, more productive stuff.

 

[Xandax]

There are many other things in my life I'd rather change then the fun times I've had in a MMO.

Some people collect stamps, sit for hours to look at small paper squares - others play MMOs.

Besides, when I played most I was a student and managed to pull home the largest grade of the entire year anyway, so dunno if I'd done better without MMOs anyway. Now when I'm working, I've cut down on my MMO gaming to a degree that still fits into my life.
So as long as I can find a balance, playing MMOs is just another hobby to me, and there is nothing wrong with having a hobby unless it interferes with your normal life and you can't control it.

 

[old.Tohtori]

I've lost nothing due to game and i've lost no gaming due to life.

It's all the same what you do to kill time, as long as you kill it dead.

Unless you're a philosophist siting at the base of mount olympus.

 

[Helme]

I can't really see any option for my life apart from gaming, I despise watching TV, I don't like either partying or drinking alcohol, I've always had decent enough grades - while they could be better if I didn't play, I can't see it making a huge difference.

The only real regret I have is that I didn't pick the right school from start so I had to wait an entire year before I could start again, and tbh if it wasn't for DAoC during that time I probably would have killed myself out of boredom

 

[Jeremiah]

I really regret the amount of time I spent in DAOC. I was probably one level before hardcore, I was an alt-making junkie and would happily spend an hour in housing looking for decent gear. The number of times I would say I'd be off in 5mins, then still be on an hour later - I hated that... I'm so glad I realised I wasnt having fun.

 

[pikeh]

Online gaming is a hobby just like the majority of others.
In the grand scheme of things, It probably isnt "worth it", but then again if I look at it like that then my guitar playing isnt "worth it". Im never gonna make bundles of money from it, win a nobel peace prize from it or something - but im buggered if im gonna stop.
I've got nothing material out of playing DAoC. Not even one screenshot of any of my characters to prove what I did. I dont care though, like a good holiday, I dont need photos to remember the good times I had whilst doing it.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Not to mention, you never know.

TActics and war knowledge from games like DAoC(guild leading, taking orders, raids) and Battlefield(similar things, "eye for battle") could come in handy if we were to enter some form of apocalyptic thing against zombies or machines like in terminator.

I'd say the gaming nerds are well equipped in strategy etc.

Well, not all and training would help, but...we ain't dumb.

If say, zombies came; normal people would freak out and scream like girls, gaming nerds would probably find a baseball bat and shotgun and start their bunkers.

 

[Maeloch]

Dunno, I enjoyed all my time playing DAoC and don't regret it. But when I went truely mad playing it - staying up till 3-4am during working week most nights getting pissed - it didn't exactly help the work sitation. I'd just moved to the US for a 2 year contract, I didn't loose the job, but probably would have been asked to stay if wasn't so distracted, so opportunity blown there.

Been between hols last week and couildn't settle much at home so had an oldskool week messing about on DAoC with the beers. Think that amazes me since found other things to pass the time, is just how much of a time sink it is - timesink is wrong word, fucking blackhole more like. Half past 6 becomes half past 10, becomes 2am in the blink of an eye. Even when not much happening in game, times just gets gobbled up so fast. Can see how hour becomes, all night, becomes all week, couple of years...

Checked Maels /played about 3-4 yrs ago, dunno exactly when tbh. It was 151 days or someshit, never checked it again, scared to know. b4 I finish for good will take my medicine and go thru all my toons and add it up.

 

[old.Osy]

Not a single ounce of regret.

My 3 daoc years... 2 of which I spent getting sleep deprived, grown a beard, slept on a couch in the gaming center, only got home twice per week... Had people looking down on me, like I was a freak of nature or something. Still, I was smiling inside, knowing I'm having the best irresponsible time of my life, at a time when I could afford it.

At that age and period, yes, I would do it all over again. (Would not get a SC LGM this time, though )

 

[Bahumat]

Only thing i'd have changed is listening to my friend Tsabo on character creation. *This is when I first started daoc and asked him about Reavers*.

I asked him what the class was with the weird spells and the whips. He told me they were reavers. He told me Highlanders could be reavers....after getting to level 5 I was so annoyed, but he told me about Paladins and I made one of those....wish i'd have re-rolled now!

Daoc was great fun as are all the other online games. I enjoy posting on this forum and enjoy reading all the cool members weird threads!

 

[Naetha]

Well, I stopped playing MMOs and look what happened - I had a baby - good things happen when you stop playing



Having said that, I don't regret the time I spent, especially in the early days of daoc. Much of my time on ToA was wasted, but that's because I spent it by myself with the computer, rather than with friends online, grinding myself into oblivion. Also at the time we had fuck all money and lived in a shit-hole in Leeds and couldn't do much about it, so not only was the escapism necessary, it was pretty cheap, and had less of a permanent effect than other options such as binge drinking and recreational drugs. Also, although my life has changed significantly from then (3 bed semi in the suburbs, young family etc), what I went through was a formative process and I wouldn't be who I am today, without being who I was then.

Best part of six years since starting daoc though I have a great network of friends (mainly guildies) we meet up at least once a year for a big barbecue / house party jobbie, and several smaller meet-ups for general messing about and geekery (read warhammer table-top). Even though I'm not really actively playing anything (dabbling with AoC and WAR beta) I still chat to people almost every night on vent and have a laugh.

I think the key is, everything in moderation, keeping a perspective of how much time you are spending. And let's face it, you do know when it's too much, just most people don't want to face up to it / do anything about it.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Well, I stopped playing MMOs and look what happened - I had a baby - good things happen when you stop playing

I think you'll find that to be the least effective motivator to stop gaming, ever

 

[Lamp]

They're alright in small doses. I think playing them for hour on end 7 days a weeks 365 days a year is too much tho
But having said that some people with no life need them.
Each to their own.

 

[haarewin]

good things happen when you stop playing

They're alright in small doses.

 

[Naetha]

I think you'll find that to be the least effective motivator to stop gaming, ever

Yes babies as a motivator only work in retrospect

 

[Lamp]

If you find in real life that you keep saying "pwnd" and "kk" and "buff me" to people, and starting wearing a T-shirt with "LFG" on it, then you probably need a long holiday.

 

[Vladamir]

Has WoW just released TOA then?


If I went back i'd probably still play online games just to a lesser extent to give me time to spend doing other, more productive stuff.

But then would we have had flowerpot?!

 

[Lucius]

Nah I don't regret it. Would have spent my time doing other things which may have been more fulfulling in the long run but DAoC was just a helluvah lot more exciting, I mean why else would I/we have played so much? I've learnt important skills like being able to utilise the PC to a decent standard and being able to touch type, and most of all met some fantastic people with great memories.

 

[Chronictank]

I dont regret it at all tbh,
Dukat hit the nail on the head for me too considering the alternatives i would have been doing i think i chose the lesser evil

As for is it worth it? Depends how much money you spend on games/entertaintment as in reality a MMO is a very cheap way of passing the time compared to say going to the pub

 

[old.Tohtori]

And by the by, Bugz you make it sound like you're some 40 year old loser sitting in his mothers basement and pining for days lost.

You're not even 20! You haven't "lost" anything, your life isn't over, it's all open for you and until you turn 35 atleast, you have no point in saying "i've wasted my life" unless you want A: sympathy B: a cop-out of fixing things.

No offense ofcourse, just how it sounds

 

[collegien]

/em throws away his LFG t-shirt :/

DAOC has really helped me through some very tough times. Especially in the early days when there was community spirit and realm pride involved. It is sad that the games lost that edge and i doubt it will be found again in any future MMO.
I still play US classic and may try Origins server too when it comes out. I have tried a couple of other games but always had my daoc accounts. Maybe WAR will be a new game that i will enjoy I am looking forward to trying it out at least.
I dont really regret any of the time i spent playing though as for me it was either that or watching tv or reading.

 

[Dukat]

Not to mention, you never know.

TActics and war knowledge from games like DAoC(guild leading, taking orders, raids) and Battlefield(similar things, "eye for battle") could come in handy if we were to enter some form of apocalyptic thing against zombies or machines like in terminator.

I'd say the gaming nerds are well equipped in strategy etc.

Well, not all and training would help, but...we ain't dumb.

If say, zombies came; normal people would freak out and scream like girls, gaming nerds would probably find a baseball bat and shotgun and start their bunkers.

lmao Toh 'Dont worry Sir! I'm from the intarnets?' (someone else post the pictar, I r at work!)