Show us your /age command!

Ard Wen

Ard Wen

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

Haz Team

W/Mo

My universty newspaper just ran a long article on the WoW. They were talking about the addiction to online games such as WoW, Asheron's Call 2, Everquest, GW, etc. They even cited MMORPG counseling services for addicts. I beleive that GW is good because little time is needed to have fun. I would like to hear some disscussion on this. Do you think GW is better than WoW for the sake of time and addiction (Not which is the better game). Do you find yourself playing too much time? I played 8 hours the other day straight. I think that was just a goof off day, and I don't do it regulary. The newspaper talked about buying virutal money and items with real money, which we all know is out there. Do plan on asking for virtual items for Christmas?

jules

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

Xen of Sigils [XoO]

I think I spend too much time on this game. I feel embarassed whenever I type /age and I've only spent 600+ hours playing.

Rancour

Rancour

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2005

Camp Rancor (Rancour :D)

I'm a free spirit (that's not what the guild is called, I just am)

W/R

I would never EVER buy anything for real money. Once did it in Diablo ll... Worst money I ever spent. Won't do that again. Good thing it was no more than 5 bucks, but again... Argh.

As for playing time, I too feel embarrassed. I haven't played for 600+ hours but still I think I spend WAY too much time infront of a screen. Very addictive game this is.

Jetdoc

Jetdoc

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Jul 2005

The Eyes of Texas [BEVO]

D/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by jules
I've only spent 600+ hours playing.
Right there with ya...

Ard Wen

Ard Wen

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

Haz Team

W/Mo

I think I've put up about 200 hours

Mimi Miyagi

Mimi Miyagi

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

Port Orchard, WA

The Second Foundation: [TSF]

I just added up my hours....sheesh.

Account 1: 617 Hours, 33 minutes
Account 2: 244 hours, 1 minutes
Total: 861 hours, 34 minutes

I don't spend real money on virtual items/cash.

Tactical-Dillusions

Tactical-Dillusions

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Grimsby, UK

R/



And my other account.


XP for my characters.

1,153,833 Ranger ascended
979,375 Warrior ascended
4,392,358 Monk ascended
8,875 Ranger presearing
693,244 Monk mule ascended
12,043 Elementalist mule
4,978 Necromancer mule
18,961 Mesmer mule

Further edit...
I think GW is better than WoW because there is no monthly fee (and i haven't even played WoW...go figure)

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tactical-Dillusions


And my other account.
i will get out my calculator later as those figures add up to a per day i find frightening (or i misplaced a zero somewhere)

Pevil Lihatuh

Pevil Lihatuh

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2005

Yorkshire, UK

R/Me

lol GW IS addictive, but unlike pay to play you can put it down if you like. With things like WoW or UO you feel obliged to keep playing even if you're bored with it, just so you're not "wasting your money". Also I'd never pay for a virtual item, but with friends in-game I'd be happy to give them a little present of a rune or a green or something

Tactical-Dillusions

Tactical-Dillusions

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Grimsby, UK

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Loviatar
i will get out my calculator later as those figures add up to a per day i find frightening (or i misplaced a zero somewhere)
Unfortunately, it's only around 14 hours a day

Loch

Loch

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

A while ago I found an article from the perspective of behavioural psychology. It's about how MMORPG's get some people hooked, and how the reward system conditions some players to seek more and more elusive rewards. This article doesn't go and say that MMORPG's are terrible, it just states how some people get so hooked on obtaining elusive rewards in MMO's.

http://www.nickyee.com/eqt/skinner.html

The Guild Wars' reward system, on the other hand, works more like a traditional video game. The player is rewarded for skill. Going through a tough mission and completing it means you and your team were good at it. Slaughtering a rival guild in GvG means your team honed their skills and played well. Nothing in the game conditions a person to aim for FoW armor when Drok's armor is just as good (either you want to look unique or you don't, it's simple), and boss monsters spawn predictably so you won't spend days waiting to capture their elite skill.

I'd say Guild Wars doesn't fit in with the addictive style of MMORPG's. It can be addictive in a different sense, as can all other video games.

master_ranger_matt

master_ranger_matt

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2005

Salt Lake City, Utah.... no im not mormon

Radicals Against Tyrants [RAT]

R/Me

this game is very addicting. i've been slowly cutting back because it interferes with my grades, which is bad because now that im in high school, everything i get affects what kind of a college i might get into.

bkriley

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Aug 2005

California

Unknown Enemy

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tactical-Dillusions


And my other account.


XP for my characters.

1,153,833 Ranger ascended
979,375 Warrior ascended
4,392,358 Monk ascended
8,875 Ranger presearing
693,244 Monk mule ascended
12,043 Elementalist mule
4,978 Necromancer mule
18,961 Mesmer mule

Further edit...
I think GW is better than WoW because there is no monthly fee (and i haven't even played WoW...go figure)

OMG, that is insane!
Thanks for that thou now when my wife gets on me about playing too much I can show her this. WOW!

by the way I'm getting close to three hundred hours.

BurningPants

BurningPants

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2005

That Other Guild [Tog]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tactical-Dillusions


And my other account.

How the hell do you find an average of 12 hours a day to play GW in?
Slow down or you're gonna get carpal tunnel syndrome soon.

But I guess it pays off, I saw your thread where you showed us all the green
and gold items you have. Pretty crazy stuff.

warren_kn

warren_kn

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

London, England

Quote:
Originally Posted by Loviatar
i will get out my calculator later as those figures add up to a per day i find frightening (or i misplaced a zero somewhere)
Haha, I had the same thought, I make it just over 51% of his life in the last 6 months playing GW. That is some feat.

neoteo

neoteo

Banned

Join Date: Jun 2005

Macau

www.exilesofdarksteel.com

E/

i hvae 1.045 hours since 10 of may ... but that doesnt mean anything , i think experience say more , cose a lot of people just leave the computer on 24 hours.

im adicted to guildwars , i dont have to study , so ... as long as i go to work to pay the rent and internet bill , im on.

but then , before GW was out , besides being waiting like crazy for it , i played a lot of FPS games , and i still do ... i think its not the game .. its the computer and the internet connection , thats adictive.

same goes for tv , you dont read articles about TV adiction , cose its old news , but we know there are millions of people adicted to it , more of our parents genaration then ours ... we are Computers.

Play Hard

ps : study before !

master_ranger_matt

master_ranger_matt

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2005

Salt Lake City, Utah.... no im not mormon

Radicals Against Tyrants [RAT]

R/Me

well, i just hit 700 hours, and i don't leave my computer on 24/7. its definatley time to cut back.

Mister Overhill

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Aug 2005

Tampa, Florida

Sticks and Stones

R/Rt

Well, I've been a gamer ever since Santa set me up with "chutes and ladders" and that was about 1952.

And yeah, I probably do play more than I should (600+ hours in GW), but I've got a lot of other things on my plate as well (family, reading, writing when the spirit moves me, keeping up the house, yard, and everyone's computer). I don't vegetate in front of the television. Took an early retirement a couple of years ago -- busier now than ever.

I game 2-3 hours a day, average. Could I be doing something more constructive? Sure. And sometimes the old Beatle's song runs through my mind.

"He's a real nowhere man,
sitting in his nowhere land,
making all his nowhere plans,
for nobody".


Perhaps that's a fitting description of gamers. But it could be said of someone with a room full of model trains, as well as a lot of other pursuits. As for myself, I'd like to think it keeps my mind sharp, as well as, in the case of online gaming, give me something to do with my family, scattered all over as they are.

Saw an advertisement in a computer magazine awhile back. The girl is sitting on the edge of the bed,wearing a short red nightgown and a black snap bracelet. She has candles lit, and is rolling her eyes while this jackass is hunched over his monitor saying, "Just one more game, honey". Now there's a man who has his priorities misplaced, and about to have it proven.

Asplode

Asplode

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Chicago, IL

Rebel Rising [rawr]

I gotta admit that a good chunk, maybe even half of my /age time is from being AFK >.>

Either way I spend too much time in GW. Any game you're passionate about, be it GW or WoW or whatever, will eat up a good portion of your free time. I don't think it's the game so much as it is the type of person who is playing.

Ard Wen

Ard Wen

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

Haz Team

W/Mo

great song Overhill

Gargarian

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

You have playd this char 131 hours over the past 5 montsh. Across all chars you have played 257 hours! ive got the ubar pwn RL! not realy, those hours where spent the 2/3 first weeks.. just started playing again

Aracos79

Aracos79

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Great Southwest

Shadowstorm Mercenaries

E/

Having just started WoW recently, I can tell you one easy difference. I feel like I HAVE to play WoW a certain amount each week to justify the fee. Whereas with GW, I don't feel bad about not playing it for a few days, or even weeks at a time.

The Son Of Morgoth

The Son Of Morgoth

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Maryland

The Servants Of Morgoth

N/

i only played for like 180 hours so far lol

Nigy

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

Seattle

I'm at 180ish total, and i can't imagine playing for over a thousand hours. I feel that ive played a lot, and to play something crazy like ten times that is insane.

BrandonIT

BrandonIT

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

Dallas, TX

Tribal Instincts

R/E

For the OP's questions:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ard Wen
Do you think GW is better than WoW for the sake of time and addiction (Not which is the better game).
Yes, I feel GW is MUCH better than WoW or SWG (never played Evercrack). I agree with Aracos' idea that, since there is no monthly fee and the game world is not changing constantly, I can leave for a week or two and come back to my characters and be in the same position as I was when I left (no maintenance, no fame lost). Nothing happened in the game world significantly while I was gone. And since we're capped on levels at 20 and it's so easy to get to that level, I feel GW wins out again in ease of play/grind/leveling.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ard Wen
Do you find yourself playing too much time? I played 8 hours the other day straight. I think that was just a goof off day, and I don't do it regulary.
For the last week, I've played about 2-3 hours a night, since I've been trying to cap some monk skills. But on average, I will play 2-3 hours about 3 nights out of the week, with about 2-4 additional hours on the weekend. I do not think I play for too much time, BUT like Mister Overhill alluded to, I still feel guilt every now and then that "Maybe I could be doing something better with my life..." Then the apathy sets in again and I'm happy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ard Wen
The newspaper talked about buying virutal money and items with real money, which we all know is out there. Do plan on asking for virtual items for Christmas?
Absolutely not. I am against the buying and selling of items out-of-game.

darkMishkin

darkMishkin

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

UK

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ard Wen
Do plan on asking for virtual items for Christmas?
Great idea, I'll definately be asking my Guildies for (rare max) items at Christmas

I won't, however, be asking Father Christmas to send 500k GW gold down the chimney...

v__p

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

australia

kick asse aussies

W/Mo

im a pretty addicted gamer, ive spent around 200+ hours all together, i average aorund 2-3 hours a day, though if something is good on the telly, id rather that over GW

Kenect

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2005

UK

I've done over 700+ hours over the past 6 months, but i cant calculate each character (i keep deleting them). I do think GW is addictive to a level, its just like smoking some can go cold turky others can never quit, the addiction levels vary from people to other people, i heard it has somthing to do with the front part of your brain and a doppelmen or something like that.

My stroy is....Once i get home, i turn the computer on play GW, go off and read the forums, have dinner (all that stuff) then play till 11pm. I can stop when ever i want it's just, if i did stop then i would be watching TV, and i already watch TV while playing GW.

I think the only time that you are playing too much is when you play nonstop like the girl in china (i think she is from there) who played WoW for 3 days nonstop and died.

Mr D J

Mr D J

Permanently Unbanned

Join Date: Jun 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tactical-Dillusions
Unfortunately, it's only around 14 hours a day
holy!!! do u have a job or u go to school??? 14 hours a day :O

Tainted Poon

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

Quote:
Thats 10 hours a day man you need an intervention
-Guillaume De Sonoma
Cervantes
rofl nice one (posted on my locked thread) I watched the intervention show on AnE with the gamer guy (trust me im not gay like him or a douchebag like that), heh maybe I do need an intervention =p, my mom gets uber pissed when I play to like 2 in the morning ^_^, but hey I still have a 3.6 gpa in school in my second semester of college so I tell her to suck it. I dunno I been like this for 7 or 8 years or so whenever sega or super nintendo came out im 17 now, I get so much fkn fun out of video games its like the best high to me over sex and all , lol I know you guys wont believe me which I dont blame ya, but I do have friends and even had a gf in high school I just rather play video games,probably discussed too much of my personal life but hey I don't care =O

De Skjeve Rechtn

De Skjeve Rechtn

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2005

Belgium (europe)

RunningRangers [RR]

Don't know if this has been posted before, but show us you /age command!

natus

natus

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

Denmark


here's mine, nothing too special if you ask me :/

De Skjeve Rechtn

De Skjeve Rechtn

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2005

Belgium (europe)

RunningRangers [RR]

when you press enter ofcourse...

Foppe

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2005

COLD, Cold Snap

Quote:
Originally Posted by natus

here's mine, nothing too special if you ask me :/
^^ hahaha

The undead Mesmer

The undead Mesmer

Delphian Scribe

Join Date: May 2005

Holland

No guild ;_;

N/Me

I whill yust tell ya that i played 807 hours over 6 months.

Happy now

boxterduke

boxterduke

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

Walking the ruins of Ascalon

DVDF

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by natus

here's mine, nothing too special if you ask me :/
lol, hahahahahahahahahhahaha

Janky Crackafoo

Janky Crackafoo

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2005

A cave in the Southern Shiverpeaks.

Absolute Betrayal [AB]

W/N

account: 954 hours 27 minutes over 6 months

main character: 413 hours 19 minutes over 5 months

...sigh...

wolver1ne

wolver1ne

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

W/N

Not much really. I stopped for a month or so at some point.

Scorpion Boy

Scorpion Boy

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by natus

here's mine, nothing too special if you ask me :/
thats funny....i have the same /age as you

Racthoh

Racthoh

Did I hear 7 heroes?

Join Date: May 2005

Scars Meadows [SMS], Guild Leader (Not Recruiting)

I play as my warrior too much...