It´s definitely a passion for me, I´ve been playing tabletop RPG games since the early 90´s, then videogames RPGs, then Everquest and nowdays mostly boardgames. And only because gaming it is a passion for me, for everything that offers in terms of creativeness, challenge, thrill, social, imagination and the like, only for that I am involved in Pantheon project. I am literally sick of the game industry giving up on the passion of gaming and relying only on the revenues and earning the most possibly money in the least possibly amount of time.
I am 46 years old and my best friends today are the same as when I was 14 years old. And that is not because we did hang out, or get drunk, or we practiced any sport or trekking. It is because we played games together, and because some of us still do.
- Elia
- Escapism into worlds I find aesthetically pleasing.
- I usually tend to keep my social interaction in game to a minimum as it has the potential to negate the whole escapism part, though I do enjoy seeing other PC's running around, as it makes the world feel more organic.
- I also enjoy the organic influence PC's have on NPC vendor inventory.
- In other words, I most desire a sort of hybrid single player game that has a couple of non-single player elements in order to make it feel more organic, less scripted.
- I don't role play.
- I just enjoy the aesthetics of the game world, the story, and some of the game mechanics.
Gaming for me depends on the day! On days that I'm feeling outgoing and needing some excitement, I'll hook up with friends, hop into a dungeon, or maybe a raid, and create more of the numerous memories I've gained over my years of MMO gaming.
On days that have worn me out, or if I'm just feeling quiet, I will go exploring on my own into the vast worlds MMO's have served as a banquet in front of us, beckoning us to discover all they have created. I find it relaxing and, at times, exhilerating, depending on where I'm exploring.
Or, I might delve into crafting for an evening, feeding my creative side, imagining myself making beautiful bookshelves, a hearty meal, or poisons I may use out on my next adventure.
This genre of game seems capable of placating the mood of any day, hence my love for MMO's, especially the great ones! They stir memories, emotions, and enable us to make friendships that last a lifetime. I look forward to exploring Terminus, and continuing to make friends and memories.
Peace!
Sparoh.
I’ve heard it described as Relaxation or Recreation.
Relaxation is about relieving stress and possibly bonding.
Recreation is about low life risk challenges.
If you play an FPS for relaxation either you are doing it wrong or your life is REALLY stressful.
Likewise a game focused around decorating your in game house for the next holiday is not going to present a challenge, unless you are really spacially challenged.
MMOs are special in that they often have overlaps of both and people who want one or the other or both. I am in the both category.
Kilsin said:Community Debate - What does gaming mean to you? Is it an escape from your daily life, a hobby, a passion or something completely different, let us know below! #MMORPG #CommunityMatters
Escape? Yes. Hobby? Yes. Passion? Yes. Primary form of entertainment? Yes.
I find it relaxing, love the unknown of what a night of MMOing might turn out to be, the exploration + lore of the game + zones. If it's a single player game ie: Grim Dawn type I enjoy how strong I can build my character/what RNG bestows upon me. In a 7 Days to Die style of game I love the base building, exploration + discoveries, surviving, items you can craft/build.
At different times in my life, my gaming hobby has been different things for me (in no particular order):
- A way to explore worlds and stories and have adventures, even when the real world provided little in the way of fodder for my imagination.
- A way to challenge myself to improve, to solve problems, to feel the satisfaction of achieving something.
- An escape from the problems and challenges of my life, a counter to the depression I often struggled with in the past.
- A way to relax, to switch my brain to a different mode, and "reset" my perspective.
- A way for me to meet new people, make new friends, and try to connect with other people.
- A creative and experimental outlet in a life that has been too often defined by stale repetition and "established" ways of doing things.
- A window into human psychology, into better understanding people and why they act the way they do
- An opportunity to improve my communication and leadership skills, my ability to organize and prioritize things, and most importantly, my patience.
It still is all those things, really. The exact mix depends on the day.
Hello, what does gaming mean to me?
Gaming online for me is...
-A way to take a break from daily chores/life setting.
-A way to lesson the stress of everyday life.
-To do things i wouldnt/couldnt do in the real world.
-Practice on my typing skills (not so much spelling/grammer).
-Lowers my high blood pressure.
-An outlet to a fantasy world from what books can not do. Imgination is great, gaming just carries on where the story ended.
-Keeps me busy from depression
-Interacting with other people froum around the world.
-Making friends (even thou it was for a moment)
-Keeps me away from clubs & bars
-Keeps me away from watching tv. Still listens to the radio/musics.
-Immerse myself in a fantasy world that is not real
-A break from the real world.
-To help others on quest, info, stuff related to in game
If its a PC game/console type. For the story content, graphics and imagining i am that character, trying to see how far i can go without dying, how much i can conqure, or how many towns i can build or capture, how many skills/spells or exp/talents i can unlock or get/find.
Eliadann said:It´s definitely a passion for me, I´ve been playing tabletop RPG games since the early 90´s, then videogames RPGs, then Everquest and nowdays mostly boardgames.
I am 46 years old and my best friends today are the same as when I was 14 years old. And that is not because we did hang out, or get drunk, or we practiced any sport or trekking. It is because we played games together, and because some of us still do.
- Elia
+1 here from me, exactly the same to a degree, although am 49, but I do miss playing board/RPG/Card games with my friends. I moved countries so not that easy to play, when ever I go back home I go along to the weekend gaming session although that hasn't been often in the last 15 years :(
It used to be a hobby that was a fun way to connect with other nerds and ignore all the normies.
Now its pretty much a political sport with every "chad" just watching lets plays with "e-celebs" *bleh* and calling themselves gamers.
Back to DnD and my chinese cartoons.
I play them as a hobby more now then I did when I was younger. I used to be hardcore into raiding and all that. We raided 3 days a week for 4 hours each of those days in EQ and I always looked forward to raid nights. But growing up and having all those responsibilities has changed me. I'm just a casual type player now. I don't even get into raiding anymore. I've tried but I just don't seem to have the drive for it like I used to. I like leveling the characters and getting them gear but I'm just not that worried about being the best and having the best gear like I once was.
So I guess it used to be a passion, hobby and distraction. Now it's just a hobby.
More than a hobby. It's an outlet for parts of my personality that I have no other outlet for. That's why I usually play a healer/rezzer and an alchemist/potion maker. I can perform random acts of kindness that I can't do irl. I've never charged for a Rez or potion. It's fun to help someone, that needs it.
I grew up with the advent of personal computers, back when Collosal Cave was collosal and having a ZX-81 was a big deal. Gaming has been a part of my life since those times. It is a hobby and a passion. I wouldnt call it an escape from my "daily life" either, it is a part of my daily life and as important as anything else (second only to my family).
Escape and immersion in a world that I enjoy being in.
A lot of my feelings about gaming have to do with early experience. When I was little, my sister gave me a couple of fantasy books and they became my world, and led to a lifetime of reading fantasy. I first played D&D in college, and it was a passage into worlds like the ones I'd been reading.
I played video games, but I wouldn't say I ever became passionate about them until I tried Dark Age of Camelot in 2001. I fell into that world, which led to other fantasy MMOs.
That feeling, that I can't really put words to, is what I crave. If a game too much resembles real world chores, then it ceases to be fun and becomes unpleasant.
For me there is almost nothing that makes me happier than being part of a group exploring the world, learning to fight together, living for the moments in the game rather than having a goal like Must Get To Endgame Now, which makes the rest of the game meaningless. The rest of the game should never be less meaningful than the end, or what's the point?
Gaming is an escape, an exploration, a challenge, an adrenaline rush, a social experience, an oppurtunity to express myself creatively & experience others' creativity, a shared experience, a membership in a secret club, a lucid dream, etc.
Crowsinger said:That feeling, that I can't really put words to, is what I crave. If a game too much resembles real world chores, then it ceases to be fun and becomes unpleasant.
For me there is almost nothing that makes me happier than being part of a group exploring the world, learning to fight together, living for the moments in the game rather than having a goal like Must Get To Endgame Now, which makes the rest of the game meaningless. The rest of the game should never be less meaningful than the end, or what's the point?
I 100% agree.
Not much anymore, however thanks to covid, it means more than I'd like it to.
I have avoided many game publishers, game development companies, and video game launches for various reasons ranging from bad business practices to employee scandals and even politics. I don't purchase many new games these days at launch because more times than not the launches are complete with bugs, dishonesty, and incomplete/cut content. Then I often lose interest and when I do see them on sale they no longer look interesting or look dated. The result of the past 10 years of gaming has basically pushed me out as a consumer. When I have kids (which is a possibility in the soonish future I think), I have already decided I will do my best to ensure video games are not a part of their lives. Yeah, my opinion might only be worth $60 here and there, but now it will be a little bit more.
I've been enjoying my time on PS5 visiting some notable gaming highs, but the list is remarkably small imo and more times than not some games drag for so long I just stop playing to surf the internet.
So, what is gaming to me now? A waste of time and life progress. However, some games I like to hope to waste time and progress in, like Pantheon. I'd rather play a video game than watch a TV show, but my list is growing smaller by the decade, as is my patience, understanding, ability to tolerate bullshit.