Project Lore

Sure, I've made plenty of jokes in the past about being addicted to WoW. Heck, I've even written a couple of blog posts on the topic, and we've seen the issue poked fun at in "South Park" and "The Guild." But I still was taken a bit by surprise when I recently learned that addiction therapists are making their way into WoW - actually creating characters themselves in an attempt to reach out to those who believe WoW is more than just a game. According to an article in the Telegraph, internet experts say that MMORPGs such as WoW are "are as addictive as crack cocaine." Really? In the article, psychiatrist Dr. Richard Graham says that addicts play up to 16 hours a day, and in the process neglect their social lives and educational priorities. Something that I think many of us bloggers here at Project Lore promote is the fact that the real world always should have priority over WoW (even when we would rather be playing!). And I am certain that there are people, as there are in any sub-culture, who have trouble distinguishing between the real world and the game. And those people may need psychiatric help. Or they may just need to get off their asses. Regardless, the majority of players do not have this issue. So being a gamer, I am troubled by the report quoted in the article, by Sweden’s Youth Care Foundation, which describes World of Warcraft as “more addictive than crack cocaine.” The idea of helping those with addictions certainly is a noble one. I'm just not sure whether WoW should be a targeted demographic for this when the rate of those who actually are "addicted" has got to be incredibly low. The Telegraph followed up their first article with another published last month stating that a 19-year-old man is the first to sign up for a 12-step treatment at the reStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program, in Washington state. The cost for a typical 45-day residential stay? $14,500 (£8,800). The retreat consists of activities such as camping and "wilderness adventures" - basically anything sans-technology. A psychotherapist said the institute was for quitting "cold turkey." According to the article, "the retreat is also open to outpatients seeking respite from an overreliance on joysticks, internet pornography and spending days on end staring at a computer screen." Most clients are expected to be men between ages 18 and 28. Here's one of my beefs: by comparing WoW's addictiveness to that of illegal drugs, it sounds a lot like the game is somewhat of a scapegoat for those who lose themselves in the game. Next thing we know, the game could be blamed for any violent act by some crazed person who happens to play the game. This is nothing new. In the past, the "evils" of Grand Theft Auto, FPS games, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons were blamed for society's issues. Before that, it was Rock 'n' Roll. Let's hope that WoW isn't the next up to bat. Blizzard was "unavailable for comment" in both articles. But I bet they're keeping a close eye on whatever publicity comes along from these initiatives. Sounds like a PR nightmare. As for me, I'll continue to post about those irresistible aspects of gameplay that make me "addicted." Not because I actually think I'm an addict. But instead, because I'll admit that WoW is a damn good game that makes people want to play - not need to play. It takes a certain disregard for society or RL socializing in the first place (not cyber-snorting lines) for it to go anywhere beyond that.

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This toon also happens to be a RL girl.

Have you ever wondered how many of the female toons that you see in game are actually controlled by a girl player? Considering how many comments on Project Lore I’ve seen about guys trying (oftentimes without much luck) to get their girlfriends or wives to play WoW, my guess would be the percentage isn't too high. I’ve noticed that most girl gamers, including myself, prefer to roll girl characters. That's true for RPGs, fighting games, adventure games and especially in WoW, where you really bond with your toon and stick with them for a long time. But guys? I’ve always thought that it's strange, but I've known plenty who could roll either way. Especially when it comes to the female toons that look good (generally not female orcs). Being a Horde player and a lover of all things cute, my current character is a female blood elf (the cutest feature of all - when she runs, her ears wiggle!). And since I also am a big fan of the interactive side of WoW, I tend to team up with friends for much more than just running dungeons or raids. We'll set up a time to log on for quests, exploration, achievements, leveling professions, and generally running amuck, too. My most frequent partner in crime is another female blood elf played by none other than my husband. So I’m always curious – when we /flirt, /hug, /kiss, /love, /lick or /em (insert provocative thing here) – how many other players out there are seriously unsure about what’s going on? For all they know, it could be two RL guys who are both cross-playing girl toons. Who would guess that it’s actually a husband and wife team just spreading the love? Maybe others don’t even think much about it. But when I see a girl toon, I‘m always wondering – is it a girl in RL, or a guy? If my girl toon /dances with them, and the RL player is a guy, do they think I’m flirting with them? Maybe we’re not meant to know who the RL person is – that adds a whole new level of mysticism to the game. So, what’s been your experience? Do most girls really play only female toons, as I’ve noticed? How many guys out there roll either way? And do you ever wonder about toons' RL identities, or am I the only one?

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As we all know, Season 4 is almost upon us. What does that mean for me? It means Season 2 equipment will be available for Honor. Ideally, I would be grinding out Honor and tokens with the rest of the noobs who don't have Merciless or Vengeful gear yet. I'd love to buy a whole set of Epics, since both my Enhancment and Restoration sets have ugly blue holes in them. Unfortunately, I decided long ago that battlegrounds alone are much worse than battlegrounds with friends. Now, for me, this is pretty much the case with anything in WoW. But most of my time is spent dealing with guild organization (I had no idea what I was getting myself into), raids (same), or financing my habits, both in game and IRL. This leaves precious little time for battlegrounds and even less when friends are available. Alas, Season 2 gear, it seems we are not meant to be. I guess I will have to try and make those ZA runs in the future.

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