Acorncupcake - "You're going to think I'm sick after this, but it has given me all of above…joy, heartache, friendship...and the loss of weight. After just about four years of gameplay with EQ, I have friends from the UK and in the States and around the world that we are still trying to hang on to our friendships and not lose contact even if we retire.

"A friend from the UK is graciously sending me overseas to the UK to see all of my guild and friends from other UK guilds. I'm staying with my friend and her husband whom I met the first week I played EQ and we still are great friends and write and call each other up. She and I are very excited to meet each other out side of the game.

"So this game has given me...joy, heartache, wonderful friendships and the loss of weight (about 45 pounds)."

Aladiana - "Everquest is an experience like no other. You build friendships, you feel loss when people retire or move to new guilds/servers, etc. MMORPGs are more than simply games. If it were just a game, I would not still be playing and paying for it after 4 years."

Alx - "Oh boy. All of the above. I got involved in a guild for the first time in SWG. So now I have an online set of friends and family. I went from a guild newcomer to guild officer within 6 months. The guild put together a beautiful player city and I was the mayor. Mostly it has been fun, but game problems/bugs, and the inevitable players leaving for bigger and better things, do hurt, too. What begins as an escape from everyday life can easily become a 'virtual life'in game, with the same difficulties."

Cadbury - "Playing EQ always was exciting to me, to get those friends online based solely on what you're saying, how you're interacting. This was way before the game felt more like a power or ranking race. I found both methods of playing the game--socially without concern for rank, and competitive--appealing, but my best memories are from the first couple years of exploring and being social.

"On my life, it sort of decimated my schoolwork--I was in high school at the time. I didn't know how to control my time on a game so addictive as EQ was. But once that was past, I had a much broader appeal for gaming and became interested in game creation, from a visual/exploring standpoint."

Cassiana - "This is really a tough question. At different times I have felt everything you asked. When I first started back when EQ first came out, it was an entirely different game. Everything was new and fun. There weren't really any 'power gamers'to the extent there are now. I don't think any game that comes out in the future will ever have the uniqueness that EQ had when it came out. It was something that no other game had accomplished. Those times were what I would consider the best times playing. I have been in the high end game for most of my EQ career. I was also a guild leader of a high end guild. As a female, that was tough. There aren't many female guild leaders of high end guilds. I only know of one other and that guild was not a true high end guild. Being a guild leader and having to deal with guild politics and problems made me feel a lot of heartache.

"Being part of the leadership, either as guild leader of as an officer, of Leviathan since it was formed made me try to not make too many friends. The reason for this was because I didn't want anyone to be able to accuse me of favoritism towards any other member of the guild. However, my husband and I did end up meeting another couple from the game. They no longer play the game, but we are still close friends and see each other when we can."

Ceildha - "I really have a good time playing EQ. I have met some really great people and my husband and I have a great time playing together. It's a major source of entertainment for this broke newlywed couple. :)"

Charmantra - "Everquest is like having a whole other family. I do try and keep in mind that it is still just a game but I have made many friends in the game that I consider 'true' friends and have even met some of them in person. It is an escape from the trials of real life sometimes. I love the game...the people I play with and my characters."

Driin - "EverQuest was my main source of entertainment for 4 years - I spent the majority of my free time playing it. The first two years I was an out of state college student (Computer Science major). I didn't have a lot of money, or many friends and I loved computers. Playing an MMORPG seemed to fit really well with my lifestyle - and lacking social life!

"I definitely experienced all of those emotions (and more) over the years. When a person spends THAT much time playing, it definitely has an influence on her life. As one of the major communities present in my life at that time, I can say that I experienced just about anything and everything that people would expect to experience when interacting normally with a family, co-workers, friends, and even enemies.

"I say 'normally' because there is one key difference in an MMORPG community vs. an offline/real life community - the ability to physically interact. I think that this difference contributes to an additional sense of longing similar to what one might feel with a regular long distance relationship - i.e. an out of state lover, a family member overseas, etc. Of course people also often feel that this is the chance to act more boldly/aggressively with people who they know they will never meet…"

Fizzgig - "EQ has brought all of the above, plus some stress. Being guild leader always meant dealing with everyone's complaints and problems, finding places to raid, recruiting so we could raid bigger targets and trying to hold the guild together--and in some cases rebuilding. However, I also got to feel proud when my guild managed to kill something with 12 folks that other guilds needed 20 or 30 for. Developing new tactics so we could deal with these situations is always a lot of fun."

Iceni - "MMO gaming has brought a variety of experiences I would not have enjoyed otherwise. Usually enjoyable, occasionally frustrating...the latter primarily being either 'drama' or a sense of frustration that the people I befriend are so far flung across the globe that the only way I'll ever get to know them is online."

Illara - "It has brought me many friendships, as well as, oddly enough, time spent with my family. Like Filraen mentioned above (she always steals my ideas! ) we have met many of our online friends, face to face, and maintain close friendships with several of them. There have been several times, though, perhaps due to my own naivete, that I've been misled by someone, or misguided as to what type of person they are."

Jandrea - "I have met friends on several games. I have also had a chance to play games with a relative who lives far away. We have spent more time together now in games than we have in person."

Kentarre - "Throughout my EQ history, the game has meant different things. When I first started playing it was a way to bond with my boyfriend when we were running out of things to do together. Then it morphed into an escape for me - I didn't have to deal with RL when I could play insane amounts of time in game. I made lots of real, lasting friendships during this time. I was a backbone of an all-female guild - which was a ton of fun. We were, to my knowledge, at least 90% female in RL as well. It was a great time. But as things do, people come and go...I got my stuff together in RL, and quit playing EQ quite so obsessively... the guild suffered a decline, because of me and others drifting off. After a while (and a male coming in, playing a female character, and running the guild into the ground ), I disbanded and I am now enjoying the game in a completely different way. I am now a casual gamer, enjoying the 1-50 level content - playing when I can and a lot of it solo. I have many friends I still see online, but I play not for seeing them, but just for the game."

Kylinee - "Mostly joy and a lot of new friends. I have actually crossed half the country to meet some of them as my guild has a large concentration in the Central Timezone. Sometimes the game brings heartache, when a guild breaks up or friends move on, but time passes and things change, and you deal with it."

Lassilla - "I loved getting together with friends for AD&D every Friday (and we still did when we started this game way back when). But to be able to 'roleplay'when I had a free moment was wonderful and a great escape. I have met a lot of good people on the game and enjoy 'hanging' out with them. So, I guess to answer the question, the game has brought me a fun way to escape (much better than TV) and has brought me friendships."

Laury - "Any long term association with a game that involves contact between real people can bring emotions just as real life can. I have met some of my very best friends thru this game, some of which are better friends than ones IRL. I've had a lot of friendship and joy over the years, I wouldn't trade that for anything. That being said there has been a great deal of heartache over the years...having had to deal with the RL deaths of several EQ friends. Let me tell you, it doesnt hurt any less just because all you know of them is the pixelated image you see on the screen."

Lilluanu - "EQ has been all these and more to me. It is a place to be with my friends even though some of them live on the opposite side of the world from me, a way to connect with people and spend time daily with those I care about no matter where I am, or where they are.

"It is a place to vent frustrations by killing everything in sight, a place to find support and advice from friends and guildmates, and something I can excel at despite being out of shape and somewhat limited timewise. It's also something that helps me get away from my RL problems for the time that I am playing, usually.

"I also love EQ (and any other MMORPG) because it is a place where the playing field is levelled. Everyone starts out on the same page, with the same lack of knowledge and ability, and grows over time at the same approximate rate. Dedication will truly allow one to get ahead even if they are physically unattractive or disabled or different or less intelligent than others irl, because none of that shows in game."

Lyralyrana - "EverQuest brought many friends into my life, both those friendships I still maintain (through ICQ, e-mail or other games), those who have slipped away, and those who I am sorry to have lost. I found myself, very early on, being caught up in the wonder and emotion of the gaming experience, and I have also been surprised by the level of deep emotional connection (true friendship) that can be formed through the conversations that take place, both regarding the game itself, but more so the issues and pieces of ourselves that we bring to our characters."

Saura - "This game has meant a lot to me. I have made many friendships and had a lot of fun playing this game. Playing Everquest has affected my life in both good and bad ways. The good effects that it has on my life are the friendships that I have made and the good memories that I have received. The bad effects on my life from playing this game are the stress, the time consumption, and the harassment from some people."

Sendywene - "Mainly it has brought entertainment, I thoroughly enjoy the people I have met and the game itself. I am an avid tradeskiller and enjoy raiding, but am not into it for 'the end'game."

Vexana - "At first EQ was something to do to pass the time. I ended up making quite a few friends that I'd hate to lose. It has also caused its share of heartache for me. Friends lost, arguments, and so on. Joy: I met my current boyfriend via EQ. We started as friends years ago and recently developed far stronger feelings for each other. He's such a good lizard and a wonderful man. (He plays an iksar warrior, rawr)."

Whiteshade - "For me EQ was an escape. I was going through a really bad period in my life with the deaths of my brother and friends, and EQ allowed me to think about something other then what had happened. Also it gave me the chance to meet people from all over the world and form friendships that I never would've been able to had it not been for EQ."

MMORPGs - FROM THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE © 2004-2005 by Raya
"Sister Moya" © Amanda Kümmel Magalhães (Elfwood)
All rights reserved to the respective copyright holders.