It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Greetings all
I am simply a father who likes to play MMO's. I tend to get along with other fathers because they can relate to wife/girlfriend aggro, scheduling your playtime around your child(ren) and every other life issue that go hand in hand with being a father.
I am currently making a website that is dedicated to fathers who play MMO's where we can share ideas on how to combine our love for our children with our love for gaming. I don't think we should have to choose between one or another. I have a forum where we can talk and chat about issues that pertain to us.
Go check it out at http://www.mmodads.com/ . Feel free to post anything you like.
I need help with:
Graphics:
Sigs and banners for MMO Dads.
Forum Moderator:
Need a moderator or two for my forums who will also spread the word to other dads about us.
Suggestions:
I need suggestions from all fathers. Stories, troubles and solutions from all the fathers experiences out there.
The best way to get ahold of me right now is to reply in this thread.
Thank you!
Comments
My question is, why just dads? We're modern people, aren't we? The main difference is that dads doesn't breastfeed, but otherwise most parents have the same issues with playing these types of games; we can't go on raids X hours a day/ X days a week, or will have to drop team way too often because the child needs our attention.
<-- dad
ok this is the reason once you become a dad people start mocking you about still playing games, because you go and do something like this..
im not a dad but i hope to be in near future, im not going to be going on sites such as this and talking with other dads, im going to try and act like every other mmo player so that i dont get singled out, if i act like everyone else u dont get people saying "zomg dude ur 30 and u still play games"
just try and blend in brother, try and be other gamers equal and that way you can have a ball, these are rpg games by the way so you can pretend in game to be whom ever you want, i for example am the leader of planet makararadasdfsdadf and i have a billion slaves... catch my drift?
Unaware of the Jestor?
http://about.me/JestorRodo/
Friends enjoy his classic Vblog - https://www.facebook.com/GoodOldReliableNathan
As a father of two teenage sons, I applaud your efforts and hope that you're very successful. I've walked a tight rope over the years, struggling between my need to play and keeping my sons from playing too much. It's inconsistent parenting when you put in a 12 hour WoW session and then try to explain to your kids that playing for 12 hours straight may not be the right thing to do. I don't have time to delve onto the details but after alot of soul searching, we've achieved a very good balance with my elder son, but are still searching for one for my younger. Best of luck!
Of course my website will not be for everyone. It is made for MMO Dads.
Riverstar,
Blanketed statements are no stranger to an MMO Dad. When you become a father and play MMO’s, you will run into many blanketed statements about our lifestyle like we do.
frkhot97,
There are many websites for couples, gays, and women. Why not one that is daddy-centric? Many fathers do not feel equal when it comes to their children. Especially single dads who only get to see their children part time. This site is for them as well as I want to build a community that gives hope, community and knowledge.
Aseenus,
I am very serious. You are not my targeted demographic. I wish you the best in your adventures.
JestorRodo,
I couldn’t agree with you more! We have a cooking section that people can drop their recipes at; we can share photos of our families and share all kinds of tips about being a father. It is not just about games. You sound like a great dad! Maybe you can come over and share some of your experiences with the other dads that don’t have that much experience. I know I would love to here what you have to say.
Ipcryss,
I would love for you to come over to my forums and tell us your story in detail. We need fathers who have “been there done that”! I don’t need luck! I need fathers like you posting in my forums!
Thank you all for replying to my thread. As I said before, if you want to contribute by being part of MMO Dads community, go to www.mmodads.com.
Man you really don't know the current gaming demographics do you? A HUGE portion of gamers, particularly MMO gamers, are over 30. Do you think that once you grow up, get a job, have kids, etc you are suddenly going to NOT want to play games? Although I did think the same thing back when I was young but I can almost guarentee that once you get hooked on gaming it is very very difficult to throw it away.
I'm just happy that my kids are old enough know that we can play together, really makes the games more fun too. You should bookmark this post so you can come back after you have kids are when you are over 30 and STILL playing games and on message boards so you can eat your words
All kidding aside, good luck with this one. I am a recent father and am finally getting into a schedule where I can sit back and play a game every now and then. It's neat to here about how others strike a healthy balance.
-mklinic
"Do something right, no one remembers.
Do something wrong, no one forgets"
-from No One Remembers by In Strict Confidence
Some people have no idea how many players over 30 play games....
just have a look on those pictures, it is maybe hard to find anyone under 25 :
gophur.playnet.com/gallery/con07
As the father of three young boys and a mmo player, I really hope you wait to have kids. You have no idea what parenthood is about and how gaming can work into ones lifestyle. Singled out? I have no conception what you mean by that. I'm with The Older gamers... a guild with thousands of players over the age of 25, most of whom are parents, and even grandparents. We're proud of our life experience and support each other though problems with family, career, and health issues. I applaud the OP for his efforts to create a place where issues such as this can be discussed.
Lets see how you look like in the 40ish or 50ish
Warhammer fanatic since '85.
I was a single dad, and was awarded sole custody of my children when they were 3 and 7 years old. This was before MMO's existed, even if they had, between taking care of my children, the house and a full time career, I'd not have even considered playing an MMO.
Everyone's situation is different, good luck with this, but the kids always need to come first if you want to call yourself a "Dad".
As a side note on demographics, a poll on player ages was done in LOTRO closed beta, with well over 1,000 players participating (note: in closed beta, min. age was 18). Of those polled, over 60% were over 30 years old with 20% of the player population being between the ages of 40 to 59 years old.
"Don't corpse-camp that idea. Its never gonna rez"
Bladezz (The Guild)
Is this site for real biological dads or are gay partner wanna be dads allowed also, or worse, lesbian partners pretending to be male role models?
Here is a timely MMORPG.com news article on gender confusion in MMOs. http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/1249
Man you really don't know the current gaming demographics do you? A HUGE portion of gamers, particularly MMO gamers, are over 30. Do you think that once you grow up, get a job, have kids, etc you are suddenly going to NOT want to play games? Although I did think the same thing back when I was young but I can almost guarentee that once you get hooked on gaming it is very very difficult to throw it away.
I'm just happy that my kids are old enough know that we can play together, really makes the games more fun too. You should bookmark this post so you can come back after you have kids are when you are over 30 and STILL playing games and on message boards so you can eat your words
I totally agree Jarlo! It just shows immaturity on the younger generations part to think that just cause you hit 30 you just shrivel up and fall off the face of gaming!
To the OP your site sounds like a really good idea and I hope that it takes off!
Hey Aseenus, I'm 35, have a 3 year old son and have been married for 7 years. I also have been playing video games since before the first Nintendo came out! Do you remember the Oddesy video game platform or the Vectrex? My younger brother and I had those before we got a Nintendo!
considering the numbers of people i have met that acted like thy are mature i think there is quiet a lot of people who are dads. not one myself, expecting at least 15 years of freedom still but fully agree
Man you really don't know the current gaming demographics do you? A HUGE portion of gamers, particularly MMO gamers, are over 30. Do you think that once you grow up, get a job, have kids, etc you are suddenly going to NOT want to play games? Although I did think the same thing back when I was young but I can almost guarentee that once you get hooked on gaming it is very very difficult to throw it away.
I'm just happy that my kids are old enough know that we can play together, really makes the games more fun too. You should bookmark this post so you can come back after you have kids are when you are over 30 and STILL playing games and on message boards so you can eat your words
I totally agree Jarlo! It just shows immaturity on the younger generations part to think that just cause you hit 30 you just shrivel up and fall off the face of gaming!
To the OP your site sounds like a really good idea and I hope that it takes off!
Hey Aseenus, I'm 35, have a 3 year old son and have been married for 7 years. I also have been playing video games since before the first Nintendo came out! Do you remember the Oddesy video game platform or the Vectrex? My younger brother and I had those before we got a Nintendo!
My take on it:
It is our generation that spearheaded this gaming stuff. We were the ones who played DnD, became addicted to Zelda, then coded MUDs, and went on to develop the modern day MMORPGs.
"...and with that cryptic comment, I'm off to bed!"
I am a Wife and a Mother of 2 boys ages 7 and 9 and a full time Graphic Design College Student. I play as many MMo's as I can get my hands on , I even got my husband addicted to them. I make time for my boys and wife stuff and my graphics classes and Mmo's, Yes In that order. Most of the time the boys like to watch mommy beat up on the poor wolfies.
A site for dads is cool and all but, What about the other side that does just as much or even more then dads. What about a site for Parents? I know if I can do it then any dad out there can. Don't make a set schedule for play time. Being a parent you play when you play. The children are outside .. play, the spouse took the children to get ice cream.. play. Chore day when you are waiting for the floor to dry after mopping,, play. When you tell your spouse or child that you will log out after the next pull or after I turn in the quest.. you better get off cause then you will have aggro.
I have been playing MMos since 1995. I guess it is second nature for me to do it all and still have some ME time.
Yes, I could start the Parents of MMO's site but no. That will take away from my ME time and I want to keep all the ME time I have.
The original poster made it clear that he wanted to focus on Dads, but I that a site/resource for parents that play MMO's is a very solid idea.
With the education you are getting in graphic design, I think it could be an opportunity to combine your passion for MMO's and design. It could be a great learning experience for you and an excellent way to showcase your creativity and design skills to possible clients or employers.
"Don't corpse-camp that idea. Its never gonna rez"
Bladezz (The Guild)
I do not want to start a gender war here for I believe both parents are an important role.
However, in reality, many dads do not feel that they are an equal role in the family. Especially right after the baby is born or the parents seperate. Alienation of the father happens too often in and out of games. If this is not your case, I can understand why many are confused why we need a place like this.
Just because you, yourself does not need a sanctuary of this nature, does not mean that others do not. I need one, so I created it.
MMO Dads is for fathers that want to better themselves, have a supportive community, share experiences and help others like them.
As men, we need man things. We need an outlet for men, by men! If we feel better as men, we can become better as men and fathers and in turn be better for the family as a whole. If we had an x-gender “club”, we wouldn’t be able to act like…umm…men! We can burp, fart and talk about strippers without being labeled a “bad father”! We get that out of our system on my site so we can be the knights in white armor our SO’s want us to be!
I do not understand why people are saying, "you should of done this, you should of done that!" I did MMO Dads because it pertains to me. It is something I know about and is something I beleive in.
I'm a gamer Dad, 37 years old and in the UK.
Due to redundancy and a shaky job market I'm currently freelancing/temping but nowhere near full time status.
I'm a Designer/Artworker for Print of nearly 20 years now, but have some knowledge and experience in web graphics also. If you need any help with the site I would be glad to offer my extra time in a design capacity.
PM me on this site if I can be of any use.
Good effort, I like what you're doing
Tam
For me, my wife just doesnt understand MMO'ing or gaming in general. She thinks its a stupid waste of time. But puts up with me playing. With my little one, its even harder as there is ALOT of guilt if I even think about playing while he is up and around. Hence, I avoid playing at all costs when he is about, and wait for him to go to bed.
There is a definitely a big demographic you are targeting, and I think a very valid one.
"...and with that cryptic comment, I'm off to bed!"
I will send word of this to gamers I meet who are dads, if one is made for parents I will do the same by informing all parents.
Be cool to people, and try and stay cool that way you never have to regret making someone feel bad. Don't take what ya got granted because some people never get to feel happy. We get to play these great MMOs and surf a good site. Be thankful for what ya got and next time ya feel down imagine a fat sea otter waddling with a pillow and a night cap. Bam! smiles!