Addicted: How Do You Quit An MMORPG?

[Istik]

http://hellforge.gameriot.com/blogs/Hel ... -An-MMORPG

If you're currently an addict who intends to quit, or know someone who is addicted to an MMO, here are some thoughts you can think about which may make the decision to quit an easier one to make:

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painting miniatures
Warhammer Miniatures
An expensive hobby, but at least you'll have something to show for it.
Burnout - Is it satisfying to actually spend an entire weekend grinding Reputation points for that 'exalted' status with a faction, or harvesting materials for crafting some useless piece of equipment? Are you even having fun anymore?

* Time Commitment - Consider the amount of time you're spending in an MMO and reflect upon it. Is it worth it to spend 6 hours a night in World of Warcraft when you could be spending that time doing something more productive? You could be spending time reading, indulging in a productive hobby, or even spending some time out with your family and friends. Life is short, so why squander it? If you need to play a game for hours upon hours to get anything out of it, it's a good reason to stop playing it because it simply isn't worth it.

* Real Life Commitment - Is playing World of Warcraft getting in the way of your real life commitments? Are you neglecting your significant other to spend more time with your guild? Is staying up late causing you arrive late for work or class every other day? Is it more satisfying to kill a raid boss than it is to wake up to a warm cup of coffee prepared by your loved one? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to look deep into yourself and think about the things that really matter.

* Fun Time vs Boring Time - Are you at the point where you are spending exponentially larger numbers of hours trying to get your "fix"? If the ratio of the amount of time you're having fun is significantly disparate to the amount of time you're feeling bored by the game, then it's time to question why you're still playing the game. Why spend time in an MMO when you can spend less than an hour in a game like Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead or any number of single and multiplayer games and feel sated by the experience?

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photography
Photography
A worthwhile indulgence
No Spontaneous Gratification - Why are you even playing this game if you have to spend several hours in it just to get anything out of it?

* Having trouble keeping up? - If you find yourself having trouble keeping up with your guild mates and other players in an MMORPG, consider yourself lucky. Quit while you're behind.

* Meta-gaming - If you find you aren't a game designer, but you find yourself talking about how to down a raid boss for hours without end, or spend days researching the best "build" for your character class, then you need to examine who you are. Is this the person you want to become? Do you want to be a WOW-nerd?

* Are others quitting? - If your guild-mates are complaining that they're spending too much time in the game, just take it as a sign.

* Culture - If you think it's okay to make racist and sexist jokes because everyone does it in the Barrens Chat or refer to everyone else as '****' or suffix terms for them with '-***', then it's time to quit before you genuinely become a socially unacceptable person.

* Guild Drama - If playing a game causing isyou more grief than any experience you might go through in the real world, just ask yourself, "Is this worth it?"

[Lores]

This explains it for me http://www.massively.com/2008/04/14/mmo ... s-speshul/

Gamers have always taken a degree of flack about their hobby of choice. Some people call gaming a waste of time (whereas watching TV is completely productive), some people bash it as anti-social escapism (whereas reading a book is akin to attending a gala), some people deride it for its focus on violent content (whereas Hollywood blockbusters, boxing, and the nightly news are G-rated and chock full of joy), and some people despise it for its potentially addictive properties (cigarettes are a far safer alternative). I could go on. As a result, gamers are often seen as grumpy, antisocial slackers. But of all the labels associated with gamers one of the latest is just plain retarded - literally.

At a recent British Psychological Society convention it was announced that, "hard core gamers can mirror certain aspects of Asperger's Syndrome." For those of you who don't know, Asperger's Syndrome is a psychiatric disorder on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum of psychiatric disorders. Asperger's is typically characterized by impairments in social interactions and repetitive behavior patterns. Dr. Charlton, one of the researchers on the study states that, "Our research supports the idea that people who are heavily involved in game playing may be nearer to autistic spectrum disorders than people