Comments on: Making Online Friends Through MMORPGs

By: lucy jenny

lucy jenny — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:02:56 +0000

switched to EQ2 when it came out. The game itself is interesting enough to me that I enjoy it whether solo or whatever. I’ve been in some awesome guilds, and have a couple of friends made from them that I’m in IRL (though “email only” again) contact with a few here and there. Currently I’m in an IRL friends guild with co-workers and family and such. It’s fun to play with them on weekends, and I don’t mind the rest of the week being “the solo scene.” Or I can play EVE the rest of the week too, and sometimes do.

By: lucy jenny

lucy jenny — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:01:21 +0000

send me the latet on friends to know more

By: The Philosophy Of Friendship - We Fly Spitfires - MMORPG Blog

The Philosophy Of Friendship - We Fly Spitfires - MMORPG Blog — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:42:29 +0000

[...] them over a mic, it’s impossible to see their body language. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m totally into having online friends and I’ve got loads that I consider to be close ones. What I mean though is that I’m not [...]

By: JC

JC — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:32:06 +0000

My 1st MMO was Star Wars: Galaxies. I found I actually rather enjoyed the socializing in the cantinas, and so while the female toon I made was intended to be a combat-only toon in order to break the stereotype that all the females were entertainers of some stripe I did get talked in to becoming a Dancer and eventually went on to do musician and image design as well — so much for breaking sterotype, no?

Anyway… I found the big entertainer groups you joined in order to maximize your healing xp to be a lot of fun with the chatting and such, and that toon eventually ended up joining an entertainers guild. I made a bunch of friends from it and am still in regular contact with 3 of them, even if it is “email only.” I have about 10 of them on my Facebook, I actually have met one of them IRL a few times. And when it comes down to it — that was why I played. The people I met playing. Once they started drifting away from the gam, I drifted as well — SWG by itself was rather boring, really.

I switched to EQ2 when it came out. The game itself is interesting enough to me that I enjoy it whether solo or whatever. I’ve been in some awesome guilds, and have a couple of friends made from them that I’m in IRL (though “email only” again) contact with a few here and there. Currently I’m in an IRL friends guild with co-workers and family and such. It’s fun to play with them on weekends, and I don’t mind the rest of the week being “the solo scene.” Or I can play EVE the rest of the week too, and sometimes do.

EVE’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax and this is already too long, though

By: Gordon

Gordon — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:24:15 +0000

@Tesh I completely agree, Tesh. I play a MMORPG because it’s a game, not because it’s social networking. As much as I love socialising, I see it has a part of MMORPGs not the point. It’s like any group activity or sport - we partake to play the game and doing it with people you like only enhances it further. I wasn’t thinking about you btw when I said “although some disagree” at the start

@Sharon Definitely the power of the Internet and online gaming at it’s best when it can bring people together! A lot of critics say that these sorts of activities are ruining real social interaction but I actually think it’s enhancing it.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:49:46 +0000

My little WoW guild of the past four years has been dissolving rapidly in recent months as people quit the game and move on to other things, but since we’ve connected via Facebook, there’s less need to log in to the game just to catch up. I love those guys, and it’s so neat to think that while it was WoW that brought us together, it’s been sharing other stuff (weddings, moves, job changes, new babies, etc.) that’s kept us together. I’ve met a couple of them irl, and we’ve become very close offline friends now too. Our husbands enjoy joking with each other about how geeky their game-playing wives are.

By: Psychochild’s Blog » Why “addiction” is the wrong word

Psychochild’s Blog » Why “addiction” is the wrong word — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:33:30 +0000

[...] years later we still have people interested in the game. I believe part of the issue is that the social elements of games can be really compelling, especially for those of us who aren’t always comfortable going [...]

By: Beej

Beej — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:33:29 +0000

Almost the entire reason to play MMOs for me is to make friends (or keep up with the ones I already have who might have moved away). I’ve loved being able to meet up with friends from WoW I’ve met who live states and time zones away and have them crash on my couch for a week. It really makes it so that the game actually has some virtue and that the friendships are more real. Not to say that people I’ve never met IRL I don’t consider friends, but there is a certain kind of bond developed when you realize that someone is willing travel time just to hang out when you’ve only ever talked over vent or Facebook.

By: Openedge1

Openedge1 — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:09:45 +0000

This is a good piece matching up with my post today on guild hardship.
In the past I was REALLY into the guild structures. I have been in some great guilds that lasted a long time.
But, as always happens, drama takes over. The “hidden” aspect we acquire within these games, and the anonymity some keep makes it easier for people to be a**hats!
I grew tired of that avenue. The players became a means to an end, and solo play just ends up being more fun.
I like some of the relationships…but they do not last.
I agree with Tesh overall that the game should find a way to help players work together and not make it THE game.
Hopefully I can realize how to be in a guild again and work together with people who all have a goal of having fun in the game…because when it becomes work to keep everyone together..
I am not having fun anymore.

By: Tesh

Tesh — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:33:48 +0000

Heh, I don’t disagree that MMOs are a great venue to make friends in. I just disagree that such should be the goal of game design.