Dangers of getting to much into RPG games

[WhiteAvatar]

I read the net-news 24 hours a day...

Some dangers of 2 much RPG gaming are:

1) People who murder people because they believe they are an RPG-character
2) Becoming dis-attached from society, because you go into the RPG games (especially with net games like World of Warcraft and so)
3) Changing your behaivour and thoughts, and that you start to think as if you were like your computer/console game-character, and act like it

I play RPGs a lot on my PCs, but not net-play or so, but i am an adult of 36 years old and know very good the difrence between real life and a computer game.

What about you ?

btw : about the 1st) , some minors in the USA killed their family , after playing some computer game (i think it was final fantasy). The boy was angry at his father , and killed his whole family.
Sad but true.

[DaemianLucifer]

Ah,blaming the game for bad upbringing and society in general.Nothing better than that.As for the rest,that doesnt go just for RPGs.There are loads of games that can detach you from society.For example counter strike.

[myythryyn]

i think computer games are just like any tool that if used wrong can have negative impact. especially online gaming.

for some people who have certain mental conditions, or personality types, computer/console/online games can be very bad for them.
i dont think a mentally healthy person can develop serious mental problems from playing games, but for somone who already has these things or is prone to mental illness, it can make them worse.
like the kid that killed his family. i can only assume the child was already mentally unhealthy, a healthy child could never be driven to kill his parents by a game.

or people with addictive personalities should never play online games.
my cousin is one of those types. shes an arts and crafts person, she knits, sews, makes jewelry, all those things.
but as soon as she gets a game to play, everything stops. she falls behind in all her craft projects, doesnt fill in her customer orders, doesnt clean the house, and ive even caught her calling in sick for work to stay home and play. her recent gaming binge was on oblivian.
she eventually finished the game after playing non stop every day for about three weeks, and now is back to normal.
But she knows not to ever try out a game like world of warcrack, since games like that dont end.
i always find it funny how some people refuse to accept the reality of how addictive online games can be for certain personality types.

i have met people who wont touch any computer games just for that reason, they think its wasting time and know they will get sucked into the game. and there are other people who games just dont click with them, they dont interest them all at.
so i think it really depends on your personality type if games can be bad for you.

for myself, i can say that when i was in school, games provided an escape from reality, i would skip school alot to stay home and play games.
I wouldnt say games were the cause of that though. I might have just been of those kids that likes to skip school, games just gave me extra motivation to do that, and if i didnt play games i might have missed just as many classess anyways.
but i do sometimes wonder what i would be doing if i didnt play games alot, if i would be doing something more productive....maybe i would be knitting, sewing and making jewelry too
or maybe id just end up being of one those couch potatoes
who knows, at least im having fun

[ThunderTitan]

Some dangers of 2 much RPG gaming are:

1) People who murder people because they believe they are an RPG-character
2) Becoming dis-attached from society, because you go into the RPG games (especially with net games like World of Warcraft and so)
3) Changing your behaivour and thoughts, and that you start to think as if you were like your computer/console game-character, and act like it

I play RPGs a lot on my PCs, but not net-play or so, but i am an adult of 36 years old and know very good the difrence between real life and a computer game.

What about you ?

I'm thinking Llort...


And anyone who'd hurt someone just because of a game is an evolutionary dead end which i for one am glad to be rid of.

[Kristo]

Some dangers of 2 much RPG gaming are:

1) People who murder people because they believe they are an RPG-character

Lock 'em up and throw away the key. FWIW, I don't think it's the game's fault. Such people probably would have killed somebody anyway, game or no game.

2) Becoming dis-attached from society, because you go into the RPG games (especially with net games like World of Warcraft and so)
3) Changing your behaivour and thoughts, and that you start to think as if you were like your computer/console game-character, and act like it

We had a discussion about this in a college philosophy class. The level of immersion in these games is so high that given enough exposure, one becomes more associated with the digital society than Real Life. But is it necessarily bad for the concept of "you" to be more digital than physical? If the requirements for physical existence (i.e., food, water, a modicum of sleep, etc.) are fulfilled, one could theoretically exist in the digital world indefinitely.

The discussion assumed we were dealing with adults. When someone brought up the idea of children (i.e., pre-teens and adolescents) playing these games, we agreed that the parents need to be in control. Most parents do not want their children to become "lost" in an online world.

[DaemianLucifer]

The discussion assumed we were dealing with adults. When someone brought up the idea of children (i.e., pre-teens and adolescents) playing these games, we agreed that the parents need to be in control. Most parents do not want their children to become "lost" in an online world.

Same as with children been raised by the street some time in the past,because their parrents neglected them.

[Kalah]

Here's a few dangers from playing too much:

- prioritizing gaming over real relationships
- shouting "Jaheira" in the middle of it, instead of the name of your girlfriend
- losing your job, not because you didn't show up for work, but because you beat your boss online
- forgetting what those... things... outside... are. You know, them big green things

[DaemianLucifer]

- shouting "Jaheira" in the middle of it, instead of the name of your girlfriend

But imagine if she was into it as well,so you roleplay an RPG game in bed

[ThunderTitan]

- shouting "Jaheira" in the middle of it, instead of the name of your girlfriend

At least your gf can be comforted in the knowledge that there's no real person you prefer over her.


@DL
Break you'self foo'.... da street still be raisin' us. Represent.

[Caradoc]

You can say all the same things about watching TV, or reading, or listening to the Old Man telling tales over the campfire. Kids who dress up like ghosts or witches on Halloween don't go haunting houses or casting spells. Make-believe is an important part of childhood development. Experiencing the world through other personas gives us a better perspective on who we are.

[Corribus]

You can say all the same things about watching TV, or reading, or listening to the Old Man telling tales over the campfire. Kids who dress up like ghosts or witches on Halloween don't go haunting houses or casting spells. Make-believe is an important part of childhood development. Experiencing the world through other personas gives us a better perspective on who we are.

You tell 'em, Charles!

[Mytical]

I have said it before and I will say it again. Blaming video games (or whatever) is just a product of the 'Not me Syndrome'. It can affect anybody, strike without warning, and last until you actualy take responsibility for your OWN actions. I am not saying there are not mental defects or such, but if they exsist then outside stimuli have no baring on it. A game, your upbringing, your sad life, or whatever are just excuses. There are people who have it just as bad OR worse and do not commit murders or such. I will like to quote one of my favorite quotes from a 'tv show' that I just loved.

"You went on a killing rambage through 2 states and killed 12 people in 3 days. I don't feel sorry for you. Don't cry to me how your father didn't hug you or your life is so horrible. You can go to (edited for the underage set)." This debate however raged for several pages and was finally closed down. So this is the last I will say on the subject. Have a nice day.

[theLuckyDragon]

As with practically everything made by man, the solution is moderation.

[ThunderTitan]

There are people who have it just as bad OR worse and do not commit murders or such.

Unfortunatly they get little attention until someone blows someone elses brains out.

[Omega_Destroyer]

It's easier to blame something you don't understand. I catch grief about playing videogames from a lot of people who haven't even tried them. And as theLuckyDragon pointed out, moderation is key.

[ThunderTitan]

And as theLuckyDragon pointed out, moderation is key.

Only if you want to be average at something.

It's easier to blame something without trying to understand it.

All better now.

[asandir]

"it wasn't me it was the game!" gimme a break, the game didn't make you go to a drawer, grab a gun, load it up and then line someone up and make you pull the trigger, you did that sh#t yourself - this lack of personal responsibility gives me the sh#ts bigtime!!!

and for the minors .... where the bloody hell are the parents??!! This just amazes me no end!

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

btw : about the 1st) , some minors in the USA killed their family , after playing some computer game (i think it was final fantasy). The boy was angry at his father , and killed his whole family.
Sad but true.

The boy probably went to school too, yes? And in school he read BOOKS. This implies that reading BOOKS made him do it. Let us now burn all books to be sure our children don't become psychos and we need to kill all librarians so they can't corrupt our kids with their evil books.

On the way to school he rode in an AUTOMOBILE, either a personal vehicle or a bus most likely. This means that AUTOMOBILES are inherently evil and also contributed to the boy killing his family so we need to immediately destroy all means of mechanical transportation. Let's kill everyone in the evil AUTOMOBILE industry so they can't make our kids into murderers.

When the boy got on the bus he was probably wearing SHOES. The murders could have been the result of the brand of SHOES he was wearing. I say we burn every facility where shoes or any other clothing is produced and kill everyone working there so they can't corrupt our children.

I tremble to think of everything else that was obviously involved in making the boy a killer.

In short we need to do a lot of investigating and a lot of killing to keep our children from becoming cold blooded killers. Now where shall we start?

GOW

[asandir]

nice post GOW .... my sentiments exactly!

[DaemianLucifer]

the lynx made me do it!