Poll: Do you Belive in MMo FriendShip??

CCDeathCC

Hi eveybody i  like to see people opinion about this issue

paulscott

yes but not to the extent that you can get in real life.

in some games you'll find yourself willing to go way out of your way even lose a bit for people and them doing the same for you.   Considering tallies aren't kept I'd consider that a reletivly close friendship.

Ruthgar

I have found as soon as you aren't in the same guild or playing the same schedule, MMO "friends" are fair weather.  I've had people that I grouped with for months, chatted with them on vent, helped their alts, just ignore me the minute I left their guild.

The only people I've stayed in contact with are people I know in real life.

paulscott

It's hard to stay in contact with real friends that move to a different state as well.   Though that only excuses the play schedule.

As for my friends, I've still talked(and had fun with it) to them after they've become my enemy in game due to converting.

Mirrim

Sure, I have three very good friends I've played games with for over six years so far. We still keep in touch even though we're not always playing the same game, much less in the same guild. We share the good times and bad, support each other as good friends do, staying in touch via phone and mail.

Geographically, we're spread in Michigan, England, Texas and Colorado. I consider the other three all close friends, the bond growing stronger over the years since we met in EQ1. Depending on the people, games can have the same effect as having pen pals used to be.

My aunt and uncle met, and subsequently married, when he was in the armed services in Viet Nam back in the 60s. She wrote him as part of a "write a soldier" pen pal campaign. Three kids later, they are still married and now retired together.

 So yes, it can and does happen.

Morgyn_Blues

It's going to greatly differ from person to person. For instance I'm an abstract person by nature as are all my friends. There are people I have met online in MMO's years and years ago that I still chat with. Some of these folks I have continued to play and group with in other games; sometimes not even being in the same guild or factions even.  I know folks who have gone to drive 5-8 hours on their weekends to help a buddy move; a buddy they met in an MMO.

Folks who are concrete really need the world around them to be that way. Because they're such, they have a hard time justifying someone online as a friend because they don't have daily, concrete interaction with them. While someone who is abstract doesn't have that issue because they don't place any or as much emphasis or recognition into the physical side of the situation.

 

 

 

 

Krayzjoel

While i have developed "friendships" (if you could call it that) online, they are at best fleeting and based on your current situation in the game. Its best to have real friends that you can see in RL and interact with, but not in a game.  While "game" friendships can develop RL, its a friendship based on a game not RL itself.

My advice also if you friends with opposite sex in game dont let it go passed the friendship stage or ppl can get hurt and let them know that you just want to be friends.

Guitano

Yes, me and a handfull of friends met back at the release of Ultima Online. We started a guild way back when, I think about ten years now within the first year of UO. Our guild has grown over the years and the core of our guild have been friends all the long. We have also made other great friendships through the years and I know more will follow. When I start having kids, I hope that one of them will keep my guild going along with the other guild members kids and so on. Our guild has played a few online games through our time and have picked up some great people who become good friends. We also have never just random recruited people, its all register to join and if we like you, you get chosen.

 

VideoJockey

It's a lot harder these days to find people that don't inspire the rage in me. Once upon a time you had to be reasonably intelligent to play MMOs, but now they're almost all designed so kids can play.

Dedthom

Some of my best friends are MMOs.

I agree with Morgyn, it depends on the person. I have never made any real friends in MMOs but I am a crochety old bastard. I had a RL friend and she always made alot of friends in MMOs and would continue these friendships out side of the game. So it just depends on you.

Godliest

Yes. Making friends over the Internet isn't very different from making friends in real life. You just talk and hang around, it's not about looks or anything so basically the person shows his "true self" as a friend in a MMO.

Czzarre

Absolutly. I believe that people are compasionate and caring. The games we play allow for communication. As such friendships can evolve.

Torrential

deviliscious

I believe friendships can be made anywhere and some progress into closer friendships and some do not .. just as in meeting people in person. I have met alot of friends I met online, in fact my friend from Europe that I met in game came and visited me here in the states last summer. It is people who think that since they are sitting at their computer it doesn't count that baffle me. You are accountable for what you do regardless of whether your at your computer or meeting people in person.  If everyone behaved as they would when meeting people in person the communities on games would be much better than their current state.

wolfmann

my old WW2OL squad has a tradition of a yearly barbeque... Folks from all over USA attend, and sometimes a euro too. If I could afford to, I woulda jumped straight away hehe.

My SWG Guild, would probably have had some gatherings eventually, probably connected to Star Wars/501'st events, but the NGE ruined the whole deal..and we were spread for the winds. Some I still keep in contact with years and years later.

 

A friend of mine, left England and moved to Brazil... He's now a Brazilian citizen, married to a wonderful woman, 2 children and all because they met in UO...

 

 

I really don't see the point in people having to "poll" or question that people finds long lasting friendship and even relationshisps in MMO's and online... Usually, those that finds no friends or even connections, are those that treat the "intarwebz" as their own personal pissing hut, where everything they say or post or do is  crap and rankts and "for teh lolz". "Nothing is real on the interwebz!" is their motto, and they will never understand that a buddy, a friend, a date(even) doesnt have to be someone that you buttslap at school or work each day.

Dedthom

In addition to the comment I made above, I find it hard to make friends online. If I go out to a public place I can talk to anyone, make friends but for some reason in any online situation I have a hard time striking up a conversation or making friends. Does anyone else find it easier in RL to talk to strangers then online?

TeflonEddie

 

 

Originally posted by Dedthom


In addition to the comment I made above, I find it hard to make friends online. If I go out to a public place I can talk to anyone, make friends but for some reason in any online situation I have a hard time striking up a conversation or making friends. Does anyone else find it easier in RL to talk to strangers then online?

Oh, definately. I once discussed this phenomena with a learnéd friend of mine who reckoned it was probably something to do with body language. Apparently, some people (myself, apparently!) rely heavily on the interpretation of non-verbal responses, which don't translate via "teh intarweb". 

Hence, these people find it much easier to relate to others in person than via purely text/voice based communications like chatrooms or voice-chat.

Slightly off-topic, but an interesting nuance of social interaction.

Illius

Sure I've made friends through the MMO's I play but the thing is none of them seem to last past the game in question.  As soon as I move on to some other game most of the people I've met never really take the friendship beyond the first game.  I was part of a guild in DAoC that was fairly close and I enjoyed their company quite a bit but when it fell through most people went into hiding and I can't get a hold of most of them.  Even the ones I've managed to re-establish contact with either no longer play games or just don't care anymore.  I think it all depends on people.

I have a few real life friends and others that I know and see on at least a weekly basis that have mixed reactions to this.  I have a few good friends that go above and beyond to help me out and I do the same with them.  We play together and even when there is a huge level gap between us or we're in separate guilds due to conflicting interests or game play we still help each other out.  However I also know of a few of them that are very friendly and good people when the game is not concerned and would do whatever it takes to help you out in real life but when it comes to the game, they have a guild of people that they stick to and don't really care much about the closer to home in person relationships.  This is why I think it can go either way.

Illius

Originally posted by TeflonEddie


Oh, definately. I once discussed this phenomena with a learnéd friend of mine who reckoned it was probably something to do with body language. Apparently, some people (myself, apparently!) rely heavily on the interpretation of non-verbal responses, which don't translate via "teh intarweb". 
Hence, these people find it much easier to relate to others in person than via purely text/voice based communications like chatrooms or voice-chat.
Slightly off-topic, but an interesting nuance of social interaction.

I can definitely see this as one of the reasons.  As civilized as we may be, we still have traces of animal instincts from earlier evolutionary times.  I personally would also much rather meet people in real life where I can physically see them and talk to them rather then doing it through text or just voice.

Munki

Ive got a few id like to say.

For years, in varying games ive played with a few of these people. I talk with them on MSN, many of them even know my GF and she didnt even play most of the games.

One guy hasnt played games in a goot 8 months, but I keep in touch via facebook or msn. We talk about crap, not just ingame stuff. I know their living situations, what they do for a living. Aside form how they look like I know about as much if not more in some cases than some of my friends I hang out with physically.

I think friendship can develop, I think Ventrilo played a huge part it in. Guild events, like meeting up at game convenstions and stuff helped too :P

 

airhead

I believe in it...

I just don't have any...

 

tooned

I have 3 friends from EQ1 that we still chat on the phone and email and send pictures of our families to each other. And if business or pleasure bring us within a decent drving distance none of us are afraid to just drop in and say hi. These guys will prolly be my friends for the rest of my life.

 

Sometimes we even still play games together.

mstrsrevati

Yes I do believe you can find friendship sometimes even more in MMO's.  My longest friendship via the gaming community is going on 14yrs now.  We've never met in person but that is only due to the distance we live from each other.  We have spoken on the phone numerous times and of course we speak to each other daily via messanger, email and webcams.   When I don't get to speak to my friend I feel like I'm missing something.  We are very close and for that I'm thankful. 

I would agree though that it seems now days it is harder to make friends in mmo's.  It seems most are not interested in making a real friendship connection.  In my experience most just want to see what I can do for them and if it's nothing then they don't bother trying to remain friends.  I've actually watched 4 of my other online friends change personality wise when we all started playing a very popular MMO.  They went from being the kindest most helpful players anyone would be thankful to call friends, to total greed obsessed jerks.  It was so awful to watch and in the end I wound up leaving the game.  I no longer speak to any of them.  The last time I did speak to one of them he went right into a full monlogue on how much loot and gear he's gotten and how uber he is now...blah blah, blah..sickening.  I'll stick with my one very special friend and if I make others along the way great, but I no longer bend over backwards helping others because I just find in the long run I always wind up getting burned.

xSSx

I think it does exist. I've been playing with the same group of people I met in a MMO three years ago. Once you get into playing with them its hard to stop lol. I've even met a few of them in person. Ended up making personal friendships through that. In my opinion it is a lot easier to talk to "strangers" online then in RL.

Shoko_Lied

I have had a friend since like 6th grade when I played Runescape, was friends with him all the way up till xbox360 games like MotoGP 07. Never met him in RL but good times... Also one of my friends met up with a few local WoW players that they raid with, they hang out a bunch do lan parties, birthdaypartys whatnot, and are going to Blizzcon together and picking up another guildy down in california on the way.  I am in no way a WoW fanboy, but I am just making a point that yea, its possible. I am not really into the whole meeting IRL, lots of psycos, but mostly the guys they met are good people, around same age. (Just be the friend ur talking to ingame isnt some serial killer) unlikely but possible

Geriden

A RL friend of mine met a girl off tdzk or eve cant remeber which one (i think there both like playing with calculators ) she was from america

and moved to ireland and now there getting married i beleave so yea i reckon you can make

good friends or more through a online game.

 

There is the flip side where a friend online dies which can destroy a game for everyone who knew the person

so i think it is possible to emotionaly attached to people you meet online but i do think its a rare thing i only ever met one person id call a friend through a mmo. Which didnt end to well either.

 

Id be reluctent to get attached or consider someone in a mmo a friend again.

But then like my friend you know good things can come from it so there ya go !

 

Anofalye

Kinda.

 

If I recognize someone I did group back then in old EQ, and assuming we have a relatively good friendship, then I will still consider that person a "friend".  However, this means only a little bonus chance to get that trade or that group going.  Maybe I will even "help" someone with a problem they have, if I am in the mood (a friend to me is someone who MAY help you, not necessarily will).

 

It would be more accurate to compare MMO-friendship to EQ faction.  Guilds stuff doesn't affect your faction with Anofalye unless you join guilds I despite.  You left my favorite guild?  Sure, might be tons of reasons, for all I know maybe a hot person in RL ask you to.  You join any guild or remain guildless?  Sure.  You join a guild I despite...now you take a hit; evil creature!  :P  I mean, sure, you join Five Rings or Triad on old Luclin, that is kinda cool I guess, but eh, you may just as well leave them for various reasons and still be a nice person.

 

Peoples I meet on old BBS are still friends I enjoy playing with.  Peoples I meet in RL from MMOs that I didn't know before...I lost sight of them all.  They are kinda friends.