((Clearly I won’t be able to do this post IC, so OOC time for Ghunzyr))
1) Over the past 10 years, how many MMORPGs have you played?
e) Five or more
2) How many hours do you spend online gaming per week?
e) 13+ hours
3) In an MMORPG, do you interact with individuals you know outside the game? (i.e. in real life)
a) Yes
4) What is most important in keeping your interest in an MMORPG? Select all that apply. If you choose Other, please specify.
I ranked them from most important to least.
1) Fun Factor (this is largely dependent on the other stuff on this list)
2) Community (this includes RP for me)
3) Story
4) Environment/World
5) Continual Game Evolution (content patches, updates, expansions, etc)
6) Other: High End Group & Raid Content
7) Graphics
5) Do you believe it is possible for MMORPGs to be addictive?
a) Yes
6) If you answered yes to question 5, have you or anyone you known been addicted to an MMORPG?
a) Yes
7) How important is communication with others in an MMORPG?
a) Very important
8) Do you feel you have made valuable relationships in any MMORPGs? How would you characterize these relationships in contrast to those in real-life? Are there any differences? Similarities? Please elaborate.
- I have made some very good relationships online, unfortunately I’ve found they are harder to maintain than offline relationships. I don’t like the distinction of “real-life†vs. MMORPG friends. If I make a connection to someone online and we become friends, good friends, than that IS a “real-life†friends. Friends made while in character, well, those are my character’s friends, not real life friends. But if I, the player, make friends with another player, then I consider that person a real friend, not some online pseudo-friend. I am not embarrassed to say I have become more than “just friends†with some players over the years. I have some great memories from the girlfriends I made in various MMORPGs over the years, and some very painful memories as well. These relationships were no less precious or real than the relationship I am in now (although they never lasted as long as this one has). Consider that a relationship that starts online doesn’t have to stay online. I recently found out that two people from my old hardcore raid guild days (the game was EQ2 if anyone cares) are now married with kids on the way. They lived in separate states back then, and the only reason they met was because they were in the same guild and raiding every night gave them a chance to get to know each other. You can’t tell me that isn’t a very real relationship.
9) Do MMORPGs offer modes of communication or support you are unable to find in your geographic location, life situation, or circumstances right now? Please elaborate.
- It all depends what you mean. For me, Roleplaying and storytelling are ways of relieving stress. I play in a Dungeons and Dragons game every 2 weeks and that helps, but MMORPGs allow me to distress without all the time and energy that a D&D session requires. Also, I can play MMORPGs when it suits me, which is often late at night. So in a way, yes they do offer support that I am unable to get elsewhere.
10) What methods do you use to communicate with others in MMORPGs? Please select all that apply. If you select Other, please specify.
a) Friend List
b) Chat Channel
c) Voice Communication (Ventrillo as well as the Phone sometimes, depending who it is and where they are geographically)
d) Guild/Linkshell/Corporation/Clan
e) Forum
f) RL Interaction (i.e. physical get togethers, internet cafes, etc)
g) Other: I’ve also been known to use messenger programs like Yahoo or MSN, as well as E-Mail
11) Do you view MMORPGs as a potential mode of story-telling, an alternative to book, film, or television? Why or why not?
- Absolutely I agree. If a game has a large world with detailed history and well designed races/classes, it allows players to create their own stories. It is sort of like interactive fan-fiction. Also, if a game has a great story, why can’t it be compared to a book? Well written games need talented writers to come up with storylines, histories, and characters. In a sense, video games (MMORPGs and others) could arguably be the modern alternative to an illustrated novel.
12) What environments do you enjoy experiencing in MMORPGs? Why do you enjoy those particular kinds?
a) Fantasy worlds
b) Science fiction worlds
c) Contemporary realistic worlds
d) Historical worlds
e) Frightening/ horrific worlds
I love good stories of all kinds. Setting doesn’t matter much to me, it is what the designers have done with it. Traditionally, with books, I am drawn to high fantasy, but I also love sci-fi and gothic horror. The same can be said about films and games. On a side note, I would love to see a well done steampunk or gothic horror MMORPG.
13) Do you role-play in game?
a) Yes
14) Does your in-game avatar represent you in real life, either in physical appearance, personality, conversation, or other actions? Why or why not?
- Yes and no. I tend to play a variety of characters, many of whom resemble me in some regard, but sometimes I enjoy challenging myself by roleplaying a character that is totally different from me.
15) Do you play MMORPGs to avoid/cope with problems in real life (i.e. school procrastination, illness, marital problems, etc)?
c) Sometimes
16) Do you believe that MMORPGs can serve an escapist function, that is, a coping mechanism for real life stress, boredom, etc? Why or why not?
- Yes, that is one of the things about them that is most appealing. Some people enjoy getting lost in books or music. I do as well, but my preferred method of escapism is video games.
17) What do you believe is the future of MMORPGs? Please elaborate.
- Bigger, more realistic worlds as well as more realistic and customizable characters are coming, it is just a matter of overcoming limitations in the technology. Also, I think there are settings/story genres that are woefully under-represented in the world of MMORPGs. I believe that it is just a matter of time before we start to see a shift away from the traditional high fantasy setting.
1) Over the past 10 years, how many MMORPGs have you played?
e) Five or more
2) How many hours do you spend online gaming per week?
e) 13+ hours
3) In an MMORPG, do you interact with individuals you know outside the game? (i.e. in real life)
a) Yes
4) What is most important in keeping your interest in an MMORPG? Select all that apply. If you choose Other, please specify.
I ranked them from most important to least.
1) Fun Factor (this is largely dependent on the other stuff on this list)
2) Community (this includes RP for me)
3) Story
4) Environment/World
5) Continual Game Evolution (content patches, updates, expansions, etc)
6) Other: High End Group & Raid Content
7) Graphics
5) Do you believe it is possible for MMORPGs to be addictive?
a) Yes
6) If you answered yes to question 5, have you or anyone you known been addicted to an MMORPG?
a) Yes
7) How important is communication with others in an MMORPG?
a) Very important
8) Do you feel you have made valuable relationships in any MMORPGs? How would you characterize these relationships in contrast to those in real-life? Are there any differences? Similarities? Please elaborate.
- I have made some very good relationships online, unfortunately I’ve found they are harder to maintain than offline relationships. I don’t like the distinction of “real-life†vs. MMORPG friends. If I make a connection to someone online and we become friends, good friends, than that IS a “real-life†friends. Friends made while in character, well, those are my character’s friends, not real life friends. But if I, the player, make friends with another player, then I consider that person a real friend, not some online pseudo-friend. I am not embarrassed to say I have become more than “just friends†with some players over the years. I have some great memories from the girlfriends I made in various MMORPGs over the years, and some very painful memories as well. These relationships were no less precious or real than the relationship I am in now (although they never lasted as long as this one has). Consider that a relationship that starts online doesn’t have to stay online. I recently found out that two people from my old hardcore raid guild days (the game was EQ2 if anyone cares) are now married with kids on the way. They lived in separate states back then, and the only reason they met was because they were in the same guild and raiding every night gave them a chance to get to know each other. You can’t tell me that isn’t a very real relationship.
9) Do MMORPGs offer modes of communication or support you are unable to find in your geographic location, life situation, or circumstances right now? Please elaborate.
- It all depends what you mean. For me, Roleplaying and storytelling are ways of relieving stress. I play in a Dungeons and Dragons game every 2 weeks and that helps, but MMORPGs allow me to distress without all the time and energy that a D&D session requires. Also, I can play MMORPGs when it suits me, which is often late at night. So in a way, yes they do offer support that I am unable to get elsewhere.
10) What methods do you use to communicate with others in MMORPGs? Please select all that apply. If you select Other, please specify.
a) Friend List
b) Chat Channel
c) Voice Communication (Ventrillo as well as the Phone sometimes, depending who it is and where they are geographically)
d) Guild/Linkshell/Corporation/Clan
e) Forum
f) RL Interaction (i.e. physical get togethers, internet cafes, etc)
g) Other: I’ve also been known to use messenger programs like Yahoo or MSN, as well as E-Mail
11) Do you view MMORPGs as a potential mode of story-telling, an alternative to book, film, or television? Why or why not?
- Absolutely I agree. If a game has a large world with detailed history and well designed races/classes, it allows players to create their own stories. It is sort of like interactive fan-fiction. Also, if a game has a great story, why can’t it be compared to a book? Well written games need talented writers to come up with storylines, histories, and characters. In a sense, video games (MMORPGs and others) could arguably be the modern alternative to an illustrated novel.
12) What environments do you enjoy experiencing in MMORPGs? Why do you enjoy those particular kinds?
a) Fantasy worlds
b) Science fiction worlds
c) Contemporary realistic worlds
d) Historical worlds
e) Frightening/ horrific worlds
I love good stories of all kinds. Setting doesn’t matter much to me, it is what the designers have done with it. Traditionally, with books, I am drawn to high fantasy, but I also love sci-fi and gothic horror. The same can be said about films and games. On a side note, I would love to see a well done steampunk or gothic horror MMORPG.
13) Do you role-play in game?
a) Yes
14) Does your in-game avatar represent you in real life, either in physical appearance, personality, conversation, or other actions? Why or why not?
- Yes and no. I tend to play a variety of characters, many of whom resemble me in some regard, but sometimes I enjoy challenging myself by roleplaying a character that is totally different from me.
15) Do you play MMORPGs to avoid/cope with problems in real life (i.e. school procrastination, illness, marital problems, etc)?
c) Sometimes
16) Do you believe that MMORPGs can serve an escapist function, that is, a coping mechanism for real life stress, boredom, etc? Why or why not?
- Yes, that is one of the things about them that is most appealing. Some people enjoy getting lost in books or music. I do as well, but my preferred method of escapism is video games.
17) What do you believe is the future of MMORPGs? Please elaborate.
- Bigger, more realistic worlds as well as more realistic and customizable characters are coming, it is just a matter of overcoming limitations in the technology. Also, I think there are settings/story genres that are woefully under-represented in the world of MMORPGs. I believe that it is just a matter of time before we start to see a shift away from the traditional high fantasy setting.
![[Image: 19362_b61605817f541e85.png]](http://sigs.enjin.com/sig-ffxiv/19362_b61605817f541e85.png)
If you have a story for the paper, feel free to send me a message on the forums...
![[Image: 28296_de8d54c51a437c9a.png]](http://sigs.enjin.com/sig-ffxiv/28296_de8d54c51a437c9a.png)
