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Why do you play MMORPGs?
Kingbee116
Member Posts: 3
Hello all I'm posting this in the hope that you'll be able to help me with a project I'm doing for my IB Anthropology class. For our Finals we are supposed to perform a Field Study on a group of people that we know of but are not totally involved in.
I've chosen to do mine on the communities formed in and around Online RPG's (World of Warcraft, Everquest, Lineage, Guild Wars, etc.)
If you have some time and are willing to participate I ask that you answer the follow
questions:
1. What is it about Online RPG's that atracts you to them?
2. Why do you form communities? (Guild's)
3. Are there any rituals/customs that you or your Guild perform?
4. What are the rules of you Online RPG of choice?
5. If you play any other Online RPG are there in rules that seem to be universal? (common to
all games)
6. What other Online RPGs do you play if any? Why? What makes them different?
7. Are there any "unwritten" inferred rules that the games are played by?
8. How/Why are these rules enforced?
9. What makes your Online RPG of choice unique?
10. What is the cultural makeup of the Online RPG?
11. Do you or your Guild have/follow any endogamous or exogamous rules/practices?
12. What does playing your Online RPG entail?
13. Does you interest in Online RPG's extend to anything else in your life? (Such as other
video games)
14. Have any relationships you have formed in the game extended to real life? How So?
15. How much time do you spend playing you Online RPG?
16. Finally, what initially spurred you to try playing an Online RPG?
Thank You Thank You Thank You, your responses will be a huge help in my field study. Please feel free to included any screenshots and the like of anything that relates to any of the questions.
If you do not wish to post directly to the boards please Private Message your answers.
Please do not feel as if you must include your real name, or overly personal information, as I must use aliases to protect the identities of my informants if they so wish. (I'll do this regardless unless you give me permission to use your real name, location, etc.)
Once again Thank You for your time,
Kingbee116
Comments
1. What is it about Online RPG's that atracts you to them?
- Real people provide better gaming than AI. Espcially, PvP, but even co-op gaming
in PvE. A hireling can't react like a real person. The reactions from players are
real and change.
2. Why do you form communities? (Guild's)
- To socialize within a consistent group. A new dynamic opens up in when you game
with real people, whether isn't playing over the internet, or on your XBOX with
your brother.
3. Are there any rituals/customs that you or your Guild perform?
- If you consider a dungeon crawl or guild cothes a ritual/custom, then yeah, but
not really in any other sense.
4. What are the rules of you Online RPG of choice?
- The rules have to be robust. They have to cater to the needs to PvP, while
protecting from griefing. Life and death is real so that I can get killed by another
player if I don't watch my back in an abandoned mine, but not necessarily while at
the bank or everytime I got AFK to take a squirt. The basically, the world in my
mind has to be real enough to immerse me, but at the same time has to be practical
to ensure it's fun.
5. If you play any other Online RPG are there in rules that seem to be universal?
(common to all games)
- Most MMOs are starting to blend together. PvP, economy, instancing, etc are all
becoming common to all.
6. What other Online RPGs do you play if any? Why? What makes them different?
http://www.Freekick.org
http://www.hockeyarena.net
http://www.uo.com
These are the three I play. Soccer (football), hockey and fantasy.
7. Are there any "unwritten" inferred rules that the games are played by?
- Definately. For example, in UO, it is an unwritten rule to not take ore from
someone mining who is stacking it right beside themselves. Kill stealing is another
one.
8. How/Why are these rules enforced?
- Personal honour really is the only thing to enforce these rules. Unless they are
coded into the game, all other rules are upto the player.
9. What makes your Online RPG of choice unique?
- The players.
10. What is the cultural makeup of the Online RPG?
- Anybody and everybody.
11. Do you or your Guild have/follow any endogamous or exogamous rules/practices?
- I don't know what that is, so i'd have to say "no."
12. What does playing your Online RPG entail?
- Socializing, crafting, hunting, shopping, decorating, training.
13. Does you interest in Online RPG's extend to anything else in your life? (Such as
other video games)
- No.
14. Have any relationships you have formed in the game extended to real life? How So?
- No.
15. How much time do you spend playing you Online RPG?
- Maybe 5-10 hours per week.
16. Finally, what initially spurred you to try playing an Online RPG?
- Pen and paper D&D went to single player video games like Ultima 4 and 5 which went
to games like Diablo which have multiplayer content, which then led to UO.
Thats a l ot of questions.
I play MMOs to waste my time.
Listening music is also good for that.
Far too many questions to answer. In a nutshell, I play them because they're entertaining.
-virtual tourist
want your game back?
Thanks
to all those who have replied with answers I realize that it's alot of questions 
but I want to make sure I have my bases covered.
Again thanks a lot,
Kingbee116
1. What is it about Online RPG's that atracts you to them?
communities... only reason in my opionion why you would want to play a mmorpg. this rule is differnt for mmos such as shooters or stratady games
2. Why do you form communities? (Guild's)
only reason for a mmo. for very like minded people that still come from very diverse backrounds and personalities
3. Are there any rituals/customs that you or your Guild perform?
none
4. What are the rules of you Online RPG of choice?
don't steal/kill unless your from the other side. else get aleinated from the community
5. If you play any other Online RPG are there in rules that seem to be universal? (common to
all games)
be tolerable around people you want to stay with.... to bad thats not everywhere
6. What other Online RPGs do you play if any? Why? What makes them different?
Guild wars- complete PvP and more strat based, no lvl grind
Wurmonlie- lvl grind(at least you're doing something during it) , lots of crafting, more player V. enviroment(quite literally)
7. Are there any "unwritten" inferred rules that the games are played by?
griefer=alienated
8. How/Why are these rules enforced?
wurm-no one will let you into there town. kill on site list for gaurds. tag set to outlaw/BL(can kill you with no penalty, and you can do same)
9. What makes your Online RPG of choice unique?
wurm-99% player made(not game, but items, and towns)
GW-PvP completly
10. What is the cultural makeup of the Online RPG?
wurm-US, Europe, New Zealand, Australia
GW- every where, but when you create your account you choose your region.
11. Do you or your Guild have/follow any endogamous or exogamous rules/practices?
besides respect fellow guildies to a larger extent when you hate each other, than if you were aqautances
12. What does playing your Online RPG entail?
playing it
13. Does you interest in Online RPG's extend to anything else in your life? (Such as other
video games) got me into programming(though i don't intend to get into the gamming industry for it)(if i do get an offer/can get in i'll take it though
)
14. Have any relationships you have formed in the game extended to real life? How So?
i've gotten people in RL to join games
15. How much time do you spend playing you Online RPG?
same amount of time people put into their hobbies. ie free time.
16. Finally, what initially spurred you to try playing an Online RPG?
browser based games then finding runescape and imperial conflict
I find it amazing that by 2020 first world countries will be competing to get immigrants.
I find it amazing that by 2020 first world countries will be competing to get immigrants.
1. What is it about Online RPG's that atracts you to them?
The social contact, and the fact that you face challenges together with other people, which may show you a completely new side of them.
2. Why do you form communities? (Guild's)
It gives you advantages in the game and because you're likely to find someone who you find interesting/stimulating in a game. After all, you both play THIS game among the wealth of other games. You must have something in common.
3. Are there any rituals/customs that you or your Guild perform?
Probably yes. After a while you're so used to them that you stop noticing them. But one of the most prominent of those is the language for sure. Special greatings, or phrases that are unique for my guild/ game.
The typical mmo conversation with plenty of abreviations and terms unique to that particular game.
Something weird and useless, presidential elections. No real power, just honor.
Another weird thing: getting together in a system and group hugging.
4. What are the rules of you Online RPG of choice?
Not many actually. I tend to like games with a lot of freedom.
5. If you play any other Online RPG are there in rules that seem to be universal? (common to
all games)
Yes, no harrasment outside the framework of the game.
6. What other Online RPGs do you play if any? Why? What makes them different?
My current game is StarPort: Galactic Empires. But I played EVE. Both games are unique because social contact is everything, even to progress in the game and because PvP is harsh.
7. Are there any "unwritten" inferred rules that the games are played by?
Not so many in EVE (there probably are, but they're too obvious to notice) and not really in my current game. But there are things that are considered to be polite and other things that are plain rude. I've notice that the more freedom in a game the more consequences breaking one of these rules can have.
Here's me avenging a new player who was killed while he was barging, he was barge scammed. This is hiring a less wealthy player for moving weapons/defences for you but killing that person once he/she arives at the agreed location. Since the barge system is built entirely on trust it's harmfull for the economy to allow these practices.
BTW, she later admitted the scamming.
8. How/Why are these rules enforced?
How, well in Starport breaking such a rule harms your relations with people/corps (like a guild/clan) and it WILL get back to you. You'll fail to make an alliance or will simply not be trusted. Sometimes a more open and direct approach is chosen, such as forming a group of people to show that breaking such rules isn't allowed.
9. What makes your Online RPG of choice unique?
The freedom and the harsh PvP. And the empire building which involves long term strategic consideration.
10. What is the cultural makeup of the Online RPG?
Mine? He, hard question. Culturally Real Life? mostly American, European and Australian. Few asian players. Almost no African and South-American players. Probably because my game (StarPort) has a small community and isn't large enough to support any second languages. EVE knows players from everywhere.
Ingame Culture: one in which trust and honor are as important as opportunism.
11. Do you or your Guild have/follow any endogamous or exogamous rules/practices?
Not really, it's a bit game isolated.
12. What does playing your Online RPG entail?
Few hours of sleep.
13. Does you interest in Online RPG's extend to anything else in your life? (Such as other
video games)
Yes, I find singleplayer games boring, in general. And the people in my environment know that I might dissapear for a few days. Or simply stumble to the fridge, get some coke and stuble back.
14. Have any relationships you have formed in the game extended to real life? How So?
REAL relations, none. Friendships, many.
15. How much time do you spend playing you Online RPG?
Too much time. Depends really, could be as little as 4 hours a day or complete weekends.
16. Finally, what initially spurred you to try playing an Online RPG?
In those days it was a bit of a weird genre, in the allready weird gaming subculture. I tried to be weirdest. And once you won your first war you're lost
. (or when you lost you're first war you're won for the game, depends)
Good luck with your project.
CLICK HERE TO GET A LIST OF FREE MMO LISTS!!!
Every so often someone for some reason decides to study mmorpg players, i am not very sure what you expect to find as asking a group of people why do you enjoy games and then ask why do you enjoy this particular game is possibly as interesting and informative as asking other group of people why they enjoy apples more the oranges, but nevertheless i will answer the questions.
I have not read any other nswers as to not influence mine.
1. What is it about Online RPG's that atracts you to them?
Player Interaction, it is the one and only most important reason for chosing a MP game instead of a SP game
this interaction has many forms, to play with other for a common goal in game, to socialize and make friends,
and for some even more importantly to play against other real players.
2. Why do you form communities? (Guild's)
Usually because of specific game designs, to beat the big monsters who need a group of players to be killed or to beat other groups of players, it again comes down to social interaction even if you prefer to play against other groups of players it is usefull to create a team which consists of like minded players to do it with.
3. Are there any rituals/customs that you or your Guild perform?
No none that i can think of at a drop of a hat.
4. What are the rules of you Online RPG of choice?
Well as far as i am concerned it must allow Player vs Player interaction, this is most commonly fighting interaction, but other forms of PvP exist like griefing, stealing, scamming etc. etc.
It must also take an extremly hard stance against cheating, cheating will allways be around but if the game is not policed as much as posible it will be thrown to the dogs eventually.
5. If you play any other Online RPG are there in rules that seem to be universal? (common to
all games)
Anti cheating is definately universal, although not every RPG is equally succesfull or intent of beating it out of the game, also you could claim that rules that forbid extreme conduct in game like racism or serious harrasment are also universal, most common but not universal is to not allow trading in game goods for real life benfits/money.
6. What other Online RPGs do you play if any? Why? What makes them different?
Every mmorpg has its special something, UO was my first and i can only say good things about it severly outdated now though it is only a very fond memory, DAoC was my second all time favorite because of the Player vs Player gameplay it had, Lineage2 an extremely hard game especially PvP'ng in it, WoW caught my eye and as it has PvP features in it also caught my interest for about a year its PvP though deteriorated to a non competitve useless type of game and i lost interest, i have played more but these are my top choises.
7. Are there any "unwritten" inferred rules that the games are played by?
Every game more or less has its unwritten rules, camping spawn spots, killstealing, e-baying, in game griefing, in game stealing, PK'ng, looting, all of these and more are usually points that fall onto the community to establish how they are treated and generally speaking every game has its diferences.
8. How/Why are these rules enforced?
The reason is simple, beyond the rules that the company creates any living society or large group of people who live together create rules with which they ensure that everyone is treated as fair as possible, these groups usually become points of power controling some element in game from which they can exclude those that dont follow these unwriten rules and this is the way they enforce it, more or less people resort to the old "fine if you dont want to play with the rules we don't want to play with you anymore" punishment we all know from our childhood.
9. What makes your Online RPG of choice unique?
PvP is what must be interesting and rewarding for my choise of game, but it isnt crucial to be unique, some old and tested type of games are as good as it can ever be.
10. What is the cultural makeup of the Online RPG?
I don't understand this question tbh, if you are looking for a generalization or a tag with which you can brand gamers with well i am sorry but this does not exist, there are over 10 million online gamers atm playing these games from all around the world even considering generalizing all of them under a specific cultural makeup is extremley naive.
11. Do you or your Guild have/follow any endogamous or exogamous rules/practices?
Stange question, are you asking if i have had sex with any guild members? well my wife and me have occasionaly been in the same guild and we also occasionaly have sex, although we have also have had sex at times which we were not in the same guild so i hardly think there is any relevence between these two, we are also faithfull to eachother.....at least i am for sure, with a guild member or not if she cheats on me she will face a divorce.
12. What does playing your Online RPG entail?
Questions become more and more dificult to understand, well lets see to play online games one must have first and foremost the desire to play games, to play games on their computer more specificaly, it is also essential to have the free time to do so, the desire to play games with others but not nessesarily in company with others is also a requisite, a good PC is needed and obviously a good internet connection is also essential, a compettive or cooperative nature is more or less the most common trait we all have, but by no means the only one.
13. Does you interest in Online RPG's extend to anything else in your life? (Such as other
video games)
Do i have other interests in life? well i enjoy tabletop RPG, Photography, Diving, gathering with friends for small talk and yes i occasionaly also play other type of video games, work is also extremely important, family moments not allways desirable but mostly unavoidable, but generally speaking none of these really extend to my Online gaming, they are all just diferent activites.
14. Have any relationships you have formed in the game extended to real life? How So?
Well i have met people online with whmo we became friends, the type of friends that extend to other activites and not only in the online universe, my wife i met her in a games fair but not related in any way to online gaming.
15. How much time do you spend playing you Online RPG?
An averege of about 20 to 30 houres per week, obviously these houres are not evenly divided in the week days, but thats about the amount of time i spent.
16. Finally, what initially spurred you to try playing an Online RPG?
It was more or less the normal thing to happen going from MUD's to Meridian 59 and then UO, and once you have played an online game you just know that you can't really enjoy any single player game as much ever again.
As a final note i must repeat here that the trend to believe that online gamers are somewhat of a freak of nature or must be of a specific nature was quite noticable the first days of this kind of gaming, it was wrong to assume so then and it is wrong to assume so now,
Today though i think it is probably one of the top choises of how people spend their free time, and it also makes sense, it is safe, it is sociable, your real life anxieties, backround, disabilites, complexes, education, race, sex, do not stand in your way to succeed, compete, socialize in the online worlds.
Considering the cost per month you pay for the amount of time you spend in these games it is really really cheap, so a piece of advise, stictly avoid to try and generalize such a big population under some kind of label... there are countries that dont have as many citizens as Azeroth has.... keep that mind.
Thank You guys so much this stuff has been a great help. I have enough to to write the paper now, so there is no need for further replies.
If an admin could please lock this thread that would help so people don't continue to reply in vain.
Thanks Again,
Kingbee116
EDIT: Darraess
Believe me I'm not doing this because I think MMORPG players are freaks or something, (although over indulgence is never a good thing) I my self enjoy playing Guild Wars (don't laugh) from time to time. I'm doing this because of Anthropolgy class (High School) and I'm lazy so I didn't go out somewhere like most. LOL