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By Bob Janeway
With the advent of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing
Games (MMORPG), a lot of people have suffered from MMORPG
over-addiction, so much so that some of them have slowly
confused the real world with the fantasy environment of the
games they’re playing. I kid you not! This seeming merger of
truth and fiction is not restricted to costume plays (or
cosplays), sci-fi conventions or game launches. It has
extended
to everyday life. And if you have been playing a particular
MMORPG for hours upon hours, each and every day, you might be
suffering from MMORPG over-addiction yourself!
How would you know?
Here are 10 signs that can be observed if ever you have too
much MMORPG adrenaline in your system.
1. Whenever you want to buy something, you think in terms of
gold instead of dollars. Gold, of course, is the unit of
currency in most MMORPG game worlds.
2. Whenever you accomplish a significant deed, you
subconsciously expect to level up, coupled with a sound in the
background to inform the world of such a feat. MMORPG programs
reward players with experience points which can be used to
increase their levels.
3. You find yourself speaking in Old English. Quite a number
of
MMORPG systems require the players to role play their
characters
as if they’re living in a fantastical, medieval world. This
includes conversing in Old English. So hear ‘ye, hear ‘ye,
hear
‘ye, if thou hath been speaking the tongue of ages yore, thou
hath been possessed by the soul of thy machinated character.
4. You start referring to you bag as your inventory. A staple
of MMORPG programs is a limited inventory screen that allows
your character to carry a certain number of implements.
5. You start describing your irritating acquaintance as a
“re-spawning monster.” The monsters in all MMORPG systems
persistently re-spawn so that players would always have
something to kill for some experience points.
6. Whenever an item, like a gadget perhaps or a book, is
priced
beyond your budget, you start to subconsciously hope that
you’ll
get it soon with a future “drop.” In MMORPG programs, monsters
drop useful items whenever they’re destroyed. Sometimes, they
drop some very rare and very valuable items.
7. When ever you need the help of a friend in the real world,
you sometimes inform him by screaming “tank!” or “aggro!” The
terms tank and aggro are MMORPG-generic words that refer to a
variety of support from party members. Tank refers to the act
of having someone with higher HP attack a monster first. The
monster would focus on such a player, and the other player
with
lower HP would attack it from behind and claim a majority of
the
experience points. Aggro refers to a slew of support spells
from
the magic users of the same adventuring party.
8. At the end of every month, you’d be surprised to discover
that you have exhausted all your vacation and sick leaves from
work. In South Korea, for example, where MMORPG programs are a
huge hit, employers complain of massive employee absences
whenever a major game is released. Indeed, an MMORPG has the
power to take over your virtual as well as your real life.
9. You spend countless sleepless nights thinking of strategies
that would help you build your character, or defeat a
seemingly
undefeatable boss. MMORPG programs often require more strategy
that what you’d expect, and trying to discover the best
tactics
that work is part of the fun.
10. Whenever you’re planning your monthly budget, you give
paramount importance to allotting payment for your MMORPG’s
subscription. There is no shame here. We’re all guilty of the
same thing.
Should you start worrying?
Should you begin to consider a change in lifestyle?
Should you consult a therapist?
For as long as the other aspects of your life, which are more
important than your need for an MMORPG fix, are not
compromised, then your preference for MMORPG programs, whether
casual of a product of an addictive tendency, can still be
considered as healthy.
But if you start jeopardizing your health, your job, your
family and your overall wellbeing, then dude! You have to
realize that though an MMORPG offers a world of endless fun,
it’s just a game, and your life is not.
About The Author: So, you’ve finally decided to take the
plunge
and entered one of the many magical worlds of Massively
Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPG.....maximize
your playing time with tried and tested MMORPG strategies at
www.onlineroleplayingames.com
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