WOW's addictiveness.....................
- Thread starter Things change I've changed
- Start date
I bought it on day one and I'm glad i got banned after 7 month of playing, I was gutted at the time, but looking at all my mates who still play it, they have turned into sad wow addicts who never play anything else.
Getting banned is the only good way to stop when you have a high level char, as its just too hard to give it up.
Getting banned is the only good way to stop when you have a high level char, as its just too hard to give it up.
Soldato
- Joined
- 28 Jun 2006
- Posts
- 5,270
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne
Noxis said:
The first EQ damaged me physically (I lived on fizzy drinks and pizza for three years - put on four stone) and nearly cost me my job (sitting and daydreaming about what to do that night). I could easily spend over 40 hours a week playing - sometimes much more.
I played WoW a fair bit, got a character to level 60 and several others to 30 but I'm very careful about the amount of time I spend on any games these days.
I've lost most of that weight and now have a great job which I wouldn't jeopardise for anything (especially when they make me redundant $$$$$$$!
).
Associate
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 715
- Location
- Wales, UK
WoW never really grabbed me at all. I did have some fun initially but it got way too boring near the end. End game in WoW just doesn't cut it for me. The game itself is solid enough tho and can see why some find it addictive but I found it either a bit too shallow or repitiious.
Having said that, Eve Online was my addiction and that can be repitious at times too, but the depth of it and Sci-Fi setting just seemed more palpable somehow. Being a persistant universe where you can change many things in it is the kicker in that game. People really do have an impact and can leave a mark/legacy, so its always evolving. Games like WoW are essentially static in comparison, which feels like you are playing on rails....meh, if I want that sort of thing I'd play games like Oblivion, NVN or Spellforce etc....a lot less hassle
Having said that, Eve Online was my addiction and that can be repitious at times too, but the depth of it and Sci-Fi setting just seemed more palpable somehow. Being a persistant universe where you can change many things in it is the kicker in that game. People really do have an impact and can leave a mark/legacy, so its always evolving. Games like WoW are essentially static in comparison, which feels like you are playing on rails....meh, if I want that sort of thing I'd play games like Oblivion, NVN or Spellforce etc....a lot less hassle
Meh, WoW is adictive as you want it to be.
TBH if your finding yourself playing it for more than 8hrs a day, then you should step back and look at what your doing. You may be one of these people who is easily addicted to games and you should limit the amount you play.
I mainly play because of the people in my guild. And some times I can play from 5pm to 1am on a weekday. However I personally like to make that a rare event. Limiting myself to no more than 12hrs a week is normally enough and leaves me enough time to have a life outside of WoW without missing the raids.
TBH if your finding yourself playing it for more than 8hrs a day, then you should step back and look at what your doing. You may be one of these people who is easily addicted to games and you should limit the amount you play.
I mainly play because of the people in my guild. And some times I can play from 5pm to 1am on a weekday. However I personally like to make that a rare event. Limiting myself to no more than 12hrs a week is normally enough and leaves me enough time to have a life outside of WoW without missing the raids.
didnt have time to read all the threads so this may have already been metnioned buuut...
didn't 1 guy get so addicted that he played for 10 days straight... only getting up to go to the toilet and drink, died or somthing - i dont know maybe its just a rumor! .... heard about it a few times though, they had an online funeral for him :S crazy geeks!...
always sombody who has to take it to the next level
cant they just be happy with getting addicted to it!
didn't 1 guy get so addicted that he played for 10 days straight... only getting up to go to the toilet and drink, died or somthing - i dont know maybe its just a rumor! .... heard about it a few times though, they had an online funeral for him :S crazy geeks!...
always sombody who has to take it to the next level
cant they just be happy with getting addicted to it!
ancient!Just seen this on an American WoW forum about recruiting into the current world best guild, although it is fairly old:
I do feel genuinely sorry for these people as they must be so messed up in real life, addiction isnt the word!
I do feel genuinely sorry for these people as they must be so messed up in real life, addiction isnt the word!
Six out of eight of my old housemates are all hopelessly addicted to WoW to the point where I don't really speak to them anymore. It's too painful to listen to a night where the only discussion is WoW and where they'll be on their laptops playing as they talk to you.
It's appallingly sad to a length that cannot be described. I lived with them as they started their decent into MMORPG hell. I warned and teased them that they'd all be like crack addicts a few months down the line and they used to get very offended over it. Now they're complete addicts.
There was a three day period that one of my housemates didn't move from her seat in the living room with her laptop. Her husband brought her food for the full three days and she slept in short breaks for maybe an hour every 8 or so hours. It was a truly disturbing site to wake up each morning for work and see her sat there, get in from work and see her sat there, go out with friends and get back in and she'd still be there. Her husband never used to play WoW, but since they've moved into a flat with just each other he has started playing and is now totally hooked (I'm guessing to try and finally get some quality time with his wife).
The other guys I lived with moved in with some of their other friends who are also completely whacked out on WoW. It really is scary. The only time we hear from them is when it's one of their birthdays and we get invited over for a drink and to listen to them talk about absolutely nothing else but WoW (and I really do mean NOTHING else).
They've pretty much lost all contact with the world outside of WoW and their WoW group. They play obsessively with every single spare minute of their day. They joke about how into the game they are and how they know it's all they ever talk about, but the second myself, my missus or my friends have tried to point out that they're dangerously addicted and have lost contact with everyone and everything else, they get very very defensive.
I honestly think it would be far healthier and safer to indulge in a spot of heroin or crack. I think it would do far less damage than WoW is currently doing to them.
I have been addicted to Ultima, Everquest and especially DAOC in the past. I'll never touch one of those games again. DAOC expecially killed my social life for a good couple of years and left me with no drive to do anything other than play. I thought I had it bad, but the people I mentioned above have gone 100 times deeper into addiction than I thought was possible. I guess it is down to knowing and living with other addicts who make them feel like it is all a normal part of life.
If you're playing for more than 3- 4 hours a day I'd say you have a problem. Eight hours of the day is a 1/3 of the day. I'd say even playing for 3 - 4 hours a day is far far far too much. Unfortunately the crack head companies who develop these games make various encounters/ quests need 3- 4 or more hours to complete for the very reason of getting people addicted.
If you can't put it down after 30 minutes/ drop of a hat, then it is just not worth playing under any circumstances. There's nothing sadder than "Honey, I'm horny, get your ass in here" or "Dude, lets go get blasted at the local" or "<insert real life moment here>" when your reply is "Sorry, I need to go to the realm of Outer Gobeldygook to get an imaginary gem to imbue my sword first. I'll be there in 6 hours or not at all." That is if that person still has contact with non- pixelated people who aren't their parents or peeved off partner.
It's appallingly sad to a length that cannot be described. I lived with them as they started their decent into MMORPG hell. I warned and teased them that they'd all be like crack addicts a few months down the line and they used to get very offended over it. Now they're complete addicts.
There was a three day period that one of my housemates didn't move from her seat in the living room with her laptop. Her husband brought her food for the full three days and she slept in short breaks for maybe an hour every 8 or so hours. It was a truly disturbing site to wake up each morning for work and see her sat there, get in from work and see her sat there, go out with friends and get back in and she'd still be there. Her husband never used to play WoW, but since they've moved into a flat with just each other he has started playing and is now totally hooked (I'm guessing to try and finally get some quality time with his wife).
The other guys I lived with moved in with some of their other friends who are also completely whacked out on WoW. It really is scary. The only time we hear from them is when it's one of their birthdays and we get invited over for a drink and to listen to them talk about absolutely nothing else but WoW (and I really do mean NOTHING else).
They've pretty much lost all contact with the world outside of WoW and their WoW group. They play obsessively with every single spare minute of their day. They joke about how into the game they are and how they know it's all they ever talk about, but the second myself, my missus or my friends have tried to point out that they're dangerously addicted and have lost contact with everyone and everything else, they get very very defensive.
I honestly think it would be far healthier and safer to indulge in a spot of heroin or crack. I think it would do far less damage than WoW is currently doing to them.
I have been addicted to Ultima, Everquest and especially DAOC in the past. I'll never touch one of those games again. DAOC expecially killed my social life for a good couple of years and left me with no drive to do anything other than play. I thought I had it bad, but the people I mentioned above have gone 100 times deeper into addiction than I thought was possible. I guess it is down to knowing and living with other addicts who make them feel like it is all a normal part of life.
Kodiak said:
If you're playing for more than 3- 4 hours a day I'd say you have a problem. Eight hours of the day is a 1/3 of the day. I'd say even playing for 3 - 4 hours a day is far far far too much. Unfortunately the crack head companies who develop these games make various encounters/ quests need 3- 4 or more hours to complete for the very reason of getting people addicted.
If you can't put it down after 30 minutes/ drop of a hat, then it is just not worth playing under any circumstances. There's nothing sadder than "Honey, I'm horny, get your ass in here" or "Dude, lets go get blasted at the local" or "<insert real life moment here>" when your reply is "Sorry, I need to go to the realm of Outer Gobeldygook to get an imaginary gem to imbue my sword first. I'll be there in 6 hours or not at all." That is if that person still has contact with non- pixelated people who aren't their parents or peeved off partner.
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Jun 2005
- Posts
- 4,698
- Location
- Wiltshire
Hellsmk2 said:
True, but that's where I differ a bit, I'm addicted and play a lot, but at the first mention of beer or food and im out the door.
I guess I still have a bit of control hehe
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Feb 2006
- Posts
- 3,524
i got bored of the game around lvl 45 , had a couple of other characters about lvl 20. I recently had another little stint but quickly lost my interest
Permabanned
- Joined
- 29 Feb 2004
- Posts
- 1,922
- Location
- fife, Scotland
Noxis said:
I have played 2 MMOs, never been addicted to either. Planetside is awesome but has a couple too many bugs, and matrix online just bored me after a month or 2.
I was hooked on WoW, but the endgame content offered me no incentive to continure, so after a few alts, and seeing most the world had to offer, I quit.
High end instances just didn't appeal to me, spending hours hoping to get a drop for a minor stat increase no longer equals fun for me, the exploration and learning about my characters was.
High end instances just didn't appeal to me, spending hours hoping to get a drop for a minor stat increase no longer equals fun for me, the exploration and learning about my characters was.
Hmmm I'm surprised by reading that people here got bored of the "end game" content. It really depends on what your end game actually consisted of.
I'm one of the lucky ones I suppose as I run a guild on the Aggramar realm (horde side) and we are definitely an end-game raiding guild.
If you have seen and taken part in the encounters in Blackwing lair for example, I think very few people would describe them as boring
I'd say a good 90% of the attraction now is beating these encounters with your friends and that's why I keep playing. There is certain amount of pride in being able to beat something like Nefarian - hopefully someone else reading this post will know what I'm on about
As for addicition....I will admit it is the single most compelling game that I have ever played. I've played it since day of release and I certainly do not forsee that changing for a very long time, certainly not while we are able to do high level raids. However, I don't take it to the extreme that has been given in the examples posted on this thread.
I'm one of the lucky ones I suppose as I run a guild on the Aggramar realm (horde side) and we are definitely an end-game raiding guild.
If you have seen and taken part in the encounters in Blackwing lair for example, I think very few people would describe them as boring
I'd say a good 90% of the attraction now is beating these encounters with your friends and that's why I keep playing. There is certain amount of pride in being able to beat something like Nefarian - hopefully someone else reading this post will know what I'm on about
As for addicition....I will admit it is the single most compelling game that I have ever played. I've played it since day of release and I certainly do not forsee that changing for a very long time, certainly not while we are able to do high level raids. However, I don't take it to the extreme that has been given in the examples posted on this thread.
Soldato
- Joined
- 12 May 2005
- Posts
- 12,631
Well, I tried wow, and honestly I thought it was ok (this is the 10 day free trial) but after a few hours I simply stopped playing. It just felt boring.