I’ve played quite a few games in my time. Quite a few indeed. So when I announced that I was going to start playing WoW, I was irritated at all the negative feedback I got.

I heard a lot of “We’re never going to see you again”s and some “See you in a few months”s along with quite a few “We all know where THIS is going”s. Equip each statement with a massive eye roll and there you have it: the reaction I got from just about everyone that doesn’t already play.
I ignored it, and laughed it off. I’ve been a gamer since I met D in high school. I’ve been hooked on MMORPG’s (for any of you non-gamers that stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) for a good five years now. I’ve played Oddessy, Runescape, Diablo2, Meridian 59, UltimaOnline, EverQuest, Lineage, World Of Warcraft, Endless Online, Guild Wars, Vanguard, R.O.S.E. Online, Fly For Fun, Ragnarok, and probably a few others that I’m completely forgetting. So I’ve been around the gaming world. I know how it is.
I know.
I don’t need people rolling their eyes at me, telling me they’re disappointed in me and telling me how it’s going to be.
Um, if you know me then you know I’m not like that. I’m a big girl, and not everyone falls into that stereotype.
Or better yet, if you’ve known me long enough, you should know I’ve been down that road and that I learned my lesson. Because of all the games I’ve played, no game was more addicting or life consuming than Illarion (before you click the link, remember that it was far less developed 5 years ago than it is now).
This is Illarion. You’ll want to click to see the full images.

Quinasa at Varshikar. Click to enlarge.

Quinasa and Aristeaus at The Fluffy Sheep Tavern. Click to enlarge.

Quinasa and Aristeaus getting married. Click to enlarge.
Illarion is a free MMORPG. An isometric free RPG where you can only walk at one pace and all the character avatars look exactly the same, no matter what they’re equipped with.
To say that I loved this game would be the understatement of the century. I lived this game. I used to eat, sleep, breathe, and BATHE this game. It dictated when I slept, when I worked, when I ate (which was rarely), and everything else I did or (more likely) didn’t do.
Probably the longest period I went without having a boyfriend was while I was playing this game.
It’s not just an MMO, it’s actual role play. To have and keep a character you need to, like D&D, come up with a personality and character description as well as a back story, and then you need your character to blend in with the world around you and interact with other characters. With the old account system (there isn’t one now) you had to actually apply for an account and not only answer questions, but complete a story in a few sentences to play.
There was no questing. Power gaming was frowned upon. All the characters looked the same with our names (and numbers!) over our heads. 85% of your in game time was spent actually role playing, not gaining skills.
It. Was. AWESOME.
For a while. Then it started to become unfun. I had this whole life in game. A husband and a profession, a whole LIFE. And when it started to get unfun, it leaked into my real life. My unhappiness spilled over into my everyday activities. And even then I didn’t quit. I took it too seriously to quit. I took it so seriously for so long that I was afraid to leave, even though I was completely miserable. I needed the game. It kept me awake at night. I played for a long time this way before I finally quit. And I quit twice.
The first time I quit, I went back after a few months thinking that all I needed was a break. But no. It was far worse than that. And I played for a few more months before I quit entirely. It’s been hard. I’ve since even stopped going to the forums because I get sucked in that way too. And I know better.
So when I say I know how it is to be addicted to a game, I’m not kidding. I know how it is. I’ve been down that road. I’ve seen the Dark Side (they don’t really have cookies, don’t let them fool you). It took a lot of repairing to get my life back into shape, but I’ve done it and I won’t do that to myself again.
So I ask you to please keep your snide comments to yourself. I don’t want them. I started playing WoW because Walter has gone to Iraq and I need something time consuming and enjoyable to do so that I don’t spend all my time worrying about whether or not he’ll come home at all.
Don’t assume anything about me based on the short-comings of other people. I am NOT other people. And I’ll freaking play World Of Warcraft if I want to. So get off my case.