Title Wars,Elitist Attitudes,and Addiction

Im a healthcare professional. I work in an ER and Ive consulted Phd's in both Mental Health and Addiction about some of my concerns.My guild is one of the oldest in the game and among our core members we have many tens of thousands of hours in-game.While initially a fan of Titles, recently as I made a list of Title " Pro's & Con's ", the list was empty of Pro's & the list of Con's was extensive. Now before I voice the many specific concerns of the Doctors Ive been in consultation with, it was suggested that I gather some feedback from the constituency. Granted a relatively small number of players utilize the board but the feedback you generate may, in review be used as we formulate our concerns regarding game design & features. Diplomacy & professionalism will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You for your time & consideration.

What is your point.

Trolling?

Because it seems so pointless.

You suffer from addiction to a game, and it is related to titles. But your request is to formulate concerns about game design & features.

My advice is to stop playing GW and ... better think before posting such an incoherent flamebait here. I am still not sure if this is just trolling or dead serious.

And I bet nobody knows what you want to talk about. Your medical status has little to do with the design features of Guild Wars.

You get words under your name! Sweet!

Seriously, it's not that much of a big deal. If it really irks you that you need 'God Walking Among Mere Mortals' (or whatever KoaBD rank 6 is (I saw one the other day actually :P)), you really have a problem.

Lol, wut?

Pro: I can /rank you
Con: You QQ about your inability to /rank me back.

I'll be honest mate...most people are addicted to this game. I stopped being addicted to the game and got addicted to the forums. You should do a survey on that.

I fail at understanding what the OP is all about

He wants people to tell what they think about titles and gw addiction and title elitists and stuff, so he can go tell his doctor friends or something... bleh.
5000hrs says im addicted, dunno why all i do is afk in GH lately.

Ohh, I guess it's too early for me.

Anyways, I'm not addicted. Barely got 2600 hours on my account. (in 12 months tho ) And since titles are a huge part of the game, the part I enjoy the most, I got nothing bad to say about them. Keeps me amused while I got nothing else to do(college work, rl stuff,..).

Titles have nothing to do with addiction to the game. With or without titles, GW may become an addiction for someone with mental health issues. Playing incessantly isn't the problem, it's merely a symptom of an underlying issue.

The question concerning titles is "Why are you going for this title?" And it can only be answered by the person doing it. It's no different than the question "Why are you playing this game?"

The problem you now face is that you have no idea about my qualifications (or if I have any at all) to make comments like the above. And that's the problem you face with any post here, what feedback you get may or may not be utter crap.

Well stated Kook, while Im certain some of your premises would be debated, thats what Im after.

ill give some info on the topic here...

yes, people are addicted to gw, and become these "elitist" players because they spent soo much effort into obtaining these titles, that they expect no less from any1 that joins their group, as if they arent dedicated enough to be apart of the team. its a sad fact.. its more strict in elite areas such as DoA and slavers. espically the pvp side for HA..

i would love if people werent this way... would make the game a tad bit more enjoyable.

I'll second this. If it wasn't for these forums I would have stopped playing Guild Wars long ago. But because of these forums I find all these ways to get all these different titles and people make it seem so easy and so that is what I do. Then I have all these half finished titles that I want to do but split my time between them all and none get done.

If this discussion is about titles and their effect on gamers, I have nothing to add. However, I do have something to say about the effect of gamers on titles, from a non-scientific viewpoint.

A title is a name. Names are transient labels that humans apply to things so that we can point and say "that is mine", for a time. A name or title means nothing in the end, and is soon forgotten when the bearer of the name turns to dust (as all things must do in the end). As to why people choose the titles they want for themselves, that is up to them to explain. It is an issue of personal identity and humanity's needs of the self and need for recognition.

However, the titles that each player chooses to gain for themselves can sometimes say a little about the player's personality and skills. For example, someone with a cartography title probably has some skill in locating things (or some skill with reading maps, depending on how the title was gained). Someone with a Drunkard title is likely to have a great deal of patience (given the techniques and the length of time required to earn this title). Someone with a Treasure Hunter or Wisdom title may have an affinity for valuable items. And so on and so forth.

its not about titles, its about electronic addiction.

More specifically Video Game Addiction.
On a balanced psyche the impact seems to be minimal or inexistent, however like in everything video game addiction can be a problem when coupled with other issues.
serious studies have yet to be realized, the fact is that parents,distributors, governments do not take video games seriously mainly because they target(ed) kids for so long and that they have the word "game" in them.

After all if its a GAME then its harmless.

the problem is everything can be addictive, some things more than others.

I thought this is about this...

well, you cannot blame your keyboard for that, cos it has a warning lable sticking on the bottom that says "Some experts believe that the use of any keyboard may cause serious injury. Consult statement on the back of this keyboard" Maybe we can blame the mouse, as the same Warning Label isn't found anywhere on the mouse.

Okay, why I thought is about RSI, because the of the Opening: I am a healthcare professional .... so RSI came into mind.... and because my wrist hurts :P

This forum has actually cut down my time playing the game ... i have to stop coming here and play the game more and argue less with total stranger which brought out the worse in me .... bad pumpkin ...

Do you mean display how many hours you have played under your character?

Titles.. the stuff that suddenly appears there without trying... upon which a little effort is excerted to max them out.

I got bored back in prophecies and capped all elite skills. When the title showed up, I decided to cap the elites in factions along the way, then finish the last few after finishing the game. The same holds true for Nightfall. Once eton came out and we couldn't display pve titles in hall of monuments during the preview event unless we had 5 maxed titles, I decided to finish all prophecies bonuses only to discover that whilst I now have 2 new titles to display, it wasn't necessary anymore.

I'm sure that by the time I'm bored of gw, I'll have maxed out a few more titles with very little effort. Working on vanquisher in nightfall atm. That's the one I'm actually working on. The sunspear one which is most likely going to get maxed out during it and the explorer title are both secondary titles.

Now.. what was that about addiction and titles again?

Oh right.. the bit that says that I have a hobby called playing gw... hmm.. I can think of worse hobbies/addictions than that one.

People are addicted to different things. The OP, to their job obviously because they spend their free time studying it. It just so happens that addiction to Guild Wars is as harmless as watching TV, so long as you have time for your job/school and family.

urg, you know next to nothing about me, yet you seem to assume a lot - So if i have a high title im addicted? or if i even like titles? what the hell are you trying to achieve anyway, you cant go and force people to stop playing cause you went around talking to people

I may seem a little harsh, but i cant see any real reason for this....

Lol, u guys take this way to serious.....in fact, should not be taken at all

lolz After recently calculating that I play an average of 7 hours a day, one could conclude that I am addicted to GW but, heck, I knew that already.

As to the relation between Titles and addiction, I'd have to say I don't see any connection there. I was addicted long before the Titles were introduced.

Titles haven't caused me to play more, although some of them (such as Protector, Survivor, etc.) have allowed me to focus on some specific goals while I am playing, thereby enhancing my enjoyment of the game to a certain degree.

While I think the OP's intent is probably sincere, I would doubt that conducting research by seeking feedback from a fansite forum is a very scientific way of going about it.

The OP isnt trying to make you all quit GW, he/she is just wondering what your view on the subject is. If you are lame enough to be offended by this, which some of you obviously are, then mabye you just need to calm down a bit, nobody made you read this thread or post in it, and if nobody amde you read it then why do some of you seem to think that the OP thinks he/she is magically going to stop you paying GW?
The ones of you who have flamed the OP might say you have no problems linked with playing too much GW but if your getting so worked up when someone is even mentioning negative effects of playing GW too much then mabye you should ease back on it a bit, you're taking it to seriously.
Just my views.

~A Leprechaun~

Is there a title worth having other than the Lightbringer ones?

In my opinion, titles don't matter in the least. Some of us played for months before titles even existed. Furthermore, in order to devote time to titles, you have to enjoy the game in the first place. Thus I submit that someone who plays to gain titles would probably be playing anyway.

Games simply aren't addictive to normal, average, mentally-stable people. We as human beings do what we enjoy, and some just enjoy playing games. An addiction or otherwise unhealthy affection for the game is not required to get a high-end title. Do your study as you wish, but I truly do not believe its any more complicated than that.

Btw, to all of you who were confused/offended by this, or flamed it, I'm confused as to exactly what the f--- your issue is. Its a completely legit question and the OP accused no one of being addicted.

Ive only clocked up 5,ooo hrs buts its enough to make me want to upchuck all over my desk.I know of people that have played double that but in doing so they have lost things like income,friends,girlfriend and health issues.Personally ive wasted too much time on GW when I could be rebuilding my rare xa hardtop like the black one off mad max.Now my time limit is 2hrs a day including a brief scan over these forums.

While no diagnostic criteria have yet been established for video game addiction, the symptoms of impulse control disorder include regular or repetitive displays of at least five of the following:[

1. Persistent thoughts of the activity or performance of the activity. (Preoccupation)
   
2. Use of activity to escape problems or relieve bad mood. (Preoccupation)
   
3. Need for increased time spent on the activity to achieve satisfaction or diminished reward for the same amount of time spent on the activity. (Tolerance)
   
4. Inability to control, stop or diminish the behavior. (Loss of control)
   
5. Restlessness or irritability when prevented from partaking in the activity. (Withdrawal)
   
6. Lying to friends or family about extent of involvement with activity. (Continuance despite adverse consequences)
   
7. Committing illegal acts to sustain activity. (Continuance despite adverse consequences)
   
8. Relying on others to finance activity. (Continuance despite adverse consequences)

I have problems with 1-5 not the last 3 yet....so yeah i guess i am probably addicted. Mostly i use it as a way to relax after a frustrating day at work. But it has caused problems with my wife on occassion...not anymore because i play less than an hour a day now...bored with it...

targeting titles specifically makes little sense.
people will play the game regardless of titles.

they already did before titles were introduced

edit: to the post above.
1, 2 and 5 doesn't sound alarming to me.
i'll react like that with pretty much anything i enjoy doing.
1. if i'm bored i'll find something to think about. and obviously rather something i like doing than something i don't like.
2. video games is an excellent way to get rid of a bad mood. you can go beat on things and it doesn't hurt anybody.
I used to do homework while i played games. it gave me a couple of advantages. I didn't get bored of my homework, I had a computer if i needed to find something, and i could get something done playing the game that would normally be less, i would mine in EVE, spend 4-8 seconds every 3 minutes, and i would benefit from it. And just to clarify, i usually got pretty good grades, so it didn't impact the quality of my homework.
5. Often my mom would tell me to stop playing, always hated it, cause i would just end up not doing anything for however long she said i had to not play. TV never really appealed to me, such a passive activity.

addiction is when you can't stop doing it, even when you really really should.
6, 7, 8 fall into that. if you need to steal in order to fund your addiction, or you wont admit how much you actually use on it THEN you have problems.
I know i can stop when i want. i already did more than once. and not only to prove that i *could* indeed do it, I stopped for several months cause i didn't have time to play, i didn't re-prioritize so i would have time, Just stopped.

I only have around 2000 hours ingame since launch, the first 1000 of that was during the first couple of months, cause i never really turned the game off, just left it running minimized in the background while i did other things.

Diplomacy and professionalism in a game forum? You're out of your mind.

So... you want the opinions of a bunch of non-medical people... when you have access to the research capabilities of actual medical people... on a subject next to nobody on this board is going to have any actual professional insight into?

And you phrased it all in grammar that would fail a third grade English test?

I think you're a troll trying to start a fight over the new GWEN titles.

You'd be surprised how many more immature, e-peen-waving jagoffs there are on GWG versus a lot of other game forums. Just my personal experience, but this place often descends nearly to the level of acrimony you see on loosely-moderated political forums.

The mods have kind of stepped up compared to, say, a year ago, but it's still pretty ridiculous watching people screech "oh lol ur a nub who just dosn't know teh game you should gtfo and play more insted of QQ lol"

This thread seems to be on of many the last week of pointlessness.

Bowling balls are pointless, but very useful for knocking down pins...

So many people not really considering the OP and just throwing out "pointless" rhetoric...Seriously consider the question for a moment....for good or for ill. It should come as no surprise that games like GW, WoW, EQ, FF, and the like, have a built in scale of tasks pulling people forward like the proverbial carrot on a stick...regardless of how you feel about carrots, answer the question...all the rest sniffs of denial to me.

I know the reasons I play well enough to limit myself...I have essentially replaced TV watching with game-play during hours my wife watches programming I don't care for. I could go somewhere else and watch TV, but GW is more rewarding. The rewards, of course (titles and such) kept me farming points that I would otherwise not give a fuzzy pickle about were it not for the chance to get a rainbow pheonix at 10 maxed titles...that's the ONLY reason I did it...I probably won't go for any more.....suffering 2 weeks of tedium was enough.

The value of in game rewards is debatable. Take a look here for some interesting insight (or a good laugh if you think it so much bologna): www.nickyee.com/hub/home.html

Seriously, think about the OP...you might want to consider the question before dismissing your own answer.

Whats the question?

I am the Duke of Flanders and am hereby decreeing Guild Wars to be put on the Class A Narcotics list.

Get over yourself, it's a game.

Everyone is addicted to something, I am just glad its GW for me and not crack

I lol'd

GW isn't addictive, laughing at the scrubs who play it is

A tittle's nothing but a name, a character is nothing but pixels but in your minds it's something diferent you asume it as an important thing just because it's an important part of your free time wich means it's an important part on your life, not a REALLY important thing but, it's a good thing that you have and you enjoy, that's why you understand it as something real , because it's real for you in a non strict sense of the word.And beeing real it becomes one of the things you think about more, and slowly it becomes more and more important while time pass and finally GW is the only thing you think about and you expend a huge part ot your hours each day just playing, that's how you become addicted.

At least that's how I became addicted to GW, until a day when I stopped and well, now I play but with a limit and I am conscient that my character is not me, but there is a lot of people that stills in the same situation of adiction and that may be a problem but well....we all think that playing a game is a waste of time, at least that's what society wants but....what gives you to work everyday 8 hours or more? Money? Respect? A better life? Yes. What do you get on GW? money, respect and a funny time, not a better life but a funny time. Of course we think that working and beeing important for other people in real life is great but in fact anything has a trascendental importance on this planet or this universe so I think that if a person enjoys to work hard to get a cool job and to be rich in real life... Why can't someone do the same thing on a game if it makes him happy?

That's what you think when you're on that circle of GW GW GW GW.

Talking about elitist attitudes:
Well, there's always people who need to prove that they're important or better than someone or something like that, and in real life there's people that spend millions of dollars onn having elite things to do the same thing , just to prove that they're better than someone so I think it's not so rare to see that on a game played by HUMAN people because we're all humans, aren't we?

About Titles:
Titles are just one of the special "cheats" of Anet to entertain people in game while they prepare new games to earn more money, because, people that has already finished the story of GW don't really have a reason to stay on it, just titles or High End items or things like that...

Titles are the only thing that Anet has introduced in game for gamers that have already completed game and need a reason to stay on GW til the next GW game, the rest of things are introduced to us by ourselfs. As an example, now Chaos Cloves are so cool? or it's maybe such a "pro" thing just because it's rally expensive? Is Crystalline sword so cool? A monk really needs a tormented shield to protect himself? NO, but it looks cool and people will think you're cool, just aceptation.

Well, after all this I have not much more things to say but good bye and sorry for this big text and sorry for my english too. :P

I am certaintly not addicted to Guild Wars at all. I don't play for the titles, or the in-game gold, or the so called "prestigue." No, I play for the fun of it. Sure I farm, and go out specifaly to earn gold, to buy new and pretty weapons/armour. I also go out to work on the titles that do something for the game. Like the new EoTN race titles, sunspear/lightbringer. I worry about the other titles over time.


But aside of all that, in the core I play for the fun. I don't skimp out on my teammates when the chips are down. I am in a small Guild with friends who I was friends with before Guild Wars. One of them I used to work for. I enjoy gaming, and gaming with good friends. Isn't this what a game should be? Fun?

Sure I display my titles in outposts; but only those which are relevent to the task at hand. For example, I display the Norn title when trying to get in a Ursan Blessing group. Or display the Lightbringer title when finding a group in the Domain of Anguish. If I had Kind of a Big Deal, i'd probably display that in cities only and during festivels.

Reading this thread should be all the research you need: The internet is filled with immature little teenagers, with big egos. Finding intelligence among that is like a needle in a haystack. The average Guild Wars player is just that: one giant ego.

I'm beginning to think the medical community has hopelessly lost track of what the word "addiction" actually means. The reward system for time played in GW is quite weak, anyone that's unable to stop playing and whose real life is adversely affected because of a compulsion to have some words under their character's name has a pre-existing problem.

Hi-diddly-ho, posterino!

/ wait... what were we talking about?

Titles are easy to explain. They put them in for all the people who don't have Halo 3 so they could do something besides read Nancy Drew books. You have a degree and don't know this?

Titles make you cool and successful in life. I should know, I am Protector of Tyria, and that got me a raise yesterday at my job... hmmmm