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What makes us tick???
Knowledge
Member UncommonPosts: 140
Well I was sitting back today recalling the hours and hours I have spent playing MMORPGs, endless night after endless night, grind after grind. It has occured to me that I have spent thousands of hours inside these virtual worlds. I also began to disect the amount of time spent in these games and imagine how many of these hours were spent actually having fun. I'm sure we've been over this plenty of times and I'm not going to get into another treadmill topic or flamewar about cookie-cutter MMORPGs.
The reason behind my topic is that I honestly have yet to decide what it is that keeps me playing. I might have my complaints, but I keep on playing as most all of us do. I considered the obvious; Playing with other people, etc etc. But I can go to the gym and play basketball or join a poker league if I just like playing with other people. There's something different about these online games that I just can't seem to peal myself away from. I can't quite put my finger on it.
As of now I'm still stumped, so maybe you all can help me. What is it? What is the primary element in which these MMORPGs share that allow us to excuse hours and hours of seemingly wasted time for a small portion of time spent enjoying ourselves?
True Knowledge is Knowing that you Know Knothing!
Comments
I think there is a combination of things.
The convenience of not leaving your home
The anonymity of the web which allows for people to do things they would never normally consider
The fact that the game is not real so also allows for people to do things they would never normally consider
I think people are trying to in act and share with others some kind of fantasy image in their imaginations; they try to use the mmo as the medium for this and lose sight of it in the grind. They keep doing it over and over in a mostly futile attempt to reach this fantasy image because once in awhile they achieve the necessary suspension of disbelief to reach it for a time. This acts on them like a winning scratch lotto ticket so they keep trying and trying to reachieve this state.
That's just my opinion anyway
You could try http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/ they are a website that studies mmo psychology so they might have something
Don't forget that grinding and questing is just plain fun. Not large doses of it, but you space grinding out, throw in some quest, some good PVP, and then some good roleplaying, and a good community to top it off and you have why people keep playing.
All of us get tired of one of the above aspects and need a break, but if any of you have really analyzed why you get tired of it, it would be becuase you just do so much of it at one time. Take the casual gamer vrs the powergamer scenario for example. The casual gamer may stick with a game for years whereas many powergamers quit after 1-3 months of playing. It's because they get burnt out on doing the same thing over and over again.
The truth is, is that unless your a casual gamer you will get tired of every MMORPG you play pretty quickly. These games are just not designed for powergamers. It's just impossible to create the amount of content that a game needs to satisfy the amount of time a powergamer spends on the game.
Now back to my main point. Grinding and questing is fun for all of us. What is fun about it is the fact that we gain a noticable difference in our character, we get to play with other players and overcome obstacles (mobs), and we get to unravel plots and stories. Now what will keep this fun is moderation. Too much of anything in this world will wear you out.
Hmmm. an interesting question. Me i personally beleive that the aspect of being able to interact with people from all over the world, making friends, doing quests (no matter how tedious). it's also this that drives us to get better stuff. humans, In my opinion, or competitive in nature, so we seek to have better gear than that guy, or get more criticals than this guy, and completely dominate this guy. That may be part of the reason why we play. But also what i said before. The feeling you get when you play with an unfathomable amount of people in your world is, in short, an amazing experience. Its like staring in your own action movie, and as i said after my first point, we crave to show off our skills, and prove ourselves to be better, or at least on level with the "Jones" of the MMORPG world, so that our action flick will be like a box office hit. Maybe this is why MMO's are so addiciting. This is my theory anyways...
Am I ever wrong??
Survival of the fittest, competition. Its instinct.
Competition is the ground work for so many things, it gives us a way of placing outselves, and giving us a self of self worth.
Its always been around, and always will be around :P
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...
I agree, alot of players play just to have fun and interact with other people from other places. However, you must admit that alot of people are competitive, and do play just to be better than the next guy. For example, the end game instances in WoW are for nothing other than getting new items so that your level 60 warrior can become the best tank on your server, or so that your 60 priest can become the master healer with the epic gear. Another example is the WoW pvp honor system ranks. Again, the only reason that people still play their level 60's (and i am talking generally, not specifically) is just to get better gear to do better in pvp so that they can get a higher rank in the system and become the best pvp on their server (eventually). However, i do understand, their are players who ply to have the interaction with friends and stuff. however, you must admit, a majority of players play just to get better than the next guy. I mean, their are sites dedicated to selling gold and items to make your avatar better than he was (Which is a disgrace to the entire MMORPG genre, and should be stopped. But that is a discussion for another time) Again, this is that natural competitive human spirit that makes people want to play better and get better stuff. This is just my opinion however so...
Am I ever wrong??
first i think u try to have fun..then i think u loose what u think fun really is and it turns into somthing else...i think u just get caught up tryin to get better..then u cant quit because u know u would have waisted all of that time..and theres no getting it back whatsoever..u cant quit so u just try to get better and make the most of it....lol something like that
thats just my edumacated reponse lol
Good,Bad, I'm the guy with the gun!-Ash
I agree, alot of players play just to have fun and interact with other people from other places. However, you must admit that alot of people are competitive, and do play just to be better than the next guy. For example, the end game instances in WoW are for nothing other than getting new items so that your level 60 warrior can become the best tank on your server, or so that your 60 priest can become the master healer with the epic gear. Another example is the WoW pvp honor system ranks. Again, the only reason that people still play their level 60's (and i am talking generally, not specifically) is just to get better gear to do better in pvp so that they can get a higher rank in the system and become the best pvp on their server (eventually). However, i do understand, their are players who ply to have the interaction with friends and stuff. however, you must admit, a majority of players play just to get better than the next guy. I mean, their are sites dedicated to selling gold and items to make your avatar better than he was (Which is a disgrace to the entire MMORPG genre, and should be stopped. But that is a discussion for another time) Again, this is that natural competitive human spirit that makes people want to play better and get better stuff. This is just my opinion however so...
I would understand if the game was a competition, but most MMO's aren't. They are RPG's that are made into a big race or competition by the uber leet community. The only thing that would drive me to want to get better is reward. The reward in WOW for making yourself better is rank. That is tangible. Making yourself better to be the best isn't really tangible, because there is no such thing as a best player. There are way to many classes in most games to be "the best". Every class has their purpose in a group and in pvp. The problem is that people tend to want the best solo class and that's what creates cookie cutter specs, which you should never have in a MMO. I'm not blind, I've played MMO's for years now and I know what the majority does. That doesn't mean those of us can't fight for what is right though. Working together and having fun is what is right. Not being uber or being the best. Now like I said before, if there is an arena based MMO like where you are gladiators then I could understand the competition. But the mojority of what people do is to make their characters the best solo/duelable class in their server, which a wise person would know is just plain dumb, since any smart person would know there is always someone better than you. Again-getting rank or gear is a tangible reward and reason to drive yourself further, but trying to be better than someone else is just plain (insert appropriate word here).
I've played many MMO's and I can say that in PvP there isn't ever a fair fight, so becoming the best is just a goal sought out in vain. A true goal should be to do your best to learn your class and learn how to play him with others(groups) so that you can best benefit your realm or faction (whatever it is your character is fighting for). People forget in their quest for greatness that it's not about being the best, it's about teamwork and working together to reach a common goal.
Becoming the best comes from a selfish attitude which makes you want to step on whoever or remove whoever is in your way to get to your end goal, which is being the best. Now I've played sports in school and I was in the Marines so I know what competivness is. But I think competivness can sometimes be juvenile and the spirit is misdirected from being the best team player and competing that way to being the star of the team. Being the best or the star is not everything and is not worth all the people you have to step on to get there. Being a team player and learning how to group with others is far more rewarding.
I find it hilarious that so many of "us" find a forum of a thousand words convenient to vent our feelings...
Guess what?
Does your life suck ass? Too bad.
Wake up. Take the fucking pain.
Stop crying.
Stop being like your pussy-ass parents.
Stand up and fight for once in your lives.
And smile. Just once.
Cartman has a big fat ass!
Life is all about pleasure. Playing games is a small pleasure, a filler pleasure. I would much rather have sex with a girl while shooting heroin all day for the rest of my life 24/7 and only taking breaks to eat (cupcakes) and drink (alcohol and red bull) and sleep (on top of women). If I was extremely rich, a movie star, and extremely good looking I would keep up those. But I'm middle class, middle looks and I'm not a movie star, so I play videogames and occasionally have sex. I dont have enough money to keep up a heroin addiction so thats out of the question. So, I guess my answer is that videogames are 'filler' pleasures to keep you ticking while you await the larger ones.
It's because in MMORPGs you create a new identity in a completely new world. Not that your necissarily a bad person in-real-life, but if you lived in Azeroth or Norrath, you'd be happy to play the role of a regular guy on planet Earth.
Life gets boring. Its fun to see different things from a different perspective
I'm glad to see so many responses and it's amazing how many different perspectives you all have. Expressing yourself in a way that you normally can't in real life is one point Anskier made that I completely agree with. Some people distort this idea into some sad way to carry out things you cannot in real life but I think it's different than that.
If I'm naturally the kind of guy that helps people, I might get joy out of being a teacher or giving to charity. Just because I do these things on a regular basis doesn't mean I completely fulfill my desire all of the time. I can see where joining WoW or EQ and becomming a healer can allow me to lose myself in the game and spend ample time working toward being in that situation where I'm keeping my friends alive. The same might be for someone who like to protect their friends becomming a warrior or paladin.
This goes for many other player-types as well. It's quite obvious that many people have the desire to hurt others or make life more difficult, being on the opposite site of the spectrum from the above-mentioned. It's not always that the person doesn't have the balls to go out and do this in real life, they very well might have. I am seeing that MMORPGs are more of a convenient way to express and carry-out these inner-most desires.
I'd also like to mention that points made earlier about 'survival of the fittest' and the need to achieve more than the next guy are an obvious factor. I don't focus mainly on these things when I play but I must admit, it becomes a minor focus, in the end-game especially.
You have all found many valid reasons why we keep on comming, day after day, hour after hour. I'm closer now to understanding it all.
Oh, and if you have any other ideas...feel free to post!
True Knowledge is Knowing that you Know Knothing!
I find the most effective way to prevent post-jackers is to just ignore them
Thank you for your support
True Knowledge is Knowing that you Know Knothing!
after i began playting mmo's other games stop being fun to me. it created a void in my daily routine, which i now continue to fill with mmo's.
You are completly right. People strive for the impossible (or in my opinion they do), they try to be the best, the guy in first place. The guy with the gold medal. Why? I still say its human nature. Why do people alays want to get in front of the next person on the highway? Some need to hurry because they are late or whatever, but alot of people pass each other just to be first in their little group. you are right, their will always be someone bigger, better, and badder, but that is also wat drives people. If people had no drive to be better than the person who is better than them, their would really no world as we know it today. However that is a dicussion for another time... But back to my point. We may say, oh people shouldnt play to be the best, would should play to make ourselves better... we should play o benefit a team, anyone who wants to be the best is selfish. This may be, and in my opinion is very, true Hoever, we cant change alot of people that drastically so you must admit, this is probably one of the things that drives us to continue playing MMO's. Also, MMO's are relatively fun, and being able to interact with the sheer amount of people on the servers is, and will always be, amazing, and is the main thing that attracts people to the MMORPG universe in the first place.
Am I ever wrong??
It's because in MMORPGs you create a new identity in a completely new world. Not that your necissarily a bad person in-real-life, but if you lived in Azeroth or Norrath, you'd be happy to play the role of a regular guy on planet Earth.
Life gets boring. Its fun to see different things from a different perspective
Yes actually, i completely agree with you. I like the competitiveness of games, and the gear, customization, being able to interact with people, but the ability to play as someone else other than yourself is a key part of the whole gaming industries appeal, but is really cashed in by MMO's because you really feel as if you get to play as your own person, as oppose to a predestined path (or partly predestined). You feel as if your in anothe rlife, You can do whatever you want. just grind oon random beasts. become a hero of sorts. etc. yea.
Am I ever wrong??
Originally posted by Nthnaoun:
Becoming the best comes from a selfish attitude which makes you want to step on whoever or remove whoever is in your way to get to your end goal, which is being the best. Now I've played sports in school and I was in the Marines so I know what competivness is. But I think competivness can sometimes be juvenile and the spirit is misdirected from being the best team player and competing that way to being the star of the team. Being the best or the star is not everything and is not worth all the people you have to step on to get there. Being a team player and learning how to group with others is far more rewarding.
I think this aspect of your response shows the classic difference between a type A and a type B personality. In no way would I attempt to say you are wrong in how you feel, I just believe you look at things with a far different perspective than myself. Type B's are typically "go with the flow", don't do too much to stand out, but want to be successful in their own right in their own way. Yet over all prefer to assist and follow that to lead. There is competitiveness it just does not drive them.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you have your type A personalities (which I consider myself to have) out there in the gaming world who are VERY competitive, strive to be the best and want to be the leader (most of the time because they can not stand to follow someone else). I find myself addicted to playing Guild Wars because at its core it is a CORPG, and I get to go up against others who are trying beat me, out think me and in general pwn my butt.
When I first got Guild Wars, I had a membership to 24 Fitness that I only used to play basketball. Basketball was how I got my competitive energy out during the week because on the weekends I have baseball. I found as someone mentioned earlier the this CORPG became my "filler", it was cheaper than the gym $70 per month to $0 per month and I go tthe same drive and excitment out of it. I can go home after work play for a few hours have fun with guildies...and I found as I keep playing at the same time I start meeting the same people in the PVP arenas and get recognition for my playing and invites to other groups. I strive to be the best player, and Guild Wars is such a team based game that I still feel I am helping others get better. This is something the personally drives me and gets me to keep coming back again and again.
Enjoy your games no matter how you play them
"It is easier to be cruel than wise. The road to wisdom is long and difficult... so most people just turn out to be assholes" Feng (Christopher Walken)
I think that there are, obviously, multiple answers to the OPs question, and for each person there is more than one answer that fits. For some it's escapism, pure and simple, for others it's the competitive nature of the game that keeps them going. For others it's a mix of the two. A multitude of reasons for a multitude of people. And the reason each person plays can and will change over time.
I started playing mmorpgs because, well, I've always been a game player. As a child, I played things like Monopoly, Risk, etc. moving on to more complex games like D&D, some of those huge, boxed games with hexagonal maps that recreated wars, stuff like that. As I hit my teens, it was harder and harder to find people to play games with me and so I read (a LOT). Then PC games started coming out and I began playing them. Moving into mmorpgs was a natural progression. At first, I played till 4 or 5 in the morning because it was so freaking awesome just to be in a game with so many people, and creating a permanent (more or less) character. There was a certain amount of competition to it too-could I level faster? Was I able to craft better stuff?
As time passed, and I mastered each game I played faster and faster, I also began to wonder what kept me going. It takes no time for me to get bored with a game because I've seen it or done it all in some other game. So what kept me going. I really think for me it's inertia. For whatever reason, I need game-playing in my life. Perhaps I need the mental stimulation that comes with gaming, as opposed to lying passively in front of a TV. And since most of my friends have "grown" past their gaming days, I play online or single player games. So I've reached a point where mmorpgs no longer have anything unique or exciting to offer, and yet the single-player games don't have the social aspect that has come to mean so much to me over the past four years. Therefore, I'm stuck spinning my wheels playing online games, yet semi-bored with it at the same time.
Or maybe I just need a life.
