The Magic of Logging In - What Is It About an Avatar?

[Lagaidh]

I've noticed the following trend for a decade: 6 years spent in EverQuest and a spotty 4 years in World of Warcraft.

People are so much nicer when they log in than they ever are on forums. I sensed for the first time that I enjoyed a game less as a forum rat during 02-03 playing EverQuest.

To follow the station forums was to read about horrible things that made the game damn near unplayable! There were classes out there that were completely useless! Including mine, the venerable Paladin. What was I to do? Where was I to go? I was out on my fanny. (Uh-oh, too much TV Land last weekend.)

The crying, the bitching, the disatisfaction on forums was palpable enough that I could bite it and feel the pressure against my teeth.

But then... I would log in... and almost none of the woes were remotely true. The thing that struck me most were the instances of someone on the forums being a complete and utter dick turning out to be a great person once inside Norrath.

I wanted to post this to see if folks would discuss it, because I see the same phenomenon here too. There are a number of folks on this forum that I've come close to ignoring for being such downers... then, I've met them in game and had great experiences with them.

I suppose I could wag my finger and tell these folks they obviously don't need to worry so much on the forums... they're fine folks and an asset to this community. But I'm more perplexed at the duality of their humors.

What is it about assuming control of one's character that just "makes everything alright"? Personally, I'm pretty much the same in and out of game. I've never wanted to succumb to the temptations of internet anonymity and be so different.

I love seeing this phenomenon. I always have. From the days of the sony forum rats acting like the game was on the brink of demise (in its heyday mind you; what we have and will have here through Velious) to logging in and seeing them have the time of their lives while being amiable and quite nice to encounter.

As a software engineer, I've often wondered what the hell I'd do for a living had I been born in some earlier era... I also have to wonder what kind of leisure pursuits would have gripped me (and so many others) with the weird magic that seems to take place when just logging in.

Meh. I hope I make sense.

Anyway. I'm having a blast.